Chapter 1123 – In All the Land, I Want a Hundred Percent (Part 22)
“Look at all these beautiful women, the thugs are drooling, just itching to indulge right out in the open.”
They don’t even have a shred of basic decency!
“On a regular day, they don’t even bother finding a proper place to relieve themselves; just loosen their belts, whip it out, and let it flow.”
Engaging in some “fun” between men and women under the open sky, with the heavens as their blanket and the ground as their bed, now that’s a different kind of thrill.
But not today.
“Stop, stop! Look at your desperation; it’s like you haven’t touched a woman in eight hundred years!” the thug leader said. “Find a place first before you go wild.”
As he spoke, several men had already pounced on a concubine, tearing at her clothes like wild animals.
“What do you mean stop? I’m about to burst—”
The thug leader continued, “The folks over at Shanweng City can’t hold out much longer. If you want to risk being slaughtered halfway through, go right ahead.”
Everyone here was a “filler soldier,” fully aware of the “unwritten rules” of this line of work.
They knew many would sacrifice the common people to earn their merits and climb the ranks; this trade is murky water.
If they encounter Xu Pei’s troops, those “filler soldiers” won’t show any mercy.
Hearing that, the flames of desire within them dimmed somewhat, each secretly cursing their luck.
“Let’s head back, we’ll have fun later.”
The thug leader chuckled, tossing his spoils back into the carriage.
“Yansiao—my precious Yansiao—”
The Qiqi disregarded her own disheveled state, crawling on all fours to her daughter, pulling her into a tight embrace, tears streaming down her face.
Xu Yansiao hugged back, crying in her mother’s arms.
“Mother—my head hurts so much—”
She stubbornly kept silent, biting her lip until the taste of blood seeped into her mouth.
Her scalp throbbed painfully, a sensation bordering on numbness; it felt as if a piece of it had been ripped away.
The Qiqi gently touched her head, massaging it while softly comforting her, both weeping as if they were two pitiful beings.
Her husband missing, her own safety at risk, how could she protect her daughter?
In just half a day, she experienced suffering beyond anything she had known in her life.
The carriage continued to move forward, but as she listened to the thugs’ chatter, the Qiqi’s heart sank deeper into a cold abyss.
This carriage contained only the Qiqi and Xu Yansiao; the concubines were in other carriages.
Hearing the distant sounds of crying and screams, bitter saliva filled the Qiqi’s mouth; she didn’t know what to say.
Xu Fei preferred good-looking colors. She herself was plain, so naturally, she garnered no favor; she only held the position of Qiqi due to her noble lineage.
Concubines were different; after all, they were objects of enjoyment for men, the prettier, the better.
As a result, the several concubines Xu Fei took in were all stunning beauties, lovely to behold when gathered together.
In contrast, the already plain Qiqi became even less appealing. Over the years, from managing the horde of lovely evening flowers for Xu Fei, she had exhausted so much energy that today’s escape left her no time to apply makeup, making her appear five or six years older than her actual age.
Without the presence of those beautiful concubines to overshadow her, she wouldn’t have escaped the poison’s grasp.
“Yansiao, don’t listen—”
She covered her daughter’s ears, and the tears she had managed to hold back once again flowed down her cheeks.
The carriage veered more off course, and in the distance, a small village with a handful of households appeared on the horizon.
The Qiqi’s heart grew heavier.
She bit her lip tightly, her expression void of both sorrow and joy.
“We’ve arrived—”
Someone suddenly called out, and the carriage began to slow down.
A few thugs, unable to contain themselves, grabbed two half-dressed concubines over their shoulders.
Their loose hair spilled out, emphasizing their pale skin even more, the contrast stark against their black hair.
Exposed flesh was on display for everyone to see.
The more the women struggled, the more tantalizing glimpses were revealed, driving the thugs wild with desire, their throats dry and their eyes fixated.
“Damn it—can’t wait any longer—”
The thug leader scoffed dismissively.
