Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Anyone wish to leave?” Yan Liqiang looked around and asked.
“Protectorate General, we will not leave. We shall fight until the end against those bastards from the Transportation Office. Everybody agree?” someone from below shouted.
“Right, right, right, we will not leave. This manufacturing bureau is ours and the Qiyun Protectorate’s. It is a family property that the Protectorate General established with us. We are people of the Qiyun Protectorate and we are also officials, not dogs who flee in defeat when someone raises a rod. There are even times when even a dog will be driven to action in desperate times. If we leave the manufacturing bureau now, even if the world is big, where else can we go? We can still roam around, but we’ll be bullied by others and we’ll live submissively. If this is how it’s going to be for the rest of our lives, even if we can live till a hundred years and eat another hundred years more, what’s the value to it?”
Supervisor Zhu was the first one among everyone below to step out. He turned around to look at everyone in the manufacturing bureau with a face full of emotion. He continued speaking, “Everybody, touch your heart to speak with a conscience. If you leave the manufacturing bureau and walk around every corner of the world, where else can you find another manager and employer such as the Protectorate General who’s willing to distribute shares with you? Others came to our doorstep to bully us and beat us up. If, at this moment, we are still afraid to stand our ground and fight against those vicious tyrants from the Transportation Office for our own destiny, such an attitude is worse than a dog’s. If you give food to a stray dog that you’ve picked up from the road and treat it well, when a thief breaks in, it’ll dare to bark and even guard the house for you. Protectorate General and Lord Qian treated us so well. At a time like this, are we not worse than a dog if we flee when a thief is breaking in? Turning our backs against our lord to live like dogs means we are destined to a lifetime as lowlives, living in poverty and hardship, never to stick out for one’s posterity.”
After hearing Supervisor Zhu’s words, a few people in the manufacturing bureau lowered their heads with shameful expressions. Those people had thought about leaving the manufacturing bureau just now as they were afraid that the Transportation Office might seek revenge. However, Supervisor Zhu’s words had enlightened them with wisdom, making them feel ashamed.
Yan Liqiang was slightly taken aback as Supervisor Zhu had done a good job in delivering the message truthfully. He had not made any arrangements with Supervisor Zhu — he looked at Qian Su and Qian Su gently shook his head, indicating that it wasn’t him who arranged for Supervisor Zhu to say such a thing.
Supervisor Zhu’s eyes reddened as he spoke and wiped his tears, “The reason why I stood out at a time like this to say what’s on my mind is because when those bastards from the Transportation Office slapped me yesterday, Protectorate General happened to witness it. He walked forward and immediately killed that son of a b*tch without saying a single word. I believe that even if it was not me who was there yesterday and it was any one of you who had been bullied and slapped in the manufacturing bureau, as long as Protectorate General sees it, he will still step up to protect everyone from being bullied. I, Zhu Zhicheng, would like to declare in front of everyone that I live as a member of the manufacturing bureau and will die as a ghost of the manufacturing bureau. As long as the manufacturing bureau is still around, I vow to live or die with the manufacturing bureau! If those people from the Transportation Office ever come again, there will be no need for the Protectorate General to take any action as I will take my crossbow to shoot down those sons of b*tches myself!”
“Anyone who leaves now is lower than an animal!”
“Supervisor Zhu is right! We vow to live or die with the manufacturing bureau!”
“As long as we unite as one, we can surely fend off those sons of b*tches from the Transportation Office. There’s no need to be afraid of them!”
“Yes, we will unite as one to defend against the insults from others together!”
At this moment, everyone was like a pile of flammable material that had been set on fire. In such an impassioned atmosphere, everyone in the dining hall had sparked off, nobody said anything about leaving the manufacturing bureau anymore. Even those who initially had such an idea were influenced by the atmosphere and bellowed even harder.
In this atmosphere, Zhou Yong and the two soldiers dragged the Vice Transport Commissioner Zhong Xiankui in from the side door.
Everyone in the dining hall bellowed in rage when they saw Zhong Xiankui, “Beat him to death! Beat him to death!”
Zhong Xiankui was instantly terrified as he shook like a leaf. He fearfully looked at the eyes that were burning in anger, “What do you…you want to do? I…I’m an official of the imperial court, Vice Transport Commissioner Zhong Xiankui!”
Zhong Xiankui shouted, but not many people could hear his hoarse voice for it was drowned by the bellow of a few hundred people. Just as he was shouting, Zhou Yong and the two soldiers who dragged him in earlier tied him on a metal pole in the dining hall like a slaughtered pig who was unable to move. They then placed a few gleaming knives and daggers that were as sharp as cow horns on the table in front of him.
