The two heads that rolled onto the map still retained a hint of horror and shock in their expressions.

Before they could react, Dian Wei’s twin halberds had already fallen, giving them no time to respond.

Then, the two headless bodies fell to the ground.

In an instant, the blood had soaked the map completely, turning it into a blood-red mess.

Underneath the blood, the parchment, which had been lit red by the fallen candles, suddenly caught fire in one corner.

A smell of burning hair filled the air.

Liang Zhongning opened his mouth to say something, but he realized that when someone was shocked to a certain extent, they truly couldn’t speak.

Or perhaps—

He simply didn’t know what to say.

It was just a sudden change in the blink of an eye!

Bu Ji and Zhang Bo were looking at the map one moment, and the next, they were dead…

Dead?

He had thought before that if he were the only Yellow Turban leader in Yanzhou, things might be much less troublesome.

But now, seeing Bu Ji and Zhang Bo dead before him, he almost felt like he was dreaming.

Or rather, having a nightmare.

Before the banquet held in the former Dongjun Taishou Mansion began, he had thought that Qiao Yan wanted to broker a peace deal between him and the other two. But now—

Now, this “strategist” he addressed as ” Sir ” calmly stood up, not even bothering to wipe away the blood splattered on her face.

His already fair skin, much whiter than theirs, seemed even whiter against the blood stains.

But the calmness he displayed in the face of this brutal scene only added to the terrifying disconnect.

He had never really cared about his age, but now, the difference in stature between her and Dian Wei, who stood by with his halberd, made the situation even more absurd in his eyes.

But before he could fully process the deaths of the two, Qiao Yan had already taken the next step.

She drew the sword at her side.

This sword had been selected from the Puyang Prefecture’s armory before she set out for the Gao family fortress.

The blade was narrow and light, allowing even Qiao Yan, who was currently below average in physique and martial prowess, to easily throw it.

The sword flew out of her hand and stabbed into the table where Bu Ji had just sat down, making a piercing sound.

“Don’t move!” Qiao Yan shouted.

Liang Zhongning was jolted awake.

Whatever the reason Qiao Yan had for ordering Dian Wei to kill Bu Ji and Zhang Bo at this moment, their followers must not leave this place alive!

But someone reacted faster than him.

Dian Wei, his halberds still stained with blood, leaped forward almost the moment the sword left Qiao Yan’s hand.

Although the short halberds somewhat limited his ability to fully utilize his strength, they also made him more agile in the indoor combat.

From Qiao Yan’s shout to Dian Wei’s next strike was just an instant, and Bu Ji’s followers, not far from the narrow sword, had already fallen.

Liang Zhongning was eager to assist Dian Wei in silencing them, so he didn’t notice that when Qiao Yan looked at the first fallen man, her gaze seemed momentarily distracted.

She recognized him.

He was one of the guards who had protected Qiao Yan and her daughter as they retreated east.

Unlike the others who had either gone back to find Qiao Yu or died in the subsequent battle at Juye, he had joined Bu Ji’s forces without hesitation.

Perhaps for him, continuing to follow a mother and daughter who might have lost their protection was not as promising as making a future for himself in the Yellow Turban Army.

From the instinctual perspective of seeking profit and avoiding harm, this was understandable.

However, in the brief moment when their eyes met, Qiao Yan distinctly saw a hint of suspicion in his expression.

Although there were differences between wearing men’s and women’s clothing, and there were many similar-looking people in the world, Qiao Yan was confident that she and the original “Qiao Yan” were quite different upon closer inspection.

However, in her current actions, she had to swiftly eliminate such hidden dangers to prevent Liang Zhongning from discovering her true identity too early and on top of that as a young girl.

After all, since he was under Bu Ji’s command and had witnessed Bu Ji’s death here, he was also destined to die!

It might be her imagination, but as Bu Ji died in front of her and this man was about to be executed, Qiao Yan felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, as if—

She considered this act as avenging the original owner’s mother.

However, at this moment, she had no extra energy to think about this matter.

The deaths of Bu Ji and Zhang Bo erupted in an instant when the situation became desperate, but one couldn’t treat it with an attitude of “since they’re already dead, it’s nothing.”

After Dian Wei and Liang Zhongning’s men wiped out all the idle people here to ensure that there were no informants left, it was time for her to take charge of the situation.

