The greatest cruelty in life is to be a chess piece.
All living beings, everyone seems to be born with the fate of being a chess piece, but some chess pieces can determine the outcome and become the most dazzling one, while some... are destined to be abandoned.
This is the only answer Li Nanke can think of.
Li Donghai is the abandoned chess piece, and his existence is to protect Yu Shengtian.
But after the last transaction happened, Yu Shengtian's fate also changed.
His actions revealed themselves.
He also pushed himself completely into the abyss of darkness!
Boom!
Just when everyone thought everything was about to end, a dull explosion suddenly sounded, and the ground shook.
At the same time, a crack half a foot wide extended from the forest. Like a python lurking underground, the crack came to everyone's feet in an instant.
The next second, the crack opened and a terrifying monster rushed out!
The monster is tall and covered with thick green fur. The head is slightly rectangular, like a cross between a cow and a crocodile.
In particular, the two round eyes were full of ferocity and cunning, shining with green light like will-o'-the-wisps.
"careful!"
Leng Xinnan's expression changed, she grabbed Li Nanke's arm and hid behind him.
"It's the underworld!"
Seeing the monster that appeared in front of him without warning, Li Nanke immediately reacted and pointed at Yu Shengtian, "Don't let him run away!"
Several members of the Qinglong Club who had already been arranged rushed out immediately.
But just half a step out, two more monsters emerged from the cracks in the ground, blocking everyone's path.
Li Nanke cursed secretly, reached into his arms and prepared to take Red Rain to kill these monsters.
But when he touched it with his hand, he was stunned.
My pockets are empty!
No, I took three bottles of Red Rain this morning, but why are they missing?
Before he could think about it, a gust of wind came over.
An arrow whizzed like a startling rainbow, rushing towards Li Nanke with a sharp sound of wind, splitting the surrounding airflow.
Fortunately, He Panjun who came over was right beside him and pulled him to his side, barely avoiding him.
But the arrow missed and headed towards Leng Xinnan!
Leng Xinnan, who was dealing with monsters with Meng Xiaotu, had no time to care.
"No, the target is Sister Leng!"
Li Nanke's expression changed and he shouted hurriedly, "Miss Leng——"
Before the word "heart" could be shouted out, He Panjun's delicate and bright wrist suddenly turned up, and a small knife hit the tip of the arrow as accurately as a meteor.
The deflected arrow missed and plunged deeply into the nearby trees. The arrow shaft was still trembling slightly.
Leng Xinnan, who was belatedly aware of this, finally realized what he was doing.
When he saw the arrow stuck in the tree missing, he broke into a cold sweat and cast a grateful look at He Panjun.
Li Nanke breathed a sigh of relief, turned to He Panjun and said, "Thank you."
"People ran away!"
He Panjun shouted softly.
What? Li Nanke subconsciously turned his head and saw Yu Shengtian taking advantage of the chaos to run in the other direction, very fast. After all, his cultivation level was not low.
And in his hand was a short firecracker, which he got from nowhere.
"I'll chase him!"
Leng Xinnan shook off the entanglement of the monster and chased Yu Shengtian.
Li Nanke wanted to move his legs to follow, but then his body was lightened and He Panjun held his arms.
"You idiot, you don't even know how to do Qinggong. Let me help you."
The woman cursed softly.
As the woman performed Qinggong, the two people quickly shuttled between the trees. Subconsciously, Li Nanke hugged the woman's slender waist.
During the breath, the virgin scent of a woman's body is like an unopened flower bud, fresh and peaceful. As a man, Li Nanke couldn't help but take a deep breath.
And this hug almost made He Panjun lose his breath.
Is this guy taking advantage of me?
But he couldn't care too much at the moment, he could only grit his silver teeth and continue to chase Yu Shengtian.
…………
Yu Shengtian didn't know where to run, so he could only flee aimlessly.
In the silent mountain forest, every sound is particularly obvious, and any breeze blowing will make a creepy rustling sound.
Soon, he came to a nunnery.
Yunxiang Temple.
Li Nanke had been to this nunnery before, in order to investigate the case of the White Phoenix maid.
At that time, there was a maid named Que'er beside Bai Fenghuang. After being bullied, she became crazy and stupid. Finally, she was taken in by the abbot of Yunxiang Temple, Master Guanxin.
And here, Li Nanke also experienced some illusions.
However, Yu Shengtian didn't know this. After seeing the nunnery, he hesitated for a while, then climbed over the wall and entered.
At night, the nunnery looks particularly deserted.
A yellowish lantern illuminated a corner of the nunnery. The dust falling on the ground and the gradually dissipating cigarettes painted a quiet scene under the dim light.
Yu Shengtian walked through the corridor, his back pressed against the cold pillar wall, and his sweat-soaked clothes left wet marks on the stone wall.
In the long corridor, the only sound was the gentle swaying of the lantern when the wind blew.
The unique peaceful atmosphere of the temple cleansed his heart.
