Under the clear night sky, the night market in Jiangning City was filled with smoky haze and the stalls buzzed with voices.

Under a wooden shed selling vegetarian卤 (lǔ) dishes, several "Undead Guards" members in gray-black clothes ordered food and drinks, and asked a familiar stall owner nearby to bring a portion of meat dishes. They ate and drank, talking loudly, quite at ease.

The Fair Party had expanded too quickly, and the various institutions were chaotic. Under the command of "King of the Wheel," the main force in battlefield contests was the so-called "Unborn Army," and the elite among them formed the "Undead Guards." Their original role was as elite thugs, guards, law enforcement teams, and even scouts. However, later on, the number of personnel expanded too quickly, and all sorts of people with relatives, those who sought connections, and those who arbitrarily declared themselves members also participated.

This was actually a problem faced by all eight "Executors" under the King of the Wheel. When Xu Zhaonan, originally from the Great Brightness Sect, assigned the eight "Executors," he had arranged for division of labor and cooperation. For example, the "Unborn Army" was naturally the core army, the "Undead Guards" were elite thugs and intelligence organizations, the "Resentment Assembly" was responsible for internal security, and "Love Separation" belonged to the civil affairs department... But after the Jurchens left, Jiangnan was in a chaotic mess. With the rise of the Fair Party, displaced people, seeking survival under various pretexts, blossomed everywhere. There was simply no time for anyone to carefully recruit and arrange them.

For example, hundreds of miles away, people from a village claimed to be members of the Fair Party and casually planted the flag of the King of the Wheel's "Resentment Assembly." When they eventually connected with the people here, a mid-level member of the "Resentment Assembly" couldn't say that their flag was planted incorrectly. Of course, they would collect the protection fee and give out the flag. After all, everyone was out there hustling, and how could they push away protection money and underlings - this was human nature.

As a result, the departments of the eight "Executors" still had complementary aspects in the middle and upper levels, but began to be chaotic in the middle and lower levels. As for the lower levels, each flag could be considered a major force. This situation, moving higher up, was even the current state of the entire Fair Party.

Of course, these few "Undead Guards" in front of them looked quite high-ranking based on their clothing level, and could be considered genuine core members. These people didn't have fixed jobs like patrolling the streets or overseeing venues on weekdays. At this time, night had fallen, and most of the day's affairs had probably been completed. Amidst a delightful meal, they were talking about where to enjoy themselves in the evening, and which semi-closed doors were the most understanding and discreet – adult topics.

After half an hour, two more Undead Guard members in gray clothes came from the street. After meeting with the others, they said something, and everyone's expression changed slightly. Someone cursed softly, "Bad luck." They quickly finished their meal and got up together, walking towards the other end of the street.

You Hongzhuo, who had already changed stalls to drink tea, got up leisurely and followed them.

Jiangning, having experienced several wars, no longer had the order of more than ten years ago. Leaving this night market, the front was a street that had experienced a fire. The original houses and courtyards were only ruins. Batch after batch of displaced people dismantled them, erected sheds, or pitched tents to live in. There was little light here in the darkness, only a bonfire burning at the head of the street. The King of the Wheel, who started with religion, had arranged for someone to tell religious stories here. Families and some children living here moved benches to listen to lessons and play, while most of the other places were dark. Only when you got close could you see the outlines of people.

In such a market, the displaced people from outside were all clustered together. They used the banner of the Fair Party and occupied this place in the form of gangs or village clans. On weekdays, the King of the Wheel or some force would distribute a meal of porridge here, making these people better off than the displaced people from outside.

Occasionally, when there was an opportunity to make a fortune in the city, such as dividing up some wealthy households, everyone here would swarm up. The lucky ones would have divided some wealth and saved some gold and silver in the past, and they would hide it in these dilapidated houses, waiting for the day to return to their hometown and live a better life. Of course, because they had eaten someone else's food, they also had to wave flags and shout or charge into battle when the King of the Wheel had friction with people from nearby territories. Sometimes, if the price offered by the other side was good, the entire street and the entire faction would defect to another Fair Party banner.

In such a market, the quality of public security often only depended on the suppression of a certain "gang leader" or "elder statesman" here. Some streets were fine to enter at night, but in some streets, ordinary people might never come out again if they entered at night, and all the wealth on their bodies would be divided up. After all, in a chaotic world, people could die in broad daylight, let alone a murder that occurred in a corner where no one saw it.

The Undead Guards were very familiar with the surroundings. Passing through this block, some people even greeted them at the entrance. You Hongzhuo followed behind, passing through the darkness like a ghost. Turning another street, he saw several more Undead Guard members gathered in front. After the two groups met, they numbered more than a dozen, and their voices became louder.

