Jianghu Qimen Lu

Xiang Quan's face flushed red instantly, feeling a burning sensation on her cheeks, wishing she could disappear into a hole in the ground! She immediately shouted, "Guards! Release Yu Ruyi and Liang Erji at once!" Seeing that she knew her mistake and corrected it, and that she acted so decisively and without hesitation, everyone present secretly gave her a thumbs-up in praise: Such imposing manner is no less than that of a bearded man; no wonder she could become the supreme leader of the Eighteen Chieftains' Alliance Army!

Bai Shandian stared intently at Teng Lin Piaoxue, and shouted sternly, "Ghost Eye! I have thoroughly investigated you! Whether you are lying or not, I can tell at a glance!" Teng Lin Piaoxue's legs went weak, and she knelt on the ground, her voice trembling as she said, "Lord Bai, if you spare my life, I will tell you everything I know!" Bai Shandian was always skilled at interrogating prisoners, and said solemnly, "As long as you tell the truth, I can guarantee your life, but you must repent and reform yourself to become a good person!" Teng Lin Piaoxue repeatedly promised, "I promise to tell the truth, I will not dare to lie to Lord Bai! Please ask me anything."

White Lightning then coldly asked, "How did you manage to escape Liang Erji's assassination attempt that night? Where have you been all these days without showing yourself? Speak!"

Fujibayashi Piaoxue's cunning eyes darted around, and she smiled slightly, saying, "Lord Bai, you may not know this, but that day I made a bet with one of the Ten Evils under Lord Zhang Guangsi, and was injured by the Flaming Palm of one of them, nearly losing my life. To avoid punishment from my superior, Tokugawa Munetake, and for safety's sake, I secretly hid in my uncle Fujibayashi Shunke's room to practice martial arts and heal my wounds, with my uncle guarding the room. I also placed a ninja in my room, disguised as me, as a spy. Unexpectedly, something happened that very night; the ninja impersonating me was assassinated, supposedly by Liang Erji! For so many days, I've been hiding in this secret room practicing martial arts and healing my wounds, doing absolutely nothing!"

Bai Shandian suddenly stepped forward, swung his hand, and slapped him hard across the face, shouting, "You fucking refuse to tell the truth, huh? Fine! I'll give you a hint: Where did you send Zhang Guangsi? Speak!" The slap was hard, and Teng Lin Piaoxue spat out a mouthful of blood. When everyone looked down, they saw three bloody teeth lying on the ground!

Now he truly panicked. He knew Bai Shandian was ruthless and vicious, a man who killed without hesitation. If he angered Bai Shandian, he could die a violent death in an instant! He hurriedly said, "Lord Bai, spare my life! I'll tell you everything, okay?!" Bai Shandian's wolfish eyes stared at him relentlessly, and he cursed furiously, "You fucking talk already!"

Tenglin Piaoxue then confessed: After Zhang Guangsi was released from the dungeon, he went to the capital overnight to file a complaint with the emperor! Xiangquan said angrily, "It's truly a case of the wicked filing a complaint first. I wonder how this mad dog will bite back this time?!" Bai Shandian recovered and coldly laughed, "Find the emperor to file a complaint? Go ahead and go. Let's see if the emperor listens to you or me! Hmph!" He looked extremely arrogant.

Red Moon said with some worry, "Since ancient times, it's been hard to dodge a hidden arrow, and hard to guard against a villain! Often, treacherous villains will find some unforeseen, fabricated charges, making them sound so convincing that even the Emperor has to believe them! In the end, you're just sitting at home when disaster strikes from the sky, leaving you nowhere to hide!"

Just then, a heart-wrenching howl rang out: "Ghost Eye, you murderous demon, how are you still alive? Prepare to die!" A figure darted over like lightning, delivering a flying kick straight for Teng Lin Piaoxue's head! Instantly, a gale swept through the hall, and the flying kick carried a faint sound of wind and thunder, whistling loudly, clearly possessing terrifying power! If it landed, Teng Lin Piaoxue's head would explode like a watermelon hitting the ground!

How could White Lightning allow him to act so recklessly? The serpentine hand slid up his trouser leg, and with just a light touch on the back of his leg, that iron leg, like an arrow released from a bow, instantly buckled and fell to the ground! Like a plane with broken wings, it plummeted headfirst into the air!

"Liang Erji, what do you think you're doing?" White Lightning roared, as the man who had just been released from prison was thrown heavily to the ground! Still filled with resentment, he roared, "Lord White, you don't know this, this man is the Japanese devil who caused my family's destruction! How can we let him go?!" White Lightning coldly replied, "He's a hostage we're using to hold back the Japanese ninja forces, don't you understand?!"

At this moment, Yu Ruyi, returning from the execution platform in the martial arts arena, saw this and, feeling pity, went forward to help Liang Erji up. Unexpectedly, he stood up and stormed off, leaving Yu Ruyi quite embarrassed! Watching his resentful departure, Teng Lin Piaoxue gave a cold smile, sighed deeply, and recited: "The flowing water is heartless, the flower is affectionate, a river of spring water flows eastward! I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shines on the gutter!"

