Heroes Emerge Amid Turmoil, Transporters of the World

"Kill!!"

The sounds of battle cries echoed along the mountain paths; all the checkpoints leading to the stronghold had been breached.

In the martial arts world of Taiyuan, Liang An, the head of the Liang Lineage family, wearing a black hat, with a thick black beard, dressed in a red robe, and with a gold sash around his waist, walked across the battlefield with a sword in hand. He was as strong as a tiger.

He was still playing with two iron balls in his left hand, grinding them with a sharp, whirring sound, while with each swing of his Great Saber in his right hand, a blade of energy shot out, killing one or two people.

Despite the chaos of the battlefield, he seemed to be strolling leisurely.

With eyes watching in all directions and ears listening to all sides, he controlled the entire situation.

Besides ordinary swords, spears, bows, and arrows, many of the rebels in the mountain stronghold also wielded iron shovels, which they swung with great force and were the most valiant.

Liang An could tell at a glance that those people must have originally been miners.

"Hmph! There are probably quite a few of them who were originally slaves of my Liang Lineage's mine!"

Liang An a deep pain in his heart, and his murderous intent deepened.

"What excellent lackeys they are! That old dog Yu Zhenlei actually instigated them to rebel, causing my Liang Lineage's mines to suffer a significant reduction in production recently."

Historical records from the Han Dynasty already document the use of coal for salt production and iron smelting.

The Lüliang Mountains are rich in coal mines and have a large number of miners, but they suffer from severe abuse.

Since Yu Zhenlei, a bandit leader, rescued miners, killed officials, and rebelled, many miners have joined his ranks, and his power has grown immensely.

I've heard that swordsmen from Liangzhou once came to seek refuge with them, and their reputation in the Northwest region is quite remarkable.

However, Yu Zhenlei died of illness some time ago. His son is biased in his dealings, treats his soldiers poorly, and cannot win the support of the troops. There are rumors that there are signs of internal strife.

Liang An had already set his sights on this and contacted several local martial arts families, preparing to wipe out this group of rebels.

Those few companies, however, couldn't figure out whether the business was worthwhile and were hesitant to make a decision.

Not long ago, someone brought the Grand Tutor's edict. Those in the Taiyuan government office who were useless against the rebels and only dragged down the major Lineage were either beheaded or imprisoned. However, the people who originally belonged to the major Lineage were spared and allowed to redeem themselves through meritorious service.

The official appointment documents were all prepared, and the keys to the government office and treasury were also on display, waiting for the meritorious person to come and claim the reward.

Those old geezers that Liang An had contacted rushed forward even faster than him this time.

Fortunately, the Liang Lineage's strength is the most formidable in the Taiyuan martial arts world, and these people still want him to take the main position before the actual battle.

Boom!!!

In the mountain village, a tall wooden building collapsed with a loud crash.

A glint flashed in Liang An's eyes, and he leaped over.

Amidst the thick dust, several figures were arguing.

"I deserve the most credit. If I hadn't grabbed his leg, would you have been able to succeed?"

"Bullshit! I grabbed his wrist first!"

"Stop your insolence, you old man! I twisted his head off first!"

As the dust settled, several local martial arts masters were seen arguing, each holding a leg, an arm, and a head in their hands.

As soon as Liang An arrived, the three of them stopped talking, turned their heads to stare at him, and gave him fake smiles.

"The credit for killing that brat from the Yu family naturally belongs to you all; I won't compete with you for it."

Liang An glanced at them, and hearing the battle subside, he leaped onto the roof of the large house and surveyed the entire stronghold.

Some of the young men from those families, oblivious to the danger, were about to kill the prisoners to claim credit for their war efforts, but they were stopped by the Liang Lineage, who were currently capturing the prisoners.

Military achievements are just numbers; whether you report more or less can be decided in a single thought.

With the world in chaos, manpower is the most useful resource.

"Ha ha ha ha!!"

Liang An loud laughter, his voice echoing in all directions.

"Fellow villagers, do not be afraid, we have rescued you from the clutches of the demon."