"Who's coming?"

"Don't know yet, capture them first."

"Only one person, and we need to go with so many people?"

"The one who had the accident is Miao Zheng, you know his martial arts."

"Everyone, be alert, don't forget what's being rumored recently, someone wants to summon the spirit of Yongle..."

Those who could enter the high-level of the Undead Guards had decent martial arts skills, so they had a somewhat arrogant tone when speaking. But as someone said the word "Yongle," the air in the dark streets seemed to cool down a bit.

For those who had stayed in the Great Brightness Sect long enough, the word "Yongle" was a hurdle they couldn't get past. And because it had been more than ten years, it was enough to become part of the legend.

The legendary "Holy Duke" Fang La and "Cloud Dragon Nine Manifestations" Fang Qifo were so heroic and domineering in the past, suppressing an era. They could even launch large-scale uprisings without the help of the Jurchens, sweeping across Jiangnan...

Legend has it that the Yongle Uprising saw the weakness and malpractice of the Wu Dynasty, and a great disaster was imminent, so they fought desperately. If that uprising had succeeded, the Han Chinese would have defeated the Jurchens long ago, and there would have been no endless wars in the past ten years...

Legend has it that the current Fair Party and even the overbearing Black Flag in the Southwest, inherited the legacy of the Yongle Dynasty...

There were also rumors that the mantle left by the Holy Duke had not been cut off. Fang's descendants had always been in the Great Brightness Sect, silently accumulating strength, waiting for the day to raise their arms and truly realize Fang La's ambition of "equal law, no high or low, eliminating evil and suppressing the strong, and eternal happiness for the people..."

The Great Brightness Sect inherited the mantle of the Maitreya Sect, and what it has never lacked over the years is all kinds of people. With more people, naturally, various kinds of words will be born. Everyone pretended it was nothing if the rumors about "Yongle" were not mentioned, but once someone mentioned them, they often felt that they had indeed heard such and such words somewhere.

After a moment of silence, Kuang Wenbo in the team snorted coldly: "The Yongle of the past was divided and everyone is dead. What kind of spirit is there to summon? This is just someone with ulterior motives making an issue of it in private since the Holy Sect Leader came recently. You should also be more alert and don't spread these market rumors. If the superiors hear about it by accident, you won't survive."

At this time, everyone was walking in a secluded alley, and Kuang Wenbo's words sounded particularly clear in the night. You Hongzhuo followed behind, and hearing this voice, he felt refreshed. The air at night suddenly became fresher. He hadn't thought about doing anything yet, but seeing that the other party was alive, had all his limbs, and spoke vigorously, he felt full of joy.

With his accumulation in the martial world over the years, the thing he feared most was not being able to find people from all over the world. Once he found them, no one in the world could easily get rid of him.

Fourth Brother Kuang was probably the second-in-command in this team. His words were quite authoritative, and the person who had mentioned Yongle earlier repeatedly said that he had learned his lesson. The leader said: "These days, since the Holy Sect Leader came, our King of the Wheel lineage has become much more powerful. Believers from all over the city and outside are coming to pay homage. You should watch carefully. The Sect Leader's martial arts are the best in the world. In a few days, he may even beat Zhou Shang's Five Directions Arena."

The current leader of the Undead Guards was Chen Juefang, nicknamed "Corvus." He had a great feud with Zhou Shang's lineage because of family matters. At this time, everyone was talking about Zhou Shang as their imaginary enemy. This time, Lin Zongwu, the number one in the world, came to Jiangning, and the next step was naturally to suppress King Yama.

Someone said: "Is the Holy Sect Leader's martial arts really so powerful?"

Kuang Wenbo said: "I used to work with Protector Tan in Jin, and I was fortunate enough to see the Sect Leader twice. Speaking of martial arts...hehe, he could crush you and me with one little finger."

The Protector Tan he was talking about was "Hebei Heaven Saber" Tan Zheng. But Tan Zheng was a helmsman back then, so it seems he has been promoted again at some point.

Someone said: "What would be the outcome if Protector Tan faced the Sect Leader?"

"It is said that Protector Tan's saber technique is divine, and can already be compared with the 'Tyrant Saber' of the past. Even if he doesn't win, he should..."

"They fought in the past." Kuang Wenbo shook his head and smiled, "But I can't say too much about the matters above. I heard that the Sect Leader is training everyone's martial arts in the New Tiger Palace these days. If you have a chance, find a relationship and ask someone to take you in for a look, that's all."

The leader said: "These days, the big bosses above have all been instructed by the Sect Leader."

"What was the result?"

