A day's sunlight arced across the sky, gradually sinking westward, bathing the bustling city of Ze Prefecture in orange-red hues. Search: \(\"Complete Book Divine Station\"\). Free to read excellent literature. Inside the temple of the Great Light Religion, swirling blue smoke mingled with the monks' chanting. Worshippers knelt in devout prayer. You Hongzhuo emerged from the entrance with a wave of devotees, a steamed bun in his hand. He ate it in a few bites. This was "charity food" obtained from the temple to stave off hunger, better than nothing.

Many large trees grew near the temple. As evening approached, the wind rustled through their leaves, and the stifling air became somewhat cooler. The streets and lanes teemed with people, including families with young children. Parents led their skipping children outwards. If they were well-off, they might buy a candied hawthorn skewer at a street corner. The sound of the child's carefree laughter would then be heard, bringing You Hongzhuo a sense of ineffable tranquility amidst the clamor.

At this time, due to the ghoul incident, Wang Shizong's arrest, and the arrival of Sun Qi's army, the situation in Ze Prefecture was tense. Even ordinary citizens could clearly feel the impending storm. The Great Light Religion preached that there were thirty-three tribulations in the world, and that the Light Buddha would save humanity. In this situation, the anxious believers gathered in greater numbers.

Well-to-do gentry and landlords inquired about the inside story from the Great Light Religion's Zen masters, while ordinary believers came with a glimmer of hope to pray to the Bodhisattvas and deities, either hoping to avoid misfortune in Ze Prefecture or praying that their families would be safe even if something happened. After praying and donating a few copper coins into the merit box and receiving a portion of charity food from the monks, they would feel much more relaxed. For a time, the area around the Great Light Religion's temple became the most peaceful and auspicious place in the city, relieving people's anxieties.

The Martial Dynasty had originally been prosperous and affluent. Looking back a few years, such peaceful and prosperous scenes were commonplace in the Central Plains. It was only in recent years, with warfare occurring close to everyone, that the atmosphere of peace in several large cities within the Tiger King's territory seemed truly precious and worthy of cherishing.

Looking around, one could occasionally see men and women among the crowd who were covered in dust and dressed in either tattered or practical clothing.

Many of these people, who were clearly from out of town, were members of the Jianghu underworld. Among them, the lowest of the low in the underworld, living a life of bloodshed, often looked impoverished and possessed various means of concealment, making them difficult to identify in the crowd. Only those who were well-dressed and carried weapons were relatively easy to recognize as martial artists. Whether in times of chaos or peace, "poor scholars and rich warriors" was the norm. These martial artists were either local bullies or came from wealthy gentry families. In this chaotic world, they all had their own circumstances. Some were calm and capable. They came to the Great Light Religion, exchanged Jianghu greetings with the monks, and then went their separate ways.

You Hongzhuo stayed in the temple for most of the day. He discovered that while many Jianghu figures came, many were turned away by the monks of the Great Light Religion, leaving in confusion. Earlier, on the way to Ze Prefecture, Mr. Zhao had said that the Jianghu gathering in Ze Prefecture was deliberately initiated by the Great Light Religion. However, to avoid being detected by the government, the matter would not be done so blatantly. There must be something fishy going on.

He had previously been captured by the Great Light Religion. At this time, he dared not actively inquire about the situation from the monks in the temple. He also did not choose to rashly follow those martial artists who were turned away.

The matter in Ze Prefecture had become so sensational. On the one hand, the army entered the city. On the other hand, rumors about the Black Flag remnants were rampant. The Great Light Religion was both opening a venue in Ze Prefecture and gathering Jianghu figures to support the "Ghost King" side. Even though the world was chaotic today, and the various forces were intertwined, this matter seemed rather strange.

Although he had thought about seeing the excitement when he came, that was with Mr. Zhao and Mrs. Zhao holding the line. Now that the two seniors had left, he was just a newbie in the Jianghu. He didn't have the courage to get involved in everything. What was truly important to him was finding the whereabouts of "Fourth Brother" and inquiring about the news of the other siblings. Then, he would either seek revenge or find an opportunity to rescue them. He should not act rashly.

In his heart, he ultimately hoped that his siblings were still safe and that Fourth Brother was not a traitor, but that there were other inside stories. Although the possibility was small, Tan Zheng's martial arts and the Great Light Religion's power were far greater than those of the seven brothers back then. His escape was just luck. But in any case, before things were settled, there was always a bit of expectation in his heart.

His expectations were reduced, so the things he needed to do were also reduced. After waiting for this day, Tan Zheng and his party did not appear in the temple. You Hongzhuo was not anxious. He left with the pedestrians and passed through the bustling city. At this time, the sun was setting. One could occasionally see a team of soldiers passing by on the streets where pedestrians came and went. There were more travelers and beggars from other places than he had seen in some places he had been to.

Returning to the alley where the Liang'an Inn was located, the aroma of food had already wafted from the surrounding houses. From afar, he could see the innkeeper and several neighbors chatting outside the inn. A sturdy man waved his arms and spoke in a loud voice. As You Hongzhuo approached, he heard the man say, "...Who cares where they're from? They deserve to die. It's best to let them die in the sun. In my opinion, these people haven't died miserably enough! Let them die miserably, let them die miserably...What's wrong with other places? They have to come to Ze Prefecture to join in the fun..."

