Finest Servant

Chapter 547 Recompense

The flickering torches occasionally emitted a soft crackling noise, drawing the attention of everyone present to the small copper coin at the center. The expansive grassland was eerily quiet, with the rapid heartbeats of the Turkic women and children almost audible. Even the Great Hua cavalrymen, holding the torches aloft, couldn't help but hold their breaths, their gaze fixed intently on the gently rolling coin.

Finally, the copper coin fell onto the lush grass, bounced a few times, rolled forward, and gradually came to a stop. It hesitated for a moment, then slowly fell on one side.

Hu Bugui stared intently at the coin, not daring to blink. After a long pause, he softly exclaimed, "It's heads! Could this really be fate?" His expression was a complex mix of emotions; he seemed somewhat resentful, yet also somewhat relieved.

The Turkic women and children erupted in jubilant celebration, hugging each other, dancing, and shouting for joy, their faces awash with tears. The children in their arms, too young to understand their mothers' elation, nonetheless sensed the mood and grinned, reaching out their tiny hands to wipe away the tears on their mothers' faces.

Lin Wanrong stood silently, his gaze lowered, his back turned to the scene. He uttered not a word, showing neither sorrow nor joy. No one could tell what he was thinking, except for the tension revealed in his tightly clenched fists.

After a moment of frenzied celebration, the Turkic women and children quieted down, gradually coming to their senses. They realized that the man who held their fate in his hands, a grim-faced invader, remained silent. The veins on his tightly clenched fists were protruding, indicating the internal struggle he was going through.

What would the coin toss matter? If this man from Great Hua merely shook his head, the fate of over three thousand women and children would still be a massacre. Countless eyes—of Turkic women, children, filled with either hope or hatred—remained fixed on Lin Wanrong's unmoving figure, awaiting his final decision.

"How about we toss again? Best two out of three?" Gao Qiu whispered to Lin Wanrong, audible only to the three of them.

"Only someone like you would come up with such a shameless suggestion," Hu Bugui sneered, glaring at him.

Lin Wanrong took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Hu Bugui for a moment before speaking languidly, "Brother Hu, if I were to leave this responsibility to you, could you do it?"

Faced with the sight of helpless women and crying infants, Hu Bugui's complexion changed erratically, his cheek muscles twitching violently. Clenching his teeth, he raised his blade. His hands, which had taken countless lives, were trembling. After a long moment of hesitation, he finally let out a roar, and his sword hand dropped weakly. "I... I can't bring myself to do it," he finally admitted, his face ashen.

Lin Wanrong sighed silently. Turning to Gao Qiu, he said, "Since Brother Hu cannot bring himself to do it, Brother Gao, how about you?"

"Me?" Gao Qiu was taken aback. He looked back at the unarmed women and children, his lips quivering, his face growing paler by the moment. Finally, he shook his head with a bitter smile. "Brother Lin, if it were three thousand Turkic men, I wouldn't blink an eye. But these women and children..." He sighed deeply and shook his head, unable to complete his sentence.

Lin Wanrong took slow steps, walking up to the fallen copper coin. He crouched down to pick it up, lightly blowing away the sand that clung to it. Rubbing the coin between his fingers, he remained silent for a long while before finally tucking it back into his bosom.

Hu Bugui stared intently at his face, whispering, "General, have you truly made up your mind?"

Lin Wanrong didn't respond. His gaze was sharp as he scanned the faces of the Turkic children before him, their eyes filled with a mixture of fear and hatred. After a moment, he sighed softly, "Brother Hu, look at the hatred in these children's eyes. Do you think they'll be friendly toward our Great Hua when they grow up?"

Hu Bugui glared back at the Turkic people, causing the children to immediately turn their heads away. He let out a hearty laugh and declared, "So what if they're not friendly? Today we can kill their fathers; in the future, our descendants can do the same to them. The sons of Great Hua will never be cowards. What do we have to fear?"

Listening to Hu Bugui's unbridled enthusiasm, Gao Qiu wore a face full of concern. "Brother Hu, what you say isn't wrong. However, today's situation is unique. If we spare these women and children, Brother Lin will undoubtedly bear endless disgrace. Many in Great Hua will blame him for his shortsightedness and womanly compassion—'If the nomads can sack cities, why can't we?' they'll ask. 'Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself.' Better to drown in their contempt than to let these women and children live."

Gao Qiu's words were insightful. Killing the women and children would seem cruel to the people of Great Hua, but no one would blame them. On the other hand, if they were to be spared, upon returning to Great Hua, General Lin would face endless censure and questioning. Hu Bugui looked at Lin Wanrong and suddenly became worried as well.

