[Wuxia] Sword's Hatred and Passion (Complete) - 36 Chapters

The sequel to " Sword's Hatred and Passion," titled "The Last Stand of the Massacre in Yangzhou 3: Worshiping the God of Fire," features the protagonist

's appearance. "The Last Stand of the Massacre in Yangzhou" is a short story within the sequel to "Sword's Hatred and Passion," much like many short stories in "The Way of Heaven." It recounts the events surrounding the massacre in Yangzhou, the reactions of some individuals facing dire circumstances, and the distortion of humanity under despair.

Attached is a biography of Shi Kefa, a mediocre loyal minister and incompetent martyr.

Shi Kefa, courtesy name Xianzhi, was born on the fourth day of the eleventh month of the twentieth year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1602 AD) in Xiangfu County, Henan Province (present-day Kaifeng City). He passed the imperial examination in the first year of the Chongzhen reign and was appointed as a judge in Xi'an Prefecture. He later rose through the ranks to become a principal clerk in the Ministry of Revenue, then an assistant minister, and later a vice minister under the Grand Councilor Lu Xiang-sheng, who inspected Anqing and Chizhou, overseeing the armies north of the Yangtze River. He eventually became the Right Vice Minister of Revenue and concurrently the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, overseeing the Grand Canal transport, and serving as governor of Fengyang, Huai'an, and Yangzhou. He was later appointed Minister of War in Nanjing, participating in state affairs.

In April of the seventeenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign (1644 AD), Li Zicheng, the rebel leader, captured Beijing. Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself at Coal Hill. Ma Shiying and others enthroned the Prince of Fu, changing the reign title to Hongguang, thus establishing the Southern Ming Hongguang court. Shi Kefa was repeatedly promoted, eventually becoming Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Minister of War,

and Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall. He volunteered to be the Commander-in-Chief, stationed in Huai and Yang provinces. On April 25th of the first year of the Hongguang reign (1645 AD), Yangzhou was captured by the Manchu general Dodo. Shi Kefa attempted suicide but was prevented by his subordinates and captured. Undeterred, he cursed and died a martyr on the south gate tower of Yangzhou's new city, at the age of forty-four. His general and adopted son, Shi Dewei, searched for Shi Kefa's remains on May 1st. Due to the summer heat, the accumulated body had become obscured and unrecognizable. Dewei dared not claim it, and thus failed to find the remains. Later, a cenotaph was built at Meihualing outside Yangzhou.

When it comes to the most prominent officials of the Southern Ming Dynasty, Shi Kefa undoubtedly ranks first. This is not only because he defended Yangzhou to the death and ultimately remained loyal

to the Ming Dynasty, but also because, in terms of status, he was the first person chosen by Emperor Chongzhen to remain in Nanjing. However, if we disregard the glamorous image of Shi Kefa's unwavering loyalty to Yangzhou and his devotion to the Ming Dynasty—the last Han Chinese dynasty in Chinese history—my impression of him can be summed up in four words: mediocre and incompetent.

Emperor Chongzhen (Zhuang Lie), the Ming emperor, was known for his poor judgment of character, but I must say that he was not wrong in his assessment of Shi Kefa. Shi Kefa was undoubtedly capable of risking his life in court to protect the young Crown Prince Chongzhen's ascension to the throne; he was a minister of state. However, expecting him to make decisive decisions, unify the country, and become a restorer of the dynasty was beyond his capabilities.

Therefore, it was reasonable for Emperor Zhuanglie to rank Shi Kefa first among the officials stationed in Nanjing when the Ming Dynasty was teetering on the brink of collapse. If the Crown Prince could successfully march south, Shi Kefa would be the strongest guarantee for his smooth succession. Unfortunately, life is often unpredictable. This saying did not apply to the emperor; ultimately, Emperor Zhuanglie and his sons were all wiped out by Li Zicheng. Shi Kefa was suddenly burdened with responsibilities beyond his capabilities. The result only reaffirmed the proverb that no one can bear responsibilities beyond their capacity—a proverb I don't know if it's from the East, West, or something I made up myself.

With Emperor Zhuanglie and his direct heir unable to flee south, the first priority for the officials stationed in Nanjing was to immediately select a new monarch for the Ming Dynasty, and Shi Kefa, as the most important minister, became crucial in this situation. In fact, on this issue, Shi Kefa was essentially no different from Ma Shiying, who was later considered the most treacherous minister of the Southern Ming Dynasty; both harbored serious personal motives. It can be said that Ma Shiying and Shi Kefa jointly sowed the first seed of the short-lived Southern Ming Dynasty.

According to Gu Cheng's *History of the Southern Ming*, we can clearly see the list of Ming Dynasty imperial family members qualified to inherit the throne at that time: "In terms of blood ties, the sons and grandsons of Emperor Chongzhen's grandfather, Emperor Shenzong Zhu Yijun, included Prince Fu Zhu Yousong, Prince Hui Zhu Changrun, and Prince Gui Zhu Changying (Prince Rui Zhu Changhao was originally enfeoffed in Hanzhong; after Li Zicheng's army entered Shaanxi, he fled to Chongqing, Sichuan, and was executed by the Great Western Army in June of the Jia Shen year); the son of Emperor Shenzong's brothers included Prince Lu Zhu Changfang.

According to the feudal order of succession, Prince Fu, Prince Gui, and Prince Hui should naturally be considered first. Among the three princes of Fu, Gui, and Hui, Zhu Yousong was in a superior position because: First, among the three princes of the imperial family, the Fu prince (i.e., Prince Hui...)..." First, Zhu Changxun, the Prince of Fu, was the eldest; second, the princes of Gui and Hui were a generation older than Emperor Chongzhen, making Zhu Yousong, who followed the "brother succeeding brother" (actually, the younger brother succeeding the elder brother) principle, a more suitable successor; third, the princes of Gui and Hui fled to Guangxi when Zhang Xianzhong's troops entered Hunan in 1643, far from Nanjing, while the Prince of Fu was closer to Huai'an. The Prince of Fu, Zhu Yousong, held a clearly advantageous position in terms of succession and geography.

For the Southern Ming Dynasty, the important thing was not who to install, but to quickly determine a ruler to stabilize the political chaos caused by the death of Emperor Zhuanglie and the restless generals with armies in the regions due to the turbulent situation. In fact, many ministers and insightful people at the time believed that Prince Fu was the most suitable candidate in terms of both lineage and distance, and they also saw that it was better to establish a new emperor sooner rather than later. Huai Fu Lu Zhenfei wrote to Shi Kefa, the Minister of War in Nanjing, stating that the rightful heir should be Prince Fu and that the successor should be decided as soon as possible. Liu Cheng wrote in his letter to Minister Shi: "Since the fall of the capital, news of the late emperor's death has been frequently reported. Although the reports differ, they are roughly the same. You, sir, led the ministers in welcoming Prince Fu to Nanjing, which is the wish of all the officials and people, both inside and outside the capital."

The following text says that the edict he saw still used the title of regent, "without any intention of ascending the throne." He strongly advocated that the title should be conferred "as soon as possible" because "the rightful heir should be Prince Fu, and there is no reason to delay the enthronement." Li Qing recorded: "Upon hearing of the upheaval in the capital, Qian Zongbo Qianyi, who was registered in the capital, discussed welcoming Prince Lu. Zheng Yuanxun, a Jinshi from Yangzhou, secretly told me: 'I told the local people Jie Shaosi...'" Ma Xuelong said: "The good fortune begins here. In the forty-eighth year of Emperor Shenzong's reign, his virtue still resonated with the people. How can we abandon our grandson and establish our nephew? Moreover, if the one who should be established is not, then who cannot be established? What if Zuo Liangyu holds Chu hostage, and Zheng Zhilong holds Yi hostage, each holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords? Who will stop them? Furthermore, once the Prince of Lu is established, where will the Prince of Fu be placed? Should he be killed? Or imprisoned? This would mobilize the entire nation's armies, which is unacceptable."

He then added that Zhang Dujian Zhengchen strongly advocated that "the Prince of Fu should be the foundation of the state." "At that time, the common people were indignant upon hearing of the establishment of Lu; but when the Prince of Fu assumed the regency, the people's hearts were at peace." Meanwhile, the so-called "pure stream" and "great scholars" of the Donglin Party (I will write about the Donglin Party in the embroidered portrait series, so I won't go into detail here. Because the Prince of Fu's grandmother was Consort Zheng, Emperor Shenzong's favorite, and Consort Zheng was almost always involved in the downfall of the pure stream during Shenzong's reign, they feared that the Prince of Fu's ascension would lead to a "reversal of verdicts" and cause the Donglin Party to suffer.) The political downfall of the Donglin Party, coupled with the pursuit of so-called "meritorious service in policy-making," led by the historically renowned Vice Minister of Rites Qian Qianyi, along with Lu Daqi, Vice Minister of War in Nanjing, Gao Hongtu, Minister of Revenue in Nanjing, Zhang Shenyan, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, and Jiang Yueguang, Grand Master of Ceremonies, among others, to propose the enthronement of Prince Lu, Zhu Changfang, under the guise of "constitutionalism." Nanjing was instantly engulfed in a chaotic political strife. Reading history to this point, one cannot help but feel a profound sense of irony. The Ming Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, yet these people still had the mind to engage in factional infighting in Nanjing! Compared to the Qing Dynasty, which, while also experiencing internal strife in Beijing, at least prioritized matters, it would have been truly unjust if the Ming Dynasty hadn't fallen and the Qing Dynasty hadn't risen.

Those advocating for the enthronement of Prince Fu were local power brokers led by Ma Shiying, mostly military generals and local governors; while those advocating for Prince Lu were led by the Donglin Party, and included many prominent figures from both north and south of the Yangtze River. "The gentry and commoners rose up in support"; it could be said that in the initial stage, the two sides were evenly matched.

