Chapter 60 Drafts
After finishing a bowl of jujube seed soup, the warm broth slid down her throat, calming her down a bit.
But the thought of the terrifying General Terror brought tears to her eyes.
Ordinary villains are not even worthy of comparison with him; he is simply the epitome of villainy.
She didn't dare to refuse Huo Shanpo outright because she was afraid of General Jingba.
The tragedy of Meng Nu'an, the military commander, was but a drop in the ocean in the face of the crisis in the city.
Countless small villages have witnessed instances of people being killed and falsely claimed credit.
Zaoyang Village, Boluo Town, Dongling Village, Wujinbi...
These places are proof that those who offend the Frightened General never have a good ending.
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Sister Rong was in tears; even though she had escaped the tiger's den, she remained constantly on edge.
You Mingjiang repeatedly tried to calm her down, but Rong Sao showed a deep-seated fear.
She was like a fragile piece of porcelain, which would shatter at the slightest touch.
Hearing Rong Sao mutter "May the gods protect us," You Mingjiang suddenly had a flash of inspiration and seemed to have an idea.
She solemnly took Rong's hand, mimicking the mannerisms of blind fortune tellers, and traced the lines on Rong's palm, saying earnestly, "To be honest, I'm very good at palm reading. You are indeed destined for a calamity. However, you are very lucky; I have already averted your misfortune, so you have nothing to fear anymore."
Aunt Rong asked, half-believing, half-doubting, "Young lady, who...who exactly are you?"
You Mingjiang spread his hands and said with a grin, "My surname is You. You can call me Doctor You. However, besides being a doctor, I have another identity."
Sister Rong looked at her suspiciously, wondering what she was up to.
"Besides being a doctor, I'm also a divine messenger," You Mingjiang deliberately lowered his voice. "I'm a divine messenger sent down by the Heavenly Venerable of Salvation from Suffering, commanded to respond to cries of distress and deliver those in distress..."
Her explanation became increasingly fluent. At first, You Mingjiang was somewhat unsure of herself, and her voice trembled slightly.
But soon, she remembered that everything she had done along the way truly lived up to the name "savior from suffering and distress".
So she simply straightened her back and firmly accepted the title of "divine messenger".
"Above the stone cave you are in is the future temple of the Ten Directions Savior from Suffering. I, as the divine messenger, will lead the people to build it brick by brick." You Mingjiang smiled slightly. "Don't you believe what I'm saying?"
Rong Sao murmured, "But I'm still very flustered."
Seeing that Rong Sao was still half-believing and half-doubting, You Mingjiang's eyes rolled and a plan came to her mind. She cleared her throat and said, "Of course, divine messengers possess divine powers, such as the ability to take things from a distance."
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You Mingjiang stretched out one hand, palm up, closed his eyes, and muttered incantations.
Rong Sao watched as You Mingjiang suddenly produced a piece of tofu and then vanished in a flash.
She gasped, stunned into silence.
You Mingjiang got so engrossed in playing that he threw the blanket that Rong's sister-in-law had been using into the bamboo medicine basket, and the blanket disappeared.
Sister Rong leaned over, picked up the bamboo medicine basket, and shook it.
This dark bamboo medicine basket isn't very big, so how did the blanket disappear?
It was like magic.
She turned the bamboo medicine basket upside down and patted the bottom twice, but there was still nothing inside.
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You Mingjiang couldn't help but laugh, his eyes crinkling into crescents: "I knew I was a divine messenger. I said you have a kind face and can turn bad luck into good, and it must be true."
Rong Sao stared at her intently, without saying a word.
Yu Mingjiang felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze, and her smile gradually froze as she prayed that she would stop doubting.
Rong Sao's eyes gradually filled with tears. She slowly buried her face in her hands and didn't make a sound.
His shoulders were trembling incessantly.
Tears seeped through her fingers, one drop at a time, and fell onto her knees.
You Mingjiang felt a little sad and gently patted Rong Sao's shoulder, but Rong Sao couldn't calm down for a long time.
