Chapter 248: A Halidom of the Blackwolf Tribe (1/2)
Chapter 248: A Halidom of the Blackwolf Tribe
Translator: TransnEditor: Transn
”Your Excellency, you're excessively merciful. If I were you, I would have beaten that bastard to death!”
”Even if he doesn't die now, he's ashamed of staying here!” Junior Leopard gave a brittle laugh. ”This guy's arrogant. Where did he foster such a nasty temper? That such a person should still be alive today. Amazing!”
Thinking of Wang Hua's attitude, Junior Leopard felt very surprised. Wang Hua, a Junior Master of martial arts who had just reached Bone-Forging Realm of Level Four was so aggressive before him, a famous Level Seven expert in Jianghu. A fool was not enough to describe him. He had no brain!
”That's not strange. All the well-known families act like that!”
”They all act like that?” Junior Leopard became dazed for a second. ”Are you sure? I know a guy of the Li Family in Pingzhou. He's a direct descendant, and he's much better!”
”You Excellency, you know the descendants of the Li Family in Pingzhou?!”
”Don't forget that in the past I was a personal guard to Admiral Li. He was also from the Li Family. I never saw such arrogance from them then!”
”That's rare given that the descendants of those millennium families are infamous for being overbearing. Ordinary family servants dare to yell at the local officials. Even a housekeeper could ride a horse quickly in the city and kill someone, nobody would pay attention to that!”
”That means, in this world, he's not the only one who doesn't have brains. Many other people are also idiots?”
”Your Excellency, if you thought in this way, it's almost the same,” Jiangxiao said and laughed. ”However, Your Excellency, it's not a good thing to offend those powerful barons!”
”I've already pissed one off, I don't care to affront one more,” said Junior Leopard. ”The Wang Family in Cenzhou is the same as the Meng Family in Ningzhou. These are two biggest, well-known families in the Great Jin. They made great contributions in the conquest of Northern Yuan and were awarded large fiefs respectively. The well-known families' fiefs are given in a way of family. The contributions made by their descendants are attributed to the families. How did Wang Hua receive a fief separately? A land of 100 kilometers. Did he perform some deed of merit?”
”This... I'm not clear about this,” Jiang Xiao said and shook his head. ”However, according to what I know, many indirect descendants of the well-known families received fiefs. Instead, those direct ones got nothing!”
”It seems that it's a method used by the imperial court to divide those families and foster the collateral branches against the direct ones?” Junior Leopard's eyes glinted slightly. ”One family's fief is large, but it only has a plot of land. There are many collateral descendants. Decades later, fights for fief will be bound to happen. Thus, the power will decrease by itself. If the collateral descendants boom, it'll be hard to lead. For the direct line, that's a worry!”
”Your Excellency is right. Those people are accustomed to competing for power and enjoying the misfortune of others,” Jiangxiao said. ”It seems that the imperial court is well prepared this time!”
”The person in the imperial court is playing chess. We're just one of the inconspicuous chess pieces. We just need to take care of ourselves,” Junior Leopard said softly. ”Well, is there any news about Wang Hua's escaped slave?”
”Zhu Ba is investigating with Little Du. I suppose the news will come soon!”
Before Jiang Xiao's voice had died away, they heard a pleasant laughter outside the tent. ”Your Excellency, we found him!” That was Zhu Ba's loud voice.
”Bring him in,” said Junior Leopard.
He took a skin roll from the inner side of his coat and handed it to Jiang Xiao. ”This is the fortification map from Old Kelsang. Have a look first. We're bound to need it for the fortification in the future!”
”Yes!” Jiang Xiao nodded and put it in his arms.
The tent curtain was opened. Carrying the emaciated person, Zhu Ba walked in and threw her on the ground. ”Your Excellency. That's her, the Wang Family's escaped slave!”
”I'm not an escaped slave. I was just forcibly captured by them!” The tiny figure struggled to get up and shouted.
”A girl?” Hearing the thin voice, Junior Leopard knitted his brows. He had never expected that the escaped slave should be a girl.
”You're dressed in the exclusive clothes of the Wang family's slaves and fled to my territory due to being pursued by the fool Wang Hua. You're still denying that you're the Wang family's escaped slave. If you're not, why are you here?”
