Chapter 262: The Silent “Horn”

Thick smoke billowed into the sky as flames erupted all around. Looking out, one could see that the entire Zhen Manor was engulfed in fire from all directions!

The front courtyard of the manor was in utter chaos. Villagers, awakened by the choking smoke, stared in terror at the blazing inferno around them.

Some were ashen-faced, others wailed uncontrollably, while some desperately searched for a way to escape.

Zhen Manor had four entrances and exits, but all four were now swallowed by the sea of flames.

Before Niu Da was killed by Feng Wei, he had raved madly, exposing their entire plan.

Upon learning that their heads were worth 3,000 taels of silver each, both Guo Teng and Feng Wei felt their expressions tighten.

No wonder the villagers had resorted to setting the manor ablaze—the biggest bounty was actually on them!

After all, the villagers knew that they stood no chance against the External Agents in combat, so they had decided to burn everyone alive instead!

At the start of the fire, Feng Wei and Guo Teng could have easily scaled the walls and escaped. But they didn’t.

Because if they left, the villagers in the courtyard would all perish.

“Lord External Agent, what do we do? My child is only two years old—could you take him with you?”

“And my daughter—she’s just past ten! She hasn’t even had a few good days in her life yet. Please, take her too!”

“My mother! My mother can’t walk! Please, kind lords, have mercy and take her out!”

The villagers’ pleas rose one after another as they used every means possible to beg the two External Agents to take either them or their loved ones to safety.

Watching the desperate crowd, Feng Wei’s face was full of sorrow. She turned toward the manor’s entrance and shouted, “Listen up, all of you outside! I am Feng Wei—the External Agent you’re so eager to exchange for 3,000 taels of silver!”

“If you move the fire away from the front gate and let these villagers leave, I will personally offer up my head!”

The wailing villagers instantly fell silent. They stared in disbelief at the frail woman standing before them.

They never expected that she, having already chosen to stay and protect them, would go so far as to offer her own life in exchange for theirs.

In that moment, the once chaotic Zhen Manor courtyard became eerily quiet.

The only sound that remained was the crackling of flames licking at the wooden beams.

Guo Teng looked at Feng Wei for a brief moment before suddenly bursting into laughter. Then he, too, shouted toward the entrance, “I am Guo Teng! External Agent!”

“My head is worth 3,000 taels of silver as well!”

“Let these villagers live, and I will also hand over my life for you to cash in!”

His words echoed through the courtyard, lingering in the air.

Before long, a rough voice called out from beyond the flames, “Tie yourselves up and come out, and we’ll let the villagers go!”

“You have the time it takes to brew a pot of tea. If you exceed that, we’ll throw in more fire and burn you all alive!”

The moment those words were spoken, Feng Wei ran straight to the kitchen. Earlier, when she had been preparing red sugar water for Huang Yu, she had noticed some rope used for carrying shoulder poles. Now, it would come in handy.

She returned with the rope and immediately had Guo Teng tie her hands and feet, leaving just enough slack for her to walk in small steps.

“Master Wu, I’ll trouble you to tie me up,” Guo Teng said, handing the rope to Master Wu with a grin.

Master Wu hesitated for a moment before instinctively taking the rope. His hands trembled as he wrapped it around Guo Teng’s body—but after one loop, he suddenly threw the rope aside.

“Damn it! I can’t bring myself to do this!”

Guo Teng chuckled. “Master Wu, you used to be a bodyguard. Now’s not the time to be sentimental. Otherwise, you’ll be disgracing the name of a bodyguard.”

Master Wu gritted his teeth. “Sir Guo! You know I used to be a bodyguard! But tell me, what kind of escort brother would send his own to their death?”

“If we do this, even if we survive, we’ll have to live the rest of our days in shame… Might as well die here and now!”

“Useless fool!” Guo Teng spat, then turned to Master Zhen and said firmly, “Master Zhen, you do it!”

Master Zhen stiffened, his whole body trembling. “Let’s think of another way… there must be another way!”

“If even Master Wu couldn’t do it, how could I?”

“Villagers outside! They say distant relatives aren’t as good as close neighbors—why must you drive us to our deaths?”

“If it’s money you want, I’ll give you my entire life savings! Just let us go!”

Master Zhen’s cries and promises received no response from those outside the courtyard.

It seemed the people outside were dead set on claiming the heads of the two External Agents.

“Enough!”

“Another useless coward!”

“I’m not even afraid of dying anymore, and you’re all still stalling!”

“It’s not like we’re asking you to die—what’s the big deal?!”

“Ever heard the saying ‘Better the friend than oneself’?”

Guo Teng cursed loudly, then turned his sharp gaze toward the villagers kneeling on the ground.

“Is there anyone here with a damn backbone? Come and tie me up!”

“I’m counting to five! If no one moves, I’ll untie Feng Wei right now, and the two of us will leave!”

“Once we’re out, we’ll take revenge for all of you—we’ll butcher those bastards outside into pieces!”

The courtyard fell into complete silence.

The villagers glanced at each other, then quickly lowered their heads once more.

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three!”

Guo Teng’s eyes were bloodshot, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached.

Did he want to die? Of course not.

Did he not know that leaving was the best option for himself? Of course he did.

“Four!”

“Damn it, I’ve counted to four!”

“I, Guo Teng, never go back on my word! If I say I’m leaving, I mean it! To hell with all of you!”

Creaaak!

The courtyard gate suddenly swung open.

A wave of blistering heat and thick, acrid smoke engulfed the silhouette standing at the entrance.

Through the haze, everyone saw—

The figure was Huang Yu.

The girl who had arrived later.

The poor girl whose stomach had been sliced open by two beasts.

She had somehow rushed to the entrance without anyone noticing.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she hurled herself into the raging flames, throwing her body against the bundles of straw and wooden beams blocking the gate.

Clang! Crash! Clang!

With that single impact, the stacked firewood at the entrance scattered.

But her frail body, after just a few staggering steps forward, was completely consumed by the roaring fire.

“Screw it! Charge! If I die, I’ll just be reborn a hero in eighteen years!”

“Yeah! No need to rely on others! If that girl had the courage, why shouldn’t we?!”

“I swear! If I make it out alive, I’ll kill every last one of those bastards outside!”

“Lord, remember to avenge us! Tear them to pieces!”

Huang Yu’s sacrifice was like the soundless blast of a battle horn!

All the villagers rose to their feet, madness flashing in their eyes as they charged toward the courtyard gate.

At that moment, death no longer brought them fear—

Only an overwhelming sense of liberation.