He Yan
He Simu patted the battlement and said, “This city wall is indeed very sturdy.”
Despite numerous attempts to besiege the city, they repeatedly failed and could only resort to shouting insults from below.
“The city walls of Shuozhou are among the few remaining on the northern bank of the Guan River. When the Huqi people invaded, the previous dynasty relied on these city walls to resist them. However, after the Huqi people captured the seventeen provinces on the north bank, they held a grudge and ordered the dismantling of city walls in various places. As a result, there were many uprisings at the beginning of the Dan dynasty, and the rebel forces made swift advances after the city walls were dismantled. It was only then that the Dan dynasty halted this order. The city walls of Shuozhou were thus preserved,” Duan Xu explained as he pulled He Simu back a bit from the battlement.
He Simu turned to look at him. “There were indeed many uprisings at the beginning of the Dan dynasty, but it only lasted for about a decade or so. Nowadays, it seems quite peaceful under the Dan rule.”
“When the Han people rebelled against the Dan dynasty, Daliang feared that the Dan dynasty would gain another foothold and did not respond. Naturally, the people on the northern bank were disappointed. The Huqi army was indeed powerful, and the uprising gradually subsided,” Duan Xu said, lowering his gaze with an indiscernible expression. Then he smiled, “The situation now is similar. Daliang believes that as long as they have the natural barrier of the Guan River, they can rest easy. They don’t think about reclaiming the northern bank or caring for the land and people there. If not for the invasion of the Huqi people, they might still be indulging in internal strife.”
With these words, he seemed truly like a general who cared for the country and its people, with his lifelong wish being the reconquest of the seventeen provinces on the northern bank.
If he were the third son of the prestigious Duan family, related to the imperial family, then such a wish would be entirely reasonable. However, considering his intricate relationship with the Dan tribe, this wish seemed rather unreasonable.
He Simu thought for a moment, then pointed towards the enemy camp. “Just now, I saw a soldier carrying a letter into the third tent in the southern section. I could see the characters on the envelope, but they were in Huqi script, which I can’t read.”
Duan Xu immediately gestured for pen and ink, instructing He Simu to write it down for him to see.
He Simu rolled up her sleeves and quickly wrote down several lines of strange characters on the paper. When she handed the paper to Duan Xu, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Then, he raised an eyebrow, his gaze probing her.
He Simu earnestly scrutinized his expression and burst out laughing.
“Hahaha, you recognised that phrase after all.”
This phrase was a curse in the Huqi language, equivalent to calling someone a despicable bastard in Chinese.
“From the lofty Cangyan Scripture to the vulgar language of the streets, General Duan truly is knowledgeable and versatile. These things aren’t taught in the capital,” she remarked.
So far, his stance, his identity, everything he said made people doubt.
Duan Xu’s eyes flickered. He knew He Simu had just been testing him. He wasn’t angry, but simply said, “This story is a long one. One day, when I crossed a bridge, an old man deliberately threw his shoes under the bridge and asked me to pick them up and put them on for him. He did this three times…”
It was indeed a familiar story.
He Simu’s temple twitched, and she continued, “You obeyed each time, and then he said that a young man can be taught, asking you to meet him on the bridge at dawn. But each time he arrived first and scolded you, until one day, you went to wait for him in the middle of the night and finally arrived before him. Then he gave you a copy of ‘The Art of War’?”
“It’s from the ‘Cangyan Scripture’,” Duan Xu corrected.
“I didn’t know. So your name is Zhang Liang?” He Simu quipped.
“Hahaha,” Duan Xu leaned on the battlement and burst into laughter. Then he slightly sobered and said, “But I indeed have a formidable Huqi master. I suppose I am his proudest disciple.”
“Oh, where is he now?”
“He had his eyes pecked out by geese, so he retired.”
…
He Simu felt that this person hadn’t spoken a single truthful word. Duan Shunxi, he was truly inscrutable and unpredictable.
“What did you see just now? Did you really see nothing?” Duan Xu redirected the conversation back on track.
“I saw that soldier entering the third tent on the left, but he wasn’t carrying a letter. He had a few small red-tailed fish.”
Duan Xu’s gaze suddenly sharpened. “The third tent on the left?”
