I hesitated again and again before my chaotic thoughts slowly dissipated.

"Go back and see if you can rescue Zhang Quanzhong from the predicament of the 'Nine Palace Death Talisman'. The more thaumaturgists who survive the war, the more likely it is that humanity will be doomed. I told myself silently.

Standing on the Baihua Embankment, my mood also changed to the turbulent lake, full of anxiety about the unknowable future.

I bent down, dragged the body of the Thousand-Armed Buddha, and threw it into the lotus pond east of the Hundred Flowers Causeway.

The best use of the corpses of the invaders is to make flower fertilizer to make the lotus flowers of Daming Lake bloom more vividly.

I went north along the Baihua Embankment, and as soon as I got off the embankment, a team of armed devil soldiers ran behind me.

They didn't pay any attention to me, but quickly headed north, past me and towards the Iron Shrine.

"The enemy has increased its troops, has the Hongmen banquet changed?" I was taken aback, and immediately quickened my pace, followed the ghost soldiers, and quickly returned to Jingguan Xiaowu's courtyard.

Jingguan Xiaowu was still sitting at the table drinking tea, calm and relaxed, and not alarmed.

"I guess things must be going well, right?" she said.

"The Buddha of the Thousand Hands is dead. "I only answered five words.

She leaned over the teapot, poured a bowl of tea for me, and pointed to the seat next to her: "Please sit down, be calm, don't be impatient." ”

I sat down and heard the tom sound of the soldier's leather boots stepping on the bluestone slab from the direction of the Iron Gong Temple, and the louder and louder it became, the louder and louder it became. It is conceivable that the Japanese are mobilizing troops to surround the Iron Gong Temple.

"It's urgent, have you already thought of a way to turn around?" I asked.

Jingguan Xiaowu calmly brushed his sleeves: "It is a trivial matter for the person covered by the Nine Palaces Death Talisman to be saved, and it is useless to be anxious about trivial matters." Let's drink tea, this tea has been rolled three times on the jujube firewood, just right, it would be a pity not to drink it at this time. ”

I pressed the anxiety in my heart, holding the white porcelain tea bowl in both hands, sipping the steaming green tea.

Her words are right, Zhang Quanzhong is covered by the Nine Palaces Death Talisman, death is inevitable, and life is accidental. This is a fact of the truth, and it does not change because of someone's likes and dislikes.

Instead of being impatient and blind, it is better to be indifferent.

Instead of giving up your life, consider doubling down with your enemy's life.

"You are very good, you have worked hard for three sips of tea, and you have figured out the stakes. In the entire city of Jinan, if you want to find someone who understands, you really can't find it!" Jingguan Xiaowu smiled faintly.

I shook my head and sighed lightly: "It's not that I have great wisdom, but the situation is too complicated, the enemy is pressing too hard, and it is difficult to find space to move around." If you are so calm, you must have seen the fire and found a breakthrough at the end of the crisis. ”

In my life guidelines, death is definitely not the first book, but the next policy. There is only one life, and if you can't create the greatest value in your limited life, you will live in vain. Therefore, a thaumaturgist with a wise mind must be careful about the word "death", and must go all out to focus on the goal of "living".

Although the evil omen of the "Nine Palaces Death Talisman" has appeared in Daming Lake, I still hope to save the lives of more thaumaturgists with limited vitality.

"The more enemies come and the closer they gather, the more they give me the best chance to attack. Jingguan Xiaowu said.

"Rush?" my hands shuddered involuntarily, and the bowl almost hit the ground.

If you use "rush" to deal with today's events, then Jingguan Xiaowu's strategy will inevitably be too clumsy.

"Yes, firefight. A few days ago, it was observed that there was a drought in spring, with more sunny and less rain, and the water level of Daming Lake fell a lot. This time, it is believed that the blood of the dead and wounded on both sides of the battle will allow the water level to rise again. As for the corpses of the deceased, they can feed the lake fish to extra fat. Jingguan Xiaowu nodded and replied.

Sitting in front of me is a graceful woman holding a pot of tea, if she was born in peacetime, she would definitely be a good wife and mother to her husband and children, or an elegant white-collar worker shuttling through a high-end office building. However, at this moment, she laughed and talked about grinding her teeth and sucking blood, killing people like hemp, calmly and calmly, as if she was just talking about going to the kitchen to peel an onion, choose a handful of coriander, stir an egg, and then turn on the fire to make a bowl of sobering soup.

War changes everything, and no matter how good a woman is, she can't care about the image of a good wife and mother, so she turns to the sword and fights bloody battles to survive.

"I'm afraid I can't do it. I said with a frown.

