Origin Paradise!

Wuhe looked around and saw that the three or four alleys nearby were all part of the Yu family mansion area. In the heart of Yangzhou, every inch of land was precious, but what lay before him were magnificent buildings, waterside pavilions and singing stages, displaying an extremely luxurious style that even surpassed that of a royal palace.

The Yu family controlled the grain transport and salt administration in Jiangnan. They were supposed to send four million shi of grain to the court every year, but only a quarter of it reached the national treasury. Even so, the cooperation of the Jiangnan aristocratic families was required. The Ministry of Revenue was the private domain of these families. Otherwise, if it were another faction, they wouldn't even be able to collect a quarter of it.

"If the water is too clear, there will be no fish." Si Ning said fiercely, "I am a loyal subject of the Southern Liang Dynasty. My loyalty is as clear as day. In the past few years, I have endured humiliation and hardship, put myself in danger, and rescued the stolen silver. Prince He, please don't misunderstand me."

"Where's the money?" Jiang He asked, looking down.

Si Ning answered proudly, "I've basically spent it all."

Jiang He scoffed, too lazy to argue with this guy. According to Si Ning, she had become a candidate for Greed, whose fundamental ability was to refine money that symbolized wealth, temporarily amplifying attack power or strengthening defense. She could also refine money into energy and life force to restore herself or others.

As long as there is enough money, it is not difficult to maintain a level comparable to that of a major power. The drawback is that once the money is exhausted, one will return to the original state.

As for the price of taking the Greed Candidate from the Lost Paradise, Si Ning's legs were bitten off by the local ferocious beasts. Even though she spent a huge amount of money to repair her limbs afterward, the beasts swallowed her legs along with her soul, and she still could not stand on her own.

“Mechanical limbs, implanted body, flesh-regenerating bone pills, life spring water…” Si Ning said indifferently, “In short, we’ve tried everything. The partial annihilation of the soul is undoubtedly a serious injury. We can only take it one step at a time.”

In the martial arts world of those who strive to conquer the world, this injury has already touched upon the fundamental principles of the Dao.

Jiang He bent down and reached out to stroke the other person's long, fair legs beneath her dress. They looked beautiful, but were lifeless and would probably wither and die in a few months.

"There's no way to save him for now."

Jiang He said, "However, a severe injury to the soul is not a complete death, and losing a part does not mean losing the whole. One of my abilities should be effective in restoring the incomplete to the whole, but the rank must reach the legendary level first. You should prepare the reward first."

Si Ning gave an "OK" sign and laughed, "It's too much of a disadvantage to compete for the Rouge Ranking with a disabled person's status. I'll let you have some fun once you recover. Don't be shy, my good brother."

"hehe."

The group arrived in front of the Yu residence, where hundreds of Yangzhou guards stood at the gate, all clad in red armor with frost-white sword sheaths at their waists.

Cries of despair echoed from the Yu residence as soldiers escorted away the direct descendants of the Yu clan one by one. Two Grand Elders of the Fourth Realm, who were at the level of Quasi-Heroes, stood guard beside Old Madam Yu. Considering Xie An'nan's status as her birth mother, she was the only exception.

"Aunt, save me!"

The head of the Yu family was detained and looked terrified. Given his position, he knew that if he did nothing, all would be well; if he did, the matter would be settled. As long as Xie Anan, the sixth-ranked ruler of the land, did not lose power, even the emperor would not force the Yu family.

"Go in peace, I will send word to Annam that you must be patient in all things!" Old Madam Yu said, wiping away her tears.

The scene was extremely chaotic. Hundreds of people from various branches, large and small, near and far, were successively put onto prison carts. The two Grand Elders stood still, showing no intention of making a move. In terms of combat strength, they could certainly defeat several hundred Yangzhou guards, but the battlefield that would determine the outcome was not here at all.

The men were in front, followed by the women, with the direct descendants as the main force and the branches as secondary. This situation was extremely serious, and even the gatekeepers could not escape.

"Oh, isn't this Fourth Sister?"

"You look disheveled after just a few hours."

