A person sacrifices himself to become a saint in a chaotic world of martial arts.

Chapter 153 Shock

But Zhong Ji was a seasoned veteran who had been in the underworld for decades. After the initial shock, his survival instinct quickly took over.

He took a deep breath to suppress the shock in his heart; the breath was so deep that his chest bulged.

His gaze swept over the constables of the Zhenfu Division, and then over the surrounding darkness.

The other two major gangs, the four major families, etc.

Will they just stand by and do nothing?

If the Golden Knife Alliance falls, who will be next?

The rabbit mourns the fox's death.

They surely understand this principle.

As long as they intervene, the Zhenfu Division will have no choice but to withdraw its troops.

In a one-on-one fight, the Zhenfu Division might indeed win, but would they dare to face a united front from everyone?

Zhong Ji gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. That ruthlessness surged from the depths of his eyes, suppressing the fear he had just felt.

"Hold your ground and await reinforcements!" he shouted sternly. "Pass down the order: no one is to surrender! The other forces will not stand idly by!"

This is a turning point!

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of sounds of swords being drawn rang out from both inside and outside the courtyard walls. The sounds were chaotic and mixed, with the clanging of knives being drawn, the ringing of swords being drawn, and the clattering of metal objects colliding.

But there was a clear tremor in that voice.

"Jin Tangjing and An Chen have been executed! The ringleaders have been killed, the rest will not be questioned! Why don't you surrender now? What are you waiting for?"

"Those who resist to the bitter end will be killed without mercy!"

"Those who surrender will be spared death; those who resist will have their entire family executed! Your families will be implicated. Think carefully!"

Outside the gate, shouts of surrender echoed through the courtyard walls, reaching the ears of every member of the Golden Knife Alliance. The voices were loud and clear, like hammers striking their hearts.

Zhong Ji stood in the courtyard, his face ashen.

Those shouts were like knives, cutting into his heart again and again. He could feel the shifting gazes of his men around him, their eyes darting back and forth between him and the courtyard wall, between the knife and the ground.

He could feel the morale slipping away at a visible rate—it was like sand in an hourglass, leaking away little by little, and he couldn't stop it no matter what he did.

"Don't listen to their nonsense!" he shouted angrily. "How could the Alliance Leader be dead? They're lying! When the Alliance Leader returns, we'll chop these lackeys into mincemeat!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a human head was thrown in from outside the wall.

The head traced an arc, rolling in the firelight, leaving a trail of blood.

It rolled down to his feet.

Zhong Ji looked down and his pupils suddenly contracted to pinpoints.

Jin Tangjing.

He knew that face all too well—the lean features, the three long wisps of beard under the chin, and the eyes that were always slightly narrowed.

At this moment, his eyes were wide open, filled with fear and confusion, and the resentment of his death still lingered at the corners of his mouth.

His unwillingness stretched the corners of his mouth into a strange arc, like he was laughing, or like he was crying.

Another head was thrown in.

An Chen.

His face was contorted with grotesque muscles, his eyes were wide open as if they were about to burst, blood vessels were crawling all over the whites of his eyes, and the terror of death was frozen in his pupils.

The blood hole between his eyebrows was still oozing blood, which covered half of his face.

Zhong Ji was violently shaken and staggered back a step, almost falling to the ground.

He retreated too hastily, tripped on the stone slab, leaned back, and waved his arms wildly a few times before barely managing to regain his footing.

died.

really dead.

The leader of the alliance is dead, and the deputy leader is dead too.

The men also saw the two heads clearly, and an uproar immediately broke out.

Some people cried out in alarm, the screams bursting from their throats, sharp and piercing; some people couldn't even hold their knives properly, and the knives clattered to the ground; some people's legs trembled, their faces as white as paper, the whiteness spreading from their faces to their necks, to the backs of their hands, until their whole bodies turned white.

"kill!"

A sharp shout came from outside the door, followed by deafening battle cries.

The constables of the Garrison Command surged in like a tidal wave, their blades flashing and their killing intent soaring to the sky. As the tide rushed in, it brought a foul wind that made it impossible for people to open their eyes.

Chung Chi wanted to organize a resistance, but found that it was impossible to organize one.

The gang members had long lost their courage. Some of them barely managed to raise their knives to fight, but their hands trembled so badly that they could not hold the knives steady. They were cut down with a single blow and fell to the ground screaming. Others turned and ran, but after a few steps they were caught up and cut down. They fell to the ground, twitched a few times, and then stopped moving.

Many more stood frozen in place, unsure whether to fight or surrender. They held their knives, unsure whether to raise them or lower them, just hovering in mid-air like clay sculptures.

