Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

Chapter 121 False Talisman

The general's mansion had few personal guards; most of the soldiers were in the county garrison.

Besides some martial arts masters with the Transformation Realm, there were also quite a few martial arts masters with the Dark Realm Realm present today.

In other words, this day marked the peak of Songjiang County's military might.

If it weren't for Fang Yelan and the others holding the line, this group of warriors would have been like an elite force, wiping out almost everyone in the General's Mansion.

At the same time, upon hearing Gao Jing say that Ye Ci shouldn't bear the responsibility alone, someone rushed up to add insult to injury for Zhang Guan.

Sometimes, a rebellion only requires one person to take the lead, and others will eagerly participate.

Ye Ci felt that Zhang Guan's vitality was a bit too tenacious.

But as more and more people came to finish him off, Zhang Guan's face gradually became extremely distorted.

"Give me a quick death!"

He slammed the back of his head against the ground.

Ye Ci finally found the anomaly.

He suddenly grabbed Zhang Guan's hair, and with a "plop" sound, almost ripped off his scalp. Zhang Guan let out a heart-wrenching roar, and was then punched in the mouth by the thug next to him.

Ye Ci took the hair-binding crown on Zhang Guan's head in her hand. It was similar to a small copper cap, which could cover the hair bun on the top of the head. It had holes on both sides for inserting hairpins to secure it.

"strangeness----"

Ye Ci pulled out the hair inside and saw a yellow talisman on the top of the hair ornament, which had a faint glow.

"What is this?"

Ye Ci was somewhat surprised. She took the hair crown in her hand and walked to the side.

The others ignored Ye Ci. The scene was in chaos, and everyone rushed forward to deal with Zhang Guan, feeling they had to reclaim their anger and the dignity of warriors.

Walking to the side, Ye Ci touched the talisman and felt that it was not like the yellow paper he usually used.

Of the three thousand great paths, take only one as a guide, and steal half a portion to condense a false talisman.

[A fake Taoist talisman contains vital energy and warmth, capable of healing injuries, warming the internal organs, and replenishing what is depleted.]

A line of text appeared out of nowhere, startling Ye Ci.

Then, a flood of information rushed into my mind.

This is a talisman used to protect one's life. It can be used to heal injuries, and as long as the injury is not fatal, it will heal in a short time.

Ye Ci was shocked. He remembered that his cheat system was also a talisman, but it could automatically read the information of this talisman.

Upon closer inspection, the talisman's light was noticeably dim.

At this moment, Ye Ci looked at Zhang Guan again and saw that the other party was weak and was only one breath away from death.

Ye Ci, however, had a sudden realization.

No wonder Zhang Guan was so arrogant; it turns out he had a life-saving talisman.

"We'll talk about the talismans later."

Ye Ci stuffed the talisman into his pocket, and in that instant, he felt a connection to it.

Even the loss of life essence and blood that had just been incurred felt like it was slowly recovering.

But just then, a deafening roar erupted outside, like a thousand horses galloping.

The sound was deafening, like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting open.

"There are people outside! Lots of people!"

Someone rushed into the general's mansion and shouted at the crowd.

On the top of the wall.

Jiang Du leaped onto a treetop and looked into the distance.

From all sides of the streets and alleys, countless refugees carrying long and short knives and spears rushed toward the location of the general's mansion.

The sheer number of people was enough to make one's scalp tingle.

Then, he paused for a moment.

Then, clutching his bald head, he cried out in anguish, "It's over—it's all over! They've all rebelled!"

"Zhang Guan, you treacherous scoundrel! Prepare to die!"

Hearing the familiar roar, Ye Ci looked up in surprise.

He saw a burly figure, about forty years old, holding a gun with Fang Yelan's head protruding from the tip.

Looking behind him, one could see Jiang Ding'an and Huang Guoshu.

Unlike usual, both of them had white cloths tied around their waists.

"The righteous army has entered the city!"

Fang Yelan is dead!

"Song Rongyi also went and never returned!"

