Chapter 69 Draft - Do Not Subscribe, Please Proceed with Revisions

In the end, we didn't get to have the meal.

No sooner had You Mingjiang killed the four members of the "Bird Bow Rabbit Dog" gang than Ling Luoshi imposed a city-wide lockdown.

You Mingjiang decided not to linger in the besieged city any longer and, together with Lu Xiaojia, waded out through the moat.

Practice makes perfect; the more you explore, the more you refresh the map.

.

Several additional shifts were set up at the city gate, allowing entry but not exit, and a house-to-house search and interrogation was conducted.

The soldiers patrolling the streets and alleys were Ling Luoshi's personal guards, led by Shadow General Sha Gang.

Sha Gang wore lamellar armor and specially made black leather six-stitched boots with thick soles, multiple layers of cowhide, iron cleats, and cleats; a single kick to the heart could kill a person.

He was also holding a leash for an unusually excited and fierce dog.

It bared its teeth, drool dripping from its fangs, and let out a frenzied growl from its throat. Its front paws pawed incessantly at the blood-stained soil, eager to pounce on the three corpses in the alley. If Shadow General Shagang hadn't been holding the leash tightly, it probably would have pounced on them and devoured them immediately.

It's obvious they've eaten human flesh.

Unable to break free of the leash, the fierce dog turned and pounced on Shadow General Shagang.

Seeing this, Sha Gang stomped his large foot, clad in a black leather six-stitched boot, hard on the dog's belly.

The fierce dog barked wildly after being kicked, and when Shagang took another step closer, it whimpered in fear, but Shagang still kicked the dog several more times.

The fierce dog whimpered, its tail tucked between its legs, blood trickling from its mouth, and pressed itself tightly against the base of the wall.

Sha Gang spat, tugged hard on the dog leash, and cursed:

"Pah! You've gotten a taste of Meng Nu'an's flesh? You dare to bare your teeth at me! If there's a next time, I'll slice you into shreds and feed you to your litter of puppies!"

He was cursing vehemently when he suddenly heard a cold shout: "Shagang!"

Shadow General Shagang turned around and saw Xiao Jianseng, dressed in armor, riding a horse and looking at him with a frown.

"Oh, isn't this Brother Xiao, the general's favorite?"

Seeing Sha Gang's strange and sarcastic manner, Xiao Jianseng scoffed, "A poor imitation."

"You—" These four simple words instantly changed Sha Gang's expression, making him grit his teeth in hatred.

.

These words struck a nerve with Shadow General Sha Gang.

Everyone knows that the person Shagang envies the most is Yu Chuntong.

He was the same age as Yu Chuntong and served under the Frightened General in the same year. However, in terms of appearance, speech, and even intelligence and cunning, Sha Gang was far inferior to Yu Chuntong.

Even in front of the general, Yu Chuntong was better at gauging the situation and was more favored than he was.

Thus, General Rose, skilled in intrigue and scheming, was even more like a shadow in the dark than General Shadow himself, who acted in secrecy.

Upon hearing that Yu Chuntong had been implicated in the case and was suspected of defecting, Sha Gang immediately led a team to the scene of the crime.

They were simply trying to kick someone when they were down, to solidify Chun Tong's guilt, and to ensure that he could never recover.

Logically, Xiao Jianseng, who was being watched by Yu Chuntong, should have been even more eager to kick Sha Gang when he was down, rather than mocking Sha Gang, who shared his "common hatred." It was only because under the command of the Frightened General that the deputy generals and strategists were constantly infighting, each one a target, and the next would immediately turn on the fallen one.

Therefore, Sha Gang was not surprised to see Xiao Jianseng mocking him at this time.

The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend.

Sha Gang assumed that this newly favored person beside the Frightened General had finally fallen to earth and was no longer willing to be the lofty Cloud Moon, so he resorted to the methods that Little Cold God used to despise the most.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Jianseng actually regarded him as his hypothetical enemy.

While feeling restless, Sha Gang couldn't help but feel secretly pleased with himself.

Xiao Jianseng stared coldly at him, taking in his utter disgrace, and the last shred of affection he had for Ling Luoshi vanished completely. The Gu worms were indeed disgusting, but those who raised them were utterly filthy.

He said coldly, "The General has given the order!"

“…Yes.” Sha Gang immediately clasped his hands in a salute.

"Issue Shadow General Sha Gang to immediately accompany Xiao Jianseng to Laoqu Town to collect this spring's taxes," Xiao Jianseng said with a half-smile. "As for General Qiangwei's defection... the Grand General himself said that the case has been handed over to Prefect Li Xuansheng and Supervisor Zhang for handling, so Shadow General need not trouble himself... please!"

Sha Gang suppressed his raging anger, gritted his teeth, glared at Xiao Jianseng, and said, word by word:

"Shagang obeys the order."

.

.

Laoqu Town.

