Late Ming Dynasty: Summoning players from Liaodong to support the Ming Dynasty

The despair and deathly pallor on Hu Yongqiang's face were suddenly replaced by a strange, resolute madness.

He didn't let out any more roars; his eyes, once filled with resentment and jealousy, were now terrifyingly empty.

At that very moment, on Blue Star, in the China region.

Qian Lele's live streaming room has completely slipped out of her control.

The livestream title, "[I'm a Little Colorful Cat]," once brimming with girlish fantasy and playfulness, has long been replaced by a grander and more passionate new title by the flood of comments and spontaneous influx of moderators.

Witness history! The last backbone of China versus shameless traitors! A battle of the century!

The number of online viewers has long since become a dazzling string of "9999 million+", with the bright red number hanging high at the top of the live broadcast room, like a red-hot branding iron, branding the number one spot on the overall rankings of all live broadcast platforms, leaving all entertainment, singing and dancing, and even world-class e-sports events far behind, not even able to see their backs.

Major gaming forums, social media platforms, and even mainstream news apps have been completely flooded with posts about this previously unknown game called "Iron-Blooded Jiangshan".

"Holy crap! Which company made this game? The NPC models, the motion capture! They've burned through a budget!"

"Don't fucking mention modeling! Listen to that line! 'We're short of food, we're short of pay, we have no reinforcements from outside, and we have traitors within! But we, we didn't kneel down!' I'm a thirty-year-old man, and I almost cried listening to that in my office!"

"Screenshot! Who the hell took a screenshot?! I want to use that picture of General Chu Ze holding a gun and facing off as my wallpaper! It's so fucking cool!"

The battle was nearing its end, as seen in the live stream.

On the top of the wall, Chu Ze stood tall and imposing amidst the firelight. Every swing of his spear carried a powerful momentum capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks. His spear technique was expansive and unrestrained, filled with the killing intent of a military formation, forged in iron and blood.

Behind him, at the edge of the "arena" spontaneously formed by players, the scene was completely different.

"The betting has started! The betting has started!" Shi Dali roared in the guild channel. "I bet 100 merit points on Lord City Lord! I'll take that traitor's head within three moves!"

"I bet five moves!" another player retorted. "Look at Hu Yongqiang, he's getting utterly crushed, but he seems to have a backup plan. Something's off about his eyes!"

"You guys don't know anything!" Wang Han, still reeling from the shock of surviving the ordeal, immediately reverted to his shrewd and calculating guild leader persona, pontificating in the channel, "This is a typical second phase of a BOSS! Didn't you see his health bar is locked? The general is playing a scripted kill game! Only by depleting all his 'conviction points' can the execute be triggered! Learn from this, there will be plenty of BOSSes with this kind of mechanic in the future!"

This serious, epic showdown, in stark contrast to the eccentric betting frenzy of the silly players, was vividly captured by Qian Lele's live stream and broadcast to every corner of the planet, instantly maximizing the live stream's impact.

"Hahaha! This is hilarious! These players are truly talented; they're actually opening betting at such a tense moment!"

"Don't laugh! Didn't you see the odds? Those betting on the city lord to win are already at 1.01, there's no profit at all!"

"That's a true hardcore gamer! Even if the sky falls, nothing can stop me from making money!"

The popularity of the live stream attracted countless experts from all walks of life who flocked to it.

A military blogger with the ID "Longteng Junwu" is currently staring at the screen, his face flushed with excitement, frantically sending messages to his fan group.

"Did you see that! Did you all see that! Chu Ze's spear technique! This isn't some fancy martial arts performance routine! This is authentic Ming Dynasty long-weapon military formation killing method! Look at his spear-holding posture, the end of the spear shaft is close to his waist and abdomen, this is the standard spear stance mentioned by Qi Jiguang in 'Jixiao Xinshu'! And that sweeping strike just now, he used the shaft of the spear to generate power, not the spearhead! This is a typical 'staff technique integrated into spear,' pursuing a wide range of blunt force and armor-piercing effects! My God! Who designed the action for this game? I would call them a god!"

Meanwhile, in the history department dormitory of a top university in China.

An elderly professor with gray hair, respectfully addressed as "Old Wei" by his students, was being dragged by his graduate students to watch a live stream. He initially scoffed at these young people's "electronic opium," but after watching for less than three minutes, he adjusted his reading glasses and involuntarily sat up straight.

