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"Array up!"

At the command, hundreds of Jinyiwei quickly dispersed, the sound of their iron boots treading on the ground in unison, and in a blink of an eye, they occupied all the commanding heights around Qingfeng Temple. The crossbows in their hands shone coldly in the morning light, and the poison smeared on the arrowheads was faintly visible. Even more terrifying was the musketeer battalion lined up in the back, with three rows of musketeers on standby in rotation, the black muzzles of their guns pointed at the people in front of the temple.

"They are from the imperial court..."

Linghu Chong's drunkenness disappeared completely, the gourd in his hand fell to the ground unconsciously, and the wine seeped into the snow. He subconsciously pressed the hilt of the sword, but saw that the roofs and treetops around him were densely packed with crossbowmen.

Ning Zhongze grabbed his sleeve and said, "Don't move! Those are the armor-piercing arrows from the Shenji Camp!"

Any action at this moment will surely lead to death.

A middle-aged man in a python robe and flying fish suit walked forward slowly, surrounded by his personal guards. His face was as pale as paper, his cheeks were abnormally flushed, his eyebrows were drooping, the white of his eyes was more than his pupils, and the corners of his lips were pulled into a stiff arc, and he glanced at everyone:

"West Factory Commander Xiao Yunqing, I am here to investigate the case."

The sound was high-pitched and piercing, like fingernails scratching against porcelain.

"Everyone present, kneel down to receive the imperial edict!"

Lin Zhennan, despite his severe injuries, stepped forward and clasped his fists, saying, "Commander Xiao, the Fuwei Escort Agency has always been law-abiding. I don't know..."

"Shut up!"

Xiao Yunqing shouted, throwing out a yellow silk from his sleeves: "The imperial decree is here, how dare you quibble? The East Factory found that the Fuwei Escort Agency was smuggling weapons and colluding with the Demon Cult to rebel! The Five Mountains Sword Sect, Shaolin and Wudang are sheltering the traitors, and they are guilty of the same crime!"

Master Fang Sheng put his hands together and took a step forward: "Amitabha. Donor Xiao, monks do not tell lies. I am here only to treat the wounded, how can you say you are plotting a rebellion?"

Xiao Yunqing sneered: "Old bald donkey, stop pretending to be merciful!"

He suddenly raised his voice: "Jinyiwei, listen to my order! Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"

"Wait a minute!"

Taoist Qingxu waved his whisk and said, "Admiral Xiao, can you let me see the imperial edict?"

A trace of panic flashed across Xiao Yunqing's eyes, and then he said sternly: "How dare you! Do you think you can read the imperial edict?"

He waved his hand violently: "Release the arrow!"

“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…”

Suddenly, a sound of breaking through the air was heard, and hundreds of crossbow arrows poured down like a rainstorm. Master Fang Sheng chanted a Buddhist chant, and his gray monk robe fluttered like a sail. He put his palms together and pushed forward, and an invisible air wall blocked most of the arrows. However, dozens of arrows still slipped through the net and shot into the crowd, causing screams to emanate from all directions.

"Come in! Come in quickly!"

Ning Zhongze's sword danced into a curtain of light, protecting Linghu Chong and Lin Pingzhi as they retreated into the temple.

Xiao Yunqing smiled grimly and waved his hand again:

"Musketeer Battalion, get ready!"

"Bang bang bang!"

The first row of muskets spewed out flames and white smoke. Lead bullets penetrated the wooden door, and several Wudang disciples hiding behind the door fell to the ground, with blood holes as big as bowls in their chests.

"Second row, let go!"

Another volley of fire, this time aimed at the Shaolin monks who were trying to break out through the side window. The two monks swung their copper sticks to block, but they didn't know that lead bullets were not as powerful as arrows, and they were hit by several bullets at the same time, killing them on the spot.

Lin Pingzhi was quick to pull his father to the ground. Three lead bullets grazed their scalps and made three deep holes on the wall behind them. Lin Zhennan groaned, and the wound burst open again, and blood soaked the bandage.

"father!"

Lin Pingzhi's eyes turned red, and he was about to draw his sword and rush out.

"No!"

Lin Zhennan grabbed his son's wrist tightly: "That's a firearm! How can a flesh and blood body resist it?"

