Chapter 227: Terror

The fire blazed fiercely in the room, the walls storing the heat inside, and the floor was warm too. In his stupor, Tan Laizi felt as if he were already in some wealthy household in Anqing, with a maid constantly adding charcoal to the brazier.

Outside, all kinds of shouts rang out, as if drifting from a distant horizon. Normally he might have taken a look, but right now they weren't enough to rouse Old Master Tan from his slumber.

"The Roving Bandits have entered the city!" someone yelled, no one knew who.

"Roving Bandits!" Tan Laizi's eyes snapped open. The fire in the fire beacon had died low, and the air around him was filled with piercing, agonized screams. Panic seized Tan Laizi's heart. He tried to push himself up, but his body was somewhat stiff.

Before he could rise, a furious shout in a northern accent burst out nearby. "Where are the horses and mules?"

A Hezhou accent replied in terror, "Thousand Years, spare my life, this lowly one knows nothing... ah!"

A figure collapsed with a thud right before his eyes, staring wide-eyed at Tan Laizi, blood gushing unceasingly from its mouth. A numbness spread through Tan Laizi's entire body. Footsteps sounded behind him, and he hurriedly shut his eyes. Voices with out-of-town accents barked orders, chaotic footsteps coming and going around Tan Laizi, the sound of blades cutting into flesh again and again, screams everywhere. Occasionally, a warm liquid splashed onto his face.

A foot stepped onto his back and kept pressing down harder. Tan Laizi instantly couldn't breathe, but he dared not move a muscle, much less cry out. A woman's voice shrieked inches away, the dull thud of a blade hacking into bone right beside his ear.

Tan Laizi couldn't breathe. His chest felt like it was about to explode, yet he dared not struggle, desperately holding that breath in. After another dull thud, the woman's voice vanished. The foot pressing on Tan Laizi's back paused for a moment, then finally left his spine.

People were still pacing around nearby. Tan Laizi could only draw the faintest of breaths.

A voice outside the house bellowed, "Follow Tang Gaozhao's lantern! Seize the horses and mules first! Do not enter the monasteries or temples! Draw a circle in blood on any house you've claimed!"

After a chorus of responses, the footsteps left the fire-warmed room. Tan Laizi lay there a moment longer, then opened his eyes a sliver. The fire beacon was nearly extinguished, leaving only a dim glow on the walls. Before him were still those wide, staring eyes; someone's hand rested on that person's head.

His heart hammering wildly, Tan Laizi quickly shut his eyes again. He didn't know how the Roving Bandits had entered the city, but those people were undoubtedly Roving Bandits. Hezhou had been breached.

The street was a chaos of shouts and footsteps. This place was near the Small West Gate, on the western side's City Wall Street. Although not a necessary route into the city, once the Roving Bandits had penetrated deep inside, his escape routes would be gone. And given the bandits' numbers, after they finished their killing and looting, they would surely occupy all the houses in the city. Just lying here was no method either; come daylight, there would be no hiding.

When he opened his eyes again, the fire in the fire beacon had basically died out. The sounds of weeping and shouting on the street outside had lessened somewhat.

Tan Laizi got to his feet. The room was filled with corpses. He edged along the wall to the doorway. Outside on the street, firelight flickered. From time to time, people ran past, shouting. In the darkness, he couldn't tell Roving Bandits from city residents.

His heart pounded fiercely, waves of chill still washing over him. Tan Laizi crouched down and felt a corpse in front of him. It wore a thick padded cotton coat. He immediately went to undo its waist sash, but the sash was tied extremely tight. Tan Laizi's hands trembled; he couldn't get it undone no matter what.

Just then, a clamor arose outside. The sound of horse hooves came from the direction of the Small West Gate. Tan Laizi hurriedly collapsed back to the ground and shut his eyes.

The horse hooves didn't pause, followed by the chaotic sound of footsteps and intermittent flashes of light. Tan Laizi opened his eyes slightly and saw countless figures carrying torches, running toward the south of the city. Many of those following behind stopped, breaking down those house doors all along the way.

