My lord, spare his life!

Yuan Xie: "..."

Regardless of what others say about Wang Qi's cruelty and ruthlessness, Wang Ba didn't hold his son accountable for killing two of his own sons, nor did he impose any serious punishment. This suggests that either Wang Ba genuinely liked Wang Qi, or Wang Qi possessed other exceptional qualities. In contrast, He Ning, this adopted son, certainly had less value than Wang Qi. Using Wang Qi as a hostage was exactly what Yuan Xie wanted.

only--

Yuan Xie's name just didn't sound right.

What is something to be proud of when you are a prisoner or a hostage?

Is Wang Qi getting a little too excited?

They're so eager to stay, it can't be for He Ning's safety, it's more likely for their master's bed.

Thinking of this, Yuan Xie's face darkened.

He suddenly remembered something—

If he were to go to Dongxian County to manage the floods, it would mean he would be away from his lord for a long time. Given his lord's fickle nature, let alone months or even half a year, she would easily forget him if they didn't see each other for ten days or half a month. Didn't you see Zhang Da Miao's example?

Zhang Da Miao was only favored by her master for a few days.

Yuan Xie was about to speak when He Ning resolutely refused the arrangement: "No, if anyone has to be left as a hostage, it must be me!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Qi became anxious and furious.

He kicked He Ning aside, yelling, "What do you think you are?!"

He Ning looked gloomy: "..."

At times, he wanted to chop off his stupid sworn brother's head with a knife, because this guy couldn't tell right from wrong!

Seeing He Ning's bloodthirsty and fierce eyes, Wang Qi grinned and licked his lips, teasingly saying, "Oh, finally you're not pretending anymore, huh?"

He hates He Ning the most for being such a deadbeat!

As he spoke, a strangely shaped knife appeared in his hand. Wang Qi's eyes flashed with pure wildness and killing intent. His whole body was filled with killing intent as he stepped forward and approached He Ning, like a carnivorous beast cornering its prey.

Before He Ning could finish cursing, his body dodged first, and the spot where he had been standing was cleaved in two by the blade.

Wang Qi raised his sword again, but it wouldn't come down no matter what he did.

The resistance was as strong as a mountain, impossible to budge in the slightest.

Wang Qi's gaze followed the two fingers to Zhang Yang. His tone held no anger, but rather a hint of amusement: "Mountain Spirit?"

He Ning felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing those two words.

He shouted a warning: "Get out of the way!"

Zhang Yang didn't need He Ning's reminder at all, because the moment Wang Qi shouted the words "Mountain Ghost," the name above his head instantly glowed crimson! His killing intent was stronger than ever before!

"You're being biased."

Wang Qi slightly raised his knife to break free from Zhang Yang's grip on his fingers.

The next second, the blade slashed down towards her neck.

The expected dismemberment of the body did not occur. Before the blade could reach Zhang Yang's neck, her fingers subdued it first. The next second, Wang Qi's vision blurred, and a leg whip, carrying immense force, sent him flying. He used his palm to protect his vitals, blocking her kick.

Even so, a slight discomfort still lingered in my chest.

He laughed and said, "Why must the mountain spirit be so fierce?"

Before he could even straighten up, a beast-like instinct made him stop. His eyes darted sideways, and he caught a glimpse of a weapon reflecting a cold light. Guan Si held a knife to his neck, and Wang Qi hadn't even noticed when the other man had appeared.

Zhang Yang frowned as he watched Wang Qi's name switch to green in an instant, thinking to himself that this NPC was fickle: "If you break it, you'll have to pay for it."

Wang Qi said, "I'll pay, I'll pay."

Having said that, he shouted at He Ning, "He Ning, pay up!"

He Ning's lips twitched.

Prince Chong clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys your command."

Wang Qi flicked his fingers to deflect the blade that Guan Si was pressing against his vitals, and spread his hands, saying, "Mountain Ghost, I was just joking with He Ning."

Zhang Yang asked him, "Are you just joking with me too?"

Wang Qi: "Of course. Didn't the Mountain Demon take his head off and put it back in before? Even if that blow had actually hit you, you wouldn't be hurt. Since you wouldn't be hurt, it was just a joke. You can't choose He Ning as a hostage."

He is the most suitable person for this role.

Zhang Yang stared at Wang Qi expressionlessly for a long time.

After a moment, he nodded: "Okay, you're the one."

However, I still have to remind Wang Qi of some unpleasant things: "It's good that you like to play around, because I like to play around too, but I won't die if I'm beheaded, I don't know if you'll survive if you're cut in half at the waist."

Wang Qi's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this. He simply crossed his hands behind his head, leaned closer to Zhang Yang as usual, and said in a low voice, "Cut in half at the waist? Novel, but I've never tried it before. I can try it next time."

Zhang Yang lifted his eyelids, his dark, almond-shaped eyes meeting Wang Qi's undisguised bestiality: "Alright, I'll try it next time."

Try it and you'll die.

The purpose of bosses is for players to kill them.

