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"...Miss, could you tell me how to get to Zhang Village?"

Under the early autumn sunlight, the wind blew across the rice fields in the wilderness. A swordsman dressed as a scholar stopped a dark-skinned village girl carrying water on the path between the fields and asked her, cupping his hands in greeting. The village girl sized him up.

"Head towards the main road, and you'll be there in half a day... Why are so many people going to Zhang Village lately? What are you all doing there?"

"Recently, a lot of people have been going to Zhang Village?"

"Quite a few. Someone asked me yesterday too."

"Oh, I wonder what they're going to do." The scholar seemed thoughtful, then smiled. "I am a scholar from Huzhou. I heard that the Huaxia Army has won the world, so I came to Zhang Village to join them, hoping to earn some merit."

"Huzhou persimmon? You're a person, not a persimmon."

"Oh... a scholar, a *shizi*, it means a learned person. Thank you for pointing the way, Miss. Is it that road?"

"Yes, the main road, south, go straight. You're a scholar, you should have said so sooner." The dark-skinned girl sized him up a couple more times.

"Thank you, thank you. I am grateful for your guidance, Miss."

The conversation ended. The scholar saluted, watched the dark girl carry water towards the village not far away, and then headed in the other direction. His five brothers were waiting for him by a small riverbank not far away. The scholar went over and confirmed with them that they were heading in the right direction.

"With so many people going to Zhang Village lately, won't it attract attention?" someone worried.

"If it were all martial artists, they probably wouldn't let us go. But the Huaxia Army's victory over the Jurchens is a fact. Lately, many people have been going to join them. We'll just blend in with them... The more people there are, the more troops the Huaxia Army will have to prepare. We can take out a sentry, set a fire, and make them run ragged..."

"That's true."

"Now that we're close to Zhang Village, it's not good to take the main road anymore. In my opinion, we should follow the main road from a distance. If I'm not mistaken, there must be more checkpoints along the main road."

"Then that's settled."

The group decided on a plan, and someone laughed.

"Speaking of which, that girl just now was pretty good-looking."

"...She's a bit dark, but she's sturdy. She looks like she can bear children."

"My brothers don't know, but up close, she's actually quite pretty. When I said I was a scholar just now, she really sized me up, with that look... You know, these village girls, all they think about is marrying a scholar. That's how it is in the operas..."

"Don't mention it. Fifth Brother looks amazing as a scholar. If we went to propose marriage with just that girl, it would definitely work!"

...

The unrestrained words drifted into You Hongzhuo's ears on the autumn wind, and he smiled slightly.

This kind of dialogue from the six people ahead of him stirred some nostalgic emotions in him.

After killing someone in that small mountain village, he also met six older brothers and sisters, and after swearing brotherhood, they began to roam the *jianghu* (martial arts world). Although the group fell apart soon after due to the betrayal of Fourth Brother Kuang Wenbo, and he was subsequently hunted down, looking back, he was alone when he first entered the *jianghu*. Later, the *jianghu* gradually became complex and heavy. Only during the time with his six older siblings did the *jianghu* seem pure and interesting to him.

At that time, the *jianghu* he saw every day was new, and the rumors he heard were exhilarating. The seven of them helped each other and didn't have to sleep in fear – although it was an illusion, that kind of warmth and stability never happened again.

Over the years of fighting, he has worked with many like-minded people to resist the Jurchens and resist the likes of Liao Yiren. He has actually met many people who can be relied on and entrusted, but as far as he is concerned, he no longer has the desire to swear brotherhood with others. Looking back now, it was his bad luck that the path he took when he entered the *jianghu* was too cruel.

These martial artists living in the south seem somewhat naive and disorganized.

He followed the six people from a distance. The Chengdu Plain has a wide field of vision. Fortunately, these people took the main road for the first half of the journey. In the second half, these six people, with ulterior motives, left the main road and took detours through forests and small paths, which provided conditions for You Hongzhuo to follow.

Along the way, You Hongzhuo pondered who he should help and who was a good person. The six people in front of him made him feel somewhat fond of them. On the whole, these six people did have the determination to do something they thought was right. But on the other hand, the closer he got to the core area managed by the Huaxia Army, the more the surrounding scenery made him feel refreshed. Here, the land was fertile, the rice paddies stretched endlessly, the roads were solid, the villages were well-ordered, and the traces of new cultivation could be clearly seen in many places.

