Chapter 48

As the weather turned cold and dry, fires were easily ignited. In the blink of an eye, the flames had spread to the front gate, which was now visible. The Guo family's retainers were thrown into chaos, with many people dropping the stones and logs they were about to throw, and looking around in confusion. Seizing this opportunity, dozens of heavily armored warriors shouted in unison, carrying a large tree trunk stripped of its branches, and charged at the gate. After a few strikes, the main gate collapsed.

Shen Jin had been observing from the rear with his cavalry. Seeing the gate collapse, he roared and charged forward on his horse, knocking over several enemies at the gate. How could they stop him? Shen Jin led the charge into the fortress, using his long spear to strike from a distance and his ring-headed saber to slash at close range, killing over a dozen men. His bravery and combat skills were well-known among the 50,000 troops of Bingzhou, and now, leading the charge, he was like a tiger among sheep.

Guo Rong, who had been directing the defense from the gate, was already intimidated by the sight of the government troops breaking in. Seeing Shen Jin's ferocity, he was terrified and fled. With their leader gone, the defenders lost their resolve. Most of them were farmers and could not stand up to the battle-hardened soldiers. They did not dare to truly resist the government troops. In a moment, they were routed.

The government infantry followed Shen Jin like a flood, shouting slogans such as "Only the ringleaders will be punished, the coerced will not be questioned!" or "Those who surrender will not be killed!" They charged deeper into the fortress. Seeing the government troops coming like wolves, many of Guo Rong's men immediately fell to their knees, some even begging for mercy. Only a few fought while retreating, protecting Guo Rong as they withdrew to the largest and most magnificent residence in the fortress. The situation quickly deteriorated, and everyone knew the outcome was certain.

The government troops soon occupied the outer areas of the fortress. Shen Jin and Gao Xiang, both experienced veterans, did not delay after joining forces. Each led fifty brave warriors to pursue the fleeing enemy and attack the main residence at the center of the fortress. The other soldiers, having no specific tasks, scattered to loot.

Lu Yao stood on the open ground in front of the fortress gate for nearly half an hour before entering, making him one of the last to enter. When he stepped into the fortress, it was already in chaos, with smoke and dust rising everywhere. Many soldiers were ransacking the civilian homes, and a soldier, his face beaming with joy, ran past Lu Yao with a bundle. An old woman cried out, chasing after the soldier, but he slapped her and kicked her to the ground. Xue Tong, who was by Lu Yao's side, glared with her large eyes, ready to be angry, but Lu Yao stopped her.

The military discipline of the government troops had deteriorated over the years. It was almost impossible to expect these soldiers, who lived on the edge of death, to follow the rules. Thus, the government troops were no different from bandits. Lu Yao had thought about stopping them, but seeing it happen often, he no longer found it strange.

This time, the looting was even something he had promised the soldiers before the battle. Without these rewards, who would be willing to endure the bitter cold and arduous marches? Who would risk their lives in battle to earn military honors for the generals? An army that did not harm the people might exist in books, but in this chaotic era, it was impossible. Seeing the soldiers looting, he only sneered in disgust and waved to a subordinate, saying, "Reiterate the military orders: looting is allowed, but those who kill civilians will be executed! Those who rape women will be executed!"

The subordinate hurried to pass the orders, and Lu Yao continued down the main road of the fortress.

In the early days of his military career, Lu Yao had tried to change and improve things. But soon he realized the futility of individual efforts in the face of the tide of history and abandoned these unrealistic ideas. In this world, no one should talk about lofty ideals and goals; just surviving was a significant achievement.

A thought suddenly crossed his mind: perhaps he should not have lingered in Bingzhou and should have found a way to return to Jiangdong. At least it was his homeland, and the southeastern region was much safer than the chaotic north. After the fall of the Western Jin, the Eastern Jin, established by Prince Sima Rui of Langya, had lasted for a long time.

But he quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea. The world was already in chaos, and the journey from Bingzhou to Jiangdong was a thousand miles long, with countless bandits and barbarians along the way. To safely reach Jiangdong would require extraordinary luck. It was better to temporarily stay with Liu Yuanshi in Bingzhou and see how the situation developed.

Lu Yao walked forward, his iron armor clinking, with his subordinates flanking him. The residents of the fortress made way for him, some even kneeling on the side of the road, so he moved quickly. The roads in the fortress were winding, and it took several turns to reach the main residence. The shouts and cries of battle were initially intense but had gradually subsided, indicating that the fighting was going well.

He walked forward, lost in thought. Suddenly, a thunderous voice shouted, "Traitor! Give me your life!" A large man lunged at him, his blade flashing toward Lu Yao's head!

Lu Yao quickly dodged.

The large man's first attack missed, but he did not hesitate, stepping forward and slashing at Lu Yao's chest. Lu Yao smiled slightly, not blocking, and dodged again.

