Ink Burns

Chapter 19: Memory of Astragalus

Astragalus still remembers that night.

A huge forest fire suddenly broke out on Fushou Mountain east of Songjiang Prefecture. After burning for about half an hour, it was extinguished by the sudden heavy rain and southeast wind.

At that time, the Cheng family had just established themselves in Songjiang Prefecture and had not yet moved into such a large house. There were only two maids and a old woman in the family, and their business was entirely supported by the old prefect, which was barely enough to make ends meet.

Well, it seemed like eight years ago.

Yes, it’s just the beginning of autumn and the weather is unusually hot.

The old prefect came to the small old house and told everyone to take out all the savings, silver, and jewelry in the house. What could be exchanged for silver should be exchanged for silver, and what could not be exchanged for silver should be pawned at the pawnshop. Nothing should be left, and all the family property should be invested in one thing -

"The gods have descended to earth!"

The old prefect was so excited that his hands were shaking: "The nobles from the capital are coming to Songjiang Prefecture for fun! They are all men and women from high-ranking families, and even royal nobles. Your son is smart, I recommend your son to serve! The best wine, the best meat, the best dishes, the best horses, the best girls, everything must be the best! I will help you on the road ahead, and you can go on your own!"

It's a bit weird to say that I feel proud of it.

Serving a noble person is actually a great blessing that has been selected and is extremely honorable!

Huangqi understood for the first time: she served the Cheng family, carried feces and urine, endured beatings and scoldings, and was treated like a cow and a dog;
The Cheng family also had to be dogs, and in front of more powerful people, they had to pay for it out of their own pockets - this was even an opportunity they had been longing for.

After that, Huangqi's eyes were opened. For the first time in his life, he saw so many heavenly things being brought into the house like a stream, including dozens of white jade jars, silk handkerchiefs made of natural silk, red fruits stored in ice, and lively shad brought down from the boat and kept in the tank.
You're planting money like it's free, but who knows what kind of fruit you'll get.

During the days when the nobles came to Songjiang Prefecture, the whole city was busy as hell.

It is said that the nobles first went on a boat trip and then went to listen to a play, but they were all in low spirits. The young lady from the Princess's Mansion, who was in the lead, was so upset that she immediately left Songjiang Prefecture and headed further south.

I don't know how they were managed to stay, but after noon, the group left Songjiang Prefecture in a carriage and headed for the nearby Taobao Town.

There is nothing in Taobao Town except a big mountain called Fushou Mountain, on which stands an old temple.

Huangqi initially thought that the nobles were going to worship in the temple.

Who knows, the nobles are not going to worship gods, but to become gods.

Before going to Taobao Town, one of the nobles with sparse eyebrows suggested: "Watching plays, boating, and boating all day is so boring. I suggest we find thirty tall, fat, short, and thin people, put them in a forest, number them, and tell them to kill, kill, kill! We will hide nearby and watch! Then place bets! See who wins the bet! The jackpot, the jackpot——"

"The prize is to win first place in the autumn hunt in the capital city next year!" the stunningly beautiful lady from the Princess's Mansion added excitedly.

"Sure. When the time comes, we will team up to go hunting in the fall. We will kill anyone who stands in our way. The winner of the hunting will have the chance to meet the Saint!"

The nobleman who made the suggestion immediately became excited: "But let's make it clear first, the last person left must be dealt with by me. I have long wanted to try cutting a person's neck to see how long it would take for the blood to stop flowing!"

The young lady rolled her eyes and said, "If your father knew about this, he would definitely beat you with a stick."

"The capital city is harsh, but the saints are kind. I beat two girls to death last month. If my mother hadn't covered it up, my father would have beaten me." The young man with sparse eyebrows was very excited: "Now that the emperor is far away, we will leave after we are done. Who will know?"

Another chubby man responded: "Okay, okay! I want to go play too! I don't want to watch the show! I want to go into the woods!" and started a new way of playing.

The young lady's eyes lit up: "Ah! Who else wants to go? Xun'er, are you going?"

The man with sparse eyebrows sneered: "Killing each other with a bunch of dead piglets? I won't go. I want the piglets to stand there and let me kill them."

There were two gentlemen who had remained silent. One was younger, and the other was handsome, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and his hands were resting on the back of the chair.

The young lady raised her phoenix eyes, and the teardrop mole under her eyes moved, and she looked at the most handsome man: "Yulang, what do you think?"

The jade man pursed his lips and smiled: "You can play."

After a pause, he continued, "But, remember to find some people who have no clans behind them. If these people die, no one will take care of them."

The young lady was delighted: "Yulang has thought it through!"

Yu Lang thought for a moment and said, "Find some mothers and sons, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, and sisters and brothers..." The corners of his lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of sarcasm: "Let's see if these blood-related and closest relatives can still be so close when they only have one hour to live."

The tear-mole girl clapped her hands happily, "This is really fun! I've come all the way to Jiangnan, so I have to try out some things that I can't do in the capital! It just so happens that the telescope my dad brought back from the sea can also be used!"

The tear-mole girl waved her hand: "Hey, that guy!"

Huangqi was waiting outside the hollow door with a fruit plate in his hand. He listened carefully and cold sweat ran down his spine.

Seeing that the eldest son Cheng Xinghe, who was the center of attention, heard this, he immediately jumped over like a pug. No matter what the nobles said, he bent his back and nodded repeatedly, writing down everything.

Huangqi was bewildered: How can killing someone be as easy as killing a chicken? How can killing someone be a game? How can killing someone be rewarded?
Taking advantage of the night, the group excitedly went up the mountain. Huang Qi and the maid of the Cheng family were left at the foot of the mountain. They watched the lanterns on Fushou Mountain light up one by one, indicating that the fun had officially begun. About four or five hours later, when it was almost dawn, the north side of the ridge suddenly caught fire.

The flames rose up and rushed towards the pale sky.

Huang Qi was so scared that she held her head in her hands: If these nobles were burned to death in Taobao Town, wouldn't they all die too! ?
Huangqi sang the name of all the gods and Buddhas in the sky. Seeing that the wildfire was out of control and was burning from the north to the south, he finally met the group of noble people who could easily decide their life or death on the plank road down the mountain!

The fat man was covered in blood, screaming at the top of his lungs, with blood still oozing from his neck.

The young lady with the teardrop mole was so angry that her face turned red. She kept shouting, "Burn this mountain! Burn Songjiang Prefecture! No one will be allowed to survive! How dare the lowly people rebel against their superiors! Call a few Taoist priests, and I will set up a formation! Seal the souls of these lowly people in this mountain! Let them be burned in fire for generations to come, and never be reborn!"

The other nobles also seemed to be affected by the smoke and fire.

Their eldest young master was in a dishevel, his face was covered in dirt and smoke, and he was coughing while holding his chest.

The man with sparse eyebrows kicked Cheng Xinghe in the chest and slapped him with his hands: "You dare to cough!? You dare to cough!? You chose the person! You chose the place! If we die here, I will dig up the graves of your ancestors for eight generations!"

A few hard kicks.

Cheng Xinghe spat out several mouthfuls of blood.

(End of this chapter)