[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h":3,"chapter-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-42":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Devouring Evil, Exterminating Demons Across All Heavens",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2266987,4426,"Chapter 42: The Traitor Always Sees Betrayal—Shoot You Dead","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-42",42,"\u003Cp>Yizhou is full of mountains; on both sides of the Great River, towering peaks often rise directly from the water, so to reach shore, one must climb sheer cliffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Near Yuannan City, these various ferry points were long ago chosen and fixed by history, so they’re not that extreme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even the shore here rises fully more than a zhang above the waterline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Small ferry points often slope gently downward, or even have steps carved into them, to make it easier to reach the water’s edge for boarding; the laborers here carry few passengers or goods, so they can easily climb the steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Large ferry points, handling arrivals and departures of big ships, heavy cargo, and large volumes, simply drive piles into the ground along the shore, erect columns, and lay thick wooden planks to form a dock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, these major docks were bustling places; laborers worked here, and merchants naturally gathered around them, setting up bamboo sheds for sleeping and rest, selling food and water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But recently, all the small ferry points have been sealed off, and the bamboo sheds near the large docks have been torn down, reduced to low, ruined heaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The laborers have been driven away to other places; they’re only allowed to approach again when Master Xu’s group brings in officially cleared bulk cargo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the morning, the dock holds only barbed-wire barricades and sandbag fortifications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About two hundred soldiers stand guard there in rotation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuannan City’s walls lie roughly four or five li from this dock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the woods two or three li from the dock, Chu Tianshu is observing the scene through a monocular telescope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone who’s awake looks alert and energetic—they’ve got their watch schedule down well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu said, “The bamboo sheds near the dock used to be complex structures, perfect for hiding and moving unseen—but now they’ve all been torn down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyone trying to approach the dock will be spotted from about three hundred meters away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you force your way closer and get questioned, and they sense something’s off, your only option is to charge forward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because retreating means crossing hundreds of meters of open ground—right in their firing range—with no good cover to hide behind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hu took the telescope and peered through it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Charging forward is also extremely risky.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hu said, “These men don’t just have rifles—they’ve got turtle grenades. They’re made by foreigners, flat hand grenades with fuses extending from the edges like a turtle’s head and limbs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once you pull the pin and throw it, if even one part of the fuse hits something on impact, it detonates immediately. On this hard dock surface, these grenades are far more dangerous than standard timed explosives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hu moved the telescope, then froze his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, these guys have a Danish-made Madsen machine gun!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Every major ferry point we’ve passed in the past few days has had equipment at this level—how is this regiment so rich?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The few of them had been escorting donkey carts around Yuannan City lately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carts carried some furs from Wujiacun; the group looked like fur traders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Shanjun sat on the donkey cart, eyes closed, voice low: “Back then, many of Yizhou’s regiments weren’t even at full strength. When I left, Yuannan City’s regiment should’ve had only about seven hundred men.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But from the number of soldiers we’ve seen at these various ferry points, plus the garrison still inside the city, this regiment must now be at fifteen hundred—or even more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma the Shopkeeper said, “I heard these troops weren’t recruited from the common folk and trained—they’re bandits that Master Xu’s men have recruited.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Small bands of poor peasant bandits, weak and ineffective, are either shot or forced into hard labor; those with decent gear and fierce reputations get absorbed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hu studied the machine gunner and realized he was clearly the highest-ranking soldier stationed at this dock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked over forty, his left eye milky white—probably blind—his cheeks fleshy, a scar running down his chin, his cap tossed aside, a plate of beef beside the machine gun, from which he occasionally grabbed a slice and tossed it into his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hu grunted: “No wonder he carries himself like that!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu asked, “Including this one, we’ve now seen every major and minor ferry point. Do we keep waiting for an opening, or strike today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Shanjun pondered: “Better to strike now than wait. Let’s act today—but wait a little longer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were waiting for a vehicle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past few days, they’d noticed that Deputy Zhou and his men patrolled the area daily by car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, after another hour or so, the black sedan they’d seen several times appeared in the telescope’s view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two or three horses followed on either side and behind the car—trusted men of Xu and Zhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the car and horses turned onto the road and headed toward the dock, they were still about a thousand meters away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Shanjun pulled a jade flute from his sleeve, brought it to his lips, cheeks slightly puffed—he’d already blown air into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no one around heard any flute sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Chu Tianshu, who practiced both martial arts and occult techniques, sensed only a faint anomaly—he couldn’t quite say what.