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Chapter 426 Allied Forces
When Zhou You was pulled out, the first thing he saw was a little face full of worry.

But before Hanlu could say anything, she was pushed aside by her buttocks, and what appeared in front of her was a wrinkled face.

"Disciple? Disciple, are you alright? By the way, what should we do now? Those guys from the Medical Sect said to put it mouth-to-mouth."

Zhou You exerted all his strength to push Old Man Li's old face away, and then, with Han Lu's help, he sat up with difficulty, feeling dizzy, and looked around.

—A complete mess.

Everywhere there were shattered flesh and entrails, as well as many corpses chopped into pieces or even burned to charcoal by magic.

It seems that Yu Sanzhi has far more tricks up his sleeve than just those few. What should have been a gathering of low-level trolls has now turned into a massacre.

Most of the remaining people were wounded and sat silently among the piles of corpses, watching Zhou You and his group.

Jin Yan is dead, Ya Xingren is dead, Ge Lao is dead, and almost all the opponents have been wiped out. Now only this faction remains.

Given the earlier vote, there should have been no objection to the subsequent actions, but now no one has spoken up; they are just watching in silence.

Xiao Dushui pondered for a few seconds and then understood what was going on. He was about to explain when Zhou You stopped him.

Then, someone stood up—Hanlu tried to help him up, but he politely pushed her away.

The recent battle, coupled with the serious injury to his shoulder, made him sway slightly, but he still maintained his calm smile as he looked at the group of monsters and demons.

—This is Shang Jun's last wish.

Take a deep breath and speak slowly.

"I know that you all resent that I led Yu San here, and I do not deny his claim of seeking revenge."

However, this is also my own intention.

"But what I want to say is that even without me, everything that happened today would have been inevitable."

No one spoke; everyone was waiting for Zhou You's explanation.

He spoke calmly and gently.

"It's very simple, you all are simply not compatible with that old lady."

—The logic gradually became clearer, to the point that the language became more and more eloquent.

"I don't need to elaborate on the techniques she used in Beijing; you all should already know. It was a method to summon external gods and change the world, and the rampant chaos here is the best proof of that."

—It may be misleading, but there is nothing wrong with it.

"Nowadays, almost all the famous sects and clans have closed their doors to avoid disaster. Even the few that remain are too busy to help themselves. There is no way that an ordinary army can stop her plan. Think about it, who is the first unexpected event she needs to eliminate?"

This time, finally someone was moved.

Regardless of his emotions, Zhou You's words were always so calm and composed.

"It's us. Because of our blood oath, all of you here are born to be enemies of chaos and extraterrestrial demons. You are also the only variable in her plan. If it weren't for me and Master Feng risking our lives to lead the Qing army into the ambush, what do you think the consequences would be today?"

Looking around again, his words now carried a powerful weight.

"It won't just be Yu Sanzhi seeking revenge; it will be tens of thousands of Qing soldiers armed with swords and muskets, forcibly breaking into this ghost market to surround and kill you all. Do you really think that killing just a few people will solve the problem?"

"I'll say it again, I don't deny that Yu Sanzhi came seeking revenge, but it was because of my and Feng Erye's life-or-death struggle that we were all spared from annihilation!"

His words may seem like sophistry, but the reasoning behind them is undeniable.

Finally, an elderly man with a blurred face slowly spoke.

"Speaking of which, Master Xiao, our meeting isn't over yet, is it? May we continue?"

Xiao Dushui was stunned for a full minute before he hurriedly spoke.

"Oh right. The signature box is here. Oh, right, it's right here."

He didn't mind the filth; he painstakingly rummaged through the pile of flesh and blood to find the box, then unlocked it and poured out the lottery tickets.

Just as the trend has been observed.

There were more red tags than black tags—although it was only a few more.

Seeing this, Xiao Dushui breathed a sigh of relief and then said.

"The voting is over, and it seems the vote has passed. So, as is customary, let's elect the initiator as the leader."

Otherwise.

At this moment, Old Man Li suddenly spoke.

He tugged at his beard and said with a smile.

"I do indeed wish to lead the team as I used to, but unfortunately, my health has been declining over the years, and I simply lack the strength. Therefore, I will temporarily resign from the position of alliance leader."

"Then who should take the position?"

