Starting with a blind date with a female constable, you acquire the Nine Swords of Dugu.

Chapter 226 The Suffering of Liangzhou (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The next day, early in the morning.

After Gu Guanqi got up and finished washing up, he went outside the manor to open the door.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Wen Shuyi standing by the door, holding a book in her hand, reading it intently. The morning light shone on her, and she stood there quietly.

Just one glance is enough to make you feel the tranquility of life.

"Shuyi," Gu Guanqi said, "Why didn't you call me when you came? I could hear you."

Although the manor was very large, with Gu Guanqi's cultivation level, he could hear anyone knocking on the door.

Wen Shuyi carefully put the book away in her cloth bag, a faint smile on her face, and said, "I don't want to disturb your rest."

"What's the big deal?" Gu Guanqi walked out the door, closed it, and then asked, "Have you eaten?"

"Not yet," Wen Shuyi said. "I want to wait for you."

Gu Guanqi nodded and said, "Okay, let's go out to eat something, and then go to the southern suburbs."

"Um."

Wen Shuyi stayed close to Gu Guanqi.

Afterwards, the two went to a noodle shop on the street and ordered two bowls of noodles.

After they finished eating, the two headed towards the southern suburbs.

They were just there for fun and weren't in a hurry, so they didn't rent a horse-drawn carriage and instead walked there at a leisurely pace.

After a period of heightened tension, the oppressive atmosphere in the capital dissipated. Of course, that oppression always existed only among the upper classes; the ordinary people, regardless of the era, were always busy making a living.

As the two walked through the streets and alleys, they felt a strong sense of everyday life.

They didn't arrive at the Lotus Garden in the southern suburbs until noon.

However, they arrived a little late; the true blooming season had passed. The vast lotus garden remained lush and green, but there were hardly any flowers.

Wen Shuyi was a little embarrassed and said, "I heard it from the teachers at the academy, but I don't usually keep track of time, so I didn't expect so much time to have passed. I've made you come all this way for nothing."

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly and said, "It doesn't matter. When you come out to visit tourist attractions, the attractions themselves are never the most important thing."

"What is that?" Wen Shuyi tilted her head, looking at Gu Guanqi curiously.

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly and said, "Naturally, they are the people who came together."

Wen Shuyi quickly lowered her head, feeling her cheeks slightly flushed, and whispered, "I think so too—"

"Right!"

Gu Guanqi smiled and walked slowly forward.

As Wen Shuyi watched Gu Guanqi's retreating figure, half a sentence remained unspoken: "You standing here are already the most beautiful and best scenery in my eyes."

Wen Shuyi quickened her pace to catch up with Gu Guanqi and followed closely behind.

Although the lotus flowers in the garden have already faded, the other scenery here is still quite beautiful, so there are many people coming and going. Walking along the embankment, you can see crowds of people coming towards you, as well as many people walking in the same direction.

Everyone walked slowly. They came here to see the scenery, so they should walk slowly to appreciate the views along the way.

However, today Wen Shuyi only had one sight in her eyes: Gu Guanqi.

She stayed by Gu Guanqi's side the whole time, walking together in the lotus garden. However, her eyes never left Gu Guanqi. She was always very excited, and even her steps were very light.

The two strolled around for a long time, and even had a meal at a restaurant near the Lotus Garden.

It wasn't until the sun was setting that Gu Guanqi suggested returning home.

"Watching the chess game," Wen Shuyi asked, "Are you going back to Tianxing Garden now?"

"Let's go to the Imperial College," Gu Guanqi said. "I want to find some historical records about Tianmen."

"Is this important to you?" Wen Shuyi asked.

"Hmm," Gu Guanqi said, "It is important, because what Tianmen does is prevent people from becoming immortals, and I also have the path to ascension. I am also worried that one day I will be suddenly attacked by people from Tianmen."

A hint of worry flashed in Wen Shuyi's eyes as she said, "That's really important." As she spoke, she slowly opened the cloth bag slung at her waist, took out two books, and handed them to Gu Guanqi, saying, "Guanqi, these are the only two books in the Imperial Academy that record the Tianmen."

Gu Guanqi asked in surprise, "You didn't search all night last night, did you?"

"No," Wen Shuyi shook her head slightly and said, "Actually, my master knows where these two books are. He deliberately told you yesterday that he didn't know."

