"Ten, eleven, twelve..."

"..."

Si Ming gritted his teeth and endured the pain. The stick struck his back, causing the skin and flesh to rip open.

"Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven..."

The girl's voice sounded particularly calm amidst the monotonous and repetitive sound of the board, and it sounded a little trembling if you listened carefully.

"One hundred," after the last count, Jing Che looked directly into Xiao Jin's eyes, suppressing his anger in his calm tone: "General Xiao, are you satisfied?"

Xiao Jin sneered disdainfully: "Oh, little girl, you are still so strong-willed."

Jing Che turned a deaf ear and walked out without even paying attention to Si Ming, who had just finished his punishment.

Si Ming took a breath with a pale face and slowly walked off the execution platform.

"Master Si Ming, you must remember this punishment. Rules are dead, but people must live. The emperor values ​​you and gives you the entire Shura field. It doesn't mean that you can use this little power to do random things.

.”

Even though he was a little weak, his voice was still calm. He raised his hands and said to Xiao Jin: "I respectfully send you off to General Xiao."

When he saw that the person was gone, he staggered back while holding on to the case and coughed out a mouthful of blood. He held on to his waist and hobbled back to the room, where Jing Che was sitting.

He was not surprised, on the contrary, it was expected.

Before Si Ming could say anything, Jing Che stood up and greeted him: "I'm here to apologize."

"No need." Si Ming held his waist and walked straight into the house, opened the drawer and looked for something.

"Here I am," Jing Che raised the medicine bottle in his hand, "I'm really here to apologize. If it wasn't me... I won't say more. You must know what I mean. I left just now because I was angry with you.

Why don't you let me do it? I would rather die with him. Think about it, you must have difficulties as an official... I will give you medicine, but you will definitely not be able to do it yourself."

Si Ming listened quietly to what she had to say.

In my memory, this was the first time that Jing Che spoke so many words, like a chattering little girl, relentlessly pouring her words into others.

He walked over without saying a word and stood in front of Jingche. He was a head taller than Jingche and looked at her condescendingly.

Jing Che subconsciously took a step away, only to see Si Ming suddenly take off his clothes, and his finely clothed chest was immediately exposed.

"What are you doing?" Jing Che swallowed.

"Aren't you going to apply medicine on me?" Si Ming asked with a side face, then turned around and lay down on the couch.

Jing Che walked over with a guilty conscience, his face tensed, and he calmly pulled out the stopper, smeared a little ointment on Si Ming's back.

In addition to the stick wounds, there were many large and small scars on his back, which were shocking.

Both of them were silent. Jingche's method of applying the medicine was extremely unskilled, but he didn't ask him if it hurt.

Si Ming gritted his teeth but didn't say anything at all. After a long time, he suddenly heard: "Are you in pain now? You could have gone out, but your hope was shattered because of one word."

"Pain." Jing Che paused, but did not hide his emotions. Si Ming's questions always brought blood, and Jing Che liked this straightforward approach. She has always been a person who is not good at pretending.

.

"So at that time you wanted to kill Xiao Jin, but you knew you couldn't. A killer must keep a clear head, but your emotions always go one step ahead of your reason. If it sounds good, you are called a sweetheart, but if it sounds bad, you are stupid.

.”

Jing Che smiled noncommittally: "Then why are you so patient with Xiao Jin?"

"The first level of officialdom kills people." Si Ming's words were a bit sarcastic.

"You are in charge of the entire Shura Field and the Hidden Word Army. Wouldn't it be bad if you rebelled against Xiao Jin?"

Si Ming struggled to turn his face to look at Jing Che, and suddenly burst into laughter: "Eighteen, I realize that you really trust me?"

"I -" Jing Che opened his mouth, but did not refute, and finally admitted honestly, "That's probably the case."

"Why? I obviously tortured you in the beginning."

"But you taught me how to survive in this place. I should thank you for reshaping me into what I am now."

"But you shouldn't trust me either."

"This is my own business, none of your business." The force in Jing Che's hand became uneven, and he pressed harder on purpose. He could clearly feel Si Ming's body trembling, but he still didn't groan.

"I was very satisfied with you before, but now I realize that you will never be a qualified killer." After a long time, Si Ming's voice was still cold when he spoke, "Eighteen, do you still want to stay here?"

Are you awake?"

"I'm not leaving." Jing Che returned to his usual concise and concise tone.

"You will regret it if you spend the rest of your life killing people here." His tone was somewhat pitiful.

"I won't."

After Jing Che went back to see Hua Ruyan, she had just returned from a day of free life, but strangely she didn't make any noise. She sat there worriedly. When she saw Jing Che coming, she only raised her head to look at her.

"What's wrong?" Jing Che asked, sensing something strange in the atmosphere.

"Xiao Shiba, I went out today and saw the pear blossoms blooming in the city. I found that they are not as beautiful as I imagined."

Jing Che frowned, feeling that there was something in her words.

"Xiao Shiba, actually even if you don't go out, it doesn't matter. It's good to be here."

