"She's out. Why are her eyes so red? Did she just cry?"
Ling Mo Han rushed forward to meet Feng Jin as she emerged, his sharp eyes immediately noticing her reddened eyes, as if she had just been weeping. He urgently inquired.
Feng Jin reached up to shield her eyes, feigning calmness. "I'm fine... Perhaps there was dust inside, and it got into my eyes."
Feng Jin answered vaguely, her gaze wandering aimlessly, avoiding looking at Ling Mo Han beside her.
"What's the situation inside?"
"Soon. We'll have someone go in again to find a good place for the mother and son, and then find a master to perform rites for them. May they be reunited in the next life."
Feng Jin replied faintly, her head bowed, her emotions at their lowest ebb. At this moment, she no longer wanted to say anything. Instead, she could now understand Liu Meng Han's feelings.
All she could do was leave them a quiet space, allowing the mother and son a brief period of time together.
"Upset?"
Ling Mo Han noticed Feng Jin's profound low spirits. He reached out, pulling her into his embrace, and gently inquired.
"No, I just suddenly feel that Liu Meng Han and her son are quite pitiful. Ten months of pregnancy culminating in childbirth, the most joyous occasion, yet it turned out to be the day of their death. Anyone in this situation would be filled with immense sorrow."
"This is their fate, and it has nothing to do with you. Moreover, if it weren't for you, the mother and son might not have been able to see each other in life or death. You've already helped them greatly, so don't dwell on these things. Be happier."
He didn't want to see Feng Jin so worried over such minor matters. If her health deteriorated from worrying, it would truly be a loss outweighing any gain, and he absolutely would not allow such a thing to happen.
"Sigh... I won't think about it anymore. I don't want to stay in this place any longer. Let Lu Shi handle everything here. Let's go back."
The oppressive atmosphere made her feel uncomfortable all over. She just wanted to leave this place quickly. Since it was still early, she could go back and catch a bit more sleep, which was far better than staying in this dreadful place.
"As you wish. We'll go back."
Ling Mo Han naturally agreed to everything Feng Jin said. It was only Lu Shi who would suffer, having been working tirelessly for days without a proper sleep, and now he had to help collect bodies and handle burials.
"Young General, your subordinate now..."
"Lu Shi, when heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility upon a person, it must first test their resolve, exhaust their muscles and bones, and starve their body. Isn't this exactly the time for you to be tested? It's a crucial period. You cannot slack off like this, or all your efforts over the past few years will be in vain."
Ling Mo Han's thoughts shifted, and his eyes turned with a hint of cunning. He began to paint a grand picture for Lu Shi. "How about this? If you perform well during this period, I'll promote you to deputy general. What do you say?"
Upon hearing these words, Lu Shi's eyes immediately lit up with a different kind of brilliance. "Really?"
"Of course. As long as you work hard, I will absolutely not treat you poorly!"
Ling Mo Han reached out and patted Lu Shi's shoulder as encouragement. This instantly sent Lu Shi into a state of high energy, as if he had been injected with adrenaline.
"Young General, rest assured. Your subordinate will do my utmost to handle things properly and will never disappoint you!"
Lu Shi was practically ready to jump up. He was suddenly full of vigor, with not a hint of sleepiness. The most important thing now was to become a deputy general. Forget working for days without sleep; he would even be willing to go days without eating or drinking.
"Your willingness is enough. Hurry and get busy."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
With that, Lu Shi hurried out without delay. Looking at his retreating back, he seemed rather foolish.
"You are truly insidious. I suspect only Lu Shi, with his less-than-sharp mind, would be so continuously duped by you, so foolishly falling into your trap."
Feng Jin sighed helplessly. She had to admit that Lu Shi was indeed a bit foolish. Anyone with eyes could see that this was just a grand promise Ling Mo Han was using to get Lu Shi to obediently do his bidding.
If it were someone else, they would likely try to distance themselves. Only Lu Shi, foolishly drawn in, eagerly took the bait, as if he had never tasted a biscuit before.
"This can only be described as a willing exchange between Zhou Yu and Huang Gai. It's a matter of their own volition. Perhaps if you tried to stop Lu Shi now, you don't believe he wouldn't argue with you."
Ling Mo Han crossed his arms, looking self-assured. He understood Lu Shi thoroughly. If he were to tell Lu Shi not to go and to go back to rest, Lu Shi would undoubtedly become agitated.
After all, Lu Shi's long-cherished dream for many years was to become a deputy general. Such a tempting prospect would undoubtedly be incredibly sweet and delicious for Lu Shi.
"I give up on you..." Feng Jin said helplessly. She could only say that Lu Shi was too naive, and Ling Mo Han's schemes ran too deep.
She truly wondered how Lu Shi had managed to follow Ling Mo Han for so many years and remain unfailingly loyal. What was the reason behind it? It was truly unfathomable.
Ling Mo Han paid no mind to Feng Jin's contemptuous words. Instead, his expression remained calm and unfazed. He naturally wouldn't take these matters to heart or care about them. He let Feng Jin say whatever she pleased.
"The sky is starting to get light. Let's go home first before discussing other matters."
Ling Mo Han reached out, took Feng Jin's hand, and they walked forward. The most important thing now was to get home as quickly as possible.
"No carriage?" Feng Jin glanced at the empty space outside the prison gate, not a single carriage in sight. How would they get back?
"We'll ride back." Ling Mo Han led a horse from behind and walked to Feng Jin's side. He first flipped himself onto the horse's back, extended his hand to Feng Jin, and was about to pull her up.
Feng Jin immediately recognized the horse as the one that had almost thrown her off last time. Her eyes instantly dimmed, and she stared coldly at the horse.
Suddenly, she reached out and stroked the horse's neck, a wicked smile appearing on her lips. "I heard horse meat tastes quite good. This horse doesn't look too old, so its meat must be quite tender. Perhaps we should just slaughter it and eat the meat..."
"Do you think horse meat is better boiled or stir-fried? Even braised or steamed would be excellent. Let me see which cut is suitable for braising..."
Feng Jin circled the horse, looking at it from all sides, which made the horse tremble uncontrollably and whinny.