Chapter 0007: Descendants of Zhu Ming

Saying this, he spat on the ground, transferred the machete he was holding in his left hand to his right hand, and with a sinister smile, took two steps forward, raising the knife to strike at Zhou Zhongliang's head.

Cannot kill ... ... cannot kill me ... ... the small have great matters ... ... the small have matters of utmost importance ... ...

"Speak up, if you try to deceive me with nonsense, hmph, I won't hesitate to take action!" The leader, who had long anticipated this outcome, issued a cold warning.

That scream was clearly Huang Jie's voice, and Zhou Zhongliang's teeth involuntarily made a chattering sound. Although he could not see what was happening outside, as Huang Jie's scream faded away, the outside gradually fell silent, which was enough to prove that the most terrifying outcome had already arrived

The leader half-squatted and asked, "Who are you? Why are you hiding in the car? Speak honestly about any important matters, and perhaps I can spare your life."

"Your Excellency... I dare to ask, do you have any connection with the esteemed Ye from Siming Mountain?" Before he spoke, Zhou Zhongliang mustered his courage to ask. As soon as the words left his mouth, he noticed the leader's expression darkening. Being able to read the room is a skill of a seasoned advisor, and before the leader could respond, Zhou Zhongliang hurriedly added, "The esteemed Ye raises the banner of righteousness, and although the effort to restore the Ming dynasty faced defeat, it remains honorable. He is a great hero among us Han people..."

The little man must inform the chief of a matter of great importance... This person is Zhu Yicheng, the grandson of Prince Zhu San, and I am also a descendant of the Zhu Ming dynasty!" Zhou Zhongliang pointed to the side.

"There is no rush, it is better to ask first." Compared to the third brother, the leader is much more composed, and moreover, he has noticed the tightly bound Zhu Yicheng. It seems somewhat illogical for someone bound to appear in a convoy that looks like an official entourage. If this person is a prisoner, why not use a prison cart? If he is a meat ticket, then these officials are not bandits, so why would they secretly hide someone like this in the carriage?

Don't! Don't kill me! I will speak! I will speak right now! The scholar meets the soldier, and reason cannot be clearly articulated. Zhou Zhongliang, seeing that the other party was not buying his act at all, became anxious all of a sudden; once this head is lost, it cannot be put back on.

Lift your head up

With a thud, Zhou Zhongliang fell awkwardly to the ground after being thrown out of the large vehicle, while Zhu Yicheng, who had been pulled out of the vehicle before him, was right beside him

How are the injuries, brothers

It should have been this way long ago!" Lao San replied loudly, brandishing the knife with a sinister grin.

Your Majesty... Your Majesty, as long as you agree to spare my life, I will immediately say... I will immediately say... At this moment, Zhou Zhongliang, who was greatly frightened, felt that he must obtain a promise from the other party; otherwise, after finishing his words, he would be executed right away. Wouldn't that be a huge loss?

Zhou Zhongliang, who narrowly escaped death, was almost scared silly, continuously muttering to himself, and his whole body collapsed on the ground like a pile of mush

Oh! There are still living people in here? The thief outside was somewhat surprised, not expecting that there were actually two living individuals in this large cart, one tightly bound with ropes, and the other screaming in terror.

The commotion here quickly attracted attention from the other side, and a burly man inquired upon hearing the news

Zhou Zhongliang, dressed like a scholar, coupled with his age and demeanor, appeared somewhat like a down-and-out literati. In contrast, Zhu Yicheng had short hair, delicate skin, and although his attire was tightly bound, it was evident that his clothing was peculiar. However, judging by the fabric of his garments, he seemed to be a young master from a wealthy family.

The knife that Zhou Zhongliang held had long since fallen somewhere in the carriage the moment the thief appeared, and he, powerless, was effortlessly seized by the other party at the chest and was forcibly pulled out of the large vehicle

A few sentences of conversation came from outside. Upon hearing the first sentence, Zhou Zhongliang could not help but relax, and a surge of warmth flowed out along the leg of his pants. Despair and helplessness enveloped his heart; everyone else was dead, how far was he from that fate?

When the moment arrived, Zhou Zhongliang hesitated instead. He was not a common soldier like Wu Gang, nor did he possess the courage of Huang Jie, who faced death with equanimity. He was merely a clerk, powerless and reliant on his wits for a living. To put it plainly, a clerk is just a private assistant to officials, not a bureaucrat; in modern terms, he is merely an extramural member. Zhou Zhongliang, who had never even killed a chicken in his life, had never imagined that there would come a day when he would be required to take a life.

What business is it of yours, you little brat, regarding the hero Ye Dazhangjia?

