All the evil beasts in the world, I feed on demons and monsters

Chapter 163 No Mercy (Three-in-One)

The Boxers who were kneeling behind were all horrified when they saw the flag.

His face was ashen!

One of the persistent problems of the Boxer Rebellion was its loose organization.

No matter how large this organization grew in the later stages, even if it had hundreds of thousands of Boxers in the north at its peak, it could be easily divided and disintegrated by the imperial court in an instant.

In essence, they are just small groups of dozens of people.

When the banner of the Renzi Altar was raised, not a single member of the group dared to look the man in the eye. They understood how insignificant their entire group's power was compared to the man beneath the banner.

Similarly, this disorganized group can also bow down or kneel down due to some other force.

now.

Absolute power and prestige instantly suffocated all restless hearts.

Behind them, Xie Tunan and Zhu Yu exchanged a glance, both seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes. The prestige of their sect leader was, in the eyes of these martial arts practitioners who had endured the baptism of blood and fire, so terrifying!
"I'm here today just to tell you all something and establish a rule."

Ji Ran spoke calmly, looking at the densely packed Boxers in front of him and the filthy civilians.

Pairs of eyes gleamed on that weathered face as they looked at him.

"what's your name?"

Ji Ran looked at the man wielding the red-tasseled spear, and the Heavenly Demon Thorn flew back to his body.

"I...Reporting to Your Majesty, my name is Chen Geng."

Why become a Boxer?

Chen Geng was taken aback, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes as he said, "Last Spring Festival, foreigners brought their Christian followers with guns in the middle of the night to tear down the Spring Festival couplets, saying that this was heresy."

"Then a conflict broke out between the village and the foreigners, and one of the foreigners was killed."

"The next day, the other foreigners went to the concession and brought over a dozen or so red-haired policemen..."

As Chen Geng spoke, he gripped his gun tightly and said, "They... killed all the men, women, and children in the village. A few men and I went to a neighboring village to borrow seeds for next year's spring planting and escaped the massacre."

"Not only did the imperial court not care, but they also said that this was a normal case of 'a life for a life,' and even wanted to arrest us and send us to the church!"

"Then, a few of us joined the Boxer Rebellion."

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the Boxer kneeling behind him. The man was also staring at him with red eyes, his hand clenched tightly.

"Grand Duke Jupiter! Wang Liao... my brother absolutely did not kill anyone! On Langshan Mountain, he was shot three times! One of his arms was even crippled! He killed five full-grown Japanese devils! He doesn't have a guardian deity, but a god descended from heaven, so he will definitely kill even more!"

After hearing his words, Ji Ran did not reply, but simply glanced at the crowd.

He saw another Boxer, who had drawn a steel knife, and had just been the one who had sworn the most vulgar insults.

"What about you?"

The Boxer's eyes darted around, and he didn't dare to look up. He said, "I...I'm from near Langshan."

"The train stopped, and the Japanese devils entered our village and massacred the villagers."

"When the brothers of the Boxer Rebellion came to help, I joined them and we went to Langshan to kill the bandits."

Ji Ran stared at him intently, then glanced at the others and asked, "Do you all think those Japanese devils who massacred entire families and slaughtered villages, and turned their knives against ordinary people, deserved to die?"

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers!

"Damn it!"

"Damn!!"

"Those beasts must die!"

……

Not only the Boxers, but also the ordinary people standing on the sidelines showed anger in their eyes, and slowly, some of them opened their mouths and roared!

As the area with the closest ties to foreign powers, the people here suffered the most harassment and harm. Their numbness was just a protective facade; how could they possibly remain indifferent in their hearts!

Amid the commotion, Ji Ran said coldly, "So..."

"Everyone thinks he deserves to die."

As Ji Ran spoke, the surrounding noise subsided once again.

"Then, those in the Boxer Rebellion who slaughtered, raped, and plundered the people..."

"He should be executed!"

