035
Fortunately, Wang Houmin wasn't stupid; his men stopped the other party as soon as they saw him make a move. The prefect, without turning his head, walked towards Qin Sang with a kind expression.
Because Kyoto was full of demons who wore multiple layers of skin on their faces, making it difficult to distinguish the real from the fake, Xie Sui'an was wary when he saw Wang Houmin. He instinctively reached out to protect Qin Sang from going forward. Jin Yun also became alert when he saw his master's actions.
"Young people, don't panic, I won't touch you." As expected, Wang Houmin did not approach Qin Sang and the others. He first had people comfort the injured people, and then chose a rock layer that had just been dug out, and bent down to examine it carefully.
“This entire mountainside is full of gold ore,” Jinyun said. “I just went there to investigate, and Master Wu has already sent people to dig out a huge mine shaft and is smelting gold on the spot! They are afraid of being discovered, so they are trying to kill people to cover it up!”
"Oh?" Wang Houmin looked up. "The mine?" He slowly stood up and looked at Wu You not far away.
Wu You felt like he was being stared at by a venomous snake, and a chill ran down his spine. He was about to speak up and make excuses when he saw Wang Houmin, who had a kind face, suddenly change his expression and say coldly, "How dare you mine gold privately and slaughter innocent people! Seize him!"
"This is my family's private land. Even if a gold mine is developed, it will still belong to my family. How can you say it's illegal mining? Wang Houmin, how dare you touch me!" Wu You was so angry that he blurted out, "Could it be that you want to seize my gold mine and harm innocent people?!"
"How ridiculous," Xie Sui'an couldn't help but sneer from the side. "The benefits of mountains and rivers all belong to the court. The court has issued a decree that all gold mines discovered are under its supervision, and it is forbidden for private mining to be carried out. If illegal mining is discovered, the offender will be convicted and exiled. Young Master Wu, what nonsense are you spouting? Do you even understand the law?"
"You!" Wu You was so angry that veins bulged on his forehead. He took a step back and said, "Arrest that thief who forcibly abducted a woman! Don't worry about him being killed or injured!"
Wang Houmin: "Stop them!"
After a brief period of feigned maneuvering, the two teams finally erupted into conflict.
The two teams were evenly matched and quickly descended into a chaotic battle.
Seeing the fierce fighting between the two sides, Qin Sang couldn't help but chant a Buddhist prayer, saying, "Fighting among the common people is truly a sin."
"You talk as if you're completely detached from this," Xie Sui'an scoffed. "This is nothing, and you've already broadened your horizons. When you get to the capital, you'll know what demons and monsters really are."
Qin Sang wholeheartedly agreed: "Indeed."
Xie Sui'an was secretly delighted, staring at her face still speckled with mud, and said with a smile, "How do you know you'll be going to Kyoto in the future? Could it be... you want to come with me?"
"Who said I have to follow you to get to Kyoto?" Qin Sang blinked her big, watery eyes, which were bright and sparkling. She had a half-smile on her face, as if she had some kind of magic that made people forget their worries at first sight.
Xie Sui'an moved his throat, and suddenly his earlobes turned red, as if he had thought of something.
How could Qin Sang, an ancient immortal who had lived for over a thousand years, not understand? But for some reason, she felt inexplicably guilty and didn't know what to say. She could only cough lightly and turn her head away, no longer joking with him.
She looked at the people who were still greedily mining despite their own lives and shouted, "Are you all out of your minds? If you find something cheap, run away quickly, otherwise you might have the life to pick up money but not the life to spend it. Hurry up and get down the mountain!"
Xie Sui'an was about to turn back and yell back when Qin Sang suddenly turned her head back. The two were already close, and as they turned back and forth, Xie Sui'an's nose almost brushed against Qin Sang's cheek, nearly kissing her.
The two of them froze instinctively, and then Qin Sang leaned back, her face turning red to the roots of her neck.
