The last capitalist
The last of the crimson faded from the horizon. But the darkening sky was filled with more pale, blood-red colors. The battle within Laizhou City had reached a fever pitch. The eyes of every combatant seemed to be filled with red. On one side were the well-trained, battle-hardened elite soldiers. On the other were the White Lotus sect members, fearless and unafraid of death for a vague ideal. Both sides were bloodthirsty. In their eyes, the entire sky, the entire city, was red. The red was like blood splattered on the streets.
Zhou Linfeng wiped the blood from his face. His expression was grim, yet tinged with the excitement of killing. He didn't know how many people he had already killed, but he loved the feeling of slaughter. Every time he killed someone, his heart grew a little more excited, like when he was doing those virgin sports with a woman. He became more and more addicted.
Although the White Lotus Cultists feared death, they ultimately lacked training and were far inferior to the Guan Tieqi in combat effectiveness. If it weren't for their advantage in the streets and alleys, they would have collapsed before the officers and soldiers. Xu Hongfei hid behind a group of White Lotus Cultists, shouting hysterically and directing his men to resist the attack.
A group of soldiers, under the command of Hong Chengchou, broke through the White Lotus's obstruction and headed back to the White Lotus' rear along another street. Although some fanatical ordinary White Lotus members rushed to block the soldiers' advance, they were no match for the Guanning Iron Cavalry. Like grains of sand under a huge wave, they were swept away by the soldiers and disappeared without a trace.
Xu Qinglian emerged just as the troops were entering the street near Zhouwang. Watching the ordinary White Lotus members rushing toward them like moths to a flame, Xu Qinglian couldn't help but let tears well up in her eyes. These fearless and brave ordinary White Lotus members, just as they had been ten years ago, amidst the encirclement and suppression of the troops, were venturing out with their own blood to defend that ethereal, detached, pure land within their hearts.
Xu Qinglian screamed and grabbed her sword. Ten years ago, she was powerless in the face of the killing by the soldiers. Ten years later, she still felt powerless in the face of the killing by the soldiers. The White Lotus Sect, which had seemed so powerful just a few hours ago, once again showed its weakness in the face of this sudden attack.
"Miss!" Looking at Xu Qinglian who was rushing towards her without hesitation, the servant beside her called out.
The maid's shout attracted many people's attention. A sturdy sixteen-year-old boy looked at the figure in the flowing white robe. Sparks danced in his eyes. He shouted recklessly, "It's the Saint Aunt. That's the Saint Aunt."
The importance of the Saintess within the White Lotus Cult wasn't limited to the White Lotus Cultists; most of the officers and soldiers knew about it as well. The Saintess was a crucial figure within the Cult, a symbol of great honor and reward. The captain leading the troops turned and glanced at the young man after hearing his cry. "His ancestor truly deserves the title of Saintess! She truly looks like a fairy at first glance." The captain's eyes lit up at the sight. Though the sky was darkening, the figure in the flowing white robes couldn't help but sparkle in the man's eyes. After a moment's pause, the captain couldn't help but sigh and swallow hard.
"Huang Tianbiao, take your men and capture this little girl for me. Then we can have some fun together." This captain's mission was to intercept the White Lotus Sect members attacking from behind. Normally, he wouldn't have done much. But with such a great gift as the White Lotus Saint, especially a peerless beauty, the captain couldn't resist. He assigned a banner of his own soldiers to capture Xu Qinglian alive.
The flag commander, Huang Tianbiao, howled with excitement upon hearing the order. Seeing a delicate woman rushing towards him with a dozen equally delicate women, how could he not be excited? Huang Tianbiao figured that with nearly a hundred men under his command, a dozen or so delicate women would be easy to capture.
Within the White Lotus Sect, not only did many members revere Xu Qinglian, the Saint, but many male members also secretly harbored a crush on her. This was especially true for the young men, who considered her an irreplaceable dream lover. At this moment, a group of soldiers rushed toward Xu Qinglian. Dozens of impulsive, passionate young men rushed toward her, risking their lives. They were determined to sacrifice everything they had for the goddess in their hearts, shielding them from all danger.
Young men are always quick to shed blood. Passion is equally easily ignited. This impulsive emotion momentarily makes them forget their own safety. Only a few of these young men held weapons. Most carried sticks, benches, hoes, and other household items. Like moths to a flame, they charged towards the soldiers.
Huang Tianbiao looked at the young men rushing towards him with disdain. He shouted, "Fuck you, brothers! Kill these little bastards first. Don't hurt those delicate girls. There won't be any cheerful girls around these days."