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because he wasn’t Cai Shanjun’s target; none of the danger-sensing effects had triggered in him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the dock, Wu Bao, guarding the machine gun, tossed another slice of beef into his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since being absorbed by Master Xu’s regiment, those who’d once led their own bands had been re-ranked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Bao was now sixth in line—he could call the regiment commander “big brother,” and Deputy Zhou “second brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether there was real brotherhood didn’t matter; Wu Bao genuinely felt life under them was quite pleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This dock’s defense, this ambush of fugitives—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Xu had explained the stakes to them, and that emissary surnamed Meng had given his assurance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside Wu Bao’s heart, a flame of black smoke and thick oil burned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course there was risk—but if they succeeded, the wealth and honor for the rest of his life would be beyond anything he’d ever dreamed of in his youth!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past few days, he’d poured every ounce of energy into it, as if he’d returned to age twenty, the first time he broke into a young widow’s house and slept with her and her daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come! Come! Come! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jump out now! Let my bullets tear into you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d seen the car and horses approaching, but paid no mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commander, deputy, and emissary had been coming to inspect frequently these days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Bao could tell they were all anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when the car reached three or four hundred meters, his good eye narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though painted black with large headlights, this car didn’t look like the commander’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The riders were all unfamiliar faces—he didn’t recognize any.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Bao feared he’d mistaken it; he called over several brothers known for sharp eyesight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that the commander’s car?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. And the two men in the front seat—I’ve never seen them before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the brother answered, excitement crept into his voice; he tightened his grip on his rifle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Bao’s heart surged with wild joy; he pulled a photograph from his pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look—this man, is it him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the photo given to them by Emissary Meng—the handsome, refined man on it was their target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After examining it, the brothers nodded eagerly, faces alight with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a distant brother shouted: “Why is the car suddenly speeding up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Bao whipped his head around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car was indeed accelerating—flooring the gas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One moment it was far off; the next, it surged forward, its glossy black hood rushing toward them at terrifying speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horses were galloping, neighing wildly, closing the distance fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The roar of the car, the thunder of hooves—each beat hammered against their hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around them, murmurs spread; all two hundred guards realized this wasn’t the commander’s vehicle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faces in the car and on the horses were strangers, and this violent acceleration—this direct charge toward the dock—wasn’t something Xu or his men would ever do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Bao’s heart pounded hotter; he roared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re rebels, fugitives! Brothers—open fire!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he shouted, his finger already pulled the trigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car and horses were now only forty to fifty meters away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu’s nephew, the sedan’s driver, was driving as usual when he suddenly heard a shout ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart jolted—he thought rebels had jumped out somewhere—and turned to look, when suddenly the car lurched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three doors exploded outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three figures, except the driver, shot from the car like ghostly shadows, clinging tightly to the doors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t kick the doors off first—they exploded outward at maximum speed, and the doors were momentarily pinned against them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car’s chassis, from their force, buckled downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the instant they left the car, the machine gun flashed fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elegant black sedan’s windows shattered, window frames pierced, hood penetrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bullets striking metal sparked brief, flickering flashes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The driver’s corpse trembled inside; a bullet entered, exited as a fist-sized hole, blood spurting continuously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The machine gun didn’t stop; rifles fired as well; the cavalry near the sedan were shot dead, men and horses alike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Bao’s gun was still aimed at the car; he realized a moment too late that three men had escaped from inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to shift his aim when he saw, through the rifle fire and storm of bullets, a dark shadow flickering rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A terrifying aura surged like a boulder hurled from a catapult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terror, Wu Bao’s eyelids tightened, making his eye sockets seem wider; his pupils trembled, his latent strength surged, sharpening his vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive, iron-gray hand slammed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Madsen’s magazine sat atop the gun like a single horn, jutting upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That massive hand struck the magazine, crushing it into a bent, shattered ruin, slamming it onto the gun body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the rifle barrel could turn, the machine gun’s body was crushed midsection by a palm blow, bending violently, tearing through the sandbags, and sinking deep into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flying fragment struck Wu Bao on the forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he could cry out in pain, another hand clamped around his throat and lifted him off the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a stranger, with a voice equally unfamiliar, yet the rage in him was as terrifying as when Colonel Xu lost his temper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like locking a man and dozens of bombs with safeties removed into the same dark room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu Lao Liu, how dare you betray me?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1768,"2026-06-19T20:45:51.976Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9008cd551b4596ea62c64d232980c4a770343192bca3d0380187abdbe82232ee","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-43","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-41",155,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdevouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-cover.jpg"]