Chapter 224: Chapter 225: Underground Beast-fighting Arena

Flags fluttered on the nearby road as a group of Donggao cavalry passed by, each flag bearing a large “Han” character.

These men were all clad in full armor, wielding swords and knives, looking quite intimidating.

Qi Yue was about to comment on the lack of interest in watching a group of brutes, yet she noticed the couple nearby staring with wide, angry eyes at the back of the soldiers’ formation.

“Damn Donggao people!” Zhong Qian cursed under his breath.

“Keep your voice down.”

Zhong Hou pulled on the man’s arm, frantically looking around and incidentally locking eyes with Qi Yue’s smiling face.

“Hey, what are you two doing here?” Qi Yue pretended not to hear and greeted them.

Zhong Qian smiled stiffly, while Zhong Hou hurriedly said with a laugh, “We came for a tea, heard it’s good here.”

“Oh, me too, funny to bump into you here.”

Qi Yue laughed inwardly.

What’s so good about the tea here? Isn’t everyone here to gather information?

Can’t even find a proper excuse. How easy could it be to rescue someone from the Underground Beast-fighting Arena?

While they spoke, the procession had already reached the bottom of the teahouse. Qi Yue also couldn’t help but clench her fists when she looked again.

Following the cavalry was a group of about a dozen infantrymen, each holding a rope. On the other end of each rope were tattered-clad civilians, and at the very end of the line were several Beiyuan soldiers tightly bound.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted loudly!

“General Han is mighty!”

“Beiyuan people are cowards! Kill the Beiyuan people!”

“Kill the Beiyuan people!”

“…”

No one knew who started it, but someone threw their handful of rotten vegetable leaves, and soon many others also casually threw whatever they had. Some even picked up stones from the ground.

Very soon, the Beiyuan soldiers at the back of the line were beaten until their faces swelled and turned blue.

One of the soldiers even had blood streaming down his forehead.

The Donggao cavalry seemed used to all this and did nothing to stop it; they purposely moved slowly.

“They are all our Beiyuan people!” Zhong Hou suddenly murmured beside her.

This was also the first time Qi Yue had seen Beiyuan people being treated this way by Donggao soldiers.

Previously, while she was in Longnan, she had heard about soldiers and civilians being captured by Donggao soldiers, but seeing it first-hand now, her heart was even more shocked.

She hadn’t expected the Donggao people to despise Beiyuan people to such an extent—even common folk felt the same!

It was infuriating!

But what Zhong Qian and Zhong Hou told her next made her even more angry.

Apparently, these captured Beiyuan people and soldiers were all to be sent to the Underground Beast-fighting Arena for the amusement of Donggao elites.

Those sent here were generally on a path to certain death unless they possessed exceptional abilities and succeeded in defeating fierce beasts; only then might they catch the eye of an elite and be purchased.

Though still slaves, it was a lot better than death.

As for Zhong Qian and Zhong Hui, they were hunters from the outskirts of Dengzhou City and also farmed regularly.

One day, Donggao people raided the borders of Dengzhou, capturing Old Father Zhong.

Mother Zhong, weak by nature, died of heartbreak not long after hearing the news. Before she passed away, she told him to make sure he rescued Old Father Zhong.

So, he sold his house and lands and after much investigation, finally made contact with an insider in Yanjing City, where he discovered the whereabouts of his father.

This time, they had come to rescue him.

Hearing this, Qi Yue was also moved by the couple’s determination.

This was like a real-life action movie about crossing enemy lines to save a loved one, though she doubted their chances of success.

“How sure are you that you can rescue him?”

At Qi Yue’s words, both Zhong Qian and Zhong Hou looked crestfallen.

“To be honest, we are not sure,” Zhong Qian started, somewhat disheartened, but quickly rallied, “But I must rescue my dad, even if it costs my life!”

Zhong Hou’s eyes brimmed with tears as she unconsciously clasped Zhong Qian’s hand, giving him encouragement.

