The seventh day of May in the eleventh year of Qingyuan
The peach tree in the courtyard died.
I decided to write this Lonely City Notes.
Mr. Luo from the academy once said that books are mirrors that can serve as a mirror for future generations.
I don't have that much thought, I just want to record something, or in other words, leave some evidence of my past life, for myself and for the current Wuling City.
Candlelight.
The aliens who live in the black abyss and believe in evil gods have been besieging Wuling City for three months and seven days.
The imperial reinforcements were nowhere to be seen.
The huge Wuling City relied on Xizhou Jianjia who came from Jianyue City and the people in the city to support it.
I don't want to spend too much time complaining, but I don't understand why the court leaves us alone.
The Master said that in the affairs of the world, the people come first, followed by the country. Should the ruler take it lightly?
Mr. Luo will not lie to me.
That may be because, in the eyes of the imperial court, the people of Wuling City were not considered common people.
…
May 12th, the 11th year of Qingyuan
Zhao Nianshuang went to Tianxuan Mountain.
This is a good thing.
This is true for her, for me, and for the entire Wuling City.
She was valued by the headmaster of Tianxuan Mountain and was recruited as a disciple.
And that headmaster is one of the few great masters in the Divine Realm in the world, and he has a transcendent status in the world of Dayu.
By going here, she has an unlimited future and can escape from the quagmire of Wuling City.
the most important is.
Through this relationship, she may be able to ask for reinforcements from the court to relieve Wuling City's difficulties.
This is the last life-saving straw for Wuling City.
To this end, Xizhou Jianjia sent 300 elite troops to help her break out of the city, but lost more than half of them.
Before leaving, she cried very much.
Ever since I was little, I have always obeyed her.
But this time, I couldn't agree to her request to leave with her.
I know this is a stupid decision.
But I can't leave.
Because of some reasons that I can't name, but I think they must exist.
…
May 17, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
My dad decided to join Xizhou Jianjia.
This was a decision that was beyond my expectations.
He is just a government servant who likes to brag and drink.
I like to call my mother’s name when I’m half asleep and half awake.
Even though my mother has been gone for many years.
He is very slovenly, and the stubble on his chin is never clean.
He is best at following people's influence, obeying the advice of the officials and flattering them.
He is timid and afraid of getting into trouble. Usually if there is any major case in the city, he will be the first to back off.
He said that life is the most important thing when a person lives.
He has to live to be eighty years old and watch me marry an eighth wife and have twenty grandchildren.
He is such a person, he can easily pick up anyone in the market.
The only thing I'm not good at is being a hero.
I always wanted my dad to be a hero, but when he really chose to be one.
I suddenly felt that he, who was timid and afraid of getting into trouble, was actually better.
…
May 21, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
Zhuyin began to attack the city again, and the shouts of killing from the direction of the city gate were noisy all night.
I'm very worried about my dad.
He doesn't have much ability. Can he handle something like Zhuyin?
Sun Kuan came to my house in the middle of the night. He is my uncle.
But my father doesn't like him because he is a gambler.
Since my mother's death, he and I have rarely seen each other, and the few times we did, we mostly borrowed money or asked my father for help when we got into trouble.
I can't say I hate him, I'm just a little unfamiliar with him.
But that night, he didn't mention money and just sat quietly in the side room where my mother's memorial tablet was.
He sat there all night and then made me a breakfast.
At the dinner table, he kept talking to me, and it was obvious that he seemed to want to talk to me about something.
So that we can be close enough, like an uncle and nephew.
But he's obviously not very good at it, and unfortunately, neither am I.
After a hasty meal, he left in a hurry.
…
May 22, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
I always feel uneasy.
Sun Kuan's behavior yesterday was very strange.
I lay in bed, thinking about it for a whole night, and couldn't sleep well.
Early in the morning, I packed up and wanted to go to the military camp.
On the way, I heard passers-by talking about it, saying that it was an attack at night the day before yesterday, and the guard was a new camp organized by the former city government officials and some apprentices from the martial arts school.
Although Xizhou Jianjia provided timely support, many people still died.
I was confused and rushed towards the military camp.
Zhu Yin's offensive continues, and people are dying every day.
