Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 596 Yu Shuang is taking a bath (12,000 words)

Blood gushed out from the wounds on his body.

The ground was stained crimson. The warm blood gradually melted some of the ice crystals, which then quickly froze again in the cold wind. The bright red was like a mirror, reflecting a slightly dazzling light under the sunlight.

Chen Yuntian and Chen Mingzhe, two renowned ninth-rank martial artists in the martial arts world, lost their lives just like that.

The death was so casual, and so pathetic.

Perhaps, the moment Chen Mingzhe first lost control of his murderous intent, the father and son had already been placed on Song Yan's death list.

I wonder if this father and son regretted what happened today before they died?
Chen Yuntian must have had it; his wide eyes were filled with resentment and regret.

However, it was too late for regrets after the fact.

As for Chen Mingzhe, he probably didn't have any; all that remained in his eyes was resentment and malice.

Song Yan could sense that he was much more ruthless than before. He would not hesitate at all when killing someone. If someone wanted to kill him or posed a threat to him, then he would kill them. That was all.

Yu Shuang's expression was also slightly blank. She wanted to use Song Yan as a shield to drive away the annoying Chen Mingzhe, but she did not expect it to end like this... From now on, Chen Mingzhe will probably never have the chance to bother her again. In this respect, Song Yan should have exceeded expectations.

Master Yunhai's expression couldn't help but show some sorrow.

Chen Yuntian had saved his life, and watching him die before his eyes left him with a bitter taste in his mouth. Yet, even so, when Song Yan killed the Chen family father and son, Master Yunhai did not intervene.

On the one hand, it cannot be stopped.

There were tens of thousands of soldiers around him, and nearly a hundred large iron cylinders along the Cangshui River. Although he still didn't know what those large iron cylinders were, he at least knew that once they were fired, he would be blown to pieces.

Of course, he could use his Grandmaster-level strength to instantly take Song Yan hostage. Although Song Yan had two ninth-rank martial artists, Luo Tianyi and Yu Shuang, by his side, they weren't enough to stop a Grandmaster. However, if he did that, he would completely offend the Prince of Yan.

If the Prince of Yan were killed, his troops could annihilate the entire Yunhai Mountain in an instant, a price he could not afford. Moreover, without the Prince of Yan in charge of the north, the Jurchen and Xiongnu armies would press in, and countless civilians would suffer undeserved calamities.

On the other hand, Chen Mingzhe's performance also truly disappointed Yunhai Zhenren.

Upon their first meeting, without clarifying anything, he was seized by murderous intent upon seeing Song Yan and Yu Shuang laughing and talking. He even fabricated vicious rumors to humiliate Yu Shuang. Yu Shuang was adopted by Master Yunhai and raised like a daughter, which alone made Master Yunhai less inclined to save Chen Mingzhe.

Looking back at Chen Mingzhe's usual gentle and refined demeanor, one can only say that he is extremely good at disguising himself and is a typical hypocrite. He was indeed wrong this time. He should not have had the idea of ​​betrothing Yushuang to this man. That would have truly pushed Yushuang into a pit of fire.

Several thoughts flashed through his mind, and Master Yunhai finally sighed. He then cupped his hands towards Song Yan and said, "Your Highness, would you mind handing over the bodies of the Chen family father and son to this old man?"

Beside Chen Mingzhe's corpse, Song Yan reached out and placed his hand on Chen Mingzhe's chest. With a burst of internal energy, he shattered Chen Mingzhe's heart. Only then did he stand up. Yu Shuang had already come to Song Yan's side and gave a brief introduction. Song Yan hurriedly returned the greeting to Master Yunhai: "You are too kind, sir. To be honest, what I did today has put you in a difficult position."

Song Yan killed the Chen family father and son without hesitation. However, he was quite polite to a grandmaster like Master Yunhai. His strength was too great, and offending him over trivial matters would not be a wise choice. Moreover, Master Yunhai had a good relationship with Luo Yuheng and was also Yu Shuang's master; Song Yan would give him some face regardless.