"Originally, as rebels, you should have been sentenced to death by a thousand cuts. However, considering that you were merely misled by demons, my Liang Lineage will vouch for you."

"From now on, you no longer need to be traitors who punish nine generations of your family. You can return to my Liang Lineage mine and live a peaceful and law-abiding life!"

The sounds of dying cries and burning wood could still be heard throughout the mountain village.

None of the prisoners responded to him, but the Liang Lineage members raised their swords and cheered loudly.

Liang An's second son flew to his side, beaming. But as he got closer, he whispered, "Father, I don't think these beasts are so easy to tame. They even dare to glare at me. Let us kill another batch."

"So impulsive and rash, he has no composure whatsoever."

Liang An retorted, "Throughout history, many great generals, after achieving fame, had a large portion of their troops as former surrendered soldiers. Training them is like training livestock; with a little patience, it's not difficult."

"After we get a rope and lead them back, we'll starve them for a few days before sending them into the mine. They'll then know how to survive."

The second son said, "But didn't these miners rebel before—"

"That was before; it wasn't a chaotic time then, and we had limited manpower available."

A shrewd and intelligent glint appeared in Liang An's eyes. "But things are very different now."

"In the future, we can continue our war with a legitimate reason, distinguishing between new and old prisoners, and ensuring that the old prisoners are treated better than the new ones."

"Once someone is found to be in a worse state than the old prisoners, these old prisoners will easily submit and be quickly put to our use, thus setting an example for the prisoners to come."

"Such clear rewards and punishments, coupled with the ever-growing number of soldiers, and the ability to unleash troops like wolves while training them like dogs—this is the true essence of the military strategy that enabled the Mongol Yuan cavalry to conquer hundreds of nations!"

The second son pondered it for a moment and found it to be very reasonable. He exclaimed with delight, "So military strategy is only effective in chaotic times! Father, you actually know about the secret military treatises passed down from the Mongol Yuan dynasty?"

Liang An shook his head.

"This subtlety has long been present in the military strategies of the Han people. However, ancient historians praised the so-called 'Kingly Way,' which is profound in its subtle meaning. You must ponder it carefully to understand its wisdom."

As he spoke, the situation on the battlefield became clearer. The prisoners, their internal energy sealed and their hands bound, gathered together.

Liang An suddenly realized something was wrong.

Why are there so few people?

Did internal strife really kill so many people?

"Master!"

Just as Liang An was about to question a prisoner, he suddenly heard a shrill howl coming from down the mountain.

A man covered in blood rode up the mountain at breakneck speed; it was Liang An's personal servant.

When Liang An left home, he left his eldest son, second brother, and old servant behind to manage the family business, which shows his trust in the old servant.

Seeing the old servant in such a miserable state, Liang An felt as if struck by lightning, and many thoughts flashed through his mind.

In the blink of an eye, the old servant had already spurred his horse into the mountain stronghold, collapsed to the ground, and cried out in despair.

"Master, the house has been taken over by rebels!"

Liang An composed himself and asked in a deep voice, "All the elites of our Lineage are here. There may be some chaos at home for a while, but it won't damage our foundation. Explain clearly, where did the rebels come from?"

The old servant shouted, "It's those salt smugglers from Qingxu County! They rebelled a couple of years ago and have been roaming the deep mountains ever since—"

The Yuan Dynasty's management of the salt industry was highly distorted. Thanks to the firm stance of the Liao Dynasty's prime minister, the Yuan Dynasty did not directly contract out the salt tax business to local powerful families.

Salt could only be produced by the government. Salt warehouses were set up in various places, and tickets were sold to merchants. Merchants could then withdraw a certain amount of salt with the tickets and sell it to the people.

Because other forms of tax farming had become corrupt, with the lion's share of the profits going into the pockets of local officials and gentry, and the national treasury's tax revenue was insufficient, the salt tax became a key area to be exploited, resulting in several tax increases every year.

Small salt merchants were frequently going bankrupt and absconding, leading to a proliferation of illegal salt smugglers.

