Chapter 11: For the Tribe

On the cracked street, the white-haired old woman Xue Gu spoke from the side: “Young Master Ji Ning, Jiang He offended you and deserves death. But considering he is still young, I wonder if you might spare his life?” Among the tribes, even during wars, the lives of captured important figures could be ransomed with goods.

Ji Ning gave her a cold glance and said nothing.

Xue Gu’s brow furrowed deeply. She knew that this Young Master Ji Ning’s resolve to kill Jiang He was unchangeable.

“What’s going on?”

“How did the city gate collapse?”

“What happened to the Riverside Tribe?”

“Look, that youth is surrounded by a group of Black-Armored Guards. He must be an important figure of the Ji clan.” Some outsiders who had come to Riverside City to trade, as well as members of the Riverside Tribe, quickly gathered.

Seeing this, Xue Gu immediately shouted: “Get those irrelevant people far away.”

“Yes.”

The group of armored guards of the Riverside Tribe quickly obeyed, beginning to drive away both outsiders and tribe members, forbidding them from getting too close.

“Make way!”

“Make way!”

Squad after squad of armored guards came running from distant streets, each carrying heavy weapons like bows and crossbows, led by core figures of the Riverside Tribe. Apparently, having heard the noises and fearing an enemy force, they had rushed over with their own troops.

“Grandmother Xue.” A white-haired old man leading a squad rushed over and respectfully addressed Xue Gu.

Xue Gu merely glanced at him.

One squad after another approached, and core members of the Riverside Tribe came one by one.

“Swoosh!” A black shadow also quickly approached, stopping only when near the armored guards. The guards tried to block the shadow, but when it stopped, they were startled: “Chieftain!”

Jiang Sansi, his face cold, dragged a handsome young man directly through the crowd. The core tribe members looked at Jiang He with confusion. Jiang He was one of Jiang Sansi’s grandsons and was quite valued by him, ranking among the top ten in the tribe. Why had the chieftain dragged him here?

“Bang!” Jiang Sansi threw him down directly.

Jiang He landed face-first on the cracked stone ground, his face scraped and his body covered in dust. He quickly stood up, looked around, and soon spotted the fur-clad youth surrounded by Black-Armored Guards.

“Young Master Ji Ning, the man has been brought.” Jiang Sansi stood together with Xue Gu.

“He is Jiang He?” Ji Ning scrutinized Jiang He, involuntarily thinking of poor Chuncao, and a surge of killing impulse rose in his heart.

Jiang He could feel the power this Young Master Ji Ning wielded. Before him, even the chieftain and Grandmother Xue had to bow their heads.

“Jiang He pays respects to the young master.” Jiang He said respectfully.

“Jiang He… Jiang He…” Ji Ning murmured softly, his gaze like a sharp knife falling on the young man before him. “Do you know why I came to find you?”

Ji Ning’s voice was very soft.

But Jiang He felt a chill in his heart; he could sense the immense murderous intent in Ji Ning’s voice.

“I do not know.” Jiang He stared at Ji Ning. “Does Young Master Ji Ning intend to kill me?”

“Yes.” Ji Ning nodded.

Silence fell around.

Jiang Sansi and Xue Gu just watched. The other core tribe members of the Riverside Tribe also watched from the side. They could all see that this Young Master Ji Ning possessed overwhelming authority, that even the chieftain had to yield, and that his intent to kill Jiang He was very strong. They silently lamented… the once glorious Jiang He would die today!

“If Young Master Ji Ning wants me dead, I have no choice but to die.” Jiang He’s handsome face showed no fear. He looked at Ji Ning. “But may I ask why the young master wants to kill me?”

“Why kill you?” Ji Ning looked at him.

Whoosh.

A sword appeared in Ji Ning’s hand out of thin air—the Northmoon Sword. A flash of sword-light, and it directly tapped Jiang He’s body. This drew a stifled gasp, but Jiang He did not dodge. Jiang Sansi and Xue Gu beside him only watched calmly; even if Ji Ning killed Jiang He with one sword stroke, they would say nothing.

Chi! Chi! Chi! Six bloody holes appeared on Jiang He’s body, blood flowing out. The holes were in non-vital areas like shoulders and legs.

“This!” Jiang He’s eyes widened. “She, she is your…”

“Do you understand now?” Ji Ning looked at him.

The sword technique he used to make the six bloody holes was the same sword art Chuncao knew. When Jiang He had ordered servants to capture Chuncao, she had used that sword art to beat the servants half to death before leaving.

“A woman. Young Master Ji Ning, you want to kill me for a woman? Women are just goods, property.” Jiang He roared unwillingly. “I am willing to offer you ten, a hundred women. Besides, she was just a slave. I am willing to do anything, only beg the young master to spare my life.”

“In my eyes, you are not worth a single hair of hers.” Ji Ning said coldly.

Jiang He’s face turned ashen. He then took a short knife from his bosom and said in a low voice: “Young Master Ji Ning, Jiang He has offended you and deserves death. No need to dirty the young master’s hands; Jiang He will do it himself.” With that, he stabbed the knife toward his own heart.

Clang!

A sword beam struck the short knife, sending it flying.

“You want to die so cleanly?” Ji Ning stared at Jiang He. “She died in such pain and humiliation! How could I let you die so easily?”

Jiang He gritted his teeth and looked at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning shouted: “Mowu.”

“Young master.” Mowu stepped forward.

“Exposure punishment.” Ji Ning said coldly. “Hang him on the city wall of the Riverside Tribe.”

Jiang He’s face turned pale.