Since Madam Lou first joined the Tiger King many years ago, she has been developing agriculture and trade, painstakingly reclaiming farmland in various places. Especially against the background of the Jurchens going south, she has been struggling to support the overall situation. Some places were burned down by the Jurchens, destroyed by villains headed by Liao Yiren, but Madam Lou has been trying her best to rebuild them. You Hongzhuo has been helping in Madam Lou's camp for several years, and he has become increasingly clear about these touching deeds.

During the decade or so of turmoil in the Central Plains, the entire world was broken and ruined, but only Jin, which originally had a difficult life, preserved a decent livelihood. On his way south, You Hongzhuo also saw many places where thousands of miles were devoid of chickens and dogs barked, and bones were exposed in the open. This is the achievement and pride of the people of Jin. But compared with the scenery in the southwest, this achievement seems to be nothing.

The Chengdu Plain has not experienced major wars for so many years. Is this scene something that existed before, or was it built up even more after the arrival of the Huaxia Army?

He walked and pondered these questions in his mind.

On the other hand, he also thought of the overall feeling in recent days. Besides the six knights in front of him, there were indeed many people who had come to Chengdu recently who wanted to cause trouble. There probably wouldn't be few people going to Zhang Village these days either. The Huaxia Army's forces were stretched thin after defeating the Jurchens. If so many people were scattered around, trying to create this and that trouble, how could the Huaxia Army cope?

In Jin, they had also encountered such a situation. The enemies were not only the Jurchens, but also Liao Yiren, who had surrendered to the Jurchens. He had also offered high rewards to incite this and that desperado to take Madam Lou's head. Some people simply wanted to make a name for themselves or simply disliked Madam Lou's identity as a woman, so they listened to various bewitching words and wanted to kill her.

Dragon King, as Madam Lou's guard, followed her to protect her. You Hongzhuo and others voluntarily served as protectors in the *lulin* (martial arts underworld), providing manpower and effort, and inquiring about information. When they heard that someone was coming to make trouble, they took the initiative to stop them. During this period, there were indeed some wrongful convictions, but more often it was a series of tragic fights.

What should the Huaxia Army do? From the current situation, so many "righteous people" are standing on the opposite side of them. With so many enemies, if it becomes as chaotic as in Jin...

As the sun set, You Hongzhuo thought about these things and followed the six people into the sparse woodland on the outskirts of Zhang Village...

...

July 18th, Chengdu. The sun still shines brightly on this city.

Crowds throng, merchants come and go. The various groups of people in the city are doing their own things. The arguments of the great Confucians in the newspapers are becoming more and more intense. Their majestic articles analyze worldly things, and indeed several articles have received enthusiastic discussion, even leaving their names in certain historical records many years later.

The scholars who are determined to seek fame in the Huaxia Army are gradually grasping some of the rules for the examinations. In addition to burying themselves in reading every day, even some private night schools and study classes have opened up in the corners of the city. The scholars who find these places first are like finding a shortcut. People tutor each other, discuss, and gradually open the door to a new world.

The World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament has begun to create a heated atmosphere in the city. The preliminary round of this selection competition will officially end in August. In the last ten days of July, the masters who may stand out in the competition have arrived one after another. Based on this background, Zhuji has compiled a list of martial artists who have already obtained the qualification to enter the competition after two victories.

Since the authorities do not allow participation in gambling, nor is it convenient to make overly subjective rankings, two underground casinos have jointly compiled a list of the top 50 martial artists who have temporarily appeared in Chengdu, with the help of some authoritative masters. The two lists vividly compiled the life stories and proud martial arts of each martial artist, and the odds for future martial arts competitions will rise and fall accordingly - with betting and stories, the city's curiosity and enthusiasm for this martial arts competition has begun to gradually increase.

Everything shows a sense of prosperity. Even the fierce criticism of the Huaxia Army before has become somewhat restrained after mid-July. But within the undercurrents of this city, a sense of tension is constantly building up, waiting for certain things to explode.

After receiving the notification that Shi Shi was free, Yu Hezhong followed the female soldier Xiaoling and quickly crossed the courtyard in front of him, meeting the woman in a moon-white dress by the lake.

