The crowd gradually dispersed.
The yamen runners were cleaning up the bloody mess in the streets and collecting the corpses of the dead, which included not only people from the yamen and Green Sword Sect, but also some unfortunate civilians who couldn't withstand the penetrating arrows of the government troops.
Indeed, there was no reason in this world. One never knew when death would come, with no chance to resist or lament before being declared dead. But Zhang San was completely numb to the sight, having long grown accustomed to it.
He had wanted to leave immediately with Wang Xiaoer, but out of caution, Zhang San decided to stay in the alley a bit longer and wait until most of the people outside had left before heading out.
However, the scene that met his eyes upon exiting the alley made Zhang San pause briefly in surprise.
Below the spacious execution grounds, most of the people had already left, with only a few scattered government runners still washing away the bloodstains.
The sky was gloomy.
A woman in white stood below the execution grounds.
The woman looked to be in her thirties, her white robes filled with patches. She stood silently watching for a long time.
Then she turned around.
It was the expression on the woman's face that made Zhang San freeze up for a moment.
It was an expression of utter despair.
What was she despairing over? The execution grounds were clearly empty.
Zhang San wondered about this curiously.
The woman then slowly walked away, her direction coincidentally leading towards where Zhang San was.
As the woman drew nearer, Zhang San realized she was very beautiful, with time seeming to have left little trace on her face. Despite her shabby clothes and lack of makeup, she was still striking.
The woman's peripheral vision caught sight of Zhang San, but she continued on her way slowly without paying him much attention.
...
...
"Master...what are you looking at?" Wang Xiaoer asked.
Zhang San pointed in the direction the woman in white had left and said, "There's something odd about that woman."
Wang Xiaoer squinted into the distance from the cart and vaguely made out the figure of a woman in white robes. He murmured, "Master is indeed at that age now and should consider..."
Thud!
No more needed to be said before Wang Xiaoer was thumped again.
Zhang San said, "I just feel like the direction she was looking before seems to be...where the magistrate left. Or am I imagining things?"
Wang Xiaoer rubbed his head and said, "Don't think about it, Master. It's got nothing to do with us. We've still got our own business to handle."
Zhang San nodded. "You're right. No wonder you're my disciple. By the way...what was our business again?"
Wang Xiaoer looked towards South Avenue, where a peddler was selling candied hawthorns at the end of the street. He had noticed them after the avenue reopened earlier. Wang Xiaoer naturally said, "Master, of course it's to go buy candied hawthorns. I read in medical books that sugar can stimulate the brain. As soon as we eat some, we'll be able to..."
Thud!
Another punch.
Wang Xiaoer cried out in pain but still refused to give up. "Master, how about we get two skewers to share then?"
Zhang San snorted. "Don't joke around. How could your master sit here eating candied fruit on a stick with a brat like you?"
...
...
Not long after, a master and disciple sat in a small alley in the southern part of Tian Ruo City, each eating a candied hawthorn skewer with great enjoyment.
As he bit into a haw, Wang Xiaoer asked while eating, "Master, are we really staying here tonight?"
Zhang San spoke unclearly with his mouth full, "What's wrong with it? A panoramic skylight, carefree and leisurely. We can even watch the stars at night. As righteous disciples, we've got to sleep poetically."
Wang Xiaoer nearly choked on a hawthorn. He looked around at the dilapidated alley full of puddles and said, "Master, can we be honest? Sleeping on the streets is sleeping on the streets. What poetry?"
Zhang San said wistfully, "But this is how your martial uncle spoke to me in the past."
Wang Xiaoer sighed, realizing that the sect's poverty had persisted over three generations now.
"But Master, I'm a bit worried," said Wang Xiaoer, well-read in martial arts novels.
Zhang San asked, "What are you worried about?"
Wang Xiaoer replied, "Master, didn't you say earlier that the jianghu in the central counties has been very chaotic? I read in books that places like these alleys are where murders most often happen. What if we're sleeping and suddenly a fight breaks out, and then a corpse just drops down from the sky and lands on us?"
