By the time Duanmu Huai arrived in Yangzhou, it was already late.
The yacht moved neither fast nor slow beneath the glow of the light bands, gliding along in leisurely ease. Standing on the deck, Duanmu Huai gazed at Yangzhou in the distance and couldn't help stretching.
Wang Yuyan and Little Dragon Maiden stood on either side of him, but the beautiful scenery before them only made them feel somewhat dejected.
Their reaction was perfectly understandable. After all, the three of them had traveled downstream the entire way, witnessing scenes of war and chaos everywhere. Whether they were so-called rebel forces or regular troops, wherever they went, they burned, killed, and looted. Stealing people's possessions wasn't enough—they also forcibly conscripted able-bodied young men into their armies, and whenever they saw young women, they seized them without hesitation.
After seeing so many scenes of war and chaos, both women wore deeply furrowed brows and were in poor spirits.
Wang Yuyan sighed and spoke softly.
"I had heard that there was a rebellion in South State, but I never imagined it would be this terrifying. The official troops are one thing, but why are even the rebel forces so overbearing toward ordinary people? Along the way, we've seen countless instances of women being abducted and children and the elderly being killed. It's truly chilling."
"That's how war is."
Duanmu Huai curled his lip.
"Don't be fooled by the banners and slogans those rebel forces wave. In truth, they're nothing more than a bunch of mountain bandits and marauders. The only difference is that, compared with the bandits who usually waylay travelers, they have greater ambitions. To them, the whole world is their target, and for that goal, anything they do can be forgiven. Forcibly recruiting young men increases their military strength, seizing