Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 573 Do you dare to force a rebellion?
Shi Danqin has been investigating Li Xueqing's identity lately.

The Dongzhou government had long been investigating the Tan family and the forces behind them, and had already made considerable progress.

Shi Danqin naturally knew from this that Li Xueqing must be a member of the Hualongmen, who was like a giant beast lurking overseas.

Now, he actually saw the banner of Hualongmen outside Dongzhou City.

"It's that wicked woman! She's back for revenge?!"

This thought exploded like a thunderbolt in Shi Danqin's chaotic mind!

Li Xueqing's poison skills are unpredictable. The last time he was defeated by Li Xueqing, he was able to escape back to Dongzhou City alive, which was already a blessing from heaven. He had exhausted all his luck and half of his life!

Now he is poisoned and his skills are damaged. He is far from his former state. If he were to face that deadly poisonous woman again...

Shi Danqin felt a chill rush from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, her scalp tingling and the hairs on her body standing on end!

Almost instinctively, he wanted to stand up and escape from the dangerous city tower!

However, the composure cultivated over decades of wielding power ultimately prevailed over instinctive fear at the last moment.

He forcefully steadied his body, which was about to spring up, and his cloudy old eyes, sharp as a hawk's, were fixed on the approaching troop outside the city, especially the more than ten riders leading the way with their imposing presence!
His gaze, almost obsessively frantic, searched rapidly among the blurry figures...

No!

That alluring figure that haunted his midnight dreams was nowhere to be found!

Li Xueqing is not here!
"call……"

Shi Danqin exhaled a long, silent breath, her extremely tense nerves relaxing slightly.

The deadly threat has temporarily disappeared.

But what followed was a deeper sense of doubt and vigilance:

"The Dragon Transformation Gate... has always been like a deep-sea dragon, lurking and elusive, a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail."

"How dare you parade around like this in broad daylight, raising your banners and heading straight for the walls of my Dongzhou City?"

"What...what are they trying to do?!"

He was so engrossed in his furrowed brows that he didn't even notice the lead powder falling off his deeply lined face, and he completely forgot about Zhou Baining kneeling at his feet.

Just as his mind raced, the dozen or so riders swept in like a whirlwind and approached rapidly!
Horse hooves trampled the mud, splashing up murky water.

Immediately afterwards, a loud voice, like a thunderclap, rang out, piercing through the cold wind and rain, and clearly resounding throughout the city walls:

"We, the Dragon Transformation Sect, have come to provide disaster relief. Why don't you open the city gates at once?"

"Who is that official on the city wall? My chief senior brother has arrived! Why don't you come out and answer me at once?!"

The sound was like a thunderclap, creating a crack in Zhou Baining's despairing heart!
The Dragon Transformation Gate?!

It's the Dragon Transformation Gate again!
This title was by no means unfamiliar to her!

Not long ago, on the vast East China Sea, the merchant ship she was on encountered ruthless pirates, and in despair...

It was that fierce-looking, bald giant who saved her from dire straits who uttered the words "Transformation Dragon Gate," frightening the pirates into not daring to commit any violence!
is it him?
The man who rescued her from the pirates' tyranny like a god descending to earth?
Did he... come today too?
A faint yet incredibly strong glimmer of hope, like a spark in the darkness, suddenly ignited in Zhou Baining's cold and desperate heart!

She even forgot the tear stains on her face and the coldness of her knees, subconsciously tilting her head slightly, her eyes urgently searching for the blurry figure below the city.

On the city floor.

An old servant, accustomed to lording it over the powerful family, couldn't contain himself upon seeing his master humiliated. He rushed to the battlements, pointed at the city walls, and began to curse loudly:

"presumptuous!"

"Who is this madman who dares to run wild here?!"

"With Lord Silverwing Marquis in charge, what kind of chief dares to shout like that? Are they tired of living?!"

He thought that bringing out the prestigious title of "Silver Wing Marquis" would be enough to intimidate these江湖草莽 (jianghu caomang, meaning outlaws and ruffians).

however--

This time, the title of Silverwing Marquis seems to be no longer effective.

