Legend Management Bureau Chapter 68

[ … words ]

Everyone instantly realized something.

“Could it be…”

“It’s Old He,” Fan Wujiu scoffed coldly. “Your Director.”

“Impossible!” Dong Qianqiu suddenly cried out. “How could it be the Director?!”

“Sister Qianqiu, don’t panic.” Du Yu gently squeezed Dong Qianqiu’s wrist. “I can’t say with absolute certainty that the Director did this. As for the truth, we’ll only know once we find him.”

“There’s no need to look for him!” Dong Qianqiu’s body began to tremble. “The Director definitely didn’t do this!”

“Sister Qianqiu, you…” Du Yu rarely saw Dong Qianqiu lose control of her emotions. “We haven’t jumped to any conclusions yet…”

“I said it wasn’t him, so it wasn’t!” Dong Qianqiu shoved Du Yu away and ran off.

She entered her office, crouched on the floor, and shook her head incessantly.

Scenes of her encounters with He Suoyi a thousand years ago flashed through her mind. She absolutely refused to believe that such a kind person could commit an assassination.

“Director… Old He…” Dong Qianqiu sobbed. “You wouldn’t do something like this… but where are you…”

…

The Song Dynasty, during the Jingde era.

“Qianqiu, does this meat smell good?” a tall, gaunt man asked the little girl in front of him.

The little girl’s face was covered in grime. Dressed in tattered rags, she stared intently at the boiling pot before her, swallowing hard as she nodded.

After boiling it for a while longer, the man asked again, “Qianqiu, doesn’t this meat smell delicious?”

“Mhm.” The little girl nodded once more.

The man stirred the pot with a stick, bringing a few slender bones to the bubbling surface. The meat on them was boiled so tender that it fell off at the slightest touch.

A bizarre, savory aroma wafted from the stewing meat, spreading outward with the steam of the bubbling broth.

“Father, can we eat it yet?” the little girl asked.

The man didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to look out the door. Every household on the street had their doors wide open, and shockingly, half of the families were boiling meat.

“Third Brother, the meat over at your place smells even better,” the man called out to a nearby house.

Only one person lived in that house, and he too was boiling a pot of meat.

“Smells good my ass! I think your pot of meat looks much tastier, hahahaha!”

“Father, can we eat it yet?” the little girl repeated, her eyes glued to the pot.

“Qianqiu, let Father give you a taste.” The man fished a small piece of meat out of the pot and brought it to the little girl’s mouth.

The little girl hurriedly opened her mouth and bit down. The scalding heat, mixed with a wondrous flavor, burst across her palate. Disregarding the burning sensation, she barely chewed before swallowing it down. A warm current slid down her esophagus and settled in her stomach.

Delicious. It was absolutely delicious!

Whether the meat was truly that flavorful, or if the little girl had simply been starving for too long, was impossible to say.

After all, this was the first bite of food she had swallowed in six days.

“Is it good?” The man looked at the little girl with a strange expression.

“Yes!” The little girl nodded enthusiastically, then asked, “Father, where is Mother? Why isn’t Mother coming to eat?”

“Qianqiu, your mother doesn’t want to eat.” The man forced a smile and pulled the little girl closer. “Father wants to ask you, with meat this delicious, don’t you want Father to eat more of it?”

“I do…” the little girl nodded.

“Even if you don’t get to eat any, and only Father eats, you would still be willing?”

“Mhm!” The little girl nodded vigorously again.

“I knew my Qianqiu was the most filial child.” The man patted the little girl’s dirty, tangled hair, then ladled a bowl of meat broth from the pot and handed it to her. “Here, eat. Eat as much as you can!”

Taking the wooden bowl, the little girl gulped down the broth and devoured the meat in large mouthfuls.

There was something particularly hard mixed in with the meat. After chewing on it a few times, she spat it out. Glancing at it on the ground, it looked like a piece of a fingernail.

After consuming the meat stew, a bit of vitality seemed to return to the city. People gradually began moving about the streets. Although everyone was emaciated and sallow, they had indeed survived!

The little girl leaned against the doorway, looking around, and couldn’t help but wonder: ‘Why are there no women left on the street?’

