"Cough! I am a general of the imperial court. What did you just say? " Zhou De 'an was bold and skillful. He led four soldiers into the alley and heard the excited cries of the couple.
Because of the chaos in the vicinity of this small alley, the doors and windows of the common people were tightly shut. The soldiers had to expend a great deal of effort to knock on the doors of each house to search inside, but these two people were shouting excitedly with their doors open. Zhou Dean was just about to knock on the door of the first house when he vaguely heard someone talking about nobility. He immediately left that house and quickly walked over.
Scholar Fang was overjoyed. When he heard someone talking, he reflexively dodged into the house. He had only moved one door and the gap in the door was not big. When he dodged in, Zhou De 'an happened to block the door.
Zhou De 'an smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. We are soldiers of the imperial court. We are searching for the remnants of the bandits. Have you seen any strangers in this village?"
Scholar Fang saw that the general in front of him was wearing a mighty armor and had a sword at his waist. He was very tall and sturdy. There were also two guards standing behind him. He could not help but be overjoyed. "I was just about to enter the city to report. Sir, you came at the right time. The bandit Yang Hu escaped to my house and was killed by me."
"What?" Zhou De 'an was shocked. His eyes shone brightly. He stared at the scholar and said, "You … young master, you are very skillful. You actually killed the bandit Yang Hu! Where is his body? "
"I don't dare, I don't dare. I don't even have the strength to truss a chicken." Fang Qingchou smiled and cupped his hands.
He remembered that he was about to be made an earl. He did not dare to be a high official, but in the future, it would not be difficult for him to be a county magistrate. He could not help but reveal a proud expression. "The bandit was exhausted. He escaped to my house and fell asleep. I took advantage of his unpreparedness and stabbed his throat with a harpoon. Only then did I take his life. He … he is now in the inner room. Sir, please come in and verify."
Just now, Zhou Dean had thought that there was an expert hidden in the alley. This seemingly weak scholar was actually an unworldly expert. Hearing this, he suddenly understood. He impatiently rushed into the room. Two of his bodyguards followed him in while the other two guarded the door.
Zhou Dean pressed down on his saber. As soon as he rushed into the room, he saw the scene on the bed in the inner room. His hand let go of the hilt. How could General Zhou, who had killed countless people, not see that there was a dead person on the bed?
He quickly rushed into the inner room and saw that the man on the bed had messy hair, a body as strong as a lion, and a face full of iron-like beard. His eyes were wide open, as if he was about to explode. That vivid expression made people know at a glance that when this strong man was alive, he must have been an awe-inspiring iron man.
The pitchfork pierced deep into his throat. Judging from the looks of it, even his laryngeal bone was broken. Fresh blood covered his neck, and even his mouth was bleeding. Seeing this, the young woman named Xiu Er was frightened, and couldn't help but shrink back. Zhou Dean was not afraid at all. He rushed to the bed and carefully looked at Yang Hu.
As early as when he was suppressing bandits in Bazhou, he had obtained Yang Hu's exact appearance through his informants and some captured bandits. In addition, Yang Hu's features were even more obvious after he was blind in one eye. He only needed to look at him once to determine that this person was indeed Yang Hu.
Zhou Dean let out a long sigh and relaxed his body. Scholar Fang, who was at the side, said with some worry, "Sir, is the thief I killed Yang Hu?"
Zhou Dean's cheeks twitched, and he said lightly, "Yes, this person is the great thief Yang Hu!"
"Haha, I'm rich, my wife, I'm going to be an official, I'm going to be conferred the title of Earl, and I'll be rewarded with tens of thousands of gold. Hahaha, we can move into Jin Ling City and no longer live in this poor mountain village and suffer."
Zhou Dean knew how powerful Yang Hu was. Although Yang Hu was now a stray dog, and Zhou Dean commanded thousands of troops, he expected that even if he could find Yang Hu, it would take a lot of effort to kill him. Who would have thought that this great thief, who killed without batting an eye, would die in the hands of a thin and weak scholar.
He looked enviously at the ecstatic Scholar Fang, and then hatefully looked at Yang Hu, who was glaring at him from the bed. He shook his head lightly, "Yang Hu is such a hero who roamed the world, but he also failed miserably in such an easy task. Sigh! I was too careless, too careless! "
He walked out dejectedly and said to the two soldiers, "Bring Yang Hu's body."
Scholar Fang hurriedly said, "General, then … then what about me? Do I need to go to the government office to register? "
Zhou Dean gave a muffled grunt and nodded heavily.
Scholar Fang excitedly said to his wife, "Wife, you take care of the children, I'm going to the city. Aiyaya, I was really scared to death just now. Who would have thought that this scary guy who came in from the back window was actually a lucky star who could help your husband achieve a meteoric rise, hahaha."
Zhou Dean's face was gloomy. The phrase 'meteoric rise' made his heart feel like it was being bitten by a poisonous snake. Just as he walked to the door, he suddenly stopped and stared at a corner of the room, his eyes flashing rapidly.
Scholar Fang, who was following behind him, said in surprise, "General, why aren't you leaving …"
Just as he said this, Zhou Dean exhaled and let out a low, gloomy roar. With a "clang", the sound of the saber was like a dragon's roar. The saber flashed like a bolt of silk, bringing with it the sound of the wind like deep thunder, as he spun around violently. The saber flashed, and a head flew to the corner of the wall. "Pu!" A mouthful of hot blood sprayed onto the low roof.