A furious shout came from outside the city:

"Be bold!"

"How dare you be disrespectful to our sect's leader? You're asking for death!"

A sharp, ear-piercing whistle suddenly rang out!
"call out!!!"

Before the sound had even faded, a gray shadow, almost invisible to the naked eye, shot towards them like lightning!

"Pfft!"

A sickening thud, like a ripe watermelon being pierced by a heavy object!
Suddenly, a finger-sized hole appeared in the center of the old servant's forehead, and a bowl-sized hole exploded open in the back of his head.

Red and white, mixed with fragments of bone, sprayed out like splashed ink, covering the heads and faces of several soldiers behind them who couldn't dodge in time!

The old servant's astonishment, anger, and even a hint of arrogance from someone who was using the tiger's power, froze instantly!
He didn't even utter a sound before his body, like a sack with its bones removed, crashed straight backward with a thud, landing heavily on the cold, wet stone floor with a dull thud.

Fresh blood quickly seeped out beneath him, mixing with the rainwater to form a glaring dark red pool.

Dead!

A deathly silence fell over the city gate tower!
Only the mournful sound of the wind and the patter of raindrops hitting the tiles could be heard.

All the soldiers and officers, including Shi Danqin herself, were stunned by this sudden and extremely ruthless massacre!

kill!
Right under Silverwing Marquis's nose, he killed his personal attendant with a pebble, as easily as crushing an ant!
“Woo-woo-woo!!!”

The dull sound of the bugle finally shattered the deathly silence, echoing wildly above the city walls swaying in the wind and rain!

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Archers, prepare!"

The garrison officer shouted at the top of his lungs.

The soldiers, as if waking from a dream, rushed towards the barricades like a flock of sheep being herded.

Longbows and crossbows were raised one after another, the cold arrowheads gleaming with a chilling light in the rain, densely aimed at the dozen or so knights who stood like javelins below the city.

Everyone's heart was pounding, and their palms were sweating profusely as they gripped the bow.

Zhou Bai Ning stared blankly at the still slightly twitching corpse and the rapidly spreading pool of blood. The intense visual impact made her feel nauseous.

However, after the initial shock, an indescribable, almost rebellious excitement began to grow wildly in her heart!

The Dragon Transformation Sect... they really dare...

How dare they so brazenly challenge the authority of the Silverwing Marquis!

The man who saved her belonged to a force that was so... powerful and fearless!

A faint but intensely burning hope, like a wildfire, spread rapidly!
She forgot her fear, her humiliation, and the crisis facing her family; all her attention was drawn to the group of people from the Hualongmen sect below the city!

"Bastard!"

Shi Danqin slammed her hand on the back of the chair, her thin body trembling slightly with rage, and the thick layer of lead powder on her face fell off in a flurry.

"Since that poisonous woman is not here, how dare you, a bunch of shrimp soldiers and crab generals, be so insolent in front of me?!"

He roared fiercely, like a wounded lion.

The terrifying aura of a third-rank martial artist erupted without reservation!

An immense, tangible pressure, imbued with the murderous aura of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, swept across the entire city tower like an invisible storm!

The soldiers who were closer to him felt a tightness in their chest and had difficulty breathing, almost collapsing to their knees!
He firmly believed that a master of Li Xueqing's caliber was extremely rare, and she must be a top-tier figure within the Hualong Sect.

Now that the biggest threat is gone, even if this group of people has some skills, they are nothing but chickens and dogs in front of him, a third-rank expert and the dignified Silverwing Marquis!
"Form ranks! Heed my command!"

Shi Danqin's hair and beard bristled, his eyes were bloodshot, and his murderous intent was fully revealed.

His withered hand rested on the hilt of the sword at his waist, ready to crush these madmen who dared to defy the emperor's authority into dust with swift and decisive action!
The voices from below the city walls rose again, filled with disdain and mockery:

"I don't care if you're a macaque or a mongoose!"

"Now that my chief senior brother has come in person, it's no longer your place to decide what happens in Dongzhou City!"