“Yes,” He Simu said, puzzled by his sudden seriousness.
Duan Xu’s fingers intertwined at his lips as he thought for a moment before smiling faintly and whispering, “He’s there.”
With that, he bowed to He Simu. “Miss, you have keen eyes. Thank you.”
He Simu wasn’t sure how her words had helped, but judging from Duan Xu’s reaction, it seemed she had achieved something significant. He even seemed eager to escort her back, indicating that he not only had a moment to spare but also felt accomplished.
But as the saying goes, when one doesn’t seek trouble, trouble finds them – most likely in a bad form. Just as He Simu was about to follow Duan Xu down the city tower, she saw black smoke rising from within the city.
Duan Xu’s expression suddenly changed, and Han Xiaowei, the captain of the guards, rushed over with a grave expression. “General! The granary… the granary is on fire!”
Duan Xu swiftly descended the steps, grabbed the reins, and mounted his horse in one fluid motion. With his robes billowing, he kicked his horse into action, leaving dust in his wake as he galloped towards the granary.
All the soldiers remained frozen in place, watching him go. Duan Xu’s speed just now was astonishing, leaving no time for anyone to react.
Only at times like these could He Simu catch a glimpse of Duan Xu’s true self.
Whether the grain burned or not was of no importance to He Simu, a demon who fed on humans. When she leisurely joined the crowd, the fire had been extinguished, leaving only billowing smoke. The culprit who had set fire to the granary had already been apprehended. Soldiers formed a circle around the granary, preventing anyone from approaching, but onlookers crowded around from all sides.
Pushing through the crowd to take a look, He Simu saw that the perpetrator was actually a delicate young woman.
She appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a beautiful face marred by bruises. Half of her head had been shaved, revealing a jarring white scalp. Despite the fine fabric and exquisite patterns of her clothes, they were dirty and tattered, with cotton poking out from the seams. She looked thoroughly dishevelled and destitute.
He Simu touched her lips and asked an old man nearby who was watching the commotion, “Who is this person?”
The old man replied, “Hey, don’t you know? She’s the top courtesan from Qingyu Garden, He Yan.”
At his age, still enjoying watching the excitement, the old man was probably very interested in gossip. He eagerly opened up and began to explain.
According to the old man, He Yan was originally the daughter of a wealthy family but fell on hard times and became a singing courtesan in the brothel. Despite her beauty, she was knowledgeable, skilled in performing arts, and cunning, so she quickly caught the eye of a prominent Huqi nobleman. This nobleman kept her in Shuozhou City, providing her with food, clothing, servants, and a luxurious residence. Her patron also had a close relationship with the Danzhi royal court, and under this series of connections, even the provincial governor dared not offend He Yan.
With her newfound power, He Yan became arrogant and domineering in Shuozhou City, bullying others and exploiting her position. The common people could only endure her tyranny due to the influence of the powerful.
However, when the Daliang army arrived, not only did they drive away the Danzhi army, but they also killed He Yan’s patron who was in the city at the time. With her protector gone, He Yan was abandoned by everyone and became a target for revenge.
“She was driven onto the streets, and even the women in Qingyu Garden looked down on her, spitting on her and grabbing her to shave off half of her hair. She had no choice but to pick up her old trade again. But in her current state, how many patrons would be willing to seek her services? It’s really karma coming back to bite her in this life.”
He Simu thought of the massive army outside the city, wondering if the people in the city would remain as tough if they saw the threat of the Huqi people returning.
“Was she the only one who abused others in Shuozhou City under the influence of the Huqi people? Did you all just single her out because she was the easiest target, a lowly woman?”
He Simu’s words trailed off, then she heard He Yan laughing softly as she lay on the ground. He Yan propped herself up with her slender arms, lifted her chin, her hair dishevelled, bruises around her eyes, looking somewhat crazed.
“Why do you all come to mistreat me? Why! Did I do something wrong? I just want to live a good life, not suffer so much. What’s wrong with relying on the Huqi people? Being a Han Chinese is nothing but lowly, being hungry and oppressed, a few sheep can be exchanged for a life. If you had the chance to curry favour with the Huqi lords, wouldn’t you? His Lin family does business in the city, wouldn’t you fawn over the Huqi people? I did nothing wrong!”