"The city gates have been breached, and Songjiang County now belongs to the righteous army. Zhang Guan, why don't you surrender now?!"

The burly man rushed into the courtyard, and before he could finish speaking, he noticed the two dismembered limbs lying conspicuously on the ground.

Gao Jing stepped forward and bowed, saying, "This chivalrous man, Zhang Guan is dead."

Someone nearby chimed in, "He's not quite dead yet, you guys can come over and finish him off."

The burly man's gaze fell on the bloodied figure being attacked by the crowd, and he couldn't help but ask, "What is this?"

"Zhang Guan".

"Zhang Guan, the General Who Conquers the South?"

"A dead man mistaken for a human."

******

They reunited with Jiang Ding'an and several others.

Let's just exchange a few words about the past.

Ye Ci then realized that the righteous army had already sent people into the city, and that many experts had already sneaked into the city while Zhang Guan was on the arena today.

By the time Fang Yelan left, he had already been captured by the Four Heavenly Kings of the Righteous Army.

"I want to kill Zhang Guan's entire family."

Jiang Ding'an said.

Ye Ci glanced indifferently at the still-wet bloodstains on their clothes, his expression calm, and simply nodded slightly.

Brother Jiang, who once declared he would never oppose the government, has now resolutely turned to the opposite path. The vicissitudes of life are truly lamentable.

"Come with us—"

Jiang Ding'an said.

Seeing this, Jiang Du rushed over quickly, his face full of anxiety, and waved his hands repeatedly to stop him.

As a result, Huang Guoshu also came forward, and the two of them took turns speaking, all trying to persuade Ye Ci to join the Great Righteous Army.

"Master, I will not agree!!!"

"Jianwu, and we are from the same school."

Jiang Du was not good with words, and just as he was about to continue speaking, he saw Huang Guoshu cover his ears.

To be honest, Ye Ci didn't think the Great Righteous Army was a good place to go.

His first thought was of Feng Ji, who was related to the Demonic Sect.

However, the situation was unclear at the time, and it was uncertain whether refusing would cause trouble.

On the other side, Gao Jing and the others had already stepped forward and started chatting with a strong and burly man, exchanging names and becoming acquainted.

Ye Ci had keen hearing and vaguely caught a name in the conversation.

Shi Yuan, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Righteous Army.

The burly man had already exchanged words with Gao Jing, then his gaze slowly fell on Ye Ci. He walked over slowly, his expression solemn, and raised his hand in a gesture of greeting.

"righteous."

Shi Yuan spoke respectfully: "The righteous army is now spreading like wildfire, and sooner or later it will overthrow the tyrannical rule of the Great Qian Dynasty. Your courage and insight are extraordinary; would you be willing to..."

"Join my righteous army and plot the great cause of the world together?"

Just as he was about to speak, a clear, crisp voice rang out: "Lord Ye!"

Everyone turned their heads at the sound and saw a stunningly beautiful and aloof figure in red leaning against the moonlit door, entering their field of vision.

Shen Yixi wore a bright red wedding dress, the long skirt trailing on the ground, her figure graceful and elegant.

She stood silently with her arms crossed at the juncture of twilight, her brows furrowed with a chilling expression, seemingly having observed this scene in silence for quite some time.

"Miss Shen."

Jiang Ding'an quickly cupped his hands in greeting, "We will always remember your life-saving grace."

Shen Yixi's gaze swept across the crowd before finally settling on Ye Ci. The two exchanged glances as the young woman gracefully approached: "The righteous army has risen up in rebellion, waging war everywhere. Food supplies are scarce, the armory is depleted, and even their own foundation is barely being maintained."

"My Shen family's offerings require martial arts resources, and you cannot possibly provide him with all the resources to practice martial arts."

This girl is quite clever; she clearly understood the meaning in Ye Ci's eyes.

Shi Yuan's expression froze for a moment, not expecting such a sharp-tongued woman in red to suddenly appear. His tone immediately turned serious.