She stood with her hands behind her back, quietly watching the confrontation.

In a situation where one side’s martial power was overwhelmingly dominant, the sound of weapons clashing in the hall did not last long.

But when the fighting stopped, the silence in the hall, filled with corpses, instead gave a sense of an impending storm.

In the extreme quiet, even the sound of a drop of blood splashing on the ground seemed clear.

After a long time, Liang Zhongning finally spoke up, breaking the calm, “Sir, why is this so?”

Why indeed!

Suddenly becoming the leader of the Yellow Turban Bandits in Yanzhou from one of the three marshals of Yanzhou, after Liang Zhongning gradually realized the news of the deaths of those two, a feeling of indescribable fear gradually rose within him.

He looked steadily at Qiao Yan, whose face showed traces of blood, revealing a fierce aura.

He was surprised that she was still smiling faintly at this moment.

“Didn’t the marshal say that Zhang Bo was dull and Bu Ji was greedy, and neither of them could be long-term partners?”

Liang Zhongning: “…”

He did say that, but he didn’t say to just kill them directly like this!

No matter how he thought about it, he felt that this shouldn’t be because he had tried many times recently to keep the gentleman, venting too much grievances.

Liang Zhongning’s emotions churned, complex, but then he saw Qiao Yan’s smile fade away, turning into a serious expression, with a warning tone:

“Now that the deed is done, the marshal had better not indulge in why they were killed. From my point of view, how to make good use of this situation and control all three armies is the right way forward.”

“Three factions, all part of the Yellow Turbans, when combined, only amount to the size of a large faction. Does the marshal think he doesn’t have the ability to control such a large group?”

“Of course not!” There were still Liang Zhongning’s subordinates in the hall.

How could he show weakness in front of these people?

Faced with Qiao Yan’s question, he could only muster up his spirits and give an affirmative reply.

This question also distracted him a bit, shifting his focus from the deaths of the two men to the aftermath.

Indeed, they had been killed, and there was no room for regret.

The Taiping Dao uprising was originally a path of no return, and now there was just an additional restriction on this path that could not be turned back.

In Liang Zhongning’s eager gaze for recognition and support, he could clearly see Mr. Yan’s satisfaction with his reply.

Then, he saw the other party take out a piece of cloth from his sleeve, slowly wiping away the dirt on his face, and once again transforming into the dignified and familiar demeanor that Liang Zhongning knew.

This inexplicably gave him a sense of security.

But this sense of security seemed to still carry a hint of unreality.

So, when Qiao Yan made another move, Liang Zhongning’s eyes subconsciously followed her fingertips and saw her pointing outside.

He didn’t realize that Qiao Yan had stirred up his emotions and led him to think dangerously along her words.

Seeing the bodies of Bu Ji and Zhang Bo lying in front of him had completely confused his thoughts.

Even when Qiao Yan said, “In that case, please order, Marshal,” he first instinctively nodded, then immediately showed a bewildered expression.

Order? How should he order?

Just as Qiao Yan paused, she said in a tone that brooked no misunderstanding, “Please order the burning of the grain depot here.”

Liang Zhongning shuddered.

Her four words were like a thunderbolt, frightening Liang Zhongning greatly.

The grain depot in Puyang City had successively stored the grain from the Tian and Gao clans, changing the emptiness of when Liang Zhongning first took over Puyang.

It could be said that this place was the capital on which his soldiers relied for survival.

Precisely because of this, the guards he had stationed at the granary were even better than those by his side.

But now, what did he hear?

Burn the grain depot?

He hesitated to speak, “I understand that the atmosphere is tense right now, but sir, please don’t make such jokes…”

“I am not joking with you!” Qiao Yan immediately interrupted him, “Burning the grain depot is indeed the solution to the current situation here. The marshal can first move the grain away, then simply start a fire within the controlled area. As for how much grain is burned, it will be up to the marshal to decide.”

“Today, I intend to ease relations with Marshal Bu Ji and invite him to come to discuss cooperation. This matter is well known among his troops. But what kind of person Bu Ji is, everyone knows.”

“If he is dissatisfied with the gap between the two sides, intentionally setting fire to the grain, or even sending people to plunder secretly, is this possible?”