My lord, spare his life!

"My lord!"

"My lord!"

"Please, my lord, do me justice!"

A series of mournful and piercing cries came from outside the tent.

A short while later, a man dressed in mourning clothes staggered into the tent, his legs giving way as he knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Sun Ban's good mood, which had lasted for most of the day, was extinguished by this scene. She glanced at Wang Ba's reaction, then half-jokingly reprimanded the man.

"Tell me slowly, tell me slowly." Sun Ban stood up and tried to help the person up, but was surprised to find that the person was weak and limp, like a puddle of mud. She also noticed the person's attire. "What happened? And what's with your clothes?"

"Waaah—My lord! Please, my lord, avenge my son!" The man wept uncontrollably, his eyes bloodshot. "My son—"

"What?"

Sun Ban then knew the answer.

The soldier came in carrying a plate of something in both hands.

The wooden box was half-open, and a strong smell of blood wafted out.

She opened the wooden box. Inside lay a familiar human head. The head belonged to the man's son, one of the many adopted sons Sun Ban had taken in because she felt a connection with him. Sun Ban had initially not planned to give this adopted son to Lü Yuan; she preferred someone else—ordinary beauty would be of no use to a seasoned old fox like Lü Yuan. However, the adopted son's biological father volunteered, stating that his son possessed quick wit, courage, and unwavering loyalty to his lord, his bravery was commendable and beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Sun Ban knew this was one of the ways men flattered and curryed favor.

She politely declined twice.

Lu Yuan is a womanizer, but even more ruthless.

If she refused, the man's life would be in danger. However, after the man's repeated pleas, she agreed. As a result, less than two days after the man was sent, his head was returned. Even though Sun Ban was somewhat prepared, he still gasped in shock.

Lü Bafeng is absolutely determined; even the ever-successful BMW beauty can't change her mind.

However, the most important thing right now is to reassure people.

Sun Ban's mind raced, and he roared in fury, "How could Lü Bafeng be so ungrateful! He killed one of my sons; this is an irreconcilable feud!"

Why didn't Lü Bafeng kill the BMW and send it back as well?

Sun Ban thought of Lü Yuan's face and wished he could tear it apart!

She drew her sword and cleaved the table in two: "Rest assured, this grudge isn't just yours, it's mine too! In this battle, we must capture that scoundrel alive and tear him apart by five horses to vent our hatred!"

With Sun Ban's personal guarantee, the man finally managed to hold back his tears: "With the Lord's promise, my son's spirit in heaven can rest in peace."

Sun Ban felt a bit annoyed.

What do fifteen or sixteen-year-old tender melon vines know about serving people?

Men might like girls this age, but women don't. They lack both figure and maturity, offering absolutely no allure. Does she really think she's Diao Chan? She's been out of her mind, believing that even if that old fox Lü Bafeng didn't like the person he gave her, he wouldn't break ties and kill her. Who knew Lü Yuan would actually do such a thing!

Lü Bafeng, what a son of a bitch!

He harbored much displeasure, yet his expression remained flawless.

While she claimed to be avenging her adopted son, Sun Ban wasn't just making empty threats—in fact, she was prepared to act even if Lü Yuan hadn't offered his head to provoke her. However, the blood feud over her son's death gave her a more legitimate reason to act. Not only could she pin a crime on Lü Yuan, but she could also boost morale.

When this matter spread, it indeed stirred up public outrage.

Of course, the soldiers' version of events differed from the truth. They wouldn't know that the adopted son was a gift sent away by Sun Ban and his biological father, who sold him for personal gain. They only knew that this adopted son was an envoy entrusted by Sun Ban with a pre-battle negotiation mission between the two armies, and that the bandit leader Lü Yuan, lacking martial ethics, killed the envoy in battle. As the victim, Sun Ban had no choice but to launch a counterattack, killing Lü Yuan to appease his adopted son's spirit in heaven.

No soldier doubted Sun Ban's words.

Sun Ban was only scheming in private; her public image was glamorous and far superior to that of the notoriously philandering Lu Yuan. Some people even speculated on outrageous scenarios based on Lu Yuan's past philandering, including but not limited to—the envoy was beautiful and talented, and before his death, he was forced by Lu Yuan with brutal force. He resisted to the death, and was then cruelly murdered by the enraged Lu Yuan.

This is indeed something a philandering and lustful person would do.

It's just a pity that the young man died so young.

Sun Ban had far more talent under his command than Zhang Yang; they were skilled in both martial arts and literature, and were also adept at writing proclamations.

Zhang Yang naturally received two copies as well.

Although her current [Intelligence] stat is as high as 43, the recent intense fighting schedule has caused Zhang Yang to neglect her academic studies. The enemy's proclamation, hastily drafted in half an hour, is a huge challenge for her, and her brows are furrowed in worry.