As the man spoke, the surrounding people nodded frequently. Someone said, "In my opinion, the city has been uneasy recently. I want to send Ni'er back to the countryside..."

"...If outsiders dare to cause trouble, stab them to death with a knife..."

In the midst of these words, the owner of the Liang'an Inn saw You Hongzhuo walking in and said, "Don't block my doorway. How am I supposed to do business? Okay, okay..." Everyone then shut their mouths and looked at You Hongzhuo. One person glared at him. You Hongzhuo nodded as a greeting and entered through the door of the inn.

From the meaning of their words, the group of bandits who were arrested and paraded this morning were mostly晒死 (shài sǐ, literally "sun-dried," meaning "left to die in the sun") in the square. He didn't know if anyone would come to rescue them.

He was just an ordinary person who came to Ze Prefecture not to join in the fun, and he couldn't care about the major events of the world. He wasn't too concerned about the local people's slight hostility. After returning to his room, he thought about today's events for a while, then went to buy a meal from the innkeeper and ate it by the corridor on the second floor of the inn.

The sunset was red, gradually disappearing. Looking out from the second floor, it was a view of earthen walls and gray tiles, layered upon layered. Not far away, a courtyard planted with dwarf paulownia trees was brightly lit and crowded with people. There were also the sounds of suonas and opera singing, indicating that someone was getting married and holding a banquet.

You Hongzhuo ate his meal, looking at this auspicious atmosphere, and thinking about the people's anxious emotions at the inn's entrance and in the city. When he came with the Zhao family couple, they encountered the Jin people's convoy – they were leaving Ze Prefecture, perhaps also sensing the unease in this area. This family was getting married at this time, perhaps wanting to take advantage of the current glimmer of peace to get this matter settled.

In recent years, the Central Plains had been turbulent. The so-called unease was no longer an invisible and intangible joke.

As dusk settled, the inn was lit up. The air was still a bit hot. You Hongzhuo, in the dim light, looked at the myriad of lights before him, wondering if it was the last peaceful scene in this city.

He felt some sympathy, but he wouldn't care too much.

He had already experienced it.

************

The myriad of lights after nightfall reflected a lively atmosphere in the city's night sky. With Ze Prefecture as the center, it spread in patches, covering military camps, post stations, and villages. The small roads and mountain forests that were usually not frequented by pedestrians also lit up with sparse lights this night.

Ze Prefecture had not seen such a lively scene for a long time. Both inside and outside the city, the atmosphere was tense.

With a tense atmosphere, there were more things happening. In the Ze Prefecture Governor's residence, some respected elders and gentry who had come together to request the government to close the city gates and not allow outsiders to enter had just left. Governor Lu Anmin wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel and walked anxiously in this side hall. He sat down on a chair.

The requests of the respected elders and gentry were difficult to fulfill. Even refusing was not easy. But after all, they had left. Logically speaking, his emotions should have settled down. But at this time, this Governor Lu still had other difficulties. He sat on the chair, thinking uneasily for a while. Finally, he patted the chair, stood up, and went out to another reception room.

At the door of the room, two guards and a maid were guarding. Lu Anmin walked over and bowed his head to ask the maid, "Has that young lady eaten anything?"

The maid shook her head. "Returning to Master, not yet."

Lu Anmin frowned, hesitated, and finally reached out and pushed the door open.

With the fall of the Martial Dynasty and the chaos of the world, Lu Anmin had reached his current position. He had been a Jinshi (successful candidate in the imperial examination) in the sixth year of Jinghan's reign, experienced being on the list of successful candidates and parading on horseback, and also experienced the chaos and famine of thousands of people leaving their homes. Now, under the Tiger King's command, guarding a city, many rules had been broken, and he had seen many chaotic things with his own eyes. But with the tense situation in Ze Prefecture, the person who came to visit him today was truly somewhat unexpected and thorny for him.

The door opened. In the warm yellow light, there was a table of food that had already cooled. Sitting under the light on one side of the room was a female Buddhist nun in flowing robes. This nun, who was practicing with hair, had her long hair hanging down and was slightly lowering her head, playing with the prayer beads on her fingertips. Hearing the sound of the door opening, the nun raised her head and looked at Lu Anmin. Lu Anmin sighed in his heart.

In a chaotic era, everyone was involuntarily involved. The threat of life, the corruption of power, people would change. Lu Anmin had seen too much. But in this one glance, he could still perceive that something in the nun's eyes was still stubbornly surviving. It was what he wanted to see, but didn't quite want to see here.

So he sighed and spread his hands to the side. "Miss Li..." He paused: "...Have you eaten?"

Facing this woman, who was once named Li Shishi and was now perhaps the most troublesome and thorny woman in the entire world, Lu Anmin said a greeting that was utterly unoriginal and lacked innovation.

The nun stood up and gave him a gentle bow. Lu Anmin sighed again in his heart.

