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

Chapter 650 Alone Against a Large Army

The night grew deeper, and the imperial city was deathly silent.

The autumn wind swept through, bringing with it a series of sobs, and ruffled the stray hairs on Liang Jin's forehead.

He stood like an iron statue beside the huge iron cage, his spear pointing diagonally at the ground, the tassel of the spear motionless.

The surrounding torches cast long and short shadows of his tall figure, which were projected onto the cold, hard floor tiles and the deep doorway behind him, adding to his sense of isolation and desolation.

"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"

A series of dense and heavy footsteps, accompanied by the rhythmic clanging of metal armor blades, approached from afar, shattering the deathly silence.

The voices were uniform and carried the oppressive aura unique to the military, rapidly approaching the Meridian Gate.

In the firelight, a group of imperial guards, fully armored and in full helmets, came running towards them, numbering in the dozens!

They held sharp blades, their faces were cold and stern, and their eyes flashed with a ruthless light as they carried out orders.

Leading the way was none other than Xu Xu, who had returned after leaving!

Xu Xu was no longer the disheveled man he had been.

His face was a mixture of vengeful pleasure, twisted hatred, and arrogance fueled by the power behind him.

He brought back not only the previous few banner leaders, but also an entire team of trusted elites under Deputy Commander Hong Wei!
"Liang Jin!!!"

Xu Xu stopped a few feet away from Liang Jin and raised his hand to stop the group.

He strained his voice, which was sharp and accusatory:
"The Deputy Commander's orders are absolute. He summoned you to the yamen for a meeting immediately, yet you dared to disobey orders repeatedly and even injured a comrade. Your crime is equivalent to treason!"

"I'm giving you one last chance! Surrender immediately and come with us to face your punishment!"

"If you dare to disobey orders again, don't blame us for forcibly 'inviting' you over!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand violently.

The elite imperial guards behind him immediately spread out in a semi-circle, completely surrounding Liang Jin and cutting off all his escape routes!
A chilling murderous aura instantly filled the air, as if the very air itself had frozen.

Liang Jin slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the group of imperial guards before him, finally settling on the blustering but cowardly Xu Xu's face. A smile of undisguised contempt and mockery curled at the corner of his lips:
"You think you can 'invite' me?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear, carrying a cold, penetrating quality that reached everyone's ears clearly.

"You try it..."

Xu Xu felt a jolt in his heart from that look and those words, and subconsciously took half a step back.

Of course he wouldn't dare to go himself!

The brutal scene of Liang Jin beating Fang Qianfeng to death is still vivid in my mind.

This time he learned his lesson and brought all the best fighters, intending to bully the weak and take advantage of the superior numbers!
He suppressed his heart palpitations and shouted sharply:
"Liang Jin! It seems you're determined to disobey military orders!"

"Since that's the case, then don't blame me for being ruthless—"

Xu Xu hadn't finished his polite words.

Liang Jin, already impatient, let out a cold rebuke:
"Noisy!"

The moment he uttered the sound, he moved like a ghost!

Before everyone's eyes, Liang Jin had inexplicably crossed several meters and appeared in front of Xu Xu!

"what?!"

Xu Xu's pupils shrank suddenly, he was so terrified that he was completely out of his mind and had no time to react!
With a swift swing of his right arm, Liang Jin unleashed a gust of wind that left only a blur, slapping Xu Xu's helmet hard as if swatting a fly!
"Bang——!!!"

A sickeningly loud, metallic, twisting explosion rang out!

Xu Xu was thrown out as if by a catapult, his feet leaving the ground and flying more than ten feet away before crashing heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

He was completely stunned by the slap. His ears felt like they were filled with a million bees, buzzing loudly. He saw stars before his eyes, and the whole world seemed to be spinning wildly.

Liang Jin had already seen through the situation tonight and was too lazy to waste any more words!
Since the other party has made it clear that they want to harm him, then—it's best to strike first!

Xu Xu collapsed to the ground, struggling several times before he could barely prop himself up.

He felt as if his head had been stuffed into a giant bell and then struck hard.

He instinctively tried to take off his helmet, but was horrified to discover...

The helmet, made of fine iron, had a clear handprint deeply dented at the top, its edges twisted and deformed, stuck firmly to his head, and no matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't budge!

