"The Prime Minister's estate of Dong Wu Kingdom… what's its background?" Lin Zhao asked.
Chu Yu replied, "The Prime Minister's estate is adjacent to the imperial palace. Yu Rang has already taken the Imperial Guard there, so the Prime Minister's estate is certainly not spared. If nothing unexpected happens, such a high-ranking official would be executed along with their entire family. The Great Shang Dynasty has always adhered to the principle of eradicating all threats, and they wouldn't give Dong Wu Kingdom any chance to restore itself. After this, Dong Wu Kingdom will become a chaotic era of ambitious figures vying for power."
"Understood."
Lin Zhao took a deep breath and asked nothing further.
...
Just as he and Chu Yu were passing a pawnshop in Zoma Lane, they heard a scuffle ahead. A cavalryman from the Snow Region Army was holding a spear, cornering a young girl against a wall. The tip of the spear was pressed against her throat. The cavalryman coldly said, "If you move again, I won't be polite!"
"What's going on?" Lin Zhao asked.
The cavalryman turned and replied, "My lord, this young girl just climbed over the wall. I don't know which street she came from. Should we send her back?"
"Send her back, you idiot!"
Lin Zhao glared at him.
"Heh heh..."
The young cavalryman scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. He wasn't angry at being scolded by Lin Zhao and even seemed pleased. After all, Lin Zhao, on the Snow Region Heavenly Lake, was often with terrifying eleventh-realm cultivators like Mian Zhi and Mu Da, and was their superior. It was quite approachable for him to scold him with such colloquial language!
Lin Zhao looked at the girl. She was about eight or nine years old, already showing hints of a budding young woman. She wore clothes with gold trim and embroidery, and there were scars on her neck and wrists, clearly from her escape. The girl was a beauty in the making, with exceptionally delicate features. However, at this moment, her eyes were filled with hatred and fury, like a cornered little beast.
Above her head, "???" floated. Her name didn't even display in the game, indicating she was a rather mysterious NPC. Yet, Lin Zhao knew who she was almost at a glance.
He stepped forward and calmly asked, "Are you the daughter of Dong Wu Kingdom's Prime Minister?"
"I'm not!"
She gritted her teeth. "My name is Tong Yu, and I don't know any Prime Minister of Dong Wu Kingdom!"
Lin Zhao didn't expose her. "Alright, Tong Yu. You've seen the situation outside. If you go out, you'll be killed. So, stay here obediently. At least it's safe here."
"Why should I believe you?"
The young girl retorted angrily, "Your Great Shang generals are all birds of a feather. You're all beasts that eat people and don't spit out the bones!"
Lin Zhao looked at her and gently shook his head. "Anger is understandable, but speaking like this will easily get you killed. I advise you to control your emotions. That way, you'll live longer."
Saying that, Lin Zhao looked at Chu Yu and said, "Take her back to the marshal's residence. Cut her hair short and change her into commoner's clothes."
Chu Yu was taken aback and asked in a low voice, "You want to protect her?"
"Yes. If I see someone, I'll protect them. Besides, she ran into Zoma Lane herself."
"Yes, my lord. I understand."
Chu Yu swiftly moved forward and, regardless of the girl's struggles, tucked her under her arm and took her back to the marshal's residence.
...
In a side room of the marshal's residence, the young girl who called herself "Tong Yu" had her long hair cut short, some reaching her ears and some falling to her shoulders. Chu Yu's hair-cutting skills with a flying sword were mediocre, but fortunately, the girl was naturally beautiful, and even with this haircut, she remained fresh and lovely.
She glared fiercely at the guarding cavalryman outside. Only after the cavalryman turned away did she turn her back and weep profusely. Wiping away tears, she stifled her sobs. Her father, who was the Prime Minister of Dong Wu Kingdom, had been impaled by a cavalryman's sword. Her mother and brother had their heads severed by an axe. Now, only she was left of the entire family.
The young sword cultivator outside, called "my lord," didn't seem like a good person. He spoke with an air of superiority that she disliked. However, remembering her mother's gaze as she died, urging her to live well, the girl's tears flowed anew. In one day, she had become an orphan, with no relatives left in the world.
She had to live. She had to disguise herself. These were things she had to do.
"Knock, knock~~~"
Outside, there was a knock. Chu Yu was holding a bowl of rice topped with meat and vegetables. "Tong Yu, are you hungry? I've brought you some food. If you don't want to open the door, I'll leave the food by the window, and you can take it in to eat."
The young girl sat by the window, hugging her knees, not daring to make a sound.
After placing the bowl down, Chu Yu poured a large cup of water beside it.
The young girl frowned, her tears almost dried up. Gritting her teeth, she dared not speak.
Just then, the young sword cultivator's voice came from outside: "Eat, drink water. You need energy to survive. Also, your hair is cut, and your clothes are changed, but the faces of children from poor families are never this clean. And after the chaos in the city, they wouldn't be too clean either. Do you understand what I mean?"
The young girl remained silent. After the person left, she quickly brought the food and water inside and wolfed them down. She hadn't eaten for a day and a night and was starving. After finishing, she smeared her hands with dirt from the floor and randomly rubbed it on her face. Looking in the bronze mirror, she now looked like a dirty country girl.