Jingguan Xiaowu didn't explain, just flicked her nails lightly, and the tips of her nails made two soft "clicks".

"Do the math, how many people do you need to achieve a balance of combat power?" she asked.

I recalled what I saw when I arrived at the enemy camp in the east, north, and west, and added the group of devil soldiers who passed on the Baihua Embankment, and gave a rough calculation of the figure of "one hundred and fifty." In other words, there were at least one hundred and fifty devil soldiers besieging the Iron Gong Temple.

"Plus fifty, it's two squads of traitor lackeys. Jingguan Xiaowu raised his right palm.

"Two hundred heavily armed enemies are hard to deal with, and even if you recruit brave and skilled fighters to fight, you will need at least a hundred, right?"

"It does take a hundred, and thankfully, I've got a hundred axes. The enemy had carts, horses, guns and cannons, while my men had no means of transportation and could only fight hand-to-hand. Once the battle line is extended, my people become live targets on the street, not to mention melee killing, and they are shot as soon as they show their heads. I have to admit that the enemy's fire was too accurate, and within a hundred paces, you were either killed or wounded. In fact, throughout the plan, I have been creating a huge target for the enemy, so that their attack target is becoming more and more clear, which is the Iron Shrine. In order to make this target more attractive, Mr. Zhang invited the top thaumaturgists in the city. The Iron Shrine is a huge death trap, and if you want to trap the enemy, you must first put yourself to death - the ancient art of war said, put it in the place of death and then live, in order to survive. In this battle, neither Mr. Zhang nor I wanted to get out of the city alive, so the trap became more and more realistic, and the enemy could not be fooled. Jingguan Xiaowu did not change his face and explained all the plans.

I gasped: "This is another battle of death for all eight gates?"

Very few wise people devise the trap of "ending up together", after all, it is human nature to seek life and fear death. Even in a low-probability battle of death and death, the underdog side will still unconsciously leave a way out.

"Yes, since there is no way out of sight, it is better to block all possible ways of life in advance, so that everyone can die as soon as possible. In the battle of the Iron Gong Ancestral Hall, is it not just that all eight gates are dead? What I want is a Taiji, Liangyi, Four Elephants, Five Elements, Bagua, Sixty-four Changes, and Seventy-two Elements are all dead. The enemy wants to destroy the thaumaturgists of the whole Jinan City, and I want to destroy all the Japanese troops, from top to bottom, leaving no one behind. She said.

"It's a big gamble, and if you lose it, hundreds of people's lives will be smashed into it. I sighed.

"Today's Central Plains, even if we don't gamble, won't the lives of hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people be gone? At least, in Jinan at present, we still have the capital to gamble. If you don't gamble at this time, when will you wait?" Jingguan Xiaowu replied with raised eyebrows.

"I'm confused. I smiled bitterly, "Mr. Zhang wants me to take you away, but you arrange this kind of decisive situation, and when the time comes...... Alas, if you want to go, you may not be able to go. ”

"If you don't finish this game of chess, even if you leave, you won't be reconciled. Jingguan Xiaowu said.

"Where, then, are the Hundred Blades and Axes?" I asked the most crucial question.

It was a secret, and if it were leaked out at this moment, within half an hour, the axemen would fall under the enemy's indiscriminate fire.

The reason why I asked this question was to test Jingguan Xiaowu's trust in me.

Jingguan Xiaowu shook her head: "I'm sorry, even I don't know." This matter is very sensitive, so I contacted the 100-knife axe men in a single line, arranged for them to appear at the specified place at the specified time, kill the specified target, and then leave on their own. Where the battle begins, they appear. ”

I didn't get an answer, but I let out a long sigh of relief.

If you want to keep it secret, the most clever way to deal with it is to not even know the truth to your own people.

"Wait. She said.

"yes, wait, wait. I said too.

I didn't mention the topic of "Asian Natal Chart", that's a later story, and I have to wait for the aftermath of the Hongmen Banquet to completely subside before I can slowly understand it.

The setting sun hung obliquely on the tip of the tallest tree on the shore of Daming Lake, and Jingguan Xiaowu suddenly got up, tapping the oval lid of the teapot with his right index finger.

She didn't look up, but out of the corner of her eye, she squinted towards the Iron Ancestral Hall.

There was a sound of broken footsteps, and the maid who had reported the incident reappeared.

"Miss, it's not good, the enemy's thaumaturgists have arrived, but there are five times as many people as you expected-" She paused and gasped for a few breaths before continuing in shock, "Mr. Zhang and the others are gone, surrounded by the enemy. He issued three warnings of arrows piercing through the clouds, but they were all intercepted by the enemy's volley. I observed all of this in Bunker 2 and came back to report it immediately......"

