The torches on the city wall were still emitting their light in the early hours of the morning. In the darkness outside the south gate of Zezhou, clusters of bonfires stretched into the distance. The crowd that had gathered there gradually quietened down.
At a place under the city wall that was leeward from the wind, some of the refugees were sleeping, but some of them were still awake. They surrounded a man who was lying on the ground with many bandages wrapped around his body. The man was about 30 years old. His clothes were tattered and stained with blood. His hair was messy, and even though he was wrapped in bandages, one could still vaguely see the blood in him.
The man did not want to sleep, but he was too tired. He leaned against the city wall and dozed off for a while. The crowd did not want to wake him up, so they let him sleep for a while longer.
A gust of wind whistled past the top of the city wall. The man suddenly woke up with a start and opened his eyes. He was slightly more awake and tried to get up. A woman next to him went over and helped him up. "What time is it?" he asked.
"It's almost dawn."
"I told you to wake me up. I want … Oh right, hot water. I want to take a bath." He looked a little anxious. "Give me … Find me a set of slightly better clothes. I want to change."
The man among the refugees was Wang Shitong, who was known as the Ghost King.
Due to his serious injuries from the torture, he was practically carried and supported by others as he ran around for half a night. He only got some time to rest after the refugees were finally appeased. He did not stop at that moment. Under his orders, the crowd found a relatively intact house for him. The refugee woman who looked after his injuries helped him change his clothes, wipe him down, and tidy him up for a while. After taking off his clothes, the injuries on his body were shocking. However, at that moment, Wang Shitong was excited and excited.
While he was tidying up, someone else came in. It was Yan Hong, the deputy who was captured together with Wang Shitong. He was seriously injured when he was captured. As he was not suitable for torture, Sun Qi and the others applied some medicine on him. Later, the Huaxia Army went to prison once and applied medicine on him again. On the day he was rescued, Yan Hong's condition was much better than Wang Shitong's.
"You're going to meet the people from Black Flag?"
"Yes, we've already agreed." Wang Shitong smiled. "I'm willing to die for it. I really didn't expect … I really didn't expect …"
His laughter was joyful, but it was also sad. Yan Hong understood what it felt like. After a while, he said, "I went to take a look. Zezhou has been completely pacified."
"Yes."
"I heard that those rumors might also be true. The Tiger King's territory has completely changed."
"It's not strange." Wang Shitong pursed her lips. "The Chinese army … The Chinese army making a move isn't strange at all. If they had acted earlier, perhaps the incident at the banks of the Yellow River wouldn't have happened … Heh … "
At this point, Wang Shitong reached out and patted the chair. His mournful mood turned into laughter. Perhaps Yan Hong's heart was filled with bitterness and despair. At this moment, the rims of his eyes reddened, and he laughed out loud. The woman at the side could not help but start to cry. As soon as the woman cried, the two men in the room laughed even louder. Tears also rolled down their faces.
The hardships and sorrows of the world were hard to describe with words. Especially after experiencing the darkness and despair, after a night of relaxation, the complex feelings were even more indescribable.
"I went to see them and begged them for help …"
"They'll help, they'll definitely help … Look, Old Yan, I've always said that the heavens won't give us a dead end. "They'll always give us a way out. Haha … hahahaha …"
The two men laughed joyfully in the room. Subsequently, their laughter also infected the woman at the side. After a while, when Wang Shitong was helped out of the room, the first rays of dawn were just about to appear on the horizon. The crowing of a rooster could be heard. On the streets nearby, the refugees around the bonfire saw Wang Shitong and the others walking over and stood up to greet him. There were also those who cried loudly, and Wang Shitong comforted them.
"It's alright, it's alright. As long as I'm alive, as long as I'm alive … so will all of you … "
Most of the people who could come to Zezhou after the great defeat and massacre at the banks of the Yellow River had already pinned all their hopes on Wang Shitong. When they heard what he said, they were happy and settled down.
