Catching Monsters

Chapter 703 I'm worried she's not human.

Late at night, in a small village in Beihu, a middle-aged man in his forties finished a long day of hard work.

They returned to their dwelling, which resembled a cowshed. There were no walls, just a thatched roof to keep out the rain but not the wind.

This place was where a dozen or so slaves slept. On the cold grassland, they could only cover themselves with dry grass to keep warm.

At this moment, a dozen or so slaves, having finished their day's work, were chatting in hushed tones.

“These barbarian lords, just a few days ago, Wang Sao’s baby, who was only three months old, was taken by these lords to worship some god.”

“They killed the child alive and even took his skull to make a wine vessel.”

"When Sister Wang saw that her child was dead, she went mad and went to find the Hu man to get her child back. In the end, she was buried with the child."

Among the slaves, an older man was speaking about this matter, and the others dared not say anything more.

Xue Liujiu happened to return and heard this. He frowned and cursed, "These barbarians, I'll escape back to the Central Plains sooner or later. I heard my grandfather say that the Central Plains is not as harsh as the barbarian lands, and we don't have to live like pigs and dogs."

"Hey, Liu Jiu, don't talk nonsense. If the barbarian lord hears you saying this, you'll be dead."

This man's name was Xue Liujiu. It is said that his grandfather was once a wealthy man from the northern border of the Zhou Kingdom. Many years ago, the Hu people captured his grandfather and brought him to this place, where he became a slave.

He has lived here since birth, working as a slave and servant, his body covered in scars, all from childhood.

Seeing this, Xue Liujiu didn't dare to say anything more. He picked up a broken bowl from the cowshed, went to the cow trough next to him, and scooped out a bowl of food that smelled sour and foul.

Those present were already used to this; the Hu men would dump all the leftover food into the cattle trough.

Xue Liujiu lay on the ground, ignoring the mosquito bites on his body, thinking that one day after he had eaten his fill, he would kill that barbarian lord and then commit suicide.

Thinking of this, Xue Liujiu fell into a deep sleep, but he didn't sleep for long.

Xue Liujiu was suddenly awakened by the whip of the Hu man.

The intense pain made Xue Liujiu hold his head and look over with some confusion.

At this moment, all the slaves inside the cowshed had squatted down in the corner outside the cowshed.

Eight barbarian men, whips in hand, glared fiercely at Xue Liujiu: "You think you can run away?"

"I didn't." Upon hearing this, Xue Liujiu's legs went weak. What he had said before going to bed was just an angry outburst.

Sister-in-law Wang is a good person, and the child is well-behaved and adorable. It was only in her anger that she uttered such nonsense.

“Master, I can testify that he said it himself, that he wanted to escape?” One of the slaves squatting in the corner stepped forward and said obsequiously.

Upon hearing this, the others quickly echoed his sentiments.

The Hu man at the front said, "Did you hear that? So many people can testify, and you still want to deny it?"

After saying this, the Hu man casually took some dried beef and mutton from a black bag and threw it on the ground as a reward for the person who had reported him.

The slaves hurriedly knelt on the ground, clumsily picking up the dried beef and mutton and stuffing them into their mouths; they hadn't eaten meat like this in a long time.

Seeing this, Xue Liujiu gritted his teeth and cursed, "Yes, I meant I was going to run away. I still have to do your mother's business."

After saying that, Xue Liujiu clenched his fists and started cursing, but what he got in return was a beating from the group of tall, burly, and bearded men.

He rolled on the ground in pain, gritting his teeth as he looked at those who had called him brother in ordinary times but had secretly betrayed him.

Soon, a Hu man brought over a horse, tied Xue Liujiu's feet to the horse's tail, and then mounted the horse.

"shelf!"

The horses galloped away quickly. Xue Liujiu struggled, but his legs were bound, and he could only let the horses drag him, bouncing him on the ground. Soon, his clothes were torn by the stones on the ground.

His entire body was covered in blood.

Many slaves were numb to this scene.

In the Hu tribes, the lives of slaves were even less than those of cattle and sheep.