"Let's not talk about our boss. You all know how skilled General Gao Huiyun of 'Martial Tyrant' is. He is proficient in all eighteen weapons and is invincible in battle. He held a spear in front of the Sect Leader, and with one touch from the Sect Leader, he couldn't even stand up. Later, the Sect Leader allowed him to put on armor and ride a horse to charge into battle. That horse... was killed by the Sect Leader with one punch. According to the people at the scene, the horse's head was blown up..."

"...What happened to General Gao?"

"The Sect Leader is instructing martial arts, so how could he really attack people? After this punch, they weighed each other, and they all knew how powerful he was. In short, according to the boss, the Sect Leader's martial arts have exceeded the highest level of ordinary people. Perhaps only Grandpa Zhou Tong of the past could be compared with him in this world. Even when Holy Duke Fang La was at his peak more than ten years ago, he was probably slightly inferior. So this is to tell you, don't blindly believe in summoning the spirit of Yongle. Even if you really summon the spirit, he will be beaten to death."

Everyone nodded in agreement. At this time, someone asked: "If the Heart Demon of the Southwest takes the lead, what will be the outcome?"

The leader thought for a moment, and said solemnly: "The Heart Demon of the Southwest is obsessed with scheming, so he will inevitably be distracted in the way of martial arts. His martial arts are at most at the level of the Holy Duke and others of the past, and compared with the Sect Leader, he is bound to be slightly inferior. However, the Heart Demon is now strong, fierce, and domineering. If he really wants to fight, he won't do it himself."

Everyone nodded again, thinking that it made a lot of sense.

While talking, these people were moving forward at a not slow pace. They arrived at a warehouse, took fishing nets, hooks, lime, and other siege tools. They also looked at the time and went to a neighborhood where the buildings were still intact. They were targeting a courtyard adjacent to the waterway. The courtyard was not large, and it used to be the residence of ordinary people, but in Jiangning City at this time, it was considered a rare and peaceful treasure land.

According to the content of these people's conversations, the culprit was the owner of this house named Miao Zheng. They didn't know who he was meeting with in private, so they said he was "summoning the spirit of Yongle."

When Kuang Wenbo and others arrived, a scout confirmed that the target was meeting inside. The leader looked at the surrounding situation, gave some instructions, and a group of more than ten people immediately dispersed. Some blocked the door, some guarded the back alley, and some paid attention to the waterway. Kuang Wenbo was an old Jianghu figure, and he knew that either they would catch the enemy in one fell swoop, or perhaps the most likely place for the enemy to jump the wall in desperation would be this waterway less than two zhang wide in front of him. He led two companions to the opposite side, had one of them go to the roof of a nearby house, holding a small flag to scout. He took the fishing net with the other and waited for the rabbit.

The flag in the hand of the scout on the roof was gray-black. It was extremely difficult to detect it in advance in the dark night unless someone was paying attention to it. From this roof, they could also see the situation in the opposite courtyard. After he lay down, he observed carefully, unaware that there was another figure climbing up not far behind him, squatting there, staring at him.

After a while, a black figure walked out of the room in the courtyard, about to head towards the courtyard door. The scout on the roof waved the flag. The people below had been paying attention to this small flag. They immediately cheered up, gave each other hand signals, and stared at the movement at the courtyard door.

You Hongzhuo got up and took two steps forward. The knife in his hand pierced into the scout's waist, and while kneeling on the other's back with his knee, he grabbed a tile with his other hand and threw it silently towards the opposite side.

The people beside the courtyard door were concentrating on staring at the courtyard door when suddenly they heard a scream from the darkness on the side rear. A resident in a nearby courtyard had inexplicably been hit in the head by something. At this moment, the figures inside and outside the courtyard paused at the same time. The leader here suddenly made several gestures and rushed forward, stepping on the back of a companion and leaping over the courtyard wall with his saber drawn. The black figure in the courtyard had already run to the side, borrowing strength from the wall and flipping over the side wall.

The two Undead Guards at the door slammed into the courtyard door, but the owner of this courtyard may not have felt safe enough and had reinforced this wooden door. The two figures slammed into the wall and fell down, looking embarrassed. You Hongzhuo on the opposite roof could hardly help covering his mouth to laugh.

The black figure captured by the crowd crossed the courtyard wall and was the narrow passage near the waterway. As soon as he landed, the Undead Guards arranged on both sides also drew their sabers to block him. With the encirclement from both sides, the figure did not jump directly into the small river under his feet. Instead, he shook his hands, and what he held out from behind the cloak was a saber and a sword. At this time, the saber and sword danced, resisting the attack from one side, but pressed back towards the other side.

