Chapter 175: Bloody Reckoning, The Upheaval in Shangdu

Over the course of several days, this massive riot within Tianjing City continued, fermented, and escalated.

During this period, hundreds of thousands of commoners, along with martial artists from various civilian factions, began a reckoning under a certain tacit approval.

Those former Jin Clan power-holders, bureaucrats, landlords, and local tyrants—which of them had not run rampant and accumulated blood debts? The blood, tears, and forbearance of the downtrodden commoners of Tianjing finally erupted completely; with one call, a hundred responded, and like a prairie fire, they launched a siege on the properties and homes of these people.

Most of these Jin Clan power-holders kept house guards and bodyguards who were highly skilled in martial arts, and some privately even possessed firearms, bows, and crossbows.

Yet, the thousands of angry commoners and civilian factions, while lacking swords, spears, and cannons, possessed sickles, hoes, and even homemade flying stones, bows and arrows, old-fashioned muskets, and even gunpowder; in terms of methods, they were not much inferior.

With the anger and hatred suppressed for hundreds of years, plus the strength in numbers—a ten-fold advantage in personnel—most Jin Clan power-holders and tyrants had no power to resist; they could not hold out for even a moment before their homes and properties were breached, and everyone inside was wiped out in a bloodbath.

Of course, among them were some power-holders and tyrants who possessed Fifth Realm or even Sixth Realm martial arts mastery; their strength was formidable, their defenses were strict, and their homes were as secure as a fortress, repelling wave after wave of sieges and causing heavy casualties among the vengeful civilian martial artists and commoners.

In situations where so many commoners were dying, the New Battalion soldiers patrolling the streets did not stand idly by; they openly assisted, their rows of firearms and cannons unleashing a violent storm of bombardment that reduced these troublesome strongholds to ruins.

The reason they dared to do this was, on one hand, that they had learned of the Immortal's attitude, and on the other, as the lowest-ranking Han soldiers, there was not one among them who had not been oppressed by the Jin Clan. Now, in this best opportunity for city-wide turmoil and reckoning, how could they possibly remain mere spectators?

Of course, during this process, there were also many people fishing in troubled waters, secretly engaging in looting and committing crimes. Under the command of Zhou Yunye and others, they showed no leniency; once discovered, they were executed on the spot.

Just like that, with the open or covert assistance of the New Battalion soldiers, this reckoning swept through the entire city with great momentum. Countless power-holders and tyrants who once acted with arrogance and committed every evil died without a whole corpse under the siege. At the same time, a large number of terrified Jin Clan people fled the city under the cover of night, while those without power or influence who could not escape simply shaved their queues, changed their clothes to disguise themselves as Han people, and escaped the disaster.

As for those Jin Clan ministers controlled by Lu Yuan, because they were still of some use for the time being, they were all protected by soldiers dispatched by Zhou Yunye and thus escaped with their lives.

In the end, this massive turmoil lasted for ten days.

Not until ten days later, when the entire Tianjing City was covered in ruins and corpses, with blood having almost spread throughout the city, did the Capital Battalion and New Battalion, having received orders, finally move out in full force. Tens of thousands of soldiers broke into smaller units and flooded the streets to pacify the chaos and clean up the aftermath.

Amidst the devastation, on the very first day, they collected tens of thousands of corpses from every street and alley to be burned, the stench filling the air.

Of course, this included not only Jin Clan power-holders, but also no small number of commoners who had died or were injured.

Meanwhile, inside the Imperial Palace, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged in the Qinian Hall, listening to the reports of his disciples:

"This riot was mainly concentrated in the Inner City area. According to the news reported by Zhou Yunye, the number of corpses counted so far is at least several tens of thousands, and there are over a thousand commoner casualties."

"This is only a preliminary count; the final casualties may be several times higher. In addition, the number of Jin Clan people who fled with their families during these ten days is countless and difficult to calculate."

"Furthermore, it is not just Tianjing; uprisings have now broken out in other provinces. Jiangning, Taidong, Wanjiang, Shanxi, and Liangguang—over twenty provinces have seen soldiers and civilians rise up in response, and they have already breached the Jin People Cities established in the capitals of each province."

As one shocking piece of news after another spilled from the mouths of Peng Yidao and Chen Zhantang, the disciples were filled with surging emotions, the excitement on their faces impossible to suppress.

The so-called Jin People City was a city-within-a-city established by the Jin Dynasty specifically for the residence of Jin Clan Banner People to consolidate their rule and suppress the Han people.

No matter where it was, the Jin People City was the highest-level residential area in the city and a symbol of their privilege. Han people were strictly forbidden from entering without permission; any Han person who snuck in, whether a common Jin person or a patrol officer, could be killed on the spot without the need for reporting.

In the vast Shenzhou, the number of Jin people was limited, so naturally, not every city could have a Jin People City; they were generally established in important cities and military strongholds. Like now, besides Tianjing, every province had one or two Jin Cities, and each city contained hundreds of thousands of Jin people.

