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

Chapter 169 Overbearing, Japanese Pirates, Slay the Traitors! (Three-in-One)

The morning light spilled over the villages and towns of Baihekou.

The densely packed Boxers had all tidied up their clothes. Even those who didn't have any new clothes tried their best to make their own attire as neat as possible.

Each person had a brand-new red headscarf tied around their forehead.

"We haven't seen the people from Renzi Altar or Yang Kaijiang's men?"

Standing at the front of the group were naturally the three leaders from the four main altars. However, as they stood there, they felt the piercing gazes of a group of Boxers behind them.

It was Hou Ye who spoke, his face slightly flushed and his expression grim. "The truth about Master Yan's death is still unclear! We've taken responsibility for the hundred people from the Kuizi Altar and the heads from the White Tiger Altar. We've set up a Jingguan (a mound of corpses) for him and sent him the White Tiger Token, so that he can join us in initiating the séance today!"

"Look what he's done!"

Hou Ye's voice was low but filled with indignation: "Return the White Tiger Token and say nothing!"

"While we were at the Temple of Sea God, he allowed the people to judge the Boxers? And he even killed four or five hundred of our brothers! What is he trying to do!?"

"He is weakening our Boxer Rebellion!"

Beside her, Song Lian, dressed in a dark cheongsam with only white lotus embroidery on the shoulder, asked in a calm voice, "If you had been there, what would you have done?"

"Charge forward?"

"Is your spirit comparable to two Heavenly Stars?"

Hou Ye's voice faltered, but then he heard Liu Heqin pat his waist knife and say, "Let's wait."

"Everyone's here."

"You don't think that the Grand Duke Jupiter at Renzi Altar is scared and has left, do you?"

The old man raised his face and looked in the direction of the Sea God Temple, saying, "Who knows, they've already set a trap for us."

"Ha, with just his hundred or so men?"

Hou Ye looked behind him. The open space outside the village was already densely packed with people. Countless red headscarves fluttered in the morning breeze, like a raging sea of ​​fire.

Three thousand people! These are the Boxers who have descended to earth today!
Then came those who had come to observe the ceremony. Even a collective invocation has a minimum requirement: killing a foreigner, or killing ten traitors working in the church.

Only those who meet these two standards, and have someone to vouch for them, can be qualified to perform a divination.

Moreover, even if you are qualified, it doesn't mean you will definitely be able to successfully invoke the spirit.

Only those who possess the Taishi Tianlu (a magical scroll) can obtain a spirit body, because they can enter the Taishi's body to select one.

As for the others, they could only rely on luck, depending on their identity and will, to see if they would be chosen by the Grand Historian.

Li Yan had obtained her great-grandfather's spirit, "Fu Shou Lao," in the same way. This guardian deity seemed comical, but it did possess skills and could even withstand bullets, which was extremely fortunate.

If Li Yan were fighting ordinary soldiers, with the defense of [Fu Shou Lao], he could withstand at least a dozen or twenty blows!

However, most people are unable to obtain guardian deities.

boom!
Right now!

A middle-aged man suddenly pushed through the crowd, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed to Liu Heqin, saying, "General Liu!"

"My son...my son was killed by those people from Renzi Altar yesterday!!"

The middle-aged man, wearing a headscarf, looked up, his forehead covered in dust. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Liu Heqin.

"My son, he only robbed a traitor! He didn't even kill anyone! He just broke the traitor's leg!"

"That executioner at Renzi Altar, have his head chopped off!!"

"We implore the three leaders to uphold justice!"

The middle-aged man was dressed in a well-fitting gold shirt, and his face was not as dark and thin as the other Boxers. He also wore a thumb ring on his finger.

Liu Heqin recognized him; his son was the master of the White Tiger Altar.

At this moment, as the middle-aged man cried out, more people in the crowd immediately echoed his cries!
"General Liu! My son didn't force the woman at all! It was that woman! That woman climbed into his bed on her own!"

"Chief Hou, my brother couldn't have killed people to steal their money. It must have been the Renzi Altar that committed the indiscriminate killings to establish their authority!!"