However, the largest-scale salt smuggling operations are often located in coastal areas or places where well salt is produced.

Coming to Shanxi to distribute salt was difficult and dangerous, so very few people were willing to do it.

Therefore, among the various rebel groups in this region, those originating from the mining community are the most powerful.

The rebel army, led by salt merchants, included some skilled fighters, but their total numbers were small and posed little threat.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible."

Liang An felt a sudden dizziness.

"Where did those salt smugglers get their hands on people to be able to take over my house?"

Indeed, when the swordsmen of the Resolute Sect were unhappy in this mountain stronghold and wanted to join other rebel armies, they went straight to Suzhou and Hangzhou without hesitation.

Others may not have their stubbornness or their strong stamina.

But even if one escaped from this mountain stronghold and wanted to seek refuge elsewhere, there was no reason to seek refuge with those traffickers—that was before!

When the group of salt smugglers made their decision, spoke frankly, and the entire army studied the healing methods of the Heavenly Book of the Blood Dao together, they became a unique torch among the Shanxi rebels.

In coastal areas, some salt smugglers are simply wealthy businessmen who secretly engage in this side business, purely because they value the profits.

Even if 90% of those who come to Shanxi to sell salt are driven by profit, there must also be 10% driven by compassion.

But they had so little before, and they needed to make a living. Even if they couldn't bear it, they didn't have much to share or talk about.

Until someone gave them a treasure without discrimination.

At this point, the disparity between the rebel armies became apparent at an alarming rate.

The Healing Chapter of "Heavenly Book of the Blood Dao" is just an introduction. When newcomers truly feel that atmosphere, and when they truly win battles, that trust will become even more unbreakable.

Perhaps all living beings in the world can indeed be tamed, but humans are not, after all, dogs.

Given the chance to eat food, who would want to eat shit?

What happened in Liang An is just a small microcosm.

The changes in the world recently have become increasingly intense and rapid.

The movement of people far exceeded the expectations of the local powerful families.

Real cattle and horses cannot understand what other cattle and horses are saying, but slaves can understand the messages brought to them by people from other places.

However, some martial arts clans and powerful families in certain regions are indeed formidable.

They were so powerful that the local rebels could not shake them.

"Heavenly Book of the Blood Dao: Healing Chapter?"

On the shore of the Yellow Sea, huge waves crash against the rocky beach.

Pu Xigu, the leader of the Qilu Martial Arts Alliance, with a blue face and long beard, wearing a yellow robe, was hidden in the seaside jungle. He closed his eyes, stroked his beard, pondered the secrets, and wore a smile.

"These traitors are truly laughable; they dare to casually reveal such a secret."

"The Great Yuan granted me an official position and gave me its treasury; the rebels can easily seize my advanced methods for healing the heart—"

Nearly a thousand people, each with remarkable agility, are hidden in the jungle.

Pu Yun was not far from Pu Xigu. He was straightforward and spoke very bluntly. He laughed through telepathy.

"Haha, brother, Shangdu get such benefits even from rebels. After we finish this battle, we should at least try to get some more good stuff from the envoy and ask the Grand Tutor for some more."

"With rewards from the government in one hand and gains from battle in the other, we can reap double the benefits from a single battle, forging a powerful momentum that is just around the corner."

Although Pu Xigu had a smile on his face, he waved his hand.

"Alright, high morale is good, but we mustn't let our guard down. The Wind-Riding Bandits ' fleet sails back from the Yellow Sea every year, plundering local wealthy merchants. Although their numbers aren't large, they are exceptionally good at harassing the rear and supporting other rebel operations."

"Their archery skills are exceptional, and their agility is superb. This time, we've only brought the best fighters; our goal is to annihilate them completely."

Everyone nodded in agreement, but some were skeptical.

They were just a group of hunters and fishermen; their skin was shriveled from the sun and their bodies were thin from the wind, so naturally their lightness skills would be better.

But how can they be compared to the true masters of martial arts in Qilu?