"Why?" Gu Guanqi asked, puzzled.

Wen Shuyi lowered her head slightly, her face flushed slightly, and said softly, "Because—because, he wanted to help me, I—"

I really wanted to have more opportunities to spend time with you, so he deliberately said he didn't know and asked me to help you look for it, so that I could have more time alone with you.

As she spoke, Wen Shuyi slightly raised her head to look at Gu Guanqi, and their eyes met. She immediately lowered her head again and said in a low voice, "However, I thought this might be very important to you. I was afraid of taking up your time and causing you any problems, so I asked my master to find the book."

Gu Guanqi took the book, looked down slightly at Wen Shuyi, and said softly, "I will stay in the capital for a few more days. We can go sightseeing together. There are still many places in the capital that I haven't been to yet."

Wen Shuyi's eyes shone brightly as she looked up and said happily, "Then I'll be your guide."

"Okay." Gu Guanqi nodded.

The two chatted as they returned.

As they walked, Wen Shuyi said, "I read both of these books about the Heavenly Gate last night. They are really mysterious. In fact, according to the books, the current leader of the Heavenly Gate is still Xuanyuan, and he can live forever."

Gu Guanqi said, "Legend has it that the mythical beast Phoenix can be reborn from the ashes. According to the myth the Grand Preceptor mentioned last night, Xuanyuan fused with the essence and divine bones of the Phoenix. Theoretically, doing so would grant him the power of the Phoenix's rebirth, making it quite possible for him to achieve immortality."

Wen Shuyi was silent for a moment, then said, "If a person were to live forever, would they simply roam the world freely, or..."

Will I feel lonely and desperate?

Gu Guanqi shook his head slightly and said, "That's hard to say. In most legends, immortals are immortal and roam freely between heaven and earth. However, a very small number of people believe that immortality is painful, watching their relatives and descendants die one by one."

In the end, you are all alone in the world. No one understands you, no one can share with you, no one can accompany you. You have seen and experienced all the great upheavals, and you have no interest in anything. Thinking about it this way, it is indeed very lonely.

However, whether it is carefree wandering in the world or lonely solitude, we are all trying to understand it with human thinking. The beings at that level can no longer be considered human; they are beings of a higher dimension than humans, and their thinking may be completely different from ours.

Perhaps, whether they even have a concept of carefree living or loneliness is hard to say.

"That's true," Wen Shuyi nodded and said, "No matter how much we try to figure it out, we can't put ourselves in the mindset of someone who is truly immortal."

After saying that, Wen Shuyi paused for a moment, and then continued, "However, there isn't much useful information about Tianmen in these two books. They are not much different from what my master said last night, but they are a bit more detailed."

As mentioned above, the master of the Heavenly Gate is Xuanyuan, who possesses unparalleled cultivation capable of overturning rivers and seas and traversing the heavens and the earth. He also possesses the Xuanyuan Sword, which has been infused with human power and also has the power to destroy the heavens and the earth.

Beneath the Yellow Emperor, there is a divine mother who travels the world on his behalf, and four war gods who monitor the world and guard the destiny of humankind. Whenever an immortal is about to be born, the destiny of humankind will fluctuate, and they will be able to track the immortal's whereabouts.

Gu Guanqi asked, "Is there any specific information about these people?"

Wen Shuyi said, "Yes, but I think these two books are also books of strange tales. The descriptions of those people are too bizarre. The Eastern God of War lives in the sea and is half-human and half-fish. The Western God of War is a bird. The Southern God of War has no head. The Northern God of War is a drought demon, and wherever he goes, the land is scorched for thousands of miles."

Besides these, there are the habits and hobbies of the four war gods, and the Heavenly Gate Goddess, who is said to be a woman who appears and disappears without a trace, can walk through mountains, tread on water, and even traverse the air—basically, all sorts of supernatural beings.

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "I'll take a good look when I get back."

"Hmm," Wen Shuyi said, "Your cultivation level is much higher than mine, so perhaps you can see other meanings from some of your words that I can't understand."

The two chatted idly as they returned home.

Afterwards, Gu Guanqi escorted Wen Shuyi back to the Imperial Academy, and then he returned to Tianxing Garden.

By the time he returned to Tianxing Garden, it was already completely dark.

After returning to his room, Gu Guanqi lit an oil lamp and began to peruse the two books that Wen Shuyi had given him.

