Behind me, another hapless minion collapsed, still holding a knife in his hand.

If Graves had been a second at night, I would have fallen.

We stared.

Old habits are terrible.

Planck's people are now everywhere. They stood in a circle and gathered around us shouting. We can't win against so many people.

But Graves doesn't think so. He sneered and raised his gun to fire.

But he had run out of bullets.

I'm too lazy to throw any more cards. Pointless.

Graves roared and rushed at them—what an old dog who wouldn't admit defeat. He raised the butt of his rifle and smashed the nose of one of the guys in front of him, and was quickly pinned to the ground by the others. Someone grabbed me by the shoulders and cut my hands behind my back. Graves was dragged to his feet, his face covered in blood.

Suddenly, everyone became quiet. An extremely ominous quiet.

The human wall parted, and a figure draped in a red coat strode forward.

Planck.

As he approached, I realized that he was much stronger than I had imagined, and that he was not young, and that the wrinkles on his face were like chisels.

He held an orange in his hand and a very short carving knife in the other, peeling it unhurriedly.

Every stroke is cleanly shaved.

"Say, boys," his voice rolled in his throat in a low voice.

"Do you like bone carving?"

I was punched in the face again, and I fell heavily on Planck's deck. Pig iron handcuffs were stuck in my wrists.

I was lifted by the clamped arms and knelt next to Trist. A pockmarked pirate stopped me and didn't let me get down.

My eyes were so swollen that I couldn't focus them, and the muscular muscles in front of me seemed to be separated by a layer of ground glass, coming and going.

"Come on again, are you kid going to beat people?" I said with my tongue wide open.

I didn't even see his movements and lay on my back on the ground. Severe pain explodes in all joints of the body. Once again, they picked me up and pressed me to my knees on the deck.

I spat out my teeth and a mouthful of blood, and said with a smile, "Little cub, my mother is stronger than you." And she died five years ago. ”

He pulled up and prepared to give me one more shot. Just as he was about to exert his strength, Planck stopped him.

"Alright."

My body shook uncontrollably, and my eyes were dazed, but I still tried to focus on Planck. It took me a while to barely see that he had the dagger Trist wanted on his belt.

"Trist, right? I've heard that you're fast, and I've always looked up to quick thieves. Planck approached Trist, looked at him and said, "But you shouldn't be stupid enough to steal from me." He crouched down and turned his head to look me in the eye.

"And you, if you had a little bigger brain, you would have had a chance to work for me. But now it's impossible. ”

He stood up and turned his back.

"I'm not an unreasonable person, and I don't force people to grovel before me. All I want is a small amount of respect. But you two dare to ride on my neck and. Unforgivable. ”

When his men heard this, they began to gather around, like a pack of hungry hyenas waiting for a feast. But I'm not going to beg for mercy. They don't even think about it.

"Do me a favor," I nodded in Trist's direction, "and kill him first." ”

Planck scoffed.

He nodded to one of the crew members, and the kid ran to the side and rang the ship's bell. After a while, more than a dozen bells in the city rang in turn. Drunkards, sailors, traders...... Many people, attracted by the commotion, poured into the streets. This is to kill the chicken and show it to the monkey.

"The whole city is watching you two, it's time." He commanded his men in a loud voice: "Bring the daughter of the god of death here!" ”

There was a cheer on the ship, and the minions stomped the deck to rumble. An old artillery piece was rolled out. Although the cannon is covered with patina, it is still a beauty.

I glanced at Trist, who hung his head and kept silent. They searched all his cards, and none of them fell. And his stupid hat with all the bells and whistles, a scoundrel of the pirate horde, Tian Tian shamelessly put on his head.

I've known Trist for so many years, and he's always left a way back for himself. But here and now, helpless, he was defeated.

Very good.

"You completely deserve it, dog mongrel." I roared.

He looked up at me with anger in his eyes.

"I don't want things to be like that—"

"You left me behind and let me rot in prison!" I interrupted him.

"My people and I tried to get you out, and they all died!" He quickly shot back, "Curt, Wallach, and Brick, there's not one left, it's all to save you!" You pig's head! ”

"But you're alive. Have you ever thought about why? Because you're a coward, yes, even if you have a pretty excuse, it's useless. ”

My words struck him deeply. He stopped pleading, and the last vestiges of fighting spirit dissipated. His shoulders collapsed weakly—he was utterly finished.

Although Trist's acting skills are top-notch on weekdays, I don't think he's pretending to be now. The anger in my heart began to recede.

I suddenly felt extremely tired. Exhausted, and incompetent in aging.

"We're all going to hell, and it's not just my fault." He said helplessly, "I didn't lie to you, we did our best to save you." But it doesn't matter, believe it or not. ”

I gradually wavered. After a while, I realized that I actually believed him.

Damn, he's right.

I've always done things my own way, and whenever I go overboard, Trist comes and cleans up the mess. He always has a way back, and the two of us can get out of it again and again.

But I didn't listen to him that day, and I haven't heard of him since. So, now I'm killing us all.

Suddenly, they grabbed Trist and me by the feet and dragged them headfirst toward the Daughter of Death. Planck stroked the muzzle of the cannon as if he were teasing his beloved hound.

"Once, the daughter of the Grim Reaper was victorious in my hands." He said ostentatiously, "I've always wanted to have a beautiful funeral for her." ”

The sailors pulled out a thick iron chain and wrapped it around the gun. I understood what Planck was trying to do.

Trist and I were tied back to back, the other end of the chain wrapped around our legs, and then through the back, the handcuffs were placed on our shoulders. As soon as the padlock is fastened, we become grasshoppers on a rope.

A gap slipped open on one side of the ship, and a group of people pushed the Daughter of Death to the side of the ship. The dock was crowded with people, stretching their necks and staring blankly.

Planck's boots were pressed against the barrel.

"I'll tell you, I really can't get us out this time." Trist twisted his shoulders and said, "I knew that one day you were going to kill me." ”

I burst out laughing, I hadn't laughed like this in a long time.

We were dragged to the side of the boat by several people, like two pigs waiting to be slaughtered.

Maybe my saga is coming to an end here. I've had a good time, but luck always comes to an end.

That's when I knew what to do.

I pressed my wrist against the inner ring of the handcuffs and tried my best to reach quietly into the back pocket of my pants.

Sure enough, it's still there.

The cards that Trist left behind in the warehouse. I was going to shove it down his throat.

They searched Trist all over his body, but they didn't pay attention to me.

We're tied back to back like this, and it's pretty convenient to pass things around. I quietly put the cards into his hand. He was a little surprised, hesitated, and then squeezed it into his palm.