Chapter 77

The tall and burly monk was the first to fall. This monk, who often lingered among the flowers during his free time, had not rested well recently, and his strength naturally gave out. Seeing the monk fall, Wild Dog burst into laughter, but his laughter abruptly stopped as he, too, slumped like a pile of mud, his head buried on the table and his long legs resting on the monk’s stomach. Seeing their two archenemies fall one after another, Scissors laughed and walked up to them, holding a jar of wine. He sneered, “Want to compete with me? You two are far from my level, hahaha!” Amidst his wild laughter, he raised the jar high, and the wine poured down like a waterfall. Scissors opened his mouth wide and kept swallowing.

With a thud, the jar hit the ground, and he, too, fell, his head landing on the monk’s body and his legs resting on Wild Dog’s head. The three of them rolled into a heap.

Guo Jiuling had already left before the drinking contest began. For one, his current condition was not suitable for heavy drinking, and for another, he felt like an outsider among this group. Staying there made him uncomfortable, and it made others uncomfortable as well.

Zhang Xiaomao’s face was flushed, and his steps were unsteady, but he was still basically清醒. In the entire room, only Shuchang remained calm and composed. The people present respected him and did not dare to force him to drink.

Zhang Xiaomao picked up a jar of wine and staggered to the courtyard, sitting cross-legged and looking up at the bright moon. He stared for a long time, and suddenly, tears began to fall.

Shuchang slowly walked to his side, bent down, and gently patted his shoulder. “Xiaomao, the dead cannot come back to life. Those brothers are already gone.”

Xiaomao silently raised the jar and slowly poured the wine onto the ground. “Langya, Baozi, and all the brothers of the Zhaofeng Camp, today I got married. I have a family now. This is my wedding wine; take a drink!”

He raised the jar and took a big gulp, but it made him choke, and he spat it all out. Throwing the jar away, he pounded the ground and burst into tears. Shuchang shook his head and sighed, saying nothing.

“Xiaomao, I’m leaving.” Shuchang waved his hand. “Not being in the army is a good thing, but Anyang County is not a place to stay for long. Take your wife and leave far away.”

“Doctor, it’s already this late. Why don’t you stay until tomorrow? It’s not like a few hours matter!” Xiaomao got up and tried to persuade him.

“No! The moon startles the magpies, and the wind makes the cicadas sing at midnight. The wine has been enjoyed, and the people are happy. It’s the perfect time to travel!” Shuchang waved his sleeve gracefully and turned to walk towards the gate.

“Then, I’ll see you off, Doctor!” Xiaomao swayed as he accompanied Shuchang to the gate. “Doctor, remember this courtyard and this gate. I’m not planning to leave. I will stay here and won’t go. When you come back, don’t get the wrong gate.”

Shuchang looked deeply at Xiaomao. This man, with his rough exterior, was extremely intelligent and sensitive. He wanted to stay here, unwilling to accept this defeat and the mysterious deaths of his brothers. Although he claimed to be resigning from his post, Shuchang knew that this man would never be able to escape his past.

He pulled the door bolt and opened the gate. Shuchang was taken aback to see someone standing outside, about to knock on the door. Their eyes met, and they stared at each other in surprise.

“Old Guo? Didn’t you leave? Why are you back? Did the wine not taste good, or did you come to complain about my hospitality?” Zhang Xiaomao squinted his drunken eyes at Guo Jiuling.

Guo Jiuling held a letter in his hand, his face beaming with excitement. “There’s news, there’s news.”

“What news? What does your news have to do with us?” Zhang Xiaomao belched loudly.

Shuchang immediately reacted, snatching the letter from Guo Jiuling’s hand. “Do you have news about Qin Feng? Where is he now? Is he injured? Has his old illness flared up?”

Guo Jiuling shrugged, his face twisted in a bitter smile. “I don’t really know. This news is from the Inner Guard of the capital. It only says that Princess Zhaohua, under Qin Feng’s protection, has crossed the Luoying Mountains and reached the territory of the Qi Kingdom. Now, a Qi army is escorting Princess Zhaohua and her group back to the capital. They are expected to arrive in the capital in about a month.”

“Is the boss okay?” Zhang Xiaomao was overjoyed, laughing out loud. “I knew it, the boss will be fine. Who is the boss, hahaha!” He turned and ran inside. A moment later, the two men at the door heard the sounds of punches and kicks from inside.

“Get up, get up, you lazy pigs! There’s news, there’s news. Boss Qin is still alive, and he’s doing well!”

The two men at the door were taken aback by the howls and screams from inside. In no time, they heard the wild cheers of several men.

“Who would have thought that Qin Feng would have such high prestige among his subordinates,” Guo Jiuling shook his head.

“He has many surprises. I, who am used to a leisurely life, stayed in the Death Corps for years just for him,” Shuchang smiled.

“These brothers are quite adorable,” Guo Jiuling looked behind Shuchang, where four men, arm in arm, jumped out of the house and started singing and dancing in the courtyard.

“If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!” Clap, clap! The sound of hands clapping echoed.

“If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!” Clap, clap, clap!

Guo Jiuling stared wide-eyed at the four men in the courtyard, who were singing and dancing like children.

“Qin Feng often sang this song in the Death Corps. They naturally learned it after hearing it so many times,” Shuchang laughed. “Old Guo, I’ve changed my mind. I’m not going to Beiyue. I’m going to the capital to see Qin Feng first, to understand his current situation. Then I’ll head to Beiyue. He must have been in many battles while escorting Princess Zhaohua, and I don’t know how bad his injuries are. I need to have a clear idea before asking for help. When are you going back to the capital?”

“My injuries are not suitable for a long journey yet. I need to rest and heal. There are also many things to handle in Anyang County. A large number of Inner Guards will arrive here and be sent to Western Qin. I need to finish this task first. Doctor, I will set off for the capital in about a month. If you’re still here then, please come to my house as a guest. I want to thank you for saving my life.”

“Alright, if I’m still here, I’ll definitely visit you,” Shuchang nodded.

“Leaving, leaving!” Without looking back at the men still singing and dancing in the courtyard, Guo Jiuling smiled at the people inside, gently closed the courtyard gate, and turned to leave.

In the quiet night sky, the shouts of the men in the courtyard pierced the clouds, causing the dogs in the neighborhood to bark incessantly.

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