This time, Old Man Li did not answer, but instead turned his gaze to Zhou You.

The meaning is self-evident.

Out of habit, he wanted to decline—after all, he hated trouble more than anything else in his life—but after a few seconds, he gave a wry smile.

"Master, this is against the rules."

"At this point, who cares about rules?"

Zhou You then looked at Xiao Dushui, who, after a brief silence of a few seconds, looked at the rest of the group.

"Then I propose that Fellow Daoist Zhou take the lead this time. Does anyone have any objections?"

No one answered. After a while, someone stood up.

Zhou You expected this man to voice his opposition, but instead, he took a few steps, took out a blacksmith's hammer from his pocket, knelt on one knee in front of Zhou You, and then respectfully placed the hammer in front of him.

What does this mean?

Hanlu was already very used to it, and explained in his ear.

"This is a grand assembly. No, it should be said to be a tradition passed down from a thousand years ago. He offered up a token representing his sect, thus acknowledging that from this moment on, he will follow your lead."

After that man stepped down, another old man came up, knelt down, and offered a paintbrush.

Another one is a razor.

Then there's a measuring tape for measuring clothes.

Next came the driver's whip.

Everything was done in silence, yet it had a solemn and dignified feel to it.

After the last person got up and left, Zhou You's front was filled with all sorts of things. Although they were all odds and ends, they all represented a message.

From this point on, he will be the leader of all social classes, from the highest to the lowest!

Zhou You looked at the gazes directed at him and suddenly laughed.

This was the deterrent effect of his own military force, the impassioned speech he had given earlier, and the lingering influence of killing Horn.

But in the end, he had taken the first and last step in burying the Qing Dynasty.

At this moment, Xiao Dushui suddenly spoke up to remind him.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, now that the decision has been made, we should give this righteous army a name."

"Isn't there a demon-slaying game?"

"That was the previous name. According to the rules, it has to be changed to a new one."

Zhou You pursed his lips.

To be honest, although he is quite educated, he is completely clueless when it comes to naming things—especially in such a serious setting.

However, the scenes from before quickly flashed through my mind again.

"Let's call him Wan Yuan."

".What?"

“Wan Yuan will do.” Zhou You repeated again, “For the sake of Shang Jun’s last wish, and for the sake of these millions of common people.” “We will surely make the Empress Dowager’s wish fall into Wan Yuan, never to be redeemed again.”

After that, there were no further setbacks.

It takes time for the Nine Schools to gather their disciples and for time to issue a proclamation denouncing the traitors, so even though Zhou You was appointed as the leader of the alliance, he had nothing to do for the time being.

Hua Niangzi, Han Lu, and Cang Le all needed to clean up the scene. After bandaging his wounds, he could only return first. Xiao Dushui wanted to escort him, but he declined. However, before he even reached the courtyard, he found a burly man standing at the gate.

I don't recall hiring such a security guard. Is he an acquaintance of Old Man Li?
However, unlike his appearance, the man was very respectful, and when he saw Zhou You, he first gave him a deep bow.

"May I ask if it was Mr. Zhou in person?"

"Yes, you are?"

“My humble name is not worth mentioning, but my master has been waiting for you for a long time.”

"I remember locking the door before I left, how did you get in?"

“It’s very simple. This courtyard originally belonged to my master’s family,” the man said with a smile. “Or rather, my master’s family owns a share of this entire Ghost Market.”

Having said that, the identity of the person in question is self-evident.

But what are they doing here?
After thinking for a moment, Zhou You decided to push the door open and enter.

Unlike the previous mess, the courtyard had been cleaned up and was greeted by an old man as Zhou You entered.

He was someone I knew.

It was Tonggang who gave him the pass; that manager who belonged to the Qu family.

However, at this moment, he couldn't discern the shopkeeper's wealth at all. Instead, he spoke to Zhou You respectfully, like a servant.

"Mr. Zhou, it's been a long time."

Zhou You smiled politely.

"Isn't this Master Zheng? It's been quite a while."

"No, no, no, I can't call you 'sir.' I was unaware of your identity and was quite impolite. I hope you will forgive me," the Qu family manager quickly waved his hand and declined, then said with a soft smile, "I've come to see you today mainly because my master has a favor to ask of you. What do you think?"

Zhou You looked up.

