Chapter 264: Besieged City (Part Six)

Alternate History

Looking down from the sky, scattered points of light shimmered.

In Taiping Alley, the explosions stirred the air and caused vibrations. The shouts and scrambling of people on the street merged into a single cacophony, making the entire scene exceptionally chaotic. Yet, truthfully, from the moment the explosions began, everything unfolded in a mere dozen seconds; no one wasted any time.

People ran and pursued, making their own judgments. The maiden wielding a formidable blade swept forward, while Ning Yi darted in and out of the makeshift shelters. Some were blocked by the explosions. Gou Zheng and the clever person who had leaped into the crowd were probably the two unluckiest; the former was hit twice by the blasts, and the latter was blown away. Shi Bao, affected and stunned by an explosion near him, hesitated for an instant. In that brief moment, Ning Yi was already rushing out of the courtyard, grabbing the blood-soaked Gou Zheng, pushing him forward, and with a simple stroke of his blade, commanded: "Stand still! Get down!"

By the time Gou Zheng was blown away, Ning Yi had already run several more meters.

From this courtyard to the canal bank at the end of Taiping Alley, the distance was approximately two hundred meters.

From the beginning, the Su family members, protected by Guard Geng and others, did not flee out of Taiping Alley. Instead, they retreated all the way to a branch of the canal. The group, barely twenty strong, including adults and children, moved swiftly and orderly under Su Tan'er's simple but firm commands, issued after she forcibly suppressed her emotions. Even when Fang La's men attempted to charge, the first wave was blocked by Guard Geng and his companions, who then used the explosions to deter any further reckless advances.

Ning Yi, on his end, attracted most of the attention in a short span of time. Frankly, although the explosions were intense for a moment, covering such a wide area and continuing to detonate, the casualties caused at any given moment were actually few. Even if Ning Yi had previously been able to mobilize significant military resources, it was not to the absurd extent of truly filling the entire street with explosives.

The explosions primarily occurred along the escape route, with fewer blasts on the main street or in distant areas. This was mainly to prevent enemies from circling around for an ambush from further away. As for Ning Yi, he could at most predict the explosion radius for the first few seconds. For longer periods, he could only guess when a particular pile of gunpowder might detonate; it was impossible for him to perform daring stunts like rushing towards a small hut just as it exploded.

However, the battle that erupted in that brief moment was primarily a psychological assault. Ning Yi was cautious and composed when planning the larger strategy, but when it came down to it, he acted more decisively and fiercely than anyone else. Once he made a choice, he immediately decided to abandon others in Taiping Alley. His initial running direction was not fixed, but those who tried to attack him from the start were blocked by explosions, one by one. He was essentially using himself as bait, giving everyone a show of force. When he struck Gou Zheng down like a dog, blowing him to pieces, almost everyone's morale was crushed by him amidst the flames.

These individuals were renowned heroes in the southwestern *jianghu*, having tasted blood on the blade and committed countless murders after joining the rebellion. Ning Yi's martial arts skills were not particularly high; in a one-on-one fight, someone like Shi Bao could probably kill him in a few exchanges. Yet, at that moment, facing over ten ferocious bandits alone, he seemed to become as terrifying as a mountain before everyone's eyes. When Shi Bao shouted, "I'll kill your whole family!", Ning Yi simply waved a hand and retorted, "Then come on—" Most onlookers were almost overcome with dread in that instant.

Of course, while Ning Yi had managed to create an immense deterrent force and give the impression of controlling the entire situation in mere moments, this did not mean that Shi Bao and his companions were rookies who would be easily intimidated. The more formidable an opponent, the greater the sense of crisis one must have. As Ning Yi dashed through another courtyard, Shi Bao finally let out a furious roar and sprinted forward, his eyes practically red with rage. From the side, another figure began to circle around to flank him.

Explosions erupted almost directly beside him, flames danced, and flying stones grazed his cheek, drawing blood. Though Ning Yi moved swiftly, he stumbled occasionally. At this point, he couldn't afford to choose the best path; any deviation would surely lead to death.