At this moment, the light of dawn was about to shine down. Especially not long after, when Wang Shitong and the person he saw got to know each other, the feeling of sunlight shining down on them reached its peak. After that …
They fell —
*****
"… The agreement is on the 29th of June. In Prince Jin's territory, a portion of the Huaxia army's reserved personnel will be mobilized at the same time. They will cooperate with Tian Hu's faction to overthrow the nine prefectures under Tian Hu's control. Theoretically speaking, at this time, Wei Sheng has completely changed. Wang Ju will go down to Yunnan and take over Meng County, Xi County, and several other cities. Tian Hu's original forces will be replaced by Tian Shi, Yu Yulin, Lou Shuwan, and the others. The Jurchen might send some troops nearby to suppress Tian Hu … This might be the situation you'll face next … "
"Then the Huaxia army …"
"A portion of our manpower was exposed in this incident. According to the agreement, they should be retreating south. Of course, I can also leave a portion to help you."
"The Huaxia army didn't go north?"
"During the three years in Little Canghe, the Huaxia army lost a lot of people. Two years is actually not enough to recover. If we were to go north, the Jurchen, the fake Qi, and the NMAU are currently enemies with us … If they come to the Central Plains, it will only be another three years. "
"Hmm …"
The cool morning breeze blew the smoke. The streets were still filled with the smell of extinguished fireworks. In front of the ruins, the injured man spoke to the scholar in light robes. After Ning Yi explained the situation, he noticed the other party's mood and smiled.
"When you were working in the north, some Black Flag people gathered around you. They admired your bravery and chivalry and advised you to go south with them and join the Huaxia army. At that time, General Wang, you said that seeing the people being plunged into misery and suffering, how could you just stand by and leave them behind? Even if you were to die, you would bring them to Jiangnan … I really admired this way of thinking. General Wang, do you still think this way? If … I invite you to join the Huaxia army again, would you be willing? "
Wang Shitong was obviously thinking about other things. His gaze was complicated as he thought about it for a while. "But … there are so many of them, Mister Ning …"
"Hmm?"
"Mister Ning, I'm here to ask for food for them …"
Wang Shitong pondered for a moment and finally said this. Ning Yi nodded. "I understand this and have already made arrangements. One-third of the stored food in Zezhou will be allocated to your side. In total, there are nearly ten thousand dans. It should be enough to solve the urgent problem. The available carriages in the city have already been allocated. Maybe you will also have to be responsible for some of them. "
"… Then Mister Ning, where can they go next?"
"Where do you want to go?"
"I want to bring them across the Yellow River." Wang Shitong looked at Ning Yi and said, "To Jiangnan."
Ning Yi slightly opened his mouth and was silent for a moment. "I … personally, I don't think the possibility is high."
The scene fell silent. Wang Shitong opened his mouth, but no words came out. After a long time, he finally said, "Mister Ning, they are really … very pitiful …"
His voice floated in the wind, but Ning Yi didn't respond. Wang Shitong recalled those tragedies and said, "They used to have some family property and foundation, but ever since we went south, they've lost everything. Along the way, countless people starved to death or were killed. I don't know how to carry them, but I don't know where to go. My wife and daughter died on the road, and they said that we massacred the entire city … hundreds of thousands of people. We wandered the entire way, eating all the tree bark. They … they even began to eat children. Mister Ning, I don't know how to speak …"
"… They just wanted to live, as long as there was a way to live … but the heavens didn't give them a way to live. There was a plague of locusts, a great drought … and a flood …" As he said this, his voice choked and he pressed his head. "I brought them to the Yellow River with great difficulty. There was Tian Hu and Sun Qi. If not for the Chinese army, they really would have died. They would have frozen to death and starved to death. Mister Ning, I know you are good people, really good people. In those years, everyone else knelt down. Only you truly resisted … "
Ning Yi gently patted his shoulder. "Everyone was struggling with their lives."
"If they can't cross the Yellow River, they will all die. Mister Ning, go and see what they have become. Ten thousand stones of grain is a lot, but it's not just those outside the city. Many people died by the Yellow River, but at least two to three hundred thousand people survived. Mister Ning, if they can't cross the Yellow River, where else can they stay? "
"Perhaps we can arrange for them to be scattered into the territories of various forces?"
"Beggars can't survive the winter." Wang Shitong shook his head. "It's better during times of peace. In these times, Wang Juyun, Tian Hu, Li Xizhi, and everyone else is not well-off. Beggars can't survive. They will all die here."
Ning Yi thought about it. "But crossing the Yellow River is not a solution. It's still Liu Yu's territory. Especially … to guard against NMAU, there are still two Jurchen armies in charge there. Two to three hundred thousand people. Crossing the Yellow River will only lead to death. Have you thought about it?"
