For a moment, no one dared to answer. Under the overwhelming aura, even breathing was difficult, and it felt as if their necks were being choked, making it impossible to utter a single word.
Lei was sweating profusely, but he still pleaded with all his might: "Please, please, General, give us another chance..."
"I'm willing to give you a chance, but I only like people who are capable."
The soldiers pushed in a cart full of timber, which all collapsed to the ground with a crash.
Yuwen Sheng adjusted his mask, his red lips curving slightly: "How about this, whoever knows what this pile of wood originally looked like, I will spare that person."
The pile of wood was oddly shaped, but an experienced carpenter could tell at a glance that it had been deliberately disassembled, and unless it was pieced back together, no one could guess what it was.
But with so many wooden parts, without blueprints or patterns, how easy is it to assemble them all?
Seeing their trembling and hesitant appearance, Wei Yao narrowed his fox-like eyes and added pressure: "The time limit is one incense stick's time. If you haven't pieced together one by the time one incense stick's time is up... then it means you are all incompetent. What use are you to keep them?"
Don't let Wei Yao's usual carefree and playful demeanor fool you; when it comes to serious matters, he can be ruthless.
Someone nearby brought over an incense stick and lit it.
Time took on weight at that moment. They watched as the incense stick burned shorter and shorter, their hearts pounding faster and faster, as if a guillotine was hanging over their necks, drawing ever closer.
Finally, a carpenter climbed out from the crowd and ran into the pile of wood, groping and examining it.
Finally, when he saw the familiar seal in an inconspicuous spot on a piece of wood, he immediately gained confidence.
After a thorough search, they finally found sixteen identically engraved wooden blocks in a jumbled pile of wood.
He wiped the sweat from his brow and began piecing things together.
He had an image of the finished product in his mind, but it was the first time he had tried to put it together completely. The process was not smooth, and as the incense stick burned shorter and shorter, he was so anxious that he was covered in sweat and his fingers were trembling.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry..."
He kept urging himself on, but even after the incense burned out, he still only had a half-finished product in his hand.
"Time's up, you've failed."
His pupils were dilated, and his face was as pale as a ghost.
A flash of cold light appeared, revealing a bloody gash on his neck, followed by a large spurt of blood that stained the yellow earth red.
The strong smell of blood filled the air, making many people vomit, including Zheng Quchi.
Wang Zebang stepped forward, picked up the half-finished product from the dead man's hand, and handed it to Yuwen Sheng.
He stroked the engraving on the wooden surface and chuckled softly.
This is a question mark.
"So it was from the Southern Chen Dynasty..." It's a pity they were unwilling to send some high-ranking craftsmen to infiltrate, otherwise it wouldn't have been just a half-finished product.
He glanced around, and Wei Yao, having received the order, continued, "The next incense stick."
Seeing the person lying in a pool of blood, everyone fell silent, still in shock.
But this time, one person learned his lesson. As soon as the incense was lit, he ran out first, knelt down in the pile of wood, and started rummaging through it quickly.
Unlike the previous person who touched the mark, he identified the color of the wood and found dozens of pieces of wood that were special, of the same type and color, and then picked out the mortise and tenon structure that he was familiar with.
Almost there, almost there, he'll get it done soon.
Just as the last piece of wood was about to be inserted, a cold glint flashed before his eyes. The next second, the look of ecstasy on his face froze, and he fell straight backward to the ground.
"What a pity, the incense... has already gone out," Yuwen Sheng said regretfully.
Destroyed?!
The others looked on incredulously.
Zheng Quchi was also stunned at this moment.
She had just seen the incense stick, which was still a centimeter long, burn out in an instant.
Wei Yao: "Continue, next incense stick."
At this point, Zheng Quchi and the others had realized that General Yuwen was not letting them live at all; he was clearly toying with them and setting up a trap.
This time, even with only half a stick of incense burned, no one dared to take the risk.
"What's wrong? Don't you want to live anymore?"
Perhaps they were all gambling that he wouldn't be so heartless as to actually kill them all.
Incense burns out.
Yuwen Sheng lifted his thin, bright eyelids, clearly smiling, yet uttering incoherent murmurs like a devil.
"The time has come. Since none of you want to live, then let's all die."
Zheng Quchi raised his face in alarm, and when he saw the soldiers behind him standing in neat formation, the silver-armored feathered soldiers expressionlessly nocking their bows and arrows.
In an instant, the heavy shadow of death loomed over my heart.
A carpenter's mental defenses crumbled: "No, no, I'll try, I can do it."
He raised his hands and shouted in a panic.
"Too late."
*Thud*—an arrow pierced through the heart.
Another body fell to the ground.
Everyone was ashen-faced and stood frozen in place.
Just when everyone thought they were doomed, Yuwen Sheng seemed amused by their expressions. He stroked the back of his spotless white gloves and said, "Fine, I'll give you one more chance. Who will try?"
This time, after a moment of deathly silence, a carpenter with weak limbs got up.
He seemed to have a target in mind, quickly finding the parts he wanted from that pile, then rapidly piecing them together. Soon, a rough outline emerged, then the framework was fleshed out, and finally, it took shape.
It's done!
What about time?
He looked to the side with fear in his eyes.
...There's only half an incense stick left.
Only now has his stiff, trembling face calmed down.
"I've finished putting it together."
A crimson glint flashed in Yuwen Sheng's eyes as he said with admiration and sigh, "As expected, there are some formidable ones. Let me see."
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