The four-army battle—each with their own purpose.

The real Japanese pirates wanted to exterminate everyone in the Youth Army.

The fake Japanese pirates wanted to eliminate everyone except Prince Han’s heir—including Ji Gang, because Prince Han needed to silence witnesses.

The desperate Ji Gang wanted to eliminate everyone except A’Lei.

The Great Ming Navy and Youth Army were united, wanting to eliminate all real and fake Japanese pirates.

Everyone’s objectives were clear—the battlefield was chaotic yet orderly.

Seeing the Great Ming Navy arrive, Zhu Zhanhe frantically bombarded the shallows where the fake pirates had just landed. The shallows became like boiling water, gurgling as they spewed corpses and debris skyward.

Meanwhile, Ji Gang’s long legs had already run beyond the gun platform’s range. Judging by his direction, he was converging with the escaped Japanese pirates to surround the main camp and assassinate the Imperial Grandson.

Zhu Zhanhe descended from the gun platform, mounted a fast horse, and pursued Ji Gang.

The escaped Japanese pirates encountered almost no resistance as they attacked the Youth Army’s main camp, hoping to take the Imperial Grandson hostage for their escape, only to find the place completely empty.

Time rewinds to before the Japanese pirates’ jailbreak and the rising of yellow smoke.

Zhu Zhanji had finally cut through the rope with porcelain shards and freed both himself and A’Lei, saying: “Zhu Zhanhe was too rash. The traitor is extremely cunning and vicious—not so easily deceived. He might very well sense our suspicions and desperately strike back. I must go help him.”

Zhu Zhanji hurriedly departed with his guards. With both Zhu family brothers in danger, how could A’Lei remain behind? The moment Zhu Zhanji left, she put on his armor, used a bamboo staff as a crutch, disguised herself as a wounded Youth Army soldier, and rode a horse to chase after him.

The guards at the main camp, seeing A’Lei had disappeared, had no choice but to take weapons to search for her. Through this strange twist of fate, when the escaped pirates attacked from the south slope, they found the main camp nearly deserted.

Zhu Zhanji led his men down the mountain to find Zhu Zhanhe, encountering Ji Gang halfway up the slope as he was charging upward—enemies on a narrow road.

Ji Gang’s thousand Imperial Guards were almost all old subordinates who had followed Mao Qiang since the Hongwu era. Together they had experienced Mao Qiang’s death by lingchi, the dissolution of the Imperial Guard, the unemployment of all Imperial Guards, falling from the clouds to the bottom, being secretly recruited by Ji Gang, undermining Emperor Jianwen, supporting Emperor Yongle’s ascension, restoring the Imperial Guard system, and returning to the clouds.

These old subordinates’ loyalty to Ji Gang had long surpassed their loyalty to Emperor Yongle.

Earlier, when Zhu Zhanhe tried to kill Ji Gang and opened fire on the Imperial Guards, blasting them into bloody pieces, these men were instantly enraged. Indeed—when the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked. The entire Zhu family were ungrateful wolves!

Thus they all followed their old leader Ji Gang in rebellion. Seeing Zhu Zhanji leading the Youth Army charging down, they immediately raised guns and fired.

The Imperial Guards and Youth Army turned against each other, from comrades to opponents, shooting at each other. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, falling in rows like wheat cut by sickles.

The Imperial Guards were battle-hardened; the Youth Army were fearless newborn calves. When veteran and new armies clashed, not one person retreated or fled—they fought to a stalemate.

Under such brutal, suicidal tactics, ammunition and soldiers were quickly depleted. The Imperial Guards fought desperately to protect their old leader Ji Gang; the Youth Army used their bodies as shields to protect the Imperial Grandson.

Faith and loyalty overcame fear of death—this was the military soul.

In that instant, Zhu Zhanji understood Mu Chun’s words: “An army that hasn’t experienced war has no soul.”

No army had a worse reputation than the Imperial Guard, yet these men also possessed a military soul.

Now the Youth Army had gained a soul, but at a terrible price.

After both sides had exhausted all arrows and ammunition, fewer than twenty survived. They drew their sabers and began close combat.

Having endured artillery bombardment and a hail of bullets, Ji Gang’s face was streaked with red, black, and white—his handsome features had become a painted mask. Seeing comrades who had fought alongside him since the Hongwu era dead at his feet, Ji Gang had no time for grief as he drew his saber to strike at Zhu Zhanji.

Zhu Zhanji drew his sword to parry. The two fought desperately, each blow a killing move without reservation.

Ji Gang was experienced; Zhu Zhanji was young with good stamina. They were evenly matched.

Suddenly, a wounded Imperial Guard lying on the ground made a final rally, desperately grabbing Zhu Zhanji’s leg as he dodged.

Unable to check his momentum, Zhu Zhanji half-knelt on the ground.

