Episode 30

  "We're definitely going to die!"

  An old customer sighed and said.

  "Why must I die?"

  "You think about it, originally they could have let us go halfway and still kept their nest safe! But now that we all know the truth, can we not be silenced?"

  "But on this dark and gloomy night, with all its twists and turns, who can recall where they came from?"

  "Hum! Why don't you go ask that bandit instead? If it were you, would you believe we didn't know the way and let us go?"

  Everyone was silent and stopped talking. They all knew that they would probably not survive until the next day. For a while, the prison was quiet and silent, everyone thought about their own affairs, and no one cared about others anymore.

  "Insufficient elder brother, if those thieves really want to kill us, what should we do?"

  "I don't know, let's take it one step at a time!"

  Insufficient and Chang Er quietly told each other.

  "Hmm! Maybe there's still hope!"

  The old man with a Confucian scholar's appearance said.

  "What's the meaning of this?"

  The old man looked at Chang'er with his eyes. Everyone was a businessman, and they were all clever, so how could they not understand the meaning behind this? This was the only thread of life.

  "You just watch what I'll do!"

  Chang'e was startled and asked:

  "Little girl, our lives are all in your hands now, please help us."

  "Wait, what did you just say?"

  Insufficient previous step.

  "Little brother, the king has taken a liking to this young lady. What if we were to offer her to the king?"

  "This official, I have an 80-year-old mother above and a half-year-old child below, please save me!"

  Another sly and cunning person said.

  "You despicable coward! Is it manly to cling to life at the expense of a young girl's? Are your lives precious, but not that of my sister Qinger? What about old mothers and young children - are they just excuses for you? If you have them, then no one else can! Don't make such childish excuses, it's contemptible! I'm telling you, this is impossible! Hmph! Stop harboring foolish fantasies!"

  "Little brother, it's not good to talk too much. It's not like we're asking for this young lady's life! Besides, a daughter's marriage is just a matter of marrying someone; what's wrong with marrying a wealthy man and enjoying a rich and luxurious life? Moreover, if people are going to die, it won't be just us few, but also you yourself, little brother!"

  "Shut up! Looking at your Confucian robe, you must be a scholar! I'd like to ask, how far have you read in the classics of the sages?"

  "Hum! Even saints and sages have never encountered such a deadly affair!"

  "You!"

  "In the book of Xian, it is written that a young child cried by the roadside. A wealthy guest arrived and asked in surprise, 'Why are you crying?' The child said that his parents had been killed by an enemy family and he sought revenge. He was asked, 'Who is the enemy family?' and replied, 'The Wang family.' The guest said, 'I need something from you to help you.' The child asked, 'What do you need?' and the guest replied, 'Your head on a platter.' The child agreed and immediately cut his own throat with a knife. The wealthy guest took the child's head and eventually avenged him. If a passerby can assist like this, how much more should we who are fellow travelers help each other?"

  Another long-gowned Confucian scholar spoke in a gentle and elegant manner.

  "Hum! Sir, you have deeply grasped the Confucian teachings of the three flavors. Unfortunately, this hypocritical theory has long been abandoned by us. You can't deceive certain families anymore! Even with your clever tongue, it's hard to move certain people's hearts. Chang'er, don't be afraid, I, Shi, will not rest until I ensure your safety!"

  "Insufficient brother, I'll give it a try, maybe I can move his heart!"

  "Shut up! Stinky girl! Who wants you to pretend to be a good person and cause trouble!"

  Insufficient and greatly angered, he blamed this short and petite girl for not knowing the weight of things. But Bai Jiao Jiao just giggled and transmitted a message saying:

  "Sister, I originally thought that under the heavens, there would be no one else who dared to scold you like this, but unexpectedly, there is! Hehehe......"

  "Little girl, watching her sister being scolded, was actually very happy!"

  Chang'er also smiled and transmitted her voice.

  "You're just making a fuss! They've already agreed themselves! Besides, this matter has nothing to do with you!"

  One of them was a sturdy man who said

  "Hum! You try it then!"

  Not lacking in any way, showing no weakness at all.

  "You all stop saying 'yes, yes, yes'! I'm a rough man and don't understand it either. Just capture this little scoundrel first, then hand him over to the king along with that little girl!"

  Another robust and tall man with a sturdy build, similar to a bear, walked towards him with large strides while speaking. The other several robust men surrounded him as well. They saw the big man stretch out one of his large hands to grab Xiao Wu directly.

  "At this time when you should unite against a common enemy, yet you unexpectedly turn on each other to fight. Your wisdom is all like this!"

  Insufficient also is the raging fire, loudly speaking and taking big steps forward to welcome that big fellow. The big fellow sneered, one hand reaching out to grab Insufficient's neck. Insufficient didn't dodge, raised his hand to block, and with the other hand struck the big fellow's abdomen. A loud "ah" cry was heard, the big fellow flew backward like a ball of meat, landing about 57 feet away, clutching his belly and rolling on the ground wailing. The rest of the people were shocked, stunned for half a moment before regaining their senses.

  "What an extraordinary master!"