"No...this isn't right..." he muttered to himself, staring intently at the black armor Chu Ze wore on the screen. "The design of this armor...the way the plates are strung together, the dragon pattern on the breastplate, and the style of the shoulder guards...this isn't just some random drawing! This is the 'Flying Fish Armor' bestowed by the emperor during the Wanli era! Only border generals who had made unparalleled contributions could receive this honor! Who did the art and research for this game...I need their contact information! This is practically a living artifact!"

The content of the live stream has long since gone far beyond the realm of games.

When Chu Ze's words, "Your so-called wealth and glory are just climbing up by stepping on the corpses of these compatriots who want to live," were accompanied by the image of him whipping Hu Yongqiang until he was covered in blood, the emotions of the entire internet were completely ignited.

The phrase "We fight to survive in dire straits, not kneel down like a dog like you" was quickly screenshotted and paired with Chu Ze's cold and aloof profile in the firelight, turning into countless memes, wallpapers, and short videos.

"This is electrifying! This is what we Chinese people should be like!"

"I'm a girl who usually only watches idol dramas, but today I actually became a fan of a game NPC! I declare that from today onwards, General Chu Ze is my one and only male god!"

"Damn it, my boss is still trying to manipulate me, telling me to learn about 'wolf culture.' I just sent him this picture of the general and asked him if he wanted to learn that!"

A long-lost passion and fierce spirit, a pride rooted deep in the marrow of this nation, an unyielding spirit, was completely ignited by this live broadcast.

Within just ten minutes, the number of people applying for the closed beta test on the official website of "Iron-Blooded Jiangshan" surged exponentially, directly overwhelming the rudimentary server.

The official forum was filled with lamentations.

"Open the door! GM! I'm a PhD in Civil Engineering! I don't want money! Let me in to build the Great Wall for the General! I can build the Great Wall all the way to the sky!"

"100,000! I'll give you 100,000! I just need a beta test key! Don't force me to beg you on my knees!"

"I'm a history graduate student, specializing in military history of the late Ming Dynasty! I could be a strategist for an NPC! I can recite the name of every Niru (military unit) that participated in the Battle of Sarhu!"

Players' desires have evolved from simply "playing games" into a fervent urge to "participate in history." They want to go in not just to experience the game, but to stand behind that man and fight for him.

While the entire network world of Blue Star was immersed in this spiritual carnival brought by Chu Ze.

The battle situation on the live stream suddenly changed!

On the top of the wall, Chu Ze had completely shattered Hu Yongqiang's will.

Looking at the traitor in front of him, who was holding a broken knife, with a vacant look in his eyes, and who was like a walking corpse, he lost all interest in fighting him.

The trial is over.

Chu Ze sheathed his spear, raised his right foot, and kicked Hu Yongqiang in the chest in an almost humiliating manner.

"Bang!"

Hu Yongqiang was kicked away like a tattered sack, rolling several times on the hard brick wall before finally collapsing to the ground, motionless.

"it's over!"

"Awesome! That was fucking awesome! That kick ushered in a summer of glory!"

"Whip the corpse! Whip the corpse! Quick, loot the bag!"

The players cheered excitedly, thinking that this thrilling duel had finally come to an end.

Wang Han was even prepared to step forward, say a few words of flattery, and then discuss the distribution of the spoils.

But just then...

Hu Yongqiang, who was lying on the ground, moved.

He did not struggle to get up, nor did he groan in pain.

His movements were very slow, very slow.

He released his grip on the hilt of the broken Jin dynasty scimitar, letting the weapon that represented his opportunism and flattery roll to the side.

Then, under everyone's gaze, he slowly reached for his waist with his still slightly trembling hand.

There hung a simple, ancient-style Ming-style sword that he had never drawn in public.

The scabbard was dark and dull, without any fancy decorations, only a layer of patina left by years of handling, exuding a sense of the passage of time.

His fingers traced the hilt of the sword, then he gripped it tightly.

"Buzz—"

A clear, melodious sword cry rang out from the noisy wall.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a needle, precisely piercing everyone's eardrum.

Hu Yongqiang slowly stood up from the ground.

He threw away the broken Jin dynasty scimitar.

He drew his dusty Ming-style sword.