The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 880: Thunder on the Earth
Vultures circled over the wilderness again and again, and tumbleweeds bounced in the direction of the wind until they were blocked by boulders or shrubs.

Three blond, blue-eyed bounty hunters were tied to a newly constructed cross.

The pioneering group's battalion commander, Dong Shaowei, appeared in front of the cross.

"I'm asking you this one last time." Dong Shaowei pointed at the bound Marston and his big nose, and said murderously:

"Who ordered you to assassinate Lord Jiang? If you don't tell me, I'll castrate you and send you to Jakarta to be the South Pole!"

Dong Shaowei came from the military and did not have the means of coercion and inducement that the Suoyi Guards had. Such intimidation obviously could not deter the desperate criminals.

Seeing that the other party did not react at all, the young officer became angry and raised his fist to hit him, but was stopped by Jiang Bailing.

"This person has his own beliefs. There is no need to force them. Let him accept the punishment of the laws of Da Qi. That is enough."

As the supreme commander of the pioneering group, Jiang Bailing knew that he not only represented himself, but also represented the image of Da Qi in North America.

Seeing that Dong Shaowei was still dissatisfied, Jiang Bailing consoled him, "We need to let the Europeans know that Da Qi is a country ruled by law and respects the constitution..."

Amid the old commander's incessant chatter, the final fate of Red Dead Redemptionist Marston was determined.

When the interpreter informed Marston of the final hanging decision, the bounty hunter protested loudly in English:

"But this is not your Khitan country. Why do you want to execute me using your laws?"

Jiang Bailing patiently explained to the prisoner, "According to the ancestral precepts set by Emperor Taizu, wherever the sun shines is the territory of Da Qi."

Marston was dumbfounded.

All arguments are over.

Jiang Bailing asked the prisoner one last time: "Mr. Marston, are you willing to repent for your brutal crimes?"

Marston said firmly: "I have no regrets, nor do I need to repent. If I must repent, it is to God himself."

~~~~~~~~~~
Jiang Bailing publicly sentenced bounty hunter John Marston to death by hanging, to be executed immediately.

The reason given by the old man was that the bounty hunter attempted to assassinate the commander-in-chief of Qi State but failed and was executed according to the law.

In the wild west of North America, there are a million reasons to kill someone; one attempted assassination is enough.

Before the execution, the interpreter told the bounty hunter that he should thank Lord Jiang.

Marston was surprised: "You want me to thank someone who is about to kill me?"

"That's right," the interpreter said with a pleasant expression, "As an assassin, if you were to appear in Tianxin City, in Empress Tianshou's Imperial Palace, you would face more than just hanging."

"You will be publicly executed by lingchi. A sharp boning knife will cut your body 3,600 times until you take your last breath. The whole process may take two days, or even longer, depending on the executioner's knife skills."

The interpreter's vivid explanation was chilling. He told the bounty hunter that if he gave up his faith in God and revealed the mastermind behind the crime, he would be spared from torture.

However, Marston still insisted on his beliefs and rejected the interpreter's kindness.

The interpreter shook his head, stared into Marston's eyes for a long time, and finally sighed and slammed the door and left.

~~~~~~~~~~
Although the State of Qi had abolished torture long ago, it was still acceptable to use lingchi to torture a vicious criminal like Marston.

"Now you can pray to God, if you believe in God."

"On behalf of the Emperor of Da Qi, I hereby sentence you to death, Marston!" Marston was blindfolded, his hands were tied, his neck was in a rope loop, and a horse was leading him slowly forward.

He didn't dare jump off the horse, because that would make him get strangled by the ropes faster.
It is not easy for western cowboys to survive, but they have offended the Great Qi, offended the pioneer group, and become enemies with the people of Qi, so the final outcome is bound to be like this.

"Give me a drink of water, I'm dying of thirst."

However, no one in the pioneer group paid any attention to John Marston, leaving him to beg on horseback.

A strong hot wind blew across the wasteland,

Tumbleweeds danced in the wind, rolling all over the wasteland.

John Marston closed his eyes in despair. As a bounty hunter, he had killed targets countless times to complete his missions. However, this time, he fell into the hands of the Khitans.

The Khitans were not worth mentioning in Luosha's eyes. However, when he actually met these Khitans, he still felt an unacceptable anger.

Half an hour seemed to last an extremely long time, as if half a century had passed, until the sound of horse hooves could be heard in the darkness.

"Help! Help!"

Marston tried his best to suppress the fear in his heart and made a low sound in his throat. He had already noticed that the bad horse under his crotch was beginning to become restless.

In the darkness, there was the sound of a wooden stick cutting through the air, and then the hood covering his eyes was lifted. The scorching sunlight made it impossible for him to open his eyes.

"Thank you, gentleman."

Before Marston could finish his words, the ropes around his wrists and neck were cut almost simultaneously.

He subconsciously raised his hands to cover his eyes. When his pupils gradually adjusted to the strong sunlight, he realized that the person riding towards him was Jiang Bailing's adjutant, the young and irritable officer of the pioneer group.

Dong Shaowei said to the bounty hunter in fluent English: "The Marshal will spare your life and keep you as a guide for the pioneering group."

"Should I say thank you?"

"Shouldn't you?"

The bounty hunter becomes the guide of the mission target, such a turn of events is too explosive.

Marston, who had just saved his life, couldn't suppress his excitement for a long time.

"The Marshal will sign an agreement with you, promising not to disclose this matter to anyone else, and will pay you your salary on time."

The Qi officer told Marston that his monthly salary was one tael of gold, or fifty grams, and all expenses along the way would be borne by the Qi people.

Marston flatly rejected the offer, somewhat unhappily saying, "What do you take me for? Bounty hunters may be wandering around, but we have dignity and professional ethics. God, even if you offer me more money, I will never betray my employer."

"What if you get three ounces of gold every month? From what I understand, that's enough to live on for the rest of your life, and there'll still be plenty left over."

The bounty hunter fell silent again.

Seeing the Qi people so straightforward, Marston didn't hide anything and said directly: "If you want me to betray my employer,... how much more leverage do you need?"

The Qi officer nodded slightly, a complicated expression on his face.

"I'll give you five ounces of gold every month. If you get rid of your employer, you'll get more gold."

(End of this chapter)