"Ah!" The young woman, Xiu Er, screamed wildly. The two guards who were about to move Yang Hu's body off the bed, one had just moved his legs off the bed, and the other had just pulled out the harpoon from his neck. When they heard the scream, they jumped up abruptly and looked back, stunned.
"Ah!" The young woman, who was scared out of her wits, watched as her husband's head rolled far away. The headless body stood there, spitting out a mouthful of hot blood before softly collapsing. His badly mangled chest was right at the tip of her feet. She couldn't help but jump up in fright, and suddenly let out another shrill scream.
The screams came to an abrupt end, and the blade, stained with her husband's blood, was slowly pulled out from her delicate neck. The young woman swayed, and with a pair of eyes wide open in disbelief, she collapsed on top of her husband's body. The child on her back began to cry loudly.
The door clanged, and a guard squeezed in through the crack of the door. He raised his saber and shouted in panic, "What happened, what happened …"
"Get out! You're not allowed to enter without being summoned! "
The guard jumped in fright. Lord Zhou was standing at the door, and he could only see a corpse lying in the room through the crack between Lord Zhou's legs. He didn't know who it was, so he hurriedly retreated.
Zhou Dean glanced at the corpse on the ground, a faint smile on his face. It was a very strange sight.
Since he had used the first blade to turn into a demon, he wasn't afraid of falling into hell forever. In for a penny, in for a pound, in for a pound. Zhou Dean steeled his heart and stepped forward, the tip of his boot on the neck of the crying baby on the young woman's back.
"No!" The guard holding the harpoon cried in a trembling voice. There was a clear sound of bones cracking, and the crying of the baby in the swaddling clothes stopped abruptly. The tip of his boot exerted force, breaking the baby's tender neck, and then his mother's spine.
The blood-stained boot took a step forward, and the two guards took a step back in fright. The guard holding the harpoon said in a trembling voice, "Lord Zhou, you … what are you doing?"
The other guard said in a trembling voice, "I understand, I understand, Lord Zhou, you … you kill … kill people and steal their credit!"
Zhou Dean's lips curled into a gloomy smile, and he said, "You're right, very smart!"
"Ah!" The guard immediately realized that he was also a target to be silenced. He suddenly pulled out his saber and charged at Zhou Dean, a perfect saber strike that carried a biting cold wind.
The moment the blade was about to strike Zhou Dean's forehead, Zhou Dean's body suddenly moved, and the saber struck down against his sleeve. Zhou Dean's hand was like a vice that tightly gripped the guard's collar.
With a twist, the bones broke. His hand slid upwards, and he seized the saber in the guard's hand. He swung the saber upwards, from his genitals to his throat, and cut open the guard's stomach. The moment blood spurted out, he dodged to the side to prevent the blood from splashing onto his body. The guard was almost split in half by this saber strike, and he fell two feet away, landing on the ground with a thud.
"Someone come quickly! Zhou Dean, kill to silence the witness! "
The guard holding the harpoon roared, and the steel fork in his hand suddenly shot out. Zhou Dean tilted his head to the side. "Ding!" The iron fork stabbed into the door frame, and the handle trembled.
The saber in Zhou Dean's hand stabbed out like lightning, and the guard who had thrown the iron fork and was about to jump out of the window was pierced through the back of his waist by the steel saber. His entire body fell onto the windowsill, and he was as soft as two pieces of rag, motionless.
Hearing the shout, the two guards rushed in one after the other. They held their sabers and stood in the outer room in shock, staring at their Lord with a strange gaze. Zhou Dean's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and under his gaze, the two cowering guards were like a pair of mice under the gaze of an eagle.
They did not have the direct visual stimulation of the two guards in the room, and their minds were still somewhat clear. One of the guards trembled as he exhorted, "Daren … you … you can't do it flawlessly and hide it from the eyes and ears of the world. Let … let go."
Zhou Dean smiled, and his eyes slightly drooped. He coldly said, "After the first saber strike, I cannot turn back. Is there anyone else here? How can I not hide it from the world? As long as the two of you die, then if I say black is black, if I say white is white, then who can expose me? With the word 'benefit' in mind, you can turn white into black, and black into white, as long as you know how to grasp the opportunity. "
He sighed softly and said, "Since I was young, I have trained hard in martial arts, and after becoming a soldier, I have bathed in blood on the battlefield. After going through many twists and turns, I finally got to where I am today. He is just a bullsh * t Elementary Scholar. What ability does he have? Just because he accidentally killed a bandit, he can be promoted to an official? Bah! The world is unfair! "
Zhou Dean suddenly laughed, "Don't look at me like that. If you have the opportunity to get to where I am now, you will know how difficult it is to be an official. If you have the opportunity, you must grasp it. When it is time to be ruthless, you must be ruthless. What is black or white, good or evil? Whatever you want it to be, you can dress it up to be. White wood can be burned into black charcoal, and black charcoal can be burned into white ash. This, is the ability of those who are in a high position to turn the clouds and rain with their hands. "
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his saber. The saber light was like a bolt of lightning that tore through the clouds in the sky, and once again swept across the sky …
The soldiers guarding the entrance of the alley suddenly realized that there was no one in the alley. Even the bodyguards who were supposed to be guarding outside the door were nowhere to be seen. They could not help but become nervous. The junior colonel hurriedly called over a dozen soldiers to run into the alley with swords and spears. As they ran, they shouted, "Your Excellency, Your Excellency Zhou!"
