After Being Abducted by the General

chapter 11

Yuan Li washed away the bloodstains from his body and changed into clean and tidy clothes.

Throughout the whole process, he remained calm.

In this chaotic world, if one wanted to survive and establish themselves firmly to achieve their goals, killing was unavoidable.

Inflicting severe injuries on a few deserving individuals was nothing more than a punishment. Their screams and blood were insufficient to shake Yuan Li's determination.

In the afternoon, Yuan Li prepared to return to the county magistrate's mansion with Chu Hechao.

Before leaving, he called Wang Er over and asked, "Your friends are severely injured. Even if they receive medical treatment, they will likely die from excessive blood loss. Will you blame me for it?"

Wang Er's mind tensed, and he quickly clasped his fists to express his loyalty. "Young Master, how could you say such things? I, Wang Er, understand right from wrong. They were ungrateful and treacherous first. I don't have friends who are disloyal and unjust. Even if they die, it's not worth regretting."

Yuan Li scrutinized him.

Under his gaze, Wang Er inexplicably broke out in a fine layer of sweat, and his palms became slippery due to nervousness. This feeling was even more anxious than when he intercepted the official's belongings.

After a moment, Yuan Li withdrew his gaze and smiled. "Wang Er, you are loyal and courageous, with a chivalrous heart. I am currently lacking someone with your discerning abilities by my side. I wonder if you are willing to follow me?"

Wang Er was momentarily stunned, but then his joy surged, washing away all the nervousness from before. He suppressed his excitement and replied with great composure, "Naturally, I am willing to follow the Young Master."

Yuan Li immediately had his steward bring a horse, a suit of mysterious armor, and a box of gold, silver, and jewels. He handed over all these items to Wang Er, displaying his generosity and magnanimity.

Among these three items, the most ordinary one turned out to be the gold, silver, and jewels. Horses and black armor were not commonly seen. Horses were important strategic resources and were not accessible to commoners, while black armor was even more precious—a rare iron armor that was extremely hard to come by. Yuan Li had spent many years preparing to acquire channels for buying horses, but at present, he only had twenty horses and five sets of black armor.

Wang Er was excited, his face flushed. Amidst his overwhelmed joy, he also felt embarrassed. "Young Master, I don't know how to ride a horse."

Yuan Li looked at Lintian.

Lintian took hold of the reins and guided Wang Er onto the horse. Wang Er sat on the horse while being led in a circle. Gradually, he adapted to the feeling of riding a horse. When he looked down, he saw his companions below gazing at him with envy or jealousy. A sense of excitement and pride slowly welled up in Wang Er's heart.

Yuan Li smiled as he watched this scene. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and turned his head to meet Chu Hechao's gaze.

Chu Hechao smirked. "Sister-in-law, you're generous."

In the military, only elite troops and officers had the privilege to wear black armor. Yet, Yuan Li had given it to someone who didn't even know how to ride a horse.

Yuan Li smiled gently at him, with rosy lips and a fleeting curve at the corner of his eyes, before turning his head away.

After handling Wang Er's matters, Yuan Li left Guo Lin and Zhao Ying at the farmstead and instructed them to move the batch of silver and goods during the night. Then, he hurriedly returned to the county magistrate's mansion with Chu Hechao, who might have noticed something was amiss.