Finally, the Hu man, having had his fun, stopped. Xue Liujiu, however, was already half-dead and on the verge of death.

The Hu man untied the ropes binding his legs and said to the other slaves, "Go and throw him over the hillside to feed the wolves."

"Yes."

Soon, the slaves rushed forward and carried Xue Liujiu to a hillside.

Xue Liujiu was speechless, his eyes bloodshot as he stared intently at the people.

"Brother Liu Jiu, don't blame us, we had no choice."

“You think you can run away? If you do, we’ll all be implicated. We’re suffering a bit now, but at least we’re still alive.”

“If you run away, we will all end up like you are now.”

After saying that, everyone threw Xue Liujiu off the hillside.

Seeing Xue Liujiu tumble down the hillside and finally come to a stop, everyone felt relieved and quickly left.

Xue Liujiu did not die, but he was nearing his end. His eyes were filled with resentment, and in the end, all he could do was mutter the nursery rhymes that his grandfather used to sing to him when he was a child.

The nursery rhyme describes the Zhou Kingdom, a place of beautiful scenery and abundant resources...

Unfortunately, he probably won't have the chance to see it.

Just as his eyes were about to close, suddenly, a seven-colored ray of light flashed across the sky.

Xue Liujiu thought he was seeing things, or that he was being guided by a legendary god from the grasslands as he was about to die.

But what he saw was a yellow scroll beneath the light.

"What is this?" Xue Liujiu subconsciously raised his hand slowly.

The object flew into his hand instantly, and then he wondered if he was hallucinating.

Because this thing seems to be talking.

And he was referred to as: the holder of the list.

……

"Lord Jiang is back!"

"Lord Jiang is back."

Inside the Northern Garrison, Jiang Yun led a group of Imperial Guards back to the capital. Of the brothers who had gone out, more than thirty remained in the Western Regions Buddhist Kingdom. The affairs of these people's funerals had to be handled properly, something Qi Da was quite adept at.

Lord Jiang was always generous to his brothers who died or were wounded, and the money he gave them was enough to ensure that his wife, children, and elderly parents would have no worries about food and clothing.

This is also why the brothers below are willing to risk their lives alongside Jiang Yun.

Liu Boqing and his group did not follow Jiang Yun back to Beijing. They seemed to have other things to attend to, and Jiang Yun didn't want to interfere in their affairs.

However, Liu Boqing also promised that he would find a way to help Jiang Yun when his fate was about to end.

After returning to his study and sitting down, a large number of documents were soon placed in front of Jiang Yun, requiring his signature.

After glancing at them, Jiang Yun quickly began to deal with the items.

Soon, Dong Qiaofeng also arrived after hearing the news.

After Dong Qiaofeng entered the room, Jiang Yun looked down at the documents in front of her and asked, "During my time away from the capital, nothing should have happened, right?"

Dong Qiaofeng nodded respectfully: "Sir, there's no need to worry. Nothing has happened, everything is fine."

"In other words, some normal cases occurred, and our Embroidered Uniform Guard handled them according to procedure. There were also some more difficult cases, so we left them for Lord Jiang to handle when he returned."

Jiang Yun glanced at the cases; they were all about official corruption. Qi Da and he had both left.

Even for officials of slightly higher rank, their subordinates dare not act rashly.

After signing the cases, Jiang Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Alright, I should go home and visit my family now."

After explaining a few things, Jiang Yun hurried back to the Jiang residence.

Unexpectedly, Xu Suwen was not there when he got home.

Butler Yun Pingchuan hurriedly welcomed Jiang Yun into the house, saying with a smile, "Lord Jiang, you're finally back! Madam has been very worried these past few days. I've already sent someone to inform her to come home quickly."

"What did Suwen do?"

Yun Pingchuan chuckled and said, "My lord, you may not know this, but during your absence, Madam often visited the rouge shop run by Miss Dongfang Yao."

"Even the Duke of Zhenguo goes there every day."

At this point, Yun Pingchuan looked around and laughed, "I just heard some nonsense from the servants of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion... It is said that the Duke of Zhenguo is quite fond of this Miss Dongfang."