Zhou Dean had just killed two bodyguards when he heard footsteps outside. He hurriedly leaped into the inner room, raised the saber in his hand, and chopped off Yang Hu's head. He grabbed his hair and held the head in his hand, then quickly retreated to the door of the inner room. He took a deep breath, and his bones crackled. In an instant, the Hard Qigong made his burly body seem to have grown a few inches.
"Hey!" He let out a low shout and exhaled. The wall separating the inner and outer rooms was slammed hard by his shoulders and elbows, sending bricks flying and dust flying. Then, he spun around like a windmill and gave a series of kicks with his feet. The two main pillars in the small room made loud cracking sounds, and when he kicked for the third time, the house collapsed with a bang. The half of the house near the water swayed and slowly tilted into the water. The other half of the house on the shore crashed down.
As Zhou Dean flew backwards, the corpse of the bodyguard lying on the windowsill of the inner room fell into the water with a splash because the beam of the wooden beam slowly broke and tilted, and then floated away with the current.
When the soldiers at the entrance of the alley ran over, Zhou Dean smashed through the door and jumped out with his face covered in dirt. The junior colonel hurriedly helped him up and asked in shock, "Your Excellency, what happened?"
Zhou Dean said with a shocked and angry expression, "The great thief Yang Hu was hiding in this house. This heartless bandit killed the old and young of that family and hid inside. My bodyguards went in to search, but he killed them!"
"Ah!" Upon hearing the great thief Yang Hu, the soldiers immediately grabbed their weapons and stared nervously at the collapsed house, as if he would jump out of the ruins at any moment.
"Don't be nervous. Fortunately, my four bodyguards fought to the death, and I already beheaded the bandit's leader!"
Zhou Dean raised the ferocious head, scaring the soldiers beside him into taking a few large steps back.
The man's curly beard was bristling and his tiger-like eyes were wide open. Looking at his expression, it was clear that he was fighting with all his might and had his head chopped off by a swift saber. That was why he was able to maintain such a furious and ferocious expression. The Great Bandit Yang Hu's reputation was well-deserved. Only such an expert could cause the house to collapse in a fight with a general.
"Congratulations, General Zhou, for beheading Yang Hu. You've made a great contribution." The junior colonel was very quick-witted. As soon as he saw the head, he immediately realized that Zhou Dean was about to be promoted again and hurriedly flattered him. As for the death of his comrades, a general's success was built on the bones of tens of thousands. They were all cannon fodder anyway, so what was there to be sad about?
A trace of a smile appeared on Zhou Dean's face, but it immediately disappeared. He said in a sorrowful tone, "Sigh! Let's not talk about this for now. It's a pity for my four good brothers … "
He was so sad that he could not continue speaking. He waved his hand and said, "Move the bricks and debris away. I want to bury them!"
"Yes, yes, but … a large area of the house has collapsed. We don't have anything to do, so how long will it take to dig with our hands? Since Yang Hu has been found, why don't we call back Chief Liu's men and let them find the corpses of our brothers and bury them. You should return to the city as soon as possible. General still has the heavy responsibility of defending the city. "
"Hmm … Alright! With Yang Hu captured, I can rest assured. I'll lead the troops back to the city to prevent others from taking advantage of us. Call Liu Qianhu back to bury the corpses, then immediately return to the city. "
"Yes, sir!"
* * *
"Ying 'er, we're almost at Fang Village. Should we go around the village?" Zhen Yangge rode a yellow buckskin horse and chased after her with a large saber slung over his shoulder.
Red Lady was dressed in black, and her white cloak fluttered like the clouds. Her lips were still stained with a beautiful handlebar mustache. Her eyes were like limpid autumn waters, her eyes were like bright stars, and her nose was like goose fat. Only her mouth seemed a little small, but no matter how you looked at it, she was still a handsome gentleman.
She looked up at the sun, frowned and said, "It's too late. We must reach Nanjing City by noon. If we take a more remote route, I'm afraid the Taoist won't be able to meet up with Feng Lei in time. Moreover, there's no guarantee that there won't be any scouts in front of us. We'll go straight through the town and take the official road. Even if the officials send a message, they may not be faster than our horses!"
"Good!" Zhen Yangge was so happy that even his mustache curled up. "This is good. Copying the Taoist makes my old bones feel like they're going to fall apart. From time to time, I still have to lead the horses. Haha, this is good. Boys, let's go through the town. Let's eat and drink when we enter Nanjing City. Let's kill!"
Old Man Zhen rushed ahead of Cui Ying 'er and rushed toward Fangzhuang.
Fangzhuang was a small village. The White Goat Temple at the entrance of the village was a dilapidated Taoist temple. The village was too small, and not many people were willing to donate incense. Thus, the Taoist temple was not very prosperous.
Originally, there was an old Taoist priest who lived here with two young disciples. Since the old Taoist priest died, the two young disciples took away the few properties of the temple and left. Since then, this place was completely deserted and became a shelter for some beggars.
At this time, a weak beggar in tattered clothes staggered over. Although his hair was unkempt and his clothes were tattered, from his obviously delicate skin and the tattered but expensive clothes, he should be the son of a rich and powerful family.
Now that the war was in chaos, there were still people above people yesterday, but once the White Shirt Army passed, there were many rich and powerful families that were immediately destitute or even destroyed. In the chaos of war, there were many nouveau riche families, and they quickly went bankrupt. The people were used to it.
The common people here were very happy to give alms to him. Perhaps it was out of pity that he was a son of a rich and powerful family and did not know how to survive. He coughed incessantly all day and was obviously sick. It was a little pitiful. Or perhaps it was out of a kind of psychological satisfaction. They were satisfied that they could give alms to an important person who used to be so high and mighty that even a dog in front of his mansion was nobler than him.