After a long while, You Mingjiang heard Rong Sao let out a low sob.
The voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, yet it was full of grievance: "Waaah, why did you take so long to come... So many people didn't wait until you arrived, waaaah..."
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Rong's voice was very soft, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the empty stone cave.
In that instant, You Mingjiang felt as if her heart had been fried in boiling oil, and she felt an intense pain.
The intense pain was mixed with an indescribable bitterness; the feeling was hard to put into words.
"I'm sorry I'm late." She wiped away Rong's tears as she spoke softly, "Now that I'm here, I'm determined to save everyone from this misery."
After a while, Rong Sao's eyes were red, and she raised her head.
She looked at You Mingjiang, her lips moved as if she had something to say, but then she hesitated and stopped.
Seeing this, You Mingjiang asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Sister Rong hesitated for a moment, but still mustered up her courage to ask, "How long... can I stay here?"
The subtext: How long can she stay with You Mingjiang?
You Mingjiang understood and also understood what Rong Sao was worried about.
"You can stay as long as you want. It's quiet here and safe for now."
After thinking for a moment, You Mingjiang added, "I will be going to Weicheng tomorrow morning. I will leave you some dry food and water. Remember not to wander around, lest you be targeted by Ling Luoshi's lackeys."
You Mingjiang plans to go to the besieged city tomorrow to investigate its true situation.
According to Dongfang Bai, all the elite personnel sent to the besieged city disappeared without a trace, never to return.
They didn't manage to retrieve a single piece of useful information.
She thought: whether he is dead or alive, at least we should hear some news.
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The next day.
The rain drizzled on and on.
Passersby raised their hands to shield their heads, hurriedly stepped across the puddles, and took shelter under the eaves to avoid the rain.
This is a town in danger, a small town with a considerable population and territory, which can barely be considered wealthy.
You Mingjiang had just killed a group of government officials yesterday, and today he brazenly entered the besieged city.
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She used to live in Kaifeng Prefecture and was considered a kind-hearted person by her fellow villagers. Naturally, she had to take care of the aftermath of the murder.
Otherwise, wouldn't all the constables have come after her?
As for now, she is the Grand Elder of Law Enforcement at Blackwood Cliff.
Before becoming the Grand Elder, he was timid and hesitant; after becoming the Grand Elder, he was still timid and hesitant.
Wouldn't this position of Grand Elder be meaningless?
Wouldn't all her efforts in this evil cult have been in vain?
These days, they roam around committing crimes, and it's not like they've never been discovered.
For example, Chu Liuxiang discovered the truth behind the Ou murder case.
But so what?
Even Chu Liuxiang couldn't do anything to her, let alone others.
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It was still drizzling today, and mud splattered into tiny water droplets on the slippery road.
Even the soft, sticky rice cakes were covered with a layer of damp moisture.
Yu Mingjiang squinted his eyes contentedly, his cheeks puffing out as he finished the last bite of rice cake.
The teahouse lobby was bustling with activity; it was the most well-informed place.
The storyteller had his gavel beside him. He picked up a cup of tea, rinsed his mouth, cleared his throat, and prepared to begin.
There are not many empty seats.
I brushed the crumbs off my hands and was about to get up and leave when I suddenly heard a few people whispering to me.
"Have you heard? A lot of government officials died at a teahouse?"
I never expected to hear about my own story here.
Having caught the key words, You Mingjiang calmly sat back down in his original seat.
She picked up the cup of tea on the table, took a sip as if to cover up her true intentions, but secretly she was listening intently.
Another commoner sighed and said, "Alas, who is so bold as to dare kill government officials?"
"Crunch." She scooped a handful of sunflower seeds from the plate, popped them into her mouth one by one, and ate them with relish.
"I heard that they still haven't caught the murderer. The bodies were burned black by a kind of black oil, and even the dogs they sent out couldn't find any clues."
"It doesn't feel like something an ordinary person would do."
