Entering prison
In the afternoon in Bianjing, the streets were bustling with activity and crowds of people. The shouts of vendors, the laughter of children, and the sounds of traditional instruments wafting from teahouses blended together, creating a scene reminiscent of a peaceful and prosperous era.
Chen Ze, Qing Ning, and Shangguan Chenxi strolled leisurely. Having just experienced the sandstorm at Yanmen Pass, they were now enjoying the warm sunshine of Bianjing.
Qing Ning twirled a bamboo flute in her fingertips, looking at the stalls on both sides with great interest; Shangguan Chenxi praised the carvings on a stone bridge; Chen Ze remained silent, but his gaze was much gentler than when he was in the gang.
As we approached the entrance to a narrow alley, a few muffled thuds and shouts suddenly broke the commotion.
"You little brat! You dare steal from me!"
Break his legs!
The group paused, looking in the direction of the sound.
Deep in the alley, several burly men were seen punching and kicking a raggedly dressed boy.
The boy curled up on the ground, clutching his head, but gritted his teeth and refused to beg for mercy. When he occasionally struggled, his eyes shone with an astonishing light, like an indomitable wildfire.
"Tsk, ganging up on the few."
Qing Ning raised an eyebrow, her hand already gripping the flute tightly.
Shangguan Chenxi looked reluctant.
"broad daylight……"
Before the words were finished, dust had already swept into the alley like a cold wind.
He didn't even draw his sword; he simply swept the scabbard across, accurately striking the knees and wrists of those burly men.
Several cries of pain rang out, and the men who had been so arrogant moments before were now staggering and groaning on the ground.
Qing Ning and Shangguan Chenxi followed closely behind.
With a light tap of the green flute, one person's acupoint was sealed, while Shangguan Chenxi helped the boy on the ground to his feet.
Are you alright?
Shangguan Chenxi asked gently, examining the bruises on his face.
The boy was about sixteen or seventeen years old. Although his face was stained with dirt, it couldn't hide the lively and spirited look in his eyes.
He grimaced and hissed, but his eyes gleamed as he scanned the three people in front of him, especially Chen Ze's unsheathed sword.
"It's nothing! Thank you all for your help!"
He grinned, revealing two sharp little tiger teeth, and his voice was clear and crisp.
"My name is Yi Feng! You all look unfamiliar, you're not from Bianjing, are you?"
"Just passing by."
Chen Ze spoke succinctly, his gaze sweeping over the few people groaning on the ground.
Why did I hit you?
Yi Feng rubbed his arm and laughed nonchalantly.
"They're saying I stole their master's purse! I swear to God, even though I'm poor, I don't do anything petty! They're clearly framing me!"
Qing Ning looked him over and smiled.
"You're not weak, so why aren't you fighting back?"
Yi Feng pouted.
"There are too many of them! And... if they really hurt someone, we can't afford the medical bills."
His tone carried a hint of cunning and helplessness.
Shangguan Chenxi's heart stirred.
"Are you all alone and helpless?"
"The world is my home!"
Yi Feng straightened his chest, then slumped his shoulders.
"It's just that... sometimes I don't get enough to eat."
Chen Ze and Qing Ning exchanged a glance.
Putting aside other matters, it seems that taking in the homeless has become a tradition for the Hundred Birds Gang.
"Would you like to come with us?" Chen Ze asked.
Yi Feng's eyes widened instantly.
"Go with you? Will you provide meals?"
"You'll be full."
Qing Ning couldn't help but chuckle.
"Then what are we waiting for! Let's go!"
Yi Feng immediately jumped up, as if he hadn't been the one who had just been beaten, as lively as a sparrow that had found its nest.
However, beneath the calm surface of Bianjing, undercurrents were surging.
As soon as the four men stepped out of the narrow alley, they were surrounded by a group of government officials.
The lead constable had a cold and hard expression. His gaze swept over the groaning man on the ground, and then looked at Chen Ze and the others.
“You’ve been fighting in the street and disturbing the peace. Come with us.”
Feng said urgently.
"Sir! They attacked us first! We were acting in self-defense!"
The constable ignored him, focusing only on the sword at Chen Ze's waist and the flute in Qing Ning's hand.