Upon hearing this, Hou Ye's eyes flashed fiercely!
"You bastard, is that guy from Xuanzi Altar your brother?"

"Ah, yes."

Bang!
But then Hou Ye kicked the man who had spoken in the chest!
With a "crack" sound, the man's sternum collapsed, and he slammed heavily to the ground!
"Pfft! You...the main headquarters...you?"

The man was spitting out blood, clutching his chest and writhing in agony!

"Pooh!"

Hou Ye laughed angrily and said, "I led men to search that kid's place yesterday!"

"There's a box of jewelry under the bed, worth three or four thousand copper coins!"

"He's a fucking disgrace! If it weren't for his mess, I'd be able to point my finger at that bastard and curse him!"

"Now, I'm in the wrong too!"

"You dare to wail in front of me? Get lost!"

The middle-aged man's teeth chattered; he hadn't expected the Marquis to be like this, and could only cower on the ground, too afraid to utter a sound.

Song Lian, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow. Hou Ye actually knew about searching the house? Has he gotten a brain?
Although the Xuanwu Altar was full of roughnecks, they all exuded an aura of fearlessness, like barefoot men who aren't afraid of those wearing shoes! They were generally quite disciplined in their daily conduct.

Because their leader, though hot-tempered and impulsive, was a chivalrous person who would help those in need.

Those subordinates who didn't follow the rules, or those whom Hou Ye disapproved of, would be hung up and beaten by him.

Furthermore, because Hou Ye had a younger sister who lived with him, he had zero tolerance for his subordinates abusing women. Therefore, among those who were beheaded, only one was from Xuanwu Altar.

Those around him cowered and remained silent for a moment before kneeling down and weeping before Liu Heqin!
"My lord! My son only accidentally pushed a girl into the well. He didn't kill her, so why should he pay with his life!"

"The main altar!!"

"We beg the Lord of the Main Altar to grant us this justice!"

……

As the crowd gathered, more and more people began to wail and cry.

But a small group of people watched coldly. Those were a group of women whose arms were still tied with red ribbons.

Red light.

This group of people belonged to the Azure Dragon Headquarters and were under Song Lian's command.

Song Lian looked at the wailing people and just sneered. As a woman, she knew all too well what these men were like.

The women he frequented were all harassed. It was only after he castrated a few Boxers who couldn't control their lust that no one dared to harass him anymore.

"The time is almost here."

Song Lian glanced at the kneeling crowd; her subordinates had not been affected by yesterday's trial.

"If you continue to wail here, my Azure Dragon Altar will not keep you company."

Liu Heqin looked at the crowd and said, "Get up."

"Let's find out who's right and who's wrong, and have a discussion with that powerful figure!"

After saying that, Liu Heqin turned and left.

The boxers belonging to his Vermilion Bird Altar stirred up a great commotion, with over a thousand people passing through the kneeling boxers and following behind him.

"Come with me!"

Hou Ye of Xuanwu Altar spoke with obvious fervor, and with a wave of his thick arm, several hundred people immediately followed him toward the Sea God Temple.

"Walk."

Song Lian chuckled softly, a hint of mockery in her eyes as she looked at the kneeling man.

She had no interest in whether these people were genuinely complaining or being provoked; it was none of her business with the Azure Dragon Altar.

She was just curious about three things.

Has Yang Kaijiang been subdued by the Tai Sui of Renzi Altar? Does that Tai Sui have the ability to withstand the questioning and accountability of these passionate Boxers?
It's important to understand that this isn't the thousand or so people from yesterday, whom the Renzi Altar could forcefully suppress! This is three thousand people who are about to perform a séance, and a full twenty thousand Boxer rebels!

Finally, what does Liu Heqin have to rely on today?
Hou Ye is a brainless idiot; this morning's emotionally charged funeral drama must have nothing to do with him.

It can only be the Vermilion Bird Altar. After all, as the oldest and largest altar, although it is jointly governed by the four main altars, the Vermilion Bird Altar has always had the most say, followed by the White Tiger Altar.

