By that time, it will not only be rats and cockroaches that will be eligible to participate in the meat feast, but more small bugs will be able to share in the feast. Filth is their best condiment, stench is their favorite taste, and the bones of the dead cannot be spared, this solid substance can be preserved for a long time, enough for ugly and disgusting creatures to lie on it for a long time, gnawing at the bones and sucking the marrow.

Four guards armed with torches illuminated the gloomy cell.

Niu Weibang's feet are very apart, his eyes are lowered in silence, the side face illuminated by the firelight is as smooth as a classical sculpture, but there is no trace of emotion in his eyes, indifference occupies the vast majority, and is turning towards the edge of an explosion of ferocity and anger.

There was not much space inside the cell, and only one bed could be placed.

A woman is curled up on the ground.

She looked to be in her fifties, with a thin body, perhaps due to hunger or illness. The clothes were thin and tattered. Both in dress and in body, it shows that she is not a rich person.

The woman lying on the ground was no longer breathing. Her eyes were open, and her tongue was sticking out from between her slightly open lips, already showing noticeable swelling. The blood that remained at the corners of his mouth had turned black, indicating that he had died at least several hours ago. The exposed thighs and arms were covered in scars, dark purple and black, with bruises from blunt beatings and fresh marks that had not yet formed scars.

Anger and helplessness are like two wild dogs biting wildly in Niu Weibang's body, barking fiercely and wildly, without the slightest sign of stopping.

It was about two months ago, after the first reinforcements were sent to Rock City, rumors began to circulate about Tianhao in Thunderhorn City.

"The Lord of Rock City is actually the younger brother of the King of Thunderhorn. At that time, the old king had several sons, and the current king used many means to get the position of the first heir, and many royal families were killed by him. Luckily, the lord of Rock was quietly adopted and helped by the leaders of other clans, so he was promoted from village leader to city lord. Now that the position of Rock City has been consolidated, the king has been forced to have no choice, so he publicly acknowledges the identity of the Lord of Rock City. ”

"I've been to Panshi Village before, and it's a small village with only a few hundred people. If you look at how long it has been, it has suddenly become a city, and I heard that the population exceeded 100,000 last year, and I don't believe it if it wasn't a little boring. If you want me to say, the lord of Rock City must have the support of other tribes to fight against our king. ”

"The Lord of Rock City has rebelled, and I vouch for it with my head. He spends his days training and building weapons. The man was a madman who killed all the opponents in the city, including the priests. They no longer believed in the gods and never performed sacrificial rituals, especially the city lord, who was a blasphemer and an enemy of the gods. ”

Niu Weibang has been looking for the source of these rumors.

Thunder Point City is not big, as long as there is determination, the screening target from tens of thousands of people is actually very simple. The pro-guards arrested more than 100 people back and forth, tortured them severely, and never let them go, one by one, just like the civilized era from the bottom of the MLM group to the top, and the top of the triangle was finally fixed on a woman named "Ah Fen".

Ah Fen was old, she couldn't resist the torture, she pierced a bamboo stick a few times, scalded a soldering iron a few times, and was beaten dozens of times.

Niu Weibang did not believe her confession at all.

Ah Fen is indeed the source of rumors, but he is not the real mastermind behind it. How could a poor and sour old woman do such a thing? If there is not enough interest, how can she risk killing her head and rushing back and forth?

Niu Weibang is a serious and serious ruler. He personally observed the interrogation of Ah Fen, saw the bamboo stick pierced deep into her fingers, watched her scream unhuman, and watched her wake up with cold water after being beaten again and again, and came back to life.

"Give her a few days off and give her some time to think about it." This was an order given by Niu Weibang himself at that time.

It's not because of pity, it's because she really can't get through it. Dead people are no different from garbage, and the King of Thunderhorn needs a real confession to catch the real mastermind behind the scenes.

But now, Ah Fen is dead.

There are signs that she is highly poisoned.

Niu Weibang's face was covered with a layer of cold frost.