The group fell silent. After a long pause, Lin Wanrong finally spoke, "Brother Gao, Brother Hu, I want to ask you a question. Our Great Hua has thrived for a thousand years, filled with illustrious leaders and renowned generals as numerous as the stars in the sky. They've defended Great Hua and extended its glory far and wide. The tales of our ancestors have spread throughout the lands. But tell me, how many of them achieved victory by sacking cities, and how many of them earned their everlasting fame by doing so?"

His question left Hu Bugui and Gao Qiu stunned. They had never considered this before. Now that they thought about it, Lin Wanrong had a point. Throughout the thousand-year history of Great Hua, despite countless wars and skirmishes with foreign tribes, none of the storied ancestors had won their battles by sacking cities. To find a general who had done so would be exceedingly difficult.

Gao Qiu marveled, "Huh, that is indeed true. Brother Lin, what are you getting at?"

Lin Wanrong sighed deeply, his gaze heavy as he looked at the women and children scattered on the ground. He clenched his teeth and softly uttered, "Because—we are human, not wolves."

"We are human, not wolves!" Hu Bugui and Gao Qiu exhaled simultaneously, feeling as if Lin Wanrong had voiced the unspoken thoughts deep in their hearts.

"People possess humanity. We, the people of Great Hua, are inherently kind. It's etched into our very bones, impossible to erase. The nomads trample even their own kind without hesitation. But for us, such cruelty is inconceivable. If we emulate the Turkic people, killing solely for the sake of killing, we'd be extinguishing our own nature. And when that nature is lost, it's not just my sorrow—it's the sorrow of our entire people. Do you really want to see that day come, Brother Gao, Brother Hu?"

The thought of becoming as ruthless as the Turkic tribes sent shivers down Hu Bugui's and Gao Qiu's spines. They both hastily shook their heads.

"That's what I thought," Lin Wanrong said lightly. "This world is vast and complex. Living in fear of others' hatred is cowardice. Better to strengthen ourselves than to butcher innocents for false courage." He paused, waving his hand dismissively. "Cut off their supplies, drive these women and children into the plains. Let them fend for themselves."

Hu Bugui nodded and turned around. With a swift wave of his hand, the Great Hua cavalries immediately cleared a path.

The Turkic women could hardly believe their eyes. Had the people of Great Hua truly set them free?

After what seemed like an eternity of fear, hesitation, and hope, a few brave Turkic women hesitantly took steps, testing the Great Hua cavalries' reaction. Seeing no interference, the Turkic women, carrying their children, began to run. Their screams and the cries of their children reverberated across the plains like boiling dumplings in a pot.

"Life is precious. Once lost, it never returns," Lin Wanrong murmured to himself. "Perhaps I am just an ordinary man after all. Maybe this cruel battlefield really isn't for me."

Gao Qiu sighed. "Brother Lin, why bring disgrace upon yourself like this?"

"Killing is not a joy. Those who have never experienced life-or-death struggles could never understand this," Lin Wanrong retorted, waving his hand dismissively, a look of disdain on his face.

The fleeing Turkic women and children headed toward Bayanhot, opposite the direction of the Great Hua cavalries' advance. After cleaning the battlefield and replenishing supplies, the 5,000-strong army moved under the cover of darkness toward Yiwu. Their hit-and-run tactics left the Turkic tribes unable to predict their next target, making their movements unpredictable across the vast plains.

Though Lin Wanrong hadn't been in direct combat that night, he appeared more exhausted than Gao Qiu and the others. Physically and emotionally drained, he left all matters to Hu Bugui, climbed into a carriage, and promptly fell asleep.

He didn't know how much time had passed when, half-asleep, he felt something soft brush against his ear, carrying a faint, pleasant scent.

"Who is it? What are you doing?" He grabbed the soft object and pulled, eliciting a shriek. A voice rang out beside him: "Shameless man of Great Hua, let go of me!"

Lin Wanrong jolted awake, his eyes snapping open. To his surprise, he found that he was clutching a handful of lustrous, dark hair that carried a natural scent. Yujia, the Turkic girl, was bound hand and foot, her flushed cheeks pressed close to his ear.

"Ah, you're trying to take advantage of me!" Lin Wanrong exclaimed, sitting up abruptly. He quickly checked his clothes and found them intact, sighing in relief.

Yujia, flushed with indignation, retorted, "Shameless! Who's taking advantage of whom? You were sleeping like a log; I called out to you a hundred times, and you didn't wake up!"