The two altars were evenly matched, with the Vermilion Bird Altar having good relations with powerful clans and acquiring the best funds and equipment.

The White Tiger Altar had a good relationship with the imperial court, and Yan Ke was always the one to handle matters of cooperation with the court.

As for her own Azure Dragon Altar, it was entirely composed of women, so they had no say in the matter. The only reason she was able to participate was because she was strong enough and naturally able to unite female fighters.

Hou Ye was a reckless man. Although he was strong, he was always used as a tool by Hu and Que, without even realizing it.

So don't think that Liu Heqin was yielding at the Sea God Temple. He was willing to let them manipulate that mound of corpses because the tyrant had granted his wish!
By eliminating Yan Ke, the strongest among the four major altars and a threat to his influence, he could then become the sole ruler! His subsequent issuance of the White Tiger Token was merely a calculated move to win over Tai Sui, who lacked a solid foundation and was unlikely to amount to anything in the short term.

After all, the power of the four main altars represented the power of the entire Boxer Rebellion.

The most powerful of them all, Zhuque Altar, is now, without exaggeration, the leader of the Boxer Rebellion!

He is the nominal leader of hundreds of thousands of Boxers in North China! If he can maintain this position, no matter what the future holds, Liu will fetch a good price.

But what was unexpected was that the Tai Sui God of Renzi Altar did not follow the rules!

he!
In just one afternoon, he swiftly and decisively cut down four or five hundred people!

Song Lian recalled that Liu Heqin's face turned green when he saw Yang Kaijiang and his men carrying the head over!
If killing Yan Ke was due to that Tai Sui Ye helping him eliminate his rivals within the organization, then...

So killing four or five hundred people, almost all of whom were from his White Tiger Altar and Vermilion Bird Altar, was the biggest provocation to his authority!

If this matter is not handled properly, how can Liu Heqin explain it to his subordinates, and how can he have the face to speak for the Yihe Society?
His mourning was intended to spread the grief and fear of some people from yesterday to everyone's hearts!
Nobody likes being with a tiger that could eat them at any moment.

What Liu Heqin wanted was to bind everyone together and force this fierce tiger to lower its head!
The group walked briskly outside the village, the sunlight stirring the morning mist, giving off a cool glow. A group of people appeared on the wide riverside plain of Baihekou.

Song Lian's eyes narrowed!
That's it!

On the flat ground ahead stood a large group of people! There were at least one or two thousand of them, all carrying foreign rifles and Hanyang rifles! They had tactical packs on their backs and ammunition hanging from their waists!

The leader was a burly man in an official robe with red feathers and a lion with a fierce mane on his badge!
He was tall and strong, with a round face and a big belly. His face was old but exuded an air of authority and a strong sense of menace from his military background!

This is a general of the imperial court, a second-rank official!

Song Lian understood that the imperial court had finally sent a general to the Green Standard Army at the Dagu Fort!

At that moment, Liu Heqin stepped forward and said, "General Luo!"

Upon seeing the round-faced, pot-bellied general before him, the old man immediately smiled, bent down slightly, and said, "These two are Hou Ye, the leader of the Xuanwu Altar, and Song Lian, the leader of the Qinglong Altar."

"This is General Luo Rongguang, the commander of Dagu Fortress!"

"Meet the adults!"

The two men bowed to each other in greeting.

Song Lian sighed inwardly. This Liu fellow was moving so fast; he was trying to fill the void left by Yan Ke. If he really got in touch with this general, he could probably completely seize control of the Boxer Rebellion!
General Luo's expression, however, was not particularly enthusiastic.

"I hope you can keep your promise to me."

"rest assured!"

Liu Heqin then took out more than a dozen Taishi Tianlu from his robes, saying, "These are for your soldiers. As long as they don't have a fully formed dragon-tiger aura, they will surely be able to summon a guardian deity!"

"Moreover, all of you can get in. Our Green Camp brothers are all Han Chinese, and at least half of them can become Dharma Protectors!"

