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

Chapter 726 Give your name
The three of them crossed the main peak of Yumen Mountain and then trekked towards the western foothills.

Liang Jin stood atop the last mountain ridge, gazing into the distance.

The eastern sky was already tinged with the pale light of dawn, and the faint morning light, like diluted milk, slowly dispelled the veil of night.

With the help of this light, he could clearly see the vast Gobi Desert at the foot of the mountain, stretching all the way to the horizon.

In the morning light, the Gobi Desert presents a desolate, earthy yellow hue, silent and vast.

"Huh? Why are there so many people?"

Liang Jin frowned slightly, his gaze sharp as an eagle's.

He clearly saw some moving black dots appearing on the winding dirt roads in the Gobi Desert.

Those were carriages and riders, quite numerous, converging on the direction of Yumen Mountain from different directions, like iron filings attracted by an invisible magnet.

These people moved with agile steps, their formation loose yet subtly disciplined. They seemed to be carrying weapons, making them appear more like martial arts practitioners or private soldiers of some force, rather than ordinary caravans transporting ore or laborers.

According to the information Hua Nongying revealed while in a trance, the Yinxi Society experts she had arranged to come and help deal with Liang Jin would arrive at Yubi Mountain within the next day or two.

But those people were there to carry out assassinations, not to engage in direct combat with Liang Jin's army.

Logically, the troops that come should be few and elite, and should infiltrate quietly.

However, the number of people and horses appearing on the road in the distance was already no less than several hundred!
Furthermore, they came from different directions and were clearly not from the same faction.

This unusual scene made Liang Jin sneer inwardly:

"It seems... someone is trying to muddy the waters so they can take advantage of the chaos."

Of these hundreds of people, most are probably unrelated forces attracted by some news or interests, or a smokescreen put out by those with ulterior motives.

The real deadly assassin from the Yinxi Society is hidden in this chaotic and turbulent current.

"Are there many merchants coming and going to the mines to discuss business and buy jade materials at this time of year?"

Liang Jin withdrew his gaze from the distance and turned to the two children who were following closely behind him and were slightly out of breath. He asked them casually.

A Luo and A Shi exchanged a glance and shook their heads blankly.

A-Luo explained in a soft voice:
"Uncle, it's the dead of winter. The roads are difficult to travel on, and the river is frozen. It's the quietest time for the mine, and there's hardly any business."

"Usually... usually the peak season for caravans is after the snow melts in early spring, or when the weather is good in autumn."

Liang Jin nodded slightly, understanding in his heart.

He didn't ask any more questions, and then led the two children along the steep hillside toward the mine below, shrouded in morning mist and cooking smoke.

This mine is much smaller than the main mine in Khotan that was used to entertain Liang Jin, and its location is also more remote.

But at this moment, as the sky grew brighter, the scene inside the mine gradually became clearer.

The mine was surrounded by a simple stockade made of thick logs and thorns. The only entrance was a wooden gate, where several guards, armed with knives and clubs and dressed in rumpled fur coats, stood listlessly, their eyes scanning the outside with vigilance.

Through the cracks in the open gate, one can see the mine inside, riddled with holes and resembling a giant honeycomb.

At this moment, it appears that work is underway at the mine.

Some miners could be vaguely seen working on the steep mine walls, chiseling open the rock.

Large chunks of rock were then ripped off the cliff face, rolling down the steep slope with a deafening roar and billowing dust.

Immediately afterwards, the miners, who had been waiting in the flat area below, densely packed like ants, let out hoarse shouts and rushed forward, disregarding everything, toward the rolling boulders.

Wielding rudimentary tools and risking being struck by falling rocks, they frantically hammered and pried at the rocks, trying to find and extract the original jade deposits hidden within that could change their destiny.

Yumen Mountain is located in the upstream area of ​​this huge jade mine. The jade mined here is mostly mountain material, that is, the original ore directly mined from the rock strata of the mountain.

