Chapter 328 - 253: Everyone, Drain This Cup and Slay the Invaders

Chapter 328: Chapter 253: Everyone, Drain This Cup and Slay the Invaders

By the end of his speech, Jin Qiang’s face was completely calm.

It was the devil-may-care attitude of a street-level pugilist, the open-mindedness that comes after accepting the reality of life and death.

Wu Liangchen had no words for this, offering only a cupped-fist salute in gratitude.

But the arrival of the Qingxiang Gang was just the beginning. After them, Zhu Wan’Er arrived with her own people.

The first thing she said upon seeing Wu Liangchen was:

"Brother Xiaowu, these are all the guards and household retainers who can fight and are willing to do so. They are yours to command now."

Wu Liangchen was somewhat surprised by Zhu Wan’Er’s arrival.

She wasn’t a pugilist, after all. Although she had business ties with Flower Square, no one could have blamed her for staying out of it.

Yet here she was, taking this enormous risk.

It was a debt of gratitude that Wu Liangchen would not forget.

Afterward, many of the local gangs in Huangpu Guard also arrived to offer their support. Of course, many others did not.

Wu Liangchen’s stance was to welcome all who came and not criticize those who stayed away.

That night, within Jufu Pavilion, all the allied factions and the brothers of Flower Square gathered under one roof.

Seeing the bustling scene, the master chefs in the kitchen roused their spirits and eagerly showed off their skills.

A torrent of dishes, some famous and some unknown, flowed from the kitchen. Zhu Wan’Er even brought out all the treasured vintage wines from her family’s collection, letting everyone eat and drink to their absolute satisfaction.

As the man of the hour, Wu Liangchen was met with a barrage of toasts from all sides.

Wu Liangchen refused no one, draining every cup offered to him. His immense capacity for alcohol earned him the silent admiration of everyone present.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Wu Liangchen shot Third Brother Xie a meaningful glance, then rose and walked out.

Third Brother Xie understood immediately and followed him out.

"Xiaowu, what is it?"

"Third Brother, where did we have the armor made for Niu Da and Niu Er?" Wu Liangchen asked.

Third Brother Xie was taken aback for a moment, but then he immediately realized what Wu Liangchen was planning.

"Xiaowu, you mean..."

"Exactly. The best way to counter the Firearms Team is to protect our vitals with armor," Wu Liangchen said grimly.

Realization dawned on Third Brother Xie, but it was quickly followed by a new concern. "But armor has to be custom-ordered in advance," he said. "With so many people, we’ll never have enough time!"

Wu Liangchen just smiled. "Who said anything about custom orders? We don’t need exquisite armor like the kind Niu Da and Niu Er have. We just need to layer some tough iron plates to protect our vital spots. That’s it."

Third Brother Xie’s eyes lit up. ’This could work?’

"Of course."

Having clashed with the East Sea nation’s Firearms Team several times, Wu Liangchen was well aware of the limitations of their current weapons.

They had decent power, but their accuracy and penetration were severely lacking.

Therefore, as long as they protected their vital spots with iron plates, they could negate the vast majority of the damage.

"Alright, I’ll go arrange for them to be made right now."

Third Brother Xie didn’t even bother going back to the feast. He turned and left immediately.

Watching his departing back, Wu Liangchen slowly exhaled, a sudden wave of exhaustion washing over him.

After all, he had been braving the elements on his journey, and ever since rushing back to Huangpu Guard, he hadn’t stopped for even a moment.

Running on fumes like this, even someone as formidable as Wu Liangchen felt a tinge of exhaustion.

But he quickly suppressed it and turned back toward the main hall.

While Flower Square was buzzing with the arrival of its new allies, Ono Shunyu was planning his next move.

The simplest solution, really, would be to order the great ships to approach the coast, turn their cannons, and blow Flower Square sky-high.

But Ono Shunyu didn’t do that.

Flower Square was Huangpu Guard’s most famous red-light district; its commercial value was simply incalculable.

If he could get it under his control, he would command Huangpu Guard’s biggest cash cow.

So, for the sake of his own vested interests, he couldn’t just shell Flower Square.

But he couldn’t let them be, either. Otherwise, the prestige of the East Sea nation would be utterly destroyed.

With this in mind, Ono Shunyu mulled it over for a long time before finally summoning all the Firearms Teams and issuing a bloodthirsty order.

Intensify preparations. Tomorrow night, we will encircle and annihilate Flower Square!

This "annihilation" meant that, aside from the women in the brothels, every single other person was to be killed. No one left alive.

This was to make an example of them.

Anything less would be insufficient to cow the various factions that were getting restless.

