Chapter 25: A Pyrrhic Victory

The sounds of shouting, clashing blades, and agonized screams merged together, penetrating the cellar.

Dozens of elderly women and children huddled together in the damp dark, their faces deathly pale, trembling uncontrollably from terror.

The eldest among them, Madam Li, trembled for a moment before her expression turned eerily calm. She whispered to the ashen-faced Madam Lu and Madam Chen, "If the villains find this cellar, we will block their path and shield the children. If we cannot hold them back, then we shall depart together as a family and reunite in the afterlife."

Madam Lu’s tears fell like rain, and Madam Chen’s eyes grew red with grief.

Pei Yue reached out to wipe his grandmother’s tears. "Don't cry, Grandmother."

Pei Feng pressed his lips into a thin line and suddenly pulled a dagger from his robes. "If the villains come, I will fight them to the death first."

This dagger was the first weapon his cousin, Qinghe, had bartered for with silver. Earlier today, after acquiring bows, arrows, and long blades, Qinghe had given this small dagger to him.

The seven-year-old boy gripped the weapon tightly, his handsome, tense face radiating a murderous intent far beyond his years.

Watching him, Madam Lu felt a deeper sense of despair.

The men of the Pei family were all gone; those fighting for their lives outside were the women of the family. Now, it was finally the turn of the elderly and the children!

What had the Pei family done to deserve this? Why did heaven insist on snatching away their very last hope for survival?

Pei Xuan also held a weapon—a sword with the tip broken off. It was a discarded piece left behind by the common soldiers, which she had quietly retrieved. Though it lacked a point, it was far better than a wooden stick.

"Pei Feng, let us charge out now," Pei Xuan said. Her cute, round face held no fear, only a fierce, predatory glint, much like a tiger cub that had yet to fully grow. "If we kill one, we break even; if we kill two, we profit."

Pei Feng blinked, stunned. "Cousin Qinghe told us to hide in the cellar and not go out..."

"What time do you think it is now!" Pei Xuan interrupted. "The sounds of battle are drawing nearer; they must be unable to hold them back much longer. If we wait for the villains to find this cellar, we won't even have the chance to fight."

"Are you afraid?"

"Forget it, I’ll go myself!"

Pei Feng, unable to withstand the provocation, immediately sprang up. "Who said I was afraid! Let’s go! We go out right now!"

Madam Lu was horrified and opened her mouth to stop them, but Madam Chen’s voice cut through the air: "Let us go. I am coming too!" She then turned to Madam Lu and said, "Sister-in-law, take good care of Yue and the others."

Madam Lu tried to speak, but her throat felt as if it were blocked by an egg, unable to produce a sound. Tears fell rapidly, blurring her vision.

Soon, the voices of several other elderly women rose from the cellar: "We are all going."

At a time like this, if they did not fight, were they simply to wait for death together?

They would risk it all! Even if they died, they would drag a villain to hell with them!

The cellar door was pushed open.

Cold, biting air mingled with the thick, cloying scent of blood rushed in. Pei Xuan and Pei Feng, the first to climb out, felt a surge of adrenaline.

Young and fearless, the two children, fueled by a rush of hot blood, charged toward the sounds of battle—one gripping a dagger, the other a broken sword.

Madam Chen and half a dozen other elderly women, lacking weapons, snatched up wooden sticks and followed suit.

Several corpses of the villains lay on the ground.

The postmaster had been hacked to death, as had the cook. Of the five post-couriers, two were down, leaving only three struggling desperately with their swords.

Hearing the footsteps, the three couriers were delirious with joy, thinking reinforcements had arrived. But when they turned, they saw only two children who barely reached their waists and several white-haired old women.

The couriers' hearts went cold.

It was over!

The villains had kept pouring in; eight of them had fought to the death, leaving only these three, all of whom were wounded. And their "reinforcements" were two half-grown children and a group of old women who could barely walk steadily!

"Grab the weapons first!" Pei Xuan shouted. She rushed to the fallen postmaster, snatching up a blade.

Pei Feng tucked his dagger into his robe and grabbed a sword.

The other women followed suit, arming themselves. Regardless of their skill or strength, holding a sharp edge provided them with a sudden spark of courage.

Pei Xuan and Pei Feng rushed to the couriers' side, brandishing their weapons, with the old women following close behind to join the fray.

The despairing couriers were shocked to find that the two children were not weak and possessed real grit, and the old women were not just there to die—they could actually fight!

The two villains, who had previously held the upper hand, were soon overwhelmed by the swarm of people. Pei Xuan spotted an opening and lunged, driving her blade through one villain's thigh.

The man screamed and collapsed, only to be run through the chest by several blades.

The last villain, unable to hold his own, was quickly dispatched as well.

The couriers, gasping for breath and utterly exhausted, slumped to the ground.

Pei Xuan immediately commanded, "Don't sit! Get up quickly! There are more enemies outside!"

No sooner had she spoken than three more blood-soaked villains charged in.

This was a brutal, bloody war.

Pei Feng, young and weak, soon faltered. As a long blade swung down, he failed to dodge in time, watching in horror as the steel descended. In that critical moment, a figure rushed forward, blocking the lethal blow for him.

It was Madam Chen.

She was hacked into a mess of gore, dying instantly without even a chance to utter a final word.

The remaining old women, their eyes burning with grief, charged at the villains to fight... and one by one, they fell into pools of blood.

Everything before Pei Feng’s eyes turned bright red.

He could neither cry nor scream, but he fought on with his long sword.

However, he was too weak. Each time a villain struck, he had to exhaust his entire strength just to parry. With another blow, his sword was knocked from his hand.

The villain approached with a hideous grin.

In his final moments, Pei Feng felt no fear, only regret, frustration, and self-reproach. He was so useless! He couldn't fight them off, couldn't kill these monsters... He closed his eyes, waiting for death.

*Thwack!*

A shrill, piercing scream rang out.

Pei Feng opened his eyes in a daze.

A familiar figure came into view. "Don't be afraid, I am here."

It was Pei Qinghe.

Having fought through the night, she was drenched in blood. Whether it was her own or the villains', her face was splattered with crimson.

Pei Feng felt a lump in his throat. With a sudden surge of strength, he struggled to his feet and retrieved his sword. "Cousin!"

Another courier had died, leaving only two alive, both covered in wounds and unable to fight. Pei Xuan was injured, and Madam Chen and the others were dead.

Three more villain corpses lay on the ground.

It was a pyrrhic victory.

Now was not the time for sorrow.

Pei Qinghe exhaled a long breath and said in a deep voice, "We have killed the villains outside. But we cannot be careless. Some may still be hiding. We must search the post station thoroughly and eliminate every one of them."

"Pei Feng, take Pei Xuan to find Doctor Bao and have your wounds bandaged."

Pei Feng nodded and helped Pei Xuan toward the doctor.

Pei Qinghe steadied her heart, lifted her long blade, and turned to command the guards and officers: "Do not move alone. Search in groups of five. Leave no one alive."