Martial Arts Crossover: It All Started with Hijacking Li Canghai

The headquarters of the Golden Serpent Camp, the Hall of Gathering Righteousness.

The scouts brought the battle report into the hall that all three commanders of the Qing army had been killed in battle and that the 100,000-strong army had collapsed. The hall was initially silent, but then erupted into a deafening roar of cheers.

"We won! We really won!"

"Long live the Golden Serpent King!"

Previously, the mountain stronghold leaders had only cooperated temporarily out of fear of Qin Han's military might and strength, but now they had no more hesitation.

Situ Bolei of the Wangwu Sect and Cheng Qingzhu of the Qingzhu Gang exchanged a glance, their eyes surging with a fervent passion born from the shock.

A true dragon has appeared in the world, and divine punishment has descended upon the mortal realm. Such a sight was only heard of by storytellers in the past, but today I have actually witnessed it with my own eyes. If we follow such a person, how can we not achieve great things?

"We swear to serve the Golden Serpent King to the death!"

Situ Bolei and Cheng Qingzhu were the first to lift their robes and kneel down, bowing deeply to Qin Han on the high platform.

With a clatter, all the leaders and officers of the Golden Serpent Camp in the hall knelt down, their expressions filled with fervor.

"I swear to serve the Golden Serpent King to the death!"

The roar was deafening, shaking the dust off the roof beams.

Chen Jinnan, Chen Jialuo, Yang Miaozhen, and others who were cheering on the sidelines were filled with turbulent emotions, and their inner shock was no less than that of the people in the audience.

Qin Han stood on the high platform, his expression calm on the surface, but inside he was suppressing a backlash. Now was the time to establish his authority, and he could not show the slightest weakness.

His gaze swept over the people kneeling below the steps, then landed on Chen Jinnan and the others, and he slowly raised his hand.

Everyone stood up, thinking he was going to rest, but to their surprise, Qin Han turned around and walked straight to the huge sand table in the center of the hall.

"Get the latest geomantic and military intelligence map."

Lin Pingzhi strode forward and spread a detailed map, marked with the enemy and friendly positions in Shandong prefectures, on one side of the sand table. Qin Han picked up a slender command flag, his demeanor calm and composed, showing no sign of injury.

He looked down at the map and placed the command flag on the sand table.

"Stubbs."

"Your subordinate is here!"

Situ Bolei strode forward, his face beaming with barely concealed excitement.

"I hereby appoint you as commander-in-chief, to unite the Wangwu Sect, the Green Bamboo Gang, and Jiao Wan'er's forces, totaling 15,000 troops, and to set out immediately."

"Within one month, clear out the Qing army strongholds that are stubbornly resisting in Jining and Yanzhou prefectures."

Qin Han's tone naturally carried an air of authority.

Situ Bolei felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that this was both a trust and a test. There were Qin Han's direct descendants in Lin'an, but not many in Shandong. If this matter succeeded, they would become the direct descendants in the future!

"Your humble servant obeys! If I fail to quell the rebellion, I am willing to offer my head in return!"

Qin Han nodded slightly, and the command flag moved again.

"Cheng Qingzhu".

"exist!"

"You will lead your 5,000 troops to capture Zhangqiu. Within half a month, you must block all Qing army passages south of the Yellow River."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jinnan and the others were stunned. The Zhangqiu area was a place where Prince Rui, Hongli, had secretly deployed defenses.

Mu Jiansheng thought to himself, "This Golden Serpent King is truly unpredictable. He just made a deal with Fukang An, and then he turned around and attacked his foundation."

Qin Han had his own plans. When he sent the messenger, he only promised that the goods of Prince Baorui's mansion could circulate in Shandong, but he did not promise not to touch his territory. Fukang'an, the heir apparent, received thirty chests of gold and also held that fake secret edict.

When news of the crushing defeat reached Kangxi's ears, a rift suddenly formed between the brothers. Kangxi was preoccupied with his own problems and had no energy left to manage the war situation in Shandong!

"This subordinate obeys!"

Cheng Qingzhu stepped forward and agreed.

After issuing two military orders, Qin Han planted the command flag back on the sand table and turned to face the crowd.

"This great victory is just the beginning. Shandong has suffered from war for a long time and everything is in need of rebuilding. People are longing for peace and stability."

"From this day forward, the Golden Serpent Camp shall establish new rules."

His voice suddenly rose, and each word struck a chord in everyone's hearts.

"Firstly, murderers will be executed, those who injure will be punished, and those who steal property will be punished according to its value!"

Secondly, soldiers in the camp are not allowed to trespass into civilian homes or forcibly take anything from the people!

"Thirdly, and most severely, anyone who commits adultery with a woman, regardless of rank, shall be executed immediately upon verification, and their body displayed for three days!"

With the three rules agreed upon, the Hall of Gathering Righteousness fell silent once more.

Many of the bandit leaders who had come over originally planned to rob and kidnap women in the chaos after the city fell, but now they felt a chill down their spines and quickly suppressed their filthy thoughts.

Everyone could see clearly that the Golden Serpent King meant what he said, especially after witnessing the "Dragon Transformation Divine Skill" today. Who would dare to violate the prohibition?!

Chen Jinnan and Chen Jialuo exchanged a glance, each with their own feelings.

These rules were not set by bandits; they were clearly the vision and laws of a founding emperor. These two men always claimed to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming, and to save the people, but their brothers' harassment and robbery of the people were rampant. The difference between the two is obvious.

Yang Miaozhen's beautiful eyes sparkled as she gazed at the figure on the stage, thinking to herself, "This is the true hero of our time!"

She had led the Red Turban Army for many years, and her biggest headache was military discipline. Her subordinates were mostly rough men who frequently harassed the people. However, Qin Han only needed to say three words to put a tight rein on tens of thousands of soldiers, and most importantly, no one dared to disobey.

Mu Jiansheng had other plans in mind. He quietly turned around and looked at Mu Jianping. He saw his younger sister and Fang Yi standing together, their eyes full of admiration for the person on the high platform.

Restoring the Ming Dynasty? The Ming Dynasty is long gone. Now, even the Ninth Princess is Qin Han's wife. The Mu family only has this much wealth left. If they insist on getting involved, they will only become cannon fodder.

Seeing the glory of Situ Bolei and his son, he was truly envious. He thought it would be better to support the Ninth Princess as well, since supporting one person didn't matter.

Jianping is innocent and kind, while Fangyi is exceptionally beautiful. The two are like sisters, and betting on each other is much safer than betting on that elusive Prince Zhu Wu.

If the Qin and Han dynasties were to establish their rule in the north and unite the north and south, the Mu family, relying on this marriage alliance, could regain its former glory even if it could not be granted the title of king.

While everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Qin Han laughed heartily.

"This great victory is entirely due to the great help of all the heroes. Now that the battle is over, it is time to reward those who have made contributions."

The crowd perked up, all eyes turning to him. They had traveled thousands of miles to provide support, fought valiantly, and lost many brothers. Aside from the great cause of overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming, what they sought was merit and reward. Now that it was time to divide the spoils, everyone had their own scales to weigh the matter.

Chen Jinnan secretly calculated that the Heaven and Earth Society had put in a lot of effort this time, and 30% of their best men had been lost. At the very least, they should be given a batch of firearms and provisions to make up for the losses.

Chen Jialuo thought to himself, "The Red Flower Society has sent out all its elite troops. If we can get a share of the Qing army's warhorses and gold and silver, we can appease our subordinates when we get back."

Even Yang Miaozhen was secretly calculating that the Red Turban Army was most lacking in armor and weapons. If they could get a batch of three-eyed guns, their combat power would increase greatly.