Jingguan Xiaowu's face was always calm, and when the maid finished reporting, she put a bowl of tea on the corner of the table and whispered, "Hard work, drink tea." ”

The maid picked up the tea bowl and drank it all.

"So, the Iron Gong Temple is already overcrowded?" asked Jingguan Xiaowu.

The maid nodded vigorously: "Well, yes, it's crowded." Miss, let's find a way to save Mr. Zhang, it's been delayed for a long time, I'm afraid something big will happen. ”

Jingguan Xiaowu shook his head: "Something big, now, I just want to make a big thing, the bigger the better, and attract all the attention of the occupying army." ”

Zhang Quanzhong is the bait, and the occupying army is the fish. In order to catch so many fish in one net, you have to make a bait that is big enough and good enough.

"Mr. Xia, what do you think?" asked Jingguan Xiaowu.

"It's time to close the net. I said.

Now that the Japanese thaumaturgists and the encirclement and suppression troops have arrived, it is most appropriate to trigger a big explosion at this moment.

"It's easy to close the net, I'm still waiting for someone. Two people, to be exact. When both of them arrived, I could close the net. Jingguan Xiaowu said.

"Two, who?" I asked.

Jingguan Xiao Wu did not answer, but dipped his little finger in the tea, and wrote the words "Enemy of the Tenth World" on the table one by one.

I know what these four words mean, but it is obvious that the person who laid down the array of "dragon head and eight gates are dead" is already dead, and he can't wait. The person who can become the "enemy of the tenth world" with him is also the head and tail of the dragon, and after assassinating Tu Lao Er, he disappeared in a blink of an eye.

That being the case, neither of the two sides represented by the "Enemy of the Ten" today will return to this place. It would be a futile waste of time to wait any longer.

The maid didn't know the meaning of those four words, and blinked her eyes quickly, looking at Jingguan Xiaowu with confusion.

"It's still a matter of waiting, even if there's only a glimmer of hope. Jingguan Xiaowu said.

I saw with my own eyes that the occupying army had erected machine-gun fortifications along the commanding heights on the north shore of the lake, and armored vehicles, cavalry, and wolfdogs were all on standby...... If we don't hurry up and think of a way, we ...... We're going to ...... this time It's all over......" the maid cried out in a hurry.

She is still young, her life is like a small bud on the mountain, and she is dead at this moment, which is embarrassing.

"Are you scared?" asked Jingguan Xiaowu.

The maid shook her head desperately: "I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid, miss, I'm worried about you and Mr. Zhang." You are all good people, you are all good people, and you are also capable people, if you want to escape for your life at this time, no one can stop you. However, I don't understand, why didn't you two flee in advance, but stayed here to fight the enemy? My grandfather said that if you stay in the green mountains, you are not afraid of running out of firewood. You are all readers, and you must know more than grandpa. Miss, let's go quickly, this battle can't be won, Chinese can't beat them, run away......"

This simple and unpretentious little girl speaks sincerely, and she is indeed wholeheartedly thinking about Jingguan Xiaowu. I was touched by this deep affection.

"Escape, a big country can't accommodate a small desk, where do you have to flee to live in peace?" Jingguan Xiaowu asked herself.

Many people from Jinan have fled to Nanyang, where they have opened mines, farmed, and done business, and their lives are very good. Miss, with your and Mr. Zhang's talents, you will definitely be able to live well. Let's go, it's too late if you don't go. The little maid replied.

The sun is heading south, and the South Seas are in danger. In time, the migrants who dreamed of escaping the clutches of the Japanese invaders will once again be caught in the crosshairs.

Escape is not a solution, and this has been proven by history repeatedly. If you want to survive, you have to take up arms and fight.

"After drinking tea, go down and rest, and don't talk much. Jingguan Xiaowu waved his hand.

The little maid sighed and walked obediently into the house.

Jingguan Xiaowu looked up at the sunset, and the thumbs of both hands were pinched at the base of the middle fingers.

That kind of arithmetic technique is the most commonly used by thaumaturgists in the Central Plains, and the genres are different, and the methods are also very different.

Zhang Quanzhong was trapped, and the Hongmen Banquet was completely controlled, so there was no point in waiting until dusk. Nowadays, Jinan thaumaturgists are fish and meat, and Japanese thaumaturgists are swordsmen, and the former can only be slaughtered by the latter.

If the 100 sword and axe men dispatched by Jingguan Xiaowu did not know the situation and attacked hard, it would be tantamount to hitting a stone with an egg.

"Give the order. I said.

"What?" Jingguan Xiaowu asked in a low voice as she calculated.

"Issued a decree for a full retreat. I replied.