In short, the alms he received were always more than those beggars who not only wore tattered clothes but also had a repulsive appearance. Especially the young ladies and wives. Seeing such a handsome young man reduced to such a state, they felt pity for him and were more generous.
As a result, even the hearts of those repulsive beggars became repulsive. They saw this fellow who had just come to their territory to beg as a thorn in their side. Li Dali rushed back into the temple while coughing. He supported the warm stone goat and slowly sat down on the stone steps. He struggled to catch his breath. A few beggars next to him immediately looked at him with jealousy.
The corner of Li Dali's mouth curled up and he smiled disdainfully. How could sparrows and swallows exist in the eyes of a swan? Who were they? I was just using this to hide. I never thought that I would be hated by a group of beggars because I stole their rice bowl. Haha …
His smile faded and his heart began to hurt again. Recently, his condition had become more and more serious, but there were no wounds on his body. Not only was it difficult to breathe, but he often felt dizzy. Even half of his body was often paralyzed and his heart ached.
Because his condition was getting more and more serious, he could no longer travel by horse and carriage. At the same time, he was less and less hopeful that Yang Hu would take Nanjing. Li Dali decided to leave the White Coat Army and go north to find his father.
At this time, when the army was gathering, the more people he brought, the more dangerous it would be. He only brought two people and tried to escape to the river bank and find a way to cross the river north. However, the area he was in was the area where the two sides were fighting fiercely. Three young men traveling alone could easily be mistaken for spies of the White Coat Army and be interrogated, not to mention that they were carrying sharp blades.
At an intersection of the Shoulder Pole Gully, the three of them came across the militia. These peasant soldiers were even more difficult than the regular soldiers. The two subordinates were both proud and arrogant martial artists, they could not be provoked. They saw there were only a dozen or so strong people at the intersection, so when they were being searched, they pulled out their sabers and resisted. Unexpectedly, there was a lookout hiding on the tall autumn pear tree. That bastard hit the gong on the tree. This time it was like stirring up a hornet's nest, countless Ding Yong with bows and sabers slung over their shoulders rushed out of the village.
Li Dali was seriously injured and could not use force. In order to avoid suspicion, they did not ride a horse. In order to cover the escape of the Third Young Master, two loyal Maitreya followers rushed forward to deal with the strong people who rushed out of the village. Li Dali fled in panic and came to this area. He heard that the war was intensifying and the river had been sealed, so he stayed in the village.
Li Dali felt that being a beggar was a good protection identity. When the government searched, they did not care about these dirty beggars. Therefore, he tore his clothes, messed up his hair, and temporarily lived here. While waiting for the river ban to be lifted so that he could cross the river to return, he also paid attention to Nanjing City. He wanted to see if Madman Zhao could really take Nanjing and cause more chaos and turmoil to the court of Ming Destiny.
"Alas!" He let out a long sigh of relief. The pain in his heart had passed. "No matter who wins or loses, the river ban must be lifted as soon as possible. Otherwise, with my condition, I'm afraid I won't be able to make it back to Taiyuan."
Li Dali worriedly put aside the broken bag filled with dry food. Just as he was about to close his eyes and rest for a moment, his leg was suddenly kicked by someone. "Hey, get out of the way. This is grandpa's territory!"
A beggar with a 'lion's head' curled his lips and said. Li Dali faintly smiled and struggled to get up. Just as he was about to pick up the bag, the beggar raised his leg and kicked the bag to the side. There was laughter from the beggars who were watching from the side.
Li Dali was also laughing, but his face was full of bitterness. "When a tiger falls to the plains, he will be bullied by dogs. Now these few things are riding on my head." He shook his head helplessly and staggered to the side. "A real man knows when to yield and when to stand tall. Han Xin can bear the humiliation of crotch, can't I?"
The 'lion' wanted to provoke his anger and take the opportunity to gather a few close friends to teach him a good lesson. Seeing that Li Dali was so tolerant, he felt disappointed but also a little proud. He kicked Li Dali's butt and cursed, "Damn, at least you know what's good for you!"
Who would have thought that Li Dali, who was originally so skilled, was now too weak to stand up to the wind. That kick caused him to fall to the ground, and his cheek was pressed against a mound of dog poop. Li Dali's anger was ignited, and the blood in his body was boiling. With this agitation, he saw stars in front of his eyes, and felt a stabbing pain in his chest.
He gasped for breath and forgot where he was for a moment. He turned his head and scolded, "Bastard, you really don't know what's good for you!"
"Yo?" Triumphantly turning around, Lion Head, who was about to leave, suddenly turned around and said with a hideous smile, "Little brat, are you tired of living? Damn you. "
As he cursed, he stepped on Li Dali's face and pressed the other side of his face against the dog poop, rubbing it with all his might. "Damn it, you half-dead little beast. Lick my balls for your grandpa. If you're satisfied, I'll let you go."
The beggars roared with laughter. Li Dali roared, grabbed his ankle and pulled hard, causing him to tumble. The 'Lion Head' was furious. He sat up with half a brick and hit Li Dali's forehead. Blood immediately flowed down. The 'Lion Head' was not satisfied. He shouted, "Brothers, teach him a lesson for me. Damn it."
Five or six beggars who were standing on the steps to watch the fun rushed over and held Li Dali down. The 'lion' looked around and saw a steamed bun rolling out of the pouch. He grabbed it, dipped it in the dog shit, and said fiercely, "Little bastard, give this steamed bun to grandpa to eat. Eat, give it to me!"