The moment the words fell—

The garrison officer suddenly cried out in alarm:
"Oh no! They're coming up!!!"

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows now! Shoot them dead!"

The garrison officer was terrified and shouted orders at the top of his lungs, not even waiting for Silverwing Marquis's command.

“Buzz——!!!”

The bowstrings rang out in unison!

Hundreds of arrows, like a dense swarm of locusts, tore through the rain with a shrill whistle and shot toward the rapidly ascending figures!

The rain of arrows covered a large area above the city wall, leaving no way to avoid it!
however--

"call--!!!"

A vast, boundless, and unstoppable invisible force, like a hurricane rising from the ground, suddenly swept up from the outside of the city wall!

The miracle happened!
The dense, rain-like arrows, upon striking this invisible wall of energy, seemed to have hit an invisible, impenetrable barrier, their momentum abruptly halted!

Then, to everyone's utter astonishment, the hundreds of arrows were forcibly swept back by this terrifying force!

With even greater speed and ferocity than when they arrived, they rained down on the city wall like a storm!
"Puff puff!"

"Ah! My eyes!"

"Help!"

……

A piercing scream instantly echoed throughout the city tower!
The soldiers were caught off guard and were hit by the arrows they had fired!

Some were shot through the chest, some were shot in the arm, and some were even shot in the face and died on the spot!
On the city wall, people and horses fell to the ground in an instant, and blood flowed everywhere.

The soldiers who narrowly escaped were terrified and fled in panic, their formation in complete disarray!
Amidst the chaos and bloodshed, several figures, like demons descending to earth, landed lightly in the center of the city wall!

They were dressed in uniform blue and white sect uniforms, their eyes were as cold as knives, and the aura emanating from them was clearly that of the fourth rank!
Moreover, each person's aura was condensed and heavy, with a menacing aura, far surpassing that of ordinary fourth-rank martial artists!
After they landed, their eyes flashed like lightning, instantly locking onto Shi Danqin and the remaining guards around him, and an invisible aura of killing intent spread out.

The garrison commander, the nominal highest-ranking military officer in Dongzhou City, was himself a fourth-rank cultivator, yet his palms were covered in cold sweat as he gripped the sword hilt, and his face was as pale as paper.

He sensed the terrifying aura emanating from the other party, which far surpassed his own, and had no doubt that if he dared to step forward, he would be torn to shreds in an instant!
"Back off! Back off!"

His voice trembled as he roared at the remaining soldiers, while he quickly retreated behind Shi Danqin, seeking her only refuge.

Shi Danqin's face was so gloomy it was almost dripping with water. Her withered body stood straight, like a sharp sword about to be drawn, staring intently at the group of audacious experts from the Hualong Sect in front of her.

"Good! Very good!"

His voice was hoarse, filled with suppressed rage:
"How dare you be so insolent before me! You so-called members of the Dragon Transformation Sect are truly audacious!"

"In your eyes, is there still anything left—?"

His roar abruptly stopped!

An unprecedented, chilling, and terrifying sense of oppression, as if it could freeze one's soul, came from his side without warning!

The intensity, purity, and danger of this oppressive feeling far surpassed that of the previous fourth-rank martial artists, and even... instantly reminded him of the life-or-death crisis he faced when confronting Li Xueqing!

Shi Danqin's heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

He suddenly turned his head, his cloudy old eyes flashing with horror!

Suddenly, in the shadows of the city gate tower's battlements, a person appeared silently!

A giant as tall as an iron tower!

Standing over two meters tall, with broad shoulders and a wide back, his bulging muscles jutted out beneath his thin clothes, exuding an explosive sense of power.

He had a shiny shaved head, and a hideous scar lay across his fierce face like a centipede.

He stood there quietly, without making any movement, yet he was like a volcano about to erupt, an invisible, suffocating, and malevolent aura spreading out, instantly becoming the absolute center of the entire city tower!

With the appearance of this giant, the several fourth-rank experts from the Dragon Transformation Sect immediately concealed all their arrogance and bowed respectfully to him in unison, their voices filled with heartfelt awe.
"Meet Chief Senior Brother!"