Master Yunhai stroked his long beard and shook his head slightly upon hearing this: "It's not really a difficult situation. Chen Yuntian did save my life, but over the years I have also taken care of the Chen family in many ways, helping them solve many troublesome enemies, which can be considered as repaying some of their kindness. This time, Chen Yuntian is single-mindedly focused on making Chen Mingzhe marry Yushuang, probably with the intention of binding Yunhai Mountain and the Sword Sect together."

"Now that the Chen father and son are dead, I will help collect their remains, and that should be enough to settle all debts."

"In that case, sir, you may take these two corpses with you." Song Yan was quite agreeable; with boatloads of heads following, two more wouldn't make a difference.

"In that case, thank you for your kindness, Your Highness." Master Yunhai clasped his hands in a salute again, then squatted down, grabbed one shoulder with each hand, and lifted the two corpses. Judging from Master Yunhai's appearance, he seemed to be preparing to leave directly, but then he suddenly stopped, turned back to look at Yushuang, and finally his gaze fell on Song Yan: "Ah, never mind, never mind, I'll leave Yushuang in Your Highness's care."

Although Yu Shuang is already twenty-nine years old, in Master Yunhai's heart, she is probably still an innocent young girl.

Although she was very dissatisfied with the marriage arranged for her by her master, knowing that her master still cared about her, Yu Shuang's eyes became a little moist: "Master..."

Master Yunhai laughed heartily: "Alright, girl, don't cry like this. It will only make the prince laugh. Whenever you miss home, just come back to Yunhai Mountain. Your master and your senior brothers will never forget you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Master Yunhai leaped into the air. Although he was holding a corpse in one hand, it felt as light as if it were nothing. The soles of his patchwork shoes barely touched the treetops, and with a few leaps, his figure had already disappeared into the distance.

That graceful lightness of movement truly filled Song Yan with envy.

With that matter considered settled, leaving a group of soldiers to guard the warships, Song Yan and his party continued towards Huangqiao County. As they approached the city gate, they saw a man in a light green official robe leading a group of constables, hurrying towards them. Upon reaching Song Yan, the group immediately knelt down, performing the rites of an audience with the king.

"Your humble servant, Hong Qidong, the magistrate of Huangqiao County, greets Your Highness, the Prince of Yan."

Looking at the middle-aged man in his thirties, Song Yan was somewhat taken aback. Wasn't Hong Qidong supposed to be a promising young man, only in his twenties? How come he looked so much older out of nowhere? It seems that being a good grassroots county official is not an easy task.

"Magistrate Hong, there's no need for such formalities. Please rise," Song Yan said calmly. "Qingluan has surely already explained the details to you, hasn't she?"

"Your Highness, rest assured, although Huangqiao County is poor, there is still no problem with food. Before coming here, I ordered the officials to gather all the cooks and cooks in the county who know how to cook. They should have started the fire by now, and I guarantee that the brothers will be able to have a hot meal in half an hour." Hong Qidong replied hastily. Although he was proud, he dared not show the slightest arrogance in front of Song Yan, the Jingguan fanatic.

"As for Miss Qingluan, she's keeping an eye on things over there right now," Hong Qidong added after a moment's thought.

Batu and Shi Lei looked rather embarrassed. It turned out that anyone could tell Qingluan was a woman, but they were the only ones who couldn't.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble Magistrate Hong," Song Yan said with a smile, speaking politely.

Hong Qidong was somewhat flattered. He glanced at Song Yan and felt that this legendary ruthless killer was not as terrifying as he had imagined.

However, when his gaze passed over Song Yan and fell upon the mountain of heads piled up on the warships along the Cangshui River, he felt a chill run down his spine.

This King Yama is indeed quite terrifying.

He pursed his lips and quickly suppressed his inner thoughts: "Please, Your Highness, take me to my residence tonight. I have prepared a banquet and hope Your Highness will do me the honor of attending."

Welcome parties, banquets, songs and dances, social interactions—all these are part of the ritual.

Song Yan didn't want to appear too different, so after a moment's thought, she agreed.