As the most important minister remaining in power, Shi Kefa's most sensible action should have been to decisively establish a new emperor. Even if he was dissatisfied with Prince Fu, he should have resolutely supported the Donglin Party. In short , the matter of establishing an emperor should be decided as soon as possible.

However, Shi Kefa, at this crucial juncture, actually tried to maintain a balance, which was truly laughable. He even proposed the absurd compromise of establishing Prince Gui as emperor. Even compromises have to be made according to the time, place, and situation!

Not only would Ma Shiying and others be dissatisfied with this plan, but even the Donglin Party would not be satisfied. As a disciple of Zuo Guangdou, one of the spiritual leaders of the Donglin Party, how could Shi Kefa be so biased? It's hard to guarantee that the Donglin Party wouldn't think this way. Some even went so far as to speculate, "Do you want to monopolize the credit for the decision and dominate the court?"

Such speculation is not impossible.

"Even a ruler like Qi Heng, who listened to Guan Zhong, achieved order, but listened to Yi Ya and Kai Fang, led to chaos. The one we have appointed, surely he will listen to the same principles, so what is there to worry about!"

Shi Kefa's words to Jiang Yueguang fully demonstrate that Shi Kefa knew Fu Wang inside and out, knew Fu Wang was unreliable, yet still tried to smooth things over!

Finally, Shi Kefa offered his so-called fair compromise: "Why welcome Gui? Because Fu and Hui have left behind some issues, so we will abandon them and appoint Gui instead. As for the governor of Lu, we will temporarily borrow his command of troops, following the ancient system of a military marshal."

This plan, clearly biased towards the Donglin Party, naturally displeased the warlords who supported Prince Fu. The prolonged struggle over the succession had exposed the weakness beneath the solemn facade of the court, prompting them to immediately use force and military power to justify their actions. At this point, Shi Kefa was powerless to reverse the situation.

In fact, to be fair, Ma Shiying ultimately accepted Shi Kefa's plan, but Ma Shiying clearly saw things more clearly than Shi Kefa. "Establishing Gui is Shi's intention. I say: It's good, but we must act quickly."

However, when Ma Shiying arrived in Nanjing, these "pure officials" used the excuse that he was merely a local bureaucrat and could not attend such a high-level meeting to send him back to Fengyang. When Ma Shiying returned to Fengyang and learned that the warlords fully supported Prince Fu, he knew what to choose. Prince Fu, in turn, lacked the support of an influential minister, and Ma Shiying's arrival perfectly filled this gap. Ma Shiying then presented Shi Kefa's seven reasons why Prince Fu should not be established as heir as political capital. Having read Shi Kefa's letter, how could Prince Fu possibly give Shi Kefa a good outcome?

Shi Kefa lacked the decisiveness of Ma Shiying. He tried to appease everyone and compromise at every turn. Compared to Zhuge Liang and Murong Ke, he couldn't even compare to Kou Zhun, Li Gang, or Yu Qian.

Later generations wrote: "If the officials had truly welcomed him in order, why would the emperor have summoned the four garrisons? How could Shiying and Jie have claimed credit? Wasn't it Qian Qianyi and Lü Daqi who misled him?"

However, if we strictly assign blame, Shi Kefa is the first. Given his position as the most important minister left behind, if he had supported Prince Fu, why would Prince Fu have sought help from the four garrisons? And how could power have fallen into the hands of people like Ma Shiying? The later arrogance of the four garrisons could have been avoided.

Throughout the Hongguang reign, military generals treated the emperor with contempt. The court was merely a figurehead, with civil and military officials vying for power, generals fighting amongst themselves, and internal strife raging. The instigator of this chaos was none other than Shi Kefa.

When the Hongguang Emperor ascended the throne, Shi Kefa was naturally banished from the court and sent to Jiangbei to oversee the army.

To be fair, Emperor Hongguang treated Shi Kefa fairly well. Although Shi Kefa had written letters vehemently criticizing him, Emperor Hongguang didn't completely strip him of his power; he merely banished him to Jiangbei, effectively keeping him out of sight.

If Shi Kefa had truly been capable, he could have accomplished something great while overseeing the troops in Jiangbei. Unfortunately, Shi Kefa lacked real talent. In times of peace, he was a good prime minister, but in times of chaos, he was nothing more than a scholar.

When Shi Kefa took command of Jiangbei, it was during the time when Li Zicheng had been defeated and the Manchus had taken control of the capital. A power vacuum existed in much of Henan, Hebei, and Shandong, and the Manchus lacked the military strength and the will and ability to control such a vast area. The remaining Ming officials in the region organized armed forces for self-defense and hoped that Shi Kefa would lead troops north to reclaim lost territory. In early May of the Jia Shen year (1644 AD), Sang Kaidi, the former Ming prefect of Guide Prefecture in Henan, and Ding Qiguang, a Ming military officer, raised their banners and recovered Guide Prefecture, Shangqiu, Guanhe, Ningling, Zhecheng, Xiayi, Kaocheng, and Luyi. In June, envoys arrived at the Hongguang court in Nanjing. Xu Dingguo, the former Ming general in charge of the Henan campaign, occupied the strategically important town of Suizhou. On April 27, officials and gentry in Dezhou, Shandong, including Zhao Jiding, Cheng Xianzheng, and Xie Bi, elected Zhu Shuai, a member of the Ming imperial family and magistrate of Xianghe County, as their leader, calling him the Prince of Ji, and issued a proclamation calling for the restoration of the Ming Dynasty. In a short time, Shandong and Beizhili responded everywhere. Within a month, Jinan Prefecture, Linqing Prefecture, Qingzhou Prefecture, Dongchang Prefecture, Wuding Prefecture, Binzhou, Gaotang Prefecture, Dezhou, Linyi, Putai, Haifeng, Zhanhua, Lijin, Lingxian, Leling, Jiyang, Qidong, Le'an, Shanghe, Chaocheng, Deping, Enxian, Pingyuan, Yucheng, Laiwu, Yangxin, Ningjin, and Wucheng in Shandong Province; and Hejian Prefecture (including eight prefectures and counties such as Hejian, Fucheng, Suning, Xingji, and Renqiu) in Beizhili, Daming Prefecture, Cangzhou, Jizhou, Jingzhou, Gucheng, Jiaohe, Wuqiao, Wuyi, Wuqiang, Hengshui, Xianxian, Quzhou, Dongguang, Qinghe, and Raoyang, totaling forty-three prefectures and counties in Shandong and Hebei provinces, raised the banner of the Ming Dynasty.

Unfortunately, Shi Kefa, the top military commander and a key minister of the Southern Ming regime, remained remarkably "calm" and unmoved by the prospect of recovering vast swathes of lost territory without expending a single soldier. Stationed in the Jianghuai region bordering Shandong, Shi Kefa neither deployed troops nor sent them to Shandong or Henan to garrison and establish governing institutions, let alone to Hebei, which is close to Beijing.

While it's true that only Gao Jie's unit truly obeyed Shi Kefa's orders among the four garrisons north of the Yangtze River, and the other three were indeed arrogant and unruly, Shi Kefa could have easily deployed a small number of troops to garrison some wealthy and key areas, thereby establishing an army completely subservient to the court and even to himself. Sadly, Shi Kefa remained "calm" and refused to send a single soldier. (Words from those around him frightened the Duke, and he broke camp and fled to Yangzhou. The righteous men of the two rivers lost their spirit, weeping and clinging to the Duke's carriage, but he did not stop. —Yan Ermei) Zhang Yi once recorded, "Passing through the border of Dezhou, the local militia along the way united, with the banner of 'Slaying the bandits and supporting the Ming,' and this was the case everywhere. Upon reaching Jinan, several thousand returning soldiers joined together, their ranks were orderly, and their weapons were excellent. They dredged the river and set up a checkpoint, and all boats had to be questioned before they could pass. They piled up the dredged soil on both banks, barely wide enough for a person to walk on, not for a horse. The houses along the river were blocked off, leaving only a small opening for entry and exit, and the defense was quite strict. Leading the southern army was like waiting for timely rain. When they heard that Hongguang had ascended the throne and that Shi Gong was in charge of the army, everyone was overjoyed and longed to go to the capital. Whenever they met travelers from the south, they would inquire about the whereabouts of the Grand Commandant."

Liu Zeqing also once sent his subordinates with more than a thousand men to Hebei to pick up Liu's family. A force of over a thousand men marched north from Huai'an to Linqing, traversing the entire Shandong province and reaching Hebei. They returned with a large number of families and valuables, and even had the strength to fight a battle with local armed forces who supported the Ming dynasty.

This suggests that the situation described in the memorial by Fang Dayou, the Shandong governor appointed by the Qing dynasty, as "having no soldiers at all," was largely true, highlighting the weakness of defenses in the fallen provinces.

Faced with such a favorable situation, Shi Kefa surprisingly wrote in his memorial: "The troops of various garrisons have been stationed north of the Yangtze River for a long time, all awaiting supplies. Upon hearing that the barbarian cavalry have come south demanding money, grain, and household registrations, the land has become barbarian territory, and it will be difficult for us to resist. This has wasted time and delayed the defense of the borders; the blame lies with me. Now, news has arrived from the north that the Nine Tombs still have a supervising official, and the corrupt official Feng Quan has been impeached, resulting in the near extinction of northerners. Some still remember the current dynasty and intend to flee south, but there is nowhere to hide. Thus, Hebei has lost both land and talent. I beg an immediate edict to seek out worthy men, specifically instructing all officials and scholars in the northern capital, Hebei, and Shandong to be loyal to the country and to clearly understand as soon as possible that the Manchus are nothing more than 'barbarian cavalry coming south to demand supplies.'" It was merely a matter of "reporting taxes, grain, and household registrations," yet he was afraid of soldiers and war, regarding the occupied provinces as "barbarian lands"! Vast swathes of land in Henan, Hebei, and Shandong had not a single Manchu soldier, yet countless local militia and civilians yearned for the royal army, but it was still "not easy to contend for." Since "not easy to contend for," then there was no need to contend at all; all that was needed was to "quickly issue an edict seeking talented individuals, specifically instructing all registered officials and scholars in the northern capital, Hebei, and Shandong to be loyal to the country and come south as soon as possible, to be employed without regard to rank." Just summon the capable people. Shi Kefa, in the face of imminent danger, actually harbored such a cowardly and complacent mentality; how could one not sigh?