Si Ning was extremely excited. She pushed her wheelchair forward, slurring her words. She came to a beautiful and elegant woman and began to mock her wildly, completely ignoring the woman's pitiful appearance as she silently shed tears.

"Baa baa baa, once you're in jail, you won't be able to explain yourself no matter how hard you try. You're a criminal with a tainted past, how are you going to climb the social ladder in the future? Who knows if the jailers will be so lecherous? It's truly a pity."

"You bitch!!"

I should have sold you out back then!

The beautiful woman's face turned ferocious, and she almost lost her mind. She shouted, "Help! Help! She is the fifth young lady of the Yu family! Why was she left out!"

Upon hearing this, several centurions' expressions shifted slightly, and they immediately led their men forward, only to be stopped by the skeletal dragon riders.

Si Ning was still making sarcastic remarks and having fun, while on the other side, the commander of Yangzhou Guard found someone.

"Your Highness, the Guo Huan case has occurred, involving thousands of officials in Yangzhou, Jiangnan. His Majesty has decreed that they be arrested and executed."

Jiang He calmly said, "I will carry out the execution on behalf of His Majesty."

The black sword at his waist was drawn half an inch from its sheath, and wisps of sword energy spilled out of the street, heads falling to the ground one after another. The head of the Yu family died with his eyes wide open, and the fourth young lady still had anger on her face.

A sudden and shocking change occurred!

Not only Old Lady Yu and the Commander, but even Si Ning remained rooted to the spot.

"From this day forward, Yu Ning will be in charge of the Yu family."

"You idiot, lend a hand now and we'll split your fortune in half."

The sinister young man clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Understood."

The guards of Yangzhou looked at each other in dismay. It was obvious that Prince Yong had his eye on the Yu family's wealth. This powerful prince, who was both a local tyrant and a powerful local ruler, was utterly unscrupulous. He would seize whatever he wanted without any regard for rules or consequences.

The commander forced himself to say, "This matter, I must report to the court and ask His Majesty for a decision."

"Whatever you say," Jiang He replied.

Grandma Yu was heartbroken and was about to rush forward to fight someone when Si Ning quickly pushed her wheelchair and called for the maids on either side to stop her.

"Grandma, please be patient!"

"You vixen! I didn't believe Mo'er when she said you were a femme fatale, but today's massacre of our entire family is all because of you!" Old Madam Yu shouted with hatred in her eyes, "I will die with my eyes wide open!"

Si Ning scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed.

"Excellent."

Upon hearing this, Old Lady Yu fainted from anger.

As the guards from Yangzhou left one after another, the Yu family's gates remained tightly shut. A gray eagle landed on Jiang He's shoulder. Jiang He couldn't understand bird language, so he quickly called Wu He over to translate.

"Boss, using the Guo Huan case as a pretext, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner has ordered the Longxiang Army to make arrests throughout the city. It is estimated that they are going to launch a round of purges. Now they have arrested thousands of officials and their families and are detained in the Provincial Administration Commission."

The Longxiang Army is one of the six imperial guards in the capital, with a force of 30,000 men. It is relatively elite, and now only a third of them have arrived. Yet, this is enough to intimidate the local Yangzhou garrison. Moreover, the Guo Huan case was clearly not a spur-of-the-moment decision. Under the command of the Yangzhou general, there were countless defectors due to the Xie family's loss of power.

Jiang He seemed to understand something, and said, "They've gone mad."

Wuhe guessed, "It's probably going to require bone-scraping surgery."

Compared to the person who had just wiped out the Yu family, Emperor Wu of Liang was even more insane. Taking advantage of Xie An'nan's absence and the crucial moment when Prince Yong was in charge, he directly sought to undermine the foundations of aristocratic families and carried out a large-scale purge of his subordinate officials. The intensity of this purge was exactly the same as that of the state monopoly on salt and iron, the performance evaluation system, and the Single Whip Law.

Currently, there is no fierce resistance in the entire city of Yangzhou.

Because Prince Yong is in the city, and his whereabouts are unknown.

As a prince of the imperial family, he naturally belonged to the imperial power and stood on the opposite side of the aristocratic families at this moment.