The street was filled with figures. They carried clubs and blades, shouting in accents from various regions, flipping over and looting the corpses in the street. A single fine padded cotton coat could spark a fight. Two people playing dead were discovered; the dark figures in the street yelled and surrounded them, beating those two to death on the ground.

Those dark figures gradually drew closer to the fire-warmed room. Tan Laizi lay on the ground, his heart burning with anxiety. Unlike the earlier slashers who had rushed through hastily, these people were checking one by one. No one could escape detection.

The dark figures came closer and closer. Tan Laizi's whole body trembled uncontrollably. Suddenly, he stopped, flipped over and stood up in one motion. He wiped his sleeve across the ground a few times, then strode out the door.

Outside, the street was full of torch-bearing Roving Bandits. Their clothes were tattered, their hair disheveled and faces grimy—men and women, young and old. They looked no different from ordinary commoners. Upon seeing Tan Laizi, several men moved to surround him.

Tan Laizi held his head high and puffed out his chest. He turned around and drew a blood circle on the wall, then turned back to face those Roving Bandits with an air of authority.

"This is a dwelling claimed by Tang Gaozhao! All of you, get the hell away from here! Do you know who I am? Can you afford to offend me!"

The people in the street were all Servants. Their Long Family and Team leaders were mostly among the first wave that had breached the city. The Servants had followed in afterward to plunder. Servants were normally the lowest class; how could they recognize the men around Tang Gaozhao? Hearing Tang Gaozhao's name now, they looked at each other in dismay. The accent of the man before them didn't sound quite right, but his tone was so overbearing—he was probably one of Tang Gaozhao's trusted men. Otherwise, how could he have such an imposing manner? One by one, they halted, treating Tan Laizi as a Long Family master, their faces showing meek expressions as they backed several steps away from the doorway.

Tan Laizi secretly swallowed a mouthful of saliva. These people were meek now, but once those Team leaders returned, they would mostly likely know that Tan Laizi was not one of Tang Gaozhao's men. Then these people would eat him alive. He stole a glance to the north. There, fires blazed and voices roared; who knew how many Roving Bandits were entering through the Small West Gate. Trying to blend out was hopeless. Fortunately, the south side seemed somewhat emptier.

With a snort, Tan Laizi turned and swaggered back into the room. Finding that corpse, he immediately went to turn it over again. He took a breath to steady his hands, and after a great deal of effort, finally undid the waist sash.

The man was lying on his back. Tan Laizi had to flip him over. He was scrawny to begin with, and having gone hungry for two days, he simply couldn't budge the man. Anxiety gnawed at Tan Laizi's heart. He lay down on the ground, braced his legs against one side of the corpse, and let out a low growl, but the man didn't move an inch.

"Brother, you're dead, you've got no use for it left or right. Just lend it to Old Tan here, alright? I'll burn some for you on the Ghost Festival next year. Tell me, why won't you move? Damn you, I said move..."

Tan Laizi roared under his breath, pushed hard with both feet, and the corpse finally flipped over. Tan Laizi was already drenched in sweat. He stripped off the padded coat in a few moves. Over a dozen copper coins fell out from inside, clinking in the darkness. Tan Laizi paid them no mind. He got up, ready to leave, then stopped.

"Still money, after all. Don't let it go to waste." Tan Laizi crouched down, groped for the copper coins, picked them up, and placed them in his bosom. He put the padded coat on, and his body finally felt some warmth.

"Where do I run? Out of the city... outside the city is full of Roving Thieves, can't go there. Then where do I run? A monastery or temple! They don't enter monasteries or temples, so I'll go to one. There's a temple next to the Wang Family Food Stalls. From the West Gate to the South Gate... Heavens, Bodhisattva, how am I supposed to get there..."

Tan Laizi went out the door. Those people outside were still rummaging through things. Tan Laizi's eyes darted, and he bellowed, "You lot! You were clearly told to follow Tang Gaozhao's lantern, and you're hiding here stealing clothes! There are still so many good things in the city, all being snatched up by others! No stopping here! All of you, head to the south side!"

