Qin Sang and the others had been keeping watch from the earthen slope outside the Town. Qin Sang climbed a large tree and used the Binoculars to look into the Town.
The agreed-upon red silk signal had yet to appear, and it would be dark in another hour and a half.
She wasn't afraid of the dark; she was afraid that something unexpected had happened and A Shui wouldn't be able to return.
It wouldn't matter much if the plan failed, but if A Shui lost his life because of it, she wouldn't feel good about it.
The villagers of Tianjia Village had all put on simple Bamboo Armor and tied red silk around their arms. This was also agreed upon to avoid accidentally hurting their own people.
Qin Sang hadn't brought A Jing along, leaving him in Tianjia Village to wait for news from her and the others.
Qin Sang had also dressed as a man. With the help of makeup, no one who didn't know her well would ever recognize her.
Hunter Xu, Tian Yougen, Da Zhuang, and San Gui stood beside her, all looking somewhat anxious.
"Mother, has A Shui still not given the signal?"
"Could it be that the place where A Shui tied the red silk is too low to be seen from here, or perhaps his line of sight is blocked? How about I go in and check the situation?"
"Yeah, the sun is about to set. Once it gets dark, we won't be able to see the red silk even if it's hanging."
Qin Sang knew they were anxious, but she still didn't agree to move forward rashly.
"Then we'll wait until sunset. If there's still no word, we'll head back to the village."
"Huh?" Obviously, everyone was a bit surprised that Qin Sang would give up so easily. After all, they had prepared for two whole days and were just one step away. Giving up now left them feeling somewhat unwilling.
Before anyone could question her, Tian Yougen suddenly pointed toward the center of the Town.
"Da Zhuangs Mother, look! There, is that red silk over there?"
Qin Sang immediately raised the Binoculars. Without even needing to zoom in, she clearly saw the red silk fluttering from a bamboo pole.
"Yes, it's A Shui's signal. Everyone, get ready. We're entering the Town."
At her command, the people of Tianjia Village all began running toward the Town.
The first ten were the strongest men in the village, all wearing armor, carrying Wooden Shields in one hand and Long Sabers in the other.
Behind them were twenty men holding Long Wooden Spears, with Long Sabers tucked behind their waists. Tian Da Zhuang, Tian San Gui, and Hunter Xu and his son were behind the spearmen. At the very back were the slightly weaker villagers with less combat power, primarily to guard against Rebel Soldiers springing out from behind.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, everyone had rushed into the Town. Qin Sang noticed that there wasn't a soul on the Town's dirt roads.
Before they had gone far, they found A Shui. He was injured, having taken a blade to the arm. Qin Sang immediately went over to him.
"How are you?"
A Shui smiled and shook his head.
"It's nothing. While I was releasing the captured commoners, I killed two guards and accidentally took a hit."
"Aunt, it was worth it. I've avenged my parents and grandparents."
Qin Sang examined the wound; it was quite deep, and he had already lost a lot of blood. His entire arm was covered in it.
Sensing the resolution in his voice, Qin Sang pulled out a piece of red silk to tie his arm tightly, then took out a needle and thread.
"Hang in there, I can save you."
A look of surprise flashed in A Shui's eyes. Beside him, Tian Yougen leaned in and said quickly:
"Trust your Aunt. Back then, someone slashed my stomach and my intestines were about to fall out, but your Aunt still saved me. Just hide here and don't move. We'll be back soon."
A Shui nodded heavily.
"Mhm."
He didn't believe in the Heavens, but he believed in his Aunt.
Qin Sang disinfected her hands and began stitching, asking questions to distract him.
"How long has the infighting been going on? Why did you raise the silk so late?"
"It's been... an hour since it started. I wanted more of them to... die before having you... come, Aunt. It would... save some trouble."
"I used the... interval to release those... innocent commoners. I only raised the silk once they had all run far away and wouldn't... see you... Aunt."
Qin Sang hadn't expected A Shui to still be considering their safety as much as possible under such complex and dangerous circumstances.
He was a good lad.
Qin Sang's fingers flew, her needle moving rapidly. Before long, she had finished stitching A Shui's wound and applied a proprietary Chinese medicine. The bleeding had gradually slowed down.
She handed him a waterskin and stuffed two meat buns into his arms, then instructed:
"Wait for us to return."
A Shui nodded.
"Aunt, please be safe."
Qin Sang and the others delayed no further, rushing toward Steward Huangs Residence.
The perimeter of the residence was already littered with corpses. To those still crawling with a lingering breath, the people of Tianjia Village unceremoniously delivered a finishing blow.
"Die early and be reincarnated sooner. Don't be a beast in your next life."
As they neared the inner courtyard, a group of about thirty people suddenly rushed out. Qin Sang's heart skipped a beat; these weren't the Rebel Soldiers she had seen through the Binoculars.
This meant that the people A Shui had organized had been defeated.
Actually, it made sense. Master Qian's confidants ate and drank well, and wealth could sway people's hearts, making it easier to gather followers.
The Rebel Soldiers A Shui had organized, on the other hand, were rushed, lacked physical strength, and even more so, lacked a leader. Once the leader was killed, they would easily collapse.
Fortunately, Qin Sang had intended for the infighting to consume most of their combat power from the start. No matter which side won, it didn't hinder her plan.
These thirty or so people were all more or less injured. Seeing Qin Sang and the others holding Wooden Shields, they didn't dare step forward. Just as they were about to turn back into the inner courtyard, several arrows shot down four of them.
"Kill!"
The men holding Wooden Shields let out a loud shout, chasing them down and using their shields to compress the Rebel Soldiers crowded at the entrance into a mass. The men behind them raised their Long Wooden Spears and thrust through the gaps in the shields. Without even needing to aim, long trails of blood began to seep onto the Long Wooden Spears.
Accompanied by the screams of the Rebel Soldiers, another dozen or so fell to the ground.
With the shield-bearers advancing, the spearmen stabbing, and the saber-wielders finishing them off, the battle became a one-sided slaughter.
The advance only slowed down when two of the men holding Wooden Shields in the front were kicked away.
Qin Sang saw a man with over a dozen various gold necklaces, Buddhist beads, and jade plaques hanging around his neck.
He was bare-chested, with two bleeding gashes on his chest. Holding a Long Saber across his front, he exuded a murderous aura that filled the air around him.
Presumably, this was Master Qian.
Qin Sang helped the two men up.
"How are you?"
The two shook their heads.
"We're fine, but this man's strength is enormous. Everyone, be careful."
Qin Sang glanced at the leader of the Rebel Soldiers, her heart chilling slightly. She shouted in a low voice:
"Stars Surrounding the Moon, hurry!"
At Qin Sang's command, everyone snapped back to their senses. The ten shield-bearers quickly surrounded Master Qian, with a squad following behind each of them as they moved. Master Qian could defend one side, but he still only had one pair of eyes and one pair of hands.
He was clever, too; his eyes immediately locked onto Qin Sang, who had just spoken, and he swung his Long Saber toward her.
As he moved, everyone shouted in unison:
"Kill!"
The shield-bearers pressed forward simultaneously, and the spearmen thrust their spears at the same time. Just a moment before the spear tips reached Master Qian, arrows pierced into the man's body.