Zheng Fan held a knife, charging along with these armored soldiers. He wasn’t directing anyone, unlike during the day at the Prince’s mansion when he had reveled in the feeling of these elite personal guards coordinating with him.
Now, he seemed more like a withered leaf battered and swept along by the waves. He was only moving, wandering aimlessly, uncertain of what he should do.
Lord Jingnan’s command, "Leave no survivors," still reverberated in Zheng Fan’s ears like a clap of thunder.
This was different from Xiao Yibo. Xiao Yibo, under Siniang’s death threat, had killed his own father to survive.
You might disdain Xiao Yibo’s actions and his choices, but you could, at least somewhat, understand them. It was an animalistic survival instinct. Perhaps he didn’t conform to human morality, but at least he could be considered a beast.
But Lord Jingnan’s command was an order to exterminate his own clan!
Was Lord Jingnan coerced? Was he forced, a knife to his throat? Did he do it to save his own life?
The most terrifying part was: he wasn’t.
The Elegant Garden was encircled by a small river flowing through its grounds, originally designed to evoke the elegance of the "floating wine cups on a winding stream" tradition. But now, it had become the perfect geographical feature to besiege the Tian Clan members within.
Inside the Elegant Garden, nearly a thousand members of the Tian Clan were still gathered around Old Master Tian and Mrs. Tian, flattering them, full of anticipation, smiles adorning their faces.
In this era, it was common for an entire family to benefit when one member prospered.
Tomorrow, Lord Jingnan would be bestowed the title of Prince, and the status of their Tian Clan would rise even further. In the future, the Tian Clan members’ lives, whether in common society or at the imperial court, would see even greater advantages.
When groups of Jingnan Army soldiers began to surround the four exits, most people, still lost in their clan’s nightly revelries, hadn’t realized what was happening.
A crowd of children surrounded Mrs. Tian and Old Master Tian, playing joyfully around them. This was the scene the old couple loved most. The Tian Clan members, knowing this, had naturally brought their children along, specifically to accompany and entertain their esteemed ancestors.
Some Tian Clan members sitting on the outskirts seemed to have noticed the sudden appearance of the soldiers. However, before they could voice their questions, the captains at the four exits had already issued the order:
At the four exits, the soldiers either held crossbows or drew their bows.
Compared to the scene of indulgent joy among the Tian Clan before them, these cold, emotionless soldiers seemed like beings from another world.
Two entirely unrelated scenes were now forcibly stitched together.
Like black ink poured into clear water.
The ink began to spread!
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!!!!
Tian Clan members, still holding their cups, were struck down. Even unto death, they didn’t understand what was happening.
The Tian Family’s estate was adjacent to the capital. It housed not only numerous guards but also the over one thousand elite Jingnan Army soldiers their Lord had brought back today. How could assassins have infiltrated this place so soundlessly?
Arrows filled the air. At this distance, with the luxury of aiming, their power was terrifying.
Zheng Fan even saw several clansmen emit light from their bodies as they were struck by arrows; they were clearly ranked martial artists. However, it was doubtful if they could even lift a weapon after being hit. Besides, this was a banquet, and with the Empress expected to attend, none of the assembled clansmen dared to carry weapons.
The arrows flew indiscriminately, yet the spot where Old Master Tian and Mrs. Tian were seated drew the heaviest concentration of shafts.
Zheng Fan saw this clearly. It wasn’t so much that the first volley of arrows was intended to inflict maximum casualties; rather, everyone had tacitly aimed for Old Master Tian and Mrs. Tian—their Lord’s biological parents.
Old Master Tian, Mrs. Tian, and those surrounding them were all shot dead on the spot. Old Master Tian and Mrs. Tian themselves were pinned to their armchairs by a multitude of arrows.
Zheng Fan understood why they did this. The order came from the Lord; they dared not, and would not, defy it. However, if Old Master Tian and Mrs. Tian hadn’t been killed outright in the first volley, then during the ensuing melee, whoever had to step forward and deliver the final blow to them would face an impossible situation afterward. Google seaʀᴄh 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾※𝙣𝙚𝙩
Thus, they all tacitly agreed that Old Master Tian and Mrs. Tian had died in the hail of stray arrows. The deed was done collectively, so the responsibility would be shared collectively.
Zheng Fan’s mouth hung open. He was still panting, his head feeling hot.
After the first volley, the Jingnan Army soldiers at the four exits cast aside their bows and crossbows, drew their blades, and charged in to slaughter.
They were well-coordinated, the elite of the army, with no shortage of ranked martial artists among them. Even though some Tian Clan members were skilled in martial arts, under these circumstances, they were hardly a match for these Jingnan Army soldiers.
This was a one-sided... slaughter.
And the one who had ordered it was this family’s own... young clan head.
Zheng Fan wasn’t being overly sentimental. To be frank, he had done his fair share of killing. He had led troops to storm cities in the Qian State. He had even nonchalantly strolled into the Mianzhou governor’s official residence after taking the city, beheaded a group of officials, and brought their heads back to claim accolades.
Each event, each instance, proved that Zheng Fan was certainly no saint; he couldn’t even be considered a "good person."