He used his black hand to pinch Li Dali's chin, and used his other hand to put the stinky steamed bun into Li Dali's mouth. Li Dali closed his mouth and tried to dodge. The dog shit was all over his lips. The pain in his heart was getting more and more unbearable, but the humiliation was like a flame burning in his heart. Li Dali, who felt like his heart was going to break when he was angry, couldn't take it anymore.
He suddenly broke his Qi and roared. He forced his Qi into his dantian, and his strength passed through his meridians. He spat out a mouthful of blood. The 'lion's head's' face was covered in blood. The 'lion's head' let go of him, covered his face, and staggered back.
A strong stream of air spurted out from his throat, followed by a strange roar that sounded like a bull or a frog. Suddenly, there seemed to be a huge force around his body. The beggars that were pressing on him were like rubber balls that were bounced off, all of them were shaken up and thrown more than ten feet away. The 'lion's head' had just wiped his face when he saw this strange scene. He was so scared that he screamed, turned around, and ran towards the entrance of the Taoist temple.
Li Dali's body suddenly jumped up from the ground. His face was like chicken blood, and his eyes were shining. The beggars standing on the stairs only saw a blur in front of them. Li Dali's hands, legs, horizontal slashes, and throat grabbing were still in their sight. The real Li Dali had already reached the entrance of the temple, and his five fingers were pressed on the 'lion's head's' head.
"Crack!" The twisting was quick and urgent. The 'lion's head' was still running forward, but its entire face had already been completely twisted around, as if it was facing Li Dali's face.
Li Dali hated this beggar to the core. He didn't know why, but he endured the pain and forcefully used Qi Gong. Now his heart not only didn't hurt anymore, but it was also warm and surging with more power.
Li Dali finally exhaled. He condensed his Qi on his forehead, and fiercely knocked forward. He used his forehead to smash the 'lion's head' into pieces. Blood and brain matter flowed down. Li Dali shook his hand and threw the 'lion's head' backwards. Like a broken sack, he was thrown onto the Stone Goat at the entrance of the temple.
The 'lion's head's' legs happened to be riding on the White Stone Goat. Although he was riding on the White Stone Goat, the back of his head was facing forward. The back of his head hit the sharp horn of the Stone Goat, and blood flowed out, staining the stone red.
"Ha! Ha! "Li Dali looked up to the sky and laughed. He only laughed twice before falling down at the entrance of the temple. At this moment, the beggars that he suddenly jumped up and killed fell to the ground one by one.
Ever since he joined the White Coat Army by pretending to be a Qingzhou hunter, he first hid his strength, and then he couldn't use it. This was the first time he used his full strength, and it was also the last time in his life. Like the flash of a comet, or a short-lived epiphyllum, the splendor of that moment was breathtaking.
The thundering sound of horse hooves could be heard. There were commoners running in panic by the roadside. The commoners might have seen the filthy Li Dali lying on the ground, but no one stopped. In this chaotic world, human lives were worth less than dogs. They could only struggle for themselves. Pity was a luxury.
The cavalry of the Ringing Horse Bandits also rushed over. They looked around disdainfully, and some people also saw the tattered beggar lying on the stone steps of the ruined mountain gate. Similarly, no one stopped their horses, and they didn't even look at him. They were just passers-by.
Li Dali was not dead, but he couldn't even move a finger, and he couldn't even say a word. He could hear and see, but he couldn't do anything.
Under the City of Tai-an, the lethal grenade made by Adni with lead beads, iron pieces, and steel needles exploded, and a broken steel needle pierced into his body. The needle flowed along with the blood, and gradually reached the end of his heart. It was blocked there, and then it rusted and congealed into a lump of blood. None of the famous doctors he had seen could understand these changes, and even if they understood, how could they treat him?
Just now, he had forcefully circulated his energy, and the circulation of his blood vessels had suddenly accelerated, breaking through the stagnation in his heart. The steel needle had also been swept into his heart, and under the powerful pressure of his heart, it had been poked full of holes. At the same time, his cerebral vessels had also ruptured. Now, Li Dali was like a piece of wood, quietly losing his life.
Red Lady, who was dressed in a white cloak and black clothes, rode past the Taoist temple. The light in Li Dali's eyes was fading little by little. He stared straight at Red Lady, but he didn't recognize her in men's clothes. Red Lady inadvertently looked back and also saw the dirty beggar at the entrance of the Taoist temple, but she also didn't recognize this beggar — Mu Yun — Li Dali.
Her horse rushed past, and Li Dali was lying in front of the Taoist temple's vermilion paint had long been peeled off, his hair disheveled. His face was covered with mud and feces, and one of his hands was stretched forward, and his five fingers were like chicken claws. There was an indescribable feeling in his eyes, and they gradually dimmed. …
* * *
There was still an hour before noon. Suddenly, countless carriages and horses came from afar. Large carriages rushed to the east city gate, and the people on the carriages shouted loudly to disperse the common people on the road. There was a big flag with the word "Xu" on each carriage.
The city gate could not be entered casually. Although they were fleeing, in addition to the necessary valuables, the common people also brought with them their residence certificates that had not been used for a long time. Without these things, many high cities were not allowed to enter. The officers and soldiers interrogated at the gate one by one, which took a long time. The city was already crowded and blocked. When these carriages and horses arrived, they were arrogant and shouted loudly, and the common people in the queue suddenly complained.