What’s so great about women who have already been played with? The one he wanted was still untouched.
“Let go of my daughter, Yansiao—”
As the leader intended to grab Xu Yansiao, the Qiqi wouldn’t allow it.
“What an old hag—”
With a kick, the thug leader struck the Qiqi on the shoulder, exchanging a knowing glance with the other men who hadn’t yet scored a woman.
“This old woman might be old, but she’s still useful in her own way.”
Xu Yansiao desperately struggled, trying to bite his ear, only to receive a hard slap in return that left both sides of her face red and swollen.
That slap carried full force, making her head spin, as if all surrounding sounds were fading into the distance.
“Ah—”
“What’s all this racket?”
“Someone’s hanging around here!”
As they opened the courtyard gate, a body dangled from a tree, swinging right in front of them.
The man was dressed in finery, his garments stained with blood, his complexion a ghastly green, with his long tongue protruding and eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.
Someone was hanged here?
The crowd froze for a moment, and in that brief window, the Qiqi seized the chance to struggle free, her gaze locking onto the corpse beneath the tree.
Just one glance, and she recognized his identity.
In that instant, a wave of sorrow surged from her chest, flooding her mind.
Drawing an unknown amount of strength, she broke free from the grasp of two thugs and slammed into the farmhouse wall.
She used so much force that the entire wall trembled slightly, and blood spurted from her forehead.
“Mother—”
Xu Yansiao screamed in horror.
The thug leader spat at the lifeless body lying on the ground.
“What a damned stroke of bad luck—”
Xu Yansiao, triggered by the sight, used her hands and feet to try to attack the thug leader.
While not lethal, her grasp still inflicted pain.
Enraged, the thug leader flung her down to the ground.
“This girl is yours to play with; if you can’t have her mother, playing with the daughter will have to do.”
Xu Yansiao didn’t process those words; she crawled to her mother’s corpse, choking out, “Mother, look at me—Yansiao—”
Thugs had no sympathy.
To them, personal desires outweighed everything else.
“This girl’s quite fiery—”
The thugs chuckled mockingly, grabbing her by the shoulders and lifting her up.
“Let go of me—get away from me—”
At that moment, the ground trembled, a deep rumbling approaching from a distance, growing ever louder.
“What’s that noise?”
The thugs halted, shocked.
“It’s the sound of hooves—”
The lookout outside the village dashed in, calling out as they ran.
“Not good, a whole lot of people are coming!”
The thug leader bellowed, “Who’s coming? Are they coming for these women?”
Xu Yansiao grit her teeth, seizing her chance to push the thugs away, slipping into a gap to the side.
Using her hands and feet, she crawled back to her mother’s body, holding tightly onto the still-warm corpse.
“Run!”
The thug leader cast a reluctant glance at the surrounding women.
Women are great, but you need to be alive to enjoy them.
“What about these women…”
There’s always someone who thinks with their lower half.
“If you want to stay, then stay, but don’t get in my way!”
As he spoke, the sound of hooves grew nearer.
For those with sharper eyes, they could make out the colors of the horses ridden by the vanguard.
Xu Yansiao’s eyes glinted with determination, and as the thugs scrambled to escape in chaos, she dove to grab onto the leader’s legs.
Caught off guard, he lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground.
“I won’t survive—then you can’t escape either!”
No matter whether the incoming people were foes or friends, she wouldn’t let him go.
He’d stay behind to be buried with her!
The thug leader quickly regained his bearings, exerting force to shake Xu Yansiao off, sending her sprawling aside.
Xu Yansiao, being stubborn, instantly climbed back up despite the pain, trying to block him again.
“Crazy girl—”
Just then, an arrow zipped through the air.
The sharp arrow punctured his skull, sending his body crashing spectacularly in the opposite direction.
“I’m Qin Gong, late to the rescue!”
Xu Yansiao’s eyes widened in shock, tears filling her vision.
Qin Fengjing, why have you only just arrived?