That being the case, the more brutal the methods, the better.

Once Ono Shunyu gave the order, the Firearms Teams began their frantic preparations without a moment’s hesitation.

A commotion of this magnitude naturally caught the attention of Ota Masayuki.

When he heard the news, he was momentarily stunned, then let out a cold smirk.

"That idiot. He really isn’t afraid of blowing things up, is he."

Just then, the old steward by his side played his part as the perfect foil, asking with a curious expression.

"My lord, Ono Shunyu is mobilizing his entire force. How will Flower Square possibly respond?"

"’Respond? Respond to what?’ Ota Masayuki said coldly. ’Do you really think Wu Liangchen is foolish enough for a head-on clash? Don’t be an idiot. He’ll have his men adopt a defensive strategy, while he himself will use guerilla tactics to pick them off one by one. He might even go straight for Ono Shunyu himself.’"

And just as he predicted, the very next day, when Wu Liangchen heard that Ono Shunyu was about to lead all the Firearms Teams in an assault on Flower Square, he immediately spoke to Third Brother Xie.

"Is everything ready?"

"Almost," Third Brother Xie said, his face etched with fatigue. "An iron vest for everyone. They’re strong enough to protect their vitals."

He hadn’t slept at all last night, staying at the smithy to oversee the work.

"Good," Wu Liangchen said. "Pick out our elite fighters and give each of them an iron vest. Station them at key points throughout Flower Square. And remember, avoid initiating attacks. Stick to a defensive strategy as much as possible. Especially when the Firearms Team opens fire—find the nearest cover and hide."

"Understood." Third Brother Xie immediately left to make the arrangements.

After Third Brother Xie was gone, Wu Liangchen took a deep breath and opened his status panel.

[Name: Wu Liangchen] [Age: 18]

[Life Fire: 997 Wisps]

[Star-Swallowing Meridian Opening Skill: Initiate (86/100)]

[Hundred Beasts Facing Heaven Stance (Mastery 478/500)]

[Eight-Step Wind-Chasing Fist (Grand Accomplishment 133/1000)]

[Sun-Chasing Archery Skill (Grand Accomplishment 381/1000)]

[Jingzhe Saber Technique (Grand Accomplishment 123/500)]

[Golden Body Cross Training Skill (Grand Accomplishment 96/500)]

[Opening Veins (10%)]

His martial path had progressed, but the biggest change was with his Star-Swallowing Meridian Opening Skill.

Within Wu Liangchen’s sea of consciousness, another star had fallen into an acupoint, lighting it up.

The Celestial Killing Star!

A star that governed slaughter.

As it settled into the acupoint, Wu Liangchen came to a realization.

The awakening of the Celestial Killing Star was likely caused by all the killing he had done these past few days.

His own murderous intent had resonated with the star, drawing it into his body.

’It seems this Star-Swallowing Meridian Opening Skill is even more profound than I imagined.’

’So that’s what the Life Fire was spent on. It wasn’t wasted after all.’

Wu Liangchen mused to himself.

That afternoon, when the last of the iron vests—forged with every ounce of the smithy’s effort—were delivered, the men began to suit up.

By the time everything was ready, the sun had set, and the city’s lanterns were just beginning to glow.

Zhu Wan’Er had the last of her family’s private stock of fine wine brought over. A bowl was set out for each person, arranged in neat rows.

Wu Liangchen stood on a high platform, his eyes sweeping across the crowd. He saw that every man wore a black band around his arm, their expressions grim and resolute.

Yan Feng, Wen Yunlong, and the others in particular had bloodshot eyes, their faces radiating murderous intent.

Seeing this, Wu Liangchen raised the wine bowl before him and declared in a deep voice:

"Everyone! Drain this cup with me, and then we will slaughter the enemy!"

"AYE!"

Following the unified roar, everyone raised their bowls, drained the wine in a single gulp, and smashed the empty vessels on the ground before setting out.

But as they stepped out of Jufu Pavilion, they were met with a stunning sight.

The street, at some point, had filled with women from all the major brothels.

Some held cups of sweet wine, others held freshly boiled eggs, and all of them waited with faces full of adoration.

When they saw the men emerge, the women immediately swarmed forward, calling out.

"Brothers, drink some sweet wine before you go to battle!"

"These are freshly boiled eggs! Eat a couple, so you’ll have the strength to fight!"

Faced with such heartfelt encouragement from the women, the men all unconsciously straightened their backs.

A beauty’s favor is said to be the hardest debt to repay, and here were countless women looking at them with eyes full of worship.

In that moment, their morale soared to its absolute peak.