"it is good."

Seeing General Luo nod, Liu Heqin immediately extended his hand, gesturing for him to enter: "The time is approaching, please come with me into the temple to receive the divine intervention!"

"Let's go."

At this moment, the one or two thousand Green Standard Army soldiers joined them and walked on the left.

The group was so large that it almost covered the entire plain along the river.

More than 1,500 Green Standard Army soldiers and 3,000 Jiangshenquan (a type of martial arts) followers surrounded the three main altars and the imperial general.

Behind them was a dense crowd of over ten thousand people who had come to watch the séance.

Thick fog hung over the riverbank.

Even though the sun had already begun to climb into the sky, a light mist still lingered in the air.

However, as the group turned the corner and approached the Tanah Lot Temple, they suddenly stopped!
In the mist, several red ribbons rolled down!

The large black characters, written in a vigorous, flowing style, seemed to roar at the person who came!

"If you're looking for promotion and wealth, go elsewhere."

"Don't enter this door if you are afraid of death."

May the dead come!

As he read those words aloud, Luo Rongguang's originally indifferent eyes revealed a hint of satisfaction, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

"Not bad." "It seems you were able to win the Battle of Langshan after all, you have something to offer. I like those two sentences."

Liu Heqin opened his mouth, but didn't know how to explain!

This... I didn't do this myself!
As he moved forward, Luo Rongguang's expression suddenly trembled!
Before the temple!

Five or six hundred heads were piled up to form a mound of skulls, and the flowing blood stained the surrounding land several meters in size with crimson!

It's like a tree of human heads growing out of a blood-soaked carpet!

Everyone who saw it felt their scalp tingle!

Many of these people were alive and laughing right in front of me just yesterday!

Now they have turned into hideous human heads with their eyes wide open in death!
Next to it, there is a monument.

Several lines of text were roughly but clearly engraved on it with a knife.

Those who bully the people shall be killed!

Those who insult women shall be killed!

Those who plunder the people's property shall be killed!

Those with an arrogant attitude, kill them!

Four Kill Monument

Luo Rongguang stood in front of the inscription and looked at it for a long time.

At this moment, the fog has been blown away by the wind.

A figure appeared before the temple gates.

An incense altar and offering table were placed in front, serving as a chair. A robust young man sat on it, his right elbow propped up on his chin, quietly watching the surging crowd before him.

Around and behind him, a dense array of figures stood, spreading out in a triangle.

There were only three or four hundred people.

A flagpole riddled with bullet holes and charred black stood tall, its tattered black and red flag billowing fiercely in the air.

The silence lasted for a moment before it was broken.

It wasn't Liu Heqin and his group of tens of thousands, but Ji Ran.

"The gods have descended today; all are welcome to enter."

"But once you enter the gate, you agree to those two sentences and four precepts."

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over everyone, calm yet firm: "Now, those who want to live, please do so."

"you!"

At this moment, Liu Heqin knew he absolutely could not wait any longer!
"Tai Sui! What are you, Renzi Altar, trying to do?!"

"Without the orders from the four main altars, how can you invoke the divine descent!"

"What right do you have to control a collective séance! To decide life and death!"

Liu Heqin pressed forward relentlessly, brandishing two tokens in his hand. His face remained calm, but his words were unwavering!
"Where is the evidence for your so-called public trial?!"

"Now, the Imperial General is here! If you have evidence, produce it! If you cannot... then you, Renzi Altar, shall pay for the lives of those hundreds of people!"

Ji Ran listened to his words, but didn't even look at him.

As Liu Heqin said, it's just a fly buzzing around.

He simply glanced at the crowd behind him and said, "Now, those who are willing to have a divine intervention, please enter the Temple of Sea God."

boom!
Boom boom! !
Boom boom boom! ! !
Instantly! The guardian spirits of everyone around him were activated!
Under Ji Ran's stimulation, the blood-red imperial robe, which had been a mere ten feet in size, grew to a staggering thirty feet! It resembled a majestic, blood-red mountain!

