Oda Heizo, realizing something was wrong, quickly pulled back the curtain and saw Zhou Ming holding a short, stout man with one hand, and a blade to the man's neck with the other, walking step by step towards him.
Around them, people lay sprawled on the ground, all from the caravan behind. They should have been screaming, but now they were like chickens with their necks squeezed, not daring to even breathe, let alone scream.
Zhou Ming walked steadily and quickly with each step. In a few dozen seconds, he was back in front of the carriage, throwing the short, stout man, who was as wide as he was tall, to the ground. He kept the blade at his neck, not allowing him to even try to get up.
Because if he raised his body even slightly, the sharp blade could cut into his thick neck. Whether that fat-filled neck could block the blade was an obvious answer, and he didn't want to risk his life to find out.
Oda Heizo reluctantly pulled back the curtain and met the eyes of Hori-koshi So, who was kneeling on the ground, his expression of helplessness instantly turning into a sneer.
"Oda... Lord Oda?" Hori-koshi So recognized Oda Heizo and called out in surprise.
"Hori-koshi So, the State Lord favors you greatly now. Are you saying you don't even put me in your eyes anymore?" Oda Heizo sneered repeatedly.
"No, no, no!" Feeling the cold, sharp blade at his nape, Hori-koshi So waved his hands repeatedly, clarifying, "How was I to know this was your caravan? It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding."
"Hmph, I suppose it is a misunderstanding." Oda Heizo continued to sneer, but his words were actively giving Hori-koshi So a way out.
"Since you know it's me, hurry up and get back. Don't delay my important business."
"Yes, My Lord, I understand, My Lord." Hori-koshi So nodded repeatedly, relieved to have escaped, and secretly warned himself in his heart that he must never be so arrogant again before clearly understanding the other party's background.
Thinking this, Hori-koshi So tried to get up. The moment he moved, he felt that the blade pressing on him had not lessened its force at all. The blade directly cut through his skin, and the bone-chilling cold made him freeze, unable to move.
"Lord Oda, look..." Hori-koshi So cautiously looked up, pouting his lips to signal Oda Heizo to release him.
Oda Heizo was helpless. Was that person someone I could control? However, to avoid further trouble, Oda Heizo could only say, "Zhou-kun, release him first. Hori-koshi So is one of our own."
"Who the hell is one of his own?" Zhou Ming showed no Face to Oda Heizo, pressing the blade in his hand down again, stepping on Hori-koshi So's back, and lowering himself to ask, "Those women behind, where did you get them from?"
"This, this..." Hori-koshi So forced a smile, "This samurai, are you going to disobey your master's command?"
Zhou Ming said nothing, only pressed the blade down again, making it cut deeper into the flesh.
"No, I'll tell you, I'll tell you now!" Hori-koshi So quickly said, "It was a small village I encountered during a hunt..."
"I merely took a liking to a young girl and brought her to the capital, ensuring she had plenty to eat and drink. What's wrong with that? Yet those ignorant villagers actually dared to stop me!"
"Hmph, I, the dignified Hori-koshi So, what is my status? A bunch of commoners..."
As Hori-koshi So spoke, his tone gradually became indignant, as if he had truly suffered some insult.
Zhou Ming glanced at Oda Heizo, noticing that he had no unusual reaction to Hori-koshi So's words, as if such matters were perfectly normal.
"Very good." Zhou Ming nodded and, with one stroke, severed Hori-koshi So's head.
Blood gushed forth, splashing onto the carriage, and spattering on Oda Heizo's shoes and the hem of his clothes. It formed scattered dots, spreading out like tiny red flowers blooming, quite beautiful.
"You!" Oda Heizo was stunned, then his Face turned pale, and he said in disbelief, "You killed him!"
"He blocked your carriage and spoke disrespectfully to you. Should I not have killed him?" Zhou Ming asked with a smile.
"You killed him, you actually killed him!" Oda Heizo stared at Zhou Ming, both shocked, angry, and anxious.
"Can I not kill him?" Zhou Ming's smile remained.
"He is Hori-koshi So, a great favorite of the State Lord! A trusted retainer! You dared to kill him, you..." Oda Heizo's fury erupted, the overwhelming anger almost driving him mad.
The next moment, Zhou Ming's blade lightly rested on his shoulder. The cold blade instantly cooled his anger, and reason immediately returned to his mind.
"I killed him because I wanted to. Do you have an objection?" Zhou Ming's smile remained unchanged as he asked lightly.
"Gulp." Oda Heizo swallowed, then suddenly broke into a wide smile, saying, "Well killed, well killed indeed! I've long disliked that Hori-koshi So fellow!"
"Arrogant due to favor, acting recklessly, disrupting the court, he deserved to die!" Oda Heizo spat on the headless corpse on the ground with indignation, cursing loudly.
"Indeed, I always carry out your will, My Lord." Zhou Ming smiled faintly, sheathing his blade, and looked towards Hori-koshi So's caravan behind.
Oda Heizo's gaze followed, and seeing the women confined in cages, he immediately understood and loudly declared, "Tie up all of Hori-koshi So's men and take them into the city!"
His samurai immediately took action.
The samurai in Hori-koshi So's caravan had already been injured by Zhou Ming, and witnessing Hori-koshi So being beheaded by Zhou Ming, the shock had not yet worn off.
In contrast, the samurai brought by Oda Heizo didn't care who Hori-koshi So was. It was just a beheading, nothing rare, so they weren't affected in the slightest. Coupled with their numerical advantage, by the time Hori-koshi So's samurai reacted and fought back, it was already too late.
Even if Hori-koshi So's samurai were full of bloodlust and wanted to "die gloriously" for Hori-koshi So, they couldn't stand against Oda Heizo's samurai. If they said they'd cut you down, they'd cut you down. After a chaotic battle, leaving behind a ground full of blood and scattered limbs, Hori-koshi So's entire caravan was taken away.
The city guards, who witnessed the entire process, didn't dare to utter a single word until the caravan entered the city.
Having already known Oda Heizo's identity, how could they still dare to be arrogant? They were afraid of being rushed by the excited samurai and chopped into mincemeat even while standing aside!
Inside the carriage, Zhou Ming and Oda Heizo were still sitting opposite each other. However, Oda Heizo was now dispirited, forcing a smile, and the wine in his cup no longer tasted good.
"This matter was too impulsive. It would have been possible to spare Hori-koshi So's life."
Seeing that Zhou Ming had no reaction to his troubled expression, Oda Heizo finally couldn't hold back and said hesitantly.
"After all, Hori-koshi So is the State Lord's..."
"Trusted retainer." Zhou Ming finished the sentence for Oda Heizo.
"Yes, a trusted retainer!" Oda Heizo exclaimed, "Killing Hori-koshi So will make the State Lord furious, and I'll have a hard time resisting! It was too impulsive!"
"How do you know he will definitely be furious?" Zhou Ming glanced at him and smiled, "Besides, how do you know I didn't deliberately want to kill Hori-koshi So?"
"Ah?" Oda Heizo was stunned.
Zhou Ming raised his right thumb, made a large circular motion with his right arm, and said with an expression of enjoyment, "So what if he's a trusted retainer? I kill trusted retainers. If he weren't a trusted retainer, I wouldn't even kill him. Heh, an old Kyoto native, killing them is truly authentic!"