Xuanfeng, Zheng Ye, and Eunuch Xu were all seeing Ning Xi'er's ruthless expression for the first time, and they couldn't help but turn their heads.
Ning Xi'er slowly said, "You'll soon witness that feeling of wanting to die but being unable to, feeling utterly powerless, watching helplessly as blood flows from your seven orifices and your flesh dissolves..."
The man suddenly cried out in pain, clutching his abdomen, writhing in agony.
Ning Xi'er took two steps back, crossed her arms, and coldly sized him up.
Sensing something was amiss here, even if Xuan Feng hadn't discovered it, Ning Xi'er wouldn't easily allow anyone to use the food and supplies here...
But if someone is so blatant and has such a bad attitude, Ning Xi'er will teach them a lesson.
The man seemed to have not expected that the pain would be so unbearable...
He wiped his mouth and nose with his hand, but no blood flowed out. Finally, he lowered his head, dejected, and begged for mercy.
"Speak! Why did you do this?!"
Eunuch Xu questioned him sternly.
The man rose with resentment, only to be kicked in the back of the knee by Xuanfeng, falling back to his knees.
The man clutched his stomach and said urgently, "Ten days ago, the government officials came..."
"We are required to harvest all the crops in the fields and pull out all the weeds and wild vegetables within three days..."
"Harvested grains and wild vegetables are strictly prohibited from being stored at home. Furthermore..."
"They've given us two days to move out of here, and we can't come back for another two weeks..."
"The wheat seedlings in the fields haven't grown well yet, and the open fields are vast. Our village is small, and each family only has two able-bodied people. How can we possibly finish all the work?"
The man recounted that all the villagers who complained were whipped.
The villagers who refused to comply were all imprisoned.
To spare their families from suffering, the villagers, young and old, had no choice but to harvest day and night...
Then, dragging their families along, they fled the village as a vagrant within the allotted time.
The abandoned village was completely ransacked by government officials, ensuring that not a single grain of food or wild vegetable was left behind.
Zheng Ye and Eunuch Xu were furious.
Xie Zhun's eyes flickered slightly, and his expression changed subtly.
But after spending so much time together, Ning Xi'er had already sensed that this indicated his intense anger.
Ning Xi'er was quite convinced; half a month...
This means that ever since they defeated the guards at Changxing City Gate, bought up supplies in the city, and left triumphantly...
The adversaries mentioned that the later county towns might also fall, as they might manage to procure supplies through various means...
Therefore, in addition to intensifying pressure on subsequent county towns, management of remote mountain roads and villages has also been strengthened...
To prevent them from purchasing or harvesting any possible food.
They've really gone to great lengths to scheme!
They don't give people a way to survive.
The man, filled with righteous indignation, said, "We are all honest and hardworking farmers. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have suddenly suffered this misfortune..."
"Even now, my mother, along with her daughter-in-law and son, are still fleeing famine on the road..."
"They've wrecked our house, and I'm not afraid for you to know, but they've tampered with the water sources nearby, and not only the water, but also the fields..."
"They said we could come back in half a month, but the water source is destroyed. What will we rely on for drinking water when we get back? This unexpected disaster is destined to leave us homeless..."
After listening to his angry narration, Xie Zhun finally spoke up himself, "Tell me, the officials demanded..."
"Are they only making this request to your village, or to the surrounding villages as well?"
The man pouted indignantly.
"Behave yourself!"
Xuanfeng slapped him.
My neck hurts, but no matter how bad it is, it can't compare to the abdominal cramps I'm feeling right now.
Having already spoken, the man had no reservations and said directly, "Not just our village, but from here all the way to the wasteland..."
"The villages should have been cleared out. I was originally going to travel with my wife and mother to seek refuge with relatives in Fengyi, a neighboring county..."
"But who knew they, too, were caught in the chaos of war and were driven onto the road..."
The man said painfully, "I was so angry, and since I was going to die anyway, I got this powder from the barefoot doctor, wanting to take revenge..."
His cloudy eyes spoke words that chilled to the bone:
"If we're going to die, we'll all die together!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
