Chapter 166 - Desperate Survivor Fang Dingwu

Translator's Warning:

The following content contains depiction of rape, abuse and suicide that may be uncomfortable to some. Reader discretion is advised.

The Northern Qiang forces have broken into the city!

Damn it! How did they arrive so quickly?

Fang Dingwu’s pupils constricted sharply. There was no more time to worry about what he still needed to pack. He threw aside the bedding on his bed, revealing what he had hidden under the bed frame. He reached out for the twin swords that had accompanied him throughout his travels and escort missions.

He strapped the twin swords to his waist, a fierce look in his eyes.

"Damn... If they won't give me a way out, I'll kill my way out!"

With that, Fang Dingwu pushed open the door and ran outside. The Northern Qiang soldiers were already visible on the street, brandishing curved sabers to reap lives.

They didn't have an overwhelming advantage in numbers yet, likely because most of the main force was still concentrated in the northern part of the city. Some citizens were fleeing down the street, but more were hiding in their homes, hoping in vain that the Northern Qiang soldiers wouldn't kick down their doors.

Fang Dingwu gritted his teeth. He could barely take care of himself now and didn’t have the ability to worry about others. Taking advantage of the fact that no one had noticed him yet, Fang Dingwu quickly headed toward a nearby alley. He intended to navigate the familiar maze-like paths to the south gate, the only route that offered a chance for survival.

In his mind, Fang Dingwu frantically calculated his escape route, subconsciously ignoring his surroundings. Seeing the secluded alley ahead, he plunged into it without a second thought.

The moment he entered the alley, Fang Dingwu regretted it deeply. Right in front of him were two Northern Qiang soldiers, both with their backs to him, each pinning down a woman.

Their trousers were down around their ankles, exposing their pale backsides as they moved on top of the two women.

The two women, identical in their plight, each had one hand nailed into the ground by a saber, while the other was twisted behind their backs. The air was filled with their sobs and cries.

How could I have missed such obvious sounds?

Fang Dingwu cursed himself for his stupidity. He didn’t want to meddle at a time like this, so he decided to back out quietly.

I'll just pretend I didn’t see anything

... Fang Dingwu sighed inwardly and turned to leave.

Smack!

A loud slap echoed, and Fang Dingwu heard one of the Northern Qiang soldiers shout, "Scream your throat out for me!"

Fang Dingwu paused, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword, and turned back again.

One of the women screamed in anguish, "You will die a miserable death!"

"Hey, I like it when they’re feisty like you." The Northern Qiang soldier sneered and slapped her hard enough to stagger her. He continued, "Cursing me won’t help. The Ruen Dynasty has already abandoned you. No one will come to save you until all of the North Watching Pass is wiped out!"

The woman’s mind seemed to be slipping, and it was unclear if she even registered his words. The Northern Qiang soldier seemed even more enthusiastic, as he cruelly continued, "Your Ruen Dynasty’s External Prime Minister thought he was clever, trying to lure us here to finish us off.

Ha

... how naïve. Did they really think they could trap us with just that?"

Hearing this, Fang Dingwu felt a chilling sense of dread.

The court had abandoned North Watching Pass?

Just to lure the Northern Qiang people in?

The scope of the war was beyond Fang Dingwu’s understanding.

Fang Dingwu shook his head, dismissing these distracting thoughts... Whatever the truth was, this wasn’t the time to think about it. Reaching behind him, he gripped the handles of his swords.

Whoosh—

The sound of slicing wind filled the air as the two short swords flew out like the wings of a butterfly, crossing paths midair before slicing through the necks of both Northern Qiang soldiers simultaneously. The blades spun and then returned gracefully to Fang Dingwu’s hands.

Thud, thud—

The two bodies fell on top of the women one after another.

Fang Dingwu sheathed his swords and looked at the two women. One had already fainted, leaving only one still conscious.

The conscious woman glanced at Fang Dingwu. She neither asked for his help nor uttered a word of thanks. Instead, she simply tore out the saber stabbed through in her hand. Although she struggled to lift it, she eventually placed it against her own neck.

Fang Dingwu looked at her silently. The woman looked back at him with determined eyes, her lips trembling violently.

Fang Dingwu hesitated, then averted his gaze from the woman and turned toward the deeper part of the alley. He still needed to reach the south gate quickly.

He heard the woman's voice come from the alley behind him.

"Help... help me..."

Fang Dingwu turned to look at her. Even though she was trembling all over, her gaze remained as resolute as ever.

"I can’t do it myself...I’m scared... Please help me," she pleaded to Fang Dingwu, "Please...kill me."

Fang Dingwu looked at the woman kneeling on the ground, silent for a long time. Then he stepped behind her, covering her eyes gently with one hand, gripping her hand which held the saber with the other and held it over her heart.

Her hand is so cold,

Fang Dingwu thought distantly.

The woman seemed to realize what was coming, and Fang Dingwu felt her body trembling intensely.

"What’s your name?" Fang Dingwu asked softly.

"My name is, my name is Chen..."

Shhhh—

Her voice halted abruptly as the blade tip emerged from her back.

Fang Dingwu gently laid her on the ground. She hadn’t yet drawn her last breath, her mouth opening and closing slightly as if she wanted to tell him who she was. She stilled.

"You are Chen Qian. I’ve seen you before. You don’t need to say it." Fang Dingwu closed her eyes and strode away.

Navigating the twisting paths, Fang Dingwu threaded through the alleys, doing his best to avoid any Northern Qiang soldiers he came across. Occasionally, he couldn’t avoid one or two and had to dispatch them quickly before moving on. Fortunately, most of the Northern Qiang soldiers he encountered roved around in small groups, not large patrols.

Fang Dingwu nearly despaired as the south gate came into view. His luck seemed to have run out.

He should have expected it. The Northern Qiang weren’t fools. With so many people in North Watching Pass, why wouldn’t they station soldiers to guard the gates?

By now, the area before the south gate was littered with bodies, all Ruen Dynasty citizens who tried to flee the North Watching Pass. A number of Northern Qiang soldiers stood firmly by the gate, resolutely guarding it.

Hiding in the alley, Fang Dingwu dared not reveal himself as he racked his brain for a plan. As he scanned his surroundings, he caught sight of a shadow slink across the opposite side of the street. Focusing his gaze, he realized he wasn’t the only one with this idea. Hidden in nearby streets were many others, who all hoped to escape through the south gate.

Thinking it over, Fang Dingwu quickly understood. Anyone who had made it here likely had some fighting skills, and not everyone in North Watching Pass intended to die here. Many were survivors, like himself... desperate survivors from the Central Plains who had fled to this place.

With this thought, Fang Dingwu gritted his teeth as a bold idea emerged.