Chapter 49

That day,

That night,

The江湖 (jianghu) finally recalled,

The once overwhelming fear of being under the control of the imperial court,

And the humiliation of being bound by the law.

In the darkness, the knight rode through the puddles, galloping into the unknown darkness.

The breathing in the wilderness grew heavier and more frequent, and a low sob suddenly echoed in the darkness.

But it was quickly muffled.

Staggering steps, stumbling across the fields, a bright moon hung high in the sky.

Suddenly, the fleeing group stopped.

They stared blankly at the nightmare-like figures in front of them.

Under the moonlight, several knights in flying fish robes stood quietly.

Like ghosts from hell.

Despair flashed across their faces, and a young woman collapsed on the ground, sobbing quietly.

The man in the lead drew his long sword and laughed desperately:

"Ou family dogs! I, Wang Batian, will never let you off, even in death!"

Under the moon, the blade glinted like frost,

Reflecting a cold red light.

A jet of blood splashed into the sky, like a red ribbon hanging from the moon.

"Run! Run!" The men shouted, protecting the women behind them, urging a young man.

Wang Batian's body fell heavily in front of the knights, his head held by one of them, his eyes staring at the young man.

The young man, tears in his eyes, turned and ran.

Behind him, the men's angry roars and dying screams echoed.

But only one voice kept ringing in his ears.

"Run! Run! Find Leader Qiao and ask him to seek justice for us!"

The young man's pace quickened, branches scratching his face, leaving blood marks.

But he only knew to run, using all his strength, thinking of nothing but moving forward.

Leaving the wind, the moon, and the slaughter behind.

"Kill all these imperial hounds! I'll fight to the death with you, you hawks of the court!" the men roared,

But the knights' cold voices remained unshaken.

"The Wang family of Taihang has been plundering travelers and disturbing the peace for thirty years, committing dozens of bloody crimes, and is beyond redemption!"

"The head of the family, Wang Jindao, was executed last month. By imperial decree, the Hall of Martial Valor of the Imperial Guard is ordered to capture the fugitives! By the order of the Hall of Martial Valor, Dragon Guards, kill!"

"Kill!" The knights shouted in unison.

White mist rose from their armor, and their mounts charged, like ghosts.

A man with a large sword leaped and swung, striking the knight.

"Melting fire as armor, lightning as the edge. Dragon strides, Black Tortoise's true power!"

The knight's red cloak fluttered in the wind, and the thick mist around him turned a fiery red.

Rising and leaping like flames!

The man held his long sword tightly, but it remained three inches from the knight, unable to get any closer.

Facing the knight's cold gaze,

He closed his eyes in despair.

A burst of light rolled by, and another head soared into the sky.

In the darkness, blood illuminated the sky.

In the apricot grove, Qiao Feng, stabbed several times, roared heroically: "Who killed Deputy Leader Ma? Who stole this fan to frame me? I will find out the truth."

He turned to Kang Min, "Madam Ma, with my skills, if I wanted to take something from your house, I wouldn't leave empty-handed. Even if your house had only a few women, let alone the imperial palace or the governor's mansion, I could take what I wanted."

"Qiao Feng, you traitorous dog of the Khitans, how dare you slander Madam Ma's reputation? Deputy Leader Ma was upright and incorruptible. Clearly, you are the one who killed him. How can the brothers of the Beggar Sect let this murderer go?"

The atmosphere in the field suddenly became tense.

The people present were all somewhat confused. The disciples of the Beggar Sect instinctively wanted to obey Qiao Feng but were hesitant to openly support him due to his status. At this moment, a disheveled figure rushed out.

A dusty, injured young man fell at Qiao Feng's feet, crying:

"Leader Qiao, please seek justice for the Wang family of Taihang!"

"Our family's blood feud, please investigate! Investigate!"

He bowed repeatedly, sobbing uncontrollably.

Qiao Feng was at a loss: "Young brother, it's not that Qiao Feng is making things difficult for you, but the title of Leader of the Beggar Sect is too much for me. If you don't mind, I will seek justice for you as an individual."

The young man cried: "In times of crisis, how can we care about minor principles? Leader Qiao, the northern martial arts world is finished! Finished!"

The crowd was shocked.

Single Zheng stepped forward, hurriedly asking:

"Is it the Khitan invasion?"

Qiao Feng's face showed hesitation. He thought, the martial arts world fights to protect the country. What position do I stand in now?

The young man's next words shocked everyone.

"It's the imperial court, the imperial court is attacking the martial arts world! The red-robed knights, those red-robed knights, are the court's hounds, acting on the emperor's orders. Our Wang family was massacred, and next, it will be the Beggar Sect."

"You're lying!" Elder Xu pointed at the young man, furious: "Who doesn't know that the Beggar Sect is loyal to the Song Dynasty? In the fight against the Khitans, how many heroes of the Beggar Sect have sacrificed themselves? How can you speak such nonsense?"

