Chapter 8: Toiling Like a Beast of Burden

"Spare... spare me! Young Master Xiao... no, Grandpa Xiao, spare my life!" Liu Gang was a mess of tears and snot, his previous arrogance and bluster completely gone as he kowtowed frantically. "I... I don't want anything anymore! Please, just spare this dog's life! I will serve you like a beast of burden!"

"It's too late." Xiao Zhan’s tone was icy, devoid of the slightest fluctuation.

"Bang!"

A bullet pierced Liu Gang’s skull, freezing his expression of terrified servility in place forever.

The gunfire grew sparse until it fell completely silent.

Inside the great hall, corpses lay in heaps, blood pooling on the floor. The thick scent of gunpowder mixed with the pungent stench of blood was nauseating. Several of the Prince’s retainers had been wounded, some severely, but compared to the total annihilation of the imperial guards, this was undoubtedly a resounding and exhilarating victory.

Xiao Yunshang, Qiu Shuang, and the other women took refuge behind the hall, covering their mouths, their faces ashen as they fought back the nausea. The scene before them was a hellscape of utter carnage.

"We... we won?" A young retainer leaned on his spear, his voice trembling with a mix of excitement and lingering fear.

"We won!" Xiao Zhan slung his AK-47 over his shoulder, his chest swelling with the pride of a conqueror.

"Long live the Young Master!"

"The Prince of Yan’s estate is saved!"

The survivors burst into thunderous cheers, many of the iron-willed warriors weeping openly—a mixture of the wild joy of surviving death and a desperate hope for the future.

Just as Xiao Zhan was about to speak to comfort them and boost their morale:

"Young Master! It’s bad! Something terrible has happened!" A scout from the estate, covered in blood and with his armor shattered, stumbled into the hall, his face etched with horror and despair as if his soul had left his body.

"What is the meaning of this panic? Steady yourself! Speak slowly!" Xiao Zhan’s brow twitched, an ominous premonition seizing his heart.

The scout was panting, his fingers trembling as he pointed toward the outside of the estate, his voice hoarse and distorted. "Outside... outside the city! A massive force! Their banners... it’s the... it’s the Capital Garrison! A sea of black, at least... at least several thousand men!"

The Capital Garrison?!

Several thousand men?!

These words were like a thunderbolt from the nine heavens, striking down upon everyone’s heads!

The fire of excitement, just ignited by their victory, was instantly extinguished by a bucket of ice water, chilling them to the bone.

The deafening cheers in the hall were severed by an invisible hand, coming to an abrupt halt.

Under the flickering lamp light, every face turned gray, drained of all color.

Xiao Zhan’s heart sank as well, plummeting to the depths.

This was a disaster! A catastrophe!

The moment the scout finished speaking, the great hall fell into a deathly silence. The retainers, who had been roaring with triumph just moments ago, now looked as if they had been strangled, their very breathing suspended. Many dropped their weapons, the metal clattering against the floor with a dull, heavy thud.

"The... the Capital Garrison? Thousands of them?" One retainer’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor in a daze. "It’s over... it’s all over now..."

"Young Master, should we... should we just surrender?" another retainer’s voice was raspy, almost a wail. "That’s the Capital Garrison! They aren't like those useless local imperial guards! They are the Emperor’s trusted blade, fully equipped and elite. How can we block them with what we have? Are we supposed to use our heads to stop them?!"

"Shut your mouths, all of you!" Xiao Zhan roared, his voice like a thunderclap, forcibly suppressing the despair and wailing that filled the hall. He strode over to the scout, his gaze sharp. "Are you certain? Was it truly the banner of the Capital Garrison? Did you see who the commanding general was?!"

The scout, intimidated by his presence, fought his trembling and gasped for air. "It is certain! The black banner with the golden dragon—it is the 'Longxiang Guard,' one of the twelve divisions of the Capital Garrison! I saw it clearly! They were too far away for me to see the commander's face, but the military discipline and the murderous aura—there is no mistake! The sound of their horses’ hooves is like thunder; I fear they have completely surrounded the entire Yan estate!"

The Longxiang Guard! The absolute ace among the twelve divisions of the Capital Garrison, their combat power far beyond any ordinary local guard. They were truly elites forged in mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

Xiao Yunshang hurried to Xiao Zhan’s side, her palms cold and her voice trembling. "Brother, what are we to do..."

Xiao Zhan did not reply, pacing slowly through the hall. He gripped his AK-47 again, the cold metal texture helping to settle his chaotic thoughts. Thousands of well-trained Longxiang guards—a direct confrontation would be like throwing an egg against a rock. His ammunition was still sufficient, but only a handful of his men could proficiently operate these modern weapons. The enemy was overwhelming; once they formed ranks and charged, even if he had three heads and six arms, he would struggle to hold them off.

His gaze finally landed on Wang Yichuan, who was tightly bound in the corner of the hall. The man had already been scared out of his wits, and upon hearing of the Capital Garrison’s arrival, he was shaking like a leaf in an autumn wind.

"Wang Yichuan." Xiao Zhan’s voice was low, yet it reached everyone clearly.

At the mention of his name, Wang Yichuan jolted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He looked up abruptly, his forehead slamming against the cold floor with a dull thud as he stammered incoherently, "Young Master, spare me! This lowly one will never dare again! I am willing to serve you like a beast of burden, to walk through fire and water for you!"

Xiao Zhan crouched down, tapping the cold barrel of the AK-47 against his face. The chill of the metal made Wang Yichuan shake even harder. "Who is the usual commanding general of the Capital Garrison's Longxiang Guard?"

Wang Yichuan dared not hide a thing, scrambling to answer, his voice cracking. "Returning to... to you, Young Master, the commander of the Longxiang Guard is... the General Protecting the State, Qin Cang! He is the nephew of the Minister of War, Qin Hui! This man... this man is as cruel as a demon in his governance and as vicious as a wolf in warfare. Moreover... he and our Yan Prince's estate have long-standing grievances!"

Qin Cang!

Fragments of the original owner’s memories flooded Xiao Zhan’s mind. This Qin Cang had indeed served in the northern frontier alongside the old Prince of Yan, Xiao Yuan, to defend against foreign invaders. However, their philosophies on military governance were diametrically opposed, and they had clashed constantly. The old Prince emphasized rewards and punishments and leading with both grace and authority, while Qin Cang favored harsh laws and extreme punishments, even secretly allowing his subordinates to pillage the common people to fund their military needs. Later, Qin Cang was recalled to the capital and, relying on his uncle Qin Hui’s influence in the Ministry of War, had risen steadily through the ranks. He never expected that the main force leading the raid on his home would be this man!

"Grievances... Hmph, what a fine set of grievances!" Xiao Zhan slowly stood up, a cold, sharp curve forming on his lips. "New grudges and old debts—it is time to settle them all at once!"

He swept his gaze over the still-terrified retainers, his voice suddenly rising. "What are you panicking about! The sky hasn't fallen yet!"

"It’s just a few thousand men? I’ve already slaughtered the imperial envoy; should I be afraid of a mere Qin Cang?!"

Xiao Zhan paused, his tone carrying an unquestionable dominance. "They have numbers, but we have the 'Thunder God’s Cannon'! They have swords and spears, but we have this indestructible 'Fire Dragon’s Roar'! Who will emerge victorious remains to be seen!"

The passion in his words infected the crowd to some degree, reducing the fear in their hearts, though the worry in their brows did not entirely dissipate. After all, that was the world-renowned Longxiang Guard!