Yu Ruyi, being so clever, was well aware of her former lover's agonizing heartbreak. She coldly replied, "Since we've parted ways, why dwell on the past and cause yourself unnecessary distress?" Teng Lin Piaoxue urgently explained, "Yu'er, you've probably misunderstood today's matter. My true intention was to let you see the true, ugly faces of your beloved family and friends! Didn't you say your mother was the best to you? Then why did she kill you just now?! Didn't you say Liang Erji genuinely loved you? Then why was he so heartless towards you just now?!"

"But he's still better than you! At least he didn't want me to die!" Yu Ruyi's heart was broken, like a budding flower being crushed and thrown to the ground, drifting away in the wind! Unconsciously, tears blurred her vision, and she groaned in despair before running away like a madwoman.

Xiang Quan ordered everyone to disperse and threw Teng Lin Piao Xue into the death row, leaving only Bai Shandian, Hong Yue Liang, Chou Jiao, and Qin Xin Chan Shi in the hall to secretly discuss their next move. They ultimately decided that the Xiao Jin Chuan official residence was heavily guarded, and infiltrating the dungeon at night to rescue her was not an option! The only solution was to send a elite force, escorting Teng Lin Piao Xue, to the entrance of the Xiao Jin Chuan official residence to negotiate with the Japanese and see if they could exchange Bai Jin for her!

Xiangquan immediately convened at the martial arts arena, deploying three elite forces. The first force of 10,000 men, led by Choujiao and composed of members of the Moqing Society, spearheaded the attack to clear obstacles at the entrance of the Xiaojinchuan official residence, establish defensive measures, and stand ready to confront the enemy. The second force of 10,000 men, led by Bai Shandian and Hong Yueliang, escorted Tenglin Piaoxue to the Xiaojinchuan official residence to exchange her for someone else. The final force, also of 10,000 men, led by Zen Master Qinxin and composed of heroes from the five sects and eight schools of the Emei Sect, secretly lay in ambush outside the Xiaojinchuan official residence, ready to provide support and ensure a surprise attack on the enemy during our retreat!

Seeing the soldiers depart one by one to carry out their orders, Yu Ruyi, standing below the hall, complained somewhat angrily, "Mother, do you really suspect that your daughter is colluding with the Japanese?" Xiang Quan coldly replied, "What makes you say that?" Yu Ruyi said angrily, "Then why didn't your daughter have any duties today?" Liang Erji chimed in from the side, "Indeed, why doesn't even this humble servant have any tasks? The Grand Alliance Leader has probably forgotten that this humble servant is the Chieftain of Xiaojinchuan!"

Xiang Quan looked around and saw that the chieftains, including Sha Luoben, were all casting gloating glances at him. After much deliberation, he said, "These are turbulent times. The Japanese ninja forces could launch a counterattack at any moment! If we send you all out, how will we defend ourselves if the Japanese launch a surprise attack on our Qiongshan official residence? Wouldn't that be a cardinal sin in military strategy? While the battle at the front is tense, we must also be extremely cautious about the security of our rear! Therefore, all soldiers under your command, listen to my command: take your positions, patrol all the key transportation routes, and implement defensive measures to make our Qiongshan official residence as secure as an iron barrel, not even letting a mosquito in!"

"Understood!" A resounding reply echoed in unison, deafeningly loud and reaching the heavens! All the soldiers were utterly convinced of Xiang Quan's abilities, their respect for him growing even stronger! For a law enforcement administrator, the ability to speak eloquently and possessing high emotional intelligence was paramount! Xiang Quan's tactful remark not only instantly dispelled Yu Ruyi and Liang Erji's concerns but also won over the hearts of several chieftains, led by Sha Luoben. Each of them felt confident in their abilities and believed their leaders had not overlooked them! This also strengthened their resolve to fight for the Allied Forces in the future!

After leaving the main tent, Yu Ruyi wanted to catch up with Liang Erji, but he suddenly stopped and turned back to smile at her, winking and indicating that she should follow him to a secluded ravine. Yu Ruyi was delighted, thinking to herself, "Could it be that he also realized he had offended me and wanted to find a secluded place to apologize?" She gladly followed him.

Unexpectedly, after the two met, Liang Erji showed no intention of apologizing. Instead, he provoked Yu Ruyi, saying, "May I ask if Commander Yu has the courage to secretly follow me down the mountain to the Xiaojinchuan official residence?" Yu Ruyi was momentarily confused and asked, "What for?"

Liang Erji sneered, "Xiaojinchuan Official Residence is where I grew up. Tell me, who knows it as well as I do, down to every blade of grass, every tree, every brick and tile? I'm quite indignant that your mother didn't send me today! I'm unwilling to let someone else steal this great credit!"

"What are you going to do?" Yu Ruyi's eyes widened. She was truly afraid that this handsome, cold-faced eccentric would do something drastic!

Liang Erji gave a sinister smile, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "We can ride at breakneck speed and take a shortcut ahead of their three armies, then sneak into the Xiaojinchuan official residence and rescue your brother, General Bai. Wouldn't that be a remarkable feat? Then who in the army would dare to underestimate us!"

Yu Ruyi said with some worry, "Mother has given a strict order that all of us generals must be on high alert at all key transportation points and be on the verge of battle without fail! If anything goes wrong at our posts, she will be furious and might really execute us!"