In the end, Wang Qi was left behind as a hostage while He Ning led his men back. Zhang Yang was somewhat worried about Yuan Xie's safety. She remembered that Yuan Xie and Guan Si were acquaintances, so she asked if Guan Si should go with them.

Guan Si coldly replied, "Do you really think I'm one of your subordinates?"

He's quite good at getting things done.

Even if Guan Si didn't refuse, Yuan Xie would still politely decline. Leaving aside the unresolved old grievances between them, even without this past conflict, Guan Si wasn't the type to readily comply with his orders. In essence, Guan Si was no different from Wang Qi.

The only difference is that at least Wang Qi's murders left some clues; his emotions were honestly written on his face and in his body language. Guan Si, on the other hand, was completely different. Guan Si never gave any warning when he killed!

Yuan Xie, who worked with Wang Qi, had a higher survival rate than Guan Si.

Therefore, this evil spirit should get as far away as possible.

There was another reason why Guan Si wasn't allowed to come along.

"Siyin, don't just think about me. Be wary of Wang Gongsun too. I think he's been eyeing the Lord's face for a long time."

He wasn't the only one who wanted to climb into someone's bed.

"...Even if your lord takes him in, so what?"

"It's not that he's bad, but Wang Gongsun looks like the kind of... the kind of person who indulges in debauchery. It's not good to take such a person into the inner court; it could easily corrupt the lord's mind." Yuan Xie answered Guan Si seriously. He had said that he was a very proper and traditional man. The inner court existed to relieve the lord's pressure, not to hinder his ambitions, so a lowly woman wouldn't do!

Guan Si stared at Yuan Xie with an indifferent expression.

Commentary: "In the end, it all boils down to being afraid of surpassing the excellent works that came before."

These words stunned Yuan Xie, the strategist, for a second. He then reacted and drew his sword to kill Guan Si, that bastard.

"Who says they're afraid of seeing something so outstanding before them!"

It's completely upside down!

Would a traditional and upright man like him be afraid of this?

Good news: Yuan Xie was not killed by Guan Si.

Bad news—

"What happened to Mr. Yuan's face?"

Because his sworn brother's mind was so eccentric, He Ning was at his wit's end and had no choice but to personally lead the group back, worrying about how to explain it to his godfather. When Yuan Xie came out, he hurriedly went to greet him and helped him into the supply wagon. It was then that he noticed Yuan Xie's face.

Yuan Xie: "It was too dark at night, I tripped and fell while getting up to use the restroom."

He Ning remained silent.

As a military general, he knew all too well how bruises formed, and the purple and blue marks on Mr. Yuan Xie's face looked more like they had been beaten by someone. However, this matter involved Mr. Yuan Xie's dignity, and a thoughtful and meticulous person like He Ning would naturally not take the initiative to expose him and embarrass him.

"This humble general has some wound medicine here, and it works quite well." As an unlucky fellow who was often bullied by Wang Qi, he always kept wound medicine on hand, and its effects were outstanding. Yuan Xie also praised it highly after using it.

After settling Yuan Xie in, He Ning gave instructions to the others.

Besides paying attention to details on the return journey, He Ning also secretly instructed the soldiers to speak to Yuan Xie in his line of sight when communicating with him. With his keen observation, he had already discovered that Yuan Xie was deaf and unresponsive to sound, only able to decipher lip reading.

Yuan Xie was not traveling alone on this trip.

Xiao Sui lent more than ten personal guards to Yuan Xie for his use.

These guards were all quite capable and loyal to Xiao Sui. Their families were also under her care. Yuan Xie was taking them with her to Dongxian County so that if anything went wrong, she could escape with their protection. With Yuan Xie's abilities, she wasn't worried.

However, Yuan Xie still asked Xiao Sui for a favor before setting off.

Instruct Xiao Sui to send a message to Yuan Xie's attendants, requesting that they meet up with him.

Xiao Sui said, "Okay."

Yuan Xie added, "Dongxian cannot be pacified for long. We must take over the mountain prefectures before their ambitions grow."

This is also the strategic goal for the next year or two.

Xiao Sui exchanged a secret glance with him.

When He Ning and his group arrived at the border of Dongxian County, they were surprised to find someone already waiting for them. The fluttering banner belonged to none other than their adoptive father, Wang Ba. He Ning quickly jumped off his horse: "Adoptive father—"

Wang Ba did not see his son, Wang Qi.

He helped He Ning up: "Where is your sworn brother?"

He Ning looked conflicted and reluctantly told Wang Qi about his decision.

Wang Ba: "..."

His son is truly the most accurate retribution of his life.

Wang Ba wiped his face, feeling quite embarrassed, but the thought that Wang Qi had been away for some time relieved his mental stress, and he relaxed again: "Alright, alright, a son grows up and is no longer under his father's control. Your sworn brother is a grown man, he'll be fine."

He even felt some sympathy for Zhang Yang.

He had personally experienced how vicious his son could be.