"Leave the weapons, take the people with you."
Lime frowned.
"Sir, isn't it against the rules to arrest people without even knowing the facts?"
"Rules?" the constable sneered.
"In this Bianjing city, my word is law! Take it!"
Shangguan Chenxi wanted to argue further, but Chenze raised his hand to stop her.
He could tell that the officials' eyes were darting around and their intentions were impure, so resisting them would be pointless.
"Go with them."
The four were imprisoned in the Bianjing Prefecture jail.
The dark, damp corridor reeked of mildew, and the cell contained only a pile of hay and rats emitting a foul odor in the corner.
"Pah! They must be accomplices of those bastards!"
Enraged, Yi Feng kicked the prison door, causing the chains to rattle.
"They deliberately framed us!"
Qing Ning leaned against the wall, her fingertips caressing the flute, but her expression remained relaxed.
"I never expected the prison to be such a good place. It's really...unique."
Shangguan Chenxi was somewhat worried.
"I've implicated you gentlemen."
Chen Ze closed his eyes to rest, and said only softly.
"Let's wait and see."
Half a day passed without a single meal, and the air was thick with the stench of blood.
The group chatted about everything under the sun, from how they met to the daily life of the Hundred Birds Gang.
After an unknown amount of time, a lazy, slightly hoarse voice came from the next cell.
"New here? What did you do wrong? Making such a racket, can't a person get any sleep?"
The group looked over and saw a man sitting in the shadows of the next cell.
His clothes were old but clean, his face had strong features and a clear jawline, and his eyes showed a calmness and a slight weariness after experiencing storms.
He had a blade of grass dangling from his mouth as he sized them up.
Feng, quick to speak, rattled off his story.
The man scoffed after hearing this.
"It's that same group again, they always scam outsiders. You're just unlucky to have run into them."
He spat out the hay.
“My name is Daji. You guys don’t look like ordinary people.”
"Lime smiled."
"Brother, you have a good eye. We are from the Hundred Birds Gang."
"The Hundred Birds Gang?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Daji's eyes.
"That gang leader of the Hundred Birds Gang, who wears a rainbow-colored hood and keeps a bald chicken that curses people?"
Chen Ze: "..."
Shangguan Chenxi chuckled.
"Exactly."
Daji became interested and sat up straight.
"Interesting. I heard you guys beat up Shunhuonuan and his gang a few days ago?"
"I stand up for what is right when I see injustice." Chen Ze's words were concise and to the point.
Daji grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, which contrasted slightly with his mature and steady appearance, but made him seem exceptionally forthright.
"Well done! That lousy gang should have been taken care of a long time ago!" He paused, then lowered his voice.
"Want to go out?"
The group's gazes sharpened.
Daji pointed to the lock on the prison door.
"I've disliked this damn lock for a long time. But I'm too lazy to go out alone."
He looked at Chenze and Qingning.
"Judging by your impressive skills, how about we team up and... tear down this unsightly, dilapidated prison cell for fun?"
He spoke of it so casually, as if he weren't breaking out of prison, but rather going to dismantle a chicken coop.
Chen Ze looked at him, and after a moment, nodded.
"good."
The lime flute turned.
"That suits me perfectly."
Shangguan Chenxi and Yi Feng nodded immediately.
"happy!"
Daji chuckled softly and pulled out a thin wire from somewhere.
"I'll handle the lock picking. You guys... want to stretch your muscles?"
The plan was simple and straightforward.
Daji was skilled and quickly unlocked his own cell, then used the same method to open the cell doors of Chenze and the others.
The commotion quickly attracted the attention of the jailers.
"What are you doing! Trying to rebel?!"
The jailer shouted angrily and charged forward, drawing his sword.
Chen Ze was the first to make a move.
The sword was still sheathed, but the scabbard seemed alive in his hands, instantly taking down two people with fluid movements and a cold elegance.
The sound of the lime zither suddenly rose, not a sound of killing, but it disturbed people's minds, making the jailer who rushed in dizzy and staggering.
Shangguan Chenxi's sword flashed like a rainbow, protecting Yi Feng and Da Ji. Her sword aura was wide open, blocking the surging prison guards from the outside.