She seems to be very busy these days. Although she has been demoted from the diplomatic department of the Huaxia Army to the propaganda department, Yu Hezhong has also heard that she will be one of the main managers of the Huaxia Army's propaganda department before the opening of the first congress. However, despite being busy, her spirit and complexion in recent times seem to be becoming more and more youthful and full in Yu Hezhong's eyes.

The reason for this is not difficult to guess. Since the first meeting, he has indeed become more and more attentive to her. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... He may not have been willing to admit such thoughts more than a decade ago, but now, there is nothing to be ashamed of.

After greeting each other, Yu Hezhong suppressed the throbbing in his heart, sat solemnly on the chair in front of Shi Shi, and pondered for a moment.

"The situation in the city has been very tense lately. What exactly are you thinking here?"

He opened with a question, showing his concern for her. As expected, Shi Shi was not annoyed and tilted her head with a smile.

"What situation?"

"Since things have come to this, there's nothing to hide... Perhaps Shi Shi, you've been concerned about writing things lately. There will be great chaos in the city before the end of the month. Do you know?"

"Where did Brother Yu hear the rumors from?"

"I deal with... General Liu and the others every day. I can always hear what I should hear. Shi Shi, Yan Daolun wants to facilitate business with the Huaxia Army, that's one thing, but which side they are actually on in their hearts is another. I don't know... what Li Heng is thinking. This time, so many people from all walks of life are allowed into Chengdu, and a group of scholars are fanning the flames from the sidelines. If you don't restrain them in private, you're bound to have trouble sooner or later..."

"It's not that we haven't restrained them. Those who commit crimes will still be arrested," Shi Shi retorted with a smile. "Moreover, Li Heng often says that if you want to do business, you have to take risks. If they don't come in, everyone won't even have a chance to get to know each other. Today's Chengdu is to give the Huaxia Army a chance to say hello to the people of the world. Otherwise, wouldn't they all be speculating in private about what the Huaxia Army is like?"

"But today, this is opening the door to thieves! There are too many!" Yu Hezhong knocked on the table and lowered his voice: "What they're thinking about is assassinating Li Heng, do you know?"

"Li Heng has been assassinated enough times over the years."

"But this time is different from the others. This time, there's the incitement of many Confucians. Hundreds and thousands of people will do this together. You don't even know who they are. They're talking about this in private. In recent days, six or seven people have discussed this with me. If you don't restrain them..."

"They're just discussing it. They shouldn't have said that they will definitely do something, so we can't restrain them. After all, Li Heng said that we have to say hello..."

"But those people from all walks of life below will be incited! Those peddlers, bodyguards, and *lulin* people who came to the city rely on one chance to make a name for themselves in their lifetime. This time, they all say they want to join forces and do something big. It's like... a gunpowder barrel that can explode with a spark!"

Shi Shi thought for a while: "...I think Li Heng should have been prepared."

"His preparation is not enough! He shouldn't have opened the door in the first place!" Yu Hezhong was agitated for a moment, then finally calmed down: "Forget it, the people you usually deal with are different from the people I deal with. Therefore, what you see and hear may be different. I've seen all kinds of things outside these years. These people... may not be good at achieving things, but they're always more than capable of ruining them. They... may be powerless in the face of the Jurchens because the Jurchens are non-Han and dare to fight and kill. The Huaxia Army is doing things too gently. Next, as long as they show a hint of weakness, they may swarm up. Li Heng was able to block the assassination attempts of a few people or dozens of people in the past, but if hundreds and thousands of people swarm up in this city, something will always go wrong. Are you... just trying to say hello like this?"

Shi Shi nodded: "I believe there will be preparation here for this matter. After all, I'm not in that position, so I know less about fighting and killing. However, if Brother Yu can have a systematic idea, such as how to view this matter, how to respond to it, and which people to guard against... Why not go see Li Heng and talk to him about it? As his younger sister, I can make some arrangements for this matter."

Yu Hezhong was slightly stunned. He pondered in his mind for a moment. This time, he heard the overwhelming public opinion outside and became nervous. He felt that he had the opportunity to talk to Shi Shi, so he came over. But when it comes to such clear details, there is no clue at all. A group of scholars can talk vividly when chatting, but when it comes to guarding against someone or arresting someone, who can talk nonsense, who dares to talk nonsense?

