“In this battle, you must recruit some nobles to rebel alongside you.” Hidden Continent young master Fang Qingyi said, “Finance Minister Suofu should have left behind a ledger. Inside are records of all officials and nobles embezzling from the national treasury these past few years.”
Once these words came out, the city guard troops commanders present also changed colour. These years, these commanders had not only embezzled military pay and diverted military funds, but also seized civilian property. Over several years, the gold coins these hundred-plus commanders on the scene had pocketed exceeded at least one million.
But immediately after they thought, since they had already committed the great crime of rebellion, what did mere corruption count for?
Fang Qingyi continued, “Even if Suolun found the gold reserves, there is still a deficit of over four million. Plus the over one million gold coins needed to maintain the kingdom’s operation, he still needs five or six million gold coins. In Suofu’s secret ledger, there are a dozen or so super mega-corrupt officials, enough to be beheaded ten times over. Suolun will not let them off, and will certainly confiscate their property and exterminate their clans. And these people also know they have absolutely no way out, so they can only follow you in rebelling to the end.”
City guard troops commander Yu Wengai said, “How many men can these super mega-corrupt officials organise?”
Fang Qingyi said, “At least over thirty thousand. I have already sent people to notify them. As soon as you rise, they will immediately respond!”
Yu Wengai closed his eyes and calculated, saying, “Our city guard troops participating in the rebellion number fifty thousand, plus these corrupt nobles’ over thirty thousand men, plus the Holy Temple Legion’s fifteen thousand, altogether one hundred thousand!”
Fang Qingyi said, “Suolun has sixty thousand Imperial Guards in hand, but they are distributed everywhere. Over three thousand at the princess residence, over five thousand at the Royal City Gold House, over ten thousand maintaining Zhi Capital order and guarding the city gates. So those guarding the royal palace are merely over forty thousand Imperial Guards, less than half of ours!”
Yu Wengai nodded and said, “One hundred thousand against forty thousand, and our side still has the elite Holy Temple Legion. This battle can be fought!”
A middle-aged handsome man beside him said, “Lord Commander, do we attack the royal palace directly, or occupy the royal city?”
This middle-aged handsome man was Ye Feidie’s father, city guard troops quartermaster officer Viscount Ye Jin. The reason he asked whether to occupy the royal city was because he wanted to take the opportunity to make a windfall.
Yu Wengai said, “Our one hundred thousand troops absolutely must not disperse our forces. We must attack the royal palace directly, capturing the bandit king to capture the bandits, eliminating Suolun and Zhiyan. We absolutely must not disperse our military strength.”
The infantry grand commander beside him said, “Exactly, and our slogan is purge the court of evil ministers, kill the treacherous minister. We can only attack the royal palace!”
Yu Wengai said, “Then it is decided! I ask Young Lord Fang to go contact the Holy Temple Legion and the corrupt nobles’ family servant armed forces. City guard troops brothers, immediately return to your own armies. At noon twelve o’clock, the one hundred thousand great army will complete assembly and formally attack the royal palace, beheading Suolun!”
“Understood!” Over one hundred city guard troops commanders on the scene shouted in unison.
However, right at this moment…
“Ah… ah… ah…”
The secret sentry warriors outside emitted waves of miserable screams!
Immediately after, several warriors rapidly charged in, shouting hoarsely, “Marshal, we are exposed, we are surrounded…”
“Swish swish swish swish…”
Immediately after, a sky full of arrow rain poured down, nailing these warriors alive to the ground.
Yu Wengai and Fang Qingyi could not help but turn pale with shock, their hair standing on end.
How was this possible? How could they be exposed?
The location of this assembly was top secret. How could anyone know?
One must know, besides Yu Wengai, Viscount Ye Jin, and Fang Qingyi, the other city guard troops commanders did not know this location before coming to the meeting. They first assembled at another place, then were personally brought here by Yu Wenfa.
Of course, perhaps someone might ask, why not conspire within the city guard troops military camp?
That was because not every city guard troop soldier was willing to rebel, and Yu Wengai and the city guard troops’ high-ranking commanders had already been stripped of their positions. The moment they appeared in the military camp, many people would know they were rebelling.
Moreover, for safety’s sake, Suolun had already scattered the city guard troops to several camps.
This secret stronghold, beforehand only Yu Wengai, Viscount Ye Jin, and Fang Qingyi knew of it. Why would it leak out?
Instantly, Yu Wengai’s gaze flashed like lightning toward Viscount Ye Jin, because this location was arranged by him.
“Absolutely no one knew of this location. After I bought this place two years ago, no one lived here, and I myself never came here either.” Viscount Ye Jin said.
Of course, he was lying. One of his lovers had lived here for a few days, but this lover had been killed by him.
