He Si, seeing the anger in their eyes, cautiously asked Mu Changxi, "May I ask... are you His Highness Prince Chang?"
Mu Changxi's current legs were too obvious.
Mu Changxi did not answer, but instructed Ping Jiang, "Now that we know the situation in Ping'an County, you know what to do, right?"
Ping Jiang nodded, understanding Mu Changxi's meaning, and then turned to take those people away.
"What are you doing?!"
He Si was startled, not knowing what Mu Changxi and Ping Jiang intended to do. He shook his head repeatedly, "Your Highness, spare my life, Your Highness, spare my life! I have told Your Highness everything that happened when Ah Jing returned! I beg Your Highness to spare my life!"
In fact, these people had done so many heinous things that killing them then and there would have been justified.
However, they were cloaked in the guise of "officials." Did they truly not need to be questioned by the Haizhou City Prefecture Office?
Song Chaoyu looked at Mu Changxi with some worry.
Mu Changxi's gaze, however, was extremely cold. "You wanted to be bandits, didn't you? Since I see that there is no law or justice in Ping'an County, or even in the entire Haizhou City, then I shall deal with you in your own way. Isn't that fitting? It is simply too easy for you to die like this. I hope that when you meet those refugees you harmed on the road to the underworld, you will be just as proud."
His mind was unyielding.
Song Chaoyu thought it made sense.
These people had harmed countless others; their deaths were deserved.
They were like the stinking fish and shrimp from the gutters, not worth a second glance.
"No... don't!"
No matter how He Si and the others cried out, Song Chaoyu remained unmoved.
Naturally, their cries did not last long.
When all was quiet around them, Mu Changxi also instructed Ping Jiang, "Handle everything properly. Leave no traces. After all, so many people have gone missing in Ping'an County, they won't miss these one or two."
Ping Jiang nodded, "Your Highness, rest assured."
He even stripped off He Si and the others' clothes, which might be useful later. If not, they would be burned, leaving no trace.
Song Chaoyu felt that with the current state of Haizhou, if anyone noticed something amiss in the future, no one would come to seek justice for He Si and the others.
It was simply retribution.
With He Si and the others dealt with, the group could continue on their way.
As they moved forward, Song Chaoyu only saw the desolation and barrenness surrounding Ping'an County.
In fact, judging by the traces on the trade route, it was evident that Ping'an County must have been very prosperous and bustling in the past.
Xu Yuan, a native of Ping'an County, followed behind Song Chaoyu and the others. Seeing the dilapidated and deserted Ping'an County, he sighed, "In this world, I wonder how many people have lost their way."
If the court could not take action, would it not be a disservice to the people?
Next, it was Xu Yuan's turn to contribute.
Now that they knew the situation in Ping'an County, they naturally could not rush into it.
Therefore, they needed to find a small path into Ping'an County. Xu Yuan, having grown up in Ping'an County since childhood, could easily find such a path.
Furthermore, Xu Yuan informed them that the school occupied by those people was the largest courtyard in the county, located in the east.
Entering from the west, they could avoid alerting them.
They first needed to unite with the other disaster victims still in Ping'an County, so they could devise a plan together.
However, for some reason, Song Chaoyu felt that Mu Changxi's current retinue was likely sufficient.
Although they appeared to have only brought Ping Jiang and a few others, Mu Changxi always seemed confident, no matter the situation.
He did not confide these matters to her, which made Song Chaoyu feel a little uneasy.
However, this was not the time to dwell on such things. Song Chaoyu had known for a long time that he had his own plans.
As long as they did their part, everything would be fine.
---
As they made their way through the woods towards Ping'an County, the surroundings were quiet. Even as they neared Ping'an County, no noisy sounds could be heard, making everything seem rather eerie.
Moreover, while passing through the woods, Song Chaoyu discovered several bloodstains. She wondered what had happened here and how many lives had been lost in this place.
They arrived at the north side of Ping'an County, where a small post station was located.
The post station seemed deserted, but the back door was open, allowing them to enter smoothly.
Inside the post station, everything had been ransacked and searched. It was unclear how many people had come to investigate. Not to mention any supplies, not even a single strand of rope was left!
"Dong—"
"Who?!"
However, just as they entered the courtyard of the post station, a figure suddenly darted past from the side!
Ping Jiang immediately stepped forward and grabbed the person.
The person began to struggle, "You scoundrels! There's nothing left here, let me go! You scoundrels, you took my parents and my sister! I will kill you, I will fight you!"
In Ping Jiang's grasp was a young boy who looked no older than ten.
He was like a startled little beast, constantly baring his teeth and claws, trying to scare Ping Jiang.
But his strength was far too small compared to Ping Jiang's!
Xu Yuan, seeing the boy like this, quickly stepped forward and covered the child's mouth, "Hush! Don't shout! It's me! We're not bad people, Shui Jing, don't shout!"
The boy recognized Xu Yuan's voice and suddenly froze. He then stared at Xu Yuan, who was disguised as a woman, with wide eyes, "Wuwuwu?"
With his mouth covered, he couldn't speak. Xu Yuan made a shushing gesture and then removed his veil, looking at Shui Jing seriously, "Do you recognize me? It's me!"
"Teacher Xu?!"
Shui Jing stared at Xu Yuan in shock for a long time before recognizing his identity.
He found it even more incredible, "Teacher Xu? How can it be you? Why... are you dressed like this?"
He looked at Song Chaoyu and the others, "Who are they?"
Xu Yuan signaled Ping Jiang to let him go, then explained to him, "These are people who have come to save us! Don't shout, and tell us about the current situation in Ping'an County?"
As he spoke, Xu Yuan also said to Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi, "His name is Li Shui Jing. His father was in charge of this post station. His whole family of four lived here. It seems the others have already been taken away."