Outside the city walls, a massive, dark horde of soldiers sat on the ground. They had set up camp, built fires, and were roasting meat and drinking porridge. They chatted, laughed, and cursed. Every single one of them was burly and robust, forming a stark contrast to the emaciated figures inside the city.

“Have they still not opened the city gates?” asked a man dressed in tribal attire, who looked to be a general. He stared at the towering city walls before him and directed the question to his lieutenant.

“It is strange… Our spies inside reported that Xu City’s remaining rations would only last twenty days. We’ve had them besieged for nearly two months, so why are there still people moving about inside?” the lieutenant mused.

“No matter. Perhaps they truly had hidden reserves. Keep up the siege. Taking Xu City is only a matter of time.”

Many days passed, and the city once again lost its vitality. Those who had regained a bit of strength gradually stayed indoors, unwilling to venture out. The massive shadow of death constantly loomed over Xu City.

Starve to death, or be slaughtered by the Jin soldiers outside the city?

If the people inside the city could choose, they only wished to die a little later.

“Qianqiu, come here…” In a small wooden shack, the withered man waved the little girl over.

The little girl walked over silently. For some reason, she felt that her father was a little terrifying today.

“Father, what’s wrong?”

“Qianqiu… do you remember that pot of meat?” the man asked.

“Qianqiu remembers.”

“Father… wants to eat that meat again.” The man stared at the little girl with hollow eyes. “Didn’t Qianqiu say that even if you couldn’t eat, you would still let Father eat?”

“Yes… Father…” The little girl nodded, but for some reason, she felt the urge to cry.

“Then Father… will eat it himself.” As the man looked at the little girl, drool actually leaked from the corner of his mouth.

Before the little girl could reply, the man suddenly snatched a broadsword from the ground and violently hacked it into her leg.

With that single strike, blood splattered everywhere. The little girl was so shocked she forgot to scream.

As if possessed by sheer madness, the man chopped down again and again.

The little girl finally let out a bloodcurdling scream. The excruciating pain nearly made her pass out. She had never hurt so much in her entire life. She looked down and saw that her leg had been severed, hanging on by a mere flap of skin, while crimson liquid gushed out like a rushing stream.

Ignoring the little girl’s survival, the man grabbed the leg and gave it a violent yank, tearing the last bit of skin away. As if afraid the meat would spoil if left out too long, he hastily tossed it into a pot already filled with water. He took out a fire starter, blew on it for a long time, and finally ignited a fire beneath it.

“Ah… I probably should have drained the blood first. Otherwise, there will be blood scum when it boils…” the man muttered to himself.

The little girl had no idea what was happening. She could only whimper softly, “Father, my leg… my leg hurts so much…”

“Be a good girl, Qianqiu… be good… it won’t hurt soon,” the man coaxed as he fanned the flames, not even bothering to look back at her.

The girl felt horribly cold, as freezing as if she had plunged into an ice cave. Dizzily raising her head, she saw someone else standing at the doorway. It was Third Brother from across the street.

“Old Dong… you…” Third Brother had come over after hearing the screams, but he froze the moment he stepped inside. The man named Old Dong was drenched in blood, and a leg was boiling in his pot. “How could you eat Qianqiu too?! At the last gathering, the magistrate said that to hold the city, everyone should eat the women in their families. He never said anything about eating the children!”

“Third Brother… I’m starving!!” the man wailed in anguish. “Qianqiu will be a woman in a few years anyway. What does it matter if I eat her now?”

Third Brother watched the gruesome scene, trembling. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Since it’s come to this… she’s lost her leg, so she won’t survive anyway. Give me some of the meat!”

“No way!!!” the man screamed, as if he had completely lost his mind. “Qianqiu is my daughter! Why should I let you eat her?! If you want to eat, go eat your own son!”

“Old Dong! My son starved to death a long time ago!” Third Brother snatched up the discarded broadsword from the floor. “If you won’t give it to me, I’ll take it myself! I just want one leg! One leg is enough!”

“Father… Father…” The little girl didn’t know if she was shivering from the cold or out of fear as she watched the man march toward her with a blade. She was already on the verge of death, her voice so weak she couldn’t even hear it herself.

