Chapter 88: Tribute-Above Chang'an(Sir Dybala)

The enemy horsemen charged in waves.

Yang Xuan parried, countered; parried, countered...

He did these things in a state close to numbness.

Behind him, Old Second Wang suddenly shot past.

"Loose the arrows!"

A volley of shafts flew in; Old Second Wang nearly became a pincushion. He landed in a sorry heap, slapped one horse bandit to death with a single palm strike, and was swallowed up by the melee.

So keeping formation at all times in battle was this important?

Yang Xuan learned much in that instant, yet his mind was filled with Old Second Wang being scattered from the ranks.

Ahead, a rider came surging in with a cruel grin, the bandit on horseback shouting as he approached.

"Ha!"

Yang Xuan had never been so clearheaded.

He raised his blade.

Not to block, but to take one step forward.

Only one step, and the bandit's rhythm was broken.

The horizontal blade flashed past the side of the warhorse.

As the bandit fell, Yang Xuan felt his scalp prickle... Ever since he had charged down here, his scalp had been prickling.

His body drove forward; behind him, Cao Ying gave a stern shout.

Clang!

The sound of blocking rang out, and Yang Xuan whirled around.

A bandit with huge eyes and a long saber was locked in combat with Cao Ying.

Yi-niang attacked from the side with her flexible sword without mercy.

The bandit blocked again.

Old Thief added a slash.

The bandit, skilled though he was, died with his eyes wide open.

Yang Xuan thought of the knowledge about ancient formations he had seen in the scrolls, but he had no time to sort through it now. His gaze swept around as he shouted, "Old Second!"

"Sir!"

Old Second Wang was yelling from the front.

Bang!

With a thunderous crash, an armored bandit leader was blasted backward, his heart-protecting mirror shattered, blood spraying from his mouth in midair.

Old Second Wang leapt out of the encirclement, slashing wildly with his saber.

"Surround and kill him!"

A leader pointed at Yang Xuan and shouted.

Yang Xuan sidestepped a strike, twisted his body, and let the saber follow the turn.

In a burst of blood, he charged toward Old Second Wang's side.

The horse bandits came pressing in.

Yang Xuan no longer stood still to defend; he took the initiative and rushed forward.

Block, deflect, slash.

A chill ran down his back.

He spun suddenly and brought his blade around.

The bandit behind him had probably never expected him to turn back so abruptly. One slash, and the man tumbled from his horse.

"So that's how it is?"

Understanding struck Yang Xuan like a bolt.

"County Magistrate!"

Yang Xuan looked back and saw a black mass of people.

"Kill!"

Those convicts, each carrying whatever weapon they had, were charging into the fray.

"Out of the city!"

Qian Mo led the soldiers out through the gates.

"Smash them apart!"

Zhuang Sheng shouted.

"One wave!" Deng Hu said coldly. "Use one full charge to break them. If it works, wipe them out. If not, retreat!"

This was the true nature of horse bandits.

"Form ranks!"

Qian Mo arrived, and Yang Xuan brought his people into the line as well.

Qian Mo raised his saber.

"Archers!"

More than thirty soldiers drew bows and nocked arrows.

"Spear line!"

The convicts clustered together, spear points facing outward.

"Loose!"

Thirty arrows streaked away.

The charging horse bandits began to fall from their mounts one after another.

"Crash into them!"

Deng Hu shouted.

But when the warhorses saw the dense wall of spear points, they actually slowed.

Qian Mo was just about to order the attack when he saw one man step out of the formation.

The convicts behind him followed in unison.

"Kill!"

Yang Xuan, still wearing his official robes, gripped a spear and thrust to kill.

A bandit fell from his horse.

With the dense spear thrusts, and the arrows from behind, the bandits were broken by a single overwhelming strike.

"Retreat!"

Deng Hu's face darkened as he cursed. "Who said this was a boy county magistrate?"

Zhuang Sheng said gloomily, "He really is a boy."

"We've lost!"

The horse bandits fled in disorder.

Deng Hu saw the man at the very front, the youth in official robes.

"He was standing at the front all along," Zhuang Sheng's eyelid twitched.

"He charged in first every time. What in the blazes... the hells themselves!"

Deng Hu wheeled his horse and cursed, "Withdraw! When your grandfather comes again, we'll sack the city!"

"Sack the city!"

The bandits howled as they fled into the distance.

Yang Xuan stopped, his mind somewhat muddled.

Qian Mo issued a string of orders, and the crowd began to clean the battlefield. He then sent men to track the scouts before walking to Yang Xuan's side.

He clasped his hands with solemn sincerity.

"Without the County Magistrate today, the city would have fallen."

Yang Xuan sheathed his blade. His shoulder throbbed with pain, yet he still managed to pat Qian Mo on the shoulder. "Why so ceremonious?"

Qian Mo looked a little embarrassed. "Before, I had truly looked down on you, County Magistrate. I am ashamed."

"I was indeed somewhat flustered earlier." Yang Xuan did not conceal the fact that he was a newcomer, though the hunting experience in the Eastern Pine Mountains had helped him.

"County Magistrate."

Two of the convict leaders came over.