According to the rules of the Chinese military book, it is an indisputable rule to beat the drum and march forward and the gold to withdraw the troops. At this moment, it is announced that the troops will be withdrawn, and at least a hundred swordsmen and axes will be able to keep the living force and lay the foundation for the next counterattack.

"We haven't lost yet, it's just begun. Jingguan Xiaowu's eyes became brighter and brighter, like stars hanging high in the sky on a cold night.

"Doesn't the Nine Palace Death Talisman already say it all?" I continued.

In Chinese divination, there has always been an ancient proverb that "good omen is bad and bad omen is bad".

When the soothsayer observes an auspicious sign, the auspicious event may come late or slightly, and there is a great difference between the estimate and the estimate. On the other hand, when the soothsayer sees a bad omen, the evil is often violent and severe, ten times more serious than previously thought.

The "Nine Palace Death Talisman" is a great omen, and according to the expected situation, nine masters will die in the Nine Palaces. That is already the most optimistic estimate, and the least optimistic result may be nineteen, ninety-nine, nine hundred and ninety-nine.

"I said, we haven't lost yet. As you said earlier, it's a big gamble. There is no winner or loser in the gambling game, there is no loss in the bet, as long as we do not get off the table, we have a chance to win. Jingguan Xiaowu shook her head.

I did not continue to question her, but calmed down and pondered the situation reported by the little maid.

Zhang Quanzhong's Hongmen banquet was coming to an end, it was the time when the battle momentum was the weakest, the enemy chose that moment to attack suddenly, it can be seen that there is a far-sighted big man in the enemy formation, calmly dispatched, advanced and retreated, not only insight into Zhang Quanzhong's weaknesses, but also good at waiting for work with leisure, and the use of the strategy in the art of war is just right.

It is recorded in the ancient military book "Ten Arrays" that all battles must be set up outside the big tent of the Chinese army, and the flag officer will be set up in the fight, equipped with a five-color flag, and command the soldiers and horses to advance and retreat, such as the eyes of the commander, the hand, and the mouthpiece.

Now, the big man hidden in the shadows is like a banner officer sitting on a fight, if he wants to break the situation, he must be killed first.

Among the people on this side, only me and Jingguan Xiaowu remained. If I don't go out, who else will I have?

"I'm going to kill the fifth man. I said.

"No, Mr. Xia. Jingguan Xiaowu shook his head slowly, "It's not to kill the fifth person, but to kill the enemy's courage." In other words, when necessary, you have to take on the courage of your own phalanx under the shroud of the 'Nine Palace Death Talisman'. In this game, you are the key. Regular activity keeps things in good shape. If you are missing from the game, there will really be only one word left in the fight. ”

"I—" I couldn't say more, for I felt that a multitude of burdens were being weighed down layer by layer, all on my shoulders, and I had to bear it, and I had to bear it. In fact, before I appeared, it should have been Zhang Quanzhong and Jingguan Xiaowu.

"Mr. Xia, the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. This is the rule of the thaumaturgical world, and it has not changed since ancient times. Jingguan Xiaowu said again.

A bitter wound welled up in my throat, and I instantly understood that there was no place to lean on.

At first, I thought that Zhang Quanzhong's Hongmen banquet was already a careful plan and a sure victory. Later, when I saw the great omen of the "Nine Palace Death Talisman", I realized that the Hongmen Banquet was the place where nine people died.

After that, Jingguan Xiaowu guided me to assassinate the enemy chieftains in the east, north, west, and south, and I thought that she was strategizing in the rear and could win a thousand miles by herself. Now I see that I am the biggest bargaining chip she dares to bet on.

"The 'Nine Palace Death Talisman' is a great omen, this is a fact, this is a fact that cannot be changed......" I hissed.

Jingguan Xiaowu retorted proudly: "Mr. Xia, in the thaumaturgist industry, there is never such a thing as conformism. Who else has the right to determine our life and death? Who has the right to sentence you, me, and Mr. Zhang to death? Who has the right to make us willing to be killed? No, no, no-"

She's right, it's true that no one can sentence us to death, but the situation is pressing, what's the use of courage?

"Just now, I have already calculated against the sky and found a glimmer of life. She paused, then spoke.

"Where's the life?" I asked.

"Jiayimu in the east, Gengxinjin in the west, Bingdinghuo in the south, and Renkuishui in the north have died on all sides, and only the great enemy of the central Wuji land remains. The land grandmother is weak, and she has been defeated by the main general of the Chinese army on the other side. You've risen to the challenge and surprised the other party, so you have a good chance of winning. As soon as the central government wins, all the declining momentum in this round will be reversed, and the two sides will become evenly matched again. She said in a clear tone.