Within half a minute, I had just hidden the dead body behind the vines when Zhang Quanzhong led four middle-aged men with gloomy faces over.

"Come on, Brother Xia, I'll introduce you to a few masters in this city. Zhang Quanzhong raised his hand to greet me.

The four men, all dressed in gray robes, looked at me with a clear sense of hostility in their eyes.

"Mr. Ma, Mr. Wang, Mr. Zhao, Mr. Ye. Zhang Quanzhong introduced me in turn.

I clasped my fists and nodded to the four of them, "I'm glad I will." ”

The four of them bowed to me together: "Fortunately." ”

I could smell the obvious "dead air" in the air, which the four of them had brought.

"Brother Xia is young and talented, and Lao Zhang is full of praise just now. The back waves of the Yangtze River push the front waves, and we old guys are useless. Mr. Nama said sourly.

I remained silent, but I was quite jealous of the "dead air", and quietly retreated half a step back to distance myself from the four of them.

Usually the "dead air" will appear on those lost travelers who have traveled long distances in the desert, Gobi, and barren mountains, and the first to smell the "dead air" are fierce birds such as vultures and vultures.

A person who is seriously ill or seriously injured does not necessarily die, and once there is a "dead qi" in the body, the person will not live for 24 hours at most.

"You're welcome. I responded politely.

"As soon as the Japanese came, the pattern of Jinan's thaumaturgical world was about to change. Some people are soaring, some are retreating, I want to know how Lao Zhang and this Xia brother deal with themselves?" Mr. Nama asked again.

Zhang Quanzhong snorted: "Old Ma, this is not the focus of today, let's think about it in the long run, and think about it in the long run...... Hahahaha......"

I know that these four people will definitely fulfill the "Nine Palace Death Talisman", but with their Taoism, they can't predict this, so even if they are dying, they are still fighting for fame and fortune and intrigue.

This is really a very sad thing, if a person can't break through the shackles of fame and fortune, no matter how successful and famous he is, he is just a slave to fame and fortune.

"Old Ma, you go over to drink tea first, and taste the candied dim sum sent by Guanlong in the west of the city. As for me, I have a few words to Brother Xia, and I will turn my face and come over. Zhang Quanzhong said with a smile.

The man surnamed Ma gave me another blank look, and led the other three to leave.

As soon as they left, Zhang Quanzhong's face immediately sank.

"Occupation high-ranking officials are not coming?" I asked.

From the mouth of the captive, I already knew this.

Zhang Quanzhong nodded: "Well, I also just got the news." ”

I didn't want to sell Guanzi, so I directly picked up the vines and let Zhang Quanzhong see the corpse of the ghost-faced man: "This person confessed that the occupation army had already seen through today's Hongmen banquet, and they had surrounded it on all sides, so that the people who rushed to the banquet could not escape." ”

Zhang Quanzhong was not surprised, but his face became heavier, his shoulders shrunk, and even his back was stiffened, as if he was weighing thousands of catties on his body.

"Knowing that it is death, you still want to throw yourself into the net?" asked Grandma Land sharply.

Zhang Quanzhong held on to the stone pillar next to him and slowly bent down to sit down.

"A few of them, they're all wall-to-wall grass. Whoever occupies Jinan will follow whomever he wants, and he has changed three or four masters. Grandma Land said again.

I made a "silence" gesture to her, motioning for her to wait for Zhang Quanzhong to speak.

"Alas—" Before Zhang Quanzhong spoke, there was a long lament.

I know he has a lot to say, but things are urgent and don't necessarily have that long at his disposal.

"Brother Xia, I only ask you for one thing, take her away. He said.

This "she" naturally refers to Jingguan Xiaowu, a person with a very special identity in the chaos.

I didn't ask any more questions, and nodded heavily.

"There is no winner in the Hongmen Banquet, you know. The winner at this moment is just a short-term small victory, and it will inevitably be blood-spattered on the battlefield in the future. Once a person is inherently dead, the butcher's knife is coming, stretching the neck is a knife, and shrinking the neck is also a knife, and there is no escape. The only thing to be thankful for is that I still have the freedom to choose how I want to die. Look—" he pointed to Daming Lake, "Brother Xia, this lake is too small, there must be a big explosion to make the lake extremely open, add a little new atmosphere to the old city and the old lake, and open up a new situation." ”

Since it was an explosion, it was equivalent to dying with the enemy, and then the jade was burned.

"Good. I said, "I'll do my thing, and you do your thing." ”

"Good. Zhang Quanzhong didn't explain much, and only said one word.

In this round of short conversations, we have already understood each other's minds. He begged for death in order to divert the enemy's fire and make it easier for me to take Jingguan Xiaowu away, and I went to fulfill his request, and it was clear that he did not trust anyone but me.

"Before dusk, I will give a signal to set off three firecrackers in front of the Iron Ancestral Hall. When the third firecracker is over, you take her away. Zhang Quanzhong said again.

"It's hard to drag it out until dusk. I pointed out right away.

The occupying forces did not have such patience, there were still seven hours left between this moment and dusk, and only two hours would be enough for the enemy to close the net.

"Yes, because I expected someone to act immediately and assassinate the commanders on the east, north, and west. Once the enemy chieftain is decapitated, the troops will cease their operations and wait for further instructions from the command. After such a delay, a stop, and a mess, dusk has arrived. He said.