Seeing Yu Wengai’s gaze still filled with suspicion, Viscount Ye Jin said, “I know, my daughter had an affair with Suolun. But I embezzled two hundred thousand gold coins. Do you think I still have a way out?”
Once these words came out, everyone present was shocked.
Two hundred thousand gold coins? Viscount Ye Jin as the city guard troops’ quartermaster officer had actually embezzled two hundred thousand gold coins. Completely shocking to hear.
Viscount Ye Jin said, “Of course, this money was not only embezzled from the city guard troops, but also from when I was quartermaster officer in the Northern Legion. Over a dozen years added together, I embezzled two hundred thousand gold coins.”
Fang Qingyi said in a hoarse voice, “At this time do not argue about these meaningless matters. Is there a secret passage here to leave?”
Viscount Ye Jin shook his head and said, “This is merely an ordinary residence. What secret passage would there be?”
At this time, the several thousand Imperial Guards outside were no longer concealing themselves, directly rapidly closing the encirclement. Their neat yet urgent footsteps pounded in everyone’s hearts.
“Imperial Guards arresting people. Unrelated personnel, leave immediately!”
“Ready!”
“Fire!”
“Swish swish swish swish…”
Dense arrow rain fell once again.
Moreover, they were actually fire arrows.
“Fire, fire, fire…”
Round after round of arrow rain poured down.
Six thousand Imperial Guards surrounded this residence of merely a few mu airtight, layer upon layer.
After brief clearing and expelling surrounding commoners, they were not in a hurry to charge in, directly wildly shooting fire arrows.
At the same time, a cry came from the air.
Over a dozen griffins flew to above the residence, dropping primitive cluster bombs downward.
“Boom boom boom…”
Waves of earth-shaking explosions!
Inside this secret stronghold, those attending the assembly merely numbered over one hundred, among whom Dragon Martial Artist level experts were only a dozen or so. And four super experts were still Fang Qingyi’s bodyguards.
Under this crazy dense attack, even advanced warriors found it difficult to resist.
Dense arrow rain was still manageable, but the lethal primitive cluster bombs were too terrifying. Hundred-jin gunpowder packs directly smashed through roofs, then exploded inside the house, thousands of pellets crazily shooting.
Instantly, miserable screams rang out continuously inside. Mid-level commanders with insufficient martial arts perished one after another.
Fortunately, Viscount Ye Jin had chosen this area with sparse population to avoid attracting attention, mostly warehouses and carriage shops.
But even so, many commoners still fled in all directions, even causing considerable casualties.
And the royal city’s nobles, hearing the huge noise from this side, first trembled with fear, thinking Suolun was beginning a great confiscation. But then they thought, all the nobles were in the inner city, and the Imperial Guards’ battle was happening in a remote corner of the south of the city. How could this be targeting the nobles?
As long as the fire did not burn to their heads, they were happy to watch the spectacle from the sidelines.
…
This arrow rain bombardment and crazy bombing lasted a full half a shichen.
Half a shichen later, not to mention this residence, all buildings within a dozen mu around were completely blown into ruins.
And within the ruins, the number of survivors among Yu Wengai, Fang Qingyi, and the others was merely a dozen or so.
Most of the city guard troops commanders had already been shot dead by arrow rain, or blown to death alive.
These dozen or so survivors were all experts at Dragon Martial Artist level and above!
The reason Viscount Ye Jin had not died was because the Yu Wengai father and son had protected him.
And right at this moment, outside Imperial Guard grand commander Hei Ningqi loudly shouted, “People inside, listen! The chief criminals of the city guard troops’ rebellion are the Yu Wengai father and son. Any person who captures the Yu Wengai father and son can be spared death!”
Once these words came out, the Yu Wengai father and son turned pale with shock.
Then, Yu Wengai said with a sorrowful face, “At this point, we father and son are willing to fulfil all you brothers. You capture us and present us to Suolun, exchanging for a way to survive!”
Yu Wenfa was startled and said, “Father!”
Instantly, the city guard troops’ infantry grand commander knelt and said in a hoarse voice, “Marshal, what are you saying? We have lived and died together for over a dozen years. You have shown us such great kindness. How could we be so wolf-hearted and dog-lunged, ungrateful and treacherous?”
Then, over a dozen city guard troops high-ranking commanders also knelt one after another, expressing willingness to live and die with Yu Wengai.
Yu Wengai was instantly so moved that tears streamed down his face. He stepped forward to help up the infantry grand commander, trembling as he said, “Good brothers, good brothers, then let us live and die together!”
But…
This infantry grand commander’s gaze suddenly turned cold. Taking advantage of Yu Wengai stepping forward to help him up, he abruptly slid a dagger from his sleeve, stabbing toward Yu Wengai’s heart.
