That fearful plea was like a lightning strike upon the hearts of the Wolf Smoke Regiment soldiers.
Lu Shaoqing shut his eyes in despair.
Following the cries of that man, more and more citizens stepped forward and knelt down. They begged the smug-looking Chang Pu for mercy.
Those pleas were like sharp blades slicing across the hearts of the Wolf Smoke Regiment men.
These were the citizens they had fought so hard to protect…
“Very good.” Satisfied, Chang Pu looked towards Song Yuan.
But Song Yuan held some doubts. “There are tens of thousands of people living in Ping City and it would be difficult to account to the Emperor if all of them perished. But… they already know the whole truth—if they speak out in the future…”
“We won’t! We won’t! Believe us, City Lord Song. We wouldn’t dare…” The citizens hurriedly implored the hesitant Song Yuan.
Chang Pu laughed out loud on seeing those cowardly faces. “Humans are vile, really… don’t worry, Lord Song, after killing Ji Fengyan and the rest, my brethren will stay on to supervise the citizens here. Anyone who harbors ill intentions will become food for us. Don’t forget, these are the very bunch of feeble folks who delivered their own loved ones into the mouths of the demons. There is nothing they will not do just to survive.”
Chang Pu’s words sent a shock through the citizens, but they only nodded.
Song Yuan deliberated a while longer before finally nodding.
“All right.”
Ji Fengyan stared coldly at the behavior of the Ping City citizens. She felt as if a heavy rock was pressing down on her heart.
“General Ji, shouldn’t you be releasing my ‘citizens’? Chang Pu gazed menacingly at Ji Fengyan.
Ji Fengyan took a deep breath and raised her hand, ceasing the lightning that was protecting those citizens.
The peals of lightning gradually dissipated and they got up trembling from the ground. They looked past the Wolf Smoke Regiment with stony faces and lowered heads.
“Alright, you all can head home first. After this battle is over, Ping City will return to its former peaceful state.” Chang Pu commanded with a smile. He spoke with disdain, as if admonishing a bunch of timid dogs.
However…
The people of Ping City dared not raise any objections.
The Wolf Smoke Regiment soldiers were flushed with anger at the scene.
“Cowards! A bunch of traitors! We wouldn’t have ended up in this sorry state if we had not been trying to save them! But look at them now!” A young soldier gnashed his teeth in fury.
Nothing could harden a soldier’s heart more than this.
The people whom they had fought so hard to protect had joined the enemy’s side just to save their own lives. And now, the soldiers were like a bunch of discarded jokers—holding fast to their own convictions while standing in a pool of fresh blood.
After thanking Chang Pu and Song Yuan, the citizens walked past the high-level demons with lowered heads, none of them even sparing a glance at the Wolf Smoke Regiment. At the command of Chang Pu, the high-level demons did not attack the people.
However…
Just as the citizens were passing by the high-level demons, the first man who had submitted to Chang Pu suddenly turned around and viciously chopped down on the claws of a high-level demon with his ax!
“Go to hell, you demons. I will fight you to the death! General, quickly leave!!”