Wang Shitong nodded. "But staying here will also lead to death."
"… At least you will take care of them." Ning Yi paused and looked at him. "This is … a very difficult thing, but there is no other way. If you let them go, no one will care about them. Three hundred thousand people, I think … they can still have a foothold here. Whether it's farming, fishing, eating wild fruits, or gnawing on tree bark, they will definitely be safer here than crossing the Yellow River. If there is a need, Black Flag will do its best to support you. "
"Support … what?"
"Swords, spears, and even cannons. We will support you to stand firm, arm yourselves, and try your best to survive. In the south, with the support of the Crown Prince, a few generals led by Yue Fei have already started heading north. Only when they open up this road one day can you possibly cross safely. "
"But Black Flag … can't you help?"
"Black Flag can help." Ning Yi sighed. "But we can't go north in the near future. Everyone will die in the Central Plains just to save people. I can't make such a decision. But I promise, as long as it's possible, I will do my best to support you in settling down and heading south."
Wang Shitong was silent for a long time. "They will all die …"
"Hmm?"
"Hundreds of thousands of people … settling down here. They have never even been soldiers or fought in a war before. Mr. Ning, you don't know how they died in the battle by the Yellow River. "Settling down here, everyone will see them as a thorn in their side, and they will all die here."
"General Wang, with all due respect, in a world like this, there is no way to survive without fighting. Many people will die, and the remaining people will be tempered into warriors. The more people like this, the higher the possibility of us defeating the Jurchens one day. Only then can we truly solve the problem."
"But many people will die. You guys … we will watch them die." He originally wanted to refer to Ning Yi, but in the end, he changed it to "we". After a while, he said softly, "Mr. Ning, I have an idea …"
"Tell me about it."
"Look at Zezhou City, the Tiger King's territory. You … you've arranged so many people. Once they move, this place will be turned upside down. "Back then, when I said that many people from the Huaxia army stayed behind, everyone was skeptical. Now, they don't doubt it anymore. Mr. Ning, since you've arranged so many people here, there should also be people in Liu Yu's territory, right? "Can you … can you mobilize them? Mr. Ning, Liu Yu is much weaker than Tian Hu and the others. As long as you mobilize them, the Central Plains will definitely change. Can you … consider …"
Ning Yi's gaze gradually became serious. Wang Shitong waved his hands.
"These are hundreds of thousands of people. Hundreds of thousands of lives. Mr. Ning, they are the hundreds of thousands of lives in front of you. As long as you raise your hand, they can cross the Yellow River, cross the Central Plains, and go to Jiangnan. They will be able to survive. "With the merit of hundreds of thousands of lives, Mr. Ning, after the Huaxia army did these things, their reputation will definitely be greater in the world. There will definitely be millions who will come to join us. "Even if it's regicide, it will be washed away …"
As he said this, he gritted his teeth and slowly got up to kneel. Ning Yi held his hand, and after a while, he asked him to sit back down.
"This is an idea that can be considered." Ning Yi deliberated for a moment. "However, General Wang, the mobilization of Tian Hu's side is just a warning to others. Once the Central Plains makes their move, the Venerable Lady will definitely come. At that time, the regime will change, and the Huaxia soldiers in hiding will definitely be purged on a larger scale. "The Venerable Lady is different from Liu Yu. Liu Yu killed so many people that there are bones everywhere. He still needs someone to stand for him in the court. The Venerable Lady's army will be able to slaughter them city by city …
"However, this is indeed hundreds of thousands of lives. Mr. Ning, tell me, what can be more important than this? We have to save people first …
"The biggest problem is that once the Venerable Lady goes south, NMAU's last chance to breathe will be gone. "You see, if Liu Yu and the others are still here, they will always be a whetstone. They can sharpen NMAU's knife even more. Once the Venerable Lady goes south, it will be the time to test the knife. At that time, I'm afraid these hundreds of thousands of people won't live for more than a few years …
"However, maybe the Venerable Lady won't mobilize her troops. As long as you reduce the scope of the mobilization, we only have one path …
"Whether or not there is a compromise, I will consider it carefully. General Wang, please consider it carefully too. Many times, we are helpless …"
The wind stirred up the morning fog. The conversation between the two continued. On the other side of the city, You Hongzhuo dragged his injured body along the streets. He carried a saber on his back, his face pale and swaying. However, because he wore a special military insignia on his body, no one stopped him on the road.
