The Desolate Era

Standing on the cracked streets, the white-haired old granny, Aunty Snow, spoke out. “Young master Ji Ning, if River He has offended you, he deserves death. However, given that he is still young, I wonder if he might perhaps be spared?” In the struggles and battles between tribes, it was generally possible for an important person who had been captured to be released in exchange for a ransom.

Ning glanced at her coldly, not saying a word.

Aunty Snow instantly frowned. She understood that young master Ji Ning’s decision to kill River He was unshakable.

“What’s going on?”

“Why have the city gates been destroyed?”

“What is going on in the Riverside Tribe?”

“Look, look, that youngster is surrounded by a group of black armored guards. He must be an important figure within the Ji clan.” Some of the outsiders who had come to engage in trade in Riverside City quickly began to congregate towards this direction.

Seeing the situation, Aunty Snow immediately shouted, “Have all those onlookers f*ck off.”

“Yes.”

The armored guards of the Riverside Tribe immediately acknowledged, and quickly began to shoo aside those outsiders as well as even some people of the clan, not letting them draw close.

“Out of the way!”

“Out of the way!”

One unit after another of guards quickly ran at high speed towards the distant streets, all of them wielding bows and other sorts of weapons. The leader of the units were all core, high-level people of the Riverside Tribe. Clearly, they had heard those explosive sounds from earlier and were worried that an enemy had come in force, and so they had quickly brought their own people to come over.

“Granny Snow.” A white-haired elder led a group to rush over. Upon seeing Aunty Snow, he immediately called out respectfully.

Aunty Snow only glanced at him.

One squadron after another drew near. All of the core members of the Riverside Tribe had arrived.

“Swoosh!” A black shadow drew near at high speed as well, only slowing down once it reached the armored guards. Those armored guards wanted to block the black shadow, but when they saw it come to a halt, they were shocked. “Clan leader!”

River Sansi’s face was like ice. Still holding onto that handsome young man, he passed straight through the crowd. All of the core members of the tribe stared at River He in confusion. River He was one of River Sansi’s grandchildren, and was greatly valued by River Sansi. In the Riverside Tribe, his position was in the top ten of the entire tribe. Why had the clan leader dragged him here?

“Swish!” River Sansi directly tossed him out.

River He fell face-first into the rubble and rocks, wounds appearing on his face and his body becoming covered with dust. He hurriedly raised his head and stood up, looking around him. Soon, his gaze settled down upon the fur-clad youth who was surrounded by black armored guards.

“Young master Ji Ning, I brought him for you.” River Sansi stood together with Aunty Snow.

“You are River He?” Ning stared judgingly at River He. He couldn’t help but think of poor Spring Grass, and his heart began to flood with a desire to slaughter!

River He could feel that this young master Ji Ning emanated an aura of power and influence. In front of this young master Ji Ning...even the clan leader and Granny Snow had to lower their heads.

“River He pays his respects to you, young master.” River He said respectfully.

“River He...River He...” Ning gently murmured, his eyes as sharp as daggers as he stared at this youth in front of him. “Do you know why I have come to find you?”

Ning’s voice was very soft.

But when River He heard his voice, his heart shook. He could sense the murderous intent contained within Ji Ning’s voice!

“I don’t know.” River He stared at Ning. “Young master Ji Ning, have you come to kill me?”

“Yes.” Ning nodded.

The entire area was utterly silent.

River Sansi and Aunty Snow just watched. The core members of the Riverside Tribe just watched as well. They could tell...that this young master Ji Ning clearly had the power to change their entire world. Even the clan leader had to submit to him. In addition, Ji Ning’s desire to kill River He was clearly very strong. They just quietly sighed to themselves...the glorious River He, whose prospects had been limitless, was going to die today!

“Young master Ji Ning, if you wish to kill me, then I have no choice but to die.” River He’s handsome face didn’t have a hint of fear on it. He looked at Ning. “But I don’t know why you are going to kill me, young master?”

“Why I am going to kill you?” Ning looked at him.

Hua.

