"Fugui ge, I can't bear to part with you," Little Qing sobbed, clinging to Zhou Fugui in his arms.
"Ah, Little Qing, are you worried about me?" Zhou Fugui chuckled, stroking her hair and feigning nonchalance. "You needn't worry too much. The old monk of Longtan Temple has already told my fortune. My life is fraught with peril, but I shall always turn misfortune into good fortune and danger into blessings. Besides, the battlefield is ten thousand times more perilous than this, and I came back safe and sound. Little Qing, hurry now, my family still needs your care."
Zhou Fugui felt a pang of guilt towards Little Qing at that moment.
If his family hadn't encountered trouble, tonight might have been his wedding night with Little Qing. But... life is indeed unpredictable, Zhou Fugui sighed inwardly.
"Mm..." Little Qing wiped away her tears, leaning back slightly. In the moonlight, she carefully gazed at Zhou Fugui's handsome face, as if to imprint his features into her very bones.
"Fugui ge, I would rather die than live without you!" Little Qing then said softly, yet with firm conviction.
"What are you saying?" Zhou Fugui cupped her delicate face and smiled. "I told you I would turn misfortune into good fortune. I won't die so easily! I'm keeping this life to marry my Little Qing."
"Fugui ge..." Little Qing whispered, pressing her face against his. "You... you're not going to marry Princess Ziyue anymore?"
"Uh... I'll marry both, both," Zhou Fugui chuckled sheepishly.
He suspected he wouldn't be marrying either of them. Zhou Fugui mused inwardly, tonight was destined to be a night of danger and bloodshed, its outcome utterly unpredictable.
Yingying, I have failed you in this life. We shall only meet again in the next, Zhou Fugui thought to himself.
"Fugui ge... I... I... I want you to take me now."
...
Zhou Fugui waved goodbye to Little Qing and the others as they departed. He then mounted his horse, ascertained the direction of Qin Tianming's home, and galloped away.
Little Qing's intention was to use her tenderness to dissolve Zhou Fugui's anger, fury, and resentment, thereby stopping him. But how could that be possible?
Furthermore, tonight was destined to be a bloody, brutal, and perilous night, with Zhou Fugui's life hanging in the balance. Thus, he did not wish to ruin Little Qing's virtue.
A hazy crescent moon was emerging from behind the cicada-wing-like clouds. The curved moon shimmered with a silvery glow, illuminating the snow-covered plains with an exceptionally bright white, making them feel even colder.
In the moonlight, a lone rider galloped swiftly. The moonlight glinted off the weapons, casting a chilling gleam.
Qin Tianming's farmstead was about ten li from Zhou Fugui's home. He spared no effort, galloping his horse at full speed. It would take less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to reach it.
"Hoo!" Zhou Fugui, not holding back his horse, galloped at full speed. As he approached Qin Tianming's farmstead, a group of people suddenly appeared by the side of the woods, startling Zhou Fugui. He quickly reined in his warhorse, drew his bow and arrows, and watched them intently.
Could they have received news and set up an ambush in advance? Zhou Fugui wondered with alarm.
"Haha, Fugui ge, you're too disloyal! For such a good thing, you forgot about your brothers?" A man as black as a tower, carrying a long-handled saber, walked forward and smiled at Zhou Fugui.
"That's right, Brother Mancang is right. Camp master, you're too disloyal!"
"Share fortune and bear hardship together, that's what you said. Why aren't you keeping your word?"
"Haha, exactly, exactly."
A group of twenty people walked over, laughing and arm in arm.
"Mancang, Dacheng, Xinhong, Tianqi, Iron Bull, is that you? Why are you all here?" Zhou Fugui said, a mix of joy and anger, upon recognizing the newcomers.
Zhou Fugui was happy that these brothers had remained loyal to him and had come to his aid with such righteousness. He was angry because he had come alone, wishing not to involve them, yet they had... Zhou Fugui was also deeply moved.
"Fugui ge, twenty strong men, they are yours tonight," Xu Mancang said with a smile, carrying his saber.
"Camp master, we've already figured out the location of that old scoundrel Qin Tianming's residence," Suo Dacheng said, also grinning, his battle-ax in hand.
"Camp master, how should we proceed? Just give the order," Hong Wei asked.
"How else should we proceed? Charge in, capture that old scoundrel Qin Tianming, and dismember him," said Yang Xinhong, Zhou Fugui's fellow townsman.
"How can a dog traitor who killed the camp master's brother die so easily? Let him live and watch his whole family die before his eyes," said Wu Tianqi, another fellow townsman.
"Oh, Tianqi, military law forbids the indiscriminate killing of innocent people. That's the law of our White Tiger Camp," Wei the Blind quickly interjected.
Since they had all arrived, Zhou Fugui could not turn them away. He thought for a moment and said, "Come over here, all of you."
The twenty fellow townsmen and friends gathered around Zhou Fugui.
Suo Dacheng and the others gave a rough layout of Qin Tianming's farmstead.
"We shall proceed thusly," Zhou Fugui ordered after understanding the situation. "Wei the Blind is right, indiscriminate killing of innocents is forbidden. However, this only applies to people outside the Qin family. For members of the Qin family, there are no military laws tonight."
"As the camp master commands!" everyone responded in a low voice.
