Chapter 688: Chapter 360: Jade Girl’s Methods—Another General Envoy Slain, Arrival at Dawn, Annihilation in a Snap!
Originally... yesterday, Chief Shi died, thoroughly frightening the three men’s courage. Although they swore to fight to the death, they always harbored hopes for a stroke of luck. That night, the three secretly met, agreeing to escape by taking a flower boat. They hoped to delve deep into the lake to find a sliver of vitality.
Unfortunately, luck was not on their side. They encountered a strong enemy that intercepted and attacked them. The three joined forces to resist, but their skills were too shallow, and their minds unsettled, leading to them all perishing under the sword. Their clothes were stripped, and their bodies cast into the water, carried by the flow back to the Water Altar. Such an event dashed any remaining hopes of escape.
Within Wang Shouxin’s residence, Zhou Zhengde sighed and said, "Those three were cowardly and weak, only thinking of private escapes and finally meeting their end by an enemy’s hand. This shows that we can only fight our way forward."
Ye Cheng said, "There’s only one day left. Since we can’t escape death, we might as well indulge a little. How about we buy some wine and food and have a grand feast?" At once, the elders spent lavishly, purchasing wine and fine food, organizing a banquet in the hall.
They ate and drank recklessly, quite unrestrained. Li Xian only ate food, abstaining from alcohol. Ye Cheng enjoyed the feast immensely, displaying a scholarly demeanor, composing several poems on the spot, earning applause from everyone.
Li Xian thought to himself, "I must escape into the lake to seek a chance for survival. Although I have some friendship with Ye Cheng, this escape plan must be kept secret. I am not confident about this risky endeavor, so why invite him to join me."
That day, as everyone ate and drank without limits, night quickly fell. With only a quarter hour left until midnight, Zhou Zhengde raised his cup and shouted, "Everyone, tomorrow is our last day. We are ready to fight. In the afterlife, we shall be brothers again. Come, let’s have another drink."
Liu Renyi slapped the table and shouted, "Hahaha, come on, let’s drink to our heart’s content!"
The elders, deeply drunk and aware that they had no prospect of survival, displayed a heroic flair. As they clinked glasses and drank wildly, a sudden gust of wind swept through, and the Jingyao Divine Bird landed again on the eaves.
In his drunken rage, Zhou Zhengde cursed, "Damn it, it’s that damned bird again! I’ll chop you apart!" He grabbed a sword and lunged. The divine bird flapped its wings, stirring up a storm and knocking Zhou Zhengde to the ground.
The divine bird let out a clear cry, instantly clearing everyone’s drunkenness. Zhou Zhengde slowly climbed to his feet, his face pale and ashamed, the courage to swing the sword gone.
Suddenly, a letter drifted into the hall. Once the bird delivered the letter, it immediately flew away.
Zhou Zhengde cursed under his breath, picked up the letter to read, and his expression quickly turned pale. It read: "Immediately, acknowledge yourself as sinners. Write your crimes on placards, hang them around your neck, shave your heads, bind your hands and feet, strip naked, and kneel at the eastern shore. This will spare your lives."
The sharp penmanship left no room for doubt, full of contempt and arrogance, as if saying, "If you can bear such humiliation and are so afraid of death, I may reluctantly spare your lives, and what then?"
Ye Cheng, Han Zisha, Meng Han, Liu Renyi, Di Yidao... all displayed emotions of anger mixed with joy, yet they couldn’t fully express either emotion, revealing a deeply conflicted expression.
The raging flames of anger were suddenly doused with cold water, with the fire extinguished but the charcoal still warm, yet it was hard to reignite. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the hall, as all the Flower Thieves received the letter, cheering and jubilant, as if receiving a great favor. They talked, "Hurry, hurry, there are only so many flower ropes. If you can’t grab one, you’ll be doomed." "You’re tying it too loosely. Do you want to kill me? Tie it tighter! I sincerely want to confess to the lords." "Oh dear, hurry to the shore and kneel, or there won’t be any spots left."
...
The elders looked at each other, their blood cooled and spirits discouraged. Zhou Zhengde said in a deep voice, "Such humiliation, how can we..." Seeing the look on everyone’s faces and questioning his own heart, he too feared death. If survival meant humiliation, he would not willingly die. He let out a long sigh.
Zhou Zhengde said, "Very well, let’s retain some of our dignity. Go back to our residences for now. Those who wish to fight, battle tomorrow. If... if you want to live, then you must comply with the orders, there’s no other option."
The elders dispersed in a flurry. After a moment of hesitation at home, each gritted their teeth and sent their beautiful companions to shave their heads completely. They used meteor iron ropes to tightly bind their hands and feet, the ropes biting into the flesh, causing muscle and bone pain, making it impossible to move. The flower ropes did not hurt, but the meteor iron ropes were excruciatingly painful to wear! A crime board was hung around their necks, detailing their offenses. Soon, they hurried to the coast, kneeling naked before the shore.
Meng Han, Ye Cheng, Zhou Zhengde, Liu Renyi, Han Zisha... many elders were like this. When they met on the eastern shore, they saw each other’s sorry state, feeling both grief and shame, yet there was no place for their humiliation. To preserve their lives, they knelt in humiliation on the east shore, as waves lapped at their feet.
The Flower Cage Sect entirely surrendered, bearing humiliation for survival.
Kneeling through the night, as dawn broke the next day, a ship slowly appeared in their view. A woman stood elegantly at the bow, arriving with the morning light, as if riding clouds, surrounded by colorful radiance. Her figure was tall, surrounded by lengths of colorful silk fluttering around her.
(ps: Requesting monthly tickets and subscriptions! Also planning to change the title, feel free to share your thoughts and ideas for it.)
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