On the eve of the sacrificial day, the Flower Capital was bustling with activity.
Peach Blossom Street is the commercial area of the entire Flower City, where vendors of all sizes gather, and people want to relax in this nationally celebrated festival.
People go to the streets to purchase holiday necessities for sacrifices. They reunite with their families on the eve of the festival, and on the next day, the whole family goes to the family tomb to worship their ancestors.
On the night of the sacrificial day, soul-inducing lanterns are hung in front of every house to guide the deceased ancestors back home to see their descendants.
Since the fall of Yunhe Kingdom, under the brutal rule of the Holy Lord, the people of Dawn have not dared to take a breath. People have become accustomed to life and death, and darkness has shrouded people's hearts.
On this important day, people can finally breathe a sigh of relief and let go of the depression they have been feeling for the whole year.
The Holy Lord also attaches great importance to this day, and guards located in various streets and alleys of the bustling city will dispatch troops to ensure the normal conduct of the Holy Lord's sacrifices.
Due to the reduction in the number of guards, the people finally had some breathing space and took to the streets to hold bonfire parties. People would hold hands and form a circle, sing and dance, and shout out their wishes to the bonfire.
The fireworks in the world are the most soothing to mortal hearts.
The bonfire party lasts until dawn. When the sun rises above the sea, its brilliance outlines the beautiful outline of the flowers. People return home, put away their inner joy, and crawl back to life in the darkness.
Although there is no bustling scene in Peach Blossom Street inside Bai Na Bao, the atmosphere is still very warm.
Four figures gathered around the bonfire, clinking glasses and clinking glasses. Ye Lan and Zhang Zhendong held silver small wine glasses. The images of birds facing the phoenix engraved on the wine glasses came to life under the light of the fire.
Sun Biao untied the gourd wine bottle pinned to the waist of his tattered linen clothes and drank heavily. It was easy to see from the red cheeks of the four of them that they were all tipsy.
"Wine in the glass, Xiaolan, after drinking, come with me to see your father." After saying this, Sun Biao raised the wine gourd in his hand and prepared to clink glasses.
Ye Lan smiled knowingly, thinking that she really had to go see the old man. She raised the silver carved wine glass in her hand and looked at Sun Biao in front of her with a smile and said, "Okay! The old man should be surprised to see that I am still alive!"
The four of them drank together and laughed heartily. In this special festive atmosphere, everyone let go of their burdens.
The two stood up, white Kun Qi spread out in Xu Hao's hands, the mouth of the bag slowly opened, and the two walked out arm in arm.
Seeing the two people fading away, Xu Hao couldn't help but worry about tomorrow's actions. Although he was not on the front battlefield, it would be harder for the two of them to escape from the siege of more than 2,000 people.
Facing the bonfire, Xu Hao could only hope that they could escape.
The two walked step by step towards Ye Hanqing's grave, chatting about the past while walking, and their eyes were filled with tears.
The two grown men just cried and laughed as they walked to Ye Hanqing's grave.
In the dead of night, the insects seem to be celebrating this annual festival, and their cries are particularly loud.
Ye Hanqing's cemetery is located next to a ruined temple on the outskirts of the bustling capital. In front of the cemetery are two peach trees that were the general's favorites during his lifetime.
In the spring of March, the peach blossoms are in full bloom, and in front of the general's tomb, it's like a hundred-mile rouge cloud has fallen.
The people in the city sometimes come to visit the grave, just to pay homage to the deceased wise king.
Sun Biao picked up the wine gourd and poured it down slowly in front of Ye Hanqing's grave. "Old Ye, you can just drink this wine. Have you not forgotten the agreement between us? When I am smiling, we will
Let’s fight again.”
After saying that, Sun Biao patted Ye Hanqing's tombstone with a smirk on his face, "Xiaolan, your dad's monument is pretty good. After I die, will you erect one too?"