Seeing this scene…
The over a dozen commanders around were startled, then their faces turned cold, one after another drawing weapons and hacking toward the Yu Wengai father and son.
“Marshal, we borrow your father and son’s heads for a use.”
At this time, Yu Wengai laughed heartily, abruptly grabbing both arms of that infantry grand commander.
That infantry grand commander’s dagger in hand was merely half an inch from Yu Wengai’s heart, but no matter what could not stab in. Yu Wengai’s two arms were like two iron pincers.
“Brother, why must it be so?” Yu Wengai said with a cold laugh, then his two hands abruptly tore.
“Ah…” A mournful scream.
This city guard troops’ infantry grand commander was alive torn into two halves.
At the same time, the Yu Wengai father and son and over a dozen high-ranking commanders slaughtered together.
These over a dozen commanders were uniformly commanders at the ten-thousand-man level and above, with cultivation at Dragon Martial Artist and above.
Yu Wenfa had only just broken through to Dragon Martial Artist not long ago, barely able to fight one person.
So, Yu Wengai almost had to fight ten against one!
But even so, he surprisingly did not fall into disadvantage at all!
He was actually like a fierce lion and ferocious tiger, incomparably violent. The battle blade in his hand completely had no single-blow enemies.
Fighting ten against one was not enough, he still had to protect his own son.
“Swish, swish, swish…”
With every blade from Yu Wengai, he would split a city guard troops commander into two halves, either vertically split in two or horizontally split in two, incomparably bloody and terrifying.
And Viscount Ye Jin at the side, holding a gorgeous long sword in his hand, was trembling all over, completely not knowing what to do.
The four Hidden Continent super experts merely protected Fang Qingyi, coldly watching from the sidelines with no intention of assisting.
The incomparably powerful Yu Wengai still killed one with each blade.
In a short three minutes, he actually cleanly killed over a dozen city guard troops commanders.
One must know, these people were all experts at Dragon Martial Artist level and above!
Seeing this scene, Viscount Ye Jin was completely stunned.
Regarding Yu Wengai’s ferocity, he had long heard of it. Rumour had it he was the military’s third strongest expert, only below Count Suolong and Duke Tu Lingtuo, stronger than Count Jian Ze and Count Chu Ye, even stronger than Imperial Guard grand commander Hei Ningqi.
Viscount Ye Jin had not believed it, because these years he had never seen Yu Wengai make a move.
Now it seemed, he was truly an invincible fierce general. No wonder Count Suolong had liked him so much back then.
But, what use was powerful martial arts?
Jian Ze was so powerful, but facing Suolun’s beheading order, he knelt without the slightest resistance and had his head chopped off.
Duke Tu Lingtuo, acclaimed as the military’s number one strongest expert, but without even a chance to make a move, directly committed suicide by poison.
…
After killing all his subordinates, Yu Wengai came before Viscount Ye Jin and said, “In-law, honestly tell me, is it possible that someone else also knew of this secret stronghold of yours?”
Viscount Ye Jin closed his eyes to recall. Before coming here last night, he had taken the key and gone to see his daughter Ye Feidie one last time.
But, even if his daughter Ye Feidie saw his key, she completely did not know of this place’s existence?
Viscount Ye Jin shook his head and said, “Marshal, truly no one knew.”
Yu Wengai painfully shook his head and said, “Now saying everything is already too late.”
Then, he came before Fang Qingyi, his gaze toward him incomparably complex.
Why did Yu Wengai betray Count Suolong? Why did he betray King Zhibian?
The Hidden Origin Society played a very important role.
Yu Wengai was born a commoner. Under Count Suolong’s promotion, he became city guard troops commander.
But his foundation was too shallow. Even though his salary was still considerable, in the royal city where every inch of land was worth gold, he could only afford a small courtyard.
His wife, children, and elderly were still seen as poor by others. In this royal city upper class society of nothing but the rich and noble, they had absolutely no foothold.
Women are all vain. Who does not want to wear gold and silver?
The Hidden Origin Society thus, bit by bit, penetrated Yu Wengai’s mother, wife, and daughter.
All men under heaven are lustful. When Yu Wengai was young, because of family circumstances, he had no chance to encounter very beautiful women, having only experienced his wife as one woman.
And his wife’s looks were merely passable. As she aged, she became even less charming.
And right at this time, the women sent by the Hidden Origin Society, each one more beautiful than the last. That beauty, that figure, that skin, truly would produce water with one pinch.
Glory, splendour, wealth, and rank, peerless beauties, who does not love them?
Moreover, at that time Count Suolong was already paralysed in bed. Duke Tu Lingtuo had already betrayed the king.
The two great mountains before him had both fallen. Zhili was at the height of his power. Yu Wengai felt that continuing loyalty to the king was already meaningless.