With that, he went up and began punching and kicking at a few nearby Roving Bandits. Those people fled in a chaotic mob toward the south side. Tan Laizi followed at the very rear, herding them along the whole way, not letting them stop. Seeing this group, other Roving Bandits suspected nothing. Just like that, Tan Laizi smoothly made his way south.

Along the way, weeping and wailing shook the heavens. Some thatched huts were set alight, firelight flickering through the dim streets and alleys of Hezhou. Many people who had been startled awake and fled their homes were running wildly through the streets. Roving Bandits chased them in all directions. Corpses lay scattered all over the road.

The Roving Bandits ahead of him scattered more and more as they ran. From time to time, some would dash off to loot the roadside. Tan Laizi could neither catch up to them nor dare to delay. He could only fix his eyes on the few old and weak ones before him, forcing them to keep moving toward South Gate Street.

He wasn't familiar with Hezhou. In the chaotic streets, he scurried like a headless fly. The few old and weak ones were almost out of strength. After the initial burst of Excitement, Tan Laizi's own stamina was also plummeting. He was panting like an ox, his heart burning with anxiety. Without these people traveling with him, his accent would make it very hard to bluff other Roving Bandits, because he had seen along the way that those entering the city later were basically Long Family leading their Servants, carrying out organized looting. It wasn't something he could casually impersonate.

Just when he was nearing despair, the space ahead suddenly opened up. They had darted out of a small street and onto the main South Gate Avenue.

Tan Laizi gasped violently for breath. The few old and weak ones were nearly collapsing on the ground. Press-ganged by some inexplicable Scabby Master, forced to run half the city for no reason in the middle of the night, how could they possibly hold out?

South Gate Avenue offered a wide view, and the light was much brighter. Panting, Tan Laizi lifted his gaze. The City Wall was covered in firelight everywhere. The six City Towers had already become gigantic torches in the night sky.

South Gate Avenue was a scene of utter wailing. Every house along the street had been broken into. Corpses lay strewn haphazardly on the ground. Belongings were thrown everywhere. Pursuing figures were everywhere, all kinds of weapons flashing with light as they swung. Some women were being dragged into the street, their weeping shaking heaven and earth.

Not far ahead was a pond. The water's surface was covered with women of all kinds who had jumped in. Still, from time to time, women would dash out of the darkness and throw themselves screaming into the pond, sending up splashes of water. Because too many people had jumped in, the surface was dense with bodies. Some women who jumped in later couldn't sink, thrashing in the water in panic. Immediately, nearby Roving Bandits would run to the bank and use hooked spears or the like to drag those women back to shore. The moment the hook caught flesh, the women would scream in pain. The Roving Bandits on the bank would roar with laughter, then drag the women ashore and take them back into the darkness.

The various piercing shrieks seemed to come from hell itself. Tan Laizi trembled all over and cursed in a low sob, "Damn your grandmother, Jiang Fan! Sending me to Hezhou, you had no good intentions!"

In the distance, a sudden boom rang out. Startled, Tan Laizi saw the South Gate City Tower collapse amidst the flames, sending a vast cloud of sparks drifting up into the night sky.

Tan Laizi quickly shook his head. Taking advantage of the fact that no Roving Bandits were yet suspicious, he pulled himself together to observe, needing to pinpoint his location, head to the Wang Family Food Stalls, and then find that temple near the food stalls.

The South Gate was the part of Hezhou Tan Laizi was most familiar with. The past few days, he had gone out daily to listen for news, and he quickly determined his position from the streetscape. Not daring to rest any longer, he urged the few old and weak ones to move quickly, but those people refused to get up no matter what he said.

Surrounded by countless Roving Bandits, Tan Laizi dared not linger any longer. He snatched a torch from an old man and grabbed a red headscarf from a Roving Bandit child, wrapped it around his head, and hurried off toward the Wang Family Food Stalls.

"Loot! Follow Tang Gaozhao's lantern!"