Guard Guan stood at the top of the city wall and happened to see that the toilet bowl caravan also came back to the city. As soon as they arrived at the gate, they must be crowded. He hurriedly ran down the city wall, stood on a chair, and shouted loudly: "What are you squeezing for? Don't squeeze. Where did this caravan come from? Line up according to the rules."
After he finished shouting, he put on a smiling face and said politely to the awe-inspiring burly man standing in the foremost car with his hands on his waist, "Which motorcade is this from? Please check your account and pass according to the rules. This is a critical period. Sorry, sorry."
In the city of Nanjing, there were not relatives of the emperor, dukes, marquises, aristocratic families, retired high-ranking officials, and all of them had complicated relationships. Looking at such a huge array of people, he did not dare to say anything definite.
Sure enough, the big man in embroidered clothes glanced at him proudly, jumped out of the carriage, and swaggered in front of him. With a fake smile, he said: "Army master, you have worked hard. We are people from Master Xu's mansion. The White Bandits are causing trouble. Master ordered us to transport some important goods from the Southern Zhili business into Nanjing."
"Master Xu? Which Master Xu? "
The big man rolled his eyes and proudly said: "Looking at the whole Jiangnan area, besides my family's Master Xu Jing, who else is worthy of Master Xu?"
As he said this, he took out a card from his bosom and handed it over. Guard Guan opened it and saw a banknote inside. He quickly pressed it down and looked to the side. There were a few lines of large characters painted with thick gold. Sure enough, this was the ostentatious extravagance of an aristocratic family. It was a greeting card from the Xu family. It also had the personal name of the big man guarding the carriage, Feng Yutian, as well as a residence permit and other official identification.
After verifying that there was no mistake, Guard Guan smiled apologetically and said: "So it is the carriage of Master Xu's family. Uh, brother Feng, how could I dare to stop Master Xu's carriage? But … this is an extraordinary period, I have to check a few carriages. "
Feng Yutian smiled and said: "Well, then go ahead and check, but do it quickly. I won't make things difficult for you, but don't delay my family's business."
Xu Jing was from an aristocratic family in Jiangnan, a very rich and powerful family. Especially now he was in close contact with the Nanjing Imperial Bodyguard Governor Qian Ning, Gu Daeyong of the Zhejiang Maritime Yamen, and important people in the military and political circles. With one word from him, Guard Guan would not have a foothold in the Jiangnan area. How could he dare to offend him?
Guard Guan smiled apologetically and ordered people to open the seal of the box. He opened the lid and saw that more than ten taels of silver each were piled full of fine silk and satin. He reached in and felt it was all silk and satin. He jumped over two carriages and opened another box. It was gold, pearls, jade, coral, treasure bottles, all separated by cotton, wooden frames, and other objects. The mouth of the utensils were also plugged to prevent them from being shaken and damaged. Obviously, they were extremely precious treasures.
Guard Guan was even more careful, for fear of accidentally damaging one of them. If that happened, he wouldn't be able to pay for it even if he sold everything he had. After checking a few carriages in succession, Chief Manager Feng was unhappy. He said lazily: "I say, Sir, it's enough. There's no end to it. Look yourself, I have more than two hundred carriages. Are you going to check until dark?"
The people around also clamored: "Sir, we want to enter the city. If the time comes and the city is sealed, there will be chaos everywhere. Where can we go? Sir, please hurry up."
An unpleasant stench floated over. The caravan of toilets had also arrived. Guard Guan pinched his nose and jumped out of the carriage. He waved his hand repeatedly and said: "It's my duty, please forgive me. Chief Manager Feng, please come in. Hey, move the antlers and barricades. Hurry up, the city gate is blocked. "
The obstacles in front of the city gate were removed, and the caravan began to enter the city. The people were squeezed to the side and could only watch helplessly as the latecomers advanced. They had long been accustomed to the life of servants and consciously protected the privileges of others, even though they might be cursing viciously in their hearts.
Chief Manager Feng snorted in dissatisfaction and followed the caravan into the city. The moment he stepped into the shadows of the carriages, his lips curled into a smug smile. Most of the more than two hundred carriages were filled with flammable materials, and a few of them were all filled with expensive liquor. As for the last dozen or so carriages, they were all filled with firewood and branches.
Once it was activated, the entire eastern city gate would be engulfed in flames. How could the soldiers get close? How could the city gate be closed? Besides, there were still hundreds of brave and skillful soldiers under his command. Even if the three armies couldn't arrive on time, he could still hold on for a long time.
Along the way, Yang Hu's army had heard some unfavorable news from the refugees, but he didn't know how serious it was. He only knew that there were fierce battles with the soldiers, and there were countless corpses everywhere. He didn't know how Liu Qi's army, which was traveling along the river on the western road, was doing. Based on his estimation, they should be able to arrive at the mouth of the Yangtze River outside of Nanjing around noon. As for Zhao Sui's cavalry, he believed that with Liu Qi and Yang Hu's two armies attracting the attention of the main forces of the imperial court, they would be able to shake off the slow-moving imperial soldiers and arrive in time.
Advance separately, advance together. As long as one army arrived in time, they could complete the whole process of seizing the gate, guarding the gate, waiting for reinforcements, and then besieging and conquering the city. Once the news of Nanjing's fall spread, the imperial court's soldiers outside the city would definitely return in panic. Yang Hu and Liu Qi would be able to seize the opportunity and join in the siege. Just the collapse of the city itself would be enough to help them seize the city.