Xizhou Jianjia will bury the people they brought, while the bodies of the victims of the rebels organized by Wuling City will be placed in a large tent next to the military camp, waiting for their families to come and claim them.
As soon as I got there, I bumped into a woman with a seven-year-old child.
The woman's eyes were red. She looked strange to me, but I recognized the child.
He is Cao Tong, the son of head catcher Cao Shugong.
Cao Shugong died.
He died the night before yesterday. It is said that half of his face was bitten by a sinister beast. It was almost impossible to see his true face. The woman relied on the purse he carried to confirm his identity.
She sewed it for him with her own hands.
I rushed into the big tent like crazy and carefully checked every corpse that was beyond recognition.
fortunately……
I didn't find my dad there.
But I still felt uneasy and wanted to visit the military camp.
However, the military camp in Xizhou Jianjia has strict discipline, and the guard at the door refused to let me in. But fortunately, he heard about my story and expressed his willingness to help me go to the camp to ask questions.
I could only stand at the gate of the military camp and wait anxiously.
But before I could wait for the sword armor's reply, I saw Sun Kuan's figure in the distance among a group of soldiers practicing at the gate of the military camp.
He was wearing a military uniform that didn't fit well, and the helmet on his head was probably too big. It was always crooked, and he looked a bit funny.
I said hello to him, and he seemed surprised by my arrival, or...
Somewhat panicked.
But he still came over.
He told me that my father drank wine last night and missed his duties on duty. He escaped and was now being punished in the camp.
He also said that he would train hard in the military camp and make achievements.
He asked me to go back quickly and not hang around outside, so as not to worry my father.
When he said these words, he smiled brightly, as if he was really determined to change his past mistakes.
…
Night of May 22, the eleventh year of Qingyuan.
I... am so stupid.
Sun Kuan's words are full of loopholes.
But I believed it.
Although my father is a fool and has always been sloppy in his work, how could he do such a stupid thing as drinking before the war?
he died.
It is said that when he heard the news, Sun Kuan was in the middle of a fierce battle with others in the gambling house.
Suddenly someone nearby started talking about the Zhuyin attack, and the drunken drinker even said some nasty things about the government officials who were usually so arrogant and deserved what happened today.
My uncle got anxious at that time and had a fight with the man.
It is said that he lost the fight.
Then he went to the military camp without stopping and collected the body for my father.
He also ordered the Xizhou swordsmen to hide the news, but he entered the military camp.
My uncle...
After half a lifetime of eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling, my body has long been drained. How can I go on the battlefield and defeat a monster like Zhu Yin?
But he still chose to go.
When my father was alive, you couldn't stand me and I couldn't stand you.
But when my father died, he was the one who wanted to avenge him the most.
He collected my father's body, but no one collected it for him.
In desperation, Xizhou Jianjia still told me the news.
It's quite ridiculous. He just joined the military camp yesterday and died in battle tonight.
Thinking of him panting, wearing unsuitable armor, and wearing a helmet that was half crooked, and fell on the battlefield...
so I……
…
I have to avenge them.
No matter what, I have to take revenge!!!
…
May 23, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
I decided to join Xizhou Jianjia. Song Guicheng, the commander-in-chief of Baixu Camp, was silent for a long time before agreeing to my request.
Before going to the military camp, I went to Xuandu Temple.
The old Taoist priest is still the same, guarding his Taoist temple and the peach tree in the temple alone.
He didn't seem afraid, just as silent as ever.
Before leaving, he gave me a peach blossom.
Quite a strange gift.
I don’t know where the peach blossoms come from in Wuling City in May.
…
May 24, the eleventh year of Qingyuan.
Mr. Luo and his disciples also joined Xizhou Jianjia.
A group of scholars holding swords is actually a bit funny.
The Fairy Girl of Hongyufang sold the belongings she had saved over the years to raise military supplies for Xizhou Jianjia.
There have long been rumors that the courtesan from Hongyu Square has a crush on Mr. Luo from the academy.
Although my father used to sneer at this, Mr. Luo gave up his writing and joined the army, and Miss Xianling dispersed all her family wealth. No matter how you look at it, it feels a bit like a husband and a wife.