After two failed attacks, the large man seemed to lose momentum, stumbling a few steps and showing signs of weakness. But he roared and, holding his blade behind him with both hands, continued to charge at Lu Yao!

Lu Yao sighed imperceptibly and took another step back.

Lu Yao's three steps back surprised even Xue Tong, who "hmm"ed in surprise. She knew that Lu Yao's martial arts were deeply rooted and far superior to ordinary people. When the large man suddenly attacked Lu Yao, she watched without interfering. But seeing Lu Yao retreat continuously, it seemed he had no counterattack.

As Xue Tong was puzzled, the large man was already within a few feet of Lu Yao. The fierce wind blew, making Lu Yao's hair flutter. Suddenly, the large man's body, like a puppet with its strings cut, collapsed to the ground.

Only then did everyone see the large man's face. He was the same warrior who had intercepted Shen Jin's arrow and fought on the wall. His body was covered in wounds, with deep cuts on his back and left side, revealing internal organs. Blood spurted from his mouth and nose with each breath, like a mist of blood.

The large man, now unable to move, glared at Lu Yao with fury, muttering, "Traitor! Traitor! Attacking women and children, what kind of hero are you!"

Lu Yao looked down at the large man, silent, his brows gradually furrowing. Everyone fell silent. After a moment, Gao Xiang arrived, trembling, and knelt, saying, "General, forgive me! This man is a highly skilled warrior hired by the lord. We were negligent, and he managed to escape and attack the general!"

Lu Yao did not look at Gao Xiang, only grunting lowly.

Xue Tong stepped forward, saying, "Daoming, I think this man is a true warrior. Perhaps we could... " She usually admired brave and strong men and, seeing the large man's ferocity, was moved to recruit him. Despite his severe injuries, martial artists had strong vitality, and if treated promptly and persuaded, he could become a hero in the army.

But Lu Yao was not as soft-hearted as Xue Tong. Before she finished, he made a gesture to cut his throat, saying, "Kill him!"

With that, he continued walking toward the main residence at the center of the fortress, moving even faster than before.

When Lu Yao entered the lord's residence, he saw broken weapons and bloodstains everywhere, indicating that the lord and his family and retainers had put up a fierce resistance. The government troops, with their superior numbers and individual prowess, had eventually overwhelmed them, and the lord had retreated with a few loyalists to the granary at the back of the residence.

Lu Yao stood in the courtyard, looking at the granary through two layers of the compound. The granary was large, over two zhang high, built with yellow earth and crushed stones, making it extremely sturdy, likely designed for both storage and defense.

As he continued toward the residence, he met Shen Jin, who was rushing out.

"How did it go?" Lu Yao asked, continuing to walk.

Shen Jin answered, walking beside him, "Guo Rong and his twenty-one loyalists have all been killed. We lost twelve men, and ten were severely injured. The granary is intact, and I've sent men to inventory it."

The high number of casualties surprised Lu Yao, indicating that the Guo family's final resistance was fierce.

Just as he was about to commend Shen Jin, a group of soldiers carried several bodies wrapped in coarse cloth past him. Lu Yao suddenly said, "Wait!"

He walked over and pulled back the coarse cloth, revealing a small body, that of a six- or seven-year-old child. Lu Yao's face turned grim, and he pulled back another piece of cloth, revealing a woman in fine clothing, her face twisted in terror, clearly killed in a state of extreme fear.

Lu Yao turned sharply to Shen Jin, saying, "What happened?" He spoke each word deliberately.

Shen Jin involuntarily took a step back, stammering, "Guo Rong and his loyalists were holed up in the granary, and many of our men died trying to take it. Everyone was angry... Later, we captured their family members, and the men, in a fit of rage, killed a few..."

"Killed a few..." Lu Yao pulled back another piece of cloth, revealing a young girl, her clothes disheveled, her exposed limbs covered in bruises and blood. Anyone with eyes could see that she had been brutally violated before her death.

"Do you think I am blind?" Lu Yao asked, his voice cold.

Shen Jin said softly, "The men are warriors, and sometimes they need to vent..."

Lu Yao frowned, saying, "What do you think of my orders? Those who kill civilians will be executed! Do you understand? Those who rape women will be executed! Do you understand?"

At this moment, Gao Xiang, who had presumably dealt with the large man who attacked Lu Yao, rushed in. Seeing Lu Yao's anger, he hurried to explain, "General, the granary was easy to defend but hard to attack, and Guo Rong had some skilled men. Many of our men were killed... You know, the men are from the old Bingzhou army, who survived the barbarian invasions, but were killed by this local tyrant... The men were just too angry..."

Lu Yao waved his sleeve and walked away, not listening to his rambling. He passed through another hall and reached the courtyard where the granary was located. There were still many bodies scattered around, the ground stained red with blood. A dozen or so elderly, weak, and young women were huddled in the corner, some crying, others completely terrified.

******

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