The resounding "slash" fell to the ground, instantly silencing the surroundings!

The common people and the members of the Boxers looked at each other, completely baffled.

No?

Aren't people talking about foreigners?
How did it become about the Boxer Rebellion?
But rebuttal… For a moment, some Boxers, realizing the problem, trembled. They couldn't refute it! Foreigners killing their own people deserved to die. But when their own people killed each other… shouldn't they deserve to die even more?

“Yuan Xiong of Kuizitan led the Boxers to plunder villages and towns.”

"All 105 people, including Yuan Xiong, have been executed!"

Before the crowd could utter a sound, Ji Ran's voice rang out, like a thunderclap from a clear sky! It made the heads of all the Boxers buzz!
Wow!
In an instant, many people's expressions changed drastically!

Yuan Xiong!

Those were the altars where people worshipped at the White Tiger Altar! How could they all be killed?! Won't the main altar come to punish them...?

"At the White Tiger headquarters, Yan Ke condoned his subordinates' slaughter of civilians and plunder of villages and towns. After the incident, he did nothing and instead engaged in favoritism and corruption!"

"His head has been severed!"

"Together with the 105 heads of the Kuizi Altar, they were used to create a mound of heads in front of the Sea God Temple."

Silence fell.

The midday sun was scorching, but the Boxers standing in front of Ji Ran felt a chill run through them. Especially those kneeling behind him; even the executioner, Kanmen, had drawn his steel blade!

It made people break out in a cold sweat and tremble all over.

He... he actually dared to kill the leader of the main altar!?
And it really happened! Anyone who knows about Master Yan's strength understands how terrifying it is. And now, in this Grand Duke's mouth, it has become a head with ease.

This kind of thing can't be faked; it's obvious at a glance.

Ji Ran's gaze swept over everyone, and his voice was steady: "But I don't think that mound of bones is high enough."

“Now, you can report any acts of slaughter, rape, or robbery committed by these Boxers behind you.”

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, and the Boxers' gazes instantly turned to the common people beside them!

Those Boxers, especially the two or three thousand who had fallen from the Battle of Langshan, were all seasoned fighters. Now, carrying foreign rifles and steel knives, their eyes were like those of wild wolves in a mountain valley, fixed intently on this group of emaciated, weak, sick, and disabled people.

The women and elderly people, seeing these gazes, lowered their heads again. One of the boys who had been shouting the loudest earlier, now huddled in a corner under the watchful eyes of the Boxers, clutching a half-eaten porcelain bowl and slowly sipping his hot porridge.

Some elderly people with cloudy eyes also lowered their eyes, unwilling to get involved.

You said you'd really kill him?
Is this just for show?

The imperial court had done similar things before. When problems arise, dealing with the person who raises the issue is always more efficient than solving it.

"This gentleman."

Suddenly, an aged voice came from behind Ji Ran. Everyone's gaze abruptly shifted past the flags and the kneeling Boxers to the simple table behind them.

Ji Ran also turned to the side.

It was that old man who carried pig offal on his back.

The old man was so frightened by the many eyes watching him that he kept lowering his head. His gaze swept over the iron pot beside him, where the heads of the Boxers were shaking, their faces reduced to white bones.

He doesn't understand many principles.

But he knew that this young man had just saved him and had killed a Boxer elder for a bag of pork offal.

He believes what he says.

The old man walked shakily to Ji Ran and was about to kneel down.

"Father-in-law!"

Ji Ran reached out and lifted the old man's bent body, saying loudly, "Don't kneel!"

"Everyone is the same, born of parents. No one needs to kneel before anyone else!"

"Even the emperor in the Forbidden City, what difference is there between him and an ordinary citizen?"

The quartermaster not far away froze, head bowed, muttering to himself: I didn't hear it, I didn't hear it...

If such outrageous remarks get out, I'll definitely get into trouble!

How could this Boxer have such audacity?

