Chapter 0094: Rising from the Ashes

Chapter 0094: Rising from the Ashes

There were five people digging the grave together: two couples and a man missing an arm.

This man had once been a member of the Northern Pacification Army but was later discharged due to his disability. When Xiao Rong approached these people, he immediately assessed their situation with just one glance.

Disease and poverty have always been breeding grounds for superstition. Their weak hearts led them to fervently believe in unseen things that they thought could save them.

They looked terrible, and no one knew how they had survived the past ten days. However, Xiao Rong could now confirm that during those ten days, they had been fleeing on their own. The Breeze Sect had not provided them with any escape routes; after exploiting their usefulness, the sect had abandoned them.

Xiao Rong pursed his lips. This was not a good sign. The fact that the Breeze Sect neither helped them escape nor eliminated them as witnesses suggested that these individuals held no information worth worrying about. Therefore, it was unlikely that Xiao Rong could trace the true mastermind through them.

Despite this, Xiao Rong was not ready to give up. He waved his hand, signaling for the people to be taken to the interrogation room.

Xiao Rong did not leave immediately. After a moment, he turned to follow, only to notice something odd behind him.

Xiao Rong looked at Qu Yunmie in surprise. "Who let you out?"

Qu Yunmie immediately pointed at Jian Qiao. "He did."

Jian Qiao: "..."

Xiao Rong: "..."

Looking at the two of them, Xiao Rong sighed. "Never mind. Since you're both here, The King should also listen in."

Upon hearing this, Qu Yunmie quickly walked over to stand beside him. As they walked side by side, Qu Yunmie whispered to Xiao Rong, "I've regained most of my strength."

Xiao Rong replied lazily, "No, these people still have some use. You can't kill them yet."

Qu Yunmie: "..."

They walked slowly, not because Xiao Rong was accommodating Qu Yunmie's pace, but because Qu Yunmie was accommodating Xiao Rong's. The interrogator was Xiao Rong, and no one would dare touch the prisoners until he arrived. Xiao Rong deliberately walked slowly to psychologically torment them.

The two strolled leisurely, with Jian Qiao trailing a few paces behind. Behind Jian Qiao were Yuan Baifu and Gongsun Yuan.

Although Jian Qiao had sent people out, it was Yuan Baifu who actually captured these individuals. In the past, Yuan Baifu would complete tasks on time but never took such initiative unless Qu Yunmie ordered him to do so.

Yuan Baifu was Gongsun Yuan's friend, and today, Gongsun Yuan finally showed interest in what was happening. He nudged Yuan Baifu with his shoulder and praised him happily, "Impressive! You really caught them. That's a great achievement!"

Yuan Baifu responded indifferently with a "Hmm."

Gongsun Yuan looked at him puzzled. "Why aren't you excited about your accomplishment? Don't you want to be recognized?"

Yuan Baifu smiled at him. "When did you become so talkative? Let's go see what's happening."

Gongsun Yuan nodded. The others were already far ahead, so he quickened his pace. ...

In the interrogation tent, the three unfortunate souls had already been dragged out. The more cooperative pair was now detained elsewhere, fed only enough to keep them alive. Their ultimate fate would be decided later.

As for the one who refused to betray his family, Xiao Rong had no choice but to let him be. When Jian Qiao asked Xiao Rong what to do, before Xiao Rong could speak, Qu Yunmie had already sentenced the man to death.

"Kill him. Do I need to teach you this?"

Thus, that person had died two days ago. These people didn't know this, and when they were brought in, they had probably forgotten what their families looked like. Seeing the bloodstained ground, their expressions changed.

Knowing Xiao Rong's soft heart, Jian Qiao volunteered to interrogate them first.

Qu Yunmie glanced at Xiao Rong, who remained silent. Qu Yunmie then nodded at Jian Qiao.

The so-called interrogation was essentially torture. As screams echoed, Xiao Rong looked up at the tent's ceiling, suddenly realizing that even this interrogation tent was much larger than his own.

Everyone else remained expressionless, while Xiao Rong kept looking elsewhere. Qu Yunmie wanted him to leave for a while, but then thought better of it, knowing Xiao Rong might stay longer to prove he wasn't afraid. So, Qu Yunmie said nothing.

After half an incense stick's time, Xiao Rong raised his hand, and Jian Qiao immediately ordered the soldiers to stop. Amid the cries and sobs, Xiao Rong sighed deeply.

His voice filled with exasperation rang out in the tent. "I don't expect you to tell me who planned this. Honestly, I don't care. It's the Breeze Sect. Eliminating the Breeze Sect is difficult, but not impossible. Once the sect's leader and elders are captured, whoever orchestrated this will be dead. I won't have to worry about them anymore."

Qu Yunmie turned to look at Xiao Rong, who showed a compassionate expression towards these people.

