Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 56 Exploitation and Seizure

Those dozens of Manchu soldiers were like lambs to the slaughter in the hands of the Green Standard Army! A series of chaotic sounds rang out, and the Green Standard Army, caught up in a frenzy of killing, slaughtered them all in an instant! Blood flowed like a river, and corpses piled up like mountains. How unlucky this family was, their home turned into a living hell!

Bai Shandian laughed, "Lord Hong, your daughter is truly remarkable, skilled in both literature and martial arts, a true general's material!" Hong Chen, adept at flattery, replied with a fawning smile, "It's all thanks to Lord Bai's excellent guidance!" Suddenly, the gate slowly opened by itself, revealing a magnificent red cannon positioned imposingly at the entrance, its dark muzzle aimed directly at the crowd inside! Bai Shandian was terrified and hurriedly shouted, "Everyone, get out of the way!" Before he could finish speaking, a deafening boom erupted, a plume of smoke billowed up, and a massive tongue of fire shot from the slender cannon barrel as a shell exploded in the midst of the crowd! Instantly, over a dozen Green Standard Army soldiers were blown to pieces, their flesh and blood flying everywhere!

A figure leaped into the air, like a swiftly shot arrow, and flashed to the cannon's side—it was Red Moon! She stared intently and saw five Manchu soldiers busily loading shells, adjusting the cannon's caliber, preparing to fire! She moved with lightning speed, closing in on one of the soldiers, her blade slashing sharply towards his throat! Unexpectedly, the soldier was highly skilled; he swiftly retreated, his sword flashing out with lightning speed! Red Moon cursed inwardly, "How strange! What kind of tricks is Huang Miwu using? How come they've all become martial arts masters!" She immediately used her finger-flicking technique, channeling her inner strength, and flung the blade from her hand! A scream rang out as the blade struck the Manchu soldier, embedding itself deeply in his Adam's apple. Blood gushed from his mouth, and he collapsed to the ground! The other four soldiers, seeing this, were not alarmed. Two of them proceeded with the firing procedure, and another bomb exploded with a deafening roar! The other two picked up the two spears lying on the ground, unleashed two golden lightning bolts, and attacked from both sides!

Red Moon darted and leaped, like a butterfly flitting among flowers, flitting in the cold light of the golden snake. Suddenly, a shout rang out: "We're here too!" It was White Lightning and Red Dust leading several Green Standard Army soldiers. White Lightning flicked his longsword, becoming one with his sword, and like a flying arrow, shot straight at the Eight Banners soldier who had fired the cannon. With a thud, it struck the soldier squarely in the temple, killing him instantly. White Lightning spun around, executing a back kick that sent another soldier delivering cannonballs flying!

Just then, Hongchen suddenly shouted, his voice sharp and shrill: "Look, what is that?!" Everyone looked up and saw countless unknown poisonous bees flying in from the sky. It was noon, a beautiful time when the sky should have been cloudless and the sun shining brightly, but suddenly dark clouds covered the sky, obscuring the earth, as if the sky had turned black in an instant, and a terrifying chill rose in everyone's hearts.

"Run!" someone shouted, and everyone forgot their fighting and rushed back into the courtyard. They ran into every house they could find, digging in every hole they could find. Even those who couldn't find shelter covered their heads with their clothes and lay prone on the ground to avoid the swarm of poisonous bees! Then, the bees swarmed down with terrifying force. Amidst screams, many were stung, their faces flushed, breathing labored, and their bodies wracked with excruciating pain. It turned out that these were giant, venomous bees from the nearby mountains. They were enormous, with a venomous stinger at their tails. Once stung, the body would first swell and itch, the pain intensifying after three days, the wound gradually festering, and after five days, the entire body would become infected, offering no healing. After seven days, the bees would be exhausted and die. The people of Hangzhou dared not provoke these bees, hence their nickname, "Seven-Day Killer!" Normally, poisonous bees hide in deep mountains and forests, preferring damp environments. But today, they've been bewitched by that old monster Huang Miwu, and a large group of them have come to cause trouble!

Bai Shandian and his daughter Hongchen concealed themselves in the living room of the house, followed by dozens of Green Standard Army soldiers. A general shouted, "Quickly close all the windows! Don't let the poisonous bees fly in!" The middle-aged man who claimed to be the owner of the house was also in the room and busied himself closing the windows, appearing very helpful. Hong Yueliang pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Lord Bai, why don't you open the 'Complete Book of Jianghu' and see if there's a way to stop the poisonous bees?" Bai Shandian hesitated for a moment, but finally took out the strange book from his pocket and, in front of everyone, opened it and began to read.