A Darknorth sword appeared out of nowhere into Ji Ning’s hands. Sword light flashed across River He’s body. Instantly, a terrifying, suppressive aura swept out, but River He didn’t dodge. The nearby River Sansi and Aunty Snow just watched quietly as well. Even if Ji Ning had killed River He with this sword attack, they wouldn’t say a word.

Chi! Chi! Chi! River He’s body now had six bloody holes appear on it. His blood flowed outwards from those holes, which were situation in his legs, shoulders, and other non-lethal points.

“This!” River He stared, his eyes wide. “She...she was your...”

“Now do you understand?” Ning looked at him.

The sword technique he had displayed just now when stabbing six bloody holes into River He was the sword technique of Spring Grass. When River He had originally ordered his servants to capture Spring Grass, this was the technique Spring Grass had relied upon when she had beaten those servants half to death before leaving.

“A mere woman. Young master Ji Ning, you are going to kill me for a mere woman? Women are nothing more than merchandise, just property.” River He howled in disbelief, unwilling to accept this. “I’m willing to offer ten or a hundred women to you, young master. In addition, she was just a slave. I’m willing to do anything so long as you are willing to spare me, young master.”

“In my eyes...you can’t even compare to a single hair on her head.” Ning said coldly.

His face ashen, River He immediately retrieved a dagger from within his breastpocket. In a gloomy voice, he said, “Young master Ji Ning, I, River He, have offended you, young master, and I deserve to be killed. There’s no need for you to dirty your hands, young master. River He will end it personally.” As he spoke, he stabbed with his dagger towards his heart.

Dang!

A sword flash collided against the dagger, sending it flying.

“You actually think you’ll be able to die so easily?” Ning stared at River He. “When she died, she did so in agony and humiliation! How can I possibly let you die so easily?”

River He gritted his teeth as he looked at Ning.

Ning shouted, “Mowu!”

“Young master.” Mowu immediately stepped forward.

“The suspension punishment.” Ning said coldly. “Hang up him at the top of Riverside City.”

River He’s face turned white.

The suspension punishment generally meant one would have his hands and feet bound up, then hung up in the air and given nothing to eat or drink while allowing the sun to bake the criminal. In addition, prior to this, Ning had left six bloody holes on River He’s body. Given River He’s life force, he naturally wouldn’t die due to bloodloss, but the blood he had lost would attract some birds. The birds which would dare to draw near to the top of Riverside City were all ordinary birds. They would occasionally take a peck out of River He’s flesh.

He would slowly be tortured to death in the midst of starvation, agony, and terror...

In addition, countless tribesmen would all be watching. The humiliation he would feel in his heart would cause a proud figure like River He even more agony.

“Yes.” Mowu quickly retrieved a set of chains and began to bind and fetter River He. River He knelt there, his head lowered, not daring to make a sound.

“Father!” A fierce cry rang out, and a toddler came running out from the crowd.

“F*ck off.” Seeing that toddler running over, he hurriedly shouted in anger, “F*ck off, f*ck off!”

“Father.” The toddler sobbed. Although his father was strict in forcing him to train with the sword, his father deeply loved him.

The distant River Sansi frowned. “Take the child away!”

“Yes.”

Immediately, two guards charged forward, grabbing the child and leaving with him. But that child continued to wildly struggle while staring at Ji Ning, his eyes filled with hate.

Ning only stared back calmly at the child. When he was very young, his father, Ji Yichuan, had him train in courage by having him go kill some prisoners. He had seen far more terrifying glares before. The slave markets of West Prefecture City...he had seen numbness, despair, insanity, hatred, supplication. He had seen every sort of gaze there was.

“Hang him up at the highest point of the city.” Mowu had two black armored guards help.

River He was completely tied up in metal chains, and his hair was a mess. The nearby tribesmen watched, some of their eyes filled with pity. Others delighted in his misfortune. This humiliation caused River He’s entire body to shake constantly.

“Young master.” Mowu said softly towards Ji Ning. “That son of River He’s...when cutting grass, you must tear out the roots!”

Ning glanced coldly at Mowu.

Mowu hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to say anything else.

“I will spend the next few days at Riverside City.” Ning looked at the nearby River Sansi and Aunty Snow. “No need to trouble you. I will stay at the place where the black armored guards are stationed. I will watch as River He slowly dies. After he is dead, I will leave.”

