Chapter 81
Chapter 81
After Xiao Jingmo killed Hong Wu on the spot, his two remaining lackeys were terrified senseless.
They dropped to their knees in the snow and repeatedly kowtowed to Xiao Jingmo and Xiao Che.
“Masters, spare us! We’ll obey you and tell you everything we know. Please don’t kill us. We’ll behave. We can be useful.”
Xiao Che studied Qian Kun. They needed to keep him alive for now. This place concealed many secrets, and the two men had often assisted Zhao Hu, so they knew more than ordinary exiles.
Besides, only about a hundred exiles had appeared. How could such a large Garrison hold so few people?
Something they did not know about must have happened.
“Get up and lead the way. Perform well, and you keep your lives. Perform poorly, and plenty of others can replace you.”
Xiao Che’s cold warning made clear that their current safety would not last forever.
Qian Kun scrambled up and vowed, “Master, don’t worry. No one knows this place better than Jiang Qing and me. We worked for Hong Wu and helped Yama Zhao.”
He bowed and led the Xiao Family toward the underground huts where the exiles lived.
A vast open area spanning dozens of acres lay west of the Garrison.
Dozens of underground huts of varying sizes crowded the side of the mountain.
The Xiao Family had never seen people live like this.
Each dwelling began as a pit deeper than a man’s height. Logs as thick as bowls formed pillars and a triangular roof, which was covered in layers of birch bark, moss, earth, stone slabs, and thatch. The entrance was extremely low.
Some could be entered by bending over. Others required crawling.
They were practically caves. Even grassland yurts and the worst mud-brick houses were better. Were people here treated like livestock?
Fortunately, Hong Wu’s hut was newly dug. Its entrance was higher than most, with an animal hide hanging over it to block the snow.
The family could enter by bending over.
But the smell inside nearly made everyone vomit.
The unventilated hut had rough, damp, clammy walls that reeked of mold.
Hong Wu and His Two Brothers had lived in filth. The air stank of sweat, feet, and even urine.
Pei Wanqing bent over and retched.
“Mommy, what’s wrong?”
Jin Bao hurried over and rubbed her back.
Afraid the smell would affect her daughter, Pei Wanqing waved. “I’m fine, my good girl. Are you all right? The smell is overwhelming. If you feel sick, use the scented sachet Auntie gave you.”
Pei Wanqing held a sachet beneath her nose, which finally suppressed her nausea.
Jin Bao shook her head. “No. Baby doesn’t think it stinks.”
In her previous life, Jin Bao had lived among piles of corpses. This odor could not harm her.
She could almost ignore it.
At least the hut was much warmer than outside.
It was pitch-black, without fire or any means of illumination, making its interior impossible to see.
Old Han lit a tinder tube, finally revealing the space.
The hut was about thirty feet wide. Apart from the three tyrants, other exiles had been packed inside.
Hong Wu had personally selected them, and most were attractive women.
They performed hard labor with the men during the day and suffered torment from the three brothers at night. Many could not endure it and died within days.
More than ten women huddled in a corner now, trembling and trying to make themselves invisible.
There were no beds, only a thin mat of grass that reeked of mold.
Xiao Che laid Old Madam Xiao on it.
Looking around, he found a fire pit in the center.
A few embers still glowed inside.
No wonder the hut was warmer. A fire had recently burned here.
Qian Kun had been right that Hong Wu’s dwelling was better than the others.
At least they had been able to light a fire here.
Suppressing his discomfort, Xiao Jingmo searched the entire hut and found no fuel.
“Qian Kun, what do you normally burn?”
Xiao Jingmo stared at the two tyrants cowering nearby, killing intent filling his eyes.
Both men shuddered. How could such a refined young man possess such a murderous aura?
They found him even more frightening than the powerfully built Xiao Che.
“Young Master, all our fuel came from Yama Zhao’s rewards. But as you can see, we’ve burned it all.”
Qian Kun’s answer reminded Xiao Jingmo of something.
“Father, the Garrison must contain plenty of dry wood. We need to move it before the snow buries and soaks it. Grandmother needs a fire immediately.”
Xiao Che nodded and turned to Qian Kun and Jiang Qing.
The two understood before he spoke. “We’ll go. We wouldn’t dare trouble you, Master.”
They dragged each other toward the exit and scrambled out.
Xiao Jingmo did not trust them.
“Father, I’ll watch them so they don’t go down the mountain to report us.”
Xiao Che nodded.
“Second Brother, Baby will come too. If they bully Second Brother, Baby will smash their heads.”
Jin Bao hugged Xiao Jingmo’s legs and looked up with clear eyes.
Yet the words out of her mouth were fierce.
“All right. Little Sister can protect me.”
Xiao Jinghao could not help by remaining behind, so he followed.
Xiao Jingmo emerged only a moment later, yet Qian Kun and Jiang Qing had vanished.
“Oh no. They really did run.”
Xiao Jingmo did not know the Garrison’s surroundings, and connected underground huts lay everywhere. He had no idea where they had crawled. But he could not let them escape down the mountain.
He had been too merciful. He should have crippled their legs.
Seeing him search, Jin Bao asked curiously, “Second Brother, what are you looking for?”
“Those two bad men. They hid.”
Xiao Jingmo’s face darkened.
Jin Bao tilted her head and realized he meant the two men from before.
“Second Brother, they can’t escape. Baby knows where they are.”
She pointed to the third underground hut on the left.
“They’re hiding in there.”
Xiao Jingmo never doubted Jin Bao and strode over.
“Listen inside. Bind the two men who just entered and bring them out. I’ll reward you with five pieces of jerky. If you shelter them, I’ll light a fire and suffocate everyone below. I’ll count to ten.”
The entrance was so low that anyone entering had to crawl. Xiao Jingmo dared not go down, since they could not defend themselves if the people below attacked.
His only option was to tempt them with a reward and make them surrender the fugitives.
“One… two… three…”
Xiao Jingmo’s cool voice sounded like a death knell to the people below.
When he reached seven, a head finally appeared.
“If we hand them over, will you truly give us jerky?”
Xiao Jingmo immediately sent Xiao Jinghao to fetch it.
Xiao Jinghao returned with five pieces and waved them.
“Here it is. Bring those men out, and it’s yours.”
The man’s eyes brightened. He turned and waved behind him.
Qian Kun and Jiang Qing were soon dragged out.
They cursed and threatened their captors.
“Just wait! Once I get the chance, I’ll make you wish you were dead.”
The moment they stood, Xiao Jingmo kicked them down.
“That assumes you’ll get another chance.”
He sneered, then looked at the exiles secretly watching from the entrance.
“Listen well. I am Xiao Jingmo. From now on, Hong Wu and His Two Brothers are gone. No one will bully you again. The rules here will be rewritten. In one hour, every underground hut will send one representative to Hong Wu’s hut for a meeting.”
“Third Brother, cripple one leg on each of them. That’s the price of running. If it happens again, kill them and use their bodies as bait when we hunt wolves.”
Xiao Jinghao did not hesitate. He stomped on their knees.
After several blows, both men’s legs were completely ruined.