Chapter 307: Chapter 297: Murder
The West State Iron Mine rebellion erupted, with Zhu Shengkai leading twenty thousand soldiers from the Salt and Iron Department to resist Fengyu’s five thousand Iron Cavalry, attempting to slaughter Fengyu and her troops atop the mine.
Shouts of killing roared into the heavens.
Lightning flashed within thick clouds, thunder rumbled across the skies.
The Iron Cavalry clashed head-on with the fierce bandits, blades rose and fell, blood spilled as the edge of the blades glimmered. The tiger banner of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry was planted along the mine tunnels, fluttering in the wind. Despite Xie Xun only leaving Fengyu with five thousand selected Iron Cavalry soldiers, every one of them was a carefully handpicked elite, serving as both the backbone and the vanguard on the battlefield. Two thousand of them were sufficient to protect Fengyu for an hour on the mountain, waiting for Chen Jiangdong’s reinforcements.
"Don’t pursue them, let them come to us!" Fengyu said in a hushed tone.
Nuanyang watched the Iron Cavalry charging ahead and the bandits fighting as they retreated, his brows furrowed briefly before the realization struck him. Although young, Nuanyang had followed Xie Xun on the battlefield for two years; while his experience didn’t rival Feiying’s, his quick wit was undeniable. Xie Xun had left him to protect Fengyu instead of Feiying, aiming to give Nuanyang a rare opportunity to grow.
This was a mine mountain, giving Zhu Shengkai natural tactical advantages. Having captured Su Mengwei earlier, they might not dare to act recklessly for now. However, mining operations inherently required explosives and fire pits; Zhu Shengkai was likely plotting to lead them into areas laden with explosives.
Nuanyang grabbed two military flags and, after the soldiers blew the signal horn, he used the black and red flags to communicate instructions at the tunnels. The Ningzhou Iron Cavalry retreated back to the mid-mountain mine tunnels, switching tactics to emphasizing defense over offense.
Fengyu raised her gaze to the near-reaching storm clouds; torrential rain was imminent, which would render the explosives useless.
"Minimize casualties—fight while retreating to the foot of the mountain. Leave Zhu Shengkai to me!" Fengyu commanded resolutely, "Capture him alive, no matter the cost!"
"I’ve sworn to my master I wouldn’t leave your side."
"Your master isn’t here; listen to me," Fengyu replied indifferently, "Zhang Da and Chunlu are with me; there’s no need to worry."
"Alright!"
Zhu Shengkai noticed the Iron Cavalry approaching the explosive-laden area only to retreat. His eyes flashed red with rage, and his killing intent became unmistakable. "Damn it, they’ve figured it out. Brothers, attack! Kill Fengyu, and this mine mountain will belong to us!"
Fengyu couldn’t be allowed to delay long enough for reinforcements from the city to arrive; she must be killed within the hour.
With twenty thousand men on this mountain, what was there to fear?
Zhu Shengkai charged forward wielding dual blades, breaking through the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry’s shields and spears—this being the first line of defense. Leveraging their numerical advantage, the bandits breached the defenses, advancing toward the retreating Fengyu, who was being shielded by Zhang Da and Chunlu as they moved toward the mountain’s outskirts.
Suddenly, a small group of miners hidden within the tunnels emerged and lunged at Fengyu. Qiuxiang steadied Fengyu’s arm and protected her with her body, while Zhang Da, Chunlu, and the guard team fought fiercely around them.
Fengyu held a longsword for self-defense.
"Miss, let the Prince handle this!" Qiuxiang urged.
Fengyu noticed Qiuxiang’s terrified expression and, amidst the cacophony of battle cries, gently reassured her, "It’s fine, don’t be afraid."
A wounded miner saw a brief gap in Fengyu’s defense and swung his blade toward her. Fengyu pulled Qiuxiang back and dodged, deflecting the attack with her longsword before thrusting forward, piercing the miner’s abdomen.
It was Xie Xun who taught her swordsmanship, and Fengyu had practiced every night. Now, she no longer needed Xie Xun’s spirit to guide her; she dedicated more than an hour daily to honing her skills.
She always remembered Xie Xun’s words.
Do not get injured, do not put yourself in peril; if you do, he would drag her back to Ningzhou.
This was also the reason why she never removed the Soul Suppressing Pearl.
She withdrew her sword from the miner’s abdomen, blood gushing forth. Fengyu hadn’t killed anyone in many years.
Fengyu stared at the blood-stained sword tip and then at the corpse collapsing to the ground, its wide-open eyes refusing to close even in death. Childhood memories suddenly surfaced in her mind.
Qiuxiang’s face turned deathly pale—Her lady had killed someone?
The longsword slipped from Fengyu’s grip, and the scene of her first kill resurfaced in her memory. She still felt uneasy and faint.
Qiuxiang hurriedly supported her. "Miss, Miss! Are you alright?"
Fengyu hunched slightly, her gaze fixed upon the blood-smeared face of the corpse. She took a deep breath to suppress the discomfort churning within her.
"Miss..."
"I’m fine!" Fengyu waved her hand dismissively. She couldn’t let childhood experiences sway her; those years were long past, and the dead could never rise from their graves.