Yu Shengtian raised his head and looked at the sky, his eyes dull.
The light squeezed out from the gaps in the thick clouds was like another person. Although he had tried very hard, he was still drowned in darkness.
"Do you regret it?"
The man asked to himself.
Immediately, a bitter and self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips. If the environment did not allow it, he would even want to laugh.
But in the end, he couldn't help but laugh out loud, his mouth was salty, and he didn't know if it was sweat or tears.
"Yu Shengtian!"
The laughter naturally revealed its whereabouts in this silent night. Leng Xinnan, who was chasing after him, found Yu Shengtian at a glance and shouted, "Don't run away!"
Yu Shengtian pressed his feet a little harder, and his whole body instantly bounced up, like a paper kite flying in the air.
Uh-huh!
Small nets were ejected from the weapon held by Leng Xinnan, but Yu Shengtian easily dodged them.
The movements of the two people also alarmed the nuns in Yunxiang Temple.
Immediately afterwards, Li Nanke and others came after them.
Although Yu Shengtian's cultivation level was very high, he was forced to dodge because he was unwilling to hurt Leng Xinnan, and was eventually forced into the main courtyard of the nunnery.
At this time, a luxurious carriage happened to be parked outside.
Next to the carriage, a luxuriously dressed woman who seemed to have just finished offering incense was preparing to board the carriage. Seeing the sudden appearance of Yu Shengtian and the others from the Night Patrol Division, the woman was so frightened that she screamed.
When Yu Shengtian was desperate, he rushed over like lightning and grabbed the woman's neck.
The dim light reflected the woman's delicate face.
It turned out to be Chu Yunxin, the concubine of the prefect!
It was because of her report that Li Donghai's identity was completely exposed, triggering a series of subsequent consequences.
Unexpectedly, he would appear here at this time, apparently praying for his two dead daughters.
"do not come!"
Yu Shengtian's eyes were red, and he grabbed Chu Yunxin's neck and backed away.
The firegun in the other hand was also pressed against the woman's forehead.
Seeing clearly that the hostage was actually the prefect's wife, Li Nanke and others quickly stopped and did not dare to approach, for fear that Yu Shengtian, who was pressing hard, would hurt the other party.
"Get out of here, everyone!"
Yu Shengtian scolded the frightened nuns behind him and retreated into a Zen room with the hostages.
He kicked the door shut, opened the window, and faced everyone outside coldly.
"Yu Shengtian, you are at the end of your rope, what else do you want to do?"
Li Nanke was helpless.
When pushed into a desperate situation, no matter how calm a person is, he will collapse and do something drastic.
"All of you, leave! I don't care about anything anymore! Bring my wife and kids here!"
Yu Shengtian shouted angrily with red eyes.
"Are you sure you want your wife and children to come over? Are you sure you want them to see you like this?"
Li Nanke asked.
Yu Shengtian trembled his lips, but made no sound.
Chu Yunxin, who was inexplicably held hostage by her neck, looked in pain at the moment, her face full of helplessness and fear.
Her body was shaking and a silent wail came from her throat, as if she might faint at any time.
The eyes looking at Li Nanke and others were full of fear and pleading.
"So, what is your purpose of joining the Underworld?" Li Nanke asked, looking at the man who was in madness. "Or, have you always been a member of the Underworld?"
At this time, Yu Shengtian looked calmer.
He asked in a cold voice: "Li Nanke, why do you think we work so hard in the Night Patrol Division?"
Li Nanke looked at Leng Xinnan beside him, "Sister Leng, tell me."
He didn't want to answer such a question, and the only ones who were truly qualified to answer it were officials like Leng Xinnan, who only wanted to save the people who were harmed by the red rain.
But before Leng Xinnan could answer, Yu Shengtian raised his hand, "Okay, I already know the answer."
"you do not know."
Leng Xinnan looked at the other party with complicated eyes, her red lips parted slightly, "Do you think I would say that we in the Night Patrol Department are working hard to save the people?
Yes, but not all...
We do it for ourselves, but also for our family and friends. I don’t want my loved one to die from a monster one day, nor do I want him to become a monster.
I don’t want my future children to live in nightmares, and I don’t want to experience the pain of the death of a loved one again!
Mr. Yu, I have seen your son, he is very smart. His greatest pride is that he has a heroic father who can protect him.
But now, if your son sees this scene, what will he think? "
The woman's words caused Yu Shengtian to fall into a long silence.
And then, he laughed wildly again, tears of laughter came out.
"On the second day of September in the twenty-first year of Tianwu, I took my brothers to Chaigou Village and killed three monsters and saved forty-seven villagers!
In the twenty-third year of Tianwu, on New Year's Eve, I killed monsters alone in Chang'an Mountain and rescued four hunters. That time, my leg was broken and I was almost disabled for life!
In the 24th year of Tianwu, in order to save the children in the school, I was seriously injured and was in a coma for six days before I woke up!
It was also in the twenty-fourth year of Tianwu..."
