Origin Paradise!

The man in red's gaze darkened slightly as he recalled the previous incident involving the pursuit of his subordinate captain.

"Liu Taibao has recruited extraordinary people from outside the government. If he can expand, he will become an organization. With an organization, there will be a goal. Didn't you tell me about the recent deaths of a Zuo-ling (military commander)?"

The high shaman shook his head, "No one is so audacious."

The man in red muttered to himself, "What are they trying to do?"

A group of young men armed with weapons, including powerful ministers and extraordinary individuals, could never be content with their lot.

After a long pause, the man in red said, "Send men to check the riverbank. If anyone is digging in the water, kill them. Keep watch over the granaries and the armory. From now on, order the entire army not to set fires. Recall all the White Flag Iron Cavalry. Capture a thousand Yangzhou people and take them to the open space in the central ward to behead them one by one until they come out. Order all the generals of the surrendered troops outside the city not to leave their camps from this moment on. I do not want to hear any excuses. The Halberd Battalion and the Divine Machine Battalion are on standby."

"Yes, sir." The high shaman accepted the order, and several black eagles immediately flew out from the hand drum and soared into the distance.

……

The city fell on the second night.

The granary in the western part of the city was guarded by two entire corps of soldiers, totaling six hundred elite troops.

Yangzhou has been a prosperous city since ancient times. After inspection, it was found that the granary's reserves were sufficient to support the army for three months.

Jiang He hid on the eaves of a house and poked two holes in the wall with a short knife, observing the opposite side by the moonlight.

His assigned task was to create chaos, and destroying the granary was one of the quickest options. However, for some reason, the White Flag Cavalry had all gathered together. If he was not careful, he would be trapped in the battle and die from exhaustion. Garuda mode provided a huge boost, but it also consumed resources quickly, making it only suitable for quick battles.

On the other side of the eaves of the house, a family of four huddled together, covered only by tattered cloths, all trembling with fear. On the first day after the city fell, the soldiers were somewhat restrained because they were looting money, but once they understood the situation, they basically started using knives and guns based on their personal preferences.

In an open space not far from the houses, a soldier was holding over a hundred Yangzhou residents captive. They all bowed their heads and prostrated themselves, ready to be slashed, none daring to escape. As for the young children, they cried out in anguish, their cries shaking the earth. This tragic scene blended into the Yangzhou night and went unnoticed.

Jiang He left the house and continued searching the surrounding area, trying not to look at Qingbing so as not to arouse the prey's instinctive alertness.

Generally speaking, the area around ancient granaries was a forbidden zone, and reselling grain was a capital offense punishable by skinning someone alive. However, driven by greed, people would sell grain at high prices when there was a shortage in the market and buy it back at low prices when there was plenty in summer and autumn. By doing this, they could easily make a considerable profit by relying on their ample reserves.

Of course, this kind of thing can't be made public.

In the darkness of night, mournful cries echoed in the air.

Jiang He's gaze was solemn, and he appeared extremely patient. It wasn't until late at night, after several hours, that he finally found a clue in a cowshed.

Beneath the mountain of weeds, two iron doors, rusted and secured with iron locks, were mounted on the ground. Hidden among the weeds was a lifeless couple, who had been killed by Qing soldiers with spears during their search.

Jiang He pulled out a short knife, aimed it at the iron lock, and then pressed his entire body against it, suddenly stopping. With a crisp sound, the iron lock broke.

He gathered the weeds back up, pulled the corpse over, and walked into the tunnel ahead. It was pitch black inside, and the screams from the outside world were blocked out. Scattered grains were underfoot, and wooden carts were parked in specially dug grooves on both sides. Extinct oil lamps were embedded in the walls, clearly indicating that it was a passage for transporting grain.

Jiang He walked forward in the darkness, casually taking an oil lamp. Since his vision was useless, he simply closed his eyes. After two hundred steps, he stepped onto a step, raised his hand, and after twelve more steps, he suddenly felt a sensation in his palm. As he rubbed it back and forth, the iron lock reappeared.

With another swift stroke, the deputy commander's jewel-encrusted dagger, sharp and unstoppable, was severed.

Jiang He opened the iron gate and rushed out of the tunnel. He stood still for a moment, then noticed the ventilation shaft. He lit an oil lamp, and found himself surrounded by walls made of piled grains. The wooden frame was struggling to maintain its stability. He reached out, grabbed some grains, and stuffed them into his mouth to chew.

After several attempts, the man frowned, finding the grains too dry and tough, which made him crave water. Fortunately, the Garuda egg quickly released blue energy, which digested the grains and transformed them into nutrients, which were eventually stored in his heart.

Jiang He grabbed grains with both hands, chewed and swallowed them repeatedly. After half an hour, a layer of the "wall" in front of him was removed, and he turned around to continue eating.