After hesitating for a moment, Yu Hezhong sighed: "I mainly wanted to remind you. Forget about seeing Li Heng. You know, he has many ideas and heavy thoughts. In the past... we didn't talk for a few sentences... I just want to remind you that you have to be careful and pay attention to safety..."

As he said this, he leaned forward, his hands naturally moving forward, wanting to hold Shi Shi's hand on the table, but Shi Shi had already retracted her hand, brushed the hair by her ear, and looked at the lake on the side, seemingly not seeing his overly obvious movements.

"I live in here and won't run out. My safety is the same as everyone else's, so don't worry."

Yu Hezhong was originally hot-blooded, and he was determined when he reached out his hand. If he held her hand, he would take the opportunity to say something. But Shi Shi's avoidance was too obvious, suddenly like pouring a basin of cold water on his head. He thought disorderly in his mind, pretending to be calm, and sighed: "You also know that those rumors outside say that you are already Li Heng's someone..."

"Hezhong, what if those aren't rumors?"

Shi Shi's eyes looked over with a smile. Yu Hezhong was stunned, then finally retracted his hand: "...Hey, what time is it? You still love to joke so much. If it's true, there will naturally be many people protecting you, but if it's not, these rumors will harm you..."

He leaned back in his chair and then said: "In short, I'm a little anxious. I've said what I should say to you. Alas, it's not easy for the Huaxia Army to get to this point. Don't think that Yan Daolun and the others are kind and friendly when they face you. When they turn around, they also hope that the Huaxia Army will have more things happen. If someone really assassinates Li Heng before August and the Huaxia Army falls apart, they won't get any less benefits. Although I am stupid, I also know that it is easy to win the world, but it is difficult to rule it..."

"It's not yet time to rule the world."

"It's almost there." Yu Hezhong stood up. "Okay, I'll go first. I guess you have a lot of things to do. In short... I hope you are well, and I also hope this business can be successful... Let's talk next time."

"I'll see you off."

Shi Shi got up to see him out. Yu Hezhong's mood became more and more irritable. When he reached the courtyard gate, he turned around and blocked Shi Shi: "This is fine. You... it's not safe outside, and you're busy. Don't go out..."

Shi Shi smiled helplessly and brilliantly, and bowed slightly: "Okay, then see you next time."

"See you next time, see you next time..."

Yu Hezhong waved his hand and left here calmly all the way, his emotions low, dark, and fluctuating. Shi Shi's sentence "What if those aren't rumors" seemed to be warning him and reminding him, but on second thought, Shi Shi more than a decade ago had some quirky personality, and it was really free to do whatever she wanted when she joked.

Is she with Ning Yi, or is she not? This question was thought all the way, and he couldn't help but think of the embarrassment when his hand was avoided. He only felt that his thoughts had been completely exposed in front of the other party - exposure is okay, but it's sad to be rejected. Once rejected, many questions will slap him in the face like slaps: he is a man with a wife and children, and he can become the most important intermediary in this transaction in the southwest because of her care for him...

Such awareness made his head dizzy, feeling faceless. But after walking for a while, recalling the past bits and pieces, hope rose in his heart again. He remembered that when they first met a few days ago, she also said that she hadn't married herself out. She was a joking person and didn't firmly reject him...

Yes, it's not surprising that he is difficult to get her favor in his current situation. According to what he thought before, he wanted to take advantage of this opportunity in the southwest to save some benefits and speaking capital, and then he could be worthy of her. He was really dizzy today... But since Shi Shi hadn't rejected him, and with her intelligence, his thoughts had already been exposed. This was certainly a bit uncomfortable, but on closer thought, it wasn't too bad a thing?

He thought this and that in his heart, and when his thoughts gradually calmed down and he didn't care about the criticism, he thought of the main reason for coming here this time in the peaceful atmosphere near Yingbin Road. Countless outsiders are waiting to make trouble, and Yan Daolun and the others will be happy to see it happen. They are actually taking it lightly here, probably because of the inflated confidence after defeating the Jurchens.

He hopes that this transaction can be successful and that the Huaxia Army can transition smoothly, but thinking about these things now, he vaguely expects bad things to happen. When things become chaotic here, Shi Shi will understand his good intentions, and the Huaxia Army's path can be taken more steadily. And if the chaos really breaks out, Shi Shi will definitely tell Ning Yi about his warning today. At that time, he will go to meet the other party again, and many things can be said better.