The unified and powerful voice struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer!

"He...it really is him!"

Zhou Bai Ning gasped softly, her beautiful eyes widening instantly, filled with unbelievable ecstasy!
That hideous scar, that majestic figure, were already deeply imprinted in her memory.

It was him!
The man who descended like a god amidst the raging waves of the East China Sea and rescued her from the pirates' blades!

He's actually... the chief disciple of the Dragon Transformation Sect?!
A tremendous shock and a sense of elation at escaping a desperate situation overwhelmed her instantly.

This bald, giant man was none other than Liang Jin.

Liang Jin's gaze lingered for a moment on Shi Danqin's withered old face, which was covered in lead powder and filled with shock and anger, with an undisguised scrutiny and contempt.

Then, he started walking.

His steps were not fast, but unusually heavy; with each step, the stone bricks of the city wall seemed to groan.

He ignored the soldiers and guards around him who were on high alert but too afraid to approach, and walked straight toward the area in front of Shi Danqin.

Shi Danqin's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints!
The oppressive feeling this giant gave him was even stronger than that from Li Xueqing!
Li Xueqing is a cunning and venomous snake, making her impossible to guard against; while the person in front of you is a primordial behemoth that crushes everything with sheer power!

The overwhelming aura of ferocity and power made even this third-rank expert feel an unprecedented sense of dread!
Liang Jin walked a few steps to the only tea table in Shi Danqin's presence that was still intact.

The shadow cast by his massive body completely enveloped Shi Danqin.

A loyal guard from the Shi family, steeling himself, stepped forward, brandishing his sword to block the way, his voice trembling uncontrollably:
"Stop...stop!"

"How dare you..."

Liang Jin didn't even glance at him.

A master from the Transformation Dragon Sect behind him had already appeared like a ghost, his palm gleaming with a pale blue metallic luster, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air, and he struck the guard in the chest with his palm!
"Bang!!!"

A dull bang so loud it could stop your heart!
The guard didn't even have time to scream before his entire upper body exploded like a watermelon smashed by a tremendous force!
Fragments of flesh, bones, and internal organs splattered violently in the cold rain!

Hot, bloody rain poured down on the bodies and faces of the surrounding soldiers and officials!
The Dragon Transformation Sect expert who had made the move withdrew his hand, not even glancing at the bursting blood mist. His voice, as cold as ten thousand years of ice, echoed clearly across the deathly silent city tower:

"Anyone who dares to be disrespectful to the chief senior brother—will die a gruesome death!"

This scene completely shattered the last remaining courage of all the officers and soldiers and the guards of the Shi family on the city wall!
They stared at the lingering cloud of blood, at the mangled remains of flesh on the ground, at the horrified, distorted expressions on their companions' faces, and at the splattered blood. Overwhelming fear washed over them like ice water from head to toe!
The hands gripping the knives trembled violently, teeth chattered, and many people even bent over and vomited uncontrollably.

No one dared to take another step forward!
The way they looked at Liang Jin and the group of men in black behind him was like looking at demons from hell!
Shi Danqin's eyes twitched violently, and her withered hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white from the force.

He stared intently at Liang Jin, who was inches away, his voice hoarse with extreme anger and a hint of barely perceptible fear:
"You! Who the hell are you?!"

"What do you intend to do?!"

Liang Jin seemed not to hear his question.

He pulled out the only intact chair next to the tea table, the chair that was originally prepared for Zhou Baining, and sat down with an air of authority.

The heavy body pressed down on the chair, causing it to groan as if it could no longer bear the weight.

He picked up the cup of tea on the table, which had long since gone cold, as if he were just thirsty and had come to drink some water.

A group of powerful and menacing experts from the Hualong Sect silently stood guard behind him.

The chilling killing intent locked onto Shi Danqin and everyone around him who dared to make a move, as if it were a tangible reality.

Liang Jin put down his teacup, wiped the water from the corner of his mouth with his thick fingers, and then looked up at Shi Danqin, whose face was ashen. A smile appeared on his face that was completely out of place with his fierce appearance:

"My name is Xiong Ba, the chief disciple of the Hualong Sect."

