Palace Fighting: Naive Concubines' Ascent to Power-Chapter 589: One Ring Links Another

The ones with the most severe injuries were those who, out of greed, had tried to rescue their property.

The worst injured among them was the one who had taken a chance and rushed into a room, only to have his leg crushed by a falling beam.

Fortunately, this person was saved by a fat man; otherwise, he would have certainly died. Even so, the leg that was hit was likely ruined.

At this moment, the man was howling, holding both legs; the other leg had been broken by the fat man in the process of rescuing him. The fat man’s face bore a chilling smile, akin to that of a murderous Buddha, and yet he had indeed saved the man’s life, leaving him with a fury he didn’t dare to voice.

There were also scattered women, uttering mournful cries towards the pile of ashes, weeping for their burned property, clueless about what to do next.

Hu Miaomiao paced through the wreckage, his face as ever wearing a smile, oddly out of place in this desolate aftermath, yet no one dared to utter any reproach.

He approached a crying little girl. His round body moved, he tapped with his foot, caught with his hand, nimbly picking up a pellet drum and shaking it, producing a ’thump-thump’ sound.

The little girl stopped crying, looking at him timidly, unsure what to do.

Hu Miaomiao offered the pellet drum to her, chuckling, "Little miss, where are your relatives?"

The girl’s eyelashes still glistened with tears, her face young and hesitant, not daring to accept.

A woman, who had been scavenging for anything salvageable beneath the charred remains of a building, noticed this and hurried over, embracing the little girl, saying, "Thank you, Master Xie, the child is ignorant and has offended you."

After that, she picked up the little girl and ran off into the distance.

This was a pair of bereaved orphans and a widow. freёnovelkiss.com

Hu Miaomiao’s smile did not fade. He regretfully shook the pellet drum in his hand and walked toward the Posthouse Head.

It was right for these people to be afraid of him, after all, when the fire raged last night and the Dead Soldiers attacked, he had personally taken action, killed a few men, and their bodies were still laid out outside the posthouse.

These Dead Soldiers, bold enough to pursue the Shadow Guard, had an organization and strategy—he had underestimated them.

After reporting to His Majesty, he led his men on a forced march through the night to reach Ma Xiapo posthouse, instinctively feeling something was amiss.

The landscape here was complex. If someone was pursuing from behind and set an ambush down the slope, caught between attacks from both sides, one would be caught off-guard, helpless to respond.

This was also the necessary route back to the capital from the south, where the change of horses and rest took place, making it the perfect spot for an ambush.

Foreseeing the danger, he estimated the situation and sent some men ahead to escort the Shadow Guard who were returning with the prisoner. He stayed behind with the rest, lying in wait within the posthouse, and had others hide down the slope, indeed awaiting the ambush from below.

He had predicted correctly, yet still, he had miscalculated slightly. He had not expected the leader of the Dead Soldiers to be so vicious as to not hesitate in setting the posthouse ablaze, attempting to burn alive the key witness and the Shadow Guard.

Fortunately, he was well-prepared and sufficiently alert, thus preventing a greater disaster.

Taking advantage of the chaos of the night, the Dead Soldiers hiding in the crowd made their move on the escaping Shadow Guard and the key witness. It was then he killed a few of them—a specific number he couldn’t remember, perhaps five, perhaps seven or eight—terrifying the onlookers.

In the end, only two or three were left. The leader of the Dead Soldiers, together with the remaining ones, sensed the tide turning against them and fled.

How cold the world has become, when even a Dead Soldier would flee for his life.

Now that I think about it, the leader of the Dead Soldiers’ scheme was truly sinister. It was a chain of precision, starting with setting fires, then taking advantage of the chaos to murder, and finally ambushing at the bottom of the slope to eliminate all traces. The scheme was executed in one go. If they hadn’t been prepared in advance, catching us off guard, no matter how skilled the Shadow Guards are in martial arts, they couldn’t have fully protected the key witness. Once the Dead Soldiers achieved their goal, the Shadow Guards would have lost soldiers for nothing.

Hu Miaomiao once again shook the pellet drum in his hand. Wherever he went, everyone would dodge his gaze.

Alas, he truly regretted that these common folks were afraid of him. He had always been so amiable, only killing a few of the most deserving villains. Although it was a bit bloody, he had also conveniently saved people. So why were they afraid of him?

How sad and lamentable!

He walked among the ruins with a smile brimming on his face.

Upon seeing him approach, the Posthouse Head shuddered and immediately stood up, his authority from the previous day gone, putting on a forced smile, "Master, do you have any instructions?"

Hu Miaomiao walked over with a smile, patting the Posthouse Head on the shoulder, "Well done."

The Posthouse Head winced in pain, fearful and apprehensive, "I dare not take credit, it is all thanks to your favor."

How could he know that the chubby cook who arrived at the posthouse yesterday would turn out to be such a high-ranking figure, who had hoisted him up in the middle of the night and spoken such intimidating words, all of which had come true today?

Although coerced, he couldn’t be more thankful to this chubby man. If it hadn’t been for him, the death at the posthouse wouldn’t just have ruined his future, but also endangered his life.

Hu Miaomiao took out a silver note from his bosom, slapping it against the Posthouse Head’s face with a smile, "Make sure these people are well cared for, don’t pocket a single coin. If I find out otherwise, be careful when you walk."

"Master, how could I dare," the Posthouse Head almost cried, he wouldn’t dare. This Master slaughtered people as easily as slicing melons, having cracked open an assassin’s skull right before him last night, sending blood and brains splattering everywhere, frightening him to the point of wetting his pants.

And besides, taking care of these people was essentially what he should do as the Posthouse Head of Hsimapo. Given the state his responsible posthouse was in, he was bound to be held accountable by his superiors, and he was hoping to offset his faults with some merit.

This act of the Master, no matter the amount given, was like sending charcoal in snowy weather.

He hastily took the silver note and took a glimpse, eyes widening in astonishment. Now, fear turned to tears of gratitude, "Master, you’re a truly noble man, rest assured, I swear on my life that I will ensure their comfort and safety."

"Enough of that, just make sure to return this thing to that young lady," Hu Miaomiao said with a chuckle, stuffing the pellet drum straight into the Posthouse Head’s arms and turned to leave.

He wasn’t too pleased with the man’s flattering words; they were too scarce. But he had no time to waste here.

The Posthouse Head, despite his flaws and timidity, knew what was important and wasn’t stupid. He had personally taken part in extinguishing the fire and directing the evacuation. He was reliable enough in his work; otherwise, last night, he would have taken care of him for His Majesty.

This disaster at the posthouse had hurt the common folk as innocent bystanders. Providing them with silver as compensation was his duty.

Hu Miaomiao wasn’t exactly a good person, but in serving under His Majesty, tidying up loose ends was a must, to save His Majesty the worry, or else His Majesty would have to worry about him instead.

Back among the Shadow Guards, he looked at the He Family father and son with a smiling Buddha-like face. The father was fat with a commanding presence, while the son, seventeen or eighteen years old, had a sleazy and weak appearance. Right now, both were scared out of their wits.

The older one had some insight and recognized Hu Miaomiao’s distinction, scrambling over to him, "Master Xie, please save us! If you can ensure our safety, I am willing to offer up countless wealth from the He Family. I beg you, save our lives."

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