Chapter 500 – Assault on Fengyi County (Part 8)
Meng Hunyun sneered, “Whether it’s the Northern Frontier or the Southern Barbarians, it’s all the same type of people, engaging in the same filthy deeds isn’t surprising.”
Li Yun fell silent at his words, not daring to respond to Meng Hunyun.
Even amidst the chaos of the Sixteen Kingdoms, the common people in the Central Plains had a sense of inherent superiority that peaked when the Great Xia ended the turmoil and unified the land, welcoming tribute from all nations. How could the citizens of the Heavenly Dynasty compare with the Barbarians?
If those old scholars and Confucianists heard what Meng Hunyun just said, they would surely denounce him loudly and earn their everlasting scorn.
To the common people, Barbarians were simply Barbarians—savage, bloody, and brutal. The citizens of the five states of the Central Plains considered themselves cultured and enlightened indeed; who from Dongqing, Nansheng, Zhong Zhao, Beiyuan, or Xichang would think highly of Barbarians?
Yet Meng Hunyun boldly proclaimed that people were all the same, asserting that the bloody methods of the Barbarians could just as easily be executed by the people of the Central Plains, they simply would not admit it.
Such a statement was truly heretical. Li Yun instinctively wanted to retort, but the bloody reality beneath him left him speechless.
His mind twisted in turmoil and discomfort, ultimately manifesting only as a heavy sigh.
With Li Yun’s intellect, he couldn’t discern whether it was these unruly rabble that created the chaos of the times, or if the turmoil had driven the rabble mad.
“What’s with the sighing? How unlucky,” Meng Hunyun grumbled with a grim face, his sharp gaze fixated on the Green Garment Army’s grain transport team that was preparing to rest nearby, softly reprimanding, “A general must never display anger or joy on their face; they must not let the situation influence their mood…”
For the camp’s lieutenant, maintaining a calm mind and clear thinking at all times was crucial; even the slightest mistake was unacceptable.
The soldiers of the vanguard comprised half of the army’s elite; should the situation falter, not only would morale plummet, but their combat effectiveness would also greatly diminish.
As the commander of the vanguard, the lieutenant had to embody the role of a supportive backbone at all times; even in dire situations, he couldn’t easily show despair or sigh in a manner that could influence morale, even if Li Yun had no such intention…
Li Yun grinned foolishly, displaying the naïve charm Meng Hunyun was all too familiar with, but he quickly realized his demeanor and tightened his expression.
Meanwhile, the Green Garment Army’s grain transport team had found a shady spot to rest.
Although the weather was still quite cool, trudging through the mountains and rivers had exhausted the cooks, causing beads of sweat to form on their brows, while the “supervising” Green Garment Army members, carrying far less, panted louder than the cooks hauling grain.
One soldier plopped himself onto a baggage cart, fanning himself with his clothes, his slightly pudgy face expressing a hint of malice.
“Damn it all, if it weren’t for these slowpokes, we’d have arrived long ago, feasting and reveling instead of wasting time in this remote wilderness…” As he cleared his throat, he spat a glob of phlegm splashing onto the face of a nearby woman, whose startled scream brought him a wave of satisfaction, “I just don’t get these women. My descendants have had their fill, and I can’t even spare a gob of spit…”
Another leaned against a baggage cart, his back bumping into a head hanging from a post, he spat and flung the head far away.
“Don’t push your luck; those women are meant to be shared with the brothers. You’ve had your fun on the road, but don’t ruin them for others. If you eat the meat, let others at least sip the soup,” he snickered, eyeing the huddled mass of over a hundred women, heads down and shivering, his laughter echoing as he reminisced, “Women are soft, and their taste is delightful…”
Even in chaos, there are benefits—if the world were at peace, would they enjoy their current indulgences?
Their lives had been those of rugged farmers toiling in fields; wanting to savor the comforts of women, they didn’t know when they might have that chance.
With a severe shortage of women, in the more remote villages, marrying a woman was nearly impossible. Numerous brothers would pool their funds together to share a wife, such feats were common.
The Green Garment Army guarding the grain team had around a thousand men, each pair of eyes lingering on the women.
Over the past days, they’d been working tirelessly, yet the women remained untouchable; only a few in higher standing could casually pull one into the bushes, and many had already reached their limits, too intimidated by the authority of their superiors to act.
“Look at you bunch of hopeless losers. When we get back, everyone will get a taste, one after another; no rush—hahaha—”
The women seemed to have been numbed by their ordeal; aside from a few glaring with hate, the rest wore blank expressions.
Could they not be numb?
Their homes had been razed, and their fathers and brothers murdered before their very eyes.
They were not just physically assaulted; their spirits neared collapse.
If this was merely the appetizer, what unfolded each day along the way was like a dull blade carving away their fragile nerves.
If these beasts decided they were hungry, the women would be the freshest meat available, watching as once-living people were slaughtered, cleaned, and cooked; some even stubbornly boiled alive—what kind of feeling was that?
【…or be made to sit between two stoves, forced by fire from without; or placed on an iron rack to roast; or have their hands and feet bound, first doused with boiling broth…】
【Human flesh is referred to as ‘meat of desire,’ for eating it stirs desires in others.】
Those courageous would bite their tongues and die; the cowards could only suffer in silence.
They trembled, fearing they might be the next victims.
In comparison, each night of silver humiliation paled in significance.
Wanting to escape but barefoot, surrounded by jagged stones, their hands bound by the same rope, it was impossible for anyone to flee.
As they approached Ancheng County, a wave of despair washed over them, and some even felt a twisted sense of relief.
If dying like this was an option, perhaps it wouldn’t be so unbearable in hell.
Some members of the vanguard lay hidden nearby, their improved crossbows already drawn, aiming directly at the foreheads of the Green Garment Army.
“Boss—why do I feel like it’s particularly chilly today—” someone quipped, sensing a hint of discomfort.
Another added, “Look at those heads; who doesn’t feel cold, you coward.”
A round of laughter erupted around them.
Before joining the Green Garment Army, many had been diligent farmers, but having tasted indulgence, they could never return to their previous state; the ‘simplicity’ they’d once known was gone, and they took delight in incessantly mocking their timid companions.
“Alright, enough resting. Get up; let’s deliver this batch of grain to the city, then we can enjoy ourselves together—”
Before the lead soldier could finish, a brilliant splash of blood erupted from his brow; an arrow had struck.
As many from the Green Garment Army bent to stand or grabbed their nearby weapons, they had let their guard down at the most critical moment.
In a sudden ambush, two to three hundred Green Garment soldiers fell.
Fortunately, Meng Hunyun and his men had flanked the Green Garment Army’s rear, or they would have been discovered in their movements.
“Enemy attack—”
“There are enemies—”
After an initial wave of assault left corpses strewn about, the Green Garment soldiers finally began to react.
Panic swept through the crowd.
At that moment, from the previously empty dense woods sprang forth over a thousand men, with Li Yun at the forefront.
As he raised his silver spear, ready to strike, he discovered his intended target had already been pierced through the skull.
Li Yun: “…”
Who took his kill?