"Wouldn't I become the scapegoat then?" Jiang He thought to himself. Once the aristocratic families retaliate and bandits rise up in all ten prefectures of Jiangnan, it will be obvious who the most heinous criminals are. Moreover, once the aristocratic families suffer a devastating blow and lose their organizational power, he will lose the object and channel for demanding money and cultivation techniques.

Wow!

Gluttony emanated a stream of black light.

The corpses of the members of the Mandiyu clan disappeared and reassembled.

After the bloody battle in the Blessed Land of Gluttony, Jiang He's energy utilization rate underwent a qualitative change. Not only did the energy consumption of his moves decrease by 40%, but the materials required to create an ordinary Golden Evil Soldier, which used to require five, are now only needed for three.

Amidst the darkness, two hundred vicious soldiers rose to their feet.

"Open the Yu Clan Armory and proceed to the Provincial Administration Office."

……

Yangzhou, Huayuefang.

This place is famous for the Huayue Tower, which is lit up day and night. It used to be called "Zhu Zi". The Huayue Tower belonged to the Yu family, which was a member of the Xie family. In the past, most of the officials in the Provincial Administration Commission were regular guests. When they went out, they were entertained with singing and dancing banquets.

At this moment, the Provincial Administration Office was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.

The Yangzhou Provincial Governor, Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, and General had all removed their official robes and sat side by side on chairs, with only coarse tea beside them. As for the hall, the floor was filled with subordinate officials, all of whom were capable of holding high positions. The courtyard was freezing cold, and it was inevitable that they would catch a cold after a night's rest.

"If you have any hidden stories, please continue to explain. I hope that you will not make mistakes in your correspondence. His Highness Prince Yong is currently stationed in Yangzhou. He has killed countless prisoners and even killed Yuan Changling, the eighth-ranked Prince of Northern Wei in the world. Don't blame me for not reminding you beforehand."

The Grand Canal Transport Commissioner sneered repeatedly. Yangzhou was full of powerful families in its seven prefectures, and its prosperity attracted martial arts masters from all walks of life. If it weren't for the special circumstances today, whoever the imperial court sent would have returned empty-handed.

The provincial governor, dressed in his undershirt, took a sip of tea and said calmly, "I advise you to leave some room for maneuver in your actions. The Xie family head has only come to the capital and there is no obituary. How can the court govern the country without the support of aristocratic families? Without the support of wealthy households, how can Tianchan Temple continue to burn incense? Even that eunuch Xiao Qingzhi was invited by Empress Xie before her death."

"Xie Anan won't die, and that won't stop us from trying to stop the boiling water," the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner sneered. "You lot deserve to die just like those scholars who wreak havoc on the court. In my opinion, killing a batch every ten years is just right!"

The Yangzhou general angrily said, "Kill us, and let's see how you defend Yangzhou. The bandits were already fifty miles outside the city yesterday."

Suddenly, the commander of Yangzhou Guard staggered in. Before he could speak, Jiang He pushed open the door and entered. Two hundred fierce armored soldiers surrounded the Provincial Administration Office, and the Longxiang Army soldiers were all on high alert.

"Your Highness!" the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner exclaimed, rising to his feet.

As a close confidant of the emperor and a high-ranking official of the second rank, he could certainly be arrogant in front of the officials of Yangzhou and the second son of the Xie family, but when facing the seventh most powerful prince in the country, he was still far from being an equal.

Jiang He surveyed the room calmly and said, "Starting now, pay up and leave. Focus on cultivation techniques, divine weapons are best. One person pays, one person leaves. As for the Guo Huan case and the state monopoly on salt and iron, you can decide how much to pay. This is a one-time offer. If it doesn't meet my expectations, or exceeds the limit, and anyone remaining here after the deadline, will be killed on the spot."

"Your Highness, you mustn't!"

The Grand Canal Transport Commissioner's face changed drastically, and two vicious soldiers immediately came up and took him away. All the documents related to Guo Huan's case were confiscated, including those of the recommender, who were also imprisoned.

Jiang He pulled up a chair, sat down, and closed her eyes to rest.

