Under the clear night sky, the messy night market in Jiangning City was filled with smoke and fire, and the stalls were full of noises.
Below the wooden shed where the vegetarian food was sold, a few members of the Undead Guard in gray and black clothes ordered food and drinks. They also asked a stall owner that they were familiar with to send them a serving of meat. They ate and drank for a while and talked loudly, feeling rather comfortable.
The Party of Justice had expanded too fast, and its organizational structure was in a mess. Under the command of the Chakra King, the main force on the battlefield was the so-called Lifeless Army, and the elites among them were the Death Guard. They were supposed to be elite thugs, guards, law enforcers, and even scouts. But later, the number of members expanded too fast. All kinds of people who were related to the Party of Justice, or who simply planted their own flags joined in.
It was actually a problem that all the Eight Executives under the Chakra King were facing. Originally, when Xu Zhaonan, who was born in the Great Luminous Cult, assigned the Eight Executives, he had arranged for them to work together. For example, the Lifeless Army was naturally the core army, the Death Guard was the elite thugs and special agents, the Grudge Society was responsible for internal security, and the Love Separation was the livelihood department … However, after the Female Enlightened Being passed away, the south of the Chakra King was in a mess. As the Party of Justice rose up, refugees who fought for a living under all kinds of pretexts were everywhere. There was no time for anyone to make arrangements after they were recruited.
For example, if a villager claimed to be the Party of Justice from hundreds of kilometers away and planted the flag of the Grudge Society, which belonged to the Chakra King, one day in the future, it was impossible for a middle-level member of the Grudge Society to say that the villager had planted the wrong flag. Of course, the villager would collect the protection fee and return the flag. After all, how could they push the protection fee and lackeys away? It was only human nature.
In such a way, the departments of the Eight Executives could complement each other in the middle and upper levels, but the middle and lower levels were in chaos. As for the lower levels, every flag could be counted as a major force. Such a situation was also the current situation of the Party of Justice at the higher levels.
Of course, judging from the way they dressed, the Undead Guards in front of him were of a high level and could be counted as official core members. These people usually did not have a fixed job like patrolling the streets. At this time, it was already night, and most of the things that they had to do during the day had already been done. As they ate and drank to their heart's content, they talked about adult topics like where to go at night, which half-closed door was the most knowledgeable and tactful, and so on.
After an hour, another two members of the Death Guard in gray came from the other end of the street. There was no telling what they said, but their expressions slightly changed. Someone cursed in a low voice, "What bad luck." Then, they quickly finished their food and walked to the other end of the street.
You Hongzhuo, who had already changed his stall to drink tea, stood up leisurely and followed them.
Jiangning, which had experienced several wars, was no longer as orderly as it had been more than ten years ago. After leaving the night market, there was a street that had been through a fire. The original houses and courtyards were only remains. Groups of refugees had torn them apart and built sheds or tents. There was no light in the dark, only a bonfire burning at the end of the street. The Chakra King, who had started his business as a religion, had arranged for someone to tell some religious stories here. The families and some children who lived here moved stools over to listen to the lesson and play. The rest of the place was mostly dark. Only when they walked closer could they see the silhouettes of some people.
In such a street market, the refugees from the outside were all in groups. They used the banner of the Equity Party and occupied the area in the form of gangs or village clans. Usually, the Chakra King or some other force would distribute porridge here, making these people much better off than the refugees from the outside.
Occasionally, there would be opportunities to make a fortune in the city. For example, when there was a chance to divide up a large family, the people here would also flock to it. Those who were lucky would be able to divide up some valuables and save up some gold and silver in the past. They would then store it in these dilapidated houses, waiting for the day when they could return to the village and live a better life. Of course, because they were eating the food of others, they would occasionally have to wave the flag and shout battle cry or break through the enemy lines when the Chakra King had conflicts with the people in the nearby territories. Sometimes, if the other party offered a good price, the entire street or even the entire faction would join the banner of the Equity Party.
In such a street market, the quality of public security often depended on the suppression of a certain "gang leader" or "elder". Some streets were fine to enter at night, but there were also some markets where ordinary people might never come out again if they entered at night. All their valuables would be taken away. After all, they lived in troubled times. Many times, people could die in broad daylight, not to mention murders that happened in a corner where no one could see.
The Undying Guards were very familiar with the surroundings. When they passed through the street, there were even people who greeted them when they reached the entrance. Following behind, You Hongzhuo passed through the darkness like a ghost. After turning another street, he saw that several members of the Undead Guard had gathered in front of him. After the two parties met, there were already more than ten of them, and their voices were higher than before.
"Who's coming?"
"I don't know yet. Let's catch him first."
"There's only one person. Why do we have to go?"
