Chapter Twelve: The Most Humiliated Male Lead

  The main gate of Ma's mansion had already collapsed on one side.

  Inside and outside the courtyard were all rubble.

  A faint wisp of black smoke still lingered above the slanted roof beam.

  The whole house was full of bloody family members.

  I rushed into the inner courtyard, and in my heart I actually hoped that Mother was not in her room.

  Pushing open the slightly ajar door, the scene before my eyes suddenly made me tremble with fear. A naked and snow-white corpse of a young girl was lying in the outer room, with a wound over two inches deep from her plump chest to her flat lower abdomen, still gushing out fresh blood. But what was most shocking was the blurred blood and flesh on her lower body.

  "Xiao Qing......" A person behind him couldn't help but exclaim, it was Zhao Cheng.

  I strode in, walking straight to the bedroom and standing before that small door. My hands trembled as I somehow lacked the courage to push it open.

  Behind me, Zhao Cheng had already started crying softly. I still gently pushed open the last door, and the wooden door creaked with a "squeak" sound, but it was like a sharp sword slashing through my heart, and the fear in my heart indeed needed to be faced by myself...

  A pungent smell of blood wafted into my nostrils, and the right hand that pushed open the door suddenly stiffened in mid-air. My whole body felt a numbness, and my legs trembled as I walked towards the bed.

  Her situation was more pitiful than that of Xiao Qing, with a miserable state that couldn't be described. Her long hair was disheveled and scattered all over her body, while her pale face and full chest were covered in clear, crimson fingerprints. The blood and flesh exposed on her lower body clearly showed the humiliation she had just endured - what kind of hellish insult! The fatal wound was a fine red line at the neck, right at the throat, with splattered bloodstains all over the bed, and her already pale right hand tightly grasped a piece of clothing.

  I gently grasped Mother's wrist and loosened the five fingers of her right hand, which had already turned pale due to her tight grip, almost being twisted off by me.

  A delicate golden thread was sewn into every seam, a far cry from the ordinary soldier's uniform. I stared blankly at this exquisite and expensive corner of the garment, knowing whose it was.

  I stood quietly in front of this bedroom door, a ten-year-old child's small fist tightly grasping the corner of his clothes.

  Then I pulled down the outer garment, tightly wrapped my mother's body, and carried her out of the house with difficulty.

  Zhao Cheng was still kneeling on the ground, leaning beside Xiao Qing's head, tears streaming down his face. I slowly walked over, looked at them and said in a low voice: "Let's go, bury her."

  Zhao Cheng was still crying uncontrollably, only shaking his head with a sob. He and Xiao Qing had almost entered the Ma family at the same time, and they had been eyeing each other for a long time. His mother had intended to betroth Xiao Qing to him just a month ago, but unexpectedly, this time they were separated forever...

  I know that parting from a loved one is indeed heartbreaking, and any words at this time would seem pale and powerless, but I still raised my voice and shouted loudly: "Zhao Cheng!"

  Zhao Cheng's whole body shook, and he looked at me with tearful eyes. When he saw the face of the person I was holding in my arms, he was even more stunned, and stuttered: "Young master, madam... she..."

  "I'm dead." I thought I would shudder uncontrollably, but the calmness with which I uttered these two words surprised even myself.

  Zhao Cheng's tears, which had gradually stopped, flowed again like a spring. He said foolishly: "The lady is also dead, dead, they are all dead..." He took off his long gown and wrapped it tightly around Xiao Qing, then followed me out of the house.

  As we just walked out of the inner courtyard, Ma Dai and the remaining few followers had just arrived. Ma Dai took a look at the two female corpses in our arms, and his small face suddenly turned pale, with no blood color on his lips.

  An attendant hastily came up to take my mother from my arms, but my hands were tightly clasped around her as if they had been locked in place. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pry them loose, and could only stand there stupidly watching a ten-year-old child carry his own mother's corpse step by step out the door.

  "Big brother, let me help you..." Ma Dai stretched out his hand to support me. I struggled a bit, and this kid was also quite stubborn, holding up my mother's waist and legs, and walking out with me. I glanced at him twice, and his eyes were already brimming with tears.

  In the small town of Quxian, we walked from the government office to the outskirts, and it took us a whole hour. Ma Dai and I dug a simple grave with shovels, slowly placing Mother's body inside. Mother's eyes were tightly closed, but I could feel the loving kindness in them.