Beside him, behind Zhu Yu! The guardian deity Yu Qian, with crimson feathers burning like blood and fire, rose to a height of two zhang! His blue robe was wrapped in flames, like a boiling sea of ​​fire!

On the other side, Qin Pu, the guardian deity, was illusory and imposing, standing about 23 feet tall! His golden-black armor was covered in lava with unicorn patterns, exuding a powerful fighting spirit!
Then, the guardian deity beside Xie Tunan was clad in armor, exuding the unwavering determination of a reef, the indomitable spirit of a veteran ready to die!

Yang Kaijiang remained silent, while the phantom of Seventh Master behind him merely gripped the red tassel tightly, raising the spear shaft as if wielding a dragon to shake the sea!

More than a hundred martial arts gods appeared instantly at the Renzi Altar and the Yinzi Altar!
Especially Ji Ran and the two people beside him!
That powerful aura instantly evaporated all the mist!
“Bold!!!”

Liu Heqin was furious! There were only a hundred or so martial arts arenas! He had plenty of them on his side too!

hum!
At that very moment, Ji Ran took a sudden step forward!
Murderous intent!
An exceptionally domineering aura, carrying a strong killing intent, suddenly spread out!

Two-thirds of the three or four thousand people at the front staggered and collapsed instantly!
"Roar!!!"

Behind Luo Rongguang, a scarred lion roared and howled. It was two zhang long and looked ferocious and menacing. It coiled around his old body.
His eyes trembled as he stared intently at Ji Ran.

Liu Heqin, standing nearby, was horrified to discover that he could no longer summon the guardian deity!
"Has your will fallen so low that even the guardian deities cannot resonate with it?"

Ji Ran appeared before Liu Heqin at some point, reached out, and took two tokens from the trembling old man's hand.

Liu Heqin's face was ashen; he had no idea why this was happening!

But Ji Ran knew.

This is his current state of mind and will, which runs counter to his guardian deity. He betrayed the faith he had when he summoned the guardian deity, and under the shock of the heavenly killing intent, his mind lost its composure, making him unable to manifest his power.

"Take it back."

At this moment, General Luo walked up to Ji Ran.

His face was grim, because of the 1,600 Green Standard Army soldiers behind him, only a few dozen remained standing.

This was only because Ji Ran had restrained his murderous intent and domineering nature, merely to filter out those with weak minds. If he were to unleash his full power, under the heavenly killing intent, none of these corrupt and decadent Green Standard Army soldiers would likely be able to stand.

At this moment, Ji Ran's eyes narrowed slightly!

This general!

The fierce lion emanating from him is not just the aura of a dragon or tiger!

Those fleshy skeletons were made entirely of deadly savagery! This seemingly old man, covered in thick, fleshy flesh, had participated in countless battles throughout his life!
Moreover, his will was so firm, so tenacious, so absolute! It remained completely unchanged even when Heaven unleashed its killing intent!

This isn't because the old man is so powerful that he can ignore Tianfa's murderous intent.

Rather, it was his will that was strong enough to face death and murderous intent head-on!
Within this aging body lies an iron will forged in blood and fire.

For a moment, it was as if their thoughts collided!
The people standing on the other side also summoned their guardian deities!

Under the watchful gaze of those majestic spiritual beings!

Within Ji Rantian's murderous aura, a yellowish-brown energy seemed to surge, resisting his own murderous intent!

Liu Heqin was already in the middle, lying on the ground like a dead dog, his whole body soaked in cold sweat.

Where is my own... spirit?
Only now did Liu Heqin realize that he had started out out of compassion for the people being slaughtered, then spent all his wealth to start a rebellion, and finally rallied the people to his cause!

Today, however, it has become a business transaction. People are only thinking about seizing power and profit, and using the Boxer Rebellion to climb to a higher level.

Could it be that I was really wrong?
He struggled to stand up, clinging to the ground, but the domineering aura made it hard for him to breathe!
now!

Ji Ran's gaze had turned slightly cold.