"Don't be afraid, we are not bad people."

He pointed to the massive army outside the city:
"We came here specifically for disaster relief. Look, we brought all the food, it's piled up like a mountain."

"Hurry up and open the city gates."

These casual, even somewhat mocking words were like the most biting satire, slapping Shi Danqin and all the officials present in the face.

A surge of anger at being fooled rushed to Shi Danqin's head!

"Afraid?! Hahaha!" Shi Danqin laughed in fury, her laughter hoarse and maniacal.
"I, this Marquis, have crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood! Do you think I'd be afraid of a mere junior like you?!"

He took a sudden step forward, his cloudy old eyes fixed on Liang Jin, as if trying to see right through him:

"Speak! What exactly is the identity of that poisonous woman, Li Xueqing, whose poison skills are unparalleled, within your Hualong Sect?!"

Liang Jin raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly somewhat surprised.

Shi Danqin's question finally made him look at the Marquis of Daqian seriously for the first time.

Finally, Liang Jin grinned, as if suddenly realizing something:

"Oh—! It's you!"

"Is that the Silverwing Marquis who was beaten to a pulp by our Elder Li Xueqing and almost lost his life?"

"Tsk tsk tsk... It seems that you are the highest-ranking official in Dongzhou City right now? That's perfect, saves me the trouble of looking for someone else."

Liang Jin leaned forward slightly, and an immense sense of pressure washed over him again. He stared into Shi Danqin's eyes, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather, but what he said was earth-shattering:

"Then listen carefully."

"From today onwards, the disaster relief efforts in Dongzhou will be fully taken over by my Hualong Sect. This Dongzhou City will be the location of our disaster relief headquarters."

"We have united seven major chambers of commerce, nine major sects, eighteen guilds, and twenty-four prestigious local gentry organizations to form a disaster relief alliance, which can mobilize a total of forty to fifty thousand people."

Forty or fifty thousand people? !
Or is it an alliance organized and led by the Dragon Transformation Sect?!

The officials on the city wall gasped, their faces turning deathly pale!

The fact that the Dragon Transformation Sect has mobilized such a huge force is simply... a blatant disregard for the laws and regulations of the court!
The fact that a non-governmental organization dared to gather so many people on its own, without being under the leadership and control of the government, would inevitably pose a great threat to the imperial court's rule over Dongzhou.

Now that the Dragon Transformation Gate has come, what exactly does it want?
Is he trying to lead his followers to surrender to the imperial court in exchange for rewards?
Or... is there another motive?
Liang Jin seemed oblivious to the horrified expressions on everyone's faces. He picked up his teacup, took another sip of cold tea, and continued:

"I'm here to inform you that during the disaster relief period, wherever my Hualongmen Disaster Relief Alliance goes, your government officials must give way! Interference is strictly prohibited."

He put down his teacup, his voice suddenly turning cold, filled with undisguised contempt and disgust:

"Don't ask why? Because your government is rotten to the core! Under the guise of disaster relief, you're doing nothing but filthy things to squeeze every last drop of blood from your veins and line your own pockets!"

Liang Jin stretched out his fingers, counting them one by one as if reciting a familiar story, his voice like a cold iron hammer, striking the hearts of every official:

"Within Dongzhou, the magistrate of Qinglin County, under the pretext of disaster relief, levied excessive taxes and extorted money from the people. As a result, less than one-tenth of the taxes collected were used for disaster relief."

"Merchants from Kawaguchi County donated a total of 5,213 taels of silver for disaster relief, but after passing through the hands of those corrupt officials in the county government, only 154 taels remained to be used for purchasing grain and distributing porridge."

"As for Dongzhou City, the government treasury is short of 80,000 taels of silver, and more than 60% of the soldiers in the garrison are receiving salaries without working."

"There's too much to say."

"To have you parasites join us in disaster relief would be an insult to my Dragon Transformation Sect and all the righteous warriors of the Disaster Relief Alliance!"

