dognovel Chapter 117 Stealth Rescue: The Scapegoat, the Handsome Ghost's Notebook
Chapter 117 Stealth Rescue: The Scapegoat, the Handsome Ghost's Notebook
"Huff, huff..." Commander Wen struggled to lift his head, looking at the strange man with six knives at his waist. The more he looked, the more familiar he seemed. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he remembered that this man seemed to be called Ye Tingxiu.
Ye Tingxiu said expressionlessly, "Count to three, and if you don't speak, you die."
"three"
"two"
"One"
Commander Wen, relying on the gun, did not fall, and his mind raced.
This person's swordsmanship was extremely terrifying; he severely injured himself with a single move.
If they continue fighting desperately, they will surely die.
It would be better to lure him to the garrison general's residence, then surround and capture him.
"Your ambiguous relationship with your wife has angered General Xing."
"General Xing ordered me to bring her back to the manor to be punished. She probably won't see the sun rise tomorrow."
"If you want to go, I can take you."
Before he could finish speaking, Ye Tingxiu instantly drew his sword. With a flash of light, a fine head flew into the air, blood splattering more than ten feet high. Commander Wen's headless corpse swayed and fell into a pool of blood.
Ye Tingxiu glanced coldly at the corpse, then sheathed his sword and expertly stripped Commander Wen of all his belongings, putting them into his storage bag before leaping up.
The ground collapsed with a loud crash, and the shockwave reverberated for hundreds of feet around.
He sprinted across the rooftops, heading straight for the garrison general's residence.
They arrived at the gate of the garrison general's residence.
Ye Tingxiu suddenly stopped, then turned and leaped into the dark alley.
Ye Tingxiu wasn't very bright or cunning, but he knew that the garrison general's mansion must have a master guarding it.
Rescuing Yue'er will not be an easy task.
If we rush in recklessly like this, we'll probably be captured and killed on the spot by the experts in the mansion.
However, Ye Tingxiu had a master named Night Owl who was proficient in assassination techniques.
Over the past year, Ye Tingxiu has been training with his master, Night Owl, constantly assassinating his targets.
If the assassination fails and the victim is captured alive, they will be subjected to severe torture by the target.
Only when Ye Tingxiu was beaten to the point of near death would his master, Night Owl, appear to rescue him, heal his wounds, and then send him on another assassination mission. This cycle would continue endlessly.
After a year of hellish training, Ye Tingxiu was no longer the same person he used to be, and had accumulated a wealth of assassination experience.
At this moment, he forced himself to calm down. He didn't know how to save people, nor did he have enough wisdom to figure it out. He could only put aside his emotions, treat this operation as an assassination mission, and act based on his experience.
Ye Tingxiu meandered through the dark alleys, quietly climbed over the high wall of the garrison general's mansion, looked around, hid in the shadows, observed for a while, and silently followed a maid, instantly pulling her behind the artificial hill.
The maid was terrified and tried to call out.
Ye Tingxiu grabbed the servant's throat, and with just a gentle squeeze, the maid was silenced: "Don't shout. Quietly take me to Madam Lanyue, or I'll kill you. Understand? Blink."
The maidservant blinked frantically, her face deathly pale.
Seeing this, Ye Tingxiu slowly released his grip, then placed one hand on his sword, indicating that he should lead the way.
The maid walked shakily out of the artificial hill, with Ye Tingxiu following behind her expressionlessly.
As we walked through the courtyard corridor, two guards approached us.
Ye Tingxiu poked the maid's buttocks with the hilt of his knife and whispered, "If you don't want to die, don't talk nonsense."
The maid's jaw clenched, but she forced herself to remain calm and walked over.
The two guards glanced at Ye Tingxiu, then immediately reached out to stop him, asking warily, "Wait, who are you?"
Upon seeing this, the maidservant tried to call for help.
Ye Tingxiu saw through it, drew his sword with both hands and severed the trachea of the two guards in their necks, then stabbed each of them in the heart. After casually tossing the bodies into the bushes and artificial hill, he turned to look at the maid indifferently.
"Lead the way. If we're exposed, you'll be the first one killed."