Strategist Zhao was right. As long as they could seize one gate and hold it, there were plenty of rich and powerful families, nobles, officials, and eunuchs in the city. Once they heard the alarm, these large families would definitely flee, leading the people in the city to flee in panic. Once the east gate was seized, they could only rush out of the other gates to escape. The entire city would be filled with a flood of people fleeing. Even if there were guards in the city, they would be scattered by these officials and people who were afraid of bandits and not the imperial court.
In the words of Strategist Zhao, "Yang Ling used horses as his soldiers outside the city of Tai-an to defeat Yang Hu's army of a hundred thousand. I, Madman Zhao, will use the rich and powerful families and the refugees as my soldiers to destroy the steel city of Nanjing!"
Zhao Sui was well-versed in both literature and martial arts. He thought highly of himself and liked to take risks. He was good at using surprise troops. His strategy of seizing a city had many similar examples. Nurhaci once used his subordinates to pretend to be horse peddlers and entered the city at noon. Then, he sent another group of cavalrymen to attack from a hundred miles away, causing the city gate to be in danger. They worked together from the inside and outside to seize a heavily guarded city in Liaodong.
However, Madman Zhao had underestimated the strength of the imperial court. He did not expect that Yang Ling had secretly prepared cavalrymen to attack swiftly and pin down his group. At the same time, Yang Ling had already set Shaanxi and Jiangnan as the White Army's main attack locations and made detailed military arrangements. Now that Jiangxi had been trapped for a long time, and the armies of Yang Hu and Liu Liu had been defeated one after another, could he still succeed?
* * *
Ma Lian 'er was dressed in white, riding on a white horse. She was as pretty as a pear blossom and more delicate than a flower. She had a slender waist, silky hair, and skin as delicate as jade. She was so bright and beautiful that she could not be compared to anyone else.
She did not expect the White Army to return and attack Jiangnan. Ma Lian 'er settled her final affairs at the Rosy Clouds Abode on the Phoenix Peak of Mount Qixia, which was about twenty to thirty miles away from the city. Only then did she rush back to Stone City accompanied by eight guards with bows and swords on their backs. She arrived in a moment on a fast and light horse.
She did not think that the White Army would be able to successfully attack Nanjing this time. However, the guards were worried and the child was still in the city. Therefore, she rushed back early before the city was closed in the afternoon.
The official road at the East City Gate was already crowded. There was an endless stream of pedestrians, carriages, and horses rushing to Nanjing. The toilet carts that came out of the side blocked the entire road, forming a long twisting line. The unpleasant smell made the procession very silent. Each of them closed their mouths tightly, stared, and silently endured.
In the middle was Master Xu's family's convoy. There were still seventy or eighty carriages outside that had not entered the city. Due to the overcrowding, the drivers loudly cursed the people blocking the road on the left and right. They angrily jumped off the carriage and led the horse's head. Under the guidance of the escorting housekeeper who was standing on the side of the road, they struggled to walk through the crowd to the city gate.
Ma Lian 'er frowned, lifted the reins and said, "Let's go and wait on the left side."
She took the lead and flashed to a grassy slope more than ten feet away on the left side of the road. This place was upwind, and finally avoided the stench. Holding the saddle and waiting quietly, Ma Lian 'er frowned slightly and said to herself, "Xu? Such a large convoy, in the whole of Jiangnan, only the Xu family of Jiangyin has such a large convoy. This Xu Jing is too careful. I have already told him that the imperial court will never allow the White Clothes Bandits to take root in this important place of money and food. He still gathered so much property to transport to Nanjing. If something happens on the road … Ai! These merchants are too timid after all. "
Ma Lian 'er was very happy. Everything that she needed to deal with had been dealt with. She couldn't seduce that heartless guy, but with the arrival of the White Clothes Army, she would definitely be able to seduce him. After going through all the twists and turns, she could finally be with him. Her baby daughter who could already speak could also see her father. Ma Lian' er really felt satisfied.
As she thought about it, a sweet smile quietly appeared on her lips. She gently shook the whip in her hand and looked at the slowly moving convoy with satisfaction. Suddenly, Ma Lian 'er's expression changed. Her pretty eyes stared vigilantly at a carriage.
The cart slowly passed by. Another cart came along and ran over the same mound of dirt. The cart jolted and rolled over the mound of dirt. The planks of the cart shook a few times, and then it continued on its way as light as a feather.
"What's in the carriage? How can it be so light? " Ma Lian 'er's white hand suddenly gripped the reins and the smile on her face completely disappeared. She saw a man who was escorting the convoy standing on the side of the road and directing the convoy. He was cursing and gesticulating, and occasionally made some inadvertent small movements.
Since she was in charge of the business in Jiangnan, Cheng Qiyun had handed over the heroes of the Jiangnan underworld and the Green Forest Road who had been subdued into the Inner Guards to her. Because of the business of shipping, she was also very close with Peng Shaosha, Beauty Wang, and Bai Xiaocao, these big bandits. She was not completely ignorant of the underworld and the Green Forest Road's incision and sign language.
Ma Lian 'er's bright eyes suddenly widened and her heart jumped to her throat:' The white-clothed bandits are scamming the city? '
On the top of the city wall, Young Master Guan Guan held a small gold fan with a smile on his face. He wore a young master's hat on his head and his two long wings hanging down to his shoulders as he slowly climbed up the city wall. When he saw Ma Ang, he smiled wholeheartedly and said: "Official Ma, hahaha, greetings to Official Ma."