"You've lived hard lives, falling and getting hurt, surviving premature deaths, harsh winters, and even wars. Yet, you're going to die so tragically because you're too foolish to see through a baseless doctrine, losing even your conscience."

His voice was not loud, but it cut through them like a knife. One of the women suddenly burst into tears, begging for mercy, saying she had no idea what the sect wanted the bones for. She didn't know they intended to humiliate the Northern Pacification King's parents.

Jian Qiao grew angry again and wanted to kick her, but before he could, Qu Yunmie asked, "What did you think they wanted the bones for?"

Everyone was stunned, turning to look at Qu Yunmie, who had been silent since entering. His calm gaze silenced them.

Qu Yunmie: "Speak. What did you think they wanted my parents' bones for? If not to humiliate, then what?"

The woman's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. She looked at Qu Yunmie in fear, and his patience ran out.

Qu Yunmie suddenly reached for a lamp near the entrance and threw it at her. The oil spilled mid-air, and the hot lamp landed on her face, burning her eyes. She screamed in agony.

Qu Yunmie's furious voice echoed, "Speak!!!"

Xiao Rong lowered his head, frowning, but did not interfere with Qu Yunmie.

The woman was terrified and blurted out, "A ritual! I thought they wanted the bones for a ritual, to curse..."

Realizing what she had said, she stopped speaking.

Everyone present was enraged. A curse? Was that better than exposing bodies on watchtowers? Witchcraft was real and extremely sinister and disgusting. Did she think admitting this would save her?

The other four were even more desperate, no longer daring to defend themselves.

Xiao Rong silently glanced at them and then softly said to Qu Yunmie, "The King, please calm down. There's nothing more we can get from them. You are still injured. Why don't you rest?"

Qu Yunmie clenched his fist and turned to leave. Xiao Rong followed him out, also gesturing to Gongsun Yuan and Yuan Baifu.

The two men exchanged a glance before following them out.

Back in the king's tent, Qu Yunmie sat on the bed to calm himself down. Meanwhile, Xiao Rong opened a cabinet, took out two bottles of medicine, and said to the two men behind him, "General Yuan, your efforts have been commendable. It’s no wonder you’ve always been the King’s right-hand man. Have General Jian interrogate those people again tonight. Tomorrow, I ask General Gongsun to take these men and five thousand soldiers to the front lines, as close to the Xianbei army as possible without provoking a battle."

Gongsun Yuan took a moment to understand Xiao Rong’s meaning: "You want a public execution?"

Xiao Rong nodded and added, "A most severe one."

Gongsun Yuan smiled. For such heinous traitors, any punishment would be justified; he even thought it too merciful to end their lives so quickly: "Very well, what method do you prefer? Dismemberment? Scorching? Or disembowelment?"

Xiao Rong: "…………"

You know quite a lot.

But Xiao Rong shook his head: "None of those. I want to use lingchi."

Gongsun Yuan had never heard of this punishment. He looked at Yuan Baifu, who was equally bewildered.

Xiao Rong smiled: "It’s simple. Tie the person to a post and cut off pieces of flesh with a knife. A skilled executioner can make 3,600 cuts before the person dies, while an unskilled one might only need a few hundred. When we execute them tomorrow, please find some meticulous people, and don’t kill all five at once. Do it one by one, preferably on a high platform so everyone can see their suffering."

Gongsun Yuan: "……"

His eyes widened like bells, not just because he had never heard of such a punishment but because it came from Xiao Rong’s mouth.

You scholars... truly ruthless.

Yuan Baifu immediately objected: "No! This method is too cruel, and it will be done in front of the entire army. If word gets out, the Northern Pacification Army’s reputation—"

Xiao Rong: "Since the Xianbei used their treacherous schemes, our army’s reputation has already been tarnished! Even a child in Chenliu would cheer for the fate of these men. General Yuan, isn’t your mercy misplaced? They intended to curse the King, yet you still plead for them?"

Yuan Baifu nearly choked, "When did I plead for them! I just think this punishment is too cruel. No one has ever done this before, and now that we are, the scholars will surely slander the King!"

Xiao Rong narrowed his eyes: "Victory crowns the king, defeat makes the rogue. As long as the King remains unshaken, the scholars’ slanders won’t matter. Besides, how can you be so sure they will slander the King? Filial piety comes first. The King avenging his parents is justified, no matter the punishment!"

Yuan Baifu: "The King never wanted to torture his enemies with extreme punishments. Xiao Rong, this is clearly your own insistence!"

Just as Xiao Rong was about to respond, Qu Yunmie’s impatient voice interrupted: "Xiao Rong’s insistence is mine. Yuan Baifu, if these were your parents, would you still say this?"

