Chapter 328 - 319: Banner-cutting Alliance, Injured Elder Li

Chapter 328: Chapter 319: Banner-cutting Alliance, Injured Elder Li

Xu Xinyi threw herself into Fu Juemin’s arms. She savored the tender moment with him before looking up, curiously sizing up the impressive entourage behind him. "Brother Lingjun, did you get a new batch of subordinates?"

Fu Juemin stroked her hair and smiled. "I wasn’t just waiting around these past few days in Yingjing. I had to get something done."

With that, he turned and ordered the Mu, Ning, and Chaha families to wait where they were, then led Xu Xinyi toward the group from the Ghost Camp.

As they drew near, the men of the Ghost Camp all showed their respect, addressing him as, "Young Master."

Fu Juemin nodded slightly, walking past the leaders Xu Hengjiang and Cao Tian to look at those behind them.

He did a quick count. Of the Ghost Camp remnants who had evacuated from Shenghai with him, sixty-seven had arrived.

More than ten had left along the way, but the situation was much better than Fu Juemin had expected.

He’d originally thought he’d be lucky if even half of them made it.

Zhang Yi and his son were still among them, which came as a surprise to Fu Juemin.

"On our way here, we ran into Wen Zhiqiu’s men..."

Xu Hengjiang began, "They asked where you were headed, Young Master. I didn’t tell them, but I did find out that they seem to be preparing to go to Shuangguan Prefecture..."

"Oh?"

Fu Juemin’s expression flickered.

If he recalled correctly, he had read in the newspaper that the Ming Society had officially changed its name to the Ming Faction in Shangguan Prefecture.

It seemed Wen Zhiqiu had ultimately chosen to join the revolutionary path.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Fu Juemin, and he couldn’t be bothered to care.

After briefly chatting with Xu Hengjiang and the others about their journey, Fu Juemin gave his orders directly: "Cao Tian and Zhang Yi, you stay. Also, leave a few clever men to help with communications and passing messages.

As for the rest, Xu Hengjiang, you will lead them to Xinjing..."

"Xinjing?"

Xu Hengjiang was taken aback, clearly hearing the name for the first time.

"It’s a place the Northern Army Group set up. It’s not far from Yingjing. If you head further north, you can get there in half a day if you’re fast."

Fu Juemin said calmly, "For now, you can’t be of much help with my affairs here in Yingjing, and Yingjing isn’t a suitable place for you to stay..."

Under the rule of the Nine Banners, Yingjing City was overshadowed by Demon Fiends, a place of extreme oppression and extreme conservatism.

It would be impossible for ordinary people to swagger through the streets with foreign guns like they did in Shenghai.

Moreover, Yingjing City was teeming with Martial Artists and overrun with Dirt-Loading Martial Artists. The average Combat Power was more than a notch higher than in Shenghai. If Xu Hengjiang’s group of old army veterans stayed here, they wouldn’t gain any advantages and might even get in his way.

"Xinjing is territory ruled by the Northern Army, which will make it easier for you to operate.

Once you get to Xinjing, first find a place to settle down. Slowly recruit new members and replenish your ranks with new blood... You should know how to handle this better than I do."

Xu Hengjiang listened and slowly nodded.

These men from the Ghost Camp were still of great use to Fu Juemin.

Fu Juemin was no saint, but seeing this Demon Capital City, full of monsters and people living like pigs and dogs, he felt he would be letting himself down if he didn’t do something—if he didn’t leave something behind.

His initial plan was that once he had "eaten" his fill in the Demon Capital and was ready to dust off his hands and leave, he would—just as he did in Shenghai—hit the Nine Banners with something big!

The Ghost Camp’s current numbers weren’t enough, and he would have to find a way to replenish the munitions they had used up in Shenghai.

Demon Capital City was simply too large. If he wanted to blow all the Nine Banners’ queue-wearers to kingdom come, and kill the few First Grade Supreme Great Demons in the Imperial City along with them....