The capture of these places basically meant that the overall situation was settled and the trend was established.

"Very good."

On the meditation cushion, Lu Yuan sat motionless, without any excess emotion:

"The cycle of Heaven is constant, and retribution is unerring. Now is the time to repay Karma; no one can blame anyone else."

The disciples, who now revered him like a god, bowed their heads one after another and said:

"Disciples accept your instruction."

Chen Zhantang, having no womanly kindness, said sonorously:

"The Jin people have ruled the land for hundreds of years. It is impossible for the Han people to take back the land without bloodshed. To re-establish the national system, we must kill these people until the rivers run red to minimize resistance. Moreover, the resentment of countless Han people across the world for hundreds of years cannot be suppressed; it is actually a good thing that it is erupting now."

Lu Yuan nodded:

"The capital has been pacified. Regarding the representatives coming to the capital, what is the feedback from the provinces?"

Chen Zhantang immediately said:

"So far, twenty-one provinces have basically stabilized the situation and sent back messages that they are willing to obey all instructions from the Hall Master and will select representatives to come to the capital to discuss matters in the coming days. However, a few remote provinces, or those where the Jin Clan's influence is strong, are still in chaos and upheaval and need to be observed."

As if to echo his words, a burst of footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall, and then Zhao Shuhua walked in quickly holding several memorials, saying:

"Hall Master, there is an emergency of the utmost urgency!"

Lu Yuan took the memorials he offered and scanned them, while Zhao Shuhua said indignantly:

"Now, the flames of war are everywhere in Shenzhou. Some time ago, the Han battalions in Shangdu also united to attack the Jin People City. Unexpectedly, those Jin people had already colluded with Sunlight Country and obtained a large amount of new equipment."

"These people lay in wait in the Inner City. When thousands of angry commoners went there, they encountered a barrage of fierce firepower, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries on the spot. Even Japanese pirate warships appeared on the Neijiang to patrol and show support for the Jin people, providing artillery support, which caused heavy casualties among the soldiers and civilians."

"Furthermore, it is not just Shangdu. In the southern coastal and Liangguang regions, a group of people from the Tianli Sect seem to have received funding from the Shenluo People and have also obtained a large amount of new weapons and equipment. Taking advantage of the chaos, they seized Guangfu and half the province, calling it the Heavenly Principle Country, appearing to have the momentum to sweep the world. There are also some remote areas where individual military governors, upon hearing the news, have seized power for themselves, letting their troops loot, and already have the tendency to become local emperors!"

Lu Yuan scanned the urgent memorials from the provinces with a calm gaze and said faintly:

"Very good. It seems there are more fools in the world than I imagined."

"Since that is the case, I will make a trip myself. It is just as well to see what this darkness before the dawn of Shenzhou looks like..."

Having said that, a gust of wind appeared out of thin air in the great hall, and Lu Yuan's figure floated up and flew out like a meteor.

Chen Zhantang, Zhao Shuhua, and the other disciples all showed expressions of excitement and said respectfully:

"We respectfully send off the Hall Master!"

Whatever Jin people resisting stubbornly, whatever Heavenly Principle Country or warlords setting up their own regimes, whatever Sunlight or Shenluo intervening—these might have been incredibly troublesome problems for the rulers before the Jin Dynasty.

But to this Hall Master of theirs, who was like an Immortal or a god, they were nothing more than buzzing mosquitoes, to be extinguished with a flip of a hand! Half a day later.

Shangdu.

As the first coastal major city to open its ports and have concessions established by foreign powers to dump their goods, Shangdu was now the most prosperous city in the entire Jin Dynasty, surpassing Jinjin in every aspect.

Yet at this moment, this once extremely prosperous city was covered in smoke and devastation.

Boom, boom, boom...

On the surface of the Neijiang, more than ten Iron-Clad Giant Ships flying the Rizhao Army flag faced the urban area, their cannon muzzles spitting fire. The shells streaked across the city for over thirty li, bombarding a section of the city. The sounds of fire, thick smoke, and explosions followed one after another, and rows of residential houses collapsed, turning into ruins.

Several li away from the bombardment range, in a factory area that had been requisitioned as a temporary command post, tens of thousands of soot-covered soldiers, each carrying wounds, sat on the ground, resting.

On the roof, a middle-aged Han man who had long since cut off his queue and was dressed in military uniform stood looking toward the direction of the river in the distance, gritting his teeth:

"Japanese pirates of Sunlight, you bully me too much!"

He Yuanzhang was originally the Deputy Commander of the Shangdu New Army garrison. After he learned and confirmed that the Immortal had descended, Xici had died, the Xuantong Emperor was about to abdicate, and Jinjin had undergone a great change and been seized by civilian forces, he quickly rose up in response. He mutinied at the first opportunity, killed his direct superior, the Jin Clan military governor, and completely took control of the garrison.