A bone-chilling cold instantly shot from the tailbone to the top of the head!
The force of that slap... if he hadn't been wearing a helmet... Xu Xu couldn't imagine; he feared his head would have already exploded like a rotten watermelon!
With tremendous effort, accompanied by the pain of his skin being scraped, he finally managed to yank the deformed helmet off with a "pop" and throw it on the ground with a crisp "clang".

His forehead and cheeks were slashed with several bloody marks by the twisted metal pieces, making him look extremely disheveled and ferocious.

"What the hell are you all standing there for?! Get him! Get him now!!!"

Xu Xu pointed at Liang Jin, completely losing his composure due to fear and humiliation, his voice shrill and cracking.

The elite imperial guards around him finally snapped out of their shock, let out a shout, and rushed towards Liang Jin from all directions!

Liang Jin snorted coldly and, instead of retreating, advanced in the face of the encirclement!

With a flick of his foot, the spear that had been placed on the ground was now in his hand.

With a flick of his wrist, the spear transformed into a roaring black dragon, sweeping across the entire army in a single blow!
"boom--!"

The violent internal force was poured into the gun, creating not just the sound of wind, but a visible, distorted wave of air!

The dust and fallen leaves on the ground were instantly swirled up, forming a small tornado!

Wherever the spear passed, the charging Imperial Guards were like being head-on rammed by a charging bull. Their hand bones snapped with a "crack," blood spurted from their mouths, and they flew backward with screams, knocking down a group of their comrades behind them!
With just one shot, the once menacing encirclement was reduced to a scene of men and horses falling to the ground, groans and cries of pain filling the air.

Liang Jin ultimately did not kill them; most of the soldiers suffered broken bones and fractures, but their lives were not in danger.

Xu Xu, who had just staggered to his feet, saw this devastating scene and his legs went weak. He collapsed to the ground with a "plop," his crotch instantly soaked and filled with a foul stench.

He pointed at Liang Jin, his fingers trembling like withered leaves in the wind, his voice distorted by extreme fear:
"Fifth...fifth rank?!"

"You...you're actually a fifth-rank martial artist?!"

Only a fifth-rank martial artist could defeat so many experts in one move!
He finally understood that Fang Qianfeng's death was not unjust!

This Liang Jin is no mere minor commander; he's a ferocious beast in sheep's clothing!
This kid... he's been playing dumb all along!

Liang Jin held the gun in one hand, with the tip pointing diagonally at the ground.

His icy gaze swept over the soldiers groaning on the ground, finally settling on the incontinent Xu Xu, his voice like a chilling wind from the depths of hell:

"Out of consideration for our past comrades, I will spare your dog lives."

"Go back and tell everyone who wants to come here to die—"

"Don't mess with me tonight."

"Or next time... you'll die!"

The last word, "death," contained a murderous intent so solid it was almost tangible, sending chills down the spines of everyone who heard it!
Xu Xu was the first to tumble and crawl away, howling as he fled.

The other wounded soldiers struggled and helped each other, fleeing in panic as if avoiding a plague, leaving behind only a mess.

Liang Jin watched their retreating figures with a deep gaze.

He knew that this was merely a tiny breeze before the storm.

The real bloodshed is yet to come.

Tonight, this imperial city is destined to be stained with blood.

Inside the iron cage behind him, Zhao Yu was already trembling with fear, his voice trembling with sobs:

"Liang...Liang Jin! Next time they come, they will definitely...they will definitely come with a massive army! And there will be even more powerful experts!"

"You...you alone...how can you possibly hold them off?!"

Liang Jin didn't turn around, but spoke calmly, his voice carrying a strange, soothing quality:

"Your Highness, please rest assured."

"If Your Majesty can return to the palace safely, our predicament will be resolved."

As he spoke, his sharp eyes scanned the surroundings.

This place is too open. Once surrounded by a large army and subjected to a barrage of arrows, even if he had three heads and six arms, he would have difficulty protecting Zhao Yu.

Zhao You's death was due to his own weakness and vulnerability.

At this moment, Zhao Yu is also his greatest weakness, a burden that he needs to protect every step of the way.

Otherwise, Zhao Yu would die with just one strike from someone else.

Therefore, Liang Jin needs to find a location that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, in order to ensure Zhao Yu's safety to the greatest extent possible.

