Origin Paradise!

Jiang He walked for two whole hours before reaching the destination, and as soon as he came out, he was surrounded by a group of young men holding bamboo poles.

"He is my accomplice."

An old man who looked like a fisherman came out, waved away the crowd, and turned to say, "This place is more than ten miles outside the city. Now that you've come out, you can't go back. There are mountains all around, and there are 50,000 troops stationed on the plains outside. Stay here with me and Miss Fuxue and wait for the mission to be over."

Chapter 23 Talisman

In the mountains outside the city.

This desolate wilderness was home to thousands of people, men, women, and children. There were no wooden houses or other buildings in sight, and the living conditions were extremely rudimentary. However, compared to the constant massacres taking place in Yangzhou, it was fortunate that they had survived.

The old man in the straw hat was quite indifferent to the arrival of someone. The main quest required survival for ten days, but did not restrict the location. The closest general to this mountain was General Liu, who was a relative of the current Grand Protector. He was abandoned by his allies in the battle of Jiangbei and eventually joined the Qing army.

The two sides have reached a secret agreement: General Liu will turn a blind eye to the citizens in the mountains on the condition that all able-bodied men will be enlisted after the massacre and that he will try his best to win over the surviving able-bodied men in the city.

The old man in the straw hat paid a considerable price to secure this hard-won stability, and sheltering survivors could slightly improve his mission rating.

Jiang He revealed her purpose, "I'm looking for Cangshan Fuxue."

The old man in the straw hat frowned and said firmly, "Mo Ke, this secret passage concerns the lives of thousands of people. If you go back, you will increase the risk and affect the interests of the main mission. I will never back down."

"Put your business aside for now; I've caught a whiff of business."

Not far away, Cangshan Fuxue walked over wearing a six-cake headgear. She was an expert in talismans, and people usually came to visit her. Their purpose was self-evident. If the two of them were to fight, regardless of the outcome, her business would definitely be ruined.

Jiang He turned her head and said, "I plan to buy all the stock of those talismans you gave to Chu Fuqiang before."

Cangshan, with his arms crossed and in a cheerful mood, said, "You're talking about the Yellow Paper Pagoda Talisman, which can protect you. Each one is of ordinary quality and takes a lot of my time and effort to make. It costs fifty game coins per talisman, no bargaining. Don't think it's expensive. After the mission is over, go out and ask around. I'm the fairest when it comes to business."

Jiang He weighed his game currency reserves and asked, "How many Yellow Paper Tower Talismans do you have left?"

Cangshan, covered in snow, raised two fingers: "Twenty."

"Not enough money."

Cangshan covered in snow: "..."

Brother, then what are you still babbling about?

Jiang He took out a cinnabar mirror and said, "I can exchange it for a rare-grade item."

After reviewing the props information, Cangshan Fuxue said disappointedly, "With this, I might as well buy a truckload of pinhole cameras. You're from the Northwest, right? How about you be diligent and go hunting in the mountains?"

Jiang He pondered for a moment and said, "Your talisman requires wild beasts as materials."

Cangshan Fuxue shrugged and replied, "To be precise, it's animal hides. Since we've mentioned hunting, you should be able to guess that ordinary animal hides won't do. There's a crucial difference in spirituality between wild animals and domesticated livestock, so don't try to fool people with defective products during the transaction. Two good-quality animal hides for one yellow paper talisman, and your mirror will be held as collateral here. Once the money and goods are settled, you can take it back."

The old man in the straw hat interjected, "If Mo Ke dies in Yangzhou, you'll lose a fortune. A little game currency can be exchanged for 10,000 yuan from the Bureau of Order, and the underground price is 20-30% higher, and there aren't many people willing to exchange it. If you send him back now, you might not even be able to recoup your costs."

Cangshan Fuxue was shocked. "Senior, you must be joking. Even a pig could escape with twenty tower talismans."

"But you can't stop those who are deliberately courting death."

The old man in the straw hat took out his fishing rod and looked at someone coldly. "I've seen this before when I wasn't that old. This is the look in someone's eyes when they're so hungry they want to kill someone."

Jiang He picked up the mirror and examined herself. Apart from the disguise of the gentleman's glasses, nothing else had changed.