These words were like peeling away skin and tendons, completely tearing open the dirtiest and most shameful festering sore in the Dongzhou officialdom and exposing it to the light of day!

The garrison officer trembled with rage, his face turning from white to green, then from green to purple. If he hadn't been wary of the opponent's terrifying strength, he would have already drawn his sword to silence him.

The other officials were even more pale, wishing they could disappear into the ground.

Even the soldiers looked at their officers with a strange expression.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Shi Danqin suddenly burst into laughter, a hoarse, shrill laugh filled with the madness of someone who had been thoroughly enraged!

He was a hereditary marquis and a key figure in the defense of the southeast. When did he fall so low as to be lectured by a disciple of a martial arts sect?

When will the government make way for these martial arts sects?

When did these grassroots organizations become qualified to exert influence over the people?
When did the government's accounts need to be supervised by these troublemakers?
He stared intently at Liang Jin, his voice as chilling as a gust of wind from the depths of hell:
"I have never been afraid of even your elder, Li Xueqing!"

"What are you, a mere disciple?! How dare you speak so arrogantly before me?! How dare you point fingers at me?!"

His withered body trembled slightly with extreme anger, his fingers almost poking Liang Jin's nose:
"Want to talk about disaster relief? What kind of bullshit headquarters are you planning to set up in Dongzhou City?"

"I demand that the leader of your Dragon Transformation Sect personally come and talk to me! You—are not worthy!"

The moment the words fell, Shi Danqin stomped her right foot, which was clad in a thick-soled official boot, hard on the ground!
"Boom!!!"

A deep, muffled thud, like an earth dragon turning over!
The entire sturdy city tower shook violently!
Dust from the roof tiles fell in a flurry!

A visibly concentrated, almost tangible, earth-yellow internal force, like a raging earth dragon, roared towards Liang Jin's seat with a terrifying, crushing power, skimming along the ground!

Wherever the internal force passed, the floor tiles shattered inch by inch, and pebbles flew out, leaving a deep ravine!

Martial arts battles can be divided into literary battles and martial battles.

The so-called martial arts fight is when the two sides have a great grudge and start fighting right away.

The so-called "literary debate" is much gentler.

Often, when neither side is willing to completely break off relations, they will compete and test each other through means other than direct combat.

Shi Danqin's kick was a form of intellectual combat.

He chose to engage in a debate based on words because a sense of impending danger was surging within him, making him uneasy.

He had only been in contact with the Hualong Sect once before, but that encounter almost cost him his life.

This time, he naturally had to be careful.

Looking at the roaring, dragon-like internal energy hurtling towards him, Liang Jin's lips curled into a cold, contemptuous smile:

"Is this all you can do?"

"If you want to see our sect leader, your emperor himself would be qualified!"

"It is already a great honor for you that I would come to see a mere marquis like you."

"Our Elder Li can beat you until you're completely defeated, and I can crush you to death just as easily."

Before he finished speaking, Liang Jin's right foot, clad in ordinary cloth shoes but containing terrifying power, stomped down like a giant god, without any fancy moves, towards the incoming earth dragon's internal force!

"boom!!!!!!!"

A deafening roar, ten times more terrifying than when Shi Danqin stomped her foot, suddenly erupted!

It was as if the entire city of Dongzhou trembled under his foot!

Centered on the point where Liang Jin's right foot landed, the incredibly hard granite bricks collapsed and shattered like fragile tofu!
The terrifying spiderweb-like cracks burst open instantly, covering the entire city tower and spreading along the city wall!

The powerful earth dragon internal force, upon contacting Liang Jin's feet, was like an egg hitting an ancient sacred mountain. It collapsed, disintegrated, and vanished without even causing a ripple!

Even more terrifying is!
A domineering and unparalleled hidden force, like an invisible raging tide, surged upstream and instantly struck Shi Danqin's feet!

"Crack!"

A crisp cracking sound!
The only intact rosewood chair beneath Shi Danqin was suddenly and unexpectedly smashed into pieces, turning into a pile of broken wood, as if struck by an invisible giant hammer!
"what!"

Shi Danqin's feet were jolted by the force, and she stumbled before she could regain her balance.