Outside the temple, Xiao Yunqing proudly ordered: "Grenadiers, prepare the thunder bombs!"

More than a dozen Jinyiwei took out black iron balls from their waists, lit the fuses and threw them towards Qingfeng Temple. These thunder bombs specially made by the imperial court were extremely powerful and exploded as soon as they hit the ground, instantly sending bricks and tiles flying and most of the temple wall collapsing.

A thunderbolt rolled to Ning Zhongze's feet, the fuse hissing. Lu Dayou rushed forward, raised his long sword, and lifted the thunderbolt into the air. With a loud "bang", shrapnel flew everywhere, and Lu Dayou's arm was cut open with a deep cut that could be seen to the bone.

"Great!" Ning Zhongze hurriedly pressed acupoints to help him stop the bleeding.

Master Fangsheng saw this and chanted the Buddha's name loudly: "Amitabha! I will start killing today!"

The monk's robe fluttered, and he used his Vajra Indestructible Body to the utmost, and rushed towards the musket camp in the rain of bullets. The lead bullets hit him with a crisp "ding ding" sound, like hitting a bronze bell.

Master Fang Sheng clapped his palms repeatedly, and with each clap, two or three musketeers vomited blood and flew back. Xiao Yunqing was horrified and retreated repeatedly: "Stop him! Stop this old bald donkey!"

At this moment, a sudden change occurred.

Suddenly, a rumble like muffled thunder was heard from the mountain behind Qingfeng Temple, followed by dozens of black spots that streaked across the morning sky and landed in the Jinyiwei formation.

"Boom boom boom——"

The series of explosions were several times more powerful than the imperial court's thunder bombs, and people and horses were thrown to the ground, with blood and flesh flying everywhere.

"Thunder in the Palm!"

Xiao Yunqing's face turned pale: "It's the palm thunder from Jiangxi Thunderbolt Hall!"

A burst of rapid horse hoof sounds came from far away, and hundreds of men in red uniforms rushed out of the forest. They were holding various firearms, including long guns, short guns, and muskets, and dozens of them had various bombs hanging from their waists. The leader was a big man with a curly beard holding two copper maces, and his voice was like a bell:

"Lei Zhentian, the leader of Jiangxi Thunderbolt Hall, is here! Xiao Yunqing, you forged the imperial edict, what crime should you be punished for?"

Xiao Yunqing forced himself to remain calm: "Lei Zhentian! Do you dare to go against the imperial court?"

"You think you can represent the imperial court? Kill them, my men!"

Lei Zhentian laughed loudly and waved his hand. Red figures emerged from the forest like a tide. Dozens of them held peculiar-shaped fire guns, with three barrels in parallel. Lei Zhentian rushed to the front with his furious beard. As he swung his two copper maces, the skulls of three Jinyiwei centurions were smashed.

"Three-barreled gun! Fire in unison!"

Following this roar, three tongues of fire spurted out from the strange firearms in the hands of the Thunderbolt Hall disciples. Before the imperial musketeers could reload their ammunition, they were torn into pieces by the metal storm. Even more terrifying was the improved Thunderbolt bomb that flew over afterwards - not only did it explode after landing, it also released choking poisonous smoke.

"It's the Seven-Step Soul-Severing Smoke of the Yunyan Pavilion!"

Xiao Yunqing screamed and stepped back: "How dare you——"

Lei Zhentian swept his bronze mace across, smashing the rest of his words back into his throat. The Western Depot commander flew out like a rag bag, and when he hit the charred pine tree, his waist badge fell to the ground with a clang, revealing the Eastern Depot secret code engraved on the back.

"By Master Yue's order! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

The thunder roared loudly, and he took out a gilded token from his pocket. In the morning sun, the cloud and haze patterns on the token flowed like a living thing.

The smoke gradually dissipated, and the snow in front of Qingfeng Temple was soaked with blood. The melted snow water mixed with dark red blood stains and condensed into ice in the cold wind.

The Jinyiwei and the remaining soldiers of the Eastern Depot knelt on the ground, their armor shattered, their weapons scattered, the smoke from the muskets had not yet dissipated, and the crossbow arrows were stuck in the frozen soil, the tails of the arrows trembling slightly.