During the rainy season, flash floods will wash these mountain materials downstream, where they are sculpted and polished by the river water, resulting in more lustrous and delicate mountain stream materials and pebble materials.

Therefore, downstream miners mainly focused on scooping and picking jade from the riverbed, rather than engaging in the frenzied activity seen today.

As Liang Jin led the two children, they gradually approached the village gate.

A-Luo involuntarily slowed her pace, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her face filled with fear and struggle.

She raised her head and pleaded in a weak, tearful voice:

"Grandpa...Grandpa, we...we can't go in through the village gate..."

"Please... let's go around somewhere else... I know there's a hole dug by wild dogs under the wall of the stockade over there, we... we can sneak in from there..."

"If we go in through the gate, we'll be stopped by the guards... They'll beat us up and steal our things... We can't afford to cause trouble..."

Last time, when A Luo and A Shi returned from the village gate, the guards searched them thoroughly, not only stealing the ore they found, but also threatening them to go and collect more ore to hand over.

This filled A-Luo with constant fear of the guards protecting the village gate.

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin did not stop walking at all.

He glanced down at A-Luo's pale, terrified face, then at A-Shi, who was also cowering beside him. His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable power:

"With me here, there's no need to fear any trouble."

With that, he ignored A Luo's pleas and forcibly dragged the two children, who were practically being pulled along, straight toward the tall gate of the village.

Meanwhile, the guards at the gate of the stockade, who had been somewhat lazy, had clearly noticed the approach of these three uninvited guests.

In particular, Liang Jin's clean clothes and composed demeanor, which were out of place with his surroundings, immediately aroused their vigilance.

"stop!"

"What for?!"

Several rude shouts rang out.

From the shadows of the village gate, seven or eight burly men, armed with gleaming knives, spears, and clubs, emerged and menacingly blocked Liang Jin and his companions' path.

The guards naturally recognized A Luo and A Shi, who looked like little beggars and whom they saw almost every day, and their eyes were filled with undisguised disgust and contempt.

But when their gazes fell on Liang Jin, they couldn't help but reveal a hint of doubt and hesitation.

As the saying goes, "Respect the garments before respecting the person."

The dark brocade robe that Liang Jin wore, which looked simple but was actually made of very fine materials, made these guards, who were used to bullying the weak and fearing the strong, feel a little uneasy and dare not act recklessly immediately.

A burly man, seemingly the leader and with a fierce face, stepped forward, gave Liang Jin a perfunctory bow, and asked in a relatively restrained tone:

"My name is Wang Zhihao. I am trusted by the mine owner and am in charge of all security matters in this mine."

"You look unfamiliar to me, not like someone from our mine. May I ask your name and what brings you here?"

Liang Jin, pulling the two children who were so frightened they were practically huddled together, strode up to Wang Zhihao.

He answered loudly:
"I was invited by these two children to treat their father's injuries."

Upon hearing this, the guards' solemnity and doubt instantly melted away like snow under the sun.

Instead, there was a sense of annoyance and contempt after being mocked.

So it turns out he was just a traditional Chinese medicine doctor who came to see a doctor?!
They actually thought he was some important person!
The guard leader, who called himself Wang Zhihao, relaxed the muscles on his face, lowered his hands from his clasped hands, and instead casually put his hands on his hips.

He stuck out his belly and snapped at her in a condescending, impatient tone:

"Treat the wound? Hmph! We have our own doctors in the mine! We don't need some unknown quack like you meddling in our affairs!"

"This is a restricted mining area, not a place for just anyone! No unauthorized personnel are allowed near!"

"Get the two brats out of here right now! Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude!"

At this moment, Wang Zhihao's tone was full of undisguised disrespect and threat, a stark contrast to his restraint just moments before.

Looking at the group of guards whose expressions changed in an instant, Liang Jin shook his head helplessly and sighed softly:

"I hate encountering this kind of thing the most. I guess I should just be direct."

