TNIBFT -Chapter 294 Worse Than Beasts

Jiang Yunxi’s face turned deathly pale, her red lips trembling as she stared at Lin Xianzhong in disbelief. “You… you…”

A wave of intense pain struck her, nearly knocking her unconscious.

Her limbs grew heavier and heavier, gradually turning numb. Lying on the ground, she fumbled frantically at her waist with both hands.

Born into a family of physicians and once a disciple of the divine doctor Qiu Feibai, she carried many life-saving pills. Although most had already been used on Shen Jie over this period, she still had something left that could prolong her life.

Inside the tent—

The dim, flickering firelight cast a fiery glow across Lin Xianzhong’s face. His eyes were dark and brooding as he stared at Jiang Yunxi on the ground.

It was her—she had deliberately approached him, informing him that Ye Tian had experts like Sun Wuji under his command, making him stay on guard.

It was her—she had said Ye Tian was using Jiaojiao, attacking the heart as the primary strategy.

And it was also her—who had used the Empress’s secret decree to manipulate him!

In his lifetime, Lin Xianzhong had risen from an unknown foot soldier to the lord of a city in Great Zhou. He had never been a kind man.

And this woman clearly did not share the same objectives as the Empress!

As for the situation in Great Zhou—he knew it very well.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yunxi had just swallowed a pill when Lin Xianzhong, expressionless, thrust his sword straight through her back.

Lying prone on the ground, Jiang Yunxi’s beautiful eyes widened. Even in death, she could not understand why Lin Xianzhong’s attitude had changed so drastically.

“General?”

The tent flap was suddenly lifted. A gust of cold wind swept in, causing the torchlight inside to flicker erratically, the brightness shifting between light and shadow. The deputy general couldn’t clearly see Lin Xianzhong’s face, but he could feel the tense atmosphere inside the tent—and the thick smell of blood in the air.

Lowering his head, he saw a woman lying on the ground, her back pierced through by a sword, her eyes wide open, blood pooling beneath her.

Her?

Killed by Lin Xianzhong?

“General, this woman… didn’t you say she might be one of the Emperor’s people?” the deputy asked, his expression filled with shock.

Had Lin Xianzhong gone mad?

What kind of situation was Lindong City in right now?

And he still dared to kill someone possibly sent by the Emperor?

The deputy didn’t even know what to say.

Lin Xianzhong turned around, picked up a cloth from the table, and slowly wiped his hands. “Her origins were unclear. She interfered with military matters time and again. She deserved to die.”

“Dispose of the body.”

Seeing that the city lord didn’t wish to say more, the deputy could only clasp his fists and accept the order.

After hesitating for a moment, he asked quietly, “About the siege… the higher-ups won’t blame us, right?”

“We should probably end this quickly tomorrow morning.”

Lin Xianzhong nodded absentmindedly, deep in thought.

The deputy dragged Jiang Yunxi’s corpse out of the tent.

On the snowy plains, the temperature at midnight was bitterly cold—each breath turned into frost. The deputy’s face was red from the cold, his eyebrows and beard covered in ice crystals. He casually tossed the body to a nearby soldier.

“Deal with it. Just dump it somewhere.”

The two soldiers nodded.

After the time it took to burn a stick of incense, they had dragged Jiang Yunxi three to five hundred meters away.

“I say we just leave her here. There are wild beasts around—by tomorrow morning, there won’t be anything left of her body.”

One of the soldiers was unwilling to go any farther.

The snow was deep, and trudging through the desolate plains in the middle of the night—one step shallow, one step deep—filled him with unease. He constantly felt as though a pair of eyes were watching him from behind.

The other soldier lowered his head, glancing at Jiang Yunxi’s delicate face. Reaching out, he gently closed her eyes.

With a strange excitement, he said, “Her body’s still warm…”

“You’ve got to admit, that face is quite pretty… and her skin is really smooth…”

The more he looked, the stronger the dark thoughts in his heart became. After years in the army, he hadn’t returned home in a long time. In these past few years, let alone a woman, he hadn’t even come across a sow.

