Chapter 1 The Homecoming

"Dang!"

A melodious bell rang out in the distance, signaling it was time to return home.

The old soldier at Cui Liu Fort no longer raised chickens. His pay was sent from the fort, the same as the barbarian soldiers. Of course, he no longer had to wield a blade and fight; he was only responsible for ringing the bell.

The forts of Great Yan actually didn't have much of the restraint that border forts should have, because the Qian army opposite them had never come.

Therefore, it wasn't a big deal to have a bell in the fort specifically for telling the time.

The bell rang three times, meaning it was three o'clock in the afternoon.

The group of convicts continued to advance, and finally, Cui Liu Fort came into view.

Because the group had encountered barbarian scouts sent out by Cui Liu Fort early on, the news that the lord was returning with the convicts had been received in advance.

On the flat drill ground outside the fort, Xiao Yibo and his men stood waiting with baskets in their hands.

In front of Xiao Yibo, dozens of barbarian soldiers were busy setting up large iron pots, and the aroma of meat filled the air.

At the same time, in a vacant area on the other side, armor and weapons were neatly stacked.

The Blind Man Bei led Xue San, Liang Cheng, and Fan Li at the front.

After the convict group arrived, Ding Hao and Hong Bazi immediately came over to make arrangements.

Each person was given a large bowl, which was more like a pottery basin.

"Yo, isn't this Lord Zuo?" Ding Hao recognized Zuo Jiqian because Zuo Jiqian had been to the fort before.

Zuo Jiqian smiled at Ding Hao, without any airs, but he also didn't have to be obsequious to Ding Hao.

"Lord Zuo, this is your food bowl. Please go this way."

Zuo Jiqian nodded, took the pottery basin, and walked to the right. A barbarian soldier in front of a large iron pot scooped half a basin of soup into Zuo Jiqian's bowl. Another barbarian soldier grabbed a handful of sliced meat and threw it into Zuo Jiqian's bowl, signaling him to continue walking.

Further down, there were steamed buns and rice; the choice was his.

If he wanted a steamed bun, he took one. If he wanted rice, he could have soup with rice.

After receiving the food, he could just sit down and eat.

Zuo Jiqian sat down, took a sip of the soup, and bit into the steamed bun.

He came from a wealthy family, and what delicacies hadn't he tasted before?

But at first, he ate quite politely, but slowly, he began to eat faster and faster, more and more ravenously.

The clansmen around him who had also received food and sat down were the same.

Soon, it was the Huo family's turn. After receiving their food, they were the same, eating with great excitement and relish.

The barbarian soldiers in charge of the food preparations smiled as they watched this scene, as if they were seeing their former selves.

However, unlike the barbarian soldiers, whether it was the Huo family or the Zuo family, their usual food in the past was truly not bad. But since they were branded as convicts, although the escorting officials would not deliberately mistreat them, their daily food would naturally not be exquisite.

Moreover, what they were eating now might not just be food. What made them so excited and ravenous was not the meat soup and steamed buns, but... freedom.

"There are more people than expected," the Blind Man Bei said.

"I thought you would say the more the merrier," Zheng Fan said.

"Heh heh, my lord, you flatter me too much. This subordinate is only suitable for doing ideological work. As for the God of War, let Liang Cheng be it."

"Anyway, with you guys around, I'm very relieved."

"Thank you for your trust, my lord. You've worked hard on this trip. Bathwater has been prepared. Please rest first. We will take care of things here."

"Alright."

Si Niang stood behind Zheng Fan and the Blind Man Bei,

Silently watching the two men standing there talking.

At this moment, Si Niang suddenly had an illusion that the backs of Zheng Fan and the Blind Man Bei were a bit similar, not the kind of similarity in specific shape, but the temperament...

Little Sixth had been abused by his father for so many years, growing up in the abuse and beginning to counter the routine.

Zheng Fan wasn't incapable of learning. Staying with an old schemer for a long time made it difficult to remain innocent, especially after this trip to the capital, which really touched Zheng Fan greatly.

After seeing Zheng Fan enter the fort, Si Niang glanced at A Ming standing beside her. A Ming nodded to Si Niang, and Si Niang followed Zheng Fan into the fort.