Yu Shengtian talked about everything he had experienced over and over again, and every word seemed to be squeezed out through gritted teeth and anger.
Everyone was silent.
No one doubted that Yu Shengtian really risked his life to protect those people.
But it is precisely because of this that everyone feels sorry.
"Li Nanke, you are very smart. You should understand that the current Night Patrol Department is rotten."
Yu Shengtian said excitedly, "We worked hard to do what we should do, but in the end it was just a bargaining chip used by others to gain power! Tell me, what can we get in exchange for doing this!?"
Li Nanke sighed: "If you want to know the answer, just let go of the prefect's wife and go back with me. I will give you a satisfactory answer."
"It's too late."
"not late!"
Li Nanke's eyes were sincere, "I can help you, trust me, Mr. Yu, you shouldn't end up like this. You can still do a lot of things."
But Yu Shengtian just shook his head and smiled bitterly.
Leng Xinnan said: "I will protect you! I will let you continue to stay in the Night Patrol Division. As long as you help us catch the underworld, I, Leng Xinnan, will definitely protect you! Let you start over."
Yu Shengtian was stunned and looked at the woman blankly.
Here, it seems that the only person he can trust is Leng Xinnan.
Seeing the effect, Leng Xinnan hurriedly said: "I swear, if I can't do it, I will be struck by thunder!
Yu Shengtian, think about your family and your son. You may not care about us, but don’t let your son down, okay? You still have a way out, trust me. "
"Can I start again?"
Yu Shengtian's expression became a little relaxed.
The muzzle of the gun pressed against the hostage's head also trembled slowly and shifted a little.
But when everyone thought that he would choose to give up, Yu Shengtian's face showed a bit of struggle. The hand holding the gun was tense, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Li Nanke shouted: "Yu Shengtian, don't do anything stupid!"
Yu Shengtian raised his head abruptly and stared straight at Li Nanke with a bitter look on his face. "Li Nanke, you asked me last time why I wanted to save Leng Xinnan. I can tell you the answer now..."
Yu Shengtian looked at Leng Xinnan with tearful eyes and said slowly, "Because she is the only person in the Night Watch Department who is willing to work wholeheartedly.
She is just like me before, not afraid of anyone or shrinking from any difficulties.
But I hate her very much! Why hate it?
We were obviously the same people once, so why can you, Leng Xinnan, be the only one who can persevere, but I, Yu Shengtian, can't!
Because you have such a good brother!
You have a good brother!
I don’t have anything, I don’t have anything! That's why I'm jealous of you, that's why I hate you.
But sometimes..."
The emotional Yu Shengtian choked up, his crying voice full of anger and unwillingness, but also a bit of relief and tenderness,
"Sometimes I really admire you and hope you can keep going and never forget your original intention.
So you can't die, so I am willing to save you sincerely. If you die, there will really be no hope for the Night Patrol Division, not even a little bit..."
Yu Shengtian's voice floated in the silent night, leaving everyone silent.
However, Li Nanke had a strong feeling of uneasiness.
Yu Shengtian sniffed, looked up at the sky, and looked at the bright moonlight that had peeked out at some point, with a smile on his lips.
The next second, he put the firegun to his forehead.
“God damn your horses!
"
boom!
With an unwilling roar, red and white water splashed out and sprinkled on the Buddha statue.
There was dead silence!
Everyone was stunned, as if they had not expected such a result at all.
Leng Xinnan was stunned and looked in disbelief.
Li Nanke also opened his mouth.
He felt that all the sounds around him were blocked at this moment, and there was only a buzzing vibration in his eardrums.
Why did he commit suicide?
He obviously gave up.
Why?
After reacting, the other members of the Night Patrol Division ran to take care of the prefect's wife, who was screaming and frightened.
Leng Xinnan and others rushed over to check Yu Shengtian's body.
At this time, other members of the Night Patrol Department also arrived one after another, including two senior officials from the capital, Jing Benhai and Lan Minsheng.
After learning that the prefect's wife had been kidnapped, he came in a hurry and was relieved to see that Chu Yunxin was fine.
Li Nanke was still standing there like a wooden stake.
When people around him talked to him, he didn't respond at all, only the sound of mosquitoes lingered around him.
And countless doubts that came to mind.
Why did he choose to commit suicide?
Why?
Why?
Why! ?
Uh-huh!
A piercing light passed through the man's mind, tearing apart the thick dark clouds and revealing some truth.
Li Nanke seemed to have guessed something, and his body began to tremble unconsciously.
On the other side, the frightened Chu Yunxin was being comforted by Lan Minsheng, "Mrs. Chu, the prefect will be here soon, and we will arrange a carriage to take you off."
The woman nodded slightly, her body still stained with blood, and she looked charming.
At this time, Li Nanke suddenly came over.
In the puzzled eyes of Jing Benhai, Lan Minsheng and everyone else, he suddenly picked up the blunderbuss and pointed it at Chu Yunxin!
"It's you!"