It's just that some people are doing their best to fight against foreign enemies, but there are also people who are hindering it for their own selfish interests.
Butcher Liu next door was caught stealing rice from the military camp today.
This was his third crime, and logically he should be severely punished. However, Song Guichengnian had a seven-year-old child in his home. After scolding him a few times, he let him go.
But how could someone like Butcher Liu be restrained?
When he was arrested, he cried bitterly, but when he returned home, he began to brag to others about how easy it was to deceive the people of Xizhou Jianjia.
…
May 28, the eleventh year of Qingyuan.
There is still no news of reinforcements from the imperial court.
I'm a little worried that Nian Shuang might have encountered something unexpected.
But there is nothing I can do except worry.
Life in the military camp was very boring, so Wang Che and I were arranged to live together.
This is not a very good arrangement.
Wang Che is the son of Wang Dagui, a wealthy family in the city.
He is very rich, flamboyant, and very happy with his achievements.
But these are not big problems.
The biggest problem is that he likes Nian Shuang.
And I like it too.
So, our relationship is not that good.
It was a bit awkward to stay together. We didn't say a word for several days.
However, I am surprised that a young man like him can take the initiative to join the Xizhou Sword Armor.
Deep down in my heart, I actually somewhat admire him.
I don't seem to hate him that much anymore.
…
June 12, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
There have been too many incidents in the past where people joined the Xizhou Sword Armor and went to the battlefield and died in vain due to lack of training.
Song Guicheng was very cautious about this.
Wang Che and others have joined Xizhou Jianjia for more than half a month. We train very hard every day, but we never have the opportunity to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy.
until today.
The West City garrison suffered heavy losses in Zhu Yin's raid the day before yesterday, and we were transferred into it as a reserve force.
The first time I stepped onto the battlefield, to be honest, I was a little nervous, but more importantly, I was excited. I wanted revenge. This thought was engraved in my bones, and they reminded me all the time.
But when I really faced Zhu Yin, I understood why those swordsmen who were already peerless masters in my opinion were still unable to defeat Zhu Yin.
The Yin beasts raised by Zhu Yin cannot be counted as living creatures at all.
It was a species with pale skin and no hair. It looked similar to a tiger or leopard, but it was extremely large. The smallest one was as tall as a person, and the largest one I had ever seen was over a foot long.
The skin on their bodies is so hard that if a sword cuts on it, it will have little effect.
Wang Che and I, along with many reserve troops of similar age, were placed on the city tower and were responsible for using special red swords to protect the sword armors fighting under the city.
But even across the high city wall, watching the scene of those Yin beasts fighting like evil ghosts still makes me a little scared.
…
June 13, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
The fall of the West City Gate came unexpectedly.
We were woken up from our sleep. Zhuyin suddenly deployed a large army to attack from the west city gate. Half of the city wall collapsed, and the scene was very chaotic.
Brother Qian An told us that they were going to take a detour to the rear to deal with the Zhuyin Wuxian who controlled the Yin Beast.
We tried our best to use arrow rain on the city wall to contain the defenders of Zhu Yin's large army.
Half of the city gate collapsed, giving Zhuyin's Yin beasts an opportunity to step on the ruins and charge upwards.
The defenders defended the pass and fought hand to hand with the Yin Beast.
Most of us are just ordinary people, and have almost never come into contact with bows and arrows before.
Although we have trained hard for more than half a month, this time is obviously only enough for us to get started.
The extremely low hit rate of arrows makes it difficult to effectively help the defenders fighting against Zhu Yin.
The defenders suffered heavy casualties, and the city gate was about to be lost. But for some reason, the beast tide suddenly turned around and ran towards the outside of the city.
Wang Che reacted in time and realized that the news that it might be Brother Qian An and his friends who had made a surprise attack on the rear had spread.
Once such a huge beast tide returns to defense, Brother Qian An and his party will most likely never return.
Most of the defenders in the city were killed or wounded, and they lost their fighting power.
We decided to take a desperate risk and try to hold off the beast tide as much as possible.
Yin beasts are bloodthirsty creatures. We cut our wrists and jumped off the city gate with blood flowing everywhere.