He is a tribal king with a deep understanding of power. It is necessary to have a firm grasp of the army at all times, which is the foundation of being a king. By extension, prisons, prison institutions, and institutions of violence in all its various forms are all important components that constitute and consolidate their power. Niu Weibang never pretends to be a person, and all relevant power agencies are led by his cronies.

The Thunder Point Prison is second only to the military in importance, but something went wrong here.

If he had carried poison with him, Ah Fen would have swallowed it in one gulp before the torture. She is a weak-willed person, not a tough guy who carries it to the end.

Those guys who hide in dark corners like bed bugs, have already reached into my forbidden area?

Thinking of this, Niu Weibang shuddered, the anger in his heart burned more and more, and his eyes were full of killing intent.

The rumors themselves don't matter.

He was not so deaf as to be biased in his belief.

If Tianhao intended to rebel, he would not confess to himself the entire attack plan against the Pig Clan, would not take the initiative to provide the army of Thunder Horn City with cotton clothes and gloves, a large amount of supplies including food, and would not let Liao Qiu bring back the new armor manufacturing process.

Who is behind my back disturbing my vision?

What is his purpose?

"Check it out!" After a long time, Niu Weibang gritted his teeth and issued a cold voice with no emotion at all: "The entire prison, from top to bottom, is checked one by one. I want to see who gave her the poison, and who is against this king. ”

The execution of the pro-guard was extremely efficient. More than an hour later, Niu Weibang, who had left the prison and returned to the City Lord's Mansion, received news that the two jailers on duty had died last night, and the guards had found the bodies in their homes, as well as the family members of the deceased.

The terrible feeling instantly flooded into his brain, Niu Weibang felt cold in his hands and feet, and opened his mouth, but he couldn't make a sound.

The adversary lurking in the shadows is clearly in control of the situation, and has more power than he thinks. It's not just rumors, they should seek more than they seem.

Maybe it's the whole of Rock City, or Thunderhorn City, or maybe even the king of your own clan.

Countless thoughts spread under the domination of fear, like nerve endings that sharply bifurcated along the veins of the main nerve, all ends bearing black fruits of suspicion. Niu Weibang suddenly regretted a little, and felt that he should not have sent the main force of the clan earlier, and maybe he should not have fought this battle at all.

"If you go outside, you must first settle inside", this is an ancient saying handed down by our ancestors. If the peace and stability of Thunder Point cannot be maintained, what is the use of winning more battles? What do I want so many pig captives for?

For a whole afternoon, Niu Weibang locked himself in his room and meditated until the evening.

He didn't think about any results, and his eyes were confused, as if he was shrouded in fog, and he couldn't see the direction in chaos.

……

Wu Yuan's private residence is located in the west of Thunder Point City, which is a wealthy area in the city, surrounded by either priests or rulers.

The room of more than 30 square meters is very spacious, and six burning charcoal basins are placed in the corners and walls of the house. The building is exquisitely designed with a special heating hollow floor, and although it is freezing on the outside, the rooms are warm as spring inside.

Wu Yuan wore a thin single coat, picked up the wine jug placed on the table, and poured himself a drink.

During this time, he had been staying in Thunderhorn City, and had not made Red Hoof City his home as he had before.

The identity of the witch is important. Although Niu Weibang didn't like Wuyuan, and could even say that he hated it, every year when the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter came, the king of Thunderhorn had to pull down his son and order the recall of Wuyuan to preside over various sacrificial ceremonies.

Wizards and priests are the spokesmen of the gods on earth, and their identity is irrefutable.

Recent events made Wu Yuan feel happy. Whether it is the rhythm or the result, it makes him feel an indescribable excitement. The adrenaline rush causes the brain to work much faster and the mind clearer, and even alcohol can't hinder it, it's just a booster of euphoria.

The rumors were unleashed with great success.

Wu Yuan knew that Niu Weibang was a smart man and a king of the tribe with superior wisdom. A person like him will not be changed by a few rumors, let alone easily doubt and change the status of his important ministers. A ruler who reaches a certain height needs an adjudicator, or even a large cohort of advocates. Occasionally, if an individual makes a mistake, the punishment must take into account various factors, rather than simply killing the head, raiding the house, and destroying the door.