Zhang San's brows furrowed as he thought to himself that these were some strange ideas indeed.
As expected, one really shouldn't read too many of Mr. Jin's martial arts novels, or else everyone would become obsessed like Wang Xiaoer.
A corpse falling from the sky?
Ridiculous. If that happened, I, Zhang San, would immediately pluck my head off and give it to you as a...
Just as he was thinking this, there was suddenly a loud 'thud' in the small alley!
A corpse dropped down inexplicably from somewhere, landing deep in the alley.
It was a man dressed in black robes, embroidered with the image of a dragon on the collar.
Judging from the clothes, he appeared to be a high-ranking member of the Black Dragon Hall.
However, the master and disciple remained calm.
Wang Xiaoer nodded, then licked his candied fruit skewer with an expression that said 'Just as expected, right on cue.'
Zhang San stared dumbfoundedly at the scene, subconsciously taking a bite of his skewer with an expression that said 'Well I'll be damned.'
They then exchanged glances to confirm their strategy for dealing with this.
Master, what should we do? This guy looks really formidable.
I'm used to being the one killing people in front of others. Now suddenly it's the other way around. How would I know what to do? Let's pretend to be scared first.
Master, what if pretending doesn't work?
Then we'll take him out. I'll attack from the front and you throw poison darts from behind.
Master is as shameless as ever, yet also brilliant!
After this wordless exchange, the master and disciple each began putting on an act, with the theme being 'fear' and the specific performance being terror and panic.
The Killer Hall guard from JinWan Pavilion carefully examined the scholar and boy, deciding it wasn't worth wasting time on two ordinary people. With a leap using qinggong, he departed.
Seeing the emblem of money on the back of the departing man in golden robes, Zhang San murmured doubtfully, "JinWan Pavilion? JinWan's people are chasing and killing members of the local underground gang, Black Dragon Hall?"
Moreover, the man from Black Dragon Hall had a dragon emblem embroidered on his collar, clearly marking him as a high-ranking member. For ordinary conflicts between gangs like turf wars, there was no reason to kill someone of this status.
Yet this man had undoubtedly been chased down and killed in this alley by someone from JinWan Pavilion.
Could JinWan Pavilion and Black Dragon Hall be at war?
Zhang San pulled Wang Xiaoer up and said, "Let's go!"
Having heard the three words "JinWan Pavilion" whispered by his master, Wang Xiaoer also realized the gravity of the situation and hurriedly jumped onto the cart.
However, as soon as the cart moved, Wang Xiaoer became worried again. "Master, I'm a bit anxious again."
Zhang San asked listlessly and helplessly, "Now what is it?!"
Explosive Plot Song Gua crossed over into another world, bringing along a whole crew of his doppelgangers—all of them mischief-makers. This was a world where everyone could choose a class. Song Gua became a "Bondweaver," capable of borrowing power, while his doppelgangers took on a wide variety of classes, covering just about everything. The number of doppelgangers grew day by day, each one a talented individual with a charming way of speaking. Under Song Gua's brilliant leadership, they would "greet" each other daily and engage in friendly "sparring," pulling off one major scheme after another on Earth. Sometimes they were bandits—stealing bosses, plundering mines, snatching resources. Sometimes they were saviors—descending like divine warriors to face world bosses threatening to massacre cities. Sometimes they even went undercover, infiltrating various major factions to stir up trouble from within, keeping their enemies constantly on edge. To prevent their doppelganger abilities from being exposed, Song Gua made them wear masks with mahjong tile patterns and don Taoist robes in various colors. "Remember, in front of outsiders, call me 'The Dice.'" "Got it! Boss!" "Not 'Boss'—it's 'The Dice.' Think about the vibe, pay attention to the vibe." "Yes! Boss!" "For crying out loud..." From then on, whenever they appeared, they would have their own theme song playing: ~Hey~ paying respects at the mountain stronghold at night~ whose arm is draped over whose shoulder~ gather your courage and follow along...
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