Zhong Ji gritted his teeth, drew his sword, and faced a True Qi Realm expert from the Zhenfu Division.

The blades clashed, sparks flew. The sparks burst open in the night like tiny clusters of fireworks, extinguished in an instant.

Normally, he could hold his own against his opponent, but now he was in a state of utter confusion, and his moves were completely out of control. He would slash when he should have slashed, stab when he should have slashed, and then hesitate when he should have stabbed.

He was at a disadvantage after only a few rounds, and several cuts appeared on his body, from which blood seeped out, soaking his clothes.

He glanced around and noticed more and more of his gang members putting down their weapons, burying their heads in their hands, and kneeling on the ground.

The sound of them kneeling down was very synchronized, like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

Some people were still crying when they knelt down, their faces covered in snot and tears; others were still trembling when they knelt down, shaking like leaves.

It’s over.

The thought had barely formed in his mind when his opponent swung his blade at him. He managed to parry, but his hand trembled violently, and the blade nearly slipped from his grasp.

The knife wobbled in his hand, almost flying out of his hand. He quickly gripped it tightly, his fingers turning white from clenching.

We can't fight anymore.

If they continue fighting, they will surely die.

Zhong Ji gritted his teeth, feinted with his knife, and then turned and rushed towards the courtyard wall.

"Chase!" A sharp shout came from behind.

Zhong Ji didn't have time to look back. He channeled all his inner energy, leaped over the courtyard wall, and disappeared into the night. As he was climbing over the wall, he heard the sound of arrows whistling through the air behind him. One of them even grazed his ear, causing a burning pain.

Behind them, the shouts of battle gradually faded into the distance. The sounds grew fainter and fainter, until only the whistling of the night wind remained.

He dared not stop, running wildly through streets, alleys, and fields until he had run several miles before he dared to stop and catch his breath.

He leaned against a tree, panting heavily, his chest heaving violently, making a "huffing" sound in his throat, like a wounded wild animal.

Looking back, flames shot into the sky from the direction of the Golden Knife Alliance's headquarters, illuminating half of the night sky.

The firelight flickered in the night, turning the clouds in the sky red, as if they were on fire.

Zhong Ji trembled all over, whether from exhaustion or fear, it was hard to tell.

The trembling started in the legs, spreading upwards to the waist, chest, and shoulders, until finally even the teeth began to chatter, making a "clucking" sound.

Overnight.

Overnight, the Golden Knife Alliance was wiped out.

At dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

A pale dawn broke in the eastern sky, the white light spreading from the horizon and gradually dispelling the darkness. The morning mist was heavy, like a thin veil, enveloping every street and alley in Qingyuan County.

Early risers began to appear on the streets of Qingyuan County.

The breakfast vendor pushed his cart out, the wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs with a "gurgling" sound. The owner of the steamed bun shop opened the door, the door panels creaking as they were removed piece by piece and leaned against the door.

Vegetable farmers carrying loads came from outside the city, their loads swaying on their shoulders, the vegetables in their baskets still glistening with dew.

Then they all saw the same thing: the garrison officers escorting a long line of prisoners through the street.

The prisoners were ragged, covered in blood, and walked with their heads down, staggering along.

Someone was still bleeding, blood seeping from the wounds and dripping onto the bluestone slabs, leaving long trails of blood on the ground.

The bloodstains meandered like red snakes. Some people stared blankly, as if they had lost their souls; their eyes were open, but they could see nothing.

Someone was walking and crying. The sound of crying was particularly jarring on the streets in the early morning. The cries were of varying pitch and intensity, intertwined like a mournful dirge.

People on the roadside stopped and stared in disbelief at the scene.

Some people opened their mouths wide, forgetting to chew the buns in their mouths, just holding them there.

Someone stared wide-eyed, dropped their vegetable basket, and scattered vegetables and radishes all over the ground.

Some people craned their necks and stood on tiptoe, trying to see more clearly.

"Is that...the Golden Knife Alliance?" someone asked in a low voice, as if afraid of startling something.

"It looks like it—look at that one, isn't that the leader of the Golden Knife Alliance? The one with the scar on his face, the one who beat me half to death at the gambling den last year." Another person pointed at one of the prisoners, his fingers trembling.

"How did you get arrested? What happened?"

"I don't know. I think I heard some noise last night—a very loud noise, like a fight."

An old man stood in the crowd, gazing at the prisoners, and murmured, "The Golden Knife Alliance—is it finished?"

Those nearby overheard this and instinctively chimed in, "How could that be? The Golden Knife Alliance is one of the four major gangs, and it's been in Qingyuan County for over twenty years. How could that be?"