The Blind Man Bei stood with his hands crossed in his pockets, like a lazy bum wandering around the Fourth Ring Road in winter wearing a military coat.

A Ming walked to the Blind Man Bei's side.

"I've received all the information."

With the support of the Sixth Prince, information from Yan and even some of Qian would converge on Cui Liu Fort.

"What I want to talk about isn't about Yanjing."

"Oh?"

The Blind Man Bei's voice was a little puzzled.

"My lord may have entered the eighth rank."

The Blind Man Bei smiled,

And said:

"But your and Si Niang's strength doesn't seem to have recovered."

"The problem lies here."

The Blind Man Bei nodded and said:

"I understand. After we arrange things here and after my lord has had a good sleep, let's have a heart-to-heart talk with my lord."

"Alright, then I'll go back too."

"Missing your coffin?"

"Yes."

"Go on, you've worked hard."

"This time we went out, it was much easier than the last time you and San'er went out."

The only thing they did was to be called over by the lord to collect the corpses of the Tian family.

Of course, that kind of hellish scene might be a nightmare for others, but for people like A Ming and Si Niang, it was really just a piece of cake.

"So, what do you want to say?"

"It's nothing. Next time my lord wants to go out, it's better for me to accompany him."

"You think that if I accompany my lord, it will be..."

"Unlucky."

The Blind Man Bei didn't dwell on this point, but instead said:

"That Zuo kid is here too."

"Yes, the lord brought him back. None of these military leaders dare to take him."

"Mm."

"This Zuo Jiqian seems to have been having bad luck ever since he met our lord."

"But he ended up coming to our fort, didn't he?"

"Blind Man, your way of thinking about problems is really hard to resonate with."

"In one's life, it's very possible to take ninety-nine wrong steps, but if you take just one right step, the atmosphere and pattern will be completely different."

"Alright."

"It depends on whether he can grasp it himself."

"You keep an eye on him, I'm going to lie down for a while. When my lord has rested and you're ready to have a heart-to-heart talk, call me."

"In the ice cellar behind the secret door in the cellar, there's the blood of the escaped convicts who were killed the day before yesterday."

So many convicts have been escorted from Silver Wave County, it's hard to guarantee that a few won't jump out.

"Tsk, refined."

A Ming was very satisfied.

"Go on."

The Blind Man waved his hand as if shooing away a fly.

For the sake of the iced fresh blood and caring for people with disabilities, A Ming didn't argue with the Blind Man, turned around, and entered the fort.

The people who had finished eating in front were led by Xiao Yibo and his men into the hall in the barracks that was specially used for bathing.

They were indeed high-quality people. Seeing that they could take a bath, most people were happy and very proactive.

Xiao Yibo sighed in his heart, "As expected of the children of the Great Yan aristocratic families, they know more about hygiene than the desert barbarians."

As for what the word "hygiene" meant, Xiao Yibo didn't know. He had heard the word from a few adults, but he could still understand roughly what it meant.

After the bathhouse was crowded with people pressed against each other, starting to take a bath,

"Three people use one, wash it all clean!!!"

Xiao Yibo and his men began throwing soap inside very excitedly.

At this time, the people who were taking a bath in the bathhouse were stunned after picking up the soap.

They naturally knew what this thing was. Their families had used it before, but they knew how expensive it was. Cui Liu Fort was actually throwing so many soaps at once for these convicts to take a bath?

In the distance, Xue San and Liang Cheng stood together.

"These people are not as easy to fool as the barbarians."

The barbarians were cruel and tyrannical, like a pack of hungry wolves, but their worldview was very simple.

Others might be afraid of dancing with wolves, but in the eyes of the devils, the barbarian soldiers were like a group of incredibly innocent good babies.

But these people were all from aristocratic families, with brains, knowledge, and resentment in their hearts. How to deal with them?

"The method is different, but the result is still the same," Liang Cheng said.

"Not establishing authority tonight?"

"You rest."

"Tsk..." Xue San was a little regretful, thinking that he could carve another skull bowl tonight.

Xue San always felt that he was an artist delayed by the assassin profession.

………

"My lord, do you want to add more water?"

