In the Ming Dynasty, I became invincible simply by extracting memories!

The constables were all so shocked that their mouths dropped open, and the dominoes in their hands clattered all over the table. One of them reacted the fastest, quickly straightening his clothes, and stood aside with his head down, not daring to breathe. His previous nonchalant arrogance had completely vanished.

Shen Lian didn't say much, but continued walking along the corridor. Before long, he arrived at the entrance of the main hall in the backyard. Before he even entered, he could hear the soft sounds of string and wind instruments coming from inside, mixed with the laughter of men and women, making it quite lively.

Li San, who had led the way, stood at the door, caught between a rock and a hard place, his forehead soaked with sweat. Shen Lian cursed inwardly—this guy was practically the epitome of "office slacking off" in the Ming Dynasty! The Japanese pirates were practically at their doorstep, and this guy was out drinking and carousing with a beauty. In the Celestial Empire, he'd definitely be a prime candidate for being investigated and punished. Shen Lian, however, didn't wait for him to announce his arrival. He simply lifted the curtain and strode inside.

Li Du, shirtless, sat slumped in a brocade-cushioned armchair, his arms around two heavily made-up singing girls. The table in front of him was littered with leftover food and wine, and the cups and plates were in disarray. Following his gaze, two dancers were swaying their hips and dancing to the rhythm of string and wind instruments in the hall below.

Shen Lian stood at the door and said coldly, "Magistrate Li, what a refined taste you have! With a formidable enemy at hand, you still have the mind to drink and make merry here."

Upon hearing this, the music filling the room abruptly ceased. The dancers and singers, their faces pale with fright, quickly scrambled to the side. Li Du, startled, loosened his grip, and the wine cup in his arms shattered on the floor with a crash. He hurriedly pushed away the person in his arms, grabbed a nearby official robe, and pulled it on, tying the belt as he asked in a trembling voice, "Who...who are you? How dare you trespass into my county office!"

"Shen Lian, under the command of General Yu Dayou of Fujian, has been ordered by Commander Yu to take over the defense of Pinghe County." Shen Lian said, placing the warrant from the General's office on the table. "Magistrate Li, why aren't you receiving the order?"

Li Du leaned closer to take a look, and the vermilion seal of the general was clearly displayed before him. His legs immediately went numb, and he slid off the chair, crawling and stumbling to his knees. He stammered, "This humble, humble magistrate of Pinghe County, Li Du, was unaware of your arrival, Your Excellency. I have failed to greet you properly; I am guilty of a grave offense!"

Shen Lian sat steadily in the grand chair, his gaze sharp, and slowly asked, "Magistrate Li, what is the current state of the county's defenses? Please tell me in detail."

Li Du replied tremblingly, "Reporting to Your Excellency, the activities of Japanese pirates have been rampant recently. To ensure the safety of the county, I have ordered all the garrison troops to patrol day and night in shifts and to conduct strict checks, without daring to relax their vigilance in the slightest."

Shen Lian sneered, his tone suddenly turning sharp: "So you dare not relax! Then let me ask you, my thousand-plus men are stationed only five miles from the city wall, why hasn't a single soldier come to report to you yet?"

"This..." Li Du was speechless for a moment, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Shen Lian leaned forward, staring intently at Li Du's face, and asked, word by word, "Have you ever considered what the situation would be like in the county town if these thousand men weren't government soldiers but Japanese pirates in disguise?"

Li Du trembled, then knelt down with a thud, repeatedly kowtowing and saying, "It was my dereliction of duty! I failed in my duties and deserve to die a thousand deaths!"

"Enough!" Shen Lian shouted sternly, "Get up and speak first."

"I am guilty, I deserve to die..." Li Du continued to kowtow, his forehead already stained with blood.

"Get up." Shen Lian repeated, his voice even deeper.

Seeing that Li Du was still lying on the ground, Shen Lian gave a slight nod to Yi Xia beside him. Yi Xia strode forward, grabbed Li Du's shoulder, and lifted him up from the ground.

Li Du trembled violently, barely managing to stand up before keeping his head bowed low, unable to meet Shen Lian's gaze.

Seeing his panicked and flustered appearance, Shen Lian frowned slightly. He softened his tone, but pressed on with undeniable authority, "Magistrate Li, I have another question for you—have any bandits from the eastern Guangdong region been secretly contacting you recently?"

Li Du's lips trembled as he mumbled incoherently, his head bowed and staring at the ground. He stammered for a long time but couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Seeing his expression, Yi Dong couldn't help but shout, "My master is asking you a question, so why aren't you answering truthfully!"

Li Du shuddered in fright and hurriedly said, "Yes, yes... People from the Flying Dragon Kingdom did come three days ago, bringing me a lot of gold and silver. They said they would be stationed in Pinghe County soon and asked me to open the city gates to welcome them..."

Shen Lian narrowed his eyes. "You agreed?"

Li Du quickly waved his hand, "How dare I? Colluding with rebels is a capital offense! I agreed verbally and sent the man away, and locked the gold and silver in the treasury. I was just thinking... just thinking that I would report to the prefecture at dawn."