Lei Zhentian stepped on Xiao Yunqing's back and pressed the bronze mace against the back of his neck. The force was neither too light nor too heavy, just enough to prevent him from breaking free, but not enough to kill him immediately.

Xiao Yunqing's face was pressed into the snow. The blood from the corners of his mouth dyed the snow red. He struggled to raise his head. There was still a hint of viciousness in his eyes. His voice was hoarse, as if it had been rubbed by sandpaper: "Lei Zhentian... How dare you touch an official appointed by the imperial court?"

Lei Zhentian sneered, took out a secret letter from his arms, shook his wrist, and the yellow silk unfolded, revealing a vermilion seal.

"Here is the secret order from the Imperial Household Department. The Jinyiwei embezzled military pay and colluded with the Yellow River Gang to rob Yunyan Pavilion of tax silver. The evidence is irrefutable!"

Lei Zhentian's voice was cold and hard, and every word was as sharp as a knife: "You are just a running dog, and you dare to bark here?"

Xiao Yunqing's pupils suddenly contracted, his lips trembled, and a "ho ho" sound came from his throat, but he could no longer utter a word.

Seeing that the situation was already decided, Lin Zhennan covered his chest and staggered forward a few steps. His face was as pale as paper, his lips were blue, and fine cold sweat oozed from his forehead. His breathing was heavy. The poison of the Black Evil Palm had already invaded his meridians, and every heartbeat felt like a knife stirring in his chest.

"Master Lei...where is Master Yue?"

The voice was hoarse, as if squeezed out from deep in the throat.

Lei Zhentian's expression became solemn, and he clasped his fists and bowed: "Captain Lin, Master Yue ordered me to come to meet you, but I was still a step late, causing you to get hurt. I am derelict in my duty."

After that, he took out a small jade bottle from his bosom, flicked it with his thumb, and the cork popped open, pouring out a green pill. The surface of the pill was slightly shiny, and the medicinal fragrance was clear. As soon as it was taken out, the air around it seemed to freeze for a moment.

"This is the 'Shengsheng Zaohua Pill' imitated by the young master, which can cure the Black Evil Palm poison."

Lei Zhentian handed it over.

Lin Zhennan took the pill without hesitation and swallowed it in one gulp.

The moment the pill entered his throat, a burning breath exploded from his stomach, like strong liquor entering his throat, but with a sense of coolness, quickly spreading along his meridians. His body suddenly tensed up, his fingers unconsciously clenched, and his knuckles turned white.

"Well--"

Lin Zhennan groaned, veins popped on his forehead, and cold sweat poured down. The power of the medicine rushed through his body, and the viciousness of the Black Evil Palm was forcibly repelled. It felt like a fire was burning in his meridians, and the burning pain was unbearable. His breathing became more and more rapid, his chest rose and fell violently, a fishy and sweet taste surged in his throat, and a mouthful of black blood spurted out.

"father!"

Lin Pingzhi was shocked, but Ning Zhongze stopped him and said, "This is poisonous blood. You will be fine if you spit it out."

Lin Pingzhi turned his head and saw that the black color on his father's face had faded a lot.

After a few breaths, the effect of the medicine finally stabilized, and the burning sensation gradually subsided, replaced by a warm internal breath, slowly repairing the damaged meridians. Lin Zhennan let out a long sigh, and a trace of blood finally appeared on his pale face, and his breathing became much more stable.

He slowly opened his eyes, his vision clearer: "Thank you."

The people from the Five Mountains Sword Sect, Shaolin and Wudang stood aside with complicated expressions.

Linghu Chong stared at the firearms in the hands of the Thunderbolt Hall disciples, a trace of fear flashed in his eyes: "Master's Wife... these firearms are more sophisticated than those of the imperial court."

Ning Zhongze remained silent, his fingers tightly gripping the hilt of the sword, his knuckles turning white. Looking at the corpses scattered all over the ground, a chill rose in his heart - if there had been no help from the Thunderbolt Hall today, they would probably have been wiped out long ago.

Master Fang Sheng put his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name in a low voice: "Amitabha... The power of firearms has reached this point."

Taoist Qingxu stroked his beard and sighed: "The martial arts of the Jianghu are ultimately no match for the power of firearms."