His mental strength was very strong, and he read very quickly, finishing both books in a short time.

o

Just as Wen Shuyi said, they were essentially two books of supernatural tales. Apart from knowing that Tianmen was probably composed of six people: the Four War Gods, the Goddess, and the Sect Master Xuanyuan, there were almost no other useful clues.

"We can only take more precautions then!"

Gu Guanqi placed the book on the table, feeling a mix of emotions.

Indeed, the higher one's cultivation level, the stronger the sense of urgency.

Back then, he only faced pressure from Zhang Jiexi. But now that his cultivation level is high and he stands at the pinnacle of the martial arts world, he feels that his cultivation level is not enough.

One is the Mandate of Heaven, the other is the Heavenly Gate; neither of these is something he can fully comprehend. Moreover, there might be some strange old guys hiding in this world.

Gu Guanqi then stayed in the capital for a few more days, doing nothing else but accompanying Wen Shuyi around.

On the sixth day, Gu Guanqi left the capital.

After leaving the capital, Gu Guanqi headed towards Liangzhou.

The Tianshan Sect is located within Liangzhou.

Gu Guanqi had high expectations for the Tianshan Sect, especially since Leng Lingxi had a seven-star reward—the Innate Body-Breaking Formless Sword Qi—waiting for him.

Liangzhou was far from the capital, and because the maps of this era were very abstract, even though Gu Guanqi used all his lightness skills, he only arrived in Liangzhou on the afternoon of the second day.

Upon entering Liangzhou, Gu Guanqi's immediate impression was one of desolation. Liangzhou was a border region, with many areas consisting of deserts or Gobi, sparse vegetation, and rarely the lush, verdant mountains of Qingzhou and Yunzhou.

At a glance, there are many mountains, but they are all barren.

My second impression was that Liangzhou was very poor.

Because of constant harassment from foreign tribes, Liangzhou was almost always at war. Warfare requires enormous resources, not only money but also manpower.

The corrupt Daqian court meant that less than one-tenth of the military pay reached Liangzhou, and various military supplies were severely insufficient. As a result, the Liangzhou army was largely self-sufficient, and over time, Liangzhou naturally became increasingly impoverished.

As Gu Guanqi headed towards the Tianshan Sect, he felt increasingly moved, realizing that Liangzhou was truly the poorest place he had ever seen.

Even when Hongzhou was impoverished to the point of being as poor as Liangzhou due to the self-imposed isolation and reckless behavior of the Hanyue Sect, it was still far more prosperous than Liangzhou.

All I can say is that the cost of war is truly enormous.

That afternoon, Gu Guanqi arrived at a small town outside Liangzhou City and got a little hungry, so he stopped and found an inn in the town.

This is a small inn, and there are no guests at the moment. The innkeeper and waiter are nowhere to be found.

Just as Gu Guanqi was about to call out, he heard the sound of a baby crying coming from the inner back room.

Then a man's voice came: "Come quick, is the child hungry?"

"It must be, the baby's been sleeping for ages," a woman's voice called out. "Don't cry, baby, Mommy's going to breastfeed you!"

Upon hearing this conversation, Gu Guanqi immediately understood that the inn was likely a husband-and-wife operation. This type of small inn is quite common, where the husband and wife run their own property to minimize costs.

Gu Guanqi didn't shout, but simply found a place to sit down and wait quietly.

A short while later, a man who looked to be about thirty-five years old came out from the back room. He had dark skin and a rough face, weathered by life. He walked with a limp, clearly unable to support himself properly in his right leg.

The man walked to the door, glanced up and saw Gu Guanqi. He quickly quickened his pace to greet him, his face full of apology. "Oh dear, sir," he said, "I'm so sorry. I was busy putting the child to bed and didn't even know someone was here. I've kept you waiting!"

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly and said, "It's alright. I heard the noise, so I didn't make a sound. Are you the manager?"

"Yes, yes, yes," the innkeeper nodded hurriedly, then rubbed his hands together somewhat awkwardly, saying, "However, I'm not really a manager; I just cleaned up my own house facing the street to do some small business and make a living. May I ask if you're here for a meal or to stay the night?"

"Cook me a bowl of vegetarian noodles first," Gu Guanqi said.

"Okay! Please wait here for a moment, I'll go make you some noodles right away."