Yuan Baifu turned to Qu Yunmie, trying to explain, "Your Majesty, I didn’t mean—"

Qu Yunmie cut him off: "In the army, use your benevolence as you wish, but not on me. I don’t need you to forgive anyone for me!"

Already in a bad mood, he became worse. Taking a deep breath, he ordered, "Out, all of you get out!"

Yuan Baifu clenched his jaw, suppressing his anger, and saluted Qu Yunmie: "Yes, I’ll withdraw."

He left the tent swiftly, with Gongsun Yuan silently following. Although Qu Yunmie hadn’t shouted at him, the order “all of you” included him too.

Xiao Rong stood silently for a moment, then cautiously approached Qu Yunmie, realizing the “all” likely excluded him. Holding the medicine bottles, he walked over.

Standing before Qu Yunmie, Xiao Rong said, "Lift your hand."

Qu Yunmie looked up, frowning at Xiao Rong. Seeing no action, Xiao Rong sat beside him and lifted his hand.

Calluses on Qu Yunmie’s palm protected him from minor injuries, but not burns. Looking at the redness, Xiao Rong asked, "Doesn’t it hurt?"

Once, he burned himself with a hot pot for a second, and it took him two hours to recover.

Qu Yunmie watched Xiao Rong holding his hand, then said, "It didn’t hurt until you mentioned it."

Xiao Rong: "……"

Ha, so it’s my fault now.

Xiao Rong fell silent, carefully applying the ointment. The refreshing sensation spread to Qu Yunmie’s palm, and he heard Xiao Rong say, "In tumultuous times, extreme measures are warranted. The King must cease to show leniency to traitors. Those apprehended should face execution, while those who elude capture should be left in peace. So long as there is a path to redemption, they will entertain a sense of false security. I act to instill fear in both the Xianbei and our own populace. Lingchi… General Yuan is correct; it is a brutal form of punishment. I intend to reserve it for cases of treason, in the hope that no one else will suffer such a fate."

Qu Yunmie blinked, "Treason? I thought they betrayed only me."

Xiao Rong looked up, exasperated: "At this point, whether you admit it or not, you’re half a ruler. Of course, we can’t say that publicly; we must uphold the banner of the Northern Pacification King. But everyone knows you’re almost ready to establish your own kingdom."

Such a kingdom wouldn’t last. In the past 180 years, many emperors emerged because they claimed the throne at every opportunity, only to die tragically, and their dynasties vanished.

This isn’t the system’s goal. The system wants Qu Yunmie to become the ultimate winner, founding a lasting, unified dynasty.

Even without the system, Xiao Rong only recognized this path. He had invested too much to watch Qu Yunmie enjoy a few years. He had many more goals to achieve.

Qu Yunmie listened, then said factually, "I can’t even handle being the Northern Pacification King."

Xiao Rong, already applying more medicine, frowned, surprised by this lack of confidence.

Just as he thought he didn’t understand Qu Yunmie, he saw him grin: "Fortunately, there’s you. You said Yuan Baifu is my right-hand man, but I think you are. No, you’re more important than that. You’re like another me. With you here, I’m not afraid of failing."

Xiao Rong listened, then slightly lowered his eyelids, smiling faintly: "Perhaps."

Regardless of Yuan Baifu’s objections, the next day, Gongsun Yuan set out.

Among the Northern Pacification Army F4, Jian Qiao seemed the most temperamental, often personally beating people. But the truly ruthless one was Gongsun Yuan, evident from his knowledge of extreme punishments. He wouldn’t hesitate to execute traitors or build a monument of skulls.

Even Xiao Rong didn’t expect Gongsun Yuan to personally carry out the execution. After setting up the platform, he didn’t find meticulous people; he believed no one in the army was more meticulous than him.

Initially, the Xianbei were confused, thinking the Northern Pacification Army was advancing. Only when Gongsun Yuan walked up with a knife did their faces turn grim.

The Xianbei watched as Gongsun Yuan began the execution, with the condemned pleading for a quick death.

Apart from the five thousand men brought by Gongsun Yuan, there were many more onlookers behind them. Today was special, and the generals didn't bother to control their soldiers; if they wanted to watch, they could go ahead and do so, just to see the Xianbei people humiliated.

As the executions took place, the crowd below applauded and cheered, continuously taunting the Xianbei side, saying that they would be next.

Rumors had been swirling recently. Some said that the Northern Pacification King was already dead, while others claimed he had recovered from his injuries. It was natural for the Xianbei people to feel fear, knowing full well that they had done something so immoral and that retribution was coming.

The thought of the Northern Pacification Army meting out such punishment even to those who had surrendered made them wish they could desert.

However, Xiao Rong orchestrated this terrifying spectacle not merely to instill fear in these people. His true target was the Murong clan's nobles within Sheng Le City, who were no better than the Jinling aristocrats, and even the current leader of the Murong clan himself.