Xie Sui'an stood there dumbfounded, seemingly still savoring the moment he touched Qin Sang, who gritted her teeth and cursed, "Insolence!"
Xie Sui'an: "How dare you?!"
Qin Sang, as a detached and ascetic immortal, had long since seen through the illusions of the mortal world and severed all ties to romantic love. Even if her destined partner were to be an immortal, it would not be a mere mortal. Humans and immortals walk different paths; how could she possibly act recklessly? Even if she were now a mortal, even if she were a mortal being… a mortal being with a mortal body?
Qin Sang grasped a glimmer of hope amidst her chaotic thoughts. Could it be that the original owner of this body and the noble young man before her were destined to be together in the mortal realm?
Xie Sui'an blushed and stiffened his neck, saying, "When you were bandaging my wounds, our skin was already touching, and I didn't say anything. What are you being so coy about now? I am so handsome and dashing, do you think I'm not handsome enough?"
"..." Qin Sang: "So what if you don't mind?"
Xie Sui'an: "If you don't mind... if you don't mind, why are you hiding from me?"
Qin Sang: "I wasn't hiding at all. This is just a natural human reaction, okay!"
"..." Xie Sui'an, "So you actually don't want to hide??"
Qin Sang rolled her eyes rather rudely, then calmly reached out and turned the young master's head so he was facing the scene of the brutal battle: "Come on, let's get down to business. Who do you think will win, Magistrate Wang or Master Wu?"
"Even Master Wu hasn't shown up..." Xie Sui'an casually remarked.
But this sentence made both of them pause in surprise. Oh no, the Wu family has backup?
What they said came true; the two of them were right.
Upon hearing that Wang Houmin had led troops, Wu Fang sobered up, packed her bags, and rushed over – a classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Just then, a loud and arrogant laugh came from down the slope: "Hahaha..."
Then, a round object was thrown into the air, rolled to the ground, and splashed out a pool of deep red blood—a human head!
Everyone's expressions froze.
"Lord Wang, why didn't you let me know you were coming to my territory? I could have had tea prepared and a welcoming party held!" — This was none other than the renowned Wu Fang, the brother-in-law of Prefect Qiao.
The newcomer was a rather imposing middle-aged man with a square face, round eyes, and a robust build. As soon as he appeared, the handsome young man Wu You exclaimed with delight, "Father!"
Xie Sui'an clicked his tongue and squinted as he counted: "The number of people who came is five times that of Wang Houmin."
Qin Sang: "I thought Wu Fang was a big fat woman, but I didn't expect her to be a ruthless killer."
Xie Sui'an: "It's more important to think about how to escape."
Qin Sang: "Didn't your eagle go to get reinforcements? Why did it run away?"
Xie Sui'an: "...Sister, it's not like they can get here in a short time. Look at the people who came!"
Wu Fang brought a large number of men, and each of them was a burly and strong man.
Qin Sang couldn't help but complain, "If they're all dirt poor, how can they raise so many burly men?"
Xie Sui'an: "You can never fathom the depths of a local tyrant's wealth. Some large families are richer than a country. It's not surprising that they employ some powerful thugs."
Jinyun couldn't help but interject, "Young master, we'd better run away quickly, we can't win!"
The madman immediately echoed, "Retreat! Retreat!"
“That’s right.” Xie Sui’an was about to get up when Qin Sang grabbed him.
She was adamant: "We can't leave! If we leave, all our previous efforts will be in vain, and no one will be able to keep them in check!"
Xie Sui'an sighed softly: "As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. You must have heard that saying. Listen to me, let's go back first. After we get back, I'll find someone to come and kill him. How dare a mere official like Yuanwailang secretly plunder the treasury? I'll find someone to wipe him out!"
“But if we don’t help,” Qin Sang still held onto him, “Wang Tongpan and his party, along with the civilians who haven’t escaped yet, will die here in vain. Afterwards, they’ll destroy the evidence and refuse to admit it. What can we do to them?”
