Jianghu Qimen Lu

"When an individual or social group affects national stability and security, when the government's military intervention fails to resolve the situation, and when the court faces a life-or-death crisis, then the Blood Droplets appear!" Bai Shandian said, his heart still reeling. He knew better than anyone: who was the Sticky Rod Office targeting this time?

Red Moon, ever so clever, asked with concern, "Lightning, are you saying that the Sticky Pole Bureau's main target this time is you?" White Lightning, looking dejected, nodded silently. But as if making a momentous decision, he finally raised his head and said loudly, "I wonder how Fist is doing now? What's the situation on the mountain? Never mind all that, I must personally go up the mountain, meet with the Sticky Pole Bureau's main leaders, find out the situation, and then make my next move!"

"You can't go! You're an official now, yet you're getting so close to the Eighteen Chieftains' Alliance Army. Besides, Sister Xiangquan is the Alliance Army's leader. What are you going to say when you get to the mountain? You're gambling with your life!" Red Moon quickly stopped him.

"If I don't go, how can I solve the problem? Should I openly defy the imperial court and lead troops to attack the Qiongshan official residence? I... I can't do that!" Bai Shandian was filled with sorrow and tears welled up in his eyes.

Seeing how much he cared for his sister, Choujiao felt a warm current surge into his heart, and he said loudly and proudly, "Brother-in-law, if the people from the Sticky Pole Bureau really arrest my sister, we might really have to fight them! No matter how vicious they are or how powerful they are, we'll fight to the death, even if it means mutual destruction!" The heroes of Piliangban and Moqinghui responded in unison, "Fight to the death, even if it means mutual destruction!" Their voices shook the sky and carried far up to the mountaintop.

At this moment, a young general in golden armor on the city wall asked with a pleasant expression, "Excuse me, is the general leading the army in front of the camp Minister Bai?" Bai Shandian smiled slightly and said, "That is indeed me. May I ask who you are?" The golden-armored general hurriedly bowed and said with an embarrassed smile, "This humble servant is merely a sword-wielding guard from the Sticky Rod Office, my lowly name is Leng Feng. How dare I presume to address you as such before Minister Bai? You flatter me, Minister Bai!"

Bai Shandian chuckled and said, "General Leng, you're too kind. The Sticky Pole Guards are the core leadership of the Sticky Pole Bureau, mostly composed of the Emperor's confidants, responsible for overall planning and command. As far as I know, there are four others who, along with you, are known as the Five Bloodthirsty Monsters, dividing the world into five regions, each in charge of the east, west, south, north, and central areas. We are currently in western Sichuan, so General Leng is probably the high-ranking official in charge of the western region."

General Leng Feng was very modest and smiled slightly, saying, "Not at all, Lord Bai holds a high position and great power, and is very influential in the court. In front of you, I am always obedient and at your beck and call! Lord Bai, Lord He just sent a message through his servants that he has ordered a table of delicacies and a pot of fine wine to be set out in the main hall of the official residence, inviting you to come up the mountain to enjoy the wine and reminisce!" He then ordered the Eight Banners soldiers below to open the mountain gate and respectfully welcome Bai Shandian up the mountain.

"What? Even Heshen has come down personally! Something's not right!" Red Moon was well aware of the dangers of officialdom and knew that Bai Shandian would be in grave danger if he went up the mountain. It was highly likely that Emperor Qianlong had already figured out the details of the battle here, and the fact that he had specially sent his confidant Heshen here was undoubtedly to arrest Bai Shandian and bring him back to the capital! Because in a sense, no one but Bai Shandian had this honor!

Bai Jin and Yu Ruyi sensed something amiss in the tone and hurriedly rushed forward, flanking Bai Shandian. Yu Ruyi said to Leng Feng on the city wall, "My brother and I will accompany Father up here!" Unexpectedly, Leng Feng coldly replied, "Lord He specifically instructed me that this meeting between two important court officials on the mountain is a deliberate arrangement by His Majesty, and it is highly confidential! No one is allowed to follow or listen in! Please, Lord Bai, go up alone!"

The implication is clear: if Bai Shandian leads people up the mountain without authorization, it's disobeying the imperial decree; if he doesn't go up the mountain, it's also disobeying the imperial decree! There's only one way to go: Bai Shandian must go alone!

Although Red Moon and his generals knew that this solo trip was definitely a trap, what could they do after racking their brains? They couldn't stop White Lightning!

Bai Shandian held the hands of one child in each hand, his eyes filled with loving affection. He looked at this child and then at that child, his heart overflowing with reluctance to part. He was truly heartbroken and his liver was breaking: After this parting, who knows when we will meet again? Perhaps, due to bad luck, this parting will be our last!

"Father, can't you not go?" Yu Ruyi's eyelashes drooped unconsciously, tears streaming down her face. Bai Shandian forced a smile, holding back his own tears, and said softly, "Child, based on your understanding of the Emperor, he wouldn't go so far as to arrest me now! Because to him, I still have some value!"