"I also have another identity—the Protector-General of the Western Desert, Marquis of Zhenxi, and the Master of the Green Robe Pavilion, Meng Xinghun!"

As Liang Jin finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

However, the expected scene of awe and fear did not occur.

What greeted him was a sudden, unrestrained burst of mockery and laughter, which began in deathly silence!

"Pfft-hahaha!"

"What did he say? Marquis of Zhenxi? Meng Xinghun?"

"Pah! He doesn't even bother to think before he talks!"

"Who doesn't know that the Marquis of Zhenxi is currently a guest at the mine of the Yutianjian mine owner! The pomp and circumstance are impressive, with hundreds or even thousands of guard cavalry alone! How could someone like you, alone with two little beggars, come to our poor, remote place?"

"Exactly! If it were really a marquis, would he bother with the affairs of a poor miner who's about to die? Dream on!"

"I think it's because they heard that the Marquis of Zhenxi came to Yumen Mountain that all sorts of demons and monsters dare to jump out and impersonate him! They should take a piss and look at themselves in the mirror!"

……

The guards were laughing so hard they were bent over, pounding their chests and stamping their feet, almost laughing until tears streamed down their faces.

In their eyes, the young man in front of them, who was decently dressed but plain-looking, was nothing more than a clumsy swindler trying to use the title of "Marquis of Zhenxi" to cheat people!

Although his clothes look quite convincing, they are probably just an outfit he specially bought for his scam.

Wang Zhihao picked up a thick, solid wooden stick leaning against the village gate, weighed it in his hand, and a cruel and mocking sneer appeared on his face:

"Hey! There are all sorts of birds in a big forest! You actually dare to impersonate the Marquis of Zhenxi and come to my territory to swindle people? I think you're tired of living!"

"Brothers! Get him! Break this swindler's legs, tie him up, and send him to the mine owner in Yutianjian to be dealt with by the real Marquis! Maybe we can even get a reward!"

As he spoke, Wang Zhihao suddenly waved his hand, his face twitching, and his eyes flashing with a fierce light.

The group of burly guards could no longer contain themselves. Upon hearing their leader's order, they immediately brandished their knives and clubs, shouting as they rushed in from all directions, instantly surrounding Liang Jin and the two children.

A-Luo let out a short scream in fright, then suddenly squatted down and hugged A-Shi, who was also trembling with fear, tightly with her small body.

They had been subjected to punches, kicks, and beatings from these guards on a daily basis, and the pain and fear were deeply ingrained in their bones.

Liang Jin looked at the people around him and shook his head helplessly.

Since he couldn't explain it, he lost patience with explaining it.

He turned his head and looked at A-Luo and A-Shi, who were curled up on the ground like two frightened little animals, and asked:
"You two, are you so afraid of them?"

"It seems they've bullied you quite a bit in the past, haven't they?"

A Luo and A Shi trembled, lowered their heads even further, their teeth chattering, but they bit their lips tightly, not daring to utter a single word.

The guards did more than just "bully" them.
They would steal the ore that the children had painstakingly collected to save their father's life; they would beat and scold them at will when they were in a bad mood; they would insult their deceased mother with the most vicious language... These things were commonplace for them.

But if they dare to speak out, what awaits them in the future will only be more cruel, merciless, and endless revenge!

They have long since learned to remain silent in the face of violence.

Although they dared not answer, Liang Jin had already obtained the clearest answer from their eyes, which were filled with fear, despair, and resignation.

Seeing this, Wang Zhihao couldn't help but let out an arrogant sneer and pointed at Liang Jin with his wooden stick:

"What? A liar who can't even protect himself wants to stand up for these two little bastards?"

"On my turf, whoever I want to live, lives! Whoever I want to die, dies!"

"Their lives are not even worth as much as this lump of mud beneath my feet!"

Wang Zihao's words were by no means empty threats.

In this lawless land, these guards wielded the power of life and death.