The explosions were essentially a tree-like chain reaction starting from several points. Ning Yi couldn't precisely control the timing or intervals between each blast along every line. Amidst such tremendous chaos, merely relying on the sequence of detonation points for prediction was exceedingly difficult. As he ran, his fingers instinctively twitched at his side, aiding his memory and calculations. Behind him, Shi Bao and others rushed along the path he had taken. A flash of a blade swept past his side, just as he ducked, narrowly missing him.

Weapons clashed. Ning Yi clambered over a courtyard wall amidst explosions and flames, rushing through a crater left by an earlier blast. Those pursuing him followed closely; his pursuers had now gained experience, knowing that as long as they followed where Ning Yi had already passed, they would be safe.

He continued to flee amidst the flames for a moment. When another blade came cleaving down, Ning Yi leaped out, rolled on the ground, and as he stood up, his opponent was already closing in. Two steel blades clashed in the light. Ning Yi stumbled back a few steps, then suddenly stood firm, adopting a stance as if waiting for his opponent to approach. The assailant swung his weapon and was about to charge again when he suddenly hesitated for an instant, glancing at his feet.

Ning Yi's deterrent presence at that moment was simply too immense, and his sudden, peculiar expression was impossible to ignore.

The man stood frozen, unconsciously confronting Ning Yi for about two seconds. As he regained his senses and lunged forward, the ground beneath his feet exploded with a roar. The immense force of the blast sent Ning Yi stumbling back several steps; he braced himself with a hand on the ground, muttered "Good thing," and then turned to continue running.

On the other side, the Su family had reached the bank of the canal branch. Someone pulled back a tarp, revealing a simple yet sturdy large wooden raft underneath, and they began to board it one by one. Meanwhile, behind Ning Yi, the sound of wind being cut whistled closer.

Shi Bao had now caught up from behind. Ning Yi gritted his teeth, pouring all his strength into a dash forward, taking almost a straight line this time. Shi Bao surged forward, swung his blade, and with a thunderous roar, an explosion erupted, engulfing both men in rising flames.

"He... he went the wrong way..." On the nearby raft, Su Tan'er stared intently at the scene. She whispered "Husband" and was about to rush out but was restrained by Guard Geng, Xiaochan, and others on the raft. Within the rising flames, there was still movement; Shi Bao's great saber continued to swing, though it became a blur in the light and shadow. A pillar in the small patch of ruins that had stood there was severed, swallowed by the flames. Ning Yi plunged into the ruins, followed by two more explosions that obscured the view. Amidst the shockwaves of the blasts, two figures fiercely intertwined. A short distance behind them, the maiden named Liu Xigua had rushed forward, but upon seeing such an explosion, she ultimately halted, bracing herself with her massive blade. Her hat had long been blown away, and her skirt billowed in the concussive air, making her look like a dark silhouette.

A few seconds later, Shi Bao, covered in blood, was flung away. He roared several times, trying to stand up, but for a moment, he stumbled and couldn't steady himself, sinking back down. His body was covered in wounds from the explosions; there was only one blade wound, perhaps inflicted by Ning Yi in the chaos, but it wasn't serious. On the other side, Ning Yi, gritting his teeth, ran towards the raft from the other direction. One side of his body was visibly stained with blood, but he was in much better condition than Shi Bao. Witnessing this, the maiden named Liu Xigua charged again.

As the explosion rose, the maiden circled slightly around it. Ning Yi leaped onto the raft. As Su Tan'er and others rushed toward him, he uttered a low command, "Stay back," and pulled several items from his pocket.

On the bank behind them, the maiden dragged her blade and sprinted forward, then suddenly leaped into the air! Ning Yi gritted his teeth, turned on the raft, and aimed the items in his hand at the airborne maiden.

With a *bang*, a burst of light, like a fireball, ignited in his hand.

The maiden's figure spun several times in the air before she fell onto the bank.