A tall, thin youth ran the fastest. He thrust his sharpened wooden stick at the yelling Huang Tianbiao. Huang Tianbiao uttered a "Puh!" and slashed at the tall, thin youth with his knife. But the youth didn't dodge or evade. His eyes were like those of a mad bull, and he let out a similarly beastly roar. He thrust his wooden stick forward, following the same trajectory. Huang Tianbiao, who looked disdainful, felt a chill in his heart.
Though the tall, thin young man had never practiced martial arts, he was gifted. He ran with the speed of the wind. From the moment they first fell in love, he secretly harbored a crush on Xu Qinglian, the cult's saint. However, his position as a lower class was vastly different from Xu Qinglian's position of power. He could only harbor a secret crush on her forever. This pain, the proud and arrogant man, constantly felt a torment in his heart.
On the day Xu Qinglian got married, the young man, heartbroken, wandered the streets outside the Zhou Palace with a group of similarly sympathetic young men. Unexpectedly, he encountered such a drastic change. Seeing the person he deeply loved charging recklessly at the enemy, his emotions surged, and he felt the urge to die in front of her. This would also let the Saint Lady he loved know that someone in her world had died in front of her in battle.
In the flash of fire, the tall young man's head flew up. The wooden stick in his hand stabbed the horse ridden by Huang Tianbiao, but it only pierced the skin. There was no more strength to penetrate deeper.
The thin boy's head danced in the air. A final glimmer of consciousness allowed him to see ripples, bringing a sense of comfort to the boy. A strange smile crept onto his face, and he fell into the crowd of fighters.
Those enthusiastic young men were powerless to stop the soldiers' charge. Like a helpless mantis blocking the wheels of a car, they were quickly crushed to pieces. But their actions brought with them even more ordinary White Lotus followers, who swarmed and charged towards the soldiers in a suicidal act. That heroic spirit brought tears to Xu Qinglian's eyes.
Xu Qinglian and her maids and guards had all practiced martial arts since childhood. While not all of them were exceptionally skilled, they were no match for ordinary people. In a one-on-one fight, three or four Guanning Iron Cavalry soldiers wouldn't be their match. But on the battlefield, individual martial arts skills seemed insignificant. Only those at the Grandmaster level, like Tang Tong, could achieve even a small impact.
Fortunately, Huang Tianbiao only had a few hundred men under his command. A few hundred ordinary White Lotus followers, along with Xu Qinglian and the others, temporarily held off the onslaught of these soldiers. Their lives even gave them a slight advantage. Huang Tianbiao and his men retreated slightly after the attack. But soon, Hong Chengchou dispatched a second group of soldiers to return. This group, taking advantage of the situation, dispersed the White Lotus followers, who had previously held a slight advantage. Many were trampled to death by the horses' hooves. It's undeniable that these brainwashed White Lotus followers possessed a terrifyingly fearless arrogance. Those in the front perished at the hands of the soldiers like moths to a flame, while those behind continued to join the fray. More and more blood accumulated on the ground, the thick water becoming slippery, even forming small streams. Flow to areas with lower economic potential.
Xu Qinglian didn't know how many soldiers she had killed. The edge of the sword in her hand was curled. Watching the female guards around her being killed or captured by the soldiers, a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in her heart. Meanwhile, Xu Hongfei was in even greater panic. The officer had circled around them from behind, attacking them from both sides. The White Lotus soldiers, who had barely managed to defend themselves, were thrown into chaos, their ranks on the verge of collapse.
Zhang Yi mounted his horse, drew his sword, and pointed it toward Laizhou City. He shouted, "Now, it's time for us to take the field. If you want to eat and drink well, and if you want your family to live a good life, then I will show my true abilities. If you are brave enough to fight, I will give your family a piece of lush land with abundant grass and water to build a battlefield. If anyone retreats from the battle, I will slaughter their entire family. Now, let's go!"
At Zhang Yiheng's roar, four thousand men suddenly rushed down the hill toward Laizhou City. Each of these men was not only armed with a rifle, but also clad in cowhide armor. They were also equipped with a breech-loading rifle and a saber forged from the finest steel. Their equipment was arguably the finest and most advanced in the world. Furthermore, these Jurchen barbarians were inherently formidable fighters, having undergone two years of rigorous training and battles with the Koreans. Although merely auxiliary troops under Tang Tong, their combat effectiveness was Tang Tong's strongest force outside of his special forces. They remained undefeated even against a Jiannu army several times their size.
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