TNIBFT -Chapter 165 What Kind of Pervert?

Seeing that Ye Tian didn’t respond, Tao Ling’er, still shaken, said, “I heard that the Empress of Great Zhou, Qin Fengyi, kills without mercy. She looks like a savage, over nine feet tall, and can tear apart two grown men with her bare hands.”

“And she even likes to eat human flesh.”

“Whenever she reaches a city, she searches for children to use as food. The people of Great Zhou are too barbaric. If they get their hands on you, it’s better to die than be captured.”

Tao Ling’er furrowed her delicate brows, her small hands clutching her chest in fear.

Eat human flesh?

Ye Tian twitched at the corner of his mouth. What kind of pervert was this Empress of Great Zhou?

Ugly is one thing, but she also liked eating children?

Judging from how terrified the citizens of Sifang City were of Great Zhou, the rumors probably weren’t entirely false. Ye Tian said, “Great Zhou won’t be going to war anytime soon.”

After all, it wasn’t mentioned in the original story.

In the original book, Great Zhou only began to stir when Shen Jie reached adulthood. Even then, Great Zhou’s national strength far surpassed that of Da Liang. Nobody knew what Shen Jie did, but the Great Zhou army suddenly withdrew during its northern campaign, allowing the male protagonist to survive and gradually grow stronger.

If he had known there would be so many complications, he would have stayed up all night reading the book to the end—even if it killed him.

Ye Tian sighed helplessly.

Meanwhile, without waiting for reinforcements from more city guards, the crowd at the city gate kept growing, swelling like a tide of heads—comparable to the number of tourists during May Day in his previous life.

“Open the gate!”

“We just want to get out! The city lord has run away—are we supposed to wait here to die?”

“If you don’t open the gate, do you want the Great Zhou people to come and massacre the city?”

The shouting grew louder and louder.

The city gate was packed, people pressing against each other. Many children were trampled underfoot, crying for their parents, screaming in agony.

Inside the city, people shouted to get out, while outside, refugees cried to get in.

Once the gates opened, the consequences were unimaginable.

“Back!”

“Everyone, back!”

Amidst the chaos, the crisp sound of hooves grew urgent. Ye Tian looked up and saw Xiao Xun’er, dressed in a striking red outfit, holding a riding whip in one hand and the reins in the other, charging toward the city gate. The north wind whipped her cloak, and in the sunlight, her heroic figure made Ye Tian feel a strange sense of déjà vu.

He guessed that perhaps all men felt a fleeting familiarity when facing a beautiful woman.

“Who wants to leave the city?”

Xiao Xun’er tightened her grip on the reins. The fierce horse snorted, circling in place.

She sat steadily on the horse, towering above the citizens at the gate, her face cold as frost. “If anyone wants to leave the city now, I’ll have you all arrested and sent to the city lord’s mansion. You bunch of spineless cowards—what is there to fear from the Great Zhou?”

“You all just have two eyes and a mouth—do you think you have an extra eye over us Da Liang people? A man should protect his homeland. A group of gutless cowards like you—no wonder Da Liang keeps losing battles!”

Her words struck like thunder.

“Miss Xiao’s words are so spirited! Your father ran off, leaving just you, a young girl, to face Great Zhou. He must really respect you.”

“They took the sons and left the daughters—does that mean he respects you, or just didn’t plan to bring you?”

“We’re just ordinary citizens! What does ‘protecting the homeland’ have to do with us? The military doesn’t even pay us…”

“When there’s no war, the city lord’s mansion plunders the people mercilessly. Now that danger comes, the city lord runs faster than anyone else!”

The crowd grew agitated.

Many, faces flushed with anger, surrounded Xiao Xun’er.

Some with ill intentions even tried to grab her riding whip, reaching out aggressively.

“What are you trying to do?”

“Get out of the way!”

Xiao Xun’er was flustered, swinging her whip and shouting angrily, “Let go of me, you fools!”

A squad of city guards tried to step forward but were blocked from all sides, and the scene became chaotic.

Tao Ling’er watched in horror, her small face pale as she hid behind Ye Tian.

Seeing the men closing in on Xiao Xun’er, the situation was about to spiral out of control. Ye Tian turned to Tao Ling’er behind him and said, “Stay back. I’ll go save her.”

“Brother Ye Tian…”

Tao Ling’er’s face was full of worry. Ye Tian held the oiled-paper umbrella in one hand and tapped the people surrounding him with it. The men he struck turned angrily, but Ye Tian smiled apologetically: “Sorry, brother!”

“Make way! Everyone, make way!”

Ye Tian pushed his way into the crowd, and the rioting masses gradually quieted down.

Many people eyed him suspiciously, scanning him up and down. They had assumed Ye Tian and Xiao Xun’er were in cahoots and were ready to lash out.

Ye Tian grabbed Xiao Xun’er’s reins and addressed the crowd first: “Since everyone wants to leave the city, wait until Lord Tao arrives. Then let them go.”

“Forcing someone doesn’t make the fruit sweet. You can’t hold people against their will.”

“Exactly!”

Some immediately agreed. The crowd’s gaze softened slightly toward Ye Tian.

The tense situation eased thanks to Ye Tian’s reasonable approach.

Xiao Xun’er, sitting on her horse, frowned at him: “Do you know what you’re saying? Have you thought about what would happen if the city gates open and the refugees flood in? Who would provide food, water, and sanitation? Who would maintain order? If all these people leave, what will happen to the development of Sifang City? What about taxes?”

Ye Tian shrugged helplessly.

Future problems could be handled later. If they didn’t let the people leave now, with only a few hundred city guards left inside, a riot could break out at any moment—and nobody could predict who would die first.

“Everyone, rest assured! Stay safely inside the city. With me here, I won’t let anyone die inside!” Xiao Xun’er spoke with a righteous expression.

Even if the Emperor of Dazhou personally came to kill her, she would never surrender. As the city lord’s daughter, it was her duty to protect Sifang City.

Of course, no one wanted to hear this. The crowd turned to Ye Tian: “Ye Tian, can you make a decision?”

“When will Lord Tao arrive?”

By the time Tao Lichun arrived with Ye Yunting and Zhao Kang, Ye Tian was surrounded by people. His expression was lively, and no one could tell what he was saying, yet the crowd around him was completely captivated, listening intently.

Ye Yunting finally relaxed, his heart no longer in suspense.

“Wasn’t Ye Tian surrounded by people?” Zhao Kang asked suspiciously.

Tao Lichun frowned: “Go get Ye Tian over here!”

Some sharp-eyed person in the crowd spotted Tao Lichun and shouted, “Lord Tao is here!”

“The lord has arrived!”

The crowd instantly surged forward toward Tao Lichun.

Ye Yunting, small in stature, stood in front of Tao Lichun, his face serious as he looked left and right: “People, keep your distance from my teacher!”

Squads of city guards stepped forward, separating Tao Lichun from the crowd.

Ye Tian slowly got up from the ground, patting his coarse cloth clothing. Tao Lichun looked at him, then walked step by step toward him, with the guards moving in formation around him, forming a protective circle about two meters in diameter.

“Ye Tian, do you have a plan?”

Tao Lichun asked.

Ye Tian thought for a moment: “Gather all the city guards here.”