When Zhong Xiankui saw those knives and daggers, the crotch of his trousers instantly became soaking wet. He wanted to shout, but a lump of sackcloth was stuffed into his mouth before he could. He could only struggle and whimper.
Qian Su walked forward and looked at everyone inside the dining hall. He spoke in a loud voice, “Since everybody wants to stay, then we shall unite as one, live or die with the manufacturing bureau and fight until the very end with those sons of a b*tches from the Transportation Office. Ever since the establishment of the manufacturing bureau, we never conducted any sacrifice rituals. Today, we will use the life of this corrupt official as a sacrificial offering. We’ll see if anyone dares to find trouble with the manufacturing bureau again in the future. Those who want to stay can come over to slash this corrupt official. We shall dice him up today!”
After Qian Su finished speaking, he was the first one to walk in front of Zhong Xiankui. He picked up a knife and cut off Zhong Xiankui’s ear.
Blood was all over Zhong Xiankui’s face — he couldn’t even scream even if he wanted. The intense pain made him tremble as he struggled.
Zhou Yong was the second to go up. He took a knife and cut off Zhong Xiankui’s other ear. Supervisor Zhu was next.
A few hundred people from the manufacturing bureau were waiting in line. They went up one by one with a knife and they all gave Zhong Xiankui a cut.
This was a private punishment — the death of a thousand cuts which was the most violent and uncivilized strategy practiced by the pugilistic world. It was like the proof of an allegiance. If Yan Liqiang wanted to kill someone, he would have just done so without so many strategies. The one who came up with this idea was Qian Su. In order to let everyone in the manufacturing bureau unite as one and to fight until the end with the Transportation Office, Qian Su believed that such a ceremony was necessary. Only after taking Zhong Xiankui’s life to boost morale could they be certain that there were no traitors among those who stayed back in the manufacturing bureau. It would dispel all apprehensions, cutting off the road to retreat and thus fighting until the very end with the Transportation Office.
Such a strategy had gone on for many thousands of years. The reason why it had continued on was because it was effective, and it was widely adopted by the White Lotus Society.
Zhong Xiankui had never even dreamt that his trip to Pingxi Prefecture would result in him dying from a thousand cuts.
Zhong Xiankui initially struggled with each of those cuts, but toward the end, there were gradually no signs of life.
Yan Liqiang watched from the side. At this moment, he couldn’t help but sigh. In that crazy atmosphere, the timidness and uncertainty in those people’s hearts vanished as Zhong Xiankui endured cut after cut. The influence transformed them into ruthless characters with their hands smeared with the Vice Transport Commissioner’s blood. None of them had a way out and could no longer leave the manufacturing bureau. They could either unite as one or be smashed like a broken jug, fighting until the last breath with the Transportation Office.
Yan Liqiang had already predicted that the meeting would eventually lead to this. Since the very beginning, he had already told Shi Dafeng and Shen Teng not to come because if they came at this moment, they would be completely stuck with him forever. However, the two of them still insisted on coming.
Shi Dafeng and Shen Teng were the last to act.
Looking at Zhong Xiankui who had already turned into a bloody man, Shi Dafeng gritted his teeth and walked forward. He took a dagger and stabbed it into Zhang Xiankui’s heart without hesitation. Shen Teng eventually went up with his slightly pale face. He took a knife and let out a shout as he thrust it into Zhang Xiankui’s lower abdomen.
By the time Shen Teng returned to Yan Liqiang’s side once again, he was already soaking in sweat and looked as if he was about to collapse. Yan Liqiang gave a pat on his shoulder. Yan Liqiang was the last to walk up as he took a knife and cleanly cut off Zhang Xiankui’s head, putting an end to this violence and uncivilized ceremony.
Qian Su was right. This violent punishment ceremony worked like magic. Everyone in the dining hall, regardless of whether they were soldiers, artisans, or general laborers, their auras had changed. They were all panting heavily as they clenched their fists tightly. Their eyes were burning with fury and determination. Some of them instantly looked relieved, as if a great burden had been lifted and they were no longer timid or hesitant. At this moment, even if they were to attack the Pingxi Prefectural City instead of the Transportation Office, as long as Yan Liqiang was leading, these people would follow him.
“Victory is ours!” Yan Liqiang raised the knife in his hand that was stained with blood.
“Victory, victory…” Everyone inside the dining hall raised their fists and chanted.