Jinyun grew anxious: "Even so, young lady, you shouldn't have made my young master take such a risk. This matter has nothing to do with us. It was you who said the plan was thorough, but now you're risking your life. Can you bear the responsibility if anything happens to my young master?"
Qin Sang was also furious: "So your young master holds a high position but does nothing, ignoring the deaths of ordinary people?! Don't you understand the principle that water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it?!"
Jinyun argued forcefully: "But my young master isn't..."
“Alright,” Xie Sui’an interrupted Jinyun, “Miss Sangsang is right. The plan was made together by us, and we recruited Lord Wang and these people. There is no reason for us to abandon them.”
"But young master..."
Xie Suian sat down again, but saw that Wu Fang did not seem to intend to immediately let the new warriors join the battle, and seemed to be negotiating with Wang Houmin.
He analyzed, "It seems that the other party doesn't want to make a big fuss either, and is trying to coerce and entice the magistrate Wang you mentioned who is supposed to love the people."
Jinyun dared not speak out in anger, thinking to himself that if he didn't run away now, when would he be able to escape and be surrounded by both sides?
Qin Sang closed her eyes and steeled her resolve: "Let's wait a little longer. I believe Wang Houmin is not a two-faced scoundrel; otherwise, with his abilities, he wouldn't still be a minor prefect after all these years."
Xie Sui'an: "Waiting for what? Waiting for Wang Houmin to persuade Wu Fang to surrender with his words?"
Qin Sang: "Wait for reinforcements."
Xie Sui'an: "..."
Qin Sang: "Before you summoned your pet, I had someone go to the nearest town's garrison in your name to request reinforcements. Someone should be here soon."
Xie Sui'an was naturally unaware of this tactic she had, and looked shocked and bewildered: "What title do you mean by that?"
Qin Sang looked at him, smiling nervously and mysteriously: "The Prime Minister's grandson."
"!!!!" Xie Sui'an's eyes widened suddenly: "What???"
At this moment, the negotiations seemed to have failed. Wang Houmin was dragged away from Wang Yong by his fierce subordinates, and the guards on both sides were on the verge of exchanging blows again.
Wu Fang smiled faintly and waved, and the new warriors immediately joined the battle.
What was originally a war of resistance with many concerns turned into a one-sided massacre in an instant.
Then Wang Houmin angrily shouted, "Wu Fang, how dare you raise a private army!"
The weapons used by Wang Houmin's men were of such high quality that only the military possessed them. Their disciplined movements clearly indicated that they had undergone long-term training and coordination. When they went into battle against ordinary guards, they cut through them like vegetables.
Under the boisterous command of the young master of the Wu family, several soldiers rushed towards Qin Sang and Xie Sui'an, forcing Jin Yun and the madman expert to fight back once again.
However, this time there were too many people surrounding him, and their martial arts skills were also high. Someone quickly found an opening and broke through Jinyun's defense, swinging a long sword straight at Xie Sui'an.
Xie Sui'an used one hand to brace himself against the ground and kicked the man over. He was about to make another move when Qin Sang pulled him behind her, saying, "You rest, I'll take care of it."
Qin Sang had anticipated that the enemy might have too many men and Wang Houmin might be no match for them, but after last night's battle, she really didn't expect that the enemy had gone so far as to raise a private army.
It seems that in this current situation, we have no choice but to tough it out.
Taking advantage of her agility, she tried to rush to Wu You's side and grab him to hinder him, hoping to buy herself some more time. However, as soon as she got close to Wu You, a highly skilled martial artist came to stop her. She fought back, her throat burning, when her left shoulder was grabbed and she was struck by a palm, falling heavily to the ground and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
She leaned against the side, panting heavily, thinking of how to buy time by surprise. Just then, a muffled thunderous sound rang out from down the mountain.
The sound was continuous, echoing through the valley. Even from a distance, the sound of the uniform iron hooves and the infantry formation was like heavy hammer blows striking people's hearts.
Reinforcements have arrived.
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