"This place is not suitable for holding; we need to move to another location."

Liang Jin said in a deep voice.

Before he finished speaking, he had already bent down and stretched out one arm, actually lifting the incredibly heavy iron cage that was imprisoning Zhao Yu onto his shoulder!
The iron cage must be kept, and Zhao Yu inside must not be released.

If Zhao Yu were to be freed in the chaos of battle, he would panic and run away, dying even faster!
Liang Jin carried the iron cage and strode towards a certain part of the palace.

The heavy footsteps pounded on the bluestone slabs, making muffled "thump, thump, thump" sounds that carried far into the quiet night.

The imperial guards they encountered along the way all looked on in astonishment and disbelief:

"General Liang?! What is this...?"

"Prince Huaiyang?! Where are you taking the prince? Didn't we receive orders not to move the prince without permission?"

"Liang Jin! Stop right now! You've already disobeyed orders!"

Faced with various doubts, questions, and dissuasion, Liang Jin turned a deaf ear, his face ashen, and simply carried the iron cage forward with determination.

Wherever he went, the soldiers instinctively made way, intimidated by his indomitable and fearless aura.

Many of the more astute individuals realized that the situation was about to change and hurriedly turned around to report to their respective superiors.

Liang Jinbu kept moving forward.

Finally, a magnificent and imposing city gate tower, symbolizing the supreme imperial power, appeared before our eyes—the Meridian Gate!
The massive palace gates were already tightly shut, and the cold copper nails gleamed eerily in the torchlight.

The square in front of the gate is empty, and the gate is deep, like the mouth of a giant beast.

"Halt! Commander Liang!"

"Halt! This is the forbidden area of ​​the Meridian Gate. No one may approach without orders!"

"Liang Jin! Put down the prince! Do you want to rebel?!"

The imperial guards at the Meridian Gate turned pale upon seeing this.

As they shouted, they quickly raised their spears, formed a defensive formation, and pointed their sharp spear tips at Liang Jin, who was carrying a cage.

Ignoring all warnings, Liang Jin quickened his pace and rushed straight to the doorway carrying the iron cage!

"Stop him!"

The gatekeeper officer finally gave the order.

The soldiers, steeling themselves, charged forward with their guns.

Liang Jin steadily carried the iron cage with one hand, while wielding a long spear with the other.

The spear shot out like a dragon, striking precisely the incoming spear shafts.

"Crack! Click!"

The wooden gun barrels broke one after another!

Liang Jin used the butt of his spear or his feet to weave through the crowd like a dragon. Wherever he went, soldiers fell to the ground, knocked down, and none of them could stop him even for a moment!

The sentries on the corner tower had already been alerted, and the shrill and urgent sound of the horn instantly pierced the night sky of the imperial city!

"Woo-woo-woo!" The sound echoed across the fields!

The entire Forbidden City was completely awakened by the bugle call, which signaled an emergency and the need for alert!

Liang Jin broke through the obstruction and stepped into the deep gate of the Meridian Gate, carrying the iron cage.

He placed the iron cage steadily at the deepest part of the doorway, with his back against the huge, cold palace gate that could never be opened from the inside.

The Meridian Gate closes at 5 PM and does not open until 5 AM.

Now that Liang Jin has caused such a disturbance, no one will dare to open the gates of the imperial city.

This is the battlefield he has chosen!
With our backs against a desperate situation, we need not worry about what lies behind us.

The two sides were lined with incredibly thick city walls, which perfectly negated the advantage in troop strength.

He only needs to face one direction.

One man is in charge, no one can open it!

Zhao Yu peered through the iron bars at the soldiers lying on the ground outside the gate, defeated by Liang Jin, and listened to the deafening sirens. He was so frightened that he almost fainted.

He knew that saying anything more was useless at this point, and could only weep and sneer:

"Liang Jin! I...I entrust my life and fortune to you!"

Liang Jin nodded slightly, without turning around.

He took a deep breath, stepped out of the doorway, and came to the Meridian Gate.

He slammed the spear he was holding heavily onto the ground!
"Boom!"

A muffled thud, like the beating of war drums.

He stood alone with a gun under the vast night sky, on the expansive square, before the majestic palace gate.

The figure appeared exceptionally lonely against the backdrop of the massive building, yet stood tall and straight like a pine tree, as if it could support the entire night sky.