"The evil talk deceives the public."

The coir raincoat: "..."

Good, good, good! (claps hands)

The atmosphere gradually became tense. Not revealing their location was the bottom line for the old man in the straw hat, while Cangshan Fuxue was also hesitant. The business of twenty yellow paper talismans was not small, and she was not so rich as to throw money away casually.

After a long pause, Jiang He spoke up: "After I leave, I will return to the city and not use this secret passage again. As for the talisman trade, I will raise the price to two and a half wild animal hides for one talisman."

Upon hearing this, Cangshan Fuxue immediately threw out twenty yellow paper pagoda talismans. The old man in the straw hat had no choice but to put away his fishing rod and turn to leave. Having lost the two-against-one situation, he was unwilling to risk his life alone, especially since the other party had already taken the initiative to give in.

Jiang He gave him the Vermilion Mirror, and the two added each other as friends in the Origin game. This function was displayed on the panel and only had a communication effect.

……

The city of Yangzhou fell on the fifth night.

The local death toll has already exceeded 100,000 due to the Qing soldiers' wanton slaughter.

Looking down from the mountaintop, military tents stretched for miles across the plains below, numbering over ten thousand men, covering the entire mountainside. After a five-day wait, these surrendered soldiers were eager to move. The lifting of martial law meant that they would soon be able to enter Yangzhou City and have a feast.

Jiang He held up a torch that had just been extinguished, closed his eyes to prepare himself mentally, then took off his monocle and repeatedly pressed it against his face. The sizzling sound of flesh being burned immediately rang out, and his strength of up to 8 points burst out, almost crushing the wooden handle of the torch in his hand.

These superficial burns can be healed with small healing agents, but the pain of being burned by flames is real and unmistakable; the veins on one person's forehead bulge, and their face contorts like a vengeful ghost.

"...Unwavering determination...Damn it...It hurts!"

With no one around, Jiang He wished he could collapse and roll on the ground, but his long-standing inertia made him stand silently in place, enduring the burning pain. He knew from a young age that if he showed the slightest sign of weakness, he would lose his small building, his fishing boat, and even his personal freedom. A piece of meat that is not difficult to handle is most likely to trigger primal evil. Even in various places, it is not uncommon for people to eat the children of the destitute, and the underground world of Anping Island is extremely dangerous for ordinary people.

It took Jiang He a full quarter of an hour to continue walking, relight the torch, and head straight down the mountain to the military camp.

"Stop whoever comes!"

The officer guarding the camp gate raised his rifle and shouted, and the other soldiers became alert upon seeing this.

The man approaching was clad in armor, his face covered in burn scars, clearly a fierce and ruthless individual. Before the Qing army entered the pass, possessing armor in the Central Plains was tantamount to treason and a capital offense.

Jiang He calmly picked up the military badge and said, "I am Li Tongfeng, the deputy commander of Wuzhou. I was previously stationed in the west of Yangzhou. Your commander, Li Tongyan, is my elder brother. Go and inform him."

The officer at the camp gate looked suspicious. If he really was the General's blood brother, it would seem strange for him to be here at this time.

The officer gave a look to the soldier next to him, who immediately ran into the barracks.

Half an hour later, a dignified general in half-armor emerged, flanked by a dozen personal guards.

The general's brows furrowed in a grimace as he roared, "Where did this petty scoundrel come from? The Commander-in-Chief received news of General Li's death three days ago. Seize him!"

Two bodyguards stepped forward, and someone kicked one of them, sending him flying several meters away.

“Let me see my brother.”

Jiang He spoke coldly, his heart unmoved. As long as he used Li Tongfeng's identity and military token, meeting General Li Tongyan was almost a certainty. After all, apart from the General himself, no one else could completely deny his identity. Li Tongfeng's body was buried in the mountain of corpses in the west of the city, and his head had been brutally smashed.

The officers and soldiers remained silent, but all stood up straight again and put away their weapons.

"you……"

The general felt deeply troubled. He was 70% certain that this guy was an imposter, but whether he could say for sure was not up to him. In any case, this obstruction would plant a thorn in the general's heart, because Li Tongfeng's body had not yet been found.