They were responsible not only for defending against external enemies but also for suppressing internal rebellions. If any miner was found to have hoarded even a tiny bit of jade, they would be severely beaten and maimed, or even beaten to death on the spot, with their bodies hung on the gate of the village as a warning to others.

If they disliked a miner or coveted his wife and daughters, they would deliberately stuff some inferior jade into the miner's shack, and then use this as an excuse to falsely accuse him of being a "thief," openly subjecting him to vigilante justice, beating him to death or maim him, so as to seize his wife and daughters and embezzle his meager property.

Miners' lives are worth less than grass here.

Sometimes, in order to save money, mine owners would not pay wages and would instruct their guards to imprison these miners in the mine like slaves, forcing them to work endlessly until they died from exhaustion or disease!
Long-term collusion with the wicked and reckless behavior have turned these guards into ruthless and cruel individuals who treat human life as worthless.

Liang Jin's gaze slowly swept over the faces of each guard around him, faces filled with cruelty and mockery.

"I remember your name, you are Wang Zhihao."

"So, what about you guys?"

He pointed to several other burly men who were shouting the loudest:

"Dare you also state your names?"

Upon hearing this, the burly men burst into laughter again, as if they had heard the funniest joke in the world.

Wang Zhihao further mocked:

"What? You want to write down your grandfathers' names so you can complain to the King of Hell after you die?"

"You really think your grandfather is easily frightened?"

"Brothers! Tell him what our names are!"

The burly men laughed and joked, nonchalantly and with a boastful attitude, loudly announcing their names:

"Grandpa, my name is Zhao Tie!"

"Remember your Grandpa Li Da!"

"Wang Sanwu is here!"

……

Liang Jin remained expressionless, listening quietly while subtly recording all the names into the [Thousand-Mile Tracking] feature.

Being on this list is like having your name engraved in the Book of Life and Death.

Seeing that Liang Jin was no longer speaking, Wang Zhihao assumed he was terrified and completely lost his patience. A flash of malice crossed his face.
"Damn it! Stop wasting time talking to him! Do it! Break his legs first! Then take him away for the reward!"

Before he could finish speaking, a fierce glint flashed in Wang Zhihao's eyes.

He suddenly swung the thick, hard wooden stick in his hand, bringing a gust of wind with it, and smashed it down hard on Liang Jin's knee!
The group of burly men behind him also shouted in unison, brandishing their knives and clubs, and attacked Liang Jin from all directions like a pack of wolves pouncing on their prey!

A bloody brawl was about to break out!

A Luo let out a desperate scream, closed her eyes tightly, and pressed A Shi's head into her arms.

At this critical moment——

Liang Jin stood still, without even moving an inch.

He simply watched the onrushing crowd as if he were watching a boring farce.

Then, with his free left hand, he casually waved it at Wang Zhihao, who was rushing towards him, as if shooing away a fly.

There was no earth-shattering noise, no dazzling light.

Only an invisible and intangible yet immense and boundless internal force, like a world-destroying undercurrent suddenly surging beneath a calm sea, swept out silently with the flick of his sleeve!

"Bang——!!!"

A dull, heart-stopping explosion suddenly erupted!

Wang Zhihao, who was charging at the front, froze instantly with a face full of fleshy muscles, a face full of cruelty and smugness!
His entire massive body seemed to have been struck head-on by an invisible giant hand, and in an instant—it exploded!
No screaming, no struggle.

And just like that, under the horrified gazes of everyone, he turned into a blinding crimson mist of blood!
Warm blood and fragments of internal organs and bones sprayed and splashed out like watermelon flesh that had been violently smashed open, drenching the heads, faces, and bodies of the burly men who were about to rush forward!
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

All the burly men froze in place, remaining in their forward-charging or weapon-wielding postures, as if they had been frozen in place.

The sneers and ferocity on their faces peeled away as quickly as cheap paint, leaving only boundless, utter bewilderment and disbelief!
"what happened?"

