The Great Tang's King of Provisions

Chapter 27: The Dead Need No Reason

Li Xuanba tossed the assassin’s corpse aside, clasped his right hand behind his back, and fixed a cold, merciless gaze on Cui Libo, the magistrate of Lantian County. This caused the magistrate—who had been about to flee—to tremble all over, his legs going weak, unable to take a single step! Seeing the county magistrate of Lantian looking like a scared little shrimp, Li Xuanba curled his lips in disdain and ordered Cheng Huai Mo, who was watching him with reverence from the side, “Cheng Huai Mo!” “Whoosh!” “At your service!” As soon as Li Xuanba gave the order, Cheng Huai Mo knelt on one knee, his expression solemn as he looked at Li Xuanba. “Bring all officials below the rank of Lantian County Magistrate in for questioning and take them to the drill ground. Summon all the local soldiers who haven’t reported for duty to the drill ground as well. Anyone who resists is to be shot on sight!” “Also, search the Hongyun Gambling House and the county magistrate’s residence. Bring back any interesting little trinkets for this young master.” “This subordinate obeys your orders!” Cheng Huai-mo acknowledged the order, saluted Li Xuan-ba, and then led his small squad to carry out Li Xuan-ba’s orders. Upon seeing Cheng Huai Mo, Li Xuanba’s entire demeanor changed. In truth, he had been waiting all along for someone from Chang’an to come and fetch him. After all, if he were to go to Chang’an in his current state, he feared he’d be thrown out before even entering the Imperial Palace. So he was waiting—waiting for his father, Li Yuan, or his second older brother, Li Shimin, to come and fetch him. If no one came to meet him, he would simply continue living a normal life in the Tang Dynasty; if someone did come, he would then reclaim his ancestral lineage. After all, he was Li Xuanba—a Li Xuanba who needed no one to rely on! “Rustle, rustle.” Cheng Huai Mo left, and Li Xuanba walked step by step toward Cui Libo, his eyes filled with icy murderous intent, while the blood-red mist—resembling a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood—rose once more from his body. “You… don’t come any closer! I’m an imperial official—you can’t just kill me. If you want to kill me, you must report it to the imperial court. I… uh!” Seeing Li Xuanba advancing toward him step by step, Cui Libo’s legs gave way, and he fell straight to the ground. He then placed his hands on the floor and began inching backward, only to be grabbed by Li Xuanba with one hand, who lifted him up by the throat. “I told you! My name is Li Xuanba! If I kill you, my father and second older brother will only cheer me on. I’ll see just who dares to say I’ve done anything wrong!” “Crack!” No sooner had Li Xuanba finished speaking than he applied a slight pressure with his right hand, snapping Cui Libo’s neck clean off and tossing him to the ground like a trash bag. To Li Xuanba, the only “normal” Li Xuanba was the one who acted without restraint. A Li Xuanba who insisted on evidence and followed procedures for everything was a Li Xuanba who made people uneasy. “Rustle! Swish!” No sooner had Li Xuanba killed Cui Libo than a man in black combat gear approached. Ignoring Cui Libo, whose eyes remained wide open in death, he knelt on one knee before Li Xuanba, clasped his fists, and bowed, saying, “Cheng Jia pays his respects to Your Highness! Your Highness, Captain Cheng has completed the task. Please come to the training grounds.” “Very well! Take the bodies of Cui Libo and that assassin, and follow me to the training grounds.” No sooner had the words left his mouth than Li Xuanba swung himself onto his horse, “Chui Feng Wanli Yun,” and rode toward the training grounds. “Yes, Your Highness!” The soldier acknowledged the order, carrying one corpse in each hand, and followed Li Xuanba toward the drill ground! Upon arriving at the drill ground, the officials from Lantian County were standing at the front—the deputy county magistrate, the chief clerk, and two county lieutenants: one in charge of military affairs and the other in charge of the merit-based granary, along with lower-ranking officials such as the district clerk and the postmaster. These officials had been forcibly brought here at swordpoint by Cheng Huai-mo and were already terrified; now, upon seeing Li Xuanba—covered in blood and looking like a raving demon—their