The bodies of the surrounding core members of the tribe all shook. All of them could sense the hatred within Ning’s voice.

-------------------

At first, River He didn’t have too many problems, baking there in the sun. Afterwards, when some crows began to feast on his flesh, and when the sun began to cause his skin to dry and crack, revealing his red flesh, the pain he went through was absolute hell.

Because of the ki in his body, River He’s life force was very strong, but this now became a source of agony to him.

He was baked in the sun until his skin cracked and his flesh congealed. In the midst of this agony, he moaned for three days and two nights before finally dying.

This entire time, Ning remained at Riverside City.

After the black armored guards reported that River He had died in agony, Ning finally took a cold look at River He’s tattered corpse, then turned and led Mowu and Autumn Leaf away, mounted on their black beasts.

-----------------

Ning left Riverside City at night.

Riverside Sansi was currently seated in front of a table, quietly drinking wine from a beastskull cup.

There was a toddler kneeling within the courtyard.

“Cai, child.” Sansi lifted his beastskull cup. “I’m going to ask you one more time. Do you want to kill young master Ji Ning?”

“I don’t dare. Cai doesn’t dare.” The kneeling toddler said hurriedly.

“Alas.”

River Sansi shook his head. In a soft voice, he murmured, “The hatred you feel will be a disaster to my Riverside Tribe.”

“Servants!” River Sansi called out.

“Master.” A servant entered and knelt down.

“Alright.”

River Sansi said coldly, “Execute all of those servants of River He. None of them are to be spared! River He’s women are to be sold off at the slave markets!”

“Clan leader.” The toddler grew frantic. One of them was his mother.

“And him.” River Sansi looked coldly at the toddler. “River He’s only son...he is to be sold off at the slave market as well!”

“No.”

“No!” The toddler hurriedly kowtowed. “Clan leader, spare me, spare me!”

“Yes!” The servant replied respectfully, and then stepped forward, grabbing the toddler, then departing.

The toddler continued to struggle, sob, and cry.

Slave?

Why!

Why had this happened!

Watching as the toddler cried and called out in agony, River Sansi was silent.

“Master, you are going to sell River He’s women and children as slaves?” A human figure appeared within the dark corners of the room.

River Sansi nodded. When River He had been undergoing the suspension punishment, Sansi had sent people to secretly ask River He...and only then did he understand that the source of this problem came from the Miwa of the Blacktooth Tribe! River Sansi had even sent people to the Blacktooth Tribe to speak with Blacktooth to clearly understand what this was about. And then, he had put to death all of the servants who knew anything about this affair at all.

“Ji Ning doesn’t wish for Spring Grass’ affair to spread out.” River Sansi said calmly. “Spring Grass had once said that she was the servant of young master Ji. Everyone who heard these words needs to be put to death.”

“There’s no point in keeping River He’s women either.”

“River He’s sole child, Cai...he has too much hatred towards Ji Ning. I asked him several times. Although he verbally stated that he wouldn’t seek revenge, how could a toddler like him deceive me? I could see straight to his heart in a single glance. His hatred of Ji Ning is bone deep.” Sansi shook his head. “At such a young age, he has already learned to cover up his thoughts. In the future, once he rises to a position of great power within the tribe, given the hatred he feels for Ji Ning, I fear that he might act in a way that would cause our entire Riverside Tribe to be destroyed!”

“Everything that I am doing is to ensure that the Ji clan knows that our Riverside Tribe is loyal!”

The man in the darkness was silent.

“Breaker Three.” River Sansi spoke out.

“Master.” The man in the darkness replied.

“Send out Breaker Nine.” River Sansi said. “Take Cai away in the darkness and send him to the territory under the control of the Ironwood clan and have him just join a small tribe at random. Make him give Cai good training! If Cai has talent and always works hard, give him good tutelage. If Cai quickly forgets his hatred and doesn’t train hard, then kill him and have Breaker Nine return.”

“Yes.” The figure in the darkness nodded.

“Hatred...is a source of strength as well.” River Sansi murmured softly. “Our Riverside Tribe, compared to the Ji clan...we’re too weak, too weak...”

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