Chapter 156: The Cruel Reality

A few minutes ago, Yan Liqiang and Qian Su had just turned into the junction adjacent to the mountain slope. A few minutes later, both of them were back at the junction again after following the Wanderers riding on their steeds from a distance.

The direction that the group of Wanderers was heading towards was the same as the cavalries just now.

It had only begun to snow today. The weather was already cold to begin with. The moment their rhinodrake steeds began to pick up the pace, their faces were blasted with the cold harsh wind and snow fluttered into their faces as well. It felt extremely painful; as though their faces were cut by knives. Yan Liqiang and Qian Su pulled up their leather collars to cover their faces while bending down and half-laying on the backs of their steeds as they squinched their eyes. It was only when their upper bodies were burrowed into the warm necks of their rhinodrake steeds that they were brave enough to propel their steeds to move forward and catch up in time.

The Wanderers seemed to have noticed Yan Liqiang and Qian Su following them from behind on their steeds. Two of them turned back to look at them, but they didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Uncle Qian, where does this path lead to?”

Yan Liqiang asked Qian Su through a muffled voice when they turned to the junction on their rhinodrake steeds.

“This path can lead to many places. There are two more intersections up ahead. We will only know more if we get there…”

Yan Liqiang stopped talking and continued to follow closely from behind. After a few minutes, the Wanderers in front turned toward to the other two directions at the two intersections, instantly revealing the path ahead. There was a town just as large as the Lu Residence ahead of the path as well. Yan Liqiang could also see a tall and grandiose fortress that looked like a castle in the middle of that town from afar.

“The Wang Fortress, they are going toward the Wang Fortress…” Qian Su finally spoke.

Yan Liqiang felt a pang in his heart. This was the Wang Fortress, which was Wang Haofei’s home. The Wang Clan had the foundation that was sufficient enough to stand on equal footing with the Lu Clan in Huanglong Country.

Why would the elite cavalries from Pingxi City and those Wanderers rush toward the Wang Fortress? Could it be…

An implausible guess emerged from Yan Liqiang’s mind in an instant.

However, the moment that thought appeared, Yan Liqiang immediately denied it.

It was impossible. There were so many people inside the Wang Fortress. How could Ye Tiancheng do this? This was simply too evil. If that was truly the case, then a countless number of innocent people would be dragged into this matter, or perhaps it was due to other reasons…

Just when Yan Liqiang was having those thoughts, a layer of black smoke was already rising from the direction of the Wang Fortress.

The black smoke caused by the fire of some building was quite an unpleasant sight in this kind of weather.

After following those Wanderers for a few moments, Qian Su and Yan Liqiang managed to arrive outside the Wang Fortress.

Twenty or so cavalries stood guard in front of the path toward the Wang Fortress with their blades unsheathed and their arrows strung to their bowstrings. When those Wanderers rushed into the fortress, the cavalries did not stop them. Yan Liqiang saw that one of the Wanderers stopped for a while when he passed by those cavalries and pointed in his and Qian Su’s direction while whispering a few words to the troops. Five of the cavalries were already coming toward Yan Liqiang and Qian Su without waiting for both of them to come over.

“Are you two from the Wang Fortress…” The five cavalries immediately surrounded Yan Liqiang and Qian Su as soon as they rushed over to them. They stared at them closely with gazes as sharp as blades. Each of them had a weapon in their hand, prepared to attack at any moment as if they would kill Yan Liqiang and Qian Su on the spot if they made one slight suspicious move.

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“Don’t be mistaken. We are brothers-in-arms. When we saw the group of Wanderers rushing toward the Wang Fortress on the road, we were wondering what had happened, so we followed them to check on the situation…” Qian Su said in a solemn expression before he proceeded to take out the waist tag of Feiyang Commandant of the Weaponsmiths Quarter’s Quarter Master in Huanglong County from his chest and presented it to the five cavalries.

The five cavalries were shocked when they saw Qian Su’s waist tag and quickly retracted their weapons. In an instant, their attitude toward Qian Su and Yan Liqiang changed in 180 degrees.