"But since the barbarians can kill the traitors, it is revenge for us. We should grant them a righteous cause, taking advantage of the situation, prioritizing the great national hatred, and pardoning past wrongs. Using our superior military strength, we can annihilate the vile ones; this is a necessary course of action today. I have previously seen my colleague Ma Shiying already consider this." "

If the enemy reaches the river and we send them on our way, it would mean they intend to help us, but we refuse them; it would mean they intend to harm us, but we welcome them. I humbly request that an imperial edict be issued to the Ministry of War, and that all court officials be assembled to determine which civil and military officials should be dispatched. The edict should either be sent directly to the enemy ruler or first communicate with the nine chieftains (Dorgon). The necessary funds should be prepared immediately. The number of accompanying officials and their stipends should also be arranged. The journey should be scheduled to begin within the month, so that our surrender to the enemy will not be without justification, and the annihilation of the enemy can be accomplished in this one battle." "

This memorial, brimming with traitorous intent, actually came from the hand of Shi Kefa. Knowing full well that 'the enemy harbors ambitions to conquer us,' he still foolishly attempted to unite with the Manchus to annihilate Li Zicheng. It's truly baffling whether Shi Kefa was a national hero or a traitor. Between the lines of Shi Kefa's writing, the loss of the nation is considered greater than the loss of the empire. Even more ridiculous is Shi Kefa's belief that the Manchus could be forced to withdraw their troops and relinquish occupied territories simply by paying them. This idiotic view is comparable to Emperor Hui of Jin's famous 'Why not eat meat buns?'—a truly immortal example.

In contrast, the censor Chen Zilong and others argued that 'the ancestral lands are indeed not to be given away, but throughout history, territorial expansion has always required military force; there has never been a case of obtaining them by mere seeking.'" "

I really don't know whether Chen Zilong or Shi Kefa should feel ashamed!

Shi Kefa was a true advocate of peace. In fact, being an advocate of peace does not necessarily mean being a traitor. A wise politician should know when to advocate war and when to advocate peace. But what is puzzling is the time Shi Kefa chose. From April to October of the Jia Shen year, for half a year, the Qing Dynasty was fighting fiercely with Li Zicheng on the western front and was unable to advance south. But Shi Kefa loved peace and insisted on not recovering Shandong and Henan."

After the Manchus quelled Li Zicheng's rebellion, they naturally marched south to destroy the Southern Ming. Even at this critical juncture, Shi Kefa continued to make mistakes. Gao Jie's troops, the only ones among the four garrisons north of the Yangtze River who obeyed Shi Kefa, were assassinated by the traitor Xu Dingguo when the Qing army advanced south. While the Gao camp was in turmoil, Shi Kefa should have proactively offered comfort and reassurance to the soldiers. However, when Gao Jie's wife, Xing, worried that her young son Yuanjue was incapable of commanding the troops, and knowing that Shi Kefa had no sons, proposed that her son be adopted by Shi Kefa, Shi Kefa refused without hesitation. He probably felt that Gao Jie, being a bandit, was unworthy to be the adopted son of his scholarly family. This resulted in instability

within the Gao camp, with renowned generals Li Chengdong and Li Benshen, along with Xing and her son, surrendering to the Qing and becoming the main force in the attack on the Southern Ming. Furthermore, when Gao Jie was assassinated and Xu Dingguo fled to Hebei, Shi Kefa neither "crossed the river to retake Shandong" nor "conquered Hebei in the west," and even refused the offer to "stay in Xuzhou as a beacon for Hebei." He simply left behind the demoralized soldiers of Gao Camp, determined to retreat and defend Yangzhou as the best course of action.

How could a supreme leader expect his subordinates to remain loyal by doing this? Since Shi Kefa could abandon Gao Camp, it was understandable that the soldiers of Gao Camp would abandon Shi Kefa and the Southern Ming.

Dodo left Hulao Pass on the seventh day of the third month and occupied Guide Prefecture on the twenty-fifth. The Qing army's ability to advance so rapidly through Henan was entirely due to Shi Kefa.

However, in the urgent situation of Zuo Liangyu's eastward advance and the Qing army's southward invasion, Shi Kefa was panicked and lacked any clear direction. According to Ying Tingji's record, at that time, a part of the Southern Ming army was stationed in Gaoyou. Shi Kefa issued three orders in one day. In the morning, he ordered Ying Tingji, the Pi-Su garrison commander, to "supervise all military equipment and supplies to Pukou to suppress" the rebel army of Zuo Liangyu. At noon, he ordered "all troops need not go to Sishui, but return to Yangzhou immediately to await orders." In the afternoon, he ordered "Xuyi is in dire need of supplies, and the Pi-Su garrison commander can supervise all troops to Tianchang to provide support." Ying Tingji said to his generals, "Your Excellency is in a state of panic. How can you send three orders in one day for a journey of a thousand miles and such a small amount of supplies!"

Shi Kefa himself rushed to Tianchang on April 11 to order all troops to aid Xuyi. Suddenly, he received a report that the Xuyi garrison had surrendered to the Qing Dynasty. He almost completely lost control of his troops and "traveled through rain and mud for a day and a night to reach Yangzhou." On the 17th, the Qing army set up camp 20 miles from Yangzhou, and the next day they were at the city gates. Shi Kefa's "proclamation to various garrisons for reinforcements, but none arrived." In reality, the generals of Liu Liangzuo and the former Gao Jie, both under Shi Kefa's command, surrendered without a fight within these few days. On April 19th, Li Benshen, the commander of Gao Jie's forces, led General Yang Chengzhu and others to surrender to Prince Dodo of the Qing Dynasty. Liu Liangzuo, the Earl of Guangchang, also surrendered with his troops. On the 21st, Generals Zhang Tianlu and Zhang Tianfu surrendered with their troops and, following Dodo's orders, participated in the attack on Yangzhou on the 24th. (Advertisement: Still relying on your hands? How can you enjoy it? Forum reputation guaranteed! Healthy anti-premature ejaculation masturbation exercise device, real oral sex pleasure experience, hot recommendation! Maintain the feeling of ejaculation for 30 minutes, so pleasurable you'll faint! Fully automated masturbation with 12 different sexual positions and vibration frequencies. Click to enter.)

Yangzhou city only had General Liu Zhaoji's troops and He Gang's Zhongguan Battalion, a rather weak force. Because the city walls were high and the Qing army's siege artillery had not yet arrived, Dodo sent envoys to persuade Shi Kefa and the Governor-General of Huaiyang, Wei Yinwen, to surrender, but they were met with a firm refusal. On the 21st, Li Qifeng, the General of Gansu Garrison, and Gao Qifeng, the military supervisor, led 4,000 troops into the city. Their intention was to kidnap Shi Kefa

and surrender Yangzhou to the Qing Dynasty. Shi Kefa resolutely said, "This is where I will die. What are you doing? If you want wealth and honor, then do as you please." Seeing no opportunity, Li Qifeng and Gao Qifeng led their troops and, together with the Sichuan generals Hu Shangyou and Han Shangliang, surrendered to the Qing on the 22nd. Shi Kefa, citing the fear that preventing them from surrendering might cause internal strife, allowed them to go ahead without restraint. When the Qing army first arrived at the city, General Liu Zhaoji suggested taking advantage of the enemy's instability and launching a battle outside the city.

Shi Kefa, however, said, "We must not rashly test our strength; let us conserve our power and await their demise."

Regarding the defense of the city, "The western gate of the old city is situated in a low-lying area, with a high mound outside overlooking the city below, a commanding view. Moreover, it is the ancestral tomb of the Li family of Xinghua, providing unobstructed access from the outside in, with intertwined branches making escape difficult. The generals repeatedly advised against this. But Shi Kefa, considering the trees planted by the Li family, could not bear to cut them down. He said, 'The generals use this place as a strategic advantage; I will defend it myself.'" On the night of the 24th, the Qing army used cannons to breach the city walls, causing chaos on the walls, and the defenses crumbled. On the 25th, Yangzhou fell. Liu Zhaoji died in battle, and the Yangzhou prefects Ren Minyu and He Gang, among others, heroically sacrificed their lives. Shi Kefa was captured and later died.

Shi Kefa's defense of Yangzhou was ridiculously pedantic. I suddenly feel sorry for his generals; following such a commander must have been incredibly frustrating. Even at the critical moment of defending the city, he couldn't bear to cut down the trees belonging to the officials within the city. With such limited abilities, what else could he accomplish? (When Tan Qian passed through Yangzhou, he wrote under Shi Kefa's cenotaph: "Jiangdu is a land of many hills, hence the name Guangling. Its city walls are strong and its moats wide, stretching out in all directions, making it ideal for both infantry and

cavalry. It was renowned during the Jin and Tang dynasties. Now, its western gate is in ruins. Is it possible that Shi Kefa is inferior to Li Tingzhi?") Shi Kefa's final fate was the pinnacle of his life; one could say that his final glory overshadowed his many past mistakes. Shi Kefa's loyalty to the Ming dynasty and his unwavering loyalty

even unto death are commendable, as is his incorruptibility and diligence as an official. However, aside from these two points, I really don't see anything praiseworthy about Shi Kefa. To be fair, his talent was mediocre; he pursued a policy of appeasement and partial peace with the Qing dynasty, was inflexible and lacked adaptability, possessing neither exceptional talent nor quick wit; truly a mediocre official.