In the crowd, a young man coughing repeatedly stood up, greeted the crowd, and said, "The Xie Clan Ancestral Hall has an ancestral weapon called the Great Hunting Kyushu Blade. It is extremely sharp and ranks fourth on the list of divine weapons. I wonder if Your Highness is satisfied with it? I will send someone to bring it to you right away."

"Eldest son of the Xie family, see the guest out." Jiang He waved his hand.

Two vicious soldiers, their faces beaming, stepped forward and helped the young master away.

"Your Highness, my father is a renowned figure in the martial arts world, and our family possesses 70,000 scrolls of common martial arts manuals. Can he pay with his life?"

"I beg Your Highness to show leniency, I offer you 170,000 taels of silver."

"Your Highness, I have elderly parents and young children to support, and my family has been poor for generations. I am willing to offer you all my savings of seven thousand taels."

Jiang He opened her eyes, and a black natal sword flew out, beheading the third person.

After a brief silence, everyone began to speak.

……

October 19th, the 20th year of Yongqing.

As dawn broke, the street in front of the Yangzhou Provincial Administration Office was filled with 240 horse-drawn carriages.

Seven million two hundred thousand taels of silver, forty-two volumes of immortal-level cultivation techniques, three thousand nine hundred volumes of epic-level immortal cultivation techniques, and forty-two thousand volumes of supreme-level common cultivation techniques. The entire Yangzhou was out of paper and ink, and various aristocratic families sent a large number of people to copy them by hand. The total number reached seventy percent of the Xuanjin Manor's resources.

Inside the Provincial Administration Office, there were only about twenty corpses on the ground.

Jiang He examined the Great Hunting Nine Provinces Blade and a dark green short sword, both of which were immortal-grade weapons. He immediately fed them to the Eternal Regret Dragon Spear to complete its advancement.

[Name: Everlasting Regret Dragon Spear]

[Type: Weapon]

[Quality: Sub-Legendary]

[Effect ①: As heavy as a small mountain, yet effortless to lift]

[Effect ②: Legendary Durable/Sharp]

[Effect 3: Strike of Enduring Hatred, converts Hatred into empowered power]

[Effect 4: Blood Wolf Smoke - Wolf shadows deal damage equal to a full-power spear attack, with 90% of the damage converted into piercing damage. Up to one hundred wolf shadows can be released at once.]

[Effect 5: Dawn - Deals 85% additional true damage]

[Effect ⑥: Inflicts a 3-second Will Imprisonment on a designated enemy. The Imprisonment effect depends on the Willpower level of both parties. Cooldown: 10 minutes]

[Effect ⑦: The Eternal Dragon Spear gains growth attributes and advances after absorbing seven sub-legendary items (0/7)]

[Effect ⑧: Soul of the Soldier - Deals 200% additional soul damage and gains the passive Soul Execution: When the physical body is completely destroyed, an execution effect is triggered on the spirit (determined by line of sight)]

[Effect 9: Devour Souls - Each hit evaporates 10000 points of the target's Heroic Energy]

[Effect 10: Swift Strike - Increases attack speed by 160%]

[Effect: Fire Resistance - Increases the holder's fire damage by 160%]

[Effect: Divine Weapon - Sub-Legendary level Shockwave, Sub-Legendary level Armor Shatter, Sub-Legendary level Tear, Sub-Legendary level Destruction, Sub-Legendary level Siphon, Attacks can cause continuous bleeding (Dragon's Blood Pain)]

[Effect: Lance of Destiny - Guaranteed hit within its range]

[Effect: Misty Miniature World - Creates a miniature world that envelops a specific area, containing the power of death]

[Effect: Versatile – The gun's length and size can be freely adjusted]

[Effect: Phase Coexistence - Return to the Same World]

[Effect: Spirit Sealing - Seals the soul of a creature, grants enhancement, and is replaceable]

[Socketed with +9 Armor Shatter Gem: Increases Armor Shatter effect by 30%]

[Socket with Tear Gem +5: Increases Tear damage by 18%]

[Note: The longest spear among spears, the most luxurious of all. It has given a new definition to the sub-legendary weapon. As a king's exclusive weapon, it only recognizes the one who kills it (the gem has evolved along with the spear)]

Chapter 572 The Great Shun Army's Siege of the City