"Are you saying that we have to pay land taxes in the early spring in the Weicheng area? But we haven't even started planting rice yet, so why are we collecting land taxes? Even if we were to collect them, shouldn't it be done in the summer or autumn?"

You Mingjiang sat at the table, holding a bowl of hot tea. He blew on it and took a couple of sips while asking his father-in-law a question.

"Sigh, besides the 20% farmland tax, there are also miscellaneous taxes like transfer fees, conversion fees, several hundred coins of personal tax, and all sorts of other miscellaneous taxes that are hard to explain..."

The old man changed the subject, asking the two, "Judging from your accents, you're not locals, are you?"

You Mingjiang nodded: "We come from the north."

The old man said, "Alas, even ordinary farmland has to pay a dou (a unit of dry measure) of tax. In a prosperous place like Weicheng, where the farmland is said to be fertile and of the highest quality, the tax is even heavier."

"With such heavy taxes, won't the people have to sell their children and go bankrupt?" You Mingjiang said in a deep voice.

Speaking of selling one's children and going bankrupt, the old man, who had a daughter of his own, probably thought of cats and his eyes welled up with tears.

"That's right! Some peasant families even have to pay annual taxes." The old man curled his lip, counted a number on his fingers, and shook it, saying, "General, humph, the annual taxes have exceeded 100,000 shi!"

This old man is the mayor of Laoqu Town, and his name is Lao Shou (Old Thin).

He has a cheerful and outgoing personality, not the kind of person who is reserved or timid. He is also very public-spirited and likes to befriend people who are skilled, good-looking, and kind-hearted.

Seeing that the two men were handsome with high noses and spoke very sweetly, calling each other "father-in-law" repeatedly, he thought of his youngest daughter, Maomao, who was about the same age at home, and hurriedly invited them to his home as guests.

Lu Xiaojia gave the old man a silver ingot, but the old man refused to accept it. Instead, he gave each of them a clean set of clothes to change into and brewed a pot of hot tea to entertain them.

You Mingjiang didn't want to bother him any longer, but after wading through the moat, he was soaking wet and didn't look quite right. He couldn't refuse the old man's hospitality, so he drank tea and chatted with him.

"One hundred thousand shi?" You Mingjiang's eyes widened, unable to imagine how much farmland that must be.

“That’s not exactly a secret. I’ve heard that Ling Luoshi owns ten estates and 300,000 mu of fertile land.” Lu Xiaojia changed into a farmer’s outfit, tucked his unsheathed sword into his waistband, and walked over to add casually, “The farmland of those slaughtered villages all fell into his hands and became his private property.”

You Mingjiang slammed his fist on the table in anger and said, "This is outrageous!"

The old man turned his head, exhaled a breath of stale air, and his gaze fell on Lu Xiaojia's unsheathed sword. He couldn't help but tease, "Hey, young hero, why doesn't your sword have a sheath? Aren't you afraid of hurting yourself instead of your enemy?"

You Mingjiang laughed and said, "This young hero Lu is the fastest swordsman in the martial arts world. The scabbard will only affect his sword speed."

Upon hearing this, the old man's eyes lit up, and his gaze toward Lu Xiaojia suddenly became more fervent.

Lu Xiaojia frowned and stared intently in that direction.

Old Man Shou quickly lowered his head, took a sip of the strong tea in his bowl to cover up his actions, and gulped down two mouthfuls of tea, as if to bolster his courage.

He gritted his teeth and finally called out, "Kitty—"

The sudden call startled You Mingjiang and Lu Xiaojia, who instinctively gripped their weapons.

"Kitty, you naughty girl, why are you hiding again? Do you expect this old man with his slurred tongue to tell you witty remarks? Why don't you come out and chat with the two brothers and sisters from outside, and broaden your horizons?"

You Mingjiang was taken aback, assuming that the old man was tired from troubling her for too long. Just as he was about to get up and take his leave, a pretty young girl with almond-shaped eyes and peach-like cheeks walked in from outside.

Not only does the girl's name include "cat," but she also looks like a cat.

With her lively cat-like eyes, delicate nose, and slightly upturned, fleshy lips shaped like a "ω", her endearing round face and charming demeanor... this is Lao Shou's precious daughter, the beloved "Cat Girl" of Lao Qu Town.

The cat girl tilted her head and blinked her round, amber eyes, making You Mingjiang feel soft and tender inside, and her hands itch to pinch her cheeks.

Hello, older brother and sister.

The girl's sweet and gentle voice is just like a cat's.

How could there be such a cat-like girl in the world?

The name "Cat" is truly fitting.

You Mingjiang couldn't help but smile knowingly.

Before she could even invite the young girl to sit down, the old man, his face stern, scolded, "Such a sly way of avoiding her! Where's the demeanor of a young lady? Go back to your room and embroider!"

The cat girl wasn't annoyed. She made a face at her father and dashed back to her room.