"Boss Wang... he... how could he... suddenly... be gone? Turned into... a cloud of blood mist?"

They instinctively reached out and wiped the warm, sticky liquid with a strong fishy smell from their faces.

When the palm was opened, the glaring, still-flowing bright red blood came into view—

Extreme fear, like ice water, instantly drenched their souls!
“Ghost…Ghost!!!”

"Oh my god! He's not human! He's a monster!!"

"Run! Run! I don't want to die!!"

……

After a brief silence came utter devastation, followed by hysterical wailing and screaming!
The surviving guards were terrified and no longer cared about the reward or the orders. Like headless flies, they dropped their weapons and only wanted to escape from that devilish young man!
However, now that Liang Jin has taken action, how could he let go of these accomplices who were already on his list?
He watched the figures scatter and flee, making a fool of themselves, and then gently waved his arm once more.

An even more powerful internal force, like living tentacles, precisely locked onto every fleeing figure and surged forth!

"Bang!!!"

"Bang!!!"

"Bang!!!"

……

One dull thud after another, like the death knell of hell, rang out continuously at the mine entrance.

Each explosion signifies the complete annihilation of a burly guard, transforming him into yet another poignant and fleeting burst of crimson fireworks.

In just a few breaths, all the crying and running sounds disappeared.

The entire entrance to the village fell into an absolute, chilling silence.

Only the patches of dark red blood and flesh flowing freely on the ground and seeping into the soil, and the nauseatingly thick stench of blood in the air, silently tell the story of that brief but cruel scene, proving that the arrogant and domineering guards who were just moments before had once existed.

A-Luo tightly covered her younger brother's eyes with her hands, but her thin body trembled like a leaf in the wind, and her face was pale and bloodless.

When Liang Jin dealt with everyone, his calm, almost indifferent gaze fell on her again, and A Luo trembled even more violently, fear almost engulfing her.

Liang Jin had neither the inclination nor the need to comfort the two terrified children.

He stepped forward and, without saying a word, took their cold, stiff little hands again; their legs were already as weak as noodles.

"Let's go."

His voice remained calm, as if he had merely brushed away a few specks of dust.

"no need to thank me."

"Now, it's time to get your father treated."

He practically half-carried the two children, who were barely able to walk on their own, through the ravaged, slaughterhouse-like gate of the village and into the mine.

Inside the mine, smoke and dust still filled the air, and the sounds of people, chiseling, and shouting mingled together, creating a noisy and dull atmosphere.

Most of the miners were busy working or focused on vying for the newly rolled stones, and no one noticed the brief but terrifying scene at the entrance of the village.

After all, everything happened too fast; the guards didn't even have time to sound the alarm before the disaster struck and ended.

Guided by the two children, Liang Jin quickly arrived at the edge of the mine, in the dirtiest and most dilapidated shack area.

They stopped in front of a low shack that required bending over to enter, made of broken planks and tarpaulins.

The shack was dimly lit and filled with foul air, emitting a suffocating stench that was a mixture of putrid, festering wounds, the stench of excrement, and the sour smell of vomit.

In the corner of the shack, on a makeshift bed covered with dry grass and rags, lay a middle-aged man on the verge of death.

His face was ashen, his lips were cracked and peeling, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was so weak that it was almost imperceptible. He was completely still, as if he was only clinging to his last breath.

His right leg was twisted at an unnatural angle, and the tattered cloth haphazardly wrapped around the wound was already soaked and hardened with blackish-yellow pus and blood, emitting the strongest stench.

Clearly, during the two days that A Luo and A Shi were away, no one paid any attention to the dying miner, leaving him to fend for himself.

"father--!"

Seeing their father in such a miserable state, A-Luo and A-Shi could no longer hold back. They broke free from Liang Jin's grasp, rushed to the side of their sleeping mat, and let out heart-wrenching cries filled with despair and sorrow.

