56: Chapter 56 Robber Zhi: Zhang Liang, our shadow guards have surrounded us!

"The more Interest Gold is taken, the faster this game will collapse."

After listening to Fan Zeng's explanation, Xiang Liang nodded in agreement.

"Once the Great Qin Empire Bank opens, we can earn the Qin's money to fund our rebellion against them."

Xiang Yu, standing to the side, hadn't been paying much attention, but he caught the last thing Xiang Liang said—earning the Qin's money to fund their rebellion.

He took those words to heart.

...

The sun dipped toward the west, and the sky gradually darkened.

Zhao Fusu entered Xianyang Palace; over a thousand Confucian Scholars were dejected and listless.

They never imagined they would suffer such a crushing and complete defeat this time.

Meng Yi walked up to them.

He was now the first Chief Justice of the Judiciary Yuan; illegal acts like gathering a crowd to cause trouble, such as those committed by Sun Daping and Shu Botong, fell under his jurisdiction.

Meng Yi looked at them and said, "Gentlemen, you gathered a crowd to cause trouble without permission. According to our Great Qin laws, you should have been exiled to the borders for corvée labor, but the Führer has already abolished corvée labor."

Before Sun Daping and Shu Botong could celebrate, Meng Yi continued, "Your actions have had a terrible impact and caused great social disruption. You are sentenced to a minimum of five years of Reform Through Labor."

Reform Through Labor?

Sun Daping and Shu Botong's eyes widened. This was just corvée labor!

They just gave it a nicer name!

However, the fact that Young Master Fusu didn't bury them alive was already an act of benevolence.

"Do any of you have objections!"

Meng Yi barked.

"No, none at all."

Sun Daping and Shu Botong shook their heads repeatedly.

...

After leaving the vicinity of Xianyang Palace, Zhang Liang circled the bustling market a few times, changed his clothes and appearance, and left Xianyang.

Hundreds of fierce-looking men wearing veiled bamboo hats also left Xianyang from different directions.

They began to converge toward the same location.

Once they gathered, they plunged into the forest and entered a remote mountain area.

After several twists and turns, they finally arrived at a dilapidated temple that had been abandoned for years.

From the outside, the temple looked extremely ruinous.

Through the temple windows, signs of habitation could be seen.

In the spacious main hall, a large amount of straw was spread out, with straw mats laid over them.

One after another, the hundreds of fierce men in veiled hats entered the dilapidated Taoist temple, sat down on their respective mats, and began to rest.

Step, step, step...

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed outside the ruined temple doors.

Hearing the movement outside, the ears of the hundred fierce men twitched.

Their hands reached for the bronze swords hidden beneath the straw mats.

They slowly drew their bronze swords. The cold light reflecting off the blades and the intricate patterns were enough to show that these swords were the masterpieces of master smiths.

"It's me!"

Perhaps hearing the sound of weapons being drawn inside, a cool, clear voice drifted in from outside the temple.

A moment later, a handsome young man with a grim expression entered the ruined temple, holding a scroll of taigongs art of war.

"My Lord!"

Upon seeing the newcomer, the hundred fierce men in the temple cupped their fists in greeting.

The sky had completely darkened.

The group began to light piles of wood to start fires for illumination.

Zhang Liang watched the flickering flames, his expression incredibly grim.

Zhao Fusu had given him an immense sense of pressure.

To oppose the Qin, Zhao Fusu had to be killed!

Whoosh, whoosh...

A wailing wind swept through the suburban mountain forest.

Outside the temple, fifty or sixty figures in black had quietly surrounded the building.

They held steel sabers, their gazes fixed on the temple flickering with firelight.

He Zhi was personally leading this operation.

After the Shadow Guards investigated those who incited the Confucian disciples' petition, He Zhi did not order an immediate arrest. Instead, he had them secretly tail these suspicious individuals in veiled hats.

To avoid detection during the surveillance, He Zhi had not brought many men.