He would need a massive amount of dynamite.

Fu Juemin made the arrangements, and no one had any objections. The only exception was Xu Xinyi, who stood to the side with red-rimmed eyes, not saying a word as tears silently streamed down her face.

Seeing her like this, Fu Juemin’s gaze softened, and he reached out to gently pull her into his arms.

"What’s wrong?"

"I just got here, I’ve only just seen you... and now you’re trying to send me away again!"

Her face filled with a sense of being wronged. She tugged at Fu Juemin’s sleeve and pleaded pitifully, "Can’t I stay here with you?"

Knowing they would meet today, Xu Xinyi had probably taken great care to dress up.

She had deliberately changed into a more traditional Manchu-style ensemble: a wide-sleeved short cheongsam over a long, embroidered horse-face skirt.

Around her neck, she wore a gold-set ruby necklace, which made her look all the more radiant and captivating.

"How far is it from Xinjing to Yingjing, really? Once I’m past this busy spell, I’ll come find you..."

Fu Juemin held Xu Xinyi and comforted her casually, "Yingjing is deathly boring. There are no dance halls, no movie theaters. If you stayed, you’d just be like a canary I keep in a cage all day, unable to go anywhere..."

"I’d be willing to do that, too."

Xu Xinyi sniffled, her eyes full of stubbornness as she replied.

Fu Juemin didn’t answer her. His gaze caught on the necklace she was wearing, and his eyes suddenly fixed on the gold-rimmed ruby.

"Is that the same gem you wore in Taimei County?"

Fu Juemin picked up the stone to examine it and said slowly, "Why does it look... a lot redder and brighter than before?"

"It’s amazing, isn’t it!"

Xu Xinyi, her attention diverted, said proudly, "I don’t know why, it just gets prettier the more I wear it.

I’ve thought about it for a long time, but I just can’t remember where I bought it."

"Then don’t wear it for now. I’ll hold onto it for you."

A glint flashed in his eyes as Fu Juemin directly took the necklace off Xu Xinyi’s neck.

Although Xu Xinyi was confused and surprised, she didn’t say anything.

After finally placating Xu Xinyi, it was time for Xu Hengjiang’s group to leave again.

Before she left, Fu Juemin made a point of telling Xu Xinyi to find a school for Zhang Yi’s son, Zhang Xuan, once they got to Xinjing....

Taking Cao Tian, Zhang Yi, and five selected men from the Ghost Camp, the Profound Banner Spirit Lord’s caravan turned around and headed back to the city.

Fu Juemin sat inside the spacious carriage, large enough to hold more than twenty people, holding the gemstone necklace he had just taken from Xu Xinyi and examining it closely.

’There’s nothing wrong with it.’

Fu Juemin examined the stone inside and out several times but couldn’t see anything unusual about it.

But it was definitely not a ruby; it was more like a piece of Jade.

It was as if a pool of blood had seeped into the Jade, the red growing deeper and richer.

Unable to spot anything strange, Fu Juemin casually tucked the necklace into his coat, leaned back on the couch, and quietly thought things over.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped.

He lifted his eyes slightly, and a moment later, Mu Feng’s voice came from outside the carriage.

"Spirit Lord! Your subordinate, Mu Feng, requests an audience."

Fu Juemin lifted the curtain, rolled down the window, and saw Mu Feng on horseback beside the carriage.

He hadn’t come with them on this trip; he had rushed out from the city specifically to meet them.

"What is it?"

"There’s been trouble in the city."

Mu Feng reported, but his face held a strange hint of relief. "Today, in the territory of the Lower Five Banners, the carriages of several families from several banners were ambushed on the street by rebels.

The Royal Banner Envoy’s party... unfortunately, they were all killed..."

"Rebels ambushing carriages?!"

Fu Juemin was slightly stunned, then shook his head and said with an amused laugh, "And here I thought the Helers clan had some brilliant plan... This excuse is a little too flimsy."