Subsequently, after reorganizing, he quickly led his army to attack the Jin People City of Shangdu, with countless impoverished commoners responding to his call.

Unexpectedly, however, Jin People City had somehow already received secret funding from Sunlight Country and set an ambush; the massive quantities of firearms, cannons, and even machine guns and explosives caused heavy losses to the army and the common people.

The weapons and equipment they used were very advanced, while the weapons used by the Han Camp soldiers were all replicas of foreign powers' weapons produced by Great Jin after learning from their bitter mistakes; regardless of quality or power, they could not compare to the genuine articles, leading to a crushing defeat upon the first encounter.

In this ambush, at least nearly two thousand Han Camp soldiers were lost, and the number of dead and wounded common people was countless.

He Yuanzhang had intended to disregard everything and launch a fierce attack to take the entire city as quickly as possible, yet at this moment, the Ironclad Warship fleet of Sunlight Country appeared on the Neijiang, bombarding their garrison area across the city districts, causing all his plans to be stillborn.

Fighting alone and isolated without support, the New Army suffered heavy casualties, and he was momentarily at a loss, feeling extremely stifled.

Seeing He Yuanzhang's look of wild, furious rage, a personal guard beside him comforted him:

"Who could have expected those Japanese thieves to be this despicable? The Commander should endure it for now."

"We have already sent word to the Capital and even the surrounding provinces; there is turmoil everywhere now, but once friendly forces can spare the hands, they will surely come to support us. When that time comes, we will break through Jin People City and make every beast inside pay in blood!"

Nowadays, the imperial court existed in name only, and the flames of war were everywhere in the provinces; He Yuanzhang was not so optimistic, and his expression remained ugly as he said:

"The Japanese thieves' Dreadnought Fleet is providing support on the Neijiang, and we are helpless against it. Even if reinforcements arrive, I fear they will be unable to approach Jin People City under the cover of artillery fire, unless..."

"My God!"

Before his words were finished, he saw thousands of New Army soldiers around him looking up in one direction, letting out shocked, wild cries:

"Look quickly, what is that!?"

"An Immortal, a flying Immortal!?"

He Yuanzhang turned his head abruptly, and immediately saw that in the gloomy sky in the distance, beneath the thick cloud layer, a figure wrapped in golden light and gale-force winds was whistling toward them!

This figure was like a golden meteor tearing through the sky; at first glance it was extremely far away, yet the speed was unimaginably fast, crossing over ten-plus miles in the blink of an eye to appear above their heads.

He Yuanzhang and the ten thousand New Army soldiers around him all gaped, watching with shocked eyes as a figure wreathed in immortal light slowly descended, hovering in mid-air, an ethereal and misty voice resounding through the sky:

"Who is He Yuanzhang?"

The voice echoed, and He Yuanzhang suddenly came to his senses, kneeling on one knee on the rooftop in wild, excited joy:

"Subordinate He Yuanzhang, pays respects to Immortal Lu!"

The various events that occurred at the World Martial Arts Tournament, and even the name and deeds of Lu Yuan, had long since spread throughout the world.

Because he had not seen it with his own eyes, even though he had received various reports and confirmed them to be accurate, deep in his heart he still held a sliver of doubt regarding the so-called Immortal.

But now, seeing Lu Yuan wreathed in immortal light and riding the wind with his own eyes, there was not a shred of doubt left in his heart!

It was not just He Yuanzhang; his personal guards, and even the thousands of New Army soldiers around him, were all wildly excited and filled with awe upon witnessing the Immortal's arrival, involuntarily kneeling on one knee one after another, their voices rising like a mountain of calls and a sea of shouts.

"All rise, there is no need for such formalities."

Shangdu was three thousand miles away, but for Lu Yuan, it was only a three-hour journey; he stood treading on air, his expression indifferent as he said:

"I came because I heard there were Jin people putting up a desperate resistance, and that the Sunlight People not only provided them with weapons but also dispatched an Ironclad Warship fleet to provide artillery support?"

"Exactly!"

He Yuanzhang answered indignantly:

"If not for the secret assistance of these Japanese thieves, this subordinate would have conquered Jin People City several days ago and controlled all of Shangdu. It is hateful that those Japanese thieves intervened; not only did they provide a large amount of weapons, but their giant ships and giant cannons can conduct precise shelling from twenty or thirty miles away on the river. We are almost unable to break through the blockade of artillery fire, leading to heavy casualties!"

"It is hateful that the Great Jin's New Army navy was completely wiped out in a previous battle; otherwise, if we had naval forces to pin them down, we would not be in such a sorry state!"

"Good."

Lu Yuan did not waste words, only nodding calmly:

"Since that is the case, I will go and resolve the Japanese thieves' Ironclad Warship fleet. When the artillery fire subsides, you may begin preparations and attack the city again."

Although he did not know what means the Immortal would use to deal with those behemoths, He Yuanzhang remained wildly excited:

"Yes, we obey your command!"