"After learning about this matter, Lady Suwen often went to the rouge shop, perhaps wanting to keep an eye on things for the Duke."

"Xu Xiaogang likes Dongfang Yao?" Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun's eyes revealed a hint of curiosity, and she smiled, "He's been back in Beijing for almost a month now, and he hasn't gone to the front lines yet?"

"That's why they say even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman," Yun Pingchuan replied with a smile.

Soon, upon hearing the news, Xu Suwen rushed back to the Jiang residence. Upon seeing Jiang Shi, she immediately ran up to Jiang Yun and hugged her, saying, "I was so worried about you! You went to the Western Regions Buddhist Kingdom and there was no news of you for a whole month."

Jiang Yun smiled and touched her forehead: "I'm back safe and sound, aren't I? It's just that the scenery in the Western Buddhist Kingdom was so beautiful that I stayed a little longer."

"What interesting or unusual things have you seen along the way?" Xu Suwen asked curiously.

Now that Xu Suwen has married Jiang Yun, she is staying in the capital and no longer travels outside.

You should know that she used to be a true female knight-errant, who loved to travel all over the country and see the world.

Jiang Yun then led her to the backyard and slowly told her about the scenery along the way.

Hearing that there were still many slaves in the Buddhist kingdoms of the Western Regions, Xu Suwen frowned slightly and said, "I didn't expect that only barbaric people like the Hu people would do this."

"I never imagined that such a thing could happen in the Buddhist kingdoms of the Western Regions."

"I thought that Buddhist kingdom, where Buddhism is revered, was a place of ultimate bliss."

Jiang Yun touched her nose, smiled faintly, and then asked curiously, "By the way, I heard that Xiao Gang is quite fond of Miss Dongfang? You know Miss Dongfang too, what do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Suwen's face showed a hint of worry. She said, "Miss Dongfang is indeed quite good. She is beautiful, and although she came from a poor background, she is well-mannered. Moreover, Xiaogang spends almost every day with her."

"As a woman, I can tell that the two of them are mutually in love."

"Furthermore, some time ago, my mother also specially sent someone to invite Miss Dongfang to the Duke's mansion."

“My mother was quite satisfied with her as well.”

"There were some things about her that puzzled me, which is why I went to the rouge shop many times to chat and talk with her."

Jiang Yun was somewhat surprised upon hearing this: "What makes you suspicious? What do you mean?"

"Did you know that she lives in the Sanqing Temple, but she never dares to enter the Taoist hall of the Three Pure Ones?"

Jiang Yun chuckled and said, "What's so strange about that? Some people like the Three Pure Ones, while others don't. Although I'm a member of the Taoist sect, I can't force people to like me..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Suwen rolled her eyes at Jiang Yun and said, "Do I look like such an unreasonable person? If she has no feelings for the Three Pure Ones, would I force her to kowtow?"

At this point, Xu Suwen got up and led Jiang Yun into the study, where a lot of documents were placed on the desk.

"This is what I asked Dong Qiaofeng to help me investigate about Miss Dongfang's past."

"The problem is not much different from what she described herself. She was an abandoned baby and was picked up by Uncle Tian. Then she wandered around Hongjiang Prefecture."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard sent people to Hongjiang Prefecture again and found many people who could testify to her statement, so there shouldn't be any problem."

"This is the problem."

At this point, Xu Suwen handed a document to Jiang Yun and said in a deep voice, "This is a confession personally given by the leader of a beggar gang in Hongjiang Prefecture."

"Previously, this gang of beggars planned to regulate the beggars near Hongjiang Prefecture and make all the beggars listen to him."

“Capture Dongfang Yao, Tian San, and Li Chengdao.”

"I was thinking of starving them to make them submit."

"Tian San and Li Chengdao, after being hungry for two days, couldn't take it anymore and gave in."

"But guess how long Dongfang Yao went hungry?"

"Ten days passed without incident."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun realized something and asked, "What do you mean?"

Xu Su asked, "I'm worried that she's not human."

(End of this chapter)