He couldn't finish his sentence.

Because the facts are right in front of us.

Those Golden Knife Alliance members who usually swaggered around and acted arrogantly were now being led through the streets like stray dogs.

Their knives were confiscated, and the constables carried them in their arms, piled up, the blades gleaming in the morning light.

Their heads were chopped off—the leader's and deputy leader's heads. Their gang became history overnight.

The old man's lips trembled, and his voice shook: "The world in Qingyuan County has changed."

This sentence spread like wildfire among the crowd.

One person passes it on to two people, two people pass it on to four people, and it spreads wider and faster.

The sky over Qingyuan County has changed.

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated in Qingyuan County, the Wei Family Compound was already awakened from its slumber.

This mansion, covering more than ten acres, is located in the most prosperous area of ​​the east of the city. With its blue bricks and gray tiles, flying eaves and brackets, it exudes the grandeur of a prominent family.

The courtyard wall is over two zhang high, and the top of the wall is covered with blue glazed tiles, which gleam with a faint light in the morning.

Deep inside the courtyard, the main hall was brightly lit with candles.

This is an extremely grand hall, with rosewood furniture polished to a shine, landscape paintings by famous artists from previous dynasties hanging on the walls, and a complete set of official kiln celadon tea set on the table.

The ground was covered with gold bricks, polished to a mirror shine, reflecting the flickering candlelight.

The head of the family, Wei Zhenghong, sat upright in a rosewood armchair, holding a cup of hot tea in his hands, slowly blowing on the tea foam.

He was about fifty years old, with a thin face, three long wisps of beard on his chin that were meticulously trimmed, and a pair of narrow and deep eyes with slightly drooping eyelids that concealed the occasional glint of shrewdness in his eyes.

Today he was wearing a dark blue casual Taoist robe, with dark cloud patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs, and a mutton-fat jade belt hook around his waist. He exuded the calm and composed demeanor that only someone who had long held a high position could possess.

The tea is West Lake Longjing tea from this spring, and the water is spring water that was just transported from Yuquan Mountain outside the city this morning.

Wei Zhenghong gently blew on the tea leaves, causing the foam to part and reveal a clear pool of tea. He narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, about to take a sip—

Hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

The footsteps were disorderly and hurried, making a "thump-thump" sound on the bluestone slabs, startling the thrushes in the cage under the eaves, causing them to flutter wildly.

"Master! Master!"

The butler, Wei Fu, stumbled in, nearly tripping over the threshold.

His face was deathly pale, and large beads of sweat were dripping down his face, but he didn't bother to wipe them away.

Her usually meticulously combed hair was now loose and stuck to her wet forehead, making her look disheveled.

Wei Zhenghong frowned slightly and raised his eyelids in displeasure.

Seeing Wei Fu's expression, he paused in his tea-serving hand, then lowered his eyelids, slowly brought the teacup to his lips, took a small sip, and finally spoke: "What's the rush?"

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an invisible pressure.

Wei Fu swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as he gasped, "Golden... Golden Knife Alliance."

He could barely speak, his lips trembling, "The Golden Knife Alliance is gone!"

Wei Zhenghong paused.

The teacup hovered in mid-air, the tea rippled slightly, and a few drops of hot tea splashed onto the back of his hand, but he was completely unaware.

"What's gone?" His voice remained calm, but his eyes suddenly sharpened, his narrow eyes widening instantly, a glint of light flashing in them.

"The Garrison Command's siege of the Golden Knife Alliance—" Wei Fu gasped for breath, "Alliance Leader Jin Tangjing and Vice Leader An Chen are both dead! The Golden Knife Alliance's more than three hundred members are either dead or captured; overnight, they're all wiped out!"

Wei Zhenghong was stunned.

He remained motionless, holding the teacup, as if he had been frozen in place.

After a long while, "Bang!"

The teacup slammed onto the table, splashing tea everywhere and sending shards of porcelain flying.

Wei Zhenghong slammed his hand on the table, his narrow eyes flashing with disbelief, the muscles in his cheeks twitching slightly: "What did you say?! Jin Tangjing is dead? Who killed him?"

"That new chief constable of the town, the town's garrison—Su Bai!" Wei Fu stammered, gesturing with his hands to indicate the name. "I heard he held a banquet at Qingfeng Tower and killed them in public! First he killed An Chen, then Jin Tangjing, both with a single sword strike and a clean, swift motion! An Chen's head rolled to the ground on the spot, and Jin Tangjing's body fell from the second floor, smashing down the tables below!"