Lei Zhentian strode towards Ning Zhongze, and in front of everyone's astonished gaze, he knelt on one knee and saluted with his fists: "Miss Ning, I am here to pay my respects on the orders of Master Yue."

Ning Zhongze frowned and raised the sword in his hand slightly: "What do you mean, Master Lei?"

Lei Zhentian said in a deep voice: "Master Yue has ordered that today's events must be reported to Lady Ning in person."

He raised his hand and took out a gilded token from his arms. There were cloud patterns on the token and a "Yue" character was engraved in the center.

The crowd was in an uproar.

Linghu Chong suddenly opened his eyes wide: "Junior Brother Yue?"

Ning Zhongze's fingers trembled, and the tip of the sword drooped slightly: "Did Weier send you here?"

Lei Zhentian bowed and said, "Young Master Yue has secretly controlled the transportation of grain and salt and iron in Jiangnan for many years. The silver this time was actually the disaster relief money allocated by Young Master Yue. The East Factory has coveted it for a long time, so they pretended to pass on the imperial decree to rob the escort."

Ning Zhongze was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Why doesn't he come in person?"

Glancing at everyone, Lei Zhentian shook his head: "The Pavilion Master has other important matters to attend to, so it is inconvenient for him to show up."

Linghu Chong couldn't help but interrupt: "Since Junior Brother Yue has such power, why do you still want to stay in Huashan?"

Lei Zhentian glanced at him and said calmly: "Master Yue said that Huashan is his root."

Master Fang Sheng and Taoist Qingxu looked at each other, both with shock in their eyes.

Yi Lin stood aside, staring at Lei Zhentian in a daze, and suddenly asked: "Master Lei... Is Senior Brother Yue... okay?"

Lei Zhentian turned his head to look at her, clasped his fists and said:

"Thank you for your concern, Master. Master Yue is doing well, but it is inconvenient for him to show up right now."

Yi Lin bit her lip, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes, and finally she just nodded slightly without saying anything more.

Lei Zhentian waved his hand to signal his men to clear the battlefield, then walked to Lin Zhennan and whispered, "Captain Lin, Master Yue has ordered that this batch of silver must be transported to Qinglong Gorge immediately. The main force of the East Factory is on the way, so there is no time to delay."

Lin Zhennan nodded: "I understand."

He turned around and looked at the people from the Five Mountains Sword Sect and Shaolin and Wudang, clasping his fists and saying, "Everyone, thank you for your help today. I will remember it in my heart. But the situation is not stable at the moment, so please leave first to avoid being involved in trouble."

Master Fang Sheng sighed and said, "Take care, Mr. Lin."

Taoist Qingxu also nodded: "If you need it, Wudang will definitely lend a hand."

Ning Zhongze glanced at Linghu Chong and whispered, "Chong'er, let's go."

Linghu Chong nodded, but couldn't help but look back at the firearms, with a hint of unwillingness in his eyes.

Just as everyone was about to leave, the sound of hurried horse hooves suddenly came from a distance.

"Report! Liu Ruoyu of the East Factory led 3,000 elite soldiers and is already five miles away!"

Lei Zhentian's eyes narrowed: "It's coming so fast!"

Lin Zhennan said in a deep voice: "Master Lei, how should we deal with this?"

A cold light flashed in Lei Zhentian's eyes: "Since they are looking for death, let them see what real firearms are!"

"The East Factory is well prepared. Please do not act rashly to avoid being killed. Please stay here to scout the enemy."

"Array up!"

He looked around and saluted with his fists. At Lei Zhentian's command, the disciples of the Thunderbolt Hall quickly dispersed. The musketeers occupied the high ground, the grenade throwers ambushed on both sides, and the bronze mace team protected the escort carriage.

In the distance, the black mass of Eastern Depot cavalry was coming like a tide. Leading the way was a man wearing a purple robe and with a sinister face. He was none other than the Eastern Depot's big boss - Liu Ruoyu!

"Lei Zhentian! You are so brave!"

Liu Ruoyu's voice was sharp and piercing, and it was creepy when it came from far away.

Lei Zhentian sneered: "Eunuch, you embezzled military pay and colluded with the underworld. Today is the day you die!" (End of this chapter)