This article quotes extensively from Gu Cheng's *History of the Southern Ming*, interspersed with some of my own opinions. Experts in Southern Ming history, please forgive my presumptuousness. For those unfamiliar with Southern Ming history but interested in learning more, you can consider this article helpful. Read supplementary materials for "History of the Southern Ming Dynasty".

"Coming from the south, he was given exceptional use."

Liu Zhaoji stared blankly at the crumbling south gate wall, a wave of despair and helplessness washing over him. Yangzhou was finished! Although he had long been prepared to perish with Yangzhou, he truly hadn't expected the inner and outer walls to be breached in a single day. How did the Tartars know that the south gate wall was the weakest? There was a traitor! There must be a traitor!

Liu Zhaoji closed his eyes in anguish. Why wouldn't Heaven even give the people of Yangzhou a few more days to resist? Once the city fell, and close combat ensued, the Ming army, numbering no more than ten thousand, would certainly be no match for the ferocious Qing army. Although the Yangzhou civilians outnumbered him, how many had ever held a sword or fought a battle? It would simply be a massacre of overwhelming odds.

He couldn't give up like this. Even if he died, he would take as many Tartars as possible with him. Liu Zhaoji rallied his spirits and shouted, "All soldiers, listen to my command! Return to the south gate immediately! If the south gate cannot be held, then use firearms and swords in the streets and alleys!" "Try to deal with the Tartars and protect the people."

Liu Zhaoji led his soldiers down the city wall and headed straight for the south gate, only to find Shi Kefa slumped on the ground, his neck covered in blood. Shi Dewei stood beside him, his face filled with grief, holding a knife and crying, "General, the Minister just adopted me as his son. He wanted me to kill him to die for the Ming Dynasty, but I—I trembled when I struck him, and as a result—"

Liu Zhaoji went forward to examine Shi Kefa. The injury was not fatal, but Shi Kefa had lost a lot of blood and fainted. He sighed and said, "Take good care of him. Actually, we might all meet in the underworld soon."

With that, he turned and led his soldiers straight towards the south gate. This was the last time Shi Dewei would see him.

Reports of victory poured in from Dodo's tent: the south gate had fallen, Li Guodong's troops were engaged in fierce fighting with the Ming army at the south gate and had quickly gained control of the situation. The Ming army had been pushed into the inner city, and the Qing army opened the south gate from the inside. He led a large contingent into the south gate as well.

Meanwhile, inside the city ... The air was thick with shouts of battle. Fueled by the provocative slogan of "ten days to seal the sword," the Qing army unleashed its fighting spirit and bestiality to the fullest. What could be more exhilarating than ten days of unbridled pleasure, murder, and rape in the dazzling world of Yangzhou? Many Yangzhou residents were wealthy, giving them ample time to plunder their riches. After ten days, every Qing soldier would likely be a millionaire.

Dodo gazed upon the beautiful scenery of Yangzhou—its bridges, flowing water, willows, and rows of exquisitely built buildings—a veritable embodiment of the beauty of Jiangnan. Having spent so long in the north, he had never experienced anything like it. A pang of regret struck him; destroying this prosperous city was indeed a loss. But then his heart hardened. All of this was for the Qing dynasty's enduring glory. Slaughtering the city would greatly diminish the Han people's will to resist. Even if the city's inhabitants were wiped out, more Han people could be found to migrate there in the future. In a few decades, who would remember the dead people of Yangzhou?

"Li Chengdong did a good job! He captured Yangzhou in a single day! Good! Let his lads have their fun. Tell the Eight Banners soldiers to avoid conflict with Li's men if they encounter them. Don't let a few women or valuables ruin the harmony," Dodo ordered with a smile.

"Your Highness, we just captured Shi Kefa and a Ming general. Shi Kefa has a neck injury and seems to have attempted suicide but failed!"

Deputy General Tong Tulai brought the two forward. One of them, wearing an official robe, had a bleeding neck injury; it was Shi Kefa.

Gao Qifeng stepped forward and said, "Minister Shi, surrender! Yangzhou has fallen; what's the use of persisting? You've done your best. It's not worth dying for such a corrupt and treacherous ruler as the Hongguang court. Surrender to the Qing and you can display your talents."

Shi Kefa was already dazed, but upon hearing Gao Qifeng's words, he struggled a few times and angrily shouted, "Shut up! You traitor! Though I die today, it is for the millions of people of the Ming Dynasty! You willingly become lackeys of the Tartars, harming your own compatriots; you will be infamous for eternity! The people of the Ming Dynasty will eventually drive you back to your homeland. You will ultimately meet the same fate as the Mongols. Hurry up and do it; don't offend my ears!"

Gao Qifeng knew that persuasion was useless and could only sigh. Dodo smiled faintly, "So you are Shi Kefa. Indeed, you are a scholar with backbone in the Hongguang court." "It's a pity you don't understand the general trend of the world. Now you are the thieves. You have always looked down on us Manchus, thinking we are barbarians and beasts. But we don't need to learn your Han people's poetry, calligraphy and painting to defeat you and make you flee in a sorry state. In the end, we can enter the pass, become emperors and replace you. You may have backbone, but you are just an incompetent pedant. Compared with Hong Chengchou, you are as incomparable as clouds and mud. My Great Qing has no use for you. Guards, send him on his way."

Shi Dewei, bound like a dumpling, saw his adoptive father about to be killed and shouted angrily, "Tartars, don't kill my adoptive father—"

Shi Kefa said without fear, "Fine, I was prepared to die for the Ming Dynasty. Do it. I have a few letters in my arms. One of them is for you, and the others are for the Emperor and my family. If you want to kill, kill me alone. Don't kill the people of Yangzhou indiscriminately."

"Oh, you've already written your will? You're definitely going to kill them, but the people of Yangzhou will inevitably be buried with you. You have no right to bargain with me anymore. If you had surrendered, they could have lived. Blame yourself. Do it!" Dodo was too lazy to say anything more to Shi Kefa. Shi Kefa was furious that he refused to give up the massacre and was about to curse when a Qing soldier slashed down with his sword. The blow was swift and decisive, and Shi Kefa's head fell to the ground, blood gushing from his severed neck.

"Father, father, damned Tartars, kill me too!" Shi Dewei cried out in grief.

Li Qifeng stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, this boy—kill him—kill him too."

Dodo glanced at Shi Dewei and thought for a moment, then said, "No need. Spare his life to bury his father's body!"

With that, he turned and led his troops into the city without looking back.

"Gather the gunpowder, prepare more muskets and bows and arrows, and completely blockade this street!" Liu Zhaoji ordered the Ming soldiers to concentrate their remaining forces to defend the streets and alleys of Yangzhou. In addition to his soldiers, there were thousands of volunteer militiamen. In front of this street was a stone arch bridge seven or eight zhang long and one zhang wide. If the Qing army tried to cross the bridge, they would be killed by the various firearms and arrows of the Ming army on the other side of the street.

The Qing army had just entered the city, and apart from a few scattered soldiers who had not yet assembled and were unfamiliar with the terrain, they still had some time to prepare. However, Liu Zhaoji knew very well that this was nothing more than a desperate struggle like that of a cornered beast. At most, they could drag some more Qing soldiers down with them. Even the natural barrier of the Yangtze River could not stop the Qing army's attack. How long could a small river and a stone arch bridge in Yangzhou stop them?

Although death was inevitable today, Liu Zhaoji resolved to die a glorious death, making his life worthwhile. Soon, the streets and alleys across the bridge transformed into fortresses. Ming soldiers and militia piled up whatever they could find to form makeshift defenses; even artificial rocks were used to build doorways and windowsills. They still possessed hundreds of muskets of varying lengths, hundreds of longbows and crossbows, and tens of thousands of arrows, along with three old Shenwu cannons, six lighter Huzuo cannons, and a number of rockets—enough to inflict considerable casualties on the Qing army.

He wondered how posterity would judge him. After Yangzhou fell, the Qing army could march straight to Nanjing. What would Nanjing choose? Would they fight to the death like him, or would they be terrified by the bloody massacre in Yangzhou and surrender?

Liu Zhaoji's mind conjured up the image of the obese emperor in the Nanjing palace, who resembled a fat pig and often snored loudly during court sessions. He couldn't help but smile bitterly. If he wasn't mistaken, there should only be the second option, right?

Oh well, what future generations would say about him was a matter for later. He only wanted to fight this final battle of his life well. For a warrior, death was a choice between fighting and dying.

"Swoosh!" "Ah—"

An arrow rang out, and a Ming soldier on the rooftop tumbled down, struck in the neck. The Qing vanguard had already reached the other side of the stone bridge!

"Everyone, don't panic! Conserve your arrows and ammunition! Don't let the Qing army get closer!" Liu Zhaoji shouted. Before his words even finished, a large number of Qing soldiers surged onto the bridge like a tide. What was even more infuriating was that, judging from their accents, these guys were clearly Han Chinese!

"Loose the arrows! Open fire!"

Even before Liu Zhaoji gave the order, the Ming army had already begun firing arrows

and opening fire. Because the Qing soldiers were all swarming onto the bridge, even the narrow, ten-foot-wide surface suddenly became incredibly crowded. Perhaps they thought they had already won by capturing the city, so they relaxed their vigilance and only thought about killing, looting, and seizing women. As a result, once they reached the middle of the bridge, they were cut down like straw by arrows and muskets from the opposite bank.

"Damn it, don't push me! Back off—ah—"

"Damn it, you're stepping on me! Mommy—I'll fuck your mother—"

Dozens of Qing soldiers in front were either dead or wounded, lying on the ground, completely blocking the middle of the bridge. The Qing soldiers behind couldn't squeeze through and became easy targets, suffering terribly from the bullets. Some Qing soldiers tried to climb over the bodies of their fallen comrades, but they were immediately hit by arrows and gunshots and fell down, making the pile of corpses in the middle of the bridge even higher and more difficult to pass.