"No, the water temperature is just right."

"It's a bit warm, though."

"It's fine."

"My lord, let me scrub your back."

"No need, Si Niang, you're tired too, go and rest."

"Yes, my lord."

Si Niang walked out of Zheng Fan's room.

Inside the room, Zheng Fan sat alone in the tub, slowly closing his eyes.

Every time he returned from a long trip, he especially enjoyed the feeling of taking a bath.

Even in his previous life at home, he liked to fill the not-so-big bathtub at home with water and immerse himself in it.

Psychology says that many people like this because it allows them to regain the feeling of being in their mother's womb, which can bring great inner security.

………

Da... da... da... da...

The wet dripping sound, not crisp, with a sticky feel.

Zheng Fan opened his eyes in a daze and found himself lying on a table. Beside the table, countless people were laughing and making noise, holding wine glasses in their hands, their faces full of excitement and agitation.

However, no sound came from this noisy scene. Besides the "da da da" sound in his ears, there was nothing else.

The picture, therefore, seemed a bit strange.

Moreover, the faces of these people were deliberately elongated a little, not very obvious, but with a bit of a convex mirror feel.

As a comic creator, Zheng Fan certainly understood this technique. He often used it when drawing comics, elongating people's faces a little, and then cooperating with the plot and hints, often able to better set off the effect of the picture.

Zheng Fan sat up, his hands crossed on his knees.

This is a dream,

I'm dreaming.

The scene in the dream is a bit familiar.

This is the Elegant Courtyard.

"Da.....................da.....................da..............."

Zheng Fan raised his head,

Looking up,

Hanging from the beams above was a little baby.

The baby's face had a pure smile.

The rope was tied to the baby's legs, so the baby was facing down towards Zheng Fan. On the baby's body, blood was constantly dripping, and this was the source of the only sound here.

"Demon Pill?"

Zheng Fan called out.

The baby slowly began to be lowered, his face getting closer and closer to Zheng Fan's face.

Suddenly,

A series of sounds of air being torn apart came,

The celebrating people around fell to the ground one by one, shot by arrows. Then, groups of armored soldiers rushed over and began to chop.

The sound was completely restored at this time.

Screams, cries, and the sounds of chopping were so clear.

Zheng Fan, sitting at the wine table, yawned, without panic or running away. After yawning, he even showed a smile to the baby above.

"Is this dream you made? Or am I dreaming and you came in?"

The baby didn't answer, but gradually restrained his smile.

"You may have misunderstood one thing. Now, I'm really not afraid of this scene."

He's been bouncing around in this world for so long, and he's killed so many people, how could he still be afraid of this kind of bloody scene?

At this moment, Zheng Fan felt someone appear behind him.

Zheng Fan turned his head,

No one,

But only a set of floating gilded armor.

"The collapse of the Great Yan aristocratic families begins with my Tian family!"

The voice came out.

Zheng Fan's eyes narrowed.

The next moment,

Zheng Fan suddenly found that the Demon Pill's face appeared on the table,

Like an ink painting stroke, gradually spreading out.

Soon, the baby's face had completely filled the wine table. You could even say that Zheng Fan was sitting on the Demon Pill's face now.

The Demon Pill's mouth opened,

A terrifying vortex appeared below,

Seeming to want to swallow Zheng Fan down.

But Zheng Fan still sat steadily on it, without the slightest panic.

As a father, no matter how cowardly he is, he won't show cowardice in front of his son.

Zheng Fan didn't move at all, but everything around him was forcibly torn apart, crushed, and finally sucked into the Demon Pill's giant mouth, like a series of paintings.

This kind of devouring speed was exaggerated and abstract. Gradually, all the brilliance around was sucked dry.

Here, there was only a piece of... bright darkness left.

Darkness can also be bright.

Under Zheng Fan, the tables and chairs were naturally gone, but at his feet, a candied plum fell there.

"Sigh, I'm not a lolicon..."

Zheng Fan said as he reached out to pick up the candied plum,

But before he finished speaking,

He was stunned.

He saw a baby wearing denim overalls stumbling towards him, the baby's left index finger in his mouth, sucking.

It was a pity that the baby's eyes were a deep, pitch-black void.

