Hua Wu Que, with Ah Jiu in his arms, escaped from Yanjing City and headed towards the burial ground following her instructions. From afar, he saw a sea of Qing soldiers surrounding the burial ground. At their head was a gloomy man, dressed in the attire of a Manchu military officer, who was talking about himself to a lean Daoist beside him. The Daoist spoke with disdain, and Hua Wu Que, in a low voice, retorted, “If you were here, what could you do to me?!”
He couldn’t reveal himself with Ah Jiu, so he used words to buy time, intending to place Ah Jiu in a safe place and then return to rescue her.
Inside the burial ground, a young girl with her hair in double buns, wearing white mourning clothes, and with a quiet, delicate appearance heard the commotion outside. She quickly turned to Chen Jin Nan and asked, “Chief Chen, is that the great hero you mentioned who killed Ao Bai?!”
“Shuang Er! Don’t be rude, quickly bandage Chief Chen’s wounds!” A woman in mourning clothes, seeing her daughter only inquiring instead of tending to the savior’s injuries, hastily reprimanded her.
“Mrs. Zhuang, don’t mind her. Shuang Er is still young, she should be carefree and playful. She has been so careful and cautious lately, I still haven't adjusted to it!” Chen Jin Nan’s face was pale. His chest bore a terrifying wound from a slash from bottom to top. Heeding the rebuke, he quickly reassured her.
After receiving the news, he rushed out of the city, placing his brothers in the burial ground. Hearing that the Red Flower Society brothers were besieged outside the city by the Qing army, he immediately went to their rescue. After a fierce battle, he successfully rescued them. On his return, he was ambushed by a lean Daoist, Zhang Zhao Zhong, who stabbed him in the chest with a sword. He hurriedly retreated to the burial ground with his men.
As he sat contemplating, he suddenly realized that he had made a mistake. He shouldn’t have sent someone to inform the Ninth Princess. What if the Tartars had set a trap, and by following the messenger, he would have endangered the Ninth Princess and Hua Wu Que? As he was deep in thought, the girl interrupted him. Hearing her inquiry, he realized that the person outside must be Hua Wu Que. Forgetting his own injury for a moment, he got up and walked outside.
Seeing him so badly wounded and still forcing himself to move, Mrs. Zhuang was worried. However, she couldn't dissuade him, so she pulled Shuang Er along, following behind Chen Jin Nan, fearing that he would suffer a setback.
The three pushed open the door and saw the burial ground surrounded by Qing soldiers. The Red Flower Society’s “Golden Flute” scholar was confronting Zhang Zhao Zhong with a group of his brothers, swords drawn and ready for battle. Looking around, they couldn't find Hua Wu Que, causing them confusion.
Zhang Zhao Zhong, having witnessed Ao Bai’s strength, knew he was no match for him. Therefore, he was wary of Hua Wu Que, who had been able to kill Ao Bai and escape with his head. Hearing the noise, he drew his “凝碧剑” (Ning Bi Sword), quietly preparing himself for a fight.
Yu Zhen Zi, seeing his demeanor, scoffed, and burst into laughter, “What Hua Wu Que? He’s just a cowardly sneak. Such a character could scare Zhang Da Ren like this? It’s truly an eye-opener for this Daoist!”
Zhang Zhao Zhong was secretly angered by his mockery and was about to retort when he heard a sound of breaking air. He hastily dodged, and upon taking a closer look, he saw that it was Zhao Ban Shan, the Third Leader of the Red Flower Society, who was known as “Thousand-Handed Buddha.” Unable to tolerate Yu Zhen Zi’s arrogant words, he had shot a piece of green stone. The stone flew like an arrow toward Yu Zhen Zi, but he felt a bit embarrassed and retracted his stance, regaining his balance.
Seeing the stone flying so swiftly, reaching him in the blink of an eye, Yu Zhen Zi drew the sword from his back and spun to stab. His swordsmanship was extraordinary. Angered, he struck quickly, hitting the stone’s center. The stone shattered instantly.
He sheathed his sword, flicked his whisk, and sneered, “What Hua Wu Que? You’re all acting as if you’ve seen the King of Hell. In my opinion, he's nothing!”
Chen Jin Nan, seeing this Daoist's extraordinary swordsmanship, was secretly startled. He had been ambushed earlier and thought the Daoist’s skills were mediocre. But now, looking at his swordsmanship, even at his peak, he wouldn’t dare say he could win against him.
“Chief Chen, this Daoist is too powerful. You’re heavily injured, you shouldn't risk your life. We’ll hold him off, you quickly leave with Mrs. Zhuang and the wounded brothers!” A stout old man, seeing Yu Zhen Zi’s swordsmanship, his expression grave, said to Chen Jin Nan.
“Zhao Lao Ye’s kindness is appreciated, but Chen Jin Nan can’t stand to watch my brothers fight in the front, risking their lives while I run away. Today, we’ll fight to the death, Red Flower brothers, we’ll die together!” Chen Jin Nan rejected Zhao Ban Shan’s suggestion. With the Ninth Princess being cared for by Hua Wu Que, he was assured of her safety and had no other worries. How could he abandon his brothers and flee alone?!
The heroes of the Red Flower Society and the Heaven and Earth Society, hearing Chen Jin Nan’s words, erupted in cheers. Zhao Ban Shan, his heavy heart lifted, laughed heartily, “Looks like I’m the one being cowardly. Good! Today, we'll stand together, Red Flower brothers, we'll die together!”
“Red Flower brothers, we’ll die together!” “Red Flower brothers, we’ll die together!” “Red Flower brothers, we’ll die together!” For a moment, the mood was high. They raised their swords and shouted in unison.
“Humph, since you’re so eager to die, this Daoist will oblige you.” Seeing that these people were obstinate and unwilling to surrender, Yu Zhen Zi was furious. He turned towards Zhang Zhao Zhong and shouted, “Zhang Da Ren, what are you waiting for? Give the order!”
Zhang Zhao Zhong, having witnessed this Daoist’s power, dared not disobey. With a wave of his hand, he said, “The Emperor has decreed, anyone who captures Chen Jin Nan will be rewarded with ten thousand gold!” The Qing soldiers, hearing the generous reward, were ecstatic. They were waiting for his order to charge forward.