At that moment, the old man couldn't understand any of this; he only knew that the master forbade him to kneel, so he didn't kneel.

He unbuttoned his shirt.

If this rag can be called a "shirt".

The old man revealed a two-finger-long bloodstain on his left shoulder. The wound was covered in soot, a dark patch, and yellowish pus was oozing from the side.

The old man's lips trembled slightly as he pointed behind him to a Boxer with a scar on his ear.

The man stared at the old man, his eyes widening suddenly, and a look of fear appeared on his face!
"he!"

"The night before last, it entered my family's thatched shed! It insisted on dragging my seven-year-old daughter away!"

“I fought him to the death and got slashed. When he saw someone coming, he ran away, saying he would come back in two days.”

Ji Ran nodded, turned to look at the boxer, and asked, "Is there?"

"No...no!! I didn't! Grandfather!"

"He's talking nonsense, he's talking nonsense!"

The Boxer was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly!
Ji Ran sensed the fear emanating from him and understood the truth. Professionals, having mastered emotions, are extremely sensitive to the undisguised extreme emotions of ordinary people.

The mix of fear and regret said it all.

"cut."

As soon as the word was uttered, Kanmen behind him immediately grabbed his braid and lifted his head!
"Do not!!!"

"No!! Grand Duke Jupiter, I give up, I give up!!"

The boxer instantly burst into tears, and half of his pants were soaked.

But as Ji Ran turned around, the man from Kanmen did not hesitate and slashed down with his sword!

Pfft!

Blood splattered and splashed onto the two Boxers on either side, making them tremble like leaves!

The old man stared blankly, "That's it... he's been chopped down?"
He really killed him...

His mouth, with most of his teeth missing, suddenly trembled. Looking at the human head on the ground, he made an indistinct "ah ah" sound, then lunged forward and smashed the head down hard!
Only he knows what really happened that night.

Ji Ran called over a gatekeeper and led the old man to the side.

His gaze swept around again.

"Any more?"

"Have!"

This time, a boy who was only a teenager jumped out!
He held a half-broken bowl in his hand, pointed hatefully at a Boxer, and said, "Him!"

“Five days ago, when he first arrived, he was assigned to rest at my house. We took good care of him. Grandpa even used the lard he was reluctant to eat during the New Year to grease the bottom of the pot and stir-fry some side dishes for him!”

"They said they were killing thieves for the people!"

"But! He saw that it was just my grandfather and me at home, so he got up in the middle of the night to rummage through valuables! My grandfather caught him! And then... and then, afraid of making a scene, he stabbed my grandfather to death!"

"He...he stood by my bedside for a long time with a knife. I pretended to be asleep and didn't move, which is how I survived!"

Ji Ran turned around.

The Boxer was pale, but exclaimed in shock and anger, "Your Majesty!"

"This family are spies, they're traitors!!"

"Really, really! I killed a thief! The sect leader said that killing this kind of thief will be a meritorious act!"

The Boxer was sweating profusely, exclaiming repeatedly, "Yes! I found matches in his house! That old man actually used matches to cook for me! That bastard must be a traitor!!"

"You fart!"

"I found those corpses while I was on the battlefield carrying bodies for the imperial court!"

The boy, his eyes red, cried and roared!

Ji Ran coldly stared at the boxer, then turned to look at everyone else.

"Does anyone really think that using some foreign gadgets makes someone a traitor?"

No one spoke, but Ji Ran suddenly raised his voice and shouted, "Come here! The Imperial Army, fully equipped with foreign weapons, are all the traitors you call them!"

"Kill!"

"Why doesn't anyone go and kill them?"

"You haven't learned even a fraction of human qualities, but you've displayed seven parts of bestiality by creating pretexts to slaughter the villagers. You've certainly learned a thing or two from the imperial court!"

Ji Ran suddenly waved his hand!

The blade falls!
puff--

The head rolled to his feet, the body still twitching like a dead fish, gushing out large amounts of blood.

