The turmoil at the front lines and the undercurrent in the temple hall could not reach a small estate in the southern outskirts of the Imperial City.
This estate had over sixty households in total, all working the land diligently, seemingly all peasants. But if one were to take a walk around, they'd find that everyone here carried an air of ferocity. Many of the men were missing limbs, yet none of them bore the gloom of the maimed; they would smile when it was time to smile, glare when it was time to glare.
The surrounding villagers called this place "Wu Village," for all its residents were men retired from the army who had settled down here. There was also a very high-ranking official living here. They said his surname was Yang, but as for how high his rank was—well, folks in the countryside couldn't say, only that it far surpassed the officials in the local government office.