The sun fell down. He walked through the bustling streets of Chengdu, seeing scholars and martial artists, all like righteous men waiting to take action. Everyone's eyes seemed to be telling something in private, plotting collusion.

Something is going to happen, let it happen...

He thought.

...

"...The Huaxia Army is prepared."

The gentle wind in the afternoon blew across the surface of the river. The aroma of tea lingered in the painted boat.

This was a seemingly ordinary gathering. Guan Shanhai, Lang Guoxing, Mu Wenchang... and others gathered at Yang Tiehuai's invitation. To avoid eavesdropping, they chose a painted boat on the river.

Yang Tiehuai, known as Duke Huai, was beaten on the head in the street a month ago for arguing with someone. At this time, he still had a bandage tied on his forehead. As he poured tea, he said calmly:

"The Huaxia Army is prepared." He said, "The situation in the city is well known, outwardly relaxed but inwardly tense. Many of Zhuji's personnel have already entered the city, even penetrating the inside of those so-called 'righteous men'. Many people will be arrested as soon as they take action. There was a fight in Anqingfang yesterday, and two people died, both foreign assassins. There was also one on Yingbin Road. Every time, the assassin was caught on the spot. The Huaxia Army is very good at preventing assassinations. Small troubles may not be effective... Please have some tea."

Everyone took a sip of tea. Guan Shanhai on the side said: "Since you know that the Huaxia Army is prepared, why did Duke Huai call us old guys over? What if one or two of us are 'comrades' of the Huaxia Army? What should we do if we are arrested as soon as we get off the boat?"

"The Huaxia Army is the hero who defeated the Jurchens. We are just worried about the situation in the city at today's gathering. What crime is there?" Yang Tiehuai's expression did not change. He glanced over everyone. "Today's situation in Chengdu is different from the assassinations organized by *lulin* people in the past. Now, many... bandits have entered the city. Some of them have been targeted, some have not. We don't know who will take action and who will shrink back. But for the Huaxia Army, this is ultimately a thousand-day defense against thieves. If there is a group of opponents, they will have to arrange a group of people to watch them."

"...They have limited manpower. If these rebellious bandits go up in batches, the Huaxia Army will arrest them in batches. But if dozens of groups take action at the same time, the net laid by the Huaxia Army will inevitably be insufficient. So, in the final analysis, this matter is a contest between the hearts of the people and strength. One side looks at how much strength the Huaxia Army has, and the other... looks at how many people don't like the Huaxia Army living a good life..."

He picked up his teacup: "If strength is higher than the hearts of the people, this net will be as solid as a rock. But if the hearts of the people are greater than strength, this net may be broken."

A group of old men nodded and drank tea. Mu Wenchang, who was in his forties, looked at everyone around him and said: "That is to say, today we don't know whether these 'bandits' in the city will take action, but the hearts of the people may be uneven. Some want to take action, some don't. Some can risk their lives, some want to wait and see... But if there are too many who wait and see, the hearts of the people will not be as good as strength."

"If I were a bandit, I would definitely hope that there would be fewer onlookers when I take action." Yang Tiehuai nodded.

"The strength of the Huaxia Army is right there now, but the hearts of the people of the world today are constantly changing. Because of the power of the Huaxia Army, it is impossible for those people in the city to say anything about gathering righteousness. Whether they can break that strength depends on how many people take action... Speaking of which, this really seems to be the... *yangmou* (conspiracy in plain sight) that Ning Yi often uses," someone said.

Yang Tiehuai smiled: "Today, we are drinking tea purely to talk about the situation in the city. I know that many of you here have brought people. It is not easy for the Huaxia Army to manage this situation. If something happens next, they will inevitably freak out. You must restrain your subordinates well so that they do not do things that make their loved ones sad and their enemies happy... Okay, it's just a casual chat. If you have anything else to say, feel free to speak your mind. Everyone is worried about the Huaxia Army, right?"

He smiled and waved his hand.

"...Please have some tea."

The sunlight shone in through the windows of the painted boat. Many unknown corners inside the city were also holding similar gatherings and conversations. Words of impassioned generosity are always easy to say, but things are not easy to do. But when generous words are said enough, some things that are quietly brewing may explode.

When the scholar named Mu Wenchang left the painted boat, it was already evening. In this golden autumn evening, he would remember the shock and despair when he first witnessed the Huaxia Army's military formation more than a decade ago.

