Siege

After killing the city guard, the gaunt man ignored the city guards surrounding him. Instead, he turned to the refugees behind him and shouted:

"Fellow fathers and elders, our relief grain has been cut again and again lately. Now, it is hard to find even a single grain of rice in the porridge we receive each day."

"Our relief grain must have been embezzled by the corrupt officials in the city."

"We suffer and starve out here, while those grand lords inside the city feast on meat and fish with the relief grain the imperial court allocated to us."

"Fellow countrymen, can you endure this?"

Although the man's intentions were impure, what he said was largely in line with reality. While the imperial court and the various factions had turned a blind eye to the unrest caused by the Yellow Heaven Cult in Jin'an Prefecture,

they had done a fairly decent job providing relief for the refugees fleeing Jin'an Prefecture, allocating no small amount of grain and money. Otherwise, Lin'an City, a mere small county town, would never have been able to support so many refugees.

However, Shi Kangshun was in desperate need of money during this period, so naturally he would not let such a fat morsel slip away. That was why the refugees' relief porridge had grown thinner and thinner.

"We can't endure it!"

"That's right! Make those corrupt officials return the relief grain that belongs to us!"

Several voices rose from among the refugees in response to the gaunt man.

"That's right! We must make those corrupt officials return the relief grain that belongs to us!"

"Fellow countrymen, do you dare charge into the city with me and snatch back what originally belonged to us from those grand lords?"

The gaunt man spoke again.

"We dare!"

"Take back what belongs to us!"

"Take it back!"

More and more refugees began echoing the gaunt man. Anyone who looked carefully would notice that the refugees who always responded to him first were clearly different in build from those around them. They were not as gaunt and weak as the other refugees.

Although quite a few refugees were moved by the gaunt man's words, only a minority spoke up in response. Most remained on the sidelines, because they knew there were powerful martial artists in the city, people ordinary folk like them could never contend with.

"Where did this little thief come from, spouting such wild nonsense?"

At that moment, a loud shout came from the city gate. A man clad in armor strode out from the gate and arrived at the encirclement formed by the city guards.

"My lord."

The city guards along the way respectfully made way for the armored man. He was a centurion among the city guards, and an early Bone Forging Realm martial artist.

"You dare kill men of our city guard army? Watch as I execute you, you arrogant little thief who spouts such wild nonsense, on the spot!"

A centurion with Bone Forging Realm cultivation naturally did not regard an ordinary refugee as worthy of notice. Drawing his saber, he moved to cut the man down where he stood.

Unexpectedly, the gaunt man suddenly erupted as well. With every breath came the rumble of his five viscera and six bowels—he was actually an Inner Strength Realm martial artist.

He was Ning Siyuan, Bai Yingfei's subordinate, acting on Bai Yingfei's orders to launch the plan at this very hour of the Rooster.

A flash of saber light passed, and the centurion's head separated from his body and fell to the ground. Before long, his body could no longer remain standing and crashed down with a thunderous boom.

This sight stunned everyone except the Yellow Heaven Cult.

"Fellow countrymen, charge with me!"

After killing the centurion, Ning Siyuan shouted loudly without even turning his head, then took the lead and charged into the city.

After Ning Siyuan, the other Yellow Heaven Cult members also sprang into action, slaughtering the dozen or so city guards outside the city who had yet to react. Two of them displayed the traits of Inner Strength Realm martial artists as well: one was a burly man named Yu Hong, while the other was a voluptuous woman named Lou Lanxin.

Together with An Yan, they had been the only four Inner Strength Realm martial artists under Bai Yingfei's command. Now that An Yan had been killed by Bi Changsheng, only the three of them remained.

"We have martial artists too!"

"Follow the martial artist lords and charge!"

The refugees who had come to their senses were overjoyed. The Yellow Heaven Cult members' sudden eruption showed them that this could actually work, and they excitedly followed the Yellow Heaven Cult members in charging toward the city.

Perhaps some clever refugees had already realized that so many martial artists appearing among them was utterly unnatural. Yet they had been starved to within half a breath of death. In order to fill their stomachs, they too were swept into the torrent of the crowd.

"Close the city gates, quickly!"

Seeing the refugees pour into the city like a tide, the city guards inside tried to close the gates and stop them from entering. Unfortunately, it was already too late. Ning Siyuan, who was leading the charge, had reached the gate. With two slashes, he beheaded the city guards trying to shut it.

"Light the beacon fires! Withdraw fifty meters and form up! Stop the vagrants from entering the city! Kill without mercy anyone who dares force their way through!"

At this time, the commander of the city guards had also arrived. Seeing that the gates could not be closed, he did not panic. He calmly directed the city guard army to fall back and establish a defensive line, preparing to intercept the refugees there.

"Charge!"

The refugees who had rushed into the city soon collided with the defensive line formed by the city guard army.

"Kill!"

Having formed up, the city guard army, though only several hundred strong, showed no fear in the face of refugees several times their number. They drew their weapons, coordinated with one another, and charged into the crowd of refugees.

In an instant, the cries of battle resounded through the skies above Lin'an City, alarming the entire city.

"That sound?"

Bi Changsheng was naturally alerted by the noise as well. He came outside and listened closely, quickly realizing that it came from the direction of the city gate. Looking over, he could vaguely see beacon smoke rising into the sky beneath the moonlight.

Seeing this, Bi Changsheng knew his premonition had come true. The undercurrents hidden beneath Lin'an City had begun to churn, and stormy winds were on their way!

"Zheng Qing, protect your father. I'll go see what's happening."

Speaking to Uncle Fu and Liu Zhengqing, who had also come out to investigate after being disturbed by the noise, Bi Changsheng said this before activating Qingfeng Sword Steps beneath his feet. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from before them.

"The young master is getting stronger and stronger."

Liu Zhengqing, who had not even had time to respond, stared at the spot where Bi Changsheng had disappeared with worship in his eyes.

At the Lin'an City County Office, County Magistrate Shi Kangshun was likewise alerted by the disturbance at the city gate.

"You two, go separately to the Zhao Family and the Sun Family and deliver my order. Tell them to send men to the city gate to provide support."

After determining that something had happened at the city gate, he casually selected two constables to notify the Sun Family and Zhao Family, then immediately began gathering men.

"Something has happened at the city gate. You and I will immediately lead men over to reinforce them."

Once the men had assembled, Shi Kangshun said urgently to Fan Shao.

Having arranged everything, Shi Kangshun and his group set out at once.

"Damn it, why did it have to happen now?"

On the way out of the County Office, Shi Kangshun cursed inwardly. In just a few days, he would be transferred away from the troublesome place that was Lin'an City, yet trouble had to arise at this final juncture.

Shi Kangshun secretly swore that he would tear whoever had caused this disturbance into ten thousand pieces before he could vent the hatred in his heart.

Yet when Shi Kangshun and his group stepped out through the County Office gates, they found a Middle-aged Man standing alone before the entrance,

blocking their path.