Chapter 5 Section five

The fierce sun shone on Dahei's bald, blood-scarred head. The yamen in Zizhen didn’t even have a prison cart, and the guards just lengthened the ropes between the legs of the three condemned prisoners, and then drove them through the largest street in the town like pigs. The street is called Main Street, without any other name. It is already the most prosperous place in Zizhen, but there are still dilapidated houses everywhere.The only businesses are a few eateries and some small shops selling grain, oil and supplies, mainly for foreign travelers, almost all of which are owned by Master Qin and two other local tyrants.

A large group of naked street sleepers, including the elderly and children, are sitting or lying in the dark alley next to the eatery, waiting for the occasional leftovers from the street to be eaten from the shop, and there are outsiders who can beg. Xiao Maozi and Brother Ha lowered their heads, because their bodies were bound and they were beaten many times, their steps were staggering.Only Dahei was still walking with a tall and straight body, not at all like a criminal who was charged with a crime, and met the gazes from both sides peacefully. At the head of the execution team was Sun Er.He held a heavy two-handed machete in his hand, the scabbard was sewn with thick cowhide.He got up early this morning and spent a long time sharpening the blade carefully.He is very proud of his job - outside of the Zizhen yamen and the mansions of the three local tyrants, he is one of the few people here who can support his wife and children with his hands.

The crowd following the execution procession began to grow. Almost every face was dull and sallow, with deeply sunken cheeks, and each leg dragged heavily as it walked.If it wasn't broad daylight, outsiders would think it was a group of grieving ghosts preparing to welcome new companions. At last we reached a gravel-paved open space in the middle of the street.There is no official execution ground in Zi Town, and all the assembly ceremonies in the town are held here.At the east corner of the clearing was a flagpole, the tallest man-made structure in the town, which at the moment bore no flag.

The governor of the town and his civil and military assistants had been waiting under a simple tent in the open space.The governor's bright and neat official uniform was in sharp contrast to the withered and yellow street scene and crowd around him. Just when the firing squad arrived, several strong winds suddenly began to blow in the open space.Everyone didn't care.This is a common occurrence in this Kansai plateau. The governor covered his face with a toga to keep the dust from getting into his eyes. "Get over it so you can go back," he urged.This is not a good job.If it wasn't for the apportionment from the state capital, he would not bother to kill a few thieves in each town within this month-the yamen in Zi Town only had a team of five patrolling, and it was hard to catch the pair of little thieves.In order to make up enough heads for delivery, he had to buy that guy from Mr. Qin out of his own pocket.The governor was already thinking about what kind of project he would set up tomorrow to collect money from the townspeople to make up for the expenditure.

There are already one or two hundred townspeople watching around the open space.They were about to see the murder scene, but they were not particularly excited.Going to the theater hungry is always better than nothing.They also knew that what the yamen could catch would not be the horse thief who ran rampant on the plateau. However, the man whose appearance and posture were different from ordinary people really attracted their attention, he was definitely not a local.I don't know where I came from, but I am really wronged to die in such a poor place... The guard forced the three of them down to the ground.Xiao Maozi and Brother Ha's knees touched the scorching sand, and they groaned in pain.The guards tightened the ropes on their legs from behind, checked the knots all over their bodies, and then retreated.

Sun Er drew his saber out of its sheath.The almost palm-wide blade reflected the fierce sunlight, making it impossible to look directly at.He put the back of the knife on his shoulder, and stood beside Dahei with his legs outstretched. He looked like a guardian angel pasted at the gate of a temple. Seeing the light of the knife, the mood of the crowd also rose up. "Ah..." Xiao Maozi who was next to Dahei was still moaning.He is very thirsty.But he knew that at this moment, even a bowl of water could not be expected. "...by order of the prefecture, the town's yamen can seize a thousand horse thieves within a day, all of whom are guilty of murder, robbery, and rape of women..." The governor still covered his eyes with his sleeves, chanting proficiently.

"I remembered..." Xiao Maozi turned his head to look at Dahei. "You also said that as long as I am willing to never be a thief again, I can live..." "Yes." Dahei nodded without any fear on his face.Even Sun Er who was watching was a little surprised. "... After being interrogated by the officer, each was sentenced to beheading..." the governor continued to read. Brother Ha bowed his head and closed his eyes, his whole body trembling violently, and he recited the prayers he prayed to the God of the Land that day again. "Okay..." Xiao Maozi actually smiled. "If you can untie this rope and stand up now, and the brother next to you can't kill you... I will never be a thief again in this life!"

Sun Er heard it, and his eyes widened. "Really?" Dahei asked with a very serious expression. "Really." Xiao Maozi's face seemed to be telling a vulgar joke. "... Now I have verified that I am upright..." The governor took the execution token from Wen Zuo. "Slay the three thieves Hu, Mao, and Ha..." He was about to throw the token out. At this time, Dahei's shoulder and neck joints suddenly moved, his broad shoulders sank to an impossible position, the bones of his sternum shrank inward strangely, and his entire upper body suddenly became smaller.He shook and twisted a few times, and the rope that was tight around his body immediately fell off.

The governor, guards and onlookers all watched this scene in amazement.Xiao Maozi's mouth was wide enough to fit a fist into.Sun Er stood still. After the knot on the arm was also loosened, Dahei's shoulder joint returned to its original position.He reached out to remove the rope from his leg again, and stood up. The governor suddenly threw out the token and shouted, "Quick cut! Quick cut!" Sun Er raised the machete with both hands, took a big breath, and didn't care that Dahei's neck was already higher than his head, and he was about to chop it with his arms. Big black eyes stared straight at him.

The wind picked up again. At this moment, Sun Er saw a power beyond ordinary people from those deep pupils.He understood one thing. ——This is not a man I can kill... His machete hangs limply. "All of you!" The governor ordered the guards in panic, but his voice was drowned out by the strong wind. The sunlight suddenly disappeared. Everyone looked up.Only then did I see that a large cloud covered the sun. First, one drop, two drops... The big raindrops fell, and it turned into a rain curtain in an instant. The crowd cheered and spread their thin palms to welcome the long-awaited rain.Some began to run towards the center of the open space, crowding towards Dahei.

The guards who originally wanted to besiege Dahei saw this scene and began to retreat in panic. More and more people flocked to the execution ground.Even people who hadn't come to see the execution began to emerge from both ends of the street. The governor still held the token of supervision and beheading tightly in his hand, and still wanted to call his subordinates to control the scene.Only then did I realize that all the subordinates around me had escaped at some point. The next moment, he was swallowed by the crowd.