"Retreat! All of you retreat!" a Qing officer shouted from behind, ordering his men to withdraw from the stone arch bridge. The heavy casualties finally poured a bucket of cold water on these soldiers whose minds were clouded by fanaticism. Although women and wealth might make them fearless, if they were to lose their lives on this bridge in such a muddle, there would be nothing left for them to enjoy. The Qing soldiers at the back desperately pushed backward, and quite a few managed to escape back to the other side. However, more than a hundred Qing soldiers died on the bridge. Some were not dead but were seriously injured and unable to get up, or were pinned down by their comrades and unable to move. For a time, screams of agony filled the air.

"Old Wang, save me—I'm not dead yet, my leg is stuck, save me—"

"Third Brother, it's me, Fourth Brother, I've been shot in the stomach, I can't move—save me—"

The Qing soldiers who were still alive on the bridge cried out for help to their comrades, but the massacre on the bridge just now had made the Qing soldiers on the other side realize that rushing onto the bridge would only lead to the same fate as them. Although many Qing soldiers couldn't bear to see their comrades suffer, they were unwilling to risk their own lives.

"You traitorous dog, weren't you so fierce just now? How come you've turned into such a coward now?"

"Bastards, didn't you want to kill us all to curry favor with the Tartars? Now call your Tartar grandpas to save you! Call them now!"

"Hmph, don't waste any more words with these traitors, one arrow will send them to their deaths."

"No, that's too easy on them. Let them die slowly. This is the fate of being a lackey of the Tartars." The Ming soldiers on the other side of the stone bridge were extremely excited and pleased to see the tragic scene of the Qing soldiers who were dying and being wounded on the stone bridge. After all, the previous battles had been fought too humiliatingly, with the Qing army always chasing and beating them. Now, they had finally made the other side suffer a considerable loss.

"Don't be careless. They won't fall for it again after suffering a loss. Watch the opposite bank carefully and don't give them any opportunity. Be careful of them diving across the river underwater."

Liu Zhaoji wasn't happy about this small victory. He had only been able to take advantage of the enemy's carelessness. Soon, a more ferocious attack would be coming.

"Sir, these traitors are quite annoying. Why don't we set a fire and roast them?" His adjutant suggested. He had been fighting for many years and was hardened by experience. He had killed countless prisoners and knew all sorts of torture methods.

"Alright, I'll leave it to you." Liu Zhaoji had no objections. He was going to die anyway. It would be satisfying to see these scoundrels burned to death in the most cruel way before he died. Moreover, the fire would further prevent the Tartars from crossing the bridge.

The lieutenant ordered several barrels of oil to be brought to the center of the bridge, where they poured the oil onto the pile of Qing soldiers' corpses and set it ablaze. Instantly, a massive fire engulfed the center of the bridge.

"Ah, kill me! Ah—!"

"It's so hot! Ah—no—help me—!"

Some Qing soldiers, still alive but trapped in the pile of corpses, screamed in agony as they were burned. The aroma of burning flesh filled the air, much to the delight of the Ming soldiers on one side of the bridge, while the Qing soldiers on the other cursed loudly.

"Damn it, a bunch of idiots! I told you not to be careless!" Li Chengdong, arriving with his troops, was both shocked and furious at the sight. Although this minor victory for the Ming army couldn't change the overall situation, it still infuriated him.

"General, these guys don't seem to be surrendering. If we attack head-on, we'll likely suffer heavy casualties. Prince Yu probably had us leading the charge to minimize their losses," the lieutenant, Huang Can, whispered.

"Hmph, do you think I don't know? But this is how we show our loyalty to them. Besides, the more casualties we suffer at the front, the more we can seize. What's a mere bridge? If they refuse to surrender, we'll just kill them all," Li Chengdong said through gritted teeth.

"General, the leader of the Zoroastrian Church proposed to join forces with us. What do you think—"

Before Huang Can could finish speaking, Li Chengdong shook his head repeatedly and said, "What qualifications do these barbarians from the Western Regions have to join forces with us? I can easily take this place without them. Ignore them. We don't necessarily have to cross the bridge. We can just have some brothers who can swim raise their shields and swim across."

The Zoroastrian Church is a group of experts from the Western Regions who recently surrendered to Dorgon. Their leader, the Zoroastrian Church leader, has mastered a peerless fire-based divine skill that can burn gold and melt stone with immense power. The Demon Lord once fought with him and the result was even within a hundred moves. However, it is said that the Demon Lord looked very unwell at the time. His fat face was covered in sweat and his hands were red and swollen. If the other party had not shown mercy, he would have lost very badly.

Dorgon also highly valued this Zoroastrian leader, bringing the Zoroastrian sect with him on this southward journey. The Zoroastrian leader, eager to prove himself, sent someone to discuss a joint attack with Li Chengdong before the fall of Yangzhou, but Li refused.

"Hmph, what use are martial arts masters on the battlefield? Even if they can take on ten men in the martial world, they might not be able to take on five on the battlefield. Battlefield combat and martial arts brawls are completely different," Li Chengdong thought with a cold laugh.

"You stubborn fools who obstruct the heavenly army, today I will tear you to pieces to avenge my sons—"

Li Chengdong shouted, spittle flying, as he yelled at the opposite bank of the river while simultaneously directing his troops. The fire in the middle of the bridge was too intense to cross immediately, so hundreds of Qing soldiers, carrying newly found wood and branches, shields in one hand and swords on their backs, jumped into the water and swam towards the other side. The Qing soldiers on the shore provided cover with arrows and bullets.

The Ming army, of course, wouldn't allow the Qing army to use their stone fortifications to block the fire and arrows from the opposite bank. The Ming army unleashed a barrage of arrows and bullets at close range. Although the Qing soldiers were fearless, their movement in the water was hampered. Despite their shields, dozens perished in a short time, their blood staining the water red. However, a dozen or so had already swum to the other side and were climbing back up.

"Pour the oil!"

Liu Zhaoji sneered, seeing the triumphant smiles on the Qing soldiers' faces. Dozens of barrels of oil were quickly poured into the river, instantly freezing the smiles of the Qing soldiers in the water—a few torches thrown into the river ignited the oil floating on the surface, turning the already red-stained water into a sea of fire that quickly engulfed the Qing soldiers.

"Ah, fire! Help me!"

"Swim back! Swim back!" Water and fire are merciless. No matter how brave the Qing soldiers were, they lost all courage in the face of the inferno and frantically swam back. Some were already engulfed in flames, desperately swimming back to shore and rolling around on the ground. But how could this fire be easily extinguished? Even with the help of their comrades, they were burned to the point of near death. In an instant, the Qing army camp was filled with cries of despair, while the Ming army's morale soared.

"Damn it, these shameless bastards, they actually used oil to start a fire!" Li Chengdong was now furious. It seemed that taking the bridge immediately was impossible. With their numerical advantage, victory was certain, but now the bridge and the water were engulfed in flames. They could only break through after the fire burned out. Although he had considered using cannons to bombard the other side, all the heavy artillery was left outside the city because they were in a hurry to enter the city. Where could they find cannons in such a short time?

Damn it, if Dodo and his gang saw me in this pathetic state, wouldn't they laugh themselves to death? Although Li Chengdong had wholeheartedly pledged allegiance to the Manchus, deep down he still considered them barbarians. He wouldn't have gone to them unless he was forced to. Now that the Manchus were the strongest, if he wanted to become a high-ranking official and enjoy wealth and glory, his only option was to join them. The Southern Ming, on the other hand, was lifeless and had no chance of winning. He had sacrificed thousands of elite troops to capture Yangzhou, and now he was going to suffer heavy losses on this mere stone bridge. It pained him to see this.

"General Li, this river is not easy to cross. I think you should reconsider my previous suggestion!"

A deep voice came from behind Li Chengdong, startling him so much that he drew his sword and turned around.

The first thing he saw was a golden, ferocious mask. Behind the mask was a head of fiery red hair. The person was wearing a fiery red cloak and was at least eight feet tall, exuding a scorching aura. It was none other than the leader of the Fire Worship Cult.

"You—when did you get behind me?" Li Chengdong sheathed his knife, somewhat displeased.

"General Li, please forgive me. I just arrived. With your abilities, you certainly won't be troubled by this mere fire. However, Prince Yu and the others are watching from behind. If they find out about this, I'm afraid—General Li won't be able to save face. I'm willing to help you break through the defenses quickly," the Fire Worship Cult Leader said in a deep voice.

"Then what do you want?"

Li Chengdong didn't believe the other party would be so kind as to help him, so he asked about the other party's conditions directly.

"Heh, General Li, we are not greedy. We only need you to share one-tenth of the spoils with us." "One-tenth? Only one-tenth?"

Li Chengdong asked, somewhat puzzled.

"That's right, only one-tenth. Of course, our Fire Worship Cult also wants to make you a friend, General Li," the Fire Worship Cult Leader's tone sounded very sincere.

So that's how it is. These Western Region barbarians want me as their backer, Li Chengdong immediately understood.

Although the Zoroastrian sect boasted numerous skilled fighters, their joining the Qing army came too late. The existing Qing forces, however, were clearly hostile towards these newcomers. The three demonic leaders, the Lustful Demon, the Enchanting Demon, and the Blood Demon, were the three disciples of Zhang Ruoshui, the Qing dynasty's Grand Preceptor. They were on good terms with the Qing royal family and nobility. While the Zoroastrian leader's defeat of the Lustful Demon demonstrated his strength, it also offended the narrow-minded fat man, leaving the Zoroastrian sect without a reliable patron.

Unfortunately, Li Chengdong and his group of surrendered generals were also newly recruited into the Qing army. Therefore, the Zoroastrian sect decided to recruit them. After all, Li Chengdong commanded tens of thousands of desperate men, making him a formidable force. Befriending them would give the Zoroastrian sect more leverage in its future missionary work in the Central Plains.

