Chapter 78

Lu Xiuyi didn't sleep well all night, waking up several times from her dreams. Perhaps she dreamed of Bu Ye being caught by the soldiers and about to be beheaded, or encountering a fierce beast in the Dongmang Mountains and being eaten...

Seeing that it was almost dawn, she decided not to sleep anymore, put on her clothes, and sat by the bed in a daze.

She was afraid that she would not forget Bu Ye in the coming years, so she had secretly decided to continue living with her son Sheng'er. Although it was hard to raise a child alone, hadn't she been doing this for the past two years?

She had just turned her head to look at Sheng'er when she suddenly heard a banging on the door.

Yes, it was banging!

It was still dim at this time, yet someone was banging on their courtyard gate.

What was going on?

Everyone had just arrived here yesterday. Although they had houses and beds, they hadn't yet developed a sense of belonging. Now, hearing the banging and shouting outside, she panicked, thinking that something bad must have happened.

She quickly got dressed, and at this moment, Sheng'er was also awakened. She helped Sheng'er put on his clothes.

Someone had already gone to open the door, and then they heard the intruder shout, "People of Dongmang Village, come out and gather! The officials have something to say!"

When Lu Xiuyi, holding Sheng'er, reached the courtyard, it was already full of people.

A group of soldiers blocked the gate, and the leading officer shouted loudly, "Is there anyone else who hasn't come out?"

When the last old woman came out of the house, all the villagers of Dongmang Village were finally gathered in the courtyard.

Then the officer sneered and said something that was like a bolt of lightning to everyone.

The officer accused them of knowing but not reporting Bu Ye, and of harboring him, which led to the soldiers being caught off guard when Bu Ye attacked, resulting in heavy casualties. Bu Ye had escaped, but the villagers who had harbored him still needed to be punished. By noon, ten instigators would be found and beheaded at the south city gate!

The villagers immediately fell into chaos, and at the same time, chaos erupted in the other six courtyards, with shouts, curses, and cries everywhere.

This was truly jumping out of the tiger's mouth only to fall into the wolf's den!

Although only ten instigators would be beheaded, the villagers of Dongmang Village had suffered many disasters and had developed deep bonds. No one could accept the death of anyone.

The mountain people had a strong sense of justice, and in the courtyard where Chen Qingyan was, a conflict even broke out with the soldiers.

However, a moment later, with the sudden arrival of the White Wolf Camp, they violently subdued all those who dared to resist or speak out, and the villagers finally fell into a desperate silence, having to accept the reality.

They were already living under others' roofs and had no say.

When it was fully light, Lu Xiuyi, Chen Qingyan, Gao Qun, Chai Wangming, two young men who reacted strongly, and four old people were tied up and escorted down the long street in front of everyone.

Lu Xiuyi handed Sheng'er to an old woman in the village. When she was being escorted away, Sheng'er suddenly broke free from the old woman's arms and ran to Lu Xiuyi's side, hugging her leg.

"Mom! Mom!!" Sheng'er realized that something serious was happening and only knew to cry and shout.

"Brat, get out of the way!" a soldier nearby shouted, trying to pull Sheng'er away.

"Bad guys! You're all bad guys!" Sheng'er clung tightly to Lu Xiuyi's leg, crying and shouting.

"Get out of the way!"

The soldier was strong and pulled Sheng'er away, pushing him to the side.

Sheng'er fell to the ground with a thud, but he got up and tried to rush to Lu Xiuyi again. Fortunately, he was promptly held back by the villagers.

However, while someone held Sheng'er, no one held Lu Xiuyi. After crying out "Sheng'er," she, with her hands tied behind her back, lowered her head and suddenly charged at the soldier's chest.

The soldier's attention was completely on Sheng'er, and by the time he realized Lu Xiuyi was charging, it was too late.

"Bang!!"

After being hit, the soldier took three big steps back, feeling a dull pain in his chest. He was so angry that he rushed back and slapped Lu Xiuyi, causing her mouth to bleed.

But Lu Xiuyi was not afraid and glared back at him.

At the same time, the villagers, seeing Lu Xiuyi being hit, the anger they had suppressed flared up again.

Shouts, noise, and even some people rushing at the soldier made the atmosphere tense.

Killing someone is just a matter of a nod, but what the soldier did was too much, and no one could tolerate it.

However, there were five people from the White Wolf Camp on the side, all of them at the Heart Cloud level or above. They stepped forward and protected the soldiers and Lu Xiuyi and the others.

As the day grew brighter, the entire Muyuan City was in an uproar because notices had been posted everywhere.

There was going to be a beheading, and ten people at once. Moreover, it seemed to involve the death of a military officer and soldiers, which made the long-peaceful Muyuan City suddenly restless...

As noon approached, more and more people left the south city gate and gathered near the execution platform.

The execution platform was built of blue bricks, square, with a side length of twenty meters and a height of only one meter. The blue bricks, eroded by time, had lost their edges and their color had faded. However, the bricks in the center of the platform were particularly dark, with a faint smell of blood.

