"Straight along this path is my Tian Family Village," said the young girl named 'A'Xiu.

Teng Qingshan looked at A'Xiu. "What exactly happened at your Tian Family Village? Who are you trying to save?"

"A'Xiu, what's wrong?" Teng Shou also asked.

The farm girl wept. "It was a group of soldiers who came to our Tian Family Village to collect taxes. But the tax was so high that our village simply couldn't afford it. So, those soldiers started grabbing young women all over the village to pay off the debt! The entire village descended into chaos. I managed to crawl out through the dog hole in the fence and run here."

"Collecting taxes?" Teng Qingshan frowned slightly.

Back in his hometown of Jiangning Commandery in Yangzhou, those bandit gangs would collect annual fees. If the fees were insufficient, they would occasionally seize strong men to cover the debt, or abduct young women for the same purpose. Strong men could be forced into banditry, and young women could easily be sold to brothels or kept for the enjoyment of the gang members.

In short, in times of chaos, both strong men and young women were counted as currency.

"Soldiers collecting taxes and seizing women? What's the difference from bandits?"

Teng Qingshan could already see the village ahead. It wasn't far from Crescent Lake, perhaps only two li away.

"Please, let me go, please let me go!"

"Father, Mother—"

"Ahhh... Save my mother..."

"Damn it, get out of the way."

"You little brat, I'll kick you to death."

The shrill cries of women, the wailing of children, and the harsh shouts of numerous soldiers created a cacophony of confusion.

Teng Qingshan and his companion, riding their Scarlet Wind War Hounds, arrived on the open ground before the farmstead and witnessed this scene. There were even several patches of blood on the ground.

"Stop!" Teng Qingshan roared in anger.

His shout exploded like spring thunder, causing many people to cover their ears in shock. The formerly noisy and chaotic open space instantly fell silent.

Teng Qingshan clearly saw two main groups present. One group consisted of the local villagers from Tian Family Village, each one suppressing their rage, gripping cleavers, spears, and clubs, but refraining from action. The other group was composed of soldiers wearing light, simple armor, several of whom were holding onto numerous young women.

Those women struggled desperately, clearly aware of the horrific fate awaiting them if they were taken away.

"Who are you?" the leader of the military contingent, mounted on a Unicorn War Hound, looked over at Teng Qingshan.

"Father, Mother." The girl named 'A'Xiu jumped off the Scarlet Wind War Hound and rushed into the crowd of Tian Family villagers.

"A'Xiu, who told you to run out?" The village elder of Tian Family Village, an old man with greying hair and a scar across his face, roared angrily. He was frantic! He knew clearly... even if A'Xiu brought back powerful help who could drive off these soldiers, the military's retaliation later would be far more terrifying!

The old man with greying hair quickly clasped his hands. "I am Tian Weishan, the elder of Tian Family Village. Gentlemen, A'Xiu is just ignorant..."

Teng Qingshan paid him no mind and looked directly at the leader of the soldiers. "What is going on here?"

The soldier leader studied Teng Qingshan carefully, musing to himself: These two appeared from nowhere and are acting so arrogantly... However, he is riding a Scarlet Wind War Hound, and there are two of them! Tsk tsk, those are valuable mounts. Someone who can ride a Scarlet Wind War Hound cannot be ordinary.

"Haha..." The soldier leader chuckled. "We are here to collect taxes, but this Tian Family Village refuses to pay. According to the rules, taking people to cover the tax deficit is entirely justified. It only happens once a year, not often at all."

"We already paid three times this year!" A woman being held captive screamed. "You dogs with black hearts, again and again! We don't even have enough food left, and you still demand payment! Our women and children work the fields to earn money, and it's still not enough for you—"

"Slap!" A black-bearded soldier escorting her struck her across the face, leaving her mouth bloody.

"Mother." A young boy in the crowd of Tian Family villagers cried out in a hoarse voice, but a burly man beside him covered the boy's mouth, tears welling up in the strong man's eyes too.

"Once a year, but this woman says you've done it three times," Teng Qingshan began.

"Hey!"

The soldier leader frowned and snapped, "Collecting taxes is our army's business. Why is an outsider like you meddling? I've been courteous enough to speak to you, so don't get in the way!" He then turned to glare at the Tian Family elder and shouted, "Old Tian, hurry up and hand over that brat who injured my brother just now. Otherwise, more than one person in your Tian Family Village will die today!"

"Damn it, I regret not killing you earlier," a youth with a ferocious expression, his neck flushed crimson, yelled as several Tian Family men restrained him. "Give me back my wife, let me go, all of you let go!" The youth struggled, but the group of strong men held him fast.

On the snow-covered ground before Tian Family Village, the villagers and the military contingent stood in opposition, with bloodstains scattered on the white expanse.

Teng Qingshan, standing nearby, guessed...

Someone must have died just now.

"Still talking tough on your deathbed? First squad, go and capture him. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!" The military leader commanded from atop his Unicorn War Hound. The people of Tian Family Village cried out in alarm. "A'Shou!" the farm girl named 'A'Xiu shrieked, having seen Teng Shou practice his martial arts.

At this moment, all hope rested on Teng Shou.

"A'Shou, take him down," Teng Qingshan pointed at the military leader.

Whoosh!