"The one who's in trouble is Miao Zheng. You know his martial arts."
"Wake up, all of you. Don't forget that there's been a rumor recently that someone is going to summon Euphoria's soul …"
Those who could enter the upper echelons of the Undying Guard were all skilled in martial arts. Therefore, there was a hint of arrogance in their words. However, when someone said the word "Euphoria", the air in the dark alley seemed to turn colder.
For those who had stayed in the Great Radiant Sect for a long time, the word "Euphoria" was a hurdle that they couldn't overcome. And since more than ten years had passed, it was enough to become a part of the legends.
The legendary "Saint Duke" Fang La and the "Nine Appearances of the Cloud Dragon" Fang Qifo were so heroic and domineering that they could suppress the world. They didn't even need to use the Female Zhenren to stir up trouble. They could already start a large-scale uprising that swept through Jiangnan …
It was said that the Yongle Uprising back then had seen the weakness and corruption of the Wu dynasty and knew that a catastrophe was imminent. Therefore, they fought with all their might. If the uprising had succeeded, the Han men would have long since defeated the Female Zhenren. There wouldn't have been endless war for more than ten years …
It was said that the current Fairness Party and the tyrannical Black Flag in the southwest had also inherited the will of the Yongle Dynasty …
There were also rumors that the legacy left behind by the Saint Duke had not ended. The descendants of the Fang family had always existed in the current Great Radiant Sect and were silently accumulating their strength. They were waiting for the day when they could raise their arms and call for help. They would truly realize Fang La's ambition of "all laws are equal, there is no difference between superior and inferior, get rid of evil and eradicate the strong, and bring eternal happiness to the people …"
The Great Radiant Sect had inherited the legacy of the Maitreya Sect. Over the years, they had never lacked people of all kinds. With more people, there would naturally be all kinds of rumors. Everyone would treat the rumors of "Euphoria" as nothing if no one mentioned it. However, once someone mentioned it, they would often feel that they had indeed heard someone mention it somewhere before.
The group fell silent for a moment before Kuang Wenbai let out a cold snort. "Back then, the Euphoria Dynasty was torn apart and everyone died. What's the point of summoning souls? "This is just the recent arrival of the Sacred Cult Master. Some people are just making a fuss in private. You guys should be more vigilant and not spread these rumors. If the higher-ups accidentally hear it, you won't be able to live."
At this moment, the group was walking in a remote alley. When Kuang Wenbai said this, his voice was exceptionally clear in the night. You Hongzhuo was following behind. When he heard this voice, he felt refreshed and the night air became much fresher. He had not thought of doing anything yet. However, seeing that the other party was still alive and had all his limbs intact and was speaking with great vigor, You Hongzhuo was filled with joy.
With his experience in the pugilistic world over the years, what he was most afraid of was not being able to find anyone anywhere in the world. However, once he found someone, there would not be many people in the world who would be able to get rid of him easily.
Fourth Brother Kuang was probably the assistant in this group. His words were filled with authority. The person who had mentioned the Euphoria Dynasty earlier expressed that he had learned something. The leader said, "With the Sacred Cult Master's visit these few days, the reputation of our Chakra King's faction has increased. There are believers who have come to pay their respects everywhere in the city and outside. Just wait and see. The Cult Master's martial arts are the best in the world. In a few days, he might even destroy Zhou Shang's Five Direction Arena. "
The leader who was in charge of the Immortal Guards was Chen Juefang, nicknamed the Jackdaw. Previously, he had a great feud with Zhou Shang's faction because of his family matters. Now that everyone was talking about him, Zhou Shang was their imaginary enemy. This time, the world's number one Lin Zongwu had come to Jiangning. Naturally, the next step would be to suppress the King of Hell.
Someone said, "Is the Sacred Cult Master's martial arts really that powerful?"
Kuang Wenbai said, "In the past when I was in Jin, I followed Protector Tan to work for him, I was fortunate enough to see Jiaozhu, the Senior, twice. Speaking of martial art skill … hey, hey, the Senior can crush you and me to death with one little finger."
The Protector Tan he was talking about was the Heavenly Blade of River, Tan Zheng. However, Tan Zheng was a branch leader back then. It seemed that he had been promoted again.
Someone said, "Protector Tan against the Cult Master, what would the outcome be?"
"It's said that Protector Tan's saber skills are divine and can already stand shoulder to shoulder with the Tyrant Blade. Even if he doesn't win, I think …"
"We fought back then." Kuang Wenbai shook his head and smiled. "However, it's not convenient for me to talk too much about the matters of the higher-ups. I heard that the Cult Master has been teaching martial arts in the New Tiger Palace for the past two days. If you have the chance, find someone to bring you in to take a look. "
The leader said, "In the past few days, the big leaders have all received pointers from the Cult Master."