Probably because Wu Xian was being besieged by Qian An's troops, their control over the Yin Beast was obviously much weaker.
The smell of blood spilled from nearly a hundred people, causing many Yin beasts to break away from the large army and turn around to kill.
We are no match for the Yin Beast, so we can only fight and retreat with the cooperation of swords and armor.
Liu Yu's neck was bitten off by a Yin beast, right in front of me, blood splashed all over my face, and in just a moment, he was torn into pieces.
I didn't even have time to feel any sadness or anger before I turned around and ran for my life.
Cui Quan was probably too panicked and tripped over the corpses on the ground. Before he could get up, two Yin beasts pounced on him.
Long Baiqu is the most skilled among us. His father is the owner of the Hongwu Academy in the city. He and my father died in Zhuyin's night attack half a month ago.
He has been practicing martial arts since he was a child. It is said that he has a second level of cultivation and his archery skills are also considered accurate.
He followed behind the sword armor, constantly using arrow feathers to coordinate with the sword armor, harvesting the Yin beasts.
However, the sword armor in front of him was unnoticed and was jumped by three Yin beasts. Long Baiqu, who lost his protection, wanted to escape, but it was too late and his feet were bitten by the Yin beasts that came over.
Wang Che wanted to save him, but when he was halfway there, the tide of beasts swamped him.
My eyes were also red, and I wanted to fight the monster in front of me, but the herd suddenly became chaotic and started fighting each other.
It was brother Qian An who finally killed Wu Xian who controlled these evil beasts...
but……
It's a little late after all...
June 14, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
Wang Dahu was cursing loudly while helping Wang Che restrain his body.
He said he was ignorant, but he just knew how to show off.
To say that he is like this is all his fault.
As he cursed like this, the fat on his face kept shaking, but as he cursed, his eyes became red and he burst into tears.
After cooking, I heard someone say.
The stingy Wang Dahu posted a notice on his doorstep.
It says so above.
Starting today, anyone who beheads Zhu Yin will be given a hundred taels of gold as a gift.
This indication lasts indefinitely, until the wealth of my Wang family is gone, and until the city of Wuling is destroyed and everyone is destroyed.
…
June 17, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
The story about the courtesan and the poor gentleman that has been circulating in Wuling City for several years has finally come to an end.
When the oiran threw herself on Mr. Luo's cold body and cried loudly, everyone understood the oiran's affection for the scholar.
But the story of Wuling City is not over yet.
The death continues.
…
June 20, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
Big defeat.
Zhuyin's Wu Zhu took action.
Nearly a hundred moon-level Yin beasts were wreaking havoc, and we were beaten so hard that we were unable to fight back.
We lost a lot of people.
There are more and more swords on Song Guicheng's back.
Those are the swords of the dead Xizhou Jianjia.
He said that he brought their people here, and he might not be able to bring everyone back, but at least, he wanted to send their swords back to the Sword Tomb in Xizhou.
He became silent, became angry, became hysterical.
It's not just him.
The entire Xizhou sword armor is like this.
…
June 22, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
The candle's shadow began to pollute the earth, and the black blood caused by the spread of the dark realm began to spread in the city.
That's a terrible disease.
It usually only takes three or four days from infection to death.
At first, your skin will swell and then fall off in patches.
You will continue to vomit, vomiting out blood, flesh, and even your heart and lungs.
The seven-year-old son of Butcher Liu next door was also infected.
He begged me to go to his house. He wanted me to take Liu Pei to Song Guicheng to treat him.
But in fact, leukemia cannot be cured.
The fact that Xizhou Jianjia has never contracted the disease is not because they have any panacea, but because they have spiritual protection and can withstand the erosion of evil spirits better than ordinary people.
But looking at Butcher Liu bursting into tears, I couldn't bear to tell the truth.
Of course I know that this false hope will eventually be dashed one day.
But for the people of Wuling City, just one more day of such hope is just one day.
I picked up Liu Pei and walked quickly to the military camp.
It was raining heavily, and Butcher Liu followed behind with a broken umbrella.
He was soaked all over, but he kept saying softly to Liu Pei: "Don't be afraid, Pei'er, dad will find a way to save you right away, and you will get better soon."