Although young, Yi Feng was exceptionally agile. He picked up the stick dropped by the jailer and focused on attacking his lower body, making a great show of it while shouting excitedly.
"Let me in! I'll show you that you've wronged me!"
Daji shows even more shrewdness.
His punches and kicks appeared casual, but each move was aimed directly at vital points with tremendous force, and he occasionally let out a curse.
"You dare block my way!"
He punched a burly prison guard, sending him flying backward and crashing into the wall.
Although it was their first time working together, they had an innate chemistry.
The narrow passageways in the prison cells actually limited the advantage of numbers.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the ground was already covered with groaning jailers.
"Fire! Fire!"
Daji suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs and casually threw the torch on the wall into the haystack.
Thick smoke billowed up immediately, and chaos erupted inside the prison.
"Over here!"
Daji was clearly very familiar with the terrain. He led the group through the thick smoke, making several turns, until they found a secluded, dilapidated low wall.
"From here, we'll be outside the city!"
Great Auspicious Road.
Without hesitation, the group climbed over the mountain one after another.
Outside the city, the moonlight, like water, shone on the group.
They were all somewhat disheveled, their robes stained with dust and grass clippings, and their faces covered in soot, but their eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.
Surviving such a disaster unexpectedly evoked a sense of heroism and exhilaration.
Yi Feng blushed with excitement.
"That was so exciting! Big Brother Ji, you're amazing! You even know the way!"
Daji dusted off the corner of his clothes, regaining some composure, though the smile in his eyes remained.
"We used to visit each other often."
His tone carried a hint of a past he couldn't easily share with outsiders.
Shangguan Chenxi solemnly clasped her hands in greeting to Daji.
"Thank you for your help, brother!"
Daji waved his hand.
"I just can't stand those bastards."
His gaze swept over the group, lingering particularly on Chen Ze and Qing Ning for a moment.
"The Hundred Birds Gang... truly lives up to its reputation."
Chen Ze looked at him.
What are your plans next?
Daji glanced in the direction of Bianjing City and smiled.
"Anyway, I can't go back to that lousy place. I'm all alone, wandering the world."
"Lime smiled."
"I see you're quite skilled, and your personality suits me well. Why don't you join the Hundred Birds Gang? I guarantee it'll be more fun than you going it alone!"
Yi Feng nodded immediately.
"Yeah, yeah! Big Brother Ji, come along! They said it's all-you-can-eat!"
Daji paused for a moment, looking at the dirty but sincere smiling faces in front of him, and remained silent for a while.
Suddenly he grinned, revealing his white teeth, a roguish charm that was undeniably genuine.
"Sure! I have nowhere else to go anyway! I'll go with you guys and take a look."
A faint smile curved Chen Ze's cold lips.
Under the moonlight, five "fugitives" who had just dismantled the Bianjing prison, dressed in disheveled clothes but full of spirit, walked towards the direction of the Hundred Birds Gang, their feet glistening with night dew.
"They're going to laugh at me for this outfit again when I get back."
Chen Ze said softly.
Yi Feng excitedly gestured the kick he had just given the jailer, his tiger teeth gleaming brightly in the moonlight.
"If life in the gang is too comfortable, I will travel to other places."
Daji wiped his weapons and said.
The lime flute twirled and glanced at him sideways.
"Oh? Then the maintenance of the gang's outhouses will be handled by Master Ji from now on?"
Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Chen Ze suddenly stopped.
His cold profile was gilded with a silvery edge by the moonlight, but his voice was softer than the night breeze.
“From today onwards, a warrant for his arrest will be issued.”
"What's there to be afraid of!"
Daji grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth.
"Does the Hundred Birds Gang need any more wanted criminals?"
Shangguan Chenxi laughed heartily.
"Perfect! I'll get the boss back and change the gang rules. A true hero is one who hasn't been to jail!"
Yi Feng hopped and skipped closer to Chen Ze.
"Brother Chenze, are you sure we're going to provide... a really full meal?"
A faint smile flickered in Chen Ze's eyes as he gently patted the boy's head with his sword sheath.
"It's fine. But those who steal snacks from the kitchen..."
"He's punished by cleaning the latrines for three months!"
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