  I slowly pushed the soil back into the grave, and then piled it up flat. After completing this simple and unimpressive little mound of earth, I suddenly felt a wave of dizziness wash over me, and I fell forward onto the pile of dirt.

  －

  "Super boy!" A loud and excited shout woke me up from my daze, and the person in front of me was surprisingly Shoucheng Old Dad. He picked me up and hugged me tightly into his arms, I felt the warmth on his chest and said softly: "My mother... she's dead."

  I clearly felt Shoucheng Lao's whole body suddenly trembling, he also saw the two small graves in front of him, "Is it...?" He was muttering softly too, but I was almost suffocated by Lao's arms which came out of nowhere with great strength.

  I struggled and turned to look back, we still had several thousand people, several thousand people who had lost their helmets and armor, and were fleeing in disarray! The defeated soldiers and generals!

  I also saw my younger brothers, Martius and Marcellus, being soothed by the nursemaids to prevent them from crying out loud.

  I also saw a slightly distant sister Ma Wen, who was staring blankly at this side. Although the night color was gradually thickening, I clearly saw the crystal tears flickering in her eyes.

  I also saw Pang Yi and his two sons lying under a tree not far away. Pang Rou and Pang De, the two brothers, were supporting their father, both silent. There was an arrow tail left on Pang Yi's chest, and a patch of crimson seeped from his lower abdomen, his eyes closed tightly, and a faint smile seemed to remain at the corner of his mouth, just like in the old days.

  He's dead too!

  "Dad," I fiercely twisted his right arm, Ma Teng was startled as if awakened from a dream, and said with his head down: "Chao Er, it's Dad's fault, your mother died miserably..."

  I gritted my teeth and said with hatred: "I must personally kill that bastard Han Zhuo!"

  Ma Teng's whole body shook, and he said in a rough voice: "Chao Er, how did you know it was Han Wei?" He was so surprised that he didn't care about my previous rude words.

  I flung that luxurious corner of his robe at him and said coldly, "If it weren't for this beast, who else would be left in Western Xia?!"

  Ma Teng nodded silently and didn't say a word, but he didn't even glance at that piece of clothing.

  Han Sui's clothes clung to his father's body as he slowly fell down.

  "Dad, we won't have time for leisure activities anymore, it's time to show them some color." I raised my voice.

  Ma Teng stared at me with complex eyes.

  "I want to let Han Laoze see that our Ma family is not only the master of Xiliang, but also a contender for the throne of the world!" I said this sentence in a low voice, but with great force.

  Ma Teng stared at me for a long time, finally let out a breath and said: "Chao'er, you are indeed not an ordinary person! Ma Teng will definitely take revenge! Han Sui, you dog thief, wait for it!"

  My old father, who had calmed down a lot, told me many things. Among the eight departments of Han's subordinates, there were not a few people who had been at odds with my Ma family on ordinary days. Last month, Cheng Yin led his troops to launch a surprise attack on the horse team that was grazing outside the city, trying to rob thousands of fine horses in broad daylight. Unexpectedly, they were repelled by Pang Yi's timely rescue. However, Han's warning to my father was ignored. Within a month, small-scale conflicts continued every day, and the city of Guzang was on high alert at all times. Although there were not many casualties, people were nervous and frightened. Finally, under Han's personal leadership, 20,000 elite soldiers attacked and captured the exhausted Guzang, and looted the city extensively.

  The old father, who was patrolling in the city, was caught off guard and surrounded on the street. He was rescued by Pang Yi, who led his troops to save him. The old father quickly regrouped his men, while Pang Yi led his personal soldiers into the city to rescue the families of various generals. However, Han Xi had long been plotting and had the inner courtyard surrounded like an iron barrel, making it impossible for Pang Yi's forces to penetrate. They only managed to save a few people, including Ma Xiu, and escaped with heavy injuries. After finally rescuing his two sons, Pang Yi was on his last breath. When he reunited with the old father outside the city, he spat out his last mouthful of blood and said, "Follow the general and live well," before dying a heroic death.

  Old Dad said that before Pong Wing died, his eyes were staring at him tightly, and this hatred would be counted as one of his shares.

  Dead, dead, all dead.

  But shouldn't all this have happened when Ma Chao was around twenty years old? I am extremely perplexed, it's possible that history is inaccurate, who let the Ma family be the masters of the remote Xiliang, and I didn't do any in-depth research, finally deceived by my own preconceptions!

  At just ten years old, nothing can stop me! Conquering the world, is it something that can be done with just one sentence?!

  Han Sui, Han Sui!