Chapter 68 - Do not order this draft, it needs further revision.

On the flower boat.

After Xiao Jianseng left.

The four men, nicknamed "Bird, Bow, Rabbit, and Dog," reluctantly started drinking together.

This is naturally a way of drowning one's sorrows in alcohol, a kind of "what's the use" attitude.

This time, the general suffered heavy losses, with Puppet, Headless, Golden Armor, Thunderstorm, and Rose all falling into the hands of the bandits, and even the witnesses were taken away...

This might be the last time we drink together.

They were not core members of General Terror's army.

They rarely spoke, and when the general waved his hand or raised his eyes, they had to carefully consider his meaning.

In the general's eyes, they were also tools unworthy of emotion.

What?

The tool isn't working properly?

Of course, you should replace it with a new one; just throw away the old one.

On the other hand, someone has to take the blame for such a huge mess.

The four of them always had to agree on a single story, making their testimonies fit together perfectly.

Xiao Jianseng is the best candidate.

The cost of dragging him down is not small; we can only imply that he has made some mistakes to prevent him from turning around and accusing the four of them.

The main reason was to shift the blame to General Mo Dafu, who was beheaded.

If he hadn't been unable to resist, there wouldn't have been any subsequent twists and turns.

Since it is the root of all evil, it should naturally bear the responsibility.

The most amazing thing is that the dead can't talk.

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Ling Luoshi was in seclusion, and the four of them, who had been living in constant fear, were finally able to relax and couldn't help but want to indulge themselves a little.

Despite saying that, Tang Xiaoniao still drank a few less cups.

If the general sends an urgent order, someone must remind them to use their internal strength to force the wine into their mouths and immediately go to report back.

After a long exchange of toasts and several rounds of drinks, the group, arms around each other's shoulders, swayed and staggered off the flower boat.

As Ling Luoshi's assassins, the four of them never slept drunk on the pleasure boat.

Flower boats are a melting pot of all sorts of people, often a gathering place for assassins and spies, making them easy targets for sneak attacks.

If you stay drunk in a place like this and happen to run into someone from the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion, wouldn't you be caught like a turtle in a jar?

Everyone thought they would indulge in wine and women, but they didn't fall for it!

Hehe, they're quite clever, like "birds, bows, rabbits, and dogs."

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late at night.

The four walked unsteadily, their arms around each other's shoulders, supporting each other as they swam sideways in the middle of the alley.

The moonlight cast their shadows crookedly.

In the distance, the sound of a watchman striking his clapper could be heard: "The ground is slippery after the rain, proceed with caution; the granaries are full, beware of fire and theft—"

Tang Xiaoniao let out a burp.

He was clearly the one who drank the least.

But the melancholy felt after drinking is the deepest.

Looking at the high moon in the sky, he couldn't help but feel a little melancholy.

Oh, this besieged city! This humid land, with its fertile soil nourished by spring oil, why does it not give birth to a savior of light, but instead to a man-eating monster?

Just thinking about the scene of Ling Luoshi shredding his good brother and cooking him into human flesh soup made Tang Xiaoniao unable to help but cover her mouth and run to the wall to vomit.

The other three drunkards, seeing Tang Xiaoniao's state, swayed and laughed.

"You can't even handle this little bit of alcohol? Hiccup~ You drank the least and threw up the first, I bet you're a one-cup wonder!"

"The cat's alcohol tolerance—"

"With this level of drinking ability, how can you survive in the martial arts world with us? You need to practice some more!"

Tang Xiaoniao wiped her mouth with her sleeve and said irritably, "You little bastards! Stop making fun of my drinking capacity."

"All you do is drink like crazy. When it really comes down to it, you'll be so drunk you won't know anything, and I'll have to be the one to hold you up!"

At that moment, a tall "man" whose face was obscured walked out of the alleyway.

The newcomer wore a rose-colored robe, a black cloak draped over his shoulders, a brightly colored pheasant feather helmet, and a mask with a floral face. He gently carried a large broom in his right hand.

This bizarre outfit makes him look more and more like a Sichuan opera face-changing performer.

Is it General Rose, Yu Chuntong?

Why would someone cover their face with a mask for no reason?

"General Rose..." Tang Xiaoniao squinted, trying hard to see Yu Chuntong who was getting closer and closer, and felt more and more uneasy.

They are like a pack of hyenas kept by a great general, tearing at the weak and begging for mercy from the strong.

As a hyena, how could it not sense the premonition of death brought by the leopard?

This threat, stemming from his survival instincts, made him subconsciously touch the box of Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles tucked into his lower back.