Upon arriving in Huangqiao County, Luo Tianyi asked Hong Qidong for a warhorse and returned to Pingyang ahead of time. In Luo Tianyi's words, most of the women in the Prince's mansion missed him dearly, so he wanted to go back early to let everyone know he was safe and sound, so that they could feel at ease.

Song Yan is quite strong now, and there are tens of thousands of troops stationed here. Song Yan also has specially made weapons, plus Yu Shuang, who is even stronger than her, so there is no need to worry too much. Song Yan thought about it and realized that Yu Heng was pregnant after all. If she kept worrying about her like this, it would not be good for her health, so she went along with Luo Tianyi.

Neither Yu Shuang nor Tian Yi revealed to Song Yan that Luo Yuheng had given birth to a son and a daughter.

Upon arriving at Hong Qidong's residence, although Hong Qidong was only a county magistrate with a low salary, he had the support of the Hong family. Even if the residence could not be called luxurious, it would be an exaggeration to say that it was dignified and grand. There were already more than a dozen people waiting in front of the residence. When they saw Song Yan appear, they greeted him one by one.

Hong Qidong then introduced everyone to Song Yan. Apart from three of Hong Qidong's uncles, the rest were local gentry, wealthy landowners, and heads of small families from Huangqiao County. Song Yan nodded briefly, and the group entered the warm pavilion. Several beautiful, graceful women in their early twenties were already serving them. This arrangement was somewhat odd; wealthy families usually employed maids who were fifteen or sixteen years old, and twenty-somethings were already too old for these women… But then, thinking about the rumors circulating about him, a dark line appeared on Song Yan's forehead.

Damn it, it's not that he likes women older than himself; he's just not so beastly as to prey on thirteen or fourteen-year-old girls. He's still young now, and these people will find him girls in their twenties. But what if they find him women in their fifties or sixties when he's in his forties or fifties? Just thinking about that scene sent chills down Song Yan's spine.

At the dinner table, everyone was enthusiastically toasting each other. Song Yan only took a few sips and ate some dishes to fill his stomach. The discomfort he had felt from being at sea for two or three days gradually dissipated.

At the dinner table, Song Yan was not exactly a talkative person.

In addition, there was the reputation of the Jingguan Maniac, so even though the people accompanying him were all wealthy families in Huangqiao County, they did not dare to speak casually, and for a moment the atmosphere at the table became somewhat awkward.

Left with no other choice, everyone turned their attention to Hong Qidong.

Hong Qidong's face stiffened, then he smiled as if he had no other choice: "Your Highness, I have another small matter to attend to."

Song Yan smiled. When he saw Hong Qidong's grand entourage earlier, he suspected that Hong Qidong must have some kind of plan. Now that he saw it, it was indeed so: "What is it? Magistrate Hong, please speak freely."

"Ahem, it's like this." Hong Qidong cleared his throat and said, "My Huangqiao County is also located by the sea, and people often go out to sea to fish for a living. However, being by the sea also has its troubles. We are often harassed by Japanese pirates. Before His Highness Prince Yan took up his post in Pingyang, the Japanese pirates often landed and plundered."

"Almost all of the dozen or so villages surrounding the county town were massacred by the Japanese pirates, so the people hated the Japanese pirates to the bone."

"Even worse, four years ago, the Japanese pirates directly broke into Huangqiao County. Thirty percent of the people in the county were slaughtered, and many of the people present had relatives who died at the hands of the Japanese pirates."

Song Yan frowned slightly. These damned bastards, their very bones are etched with meanness and barbarity, and they never miss any opportunity to rob.

"Where was the magistrate at the time?" Song Yan picked up his wine cup, took a small sip, and asked.

Hong Qidong said with a bitter expression, "The county magistrate at the time was said to be a protégé of Qian Yaozu. When the Japanese pirates came, he ran away. However, due to Qian Yaozu's protection, the magistrate not only did not receive any punishment, but he was also promoted and was directly assigned to Pingyang Prefecture as a judge."

"But later, as the prince entered Pingyang, all the corrupt officials in Pingyang were executed, including the county magistrate. It is said that he was skinned alive. At that time, some people in Huangqiao County who hated him went to watch the execution and all clapped and cheered."

