Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune: Starting with death row inmates

On a street in Anxi County, under a large, lush locust tree, a group of beggars lay sprawled out in the shade, resting.

Among the beggars, a burly man whispered to a thin young man beside him, "Those constables are looking for us like mad dogs. How are we supposed to get out of the city?"

The young man looked relaxed and spoke with ease: "No rush, they won't catch us."

The young man was Shen Chen, who had just escaped from prison, while the burly man next to him was Qin Pi, the "skinning knife".

The ragged beggars, noticing the noticeably larger number of constables on the street, couldn't help but wonder, "What's going on today? Why are there so many constables arresting people?"

"Go look at the wanted poster in Chengkou. Qin Pi, the skinner, has escaped from prison," Qin Pi said from the side, his tone somewhat smug.

The beggars shuddered. The skinning knife's infamous reputation was legendary in Anxi County, even used to scare disobedient children: "If you don't behave, the skinning knife will skin you alive!"

They muttered to themselves, "This ominous star actually escaped from prison; are the guards just incompetent...?"

Shen Chen and the other constables on the street had dispersed a bit. He looked up at the sun, stood up, and said to Qin Pi, "Let's go."

Qin Pi immediately caught up with Shen Chen, and without realizing it, he had gotten into the habit of asking Shen Chen about the next plan: "Brother Shen, how do we get out of the city?"

Shen Chen looked at a caravan not far away. He already had an idea, and now all he had to do was draw lots to verify it.

With a thought, lines of ancient characters appeared before him.

After escaping from prison, you and Qin Pi disguised yourselves as beggars to temporarily conceal your whereabouts, but this was not a long-term solution. You had to leave the city as soon as possible, so you decided to...

[Good fortune: Hidden among the goods of the Semu people, follow the caravan out of the city; the guards dare not inspect the Semu people's goods. Auspicious.]

[Bad omen: Trying to fool everyone by disguising yourself as a beggar will likely ruin your plans due to Qin Pi's overly distinctive features. Ominous]

[The worst possible outcome: You attempt to escape by scaling the city wall again, but the wall is now heavily guarded. Your frail health prevents you from reacting in time, and you are struck by a hail of arrows, dying instantly. Extremely unlucky.]

Shen Chen pointed to a caravan stopped in front of the tavern: "Let's find a wine barrel, sneak inside, and blend into the Semu caravan to leave the city."

Qin Pi hesitated for a moment, seemingly worried about something, but then, remembering that Shen Chen's decisions had never gone wrong since they met, he nodded and agreed, "Okay."

The two cautiously crept to the back of the tavern. A waiter, seeing the furtive Shen Chen and Qin Pi, was about to yell, "Get lost, you filthy beggars..."

Before the word "get lost" could even leave his mouth, Qin Pi's huge fist had already smashed into his face. The waiter felt a blackout before he lost consciousness.

"What should we do?" Qin Pi, supporting the waiter's body, turned to ask Shen Chen.

As Shen Chen placed the wine in the wooden barrel, he said, "What else can we do but put it in the barrel? Remember to feed him some wine so he doesn't wake up halfway through."

Three people then shrunk into the three empty wine barrels.

Shen Chen huddled quietly inside the barrel, waiting. Before long, he heard voices calling, "Sanpang! Sanpang!"

The people outside were very puzzled: "Where did that kid go? Damn it, we can't find him when he's working..."

The man cursed for a while, then his voice became extremely polite: "Lord Murong, the hundred barrels of wine you requested are all here."

"Alright, here's your reward," said a man with a thick Western Region accent.

After the crisp sound of the coins going into the pocket, Shen Chen immediately felt a jolt, as if he were being lifted up.

The jolt didn't last long before Shen Chen's bottom hit the ground, and the creaking of the wheels immediately followed.

Shen Chen waited patiently for a while before finally hearing the guard's voice: "Please show me your trade pass."

He instinctively held his breath, knowing he was about to leave the city.

The leader of the Semu caravan seemed quite displeased: "Hey, don't touch my goods! Don't you Easterners know any manners?"

"I'm sorry, Lord Murong, this newcomer doesn't know the rules." A mature voice chuckled ingratiatingly, "Hehe, please calm down. Those ahead, let them through immediately!"

The carriage slowly started moving, gradually leaving Anxi County.

After a quarter of an hour, Shen Chen used the small knife hidden in his pocket to drill a hole in the wine barrel. Looking out through the hole, he saw receding green willow branches and a muddy path.

Shen Chen calmed himself down, then drew a fortune stick. After confirming that there would be no problem going out at this time, he lifted the lid of the bucket above his head.

The carriage traveled along the forest path, the coachman humming a cheerful tune with an exotic flair, unaware that the canopy behind the carriage seemed to shake twice, nor did he feel the carriage's weight lighten slightly.

Qin Pi carried Shen Chen off the carriage. He ran a few steps on the ground, then stood up steadily and put Shen Chen down.

Qin Pi breathed in the fresh forest air, still feeling a sense of unreality. He took deep breaths greedily, as if trying to expel the stench of the prison from his lungs.

He couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Hahaha, I finally made it out!"

After his initial elation, Qin Pi realized that he couldn't escape on his own and that his success depended on Shen Chen.

He turned to look at Shen Chen, patted the latter on the shoulder, and said admiringly, "You're absolutely brilliant, Master Shen! How did you know those people wouldn't dare inspect the goods of the Semu people?"

Shen Chen asked calmly, "Do you know about the Battle of Mobei?"

The area where Shen Chen is currently located is ruled by a dynasty called Da Yan, and the neighboring dynasty to the northwest is called Da Qin. The Battle of Mobei was the war that took place between the two dynasties last year.

Qin Pi recalled, "Of course I knew. According to the imperial court, the Great Yan won this battle."

Shen Chen said, "Look at the attitude of those people at the city gate towards those Semu people, do you still think the Great Yan has won?"

Qin Pi thought for a moment and then suddenly realized: "Those bastards are reporting a funeral as a celebration."

He couldn't help but ask, "How do you know the imperial court's battle report is fake?"

"It's obvious," Shen Chen said, brushing the dust off his clothes. "It's a miracle that a country full of beggars could defeat a foreign enemy."

Qin Pi paused for a moment, then grinned and said, "Haha, Brother Shen is very insightful."

He looked at Shen Chen and said with utmost politeness, "Brother Shen, I admire you very much. These days are tough to live in. Why don't you join me and become an outlaw? What do you say?"

[Auspicious sign: Agreeing to join the group and proactively proposing to become sworn brothers with Qin Pi, good fortune]

[Bad omen: You refuse to join the group and part ways with Qin Pi. Being weak, you will soon be imprisoned again under the pursuit of the authorities. Ominous.]