"Who? who has the guts to assassinate the enemy chief?" I suddenly felt hope in my heart, thinking that Zhang Quanzhong had more powerful reinforcements on the way.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it's going to happen. That's why I'm 70% sure that it won't be until dark. Brother Xia, as soon as the Hongmen banquet opens, the cups are full of broken wine, so I won't invite you to the table. Remember, it's the thaumaturgists of the city to take her away, and even if you die, you have to carry this responsibility. Zhang Quanzhong's cold face squeezed out two smiles.

I didn't say anything more grandiose, I just raised my right fist and slammed it three times in a row on my heart.

He will die with the enemy without fear, and of course I will have to give his full support to clear all his worries.

"Gone. Zhang Quanzhong turned his head and left, raised his right hand above his head, waved it gently, and said goodbye to me.

The most important thing for him to do in person is Jingguan Xiaowu, because this is a real parting of life and death, and everyone has no second chance to meet.

As soon as Zhang Quanzhong left, Jingguan Xiaowu appeared. It turned out that she had been standing on the side of the vine in the distance, eavesdropping on all the conversations between me and Zhang Quanzhong.

"It's the best, it's concise and clear, without any mother-in-law fetters. She said.

Her eyes were calm, no tears, and no puffiness.

"At dusk, we headed south and ran to Wulongtan. She added.

"That's the only way to live?" I was a little surprised.

According to the current situation, it is easiest to move away from the defensive range of the occupying forces to the east and north, and it is easier to escape as far north of the Yellow River. If you go south, it is tantamount to throwing yourself into a net.

"He didn't tell you that the real way to survive is under the Five Dragons Pond. Jingguan Xiaowu replied.

I weighed the geographical situation and went to Wulongtan not far from here, but that place is close to the core area of the occupation army, and it is definitely more dangerous.

"For now, to deal with the enemy's encirclement, the battle must drag on until dusk. Mr. Zhang said that someone would come forward and kill the leaders of the enemy's three forces. I hope his calculations are exactly right...... Could it be that there are still masters on your side who haven't shown up?" I asked.

Jingguan Xiaowu shook his head: "No, everyone is here." The Hongmen feast is not only the life and death field of the enemy, but also the guillotine feast for all of us. If you don't show up, we're doomed. ”

I couldn't help but smile wryly: "This...... Could it be that Mr. Zhang is bluffing?"

The soldiers are treacherous, and there is no distinction between fiction and reality. If Zhang Quanzhong is just bluffing, then things are too troublesome.

Jingguan Xiaowu bit her lip slightly, her gaze wandered, and finally landed on my face.

I suddenly figured out the answer to the question, and asked myself, "Whoever slew the enemy chieftain—was I?"

Jingguan Xiaowu nodded: "Exactly, exactly." ”

At this point, it has become extremely obvious. In Zhang Quanzhong's calculations, I will definitely attack desperately in order to fulfill the oath and drag the battle outbreak node until dusk. He had already reminded me that the only way to hold the enemy back was to assassinate the enemy chieftain. In this endless cycle of cause is effect and effect is cause, I have to kill the enemy to save myself, and there is no other way to live.

This is no longer a simple thaumaturgical calculation, but a seamless scheduling made after understanding the battle situation and the generals.

The upcoming battle on the shore of Daming Lake was a chaotic game of chess, and Zhang Quanzhong turned me into a huge piece of "robbery" under the declining situation of losing and retreating, suffering from the enemy on his back, having no way to go to the sky, and no way to enter the ground.

There is a chess proverb: rob all the chess and die.

If I don't die, Zhang Quanzhong may not lose this game.

If I die, it will be the real Jinan thaumaturgist who will be wiped out.

"He's really good at calculations, and he's really good at it. I sighed leisurely, I don't know whether to admire Zhang Quanzhong, or to lament my ill-fated fate.

"The world is like a new chess game, if you don't calculate, how can a spark set the prairie on fire? Mr. Xia, this game of chess is 'Guan Yunchang's strategy to seize Changsha and deceive and defeat and drag the knife', seeking victory in defeat and taking it by surprise. As thaumaturgists, we are not just the chess pieces in this game, but also the spectators sitting on one side of the board. The authorities are confused, and the bystanders are clear. What to do next, there is no need for others to guide him, presumably Mr. Xia can see it very clearly. Jingguan Xiaowu said.

Since everyone understands it so well, a lot of the clichés of explanation have turned into babbling nonsense, and there is no need to say it at all.

At the moment, the situation is as clear and clear as shallots mixed with tofu, that is, I must immediately attack, assassinate the enemy chieftains of the eastern, northern, and western armies, cause chaos in the whole city, and then take advantage of the chaos to take Jingguan Xiaowu to Wulongtan.

"Good. Just like answering Zhang Quanzhong, I only used the word "good" to clear up all suspicions and helplessness. If "it has to be", then why should I "talk about him left and right"?

Jingguan Xiaowu waved his hand: "Grandma Land, take Mr. Xia with you." ”

Grandma Land has never left, and her face has always been sad. It wasn't until I said the word "good" that the gloom in her eyes gradually dissipated.

"If you don't achieve your mission, come and see you. Grandma Land clenched her fists to Jingguan Xiaowu.

Jingguan Xiaowu shook her head lightly: "Grandma Land, you are not obliged to explain anything to me, but to give an explanation to the elders of the Tu clan who are dead under Jiuquan." Head, you don't need to bring it to me, and you don't need to be guilty like the ancients, I just need you to do things with the conscience of a Jinan thaumaturgist, do your best, and leave no regrets. ”

Grandma Land nodded solemnly, and then walked out first.