Shen Lian sneered, pointing to the mess of cups and plates on the ground, and said, "Oh? It seems I've come at an inopportune time, spoiling Magistrate Li's enjoyment and delaying your delivery?"

Li Du immediately bowed and kowtowed repeatedly, not daring to utter a word of rebuttal, only begging Shen Lian to spare his life.

Shen Lian stood up and walked to him. He took the tea that Yi Xia handed him, took a sip slowly, and then said, "It's not difficult to spare you. Now take us to the warehouse, count and seal the things sent by Feilong Kingdom, and take out the roster and defense map of the city's garrison. Then I will not pursue your crime of neglecting defense for the time being."

Upon hearing that there was a chance to live, Li Du hurriedly agreed, not even bothering to wipe the blood from his forehead, and turned to get the key. Shen Lian stopped him again, waving his hand and saying, "Don't rush, first send someone to call all your three shifts of constables to the front yard, not a single one can be missing."

Li Du dared not disobey and quickly nodded in agreement. He immediately called over the yamen runners who were trembling with fear outside and ordered them to summon everyone. He then led the way, trembling, and took Shen Lian to the storeroom in the backyard.

Li Du walked ahead, his steps unsteady, each step feeling like walking on cotton, his back already soaked with cold sweat. Shen Lian followed behind him, his eyes sharp as an eagle, scanning the surroundings. The lantern in the corner swayed in the wind, casting long shadows of the two men onto the mottled wall, like menacing ghosts.

Before long, the group arrived at the warehouse door. The warehouse was built of large bluestone slabs and looked exceptionally sturdy. A heavy brass lock hung on the door. Li Du shakily pulled out the key from his waist and struggled to open the lock. With a creak, the warehouse door was pushed open, and a musty smell mixed with a faint smell of blood wafted out.

Shen Lian went in first, surveying the warehouse in the dim light. The warehouse was large, filled with boxes of all sizes, some still sealed. Li Du pointed to several boxes in the corner, his voice trembling, and said, "Sir, the things sent by the Flying Dragon Kingdom are all there."

Shen Lian walked to the box and gestured for Yi Xia to open it. Yi Xia swiftly pried open the box with her knife. The box was filled with gold and silver jewels, their gleam so bright it was dazzling. Shen Lian frowned; the sheer amount of wealth far exceeded his expectations. It seemed Li Du had been ruthlessly exploiting the people.

"Lord Shen... I..."

"Hmph, Magistrate Li has certainly 'pleaded for the people' quite a bit these past few years as magistrate." Shen Lian picked up a silver ingot, weighed it in his hand, and sneered, "Judging from your warehouse's inventory, it's even more abundant than General Yu's military pay treasury. Tsk, it really lives up to that saying—'A clean magistrate for three years, ten thousand taels of silver.' You've even skipped the 'clean' part and gotten straight to the point."

Li Du didn't dare to answer.

After the group left the storeroom, Shen Lian reached out his hand to Li Du and said, "The key."

Li Du gritted his teeth and finally handed over the key.

The moment the two took the keys, Shen Lian's body suddenly stiffened for a moment, then returned to normal. Unbeknownst to anyone, Shen Lian's gaze towards Li Du had become icy cold.

As soon as the group passed through the moon gate, they heard a sudden commotion coming from the direction of the front yard, followed by the clanging of weapons and the sound of people screaming and falling to the ground.

Shen Lian paused, immediately gripped the hilt of his sword, and whispered to Yi Xia and Yi Dong, "Be careful, there might be an ambush!" Li Du was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, his face as white as paper, muttering repeatedly, "It's not my fault, I didn't know."

Xia immediately stepped in front of Shen Lian, her right hand already on the hilt of her sword. Yi Dong leaped forward a few steps, pressed herself against the corner of the courtyard wall, and peered toward the source of the sound. After a short while, she turned back and whispered, "Sir, our men are fighting with the county yamen runners. It seems someone on the other side is trying to escape by climbing over the back wall."

Shen Lian loosened his grip on the knife, looking coldly at Li Du, who was slumped on the ground: "So you had this all planned in advance? Tell me, did you tip off the thieves and let them hide in the county government office?"

Li Du couldn't even utter a cry, only kowtowing repeatedly: "My lord, spare my life! I really didn't know! I didn't hide anything!" Just then, several men dressed in the uniforms of the General's personal guards escorted a masked man dressed entirely in black over. The captain in charge saw Shen Lian and quickly stepped forward to salute: "My lord, we were on duty outside when we happened to see this thief trying to escape from the county government's stable by climbing over the wall. We caught him and also arrested two constables who were running after him."

Shen Lian walked up to the masked man, ripped off the black cloth from his face, revealing a face full of fat and a fierce look in his eyes—clearly someone who had spent years licking blood from the jaws of death. Shen Lian stared at him for a moment, then asked, "Are you someone sent by the Flying Dragon Kingdom?"

The man, neck stiff and silent, suddenly turned and glared at Li Du beside him, gritting his teeth and cursing, "Useless thing! You can't even handle this simple matter. I've waited in vain!"