  Everyone was shocked and looked over. In fact, this scene was also a big doubt for Zhong Yiqi. Although he had felt that something was wrong with himself since the cart-pulling incident, he did not expect to have such great strength! Chang'er just smiled and looked at Zhong Yiqi. How could Zhong Yiqi know that his accidental ingestion of the Lingdan had such a wonderful effect? This elixir can nourish one's vital energy, strengthen one's spiritual awareness, and has a great effect on the body's meridians. It is truly comparable to an immortal elixir! Shi Yiqi's grandfather, Shi Yi, was only able to refine seven or eight grains of it. This thing was made from the Lingyao that Chang'er had secretly guided him to pick. Under the realm of the Dao, it has a remarkable effect. However, the lower one's cultivation level, the better the effect. The problem is that people with low cultivation levels cannot refine this elixir. Furthermore, the main ingredient of this elixir is almost extinct, making it nearly impossible to refine. Therefore, although this elixir has a great reputation, few people have seen it, let alone consumed it. After Zhong Yiqi accidentally ingested it and encountered Chang'er's powerful magic that spread throughout his body, he was able to achieve such great fortune! If not for this, he would have died early on.

  Jin Chan'er just gazed at Bu Zu with a faint smile and didn't speak. Bu Zu thought for a moment and said:

  "Some people want to take your life, but considering that you are confused between life and death, I will let you live."

  He then said to the crowd in a state of panic:

  "Gentlemen, it's better not to provoke Miss Chang's sister. At this critical moment when our lives are at stake, we should join forces to save ourselves."

  The Confucian scholar let out a long sigh and said:

  "You're really a divine person! However, I'm worried about how to get out of here safely, please show me the way!"

  "Let's get together and discuss this."

  Everyone gathers around, and naturally they take what is insufficient as the horse's head.

  "This place, you must have observed when you came in. It's solid! And both inside and outside are unbreakable. For us, it means we can't get out, but for those bandits, they won't suspect a thing! This is our only chance! If we lure them in and kill them one by one, with lightning-fast moves, we might be able to break through, or maybe there's still a glimmer of hope! There's no other way. As for you wanting to abandon my sister Qinger and save yourselves, that's utter foolishness! If the king takes her as his concubine, he won't let us go, and his desire to kill us will only grow stronger! If we don't want to reveal our lair, this is the only way. Would they dare take risks for a single woman? And you've all seen how brutal they are!"

  Everyone nodded in agreement, but in reality, they were all thinking about their own interests and weighing the pros and cons. However, that king's brutal killings had been witnessed by everyone. They knew that even if they managed to survive for a few more hours or days, they would eventually die without a doubt. Taking a desperate gamble might lead to death, but there was also a glimmer of hope for survival. But the thought of fighting against the bandits and recalling the tragic scenes at the Three Forks Town inn and along the way made everyone too afraid to speak up. They remained silent.

  "I see that all of you initially came at us with bare hands and empty fists, your courage can be called great! But now facing the enemy, you are timid like a mouse!"

  "Insufficient brother, first open the prison gate, wait for me to lead that thief down, and then make a surprise attack on him. After that, quietly slip away, without alarming the leader of the thieves and his followers, each escaping with their lives."

  "Good! Since even a young girl dares to sacrifice her life, what are we afraid of!"

  One of them said in a low voice.

  "It's done!"

  Several others echoed in agreement.

  Everyone gathered together to discuss the details of their actions. With insufficient as the first, they arranged for manpower and agreed to take the enemy by surprise. After succeeding, they escaped and scattered to flee for their lives.

  Insufficient to observe, the crowd all jumped up and wanted to try, knowing that people's hearts can be used. Then he walked to the side of the wooden fence gate of the prison, grasped the wooden fence with both hands, and let out a muffled hum. The wooden fence of the prison gate suddenly opened in all directions. The crowd was extremely surprised and delighted, and they all whispered a few words of praise. After selecting a few wooden sticks, they exited the prison gate, entered the dark passage, took the torches left behind by the thieves, and headed back along the original path. Before long, they arrived at the bottom of the giant stone cover plate. Insufficient ordered the crowd to extinguish the torches and hide on both sides of the dark passage. He and Chang'er proceeded straight to the staircase under the cover plate. Insufficient concentrated his mind and listened carefully, and through the cover plate, he only heard the sound of three or four people drinking wine. Then, in the darkness, he quietly instructed the crowd:

  "They are drinking wine, wait a little while longer, when they get drunk it will be easy to take them down!"

  Everyone was silent. Only anxiously waiting. Another hour passed, and then he said to Chang'er:

  "Let's start!"

  Then Chang'e began to hum a song:

  "You come and go from my humble abode, back and forth repeatedly."

  Singing loudly and chanting poetry, it's all because of you, concubine.

  I reside in a secluded chamber, and have long since heard of it.

  The high hall is suspicious, perhaps it's because of you.

  Please don't be angry, and don't blame my father.

  Tomorrow evening, I will arrive at Apricot Forest.

  When you come, I will be your matchmaker; my wife will act as your mother.

  Father's orders are like mountains; mother's words are like gentle streams.

  A girl at the age of three is betrothed, and by ten she is married.

  After many years of waiting, he finally had a son and taught him well.

  Serve your parents-in-law with utmost filial piety and respect.

  Children recite scriptures, extremely good and extremely beautiful.

  I am innocent, what fault is yours?

  Last month came to rest, sent concubine back home.

  Home is your home, where can I go?

  "Go and rest, never come back."

  Her singing voice was ethereal and lingering, every thread of it entered the ears, like weeping, like complaining, like smoke, like dust, drifting and floating, all entering the gap between the stone slabs.

  "Big brother, who is singing?"