Actually, Tong Bahe wasn’t wrong. Throughout this journey, Ruo Wen’s pursuit had made him deeply realize that they were utterly different from other bandits. Their faith in Ruo Wen, their obedience, had reached a subtle boundary. But bandits wouldn’t act like this. So, if they weren’t bandits, what were they? He didn’t know, and he wouldn’t live to find out.
Ruo Wen looked at the lifeless body of Tong Bahe and suddenly stood up, his cold gaze flickering slightly.
“Kill them all!” he commanded.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Mang Hu, Luo Ying, and the others let out near-hysterical screams of excitement. In an instant, the lives of nearly five hundred people became nothing more than mangled toys. The bloodthirsty demons seemed to have broken through their shackles and descended into the world.
An hour of blood and carnage passed. Ruo Wen sat leisurely on the sidelines, calmly watching the massacre unfold. His gaze grew darker as he observed this scene of human hell.
For a while, there were no more cries or screams, only the sound of exhausted panting and satisfied cursing.
Ruo Wen stood up. “Have you had enough killing?” he asked.
“Not enough! Not enough!” his brothers shouted back at him.
“Heh!” Ruo Wen laughed, raising his right fist high in the air. The crowd immediately fell silent, their eyes all fixed on him.
“From today onwards, we are no longer mere bandits! We won’t just roam the northern desert. I am going to build an army and march south!”
His rough, commanding voice pierced through everyone’s hearts. “Raise the yellow banner, emblazon it with a white crown, and I will lead you. We will take what I desire, seize what I need! Our army shall be called—The Mad Yellow Army of Heaven. Born under these boundless yellow sands, if we’re going to go mad, let’s go mad to the end. If we’re going to kill, let’s kill to the last!”
As soon as he finished speaking, there was silence for a moment, followed by deafening cheers.
From now on, Ruo Wen was no longer just a small-time bandit in the northern desert!
“I swear, I will pursue this to the very end!”
* * *
“Na Shou, how did you cure Tong Bahe’s hallucinations?”
“Hallucinations can’t be cured!”
“Then what exactly did you do...?”
“I fed Tong Bahe the root of the Everwinter Herb! Within seventy-two hours, they lose all sensory desires. Without desire, how could there be hallucinations?”
“But they can’t eat or sleep for three days. After three days, the hallucinations will return, won’t they?”
“Yes, they will.”
“Na Shou, will Tong Bahe hate you?”
“He will. Because desire is endless!”
Just like human wisdom.
* * *
Ningdu, capital of Yunpei.
Endless green trees and bright red flowers intertwined with grand, magnificent buildings stretched as far as the eye could see. Neatly arranged shops and taverns lined both sides of the well-planned streets. The wine here was sweet and rich, the grain fragrant and delicious. Looking up, one could see peaceful white clouds and blue skies, and looking down, one could find passionate young men and women. Why was it so different here?
Before this, Huang Bei Shuang had never seen such beauty and was nearly overwhelmed by the vibrancy of this world. The thirteen people behind her were even more astonished, as if they were walking in a dream.
“This is Yunpei!” Lian Huan wiped the drool that was almost dripping from his mouth. He quickly composed himself and turned to Huang Bei Shuang.
“Yes, we’ve arrived!” Huang Bei Shuang smiled and walked ahead, her expression filled with complex emotions. Why was this place so different? Life here was so peaceful and stable, and the palaces were so grand and imposing. In Ernaqi, this kind of dream couldn’t be built even in a thousand years.
“This is the strength of the first great power, isn't it? Owning the most oases and people, with a fully structured army and palace. Let’s go! We need to meet and fulfill our original mission.”
“Let’s enter the city!”
“Stop! Where are you from?” The guards at the city gate blocked their way.
Qing Yi (Night Pei's transliteration in English), the maid in blue, stepped forward and presented some jewelry, “Honored officials of Yunpei, we come from the distant Ernaqi, bringing the blessings of our people for a marriage alliance.”
Upon hearing this, the guards put away their blades. One of them, a large, fat man, stepped forward.
“Bah! Another marriage alliance? There have been dozens of you in the past few days! Show me your pass and the treaty! Which tribe are you from?” His tone was mocking, clearly looking down on the dust-covered group led by Huang Bei Shuang. As he spoke, he glanced over each of them, and when his eyes landed on Huang Bei Shuang, they lit up. “Oh my! This one’s a beauty! She’s almost as good as the one that Zhen Qu sent yesterday!” He reached out to touch Huang Bei Shuang’s face.
With a sharp clang, Lian Huan’s long sword was suddenly pressed against the fat man’s armpit. Startled, the man broke out in a cold sweat and quickly withdrew his hand. Looking at Huang Bei Shuang’s calm and dignified expression, a chill ran through him. This woman wasn’t ordinary.
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