But unfortunately, halfway through, Liu Pei couldn't hold on anymore.
In the end, he just looked at his father and said: "Dad... I want to eat shortbread..."
Then he lost his breath.
Butcher Liu held his son and sat paralyzed in the heavy rain for a long time. Then he got up and said thank you to me.
He hugged his child and staggered back. I vaguely heard him murmuring outside the rain curtain.
"Hey, Pei'er, daddy is going to buy you shortbread."
"Buy...a lot...a lot of shortbread."
…
Night of June 22, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
Today I am resting in the camp and do not need to go to the city gate to garrison.
At night I heard a lot of noise outside the camp, so I went out to take a look.
It was Butcher Liu kneeling there.
He kowtowed to everyone he met, knocking it hard on the stone slab every time.
There was only that one sentence that kept turning over and over in his mouth.
He said.
He wants to join Xizhou Sword Armor, and he can do anything. All he wants is to give him a sword so that he can go into battle and kill Zhu Yin.
At that moment, this always mean and selfish butcher was no longer the neighbor I hated before.
He is just a father.
A father who lost his child.
June 23, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
Today I took people to Wang Dahu's house to pick up the supplies he prepared for the sword armors. When I came back, I passed by the Red Fish Fang.
I saw the fairy girl again.
Her face, which used to be so bright and beautiful that it fascinated so many men in Wuling City, is now swollen like an air bag.
I know that she also has black blood.
I didn't take another look at her because I thought she was so ugly and unsightly.
I just think that a girl like her should always look beautiful.
The best respect for her is not to touch her current embarrassment.
…
June 27, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
Butcher Liu is dead.
He died outside the east gate of the city.
It is said that he was very brave because he was trying to save an eighteen-year-old boy whose neck was bitten off by a sinister beast.
I am not surprised at all by his death.
After seeing the look in his eyes as he knelt outside the military camp that day, I understood.
He has lost the will to live.
He just wanted to do something more for Liu Pei.
Even if he can't actually do anything.
But always try to do it.
He doesn't have many friends in Wuling City, so he's the corpse I went to collect.
I picked up a doll from the pile of rotten meat.
He is a general with a sword in his hand.
That is Liu Pei's favorite doll to hold in his hand.
He often heard him say in a coquettish voice that his father looked exactly like the general when he held a sword.
I often laugh at him.
"Your father is a butcher. He can only kill pigs with a knife, but a general goes into battle to kill the enemy."
Liu Pei and I were sulking a lot over this.
Now think about it.
He's right.
For children.
Every father is a general who can carry his sword, put on his armor, and go into battle to kill the enemy.
…
The first day of July in the eleventh year of Qingyuan
Song Guicheng seemed to be in a good mood today.
This is rare.
The war situation in Wuling City was dangerous and everyone was walking on thin ice. He was worried and had been silent since the day I entered the military camp.
But today, I don’t know if it’s because I drank some wine.
He talked a lot more.
He told me many things, about the world outside Wuling City, about Xizhou Jianjia, and about him.
He said.
They came from Jianyue City in the west, which is located in the extreme west of Dayu.
Just like outside Wuling City, there is Zhu Yin entrenched in the black abyss, and outside Jian Yue City, there is Yin Si dormant in the hell.
This terrifying ancient remnant has always been eyeing the fertile land of the Central Plains.
The sword armors in Jianyue City were ordered to guard the Western Territory and fight against the existence of these monsters according to ancient teachings.
Such organizations, initially numbering in the dozens, were called Xiangxingwei.
And they were all deployed by a division called the Tianxuan Division.
But a hundred years ago, the Great Zhou Dynasty split into the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
The Tianxian Division fell apart, and the connections between the Xiangxing Guards in various places were cut off. Some were annexed, some were cannibalized, and some dispersed on the spot. There were very few that still abided by the ancient precepts, such as Jianyue City.
The life of Jianyue City is not easy now, and it is all supported by the city lord Xu Zhiru alone.
But despite this, after hearing about the Zhuyin invasion in southern Xinjiang, they still sent their elite team to support them.
He also said.