That was still in the second year of Wujian Shuo. Becoming the chief aide of Yan Zhenguo, the Pacification Commissioner of Qin Feng Road, was the first high point in Mu Wenchang's life. The Wu Dynasty lost the Central Plains, and Yan Zhenguo was forced to surrender to the Jurchens and protect himself. When Lou Shi attacked the Northwest, they were forced to participate in the battle to attack Yanzhou.

That autumn, he first saw the brutality of the black flag. They waved the banner of Huaxia, but did not distinguish between friend and foe, attacking the Jurchens and the Han people at the same time. Some people thought the Huaxia Army was powerful, but the battle lasted for several years. In the end, the entire Northwest was slaughtered and turned into a wasteland, and countless neutrals and the compelled were killed in the middle.

They could have won over and persuaded so many people. Even during the war, Mu Wenchang had cautiously revealed his willingness to join the Huaxia Army to seek a position, but the Huaxia Army was ruthless. They only accepted enlistment as ordinary soldiers and did not care about high-ranking officials like Mu Wenchang.

Originally, countless people in the Central Plains were willing to join them, but the Huaxia Army only thought about fighting and could not tolerate any detours.

In April of the fourth year of Jian Shuo, the Huaxia Army defeated the combined forces of Yan Zhenguo and the Zhe family at Sha Langling, killing Commander Yan and many members of the Zhe family. In the three years that followed, Xiaocanghe devoured millions of Han troops... But so what? In the end, they still ran away? In the end, countless people who should not have died died.

Mu Wenchang fled south in disgrace. His wife and children were crushed in that war. One of his daughters was even actively connected to a Jurchen officer, and later, when Lou Shi was killed and the Jurchens suffered a disastrous defeat in the Northwest, this daughter died among a group of anti-Jurchen rebels.

Fighting against the Jurchens requires fighting, but what he has learned in his life tells him that the world cannot be made better by fighting alone. Making oneself as cruel as the Jurchens, even if one wins the world, one cannot rule it.

--The Huaxia Army must be wrong!

--The Huaxia Army must be wrong...

This time in Chengdu will clearly tell the world this truth.

He thought over and over again, walking through the streets at dusk.

...

At the same time, a strong man named Shi Yuanmeng would recall the gunshot and the chaos in the Golden Luan Hall more than a decade ago.

"Alas, Zhou Zhe..."

That faint sigh was a sound he could never forget in his life, and what happened next was a scene he could not let go of until now.

How could there be such a person?

That was the first time the Jurchens were defeated in the siege of Bianliang, and then the merits were rewarded after dealing with the treacherous minister Qin Siyuan. He relied on his family's connections and took Tan Zhen's path to have an audience with the Emperor for the first time in his life. For that audience, he worshiped all the ancestors of his family, even fasting for three days and bathing and burning incense, treating that audience as the most glorious moment in his life.

In order to avoid being rude during the audience in the Golden Hall—although it was impossible for him to have any conversation with the Emperor—he trained in etiquette at home for most of the day, constantly practicing kneeling, kowtowing, and thanking him after being rewarded in front of the portraits of his ancestors. The banquet to entertain guests after the audience had also been arranged long ago.

Who knew that when the seven of them entered the Golden Hall, the merchant Son-in-Law, who should have been the lowest among the seven, the one who couldn't even do the etiquette smoothly, sighed and stood up after kneeling.

To this day, he cannot understand such a scene. He sighed and called the Emperor's name, and then there was a bang. Everyone was still in a daze, but he had already walked over and slapped the highly revered Prince Tong in the face. Prince Tong had been in the military all his life and had countless military exploits. He did not know how many generals would be so frightened in front of him that their legs would tremble, but at that moment, he flew up and his head smashed heavily on the golden steps.

How could he walk in the Golden Hall? How could he hit Prince Tong? How could he lift up the god-like Emperor and smash him hard on the ground?

He had never thought that there would be such a person in the world who had no monarch or father, and had never thought that there would be such a rebellious act in the world. Unfortunately, at that time, he couldn't react at all, and knelt by the door from beginning to end.

"A bunch of trash."