"What a beautiful idea! I'll be happy when you die. Just find a place to bury it and that's it." Ye Lan said angrily.
Upon hearing this, Sun Biao also said jokingly, "If you bury me casually, I will be haunted by you!"
After they finished speaking, they both burst into laughter. Sun Biao took out the bright silver flip lighter and lit two cigarettes. He placed one in front of the tomb and started to smoke the other by himself.
Maybe this is the romance between men.
"Old man, your silly son is here to see you." Ye Lan looked at the tombstone and smiled in ecstasy.
"I'm not as good as my eldest brother. I don't have his talents or abilities. I wonder how I can be a prince and fall down after spending my whole life. I haven't enjoyed my life yet, and you two got ahead of me."
Ye Lan smiled bitterly.
"Maybe in your opinion, my trip to the East China Sea was a wrong decision, but without that trip I wouldn't be where I am now." After saying this, Ye Lan picked up the cigarette that had just been lit in front of the tomb and took a sip.
Ye Lan smoked for the first time and did not feel any choking. Instead, she enjoyed the pleasure brought by nicotine. She leaned on the railing and swallowed the smoke, half into the breeze and half into her throat. Don't ask where the breeze is going, because the breeze also knows the sorrows of the world.
Ye Lan slowly put down the lit cigarette and watched it burn out silently in front of the tomb. "Don't worry, I won't let you down!"
"Okay, stop being pretentious, wouldn't your father be dead?" Sun Biao scolded him without temper behind Ye Lan. Ye Lan became even more angry when she heard this yawning voice.
"Dad still has a grave! Where is your father? A filial son?" Ye Lan said contemptuously.
After visiting the grave, the two left the general's cemetery, returned to their bags, walked into their respective tents, and fell asleep after a while.
The morning sun shines through the haze, and the earth revives.
The day of sacrifice has arrived.
Ye Lan got up early, took off the shadow gun from the weapon rack and wiped it carefully.
Naturally, Sun Biao was still sleeping in the tent without waking up. His snoring made the whole bag shake.
Xu Hao walked out of the tent and discussed the detailed battle plan with Ye Lan.
As long as Ye Lan and Sun Biao break out of the siege, Xu Hao and Zhang Zhendong will meet them on the west side of the warehouse. As long as they keep walking west, they will be successfully rescued by Xu Hao.
"Old Sun, don't fucking sleep, get up!" Ye Lan roared
"Go away, let me sleep for a while! Isn't it just a shabby warehouse?"
Ye Lan looked at Sun Biao's tent and felt a little helpless.
The mouth of the bag was opened, and Ye Lan walked out, preparing to go to the warehouse to observe how many people the Holy Lord had mobilized.
In front of the gate of the Fanhuadu warehouse, the Stingers guards were ready to go, holding various weapons in their hands. The leader was the deputy captain of the guards, a sturdy Stingers holding a rake.
They shouted slogans specific to stinging people and walked in groups towards the flower city.
In the Flowery City, people are still busy. Only when the entire army of stingers in the city enters the altar of the Holy Lord can people truly let go of the heavy stone in their hearts.
There was even more traffic outside the capital city. If traders wanted to enter the city, they had to wait until all the stinging troops from the suburbs entered the capital before they dared to go in to do business.
Ye Lan secretly observed the entire warehouse. The Holy Lord had transferred almost half of the stingers. Ye Lan was a little happy because the number of guards was not as large as they thought.
As night falls, every household in the Flower City hangs up soul-inducing lanterns, and the square in the center of the city is also filled with firewood. Old and young men all walk out of their rooms, preparing to welcome this grand festival.
No matter how dark the night is, there will always be an end.
Ye Lan looked at the black gilt watch on her left hand. The time was almost up. Sun Biao also ran over sweating profusely. The two of them walked towards the culvert of the warehouse.
"Are you ready?" Ye Lan asked
"Do you still need to prepare for this?" Sun Biao answered confidently, rolling up his ripped sleeves.