He went to a small square and sat down among the crowd. Tired snoring could be heard all around him.
After a whole night of madness, You Hongzhuo leaned against the wall, his eyes dull and lost in thought. Ever since he had left the prison last night, he had fought a few battles with a group of prisoners. Then, with an obsession, he had gone to find his fourth brother, Kuang Wenbai, to seek revenge.
However, the temple of the Great Light Sect had already been razed. The army had killed a few times nearby, then set a big fire, burning the place to the ground. Who knew how many people from the Greenwood Sect had died in the fire? The fire had spread to the surrounding streets and houses. You Hongzhuo could not find Kuang Wenbai, so he could only participate in putting out the fire.
That night, he wandered around the city and saw too many tragedies and desolation. At first, he did not think much of it, but as he watched, he suddenly felt disgusted. The houses that had been burned down, the innocent people who had been killed in the streets, the civilians who had died during the army's charge, the children who were in a daze in pools of blood because their family members had died …
"Hey, that's you, right?" A voice came from the side. "That stubborn kid in the prison!"
You Hongzhuo turned his head and took a closer look. Only then did he realize that the man next to him was the one who had been locked up in the prison cell opposite him. This man had once asked him to make a move to free his severely injured cellmate, but You Hongzhuo had not done so in the end. Both of them had gotten into an argument.
You Hongzhuo raised his guard, but the other party did not have the intention to start a fight. "I saw you kill someone last night. You're a good person. Let's write off all the grudges between us. How about that?"
You Hongzhuo did not say anything, which could be considered as tacit approval. The other party was clearly fatigued, but he was still in high spirits. He said, "Haha, this is great. It's been a long time since I've felt so good. Brother, what's your name? My name is Changjun. We've decided to go to the southwest to join the Black Flag Society. Do you want to go? "
"Black Flag …" You Hongzhuo repeated. "Is the Black Flag a good person?"
"Of course the Black Flag is a good person. Why? Do you have a problem with the Black Flag?"
You Hongzhuo looked at the sky and fell silent for a long time. "I can't tell …"
That's right, he couldn't tell. At this moment, Kuang Wenbai's voice suddenly appeared in You Hongzhuo's mind. In such a world, who was a good person? Big Bro and the others said that they were doing chivalry, but in reality, they were doing it for Wang Juyun. The Great Radiant Sect appeared to be sanctimonious, but they were actually filthy and shameless. Kuang Wenbai said that in this world, who didn't have people standing behind them? Black Flag? Was the Black Flag considered a good person? So many innocent people had died.
What about those people?
At this moment, he suddenly did not want to go anywhere. He did not want to become someone with people standing behind them. There had to be a path for those innocent people. Chivalry … Wasn't the so-called chivalry supposed to be like this? He thought of Mister Zhao and his wife from the Dark Wind Twin Killers. He had a stomach full of questions he wanted to ask Mister Zhao, but Mister Zhao had disappeared.
The path of the pugilistic world had to be walked by oneself.
*****
It was another sunny morning. You Hongzhuo carried his two sabers on his back and left Zezhou City, which was gradually recovering its order. From this day onward, the pugilistic world had a path that belonged to him. This path was endlessly bumpy and difficult, filled with lightning and dust. However, he gripped the sabers in his hands tightly and never gave up.
It was another rainy dusk, and the ground was covered in mud. Wang Shitong drove the carriage and walked on the road. There were countless terrified people in front and behind him, and he could not see the end of them. "Hahahaha … Hahahaha …"
When Yan Hong saw him, he suddenly laughed out loud. However, his laughter was mournful and there was no joy in it. "General, what's the matter?"
"I understand, I understand …"
"What …"
"No one cares about us! No one has ever cared about us! " Do you think he came to save us? He just wanted to … make an example out of us. He didn't come for us … Look at these people, he clearly has a way … "
Yan Hong looked at him. Wang Shitong stood up in the car.