With Wang Qi as a control group, the ambitions and atrocities of his other children are nothing compared to Wang Ba's.

He noticed the supply wagons in the convoy and immediately thought of the water management talent mentioned in the letter. Wang Ba always respected all kinds of talent, and those with genuine talent and knowledge were treated as honored guests, and this time was no exception.

Yuan Xie was quite surprised when he first met Wang Ba.

Although the latter was a typical military general, a poor boy who rose through the ranks, his speech and demeanor were refined and composed; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a scholar-general skilled in both literature and martial arts. It's a mystery how such a person could have fathered such an outrageous son as Wang Qi.

Yuan Xie was puzzled.

But he soon realized he was wrong.

Wang Qi's performance is not due to a genetic mutation, but rather to consistent and stable performance.

Wang Ba's children are all ambitious and cruel, but they know how to conceal it, how to hide it, and how to act as filial sons and daughters in front of Wang Ba, which makes them seem normal.

but--

The ghosts inside them say otherwise!

While Yuan Xie sat expressionlessly at the table, exchanging pleasantries with the noble ladies, he also listened to the information from the ghost within his body.

It's not that this female ruler secretly enjoys collecting human skin, or that young master secretly enjoys tasting human flesh, or that one has a penchant for married men and women; cruelty and bloodlust are standard traits. However, they all know that Wang Ba doesn't particularly like these behaviors, and he keeps them well hidden from the public eye. His occasional indulgences are only under the guise of suppressing bandits or leading troops out of battle, creating chaos where no one notices.

Yuan Xie: "..."

Wang Ba asked Yuan Xie how many people were needed to control the floods, and said that as long as it was for the good of the people of Dongxian, his children would also do their part.

A chill ran down Yuan Xie's spine.

He immediately found an excuse to cooperate with He Ning.

The reasons were readily available: He Ning was already in charge of flood control, and he was familiar with the river conditions. As the saying goes, one shouldn't trouble two masters with one matter; he was the most suitable person to cooperate with, so there was no need to trouble other noble ladies. This excuse was accepted.

Yuan Xie secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After the banquet, He Ning hinted to Yuan Xie not to get too close to the other noble ladies, as their interests were quite diverse and they sometimes kept their distance from others. Yuan Xie bowed in thanks.

Although He Ning isn't exactly normal either, but—

Compared to other non-humans, at least he had a human form.

Wang Ba temporarily abandoned his military plans for the mountain prefectures and shifted his focus to governing Dongxian itself. He naturally took the flood control project very seriously, personally overseeing it every so often. To his great surprise, Yuan Xie was indeed a talented individual.

The flood control plan is almost the best available at present.

Not only can it divert water from the Fang River to Dongham County for irrigation, eliminating worries about water shortages during the dry season and flooding during the rainy season, but the only drawback is that the riverbed silt level needs to be checked every few years, requiring personnel to be dispatched to dredge and ensure the riverbed remains clear.

Wang Badao: "That's natural."

Even after the rerouting was cancelled, Yuan Xie did not truly breathe a sigh of relief.

He learned that Dongham County had not received many significant rainfalls this year, so he went to check the water level near the Fang River. With Wang Ba's permission, he also consulted the local county gazetteer and found that the water level of the Fang River was already at its lowest level in recent years, and the trend was that it would continue to decline.

In other words, even if Dongham County does not change its water route, the downstream areas will still face water shortages, the only difference being the severity.

Yuan Xie prepared to report this matter back.

However, he greeted He Ning first.

He Ning expressed his understanding: "Mr. Yuan, please don't worry. If your godfather knew your intentions, he would also agree with your actions."

The two sides are currently in a cooperative relationship, not an adversarial one.

Reasonable requests should naturally be granted.

We must firmly oppose only unreasonable demands.

For example, Wang Qi.

As Zhang Yang and her men were returning, nearing the borders of Tianyue County, she suddenly remembered that the human skin she was using wasn't her own face, and decisively replaced it. Xiao Sui and the others adapted well, but Wang Qi was being unreasonable, firmly opposing Zhang Yang's decision to replace the human skin.

Zhang Yang: "This isn't a new skin."

This is clearly her original appearance, with only minor adjustments.

"I don't like it! I want to see the mountain spirit!"

Zhang Yang: "You can wear that human skin yourself."

You can take out the mirror whenever you want to see someone.

The image flashed through Wang Qi's mind, and he shook his head sharply in refusal. Zhang Yang then offered a compromise: "How about you have your personal guards put on that human skin? You've already bought out the rights to use this character creation feature, so you can do whatever you want with it."

Wang Qi's face darkened: "No."

"This won't work, that won't work? Then what do you want?" Zhang Yang said, adding that this NPC was quite difficult to please.

??(σ???)σ..:*☆

Wang Ba didn't just raise one Wang Qi, he raised a bunch of blue card Wang Qi, green card Wang Qi, and purple card Wang Qi, while Wang Qi himself is a limited gold card.

Wang Ba: "I'm out of ideas..."