The stone bricks beneath his feet were also covered with fine cracks.

"hiss--!"

Zhou Bai Ning gasped, her beautiful eyes filled with utter shock!

She knew Liang Jin was highly skilled in martial arts, but she never expected him to be this skilled.

That was a furious strike from Silverwing Marquis, a third-rank expert!
He so casually, and even more domineeringly, stomped on it and crushed it, also destroying the other person's chair in the process!

This is not just a crushing defeat in terms of strength, but a blatant humiliation!
Overwhelmed by immense joy and an almost blind adoration, she was instantly overwhelmed!
This man... he might really be able to...

The lead powder on Shi Danqin's face completely disappeared, revealing her old face underneath, which was twisted in shock and shame!

He stared intently at Liang Jin, his eyes filled with disbelief!

How can it be? !
This bald barbarian's power... is terrifying?!

Far exceeded his expectations!

The Dragon Transformation Gate... what kind of monster's lair is this?

One Li Xueqing isn't enough, how come even one of her disciples is so powerful?!
"Insanity!"

Shi Danqin's roar was like the howl of a wounded beast, its sound shaking the surrounding fields:

"Your Hualongmen have gathered tens of thousands of people, coerced imperial officials, threatened local governments, and resisted the king's orders!"

"Are you... planning a rebellion?!"

Although Shi Danqin was not confident about Shang Liangjin, she had enough confidence.

His confidence stemmed from the imperial court behind him!
The mere mention of the word "rebellion" is enough to terrify 99% of the people in the world.

really!

These two words, as if imbued with a spell, instantly sent a chill down the spines of all the officers and soldiers on the city wall!
This is a heinous crime worthy of the extermination of nine generations of one's family!
This was also Shi Danqin's last and most powerful weapon—the legitimacy of the imperial court!

He wanted to use this weapon to completely crush the enemy's arrogance!

He didn't believe that anyone in this world would dare to openly defy the entire Great Qian Dynasty!
Zhou Bai Ning's heart jumped into her throat instantly, her beautiful eyes fixed on Liang Jin without blinking.

In Dongzhou today, the Silver Wing Marquis is the most powerful. He says that anyone who rebels is a traitor!

Even a martial arts family like the Zhou family wouldn't dare to have anything to do with the word "rebellion".

Will the Dragon Transformation Gate and that man be intimidated?

A contemptuous smile appeared on Liang Jin's face:

"rebel?"

He snorted and grabbed the remaining half-cup of cold tea from the teacup in front of him!

"Wow!"

With a flick of his arm, the tea shot out like an arrow, splashing fiercely at Shi Danqin!
With the support of Liang Jin's terrifying strength and pure internal energy, the tea was poured at an extreme speed!
Every drop of water contains a terrifying power that can penetrate metal and stone!
Shi Danqin's pupils contracted sharply; she tried to dodge, but it was too late!

"Puff puff!"

A series of dense, chilling, piercing sounds rang out!

That half-cup of ice-cold tea, like countless tiny steel balls, struck Shi Danqin's hastily erected protective aura fiercely!

That layer of true energy, strong enough to withstand ordinary swords and blades, was as fragile as paper in front of this water droplet containing terrifying power!

It was pierced instantly!
"what--!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream, so shrill it was inhuman, burst from Shi Danqin's mouth!

His pale face was instantly covered with countless tiny blood holes!
Fresh blood gushed out like a fountain from countless tiny wounds!

His entire face instantly became a bloody mess, a grotesque and terrifying sight!
The excruciating pain made him instantly cover his face, his body hunched over, convulsing in agony!

"Master Hou!"

The surrounding guards were terrified and instinctively raised their weapons to point at Liang Jin!
Liang Jin slammed his palm down on the wreckage of the tea table in front of him!
"Bang!!!!"

The already broken table instantly turned into dust, with wood chips flying everywhere like bullets!
The enormous noise and violent shockwave terrified the soldiers who had just mustered their courage, causing them to retreat in panic, almost dropping their weapons!