"I heard from the people at the General's Mansion that it seems to be some kind of mob causing trouble, and they are currently searching the whole city for suspects."
One person scoffed lightly: "I think it's... again."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his eyes conveyed a message: killing innocent people and claiming credit for it.
At this point, they suddenly fell silent, hurriedly got up, and left the teahouse.
Because they discovered that a stranger had suddenly appeared next to them.
Under the terrifying pressure of the Great General, the people of the besieged city became accustomed to keeping their eyes and ears open in all directions.
Their wariness of unfamiliar faces was like that of a raging flood or a ferocious beast.
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This wasn't the first time the general had killed innocent people and claimed credit for them, nor was it the first time his subordinates had done so.
If he couldn't catch these bandits, he would find a nearby village to attack.
Places like Dongling Village were all wiped out by the Great General.
His favorite generals, such as General Rose, also followed suit.
The fearful general was fully aware of his subordinates' actions, yet he always turned a blind eye.
He treated his subordinates' evil deeds of "killing innocent people and claiming credit" as a series of handles and held them tightly in his hands.
If any subordinate makes the slightest move or poses even the slightest threat to his authority, he will expose these hidden crimes and eliminate dissidents on charges of "killing innocent people to claim credit."
However, from beginning to end, no one bothered to investigate how many innocent souls had died unjustly.
Countless groups of students from the Imperial College died trying to expose these things, but that's another story.
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You Mingjiang ate some more sunflower seeds for a while.
She sniffed around, hearing vague yet meaningful words.
Each and every one of these incidents is chilling.
In her opinion, no one in the entire Valley of Evils combined was as heinous as the Frightened General.
Even the Azure Dragon Society, which she hated the most, seemed more humane compared to Ling Luoshi.
You Mingjiang slowly walked out of the teahouse, opened her umbrella, and walked on the wet official road.
Based on what these people had just said, she already knew what kind of fate awaited the elite personnel sent by Blackwood Cliff to the city of Danger.
They might not even get a small patch of wasteland in a mass grave after they die.
The Terrifying General is a born evil being who leaves people with no way to live and no way to die.
You cannot survive if you submit to him; you cannot survive if you rebel against him.
He wants you to be neither alive nor dead, but merely wander through this world like a walking corpse.
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Is there no one speaking out for justice?
some.
I heard that a constable once investigated the Frightened General, but not long after, he fell to his death at the foot of Nine-Foot Cliff.
Thinking of this, You Mingjiang subconsciously thought of Leng Xue, and then of the Pingluan Jue kept in the bamboo medicine basket.
She couldn't help but click her tongue.
If someone with such a cold-blooded nature falls into Ling Luoshi's hands, Ling Luoshi will torment him to death.
She wanted to return the jade pendant to Leng Xue so that he would have something to rely on, but she was also afraid that he would be too reckless and lose this support.
This conflicted state of mind caused her to be somewhat absent-minded.
Furthermore, she was also thinking about something else: even if he had this jade pendant, what could Leng Xue do?
If this jade pendant really allows for execution without prior notification, could Leng Xue have simply killed Ling Luoshi on the spot?
The answer is: He won't.
This is what You Mingjiang is most worried about.
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Try to see things from another person's perspective.
If she were the Frightened General, upon seeing a greenhorn constable who dared to try and control her with such an inanimate object, wouldn't her first reaction be to kill Leng Xue, destroy the evidence, and then frame him? Then she would insist that she had never seen Leng Xue, nor that damned jade pendant, and knew nothing about the investigation, claiming to know nothing at all.
Let's just say "the dead have no way to prove it".
Who told Leng Xue to come to this dangerous city alone, becoming a lone wolf?
You Mingjiang really couldn't understand it.
Why did my cold-blooded master arrange things this way?
Was he afraid that Leng Xue wouldn't die quickly enough?
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If you encounter someone like the Fearful General, it would be too passive to attempt to assassinate him only when he is on an inspection tour.
If it were You Mingjiang, she wouldn't let anyone who pushed her to the brink of despair live.