In the past, almost every few months, someone would be beheaded here, sometimes even several in a month.

Lu Xiuyi, Chen Qingyan, and the others were lined up and knelt on the execution platform. Behind each of them were two people, one to hold them down and prevent them from moving, and the other holding a large cleaver, responsible for the execution. They were not wearing hoods or wooden signs on their backs, and their clothes were not prison uniforms but their regular clothes. This was not Earth but Qiaoshou Star, where executions were carried out in a very primitive way.

The east, south, and west sides of the execution platform were already crowded with people, mostly residents of Muyuan City, a few temporary residents, and a small part of the villagers from Dongmang Village.

Twenty meters north of the execution platform was another triangular platform, which now had only a row of chairs and a few miscellaneous people. The important figures had not yet arrived.

However, the sun was already at its highest point, so they should be coming soon.

Most people were whispering, discussing what had happened. Although the notice had been posted, the people, accustomed to the government's euphemistic language, still believed there must be a more exciting story behind it.

Thus, various versions of speculation and "truth" began to spread among the crowd.

However, no matter which version, there was one question that could not be avoided: If these ten people were really guilty, why did they come to Muyuan City to turn themselves in?

At this moment, a group of people suddenly appeared in the north and, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, climbed onto the triangular platform in the north.

Magistrate Lu Yu stood in front of the central chair, looking at the crowd below, which numbered in the tens of thousands, and narrowed his eyes with a complex expression.

To Lu Yu's left was Wei Xing, and to his right was Chai Yujing. The rest were smaller officials from Muyuan City.

After Lu Yu sat down, the others dared to sit as well.

Then they waited in silence until a clerk ran up and said to Lu Yu, "Sir, it's almost time."

"Um." Lu Yu waved his hand, dismissing the clerk, and then stood up and walked to a long table in front.

Lu Yu picked up a scroll from the table, opened it calmly, and glanced down.

Instantly, the entire crowd fell completely silent.

Lu Yu did not look at Lu Xiuyi and the others on the execution platform; he did not want to remember the look in their eyes as they faced death.

He began to read the scroll loudly: "Two nights ago, a villager from Dongmang Village, Bu Ye..."

The initial content listed Bu Ye's crimes, such as his bloodthirsty nature, his disregard for the law, and his sudden killing spree...

It wasn't until halfway through the scroll that the main part began, reading out the crimes of Lu Xiuyi and the others.

"Dongmang Village residents Lu Xiuyi, Gao Qun, Chen Qingyan, and others, knowing Bu Ye's character, failed to report it and concealed the fact that Bu Ye had killed the bandits in the Mang Mountains, thus harboring him! This led to the soldiers, led by Captain Lu Qi, being unprepared when they tried to capture Bu Ye, and they were instead killed by Bu Ye!"

"Captain Lu Qi, Zhu Kuan, Yu Dachen, and others were pillars of the state, and the forty-nine soldiers who were killed with them were brave fighters on the front lines! Now they are wronged in the netherworld, and this hatred and this grudge can only be avenged by us, the living!"

"The main culprit, Bu Ye, is on the run, and this office has issued a nationwide warrant for his arrest. He will be captured sooner or later and beheaded in front of the soldiers' graves. As for Lu Xiuyi and the other ten people, they have been captured and must be executed to appease the public and the spirits of Captain Lu Qi and the others! If we show leniency, the soldiers on the front lines will be disheartened!"

"Therefore, they are to be brought here and beheaded. The time has come..."

No words could describe the disappointment of Lu Xiuyi, Chen Qingyan, Gao Qun, and the others. They had thought there would be some substantial content, but it was all minor crimes, and they were sentenced to death. In fact, these matters could be big or small; a different official might have laughed it off. In short, it was because of their low status and lack of voice.

Qiu Tangshan, Sun Heng, and five other soldiers also came. After arriving in Muyuan, they all chose to retire. Now, they were dressed in civilian clothes and stood with the ordinary people. They were the ones who knew the truth, so their hearts were bleeding. But at this moment, they were just like Lu Xiuyi and the others. What could they do?

They had seen through it...

This world was just like this...

On the northern platform, Magistrate Lu Yu looked at the sky, finally put down the scroll, and said, "Execute!"

But at this moment...

"Clatter, clatter, clatter!"

Horse hooves suddenly sounded!

The sound was so sudden and out of place that even the executioners with the cleavers were distracted.

Then, in the gaze of everyone, a chestnut horse suddenly leaped from the south, rising to the height of the crowd's heads, coming into everyone's view.

Its hooves glowed with a faint white light, as if it were stepping on clouds, and it galloped over the heads of the crowd! It looked majestic, but its most extraordinary feature was its ability to walk on clouds. It seemed to need no solid ground, and even a light touch to the hair of the people below was enough to support its gallop.

The rider on the horse had short hair fluttering in the wind, and his eyes were cold and sharp.

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