Unfortunately, she was not just here for a meal...

***********

Lights, vegetarian dishes, scattered light, there were voices.

"...When I was young, I was full of ambition. After being named on the list of successful candidates, I went to Fen Prefecture to be a county magistrate. It was a small county town, and I managed it fairly well, but I couldn't get used to many things, and I couldn't let go. After three years of..."

"...Later, the Jin people went south. I hid here and there with my family. I even thought about gathering a group of people to resist. People gathered, but they dispersed after a short time. What do ordinary people know? When the country is broken, the family is destroyed, and they have nothing, they gather together, but they need to eat, right? Where is there food? They have to rob. When they have a knife in their hands, they are... particularly able to attack the people around them, ha ha, no different from the Jin people..."

"...Just like that, people dispersed. Later, I was running around, hiding. My original wife took my eldest son... and died in the war. My father died. I was close to starving to death twice. My concubine left my daughter and ran away with someone else..." In the light, Lu Anmin, who was speaking, held a wine glass and smiled on his face. After pausing for a long time, he smiled self-deprecatingly, "At that time, I thought, maybe it would be better if people didn't disperse..."

The nun opposite him gave him a piece of food. Lu Anmin looked at it for a moment. He was almost forty years old, and his temperament was refined, which was the stage when a man had accumulated the most charm. He stretched out his hand. "Miss Li, don't be polite."

He spoke and smiled slightly again: "Now that I think about it, the first time I met Miss Li was more than ten years ago, right? At that time, Bianliang was still there, and Fanlou was still there. When I lived by Yujie Street, I liked to go to an old Zhou noodle shop to eat noodle soup and meatballs. That year there was heavy snow. I went there in the winter and waited until the following year..."

The nun opposite him also smiled wistfully. "What Governor Lu saw was still a little girl, right?"

Lu Anmin looked at Li Shishi's face. "At that time, Miss Li was probably in her teens and was already among the top group in Fanlou. Among the girls at that time, Miss Li's temperament was the most different from others, breaking away from the ordinary. Perhaps that's why, now that everyone else has disappeared, only Miss Li is still famous all over the world."

Shishi lowered her head: "What am I worthy of being famous all over the world..."

Lu Anmin said sternly, "Last June, there was a great flood in Puyang. Miss Li ran back and forth, persuading the surrounding wealthy households to donate grain and provide porridge for disaster relief, saving countless lives. Everyone in the world will remember this kindness."

"That's not my doing." Shishi said in a low voice, "It wasn't me who donated the grain, and it wasn't me who suffered. What did I do? All I did was shamelessly go to each household and kneel down and kowtow. I said I was a renunciate, practicing with hair, but in reality, I was still doing things to please people with my looks. In the end, I have this false reputation, and I'm afraid every day."

The woman spoke calmly, but Lu Anmin was slightly stunned for a moment, and then murmured, "Miss Li... you've reached this level."

"Everyone has their own circumstances." Shishi said softly.

"Yes." Lu Anmin lowered his head and ate a mouthful of food, then drank a glass of wine. The room was silent for a long time, and then he heard Shishi say, "Governor Lu, I came here today because I have something to ask of you, shamelessly..."

Lu Anmin just nodded in silence.

"I beg Governor Lu to find a way to close the city gates and save those who are about to die."

Lu Anmin shook his head: "...Things are not as simple as Miss Shishi thinks."

"But there is always a way to let fewer innocent people die." After the woman finished speaking, Lu Anmin didn't answer. After a while, she continued to speak, "By the Yellow River, the Ghost King was bound, and 400,000 ghouls were scattered, killing until the blood flowed like rivers. Now you have captured that Wang Shizong here and dealt with him with great fanfare, to serve as a warning to others. Why involve the innocent? Outside Ze Prefecture, thousands of ghouls are heading this way. I beg you to release Wang Shizong. They will arrive soon. If these people come to Ze Prefecture, it will be difficult to be spared. Ze Prefecture will also be difficult to be at peace. You have an army. Disperse them and drive them away, but why do you have to kill people..."

Lu Anmin sat up straight: "Then does Miss Shishi know that it is also very dangerous for you to come to Ze Prefecture now?"

The woman looked at him: "I just want to save people."

"The situation is complicated, Shishi, you don't understand." Lu Anmin paused: "If you want to save people, why don't you ask that person?"

Shishi was confused for a moment: "Which one?"

"...The one from the Black Flag."

She understood and looked at Lu Anmin: "But... he's already dead."

Lu Anmin slammed his chopsticks down, turned his head and stared at her, wanting to discern the truth in this.

The reason why Lu Anmin did not want to see Li Shishi was not because her existence represented the memory of certain beautiful times. The reason why she was troublesome and thorny, as well as the purpose of her coming today, and even the current situation in Ze Prefecture, if traced to the bottom, were mostly inseparable from the existence of "that person" in his mouth. Although he had heard many rumors of that gentleman's death before, hearing such a straightforward answer from the other party at this time made Lu Anmin feel somewhat disoriented.

Whether this was true or false, he could not tell for a while...