The imperial court treats the people like dirt, showing no mercy whatsoever. To rebel, one must strike at the emperor's sore spot.
They insisted that Ling Luoshi was guilty of treason, rebellion, and illegally mobilizing troops... Which of these crimes wouldn't warrant the death penalty? As for evidence, isn't it easy to find the clues?
①Why cry in one family when you can cry all the way? If all else fails, just start a big uprising and force that corrupt official to offer a stone to heaven to appease the people's anger.
While such methods may seem insidious, one cannot be too gentlemanly when dealing with someone like the Frightened General.
There are also gentler methods.
It is important to avoid implicating too many people, lest powerful and treacherous officials worry about being implicated and try to save Ling Luoshi's life. Therefore, it is sufficient to focus on "cleaning up" the Fearful General and his henchmen.
You Mingjiang thought to himself: If I can think of it, my cold-blooded master should be able to think of it too, right?
Was it really to hone cold-bloodedness that all the twists and turns happened?
In this way, regardless of whether You Mingjiang parted ways with him or not, Leng Xue would still hinder her.
No, she must make this clear to Leng Xue next time she sees him, and she has to get to the bottom of this quickly!
We must not give the Terrified General a chance to defend himself!
If you really want to punish that beast Ling Luoshi, does it matter whether the charges were brought before his death or after his death?
Any means are acceptable as long as it can combat evil.
If you really want to argue, then let Ling Luoshi go to the underworld and argue with King Yama!
You Mingjiang gritted her teeth. If Leng Xue refused to cooperate, she shouldn't blame her for not knowing what the law was!
If things really come to that, she will join forces with Lu Xiaojia, one to assassinate and the other to frame Ling Luoshi, making it impossible for him to recover.
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As You Mingjiang walked, he pondered how to kill Ling Luoshi.
Suddenly, a loud argument abruptly reached her ears.
Originally, I didn't want to pay attention, but a delicate shout with a hint of crying clearly flew out from the crowd.
"Is this what the Fearful General's men are like?!"
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In the besieged city, everyone was silent as a cicada in winter, and their faces turned pale at the mere mention of the terrified general.
This girl is certainly courageous.
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You Mingjiang pushed through the crowd and saw a bright young girl in the middle of the crowd. She was holding a kitten, her eyes were red, and she was arguing with the people from the General's Mansion.
This girl is Yin Dong'er, Xiao Jianseng's lover.
She spoke with a Beijing accent, probably because she was new to the place and unaware of the infamous reputation of the Frightened General.
Yin Dong'er didn't understand the intricacies of the situation; she only knew that her lover, Xiao Jianseng, was the beloved general of the Frightened General.
So, seeing these people's arrogant and domineering attitude, I couldn't help but start arguing with them.
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You Mingjiang heard the whole story clearly.
This kitten was a gift from the girl's lover.
However, this group of people drove a luxurious carriage and rampaged recklessly on the official road.
Her cat was in one place, not blocking the way or getting in the way, but the driver inexplicably whipped her.
If she hadn't been quick-witted and picked up the kitten, it probably would have been run over by the carriage.
Yin Dong'er was so angry that she stopped the luxurious carriage.
Several people stepped down from the huge carriage: Lei Dagong, Master Rabbit, Dog Taoist, Tang Xiaoniao, and her lover Xiao Jianseng.
In a fit of anger, and seeing her lover beside her, she started making a fuss.
"Bird, Bow, Rabbit, Dog" are four ruthless killers. If Xiao Jianseng hadn't been there, things would have escalated far beyond a simple argument.
Yin Dong'er had an exceptionally beautiful face. When she cried, her face was streaked with tears, making her look even more delicate and beautiful.
The four of them had a sudden thought, and without prior arrangement, they all came up with the same idea: to curry favor with the Frightened General.
The Dog Taoist said to Xiao Jianseng, "Your little girl is taking this too seriously. Why don't you go and ask the General for his opinion?"
Xiao Jianseng said coldly, "There's no need for that!"