You Mingjiang was a little puzzled.

Wasn't the cat girl supposed to come over and chat with the two of them about topics relevant to young people?

Why did the old man chase him back into the house after he only made an appearance?

Lu Xiaojia frowned.

He was a little restless, so he simply lowered his head, picked up the teacup with one hand, and blew on the already cold tea.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Seeing his cold demeanor, the old man, in desperation, asked directly, "May I ask if this young hero has been betrothed yet?"

Lu Xiaojia suddenly raised her head, frowned as she looked at the old man, and remained silent.

The old man shivered, but still forced himself to say, "I don't know... I don't know... What do you think of my cat, young hero? This old man only has one daughter, and if she gets married in the future, I will definitely give her all my family property as a dowry."

.

You Mingjiang was taken aback, not expecting that the old skinny man would take a liking to Lu Xiaojia.

She glanced at the old man with a puzzled look, only to see that he looked extremely anxious and his eyes were red.

His face, though showing anxiety, also hinted at helplessness, annoyance, worry, and resolve...

It doesn't seem like a daughter worried about getting married; it's more like someone eager to throw away a hot potato.

A hot potato?

But when we were chatting just now, Old Skinny mentioned Cat Girl, and the affection in his tone didn't seem fake.

The idea of ​​marrying off his daughter didn't just pop into Old Thin's head suddenly, nor did he rashly choose someone to talk to.

He looked so embarrassed, as if he had "lost all face," that it seemed like he had only spoken to Lu Xiaojia on a whim.

Why?

His eyes quickly scanned Lu Xiaojia's entire body, finally settling on the sheathless sword at his waist.

You Mingjiang's eyes lit up.

That's right, it was because of it that Lao Shou suddenly started showing affection to Lu Xiaojia after seeing it.

Could she interpret it this way: Old Skinny needs a strong man to marry Cat Girl...?

She quickly came up with several guesses:

First, someone took a fancy to the cat girl, but the old skinny man didn't want to marry her off to him.

Secondly, the other party is likely to be very difficult to deal with; they might be able to shake the entire city with a single stomp of their foot. Therefore, Old Man Shou needs a martial arts master who is not afraid of the other party's power or their attacks to marry his daughter.

Third, Old Skinny chose Lu Xiaojia not only because of his sword, but also because of his accent. Lu Xiaojia wasn't a local, so he could take Cat Girl and run away together.

Choosing to marry off his daughter was an attempt to tie this martial arts master down through marriage; to prevent him from abandoning the cat, the old man even offered his entire fortune. Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them.

Fourth, the resolute look in the old man's eyes suggested that he had already made up his mind to risk his life.

.

However, Lu Xiaojia remained unmoved.

Without hesitation, he refused, saying, "I already have someone I love, and I will marry no one but her in this lifetime. My beloved is more important than my life. To measure her worth by gold and silver would be to demean her."

If You Mingjiang hadn't been distracted and missed Lu Xiaojia's words, she would definitely have spouted nonsense to get the meager sums from his satchel, such as: "I love reading, for books hold a wealth of knowledge... matters of gold and silver are matters of scholars; how can the affairs of scholars be considered lowly?!"

The old man's face turned red, then purple, then blue, then red again, like a spilled paint palette, utterly humiliating.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something but unable to, cursing Lu Xiaojia in his heart.

His cat is wonderful in every way, absolutely wonderful!

This kid isn't even worthy of a cat's paws!

In the past, Old Man Shou would have loved to keep Cat Cat for life so she could get married, but things are different now.

Old Skinny must seize this opportunity.

This young man is not a local. He is eloquent and knowledgeable, and also a master of martial arts. Such an opportunity will not come again if you miss it.

As long as he can take his cat far away, he wouldn't mind risking his old life.

You Mingjiang looked solemn, his head down, seemingly lost in thought.

Seeing this, Lu Xiaojia was about to put her arm around the old man's shoulder and explain her feelings to him again.

But before he could reach out, You Mingjiang suddenly raised his head, stared intently at the old man, and said:

"Old man, is someone trying to force Cat Girl into marriage?"

Upon hearing this, the old man's face drained of color, and with a "crack," the teacup in his hand slipped and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

His lips trembled as he said in a trembling voice:

"You...you...how did you know?"

.

.

-----------------------

Author's Note: [Lucky Lotus] Cat Girl: The daughter of Elder Thin of Old Qu Town, an innocent and charming beauty. When Golden Armor Rose and others wanted to massacre the town, Fu Laojin and Huo Shanpo led troops to her house to snatch her away. Ling Xiaogu secretly loved her, but in her panic, she leaked the news, leading to the deaths of Cat Girl and others, who were even defiled after their deaths.

[Good Luck Lotus] The farmland data references Zhu Mian, and some of Ling Luoshi's prototypes are from Zhu Mian.