Ye Mingchen, however, stood firmly on the ground, taking one step at a time, using the ground's reaction force to channel the energy from his arm into the earth. After more than ten steps, he also stopped.
At the same time, Shi A's next attack was ready. After taking a deep breath, he rose several meters into the air, and then, using the momentum of his fall, he channeled streams of true energy into his dagger. In a flash, he created several identical Shi A clones.
At the same time, voices came from all directions, constantly questioning Ye Mingchen's mind.
“Look at what your master has done: the three massacres of Jiading, the ten-day massacre of Yangzhou. Don’t you feel anything at all about these massacres?”
"Look at the current court. On the surface, it is a union of Manchus and Han people. No matter what official position is, it is basically one Manchu and one Han person. It looks like it is real. But what is the result? The Manchus hold real power, while the Han people have only empty titles."
"You keep calling yourself 'master' and 'slave' all the time. Look at the plight of the Han people today. Is this kind of court really worthy of your loyalty? And look at the pig's tail behind your head. After you die like this, will you be worthy of your ancestors?"
Hearing Shi A's words, Ye Mingchen became inexplicably angry. He felt as if a fire was burning inside him, causing him great pain.
Normally, given his composure, he would never be disturbed by a few words of empty talk. But now, for some reason, his heart was constantly churning with turmoil.
The previously flawless and perfectly coordinated state of mind now suddenly showed cracks. Even the flow of internal energy felt slightly stiff. This wasn't right; this was highly illogical.
This can't go on. If I don't stop it soon, my mind might completely fall into chaos within a few dozen breaths. At that point, any innate master would likely be able to seize the opportunity to kill me.
Thinking of this, Ye Mingchen groaned, and then streams of true energy surged from his dantian, spreading throughout his entire body. In that instant, the area within several feet around him was completely filled with true energy.
The oversized official robes now seemed to inflate like a balloon. At first glance, he looked like a clown with short limbs and a round belly.
With a whoosh, a phantom image attacked Ye Mingchen. Before it even got close, it was shattered into pieces by the surging true energy.
Thankfully, it's fake! As long as I keep going, I can manage in a few dozen breaths.
"You are a traitor!"
With a loud shout, another phantom rushed up. Ye Mingchen remained silent and attacked again.
"You are a despicable person, a disgrace to the Han people."
kill!
"You are aiding and abetting evil!"
kill!
In just over ten breaths, Ye Mingchen shattered dozens of illusory figures. But when he looked up, he suddenly discovered that hundreds of illusory figures had appeared in the sky.
How can there be so many?!
This is not scientific!!!
Gradually, Ye Mingchen's true energy dwindled, and the power of his attacks diminished with each strike. He felt increasingly exhausted.
Something's not right. What's wrong? Time?! That's it! I've already shattered hundreds of illusory images; dozens of breaths have passed. Even if Saishang'a, Tachar, and Zeng Guofan haven't arrived yet, shouldn't the surroundings be more peaceful?
What's wrong with me?
You are a traitor!
You're a despicable person!
You are aiding and abetting evil!
You are destined to be infamous for eternity!
Each voice, like a sword, pierced Ye Mingchen's soul, relentlessly questioning him. His once unwavering belief began to waver.
Huang Qiying was truly dumbfounded. What on earth was going on? Why did Ye Mingchen suddenly stop moving while they were fighting? And why was he randomly releasing his true energy?
Now, in just ten breaths, he had completely exhausted his otherwise saturated internal energy. Afterward, he remained motionless in place.
"Phew, it's finally done. With this person's cooperation, we can easily take Guangzhou."
Looking at Ye Mingchen, who stood there like a wooden statue, Lin Yang couldn't help but laugh. Scholars may not be skilled in fighting, but when they plot against someone, they can be incredibly ruthless.
Like Ye Mingchen at this moment, if he only defended and didn't attack, he could have held out for several dozen breaths. However, while he was concentrating on fighting Shi A, he was directly ambushed by Lin Yang.
At this point, he was essentially under an illusion. He wouldn't wake up until his mind completely shattered. And once his mind was broken, did he have any other choice but to submit to Emperor Zhu?
What does it mean that a loyal minister with a noble and righteous heart suddenly has his heart broken? It means that this person is no longer loyal to the court, or at least is not as secure as before.
Moreover, his martial arts skills plummeted from Grandmaster to Innate, rendering him largely useless. His fate then would naturally be to settle scores and seek revenge.
As for a master of innate talent facing his former enemies, the consequences are self-evident.
------------
Chapter 48: You'll never find a girlfriend like this.
"Five million taels, not a penny less," Tacha said happily. This was his first reaction upon hearing that Ye Mingchen was seriously injured and on the verge of death.
Since he was only seriously injured and not actually dead, wouldn't Guangzhou City be able to take as much silver as they wanted?
The thought of the enormous sums of silver held by the Thirteen Factories filled Tacha with a burning desire. This time it was five million taels, but what about next time? What about when Zhu the rebel attacks the city?
Just as Tacha was getting excited, Zeng Guofan frowned and then reminded him, "Master, Ye Mingchen is seriously injured. I'm afraid this is not a good sign."
Upon hearing this, Sai Shang'a said helplessly, "There's definitely something fishy going on here. You saw it yourself; there were hundreds of specially made crossbow bolts. So many powerful crossbows couldn't possibly be transported into the city by the mere Hongmen. If they had that kind of strength, Guangzhou would have been gone long ago!"
These are powerful crossbows, elite military weapons. How could they possibly be in the hands of a private individual? Even the Hongmen (Triads) don't have the power to transport dozens of crossbows at once without being detected.
Moreover, even if the Hongmen really had that much power, wouldn't it be more convenient to just transport foreign guns directly?
Therefore, what he really wanted to say was that Tachar was far too reckless. Of course, he wasn't doubting that Tachar directly attacked Ye Mingchen.
However, he must have known about this as well. Otherwise, where did these dozens of crossbows come from? His own regiment hadn't lost any crossbows, nor had Ye Mingchen's. So, the source of these crossbows could already be determined, couldn't it?