“Old Third! What gives you the right to steal my meat?!” The man suddenly leaped up and tackled Third Brother to the ground. Neither of them had much strength left; even the slightest movement made them intensely dizzy.

“Old Dong! Can you even finish it by yourself?! I just want one leg! Just one leg!”

“I won’t give you a single leg!”

But Third Brother had also gone mad. He shoved Old Dong away with all his might, stumbled over to the little girl, and viciously swung the blade down. He had aimed for her remaining leg, but his disobedient limbs betrayed him. The blade missed its mark and slashed directly across the little girl’s torso.

The little girl only felt a sudden coldness in her belly. She couldn’t even scream anymore. Whenever she opened her mouth, blood spewed out. Choking on her own blood, she couldn’t catch her breath and was reduced to a fit of coughing. But the more she coughed, the more blood spilled out.

“Intestines!” Third Brother seemed utterly deranged. Staring at the little girl’s slashed belly, he shrieked, “I’ll take the intestines! The intestines are enough! Old Dong! Let’s stop fighting! I don’t want to die!”

It took Old Dong a moment to stagger back to his feet. Before he could react, Third Brother had already rushed out the door, clutching a bloody mass of flesh in his arms.

“That damned bastard… Ah!” Old Dong suddenly remembered that he hadn’t fanned the pot in quite a while. If the fire went out, it would be a disaster! He hastily scurried to the pot, grabbed the fan, and frantically stoked the flames.

“Father…” the little girl called out with her final ounce of strength. But the man had his back to her and couldn’t hear a thing.

The savory aroma of meat slowly drifted through the city. Many people who had fainted from hunger slowly opened their eyes. Who was boiling meat? Why did it smell so incredible?

All the remaining men in the city slowly pushed open their doors. Like a horde of zombies, they shuffled out into the streets, drawn inexorably toward the scent.

On this day, dozens of men partook in the flesh of a little girl.

On this day, Xu City became a living hell of boiling cauldrons.

The girl floated gently in mid-air, gazing down at the men gorging themselves on her meat. She had no idea what was happening. She only knew that suddenly, she was no longer in pain, nor was she hungry. This liberating sensation felt better than anything she had ever experienced.

An elderly man suddenly appeared behind her. Looking down at the horrific tragedy unfolding in the mortal realm, he silently shook his head. “War constantly plagues the world, and human lives are treated as worthless weeds. When will there be peace? If a paradise is not forged, then men and women alike are nothing more than drifting duckweed in a chaotic era.”

“Grandpa, who are you?” the little girl turned around and asked.

“Me? Just call me Old He.”

“Old He?” The little girl stared at the old man with innocent eyes. She couldn’t recall ever seeing such a wealthy-looking old man in the city.

“Little girl, you saved dozens of lives today with your own flesh. Your virtue is great enough to ascend to immortality. Do you wish to become an immortal?”

“Become an immortal?” The girl didn’t quite understand. “Does becoming an immortal hurt? Will I be full if I become an immortal?”

“Hahahaha!” Old He burst into laughter. “Rest assured. If you become an immortal, I will take you in. From now on, I will never let you suffer again.”

“I can… never suffer again?” The little girl’s eyes widened in amazement. Was there truly a place in this world where people no longer had to suffer?

“Indeed. Come with me. Together, we will work hard to turn this world into a paradise.” Old He gently stroked the little girl’s head. “Tell me, what do you want the most right now? I will grant it.”

“I…” The little girl thought carefully. At first, she had desperately wanted something to eat, but now she was neither hurt nor hungry.

“Mother always used to wash my hair. I want my hair to be washed so it smells nice and looks shiny.”

“Very well!”

Old He took the little girl by the hand and slowly ascended into the sky. Before leaving, he waved his hand, unleashing a majestic force that completely shattered the gates of Xu City.

“These people no longer have any reason to live. Let me send them on their way.”

The Jin soldiers outside were taken aback by the sudden sight. The city gates were open?

On this day, Xu City, which had been besieged for two months, was finally breached. The one hundred and forty-eight people remaining inside were all mercilessly slaughtered by the Jin soldiers.