Bai Jin sighed and said in a low voice, "Father is too kind! You should know that serving an emperor is like walking on thin ice. You've served in the court for so many years, don't you understand the Qianlong Emperor's character? He's notoriously ruthless. Once his interests are threatened, he'll even kill his own flesh and blood. He truly kills without blinking an eye!"

Bai Shandian smiled slightly, and, fearing outsiders might overhear, whispered, "My child, rest assured. I have asked myself honestly, and I have never done anything to betray the Qing Dynasty! As for joining forces with your mother, wasn't it to fight the Japanese invaders together? It was to promote patriotism! Does that violate the laws of the Qing Dynasty? Back in the capital, in the Golden Hall, I must plead for your mother. Although she is the supreme leader of the Eighteen Chieftains' Alliance Army, she is utterly unwavering in the face of national righteousness. She is truly righteous and considerate of the overall situation! Not only is she incredibly loyal and righteous, recruiting heroes from all over the land, but she also turned the tide. When our army was in dire straits, she promptly sent you and the Divine Medicine King to point out a clear path, leading our army, on the verge of annihilation, out of the maze and out of danger, preserving the greatest possible fighting force! How can such a patriotic and loyal woman not have her merits and demerits offset each other and be given an important position?!"

Red Moon said quietly, "That's a story for later. The most urgent thing now is to find my sister! Children, let your father go! You know, nothing ventured, nothing gained! Let your father take the risk!" Seeing that her second mother said so, Yu Ruyi and her brother had no choice but to let go of White Lightning's hand and let him go up the mountain alone.

The sun had already peeked over the mountainside, and as Bai Shandian hurried along the steep, narrow mountain path, the warm sun shone on him, but his heart tightened with each step. His keen eyes, like those of a top-secret agent, had discovered a chilling clue—

The mountain path snaked like a serpent, steep as a ladder, climbing step by step, reaching straight to the sky. On the moss-covered stone steps, there were signs of sweeping; although someone had washed them with water, bright red bloodstains were still clearly visible, scattered everywhere along the way! This proved that a fierce battle had taken place on this mountain path the previous night; truly, corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed like rivers! Although the bodies were nowhere to be seen, the murderous aura remained, the lingering stench of blood assaulted his nostrils, filling him with terror and dread!

The towering cliffs formed a natural barrier, and the path beneath their feet was narrow and rugged. On one side lay a bottomless abyss, and on the other, a sheer precipice—this mountain path was truly perilous at every turn! White Lightning turned and looked down into the abyss, where several ancient trees jutted out from the misty cliff face. Hanging from their gnarled branches were several headless corpses! Clearly, the bodies had been thrown down during a disposal attempt and had inadvertently ended up there!

"According to rumors circulating in the martial arts world: the people of the Sticky Rod Office are all ruthless killers, bloodthirsty by nature. Relying on the Blood Droplets in their hands, they once massacred the eighteen prefectures of Yanyun, which were once famous throughout the martial arts world. It is said that they did not even spare the common people. The corpses were truly strewn across the fields, piled up like mountains! What is different is that each of them was decapitated, and their deaths were extremely gruesome, making it unbearable to look at! Of course, this is the unique method of killing with the Blood Droplets, a well-known and irrefutable proof! Last night's Qiongshan massacre was undoubtedly another masterpiece of the Sticky Rod Office! I just don't know if Quan'er is dead or alive, or if he is still alive?" Bai Shandian was anxious and unconsciously used his lightness skill to quickly leave the two soldiers who were leading the way halfway up the mountain. He had already reached the top of the mountain in the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

The solemn and majestic Summer Palace, like a proud lion surveying the world, stands atop the mountain with imposing grandeur. On either side of the entrance, four strange figures stand solemnly, each wielding oddly shaped weapons. They wear straw hats, blue hemp robes, long hair flowing down their shoulders, and their faces are covered, their eyes gleaming with ferocity.

Bai Shandian knew they were all members of the Sticky Rod Bureau, and the strange, round weapon they held, resembling a birdcage, was the infamous Blood Droplet, the king of hidden weapons that struck fear into the hearts of those in the martial arts world! They were ordinary members, unlike Leng Feng on the city gate below; they were nobodys, known as "Sticky Rod Bai Tang," meaning spies who carried out specific missions. Most of them came from the Imperial Household Department's bondservant families; though not high-ranking officials, they wielded considerable power, and almost no one dared to offend them. Furthermore, due to the special nature of their missions, each possessed unique skills and abilities, truly ruthless in achieving their goals, using killing techniques with unparalleled skill and mastery to complete their tasks! They were figures that made the martial arts world tremble at the mere mention of their names!

"Who are you? Have you lost your mind, daring to barge into the council hall of the Sticky Rod Office alone!" Four Sticky Rod members surrounded White Lightning with a whoosh, and with a few clangs, they opened the Blood Droplet!

Bai Shandian was furious and didn't bother to explain. With a clang, he drew his Shangfang sword from his waist and, in a lightning-fast move, stabbed at the wrists of the four men! The sword was as swift as a rabbit, and the four strange men only saw a blur before a white light flashed and slashed across their wrists. The heavy blood-dripping darts crashed to the ground!