Lin Wanrong vaguely remembered that when he had boarded the carriage, Yujia had been securely tied and tossed into a corner. How had she managed to get so close? He noticed the signs of friction on the fabric near her knee and glimpsed her reddened, delicate skin. "Ah, I see. You must have had something to say to me, but I fell asleep as soon as I got on. You managed to get close to me by rubbing your bound legs against the carriage floor. That's quite impressive."

"Shall we continue to share meals, lodging, and sleep? Ah, yes, I almost forgot that. Thank you for reminding me, Miss Yujia. So, do you want to hold me, or shall I hold you?" He grinned, opening his arms to embrace her.

"Don't come any closer—Ah!" Yujia's face turned pale.

"What are you yelling for?" Lin Wanrong roared, visibly annoyed. "You came to me, and now you're saying 'don't come closer'? Shouldn't I be the one saying that?"

Yujia looked at him and saw the fatigue in his eyes, despite his ferocious appearance. "You have a point," she conceded, lowering her voice. "It took me a lot of effort to wake you up. Please, stay awake; I have something to ask you."

Lin Wanrong yawned, "You think I'm your pet dog, obeying your every command? Just wait there quietly. If I'm in a good mood after waking up, I'll indulge you. If not, you'll indulge me."

"Nonsense," Yujia's eyes sparkled faintly. "If you want to sleep, go ahead. But don't talk in your sleep about 'Fairy Sister' and 'Ning'er.' If I hear any secrets about the Great Hua, don't blame me."

Lin Wanrong broke into a cold sweat. "Are you serious? I must have been reciting poetry in my dreams. How embarrassing."

"Don't believe me?" Yujia smirked. "Who is Vixen An? You called her name more than a dozen times in your sleep! How many lovers do you have?"

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Lin Wanrong chuckled, "I'm very loyal, you know. All my wives combined don't even number more than a dozen. Do you really think I'm some kind of stallion?"

Yujia shook her head and sneered, "You're not even a stallion—just a breeding pig! A breeding pig that sleeps like the dead!"

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily. Her insults were almost up to par with his own, about one percent as good, he thought. The fatigue that had been weighing him down lifted considerably. He pulled back the curtain to look outside, and saw only the vast emptiness of the night on the grasslands. In the distance, the fires of Dalanzha were still burning fiercely. He couldn't tell how long he'd been asleep.

Suppressing a yawn, Lin Wanrong mumbled, "Speak your mind. Now's a good time since I'm in a slightly better mood. Wait any longer and I might fall back to sleep."

Yujia hummed, hesitated for a moment, and then clenched her teeth. "Bring out your copper coin!"

"What? Is this a robbery?" Lin Wanrong quickly brought his hands to his chest and widened his eyes in anger. "No money, and you're not getting my life either. Your choice."

Yujia sighed. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at his antics. Her gaze softened as she looked at him, "Sir, could you please show me that copper coin? Yujia really wants to see it."

The Turkic girl's expression had softened, and it actually unsettled him a bit. He chuckled awkwardly, "No can do. Anyone who's heard of me knows that you can't get a penny off Lin San."

Yujia's expression turned solemn, her eyes flashing with an almost imperceptible glint. "If you won't show me, what else can I do? You've killed the men of my tribe, fueling a deep-seated animosity between your Great Hua and my Turkic people, perhaps never to be reconciled. But you spared our women and children, and for that, I am grateful."

"Don't give me that," Lin Wanrong sneered coldly. "I didn't spare them; your people just got lucky. Next time, they may not be so fortunate."

Yujia calmly responded, "Regardless of whether it was luck, I'm grateful. Even though you're a deceitful Great Hua man, ugly and malicious, and talk in your sleep, you sometimes act like a real man."

Lin Wanrong couldn't help but cough uncomfortably, visibly irritated, "Miss Yujia, could you please stop being sarcastic? I have so few virtues as it is."

The Turkic girl glanced at him without a hint of a smile, "We'll settle our grudges on the battlefield, where warriors meet in fire and blood, until death do us part. But for your possibly unintentional kindness tonight, you will be rewarded. I swear by the god of the grasslands, if my Turkic people conquer your Great Hua cities, we will only expel, not slaughter, your women and children. This is your reward."

As she spoke, her beautiful body was tightly bound, curled up on the ground. Yet her face was resolute and strong. Her enchanting, light blue eyes emitted a faint glow. Her lovely eyebrows arched slightly, outlining a stern curve, while her beautiful cheeks seemed to shine, captivating all who looked her way. In that moment, Yujia was majestic and dignified, exuding authority without even raising her voice. Even the garment that adorned her seemed to shimmer with a golden light—.

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