"It’s not entirely fake."

Mu Feng spurred his horse forward a couple of steps, leaned closer, and lowered his voice. "The rebels of the Banner-cutting Alliance have been attacking members of the Nine Banners for a while now.

A Royal Banner Envoy dying is just about plausible.

But this time, things have really blown up..."

"What kind of faction is this Banner-cutting Alliance?"

Fu Juemin asked calmly.

"Just a bunch of bedbugs living in the shadow of the Banners, who don’t know their place."

Mu Feng sneered contemptuously. "These guys usually operate at night, scurrying around everywhere with red lanterns. They’re all strapped with dynamite, fearless of death, and will just charge at anyone they see...

When they blow up, it’s all a crimson flash of fire and blood.

Usually, everyone calls them the ’Red Lantern Maggots.’"

Hearing this, a glint danced in Fu Juemin’s eyes.

He didn’t say anything, just calmly and casually lowered the carriage curtain.

Inside the carriage, Fu Juemin rested his right hand on his knee, tapping it lightly and erratically.

’Banner-cutting Alliance....’

’So they use dynamite because they can’t beat the Nine Banners’ Dirt-Loading Martial Artists?’

This method was very much to Fu Juemin’s liking; he rather admired it.

’If I get the chance... I really should meet them.’

.....

「Nightfall.」

Curfew had passed, and the streets of Yingjing City were dead silent.

Suddenly, a single red light swayed as it moved quickly down the street.

As it drew closer, it became clear that it was two people in short jackets and masks. From their exposed eyes and brows, they both seemed quite young. The one in the lead carried a lantern, his steps swift.

The two quickly turned into an alley. When they reached a certain low wooden door, they stopped, knocked three times, and then blew out the lantern.

The small door opened with a CREAK, and a bit of candlelight seeped through the crack.

The two quickly slipped inside, and as soon as the door closed, one of them—a young man with thick brows and large eyes—tore off his mask and started complaining.

"Which bastard killed that Banner Dog and let the blame fall on us? The street patrols today were several times stronger than usual. We were almost discovered..."

"Shut up!"

Inside the room, a sharp-featured girl holding a candle chided them softly, "Whoever it was, anyone who dares to kill a Banner Dog is a hero.

To kill a Royal Banner lackey at that makes them a hero among heroes.

How dare you speak of them like that?"

The thick-browed, large-eyed young man seemed quite afraid of the girl. After being scolded, he shrank back and only dared to mutter, "I was just saying. I didn’t say they did a bad job killing him.

It’s just that their timing was terrible..."

The young man pulled a large bundle of medicine packets from his bulging coat and mumbled, "If the two of us get caught by the Banner Dogs, so be it.

But if we couldn’t get Elder Li’s medicine back, that would be a crime worthy of ten thousand deaths!"

"You talk too much!"

The sharp-featured girl shot the young man a glare, snatched the medicine packets from his hand, and hurried over to the stove in the corner of the room.

The young man didn’t argue with her. He and his companion lifted the door curtain and walked quickly into the inner room.

The inner room was unlit and pitch-dark. The small space was filled with the thick stench of medicine and blood.

The young man faced a figure in the corner of the room, half-reclining on a small bed, and called out cautiously, "Elder Li..."

The figure heard the call and only stirred after a long moment. Then, he slowly lifted his eyelids and spoke in a low, hoarse voice, "Have you collected everything I asked you to gather?"

The young man stood where he was and stammered, "The other things were easy to get, but... that... that living human heart’s blood...

It’s... It’s really hard to get."

Hearing this, the man on the bed shook his head. "You spend all day shouting about killing every last Demon Capital Banner Dog, yet you don’t even have the guts to kill one person and take their heart’s blood.

I suppose I taught you that set of techniques for nothing..."

The figure coughed twice, paused, then said in a low voice, "I used to know someone. He was younger than you, but his heart was far more ruthless."