The shopkeeper responded, turned around and brought over a pot of tea, placed it on the table, and then limped towards the kitchen.

Gu Guanqi looked at the shopkeeper's back. Although he had difficulty walking, the muscles on his shoulders and back were very taut, and he walked with his back straight. He also had the air of a soldier about him.

Those rough, large hands had thick calluses on the base of the thumb and the edges of the palms, clearly marks left from years of handling knives and guns.

Gu Guanqi speculated that the shopkeeper was likely a soldier who had retired from the front lines.

Before long, the shopkeeper came out carrying a large bowl filled with noodles.

"Sir, please try it." The innkeeper placed the bowl in front of Gu Guanqi and handed him chopsticks. "If it's not to your liking, I'll cook it again for you."

Gu Guanqi was slightly taken aback, then laughed and said, "This can be returned?"

The shopkeeper grinned, his smile honest and simple, and said, "Everyone works hard to earn money. If the taste isn't right and you can't eat it, then your money will have been wasted."

"How much?" Gu Guanqi asked, taking the chopsticks.

The shopkeeper rubbed his hands together and said, "Three coins."

Gu Guanqi raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised.

This bowl of noodles was very generous in portion size. In the capital, it would cost at least thirty coins, and in Qingzhou, it would cost ten coins. Although prices were lower in Liangzhou because of its poverty, he had eaten several meals along the way over the past few days, and this bowl of noodles would have cost five or six coins in other inns.

This shopkeeper is very honest in his business dealings.

Immediately, Gu Guanqi lowered his head, picked up a chopstick of noodles, and put it in his mouth. Surprisingly, the taste was not bad.

"How is it? Is it to your liking?" the shopkeeper asked.

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly: "That's good."

The shopkeeper said, "Please enjoy your meal. Call me anytime if you need anything."

He then started to walk towards the counter.

Gu Guanqi suddenly asked, "Were you a soldier?"

The shopkeeper paused, then nodded slightly: "Yes. I served as a border soldier in Weicheng for ten years. Last year, I fought against the Xianbei army and was shot in the leg by an arrow. Unable to fight anymore, I returned home, married a wife, and opened this small shop to make a living."

Upon hearing this, Gu Guanqi sighed, "A ten-year veteran! I've heard there's been constant fighting in Weicheng. You served there for ten years; you must have accumulated considerable military merit. You should be set for life. Why would you need to make a living in this little shop?"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper gave a wry smile, shook his head, and said, "Sir, you are definitely not from Liangzhou."

Gu Guanqi asked in confusion, "Why do you say that?"

The innkeeper sat down on a stool nearby and said, "Because someone your age, if they were a local, would certainly not say something like 'high military merit guarantees a worry-free life.'"

Gu Guanqi, while eating his noodles, asked, "Could you explain in more detail?"

The shopkeeper sighed and said, "In Liangzhou, men are conscripted into the army every year. However, there is no military pay for being a soldier. The only advantage is that families with soldiers in their household can pay less poll tax each year."

He paused, looked down at his lame leg, and said, "As for military merit, it means that those who make contributions in the army can have their meals improved and eat a few good meals."

Gu Guanqi frowned and said, "If someone is injured, shouldn't there be disability compensation?"

"Yes," the shopkeeper said with a hint of helplessness, "but since I came back last year, I haven't seen a single penny of the pension. I've gone to the yamen to ask several times, but they all just told me to go home and wait."

I didn't have much hope anymore. I went to inquire, and it turns out that many people who died in battle haven't received their death benefits, let alone me. The oldest of the few who died in battle in our village has been dead for five or six years, and they still haven't seen a penny of their compensation.

Gu Guanqi asked, "Then, how many years can one serve in the army before returning?"

"Ten years," the shopkeeper said. "I went when I was fourteen. If I survived, I could come back at twenty-four. That's my luck."

It wasn't bad, just a few days short of ten years, and then my leg was crippled, but thankfully I came back alive.

Gu Guanqi had assumed the shopkeeper was around thirty-five years old, but it turned out he was only twenty-five.

The shopkeeper chuckled again and said, "However, there's one good thing about Liangzhou: if you manage to come back alive, finding a wife is easy—there are widows everywhere!"

That's what he said, but the shopkeeper's tone was full of bitterness.

Listening to the shopkeeper's words, Gu Guanqi felt a pang of emotion. The suffering of the people of Liangzhou was far greater than he had imagined.