Ma Ang saw that it was the love-struck fool who would go up when his sister went up and return to the city when his sister went back. He couldn't help but frown. He was Garrison Guard Guan's son so Ma Ang couldn't be embarrassed. He could only coldly cup his hands in greeting: "Young Master Guan Guan, why have you come to the city wall?"
"Ah, I came to see my father. Uh … Miss Lian 'er hasn't returned to the city yet?"
Ma Ang rolled his eyes and thought: "If you didn't go to my house, how would you know that my sister has left the city?"
Ma Ang snorted and said: "Not yet. Your father is below the city. Young Master Guan Guan can go there to find him." As he spoke, he turned and walked towards the city wall. His sister was unmarried and had a child. This matter couldn't be spread so outsiders didn't know. However, as time passed, rumors would spread. People didn't know which high ranking official this flower of Jin Ling belonged to and there were many private discussions.
But this Young Master Guan's infatuation didn't change and didn't care about these things. He only wanted the beauty in his arms and nothing else. Especially when his wife gave birth to a daughter, even his father-in-law was silenced. He chased after her with even more confidence. He didn't know how many bowls of cold treatment he had received from Ma Lian 'er but he was willing to do so.
Seeing that Ma Ang didn't want to pay attention to him, Young Master Guan hurriedly smiled and walked to the top of the city wall. He held onto the wall and looked down. He said: "Oh, there are local nobles hiding in the city today? Such a long caravan … "
"Woosh!" Young Master Guan's hat flew backwards.
"Wow! There is such a strong wind at the top of the city wall! "Young Master Guan exclaimed.
"Strong wind? Strong wind my ass! "Ma Ang shot over and pressed him to the ground." Get down! Someone shot an arrow! "
"What? Who! Who wants to harm me! "Young Master Guan's face was full of anger.
Ma Ang didn't pay attention to him. He gripped his saber tightly and flashed past two entrances. He stood sideways and suddenly looked down. He saw that there was a crowd of carriages but it wasn't chaotic. It was calm and there was nothing out of the ordinary. Ma Ang was curious. He looked back and saw that Young Master Guan's hat was still on the ground. An arrow had pierced through it and it fell to the ground five or six feet away.
Ma Ang slowly straightened his body and looked into the distance. His eyes widened. "Sister!"
"Miss Lian 'er?!" Young Master Guan squeezed over but hid behind Ma Ang. He only showed half of his face.
As expected, there were a few handsome horses on the grassy slope. The person in front was dressed in white and had a long belt. She looked like a fairy. She held a bow in one hand and held the moon in her arms. She seemed to be about to shoot the second arrow. When she saw her eldest brother, she hurriedly waved at him.
Ma Ang frowned and said: "Sister, what's the matter? You really don't know the gravity of the situation. I'm lucky that I was cautious and knew to look. Otherwise, if I gave a warning and caused chaos in the city, the people would be trampled to death. What would I do then? "
This place wasn't very far from the grassy slope. Otherwise, while Lian 'er's archery was good, her arm strength was not enough. She wouldn't have been able to accurately hit Young Master Guan's hat. Adding on that the two were familiar with each other, it was easy to tell who the other was just by looking at them from a distance.
But if he shouted, the other could not hear him. Ma Lian 'er wanted to rush forward to warn them, but the cars on the road were all twisted and turned, and the commoners who were walking took every chance to squeeze forward when they were free. The traffic jam was very solid, just like the traffic jam at the crossroads. It was difficult to move even an inch.
When Young Master Guan saw it was Miss Lian 'er, he was overjoyed. He was used to being abused by Lian' er and wouldn't get angry. He hurried to another mound and stepped on a pile of stones to poke half his body out. He waved his hand in response.
Ma Lian 'er didn't know when the bandits would make their move. She couldn't get past them, so she shot an arrow to warn them. But her eldest brother thought she was throwing a tantrum and was so angry she didn't know what to do. Seeing Young Master Guan signal to her, Ma Lian' er hurriedly put the bow on her back. Her right hand brushed forward and then her palms moved in front of her chest. She pushed forward and then her right hand slowly rose again and chopped forward. While it couldn't be seen clearly, it could be guessed that she had stretched out her index finger and pointed forward.
She was dressed in a soft white robe and riding a handsome white horse. She was already beautiful. At this time, the autumn wind blew and her robes fluttered. Lian 'er's movements were even more graceful. When Master Guan saw her, he was filled with ambition and his mind was at ease.
Ma Lian 'er tossed and turned and did it three times in a row. Ma Ang said with wide eyes, "What is my sister doing?"
Young Master Guan often saw these movements. But at that time, these movements weren't done in the air but with real objects. Also, each time he saw it, it was accompanied by Miss Lian 'er's bell-like voice.
His eyes were still staring at the beautiful person on the horse as his mouth unconsciously followed Ma Lian 'er's fourth movement. "Miss Lian' er said, 'Are you leaving or not? If you don't, I will close the door and release the dogs! '"
Ma Ang's nose went crooked in anger when he heard this. "What nonsense is this? My sister is dignified and generous, virtuous and virtuous. Would she flirt with you in broad daylight, under the watchful eyes of everyone, through the city walls? "
Young Master Guan said curiously, "Hm? Why is Miss Lian 'er repeatedly closing the door? "
Ma Ang looked at his sister's increasingly panicked movements. When he heard Young Master Guan's words, his mind flashed and a thought formed in his mind. He didn't hesitate. His hand gripped the hilt of his blade and he immediately turned and sprinted towards the transportation path!
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