I found nothing.

Tang Xiaoniao broke out in a cold sweat, and the alcohol instantly wore off.

Before she could warn her three colleagues who were unaware of their impending doom, Tang Xiaoniao immediately leaped onto the roof and ran away as fast as she could.

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The newcomer brandished a large sweeping knife, forcefully blocking their path.

"Little... Little General? This outfit is quite ridiculous." Master Rabbit's face was gloomy, and even though he was drunk, he still smelled strongly of alcohol.

Alcohol emboldens the timid.

He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Yu Chuntong, stop playing tricks on me at night! Who are you trying to scare? Get out of here!"

"Well said!" Dog Taoist laughed so hard he almost fell over, his eyes narrowed to slits.

The oddly dressed person remained silent.

Seeing that the other party did not move, Lei Dagong, who usually had the most irritable temper, staggered forward.

He clenched his fist and poked the other man's shoulder a few times, saying in a menacing voice, "Did you hear me? You're blocking my way, believe me or not, I'll cleave your rabbit-face mask to shreds with one slash!"

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The moonlight shone on the person wearing the mask.

The man stood quietly, his eyes fixed on Lei Dagong, a half-smile playing on his lips.

It looks weird and creepy.

"Let me see if you really are Yu Chuntong..."

Lei Dagong felt a chill run down his spine from being stared at. He rubbed his arms, which were covered in goosebumps, gritted his teeth, and raised his hand to remove the mask the man was wearing.

The man suddenly tilted his head, flicked his cloak with his left hand, and his floral face instantly transformed into the yellow-faced Dian Wei.

Lei Dagong was startled and instinctively wanted to make a move, but the man grinned and suddenly spat a ball of flame at him.

He quickly dodged, and in that brief moment, the man opened a very familiar-looking box.

As soon as the box was opened, countless silver needles, as fine as cow hair, shot out, transforming into a dazzling display of silver light.

"No—" Lei Dagong panicked, the alcohol had already worn off, but he was unable to escape the overwhelming attack.

He was too close and was directly hit by a barrage of needles, turning him into a beehive. He felt his whole body stiffen, and the bone-chilling pain spread throughout his body!

Lei Dagong subconsciously reached out to grab, but only grasped emptiness. His hands fell futilely to his sides as an indescribable pain and numbness spread wildly to every inch of his skin.

The sensation was like being scorched by a raging fire, or being gnawed by ants. He stood frozen in place, watching helplessly as his life slipped away like sand in an hourglass.

His consciousness began to blur, and Lei Dagong couldn't understand how he had ended up like this.

How could he be worse off than falling into the hands of the "Four Fiends" and being treated as a traitor?

A torrential downpour of pear blossom needles...

Isn't that Tang Xiaoniao's secret weapon?

Why did it end up in the hands of "Yu Chuntong"?

Could it be that Tang Xiaoniao has sought refuge with Yu Chuntong?

...

Too many questions troubled Lei Dagong.

He stared intently in the direction from which the rain of needle-like needles was coming.

The body, riddled with holes, continued to bleed, pooling into a pool of blood at his feet.

Lei Dagong stood upright, his eyes wide open in death.

Before he died, a sentence floated through his mind: Yu Chuntong, I curse your ancestors!

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Master Rabbit and Taoist Dog were much luckier.

Because most of the silver needles in the needle box had penetrated Lei Dagong's body, while they were relatively far away, only a few silver needles had pierced their bodies; in addition, the speed and power of the silver needles flying from a distance had been weakened.

Therefore, the wounds were few and not deep.

Unfortunately, Master Rabbit was injured by the Rain of Pear Blossom Needles and, enraged, charged forward like a raging bull without thinking.

But he forgot.

Alcohol can indeed deplete a person's health.

He hasn't even used his internal energy to force the wine in, how can he possibly be a match for him?

The opponent used only one strike; a flash of cold light, and Master Rabbit felt as if he were floating up into the air.

When he flew high into the air and looked down at the ground, he realized that his body was still standing in the same spot. His neck was empty, and blood was gushing out like a fountain.

Where's the head?

Oh, it's flying.

Immediately afterwards, everything went black before his eyes, and he knew nothing more.

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Dog Taoist's face turned ashen, and he didn't dare to look back even once.

His legs went weak, and all he could think about was escaping that terrifying alleyway.

But the more he ran, the faster the enemy's attacks came.

He had always suspected that the person wearing the mask and the rose robe was not the real Rose General Yu Chuntong.

Until the opponent used Yu Chuntong's ultimate move - "Lost in the Void Strike".