"What was the result?"
"Let's not talk about our boss. You all know how 'Martial Tyrant' General Gao Huiyun is. He is proficient in all kinds of martial arts and is invincible on the battlefield. He was holding a long spear in front of the Cult Master, but the Cult Master touched him and he couldn't even stand up. Later on, the Cult Master allowed him to wear armor and ride a horse. That horse … was beaten to death by the Cult Master with one punch. According to the people at the scene, the horse's head was blown off … "
"… How is General Gao?"
"The Sect Leader is giving pointers on martial arts, so how could he really attack someone? With this fist, we'll measure each other's strength and we'll know how strong it is. In short, according to Big Brother, the Sect Master's martial arts had already surpassed the highest level of ordinary people. In this world, perhaps only Old Master Zhou Dong could be on par with him. Even Holy Duke Fang La, when he was at his peak more than ten years ago, was probably not as good as him. So this is to tell you not to blindly believe in Perpetual Joy Soul Summoning. If you really summon a soul, you will also be beaten to death. "
Everyone nodded. At this time, someone asked, "If the Southwest's Inner Demon comes out, what will the outcome be?"
The leader thought for a moment and said solemnly, "The Southwest's Inner Demon is infatuated with power and schemes. Naturally, he can't avoid being distracted when it comes to martial arts. His martial arts are at most at the level of Holy Duke and the others back then. Compared to the Cult Master, he is inevitably inferior. However, the Inner Demon now has a strong army and is fierce and domineering. If they really fight, he won't do it himself. "
Everyone nodded again, feeling that this made a lot of sense.
While these people were talking, their speed was not slow. They arrived at a warehouse and took out fishing nets, hooks, lime, and other hunting tools. Then, they looked at the time and went to a street house that was still intact. They had their eyes on a courtyard that faced a waterway. The courtyard was not big. In the past, it was just the residence of an ordinary family. However, in the current Jiangning City, it could be considered a rare and peaceful place.
According to the contents of these people's conversation, the culprit was the owner of this house called Miao Zheng. No one knew who he was meeting in private, so these people called it "Perpetual Joy Soul Summoning".
When Kuang Wenbai and the others arrived, one of the watchers confirmed that the target was meeting inside. The leader looked at the surrounding situation and gave some instructions. The group of more than ten people immediately spread out. Some blocked the door, some watched the back alley, and some watched the waterway. Kuang Wenbai was experienced in the martial arts world. He knew that either they had caught the enemy in one go, or the most likely thing to make them desperate was this waterway that was less than two feet wide. He led two companions to the opposite side and let one of them go up to the roof of a nearby house and hold a small flag to keep watch. He and the other person took a fishing net and waited.
The flag in the hands of the watcher on the roof was greyish-black. In the darkness of the night, if one did not pay attention, it would be extremely difficult to discover it in advance. On this side of the roof, one could also vaguely see the situation in the opposite courtyard. After he crouched down, he observed carefully. He did not know that not far behind him, another figure had climbed up and was squatting there, staring at him.
After a while, a black figure walked out from the house in the middle of the courtyard and was about to walk to the courtyard door. The watcher on the roof waved the flag. The people below had long been paying attention to this small flag. Immediately, they became alert and made hand gestures to each other, keeping a close eye on the movement at the courtyard door.
You Hongzhuo got up and walked two steps forward. The knife in his hand stabbed into the waist of the watcher on the roof. As he knelt on the watcher's back, he grabbed a tile with his other hand and silently threw it to the opposite side.
The people at the side of the courtyard were focused on the courtyard door. Suddenly, they heard a scream in the darkness behind them. It turned out that a resident in the nearby courtyard had been inexplicably smashed in the head by something. At this moment, the figures inside and outside the courtyard paused for a moment at the same time. The leader on this side suddenly made a few hand gestures and suddenly rushed forward. He stepped on the back of one of his companions, pulled out his sword and leaped over the wall of the courtyard. The black figure in the courtyard had already run to the side, using the wall as leverage, flipped over the side wall.
The two "immortal guards" at the door slammed into the courtyard door. However, the owner of the courtyard might not feel safe enough and had reinforced the wooden door. The two figures smashed into the wall and fell in a sorry state. On the opposite roof, You Hongzhuo almost couldn't help but cover his mouth and laugh.
The black figure that had been captured by the crowd jumped over the courtyard wall and was in the narrow passageway near the waterway. As soon as he landed, the "immortal guards" arranged on both sides also pulled out their knives to intercept him. Now that he was surrounded from both sides, the figure didn't directly jump into the small river under his feet. Instead, he shook his hands and pulled out a knife and a sword from behind his cloak. At this moment, the knife and sword danced, blocking the attack on one side and suppressing the other.