"Alright, Master, you're a man of few words. Today, I, Li, will consider you my friend." Li Chengdong had originally looked down on martial artists, but now, considering his own situation, he realized that having the help of the Zoroastrian masters would be beneficial to him. Cooperation was the best outcome, even if they might turn against each other in the future.

"I will first help General Li remove this fire obstacle in his path," the Zoroastrian Master said, then slowly walked onto the bridge, stepping into the raging flames, leaving the Qing and Ming soldiers stunned.

"Haha, has that Tartar gone mad? He's actually walking into the fire himself!"

"Is he in a hurry to be reincarnated, or has he gone mad with fear? Does he think he's indestructible?"

The Ming soldiers laughed and cursed, clearly having no doubt that the idiot who walked into the sea of fire was doomed.

However, at that moment, a strange thing happened. The flames on the bridge seemed to come alive and all converged towards the center. The flames were compressed, revealing a large pile of charred corpses in the middle of the bridge. Finally, the flames transformed into a fireball with a diameter of ten feet, and within the fireball, the figure of a person appeared!

Then, something even more incredible happened: the flames on the water below the bridge were also sucked into the fireball on the bridge. This strange sight left the Ming and Qing troops on both banks dumbfounded.

"Sorcery! It's sorcery! There's a sorcerer on the Qing side!" a Ming soldier shouted.

"Use muskets! Use muskets to kill him!" Liu Zhaoji was also stunned by the sight before him, but he quickly recovered and ordered the firing. Bows and arrows were probably useless against this guy, but he still believed that flesh and blood could not withstand the power of muskets. He had once easily killed a Qing army expert who had practiced the Iron Shirt Thirteen Bodyguards with a musket.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" The Ming soldiers, still shaken, managed to control their fear and opened fire with their muskets at the figure in the firelight. Hundreds of iron bullets were fired directly at one person, which would normally have torn that person to pieces.

However, the iron bullets, initially barely visible to the naked eye, slowed down as they approached the fireball surrounding the Fire Worshipper. By the time they were three feet away from him, they were crawling like tortoises, and by the time they were a foot away, the hundred iron bullets had completely stopped moving.

Suddenly, the flames protecting the Fire Worshipper turned white, and the hundred bluish-black iron bullets instantly turned bright red. Then, the round, bright red iron bullets rapidly turned into a bright red liquid, began to gather together, writhing and changing shape, sometimes elongating, sometimes becoming round!

"Sorcery! He's an unkillable monster!" The Ming soldiers, who had just been in high spirits, were nearly driven to the brink of mental collapse by this bizarre scene. How could they possibly contend with a monster that even muskets couldn't kill and that could turn hundreds of iron bullets into molten steel?

"Die!" the Fire Worship Cult Leader roared. The molten steel in front of him transformed into countless scorching fireballs that shot straight at the Ming soldiers. The fireballs were incredibly powerful and had already pierced through dozens of men in an instant. The morale of the Ming soldiers immediately collapsed.

"Run! Run! It's a monster!" The Ming soldiers threw down their weapons and fled in panic. Liu Zhaoji killed several deserters, but to no avail. In truth, at this desperate point, the Ming soldiers had little fighting spirit left. Their morale had been rekindled by the near-massacre at the stone bridge, but after encountering this monstrous Fire Worshipper who displayed invulnerability to weapons and was engulfed in flames, their fighting spirit crumbled like a fragile stack of blocks.

It was over. The anticipated fierce battle seemed unlikely. Liu Zhaoji smiled bitterly, drew his sword, and no longer blocked the deserters, heading straight for the Fire Worshipper.

The Fire Worshipper, recognizing the Ming general, naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to kill him. With a flick of his right hand, a fiery serpent shot towards Liu Zhaoji.

At this moment, two swordsmen dressed as Ming soldiers suddenly leaped out from behind Liu Zhaoji. Their swords clashed, creating a screen of light that shattered the fire snake. However, the two men were also forced back several steps, their sword-wielding hands trembling.

"Oh, you two are quite capable to withstand one of my attacks without dropping your weapons. May I ask who you two are?" The Fire Worship Cult Leader was quite surprised that his attack, though only using half his strength, had been withstood.

"Hmph, you are not worthy to know who we are. You dog thief, if you want to harm General Liu, you'll have to get past us first," the swordsman on the left sneered. He was a cold-faced young man in his thirties, while the swordsman on the right, who appeared to be in his twenties with delicate features, was actually a woman upon closer inspection.

"Gentlemen, you should leave quickly. Alliance Leader Qi ordered you to protect me, but now the situation is hopeless, so you don't need to worry about me anymore," Liu Zhaoji shouted. These two were Wang Jie and Zhao Yanling, the "Diancang Twin Swords" under Qi Yun'ao. Their combined swordsmanship was very famous in the Southern martial arts world. Qi Yun'ao once said that it would take him at least fifty moves to break their combined swordsmanship. This time, he sent the two disguised as Ming soldiers to protect Liu Zhaoji. Seeing that the Fire Worship Sect was going to take Liu Zhaoji's life, the two naturally stepped in to save him.

"Brother Jie, you should protect General Liu and leave first. I'll hold him off." Zhao Yanling knew that she had already barely managed to withstand one of the Fire Worship Cult Leader's attacks. The twin swords they used were peerless divine weapons forged from North Sea cold iron and the essence of five metals, but that clash had left her feeling the sword hilts burning hot, almost unable to hold them. At the same time, she felt her internal organs burning and her arms aching and numb. She knew that the difference in skill between her and her opponent was too great, and she only hoped that her husband could escape with Liu Zhaoji.

"Yanling, what are you saying? You should take General Liu away. I can withstand twenty of his attacks without any problem." Although Wang Jie said this, he knew in his heart that even if the two of them joined forces, it would be very difficult to withstand twenty attacks from the Fire Worship Cult Leader.

"Cult Leader, kill this man, but don't kill that woman. Leave her for us." Li Chengdong's lewd laughter came from behind the Fire Worship Cult Leader.

Li Chengdong was truly astonished by the fact that the Fire Worship Cult Leader's martial arts were so superb. Even muskets seemed like toys to him. This man was as strong as a demon, and forming an alliance with him would be of great benefit to his future. However, upon seeing that Zhao Yanling was quite beautiful, he was immediately overcome with lust.

"Bah, you traitorous dog!" Zhao Yanling was a chaste young woman and could not tolerate such an insult. She gritted her teeth and thrust her sword at the Fire Worship Cult Leader like a storm. Wang Jie, not wanting his wife to face this powerful enemy alone, dodged to the left and thrust at the Fire Worship Cult Leader from the side. Although Liu Zhaoji's martial arts were not high, he was prepared to die and naturally would not back down, swinging his sword straight at his opponent.

"Fine, none of you are afraid of death, I'll grant your wish." Two beams of red light shot from the eyes beneath the Fire Worship Cult Leader's mask. His palms unleashed a torrent of scorching white light that rushed towards the three. The swords in the hands of the Wang couple quickly turned crimson, gradually bending and melting under the intense heat of the white light. Liu Zhaoji couldn't even get close; he felt as if a giant furnace was burning him, making it impossible for him to open his eyes. His beard and eyebrows seemed to be on fire, and his armor seemed about to melt away.

With a deafening roar, the powerful white flames completely engulfed the three. Before the flames swallowed him, Wang Jie hoarsely shouted, "Phoenix Undying Body—!"

After the white light faded, the Fire Worship Cult Leader was seen clutching the unconscious Zhao Yanling. A large, circular crater, about ten feet in size, lay before him, surrounded by scorched, dark red earth. Wang Jie and Liu Zhaoji had vanished without a trace.

The Phoenix Undying Body was the unparalleled divine skill of the Sword God Feng Wutian, who used it and his peerless swordsmanship to dominate the world. But why has this unparalleled skill appeared in the body of the Fire Worship Cult Leader today? Regardless, the last organized resistance of the Ming army in Yangzhou has collapsed. With the help of the Fire Worship Cult Leader, Li Chengdong quickly broke through the Ming army's defenses at the stone arch bridge and killed Liu Zhaoji, causing the Ming army's morale to collapse. The Qing army surged across the stone bridge like a tide and began to slaughter and rape indiscriminately. No one could stop their "Ten-Day Sword Sealing" anymore.

"Hmm—"

"Hmm—"

Ziyan on the bed was still in a semi-conscious state, moaning softly. The strong aphrodisiac was taking effect in her body, making it impossible for her to gather internal energy. The unbearable itching on the soles of her feet made her kick desperately.

"You little slut, your hooves are really strong!" Ruoguo cursed through gritted teeth, one hand gripping the toe of Ziyan's boot tightly while the other lifted her heel, pulling upwards. Finally, the boot began to loosen and slide upwards little by little.

With a "thud," one of Ziyan's snow-white boots finally left her jade-like foot and landed in Ruyi's hand. Her bare foot, without socks, had its five toes curled up and pulled back.

"What are you doing, you little slut?" Ruyi cursed, grabbing Ziyan's bare foot and pulling it back forcefully. She felt it was soft and boneless, but she didn't notice that the sole of her foot was covered with red spots. The medicine applied inside the boot had seeped into Ziyan's sole. If she used the "Mysterious Heaven Star Moon Skill," she could force the poison out, but now that the lustful poison in her body was acting up, how could she possibly use her skills to expel it?

At this moment, Ziyan seemed to have entered a state of intense sexual arousal. Saliva kept dripping from the corners of her mouth, her eyes rolled back, and her small hands frantically scratched at the sheets. Gushes of lustful fluid gushed from between her legs as if out of control. Her originally crystal-clear face had turned blood red, and she was moaning lewdly, "I want—Brother Qin—give it to me—please give it to me—"

"You little slut, you're so damn slutty. You always pretend to be a chaste heroine, but now that the city has fallen, aren't you going to let the Tartars fuck you to death? I might as well teach you a few tricks to please them and maybe you can survive and get more rewards." Ruyi heard the shouts of killing in the city getting louder and clearly understood that the situation was hopeless.

