“That’s right, I think so too.” Tang Qisheng nodded firmly. “But that’s not enough, because a severed toe will bleed, which will expose our identity, so we need to stop the bleeding as soon as possible.”

Li Bai stepped forward upon hearing this, taking out a small cloth bag from the bed. “Inside are medicines I bought from the pharmacy, including a hemostatic powder that works very well.”

“But no matter how we stop the bleeding, someone’s blood energy will leak along the wound. It would be best to get some grave soil. Grave soil has heavy yin energy, so covering the wound with a layer of grave soil would be more secure,” Tang Qisheng continued.

Everyone understood his meaning, but it was already dark, and going to the mass grave in the backyard to dig up grave soil now would be akin to seeking death. But to everyone’s surprise, Fatty tremblingly raised his hand, and in the next second, he took out some soil from his pocket amidst astonished gazes. “Grave soil, you say? I… I grabbed some when I went to the backyard today.”

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Cheng also recalled that this was indeed the case. Before leaving, Fatty had said that Yao, Shun, and Yu were able to survive thanks to the grave soil, so he also carried some with him.

Tang Qisheng quickly walked up to Fatty, took some soil, and smelled it. After a few seconds, his eyes lit up, and he nodded confidently. “That’s right, it’s grave soil, no doubt about it!”

Soon after, Li Bai’s hastily made paper clothes were also completed. He gave them to Fatty to try on, and they fit reasonably well. Then, Zhu Jie took out the rouge and powder she had prepared and painted Fatty’s face. Soon, a pale face appeared, with red rouge on both cheeks and a red dot between his eyebrows. Yao, Shun, and Yu took a black melon-cap hat and put it on Fatty’s head. Now, from a distance, he looked almost like a paper figure burned as offerings, just a bit fatter.

Looking at himself in the bronze mirror, Fatty felt like dying. He was most afraid of paper figures and such ghostly things, but this time he actually had to dress up as this ghostly figure and walk the Yin Bridge.

Everything was ready. Fatty looked at the white powder and the dark grave soil on the table, knowing that what was coming would eventually come. Without anyone urging him, Fatty honestly but very slowly took off his shoes, staring at his temporarily intact feet. Fatty almost cried.

Zhang Qizheng, Tang Qisheng, and the others found it inconvenient to speak at this time. Everyone looked at Jiang Cheng, who looked at Fatty. After a moment, he took a deep breath. “Fatty, are you ready?”

“N…no, it’s still early. I remember the ceremony doesn’t start until the third watch (between 11 PM and 1 AM), we still have time.” Although he knew that things were already unavoidable, Fatty suddenly wanted to struggle a little more.

Jiang Cheng didn’t even look at him, but gave the others a look. Then, seven or eight hands reached out and firmly held Fatty down. Yao, Shun, and Yu pulled out Fatty’s left leg and placed his foot on the ground, with a thick layer of cloth underneath.

Fatty also struggled a few times, but Jiang Cheng knew that if Fatty struggled with all his might, the people present would really not be able to control him. Then, he looked at Fatty’s face. That familiar face was filled with resignation, and his legs were also shaking non-stop. Thinking of this, Jiang Cheng’s hand holding the knife couldn’t help but tremble.

After taking a few deep breaths, Jiang Cheng gave up. He handed the knife to Yao, Shun, and Yu, who was holding down Fatty’s leg, “Here, you do it.”

Yao, Shun, and Yu switched places with Jiang Cheng, raising the knife several times. Every time the knife was raised to its highest position, Fatty’s whole body would tremble non-stop. Yao, Shun, and Yu couldn’t take it anymore. If this continued, he would collapse first. No matter how he comforted himself in his heart, he really couldn’t bring himself to cut Wang Fugui.

“I… I can’t do it, switch someone!” Yao, Shun, and Yu didn’t discuss it with anyone and directly put the knife on the table. From the way his chest was rising and falling sharply, one could tell how conflicted he was inside.

“Hurry up, we still need to stop the bleeding afterwards, apply medicine, and deal with the grave soil. We don’t have that much time,” Tang Qisheng, who was standing beside Fatty, urged. People who could survive until now were all ruthless people. He didn’t understand what these people were dawdling about. It was just cutting off two toes, not beheading someone.

But he regretted saying this as soon as he said it, because Jiang Cheng directly picked up the knife and handed it to him, not giving him a chance to refuse. “Mr. Tang, please do the honors.”

Tang Qisheng steeled his heart and took the knife. “I’ll do it, but let me say the ugly things first. Brother Fugui, I’m helping you, don’t resent me.”

Fatty closed his eyes tightly, straightened his legs, and then nodded quickly with an almost imperceptible amplitude.

“Okay, then I’ll have to offend you.” Tang Qisheng raised the knife cleanly.

At the moment the blade fell, Jiang Cheng and Yao, Shun, and Yu’s bodies also twitched violently.

…

In an inn not far from the Marquis’s residence, the doors and windows of a room were tightly closed, and the light of candles flickered along the cracks in the door. They were the only guests in the entire inn.

Because strange things happened frequently in the city, this inn had long hung out a sign saying it was closed, but today the owner didn’t dare not open the door. After all, the people who came not only gave more money, but also had the mark of the Marquis’s residence on their belongings. He was an honest businessman and wouldn’t dare to go against the Marquis’s residence even if he were given ten times the courage.

Lu Qin sat at the table, her clenched fingers betraying the tension in her heart, while Shao Tong was much more leisurely, sitting cross-legged on the bed playing with his phone.

The phone had a classic game, Tetris, but if you looked closely, you would find that the speed of the game Shao Tong was playing far exceeded that of ordinary people. His brain was like a precise instrument, quickly analyzing and processing the various falling shapes in front of him, and using the optimal solution to reasonably combine them together.

After playing another game, Shao Tong threw away his phone and looked at Lu Qin with a smile. “Do you want to come and play with me? It’s too boring to play by myself.”

“Don’t bother me, do your own thing.” The look Lu Qin gave Shao Tong was full of vigilance, as if he were not his teammate, but a wild beast that needed to be watched.

Shao Tong wasn’t annoyed, and tilted his head to salute Lu Qin. “Yes, ma’am, my zookeeper.”

Lu Qin seemed to be irritated, and her eyebrows instantly furrowed. “How many times have I told you, don’t call me a zookeeper, I’m your attending physician, I’m helping you with treatment.”

“Treating what? Treating the disease in my brain?” Shao Tong’s smile became even more strange. “Don’t be silly, I’m sick, but not here, but… here!”

Shao Tong first pointed to his head with his finger, and then slowly moved it to his heart. His army coat was now open a crack, revealing the blue and white striped patient gown inside.

“I don’t even remember how long I’ve been locked up, I’m only released when you need me, but at least I’m lucky, my dear fellow patients have all been destroyed by you.”