Chapter 17 – Killing People
Gu Yu had long anticipated the arrival of troublemakers. It wasn’t for any particular reason other than the fact that the smooth progress to the front line was almost unbelievable even to Gu Yu himself. Transporting grain supplies had never been this easy. Especially when Gongsun Jie was fighting against the Luoluo Kingdom at the front line, if the enemy country knew that Gongsun Jie was short of food, they would shift their attention to the rear to transport the grain supplies. As long as they set fire to these grains, causing Gongsun Jie’s army to starve, they wouldn’t have to lift a finger; Gongsun Jie’s army would collapse on its own. Knowing the importance of this batch of grain supplies, Gu Yu was naturally very cautious, even putting Xi Yang on alert when resting at night. Now, the enemy country could not hold back any longer. “A Yu, I’ll go with you.” “Mm.” After hearing Xi Yang’s report, Gu Yu naturally had to see it for himself. However, when Gu Mengyao proactively offered to go with him, Gu Yu did not refuse. His little wife was even more capable than him now, so there was no reason to disagree. And so, while the rest of the team was asleep, the three of them quietly left and quickly walked towards the distance. To avoid being discovered, Gu Yu and his party did not even light torches, relying entirely on the faint moonlight to vaguely identify the path ahead as they moved forward quickly. There were many broken branches and stumps in the forest that acted as obstacles, and some rocks also protruded, making it difficult for Gu Yu to dodge carefully. However, he did not have a hundred percent chance of dodging. After almost falling to the ground, Gu Mengyao no longer let Gu Yu walk alone; instead, she put her arm around Gu Yu’s waist and continued to advance with him. With Gu Yu now, even if he closed his eyes, it would be no problem. Gu Mengyao and Xi Yang were different from Gu Yu’s careful steps; they were like night-vision goggles, walking in the dark as if it were daytime, with no possibility of falling. Moreover, with Gu Mengyao leading Gu Yu forward, their progress speed had doubled. This made Gu Yu sigh helplessly, thinking of the saying “scholars are of no use,” he finally understood. If he had some formidable martial arts skills, why would he need his little wife to lead him! However, these things could not be forced, so Gu Yu did not dwell on it. After all, if his wife was powerful, then he was powerful too! There was not much difference. Not long after, the three of them stopped in a place and hid behind a tree, watching the opposite side. They saw some slowly moving people appear before their eyes, approaching the grain transport team. Although these people wore black clothes at night and were not conspicuous, because of their movement, even Gu Yu could spot them. Counting carefully, there were as many as forty to fifty people. It seemed that the Luoluo Kingdom was determined to prevent this batch of grain from reaching the front line! However, they ran into him today, so they should be prepared to lose everything! Gu Yu reached out and picked up a blade of grass from the ground, then raised it in the air. The grass blade kept being blown forward, and a satisfied smile suddenly appeared on Gu Yu’s face. After testing the wind direction, Gu Yu found that even heaven was helping him. Immediately, Gu Yu took out a porcelain jar from his spatial artifact. To prevent himself from being affected, not only did he take the antidote early, but Gu Mengyao and Xi Yang also took it, so as to avoid their own people falling first. This sedative was specially concocted earlier in the military camp to treat patients. After all, not all patients could drink alcohol, and it took some time to wait for the administration of the anesthetic powder. With so many patients waiting for treatment, it would be a waste of time. Therefore, Gu Yu, following the prescription written in the Medical Scripture, asked Shen Tu to find the medicinal herbs, and then he personally concocted this “One-Step Down” sedative, and also made the antidote. Pouring the sedative onto a handkerchief and covering the patient’s mouth and nose, they could directly make the patient fall unconscious. Afterwards, Shen Tu would cut the flesh, and they cooperated very well. However, Shen Tu knew that the concoction of this sedative was not easy, so he decided to use the anesthetic powder to treat the injured in the future. The anesthetic powder was already very good, allowing many injured people to avoid the pain of cutting flesh. At least, it was better than enduring the pain while awake. Shen Tu felt that this sedative was difficult to concoct, mainly because the required medicinal herbs were hard to find, and several of them were precious medicinal herbs, which made Shen Tu run up and down for several days before obtaining a small amount, causing Gu Yu to cherish it greatly. Things are rare and therefore valuable, let alone