Rubbing his hands excitedly, his attitude toward Jiang Yunxi suddenly changed.

He actually picked her up and carried her himself.

“I’ll find a more secluded spot!”

“I’ll be quick!”

He grinned slyly at his companion as he spoke. The other man glanced around uneasily, frowning. “Do you feel like someone’s watching us from behind?”

“I think we should hurry back.”

“What are you scared of? The deputy general won’t bother with this. Besides, she’s already as good as dead. If you don’t say anything and I don’t say anything, no one will ever know!” The man was impatient and directly hoisted Jiang Yunxi over his shoulder and left.

The snow on the ground reflected faint light.

Everything around was dim and shadowy, a murky bluish-black. In the darkness, it seemed as if a figure flashed past. The man waiting in place cried out in alarm, “Who’s there?”

The next second, something cold sliced across his neck.

With a thud, the soldier’s eyes widened as he fell straight to the ground.

Several women in red appeared, their faces veiled with red gauze, their eyes anxious. “Where is the Young Palace Mistress?”

“She was just here!”

“Split up and search!”

As soon as their words fell, a strange sound came from not far away. The women froze for a moment, and one of them said, “Go check it out!”

A few breaths later—

From behind a large tree came a man’s scream, along with a woman’s furious shout: “You’re worse than beasts!”

“Young Palace Mistress, Young Palace Mistress?”

“The Young Palace Mistress is dead… and that bastard even…”

“Now, regarding the situation in Sifang City, we can only return to the capital and let the young master figure something out!”

…

Meanwhile, inside the hotpot restaurant—

The light in Ye Tian’s room flickered. Leaning against the headboard, his eyes half-lidded, he kept yawning. “Haa… ah, I’m so sleepy!”

On the large bed beside him, three little heads popped up.

Xiao Jiang widened his bright, round eyes. “Dad, you haven’t finished the story yet.”

“Wait a bit before sleeping!”

Ye Tian nodded perfunctorily, his eyes already closing.

The three kids exchanged glances. Ye Shuangxue lifted the blanket slightly, slipped her little head underneath, and pinched Ye Tian’s thigh. The sharp pain made him instantly widen his eyes, baring his teeth. “What’s going on?”

“Is there a mouse under the blanket?”

As he spoke, Ye Tian reached out to lift the blanket.

Xiao Jiang covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.

Ye Shuangxue raised an eyebrow and shot a smug look at her older brother. Ye Yunting’s lips curled slightly as he looked at Ye Tian, his small face serious. “Dad, you’re getting older. You should have someone by your side to take care of you.”

“Didn’t you say that once Lin Xianzhong is taken down, you’d marry Lord Meng?”

“Yeah, yeah!”

“I can testify to that too!”

As soon as Ye Yunting said this, Xiao Jiang and Ye Shuangxue immediately nodded.

Looking at the three little heads, Ye Tian felt utterly speechless. So they stayed up in the middle of the night just to lecture their old father.

Ye Tian said, “Is marriage something your dad alone can decide?”

“Lord Meng has to agree too!”

“Then can’t you try a little harder?” Xiao Jiang said in exasperation, resting his chin on his hands, his face full of resentment as he muttered, “You refuse to marry all day long, and when I go wandering the martial world, everyone pities me!”

“It’s so embarrassing. Can’t you sacrifice a bit for us?”

Ye Tian turned his head stiffly to look at his youngest son and immediately shot back, “Then can’t you sacrifice a bit for me and stop wandering the martial world?”

Xiao Jiang was rendered speechless. He glanced at Ye Tian. “Anyway, I’ve already prepared the betrothal gifts for you. If you don’t marry Lord Meng, I’ll marry her myself!”

After saying that, Xiao Jiang ignored Ye Tian completely, turned over, and closed his eyes to sleep.

Ye Shuangxue added, “Dad, if you don’t marry Lord Meng, then you’re exactly what you called—a scumbag!”