The maid was so frightened that she fell to the ground, staggered to her feet, and no longer had the will to call for help.
When they reached the backyard, two more guards on duty stopped them.
Fearing being killed, the maid quickly came up with a cover: "He was a guest who came to the mansion with the general's friend. There wasn't enough wine at the banquet, so the guest came with me to the warehouse to get more."
Upon hearing this, the two guards exchanged a glance and stepped aside. They knew that General Xing had a friend visiting tonight, and he had brought a large group of unfamiliar cultivators into the mansion. It was not surprising that an unfamiliar face would appear.
The maid secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and led Ye Tingxiu past the sentry post, heading towards the courtyard where Lan Yue lived.
The small courtyard where Lan Yue lives.
The garrison commander's steward, accompanied by two servants, came to execute the woman and read out Xing Cishu's imperial edict: "The lady suffered from angina pectoris, which was incurable by medicine. She passed away unexpectedly tonight. The general is deeply grieved and has ordered a grand funeral."
Lan Yue collapsed to the ground, letting out a bitter laugh: "People of high social standing do all sorts of despicable things, Xing Cishu, you narrow-minded, perverted bastard, you even have to save face to kill me, disgusting, utterly disgusting!"
The butler's expression remained unchanged; he simply asked indifferently, "Does Madam Lan have any unfulfilled wishes?"
Upon hearing this, Lan Yue shook her head, gave a bitter smile, and remained silent. If there was anyone she still cared about, it was whether Ye Tingxiu had escaped safely, but what was the point of saying it?
"In that case, let's send Madam Lan on her way." The steward waved his hand, and two servants stepped forward, took out a white cloth, wrapped it around Lan Yue's neck, and then dragged it forcefully from side to side, trying to strangle Lan Yue to death.
At this moment, Ye Tingxiu arrived at Lanyue Courtyard with the help of a maid. Upon witnessing this scene, he was instantly enraged, his eyes bloodshot. He drew his sword and swiftly swung it three times, killing all the servants and the steward.
Immediately afterward, Ye Tingxiu sheathed his sword, quickly pulled Lan Yue into his arms, and untied the white cloth strip wrapped around Lan Yue's neck: "Yue'er, Yue'er, I've come to save you. Look at me, it's me, Ye Tingxiu."
"Cough cough cough..." Lan Yue gasped for breath, her blurred consciousness gradually returning. When she saw the person she had been longing for in front of her, tears welled up in her eyes, and she threw herself into Ye Tingxiu's arms and cried.
Seeing his beloved girl crying, Ye Tingxiu panicked and quickly patted Lan Yue's back to comfort her: "It's okay, it's okay, don't cry, don't cry. Yue'er, you don't have to be afraid anymore. With me here, no one can bully you."
Lan Yue raised her head, her eyes filled with tears and her eye sockets red and swollen. She angrily punched Ye Tingxiu's heart: "You idiot, didn't I tell you to run away? How dare you come here? Don't you want to die?"
Ye Tingxiu chuckled: "I didn't think that much about it, I was just thinking about coming to save you."
Childhood sweethearts, now that time has passed and they meet again, they naturally have countless things to say.
But now is not the time for reminiscing.
"Yue'er, I'll take you away now." Ye Tingxiu carried Lan Yue on his back, picked up the white cloth strip on the ground, and tied Lan Yue tightly to his back. No matter what, he had to leave with Lan Yue tonight.
"Mmm." Lan Yue smiled gently, lightly touched the back of Ye Tingxiu's head, and rested her face against his back with peace of mind.
She didn't say anything, nor did she fuss over it.
She knew that now that her identity was exposed, Ye Tingxiu would never leave alone unless he rescued her. If she kept lingering there, she would only waste the best opportunity to escape and harm herself and Ye Tingxiu.
I wouldn't mind dying myself, but Ye Tingxiu cannot die.
"Hold on tight, close your eyes if you're scared." Ye Tingxiu carried Lan Yue on his back and rushed out of the courtyard as fast as he could. When he saw the maid standing there, too scared to move or run around, Ye Tingxiu didn't want to pay any attention to her and just left with her.