"Damn it, that good-for-nothing Shi Kefa only knows how to brag. And yet, Yangzhou was breached by those Tartars so quickly. Before, some people said he had extraordinary talent, that as long as he guarded Yangzhou, we'd be safe. I actually believed them!" Ruyi cursed as she stripped off her white robe, half-undone trousers, and the boot on her other foot.

Ziyan's naked skin was as white and tender as a peeled egg, making Ruyi a little jealous. Just by looking at her, Ruyi could tell Ziyan hadn't suffered much hardship. And what about herself? Although she dressed quite well on the surface, she was still tortured to death by unpleasant guests. Even if some high-ranking official took a liking to her and redeemed her to become their concubine, others would always see her only as a prostitute. Who would truly respect her?

"You slut, you wanted to be wild? I'll let you have your fill!" Ruyi jumped onto the bed, forcefully spreading Ziyan's jade legs apart. One hand began to vigorously dig into her overflowing vulva, pinching and twisting the fleshy bud, which was already as thick as a little finger, with two fingers.

"Ugh—"

The usually dignified and virtuous Ziyan was now completely surrounded by the fire of lust. The desire in her lower abdomen felt like it was about to burst out. She arched her body and convulsed desperately, while Ruyi's finger was already inserted straight into her vagina, the tip of her nail scraping against the vaginal wall, bringing her both ecstasy and pain.

"Haha, is it fun, you slut? Oh, still a virgin? Hmph, that's rare. You really are a lady from a good family. Your life is better than mine. My first time was taken by a butcher. If you had your virginity taken by a Tartar, you would have been in unbearable pain. Ruyi, I'm soft-hearted, so I'll break it for you first." Ruyi's eyes flashed with a fierce light as she forcefully inserted her finger to pierce Ziyan's hymen.

"Ugh—ugh—"

Ziyan felt a sharp pain in her lower body. She felt her life was threatened. Suddenly, her internal energy surged, and a stream of vaginal fluid shot out, forcefully pushing Ruyi's finger out of her vagina.

"Ouch, what happened—"

Ruyi felt an intense pain in her fingertip and before she could understand what was happening, another stream of vaginal fluid spurted out, hitting her chest and knocking her against the wall behind her. She fainted on the spot. If Ziyan's internal energy hadn't weakened at this moment, that blow would have been enough to break several of her sternums.

"Oh—oh—oh—"

Ziyan moaned wantonly on the bed, spurting out more than a dozen streams of semen. The intense lust within her seemed to gradually subside, and her mind seemed to recover somewhat.

What just happened? I—I think I was ambushed by that bitch Li Pan'er, and then what happened?

Ah! My clothes! Ziyan suddenly realized that she was completely naked, her vulva swollen and painful. She was shocked and angry, but her whole body was weak as if her bones had been removed. To make matters worse, the soles of her feet were itchy. Fortunately, there was no bleeding from her crotch, so she should still be a virgin.

Oh no, I'm poisoned! I—I have to force the poison out quickly and leave here. The shouts and screams of battle in Yangzhou City were deafening. Ziyan understood that the Qing army had already entered the city. Even if she forced out the poison now, where could she escape to? But she was unwilling to give up and wait for death. She struggled to sit up and barely managed to use the remaining internal energy in her dantian to expel the poison from the soles of her feet.

Ziyan had originally wanted to die with Qin Wen in Yangzhou, but now Qin Wen had betrayed Alliance Leader Qi and sided with the Tartars. The reason he did this was that he wanted to live with her. Thinking of this, Ziyan felt a pang of sorrow. Had she harmed both him and herself? Her master, now devoid of emotion and desire, single-mindedly seeking immortality, had suffered too much emotional pain. Was her choice ultimately wrong?

Ziyan had originally wanted to die with Qin Wen, but his betrayal had utterly disappointed her, and also her own love. Yan'e didn't care that Qin Wen had betrayed his country and sided with the succubus Li Pan'er; did this mean her love for Qin Wen was deeper? Perhaps she should just let them be together.

Thinking this, a strong will to live surged within Ziyan. She didn't want to die here. Looking back, her initial desire to die with Qin Wen seemed utterly ridiculous. She had to leave Yangzhou alive and return to Xingyue Palace; that was her true home!

Except for a few Ming soldiers still putting up a last-ditch effort, most of the resistance within the city had ceased. Qing soldiers began to pounce on the lambs to the slaughter like wolves. Screams, women's screams, and maniacal laughter echoed through the streets and alleys. In a forest a hundred miles away from Yangzhou, two masters were engaged in a fierce battle. Several corpses lay on the ground, clearly the victims of their earlier clash.

"Tang Feibao, I'm going to Yangzhou today to kill the Tartars! Why are you, you mad dog, bothering me? Do you think Tianque Fortress is without men?"

roared a middle-aged man wielding a long sword.

"Xin Li, I'm also going to Yangzhou to kill the Tartars today. Others may fear your Tianque Fortress, but I don't. Three years ago, you severed both arms of my second brother. Today, I'll take your dog's life first before I go kill the Tartars!" Tang Feibao, dressed in black with bloodshot eyes, launched various hidden weapons incessantly. Some flew straight, some curved, and some even spun, displaying a dazzling array of techniques. However, Xin Li wielded his sword flawlessly, like a halo, blocking all the hidden weapons outside his sword circle.

"Hmph, your second brother is all talk and no action, daring to offend me. I've already shown him great mercy by sparing his life. Today, you dare to ambush me here and kill my fellow disciples. I'll cut off your limbs and make you crawl back to Sichuan bit by bit!" Xin Li's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and his sword unleashed a series of rapid thrusts. Tang Feibao's martial arts were clearly inferior to his opponent's, and in the blink of an eye, he was struck by several swords, blood splattering everywhere.

"Ah—"

Tang Feibao staggered back several steps, his face deathly pale. Xin Li grinned smugly, suddenly Tang Feibao flicked his wrist, a silver-white light slashing straight at Xin Li.

"Still trying to struggle in your death throes?"

Xin Li sneered, waving his sword to deflect the white light, but unexpectedly, several steel nails shot out from the center of the light, striking him squarely in the chest.

"Ah—"

Xin Li screamed in agony, clutching his chest and doubled over. Tang Feibao laughed loudly, "You dog, you've been hit by my Soul-Chasing Nails, even a god couldn't save you. Today, I'll make you pay with your blood—ah—"

Just as Tang Feibao was feeling triumphant, he suddenly felt a chill on his right arm. His entire right arm had been severed by his opponent. Xin Li's movements were lightning fast, showing no signs of poisoning. Then, three more sword strikes chopped off Tang Feibao's other three limbs, blood gushing out like a fountain.

"Ah—you—you've been hit by my Soul-Chasing Nails—why—why—"

Tang Feibao's face contorted in pain, but he still couldn't understand why Xin Li was unharmed after being hit by his deadly poisonous Soul-Chasing Nails.

"Hahaha, you bunch of cowards only know how to plot against others, but I was prepared, so I'll let you die knowing why—"

Xin Li pulled open his front of his robe, revealing a red inner armor.

"Ah—this is—the Fire Scale Armor of Tianque Fortress—"

Tang Feibao glared at Xin Li with a face full of resentment. It was said that the Fire Scale Armor was a precious armor made from the scales of a strange beast from the Western Regions, which was killed by a senior of Tianque Fort. It was impervious to swords and spears and water and fire. He never expected that Xin Li would actually wear this armor. Although Tang Feibao knew that Xin Li was the beloved son of Xin Wanlei, the lord of Tianque Fort, he never expected that Xin Wanlei would give him his personal ancestral armor.

"You scoundrel, now you understand? You think you can fight me with your bunch of Sichuan barbarians? I originally only wanted to break your limbs and spare your dog's life, but now I've changed my mind. Today I'm going to eliminate you completely so you can't crawl back to the Tang Clan in Sichuan and come looking for trouble again." Xin Li stepped forward and pointed the tip of his sword at Tang Feibao's heart, shouting, "Alright, what else do you have to say? Speak up now, or I'll send you to your grave."

"I—I—go to hell—"

Tang Feibao unexpectedly opened his mouth and shot a dozen teeth covered in black blood straight at Xin Li's face. Although Xin Li was highly skilled in martial arts, he never expected that Tang Feibao, with all four limbs broken, could use such a move. He couldn't dodge in time and was immediately hit in the face by several poisonous teeth.

"Ah—no—ah—ah—"

Xin Li's face turned purplish-black in an instant. He felt the poison rapidly invading his brain, and everything went black before his eyes. His heart was filled with extreme resentment and regret. If he had killed Tang Feibao with a single sword strike earlier, he wouldn't have been ambushed by this final move. Although he could no longer see, he still reached into his robes and frantically pulled out some antidote pills, throwing them into his mouth, hoping to suppress the poison.

"Hahaha—now you know how powerful our Tang Clan's 'last glorious moment' is, right? Don't even think about being able to cure this poison. There is no cure for this poison—hahaha—Second brother, I—I have avenged you—"

Tang Feibao saw Xin Li's pathetic appearance, his face purplish-black as he sat cross-legged on the ground desperately trying to expel the poison. He felt a surge of pleasure, then his body convulsed, and a spurt of black blood gushed from the corner of his mouth. He had already committed suicide.

At this moment, Xin Li was in unbearable pain. Black blood began to seep from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Although he had taken a large amount of the sect's antidote, he was still unable to suppress the spread of the poison. Death from the poison was only a matter of time.