"boom--!!!"

"boom--!!!"

"boom--!!!"

The ground began to tremble slightly.

That was the terrifying roar of hundreds of military boots stomping on the ground!
Like muffled thunder rolling across the ground, it came from afar and drew nearer!

Looking out, all one could see at the end of the square, behind the Golden Water Bridge, a dark mass of Imperial Guard soldiers surged forth like a black tide bursting its banks!
Swords and spears were like a forest, and torches were like stars, quickly covering the entire square and forming imposing military formations filled with murderous intent!

Countless crossbows were already drawn, their cold arrowheads reflecting a deathly glint in the firelight, all pointing at that proud figure before the Meridian Gate!

The army formation parted, and a general dressed in the armor of a high-ranking officer strode out, surrounded by his personal guards.

The newcomer was about fifty years old, with a dark complexion and an extremely robust physique. He exuded the aura of authority of someone who had long held a high position and the bloodthirsty scent of a battlefield warrior.

It was none other than Hong Wei, the deputy commander of the Southern Imperial Guard!
Hong Wei's icy gaze swept across the square, fixed on Liang Jin in front of the doorway, and then looked at the person in the cage deep inside the doorway behind him.

His brows were furrowed, his heart filled with immense doubt and anger.

why? !

He simply couldn't understand why a mere banner chief would risk his life to protect a deposed, insane, and doomed king.

What can Zhao Yuneng give him?
This is totally illogical!

What angered him even more was Liang Jin's actions!

The Empress wanted Zhao Yu dead, and Hong Wei knew about it and tacitly approved his subordinates to handle the matter.

This should have been a quiet, uneventful event!

But Liang Jin actually made such a huge fuss, it really got out of hand!

Now that everyone is watching and we're surrounded by arrows and crossbows, even if we kill Zhao Yu, how will we cover it up afterwards?

How can we explain this to the imperial court and the people?

What a bastard!
At this time.

A disheveled figure scrambled to Hong Wei's horse; it was none other than Xu Xu, still shaken.

He pointed at Liang Jin and shouted shrilly:
"My lord! You saw it all!"

"Liang Jin disobeyed orders, assaulted a colleague, trespassed into the palace, kidnapped a prince, and resisted arrest by force! Each of these is an unforgivable crime punishable by death! He has openly plotted rebellion!"

"Please, Your Excellency, immediately order this barbarian to be shot dead with a hail of arrows to uphold the law!"

Hong Wei glanced at Xu Xu with disgust, who was more trouble than he was worth.

Xu Xu went to deal with Zhao Yu three times, but failed each time.

If Xu Xu hadn't messed things up, things wouldn't have escalated to this point.

But right now, Xu Xu's words gave him the most direct reason to take action.

We must act swiftly and decisively!
Before more forces are alerted and get involved, Liang Jin and Zhao Yu must be completely eliminated!
A cold glint flashed in Hong Wei's eyes, and he gave the order in a deep voice:

"Xu Xu!"

Xu Xu was startled by the sudden shout, and then quickly clasped his hands in a fist salute:

"Your subordinate is here!"

Hong Wei gave the order in a deep voice:

"I order you to immediately lead your troops forward and kill that traitor Liang Jin!"

"All soldiers on the scene are temporarily under your command!"

"If you fail again... I'll bring you my head!"

It would be most appropriate to send Xu Xu, who was eager to redeem himself and knew the inside story, to carry out the task.

If someone else were to carry out this task, they would probably hesitate and not be ruthless enough.

They might dare to kill Liang Jin, but they might not dare to kill a prince.

But when Xu Xu makes a move, he will definitely go for the kill.

Xu Xu was especially clear about who he truly deserved to kill.

Upon hearing this, Xu Xu's face instantly contorted with wild joy and ferocity, and he loudly replied:
"Your humble servant obeys! This traitor will be torn to pieces!"

He suddenly turned around and rushed to the front of the army formation, full of vigor, as if he already held the power of life and death in his hands.

He drew his sword, pointed it at the Meridian Gate, and shouted sternly:

"Archers! Front row kneel! Back row stand!"

"preparation--!"

Two rows of archers stepped forward in unison, drawing their bows and nocking arrows. The cold arrowheads, densely packed like the fangs of venomous snakes, blocked the doorway and all the space around Liang Jin.