At this moment, the middle-aged man suddenly walked over and respectfully asked, "Would you like some tea, sir?" Seeing him so close, Bai Shandian said with some annoyance, "What tea? I'm not thirsty! Stay away from me!" The middle-aged man said angrily, "Hey, you sir, you're so ungrateful! I was just being a good host, kindly inviting you to have some tea. If you don't want it, fine, but why talk like that?" He spoke more and more, becoming increasingly agitated, and even began to complain in public, "For nearly a hundred years, my family has lived peacefully and lawfully in Hangzhou. When have I ever encountered such a sordid situation? So many people have died! How many wronged souls will linger in my courtyard! Won't it become a haunted house? Who would dare live here!" He was unable to contain his agitation. Suddenly, the man knelt down before Bai Shandian with a thud, his hands trembling as he grabbed Bai Shandian's thighs and shook him, repeatedly saying, "I don't care, you're the highest-ranking official here. I'll come to you from now on. Please, you have to make amends and give me a courtyard!" Bai Shandian, seeing his bizarre words, flew into a rage and shouted, "You're a strange man! Why are you coming to me, sir? Get out of my way!" The middle-aged man became even more unruly, his face flushed, saying, "You're being unreasonable, sir! In my house, where do you expect me to go? Tell me, who else should I come to if not you?! You're the highest-ranking official here!" As he spoke, he suddenly stood up, snatched the "Complete Guide to the Martial World" from Bai Shandian's hands, and with a lightning-fast slide, flashed to the door, pushed it open, and tried to escape!

This happened so suddenly, it was truly unexpected. By the time Bai Shandian reacted, he had already pushed open the door and run out! Hong Chen shouted, "Don't let him get away, chase after him!" Hong Yue Liang had already transformed into a streak of red light and chased after him! Of course, she wasn't stupid either. To prevent being stung by poisonous bees, she had already taken out a red silk scarf and covered her head and face, leaving only her eyes exposed!

When Red Moon caught up with the middle-aged man, she discovered that the courtyard was swarming with bees, yet none of them chased after him. It was as if they disliked him at all. Instead, they were drawn by the fragrance emanating from her body and swarmed towards her, stinging her fiercely even through her clothes! Even though Red Moon was skilled and daring, she was terrified and hurriedly fled back to the living room. With a bang, two soldiers slammed the door shut!

Upon entering the room, Red Moon felt unwell all over; her face was swollen and throbbing. She quickly tore off her silk scarf, asking her father to examine her wounds. Hong Chen looked closely and saw countless tiny needle-like puncture wounds clearly visible on his daughter's delicate, sculpted face, a sight that evoked both pity and pain! He couldn't help but sigh, "What kind of vicious bees are these? They stung so badly even through her clothes and silk scarf!" White Lightning walked over and was equally shocked, exclaiming, "How dare that scoundrel run away without fear of death!" Red Moon sighed, dejectedly saying, "He released these bees; how could they sting him?" White Lightning was horrified, urgently asking, "What? So he's that damned Yellow Mist?!" Red Moon nodded.

Hongchen suddenly realized what was happening and exclaimed in frustration, "No wonder this brat has been targeting Lord Bai at every turn! It turns out he had this planned all along! He said he knew nothing about the traps in the pavilion, which should have aroused our suspicion. It turns out this scoundrel is actually colluding with the Japanese pirates, a truly despicable act!" Suddenly, he noticed his daughter trembling, her eyes glazed over, and her body swaying precariously. His expression changed drastically, and he rushed over to hold her in his arms, saying worriedly, "Child, what's wrong? Why are you so weak? It's terrible!" Hongyue was already half-lying in his arms, her voice broken, "Father, child, I... I want to sleep. Right now, it feels like... ten thousand little ants are crawling on my body, biting me..." As she spoke, her eyes closed, and she fainted! Hongchen cried out loudly, "My child, my good daughter! You can't be harmed! How can I face your mother if something happens to you?" Bai Shandian rushed over and, seeing this, shouted, "There's no time to lose! We should hurry and find renowned doctors to treat Yue Liang!"