...
"Hehe, Master, can you do it? Or shall we rest a moment before..."
"Slap!"
"Bitch, how dare you underestimate me? Tonight, this master will have you, you little slut!"
Qin Tianming had recently taken a new concubine, and tonight was his wedding night. However, as Qin Tianming was not young, his vigor had waned. After half the night's efforts, he couldn't achieve consummation. At this moment, his concubine was already sweating profusely from exhaustion. She had tried to persuade him to rest, but Qin Tianming slapped her, forcing her to continue serving him with a heavy heart.
"Boom!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"We are the heroes of Fuhu Mountain. We have descended the mountain tonight only to take Qin family's wealth. Those not involved, close your doors and stay inside. Anyone who comes out dies!"
Just as Qin Tianming was regaining his vigor, the farmstead's main gate was smashed open with a "boom!" Following that, the sounds of chaotic hooves and footsteps echoed. It was unclear how many people had stormed into the farmstead, charging and shouting.
Qin Tianming's residence had seven or eight side rooms, surrounded by ordinary farmers or Qin Tianming's tenants. The shouts of killing startled them from their sleep. Upon hearing that it was bandits from Fuhu Mountain descending to rob them, they immediately shut their doors tightly. Some, driven by curiosity, cautiously opened their doors to peek. As soon as they did, several arrows flew towards them. Terrified, they dared not open their doors again and retreated back to their beds, trembling.
"Heroes of Fuhu Mountain?" Qin Tianming, who had just regained his vigor and was about to consummate his marriage, was instantly scared witless. As he was about to get off his concubine, the door was kicked open with a "bang!" and several burly men with drawn swords burst in.
"Good sirs, what is this...?"
Before Qin Tianming could get dressed, he was grabbed by the hair and dragged naked from the bed, pinned to the ground. Qin Tianming, terrified, repeatedly asked.
"Ah!" The concubine let out a scream, pulled the quilt over herself, and hid under it. However, her quilt was also ripped away, and she was dragged from the bed, naked, to kneel beside Qin Tianming.
"Lift your head!" Zhou Fugui walked up to Qin Tianming, saber in hand, and commanded.
"It's you? Weren't you... weren't you...?" Qin Tianming looked up and finally saw Zhou Fugui's face clearly. He was greatly astonished.
My fate is sealed! Upon seeing Zhou Fugui, Qin Tianming's heart pounded with terror. If these were truly bandits from Fuhu Mountain coming for wealth, perhaps offering them riches might spare his life. But Zhou Fugui had come for revenge, not for money.
Zhou Fugui's reputation for ferocity was now known throughout the Great Yan Kingdom. With Zhou Fugui leading men to seek vengeance, Qin Tianming's chances were grim.
"Did you think Zhou would fall into an ambush and die?" Zhou Fugui asked Qin Tianming coldly.
"Nephew!" Qin Tianming cried out loudly.
"Slap!" Zhou Fugui reversed the hilt of his saber and struck Qin Tianming forcefully in the face. Blood splattered, and several large teeth flew out with the blood.
"Villain, who is your nephew? Dare to speak nonsense again, and watch your dog's head," Zhou Fugui warned, pointing the saber blade at Qin Tianming. "Where is my younger sister?"
Zhou Fugui had led his men to attack Qin Zhuang, his first priority being to find Zhou Xiaomei. But after searching the entire Qin residence, he could not find Zhou Xiaomei.
That naked woman, Qin Tianming's concubine, was not Zhou Xiaomei.
"She... she... she... Fugui, could you let this old man put on some clothes before I explain in detail?" Qin Tianming attempted to explain the situation.
"Explain in detail? Waiting for reinforcements, are we? I see you won't shed tears until you see the coffin!" Zhou Fugui sneered, nudging the concubine with his saber. "This is your newly taken concubine, isn't it? My brothers and I have returned from the battlefield. Our kind are not afraid of bloodshed, nor are we afraid of seeing women. Do you understand? But you wouldn't care about such a lowly woman, would you?"
With that, Zhou Fugui gave Hu Tieniu a look.
Hu Tieniu understood and, with a sinister grin, swung his saber towards Qin Tianming's lower body.
Blood spurted. Qin Tianming clutched his groin, rolling and screaming in agony within the room. His screams pierced the roof and threatened to shatter his vocal cords. Qin Tianming would never regain his vigor again.
"Ah!" The concubine instantly collapsed in terror, having lost bladder control.
"Speak quickly, where is my younger sister? Why did you harm my brother?" Zhou Fugui roared at Qin Tianming, his saber pointed at him. "Not saying? I have plenty of ways to make you and your entire family wish you were dead rather than alive."
"Zhou Fugui, after enduring such humiliation today, I have nothing left but death," Qin Tianming said with a tragic smile, enduring the excruciating pain.
"Still refusing to speak? Good, you've got guts!" Zhou Fugui sneered at Qin Tianming. "If it were any other matter, Zhou might have spared your life today. But the enmity of a murdered brother cannot be borne, so do not blame Zhou for his ruthlessness!"
If Zhou Fugui had been somewhat soft-hearted before, now, after returning from the bloody battlefield and experiencing his family's upheaval, his temperament had drastically changed. At the very least, he had become exceptionally cold and merciless.