You Hongzhuo frowned slightly. He actually felt that this figure appearing by the waterway was somewhat familiar.

There were many knights in the martial world who used sabers, and few who used swords. Even fewer used both sabers and swords at the same time. This was a very easy-to-distinguish martial arts characteristic. The sword in the hands of the black figure wearing a cloak was wide and long, and the saber was slightly shorter than the sword. What suddenly unfolded between the waving hands was actually the stunning martial arts of Shangshu Wang Yin of the Yongle Dynasty – that is, Wang Juyun, the leader of the rebellion – Peacock Ming King Seven Wing Spread.

In the past, the Peacock Ming King Sword bloomed mostly in Jiangnan. After the failure of the Yongle Uprising, Wang Yin moved far north. Later, the changes in the world were too fast and caught people off guard. The Jurchens went south several times and broke up the Central Plains. Wang Yin ran to the most difficult place to survive south of Yanmen Pass to preach and gathered a group of beggar-like troops to help the world and save the people.

The place where he was located was lacking in various resources and was most deeply invaded by the Jurchens. It was not an ideal place to gather people, but Wang Juyun took root there. His subordinates adopted many foster sons and daughters. For those with talent, he widely taught the Peacock Ming King Sword, and also sent capable subordinates to search for gold, silver, and materials everywhere to subsidize the army. This situation only eased slightly after he later cooperated with the Jurchen female chancellor in Jin and the two sides joined forces.

When the Jin army and Liao Yiren and others attacked Jin several years ago, Wang Juyun led his army to put up a tenacious resistance. His many foster sons and daughters often led the strongest assault teams, and their spirit of self-sacrifice was moving.

Because of Luan Fei's matter, You Hongzhuo did not have deep contact with the forces of Wang Juyun's lineage when he was in Jin. However, he had fought side by side with these children of Wang Juyun on several battlefields at that time. He still remembered that in the battle to break Zhaode City, not far from the city wall he was guarding, a woman with a saber and sword repeatedly charged into battle, bathed in blood. He had also seen this woman hugging her dead brother and crying in the blood.

Liang Si Yi...

That should be the woman's name.

At this time, the two sides were a little far apart, and You Hongzhuo could not confirm this cognition. But then he thought about it, there should not be many people in the world who changed the Peacock Ming King Sword to using both a saber and a sword, and at this moment, those within the Great Brightness Sect who could be said to be summoning the spirit of Yongle, apart from Wang Shangshu who participated in the past, I am afraid that there would be no one else in this world.

Chen Fan, who is now entrenched in Southern Hunan Road, is said to be the direct disciple of Fang Qifo, but he already belongs to the Huaxia Army, has defeated the Jurchens head-on, and has killed the Jin general Yin Shuke. Even if he came to Jiangning in person, I am afraid that no one would say that he came for the restoration of Yongle.

While he was thinking about these things, the black figure on the opposite side had superb swordsmanship, had knocked an Undead Guard member to the ground, and rushed out. The people here were obviously also old Jianghu figures, and the encirclement was not sloppy. The outcome of the two sides was unpredictable. You Hongzhuo knew the power of these crazy women who had survived on the battlefield, so he was not worried in a short time. His eyes watched the Undead Guard member who fell to the ground, thinking about the cold joke of "Undead Guard members died on the spot," waiting for the other party to get up.

Also at this time, in the darkness on the side of his eye, a figure moved in an instant, flying at high speed from the roof not far away, and had approached here in a blink of an eye.

You Hongzhuo had been ambushing and killing assassins who wanted to assassinate the Jurchen female chancellor for a long time in Jin, so he was extremely sensitive to such sudden situations. That figure may have come from a distance. You Hongzhuo had not even noticed when they got on the roof. Perhaps he noticed the sudden start at this moment, You Hongzhuo noticed this figure.

In the killing field below on the opposite side, the figure being besieged rushed left and right like a monkey, making the other party's encirclement difficult to close for a moment, and was almost about to break out of the encirclement. The figure here had rushed over at high speed. A name flashed through You Hongzhuo's mind.

The big boss of the Undead Guards, "Corvus" Chen Juefang.

Known as: the best Qinggong in the world.

You Hongzhuo pursed his lips and whistled twice, "Cheep, cheep." The figure using the Peacock Ming King Sword on the opposite road suddenly turned. The figure here, suspected to be "Corvus" Chen Juefang, crossed the courtyard wall and, using an "Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada," had directly pounced towards the opposite side of the waterway.

You Hongzhuo sighed and pounced down from the roof towards Kuang Wenbo and his minions.

Catch me...

He landed with a bang, smashing the minion holding the fishing net into the ground.