You Hongzhuo frowned slightly. The figure that appeared on the opposite side of the waterway actually felt a little familiar to him.
Among the swordsmen in the Jianghu, many used knives and few used swords. Those who used both knives and swords at the same time were even rarer. This was an extremely distinguishable characteristic of martial arts. The sword in the hands of the black figure in the cloak was both wide and long, while the knife was slightly shorter than the sword. As he waved his hands, what suddenly unfolded was actually the world-shocking martial arts of the former Yongle Dynasty's Minister Wang Yin, who was also the current leader of the chaotic troops, Wang Juyun. It was the Peacock King's Seven Wings.
At that time, the Peacock King's Sword was mostly used in Jiangnan. After the failure of the Yongle Rebellion, Wang Yin went to the far north. Later, the world changed too quickly and caught people unprepared. The Jurchen invaded the south several times and smashed the Central Plains. Wang Yin ran to the south of Yanmen Pass, the most difficult place to survive, to preach and gather a group of beggars to save the people.
The place he was in was poor in all kinds of resources and was the most heavily invaded by the Jurchen. It was not an ideal place to gather people at all, but Wang Juyun just happened to settle down there. He took in many adopted sons and daughters. For those who were talented, he widely taught the Peacock King's Sword. He also sent out capable subordinates to search for gold and silver in various places to supplement the army. This situation was only slightly alleviated after he later cooperated with the Jurchen of Jin.
A few years ago, when the Jin Kingdom's army and Liao Yiren attacked Jin, Wang Juyun led the army under his command and put up a strong resistance. His many adopted sons and daughters often led the most powerful vanguard. Their willingness to sacrifice themselves was moving.
Due to Luan Fei's matter, You Hongzhuo did not have much contact with Wang Juyun's forces in Jin. However, he had fought alongside Wang Juyun's children on a few battlefields. He still remembered the battle where Zhaode City fell. In a section of the city not far from the city wall he was guarding, there was a sword-wielding woman who charged several times and was bathed in blood. He had also seen the scene of this woman hugging her dead brother and crying into the sky in a pool of blood.
Liang Siyi …
This should be that woman's name.
At this time, the distance between them was a little far. You Hongzhuo could not confirm this. However, after giving it some thought, there should not be many people in the world who could change the Great Radiant Sect Sword Technique to using both the sword and the saber. At this moment, aside from Minister Wang, there was probably no one else in the world who could be mentioned by the people in the Great Radiant Sect as the Perpetual Joy Summoning Soul.
Chen Fan, who occupied the Jinghu South Road, was said to be the disciple of Fang Qifo. However, he had already belonged to the Huaxia army. He had defeated the Jurchen and killed the Jurchen General Yin Shuke. Even if he came to Jiangning personally, no one would say that he was here for the Yongle Restoration.
While he was thinking about these things, the black figure opposite him had superb swordsmanship. He had already cut down a member of the Immortal Guard and rushed out. The people on his side were obviously experienced. They surrounded him without any hesitation. The outcome of the two sides was unpredictable. You Hongzhuo knew how powerful these crazy women who survived the battlefield were. He was not worried for a while. He looked at the fallen member of the Immortal Guard and thought of the joke "the member of the Immortal Guard died on the spot" as he waited for the other party to get up.
At this time, a figure moved in the darkness from the corner of his eye. It flew over from a roof not far away and approached him in the blink of an eye.
You Hongzhuo had been ambushing and killing assassins who wanted to assassinate the minister for a long time in the Jin Land. Therefore, he was very sensitive to such sudden situations. The figure might have come from afar. Even You Hongzhuo didn't notice when it got on the roof. You Hongzhuo only noticed it when it suddenly moved.
In the killing field opposite him, the surrounded figure dashed left and right like a monkey. In a moment, the other party couldn't close their mouths. Just as he was about to break out of the encirclement, the figure on his side had already rushed over at high speed. A name flashed in You Hongzhuo's mind.
The leader of the Immortal Guard, "Jackdaw" Chen Juefang.
He was known as the world's best in Qinggong.
You Hongzhuo pursed his lips and whistled twice. The figure wielding the Peacock King Sword suddenly turned around. The figure on the other side of the road, suspected to be "Jackdaw" Chen Juefang, crossed the courtyard wall and used the "Eight Steps Overtaking Cicada" to pounce on the opposite side of the waterway.
You Hongzhuo sighed and flew down from the roof toward Kuang Wenbai and his minions.
"Catch me …"
He landed with a bang and smashed the minion holding the fishing net into the ground.
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