But Lan Yue spoke up: "Little Ye Zi, kill her and set the courtyard on fire."
"Huh?" Ye Tingxiu was taken aback, not quite understanding.
Lan Yue's gaze contained a chilling intent and killing intent.
It also contains some survival wisdom gained from being tormented by the five turbidities of this evil world.
Two years of torment had completely changed Lan Yue, who was kind-hearted and innocent.
To ensure Ye Tingxiu's safety, Lan Yue would show no mercy: "Little Ye, listen to me. This woman will immediately go to Xing Cishu to inform him after we leave."
"I'd rather kill him and disguise him as my corpse, making him my scapegoat."
"Even if Xing Cishu notices something amiss, a thorough investigation will take time. By the time Xing Cishu has figured out the truth, we will have already safely left Gancaobao."
Upon hearing this, Ye Tingxiu suddenly realized what was happening. He then drew his sword and killed the terrified maid. He threw the body into the house and set it on fire. Afterward, he carried Lan Yue on his back, leaped onto the roof, and quickly fled from the garrison general's mansion.
The words are divided into two parts.
Zhou Qingfeng and Xiao Hongyun searched for traces of the plague demon in Gancaobao.
Using his own advantages, Xiao Hongyun scattered like quicksand throughout the city, appearing and disappearing without a trace, searching everywhere for the plague demon.
Zhou Qingfeng, however, remained calm and composed as he walked down the long street.
According to the habits of plague demons, they like to appear in dirty places and around dirty people.
It's impossible to know if it possesses the body of a filthy person.
Haystack is filthy, with poor sanitation. There are many people who haven't bathed for a year or two. Trying to catch the plague demon overnight is like finding a needle in a haystack.
But if you find the right entry point, it's not that difficult.
Reasonable inferences can be made based on the plague demon's fondness for filth.
Zhou Qingfeng set his sights on the latrine collectors.
Because the night soil collectors have to go from house to house collecting night soil every day at the crack of dawn, their work is not only dirty, but they are also dirty themselves, and they have to come into contact with every household in the city.
With such favorable conditions, the plague demon is probably lingering around the manure collectors.
Asking for directions along the way, Zhou Qingfeng arrived at the door of the manure collector's house.
"Knock knock knock..." Zhou Qingfeng reached out and knocked on the door. With his other hand hidden in his sleeve, he formed a hand seal and prepared to unleash a spell. The Instant Death Demon Eye hidden in his eyes flashed a scarlet light in an instant.
The 4,800 coins of magical power contained in his bones, flesh, internal organs, and blood were completely sucked away, and his vision became 360 degrees, with no blind spots. No slight abnormality could escape his demonic eyes.
Zhou Qingfeng's magical power is currently only at the early stage of the Food Disaster Realm.
To advance to a higher realm, one must accumulate at least 40,000 coins' worth of magical power.
Relying on one's own arduous self-cultivation, it's unknown how long or how many months it will take to complete.
Many cultivators at the lower levels stop here in their entire lives.
Even if one can cultivate to 40,000 coins of magical power, one still needs to collect the four evil fates as materials for advancement.
The level of difficulty is self-evident.
In a small, unassuming family or sect, the leader and patriarch are only at the level of the Food Disaster Realm.
The leaders and patriarchs of small and medium-sized sects and families are only at the level of the Devouring Fiend Realm. If a second or even a third Devouring Fiend Realm cultivator appears among the younger generation, it can be considered a prosperous event.
Zhou Qingfeng knocked on the door several times, but there was no response from inside. Instead, something unusual happened behind him.
A stream of quicksand converged from all directions, quickly coalescing into a human shape.
Holding a flying fan, Xiao Hongyun said with a smile, "Old Zhou, I didn't expect you to be one step ahead of me."
Zhou Qingfeng didn't even turn his head, and said indifferently, "You're not bad either, you haven't fallen behind much."
“Great minds think alike. You’re smart, but I’m not stupid either.” Xiao Hongyun smugly patted the fan in his palm and walked to Zhou Qingfeng’s side.
