Zhu Zan did not move, still holding his bow steadily while staring at the head soldier.

The guards were already injured and exhausted, but their faces were grave as they gripped their weapons.

Manager Gao was solemn, but infuriated.

“Old Lei, I believe,” he said suddenly.

Lei Zhonglian ignored him and picked up his long spear.

His clothes were stained red with blood, both his opponents’ and his own. His wooden expression belied his exhaustion.

And this time, he could only use one hand to wield his spear.

He could no longer feel his right hand.

He’d thought the first battle had been a rout. He did not expect that everything would have been just the beginning instead of the end.

However, he did not regret it. Even if he couldn’t protect the young master of the Fang Family from injury, dying after fighting with all his might could be considered as fulfilling a mercenary’s commitment.

Opposed to the frantic laughter of the soldiers, they were lined up together in silence and solemnity. They looked like the weak children being mocked by a group of urchins. It was a very sad sight.

The soldiers opposite finally stopped laughing, and with a wave from their leader, they freely exposed their bows and pointed at them.

“The White Crane Ridge bandits were running amuck, burning, killing, robbing, and committing all kinds of misdeed. Today, the traveling merchants of the Fang Family were ambushed. They were completely wiped out. We then received special orders to suppress the White Crane Ridge bandits to bring peace of mind to the people and as consolation for the victims,” he said in a loud voice.

What did this mean?

They were obviously alive, and yet the other said that they were completely wiped out. This meant they were going to kill them, then push it onto the bandits?

Although they achieved a victory, even if they were prepared to fight again, the guards were still pale-faced.

Compared to the bandits, the fully-equipped soldiers were akin to insurmountable mountains. With a single order, they would be crushed.

They weren’t full of fear of death, but of despair.

Man could win against man, but man could not win against Heaven.

If Heaven wanted to extinguish them, they could not escape.

Manager Gao subconsciously looked to Zhu Zan.

This time, could he help them escape the wrath of Heaven?

Zhu Zan also looked at him.

“Don’t look at me,” he said. “Your ten thousand taels were the price for back there. The goods have already been delivered.”

What did that mean? Was he raising the price?

Although he felt that this was not the time to be discussing money, Manager Gao still answered him.

“I’ll give you another ten thousand,” he said.

Zhu Zan scoffed.

“You’re smart, and I’m not dumb,” he said, lifting his chin to the front. “In this situation, I can’t do anything for ten thousand taels.”

“Then twenty thousand?” Manager Gao offered.

Zhu Zan rolled his eyes at him.

“Life is priceless,” he said. “I’m not the kind of person who only wants money.”

‘You’re not?’ wondered Manager Gao.

Zhu Zan turned to look at the carriage.

“Hey, I say I’ve already drawn out the mantis,” he said while looking at Miss Jun. “Tell your oriole to come out. If you wait anymore, your people won’t be beaten to death, just scared to death.”

What does this mean?

Mantis, oriole?

Manager Gao was somewhat confused. He also looked at Miss Jun.

She lifted the curtain and smiled, then reached outside of the carriage while holding a bamboo tube in her hand. She put a flare on top of it, then gently shook her other hand. A blaze lit up, setting the firework alight.

With a sharp crackling sound, the flare rose into the sky, leaving black smoke in the air above the alley.

What?

This time, the soldiers on the other side looked uneasy. Their horses were disturbed, and they unconsciously looked upwards.

Suddenly, roars like thunder came from around them. Countless men on horseback appeared in the valleys, on the cliffs, and on both sides. Their identical armor was bright, and their bows and swords were ready. They surrounded the soldiers.

“Henan Road patrol conducting route inspection. Lay down your arms, and you will not be killed.”

“Henan Road patrol conducting route inspection. Lay down your arms, and you will not be killed.”

These shouts swept through the entire valley, and this time it was the surrounded soldiers’ turn to look pale and horrified.

What was going on?

How could the route inspection be here?

The valley shook, as with thunder, and it felt like an inescapable night was falling around them.

The soldiers weren’t the only ones who were panicked; the guards of the Fang Family were also still in a stupor.

They were already pointing their bows at these soldiers, so they weren’t sure if they were supposed to aim at the newcomers as well.

“These are the people protecting us?”

Even though Manager Gao saw that these soldiers had come after Miss Jun lit the flare, indicating their relation to her, he still had to ask.

First, to confirm, and second, to appease everyone’s hearts, which have been stretched to the breaking point.

“Yes, these are the Henan road patrol who received a request to escort us. There are about four thousand troops in the patrol, and they’ve mobilized three hundred people this time,” said Miss Jun.

Three hundred!

The guards almost jumped in joy when Zhu Zan’s voice interrupted them.

“Goddamn shouting!” he shouted at the soldiers on both sides. “Did you come here to patrol or show off? You didn’t shoot these people immediately, dumb birds. This is just showing off! What are you showing off for? Are you prostitutes out on the streets?”

Although his voice could not drown out three hundred elite soldiers, Manager Gao was still very embarrassed.

“What are you so happy you about? Now that we’re surrounded, we’re standing in front of them. What if they want to take us down with them?” Zhu Zan continued, kicking the soldier in front of him who had put down his bow.

This was indeed the case.

The guards immediately became tense again and directed their bows to the nearest soldiers.

“They’re desperate for their lives, so we must also struggle with our lives,” said Manager Gao, holding the knife in his hand with some courage. “All of our family members have received the care of the Fang Family. If our children want to apprentice, they can apprentice at the exchange firm. If they want to study, then they go and receive tutoring. We are free from worry about clothes, food, marriages, and funerals. Now that we have already killed to this extent, who is afraid of who.”

The guards also surged with pride.

“Who’s afraid of who!” they shouted in unison.

“I’m afraid,” cried Zhu Zan. “You stop them then. Don’t involve me.”

Manager Gao rolled his eyes and ignored him. They weren’t done cheering before the newly arrived soldiers did as Zhu Zan had said and sent a hail of arrows at the other soldiers.

The soldiers turned their horses around.

“Lay down your arms, and you will not be killed.”

“Lay down your arms, and you will not be killed.”

These shouts accompanied the unending rain of arrows, followed by screams of pain and horses tumbling into confusion.

The lambs caught in a net being slaughtered were no longer the Fang Family. Rather, it was the ones who had come to massacre them.

This was probably the impertinence of fate; one could never guess what would happen next.

Fang Chengyu sat in the carriage as he observed the hell-like scene of blood before him.