Chapter 130: The Village is Raided

The moon above the sky was now even rounder, casting a soft silver glow over the entire village—pure and tranquil.

Tian Fan walked out of the thatched hut and looked in a certain direction. There was a red glow from torches there, and the noise in the village was growing louder. Tian Fan headed in that direction, and just as he was about to arrive, he suddenly heard a loud voice shout:

“Everyone in the village, listen up! Hand over all the grain in your homes, and be quick about it. If you delay this lord’s plans, hmph, don’t even think about surviving!”

The one shouting clearly practiced martial arts—the voice was amplified with true qi, making it particularly loud and powerful in the quiet village.

“Are these people… bandits?” Tian Fan wondered suspiciously, quickening his pace.

He stood among the villagers and looked carefully ahead. Not far away, dozens of torches lit the area, and nearly a few hundred people had entered the village. These people were fully armored soldiers, each helmet marked with a sun insignia. They were searching every household, and anything of value was taken without hesitation.

Tian Fan frowned. These were soldiers of the Sun Empire from the northern region of the Divine Martial Continent. Why had they come all the way here?

At a glance, he estimated there were more than two hundred soldiers, all clad in silver-gold armor. Even their horses were draped in golden armor. This had to be an official cavalry unit.

They rummaged through the village recklessly—chasing chickens, grabbing ducks—completely disrupting the peace of this remote little village. All the villagers were awakened and herded into an open area in the middle of the village.

“Who are these people?” Tian Fan asked a young man beside him.

“A bunch of b*stards. They make us hand over tons of grain every year. Many families don’t even have enough to eat!” the man said through gritted teeth, glaring hatefully at the soldiers. His fists were clenched so tightly that his fingers turned white.

“Reporting, General! A total of 125 chickens, 342 ducks, around 200 catties of assorted grains, and over 100 catties of various meats!”

A soldier in golden armor ran over from the distance and loudly reported to the man leading the cavalry. He was a middle-aged man, around forty years old. After hearing the report, he stepped forward. Dressed in black armor and physically imposing, he drove his long blade deep into the ground, sneering coldly at the villagers gathered on the open ground.

“Where’s the village elder? Get out here and speak!”

His roar scared several children into tears.

“What’s the matter, General? What happened? Please don’t be angry.” An elderly man walked out. He was nearly sixty and the village chief—respected by all and known as Old He.

“What’s the matter? Hah! You think you can brush me off this easily? Just this pitiful amount of goods? How the hell are my men supposed to survive?” The cavalry leader yanked Old He by the collar and bellowed at him.

“Please calm down, General. The weather has been harsh this year, and the harvest was poor. This is all we have. Please, show us some mercy and let us off just this once. Next year, we’ll definitely give you more,” Old He begged.

“Next year? Sure, I don’t mind. But you’ll have to ask whether my brothers and their weapons agree to that!”

The general looked mockingly at Old He, then turned to his men.

“No way in hell, hahahaha…”

A massive roar of laughter erupted, and the two hundred soldiers all brandished their blades.

The villagers were terrified, staring at the cold glint of steel. The children clung to their parents.

“Well, old man, it’s out of my hands. They don’t agree. Hurry up and hand over whatever’s left in your homes, or else… hmph.”

He shoved Old He aside. Laughter erupted from the soldiers behind him.

“Grandpa!”

From the crowd, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy rushed out and helped the fallen old man up. He glared furiously at the general gripping the blade and shouted, “The state never even ordered us to pay grain taxes! Every year we give you our food—what more do you want?!”

“How dare you speak to our general like that! Are you tired of living?”

A soldier shouted from the ranks. A group of them stepped forward, exuding killing intent, their blades reflecting a sharp, cold gleam.

“Calm down, General. The child is ignorant and meant no offense. Please, show some leniency. Er Douzi, kneel and apologize to the general now!”

Old He was panicked and forcibly pushed his grandson down to the ground.

“Hah! You think an apology is enough? A stinking brat like you dares to talk back to me? Even a thousand deaths wouldn’t be enough! Take him away!”

The general barked coldly. Someone had dared challenge his authority in front of so many—completely unforgivable.

“General, please calm down! Let my brother go, he’s just a child!”

At that moment, a young woman in a yellow dress stepped out from the crowd. She knelt beside Old He and pleaded with the general. Though not a world-class beauty, she was elegant and graceful.

She was known as the prettiest girl in the surrounding villages. Seeing her step forward, Old He panicked and whispered urgently, “Why did you come out? Go back quickly!”

“Heh, who would’ve thought such a beauty lived in this village? Not bad, not bad…”

The general’s eyes immediately gleamed with lust as he ogled her. He stepped forward, laughing lewdly. “Old He, forget the grain this year. Just hand her over as compensation. Hahaha.”

He grabbed the young woman’s hand, his gaze wandering brazenly over her body. One hand reached directly toward her chest.

“General, no! Please let my granddaughter go—she’s only nineteen!”

Old He’s eyes were clouded with despair. He stepped forward to plead, only to be shoved aside by a soldier. His palms scraped against the ground, bleeding.

“Bastard! Let go of my sister!”

The boy from earlier charged forward in rage.

BANG!

But how could he be a match for the general? With one swift kick, he was sent flying. Blood spilled from his mouth, and though he struggled, he couldn’t get up.

“Let me go! Let go of me!”

The girl in yellow screamed in panic.

“Please let her go, General!”

“She’s just a child! Take all our grain instead!”

The villagers were kindhearted and rushed forward to plead for the chief’s family.

“Shut the hell up! Anyone who speaks again—I’ll kill you!”

The general roared, swinging his long blade. A flash of cold light accompanied by a wave of bluish true qi carved a trench half a foot deep into the ground.

The villagers recoiled in terror. Faced with such deadly weapons, they dared not say another word. They were just ordinary people—if they provoked these soldiers, their entire village could be wiped out.

“Let me go…”

The young woman struggled with all her might, but she was no match for the brute strength of the general.

“Heh heh… Don’t worry, pretty girl. I’ll make you scream with pleasure tonight.”

He laughed lasciviously, dragging her away. Her desperate cries echoed through the village, but none dared stop him. Old He’s eyes were hazy with despair as he screamed for Xiao Ying.

“Let her go…”

Suddenly, a cold voice rang out.

A figure in white stepped from the crowd, eyes fixed coldly on the general in black armor, slowly walking forward…