Teng Shou turned into a blur, instantly covering over ten zhang of distance. The soldier leader was greatly alarmed and immediately prepared to slash at Teng Shou with his saber.

"Thump!" Teng Shou first struck the soldier leader in the abdomen, forcing him to vomit blood, and then, as if carrying a dead dog, he quickly retreated a few steps to stand beside Teng Qingshan and casually tossed the soldier leader onto the ground.

"Shing!" A piercing whistle shot into the sky, followed by a "Boom!" as it exploded in mid-air.

The soldier leader lay on the ground, hunched over, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"You, you dare—" The soldier leader's eyes turned bloodshot.

"Calling for reinforcements?" Teng Qingshan looked up at the reddish powder exploding above, a slight smile touching his lips. He then looked down at the soldier leader below. "Little fellow, you're just a commander of a hundred-man squad, be sensible. Order your men to release all the women, or else... you'll die immediately!"

Teng Qingshan spoke calmly, but the commander of the hundred-man squad gritted his teeth and roared at his soldiers, "Release them, release those damned women."

"A'Shou, slap him," Teng Qingshan instructed.

"Slap!" "Slap!"

Teng Shou delivered two swift slaps, leaving the leader spitting blood and losing two teeth. The faces of the soldiers showed anger, yet they forcibly suppressed it and released all the women. In their eyes... these women were clearly less important than their captain.

The group of young women rushed back towards their kin.

"Mother."

"Brother!" These women either embraced their children or held onto their husbands and parents, tears streaming down their faces. However, many faces in Tian Family Village were etched with worry. They understood clearly that even if these two powerful figures riding Scarlet Wind War Hounds managed to scare off these soldiers now, their fate later would be far crueler.

"Two Lords," the Tian Family elder knelt down, tears streaming down his aged face. "I beg you, do not interfere in this matter. We are already grateful enough for your help, I beg you."

Teng Shou's face was grim.

Teng Qingshan, however, looked far to the south, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Tsk tsk, it seems quite a few people are arriving."

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of dense hoofbeats, so numerous they made the earth tremble, echoed as groups of riders charged in succession from the path ahead. They advanced in a vast, imposing manner, like a black torrent of steel, completely filling the open ground before Tian Family Village in mere moments, with many riders still on camel-like beasts further down the road.

Unit after unit lined up perfectly.

"General!" Many soldiers respectfully saluted.

A stern man with a powerful build, clad in black heavy armor and riding a War Hound also clad in iron armor, looked across at the two figures of Teng Qingshan.

"Gentlemen, I ask that you release my men," the stern man spoke.

Teng Qingshan waved his hand. "A'Shou, let him go." Teng Shou immediately kicked the commander of the hundred-man squad, who stumbled onto the snow, scrambled to his feet, and rushed back to his troops. He respectfully saluted the General on the armored War Hound. "General, we were collecting taxes and taking those women to cover the deficit, and these two came out to stop us and even forced us to release those women."

The General nodded.

"Who are you two?" the General asked. "On what grounds do you interfere in this business?"

"Friends," Teng Qingshan replied, smiling as he pointed to the girl named 'A'Xiu, "This child's friends."

Beside the General was a handsome young man also wearing heavy armor. This youth leaned close to the General and whispered, "Father, both of them ride Scarlet Wind War Hounds and show no fear facing us. They might be powerful figures. It would be best to clarify things; causing unnecessary trouble is never good."

The General nodded. His son was very astute and had solved many difficult problems for him.

"Gentlemen, we collect taxes, and they owe taxes; this is natural right. I ask that you please depart," the General said with a smile, clearly not intending to antagonize Teng Qingshan and his companion, considering this a show of goodwill on his part.

Then, the General turned toward the people of Tian Family Village and commanded coldly, "I give you the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to hand over all those women you withheld. Otherwise... men and women alike will be captured and sold as slaves!" At these words, the entire Tian Family Village was struck dumb with terror. Slaves? That meant utter ruin.

"You, who do you belong to?" Anger flickered across Teng Qingshan's face. "Are you from the Wang family, the Murong family, or the Li family?" There were only these three great families around Nanshan City.

The General was momentarily stunned by Teng Qingshan's question. The Wang, Murong, or Li families? Teng Qingshan's tone suggested that the General was truly intimidated.

"And you give us the time it takes to drink a cup of tea?" Teng Qingshan's cold gaze swept over the General and his retinue. "I give you the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to vanish completely. Otherwise... all officers here, prepare to become slaves." Moments ago, the General had held a superior position, able to arbitrarily dictate the fate of the Tian Family people. Now, the tables had instantly turned.

"You, you..." Fury surged on the General's face.

"When you return, incidentally tell your family head that from now on, the villages surrounding Divine Axe Mountain are off-limits to you. Say that these words came from me, Teng Qingshan!" Teng Qingshan stated coldly.

The entire vast military force fell silent, and the numerous villagers of Tian Family Village stared blankly at the scene.

"Who is Teng Qingshan?" The villagers of Tian Family Village had no idea.

"Who is Teng Qingshan?" The common soldiers didn't know either.

"Teng Qingshan?" The General's face changed drastically. He immediately scrutinized the weapon in Teng Qingshan's hand and instantly confirmed his identity. Recalling his family head's prior warnings, he shuddered in fear.