”I'm Cole Khan's daughter, the princess of the Blackwolf tribe!” The slender woman cried. ”You're damn evil. Grassland God will punish you!”
”Your Grassland God has already died!” Hearing her voice, Junior Leopard closed his eyes, raised a hand and moved her body in the air. ”Wang Hua said that you had stolen his treasure. What's on earth is that?”
”I... I didn't steal his treasure. He wanted to snatch the halidom of our Blackwolf tribe!”
”Blackwolf tribe's halidom?” Junior Leopard smiled slightly. ”Well then, take out your Blackwolf tribe's halidom and show me!”
”No way!” The woman's face was covered by dust, but her eyes were bright. She fiercely stared at Junior Leopard and did not show weakness. ”It's a halidom passed on for more than 10,000 years in our tribe. I won't give it to evil people like you!”
”A strange strength wave. Why? Why am I familiar with it?” Junior Leopard thought.
Junior Leopard raised his eyebrows mildly as if he found some surprising thing. ”Do you think that I can't find it even if you refuse to show the halidom?”
”Hum!” The girl gave a cold snort and turned her head away.
Junior Leopard loosened his hand and hurled her on the ground again. ”Blackwolf tribe, in the previous Northern Yuan, could be considered as a formidable tribe. This tribe's halidom must be a good stuff!”
Junior Leopard's eyes lingered on the woman as he spoke. He noticed that a contempt flashed through her eyes and could not help laughing. ”According to what I know, the Blackwolf tribe was breached by Jin Dawei along with soldiers, a subordinate to Governor Ma. All of the tribe's treasures were sent back to Great Jin. Jin Dawei was famous for his cautiousness. How could he miss out such important stuff? Moreover, you, the princess, before the Blackwolf tribe was conquered, the patriarch had burned his whole family. How could you survive? You just said you're the Blackwolf tribe's princess. Do you have any evidence?”
”I don't need to prove it. I'm the Blackwolf tribe's princess! Believe it or not. Hum. I know Central Plains people are sly. Don't cheat me into taking out the halidom in this way!”
”You're Northern Yuan people, but you speak standard Central Plains language. People like you are rare in Northern Yuan. You must not be in a low position in Northern Yuan. As for whether you're the princess, I don't want to know. About your halidom, I know a little bit now. So, I don't need to goad you!” Junior Leopard smiled, slowly bent forward, extended his hand and gently lifted her chin.
”You're only average-looking. I happen to need a maidservant now. You can be my maidservant. Zhu Ba, bring her out, let her have a bath and change her clothes. From now on, you serve me in my tent!”
”Ah?” Zhu Ba did not predict that Junior Leopard would make such a decision, so he was dazed for a second.
”What? Action!”
”Yes, yes, yes!” Zhu Ba's face showed a hint of ambiguity. ”I know, I know.”
An hour later, Zhu Ba brought the girl back to the tent. Now she looked much cleaner than before. She was about 15 years old. As Junior Leopard just said, she was just average-looking. Even if she was the princess, how could there be so many beautiful princesses in this world?
This Blackwolf tribe's princess had already changed into a maidservant clothes, but her eyes were filled with stubbornness and resentment. She suddenly fell down from her princess position, became a sinner and even lost her freedom. It was no wonder that she was exasperated.
For her, an offspring of nobility in Northern Yuan, she had unforgettable hate for the Great Jin.
”Alright, Zhu Ba. You can leave now. The princess serves me here, so I don't need you!”
”Ah. Oh. OK. Your Excellency!” Zhu Ba said and quickly receded from the tent, faster than a rabbit.
”You... what do you want to do?” After Zhu Ba had left, only Junior Leopard and the girl were in the tent. Obviously, the girl seemed to be scared, so she stepped backward a few steps to the threshold of the tent. It looked as if she would flee away once Junior Leopard made some offensive behavior.
”Take it easy. I'm not interested in you!” Junior Leopard felt embarrassed and touched his nose. ”Do I look like a lady-killer?”
The girl kept silent and put her arms before her chest, implying her answer in her heart.
”Well. Even if I'm a lady-killer, I won't be keen on you!” Junior Leopard shook hands speechlessly as if he wanted to disentangle him. ”I'm only interested in beauties. However, you are ugly—”
”You're ugly!”