She sat by the window again, tears streaming down her face.
...
Lin Zhao went offline for a short rest, sleeping for 4 hours. After eating something, he logged back in. By the time he returned online, it was the third day of the massacre of Ye City.
In the early morning, Lin Zhao and Chu Yu rode their horses patrolling Zoma Lane. As they reached the street entrance, they saw rows of carriages speeding past. Some of these carriages could be called royal chariots, adorned with ornate carvings, pulled by sweat-blooded steeds. The people driving the carriages were all sixth and seventh-realm cultivators. Those who could afford middle-fifth-realm cultivators as coachmen must have come from noble families of kings and generals.
Even in the air, streaks of sword light flickered, originating from sword cultivators from the south. These sword cultivators rode their swords, and on their flying swords stood men in resplendent robes, their expressions arrogant.
"What's going on?"
Lin Zhao frowned. "Why are so many Great Shang nobles here all of a sudden?"
"More than just nobles; there's even royalty from Bai Di City."
Chu Yu, with her higher cultivation, could see more clearly. "They're heading towards the direction of the Dong Wu Kingdom's palace. Should we… go take a look?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao turned and said to a general of the Snow Region Army, "Chu Yu and I are going out. While we're away, use my token to forbid anyone from entering Zoma Lane. State that anyone wishing to enter Zoma Lane must at least wait for my return. Those who force their way in are to be executed on the spot, without mercy."
"Yes, my lord!"
After giving his instructions, Lin Zhao and Chu Yu rode off towards the palace.
...
The morning sun cast its light upon the grand avenues of Ye City. When Lin Zhao and Chu Yu arrived, the entire imperial garden was already crowded. The perimeter was guarded by Great Shang cavalry, and the open ground was filled with nobles from the Great Shang Dynasty, some from the northern three prefectures, some from Bai Di City, and even nobles from the southern three prefectures who had hired sword cultivators to ferry them over.
In front of a group of Great Shang nobles stood a grand opera stage. The stage was now empty of actors. On one side, there was a group of women with shackles on their hands and feet. Most of them possessed some beauty and wore palace attire. Seeing this, Lin Zhao knew what was happening.
"It's starting!"
A handsome man in ornate robes walked onto the stage and said with a smile, "The first item for auction is the main event. Come, bring forth the principal wife of the Dong Wu Kingdom's ruler, the Empress!"
Two cavalrymen, pulling shackles, escorted a dignified and noble woman onto the stage.
The handsome man smiled and said, "Empress Qiao, the starting bid is one Gold Buzzer Coin!"
Immediately, someone in the crowd raised their hand, "Five Gold Buzzer Coins!"
"Hahahaha~~~"
The crowd burst into laughter, and then another person made a bid. Finally, this Empress was bought by a middle-aged man from Bai Di City for 12 Gold Buzzer Coins. The moment the price was finalized, the Empress was in tears. Once, she had reigned over the empire, been above ten thousand people, and now she had been bought for a mere 12 Gold Buzzer Coins.
Following that, a group of imperial concubines were auctioned off one by one. Most of their prices ranged between 3-5 Gold Buzzer Coins. Some who had been banished to the cold palace were cheaper. One concubine was even bought for just 10 Flying Fish Coins. Each of these women wore a blank expression on their faces, their fates like floating duckweed, entirely beyond their control.
Afterward, they began auctioning the royal children. The eldest princess, who was already married, was sold for 18 Gold Buzzer Coins. The daughters of some feudal lords could only fetch dozens of Flying Fish Coins. However, there was a large number of royal descendants. In total, the auction of just the royal family members alone earned Yu Rang several hundred Gold Buzzer Coins!
...
Chu Yu gritted her teeth, her willow-like eyebrows furrowed.
As a woman, she naturally empathized. The feeling of having one's fate out of one's control must be incredibly difficult. But she was helpless. Truly helpless. A mere tenth-realm cultivator, not even in the upper five realms, had no standing against these wolves and tigers of the Great Shang Dynasty.
"Let's go."
Lin Zhao turned and said, "Back to Zoma Lane."
"Yes!"
Just then, a corpulent noble from Bai Di City, with a hearty laugh, said, "General Yu Rang, I've heard that the daughter of Dong Wu Kingdom's Prime Minister, Lu Su, Lu Tong, is only nine years old and has already surpassed Empress Qiao as the most beautiful woman in Dong Wu. She's only nine years old, a bud waiting to bloom, what a captivating age! Why isn't Lu Tong here? If she were here, I would offer one hundred Gold Buzzer Coins!"
"Oh?!"
Yu Rang's eyes lit up. He smiled and said, "Your Highness Prince Ji Nan has such excellent taste? She escaped during the previous search. Since His Highness Prince Ji Nan desires her, someone! Search the entire city, house by house! Make sure to find Lu Tong, the daughter of Dong Wu's Prime Minister Lu Su!"
"Yes, General!"
Two commanders of ten thousand readily accepted the order.
...
"Hurry up."
Lin Zhao clenched his fists and said, "Return to Zoma Lane at the fastest possible speed!"