hearts filled with even greater dread. Some of the officials, overcome with anxiety, even collapsed to the ground, staring in horror at Li Xuanba, who radiated a menacing aura. In contrast to these officials, the local militia of Lantian County and the court officers standing behind them remained relatively composed, though their numbers were rather sparse. There should have been nearly a hundred local militia members guarding the city, yet at that moment, there were only forty or fifty. Although these men were not regular provincial troops, Lantian County was a county within the capital’s immediate vicinity, and the garrison should have numbered at least seventy or eighty soldiers. With that in mind, Li Xuanba spoke impassively, “Captain Cheng!” “At your service!” “Why are some of the local soldiers missing?” “Your Highness, some of the local militia were among those who attacked you just now.” Upon hearing Cheng Huai Mo’s words, Li Xuanba nodded in understanding. His eyes flashed as he turned to the county magistrate in charge of the militia and smiled faintly, “Oh? It seems Cui Libo is quite capable after all! As a mere county magistrate, he’s actually managed to mobilize these militia men! Isn’t that right, Your Honor? Hmm?” “Y-Your Highness?” Called out by Li Xuanba, the county magistrate in charge of the military officers suddenly shuddered. He then snapped back to his senses and stared at Li Xuanba in astonishment. If the Prince were coming to Lantian County on an inspection tour today, they should have received word. Why hadn’t they been notified? Faced with the county lieutenant’s confusion, Li Xuanba said nothing. He waved his hand at Cheng Huai Mo and coldly ordered, “Behead him!” “Yes, sir!” “Splatter!” The moment Li Xuanba gave the order, Cheng Huai Mo—who had been waiting for this moment—instantly swung his long sword, severing the completely unprepared county magistrate’s head in a single stroke. Blood spurted out, splattering everywhere. The blood stained the ground, causing the officials, local soldiers, and court officers to shudder in unison. They stared at Li Xuanba with eyes wide with horror, wondering why this so-called “Prince” exuded such a menacing aura. Li Xuanba paid no heed to these frightened people. His eyes gleaming, he scanned the crowd, taking in each person in turn, then pointed with his right hand and said coldly, “You, you, you… all of you, step forward.” The moment Li Xuanba called their names, their legs gave way, and they began pleading for mercy at the top of their lungs. “Prin-Prince! We haven’t done anything! Why—why are you making us come out?!” “Your Highness, spare our lives! We haven’t done anything wrong—why are you killing us?” Faced with their pleas, Li Xuanba waved his hand indifferently. “Behead them!” “Thud!” “Your Highness, if you’re going to kill us, you need to give us a reason!” “Splatter!” “Thwack!” Watching as one after another was caught and beheaded even while trying to flee, Li Xuanba said coldly, “When have I, Li Xuanba, ever had to give the dead a reason for killing them? Kill them!” “Splatter!” “Thud!” After the last few men fell to the ground, Li Xuanba fixed his piercing gaze on the trembling officials and local soldiers and said indifferently, “The dead need no reason, but you living ones need me to give you one! These men were all followers of Jiancheng and Yuanji—that is, my eldest and fourth brothers. To prevent them from causing any further chaos, I sent them on their way. Since my eldest brother is to be bestowed the title ‘Hidden,’ let him remain hidden forever! Do you accept this reason?” No sooner had Li Xuanba finished speaking than the officials and local soldiers hurriedly nodded and shouted in unison, “We accept it! We accept it! Your Highness, we accept it!” They had no choice but to agree! If they didn’t, they might well lose their lives! Li Xuanba didn’t care whether they accepted it or not. After casting an indifferent glance around, his eyes flashed, and with a sweeping gesture of his hand, he turned and rode away on Zhui Feng Wan Li Yun. Li Xuanba couldn’t care less whether these officials and local soldiers agreed or not; all he wanted was for that sole survivor to tell the others: if they’re going to go into hiding, then let them stay hidden forever! History books have already been written by the victors; let’s not cause any more trouble for the defeated.