There sat an elderly man, about fifty years old, dressed in a brocade robe, sitting beside the stone table. When he saw Zhou You's gaze, he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

He didn't put on any airs; he acted as if he were just an ordinary guest visiting.

Zhou You didn't seem to care much, and casually sat down on the other side, getting straight to the point.

"Who is your Excellency?"

It wasn't exactly polite, but the other person still smiled.

"Qu Ning greets you, sir."

"The current manager of the Qu family?"

"Exactly."

"You're quite young."

"It's just that the old man in the family retired early, unlike the young and talented gentleman."

The conversation seemed to be just casual chat, but Zhou You was carefully observing the other person the whole time.

After a long pause, he suddenly spoke.

"You were the ones who concealed my identity before?"

Qu Ning shook her head.

"This was the work of the Fan family, but to be honest, we were also involved."

Zhou You just stared at him, completely ignoring the stench of blood all over his body, and making no attempt to hide it. He simply played with the porcelain cup on the table and then continued to ask.

Why is that?

"It's just to curry favor and get acquainted with you. By the way, sir, you should know the history of how our Eight Great Families rose to prominence, right?"

Zhou You showed no mercy whatsoever.

"Did he betray his country for personal gain at the end of the Ming Dynasty, surrender to the Manchus, and then become a royal merchant?"

The other party immediately gave a wry smile.

"I don't deny that, but if we go by Western standards, we're abandoning bad assets and seeking a better owner."

"What does that have to do with the present?"

This time, Qu Ning paused briefly in thought before speaking.

"Well, sir, you should also know about the current empress dowager's blockade on commerce and foreign trade, right?"

"Know a thing or two."

"The reason for this gesture of goodwill towards you is very simple—our eight families are on the verge of collapse."

Qu Ning remained silent for a few seconds, then slowly said.

"Our eight families appear prosperous on the surface, but in reality, due to the Empress Dowager's policies, our capital is now severely depleted. We can't expand our business externally, and before we even receive our internal profits, the Empress Dowager has already taken 60% of them. To be honest, sir, we are like a hollowed-out tree now; it looks fine, but if the wind is even slightly strong, it will break at the roots."

Zhou You tapped on the table.

"Let's get down to business."

Qu Ning didn't care; he just smiled wryly.

"I just learned that you, Mr. Zhou, have succeeded as the leader of this alliance and are preparing to deal with the Empress Dowager, so I thought I'd ask you something."

"Shouldn't we, the eight great families, also lend a hand to your powerful connections?"

Zhou You scoffed.

"With the size of your eight major Shanxi merchants, do you really need me to lead you?"

"We're at our last gasp; we have no choice but to ask for help."

Zhou You then laughed.

He just stared at Qu Ning and said it without any mercy.

"I think I understand now. Just like during the Ming Dynasty, you're seeing the Qing Dynasty about to collapse, so you're planning to find a new master to continue making money, right? Of course, I'm certainly not that lowly, and this coalition of low-class people wouldn't be so desperate for you to come begging. So..."

"So, the one you're actually trying to pledge allegiance to this time is actually that big-headed Yuan?"

This time, Qu Ning fell silent.

After a long time, he slowly spoke.

"Our eight families have consulted a fortune teller. Governor Yuan possesses the virtues of an emperor, and we've also heard that you, sir, have a long-standing personal relationship with him. Therefore, we humbly request your help in making the connection. We promise to repay you handsomely afterward."

Zhou You suddenly grinned.

"You people who read the qi are indeed capable, but what benefit do I gain from it?"

“Master Feng is indeed incredibly wealthy, but the eight of us families combined also have some assets. You know, sir, the expenses of your Wanyuan Allied Army must be considerable. The Feng family alone will definitely have some difficulties in managing the finances. When the time comes, the eight of us families can all contribute some of our resources.”

Unexpectedly, Zhou You made the decision without any hesitation.

"Okay, I'll definitely have to meet up with Yuan Da Nao later, and I'll mention it to him then."

Qu Ning was also taken aback, seemingly not expecting it to go so smoothly, but he quickly cupped his hands and said politely.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, sir."

After Qu Ning left, Zhou You looked up at the hazy blood moon in the Yin Road and suddenly sighed.

"Shang Jun, just as you predicted, this is the state of the world."

"Things have finally gotten chaotic."

(End of this chapter)