He dared not let Yin Dong'er appear in front of the Terrified General, so he quickly suppressed his words.
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Xiao Jianseng gave Yin Dong'er a look, signaling her to leave quickly.
These people are no good. The little white rabbit dares to reason with the gray wolf. Be careful, or the gray wolf will target it.
But Lei Dagong, Master Rabbit, Dog Taoist, and Tang Xiaoniao were not so quick to let her go.
Xiao Jianseng's eyes narrowed. If anyone dared to harm Dong'er today, he would make sure they were splattered with blood and their heads rolled to the ground!
Holding the kitten, Yin Dong'er tried to squeeze out from the group of four, but was cleverly tripped by Master Rabbit and stumbled a few steps.
Fortunately, a slender hand reached out from the side, gently putting its arm around her waist and supporting her steadily. Yin Dong'er turned her head and saw a gentle-looking older sister who softly said to her, "Be careful."
She nodded, looked down at the kitten's injuries, and glared angrily at the four people surrounding her.
Xiao Jianseng's face darkened, and he was about to step forward when he saw the four people, "Bird, Bow, Rabbit, and Dog," suddenly being knocked back.
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An umbrella was firmly placed over Yin Dong'er's head, covering her completely.
Lei Dagong roared, "Who goes there?!"
With a soft hiss, the umbrella slowly rose, revealing the faces of two girls.
Unlike Yin Dong'er's delicate, snow-white skin, the girl holding the umbrella was healthy and sturdy.
She stood sideways, slightly forward, shielding Yin Dong'er and the kitten behind her tall figure.
With one hand gently around Yin Dong'er's shoulder and the other gripping the umbrella handle, You Mingjiang said coldly, "You're blocking the way."
The four of them finally saw the umbrella in her hand.
To be precise, it was a retractable umbrella sword.
She simply stood there quietly, exuding the aura of a master, and no one dared to make a move.
Xiao Jianseng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glared at the four people, and shouted in a low voice, "Get out of the way!"
If Yin Dong'er were captured, he would have no choice but to surrender. But now that someone was protecting Yin Dong'er, the heavy weight in Xiao Jianseng's heart was lifted, and he couldn't help but look gratefully at the woman holding the umbrella.
The other person looked hurried, quickly winked at him three times, and then pointed to the umbrella handle.
Xiao Jianseng was stunned for a moment, his face full of confusion. What did this mean?
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You Mingjiang put his arm around Yin Dong'er and walked steadily towards the outside.
The little girl, clutching the kitten, sobbed and cried, "Is the kitten's leg lame? Waaah, they haven't apologized to my kitten yet..."
Tang Xiaoniao laughed arrogantly and maliciously, deliberately raising her voice for Yin Dong'er to hear: "It's just a stray cat, a mindless little beast! Xiao Jianseng, tell me, is it worth her crying and wailing like this?"
Xiao Jianseng gritted his teeth and said, "You..."
"Yes, they're just inhuman beasts. If beasts understood human nature, they wouldn't be beasts anymore," You Mingjiang said calmly.
Her smile deepened, but her tone carried an extreme chill as she looked at the other person with a smile.
“A beast is a beast,” she said, emphasizing each word. “A damned beast!”
Tang Xiaoniao felt uneasy at her laughter and even shrank back a little.
Master Rabbit, who had been silent all along, frowned, not wanting to cause any further trouble. "Let's go, the mission is more important!"
The group boarded the carriage.
Before getting into the car, Xiao Jianseng turned back and glanced at Yin Dong'er with concern, then followed helplessly.
Yin Dong'er cried so hard she could barely breathe, her eyes brimming with tears.
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You Mingjiang rolled up her sleeve and gently wiped away her tears.
The faint scent of purple gromwell wafted into Yin Dong'er's nose, calming her down somewhat.
You Mingjiang gently bent down, handed her the umbrella, and softly took the kitten in her arms: "Let me check the kitten's injuries."
She carefully examined the whip marks and then bandaged and set the bones of the lame kitten.
