MLMD -Chapter 190 The Matter Is Exposed

Seeing Ma Laosi surrounded, Wang Shaozong’s forehead suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Soldiers and bandits, by nature, are natural enemies—whenever they meet, the result is often life or death. Of course, this did not apply to those colluding with the government.

If Ma Laosi were captured by the soldiers, it would take only a little questioning for the authorities to potentially uncover the whereabouts of Wang Shaozong’s group. Wang Shaozong did not hold much hope that Ma Laosi could keep silent. After all, everyone out here was just trying to survive; preserving one’s life was the top priority. Ma Laosi, by all appearances, was not the type to risk his life for the group.

Thinking of this, Wang Shaozong gritted his teeth and tried to move toward Yulong. But before he could get close, two soldiers blocked his path, their gleaming triangular bayonets pointing directly at his chest.

“Step back. Do not approach my lady, or you will be killed on the spot!” The soldiers’ faces were stern with vigilance. If anything happened to Lady Yulong under their protection, even dying ten times over would not absolve them of responsibility.

Seeing the soldiers’ murderous expressions and the gray-sheen bayonets with their three deep blood grooves, Wang Shaozong felt every hair on his body stand on end. He was a seasoned veteran of many battles. Though he had never seen a bayonet like this before, his instinct told him that anyone pierced by it would meet a tragic end. Moreover, he could tell that these soldiers were not the common bullies who picked on civilians—they were battle-hardened elites who had seen blood.

At this moment, two soldiers were already advancing toward Ma Laosi, guns leveled and bayonets glinting. If Ma Laosi dared utter even a single protest, they would not hesitate to strike him down.

Wang Shaozong himself was decisive by nature; otherwise, he would not have been assigned to oversee this affair. Seeing Lady Yulong firmly protected by two soldiers, an idea struck him. With a sudden “pop,” he dropped to his knees and shouted loudly:

“Lady Young Mistress Yulong, please forgive me! My companion was only momentarily dazed—he was starving, and that’s why he foolishly tried to snatch your rice porridge. I am willing to apologize on his behalf! Please, I beg you!”

After saying this, Wang Shaozong respectfully kowtowed to Yulong. Yulong, for her part, was momentarily stunned. She was fundamentally a kind-hearted woman, having grown up in the Yue family village, and had never seen such a scene. For a moment, she was flustered and unsure how to respond.

After a pause, she looked at Sergeant Su and softly said, “Sergeant Su, they’ve apologized, and you’ve already scared them enough. In my view, perhaps we can just let them go?”

“Well…”

Sergeant Su glanced at Ma Laosi, now restrained by two soldiers, then at Wang Shaozong kneeling before him and the dozen or so men nearby. His military instincts warned him that these people were dangerous, but he couldn’t refuse Lady Yulong outright. After hesitating, he said, “Lady Yulong, I suspect these refugees are working together, and they do not appear to be ordinary refugees. In my view, it would be better to turn them over to the Youchuan Office for proper investigation. If it turns out they pose no threat, they can be released afterward.”

“This…”

Yulong hesitated. She was not decisive by nature; her previous plea for Ma Laosi and his group was purely out of compassion. But since Sergeant Su said this, there must be reason to his words, and she too found herself hesitating.

Wang Shaozong, kneeling before her, felt a chill run through him. This sergeant was ruthless—not satisfied with capturing Ma Laosi, he also intended to take the rest of Wang’s group. Everyone in his group was armed; if captured, even without interrogation, their weapons alone would expose everything.

A flicker of despair passed through Wang Shaozong’s eyes. Seeing the soldiers momentarily relax their guard and retract their bayonets, he turned sharply to his dozen companions and shouted, “What are you waiting for… attack!”

At once, Wang Shaozong drew a sharp dagger from his calf, a flash of steel appearing in his hand. Like a lithe leopard, he lunged at a soldier in front of him, aiming for his neck.

Had the dagger struck true, the soldier would have had no chance. But the soldier was also a veteran of many battles and highly trained; he twisted his head just in time, avoiding the major artery, though the dagger still nicked the back of his neck.

As Wang Shaozong attacked, his dozen companions also drew short blades and lunged at the surrounding soldiers. Their luck, however, was not as good as Wang’s. Given the distance, by the time they struck, the soldiers had reacted.

The soldiers’ strict training now paid off. Being experienced veterans, they did not freeze in shock. Gleaming bayonets swiftly countered the bandits’ attacks.

Sergeant Su was the first to respond. When Wang Shaozong struck, he immediately shielded Lady Yulong and the other women, stepping back with them, then blew a sharp whistle from his neck—a piercing sound ringing out across the street.

“Beep… beep-beep… beep-beep-beep…”

“Danger! Murder! Bandits in the city!”

The crowd of refugees watching the commotion erupted in panic. Thousands of them, originally waiting for porridge, scattered in chaos, and the entire market square descended into confusion.

Meanwhile, the fight between Wang Shaozong’s group and the soldiers reached its climax. Despite their desperate attempts, the bandits with short blades could not overcome the well-trained, fully armed soldiers. Within minutes, seven or eight of the bandits were lying in pools of blood.

Wang Shaozong, pressed by two soldiers advancing on him, retreated while gritting his teeth. Scanning his surroundings, despair filled him. Ma Laosi had already been subdued and tied up; seven or eight of his companions had fallen, and the remaining five or six were barely holding on. If he did not escape quickly, he would end up the same as his comrades.

With a frustrated howl, he shouted, “Brothers, quick… scatter!”

Hearing Wang’s roar, the remaining bandits fled into the crowds, while the soldiers, under Sergeant Su’s command, protected Lady Yulong and the others, retreating toward the prefect’s residence.

Thus ended the first day of porridge distribution. Within half an hour of Lady Yulong being attacked, word of bandits in the city spread throughout Hunyuan, throwing the city into panic.

In the main hall, Yue Yang sat calmly at the head seat, sipping tea. Beside him was Prefect Jiang Xin.

“Lord Yue, why did you not order the soldiers to close the city gates? I can guarantee the bandits are still inside. If we sealed the gates and searched for a couple of days, we could catch them all!”

Yue Yang put down his cup and sighed lightly. “Prefect Jiang, I understand your concern. You are anxious because there are bandits among the city’s populace. But have you considered that there are still tens of thousands of refugees inside? If we shut the gates, do you know what might happen?”

“This…”

Jiang Xin hesitated. He was no fool and understood the chaos closing the gates could cause among the refugees. Yet he could not bear the thought of bandits entering his jurisdiction. Just imagining them sneaking into the prefect’s office at night chilled him to the bone.

He complained, “Lord Yue, what you say makes sense, but these bandits are reckless, desperate men. Leaving them inside could incite the refugees to rebellion. That would be far too dangerous.”

Yue Yang looked at the prefect helplessly and said, “Prefect Jiang, if you were the bandits, would you stay inside a city once your presence was exposed? I suspect they have already fled.”

“That’s true!” Jiang Xin slapped his thigh, embarrassed. He realized he had only worried about his own safety and not thought things through; indeed, anyone in the bandits’ position would flee immediately once discovered.

“I see now I was too hasty,” Jiang Xin admitted, smiling sheepishly at Yue Yang.

“No need to be polite. Prefect Jiang is merely carrying out his duties for the emperor,” Yue Yang waved it off. Then he adopted a more serious tone: “Prefect Jiang, merely distributing porridge is not enough. There is still much to be done. Today, I want to discuss our next steps with you…”