“I’ll be with you, to live together, to die together.”

Having read this, Qi Yue had already decided to help the couple.

After all, she had been planning to stir things up, so she might as well start with a rescue.

Thinking this, she deliberately “coughed” to awaken the enamored couple.

Zhong Hou hurriedly and somewhat sheepishly revealed her identity.

“My name is Hui Niang, and Zhong Qian is my husband.”

Seeing her honesty, Qi Yue no longer hid her intentions and straightforwardly said, “Actually, I’ve seen through your identities a long time ago, but I didn’t expect you to be so deeply loyal and devoted. I plan to help you rescue old Zhong.”

Upon hearing this, Zhong Qian and Hui Niang were initially overjoyed, but then immediately shook their heads repeatedly.

“This is too dangerous, we can’t involve you as well.”

“Brother Zhong, Sister Hui Niang, you’re just worried I’ll hold you back, right? Don’t worry, I can be a great help to you!”

Qi Yue’s confidence affected Zhong Qian and Hui Niang, and they finally agreed to take her with them.

That evening during the 7-9 PM period, the three met at the appointed time at Nanmentou and encountered a man wearing a black hat.

This man was tall and slender with a clear complexion, looked to be in his thirties, clearly someone who exercised regularly. His name was Zhong Dahe, a fellow villager and neighbor of Zhong Qian.

Before coming, Zhong Qian had already told Qi Yue about Zhong Dahe.

Zhong Dahe used to be a soldier in the Beiyuan Army; once, while on border duty, he was captured by the Donggao Army and sent to the Arena.

Luckily, Zhong Dahe had a good command of martial arts. In one challenge, he defeated a tiger and caught the eye of a nephew of the Fox King of Donggao, a man named Zhang Kai, who bought him for a large sum of money.

Afterward, to survive, Zhong Dahe kept a low profile and did mundane tasks like caring for horses, chopping wood, and cleaning latrines for years.

Once, he fortuitously saved Zhang Kai and was promoted from then on to be a personal guard.

This relationship also enabled him to enter and exit the Underground Beast-fighting Arena.

Qi Yue admired such resilience, but Zhong Dahe treated her as if she were just a spectator.

He glanced at Qi Yue and frowned.

“It’s dangerous inside; with her delicate appearance, it’s better she doesn’t go in.”

His words were well-meaning.

Qi Yue smiled wryly, acknowledging his concern.

“Don’t worry, Brother Dahe. Although I might look this way, I am very strong and can even kill a man; just you wait and see.”

Upon hearing this, Zhong Dahe obviously looked astonished but ultimately did not say anything more and led the way forward.@@novelbin@@

The trio hurried to keep up, taking a carriage for an hour, then zigzagging down countless streets, finally arriving at a large estate.

The mansion was situated at the foot of a mountain, surrounded by towering giant trees with even a moat dug around it.

By then, it was completely dark; from a distance, the tall mountain seemed like a ferocious beast, and the mansion appeared to be food in its mouth, ready to swallow anyone who entered whole.

Standing in front of the mansion, the three of them felt increasingly insignificant and powerless.

Zhong Dahe turned back to look at them.

“It’s not too late to regret now. Once you’re inside, it won’t be so easy to get out.”

Hearing this, Zhong Qian hesitated for a moment, looking at Qi Yue and Hui Niang.

“Hui Niang, maybe you and Miss Qi shouldn’t go in…”

“No, I want to go with you,” Hui Niang insisted.

Qi Yue nodded her head.

“I think neither of you should go. I can go in alone. As long as Brother Dahe takes me in and points out old Zhong’s location, I can get him out.”

“Ah…” Zhong Qian and Hui Niang both widened their eyes in shock, sizing up Qi Yue in surprise.

The implication was clear—just with your slight frame?

Zhong Dahe also furrowed his brow, looking incredulous.

“Big talk; do you know what it’s like inside?”

Yet Qi Yue remained proud.

“No matter what it’s like, as long as we get the person out, that’s enough.”