the fact that the sedative is indeed effective. Now, using it on these enemy guys to protect the grain transport, it is not considered a waste. After all, if Xi Yang had not discovered these guys in advance, by the time they secretly approached the grain transport vehicles, let alone set fire to the grain, it would have been entirely possible for them to directly draw their swords and decapitate the sleeping Linfeng Kingdom soldiers. Gu Yu thought of the snoring sounds he had heard earlier, and then thought of the soldiers sleeping like pigs. The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was possible! After all, before setting out, his father-in-law had told him… Gongsun Jie had transferred all the good soldiers from the army, and the remaining ones were of mixed quality, so he should be extra careful. This made Gu Yu speechless at the time… Afterwards, Gu Yu chose a spot in the wind direction and poured the contents of the porcelain bottle. The powder was blown away by the wind and drifted towards the black-clothed men sent by the Luoluo Kingdom. The reason why the sedative was called “One-Step Down” was largely due to its rapid effect. Not long after Gu Yu finished pouring the medicinal powder, he heard consecutive “thump, thump” sounds. The black-clothed men fell to the ground unconscious after being affected. There were a few who escaped the net and were not touched by the powder in the wind. However, under the shadow-like pursuit of the assassin Xi Yang, they were all throats slit and died silently. “Alright, all these people are affected.” “A Yu, shall we deal with them now!” After Xi Yang finished killing them and returned, Gu Yu also took out a few torches from his spatial artifact and lit them, illuminating the surroundings. Then, Gu Yu looked at the people lying on the ground, and how to deal with them became a problem. Killing them was certainly necessary. However, although the effect of this sedative was strong, it could not withstand the different resistances of people. Moreover, among these people, if there were martial artists, the effect of the medicine would be limited to the smallest range, causing them to wake up earlier. It was obviously unlikely for Xi Yang alone to deal with so many black-clothed men. As for letting Black Bear come out to help, Gu Yu felt that the efficiency would not be much faster… He could not even see clearly around, let alone Black Bear. Therefore, as Gu Mengyao said, they needed to deal with these people quickly. “Mm, Mengyao, you stay here…” “No, I’ll do it. A Yu, you don’t have to go.” As they spoke, Gu Mengyao took out a dagger from her boot and held it in her hand. The dagger spun silently in the dark. Before the grain transport team set out, Gu Qing had given Gu Yu and Gu Mengyao quite a few weapons for self-defense. Unlike Gu Yu, who put all his weapons into his spatial artifact, Gu Mengyao had several sharp daggers and hidden weapons hidden on her person. Thus, with the weapon in hand, Gu Mengyao’s eyes were pure black. She stepped forward and charged directly at the black-clothed men lying on the ground, leaving Gu Yu no time to stop her. In the end, he could only stand there stomping his feet in anger, thinking that Gu Mengyao was too impulsive. Hunting wild beasts on the mountain was different from killing people!!! Gu Mengyao’s decision was also made because she had already prepared herself mentally when she set out this time. Transporting grain this time was not child’s play, and the battlefield was not as leisurely as visiting a market. Just looking at her father’s serious injuries could tell how dangerous it was. In order to allow the Linfeng Kingdom to win this war and not let her father’s suffering be in vain, Gu Mengyao would absolutely not allow this batch of grain to be jeopardized. Even if it meant killing people now, she would not hesitate. The wildness developed from years of hunting on the mountain was released at this moment, making Gu Mengyao like the god of death in the dark night. The dagger in her hand was like the scythe of the god of death; with a gentle wave, she took away a life. Gu Mengyao’s initial fear turned into indifference. It was only after she and Xi Yang had killed all these people that she walked towards Gu Yu. When killing, Gu Mengyao was very careful not to let blood stain her clothes. When she walked in front of Gu Yu, her face, somewhat pale under the torchlight, was met with a faint smile directed at Gu Yu. The smile was a bit forced. As Gu Yu sighed helplessly, Gu Mengyao finally couldn’t help but cover her mouth and gag. She couldn’t spit anything out, only felt nauseous. Gu Yu then silently reached out and patted Gu Mengyao’s back, comforting his wife, who had killed someone for the first time, trying to calm her emotions quickly. Even though Gu Mengyao had done a lot of preparation before killing, the feelings after killing were not as simple as she had imagined. However, Gu Yu did not stop Gu Mengyao afterwards