"It's a sacrifice!"
Qing Zhu had witnessed the sacrificial rituals of the Witch Clan, but they used cattle and sheep. These people, however, used live human beings.
Nan Shiying's expression turned grim. She couldn't help but recall the Lin Yuan citizens imprisoned beneath the Hengyuan Merchant Guild's cargo ship. She had initially thought the worst outcome would be being sold into pleasure houses, but now, she heard of an even more gruesome fate.
Were his Liao Jiang people using their Lin Yuan citizens for sacrificial rituals?
Blood刑 (Xing)?
"Ying Yi, I want him alive!"
Nan Shiying's voice was low, emanating killing intent!
Ying Yi retracted his sword. He abandoned his sword and switched to fists. His fist energy was sharp, stirring up gusts of wind. However, he didn't strike at the man's vital points, instead targeting his limbs and torso.
Even after discarding his sword, Ying Yi's offense did not diminish. His fists rained down like a storm, leaving behind a blur of afterimages.
Ying Yi's greatest strength wasn't his sword, but his fists. The back of his hand seemed to be encased in a layer of profound iron, incredibly hard. His punches were strong and fierce, his speed swift and brutal, forcing the man to retreat step by step.
It was only then that the man realized he was no match for his opponent.
A streak of blood bloomed in his eyes. He suddenly retreated and simultaneously spread his arms, appealing to the heavens. His lips moved rapidly, spitting out syllables that were incomprehensible.
The sea of clouds churned, and the sound of thunder seemed to approach and recede.
Nan Shiying suddenly stood up, reminding Ying Yi, "Stop him!"
Ying Yi's speed accelerated to a point imperceptible to the naked eye. In an instant, he appeared before the man and drove a punch straight for his throat. With a "crack," like the sound of bone breaking, the man's prayer was interrupted. Ying Yi quickly dislocated the man's jaw, pulled his arm back, and landed a heavy punch to the man's abdomen.
The man let out a pained cry.
Even then, Ying Yi did not relent. He continued until he had dislocated the man's wrists and ankles, completely crippling him. Only then did he grab the man by the collar and throw him at Nan Shiying's feet.
Nan Shiying bent down and tore off the mask from the man's face.
At that very moment, the man spat out a poisoned needle, which shot directly towards Nan Shiying's face.
"Uncle!"
"Young Master!"
"Brother!"
Everyone cried out in alarm.
The timing of the man's poisoned needle was perfect, leaving Nan Shiying with no room to dodge. The needle emitted a greenish glow, and without needing to look closely, Nan Shiying knew it must be coated in potent poison.
The calls in her ears and Ying Yi's lunging afterimage all slowed down. In Nan Shiying's eyes, a radiant sun emerged from the depths of her pupils.
The poisoned needle, mere inches from Nan Shiying's eyeball, suddenly turned to ash, vanishing without a trace, like a wisp of green smoke.
Her body swayed. Her face was deathly pale, and beads of sweat dripped down her temples. She looked as if she had just crawled out of water, completely drained of strength.
Ying Yi quickly supported her, gently helping her sit on the ground.
"Ying Yi!"
Nan Shiying's breath was shallow, and her words were weak.
Ying Yi responded.
Nan Shiying pointed at the man and said to him, "Use extreme torture!"
"Yes!"
Situ Kong had thought that the thousand cuts inflicted on Shen Xing previously was the ultimate form of torture. But now, he realized he was still too shallow in his understanding, too limited in his perspective.
The forest was teeming with insects and ants. Xiao Man evenly spread a layer of rock sugar onto the man's wounds. The sugar seeped into the injuries, causing both pain and itching. Attracted by the sweet scent of the sugar, snakes, insects, and rodents began to gnaw at the man's wounds.
In terms of pain, it might not have been as severe as a thousand cuts, but the psychological torment was enough to drive a person mad.
And this was just the beginning.
Ying Yi and Xiao Man were not torturing for the sake of torture; they were interrogating the man. However, the man remained tight-lipped from beginning to end, stubbornly refusing to utter a single word.
Nan Shiying did not end his life. Instead, she ordered Ying Yi to hang him on a tree.
The roles of hunter and prey had been reversed!
...
In the marketplace, Gu Ruiji brought out the people who had been imprisoned in the ship's hold.
Looking at the vacant-eyed, raggedly dressed women and children disembarking from the cargo ship, the people of the Hengyuan Merchant Guild turned ashen.
Gu Ruiji, in his iron boots, walked up to the镖师 (Biao Shi - armed escorts) responsible for the escort by the Hengyuan Merchant Guild, raised his foot high, and stomped down heavily.
"Pfft~"
The 镖师 spat out a mouthful of blood.
Gu Ruiji spat.
The Eagle Division had been transferred to guard Chang Ming Mountain for just over half a month. They had no idea what kind of business the Hengyuan Merchant Guild had been conducting over the years. Now, they understood.
Although Gu Ruiji was from Liao Jiang, he still disdained the Hengyuan Merchant Guild's actions.
Just as Gu Ruiji was about to lead these Lin Yuan people away, the heavy cavalry of the Bear Division suddenly appeared in the distance, led by the great general of the Bear Division's Special Commissioner, Ashelejie Xu – Agujie!
The Bear Division's heavy cavalry advanced rapidly. They reined in their horses at the dock, their hooves rearing high, their neighing rising.
Gu Ruiji narrowed his eyes as he looked at them.
"Gu Ruiji!"
Agujie wasted no words and threw the Khan's decree to him: "By order of the Khan, take away these Lin Yuan criminals."
So, the one trading in human trafficking with the Lin Yuan Hengyuan Merchant Guild was their Khan?
Gu Ruiji said nothing more and waved his hand back. The soldiers of the Eagle Division handed over the people brought out from the ship's hold to the soldiers of the Bear Division.
Agujie bowed to Gu Ruiji and left with the escorted group.
Only after the Bear Division's heavy cavalry disappeared from view did Gu Ruiji retract his gaze, his expression turning somewhat grim. Why had the Bear Division's heavy cavalry arrived so quickly? Since the Eagle Division was stationed at Chang Ming Mountain, the Bear Division's heavy cavalry that had previously guarded Chang Ming Mountain should have retreated a hundred li away. If the Bear Division had retreated a hundred li, then how could they suddenly appear in the marketplace now?
It was still those people!
If it were merely a simple human trade, what was the loss of a batch of people? Why would the Khan mobilize the Bear Division to take them away?
Couldn't wait even a moment?
Gu Ruiji felt that there must be something unusual going on.
But why were the Khan and the Bear Division keeping it a secret from the Eagle Division? If the Khan had been consistently engaged in human trafficking with the Hengyuan Merchant Guild, why would they have issued a transfer order half a month ago to have the Eagle Division replace the Bear Division in guarding Chang Ming Mountain?
Although the Eagle Division, Bear Division, and Wolf Division all belonged to the Khan, there had always been friction between the Bear Division and the Wolf Division. Gu Ruiji ordered his soldiers to continue searching, and he himself mounted his horse and quickly galloped towards the Eagle Division camp.
Regardless of what the Bear Division and the Khan were plotting, and whether it involved the Eagle Division, he had to report these matters to the Special Commissioner immediately, lest their Eagle Division be truly tricked by the Bear Division.