Strangely enough, after You Mingjiang set the kitten's bones and gave it some water, the kitten actually regained some energy.
Yin Dong'er hugged the kitten, crying and laughing at the same time.
After all, she was still young, at the age when a young girl is beginning to blossom and is full of youthful vigor.
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You Mingjiang asked curiously, "Judging from your accent, are you from Beijing?"
Yin Dong'er felt a pang of sadness when she thought of Xiao Jianseng from earlier, and nodded sullenly.
Because You Mingjiang helped her out of a predicament and even treated the kitten, she developed a fondness for this gentle older sister in front of her and introduced herself: "My name is Yin Dong'er, Yin as in deep red, and Dong as in moving."
"Dong'er?" You Mingjiang smiled faintly, "As your name suggests, you are indeed charming. My surname is You, you can call me Doctor You."
"Dr. You," Yin Dong'er called out obediently, then said with a worried look, "Don't do anything foolish."
You Mingjiang raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh? I don't quite understand what you mean."
Yin Dong'er was very clever. She bit her lip and said, "You said 'damned beasts' to them."
Yu Mingjiang was surprised by her keen insight and smiled, "Yes."
Yin Dong'er said anxiously, "Don't do anything foolish!"
You Mingjiang lowered her eyelids and said softly, "Do you know how dangerous you are?"
Yin Dong'er was taken aback: "Danger?"
You Mingjiang continued, "Do you know why your lover has been trying to smooth things over? It's because with your beauty, you're easily in danger. Those people just now weren't good people; some of them have already set their sights on you."
Yin Dong'er was terrified.
You Mingjiang gently pressed her shoulder and said calmly, "Don't worry, I won't let you have any worries."
She emphasized the phrase "no worries about the future".
Yin Dong'er nodded blankly, and You Mingjiang held her arm as they squeezed together under the umbrella.
"Let's go. There's a place that would suit you."
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Yin Dong'er found it difficult to describe her current feelings.
You Mingjiang led Yin Dong'er to the ruins of the old temple and told her, "I'm sorry to trouble you to stay here in these ruins for the night. Whatever you see later, please keep it a secret and don't tell anyone."
Yin Dong'er was stunned because she saw a hidden door.
After the hidden door opened, there was a stone cave leading underground.
Yin Dong'er followed You Mingjiang out of the city, and You Mingjiang took her to his secret base.
They were meeting for the first time and didn't even know each other's identities, but there was a tacit trust between them.
The two entered the cave one after the other.
There was also a beautiful young woman in the cave, who was also surprised to see Yin Dong'er.
You Mingjiang pointed to Rong Sao and introduced the two women: "This is Rong Sao, and this is Dong'er."
Rong Sao and Yin Dong'er nodded to each other, which meant they had become acquainted.
Yin Dong'er finally couldn't help but ask, "Why did you bring me here?"
“This dangerous city isn’t safe for you. If you stay here, no one will try to take advantage of you, and no one can use you to threaten him. Only if you leave unscathed can he leave unscathed,” You Mingjiang explained.
Yin Dong'er blushed as she listened, her face glowing like a sunset. She was indeed the person Xiao Jianseng loved most.
But she was a little confused: "We are just complete strangers, why are you helping me like this?"
You Mingjiang tilted his head and smiled, thought for a while, and finally gave a simple and unadorned answer.
"To be honest, many people have asked me this question, but I really haven't thought about the answer, nor do I know what the standard answer is. I just wanted to do it this way, so I did it. I don't care who you are, and you don't need to think about how to repay me."
"...Because I'm happy doing all of this."
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Author's Note: [Good Luck Lianlian] Classical Chinese quote ①: "Is it better for one family to weep than for the whole road to weep?" From "Biography of Fan Zhongyan" in the History of the Song Dynasty.
[Cracked] I don't understand. Why did Xiao Jianseng bring Yin Dong'er to the besieged city? [Question mark] Was this person's life really meant to be sacrificed?
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