Chapter 114: An Old Acquaintance? Ha, a Foe!

The barbarian chieftain, who had appeared completely listless moments before, suddenly snapped his eyes open. They were piercingly sharp, gleaming with a ferocious, predatory light.

Zhao Hengyi’s smiling face came into his view. The chieftain stared intently at him, his teeth grinding as he spat out, "A fine scheme, Registrar! I never imagined that even after leaving Yonggu City, I, Tuoba Dewang, would still fall into your hands!"

The title of "Registrar" was a minor military position arbitrarily assigned to Zhao by Commander Zhang back in Yonggu City, merely to facilitate his command over the Xuan Battalion. Because Zhao had been so prominent during the defense against the barbarian invasion—and because the barbarians had no shortage of spies within Yonggu—the title was hardly a secret.

"I, too, never expected to see the General here," Zhao replied, his expression remaining unchanged, though internally he was shouting with excitement: *I’ve struck gold!*

He had only been testing the waters on a whim, never dreaming he would land such a colossal fish. Tuoba Dewang! The very commander who had led the barbarian assault on the Yonggu defensive lines! It was inconceivable that such a high-ranking barbarian would risk his life to infiltrate Jiangling, deep within the heart of the Great Yan Dynasty.

The guards around him exchanged incredulous glances. None of them could have imagined they had captured the very commander who had besieged the Yonggu line. Their employer’s luck was truly boundless.

"Since I have fallen into your hands, do with me as you please—kill me or carve me up!" Tuoba Dewang growled, every syllable strained as if he were trying to crush Zhao Hengyi between his teeth.

"You are not like the others, General. If I didn't know who you were, a quick blade would suffice. But now that I do, I will ensure you receive the treatment befitting your status."

Zhao Hengyi’s reputation at the Yonggu line was notorious. To the barbarian army, he was a god of slaughter; everyone knew that this seemingly refined man had a penchant for executing captives. By the later stages of the campaign, barbarian soldiers in dire straits would rather fight to the death than be taken prisoner by the Great Yan frontier forces.

"Bah! Who doesn't know your reputation, Zhao Hengyi? Spare me the platitudes. The warriors of the Tuoba clan will never bow to a villain like you. If you’re going to kill me, do it now!" Even in the face of certain death, Tuoba Dewang remained unyielding.

"I am a villain?" Zhao Hengyi suddenly burst into laughter, bending over as he struggled to catch his breath. "Your people have raided our borders for years, burning, killing, and pillaging throughout the Great Yan. How many innocent lives have been cut down by your blades? How many Han people have you dragged away into slavery? You are the villains—no, you are demons! Demons who devour men without even spitting out the bones! And I? I am merely the Zhong Kui who strikes down such demons."

Zhao’s expression turned chillingly sharp. "Wang Dahu, take good care of this General Tuoba. And gag him! If he doesn't survive for three hours, I’ll dock a year’s pay from you. If he hasn't begged me for mercy and called me his grandfather by the end of those three hours, I’ll dock your pay for the rest of your life!"

The sudden display of madness and malice from Zhao Hengyi not only sent a shudder of fear through Tuoba Dewang but also chilled his own guards to the bone. Their employer had always been ruthless, especially toward the barbarians. Now that Tuoba Dewang had fallen into his hands, they knew that if they didn't subject him to every imaginable torment, they would surely face the consequences themselves.

Wang Dahu, standing by with an impassive face, stuffed a filthy rag into Tuoba Dewang’s mouth, leaving the barbarian leader to muffled, whimpering protests. The order was clear: for the next three hours, the man was neither to die nor to live easily.

Zhao Hengyi left the small courtyard with a grim look on his face, heading once more to request an audience with Wei Linglan, the Lady of Xiangcheng.

Regardless of the outcome, Tuoba Dewang was an extraordinary figure among the barbarians. His capture would not only incite the barbarians already hiding in Jiangling to madness but would surely drive the high-ranking figure he had come to meet into a frenzy.

Zhao had little hope of extracting useful intelligence from Tuoba Dewang. Even if the man were willing to speak, Zhao dared not trust him. Rather than wasting time guessing between truth and lies, it would be better to simply put the barbarian commander to death—a small measure of vengeance for the people slaughtered by his kin. Of course, if this process could draw out the mysterious figure planning to meet him in Jiangling, that would be perfect.

The Lady’s estate went into immediate action. The women-at-arms were fully armored, securing the gates and walls, while the guards from Yushuwang acted as a mobile force. Should any barbarians or other suspicious parties be spotted monitoring the estate, they were to launch an immediate, direct counter-attack.

No one could say for sure if they had been spotted while bringing Tuoba Dewang back, or if the remaining barbarians and the hidden mastermind would dare attack the estate to rescue him. Given the lackluster combat effectiveness of the Ningwu Army and the ambiguous stance of Prince Qi, the regional commander, Zhao dared not entrust his safety to them.

The clamor in the city gradually subsided, and the night sky, once reddened by fire, slowly returned to darkness; the fires set by the barbarians had presumably been extinguished. Just as Zhao and everyone else began to think the night’s chaos was settling down, a nervous-looking Xiao Tao rushed over.

"Master Zhao, there are people in black gathering on the street outside. They appear to be... they appear to be barbarians!"