The raft moved away from the bank, heading towards the opposite shore. Someone set up a wooden barrier to guard against incoming stones or arrows. In everyone's sight, the maiden on the ground shook her head. With one hand clutching her blade and the other propped on the ground, she slowly lifted her gaze towards them. Her face was obscured in the darkness, but her eyes appeared clear, devoid of anger, even showing a hint of curiosity and bewilderment. Ning Yi slumped onto the raft, whimsically waved his hand, then reached his left hand to his injured right arm. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out a small shard, whether wood or metal, that was embedded there, and tossed it into the water.

"I am Ning Liheng, the Butcher with Bloody Hands…"

As the distance grew, he sat there, murmuring the phrase, but by then, he lacked the strength to shout it aloud. Feeling apathetic, he lay back on the raft. Tan'er's face, Xiaochan's face, Juan'er's face, Xing'er's face, and Guard Geng's face all swayed in his vision. In a corner of his sight, a pillar of smoke rose, while at the center was a clear, vast sea of stars. What he could feel was the fierce drumbeats of battle still raging around the city at night, but at least in Taiping Alley, the army was beginning to arrive. Now, it would be their turn to face a headache...

This raft had not been prepared for escaping the city. The canal area outside the city gates was likely already occupied by Fang La's forces, making travel by canal pointless. The raft was merely intended to cross the river, providing one more option. Regardless of who caused this unexpected disaster, returning to their home in Taiping Alley was certainly no longer an option for his family.

The river wasn't very wide. As the raft approached the opposite bank, the maiden in the blue floral dress was still standing on the shore. The middle-aged man who always accompanied her came over and took her massive blade. "Miss Xixi," he said, "it's time to go."

"He's amazing," the maiden tilted her head. "I want him… as my strategist."

On a rooftop slightly higher than the surrounding streets and alleys, two figures watched them in the darkness. One of them gently slapped his thigh, letting out an exclamation similar to the maiden's: "How impressive… truly impressive…"

"Buddha Commander," one began, "shouldn't we… find a way to intervene…?"

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter anymore," the middle-aged man named Fang Qifo shook his head, his gaze turning towards Qiantang Gate, sensing the intensity of the battle. "There are capable people everywhere. To suddenly encounter one is certainly eye-opening, but… it doesn't matter now. The main battle is outside the city. Although this person is formidable, with the greater situation already decided, he won't be able to achieve anything significant… Let's go."

The city had been under siege for several days, and the situation within was chaotic and tense. However, few people truly grasped the full scope of Hangzhou's overall situation at that moment. Even Ning Yi, unfamiliar with warfare, found it difficult to understand the exact state of the battle outside the city. In the eyes of Qian Xiwen and others, the soldiers of the Wude Camp were ultimately elite troops. According to the general intelligence received, the battlefield was fiercely contested, with victories and losses on both sides. Fang La's forces had entered the city several times, but with the Wude Camp's prior preparations, they were subsequently pushed back by powerful offensives.

Unable to grasp the situation outside, Ning Yi could only focus his efforts on the city's internal affairs, attempting to use the current bureaucratic system to capture Fang Qifo and others within the city in a day or two, thus netting all these troublemakers. Had it not been for the events of this night, perhaps in another day or two, they would have truly reaped the rewards. But complaining now was useless; he could only steel himself and prepare for the next round of counterattacks with Qian Haiping and his associates. However, to everyone's surprise, the next morning, everything turned to naught.

On the morning of the fourth day of the seventh month, in the ninth year of Jinghan of the Wu Dynasty, Hangzhou's Qiantang Gate officially fell under the assault of Fang La's army. The Wude Camp's defenses collapsed and began to retreat, subsequently buying approximately one day for the city's inhabitants to flee. In truth, this might not have been a deliberate effort on their part; according to later recollections of participants, it was simply Fang La's army pursuing and them fleeing, leading to a series of unavoidable battles. One day later, Hangzhou fell.

On the morning of the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the Qixi Festival, an urgent report traveling 800 *li* reached Bianjing, becoming the final straw that broke the camel's back…