That person was in front of the Golden Luan Hall, tapping the Emperor's head with the back of a knife, and said this contemptuous sentence to all the high-ranking ministers in the entire Golden Hall. Li Gang was cursing loudly, Cai Jing was stunned, Prince Tong was crawling in a pool of blood on the ground, Wang Fu, Qin Hui, Zhang Bangchang, Geng Nanzhong, Tan Zhen, Tang Ke, Yan Daozhang... Some officials were even so frightened that they collapsed on the ground...

It was also strange. After experiencing that incident, Shi Yuanmeng only felt that there was nothing more strange in the world. Instead, he became calm and unhurried in dealing with many things. After the Central Plains fell, he came to the South. He had also stayed in the army and later worked for some large households. Because of his cruel and decisive methods, he was quite admired by people, and he later had some reliable confidant brothers.

When the southwest gateway opened this time, he was going to come over and do something that would also shock the world.

He would remember the scene when Ning Yi passed by him that day. The sentence he said that day, "A bunch of trash," probably didn't even include the few people kneeling at the door... Today, he will also do the same thing to warn all the unmonarchic and rebellious people in the world that their lives will also be taken by loyal ministers and righteous men!

"Brother, the things are ready."

The brothers who were working in the yard leaned over and said this sentence to him.

Shi Yuanmeng turned his head and saw that the two wooden buckets in the yard had been set up. He went over and checked again.

"Do you all know?" he said. "Ning Yi keeps talking about what is *gewu* (investigation of things) learning. This *gewu* learning is not his thing at all... He colluded with the treacherous minister and, after defeating Liangshan with the power of the Prime Minister's Office, captured a Taoist, Master Gongsun Sheng, known in the *jianghu* as 'Entering the Clouds Dragon.' This Master Gongsun is proficient in thunder and fire techniques. Ning Yi took his prescription and detained his people. Only in recent years has he been able to develop the art of gunpowder to this point."

Shi Yuanmeng looked at the people in the yard: "This demon steals the merits of heaven as his own, is rebellious, and has accumulated evil deeds. He can defeat the Jurchens only by relying on these firearms. Today, the world is in turmoil, and he is hiding in the southwest, taking advantage of the Jurchen army to defeat everyone, and then using these firearms to defeat them... I will not sit idly by and watch such things happen again. This time, we will kill Ning Yi, and someone will rescue Master Gongsun from the southwest. At that time, the art of firearms will be spread throughout the world, defeating the Jurchens, without a doubt. Our Wu Dynasty's country will be eternally secure! We will truly save the entire world!"

The evening sun was swallowed by the horizon like a fireball, and someone cupped his fist: "We swear to follow Brother to the death."

"For the world, we swear to follow Brother to the death!"

The city was burning in the red light, and countless movements were making this and that sound under this sea of fire.

That night, Ning Ji heard the bold prediction of "the matter will happen in these two days" from Wen Shoubin's courtyard for the 101st time.

The next day, at the martial arts competition site, Huang Shan came over to try to get information from him: "Recently, everyone outside is saying that something is going to happen in Chengdu. Aren't you Huaxia Army guarding against it?" It made people feel that he was constantly worrying about the Huaxia Army's situation. Ning Ji, who had no expectations for their ability to act, answered with a poker face: "If you want to make trouble, just make trouble."

"Hey, just kidding, just kidding. We're not saying us. We don't plan to make trouble. Look, my senior brother and I have also participated in the competition, haven't we... I'm just worried that if the situation is chaotic, this martial arts competition won't be able to continue, will it? You Huaxia Army must keep a close eye on this matter..."

"The First Division went to Old Niu'tou to quell the chaos. The remaining few divisions have already been reduced in number. These times, they are settling prisoners of war and guarding the entire Sichuan Fourth Road. Chengdu only has so many people. But what is there to be afraid of? The Jurchens have also been driven back by us. What can a bunch of local dogs and pottery chickens from outside do?"

"That's right, that's right... Little Brother Long is right. After all, the Jurchens have been driven back..."

"You must not make trouble, or I will beat you to death..." Ning Ji glanced at him.

Huang Shan smiled innocently: "How can we? How can we? We really plan to make a name for ourselves in the martial arts competition."

The two acted with each other. However, even though he understood that this strong man was acting, Ning Ji had really been waiting for things for too long. He almost had no expectations for the real occurrence of things. That was the case with Wen Shoubin. At the beginning, he spoke慷慨激昂 about doing bad things. He only started, and two of his subordinates' "daughters" were sent out. Then