"What is it?" the bearded man asked impatiently. He was a martial arts fanatic and had been on the battlefield.

If he had not temporarily retired because his mother was sick at home, he would still be fighting on the battlefield.

Jiang Yue smiled, "This has nothing to do with this case, right?"

Magistrate Zhang frowned, thinking that they were tough guys who seemed to be fearless and courageous.

That's right. If they weren't brave enough, the Wang and Fang family cases alone would scare them to death. How could they get involved and dare to bargain with the adults?

He heard that on the day when the refugees entered the city, the Jiang family helped their neighbors kill more than two refugees.

He was skilled, bold, and out of control, which was a headache, but he didn't have time to worry about that now. He said, "This knife is important evidence. We need to take it away."

Jiang Nian's emotions flared up. He turned around and said to Jiang Yue seriously, "If we had known earlier, we wouldn't have saved him!"

Jiang Yue touched his head and said, "It's okay, I won't save you next time."

Magistrate Zhang took a deep breath and asked the bearded man to bring a few knives, saying it was as compensation.

But Jiang Nian looked down on none of them. The blades were thin, brittle, and rusty.

Finally, Jiang Yue and the other man finished their "records" and returned home empty-handed. They were completely transparent with the authorities, even if they were searched or monitored by them, which alleviated Prefect Zhang's concerns.

After returning home, Jiang Yue cooked a lot of eggs to calm Jiang Nian down.

No matter how much the people talked about this case, the Fang and Wu families kept their teeth shut and did not reveal a word to anyone.

Jiang Yue was well prepared that this case would never be brought to trial.

There must be someone in the city colluding with the refugees. This was something we noticed last time.

But the problem now is that some people in the city are beginning to take advantage of the "refugees" and cause trouble.

These people were even among the guards or officials. After all, natural disasters were not just for ordinary people.

These people who are fighting for their lives are also suffering from hunger and cold.

Having tasted the sweetness, some people will inevitably use the name of others or learn to commit crimes in order to survive.

Therefore, this case cannot be tried in public and will never be closed.

It passed quietly, and only the victim remembered it forever.

After several members of the Fang family cried bitterly, they decisively drove the Wu family back to the outer city.

The Wu family didn't dare to say anything more and left in shame because they felt guilty.

When the thieves wanted to search them, they were afraid and actually pushed the Fang family out first, saying that they had money and food...

If the news of being searched by thieves gets out, even if they are victims, their reputation will be ruined.

Especially since Fang Lu was only twelve years old and would be getting married in two years, this was going to ruin her life.

Wu was completely heartbroken. The family was now in a mess and naturally could not accommodate the Wu family.

After the yamen runners who were investigating the case left, Fang the butcher went into the Jiang family holding a cloth bag to express his gratitude.

"Military knife?" Jiang Yue was surprised.

Butcher Fang opened the cloth bag and found two sabers inside.

Jiang Yue took one of them and opened the scabbard, just like a sharp sword being drawn from its sheath. This knife was somewhat different from the large shoulder knife carried by the yamen runners.

The blade is relatively narrow, about three feet and three inches long, with a sharp edge. This is a waist knife or a short sword. It is lightweight, yet powerful and very useful.

It looked like a Japanese sword, the kind used by the Japanese to commit suicide by disembowelment. She had read some history books, and it seemed the Qi family sword mentioned in those books was of this type.

The blade is slightly curved, making it very comfortable to use.

Butcher Fang nodded. "This should be the saber used by the generals of the previous dynasty. Some time ago, refugees fled into the city. I killed a few of them and accidentally found these sabers on them. To protect myself, I secretly hid them."

Butcher Fang was not lying and said frankly that he did it to save his life.

If they were found to have secretly kept a former dynasty saber, their entire family would be imprisoned. But the Jiang family saved their lives and also gave them a good saber, so he couldn't help but be grateful.

"This knife is very valuable. Do you really want to give it to us?"

"Nothing is more precious than human life. I have no way to repay your kindness, so I can only offer you two sabers as compensation."

Jiang Yue saw that this man spoke frankly and generously, and knew that he was a loyal person. She looked sideways at Jiang Nian, and saw that his eyes were already glued to the other saber.

Jiang Yue asked him to try his hand.

He waved it briefly a few times and smiled, "It's a good knife."

Okay, she accepted it decisively.

But she had to hide outside, so she didn't dare to try. What if she was sucked away as soon as she entered the space?

When Butcher Fang saw that the other party had accepted it, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The Jiang family is capable, and their gratitude to the other party is genuine, and it may not be without the intention of trying to please them.

He asked his eldest son to stay at home while he continued to guard the city. Although he only reported the daytime, he hoped that if anything happened at home, the neighbors would help him because of his good knife.

We have to go, the food is getting less and less, and there are more and more refugees.

Magistrate Zhang sent out official letters but received no response, yet refugees continued to appear in waves. Perhaps the villagers in the nearby countryside could no longer survive, and with someone taking the lead, many others responded.

They tried every possible way to break down the city gates, scaling the walls one day, digging holes the next. The soldiers would charge out once, but the refugees would immediately retreat, refusing to engage them head-on. They would flee like stragglers, impossible to capture.

After the officers and soldiers have withdrawn, they will do it again.

The first effort is strong, the second will weaken, and the third will be exhausted.

The guards had been defeated.

After a while, the people in the city heard shouts and screams. From being terrified at first, they have gradually become accustomed to it.

On the first day of August, Fang the Butcher was off duty. His hands and feet felt weak, and his lips trembled.

He had been a butcher for so many years, had slaughtered so many pigs, that his heart had become hardened. It was rare for something to make him so panicked.

Wu was terrified and quickly poured water into him, "What's wrong with you?"

I didn't see him so panicked even when he was killing refugees.

Butcher Fang sent the children back to their rooms to sleep, then whispered, "I have a feeling the city is about to be lost!"

Wu was so frightened that the bowl in her hand fell to the floor with a clang, and she didn't care even if it broke.