An hour later, the space around the iron gate had expanded by a whole circle. Jiang He began to move, and his iron stomach, like a bottomless abyss, devoured the surrounding grains.

As dawn broke, dark clouds gathered and a light drizzle began to fall.

Jiang He buried himself in his food, finding this opportunity extremely rare. In the real world, it would be difficult to find similar resource points on an island.

From midnight to dawn, and from dawn to noon.

Finally, Jiang He slowed down, gagged a few times while leaning against the wooden frame, his throat was red and swollen, and his cheeks were sore. However, as a reward, his heart was stronger and more powerful, and the pure blue crystals on its surface looked exceptionally beautiful, greatly increasing his defensive capabilities.

"It seems like I won't need to eat anything for the rest of my life."

After eating, Jiang He took out the cinnabar mirror to hypnotize herself, thus entering a deep sleep and resting on the spot.

……

Yangzhou Dungeon.

Chu Fuqiang swung his heavy axe, and the padlock shattered with a crack.

The two lowest-ranking prisoners were released and stared nervously at the large group of people.

News of the fall of Yangzhou had already spread. At first, a few hundred people came to hide, and then a group of Qing soldiers rushed in and killed indiscriminately. The White Banner's direct line of soldiers did not value the prisoners here as a source of manpower because there was a lack of lucrative opportunities, which led to the Heavenly Prison being forgotten by the outside world.

"You two can come with me to kill the Green Soldiers, or you can leave on your own. Choose quickly."

Seeing the silence of the crowd, one prisoner stood directly in the middle of the group. Another prisoner hesitated, but did not want to fight the fierce Qing soldiers, so he immediately started running.

Chu Fuqiang's eyes darkened, and he raised his hand to throw a heavy axe. The axe blade struck the fleeing prisoner in the back, almost piercing through his body. The man was left only with the ability to breathe and soon lost his life.

Chu Fuqiang felt no remorse. These were all criminals, and if he gave up violence, he would not be able to mobilize them at all. In the primitive and chaotic environment, only the strong can set rules and establish order.

A group of people left the dungeon, and before they had taken more than a few steps onto the street, several of them, who had conspired beforehand, split up and escaped.

Chu Fuqiang turned his head and said, "The royal army has reached a hundred miles outside the city. The Yangzhou Qing Army is surrounded, but this is just their last desperate act. If you follow me and make meritorious contributions, I will ask Liu Taibao after the battle to let you atone for your crimes, regain your freedom, and even get an official position."

In fact, few people believed these words, but that didn't stop the prisoners from using them as a goal to constantly comfort themselves.

Half an hour later, a raging fire broke out in the dungeon.

Chu Fuqiang cleaned up most of the traces to prevent the soldiers from discovering that the prisoners had left the dungeon and becoming suspicious. The hundreds of corpses inside were enough to cover up the truth.

"Hopefully it will work out."

Chapter 20 Crossing the Lean Lake

The city of Yangzhou fell on the third night.

Flames surged through the granary and dungeon, the fire raging fiercely.

Jiang He arrived at the rendezvous point at the private school in the western part of the city. He had slept for four hours in the granary and was in his best condition, full of energy. The granary was on fire and surrounded by thousands of Qing soldiers, leaving a gap of nearly half of the city's military strength.

Night has fallen, and it's still raining today.

Two or three hours later, Chu Fuqiang arrived with forty-two prisoners. They were clearly poorly equipped, and some even used bamboo poles to make up the numbers. However, these men all exuded a fierce aura. There were quite a few people in the dungeon who had been convicted of murder.

"The Desert Brothers".

Upon seeing someone appear, Chu Fuqiang took the initiative to clasp his hands in greeting.

Jiang He lowered his voice and said, "I went into the granary through the tunnel last night. There might be a secret passage leading out of the city from the second son of the He family, but there is not much factual evidence. Maybe I am just making assumptions."

Chu Fuqiang immediately turned around and glanced at the prisoner, and whispered, "Even if we guess wrong, we can't let these guys hear us, otherwise we'll collapse before the battle even begins. Actually, I had a similar thought before. The difficulty of this derivative mission is clearly higher than the standard. Thirty thousand veteran soldiers are not something that the five of us players can handle. Moreover, the city fell immediately upon their arrival, leaving no time to react. Based on the player mortality rate since the start of the Origin game's closed beta, the second son of the He family might indeed have a chance of survival."

Jiang He nodded. At the very least, Grand Protector Liu Dingwei must have a secret passage. Yangzhou was rife with smuggled salt and was located at the heart of the Southern Ming's northern defense line. High-ranking officials had left their escape routes, so the underground situation was quite complex.

Three hours later, Lord Liu and Mr. Wu arrived, accompanied by a short man with a three-foot-long red snake wrapped around his arm.