In the eyes of the General, if he dared to stop this guy, he would dare to stop the real Li Tongfeng, and the reply from the central command tent was self-evident.

"Hmph, you're lying, I'll take you to your death."

The general snorted coldly. If the other party's identity was fake, he would be in trouble, so he was in a very bad mood.

Chapter 24 The Four Generals

The Chinese military tent.

"My brother is still alive... Sigh, that's just wishful thinking."

General Li Tongyan waved away the messenger soldiers. There were only two clerks and two halberd bearers in the tent. As time passed, the tens of thousands of soldiers became increasingly impatient, and more and more people were sent out to maintain order. While the Qing soldiers were enjoying themselves in Yangzhou, they had to wait outside. Recently, news of mutinies had already spread among the troops under other generals.

Not long after, the general personally led someone into the main tent. General Li Tongyan only glanced at him and then seemed to have lost all interest.

"Drag him away and execute him."

"Yes, sir!" The general clasped his hands in obeisance and accepted the order.

Jiang He pulled the tent flap shut, then summoned the Long Hatred Spear and cleaved it at the back of the general's head. The immense weight of one and a half tons was released, and in the blink of an eye, brain matter splattered, and the entire head disappeared.

"Come……"

Before the shout could even leave his mouth, Jiang He suddenly swung his arm, causing the spear to snap with a sharp crack, like a whip striking in the air. The weight of the spear, combined with the force of the blow, created a gust of wind in the tent, overturning tables and nearly slapping the general in the face.

In a flash, Jiang He thrust out his spear, killing two guards wielding halberds. He then leaped up and pounced on the clerks nearby. By the time the table hit the ground, all five people in the tent were dead.

General Li Tongyan remained calm, wiped the lamp oil splattered on his face, and asked, "Brave warrior, what do you want?"

Jiang He said calmly, "You claimed to be seriously ill and invited the other three generals to a banquet."

A long silence.

Li Tongyan looked up, his face showing a look of utter disgust. Having served as a general for many years, he could naturally guess what the other side was going to do next. The various military camps had been desperately holding back for many days, like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment. Once the group was leaderless, no one could stop the chaos.

"That's impossible."

Li Tongyan resolutely refused, regretting in his heart why he hadn't arranged more men to guard his left and right. Unfortunately, the Qing army swept across the north bank, and the four towns north of the river returned to defend due to internal strife. There was no more fighting within a thousand miles. Including the resistance in Yangzhou City, he thought it was a joke. There was no way that a single cavalry could charge straight into the camp and threaten the main tent.

If he agrees to the current demands and lets the other side kill the other three generals, then he will have no choice but to fight Qingbing to the death, and Tieduo will never let him go.

Jiang He gripped the gun barrel, straightened his arm, and as he released it, the Changhen Gun fell, crushing the table without any resistance.

"Given the fact that your brother died in the city, I'm betting you value your life. From now on, the distance between us won't exceed three meters. You can try this gun."

Li Tongyan stood up and reached for the gun, but it wouldn't budge. He tried to grip it with both hands with all his might, but to no avail. The weight of the gun was beyond his imagination, which seemed to represent the difference in strength between the two sides.

Li Tongyan's brows furrowed into a deep frown. What kind of monster could wield such a thing?

"In ancient times, assassins hid swords in the belly of fish; now, brave men feign injury to reveal their spears. I admit defeat, but you must know that 50,000 disorganized soldiers with no command cannot withstand a few rounds of attacks from the White Flag Iron Cavalry."

Jiang He nodded. "I will assassinate Tie Duo, and you will become a hero who endures humiliation and reclaims Yangzhou."

Li Tongyan simply smiled. Both sides knew perfectly well that the atmosphere was merely relaxed for the moment. As soon as the other side dared to leave the military tent, he would immediately run away and mobilize his elite troops to launch an ambush.

……

The next morning.

When the soldiers of the personal guard entered the tent, they found several corpses and were immediately terrified, thinking that a mutiny had occurred. However, when they saw that the general was still sitting in the head seat, they quickly calmed down and began to clean up the scene in an orderly manner.

Several cavalry units left the camp to deliver invitations to the other three generals. With the city entrance imminent, everyone was supposed to gather together to divide the spoils and plunder Yangzhou. However, Li Tongyan's claim of serious illness disrupted their previous agreement.