In the Danzhi society, the people were divided into four classes, and the Han people who resisted the Danzhi were the lowest class, bearing the heaviest taxes, strict restrictions on weapons, and their lives were as cheap as cattle and sheep. He Yan, as a “fourth-class citizen,” naturally felt extremely resentful.
Glaring at the onlookers, He Yan said fiercely, “You all want to see me become a joke, you all want me to die, don’t even think about it! If I die, we’ll all die together!”
He Simu fell silent for a moment, then added to the old man, “But, just based on her words, she indeed deserves some of this.”
While He Yan was ranting hysterically, Lin Jun, who had been standing in front of the granary, walked over and slapped her directly.
The burnt granary was actually built by Lin’s family as a charity granary. The Lin family was a rice merchant, and much of the grain that had entered the city before the arrival of the Daliang army came from Lin’s charity granary. Additionally, the grain brought into the city by the Tabai army was also stored in Lin’s charity granary.
Today, thanks to He Yan’s fire, who knows how much was burned.
Just as He Simu saw Lin Jun rushing over earlier, his face was pale and his breath was erratic. Now, he was trembling with anger. After slapping He Yan, he pointed at her with his fingers and said sternly, “Yes, that’s right. My Lin family has been grovelling and pandering just to earn a few measly coins under the noses of the Huqi people. It makes me sick to my stomach. Are we all just going to bow our heads and live like this? Are the Huqi people naturally noble?”
He Yan’s lips were bleeding from the slap. She raised her head and looked at Lin Jun hatefully, saying, “Live like a human being? What am I, and what are you? Once I entered the brothel, could I still lift my head in this lifetime? Both the Han and the Huqi people look down on me. People go where it’s prosperous, and water flows where it’s low. Naturally, I’ll go wherever is better developed!”
“You!” Lin Jun pointed at her, his pale face turning red with anger, but he couldn’t find the words to continue.
Duan Xu patted Lin Jun’s shoulder, urging him to calm down. He bent down, looking into He Yan’s eyes, and asked calmly, “How did you deceive the guard and get into the granary?”
He Yan lowered her head, smiled sinisterly, and said, “What about the guard? Guards are also men.”
The old man in the crowd, upon hearing the conversation, whispered to He Simu, “Today, the foreman on duty at the granary was Xiao Xie. He had a brief affair with He Yan before. He probably felt sorry for her, but who knew this woman was so crazy.”
Duan Xu’s gaze slowly darkened as he looked at He Yan without saying a word. He Yan, feeling as if she was being scrutinized, shrank back for a moment, then suddenly became even more frantic. She laughed and cried at the same time, tears streaming down from the bruised corners of her eyes, looking both ridiculous and pitiful.
“You high and mighty people… Even if I die, I won’t let you off! I’ll become a vengeful spirit and haunt you all!”
Suddenly, she rushed towards the granary wall, as if intending to bash her head against it.
Duan Xu did not move to stop her, but in an instant, a figure dashed out from the crowd, reaching past him and pulling out the Broken Illusion Sword from his waist. In a flash of cold light, the figure grabbed He Yan, who was about to hit the wall.
Then, with a swift motion, the sword in the person’s hand turned and accurately slashed He Yan’s neck, blood splattering everywhere.
In the silence, He Simu held the Broken Illusion Sword, while He Yan lay on the ground, blood dripping from her neck onto the pool of blood flowing from her body.
Want to become a vengeful spirit? Better not.
To be honest, He Simu didn’t really care if He Yan sought death, but her desire to become a vengeful spirit was something she strongly disagreed with.
This crazy girl was filled with resentment and deep-seated grievances. If she died by suicide, it was highly likely that she would become a vengeful spirit in a hundred or so years.
But no matter what, whether He Yan wanted to become a vengeful spirit or not, it depended on whether He Simu was willing to accept her. The fewer troublesome subjects like her, the better.
The Broken Illusion Sword was merciful; it was both a sword that killed and a sword that saved. The person killed by it would dissipate their resentment and immediately be reborn, avoiding becoming a wandering spirit.
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