"The moment of truth is tonight. Tie Duo is stationed at Da Tai Temple in the north ward of the city, with his personal guard battalion commander leading 1,500 elite soldiers. Most of his own men are engaged in burning, killing, and looting throughout the city. This is a golden opportunity for us."

Lord Liu changed into the official robes of a first-rank official, exuding an imposing and dignified aura. In this era of supreme imperial power, such a powerful minister silenced the group of outlaws and directly usurped Chu Fuqiang's leadership position.

Jiang He was not surprised by this. Even a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination) would be addressed as "Master" here. A Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) who was sent away from the capital would be a county magistrate known as the "Marquis of a Hundred Miles". Liu Taibao was almost at the pinnacle of power. Normally, it would be difficult for them, a group of commoners, to even see the gatekeeper.

"Chaos is also a ladder to progress."

The short man nicknamed "Grass Snake" took out a map and said, "Da Tai Temple is located at the end of the central street. This street is six miles long, and White Cavalry and Iron Cavalry are stationed along the way. Tie Duo's personal guard is the elite of the elite. There are no less than a hundred men who can draw a bow with a single shot and a two-dou (a unit of volume) of water. The four great warriors can all tear tigers and leopards apart. If we confront them head-on, we will only be sending ourselves to our deaths. However, there is a thin lake next to Da Tai Temple, which can serve as a water source for the army. If we cross the water and attack, we can strike at the heart of the enemy. Tie Duo's main tent is three miles from the shore of the lake, next to the eight-story Da Tai Pagoda."

Lord Liu continued, "We have the advantage of terrain and popular support. How can we not win? Tie Duo is just a barbarian from beyond the Great Wall who has committed many injustices. He will surely perish in this battle!"

Chu Fuqiang scanned his surroundings. A group of desperados, plus the young and strong soldiers who had fled earlier, as well as the fifty assassins sent by Lord Liu's son and nephew, and two groups of local men who had been persuaded, totaled one hundred and fifty people, but they were just a motley crew.

Seeing this, he said, "Tie Duo is a prince with an iron cap, and his power is immense. The wealth of the entire Yangzhou city is now in the Da Tai Temple. After the matter is accomplished, not only will he receive high-ranking official positions and generous salaries, but I, Chu, will not take a single penny of this money. Lord Liu is wholeheartedly devoted to the country and will certainly not care about small gains."

A hint of displeasure flashed in Lord Liu's eyes. He disliked being put on the spot, but he couldn't afford to lose morale right now, so he immediately said, "At that time, everyone can take it for themselves."

The crowd was outraged. Yangzhou was prosperous, and the wealth of this scale was unimaginable. Several of the fugitives exchanged glances and gave up their idea of ​​running away. Risking their lives for wealth and status has been a tradition since ancient times. The ancestors of the ancient Yang family fought bravely to seize the severed limbs of the Overlord, which led to the establishment of the Hongnong Yang family.

……

The night was dark.

The group split up and arrived at the shore of the Slender Lake.

Because of the importance of the water source, a hundred-man squad was stationed here. Near the central street, a dozen or so white-flagged cavalry patrolled. The lead rider held a beautiful woman he had kidnapped and kept stroking her. However, the temptation of burning, killing and looting in the city did not cause the Qing soldiers to neglect their defenses.

Jiang He's gaze was solemn as she walked through the woods and bushes.

A direct assault on this force would inevitably lead to a fierce battle and provoke a strong reaction from Tieduo. Someone would have to lure them away, but the chances of that person surviving are slim, given that there are thousands of White Flag cavalry on the main street, and the surrounding area is well-connected, leaving no way to escape.

Both Lord Liu and Chu Fuqiang wore grim expressions. This was a suicide mission; if they were not careful, their side might collapse before the battle even began.

"I'll go."

Mr. Wu picked up an iron spear,

"Mo Zhuangshi is the spearhead for charging into battle, Chu Zhuangshi needs to coordinate manpower, and Cao Li She is not good at direct attacks. I will take on the role without hesitation. My life's experience has been passed on. It is better to die than to die on my sickbed soon after."

Mr. Wu clasped his hands in a fist and said, “Gentlemen, I will take my leave first.”

Everyone fell silent. Jiang He handed over a crossbow and a short knife, saying, "A preemptive strike is better than nothing."

Chu Fuqiang covered his mouth and whistled, and before everyone's eyes, the soil suddenly transformed into a stone horse.

