Waiting to be devoured

Seeing the situation was dire, Choujiao knew that a martial arts master was definitely hiding behind that cluster of sword shadows! He said to Thousand-Hand Guanyin, "Third Brother, cover me! Let me witness this master's skill!" Thousand-Hand Guanyin drew a throwing knife from her leather pouch, secretly channeling her inner strength, channeling the power into her palm, and then suddenly launched it. A cold light, like a shooting star, streaked across the clear morning sky, swiftly piercing into the sword net! With a scream, the sword shadows vanished instantly, revealing a thin, weasel-faced man! This young man was not only thin but also short, less than 1 meters tall. It was none other than Wuyingjian! It turned out he was a successor of the Tianshan Glacier Sword Sect. Because his sect had been acquired by Jianxia Shi, the orthodox Tianshan Sword Sect, he had always idolized Jianxia Shi and always considered himself a successor of the Tianshan Sword Sect. People in the martial arts world often compared his height and appearance to Jianxia Shi, with rumors circulating that he was Jianxia Shi's illegitimate son; otherwise, they wouldn't look so alike, both being thin, dwarfs. He wasn't ashamed of this, but rather proud. Seeing Jianxia Shi serving as a powerful imperial guard in the capital, he immediately went to visit him, hoping to obtain an official position. Unexpectedly, Jianxia Shi didn't value him, and moreover, he was merely a member of a sect he had absorbed, so Jianxia Shi had no intention of supporting him and politely declined to take him in. Frustrated by the lack of opportunities for officialdom, Wuying Jian started from the bottom, joining the army as a Green Standard Army soldier under Zhang Kuang, hoping that gold would eventually shine, and that once his true talents were discovered, he would rise to prominence and become a high-ranking official like Jianxia Shi. This time, he stood out in the entire army and was chosen by Zhang Kuang to be the first chief guardian of the Seven Constellations of the Northern Black Tortoise—the Douwei Constellation. Believing his luck had finally arrived, he thought that if he succeeded in suppressing the Red Flower Society, he would be favored by the Emperor and rise to prominence, enjoying wealth and glory. Therefore, he was more proactive than anyone else, and upon seeing the Red Flower Society's forces attacking the city, he was the first to jump out and repel them without hesitation! Unexpectedly, the Thousand-Handed Guanyin's eyes were sharp; she found a flaw in his seemingly impenetrable Icefall Inverted Hanging Technique, and a flying knife shot through the air, striking his right wrist squarely. He felt a piercing pain, his hand loosened, and the sword fell to the ground!

No sooner said than done, a whirlwind struck his face. He hurriedly raised his arm to block, but a loud bang followed, and an immense force surged through him, forcing him to stumble back three steps before he could barely regain his footing! Opening his eyes, he saw the Red Flower Society's leader, Stinky Feet, rushing up the city wall and unleashing a whirlwind kick at him! Then, Thousand-Hand Guanyin and Iron Abacus also leaped onto the city wall. Next, with fluttering robes and a strange howl, Split in Two and Tornado also swept up. Tornado then threw a rope down from the city wall, pulling up the remaining Red Flower Society members.

Seeing the heroes surge forward in an instant, Xuanwu, positioned at one of the five cardinal directions in the center of the formation, waved his hand. Immediately, six guards and Wuyingjian took up positions, completely surrounding the heroes! A dozen arquebusiers also spread out, each occupying a high vantage point on the city wall, ready to fire at any moment! A large number of archers then swept around, completely surrounding the Red Flower Society heroes like an impenetrable fortress! Stinky Feet surveyed the surroundings, concluding that although his side had advanced, the overall situation was unfavorable! If they fought head-on, casualties were inevitable under the firearms and crossbows! Thinking of his brothers who had followed him for years, each like an elder brother, their relationship like family, how could he face their families if there were any casualties? He couldn't bear such a blow! He hesitated for a moment. The Green Standard Army, seeing their extraordinary bravery, were already fearful and didn't want to fight either. A brief silence fell over the battlefield, something no one present could have predicted.

All that could be heard was the loud thumping of the city gate. Xiang Quan and the others seemed unwilling to break the silence, keeping their heads down and working without uttering a word!