Inside the large tent, the cook brought in mutton soup, which Li Tongyan chewed heartily and ate clean, showing no sign of the distress of having his life in someone else's hands.

Three steps away, Jiang He, holding a long spear, closed his eyes to rest.

“Brave warrior, where are you from? Perhaps we are from the same hometown.”

"You said you would ruin your face just to deceive me, it's really not worth it. Even if you came straight here, let alone come alone, I would still welcome you with open arms."

"To be honest, I have several beautiful women in my camp, all gifts from wealthy merchants in Yangzhou. Each one is an absolute beauty. Why don't you and I, brothers, have a go at it?"

……

Li Tongyan kept rambling on, searching for any flaws in his argument. He didn't want to die, nor did he want to fall out with Tie Duo. Once night fell, he knew there would be no turning back.

Jiang He suddenly opened her eyes and said, "I only want Tie Duo's life. All other riches, beautiful women and other valuables must give way to him. Your rambling is meaningless."

Li Tongyan gave a forced smile and said, "The soup is poisoned. If you take a sip when you're feeling irritable, then I've succeeded."

Jiang He nodded and said calmly, "You know that I won't kill you and ruin the plan before a certain limit, so it's understandable to try. Of course, if you tamper with the invitations, then there's nothing more to say between us. Anyway, on my side, if those three don't die, you will. There should be people who consider the big picture, but not someone like you who surrenders."

Li Tongyan angrily smashed the soup bowl. He had no way to deal with this smelly and hard stone. Even though this guy saw through the trap, he didn't get angry at all.

After a long pause, Li Tongyan said, "Can I really become the hero who restores Yangzhou?"

Jiang He remained silent; he couldn't guarantee that they would definitely win.

Li Tongyan exclaimed in shock, "You're not even willing to give me a perfunctory answer?"

Jiang He replied dismissively, "It's about 50/50."

Li Tongyan stroked his chin, assessing the situation. Since the opponent's martial prowess far surpassed his own, he could not survive this ordeal without risking his life. Therefore, he might as well go all out and fight to avoid failure.

……

The city of Yangzhou fell on the sixth night.

Three generals were invited to come. The leader was named Gao Jie, who was originally a general under Li Zicheng, a great bandit at the end of the Ming Dynasty. He was nicknamed "Mountain Flying Hawk". Later, he surrendered to the old dynasty and supported the new emperor in Jiangnan. He was enfeoffed as the Earl of Xingping and had 20,000 troops under his command. He was the head of the four generals who surrendered to the old dynasty.

Gao Jie entered the tent first, laughing heartily, "Brother, how have you been? It's been many days since we last met, and I've missed you terribly!"

The other two generals also entered the camp, and their personal guards were placed in the central army, where a banquet was held to entertain them.

Li Tongyan struggled to his feet, coughed violently for a while, and said with a pale face, "Brother Gao, please forgive me. I have caught a cold and it has triggered an old ailment. I may have to discuss this matter of entering the city with the three of you again. The west of the city is rich and prosperous, and I am afraid I am not worthy to live there."

The three looked at each other in bewilderment. Before they came, they all thought that Li Tongyan's so-called serious illness was just an excuse, but now it seemed that it was indeed true.

Gao Jie waved his hand dismissively, "Don't let this trivial matter hurt our brotherly bond. Let your brother have a taste of the wine and meat in your camp."

The banquet was soon held. The chefs of Yangzhou were famous throughout the world. After several rounds of drinks, twelve beautiful women from the Huai River entered the tent. Each of them was graceful and charming, their light gauze swaying as they danced.

Li Tongyan sat at the head of the table, while several veteran generals from the camp sat at the end. After a few dances, the beautiful women from the Huai River came gently to the generals to pour wine.

Li Tongyan said, “Brothers, I will speak frankly now. There is a granary in the western district of the city, which is enough for an army of 80,000 for three months. However, it was burned down a few days ago. But there is still a granary under the He family cemetery that is just as good. It is one of the reliance of Minister Shi in defending the city. With grain, there are soldiers. I am willing to exchange this granary for 300 warhorses.”