The current emperor of the Xianbei has a difficult name to pronounce and an infamous weakness—he is cowardly.

Originally, the emperor was chosen as the tallest among the dwarfs; it should have been the Xianbei general who succeeded, but the general held military power, and during the reign of the previous emperor, the Xianbei had already started declining. The previous emperor insisted on invading the south and offered substantial benefits to other countries to secure alliances. He had grand ambitions to restore the glory of the Yewen clan, dreaming of swallowing all of Central China, but the campaign halted at the Huai River.

Repeated raids on Central China, coupled with Emperor Guangjia's decisive southern migration, left the north devoid of any valuable resources. Years of militarism had not only failed to yield profits but also cost them countless troops and treasures, leaving the Xianbei nobles with a deep aversion to war.

Yet the general was the previous emperor's cousin, sharing the same obsession with Central China. After the previous emperor died with unfulfilled ambitions, the general clearly intended to carry on his legacy.

Another attempt? No, they couldn't afford it anymore.

Thus, the general was suppressed, and this emperor ascended the throne.

One reason he became emperor was his aversion to war and willingness to submit to the nobles' control. He wasn't unintelligent; given a few years, he might have revived the faltering Xianbei. However, since his ascension, Qu Yunmie had been relentlessly targeting the Xianbei, robbing him of any peace.

Now his nightmare had arrived, exacerbated by his decision to provoke this nightmare further upon advice from others.

Since learning that Qu Yunmie had survived and was rescued by his subordinates, the current Xianbei emperor had been weeping uncontrollably. Others at least vented their anger by hunting down the culprit, but the Breeze Sect's protector seemed to possess some mysterious powers, escaping despite being under guard.

In recent days, everyone had been in a frenzy. When news of the public execution spread, the emperor, who had just regained some composure, began silently weeping again.

In the palace, the most important figures of the Xianbei sat together. Seeing the emperor's lack of resolve, one noble stood up in fury: "The Han Chinese haven't invaded yet, and Your Majesty already believes we are doomed! Even if we lose, we must fight to the bitter end!"

Another noble whispered a suggestion: "Perhaps we should follow Emperor Guangjia's example..."

The hot-tempered noble immediately berated him: "Coward! How can the Murong clan resort to such shameful survival tactics?"

Xianbei Emperor: "..."

In truth, he quite wanted to survive, but it was nearly impossible.

Emperor Guangjia could migrate south because the south was still their territory, but the Xianbei couldn't move north. They chose Sheng Le as their capital because the north was occupied by Rou Ran and other nations, which would attack them if they showed weakness. Moreover, even if they moved north, Qu Yunmie wouldn't stop pursuing them. Unlike the Huai River, there was nothing in the north to impede their advance.

After this was pointed out, the idea of moving north died. Then, the noble whispered again: "We can't just watch the Murong clan be exterminated. Have you forgotten what happened to the Yewen clan? Because they refused to flee, we killed them all. We need to preserve our lineage."

This noble spoke with little confidence, as both the Yewen and Murong clans were Xianbei, both East Hu tribes that revered martial prowess. Suggesting escape was deeply unpopular.

Many nobles like him had been spreading pessimism about the Xianbei's future, and now they remembered the virtues of the general. He was a true hero, one who would never flee.

Indeed... the general not only wanted to flee but had already devised a plan to do so.

He opposed the emperor's use of the Breeze Sect's scheme, believing it would harm the Xianbei. He knew the sect's protector had ulterior motives and wasn't genuinely working for mutual benefit between the Xianbei and the Breeze Sect. But no one listened, and the protector convinced the emperor in just two days. Other nobles, lacking alternatives, went along with the plan, only to regret it later.

Murong Wei, the Xianbei general, had lost all hope in his colleagues and his nephew on the throne. He knew that once Qu Yunmie recovered, the Xianbei would surely fall. He agreed with the "coward" noble that the Xianbei needed to preserve their lineage. Only if the Murong clan survived could they rise again and avenge their kin.

But Murong Wei believed that the survivors should be himself, not these useless ones.

And he did not intend to truly "flee." Escaping would leave him with nothing, making it impossible to reorganize his clan. He would wander the northern lands, living like a lone wolf without a tribe. So he could not flee; he had to survive and stay.

This was an almost impossible task, so he had been secretly gathering information about Qu Yunmie. Finally, he found a possible way to make Qu Yunmie spare him.

While everyone was agonizing over what to do next, Murong Wei quietly stole something and returned it to his residence. Then he hurried to the palace. Upon entering the hall, he heard the nobles repeating the same discussions. The emperor looked at them anxiously, hoping they would find a way out. Murong Wei lowered his head, sneered, and took his seat.

Author's note:

This person shouldn't be called Murong Wei; he should be called Murong Fu.