He has a daughter named Song Qingqing. She has a tiger head and a tiger head. She is already six years old. Three plus three still doesn't make sense.
I haven’t seen him for almost a year, and I guess he’s almost as tall as my waist...
As he spoke, his eyes turned red...
The second day of July in the eleventh year of Qingyuan
The battle situation in Wuling City suddenly took a turn for the better.
I don’t know if it is because of experiencing many battles that the Xizhou sword armors have made great breakthroughs in their cultivation.
Brother Zhou Heng crossed two borders from the four realms into the six realms.
Brother Qian An went from the Three Realms to the Five Realms.
And Song Guicheng has stepped into the threshold of the Seven Realms with one foot.
The astonishing combat power unleashed by the Xizhou Sword Armors caused Zhu Yin to repulse several of his attacks...
It seems that we can sustain it for a longer time, and maybe one day, the court will think of us.
I remembered that there is a Wuling City at the end of southern Xinjiang. There are peach blossoms all over the city. When spring comes, the flowers bloom like fire.
…
July 22, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
I finally understand how the Xizhou swordsmen did it.
They had magic patterns engraved on their bodies.
That's a taboo.
Overdraw one's life in exchange for short-term strength.
When life is exhausted, death will come in an extremely terrifying way.
The flesh and blood in his body seemed to have been drained, and he died of exhaustion.
Outside Jianyue City in Xizhou, there is a group of aliens similar to Zhuyin. They are called Yin Si.
This forbidden method was obtained from Yin Si.
Song Guicheng said that there must be people who are still running for the entire Wuling City in places we don't know about, and reinforcements will definitely arrive.
The longer they resist, the closer the people of Wuling City will be to the day when reinforcements arrive.
He couldn't let those who had died die in vain.
I generally understand his logic.
But I also know that Zhuyin has been besieging the city for half a year and no one will come.
But after all, I don’t want to expose it.
After all, people always have to think a little to have hope of living.
Even if those thoughts are just fantasy.
I just told Song Guicheng that I also wanted to be engraved with magic patterns, and I wanted to fight side by side with them.
But Song Guicheng shook his head.
He said, I am still young and I have to live.
He asked me to wait until the day when reinforcements arrive. If I survive, I might be able to help him take care of his tough-headed daughter...
I don’t know why, but when I heard this, my tears just kept flowing...
…
August 13, the eleventh year of Qingyuan
An old Taoist priest once said.
The flowers that bloom in the spring before the peach tree dies are the most beautiful.
The battle fought before Wuling City was broken was also very beautiful.
We killed Zhu Yin's witch Zhu.
I will never forget the scene of Song Guicheng, who was covered in blood on the scorched earth, holding Wu Zhu's head and roaring in the sky.
At that moment, he looked like the god in the story.
But the next second, the tide of Yin beasts drowned him.
Wuling City was destroyed.
I escaped under the cover of Brother Qian An.
I went to Xuandu Temple.
There I met the old Taoist priest. He was no longer taciturn and gave me a pot of tea.
He said that Zhu Yin wanted to turn Wuling City into a dark realm.
This is his first step to regain the throne.
To achieve this goal, the most important thing is to plant a piece of Zhuyin's divine blood into the center of Wuling City.
Destroying that seed can stop Zhu Yin's conspiracy.
He can help me if I want.
I don't quite understand.
He is just a Taoist priest who is too old to stand upright. How does he know this? How can he help me?
But the old man just uttered a few words tremblingly: "Actually, I am a god. At least I used to be."
It felt ridiculous, but I chose to believe this absurdity.
Just like Song Guicheng believed that someone would come to rescue Wuling City.
People always have thoughts.
In order to do this well, I engraved magic patterns on my body.
Gather all the swords I can find.
It’s time to break up, a thousand years old, the swallows in front of the door, the begonias have not yet rained, the pear blossoms have snowed first, it is the second watch, spring is not late...
They come from different people.
But I think if what the old Taoist said is true, I want to take them to see Zhuyin's defeat...
This is probably the last Gucheng Notebook.
I don't know if I can succeed.
If anyone can pick up this manuscript, please give it to a girl named Zhao Nianshuang in Tianxuan Mountain.