Thirteenth day after the downfall of Shu.
The weather was pleasant, a propitious day, suitable for beheadings.
Chengdu, Caishikou.
A team of burly executioners stood wielding broadswords, with a row of people kneeling in the center. Surrounding them was a sea of people, heads as far as the eye could see. Chengdu's citizens whispered amongst themselves, while the tea houses at the street corners were already filled, and many people had climbed onto rooftops to gaze at the scene.
Lu Shanjun's imposing figure sat at the main seat, completely transford into human form, with no trace of his monstrous origins.
Soon, a man in official attire, about thirty years old, stepped onto the platform. His speech was rhythmic, reminiscent of a storytelling master.
He unfolded the list of charges, and said in a solemn voice, "Bandit Sun Feiyi from Mianzhu, Wei Hong, bandits Xu Kui, Zou Rui from Suining..."
A string of nas was recited.
Among them were notable figures from the greenwood, notorious antagonists from Ba and Shu, as well as so ruffians and rogues of the streets, who extorted and forced good won into prostitution, also guilty of murder. Most of them had their martial arts abolished, and kneeling at the center was Sun Feiyi, a man of so repute in the greenwood of Ba and Shu, known as the Sichuan Flying Dragon, skilled in Qinggong and able to cross the Three Gorges. But recently, he was directly captured by the experts of the Eastern Depot, never imagining that a eunuch's Qinggong and swordsmanship could be so superior.
Moreover, he learned from that eunuch that in the Eastern Depot and Western Depot, experts like him amounted to little, not even ranked. Those eunuchs practicing the Celestial Spirit Child Skill were the true masters.
The eunuch fought him in the vicinity of the Three Gorges, with a swordplay so enigmatic and unpredictable that within a dozen moves, he cut Sun Feiyi's tendons and ligants, handing him over to the Jinyi Guard.
"Sun Feiyi."
"Last June, in Mianzhu, he exterminated the entire Qian family of sixteen, a month later, in Kuizhou, killed three people and walked away, followed by raiding rchant ships, killing twenty-one more, leaving none alive."
"Wei Hong."
"A notorious sea robber, his victims are countless. In just the first half of this year, he led a slaughter in Qiaodong village, with dozens of families all slain by his underlings."
The middle-aged man read the charges expressionlessly, his voice growing colder, arousing indignation among the onlooking crowd. Even so martial artists looked at those kneeling, having their tendons and bones abolished, in utter shock.
"Senior Brother."
"Most of the greenwood masters around Ba and Shu are nearly assembled."
Spoke a heroic woman from Mount Qingcheng, beside her a man equally shocked, looking at several people in the front row, whispered, "Xu Kui the Tiger over the Mountain, Zou Rui the Tiger Leaping the Ravine, don't see their sworn brothers, whether they're dead or escaped."
At this mont, a cold male voice ca from the side, chillingly said, "Naturally dead."
"No one can escape the Eastern Depot and Western Depot's hunt."
The two turned surprised, seeing a young man standing with a sword in his arms, pale and beardless, not seeming like a martial artist, more like a white-faced scholar, except for the highly chilly aura he emitted.
"Does Brother know the details?" The man cupped his hands in salute, asked curiously.
Unfortunately, the pale, beardless young man did not seem inclined to elaborate, rely glanced at them, coldly saying, "Mount Qingcheng, Wei Tao, Zhao Yan, your master was lucky, helping disaster victims years ago, earned so rit, otherwise you would also face reckoning."
"In the future, take care of yourselves."
Upon hearing the words, the two were startled, just about to speak, yet the man had already disappeared, vanished with ghostly speed.
"Senior Brother, that man seems to be…"
Zhao Yan couldn't help lower her voice, "A eunuch."
Wei Tao remained silent, feeling a chilling sensation on his back, sweat pouring, softly said, "This place is not suitable for long stays. Let's go."
At this mont, cheers erupted from the front.
Blood gushed forth.
A row of burly executioners stepped forward, swinging broadswords and chopped off heads one after another. The first row of ten was beheaded, followed by the second row of ten, their work efficiency extrely high, slicing off over thirty heads in a short ti.
What swift blades!
These executioners seed like experts from the military, their swordsmanship fierce, not inferior to second-tier martial artists.
The spectators started with curiosity and excitent, but soon fear surfaced, as dozens of heads were cut off. Many civilians gradually closed their eyes in terror.
The scent of blood filled Caishikou, spurting blood splattered out from the gutters, flowing into the streets.
They had heard of the Demon Soldiers of the Ming Cult being efficient in killing, but never imagined it to be so rapid. Teams of people were ushered onto the execution ground; whether they were known figures in the greenwood or local tyrants, whether they shouted bravely, claiming to be a hero again eighteen years later, or wet their pants in fear, none of it affected the efficiency of the execution.
The executioners seed like frigid beheading machines, one row after another, their hands rose and fell, blood gushing, heads dropping.
"Quickly, quickly."
"Don't dawdle."
"Over a hundred heads still need chopping, delay the auspicious hour and it won't be easy crossing the Ghost Gate."
"Don't bring harm upon yourselves, miss the lucky timing."
"This ti was specially chosen by a master for the day, a chance for you to beco better people next life."
User Comments
0 comments from readers