Exposure punishment usually involved binding a person’s hands and feet and hanging them up, exposed to the sun without food or drink. Moreover, Ji Ning had already made six bloody holes on Jiang He. With Jiang He’s vitality, he would not die from blood loss, but the blood would attract birds. Only ordinary birds would dare approach the tribe’s city wall, and they would peck at Jiang He’s flesh from time to time.

He would die in torment from hunger, pain, and terror…

And he would be watched by countless tribe members. The humiliation would make a proud man like Jiang He suffer even more.

“Yes.” Mowu quickly found an iron chain and began to bind Jiang He. Jiang He knelt, head bowed, not daring to make a sound.

“Father!” A shrill cry rang out, and a young child burst through the crowd.

“Get lost.” Jiang He saw the child running over and immediately roared, “Get lost, go back.”

“Father.” The child wept. Although his father forced him to practice swordsmanship, he was very doting.

Jiang Sansi, not far away, frowned: “Take the child away!”

“Yes.”

Two armored guards immediately rushed out, grabbed the child, and left. The child struggled wildly, staring at Ji Ning with eyes full of hatred.

Ji Ning only watched the child calmly. When he was very young, his father Ji Yichuan had taken him to execute death-row prisoners to build his courage. He had seen even more terrifying eyes. In West Prefecture City, among the slaves being sold, he had seen every kind of look—numbness, despair, madness, hatred, or pleading.

“Hang him on the city wall.” Mowu also had two Black-Armored Guards help.

Jiang He, completely bound by iron chains, his hair disheveled, was watched by nearby tribe members. Some looked at him with pity, others with schadenfreude. This made Jiang He tremble with humiliation.

“Young master.” Mowu said softly to Ji Ning, “That son of Jiang He… to cut the weeds, you must dig up the roots!”

Ji Ning gave Mowu a cold glance.

Mowu quickly lowered his head and dared not say more.

“I will stay in Riverside City for a few days.” Ji Ning looked at Jiang Sansi and Xue Gu beside him. “No need to trouble you; I will stay directly in the Black-Armored Guards’ garrison. I will watch Jiang He die slowly. When he dies, I will leave.”

The core tribe members around trembled, all feeling the hatred in Ji Ning’s voice.

…

At first, Jiang He endured the scorching sun. Later, birds pecked at his flesh, and the sun cracked his skin, revealing red flesh. The pain was like hell.

Because he had internal energy, Jiang He’s vitality was strong, but that only prolonged his suffering.

His whole body was blistered and split open. He wailed and groaned in pain for three days and two nights before finally dying.

Ji Ning remained in Riverside City the whole time.

Only when the Black-Armored Guards reported that Jiang He had died in agony did Ji Ning coldly glance at Jiang He’s mangled corpse. Then he left with Mowu and Qiuye, riding three Black Shadow Beasts.

…

On the evening of the day Ji Ning left Riverside City.

Jiang Sansi sat before a low table, calmly drinking wine from a beast-head cup.

A child knelt in the hall.

“Cai’er.” Jiang Sansi held the beast-head cup. “I ask you again: do you want to kill Young Master Ji Ning?”

“I dare not, Cai’er dares not.” The child knelt and quickly replied.

“Alas.”

Jiang Sansi shook his head and murmured softly, “Your hatred is a disaster for my Riverside Tribe!”

“Someone come.” Jiang Sansi shouted.

“Master.” A servant entered and knelt.

“Hmm.”

Jiang Sansi said coldly, “All of Jiang He’s servants are to be executed, not one left. Jiang He’s women are to be sold as slaves!”

“Chieftain!” The child panicked, for among them was his mother.

“And him.” Jiang Sansi looked coldly at the child. “Jiang He’s only son… sell him as a slave too!”

“No.”

“No!” The child knelt urgently. “Chieftain, spare me, spare me.”

“Yes!” The servant responded respectfully, stepped forward, grabbed the child, lifted him, and withdrew.

The child still struggled, wept, and shed tears.

A slave?

Why?

Why was this happening?

Watching the child cry out in pain, Jiang Sansi remained silent.

“Master, sell Jiang He’s women and child as slaves?” A figure emerged from the darkness in the silent hall.

Jiang Sansi nodded slightly. When Jiang He was being exposed, Jiang Sansi had secretly sent people to question him and learned that the source was Miwa of the Black Tooth Tribe. He also sent people to the Black Tooth Tribe to ask ‘Black Tooth’ and thus understood everything. Then all the servants who had some knowledge of the matter were executed.

“Ji Ning does not want the matter of Chuncao to spread.” Jiang Sansi said indifferently. “Chuncao once said she was a servant of the Ji clan’s young master. Everyone who heard those words must die.”

“Jiang He’s women are useless to keep.”

“Jiang He’s only son, Cai’er, bears too much hatred for Ji Ning. I asked him several times, and though he didn’t say he wanted revenge, how could a child deceive me? I saw through his heart at a glance; he already hates Ji Ning to the bone.” Jiang Sansi shook his head. “At such a young age, he knows how to hide his thoughts. If he ever gains power over the tribe in the future, his hatred for Ji Ning might bring destruction to my Riverside Tribe!”

“I do this to show the Ji clan our Riverside Tribe’s loyalty!”

The figure in the darkness was silent.

“Zhesan.” Jiang Sansi spoke.

“Master.” The figure in the darkness responded.

“You send Zhejiu.” Jiang Sansi said. “Secretly take Cai’er away to the territory of the Ironwood clan and let him join a small tribe. Have him teach Cai’er well. If Cai’er has talent and works hard, teach him well. If Cai’er soon forgets his hatred and does not train hard, kill Cai’er and have him return.”

“Yes.” The figure in the darkness nodded.

“Hatred… is also a kind of power.” Jiang Sansi murmured. “Compared to the Ji clan, our Riverside Tribe is too fragile, too fragile.”

…