In this cold and cruel world, they were the only ones who still cared about this man's life or death.

The children's cries attracted the attention of women who were busy in several nearby shacks.

They peeked out and saw the scene inside the shack. They couldn't help but shake their heads, their faces showing sympathy but also a sense of helplessness.

They lamented that after the middle-aged man's death, A-Luo and A-Shi would likely not survive either.

But there was nothing they could do about it.

After all, it was already difficult for them to survive, so they naturally couldn't take care of these two children.

Liang Jin stood at the entrance of the shack, frowning as he looked at the filth and mess inside and the man's miserable state.

He didn't go in; instead, with a thought, he took out a bowl of talismanic water from his inventory.
"Take this and give it to your father to drink."

His tone left no room for argument:

"After drinking it, his illness was cured."

After all, A Luo was only an eight-year-old child, ignorant and naive. How could she distinguish between talisman water and real medicine?
In her opinion, what this all-powerful "old man" took out must be a life-saving medicine!
As if grasping at the last straw, she hurriedly took the bowl of talisman water with trembling hands, carefully went to her father's side, painstakingly pried open his chapped lips, and fed him the talisman water little by little.

A-Luo and A-Shi knelt nervously to the side, their eyes fixed on their father, their hearts filled with anticipation and fear.

However, a kind-hearted woman nearby couldn't bear to watch any longer. She came over quietly, pulled Ala aside, and whispered anxiously, "I must remind you..."
"Ah Luo, my silly child! You...you've been scammed, haven't you?"

"My aunt saw it clearly just now. What he gave your father to drink looked like talisman water! It wasn't medicine prescribed by a doctor at all!"

"Besides, even if it's a miracle cure, how can it make someone instantly better after drinking it?"

"To put it bluntly... your father is probably... sigh!"

"If this person has cheated you out of something, or cheated you out of money, you need to find a way to get it back as soon as possible!"

"Don't be afraid! Your aunts are here, we'll put in a good word for you!"

A-Luo hurriedly shook her head vigorously, her eyes brimming with tears, to show that she hadn't been scammed.

Even if she had really been deceived, how could she dare to let these kind-hearted aunties stand up for her?

This old man... he's a ruthless killer!
The blood-red scene at the entrance of the village was still flashing before her eyes.

A-Luo had no other recourse but to cry and worry about her father's injuries.

She has tried everything she could think of and do.

If her father were to truly pass away... she, with her four-year-old brother, truly didn't know how she would survive in this hellish mine.

However, just when this atmosphere of despair was about to engulf her—

"Cough cough cough! Cough cough cough cough!!"

A violent and continuous coughing sound, as if the lungs were about to be coughed up, suddenly came from the floor mat!
Although the sound was painful, it was full of vitality!

Under the astonished and incredulous gazes of everyone, the middle-aged man, who had been on the verge of death and motionless, suddenly rolled over and began to cough violently!
With each cough, he even coughed up some dark purple blood clots!
Even more shockingly, his face, which was originally as pale as a dead man's, quickly regained its color and became rosy at a speed visible to the naked eye!

And the hideous wound on his leg underwent a miraculous change—a large amount of blackish-yellow pus was being squeezed out from the edge of the wound!
It was as if an invisible force was forcibly expelling the pus and necrotic tissue accumulated in his body!
As the pus drained, the wound, which had been rotten, black, and deep enough to expose the bone, began to close rapidly. Fresh granulation tissue grew at an incredible speed, and a thin, healthy scab began to form in front of everyone's stunned gazes!
All of this happened in just a dozen or so breaths!
The women who were initially worried that A-Luo had been deceived were so shocked by this miraculous scene that they gaped open and stared wide-eyed, unable to utter a word for a long time.

Finally, the woman who had just been reminding A-Luo, in a trembling voice filled with awe and disbelief, stammered in surprise:
"This...this..."

"This is simply... a miracle doctor!!! No! A living god!!!"

(End of this chapter)