"I understand 'dog and pig,' but what's this? 'Dog and pig heart, owl-like nature. Inherently lustful, disregarding human ethics; lewd, cruel, and repeatedly committing heinous acts…'" The insults were quite elegant, but Zhang Yang found them utterly harmless. These swear words were nothing compared to the harsher insults hurled at the players she robbed. Insults need to be offensive to break a person's defenses; such elegance only elicits a nonsensical gibberish from an illiterate person.

"Owl Beast".

Zhang Yang didn't feel embarrassed: "What do you mean?"

"The owl is a bird that eats its mother, and the mongoose is a beast that kills its father." Lu Yuan was initially a little angry, as the proclamation was really too scathing and fabricated baseless charges against her. However, her adoptive mother's interruption made her lose her anger, and she even felt like laughing a little.

What's the use of Sun Banyang's men writing so many manifestos?

Those who should have understood it didn't.

How could newborn birds and wild animals kill their mothers and fathers?

That doesn't make sense.

Lu Yuan's lips twitched. She gently raised her watery eyes to look at Zhang Yang, her eyes seemingly filled with genuine filial piety: "I also feel that this is not quite right, but since that is the legend, later generations have believed it. The combination of the two is not to refer to birds and beasts, but to condemn me for killing my father and to frame me for being unfilial and disloyal to my adoptive mother one day."

Zhang Yang was surprised: "Unfilial and disloyal? I only know that being a godfather is a dangerous profession, but are even godmothers unsafe these days?"

She's an NPC who's been tracking and observing samples for sixteen years!

Sixteen years! How could we not understand humanity?

The observers said that being a godfather, like being a master, was a dangerous profession, without specifying the dangers. Zhang Yang only knew that these two identities made it easy for their children and disciples to pursue romantic relationships with them. But Zhang Yang was now a godmother. She looked at Lu Yuan, her eyes wide with astonishment.

NPCs are shocked!

Upon hearing this, Lü Yuan immediately knelt down to express his loyalty.

Her loyalty and filial piety towards her adoptive mother are evident to all!

There will never be a day when I am unfilial or disloyal!

You should know that the archery target in her home was given to her by her adoptive mother. If it weren't for her adoptive mother, when would Lü Yuan ever be able to avenge her blood feud? Putting aside the gratitude for her kindness and the status of ruler and subject, just considering this favor, she would never do anything to harm Zhang Yang in her life!

Their mother-daughter bond is as clear as heaven and earth, as evident as the sun and moon!

Seeing Lü Yuan's sincere feelings, Zhang Yang reluctantly calmed down. She genuinely regarded Lü Yuan as a daughter and had no intention of challenging ethics. Zhang Yang continued to look down at the manifesto, the dense lines of text making her eyes ache.

"Nonsense, utter nonsense. I've seen Sun Zhaoruo's adopted son; he hasn't even fully grown up yet, he might turn out awful. How could he be described as 'of jade-like appearance and handsome demeanor'? He 'upholds loyalty and integrity, and harbors unyielding principles'? When did Bafeng 'see her beauty, was immediately filled with lust, forced her to submit, and attempted to defile her'?" Were these people present? How can they even make their conversation sound so plausible? They even said that Lü Yuan's ferocity was on full display, "What kind of scoundrel is this, a wolf leading treacherous soldiers... those are some awful insults."

Lu Yuan leaned closer for a look: "Intercourse."

Zhang Yang: "Intercourse?"

Lu Yuan had only glanced at the top part, and after reading further, her face turned ashen: "The interaction of Yin and Yang gives birth to all things."

Zhang Yang frowned: "A traitorous adulterer? Who is this traitor?"

The text continues with "a vile and wicked leader who recruited petty and wicked people."

Ritsumoto: "..."

Zhang Yang stared blankly at the proclamation for a moment, then slowly realized that the terms "traitor," "chief culprit," "treacherous soldiers," and "petty villains" all referred to herself. She pointed at herself: "Me?"

Before Zhang Yang could react, Lu Yuan slammed his fist on the table and smashed it.

She shouted at the top of her lungs, "This is outrageous! This is outrageous! A subject dies for his sovereign! Sun Zhaoruo has not only insulted my sovereign but also my mother! I, Lü Bafeng, will fight her to the death as long as I live!"

That bastard, that was an incredibly offensive insult.

Lu Yuan raised his voice, making so loud that the nearby camps could hear it.

Sun Zhaoruo had two proclamations written.

One article criticizes Lu Yuan, and the other criticizes Zhang Yang.

The proclamation criticizing Lü Yuan also criticized Zhang Yang, and Zhang Yang's proclamation also criticized Lü Yuan; in short, neither was spared. Lü Yuan could understand it, while Zhang Yang paused to translate as she read. By the time the two of them had finished reading, the others had received the news and arrived.

"How despicable! They framed me for things I didn't do, and even spread rumors about me. They're truly despicable!"

Lu Yuan responded, "Low moral character!"

Zhang Yang said, "Should we retaliate with insults?"

Lu Yuan: "We definitely have to retaliate with insults."

Others who read it were also filled with righteous indignation.