In the past, I couldn't spare the time, but this time I'm going to let these peasants truly understand what the demeanor of a real martial arts master is like.

The sea remained calm and the fleet was nowhere to be seen. However, it gradually appeared as if two figures were approaching.

"That was awesome!"

Han Baiyu stretched and walked on the sea, his smile radiating youthful energy.

"Ever since Old Chu became such a big target, standing against Dadu, the number of righteous armies across the land has increased, and more and more people are sincerely willing to do business with us."

"This feeling of being able to trade everywhere and freely spend money and resources, oh my, I'm totally addicted! Is this what it feels like to have someone protecting you?"

Zhang Yining walked beside her with a slight smile on his face.

Since the situation in the world has changed, Zhang Yining no longer needs to stay in Suzhou and Hangzhou.

He recently escorted the Heavenly Maiden, transporting provisions and equipment from various places. In some places, the newly captured grain and weapons were plentiful and could not be used up in time. In other places, the rebel army was in high spirits, but lacked clothing and food.

Under the guise of a transaction, the celestial maiden took these items into the Youdu Edict. With Zhang Yining by her side, they could travel thousands of miles in a single day, transporting supplies to various places.

The recent surge in morale and improved military strength of the local rebel armies is closely related to this.

"The Wind-Riding Gang is a rare force known for its benevolence and righteousness. The supplies we've given them this time will be enough to allow them to play a greater role along the coast."

Zhang Yining's gaze turned towards the coastline.

"However, the martial arts world of Qilu has recently wiped out several rebel armies. Now that we're here, we should try to persuade them to lay down their weapons."

In the jungle, Pu Xigu and the others could already make out the faces of the two people on the sea.

The young girl in green was bright and beautiful, possessing a vitality rarely seen Zhongdu the martial arts world.

The boy in white evoked an even more peculiar feeling.

His hair was as black as silk, his clear eyes shone, and his white silk clothes gave him an extraordinary air.

Many people in the jungle felt ashamed of themselves upon seeing him.

Those with a more timid nature unconsciously averted their gaze.

Those with a strong personality might suddenly feel an overwhelming surge of jealousy and malice, wishing they could tear this person to pieces and grind them into blood before they could feel at ease.

"Amitabha Buddha."

Zhang Yining left the celestial maiden's side, walked a hundred feet ahead to the shore, and greeted her with a bow, "Are you all waiting on the shore for the people of the Riding Wind-Riding Gang?"

Pu Xigu's expression was solemn.

Pu Yun felt somewhat uncomfortable and returned the greeting, saying, "We are here precisely to wipe out those bandits. It's not appropriate for us to get involved in such mundane matters, sir. Please proceed with your business."

Zhang Yining smiled.

Why do you think I'm not a bandit?

Pu Yun's expression changed, and he gripped the blue, gleaming poisoned dart hidden in his sleeve. "What do you mean by this, sir?"

"You have already slaughtered far too many innocent people. If you still wish to continue annihilating bandits, then please—face me!"

As Zhang Yining said this, he slowly walked into the jungle.

The martial arts masters of Qilu all felt as if their vision had blurred.

The young man in white walked slowly towards them, but he was not alone.

Instead, dozens of identical white-clad youths entered the jungle simultaneously.

Is it an illusion, or some kind of superhuman agility?!

They simply cannot tell the difference.

Actually, that's internal strength.

The waves remain still, the fish do not leap, the leaves do not fall, and the heavens and earth are undisturbed. The latent energy of nature has surged and gathered into these human figures.

This is the reflection Zhang Yining gained after exchanging ideas with Han Shantong.

Although he couldn't condense an avatar dozens of miles away, he could use his internal True Qi to temporarily condense multiple "Qi-Form Battle Body" within a hundred feet of him.

Han Baiyu stood on the sea, watching quietly. Suddenly, he sensed something, reached out and took out a wax pill containing a Gu worm, and stuffed it into his right ear.

The sounds of Central Shu (Sichuan) emanated from the Gu worm.

Han Baiyu's expression changed. "Father, you—"