Rubbing her arm, she reminded herself she wasn’t trained from a young age in martial arts. Her palms stung sharply, and her entire arm throbbed painfully, her eyes reddening with discomfort. "How fragile!"
The Iron Cavalry had retreated to mid-mountain. Fengyu looked into the distance as the storm barreled closer. The skies were draped with sheets of rain, advancing rapidly, soon drenching her garments.
Chen Jiangdong’s reinforcements had arrived. Three thousand Ningzhou Iron Cavalry reached the mountainside and quickly charged into the fray. Their arrival bolstered the Iron Cavalry’s morale, which had been flagging as they fought while retreating.
Along with the three thousand Iron Cavalry came a contingent of former bandits who had left behind their lawless lives to join society. Fearing Fengyu’s five thousand Iron Cavalry couldn’t withstand Zhu Shengkai’s twenty thousand bandits, five to six thousand volunteers had formed a unit to assist. On the government side, Nangong Heng, despite his refusal to submit politically, did not wish for Fengyu to perish in West State City and thus sent the steward with troops to reinforce the battle.
Zhang Da and Chunlu shielded Fengyu as she took cover within the tunnels.
"Everyone stop! Zhu Shengkai has been captured alive. If you don’t stop now, I’ll kill him!" Nuanyang’s voice pierced through the storm and the din of battle, jolting Fengyu’s spirit.
Nuanyang hadn’t let her down!
Chen Jiangdong reached Fengyu’s side. "Miss, are you alright after such a fright?"
"I’m fine!" Fengyu replied. Barring the individual she’d personally slain, she was largely unharmed, and only Qiuxiang, Chunlu, Zhang Da, and a few guards knew of the incident. In the eyes of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, she remained the fragile Third Miss, seemingly trembling in fear from the rebellion’s chaos.
With Zhu Shengkai captured alive, the bandits under him were leaderless, further decimated by the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. They were pushed into disarray, fear replacing their ferocity.
The rain, whipped by fierce winds, struck everyone’s faces so harshly that they couldn’t open their eyes fully. Zhu Shengkai, pressed tightly by Nuanyang and escorted through the feral mob, was brought before Fengyu.
Fengyu looked at him dispassionately. Nuanyang kicked the back of his knees, forcing Zhu Shengkai to kneel before her.
"Fengyu, do you dare to kill me?" Zhu Shengkai sneered coldly. "If you kill me, you’ll be slaughtering the twenty thousand here too, turning this mine into their mass grave. Can you bear that burden?"
Fengyu’s gaze remained indifferent as she turned to the savage-looking bandits. With a wave of her hand, the Iron Cavalry spread out to either side. Removing her veil, she stood on the slope, her red attire vivid against the storm.
She proclaimed, "Zhu Shengkai is your leader. He gave you years of comfort, but your wealth was stolen, taken by force. This mine belongs to the Su Family—it belongs to me. Robbing others to feast upon their labor will never sustain you. The mine is vital for the livelihood of Ningzhou Iron Cavalry and our battle preparations. I will never relinquish it. Zhu Shengkai repeatedly blocked my efforts to mine my own property. I hold him accountable alone—none of you will be implicated!"
In the storm, Fengyu’s voice rang clear. "I promise you all: If you lay down your weapons, return to life as ordinary citizens of West State, you will be treated equally and fairly as any resident. You will have cattle, land, homes, and not live with blades against your life. Your families will no longer tremble in fear for you. But if you rebel on this mine, I will show no mercy. Surrender, and you will not be pursued. If you wish to leave West State entirely, you may choose freely. My word is my bond—Fengyu never goes back on her promises!"
The bandits exchanged glances amongst themselves, having heard of Fengyu’s deeds in West State while on the mine.
"Don’t believe her! This woman holds grudges to death. Once you submit, she will surely kill you!" Zhu Shengkai sneered, "Her words are nothing but venomous lies!"
Noting the hesitation among the bandits, Fengyu extended her hand. "Give me a sword!"
"Miss, don’t soil your hands!" Nuanyang pleaded. "If you need someone dead, say the word."
"Give me the sword!"
Pressing his lips together, Nuanyang yielded the longsword to Fengyu, who pointed it at Zhu Shengkai’s throat. He couldn’t believe she’d dare kill him in front of twenty thousand men.
"Little brat, have you killed before? Do you know how much force it takes to kill someone?"
He provoked her maliciously. "If you kill me, my brothers will avenge me. This mine will be a mass grave, and you and Xie Xun will forever bear the name of tyrants!"
Fengyu curled her lips into a cold smile amidst the downpour. "Zhu Shengkai, you overestimate yourself."
"No one will avenge you!"
Realizing she might truly end his life, Zhu Shengkai’s pupils contracted.
Fengyu leaned in slightly, smiling icily, "Killing? I am well-versed."
With a slight flick of her sword, Fengyu slit Zhu Shengkai’s throat, killing him in one precise strike.
His body rolled down the slope, swept away by the torrential rain. Fengyu turned to the bandits and asked, "Do you want revenge, or will you lay down your weapons and live peacefully?"