They dropped to their knees.

Zhao Youcai lowered his head and said, "Today we caused the County Magistrate to face danger. Our crime is unforgivable."

The convicts who had been cleaning the battlefield stopped and looked over together.

Yang Xuan's expression remained calm, neither angry nor pleased.

Diao She's body trembled faintly.

If Yang Xuan cut him down now, no one would question it.

"Did you intend to flee earlier?"

Yang Xuan asked.

The two men bowed their heads and dared not answer.

Cao Ying and the others gathered behind Yang Xuan.

There was a trace of expectation in Cao Ying's eyes, but also a trace of worry.

These convicts had been exiled to such a place; likely little of their original goodness remained. If the young master killed or humiliated them, it would easily provoke backlash.

Yet today these convicts had stood by while the horse bandits attacked the city. If they were not punished, that would make no sense and would amount to indulgence.

Clang!

Yang Xuan drew his blade and laid it against Zhao Youcai's throat.

Cao Ying drew a deep breath and gave Qian Mo a slight nod, signaling him to be ready.

Gooseflesh sprang up across Zhao Youcai's neck.

Was the County Magistrate going to kill me?

He was overwhelmed with regret, thinking that earlier he should have resolutely refused to come to the rescue, and that it would have been best if this young County Magistrate had died in battle.

"You all hesitated earlier. That could be considered a death penalty."

The convicts stirred.

Zhao Youcai tried to move, but the moment he did, the blade pressed slightly harder. He hurriedly lowered his head again.

"You are all convicts, and whether your crimes were minor or grave... no, most of them were serious offenses. By my own thinking, killing you all would not be excessive."

The convicts' eyes turned cold; a dangerous aura began to gather.

Yang Xuan lifted his gaze. "But the law decides your sentences. Since the law is like this, there must be reason in it. I have also read the statutes many times, from beginning to end, and from them I found only one phrase..."

"Warn before, prevent after."

The convicts fell silent.

Yang Xuan's gaze swept over them. "Since the law has sentenced you to exile here, then it is to atone for your former crimes."

"Should or should not?" Yang Xuan demanded.

Punishment was unavoidable.

The convicts lowered their heads, though at least they thought they would not die.

"Still that same phrase: warn before, prevent after." Yang Xuan's voice warmed somewhat. "Earlier you all watched without moving. Why did you later strike? Who can tell me?"

Diao She said, "It was... because we saw the County Magistrate blocking the horse bandits. You were protecting us. We... however wicked we may be, we still could not retreat."

"So you attacked. That was your own redemption."

"I am in a difficult position," Yang Xuan said, looking at the convicts. "You first erred, then redeemed yourselves. Before, you should have been punished; after, you should be rewarded. Clear rewards and punishments are the way to lasting order, but how am I to deal with you?"

Cao Ying and the others all grew a little tense.

Qian Mo exchanged a look with his subordinates. They had already become cavalry and could mount up at any moment to pursue the fleeing convicts.

The convicts' entire bodies were taut, waiting for the final verdict.

How severe would the punishment be?

Too severe, and they could only run.

"Someone come!"

Zhen Siwen stepped forward and stood with folded hands. "At the County Magistrate's command."

Yang Xuan asked, "Earlier a farmer was killed. What about his family?"

Zhen Siwen pointed toward the city gate.

A woman with two young boys was kneeling there, weeping.

"Bring them here!"

Someone went over and spoke to the woman. She looked this way and choked out, "Is the County Magistrate going to give us some compensation? Thank you."

When they came nearer, Yang Xuan pointed at the woman and said, "Her husband was killed by horse bandits today. The lives of the three of them will surely be difficult from now on. How to help them through this hardship is my duty as county magistrate."

The crowd did not understand.

Yang Xuan bent down and picked up the youngest boy.

"He will still need to be raised. She will still need to cook, to wash clothes... The only way I can help her is by finding her helpers."

Yang Xuan looked at the convicts and said gravely, "Starting tomorrow, five of you will form a group in rotation to help her family plow and harvest the fields. This will be your punishment from me, for five years."

"County Magistrate!"

Zhao Youcai lost composure and looked up, and only then did Yang Xuan happen to sheath his blade; otherwise another soul would have been lost beneath it.

The convicts were all stunned.

This was punishment?

An unmistakable feeling of being acknowledged and cared for welled up within them.

"Anyone who uses this chance to flee..." Yang Xuan had not finished when Diao She growled fiercely, "Rest assured, County Magistrate. If anyone flees, we'll beat him to death!"

The woman looked at Yang Xuan, her legs giving way as she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

"County Magistrate!"

Yang Xuan pointed at the woman. Yi-niang came over to help her up, and even sent Yang Xuan a glance.

My lord has grown up.

There could be no better way to handle this; force and kindness together had won over the convicts' hearts. This woman would go back and sing his praises, and the common people in the city would also learn of the new County Magistrate's mercy.

Cao Ying and the others wore smiles, feeling that strange mix of bitterness and pride.

Our master has grown up.

Zhao Youcai rose and raised his hands.

Bang!

He hammered his own chest with force.

Bang!