because they were about to reach the front line, and Gu Mengyao had to adapt. Gu Yu believed that if he encountered danger, in the situation of “letting oneself die rather than letting an ally die,” he would definitely kill others, not wait for others to kill him. However, Gu Mengyao was not necessarily the same. However, looking at his wife so uncomfortable now, Gu Yu wondered why he had let go and let Gu Mengyao kill people. It was okay even if she couldn’t adapt; he was by her side and would never let Gu Mengyao get hurt. “A Yu, I’m fine. To move forward, one must take the first step. Moreover, if we don’t kill them, they will kill us.” “Mengyao, are you really okay?” “I’m fine, don’t worry.” Gu Mengyao only gagged for a while before straightening up. Looking at Gu Yu, who was worried beside her, she immediately said not to worry. It was just that she was not used to it. By tomorrow, she would recover as usual. It was like the first time she hunted on the mountain; she waited for a long time in the grass. Finally, after dealing with a male deer, she dragged the bleeding deer home, covering her thigh, which was poked by the deer’s antlers. When she got home, although Gu Mengyao held back her nausea and gutted it, when she saw her younger brother eating meat heartily, she felt that everything was insignificant. Just like killing these people now, she did not regret it at all. Subconsciously, she reached out and placed her hand on the outside of her left leg. Through her clothes, Gu Mengyao seemed to clearly feel the scar, which gradually calmed her chaotic thoughts. In a world where the weak are prey to the strong, she would never become food for others. … Here’s an explanation, Extra Chapter 1 is another ending where Gu Yu did not transmigrate. It has now been successfully changed, so don’t worry~ Extra Chapter – Beginning As the sun set and the cold wind howled, Gu Mengyao, clad in armor, stood on the city wall. Looking down, she saw a barren land, a scene that was repeated day after day, year after year. Her eyes lacked luster, like an old tree nearing its end, quietly watching the land she had defended for years and years, and suddenly felt a bit bored. With no relatives left alive, her life was also a blank day after day. After Gu Mengyao joined the army in place of her father, she defeated invading enemy countries one by one. The pain of her father’s death drove her to kill like a madwoman, covering her inner pain with the blood and corpses of her enemies. Gu Mengyao had also been injured, but no matter how severe the injury, she would persevere. Because she hadn’t killed enough yet. One day, when the war ended, Gu Mengyao, expressionless, emerged from the pile of corpses and was called the Asura General by the surrounding soldiers, who were filled with fear. No general had ever been as mad as Gu Mengyao. And so, when the war ended, Gu Mengyao had not emerged from her numbness. When the strategist rushed over excitedly, announcing that the war was over, Gu Mengyao merely glanced up at him before continuing to look down at the long saber in her hand. After years of chopping, the blade had many nicks and looked somewhat tattered, just like her. Although the nicks could be repaired by a craftsman, making the long saber completely new, some wounds could not be mended and could only continue to be corroded into a larger and larger hole. After the war ended, Gu Mengyao and the others were also to march back to the court. Gu Mengyao did not disguise herself as a man when she joined the army, as written in storybooks. Instead, she had displayed her innate divine strength talent in front of the Emperor, gaining his affirmation, and was thus sent to the battlefield to fight the enemy forces. The reason Gu Mengyao could see the Emperor was due to her father, Gu Qing, being a Vice General. Gu Qing was stabbed through the heart on the battlefield and died on the spot. Gu Qing’s subordinates, in order to fulfill his dying wish, found his daughter, Gu Mengyao, who was still in Yang Family Village. At that time, Gu Mengyao was not like ordinary seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls. Time had left heavy marks on her, making her eyes full of death. It was as if she had lost the meaning of living, and she lived like a walking corpse. When Gu Qing’s subordinates found Gu Mengyao, there were rumors circulating in Yang Family Village that Gu Mengyao was fated to be jinxed. her parents, brothers, and even her live-in husband had all died because of her, making her an extremely unlucky person. Therefore, no one dared to approach the Gu family’s thatched hut, for fear of being contaminated by the unlucky aura. Gu Mengyao did not care about this. After her younger brother, Gu Qingheng, was frozen to death in a winter many years ago, she had no reason to strive anymore. She only thought about when she would die. Because she had promised her brother not to take her own life, Gu Mengyao had been trying her best to live