Rebels usually die from talking too much. But Ji Gang was no ordinary rebel—he was unique.

Ji Gang said not a word, raising his Embroidered Spring Blade toward Zhu Zhanji’s neck.

Death had finally come. Zhu Zhanji’s heart inexplicably calmed in that instant. All of this was finally ending. Finally, he wouldn’t have to be so tired, wouldn’t be forced to make impossible choices… it was over.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out, and Ji Gang’s chest bloomed with a crimson flower.

The Embroidered Spring Blade fell from his hand, stabbing a foot into the earth. Ji Gang leaned on the blade handle, barely supporting his body. He wore soft armor—this shot had broken through the armor and skin but hadn’t damaged internal organs. He wasn’t dead.

Click!

This was the sound of another bullet being loaded. The opponent was preparing a second shot.

Damn it! Ji Gang drew a throwing knife from his waist and aimed toward the source of the gunshot. He saw a young soldier in bright armor mounted on horseback, holding a matchlock gun aimed at him.

The moment the throwing knife left his hand toward the shooting soldier, Ji Gang’s hand trembled, deliberately altering the knife’s trajectory.

Because she was A’Lei—Hu Shanwei’s daughter.

Disguised as a man, A’Lei bore some resemblance to Hu Shanwei, especially that intensely serious expression of forced composure—exactly like Hu Shanwei.

The throwing knife grazed A’Lei’s cheekbone, cutting a line across the skin, adding a thin red mark to her fair complexion.

A’Lei had ridden after Zhu Zhanji. When the Imperial Guards and Youth Army were firing wildly at each other, she had to spur her horse to avoid them. When both sides drew swords for close combat, she rode forward again with a matchlock gun to provide support, seeing Zhu Zhanji dueling with someone whose face was painted like a mask.

A’Lei was mildly nearsighted and hadn’t worn glasses in broad daylight—she couldn’t recognize that the painted face was Ji Gang.

Zhu Zhanji had been ambushed and forced to kneel while the painted face raised his blade to kill him!

A’Lei fired.

The painted face half-knelt and drew a throwing knife to kill her, but his aim was off.

Bang!

A’Lei fired a second shot without hesitation.

This time, Ji Gang’s chest had no soft armor protection and was completely blasted open, blood gushing forth.

Ji Gang fell backward.

Strength flowed from his body along with the blood, like a bursting dam. As his body approached death, his limbs seemed unwilling, twitching and convulsing involuntarily.

In his daze, he saw a girl resembling Hu Shanwei riding forward with a concerned expression (actually directed at Zhu Zhanji).

Ji Gang seemed to return to the past, when he was still the Imperial Guard’s pretty, naive fool, sheltered by Mao Qiang, living carelessly and contentedly, knowing only silly joy and carefree ease.

Mao Qiang had said in frustration: “You should hurry up and find a woman to marry. Anyway, you’ll never amount to anything in this lifetime—you just know how to muddle through. Having a child and leaving descendants would be the pinnacle of your life.”

Ji Gang had replied: “Marriage is impossible—I’ll never marry in this lifetime. If you want marriage, Commander Mao, you go get married yourself. If you have a child, I’ll acknowledge him as my godson.”

Mao Qiang was furious: “Now there are terrible rumors inside and outside the palace saying you’re having an affair with Palace Supervisor Hu—that you two always travel together on official business, living together improperly without matchmakers. The rumors say your relationship with Palace Supervisor Hu began when Empress Xiaoci was assassinated—you saved her in the silkworm house, and from then on she gave herself to you in gratitude for saving her life. They speak as if they witnessed it themselves. Your refusal to marry is because you’re waiting for Palace Supervisor Hu to leave the palace. Such malicious speculation would naturally be resolved by your marriage.”

Ji Gang had laughed instead of getting angry: “Since Commander Mao calls them rumors, don’t take them seriously. If someone in the palace is spreading rumors, the Imperial Guard and Palace Supervisory Office can investigate together, root out the rumor-mongers, and the rumors will naturally disappear.”

Mao Qiang sneered: “Looking at you, you seem even happier after hearing the rumors. Are you hoping the rumors are true?”

Ji Gang had grinned foolishly: “Of course not. You’re talking nonsense—don’t make wild claims.”

Mao Qiang sighed helplessly: “Falling flowers have feelings, but flowing water is indifferent. Mark my words—someday you’ll fall into Hu Shanwei’s hands!”

His body grew colder and colder, his vision increasingly blurred, gradually shrinking to a white line that kept flickering like a candle in the wind, about to be extinguished but not quite gone.

Ji Gang thought: A prophecy fulfilled, Commander Mao. You were half right—I died at the hands of Hu Shanwei’s daughter. I suppose this is… a fitting death.

The white line completely disappeared, and Ji Gang sank into endless, eternal darkness.