He admired the general's will, but now, what he needed was to select the usable members of the Boxer Rebellion!

Although the "Heavenly Killing Intent" screening method is rather crude, it is still the best method that I can find in a short period of time.

Those who lie on the ground, lacking a firm will, are unlikely to die for their beliefs.

Ji Ran clenched his fist slightly. He was confident that with his current physical strength, he could tear the lion apart and subdue the general!

boom! ! !
Boom boom——

At that very moment, a loud cannon shot suddenly rang out!

Ji Ran and Luo Rongguang in front of him were both stunned!
The two of them suddenly turned their heads!

Thick smoke of gunpowder could be seen rising from the villages and towns!

call!
Ji Ran suppressed his murderous intent and immediately looked in the direction of the artillery fire!
"Altar Master!"

At that moment, a man from Kanmen in the crowd opened his eyes, his face changing drastically, and exclaimed, "I saw Japanese pirates!"

The guardian deity behind him was dressed in Miao ethnic clothing, but its head had mysteriously disappeared.

"how many people?"

"Countless, at least... tens of thousands!"

"what!?"

Liu Heqin scrambled to his feet, grabbing Luo Rongguang's trouser leg, and cried out in terror, "Sir! Sir!"

"Quickly! Activate the Divine Descent!!"

"Everyone hide inside! The divine descent will create a barrier, separating it from the outside world!! We need to hide quickly!"

boom!
Luo Rongguang's face showed disgust as he kicked Liu Heqin away. But when he looked at the dozens of people still standing there, his expression also turned ugly.

damn it!
Why are Japanese pirates coming at this time?!

Ji Ran simply looked around behind him.

He could probably guess why.

With their general dead, these Japanese pirates were being used as exploratory fodder by the foreign powers. After all, the Battle of Dagu Forts was just around the corner!

"What weapons did they bring?"

Ji Ran looked at the people from Kanmen and Yinzitan.

When people come to invoke the spirits, almost no one brings firearms. However, almost everyone carries a waist knife, which is the most common and convenient weapon.

Miso!

His response was a barrage of unsheathed steel knives!

"it is good."

Ji Ran chuckled and nodded.

Bang!

He dropped the token and shouted, "Those without guardian deities, open the divine descent and go to rescue all the elderly, weak, women and children in the village. Take them and those who need the divine descent in with you."

bass!
In his hand, the Kunwu bird neighed! Its voice was clear and resonant as he walked at the very front of everyone.

"Renzi Altar, come and kill the traitors!"

The group sped off, heading straight for the village!
"Lord Luo! We...we can go in! While..."

Liu Heqin watched Ji Ran and the others leave, picked up the token, and excitedly wanted to speak.

"Green Standard Army!"

However, Luo Rongguang drew his sword and Mauser, interrupting his voice.

"Kill the thief!"

With a low growl, all the Green Standard Army soldiers who were still standing followed the old man straight into the battlefield!

"Xuanwu Altar!"

Hou Ye roared, gripping his spear horizontally!

"Today, use the heads of the Japanese pirates to build another mound of skulls!"

"Yes!!"

A group of burly men, filled with excitement and menacing aura, charged straight towards the crowd ahead!

Seeing Xuanwu Altar emerge from beside her, Song Lian spoke in a cool voice, "Sisters."

"go!"

A group of women, each holding a red tassel, their red silk sleeves fluttering, stirred up a red tide heading east!

When the commotion reached the rear, among the ordinary people, and even those who had been paralyzed by Tianfa's murderous intent, there were shadows of people rushing towards the artillery fire.

A boy, drenched in sweat and stunned by the murderous intent, struggled to his feet, picked up a gun, and staggered out: "Kill the thieves!"

Among the crowd was a man carrying a wooden stick. His lips moved silently, and he turned and headed straight for the town!

"Kill the thief!!"

"Kill the thief!!!"

The entire crowd resembled a cracked mountain or river.

Some people hesitated, filled with apprehension.

Some people followed suit, like moths drawn to a flame.

(End of this chapter)