The old man went back and told them what had happened.
The generals of the remnants of Emperor Liang's forces naturally informed Prince Sui as well.
The group exchanged bewildered glances, inwardly lamenting their predicament.
This fairy is not only incredibly powerful, but also incredibly arrogant!
But circumstances were beyond their control; they had just witnessed firsthand that devastating power.
Let alone returning their belongings, even taking their lives would probably be a matter of a single thought for this fairy.
"Give it back! Give it back! Give it back right now!"
King Chen was the first to react, and roared at his soldiers.
"Take everything back to me, leaving nothing behind!"
On Emperor Liang's side, a leading general hurriedly and tremblingly ordered his subordinates: "Did you hear that? The fairy maiden ordered the return of the items! Anyone who dares to keep them will be punished according to military law!"
Those soldiers, separated by the earthen walls and dazed from being struck by lightning, dared not utter a single complaint.
With long faces, they began to rummage through their pockets and bags under the reprimands of their respective officers.
Not long after, in an open space outside the village.
The Chen family army and the remnants of Emperor Liang's forces, numbering several hundred soldiers, stood there with bruises and swelling on their faces.
Many people still had their hair standing on end and their faces were charred black, clearly from being struck by lightning.
They carried bundles of various sizes on their backs, filled with all sorts of valuables they had looted from nearby villages.
Pots and pans, grains and cloths, chickens, ducks and oxen, and even some children's toys and women's jewelry.
The people watched cautiously from a distance, their eyes filled with both fear and hope.
When the soldiers actually began returning the items, a barely suppressed commotion arose from the crowd.
An elderly woman with gray hair ran forward shakily, pointed at a clay pot being held in a soldier's arms, and shouted excitedly.
“That’s my family’s rice jar! It’s been passed down through my family!”
Another middle-aged man rushed over, snatched a skinny little donkey from his hand, and tears streamed down his face.
"My donkey! My little black one! We've finally found it!"
“These are my family’s copper coins! My daughter strung them together with red thread and even wove little flowers on them!” A young woman pointed to a string of copper coins, her voice choked with emotion.
"That's the kitchen knife from Butcher Wang's family in our village!"
"And my old hen! They plucked its feathers and almost cooked it!"
The soldiers, heads hanging low, placed items one by one on the designated open space under the supervision of their officers.
Some soldiers still looked resentful, but they immediately deflated when they saw the ruins of the earthen wall and the ground not far away.
Once all the looted goods were piled up at the village entrance, the hundreds of soldiers felt as if they had been granted a pardon and turned to make their escape.
"stop!"
A cold, clear voice rang out, like an icicle piercing everyone's ears.
Zhang Jing, unaware of when, was already sitting on the only chair outside the village, which seemed to have been moved from somewhere, coldly watching them.
Beside her, several caravan guards stood solemnly, their hands on their weapons.
"Fairy Maiden, is there anything else you need?" The old man beside King Chen stepped forward with a stiff upper lip and asked cautiously.
Zhang Jing asked calmly, "Did I tell you to leave?"
The soldiers froze, their faces showing astonishment and unease.
"You think it's over just because you robbed the people and had to return their things?" Zhang Jing's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally cold.
"There's no such thing as a free lunch."
Her gaze swept over the hundreds of soldiers as if they were lambs to the slaughter.
“Leave all your possessions behind.”
“I will distribute this money to these suffering people as compensation for them.”
These words immediately caused an uproar among the hundreds of soldiers!
"What?"
"Why should we?! We've already returned the items!" one of the bolder soldiers couldn't help but shout.
“That’s right! Stealing our money, what’s the difference between them and robbers!” another soldier chimed in.
"We've worked so hard..."
"Shut up!" King Chen roared, interrupting the soldiers' clamor.
But some people still muttered under their breath, "That's absolutely impossible!"
Zhang Jing curled her lips into a cold smile and didn't bother to waste words with them.
She simply raised her hand slightly.
"Boom!"
The earth shook again!
The earthen walls that had just disappeared have sprung up again from the ground like bamboo shoots after a spring rain!
This time, the earthen wall was higher and thicker.
The hundreds of soldiers, along with their commander, were completely trapped in the center.
The sunlight was mostly blocked, and an atmosphere of oppression and despair permeated the air.
“If you don’t want to,” Zhang Jing’s voice echoed in the earthen-walled cage, “then you can stay trapped here and die for the rest of your life.”
"Or, wait for the next thunderstorm."
The hundreds of soldiers were terrified and turned to look at Prince Chen and the generals of the remnants of Emperor Liang's forces, including Prince Sui who had fled in panic.
King Chen already felt a sense of guilt towards the people.
Seeing his soldiers so unruly and witnessing Zhang Jing's unpredictable methods, he dared not hesitate any longer.
His face darkened, and he snorted coldly, "The fairy is right!"
"You people plunder the people and oppress the villagers every day, you deserve to be punished!"
"The fairy maiden has shown you great mercy by only asking you to leave your money; this is already an immense act of kindness!"
"Listen up, all of you! Do as the fairy says! Anyone who disobeys will be dealt with according to military law!"
Prince Sui was Emperor Liang's own brother and was well aware of the royal family's current predicament, so he dared not easily provoke the mysterious and unpredictable mountain god of the desolate mountain.
Seeing that Prince Chen had already expressed his opinion, he quickly shouted in a shrill voice, "Did you hear that! The fairy's words are an imperial edict!"
"Hurry up! Hand over all your money! Don't anger the fairy, or we'll all be doomed!"
The group of soldiers looked at each other, though they were extremely unwilling.
But faced with towering earthen walls, the seemingly imminent thunderbolts overhead, and the strict orders of their own commander, they could only grit their teeth and swallow their pride.
One by one, with long faces, they reluctantly began to untie their money pouches.
They emptied out the copper coins, silver coins, and even some gold nuggets, and piled them on the ground.
Soon, a small mountain of money was piled up on the ground.
After the money was paid, the earthen wall slowly descended.
Prince Sui and Prince Chen breathed a sigh of relief and were about to lead their dejected soldiers away from this troublesome place.
"etc."
Zhang Jing's voice rang out again, like a death knell.
Prince Sui and Prince Chen froze, their facial muscles twitching as if they were about to cry.
"Fairy Maiden, is there anything else you need?" King Chen turned around with difficulty.
Zhang Jing's gaze fell on Prince Chen and Prince Sui, her tone still icy.
"Did I let you two leave?"
"You two, as commanders, failed to restrain your soldiers, allowing them to plunder everywhere and cause such a disaster to the people."
"Shouldn't we at least show some appreciation?"
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