"The Minister of Revenue, Cai Jing, was killed by the Dragon Subduing Palm in his home! The emperor was furious and established the Hall of Martial Valor of the Imperial Guard to control the martial arts world. The commander, Chen Ang, is ruthless and heartless, issuing thirty-six strict orders to control the northern martial arts world. Any who resist are massacred."

The young man pulled out a blood-stained letter and sobbed as he read it.

He fell to the ground, crying: "This is the blood and tears of the northern martial arts world! In just three days, Chen Ang personally led the attack on the eighteen outlaws of Taihang, and even the leader of the Ming Sect, Fang La, was pursued for over three hundred miles. The Ming Sect suffered heavy casualties. The northern martial arts world is in a sea of blood and tears. Please, Leader Qiao, seek justice for us!"

"Why didn't the local disciples of the Beggar Sect report this?" Elder Xu shouted angrily: "This is nonsense! Qiao Feng, did you bring this person to deceive us?"

"I'm telling the truth! The disciples of the Beggar Sect, as I saw on my journey, all beggars have been forcibly detained by the government, saying they refuse to farm and have been forced to cultivate the land," the young man cried.

"Nonsense, nonsense!" Elder Xu's beard trembled with anger, pointing at the young man, "Where is there good land in the Song Dynasty for cultivation?"

"It's from the Western Xia. The Western Xia army suffered a major defeat, losing the Ordos and large areas of the northwest. The Western Xia king was so frightened that he ceded land for peace!"

At first, the martial arts experts were skeptical, but they couldn't help laughing. It seemed like the funniest joke they had ever heard. Elder Xu laughed, "You madman! The Song army is weak, and everyone knows it. How can the Khitans and the Western Xia not dominate the court?"

Although the Song Dynasty was prosperous, its military was weak. No one present respected the weak imperial guards, not even the border troops. They found the story laughable, like a fairy tale.

Amidst the laughter, the sound of hooves was heard, and a horse galloped from the north, followed by a sharp whistle. A whistle from the crowd of beggars responded, and the horse galloped closer.

Elder Xu muttered, "What new emergency is this?"

A beggar disciple lay on the horse, which galloped to the crowd, neighed, and fell dead. Qiao Feng quickly lifted the disciple, who was pale and breathing weakly.

Elder Xu pointed at Qiao Feng and shouted, "Qiao Feng, this is a matter of the Beggar Sect, and you have no right to interfere!"

Qiao Feng sighed and handed the disciple to Bai Shiming, who came to help. Unexpectedly, the disciple clung to Qiao Feng's robe, trying to say something. Wu Elder coldly said, "Elder Xu, what do you mean? Qiao Feng is still our leader. What can't he hear?"

The disciple couldn't speak, his finger trembling and pointing behind him.

On the path he had come from, a group of red-robed knights appeared, dressed in crimson flying fish robes, standing in neat rows.

A tall figure stood on a hill, his back to the crowd, his blue robe fluttering in the wind, his hair flying freely, exuding a dignified and calm aura.

Seeing the figure, the disciple panted, his face flushed, and he fainted.

Qiao Feng carefully handed the disciple to Bai Shiming, bowed to the figure, and asked, "Who are you, and why are you here at the Beggar Sect's gathering?"

The figure turned, and the crowd saw his face. He was a young man, but his aura was no less than Qiao Feng's, and everyone felt a sense of oppression. Wang Yuyan frowned, "This person's aura is like my cousin, but compared to him, there's a... different feeling."

She originally wanted to say "inappropriate" or "a monkey in a crown," but she changed her mind to avoid belittling Murong Fu.

Beside her, Duan Yu noticed her expression and asked, "Goddess sister, what's wrong?"

Wang Yuyan looked at Duan Yu. Although he was now foolish, his aura was deeply ingrained. "This person is somewhat like him, but a bit too obsessed."

Duan Yu, born into a noble family, had a demeanor that Murong Fu tried to imitate. However, one was naturally cultivated, and the other was learned, making Murong Fu's aura seem inferior to Duan Yu's.

Chen Ang was no longer the ordinary student he once was. Leading a vast financial empire in an endless world, his demeanor had been honed, making him resemble Duan Yu.

Duan Yu, seeing him, also felt a sense of familiarity and smiled, "This brother has a remarkable demeanor, and seems like someone worth befriending!"

In the apricot grove, the martial arts experts stared intently at Chen Ang.

The atmosphere was solemn and tense.

Chen Ang smiled and said, "I am Chen Ang, commander of the Hall of Martial Valor of the Imperial Guard of the Song Dynasty. I greet Leader Qiao!"

PS: This was supposed to be the end-of-volume reflection for "Star Wars," but I didn't write this volume well, so I don't have the face to say much. I'll just put up the preview for the new volume.

Writing a plot as a preview is a bloody effort.

This plot doesn't affect the main storyline of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," so it's not necessary to read it. When I write the apricot grove scene, I'll definitely use the protagonist's perspective.

There will be two regular updates today. To avoid any issues, I'll try to finish them before nightfall.

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