[Name: Galloping Stone Horse]

[Category: Summoning]

[Quality: Average]

[Effect: Summons a stone horse every 48 hours, capable of traveling a thousand miles a day, with a body as hard as stone, lasting for 48 minutes]

[Note: Facing east to Jieshi, Cao Cao raised his whip]

Chu Fuqiang then took out four more yellow paper talismans given to him by Cangshan Fuxue and said in a low voice, "Mr. Wu, these talismans can be used immediately after being torn open. They can manifest a two-meter-tall tower shadow to protect oneself. One talisman can block ten strong arrows or Qingbing's full-force sword strikes. They should be able to be used in combination. You can decide for yourself, sir."

"Truly a remarkable person with extraordinary skills."

Mr. Wu accepted the crossbow and the yellow paper talisman, clasped his hands in farewell, and led away the stone horse in the woods.

More than a hundred people stood silently in the grass.

Half an hour later, a rider charged into the street.

The old man was robust, dressed in plain clothes and carrying a gun. He raised a short crossbow in his left hand and fired a shot from afar, the arrow hitting the helmet of a cavalryman, the sound of metal clashing.

"You scoundrel, release my daughter!"

A furious shout, full of vigor, swept through the street.

The rider holding the beautiful woman was startled upon hearing this, then revealed a bloodthirsty smile. With a casual flick of his wrist, he caused the woman to fall to the ground. Her screams did not last long; several hooves trampled her, leaving her a bloody mess.

"Line up! Kill him!"

A dozen or so riders immediately began their charge, raising their lances and unleashing a fierce aura.

The rider gradually accelerated, taking the lead, with the street scenery on both sides rushing past and creating a howling wind.

Mr. Wu's face was contorted with rage, almost like that of a hungry ghost. He tore apart the talisman with one hand, and a two-meter-tall yellow tower shadow enveloped his figure. He neither dodged nor avoided it, and charged straight into the cavalry formation.

The rider was filled with surprise and doubt. He and his horse became one, shifting their positions slightly. The yellow phantom was clearly no ordinary creature.

As the two clashed, Mr. Wu channeled his power throughout his body, his arms moving like dragons in flight. He swung his iron spear, unleashing a sonic boom. The combined force of his internal and external strength delivered a tremendous blow, sending the two oncoming cavalrymen flying backward. After landing, they bounced a few times, but when they tried to get up, they could only collapse to the ground, their internal organs rendered utterly ineffective.

The Qing soldiers attacked the enemy from all sides with their lances, striking the head, shoulders, chest, abdomen, horse heads, and sweeping hooves with perfect coordination. The cavalry general then pulled away, drew his bow, and with a powerful shot, hit the enemy in the back of the head while both sides were moving quickly. His archery skills were astonishing.

The two sides completely missed each other. In Mr. Wu's hands, there were only two yellow paper talismans left. The cavalry's charge was extremely powerful. Two shots were enough to destroy the phantom of the yellow pagoda, far superior to sword cuts and arrows.

The charge resumed, and Old Master Wu slew two more men. His spear shattered, and the stone horse beneath him crashed into the enemy riders. The two horses bowed to each other. Taking advantage of the enemy's fall from his horse, he pounced down, drew the short knife given to him by someone, and successfully slit the man's neck. He then stood up and swung the knife back, unleashing the power of his hidden strength. The short knife knocked one man unconscious. He snatched the mount and remounted, the lance he had picked up in his hand looking incredibly menacing.

Five of the elite cavalrymen were killed and one was wounded.

Seeing the situation was dire, the team leader immediately led the main force to reinforce the lake, leaving the adjutant and a ten-man squad to remain on the shore.

In the woods and bushes, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. If the opposing leader could guess that this was a diversionary tactic and send people to search the surrounding area, they would have failed and lost Mr. Wu's life in vain. Nevertheless, the adjutant and the ten-man team left behind were still a problem, but the opposing Qingbing officer did not neglect this task.

Lord Liu was decisive and said, "It would be too obvious to lure more people. Let's deal with them directly. Old Master Wu can hold out for a while. Even if the body is discovered, it will take time to report to Tie Duo. By then, we will have already crossed the lake."

Jiang He said, "Give me two spears. I can hit the target within fifty paces, but I may not be able to maintain accuracy beyond that."

Chu Fuqiang took out the Stealth's Chapter and said, "Brother Mo Ke, Grass Snake, come with me."

The three left the bushes and moved forward under the cover of night.

When they were thirty paces apart, the adjutant suddenly turned around and shouted angrily, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

His response was two long spears.

One spear pierced the adjutant's neck, while the other pierced the heart of a nearby soldier.

Jiang He activated Garuda Mode 3. His heart jolted, and his body instantly turned crimson. His speed increased by 30%, covering the distance of thirty steps in an instant. His figure was as fast as a cheetah. He thrust out his Long Hatred Spear, shattering the chest of the enemy in front of him. With another powerful sweep, the enemy's bones hummed. The Ming Jin Strike made the spear leave afterimages as it swung. The weight of one and a half tons slammed into them, and the two bodies exploded.