"In that case, let's see who catches the plague demon first." Zhou Qingfeng said, but his hands didn't stop. Seeing that there was no response after knocking on the door for a long time, he simply used brute force to push the door open and strode in.
Xiao Hongyun blinked, then strode inside.
After a thorough search, no one was found in the house, except for a notebook found in a hidden compartment under the bed.
This surprised Zhou Qingfeng somewhat.
A night soil collector, can he even write?
Zhou Qingfeng, holding a notebook, said: "Strange."
Xiao Hongyun frowned and said, "It's really strange. How could a man who does such a lowly job as a night soil collector be literate? And why would he write down notes and hide them in a secret compartment? Old Zhou, take a look at what's written in the notes."
As he spoke, Xiao Hongyun brought over an oil lamp and placed it in front of his notebook for easy reading.
Seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng opened his notebook to the first page.
My name is Gao Shuai. By the time you see this, I will already be dead.
The short line of text sent chills down Zhou Qingfeng and Xiao Hongyun's spines. They couldn't help but exchange a glance, realizing that things had suddenly become strange.
Zhou Qingfeng frowned even deeper and turned to the second page.
[January 1, 1081, the reign of Emperor Gengshi.]
My name is Gao Shuai, but I'm neither tall nor handsome; in fact, I'm ugly and incredibly short.
Even if I were literate and talented, I could only do the lowly job of a latrine collector, because people would find me repulsive and frightening. I could only eke out a living like a rat in the sewers.
[I wanted to become an apprentice and offered a formal gift, but no one was willing to accept me as a disciple.]
Ultimately, this is a world that judges by appearances; I've come to realize that.
If I could, I would destroy this shitty world!
Xiao Hongyun touched his face and clicked his tongue: "Luckily, I'm handsome."
Zhou Qingfeng glanced sideways, remained silent, and continued to turn to the third page.
[January 3, 1081, the reign of Emperor Gengshi.]
I wonder if God heard my plea.
Today, while collecting manure, I happened to meet a monk. The monk said I had extraordinary physique and was a peerless talent for cultivation. He wanted to take me as his disciple, pass on the true scriptures to me, and guide me on the path of cultivation. I was very excited and accepted his offer of apprenticeship.
[March 8, 1081, the reign of Emperor Gengshi]
The monk imparted the wonderful Dharma to me, and then went on a long journey.
I'm preparing a revenge plan.
I'm going to destroy this shitty world.
[March 30, 1081, the reign of Emperor Gengshi]
I spread the plague through the city, and I felt immense pleasure watching those who had once despised, bullied, and insulted me die in agony.
[January 10, 1081, the reign of Emperor Gengshi.]
I've been having health problems lately, and I know my mind has been corrupted. It won't be long before I spiral out of control and degenerate. I don't even know what kind of monster I'll become, haha, hopefully something handsome.
[January 10, 1081, the reign of Emperor Gengshi.]
Recently, I've been experiencing memory loss, and I know my consciousness is fading away.
[January 11, 1081, the reign of Emperor Gengshi.]
Don't believe what's in the notebook; it's all fake. It's written by a ghost to deceive you. Don't believe it. This vengeful ghost possessed me at some point, and it's controlling my body and suppressing my consciousness.
[I am the true master, I cannot resist its corrosive influence, I am dying. I have fought desperately to gain a little bit of consciousness, but this time will be short, and it will soon take control of me again.]
To prevent it from finding the notebook, I hid it under a secret compartment in the bed frame. Anyone who sees this notebook, run! Run! This vengeful ghost is too clever; it's misleading you.
[...] There are no further records.
Xiao Hongyun's hair stood on end like waves of wheat, and a look of horror flashed across his face: "Damn it, this ghost actually knows how to play tricks. If Gao Shuai hadn't broken free of control and left a warning, we probably would have all been fooled."
Zhou Qingfeng frowned deeply, pondered for a moment, and then, holding the notebook, said, "Not a single word written in this notebook can be trusted."
……
P.S.: This is a long chapter of 4,500 words, combining two chapters into one. It's not just one chapter; my chapter is longer than other people's two chapters combined.