“Greetings, Quarter Master…”

“What kind of crime did the Wang Clan commit to rouse such a commotion?”

“The Wang Clan has colluded with several degenerates among the Shatu people, abducted and slaughtered the women from Huanglong County and Pingxi City, and beguiled the young master of the Prefectural Governor in an unorthodox way. Since the criminal conspiracy of the Wang Clan has come to light, the Law Enforcement Office has already taken control of the various crimes that the Wang Clan has committed. The crimes have incurred the greatest indignation of mankind. By the orders of the Prefectural Governor, we have taken one step ahead and hastened our way to Huanglong County. Today, we are going to exterminate the Wang Clan and remove this evil cancer that harms the village for the sake of Huanglong County and Pingxi Prefecture…” One of the cavalries who seemed to be a young corporal replied to Qian Su.

“Oh, I see. I didn’t expect for the Wang Clan to actually do such a thing. It’s fortunate that the Prefectural Governor was able to discover this in time…”

“I sincerely hope that the Quarter Master will forgive us as we are ordered to stand guard here. We can’t let you enter again. If not, it will be quite bad for us to make a report…”

“No worries, no worries…” Qian Su waved his hand and smiled, “My fellow brothers are bound by duty that cannot be disobeyed. I naturally understand. Please continue on with your duty. We will observe from here and we definitely will not cause any more problems for you!”

“Many thanks to Quarter Master for understanding!” The corporal cupped his fists to Qian Su in response before turning his steed away and returning to the fortress with the others.

Yan Liqiang and Qian Su mounted their steeds and stood at the path along the road outside the Wang Fortress while they observed the situation in the fortress.

The Wang Fortress was currently in a state of disorder. Everyone was extremely panicked as their convoluted screams and cries rang out in the air. The entire Wang Fortress had instantaneously turned into a mess.

A group of troops ran around inside the Wang Fortress on their rhinodrake steeds while brandishing their blades as they bellowed, “By the orders of the Prefectural Governor, we are here in the pursuit of the criminal that is the Wang Clan. Those who are irrelevant to this matter, stand aside. We will kill anyone who puts up a resistance…”

…

When Yan Liqiang saw this situation, the expression on his face instantaneously changed as if he were afraid. He didn’t expect that Ye Tiancheng would actually do such a thing. In order to shift the blame and silence the crowd, he had actually sent the entire Wang Clan to hell without any hesitation. He shoved all the blame and faults to the heads of the Wang Clan…

Most of the members in the Wang Clan weren’t necessarily kind-hearted people. Similarly, there were definitely ordinary and innocent people that were in the Wang Clan. Seeing the assault today, it was unknown as to how many people in the Wang Clan had been wrongly prosecuted as a result of their eradication…

The scene in front of Yan Liqiang caused him to recall the incident that he, his father, and Yan Clan encountered on this day. It was the same day but at different time and place. A despotic Huanglong County that was significantly stronger than the Yan Clan was going to raid and destroy a clan in the blink of an eye. Such cruel reality once more made Yan Liqiang feel incredibly helpless and weak.

In just two months, he had changed a lot of things. However, some things could never be changed no matter what, which was quite stifling.

“Liqiang, what’s wrong? You don’t look so good…” Qian Su asked with concern as he stood beside Yan Liqiang. He looked at Liqiang, noting that he had been quiet for a long time.

“Uncle Qian, it’s nothing. I just feel a bit shocked, that’s all!” Yan Liqiang moved his lips as if he was smiling before he said in a low voice, “Uncle Qian, do you believe the things that the corporal said just now?”

It took Qian Su a few seconds to give Yan Liqiang a deep gaze and say, “I’m just a minor character here, so it doesn’t matter whether I believe in those things or not. The most important thing is that the Prefectural Governor wants the Wang Clan destroyed, which means that they aren’t allowed to live anymore. This is the coldest reality in this world…” At that point, Qian Su who was feeling a bit emotional lifted up his head to gaze at the somber sky of fluttering snow and continued, “Perhaps you will know in later years that this kind of weather is considered warm and pure when compared to the state of this world…”