Ji Ran glared at him coldly and said, "Who is his altar master?"

Instantly, everyone's eyes turned to a one-eyed man whose arms and chest were wrapped in large bandages.

He stood in the crowd, a steel knife in his hand. His face was pale, but he had no choice but to steel himself and step forward. "Did you say that slaughtering civilians would be considered meritorious service?"

"No! Absolutely not!"

The man repeatedly denied it, saying, "I only said that killing traitors would earn me merit!"

"Then, how many traitors have you killed?"

moment!

Cold sweat trickled down the one-eyed man's forehead like a stream.

The question "How many traitors have you killed?" is essentially asking, "How many civilians have you killed?"

"Brother Tai Sui!"

At that moment, a tall figure stepped out from the crowd, looked at Ji Ran, and said, "This is Senior Brother Chouzitan. I know him."

Ji Ran looked up and saw a familiar figure—Yang Kaijiang, who had led the charge on the Langshan battlefield.

"He...fought at the forefront of the battle in Langshan, even the guardian deities were routed, and he killed more than a dozen Japanese soldiers. He had to be carried down by others."

"and then?"

Ji Ran looked at Yang Kaijiang indifferently and said, "You think killing traitors in Tankou counts as a merit?"

"without!"

Yang Kaijiang spoke, but only sighed, "I know there are some trends..."

"You will hear the case later."

Yang Kaijiang was taken aback.

The one-eyed man next to him seemed to have found a powerful backer and immediately shouted!

"Grand Duke! You have indeed rendered meritorious service, but Master Yang's qualifications are no less than those of the main altar! How can you interrogate him!"

"So what if those traitors were killed by mistake! We fight while they enjoy the spoils. The brothers of the Boxer Rebellion are inherently superior to them!"

"You—uh?!"

Bang!

As the one-eyed man was speaking, he suddenly felt that he had shrunk in size.

In his vision, his own abdomen and legs lay bloodied and sprawled on the ground. His gaze met that of the boy beside him, whose eyes were red and who looked utterly astonished.

He was... cut in half at the waist!?
Ji Ran looked down at him and said calmly, "Are we the same height now?"

"Ahhh-"

A scream erupted instantly! It sent chills down your spine!
"I kill you!!!"

The one-eyed man roared ferociously, the veins on his face throbbing like snakes from the pain and rage!

A phantom image suddenly appeared!
[Thieves from the Tanka people!]
This guardian deity, with a turban wrapped around his head, a dagger in his mouth, and a pair of forks in his hand, clearly resembled a river bandit!
As the one-eyed man shouted, the phantom swung its steel fork and thrust it toward Ji Ran's head!
hum-

Ji Ran didn't move at all, but a faint black-red aura suddenly erupted!

Murderous intent!
The phantom of the Tanka thief seemed to have encountered a sand dune in a raging storm! Almost instantly, it was ground into ashes by the intense killing intent!
Wow! !
The guardian deity suddenly enveloped Yang Kaijiang! However, it was fiercely forced back by that terrifying aura!

Deng Deng Deng!
He staggered backward until he reached the crowd, where he felt weaker. But the next moment, he was astonished to discover that...
Apart from the Quanmin who possessed guardian deities and a very small number of others, all the Quanmin rolled their eyes back as they witnessed some great terror amidst the murderous intent unleashed by the Grand Duke Jupiter, and were so horrified that they fainted!

Of the nearly one thousand people who had gathered, fewer than twenty remained standing!

Yang Kaijiang's mouth was dry. What kind of incredible power was this?

Is this really something a human, or a guardian deity, could do?!

Ji Ran glanced at the few Boxers who possessed guardian deities and said calmly, "Who else thinks they are superior?"

No one dares to speak!

Even those who could stand were already weak all over, and some couldn't hold on any longer and knelt on the ground!

“Zhu Yu, Qin Pu.”