Despite their ulterior motives, their lord is still their lord. How could they remain indifferent and uninvolved when Zhang Yang was being so vilified? Besides, they were still quite satisfied with Zhang Yang so far. Chao Tan of Dizuo City had his favor towards Zhang Yang at its peak; after reading the two proclamations, he was itching to volunteer to lead troops to crush Sun Zhaoruo's morale and teach her a lesson.

Zhang Yang nodded: "Okay, I'll write it!"

Ritsumoto: "..."

Guan Si: "..."

Others: "..."

Wang Qi couldn't help but ask, "You wrote a manifesto?"

It wasn't that Wang Qi looked down on Zhang Yang's education; rather, Wang Qi was well aware of his own limitations, while Zhang Yang's abilities were somewhat inferior to his own—Zhang Yang secretly studied basic principles and repeatedly refined his understanding of military strategy, all in the hopes of one day making a name for himself in front of the Mountain Spirit. And what about the Mountain Spirit?

Wang Qi dared to pat his chest and make a solemn promise—if the mountain spirit had him, Fan Shuyan would be more than happy to do so.

Is this the level of writing a manifesto?

Zhang Yang retorted, "What kind of tone is that?"

Did Wang Qi think she was illiterate?

Tsk, if the writing system in this world weren't different from the common writing system in the game world, why would Zhang Yang be mistaken for an illiterate person? Although she never formally attended school, she secretly learned from the observation subjects for sixteen years. Putting aside other skills, her swearing is absolutely unparalleled. PVP players' swearing can be incredibly offensive.

They would not only insult their opponents' entire families, but also serialize stories about their opponents' grandmothers on the game channel, such as heroic mothers, mothers who gave birth to eight children in one pregnancy, infertile mothers with a house full of offspring... Zhang Yang could come up with these stories at will.

In the end, the task did not fall to Zhang Yang.

Han Wu did it for him.

Zhang Yang felt somewhat regretful.

"Is what I wrote really that bad?"

Han Wo forced a smile: "No, that's impossible."

The enemy also used foul language, going straight to the vulgar, calling them things like "cohabiting traitors" and "filthy criminals," but at least they were somewhat refined and restrained. Zhang Yang's words, however, were more like those of a commoner.

Zhang Yang said regretfully, "What a pity."

Han Wo said, "I will try my best to preserve the core."

With Han Wo's assurance, Zhang Yang's mood instantly brightened.

She even had someone bring her pen and ink, watching Han Wo's calligraphy flow like dragons and snakes, completing the article in one go. Han Wo's handwriting, like her name, was elegant and graceful. Zhang Yang couldn't help but think of his own handwriting, which Shu Yan had described as "spring worms and autumn snakes."

Zhang Yang was naturally unconvinced.

But she had to admit that Han Wo's handwriting was indeed beautiful.

The handwriting is beautiful, but the article is incomprehensible.

She didn't recognize two out of every four characters, and the whole thing was full of obscure words. Zhang Yang nervously fiddled with the hem of her clothes. It would have been fine if she had asked Lu Yuan for help when he was alone, but with so many people around, she, as the lord, had to save face and couldn't bring herself to ask.

Zhang Yang nodded affirmatively: "It's very well written."

Han Wo said, "I rely on my lord."

If Zhang Yang hadn't been so harsh in his criticism, she wouldn't have had that much inspiration.

Lu Yuan secretly sent a glance over his shoulder.

A manifesto is used to denounce the enemy and boost morale. To be fair, Han Wo's rant was far more scathing than the one written by the opposing side, exposing almost everything about Sun Ban, leaving no room for pretense. Han Wo meticulously recorded all the dirt that Lu Yuan and the other man had revealed, and even had them check it to make sure nothing was missing.

If nothing was missing, she finalized the draft.

Lu Yuan said, "Make her two more."

She still harbored resentment towards the phrase "sexual misconduct."

She and her stepmother were completely innocent!

Han Wo: "What are you pinching?"

Without hesitation, Lu Yuan said, "Saying that she and her adopted children disregard moral principles and are promiscuous and dissolute is best left unsaid. We'll see."

Han Wo: "..."

Lü Yuan is indeed petty.

She was quite angry this time. Although the world is chaotic and hard to understand, there are still boundaries between parents and children. Even if they are only godparents, if something happens, it won't cause a huge uproar, and being exposed would damage their reputation. Han Wo picked up his pen and added this paragraph.

"Eight Winds of Music"

When Sun Ban saw the piece written by Han Wo, his face turned ashen.

"You bastard—"

When she received the news, troops had already gathered between Hu County and Huanguan County. She personally led the main force, while two smaller groups took detours from the north and south. One group threatened Cheshi County, while the other, lightly armed cavalry, circled around to the rear. Judging by the timing, the troops from Dongxian County should also be threatening the trade routes controlled by Cheshi County. She just didn't know when the bandits would receive this terrible news.

? ?|??w?`)

I visited a relative this morning.

At the age of 53, she weighed less than 63 pounds when she passed away...