Jing Che stared at her, his eyes filled with tears: "You know?"

Hua Ruyan nodded.

"You don't have to accompany me." Jing Che turned his back and tried to do something to cover up his emotions, but found that she and Hua Ruyan were the only ones in this simple place, and they were the only ones who needed to sort out their emotions.

"Xiao Shiba, in fact, you are killing people when you go out, and you are killing people inside. I don't care about that bit of freedom."

"It's different!" Jing Che interrupted her irritably, "otherwise why have I endured so much suffering this year? You said that people don't need to be so noble in troubled times, and you don't have to stay for me."

"Xiao Shiba, I have already decided."

The correct way she pronounced "Xiao Shiba" reminded Jing Che in a daze of her master's long and gentle "Ah Che". This was something she regarded as a treasure in her short years.

Jingche was stunned at that time.

Two girls of the same age, in this bloody and sinful place, held each other's hands tightly and shared the last warmth of their lives.

***

In this flash, three years have passed.

There have been four groups of people coming and going in Shura Field. Some people went crazy, some died, and some finally survived and became a member of the Hidden Character Army and saw the light of day again. But only Jing Che and Hua Ruyan day after day

, staying in the Shura field year after year.

The days are calm, but the premise of this calmness is numbness. When killing and blood become the same habit as eating and sleeping, then everything will calm down.

The only thing that made Jing Che feel inexplicably panicked when he thought about it was that in the past three years, Xiao Jin had never caused trouble to her again. He seemed to be very confident that one day she would submit to him obediently. But Jing Che couldn't guess.

When she realized what time bomb he was holding, she was determined over and over again in her heart that she would never compromise with Xiao Jin.

Only when I looked at the almanac did I know that it was the end of the year again. For newcomers, they become more nervous as this time approaches, because this is the final elimination, which determines whether they will die here or become a member of the Hidden Word Army and see the light of day again. However, for Jingche,

It's been this way year after year, with almost no suspense.

In the dark and cramped corridor of Shura Field, Jing Che was carrying a pot of water to go back to the room, but Si Ming called her from behind: "Eighteen."

She turned and stared at him.

"Xiao Jin is here," Jing Che subconsciously stopped when he heard this, and Si Ming then spoke to calm her nerves: "He's gone again."

Then he walked up to her unhurriedly and handed her a bundle: "Xiao Jin said, I wish you a happy New Year."

It doesn't take much thinking to know that Xiao Jin spoke in an arrogant and contemptuous tone. She took the baggage and turned around and left: "I know."

After returning home, she opened the bag and saw that inside was a bunch of soft clothes, ordinary girl's clothes, with a few red hairpin headdresses wrapped inside. She smiled sarcastically, could it be that this year he took the warm-hearted route?

He threw the baggage aside, but still couldn't help but look at it a few more times.

I can’t say it’s a temptation, but in my heart, I still long for it, right?

After sitting for a while and then getting up, Jingche went to the practice ground to look for Hua Ruyan. She was practicing sword practice in front of a target. Jingche picked up a sword and climbed up the rock wall and grabbed it.

"Drink!" A sharp sword slashed down. The person below couldn't resist, staggered, and the sword clattered to the ground.

"Xiao Shiba, I really can't beat you these days." Hua Ruyan threw away the sword and rubbed her numb wrist with a smile.

Jing Che smiled lightly, but looked past Hua Ruyan towards the door.

Si Ming didn't know when he was standing at the door and came over when he saw two people stopping their martial arts competition.

"Eighteen, come with me."

"Why didn't you finish what you just said?" Jing Che walked over impatiently.

"Let me inform you that the elimination day will be in three days, and you and Hua Ruyan will participate."

It seemed that he deliberately suppressed the word "both" in his words. Jing Che always felt that Si Ming wanted to express something else, but his thoughts were always very deep. She didn't bother to guess, and said perfunctorily: "I have known for a long time that you are selfless and unselfish.

Don’t let it go, doesn’t it happen every year? Why bother repeating it again this year?”

Si Ming put his hands behind his back and paused before saying: "I just want to ask you, are you sure you want to stay here? As long as you..."

"As long as you submit to Xiao Jin, you will be able to leave immediately - is that what he said? Oh, what benefits did Xiao Jin give you, and he wants you to be a lobbyist?" Jing Che walked directly past him and left, with a sarcastic smile on his lips.

The intention is gone when you turn your back.

Is she really that determined? Jing Che doesn't know, she is getting less and less confident. Behind the numbness and strength, she is actually just a fragile shell.

The fact that she can persevere is just a kind of inertia, but once this inertia is broken, what else can she persevere?

The pace is getting faster and faster, with a bit of haste and panic.

Three days later, it will be the elimination day of the year. Everyone will know who their opponent is only after entering. When Jingche quickly adapted to the dark environment around her and saw the five opponents standing in front of her, she immediately froze on the spot.

.

The people opposite also looked at her, their expressions gradually becoming embarrassed.
Chapter completed!