"exist!"

"Take Kanmen to tie people up."

Zhu Yu and Qin Pu exchanged a glance, both seeing the excitement and exhilaration in each other's eyes.

"Yes!"

Ji Ran looked at the growing number of people. He had controlled the direction of Tianfa's murderous intent, which only affected the Boxers.

Yang Kaijiang smiled wryly and stood quietly to the side, saying nothing more. Behind him, a large portion of "Seventh Master Yang's" armor was ground to shreds by a single aura!

The trial continued. Once everyone was tied up, Ji Ran used Tian Fa's murderous intent to wake them up again.

This skill can be controlled very subtly, and you still need to practice it.

……

When it was the turn of the one-armed Boxer, Chen Geng looked anxious, took two steps forward, and said, "Your Majesty! Our Tankou absolutely has not committed any massacre of civilians!"

"Wang Liao would never kill anyone!"

Ji Ran glanced at the man named Wang Liao, whose body was muscular and strong as an ox. He now only had one arm left, his face was pale, and his expression was one of shame.

"That depends on what the people say."

Ji Ran scanned the crowd.

At that moment, an old man was leading a boy who was about half a year old, and beside them, a long-haired woman was looking down.

The boy broke free from the old man's grasp and ran out!

"He bullied my mother!"

The boy looked to be only four or five years old and his speech was still unclear.

“These days, he comes to bully my mother every night!”

"Have it?"

Ji Ran looked behind him, and the man looked at the boy, head down, and admitted, "Yes!"

"I...I plan to marry her! Really, I'm coming after I've driven the foreigners away!"

"Ah."

Ji Ran saw the woman raise her head; her once pretty face was now covered in wrinkles formed from filth. Her eyes, as she looked at the platform, were filled with fear.

"cut."

"Don't!"

Suddenly, Chen Geng, who was holding a red-tasseled spear, rushed out!

"No! Don't kill!!"

"Lord Tai Sui! He was a wealthy man in our village. His whole family was killed. He led his brothers to slaughter the traitors in the church! And then he burned the entire church down!"

"It was he who led his brothers to join the Boxers, found that priest, lay in the mountains for a day and a night, and seized the opportunity to shoot and kill the priest who knew sorcery!"

Chen Geng knelt on one knee, his eyes red and tears streaming down his face, pleading, "Grand Duke Jupiter! I was seriously injured back then, and he gave up his position as a guardian deity to save me. Otherwise, this senior brother would be his!"

"In the Battle of Langshan, he fought desperately against the enemy, standing on the front lines alongside his fellow disciples who possessed guardian deities!!"

"If I must pay with my life, I beg Your Majesty to have mercy and let me die in your place!"

boom!
Chen Geng wept uncontrollably and kowtowed deeply before Ji Ran.

Ji Ran remained indifferent and unmoved.

Killing is to uphold the law! It's to spread the word about my actions! It's to let all Boxers know that some things, if done, will lead to death!

This is the first step of the revolution, a complete purge of the ranks! Today is just the beginning; the collective divine intervention is yet another event.

There must be absolutely no leniency in this matter.

Anyone who questions them is killed!
It seemed that he could sense the resolute killing intent emanating from Ji Ran.

Wang Liao gave a bitter laugh.

"Brother Chen!"

"It's my fault for being a bastard, unable to control my own bird, how can I expect you to pay for it?"

As Wang Liao spoke, he looked at Ji Ran's retreating figure and said, "Grandpa, what use are we if we die?"

Ji Ran stood there indifferently, only slightly raising his hand.

Wang Liao gave a bitter laugh, looked around at the hundreds of Boxers kneeling on the ground, and suddenly roared!

"National and personal vendettas are right before our eyes!"

"Brothers!! Killing the plunderers is shameful, killing the traitors is meritorious!!"

"Don't make a mistake, kill the bandits!!!"

As he spoke, he suddenly turned his head!