every day, not allowing herself any thoughts of seeking death. However, she could not stop the impulse to die. Upon receiving the news of Gu Qing’s death on the battlefield, Gu Mengyao’s calm heart suddenly stirred, like water being added to a pot of hot oil, crackling and exploding directly. Although Gu Qing had not returned to see her for many years, the news of the death of her only remaining relative made Gu Mengyao despair and want to scream loudly, wanting to destroy everything. She hated this feeling of gaining and then losing. However, Gu Mengyao did not do so. Instead, she sat quietly in place and listened to the whole story. Afterwards, under the recommendation of Gu Qing’s subordinates, through layers of connections, Gu Mengyao met the Emperor, Shangguan Ling. “Gu Mengyao, you have worked hard to protect the country for so many years. What reward do you want from me? Just say it, and I will surely grant your wish.” Upon meeting Emperor Shangguan Ling, a large amount of memories flooded Gu Mengyao’s mind. And as the Emperor was greatly pleased at this moment, Gu Mengyao pondered for a moment, thinking about what wish she should make? Promotion and rank? Gold and silver treasures? Handsome male concubines? No, she didn’t want any of them. Not knowing what she wanted, Gu Mengyao suddenly remembered the thatched hut she lived in many years ago… Now, she knew what request she wanted to make. She wanted to return to the thatched hut. Return to the place where she and her brother lived, and quietly wait for her life to end. However, when Gu Mengyao opened her mouth, the Emperor shook his head and did not agree to Gu Mengyao’s request to return to her hometown. Then, after the Emperor dismissed the eunuchs serving around him, he began to tell Gu Mengyao about the situation in the capital, which was also the current situation of the Linfeng Kingdom. Not only were there external threats from neighboring countries, but the internal situation of the Linfeng Kingdom was also not unified. When the Empress Dowager’s maternal family, the Wang Clan, repeatedly provoked them, even attempting to interfere in state affairs, the Emperor finally could not tolerate it any longer. Even the Empress Dowager’s maternal relatives had to be uprooted. However, after years of operation by the Wang Clan, their roots had penetrated deep into the soil, and it was not an easy task to pull them out. Therefore, the Emperor needed help. And Gu Mengyao, who had returned at this time, became the Emperor’s most trusted helper. Hearing the Emperor’s words, Gu Mengyao neither refused nor agreed, but from then on, she became the Emperor’s sharpest sword. Wherever the Emperor pointed his finger, she transformed into an Asura stained with blood. This situation did not last for too long before the Empress Dowager could not sit still anymore. When the Empress Dowager arranged for Gu Mengyao to guard the border pass, the Emperor had also argued, but in the end, he retreated in the face of kinship, resulting in Gu Mengyao also being assigned to the border pass. Gu Mengyao had no feelings of unfairness about this outcome. She did not care where she went or what she did afterwards. As long as she could live, she could only live. Before going to the border pass, Gu Mengyao secretly returned to Yang Family Village. Seeing the dilapidated thatched hut, still the same as in her memory, Gu Mengyao smiled. Afterwards, Gu Mengyao set fire to the thatched hut with a dagger. Watching the raging flames, Gu Mengyao closed her eyes. As she turned to leave, tears couldn’t help but fall. Before they touched the ground, they were evaporated by the high temperature without a trace. Afterwards, Gu Mengyao was assigned here, guarding the border from day after day, allowing her appearance to wither like a flower. Time and wrinkles climbed onto her face, and the vicissitudes in her eyes grew heavier. Just like today, as she looked at the endless barren land before her, the feeling of boredom could not be stopped. It was at this moment that she remembered her little husband. After marrying into the Gu family for less than two years, he died due to depression and grief. Gu Mengyao had buried him with her own hands. Thinking about it, she really was fated to be jinxed with all the relatives around her! Someone like her… Gu Mengyao smiled and shook her head, letting her white hair sway. She did not look any further but prepared to turn and leave, waiting for the sunrise of the next day to rise again. But at this moment, when the strategist shot a hidden arrow with a sinister grin, Gu Mengyao’s chest ached, and then her body lost its balance, and she fell backward directly. Finally, she was going to die? As the wind howled in her ears, Gu Mengyao looked at the sky dyed red by the setting sun, thinking that if she could live another life, she definitely wouldn’t be like this. Her husband would not die. Her younger brother would not die. Her father would not die. And she, would not die.
