Martial Arts Across the Heavens: Becoming a Martial God Starting from the Big Boss in Tangshan

Governor Fucha never expected that Chen Wen would be so terrifying, actually defeating the foreigners!

But he couldn't afford to think about any of that; he had to escape as soon as possible!

Because these guys are going to rebel!

Seeing that the militia members were all caught up in the battle, he quickly grabbed a few constables and prepared to escape under the cover of night.

Just as the gate was right in front of them, they heard a voice.

"Admiral-sama..."

Chen Wen's voice remained calm, yet it made Admiral Fucha tremble and slowly turn around.

Fucha Admiral forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Manager Chen...Manager Chen! Tonight was truly... truly all thanks to Manager Chen and Master Huang!"

"I never imagined that these foreigners would be so depraved, openly plundering my Great Qing people! They deserve to die!"

"Manager Chen bravely stepped forward to save the people from dire straits; this is a monumental act of merit! Upon my return, I will certainly report this truthfully to the court and petition for Manager Chen's commendation and a great reward!"

He became increasingly indignant as he spoke.

It was as if the person who had been trembling behind the box, wishing Chen Wen would be torn to pieces, was not him.

Chen Wen watched his performance quietly, and only smiled slightly after he finished speaking:

"Heh, really?"

"These foreigners are indeed despicable, but there's an even bigger one—the large-scale, mass trafficking of Chinese people! Shouldn't they die even more?"

Governor Fucha instantly understood who the other party was referring to, broke out in a cold sweat, and hurriedly bowed and waved his hands:

"This...I...I'm not entirely sure. I will certainly investigate thoroughly upon returning and petition the court to ensure its strict oversight!"

Chen Wen sneered.

"At this point, sir, who are you still putting on this act for?"

The smile on Admiral Fucha's face froze instantly, and the curve of his lips looked even more unsightly than a cry.

Chen Wen's face was terribly grim, his eyes fixed intently on him:

"You know perfectly well who I'm talking about—the Qing Dynasty!"

"Since the Manchus entered the Central Plains, they have treated millions of Han Chinese as pigs and dogs, readily turning them into slaves. They not only wantonly harmed them within their own borders, but also insanely sold them overseas!"

"For over two hundred years! The so-called 'piglets' and 'piglets' have suffered countless misery!"

"These heinous crimes are too numerous to recount!"

"Tell me, shouldn't someone who has committed such a heinous crime die?"

Yan Zhendong, Huang Feihong, Lin Shirong, and other members of the militia were all startled by Chen Wen's words.

Although they had all heard Chen Wen mention before that Chinese people were treated like pigs and that human trafficking was involved.

But to everyone's surprise, the truth behind it was so tragic.

They hated foreigners so much that they wished they could exterminate them all and tear them to pieces!

But the biggest human trafficker was actually the Qing government?

That Qing Dynasty, which they had always knelt before and had once held hope for!

In an instant, everyone was enraged, gritting their teeth and roaring in unison!

"Damn it!"

Individual voices converged into a torrent, erupting into a tremendous roar that shook the heavens and the earth!

Their eyes blazed with fury as they glared at Admiral Fucha, as if they wanted to devour him alive.

Admiral Fucha was utterly terrified, his body slumped, waving his hands repeatedly and stammering incoherently as he tried to explain:

"I don't know! I really don't know! I'm innocent!"

Chen Wen looked at his ugly state and sighed heavily again.

"I don't actually have the idea that 'those who are not of my race must have different hearts.' Manchus, Han Chinese, Mongols... have lived on this land for more than two hundred years, and we are already intertwined with each other."

"As long as someone's heart is with this land and they are willing to do the right thing, I consider them my compatriot."

These words startled many people present, including Wong Fei-hung and the militia members, who all felt a mix of emotions.

They had just cut off their queues to show their loyalty, and their surging Han sentiments had not yet subsided.

Chen Wen's words seem somewhat...inappropriate?

But it seems to make sense.

More than two hundred years have passed, and with grudges and affections intertwined with blood ties, how can they still be clearly distinguished?

A faint sense of sadness and helplessness arose in the hearts of many.

Admiral Fucha, however, seemed to have grasped at a last straw as a drowning man; his eyes suddenly lit up, and he eagerly leaned forward:

"Manager Chen is a man of great principle and broad-mindedness! I knew Manager Chen was a wise man!"

"Yes, yes, we're all compatriots!"

"Please, Manager Chen, show mercy! I will certainly petition the court to commend Manager Chen for his loyalty and merits! No, not just merits, but the merit of protecting the emperor! Wealth and honor will be within your grasp!"

"Manager Chen, just name your price!"

He spoke very quickly, his words filled with flattery and promises, as if he had already seen a glimmer of hope for escape.

Chen Wen looked at him but simply chuckled and shook his head:

"I said, only those who do the right thing are true compatriots."

"You, and the court behind you, aren't either!"

He took a step forward, and Admiral Fucha was so frightened that he took two steps back and almost fell.

"With your kind of behavior, with your kind of court," Chen Wen's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a resolute determination to sever all ties, "do you even deserve to be called compatriots?"

The color drained from Admiral Fucha's face instantly, and his lips trembled:

"You... what do you want? You dare to kill an official... uh!"

His words came to an abrupt end.

Because Chen Wen had somehow produced a short gun, its dark muzzle pointed steadily at his forehead.

"I won't kill you," Chen Wen said calmly.

Admiral Fucha hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath.

"But the premise is," Chen Wen's lips curled into that cold smile again, "that you can leave here 'alive'."

Admiral Fucha shuddered violently, his face drained of color, and he waved his hands repeatedly as he retreated:

"No! No! Manager Chen, Lord Chen! I had no choice! I have elderly parents to support, a wife and children to raise... Please, spare my life! I promise I'll go back..."

"You have elderly parents to care for and young children to raise," Chen Wen interrupted him, his voice laced with a hint of mockery.

"Then who will spare my 400 million compatriots? Don't they have parents, wives, and children? Do they deserve to be oppressed, exploited, and sold overseas like pigs?"

"We can't let him go!"

"Kill that corrupt official!"

"To rid the people of this scourge!"

The militia members were filled with righteous indignation, and their roars echoed throughout the area.

They witnessed everything that happened tonight, and their last shred of hope for the imperial court vanished completely.

When Admiral Fucha saw this scene, his face turned ashen, and he knew he was doomed.

Instead, it stirred a sense of despair and indignation within him. He pointed at Chen Wen, his voice hoarse:

"Chen Wen! You just want to kill me! Why bother with this hypocritical talk of being compatriots! It's all about the victor and the vanquished; kill me if you want! All this empty rhetoric is just to make you seem benevolent! Bah!"

Chen Wen watched him quietly, and only spoke slowly after he finished cursing:

"I'm not lying to you. The real difference between you and me, and many others here, is not that you are Manchu and I am Han."

His gaze swept over the captured foreigners, over the corpses on the ground, and finally settled on Admiral Fucha's face:

"Even among foreigners and Japanese pirates, there may be my comrades."

"But you, Lord Fucha, you are not... This is not a racial conflict, this is... a difference of principles!"

Admiral Fucha was speechless, opened his mouth, then collapsed completely, muttering:

"What...what do you want? To kill me?"

"Yes." Chen Wen nodded without hesitation, "but there's no need to rush."