Whenever he saw someone about to block his way, Tan Laizi howled as he walked. Among the tens of thousands of Roving Bandit troops, there were countless Team leaders and Post Commander. Most of the Roving Bandits passing by didn't know Tang Gaozhao, but upon hearing the words "High Shine" and seeing Tan Laizi's red headscarf, they took him for one of their own.

The Roving Bandits at the South Gate surged into Hezhou like a tide, howling with Excitement as they dispersed into the streets and alleys under the lead of their Team leaders.

Tan Laizi's teeth chattered as he threaded his way through the endless stream of Roving Bandits. Under the extreme tension, he had almost no sensation left, just walking forward numbly, until he finally saw the familiar Wang Family Food Stalls.

The door planks had all been pried open. The owner was sprawled over the threshold; he looked dead.

Tan Laizi glanced at him a moment longer but didn't pause his steps, heading east into a market. That Monastery was at the east end of the market.

Roving Bandits were also rampaging through the market. Tan Laizi carefully crossed the market. Two women suddenly darted out of the darkness. Catching sudden sight of Tan Laizi before them, the two women screamed and turned to run back.

A Roving Bandit came chasing from behind. He had a vicious face, half his nose flap hacked off, and he let out loud, gleeful laughs as he pursued.

The two women couldn't evade him. Both turned and jumped into a well in the market. The Roving Bandit's laughter stopped; he seemed a bit disappointed. He hurried to the mouth of the well and shone his torch down inside.

After a moment, that Roving Bandit called out cheerfully to Tan Laizi, "One of them didn't sink! You steady the windlass so I can go down and catch her!"

Tan Laizi's mouth was dry and his tongue parched. He could only do as the Roving Bandit said, going over and grabbing the crank arm of the windlass. The Roving Bandit glanced at Tan Laizi's slight frame, then found another well rope and tied it to a nearby pillar, fastening the other end around his own waist.

"Once I get a rope around her, you use the windlass to haul the woman up."

After speaking he took the torch, grabbed the rope and slid down. Tan Laizi squeezed closer and saw the torchlight illuminate the inside of the well. The water surface at the bottom was piled layer upon layer with corpses. So many people had jumped into the well that the water surface was already not far from the well mouth — no wonder that Roving Bandit dared to grab the rope and go down to catch people.

On the water surface, a woman's body was propped up by other corpses and had not been submerged. When she saw the Roving Bandit enter the well, she struggled desperately in the water. Her terrified screams echoed against the well walls and reached Tan Laizi's ears.

The two grappled in the water. The woman never yielded. The Roving Bandit, standing unsteadily on those corpses, for a moment could do nothing to her.

In his anger, the Roving Bandit brandished the torch and struck the woman on the head again and again. The light in the well flickered bright and dim. The woman's strength gradually gave out. The Roving Bandit, worked up from the beating, actually grabbed the woman and used the torch to set her hair on fire. The pain made the woman let out another piercing, miserable shriek. Very quickly, the cries weakened and faded.

Tan Laizi stared blankly from the well mouth. When he saw this, he threw aside the torch in his hand and searched around until he found a stone used to weigh down a rain cloth. Tan Laizi lifted it with both hands, came to the edge of the well mouth, and glanced down to check the position.

"Kill your mother!" Tan Laizi roared low and dropped the stone. A miserable cry came from the Roving Bandit inside.

Tan Laizi lay prone on the well mouth and looked in. The Roving Bandit's torch had fallen into the water and gone out. Inside the Cave it was pitch black.

"Th-that girl, y-you still alive?"

There were still Roving Bandits looting nearby. Tan Laizi dared not raise his voice. He called out like this several times, but no response came from below.

Tan Laizi lay prone on the well mouth and sobbed twice with a grunt, then hurriedly stood up, found his own torch, and rushed off toward the Monastery at the eastern end.

Note: On the Evening Hezhou fell, because the temperature dropped sharply, the commoners on the city walls all returned home to escape the cold. The Roving Bandits launched a night raid and easily breached Hezhou.