Song Yan felt a little more comforted.

"Today, the gentry and local bullies of Huangqiao County have come here, partly to welcome His Highness the Prince and to admire his demeanor, and partly... cough cough, to ask His Highness for some heads."

"Cough cough..." Song Yan, who was drinking, couldn't help but cough twice, his expression quite strange: "A head?"

“Yes, the heads of Japanese pirates.” Hong Qidong nodded. “They want to use these heads of Japanese pirates to offer sacrifices to the elders and relatives in their families who were killed by the Japanese pirates, so that the souls of their deceased relatives can rest in peace.”

Song Yan rubbed his fingers against his wine glass, a troubled look on his face: "This is a bit difficult. As you all know, the Yan army has always rewarded soldiers based on the number of heads taken. These heads are merits. If we were to transfer these heads to you, wouldn't that reduce the merits of these soldiers? This..."

"Your Highness, rest assured, we commoners will not let the soldiers of Yan Province down, nor will we take those heads for nothing. We are willing to buy them from Your Highness for ten taels of silver per Japanese pirate head. What do you think, Your Highness?" A local gentry surnamed Liu said hurriedly.

Ten taels of silver?

Song Yan's heart skipped a beat.

Good heavens, I really didn't expect that just a bunch of Japanese pirates would have their heads so valuable.

"Am I such a greedy person?" Song Yan asked, his face showing displeasure.

Another wealthy man surnamed Wang quickly chimed in, "Of course not. His Highness Prince Yan is a man of noble character and integrity. How could he possibly withhold the military merits of his soldiers for a mere sum of money? We would never dare to have such a thought. However, although we do not know the amount of rewards and punishments in the Yan army, ten taels of silver should be more than the military's regular reward money. Moreover, most of the soldiers in the army live in poverty. His Highness is compassionate towards his subordinates and would not be able to bear seeing his own brothers living in hardship."

“We were thinking of buying some heads, partly to comfort the spirits of our deceased relatives, and partly to allow the soldiers under Your Highness's command to earn a few more taels of silver so that their daily lives could be a little more comfortable. We know that this violates military regulations, so we beg Your Highness to consider our desire to comfort our ancestors and grant us this request.”

Look at how well you put it! That's quite a sophisticated way to say it.

This isn't a business transaction; it's the prince working to improve the lives of his soldiers.

It was to fulfill the filial piety of these local gentry in comforting their ancestors.

Song Yan's displeasure vanished: "Since you all have such filial piety, it would be unreasonable for me not to grant your wish. In that case, how much do you all desire?"

"My Liu family demands five hundred heads of the Japanese pirates."

"My Wang family demands a thousand heads from the Japanese pirates!"

"My Liu family will also take a thousand heads of Japanese pirates."

“The Liang family is different from you all; they only need three hundred.”

The banquet ended in a pleasant atmosphere, with both hosts and guests enjoying themselves.

Song Yan earned 70,000 taels of silver with tears in his eyes. As for the many gentry in Huangqiao County, they also received pig heads for ancestral worship... ptooey, human heads.

Win-win!

Hong Qidong seemed to have something else to say, but hesitated for a long time before speaking, and Song Yan didn't ask him specifically.

By the time they had eaten and drunk their fill, it was already dark.

Song Yan also went to the backyard, to the room that Hong Qidong had prepared for him.

The lights were still on inside, and a faint mist of water vapor could be seen seeping out from the cracks in the door.

This must have been Hong Qidong's arrangement. After drifting at sea for so many days, it was natural to need a bath. Occasionally, the sound of water could be heard from inside the room, which must have been the maids Hong Qidong had arranged to serve him.

Wealthy families have this rule: if a distinguished guest is not served by a young and beautiful woman, it is considered a loss of face.

Without thinking much, Song Yan pushed open the door and went inside.

The next instant, Song Yan's body suddenly stiffened.

Right in the middle of the bedroom, there was a large wooden barrel.

Inside the wooden tub was a snow-white body.

A woman is taking a bath?

(End of this chapter)