Chapter 79: Methods of Lethal Force

Jiang Chen watched as the rider and her horse approached, and so he stood quietly, waiting.
“Whoa~”
“You’re the son of the Minister of Revenue. What brings you here?”
Jiang Chen replied, “I came for a friend.”
“Who?”
“Han Yuyang.”
The woman on horseback wore her hair in a neat, long braid and held a seven-foot spear. She circled Jiang Chen, eyeing him warily.
She had come from the Qishan camp, and indeed, her presence was striking, a heroine among women. Jiang Chen couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
“What is your relationship with Han Yuyang?”
“We met once.”
Jiang Chen’s answer was simple and direct, and every word was true; the woman could find no flaw in his words.
She dismounted and walked forward, saying, “Our Qishan and Shi Wanli, who serves far away at court, have never been close. Are you here to help, or to cause harm?”
Her question was sharp. Jiang Chen answered, “To collect a debt.”
The woman stopped and looked at him in surprise.
Jiang Chen explained, “I helped him pass through Ziyang City and lent him sixty taels of silver for expenses. Surely it’s time he paid me back?”
She shot Jiang Chen a sidelong glance, thinking that this son of a government official was certainly interesting, conjuring such a reason to deflect her, but now was not the time to quibble over such matters.
Under Jiang Chen’s guidance, she found the discovered corpses. The scene before her was shocking and filled her with anger.
“This is the patrol squad led by Brother Zhang Wu, responsible for the eastern defenses of the camp. It’s hard to imagine what kind of brutal assault they suffered, that all should die so miserably here.”

Jiang Chen said, “I fought one of the enemies. He was skilled with flying swords and ruthless in his methods. If he had at least four companions with him, killing these men would be no trouble.”
Hearing Jiang Chen’s analysis, the woman sensed a slight disparagement of her comrades and questioned him unhappily.
“What makes you think five people could wipe out a patrol squad of thirteen? They were chosen as the best among hundreds, guarding the camp’s perimeter—a crucial duty. If they were so weak, they wouldn’t deserve their place.”
Jiang Chen understood her feelings, yet he calmly explained, “You must be furious. Your comrades were strong, yet not one managed to take an enemy with them. There’s not a single enemy corpse nearby. This cruel fact is hard to accept.”
“But this isn’t about their combat strength. I mean no insult.”
“If not their strength, then what?”
Jiang Chen replied, “Strategy—or rather, tactics.”
He then selected one corpse among the thirteen, pointing out that most had only two or three wounds, while this one bore over twenty non-fatal injuries.
“Isn’t it odd? The others’ wounds are all frontal, and none suffered more than three blows. But this man’s back has more wounds than his front, and none are fatal.”
The woman frowned in thought and countered, “Are you saying he tried to flee during the attack, so his back was wounded more than his front?”
“But I tell you, that’s impossible. No one at Qishan Camp is a coward. He would never disgrace his honor!”
Jiang Chen sighed, a bit helpless. “Don’t twist my words into malice. I mean he was used as bait. His comrades tried to rescue him, only to be trapped and fall one after another.”
“So this man has many wounds, yet none fatal. The worst injuries are on his legs, meaning he lost mobility and was likely crawling on the ground.”
Jiang Chen spoke so clearly that there was no need to elaborate further.
Their enemy had exploited the bravery and loyalty of Qishan’s men, who would never abandon a comrade. After crippling one, they tortured him to provoke the others, leading them all into an impossible rescue mission amid these bloodstained woods. In the end, all thirteen perished, and the baited man died miserably, watching his comrades’ corpses as he bled out.
Jiang Chen revealed this harsh truth, and the woman beside him could not hold back her tears.
But she was strong; she quickly wiped them away, and her heroic spirit returned.

“Understood. The enemy targets Qishan as a whole. If they want war, let it be war! We sons and daughters of Qishan have nothing to fear!”
“I, Duanmu Qing, vow to avenge my comrades!”
Jiang Chen now felt certain: Han Yuyang had not returned to Qishan—or at least, had not let the camp know he was back. He sensed the entire Qishan shrouded in a growing gloom.
A deadly threat hung over the camp, and Jiang Chen was its cause. Even if he came to Qishan, he could not show himself openly.
Duanmu Qing, revived in spirit, invited Jiang Chen to the Qishan camp. After their brief interaction, she lowered her guard a little, and was clear: Han Yuyang had not returned.
“If you’re here for Han Yuyang, dare you come with me?”
“Certainly.” Jiang Chen agreed without hesitation.
Duanmu Qing led him into the Qishan camp, where he waited before the main tent. Soon, voices of argument emerged from within.
“The enemy has bullied us. Are we just going to sit here? When did Qishan’s cavalry become cowards? Even if others defecate on our heads, we won’t utter a sound?”
“Zhao Feihu, stop shouting at me. The commander is dead, the deputy is missing, and the fate of the camp rests on me. I must consider the bigger picture!”
“Bigger picture? You’re just afraid to die! We should mobilize immediately, find Deputy Han, and avenge our commander!”
Jiang Chen was unsurprised by the shouting. The commander of Qishan’s cavalry had been assassinated at the front, and now, the camp was headless—a recipe for chaos.
After a long wait, the argument subsided. A burly man with a face like black iron drew aside the tent flap, glaring at Jiang Chen with tiger-like eyes, his thick brows furrowing tightly.
Jiang Chen was invited inside, though it felt more like being escorted under guard.
“This is him? He doesn’t look trustworthy. For strangers like this, we should just kill him and be done with it!”
The man gripped his knife, looking ready to draw it at any moment.