Damn it! Nonsense! With a kick, he sent Zhou Zhongliang tumbling to the ground. Without a second glance, the third brother cursed and, regardless of the consequences, swung his knife forward.

He waved his hand to stop the third brother's question, then the leader carefully looked at Zhou Zhongliang and then at Zhu Yicheng, his brows immediately furrowing.

Completed ... ... All completed ... ... !

Tathagata Buddha ... ... Jade Emperor ... ... Supreme Laozi ... ... Earth God ... ... bless the petty person ... ... bless the petty person ah ... ...

Zhou Zhongliang stumbled while holding a knife as he ran towards Zhu Yicheng's large vehicle. After the ambush, the two large vehicles stopped with only a distance of about five or six meters between them. However, this short distance of five or six meters felt as distant as the ends of the earth to Zhou Zhongliang. Terrified and weak, he had barely taken a few steps before he tripped and fell. Upon focusing his gaze, he was met with the sight of a face that seemed to refuse to close its eyes in death, which frightened Zhou Zhongliang into a series of horrified screams. Amidst the shouts and cries of battle, he finally managed to climb onto the vehicle using both hands and feet.

Understood

The boss? Old San hesitated and did not chop off Zhou Zhongliang's head, looking at the boss in confusion. In his view, this old fellow could have just gone ahead and done it; what a trivial matter! It was clearly just a fear of death.

To kill? Or not to kill? To kill? Or not to kill?

"Boss, all these traitorous dogs have been slaughtered, not a single one left alive!"

A moment ago, Huang Jie’s fierce face and urgent admonitions surfaced in Zhou Zhongliang’s mind. He instinctively glanced at Zhu Yicheng, who was bound tightly and was right beside him. Looking at the knife still clutched in his hand, Zhou Zhongliang believed that as long as he struck with the knife, the defenseless Zhu Yicheng would die at his hands

The fighting outside was exceptionally fierce, with intermittent sounds of clashing weapons and dying screams echoing through the air. Zhou Zhongliang trembled like a quail, and it was unclear how much time had passed. Upon hearing yet another familiar cry of agony, Zhou Zhongliang's heart instantly turned to ashes, and his complexion turned pale.

The third brother retains his subordinates

Of course! Zhu San Taizi is well-known throughout the world as Zhu Ming Zheng Tong, how could I not know?

As he crawled into the large vehicle, Zhou Zhongliang could not pay any attention to Zhu Yicheng, who was tightly bound inside. Instead, he directly huddled in a corner of the carriage, trembling with fear, his eyes fixed on the curtain of the vehicle, repeatedly reciting every deity he could think of, his mind a complete blank

If I, unfortunately, die for my country, you must quickly kill that person. Absolutely do not let that person fall into the hands of the thieves! Remember! Remember!

In an instant, the car curtain was suddenly lifted by someone, and a fierce face poked in from the outside. Upon witnessing this scene, Zhou Zhongliang could no longer contain himself and let out a desperate scream, crying out as he desperately tried to hide inside.

Zhou Zhongliang was babbling nonsense, yet his eyes were fixed intently on the expression of the leader.

At the critical moment of life and death, Zhou Zhongliang was in tears, his nose running, as he kowtowed to the fierce robber like pounding garlic, pleading for the other party to spare his life

"Hehe, come down here!" The thief, momentarily taken aback, then broke into a wide grin, first seizing the tightly bound Zhu Yicheng and pulling him out of the cart, and then reaching for the cornered Zhou Zhongliang.

Two have died, five are injured, and the rest are all fine

Just as the moment arrived, the leader suddenly shouted, but the knife had already been drawn. The third brother, unable to stop the force, could only awkwardly tilt to the right, as the gleaming blade whistled past Zhou Zhongliang's ear with a fierce wind

"Big Boss, there are still two live ones here, hehe..." The Third replied to the Big Boss, then turned to Zhou Zhongliang, who was kneeling and kowtowing, and grinned, saying: "Spare your life? Hahaha! Old man, encountering me is your bad luck, so just let me have a quick and easy time sending you on your way."

Quickly tidy up, retreat

"Hehe, you have quite the nerve, daring to haggle when death is imminent?" The leader immediately burst into laughter, his expression changing: "Third brother, take him down!"

My lord! You must not kill me! You absolutely must not kill me! In this moment of life and death, Zhou Zhongliang did not know where his courage came from, and suddenly shouted: "I have something of great importance to tell! There is something of utmost significance that I must inform you of! If you kill me, my lord, you will surely regret it!"

"Old Third, what is the situation?"

It is related! Of course, it is related!

"Do you know Zhu San Taizi, esteemed leader?" Zhou Zhongliang inquired

Great... Great King... Spare my life... Spare my life!