After a few moments, he retorted, "Young lady, you are mistaken. Although the righteous army is currently lacking resources, as long as you are willing to join, I will do my utmost to procure cultivation materials for you!"

Shen Yixi's red lips curved slightly as she took a graceful step, her bright red wedding dress drawing a striking arc as she walked straight to Ye Ci's side.

"The world is in chaos, and the situation is unclear. Why should my family's elder be involved in the power struggle? Besides, the righteous army is colluded with the demonic sect. It's better for my family's elder to cultivate peacefully than anything else."

Jiang Ding'an and Huang Guoshu were both taken aback. They wanted to say something, but were forced back by Shen Yixi's cold gaze.

She then scanned the crowd around her; these people had all come with Ye Ci.

"If you have any sense of justice, then don't hinder Ye Ci's future."

"The reason we invited you today is, in the end, because the Great Righteous Army is doing so out of respect for you all. We believe that Ye Ci's joining the Great Righteous Army will allow us to better lead you all."

Shi Yuan's face darkened: "You, young lady, don't know the inside story!"

"With us, it won't be long before the Great Qian Dynasty collapses."

Shi Yuan felt that this woman was quite capable; she had divided the camp with just a few words. If she truly respected Ye Ci, she would not have forced him.

Shen Yixi turned her head to the side, a mocking smile playing on her lips: "King Shi, if the day of collapse truly comes, Ye Ci will naturally be a subject of your Great Righteous Dynasty. Until then, you should take care of your own Great Righteous Army."

"you----"

Seeing this, Jiang Ding'an quickly stepped forward and said to Shi Yuan, "She's a young lady from the Shen family in Songjiang County. She's used to being pampered and spoiled, and she talks to everyone with this kind of temper. But she's a good person. She's the one who saved me and Guoshu before."

Huang Guoshu leaned closer: "We're rebels! Your attitude is dangerous—"

Shen Yixi's tone was unfriendly: "The retainer my Shen family hired has an agreement with my grandfather. You think you can incite him to rebel with just empty words?"

She deliberately glanced around at Matsue Takeo: "You're not trying to force him, are you?"

Ye Ci found these words quite pleasing to the ear.

Empty talk, trying to convince yourself and them?

It is absolutely impossible.

This woman saved me a lot of trouble.

Shi Yuan frowned slightly and said to Ye Ci, "You've offended the Jianwu Marquis's lineage. Where in this vast world can you find refuge?"

Before Ye Ci could speak, Shen Yixi sneered, "I saw it clearly. Zhang Guan wasn't killed by Ye Ci alone; everyone had a part in it. Besides, my Shen family is rich; we can find someone in Shengwu City to protect him."

"Could it be that King Shi thinks the reputation of the righteous army can overshadow that of Holy Martial City?"

Upon hearing the name Shengwu City, Shi Yuan was visibly taken aback.

"Holy—Holy—"

Jiang Du, who was standing to the side, said two words, but was pulled away by Xiao Hua, who was annoyed. However, he quickly nodded to himself and stopped talking.

Ye Ci scanned his surroundings, his gaze sweeping over the faces of Jiang Du, Xiao Hua, Jiang Ding'an, Huang Guoshu, Gao Jing, and others.

He thought to himself that joining the rebel army was impossible; Shen Yixi was telling the truth.

The people are having a hard time these days, but the reasons are complex, including the incompetence of the court and the calamities of war.

Joining the rebel army will only bring trouble to yourself and will not be of much benefit to your martial arts training.

Holy Martial City.

I had seen this place mentioned in Shen Yixi's letter before, and then I looked through the geography book in the study, and that's when I understood why Shen Yixi chose this place.

At the beginning of the Daqian Dynasty, a chaotic era unfolded with numerous warlords rising up, and a century of continuous warfare and conflict ensued.

A peerless martial saint suddenly appeared in the world, the only martial saint since the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty to be respected by the court and the martial arts world.

This person's martial arts skills reached the pinnacle, overwhelming all the strongmen of his generation, subduing the barbarians in all directions, and making unparalleled contributions to the stability of the Great Qian Dynasty.