"The world is filled with evil people! That's why you guys are hungry ghosts! " The people around him looked at him in shock. Wang Shitong shook his head in the rain. "But it's okay. As long as I'm here … I'll definitely watch over you guys … As long as I'm here …"
As long as I'm here …
He repeated these words, his heart filled with the pain of countless people dying tragically. From now on, there were only real hungry ghosts left …
Ning Yi, Watermelon, and the others left Zezhou and began to head south. In the process, he calculated several times the possibility of making Wang Shitong and the others retreat south, but in the end he couldn't find a way. Wang Shitong's final mental state made him slightly worried. When it came to important matters, Ning Yi had a heart of stone, but if it was really possible, he actually didn't mind doing some good deeds.
If Wang Shitong, as the leader, really had a problem, then if possible, he would also hope that there was a second way to go.
At this time, the internal strife of Prince Jin's forces, and the news that the Black Flag spies had finally shown their fangs, had spread to all corners of the world.
A husband and wife with a child had just returned from Zezhou to Vaud. At this time, Mu Yi, who had settled down in Vaud, had a wife and a child. He was a constable of a small yamen in the city of Vaud. His family had gone to Zezhou to buy some things. Their child, Mu Anping, had almost been hit by a galloping horse on the street. A hero, who was being chased, had saved the child's life. Mu Yi had wanted to repay the hero, but the enemy was very powerful. Not long after, the army of Zezhou had arrived, and the hero had been arrested as a bandit.
Mu Yi had secretly moved about, but in the end he had no choice. During this time, he had sensed that the atmosphere in Zezhou was not right, so he had left with his wife and child. Not long after, Zezhou had experienced a large-scale upheaval.
Along the way, his wife had been complaining about him. She said, "If something happens to that hero, my heart will never be at peace."
In the Yunzhong Mansion of the Jin Kingdom, a gentle-looking, refined man had just arrived. He met with Lu Mingfang, a member of the Huaxia Army who was working here. His name was Tang Minjie, and he had made a few mistakes in the southwest, so he had been transferred to the north. Lu Mingfang had known him for a long time, and knew that he was also a student of Mister Ning, and that he was quite capable.
"I want to learn the Jurchen language for a while, and then I'll get in touch with the specifics of the work. That should be better." Tang Minjie was a pragmatic person and had an extremely blunt personality. Lu Mingfang let out a breath of relief. There were many people that Mister Ning had studied with and were highly skilled, but many of them were also arrogant. Lu Mingfang was afraid that Tang Minjie would come over and cause trouble.
"It seems that he is an easy person to get along with …" Several days later, the gentle Tang Minjie had left a very good impression on Lu Mingfang. At this time, news of the movement of the Black Flag Army from the south came, and the two were excited.
"You have to do something of this magnitude …" Tang Minjie sighed, and Lu Mingfang nodded in agreement.
At this time, Lu Mingfang still could not understand what kind of light was flashing in the eyes of his young partner. Naturally, he could not predict what kind of crimes and bloodshed this member of the Black Flag Army, later codenamed "Clown", would sow in the Jurchen Kingdom in the next few years …
In Prince Jin's territory, on the night when Tian Hu won and was caught, Lou Shuwan came to the prison to see him.
"… You bastard, bastard! You can even cooperate with the enemy who killed your father! I curse you, bastard, you won't have peace in hell, I'll wait for you … "
As Tian Hu cursed, Lou Shuwan just looked at him quietly. Suddenly, Tian Hu seemed to realize something.
"No … You, you bastard, you like him! You like Ning Yi! Haha! Hahahaha! You've been learning everything from him for the past few years! I understand now — bastard is bastard! You like him! You won't have peace for the rest of your life, you don't even need to go to hell … Hahahaha … "
He was still cursing while laughing, but Lou Shuwan had already turned around and walked away.
"Cut off his tongue," she said.
Tian Hu's tongue was cut off, but this action did not have much meaning, because not long after, Tian Hu was secretly executed and buried. To the public, it was said that he died suddenly of illness. This king, who had luckily lived for more than ten years in the chaotic world, finally came to an end.
Soon, Ning Yi and the others arrived at the bank of the Yellow River. It was the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. The mountains on both sides of the river were shaded, and the water of the river surged, stretching as far as the eye could see. At this time, it had been sixteen years since Ning Yi came to this world. It had also been nine long years since Qin Siyuan died and Ning Yi killed the king in anger in the golden palace.
In this autumn of the eighth year of Jianshuo, the dead were forever gone. The survivors could only continue moving forward in their own direction.
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