The Lord of Rock City intends to rebel.

This is the core of the rumors, but it is not the core of Wu Yuan's desire to attract Niu Weibang's attention and achieve the fundamental purpose.

He knew that Niu Weibang would not believe this kind of slander.

The young man named Tianhao was so smart that his actions did not match his age. He didn't seem to know what selfishness was, and he casually gave up the credit in the first few wars. The leaders of the villages near Panshi Village, who were friendly with him, ascended to heaven one by one, either by being rewarded with their surnames, or by getting more people, and even the distant Mishui City joined this network to form a huge alliance.

Many aristocrats scoffed at the benefits that Tianhao had received. They think that Tianhao's surname is very low, because the surname "Niu" is not as simple as it seems on the surface, and it is divided into simple and complex according to the dignity of each person. It is mainly reflected in the writing: a new city lord like Tianhao, who climbed up from the bottom, has a simple stroke in the writing mode of his surname, which is an ordinary "cow" character. If it is a high-ranking nobleman with a long history of honorable status and ancestors, the writing mode will be very complicated, and it is a pictographic "ox" character with many strokes.

In fact, Tianhao already knew these things, and Zong Guang had nothing to talk about with him, but the little tricks of the nobles were really ridiculous, they racked their brains to try to elevate themselves and separate ranks with the people next to them, but they didn't know that this practice was really annoying, and there was even a high chance of turning into hatred.

The benefit that Tianhao gets is the population. After several major wars, the population of Rock City rose sharply. From an ordinary village to a city of 10,000 people, it took him two years. Now, as long as the Pig Clan is defeated, a large number of prisoners of war can be distributed in Leaky Water City and Thunderhorn City, and the population of Rock City is even more than 100,000, making it a big city with no suspense and real meaning.

It is best to frame him for rebellion.

The word spread widely, and there were many people who listened to it, so they couldn't help but believe it.

Of course, Niu Weibang may be an exception, and the odds of him believing and reacting are low.

Therefore, Wu Yuan must give Niu Weibang more trouble in other aspects, disturb his thinking, and then show a few "traces" at the right time to guide him in the direction he wants.

Wu Yuan didn't have much hope for Ah Fen from the beginning. The King of Thunderhorn is an iron-fisted ruler, and what he wants to do must be carried out without compromise. Tracing the source of the rumors will soon find Ah Fen, and she can't escape at all.

As long as she cites the mastermind behind the interrogation stage, it is enough in Wu Yuan's opinion.

This is actually the truth of the matter, no one instructed Ah Fen, she just found a bag full of cured meat and cotton cloth at home. There was a clay template inside, and the text engraved on it told her: As long as you say the words below the message and tell more people, you can get a more generous reward.

Half-convinced, Ah Fen tried to do it.

The next day, she found a larger pocket in the yard, which was also filled with cured meat and cotton cloth.

Before and after, she got a lot of rewards.

But she had never met anyone who had left these things behind.

Ah Fen really didn't lie, every word she said during the interrogation was true.

But no one believed it, and even the self-proclaimed wise King of Thunderhorn thought she was lying and hiding something.

Because none of this makes sense.

Wu Yuan is familiar with many of Niu Weibang's living habits and knows his weaknesses. A wise king will always give more opportunities to the lower classes, even if it is a serious murderer, as long as there is enough patience and opportunity, he can also be pardoned by the great king.

Things developed as Wu Yuan expected: Ah Fen did not die, she was sent back to the cell on her deathbed, Niu Weibang gave her more time to think about it, but he never thought that Wu Yuan's next move was to buy the jailer to poison Ah Fen.

Immediately afterwards, the jailer also died.

The whole thing came to a complete halt here, and the thread was cut by someone.

This made Niu Weibang feel very bad, like a handful of sand firmly held in the palm of his hand, but it slowly flowed down from the gap between his fingers, narrowing the controllable range little by little.

Reality is the best weapon to break confidence.

When a person discovers that the familiar living environment suddenly appears as fragments, piercing their own skin and bleeding. Although this kind of stab wound is not fatal, not even slightly sick, he will always have a grudge and doubt everything around him.