Dream of the Red Chamber: After being exiled, I went on a killing spree in Liaodong.

The guards at the forefront, along with their horses, were smashed to pieces, their bones broken. The warhorses neighed and flew backward as if they had been hit by a mountain.

Sun Hai watched helplessly as his most elite guards fell one after another, and a chill ran through him—it was all over.

The defeat is inevitable!

Sure enough, the team that Li Tianyi relentlessly pursued finally couldn't hold on any longer, and once their lines collapsed, they were plunged into an abyss.

One person flees, a hundred run, a thousand panic!

Once an avalanche begins, no one can stop themselves from sliding down.

"General, let's go!!!"

The guards helped the limp Sun Hai up, mounted his horse, and rode off into the dusty night without looking back.

"kill!!!"

The rebel army pounced on the rabbit like vicious dogs, pressing forward relentlessly and attacking fiercely.

Those who survived were the ones who ran faster than their lives depended on it;

Those left behind were nothing but trampled corpses.

The news of the destruction of the Jiangnan Camp and the unknown fate of Sun Hai swept across the Jiangnan region overnight like a hurricane.

"What?! The Jiangnan Grand Camp has collapsed?"

"Oh God, it's all over!"

"Pack your valuables quickly, let's leave now!!"

The people scattered and fled, and the cries of the people echoed through the streets.

What was once a peaceful life turned into a chaotic and precarious existence in the blink of an eye.

Aunt Xue gripped her daughter's hand tightly, her face pale: "My child, should we... should we escape to the capital now?"

"If the rebels march there, there will truly be no way out."

Even Xue Pan, who was usually domineering and fearless, frowned and looked at his sister with worry in his eyes.

But Xue Baochai remained calm and shook her head gently: "Mother, there's no need to panic."

"The Duke of Qin has only recently left the country."

"Now that things have changed in Jiangnan, the imperial court will surely summon him back to quell the rebellion immediately."

Her tone was calm, her words sharp and clear: "Back then, when 300,000 Later Jin cavalry pressed in, he was able to defeat them in a single battle—what are a mere 250,000 bandits worth mentioning?"

After saying this, Xue Pan and Aunt Xue exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

That makes sense! Absolutely!

But what they didn't know was that the rebels of today were no longer the rabble of yesterday.

After the White Lotus Sect absorbed the remnants of the Jiangnan Camp, its power surged, and in just a few days, its forces snowballed to 500,000!

Displaced people, defeated soldiers, and starving people were all swept up in it, like a raging torrent.

Their next target was Nanjing.

Jinling—the heart of Jiangnan, an ancient capital of a previous dynasty, and the place where the dragon vein is located.

Whoever takes it will be able to command all directions and even conquer the world!

Wu Gang personally led an army of 500,000, marching majestically towards the city, banners obscuring the sky, and the sound of hooves thundering.

When the news reached the city, the newly appointed prefect, Ding Hongfei, nearly collapsed to his knees.

There are only 10,000 troops guarding the city?

On the other side are 500,000 mad dogs who will devour people without spitting out the bones!

This isn't a war; it's a banquet where people are sent to their deaths!

With no other option, he could only gather all the wealthy families in the city, hoping they could pool some money and recruit some people to barely keep things afloat.

"Why do you think the prefect summoned us here?"

"What else could it be? Probably to raise funds and train troops!"

"Yes, yes, the Jiangnan Camp is gone, it has to be rebuilt."

The crowd was buzzing with discussion, and everyone looked worried and distressed.

Only Xue Pan leaned lazily against the corner, looking disdainful.

In his eyes, this farce wouldn't last until tomorrow.

His sister had already said that Yi San's army would be returning soon.

At that time, no matter how many rebels there are, they will all be nothing but clay chickens and clay dogs, and will be wiped out!

Just then, Ding Hongfei strode up to the main hall, his face ashen.

"Gentlemen!" His voice trembled. "I have gathered you all here today because... Jinling... is in imminent danger!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole room erupted in uproar.

Ding Hongfei took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "The White Lotus Sect has incited a popular uprising, and the rebel army has surged from 200,000 to 500,000!"

"They are now advancing at full speed towards Jinling—they will be at the city walls within three days!"

His eyes were bloodshot, and he was almost screaming, "Do you know what happened to those captured officials? Skinning them alive and pulling out their tendons wasn't even the worst of it! I don't want to die! None of us—don't want to die!!!"

In the midst of this deathly silence, Xue Pan slowly rose and let out a cold laugh:

"Isn't Brother Yi already on his way back?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Even if the sky falls, he'll be there to hold it up!"

Ding Hongfei turned his head sharply, staring at him: "You...who did you say?"

"Third Brother Yi?"

"You know the Duke of Qin?!"

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes fixed on Xue Pan, their expressions filled with questions.

"Of course!" Xue Pan raised his head, his chin almost pointing to the sky. "My aunt's nephew, how could he be fake?"

"I even made a special trip to the Jiangnan camp a while ago to drink and practice swordsmanship with Brother Yi. It was so much fun!"

As he spoke, he straightened his back, as if iron had suddenly been injected into his bones. His smugness was like that of a commander who had just won a great victory.

"That's right! The Xue family and the Jia family have been close friends for generations!"

"you do not say!"

"So... Young Master Xue is also acquainted with the Duke of Qin? Does that mean... they might even be related in martial arts?"

In an instant, everyone's gaze was like a red-hot iron chain, tightly binding Xue Pan, eagerly hoping he would nod.

In this situation, what's missing is a leader.

Originally, they were hoping that Ding Hongfei would take the lead, but seeing his worried face and furrowed brows, who would dare to entrust their life to him?

"Ahem!" Xue Pan cleared his throat, a thought flashing through his mind: It's just a little boast, it's not like it's taxable.

In a moment of impulsiveness, he nodded immediately: "Of course."

The words landed like a thunderclap.

"Excellent!!" Ding Hongfei slammed his hand on the table, his voice trembling with excitement. "The ten thousand garrison troops in the city will now be entirely under the command of Young Master Xue!"

"The lives of the people of Nanjing are entrusted to you!"

A series of flattering tactics left Xue Pan dizzy and disoriented.

what's going on?

who am I?

where am I? !

Before they could even react, the people around them had already expressed their opinions:

"My household has three hundred guards, all of them are at your command!"

"My family also has two hundred, at Young Master Xue's command!"

"Young Master Xue! The lives of our entire family are tied to your belt!"

By cobbling things together, they managed to muster nearly seven hundred guards. Adding the garrison, and relying on Jinling's ten-meter-high city walls to hold out until the Duke of Qin returned to reinforce—shouldn't that be…absolutely…no problem?

After all, the one in charge of guarding the city gate was Xue Pan, who had been "personally appointed by the Duke of Qin"!

The servant who followed Xue Pan into the city was now in a daze.

How did a young master who grew up eating, drinking, playing, gambling, and frequenting brothels become a commander-in-chief leading thousands of men in the blink of an eye?

This world has gone mad!

He sprinted back to the Xue residence, his feet barely touching the ground.

Aunt Xue, who was sipping her tea inside the house, knocked it over with a "smash" upon hearing the news.

"What did you say?! Say it again?!"

She stared intently at her daughter, Xue Baochai.

"Mother, you heard me right." Xue Baochai's face was pale, but her voice was steady. "Brother... has taken over the city defenses and is on the city wall now."

"Tell me the whole story!" Aunt Xue grabbed the servant's sleeve, her nails digging almost into his flesh.