And most coincidentally, though Prince Zhili was at the height of his power, he lacked true trusted confidants.
Yu Wengai was completely different from Jian Ze. Jian Ze would rather suffer than lose face, hard-headedly making Zhili visit his thatched cottage three times.
But Yu Wengai was very sensible. The moment Zhili displayed an attitude of honouring the worthy and humble, he immediately knelt, putting on an attitude of finally encountering a wise lord.
So, he Yu Wengai became Zhili’s number one trusted confidant in the military, constantly guarding the royal city for him, protecting the great rear.
When Zhili forcibly ascended the throne, he Yu Wengai did not even appear inside the palace, but instead led the city guard troops to guard royal city order, escorting and protecting Zhili.
Of course, after Zhili’s great defeat, assassinating the king and forcibly ascending the throne, Yu Wengai no longer had much confidence in him. Though he still secretly supported him, he had already carefully drawn a clear line with him.
As for after Suolun entered the royal city, Yu Wengai never went to pay his respects.
The thoughts behind this were even more complex, completely not enough to speak to outsiders. But one point was that he was more eager than anyone for the royal house to kill the hounds once the hares were gone with Suolun.
But no matter what rights and wrongs, they were already meaningless.
Matters developing to this step today, already irreparable. Whether regret or self-consolation, none had any meaning.
…
Taking a deep sigh, Yu Wengai seemed to have already made some kind of decision. He cupped his hands toward Fang Qingyi in salute and said, “Young Lord Fang, take care of yourself.”
Fang Qingyi did not pay him any heed. Previously it was because he needed Yu Wengai that he treated him with courtesy. Now that all plans had gone up in smoke, why should he give these lowly people a good face?
“Son, follow me!” Yu Wengai said.
Yu Wenfa immediately followed behind him.
Yu Wengai raised both hands high and slowly walked outward.
Seeing the two appear, instantly over a thousand bows and arrows all aimed at this father and son pair.
Yu Wengai loudly said, “General Hei Ningqi, I am willing to surrender!”
Imperial Guard grand commander was startled. Yu Wengai was still willing to surrender? This somewhat exceeded his expectations. He had originally felt that a fierce general like Yu Wengai should have committed suicide on the spot?
Surrender? Even the last bit of dignity was gone!
However, since Yu Wengai was willing to surrender, Hei Ningqi also could not stop him. All fate must be handed to Suolun to judge.
Hei Ningqi waved his hand, and instantly two Shadow Pavilion warriors stepped forward, binding Yu Wengai tightly with Heavenly Demon Silk.
Heavenly Demon Silk was actually platinum drawn into threads.
Platinum was one of the world’s most resilient secret metals, second only to Dragon Gold. Wearing platinum soft armour made one impervious to blades and spears. Suolun always wore one on his body at all times.
Any expert, once bound by Heavenly Demon Silk, no matter how great their ability could not break free.
Of course, the reason they could not break free was not insufficient strength. Rather, these platinum threads were extremely resilient and sharp. The moment one forcefully struggled free, they would directly cut into one’s body. So no matter how great the strength, it was useless. One could only be alive cut off arms and body.
“General Hei Ningqi, I request to meet Lord Suolun.” Yu Wengai said.
Imperial Guard grand commander Hei Ningqi said, “I can help relay your message, but whether the duke lord will see you is uncertain.”
Then, he loudly shouted, “Come, put the Yu Wengai father and son into prison carts!”
Thus, the former military’s number six figure, the martial arts incomparably powerful and invincible city guard troops commander Yu Wengai, became a prisoner.
“And me, and me…” Viscount Ye Jin hurriedly rushed out, directly kneeling on the ground with both hands raised high, saying, “I also surrender, I also surrender. My daughter Ye Feidie was once the regent duke’s lover.”
A Shadow Pavilion warrior stepped forward, directly stuffing him into a prison cart, not even binding him with ordinary rope. One could see they completely did not regard Viscount Ye Jin’s trash martial arts as worth anything.
At this time, within the residence ruins, only Hidden Continent young master Fang Qingyi and his four bodyguards remained.
Hei Ningqi asked, “There are still five people inside. Who are they?”
Though his mental power cultivation was not absolutely top-tier, he could still sense five powerful energy bodies.
Viscount Ye Jin hurriedly said, “It is Hidden Continent young master Fang Qingyi and his four bodyguards!”
Hei Ningqi’s eyes exploded with light, wildly overjoyed.
Unexpected! He had come to capture the Yu Wengai father and son, yet had also caught a big fish!
“Ha ha ha ha…” Hei Ningqi loudly said, “Young Master Fang Qingyi, will you come out yourself and surrender with hands bound, or shall we kill our way in?”