Yu Chuntong is beautiful on the outside but vicious on the inside.

Even his signature move, "Void Strike," is just like him.

It may seem like a missed opportunity, but it is actually bound to succeed.

Feint to the east while attacking in the west, using deceptive tactics to mislead the enemy.

His move was extremely ruthless, far more decisive and ferocious than his previous "empty strike".

The trajectory also becomes more difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.

Dog Taoist also wanted to make a move to fight back, but the big sweeping knife had already cleaved down!

He felt like he was in a cocoon.

Inside the cocoon lies a butterfly about to take flight.

As the butterfly emerged from its cocoon, it too split in two from the middle.

A spray of blood mist suddenly erupted!

The blood-soaked butterfly emerged from his two bodies.

"Yu Chuntong" had already swept several feet away.

Not a drop of blood mist sprayed onto him.

Before his consciousness completely vanished, Dog Taoist heard a faint chuckle: "Damn little beast."

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"Pfft."

The large sweeping knife was stuck next to the dog-like Taoist's corpse.

The person wearing the mask raised their hand, ripped off the disguise from their face, shook their hair, and tilted their head slightly to reveal an unexpected face.

"Why go through all this trouble? Why didn't you just kill them on the pleasure boat?" Lu Xiaojia sat quietly on the wall, picking up a peanut with her fingers but not peeling it.

You Mingjiang shrugged and said, "Wouldn't that implicate those girls who work as hostesses? We'll have to be caught in the middle, strike them down decisively, and not blame anyone else. It'll be a sure thing that General Rose has betrayed us."

Lu Xiaojia pondered for a moment and said, "I'm afraid Ling Luoshi won't believe it."

You Mingjiang chuckled and said, "We don't need him to believe it. As long as everyone believes that General Rose has betrayed us, that's enough."

After saying this, she tied a white cloth to the hilt of the broom, then dipped a twig in blood and wrote a line of words in blood:

"The roses have fallen, and fear awaits the blade to kill."

This statement is clearly a satire of the saying, "Those who do not dismount from their horses will be terrified and will not return to heaven."

.

Lu Xiaojia said calmly, "I've already dealt with Tang Xiaoniao, a fatal blow... that puts Xiao Jianseng at ease."

You Mingjiang smiled and said, "I'm not doing this to save him; I'm just saving whoever I can."

Lu Xiaojia said earnestly, "Of course you saved him. You did more than just save him; you saved both of them, you saved a loving couple, and you saved a beautiful story of lovers flying wing to wing."

"Really?" You Mingjiang looked up, her eyes sparkling. "Don't you think I'm meddling?"

“But what you’re managing is what you should be managing, and what you’re managing has become a source of joy and happiness in the world.” Lu Xiaojia leaned down, smiled faintly, and offered her her hand. “Those who don’t want to be managed by you are the ones who are unlucky.”

You Mingjiang laughed.

She did not refuse his kindness, but held his hand tightly, used the leverage to flip over, and landed steadily on the wall.

She handed the empty needle case to Lu Xiaojia and chuckled, "I knew this 'Rain of Pear Blossoms' needle would be very useful to you."

Lu Xiaojia chuckled and said, "It's clearly useful to you."

You Mingjiang retorted confidently, "If it weren't useful to me, how would you have had the opportunity to lend it to me?"

Lu Xiaojia paused for a moment, her thin lips curving slightly, her long, narrow eyes turning up slightly, and a smile blooming in her aloof eyes.

It looks just like a white magnolia in full bloom in spring.

Seeing that he was amused, You Mingjiang's eyes curved into crescents, revealing a set of neat teeth. She then pulled him up from the wall. "Let's go. It's almost dawn. I'll give you a chance."

"What opportunity?" Lu Xiaojia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll give you a chance. Treat me to Three-Ingredient Buns, Jadeite Shumai, Thousand-Layer Oil Cake, Wensi Tofu, Stewed Crab Roe, Lion's Head Meatballs, Squirrel Mandarin Fish, Salted Duck..." You Mingjiang recited the menu, shaking his head.

Lu Xiaojia said helplessly, "You might as well eat me out of house and home."

"I'm just trying to lighten your load, aren't I? Those few coins in your satchel are making you feel really heavy."

"Sigh, I misjudged people, I misjudged people." Lu Xiaojia smiled, lightly tapping her toes for leverage. "If you can catch up, then ask me for food again!"

"You cheated! How could you jump the gun!"

You Mingjiang lightly touched the ground with her toes and leaped after him, saying, "Now you're afraid of going broke eating me out of house and home, and you're complaining about how much it hurts? Too late!"

...

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