Liang Jin slowly stood up, his massive two-meter-tall frame standing like a demon god. His fierce gaze was fixed on Shi Danqin, who was clutching her face and screaming in agony. Every word he uttered was filled with chilling killing intent and boundless arrogance:
"Silverwing Marquis, how dare you!"

"How dare you say that my Hualong Sect wants to rebel in front of countless righteous people of the disaster relief alliance and the people of the whole city? You are truly lawless!"

As the saying goes, "When officials force the people to rebel, the people have no choice but to rebel."

He suddenly raised his arm, like a pillar supporting the sky, pointing it directly at Shi Danqin, and questioned her sharply, his voice shaking the heavens:

"you!"

"Do you dare force us to rebel?!"

The final question, like thunder from the heavens, echoed repeatedly in the storm-swept Dongzhou City, making everyone's eardrums buzz and their hearts shatter!
Shi Danqin covered his face. The injury on his face was not serious. What terrified him was Liang Jin's undisguised and naked killing intent.

And the cold light flashing in the eyes of the group of experts from the Transformation Dragon Sect behind him, like that of bloodthirsty beasts!

They don't care!
They really don't care about being labeled as "rebels"!
They even... were hoping that by continuing to be tough, they could give the people an excuse to "oppress the people into rebellion"!

This group of people is a bunch of lawless and reckless desperados!

madman!

A chilling despair and an unprecedented fear gripped Shi Danqin's heart like poisonous vines.

He had no doubt that as long as he dared to say another word of "opposition" or show any tough stance, he would succeed.

Then this fierce-looking, bald giant would not hesitate to tear him to pieces on the spot!
Although he was already in his twilight years and had enjoyed wealth and honor, it did not mean that he was willing to die so inexplicably.

The immense humiliation and deep-seated fear caused Shi Danqin to tremble violently, and blood kept seeping from between her fingers as she covered her face.

He wanted to roar, to order the killing, to mobilize a large army to crush these madmen...

But all the harsh words were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single one!
He could only keep his head down, using silence to fight against the boundless humiliation and fear.

Liang Jin glanced disdainfully at the old marquis, who was trembling like a defeated rooster, as if he were looking at a pile of trash.

He stopped talking nonsense, turned around, and strode down the city wall.

As he spoke, he raised his voice:

"You should be glad we're not here to kill people today."

"From now on, the Hualongmen will be responsible for disaster relief, and the government will be responsible for getting out of here."

"Anyone who dares to cooperate should think carefully: the official position belongs to the imperial court, but your life belongs to yourself."

"Be careful not to fall asleep with a head, or wake up without one."

His steps remained heavy, each one seemingly treading on everyone's hearts.

Silver Wing Marquis Shi Danqin and a group of officials watched Liang Jin's retreating figure, their faces filled with anger, resentment, and a barely suppressed...fear.

Sudden.

Zhou Baining suddenly stood up.

She gave Shi Danqin a cold look filled with disdain.

That gaze was like an ice pick piercing to the bone, making Shi Danqin feel even colder than Li Xueqing's poisonous palm.

Zhou Baining's embroidered shoes stepped through the puddles, mud splashing onto her skirt, but it couldn't extinguish the determination in her eyes.

"I'll go with you!"

She caught up with Liang Jin, her voice filled with a triumphant, do-or-die spirit, as if she wanted to leave all the humiliation she had suffered that day behind.

Liang Jin glanced back at Shi Danqin, then laughed loudly before leaving with Zhou Baining.

Shi Danqin felt as if a muffled thunderclap exploded in her chest.

He watched helplessly as the woman he loved left him to be with another man, and he was powerless to stop it.

He was even ridiculed!

This completely and ruthlessly crushed Shi Danqin's pride and self-esteem at that moment.

He was so enraged that his expression suddenly changed.

"puff!!!"

A mouthful of black blood spurted from his mouth.

His face turned a deep bluish-black, a sign that he was unable to suppress the remaining poison in his body due to extreme anger.

"Master Hou!"

Amidst the gasps of the crowd, Shi Danqin could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground.

He was so angry that he fainted!

(End of this chapter)