Li Du cowered in fear, unable to even speak coherently. Shen Lian understood immediately, and with a cold laugh, ordered his personal guards, "Take him away and put him in jail. We'll settle accounts at roll call later. Li Du, what do you have to say for yourself this time?"

Li Du's face turned ashen, and he collapsed to the ground, unable to utter another word in defense.

Shen Lian's gaze was like a knife, coldly sweeping over Li Du, who was slumped on the ground, and he said in a deep voice, "Colluding with traitors and betraying the country, the evidence is conclusive. What else do you have to say?"

Li Du's face was ashen, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a single word. He knew that his career, and even his life, had come to an end.

"Take Li Du away and keep him under strict guard. We'll deal with him after the war is over," Shen Lian instructed his personal guards.

The guards stepped forward, lifted the limp Li Du, and took him away. Li Du cried and wailed all the way, his voice gradually fading into the distance.

Shen Lian turned around and looked at the masked man, his eyes sharp as an eagle: "Speak, where are the people from the Flying Dragon Kingdom now? What is their plan?"

The masked man stiffened his neck and glared fiercely at Shen Lian without saying a word.

Shen Lian stared at the stubborn, masked man before him, suddenly experiencing a surreal sense of déjà vu. This man was exactly like a villain captured in a TV drama—the same stiff neck, glaring eyes, and clenched teeth. According to the script, what followed should have been classic lines like "You just wait and see" or "I'll haunt you even as a ghost." He almost wanted to ask—brother, do you also think that a true assassin isn't a qualified assassin if they don't utter a few harsh words?

"Fine, let's get back to the present," Shen Lian suddenly reached out, his iron-like fingers gripping the other man's neck tightly, lifting him almost off the ground, and shouted sharply, "Speak! What exactly is your conspiracy?!"

The prisoner, though his face was flushed, stubbornly forced a retort through gritted teeth, filled with hatred: "You...don't expect to get a single word from me!"

—Three days later.

Shen Lian tightened his grip, his eyes blazing: "Still won't confess?"

The other person spat and grinned maliciously: "Hehe... I won't tell you anything... Just you wait and see..."

—Five thousand men.

"None of you will live!" the prisoner hissed, his eyes flashing with madness.

—Not just Zhang Lian's team, but also...

"Once the main force of the Flying Dragon Army tramples Pinghe County, all of you will be buried with them!" he continued to shout.

—The White Lotus Sect?

The White Lotus Sect was practically an insidious time-traveling organization in the history of the Ming Dynasty. Active from the late Yuan Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty, its vitality was more tenacious than a cockroach, and its belief system was more absurd than a pyramid scheme. These people chanted "Maitreya descended to earth to save all sentient beings," but what was their appeal? Could a cult that simply shouts louder slogans and operates more shady businesses really have such power?

Having obtained this crucial clue, Shen Lian slowly released his grip, slamming the prisoner to the ground. He took a step back, his brows furrowed, lost in deep thought.

The enemy situation was far more severe than anticipated. They had five thousand troops at the city gates, with the formidable White Lotus Cult members providing support. In contrast, even including the county government's existing defenses, they numbered less than two thousand men. More critically, he had less than three days to prepare a defense. A heavy pressure weighed on his heart. Furthermore, Shen Lian's eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp suspicion flashing across them: where had Wu Ping's troops, who had been nowhere to be seen, gone? This was yet another unsettling variable.

Just then, the prisoner who had collapsed to the ground regained his breath and began to hurl insults again, his language utterly vile. Yi Xia, who was standing nearby, frowned, a cold glint in her eyes. Before he could utter another curse, she swiftly stepped forward and delivered a precise chop to his neck. The man groaned, then collapsed, completely unconscious, and the courtyard finally returned to a brief silence.

"Young Master Shen," Yi Dong stepped forward steadily, cupping his hands in a respectful gesture to Shen Lian, his tone calm and resolute, "These thieves may be tough, but they are not a monolithic entity. Could you hand them over to me and Yi Xia for detailed interrogation? We have our own methods and are confident we can pry open their mouths and extract more useful information."

Shen Lian snapped out of his chaotic thoughts, glanced at the unconscious prisoner on the ground, then at Yi Dong and Yi Xia with resolute gazes, and nodded slightly without saying anything. "I'll leave him to you. Remember, don't kill him; he might still be useful."

"Understood." Yi Dong and Yi Xia responded in unison, and immediately ordered their personal guards to drag the prisoners away for strict guarding and interrogation.

Shen Lian turned around and looked at the setting sun that was about to disappear outside the courtyard wall. His fingertips unconsciously stroked the hilt of his sword. The evening breeze, carrying dampness, blew by, causing the hem of his robe to sway slightly.

"Sir, all the yamen runners in the front yard have assembled and are waiting for you to come and report for duty." A guard quickly came over and bowed to report, interrupting Shen Lian's thoughts.

Shen Lian withdrew his gaze and said in a deep voice, "Let's go and take a look." After saying that, he took a step towards the front yard. The soles of his boots stepped on the bluestone slabs, making a steady and orderly sound that blended into the chirping of insects that gradually rose outside the county government office at dusk.