As they chatted, Gu Guanqi slowly finished his bowl of noodles. Looking outside, he saw it was almost dark and said to the innkeeper, "Prepare another room for me!"

As he spoke, he took out a small piece of silver from his pocket and handed it to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper looked distressed and said, "Sir, do you have any copper coins? I really can't make change from your silver."

Gu Guanqi handed it directly to the shopkeeper, saying, "This is extra, so it's yours for the taking."

"No, no, no," the shopkeeper hurriedly declined, "This is too much."

Gu Guanqi said, "Go and prepare a room for me!"

The innkeeper wanted to say something, but seeing Gu Guanqi's unwavering gaze, he quickly said, "Thank you, sir, thank you for your kindness. I'll go prepare a room for you right away—"

Just then, a dull thud of hooves came from outside. When the horses reached the inn, their hooves kicked up a cloud of dust on the dirt road.

The shopkeeper and Gu Guanqi both looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of soldiers, about twenty in number, standing on the street outside the door. They were all dressed in armor, with long swords at their waists, and riding big horses.

Behind the soldiers were a string of prisoners, about thirty or forty in number, all young men in their twenties or thirties, their faces covered in dust and exhaustion. They wore heavy shackles on their feet, which dragged on the ground as they walked, making a rattling sound.

They were all barefoot, some with their soles worn raw, leaving a dark red trail of blood with every step. They were all dressed in rags, and their eyes revealed despair.

The leader was a fat, big-eared officer, about forty years old, with a round face, narrow eyes, and thick lips. He wore a suit of armor and rode a fat, strong black horse, looking very ostentatious.

He dismounted and roared, "All of you, keep a close eye on these bastards! If even one of them escapes, I'll hold you all accountable!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers responded in unison, dismounted, and walked around the prisoners with their whips, occasionally lashing out with a flick of the whip, which frightened the prisoners into shrinking together.

The fat officer led three or four other officers into the inn.

The moment the shopkeeper saw the fat officer, his face turned deathly pale. He froze on the spot, his lips trembling, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, and his eyes filled with terror, as if he had seen a demon.

Gu Guanqi noticed the shopkeeper's unusual behavior and realized that the shopkeeper must know the officer, who must be the kind of person with a notorious reputation.

As soon as the fat officer entered, he called out loudly, "Boss, aren't you getting over here yet?"

The shopkeeper trembled, swallowed hard, and timidly trotted forward, bowing and scraping, saying, "Sir! Sir! I'm here, what are your orders?"

The portly officer sized up the shopkeeper, narrowed his eyes, and said, "Judging from your reaction, you know me? Tell me, who are you?"

The shopkeeper trembled with fear, his voice shaking, and hurriedly said, "Sir, I am a wounded soldier who has returned from Weicheng. I saw your esteemed presence there, and I never expected to have this honor to see you so closely today. I am so nervous that I can hardly contain myself!"

Upon hearing this, the fat officer said, "So you're a soldier who came back from Weicheng. Do you know who I am?"

The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly, saying, "I know, I know. You are the adopted son of Prince Ji, General Yuan Congyi, the General Who Guards the South!"

Yuan Congyi sat down with an air of superiority and said, "It's good that you know who I am. Go and bring me the best wine and meat! Since you know me, you should know that I have a bad temper!"

The shopkeeper quickly bowed and said, "Yes, yes, I'll go right away!"

As he spoke, he turned around, looked at Gu Guanqi with a troubled expression, and said in a low voice, "Sir, I'm really sorry, I—you see, why don't you go to the second room upstairs yourself? The bedding inside is all new, I just cleaned it this morning, and the door isn't locked."

Gu Guanqi naturally wouldn't make things difficult for the shopkeeper, so he nodded and went upstairs.

At this moment, Yuan Congyi and the others finally took a look at Gu Guanqi.

"Tsk tsk tsk," Yuan Congyi sighed, "I hadn't noticed before, but this guy is really handsome, even more so than our young master!"

An officer standing nearby chuckled and said, "General, if the young master heard you say that, he wouldn't be happy. The young master is the undisputed most handsome man in Liangzhou. Who dares to say that anyone is more handsome than him?"

Yuan Congyi said proudly, "Others might not dare to say it, but I dare to say it: what is my relationship with the young master? I'm his sworn brother; I've carried him on my back since he was a child." He then waved his hand and said, "However, that guy who just went upstairs was just lucky..."