"I—I don't want to die—I don't want to die here—I still want to go to Yangzhou to kill the Tartars and become famous throughout the world—I—I—"

Xin Li tried to stand up but found that his limbs were numb, and the long sword in his hand had fallen somewhere.

Just then, a large rock a dozen feet away suddenly turned around, and a gray-clad youth carrying a piece of cloth tiptoed over. The large rock was actually a disguise he had made with the cloth!

The youth walked up to Xin Li, picked up his long sword, and saw that the blade was completely free of blood and exuded a chilling aura, clearly indicating that it was a superior sword. He couldn't help but swallow, then looked at Xin Li, who was sitting on the ground trembling and bleeding from all seven orifices, and with a swift stroke, beheaded him.

"Hero Xin, Hero Tang, you both wanted to go to Yangzhou to kill the Tartars, but unfortunately you've already turned on each other before even reaching Yangzhou. Now look at this mess. Sigh, since you don't need all these weapons, armor, and hidden weapons anyway, you might as well let me have them. At least I can use them to help you kill a few more Tartars. Once I kill that Tartar prince, Dodo, hehe, I'll be famous throughout the world. My senior sister will love me to death!" The young man excitedly collected what he needed from the corpses on the ground, while a long, rectangular box was slung over his back, its contents unknown.

As night fell, the young man buried several corpses and then lay reclining on a tree trunk, deep in thought.

Today I've learned something new. No matter how long I spend in the Star Moon Palace or how many classic texts I learn, nothing compares to experiencing the bloody realities of the martial world firsthand. If Tang Feibao had shot Xin Li in the face earlier, he could have killed him. Xin Li, protected by his armor, could have survived, but he became overconfident and underestimated his already crippled opponent, resulting in him being poisoned. In the martial world, the worst thing you can do is talk too much and act too slowly before killing. Often, a moment of overconfidence gives the opponent a chance to retaliate. This is a lesson I must learn. After all, you only have one life, and there's no going back. My Five Elements Eight Trigrams Formation and the Qiankun Reversal Formation should have been broken by my senior sister by now, right? She'll probably catch up in half a day. I'll rest here for an hour before leaving. Thinking this, the young man closed his eyes to rest.

Suddenly, the surrounding temperature plummeted. The young man shuddered and abruptly opened his eyes, only to see a white figure standing six zhang away from him, like an ice and snow sprite.

"Ah—Senior Sister Liu—you—you—"

The boy jumped more than three feet high in shock, but then several acupoints on his body felt a chill, as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and his whole body seemed to be frozen stiff.

A delicate silver boot had already stomped hard on his chest, making his eyes roll back and his mouth scream incessantly: "Senior Sister Liu—uh—have mercy—" "

How dare you leave the palace without permission and set up so many formations to deal with me along the way. I am now the acting sect leader, and I am qualified to take your life on behalf of my master."

A cold, clear voice, almost devoid of any emotion, rang out.

The boy raised his head tremblingly. Before him was a woman wearing a plain white dress and a white veil. Even through the veil, one could vaguely make out her beautiful facial features, but her fairy-like temperament made one dare not have any disrespectful thoughts.

Seeing his dream lover appear, the young man was both overjoyed and terrified. He was overjoyed to see his beloved again, but terrified that she was about to unleash her "trampling technique" once more.

"No—Senior Sister Liu—listen to me, I actually want to gain some experience. I've been in the palace for so many years and learned so many skills. The Tartars are coming south to destroy the legitimate Han dynasty. We, the martial arts practitioners— ugh—"

The young man appeared full of enthusiasm, but he only felt a slight pressure from the silver boot on his chest and was immediately in so much pain that he couldn't speak.

"Enough nonsense. You call yourself a martial arts practitioner? You can't even cultivate internal energy, yet you want to kill Tartars? You'll probably lose your life as soon as you encounter them. Rather than let you disgrace our Star Moon Palace, I'd rather finish you off here today so you don't suffer in the hands of those Tartars," the woman in white sneered.

The boy's face paled instantly. His dantian, damaged since childhood, was nearly incurable, preventing him from cultivating any internal energy techniques. Every attempt to circulate his qi in his dantian was excruciating. Although the Star Moon Palace possessed countless miraculous pills and top-tier medical texts, and he himself had read extensively and reached a high level of medical skill, his inability to heal himself was his greatest regret. "

Alas," he thought, "though I cannot cultivate internal energy, my skills in divination, traps, and hidden weapons are not useless. Why does my senior sister always ignore me and treat me so coldly? She was so kind to me when we were little. It's all because of that monster master, Liu Aoxue, who didn't want to be human but wanted to ascend to godhood, and ended up raising my senior sister to be like her. She's always so cold and hurtful, saying things that wound one's self-esteem. But once I kill Senior Sister Duoduo, she'll understand that I am the true hero, and she'll naturally throw herself at me and offer her her virginity."

"Senior Sister Liu, you—you may do it. To die beneath your jade feet, I—I would die willingly." Tears streamed down the young man's face, but he was certain his senior sister wouldn't kill him. He was confident his superb acting skills would warm her cold heart. Sure

enough, the woman in white lifted her jade foot, gazed at the young man, and then bent down to remove his shirt. The young man was overjoyed. Could it be that his senior sister had finally succumbed to her lust and was going to give herself to him right here? Haha, his long-held dream was finally about to come true. What was the point of being the sect leader? It would be better to wander the world with me and be a pair of immortal lovers, making that old hag Liu Aoxue furious.

Just as the young man was lost in his daydreams, the woman in white suddenly flicked the fire-scale armor on his chest with her jade finger and said coldly, "No wonder it felt different when I stepped on it. So you were wearing a precious armor. It's the Fire-Scale Armor of Tianque Fortress? I didn't expect even the experts of Tianque Fortress would fall into your hands?"

"No, no—Senior Sister Liu, I didn't harm the people of Tianque Fortress. They were fighting with the Tang Clan, and I just picked up some scraps for self-defense. How can this Fire Scale Armor compare to the Hundred Battles Immortal Robe that Master passed down to you?" The young man looked at the beautiful, slender feet encased in silver boots and imagined how perfect his senior sister's soft jade feet were. If he could hold them in his hands and play with them carefully—this thought had surged into the young man's mind countless times. Unfortunately, he didn't have the courage. These jade feet that haunted his dreams always brought him endless pain and trampling.

"Since you have no ability, why did you sneak out of the palace? Master is in seclusion practicing martial arts, and I am acting as the sect leader. Junior Sister Ziyan secretly left the palace to help resist the Qing in Yangzhou. Originally, I didn't want to get involved, but if she falls into the hands of the Tartars and is raped by them, it will greatly damage the reputation of my Star Moon Palace. In order to protect the reputation of my palace, I have no choice but to leave the palace and capture you and him. Don't have any illusions that you can trap me with a few peach wood flag formations. I have seen through these tricks." The woman in white was still as cold as ice, but she was thinking to herself: I heard that the leader of the Western Regions Fire Worship Cult has surrendered to the Qing army, and the divine skill he uses can melt gold and boil stone. It seems to be the divine skill of the Phoenix's immortal body. That person has been missing for many years. I wonder if Master still cares about him. Perhaps I can find out the whereabouts of that person from the Fire Worship Cult leader. And the mystery of my own background can only be solved by finding him. With a

"smack!"

, a book fell from the boy's arms. The woman in white, startled, instinctively used her strength to pull the book into her hands. Seeing the words "Yin Yang Harmony and Essence Absorption Technique" on the cover, she froze, her body trembling slightly.

"Junior brother, you've made great progress! You're actually practicing such an evil technique that the world cannot tolerate, one that harms women? Do you intend to use this method of absorbing women's yin essence to cure your incurable dantian disease?"

The woman in white laughed, but her laughter was chillingly menacing.

"Ah—Senior Sister Liu, I recently killed a scoundrel from the Harmony Cult and got this from him. I was just curious; I wanted to find the flaws in this shameless and evil technique to rid the martial world of these shameless lechers—I—"

The boy's face changed drastically as he tried to explain, but the price he paid was a hard slap across his face with the entire "Yin Yang Harmony and Essence Absorption Technique" manual, followed by three consecutive heavy kicks to his face.

"Ah—Senior Sister Liu, spare me—"

A boy's pitiful cry echoed through the forest—the bruised and battered boy lay sprawled on a rock, his pressure points sealed, while the woman in white sat seated on a large rock, meditating intently. Watching her sacred and dignified beauty in meditation, the boy, still

rekindled by the brutal kicks he'd just received, felt lust rising within him. Heh heh, a beating is a sign of affection, a scolding is a sign of love; the closer the affection, the harder the kicks. Senior Sister kicks me so hard because she loves me. Senior Sister Ziyan is quite beautiful too, though not as much as Senior Sister Liu, she's still a great beauty. If I can be a hero and save her this time, maybe she'll repay me with her virginity, and I'll marry Senior Sister Liu, with Senior Sister Ziyan as my concubine. The other senior and junior sisters in the palace are quite nice too, heh heh. That worst, most vicious old hag, Liu Aoxue, only deserves to be his youngest concubine, preferably stripped naked and whipped every day—how satisfying!

Imagining a future filled with beautiful women and boundless happiness, the young man chuckled lewdly, and soon a small tent pitched between his legs.

The woman in white flicked her middle finger, and a blast of icy energy shot out, striking the young man's bulging "treasure" directly in the crotch, instantly freezing the burning flesh into an icicle.

"Ugh—Senior sister, spare me—I'm frozen—"

The young man's screams became even more shrill, but a faint smile appeared on the woman in white's lips, which she quickly suppressed.

With her lightness skill, it would only take her a day to reach Yangzhou with him, but would taking this boy with no internal energy be a burden? And leaving him here after sealing his pressure points wouldn't be appropriate either. Well, she could only take it one step at a time, hoping that this trip to Yangzhou would rescue her junior sister Ziyan and find the Fire Worship Cult Leader.

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