However, in Zheng Fan's opinion, it was already very cute.

The baby wobbled and walked to Zheng Fan,

With a smile on the corner of his mouth,

And streams of saliva dripped down his fingers,

It wasn't disgusting,

After all, this was how a child should be.

Zheng Fan handed the candied plum in his hand to the baby's mouth,

The baby opened his mouth and held the candied plum.

Then,

The baby turned around,

His body staggered for a moment,

And fell into Zheng Fan's arms.

With a chubby little cutie in his arms, Zheng Fan couldn't help but reach out and hug him,

And lowered his head,

And kissed the baby's sparse hair on top of his head,

"Giggle, giggle..."

The baby was tickled by the kiss and laughed.

Zheng Fan also laughed,

Holding the baby, his body gently shook along,

And said:

"Although I know you're lying to me, but I... accept your flattery."

……

Outside, the sky was already dark.

"Everyone, it's all arranged," Xiao Yibo came over and said.

"You've worked hard," the Blind Man Bei said.

"I wouldn't dare say I've worked hard, this is what this subordinate should do."

"Mm, go and rest too."

Xiao Yibo immediately bowed and excused himself.

In the courtyard, the six adults were all sitting there, as if they were going to have a meeting, but Xiao Yibo knew that he didn't even have the qualifications to attend, let alone listen in.

"Chen the swordsman is gone," the Blind Man Bei said.

"When?" A Ming asked.

"Dusk."

Si Niang said, "Perhaps he saw that we brought back so many people and guessed what we were going to do?"

Fan Li said at this time:

"He even asked me in the afternoon if I wanted to help chop wood and boil hot water for those poor people to take a bath."

"Uh." Si Niang.

So, that guy who was missing a string in his brain still didn't see what was going to happen next after seeing so many convicts come to the fort today?

"Yes, he didn't see it," the Blind Man Bei said, "According to my lord's evaluation of him, he is indeed a simpleton."

A powerful opponent who can compete with Fan Li in terms of IQ!

"Then he?"

"I told him, then he understood, then he left. He should have gone to report to the Qian Kingdom."

"Why do that?" Xue San asked.

The Blind Man Bei took out a metal box from his pocket, took out a cigarette,

And said:

"Do you think that without his report, the Qian Kingdom wouldn't know what's happening here? The Qian Kingdom's spies in the Yan Kingdom are much better than their border army. Such a big movement in Silver Wave County, it would be a real ghost if it could be concealed from the other side.

I even think that the prince whose limbs were broken by our lord may have people from the Qian Kingdom infiltrated around him."

"Oh, but he hasn't done what he promised my lord."

"Currently, no one has asked him to do it. He can't be asked to assassinate people from the Qian Kingdom, right? Are we going to give him three assassination lists with Ji Runhao, Li Liangting, and Tian Wujing written on them?"

"Hehe…………" Xue San laughed.

Then he found that everyone wasn't laughing, so he didn't laugh anymore.

"Now that he's gone, it's good for everyone. He can receive another favor."

"Alright, Chen the swordsman is gone, then he's gone. He'll naturally come back after the battle is over. Let's talk business. My lord hasn't woken up yet?" A Ming couldn't help but ask.

All the men present turned their attention to Si Niang.

"Why are you looking at me?" Si Niang asked.

"Generally speaking, once my lord advances, you should be the first to recover. You are the weather vane," Xue San said.

"Hehe, no, I don't have that big of a face."

Xue San smiled. Everyone knew what the relationship between my lord and Si Niang was, and immediately said:

"How is it possible that you aren't the first? Right, A Cheng."

Liang Cheng nodded, seemingly wanting to make a joke to liven up the atmosphere,

"It can't possibly be the Demon Pill first."

"Buzz!!!"

A baleful aura suddenly leaked out from within the fort, but dissipated in an instant.

The six devils in the courtyard immediately stood up. Although the aura just now was only a momentary leak, they immediately sensed whose aura it was, and what the strength of that brief leak meant!

The Blind Man Bei looked at Liang Cheng with a profound look.

Xue San hugged his head in disbelief and said:

"Oh my god, it really was the Demon Pill who licked it out first!"