Okay, it's me today. If it had been Liu Yiyun, hehe, that handsome young man would have been in for a lot of trouble!

Another officer asked curiously, "General, is it true that General Liu likes the Rabbit God?"

"You think this is just baseless gossip?" Yuan Congyi said. "That guy isn't interested in women; he only likes handsome young men. He keeps over a hundred male concubines at home!"

The officer exclaimed in surprise, "That's comparable to the young master! But the young master keeps over a hundred concubines in his household. Tsk tsk tsk, I wonder if the young master's body can handle it—"

"Snap"

Yuan Congyi suddenly slapped the officer across the face, angrily shouting, "How dare you, a dog, mock the young master?"

Blood trickled from the officer's mouth, and a bright red handprint instantly appeared on his face. He quickly said, "General, I know I was wrong. It won't happen again!"

"If you dare do this again, I'll skin you alive!" Yuan Congyi pointed viciously at the officer and said, "And I mean skinning you alive!"

The officer swallowed hard, nodded repeatedly, and said, "I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong, it won't happen again."

The atmosphere suddenly became oppressive.

The other officers also dared not speak, for fear of accidentally offending Yuan Congyi.

After a while, the innkeeper brought out a large basin of meat and placed it on the table, along with rice and wine, saying cautiously, "General Yuan, please have some food with the gentlemen. I'll go in and cook a few more of my specialty dishes for you!"

Yuan Congyi waved his hand impatiently and said, "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and go!"

"Yes, yes, yes," the shopkeeper hurriedly replied, "I'll go right away, I'll go right away."

He immediately turned and left.

Just then, a baby's cry suddenly came from inside the room.

The shopkeeper froze instantly.

While eating meat, Yuan Congyi heard the baby crying, suddenly looked up, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes, and said, "You have a child? How old is he?"

The shopkeeper turned around, smiling ingratiatingly, and said, "General Yuan, you are three—three years old!"

"Oh, he's three years old already," Yuan Congyi said, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes. "Alright, go cook the dishes!"

"Yes, yes, yes."

The shopkeeper turned around, quietly breathed a sigh of relief, and then went to the inner room of the back hall.

Just then, the officer who had been slapped by Yuan Congyi earlier suddenly brightened up and whispered, "General, that shopkeeper was lying. I used to have a lot of children in my hometown, so I'm very familiar with children's voices. The child's crying just now couldn't have been three years old; it could have been no more than one year old!"

Yuan Congyi's face turned fierce as he said, "Damn it, no wonder that kid was so afraid of me. He was guarding against me. Hehe, he's no more than a year old, so he must still be breastfeeding!"

"I haven't had a chance to relax in a while because I've been preparing for the young master's birthday. Go, bring that woman out here!" He pointed to the officer with the handprint still on his face and said, "You're quick-witted, kid. That counts as a favor; we'll call it even for today!"

"Thank you, General! Thank you, General!"

The officers immediately stood up.

Meanwhile, inside the inner hall...

The shopkeeper looked worried. Inside the room was a young woman in her twenties, who was rather short but had a pretty face. She was holding a sleeping baby in her arms.

The shopkeeper hurriedly went to his wife's side and whispered, "Go, go quickly! Don't leave anything else, just take the child and leave right now!"

The woman asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"Yuan Congyi is here," the shopkeeper said. "This man is insane; he loves drinking human milk. If he doesn't like the taste, he'll punish him by cutting off his own breast!"

The woman's expression changed, and she immediately got up and walked towards the back door.

However, as soon as the back door was opened, two officers were blocking the entrance, one of them grinning and saying, "So you were planning to run away!"

The woman turned pale with fright.

The shopkeeper hurriedly pleaded, "My lords, I beg you, please spare our lives! I fought in Weicheng for ten years and rendered great service to Prince Ji. We are all soldiers—"

As he spoke, the shopkeeper knelt on the ground and kowtowed, begging for mercy.

"You ungrateful brat!"

The officer kicked the shopkeeper aside, then snatched the child from the shopkeeper's wife's arms, saying, "If our general is happy with his drink, you will be rich beyond measure."

At this moment, the child burst into tears.

The officer placed a hand on the baby's head and said, "If you don't behave, I'll twist this child's head off!"