After the world was at peace and the dynasty was unified, the Martial Saint had no interest in power in the court. He was disgusted by the power struggles and infighting in the imperial court and resolutely bid farewell to the emperor and his ministers, leaving the capital city far away.

He chose a secluded spot by the river, surrounded by mountains, a majestic ancient place where he could live in seclusion, detached from worldly affairs and guarding the mountains and forests alone.

As time went by, people of later generations, grateful for the unparalleled kindness and martial arts legend of the Martial Saint, spontaneously built a city and walls around his hermitage, worshipping and revering him for generations. This place was thus named the Holy Martial City.

Over the years, countless martial artists have come here to worship and seek enlightenment, which has led to the emergence of many sects.

The martial arts tradition here is unparalleled in the world.

"Go."

Jiang Du looked at Ye Ci and managed to utter a few incoherent words, then stammered, "No—I won't—be a traitor."

Ye Ci had intended to wait for Master Yang, but since Jiang Du had spoken up, he remained silent.

On second thought, Master Yang was sitting at the same table as Qin Lie and didn't think highly of him, so he might not teach Xiao Hua the Core Formation Technique. Secondly, Qin Lie had said that all techniques above the Transformation Realm were Five Elements Techniques, which were for building a foundation. Back then, Master Yang just left without teaching Xiao Hua. Instead, he had previously told Xiao Hua to go to the Mountain Sect in the prefectural city.

His own disciples were all sent to the prefectural city.

Therefore, it seems unnecessary to linger here.

However, he still asked, "Senior Brother Jiang, where can I find you in the future?"

"I—we—will go to—Saint—Martial City."

Seeing this, Ye Ci said no more, and then cupped his hands to the crowd, saying, "Everyone, may we meet again someday!"

"I promised Master Shen that I would protect him."

Seeing this, many martial arts masters present knew that he had a better future, and they all bowed to him.

"The Shen family is wealthy, which will also benefit your cultivation."

"Until we meet again, Master Ye!"

'

The Four Heavenly Kings, Shi Yuan, had just entered the city. Seeing that Ye Ci was respected by many martial arts masters, he naturally wouldn't force him and could only shake his head with regret.

He wanted to keep Ye Ci with him, and he was also interested in the Shen family's wealth.

In the streets and alleys.

Shen Zonghan's carriage had long been overturned, and the surrounding area was filled with refugees.

With Wang Ya protecting them, the refugees dared not approach.

Such a skilled person will naturally be dealt with by someone.

"You are a wealthy family in the city. Our righteous army will not harm you. We only want to cooperate with you."

A man who appeared to be the leader stopped Shen Zonghan and said calmly.

But shouts echoed all over the street.

Complete chaos.

The man continued, "Don't worry, the refugees are just following us into the city. The real righteous army members will all wear white cloths."

"How does Your Excellency intend for us to cooperate?"

Shen Zonghan looked like a rock in a raging torrent, his face contorted with pain.

He suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves.

Looking up, I saw a man and a woman on horseback, and next to them was a burly man on horseback carrying a gun. They seemed to be talking about something.

The refugees, upon seeing the burly man, all consciously avoided him.

"Offering to Ye!"

Shen Zonghan shouted loudly and waved in that direction, but unfortunately the street was too noisy for his voice to carry.

Just then, his gaze suddenly sharpened as he saw his daughter's figure.

Unfortunately, the two people didn't come over; instead, they walked through the crowd and headed north.

"Aren't you going to tell your father?"

Ye Ci turned his head and asked the person behind him.

The girl behind him slowly shook her head: "Once the goods are thrown out, they belong to someone else."

She paused, then said, "Lord Ye, please hurry. I found a lot of silver notes in Zhang Guan's house, and they're so heavy they're hurting my chest."

As she spoke, she added with a hint of regret, "If I weren't afraid of being discovered by Shi Yuan and the others, I probably could have taken more. Alas—there are also some valuables that are inconvenient to take. It's such a waste."