Xu Xu revealed a cruel and triumphant smile.

Liang Jin, aren't you supposed to be a great fighter?
What’s the use of fighting?

Individual bravery is a joke in the face of the army's crushing force!

Xu Xu chose not to engage Liang Jin in close combat, but instead used ranged arrows to shoot him.

If Liang Jin were to dodge or charge into the fray, Zhao Yu behind him would be riddled with arrows.

If he were to protect Zhao Yu with all his might, then Xu Xu would order his men to keep shooting, constantly depleting Liang Jin's internal energy.

Once Liang Jin's internal energy is exhausted, he will still face certain death!
He stepped forward and shouted triumphantly at Liang Jin, his voice filled with an arrogant confidence:
"Liang Jin! Traitor! Do you see this? This is true power! You are at your wit's end, there's no escape!"

"Kneel down and surrender right now, cripple your martial arts, and I might have the mercy to leave you a whole corpse!"

"If you remain stubborn... Hmph! Then I'll give you a grand gift—a heart pierced by a thousand arrows!!"

In the shadow of the doorway, Liang Jin slowly raised his head.

The firelight illuminated half of his face, obscuring his expression. Only the corners of his mouth seemed to twitch slightly upwards, forming a sinister arc.

"What a coincidence, Xu Xu."

Liang Jin's voice was eerily calm, yet it pierced through the distance of a hundred paces and reached Xu Xu's ears clearly:

"I've also prepared a generous gift for you."

Before he finished speaking, Liang Jin's right arm muscles suddenly bulged, and he gripped the middle and rear of the spear, his body tilting slightly backward like a fully drawn bow!

The immense internal energy was instantly and completely poured into the spear, and the spear even emitted a slight hum!
"Please accept this gift!"

With a loud shout, he suddenly exerted force from his waist and abdomen, twisting all his strength into one and pouring it into his arms!
"Om-!"

The spear flew from his hand!

It wasn't a projectile!
Instead, it shot towards Xu Xu in a straight, terrifying, tearing line of death, like a giant crossbow bolt fired from a ballista!

The speed was far beyond what ordinary people could comprehend!
Almost the instant he threw it, the piercing whistle of the spear tip cutting through the air suddenly exploded!

Before the sound arrived, the spear was already there!
Hong Wei, standing in the army formation, paled the moment Liang Jin threw his spear, and gasped in horror:

"Oh no! Hide quickly..."

But he warned us too late!

Or rather, the speed of this shot far exceeded his expectations!

Xu Xu's smugness and cruelty had not yet faded, and his arrogant smile was still frozen at the corner of his mouth.

In his pupils, there was only enough time to reflect the ever-growing spear tip, gleaming with the chilling light of death...

“Pfft——!!!”

A muffled and terrifying tearing sound rang out!
The spear, imbued with the full internal force of a fifth-rank martial artist, pierced through Xu Xu's armor, breastplate, clothes, flesh, bones, and internal organs without any resistance, like a red-hot iron piercing butter.

A spray of scalding blood and bits of flesh violently pierced through his back!

With undiminished force, it slammed deeply into the paving stones three zhang (approximately 10 meters) behind him with a loud "bang."

The butt of the gun continued to tremble violently, emitting a mournful "buzzing" sound!
Xu Xu's expression froze completely.

He subconsciously looked down at his chest.

There, a terrifying blood hole the size of a bowl appeared, with the edges of the armor and flesh showing horribly torn pieces.

He could see his shattered internal organs, and he could see blood gushing out like a fountain...

He looked up in disbelief at Hong Wei in the army formation, his eyes filled with extreme fear, confusion, and... a desperate need for help.

He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.

"Ho...ho..."

Only blood-tinged foam oozed from his throat.

Immediately, all his strength and vitality drained away through the hole like the receding tide. His body went limp.

"boom."

It fell heavily to the ground, kicking up a little dust.

His eyes were wide open, staring intently at the sky, and then he fell completely silent.

The whole audience was in dead silence!
A cold wind swept across the square, and not a single one of the thousands of Imperial Guards uttered a sound.

All eyes, filled with shock, fear, and disbelief, were focused on that still tall and solitary figure before the Meridian Gate.

(End of this chapter)