Suddenly, shouts erupted in the distance, followed by the thunderous footsteps of a large army, the clatter of hooves, and the rumble of cannon wheels. Stinky Foot turned to look and his face paled! Under Qianlong's command, troops from the southeast, west, and north were rapidly converging on Wulin Gate, like a large bag closing in! The two sides were only five li apart; a large army could be at the city gates in a matter of minutes! Time was of the essence; there was no time for hesitation or deliberation! Stinky Foot roared, "Brothers, fight them! It's either you or me, kill!" He was the first to charge forward, unleashing a flurry of kicks like a mad tiger, creating a surge of powerful energy! A guard wielding a spear flicked a cold star, swiftly finding an opening and thrusting it straight at Stinky Foot's thigh! Stinky Foot swiftly thrust out with his right hand, the folding fan suddenly flying out of his hand, the fan ribs piercing the guard's eyes! Amidst a scream, Stinky Foot's flying kick seemed to have eyes, snapping the spear in two with a crack, then with a swift sweeping kick, hooking the spearhead with his instep and flinging it away, striking another guard wielding a knife squarely in the throat, killing him instantly! In the instant the spear-wielding guard struggled in agony, Stinky Foot flashed forward, pulled the folding fan from his eyes, and delivered a finishing punch, instantly ending his life!

Suddenly, gunshots rang out. Penglai Wuyingdi and Pi Liangban were both shot. Blood gushed from Penglai Wuyingdi's thigh. He simply sat on the ground and refused to move. He picked up a golden flute with both hands, put it to his lips, and began to play. The flute music was melodious and beautiful. It was none other than the timeless masterpiece "Man Jiang Hong".

My hair bristles with rage, I lean against the railing as the rain subsides. I raise my eyes, gaze at the sky, and roar with fierce determination. Thirty years of fame and glory are but dust and dirt, eight thousand miles of road are but clouds and moon. Do not idly let your youthful head turn white, only to be filled with empty sorrow. The shame of Jingkang remains unavenged. The hatred of a subject, when will it be extinguished? I will drive my chariot and shatter the Helan Mountains. With lofty ambition, I will feast on the flesh of the barbarians when hungry, and laughingly drink their blood when thirsty. I will wait to start anew, to reclaim our lost lands, and return to the imperial palace.

A dozen or so Green Standard Army snipers, who were firing their weapons, suddenly saw the Penglai Shadowless Flute playing a tune on the brutal battlefield! Had he gone mad? Had he lost his mind? But the melody was mournful and plaintive, low and gentle, yet also powerful and heroic, filled with a righteous spirit that vividly portrayed the fervent resistance of Yue Fei, the loyal general of the Southern Song Dynasty, against the Jin invaders! This heavenly music didn't seem like something a madman would play! In that moment of hesitation, the snipers hesitated. And in that hesitation, countless fine needles shot out from the golden flute of the Penglai Shadowless Flute! By the time the snipers reacted, it was too late. With several hissing sounds, six of them were struck, foaming at the mouth and dying instantly! Undoubtedly, the silver needles were poisoned! The remaining snipers, pale with fright, quickly turned their rifles around, pointing the dark muzzles at the Penglai Shadowless Flute, and roared, "You treacherous traitor! Using a feint and hidden weapons! You're fucking asking for trouble!" Just as they were about to pull the trigger—

Unexpectedly, the man whose left arm had been shot and then split in two roared and leaped forward, wildly hacking away with his gleaming axe! This kid was ruthless; he cleaved open five or six heads in a row, blood and brains splattering all over him, yet he continued his frenzied hacking! He was angry that the matchlock guns had injured him; with a flash of cold light, several matchlock guns were shattered to pieces by his axe, instantly turning into a pile of scrap metal!

Just then, a flurry of arrows filled the air as the Green Standard Army archers launched another fierce attack. Heartbroken Blade, who was bandaging the wound of Penglai Shadowless Flute, was caught off guard and struck in the heart by a hail of arrows, dying instantly! Penglai Shadowless Flute wept bitterly over the body, utterly devastated. This was the Grand Master's personal page! Everyone knew their relationship far surpassed that of master and servant! What had he done to deserve such a promising young hero dying for him? He gritted his teeth in despair and made a silent vow: "For my benefactor, even if I die, I will slaughter every archer on the city wall to avenge him!" Suddenly, he grabbed the corpse of a Green Standard Army soldier from the ground and wielded it with lightning speed, dodging eagles as he limped forward. When he reached the large group of archers, two spears and a broadsword came at him simultaneously. He hurled the corpse at the guard wielding the broadsword, killing him instantly due to the suddenness of the attack! He then drew his golden flute, a double dragon playing with a pearl, gently pressed down on the two spearheads, and leaped into the air, delivering a powerful backflip kick. With two loud thuds, he sent the two spear-wielding guards' brains splattering, killing them instantly!