He planned to strike once the people inside the temple were asleep, catching them all in one fell swoop.

Inside the temple, a large clay statue was enshrined.

The base of the statue suddenly moved, and a thin, small figure crawled out from within.

"Dao Zhi!"

Seeing the newcomer, Zhang Liang's eyes narrowed; he had a bad feeling.

Dao Zhi approached Zhang Liang with a heavy expression and whispered, "Zhang Liang, Shadow Guards have surrounded us."

"What did you say!"

Zhang Liang's face instantly paled.

The Yanzhao Righteous Warriors gathered around Zhang Liang all took on murderous expressions.

"We'll fight the Tyrannical Qin to the death."

The Yanzhao Righteous Warriors said with tragic resolve, "Even if I die, I'll drag one of those Tyrannical Qin bastards to hell with me!"

"Shh!"

Zhang Liang placed a finger to his lips, signaling the Yanzhao Righteous Warriors to be quiet.

His expression remained calm as he looked at Dao Zhi and asked composedly, "The number of Shadow Guards surrounding us shouldn't be high, right?"

"Roughly fifty or so."

"Fifty people dare to surround us!"

Disdainful looks immediately appeared on the faces of the Yanzhao Righteous Warriors.

Zhang Liang said, "If they had the numbers, they would have attacked already."

"They haven't attacked because they're waiting for us to fall asleep before they storm in."

Zhang Liang saw through He Zhi's plan at a glance.

"My Lord, let's fight our way out."

The Yanzhao men grew agitated one by one.

"The reason we gathered is to kill the Tyrannical Qin."

"The Qin dogs are right outside, and they don't outnumber us. We can totally rush out, slaughter them all, and then escape."

"That's right!"

More and more Yanzhao men were swayed by the idea.

Their expressions gradually turned ferocious.

Their right hands gripped the bronze swords hidden beneath the mats.

"Shh!"

Zhang Liang put his index finger to his lips and whispered to the crowd, "Instead of rushing out, it's better to let them think we're asleep. When they quietly try to assassinate us, we can catch them off guard!"

"My Lord is truly worthy of his title!"

Upon hearing Zhang Liang's clever plan, the eyes of the Yanzhao Righteous Warriors lit up, and their gaze toward him became even more respectful.

"My Lord, my admiration for you is like the surging waters of the Great River, endless and overflowing!"

The Yanzhao Righteous Warriors began to flatter Zhang Liang.

"Shh!"

Zhang Liang lowered his voice, signaling them all to be silent.

The Yanzhao Righteous Warriors quickly shut their mouths to avoid letting the Shadow Guards outside know that they were aware of the ambush.

The night grew deeper.

In the early morning hours, the desolate mountains were quite cold.

The Shadow Guards tightened their clothes and looked at He Zhi, waiting for his command.

Inside the temple, the firelight was dimming.

"Commander, when do we strike?"

A Shadow Guard approached He Zhi and asked.

"At the fourth watch."

He Zhi said.

This was the time when people slept most soundly.

He Zhi wanted to wipe out all the anti-Qin elements in one go.

Inside the temple, everyone, including Zhang Liang, gripped their bronze swords tightly.

Zhang Liang was also skilled in martial arts.

His personal sword was named Lingxu.

The blade was slender and elegant, crystal clear and dazzling to the point one could not look directly at it. The emerald green leather scabbard was a natural masterpiece, inlaid with eighteen North Sea Jasper Hearts.

Though a sharp weapon, it lacked any bloody aura, exuding only an ethereal, immortal grace.

It was ranked tenth among the Ten Famous Swords in Feng Huzi's Sword Manual.

The bronze swords in the hands of the Yanzhao Righteous Warriors were no ordinary items either; they were masterpieces from the Mohist master smiths, each one a world-shaking creation.

With peerless treasures in hand, the Yanzhao Righteous Warriors were confident they could easily slaughter the Shadow Guards who dared to surround them.