The one holding the knife was Li Yan. At this moment, he drew his steel knife and was about to make a move when he saw the man suddenly turn his head and slam it hard against the steel knife!
Pfft!

Scalding blood splattered all over him!
Li Yan stared wide-eyed at the man lying paralyzed in a pool of blood, his eyes gradually losing their luster, muttering what sounded like the words "kill the traitor."

Upon hearing this, Ji Ran glanced at the altar and said, "If one repents before departure, the body can be collected and buried at the altar; there is no need to build a mound of corpses."

"Thank you, Lord Tai Sui! Thank you, Lord Tai Sui!"

Chen Geng, trembling, picked up Wang Liao's body and stepped back below.

More and more ordinary people are speaking out.

halfway.

Several teenagers, ignoring their families' attempts to pull them away and dissuade them, walked across the pool of blood, picked up a knife, and stared intently at Ji Ran on the stage.

During the intervals between executions, they kowtowed, begging the Boxers to kill the traitors!
And when everything settled down here...

The blood flowed like streams, completely soaking the entire alley!

More than a thousand people were killed, leaving behind four hundred heads that rolled in front of the entire shack.

But not a single commoner was afraid! Countless people ignored all attempts to dissuade them and knelt before Ji Ran, before Zhu Yu, and before all those carrying out the executions.

Li Yan looked at the woman in front of her, feeling lost and helpless. She wanted to help her up, but she didn't dare to touch the woman's bare arm.

"Brother, thank you!"

Hearing the four-year-old child's thanks, Li Yan felt something different for the first time—a sense of being needed. In the past, even when she had killed the foreigners at Tankou and returned, the people treated her and her companions like demons.

Never before has it been like this.

The boy vigorously rubbed the child's head, a surge of heat rising in his chest.

She felt that if thieves attacked now, she could die for this boy she had only met once, and for the people around her!
A woman and an old man went and filled a bowl with hot porridge, which they then served to the executioner at Kanmen.

"Thank you."

Zhu Yu stood beside Ji Ran, picked up a bowl of sorghum porridge, and took a sip. At this moment, the hesitation he had shown towards Ji Ran's reforms was gone from his eyes; they were filled with determination.

"I didn't expect the people to change so quickly. Today's bloodshed seems to have washed away something."

"Do not think that the insignificant have no power. Nor should you think that the humble have no dignity."

Ji Ran looked at the crowd and said, "Right now, it's not even the beginning."

The current changes and activity among the people are merely a result of their grievances being released by their own punishment. They are still far from truly waking up.

Far from enough.

"But I see the possibility of waking up."

Zhu Yu's gaze was intense, his eyes filled with hope: "As long as we can awaken a small number of people each time."

"Then one day, everyone will wake up."

A clear female voice came from the side: "I just don't know if we'll live to see that day."

"Will do."

Zhu Yu's voice was firm.

Ji Ran chuckled and turned to look at the two of them.

As the sun sets, it paints the clouds and light on the horizon, creating a hazy and ethereal scene.

The Renzi flag fluttered in the wind, and torches were lit nearby, illuminating the dim sky. The people walked in their shacks, and under Xie Tunan's command, they worked with the quartermaster to prepare food.

Those who were found not guilty after the trial were also pushed to sit at the table, their eyes filled with bewilderment amidst the enthusiasm around them.

Countless people surrounded the person at Kanmen, talking incessantly.

Ji Ran looked into Zhu Yu and Qin Pu's eyes; their pupils reflected the firelight, sparkling and shimmering. He smiled softly, as if he could see the future.

“Zhu Yu, Qin Pu.”

"Ok?"

Ji Ran turned around and looked in the direction of Dagukou. A sliver of blood-red light shone, scorching the last rays of daylight.

"If one day, I leave."

"Please die on the road of revolution."

boom!
He heard a loud fist clasped behind him.

"I'd gladly die for it!"

(End of this chapter)