Chapter 58 You Are My Man

  Li Zhen said: "You are a member of the Small Knife Society and have prejudices against me. What should I do?"

  The girl gritted her teeth and said softly: "My name is Zhou Xiuying!"

  Li Zhen blinked, feeling a bit strange. The woman in front of him had just been a fierce tigress, but suddenly became gentle, making Li Zhen feel extremely surprised. Li Zhen's heart became vigilant, carefully guarding against the woman's possible tricks.

  Zhou Xiuying?

  Suddenly, Li Zhen's eyes widened, Zhou Xiuying was a renowned figure in the Small Knife Society.

  The common people all say that Zhou Xiuying is a heroine, able to wield a huge knife weighing 120 catties, with extraordinary martial arts skills, and is a renowned figure. Li Zhen's mouth was chattering away, but in his heart he was secretly thinking "this is not good". He is the supervisor of Jianghai Pass, the main general of the Qing army that exterminated the Small Knife Society, while the woman in front of him is actually the leader of the Small Knife Society - they are sworn enemies.

  Zhou Xiuying sat quietly and still, her eyes gentle, making Li Zhen's whole body break out in goosebumps.

  Li Zhen opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

  Zhou Xiuying said: "Your martial arts skills are better than mine, you subdued me, but you didn't take advantage of my weakness, your nature is not bad. My father said that whoever sees my body will be my man. You saw my body, so you're my man, I'll marry you." After finishing speaking, Zhou Xiuying stared tightly at Li Zhen, looking a bit tense.

  "Ah!!"

  Li Zhen let out a cry of surprise, as if he had been struck by lightning.

  I didn't expect Zhou Xiuying to handle it this way.

  Li Zhen furrowed his brow and said, "Miss Xiuying, today's events were purely coincidental. I've seen your body, and we have a physical connection, so I should take responsibility. If you want me to marry you, I won't refuse. But as a Qing army general, my duty is to eradicate the Small Knife Society. You are also a leader of the Small Knife Society, are you willing to marry me? And would others agree?"

  Zhou Xiuying said: "Of course, I won't marry the Qing demon, but you can leave the Manchu and join the Small Knife Society. Your martial arts are outstanding, your character is also good, and you will definitely be reused."

  "Hiss!"

  Li Zhen took a deep breath and understood Zhou Xiuying's intention.

  Seeing Zhou Xiuying's expectant look, Li Zhen shook his head resolutely and said: "Miss Xiuying, the Small Knife Society will ultimately be a fleeting moment, it's impossible to succeed. I won't leave the Qing army, nor can I join the Small Knife Society. If you want to call someone to catch me, then go ahead and call them, we'll see who comes out on top. Today's events I won't speak of, please don't worry about it, Miss Xiuying."

  Zhou Xiuying said discontentedly, "Why are you so stubborn? You're a Han Chinese, a Han civilian, with martial arts skills and abilities. Why would you willingly be a running dog for the Qing court?"

  Li Zhen didn't want to explain and said: "You can call someone else, I won't join Xiao Dao Hui."

  Zhou Xiuying's beautiful eyes revealed a disappointed expression, and she said: "Father said that whoever sees my body is my man. You are my man, I won't call for help. But I am the general of Xiaodao Association, it's impossible to let you go. I can't kill you, nor do I want to not kill you, so I'll just kill myself. Neither betraying Xiaodao Association nor being disloyal to my man."

  Li Zhen suddenly felt that Zhou Xiuying was indeed stubborn.

  It can even be said to be paranoid.

  Li Zhen, however, felt moved and saw Zhou Xiuying preparing to take her own life. Li Zhen grabbed Zhou Xiuying's hands with both of his and hurriedly stretched out a hand to stop her. Zhou Xiuying's heart rose with a glimmer of hope, asking: "Are you willing to join the Small Knife Society?"

  Li Zhen shook his head and still refused.

  Zhou Xiuying closed her eyes and said: "You are a Han Chinese, why must you belittle yourself?"

  Li Zhen listened to Zhou Xiuying's repeated "self-deprecation" and felt very displeased, retorting: "Miss Xiuying, I, Li Zhen, am a dignified man, how can I be self-deprecating?"

  Zhou Xiuying said without hesitation: "You are willing to be a running dog for the Manchu people, which is humiliating yourself."

  Li Zhenlang sneered twice and said, "Your words overturned a boat of people. You and Liu Lichuan openly resisted the Qing Dynasty, but that doesn't mean you have backbone. For example, Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuqing, when they first started, were indeed trying to improve their lives and wanted to get rid of the Manchu exploitation. After settling in Nanjing, they were no longer the same people as before. They indulged in luxury every day, fought for power and profit, and began to oppress the common people, which was no different from the Qing Dynasty."

  Li Zhen paused for a moment, then continued: "At present, the Small Swords Society is also being rewarded and promoted, but how many people are truly working for the benefit of the people? Moreover, the Small Swords Society has retreated to Shanghai, on the verge of defeat, and it is impossible to win. The result will be even more deaths and injuries, and let foreigners threaten the Qing Dynasty, profiting from it."

  Zhou Xiuling's body shook, and a look of astonishment appeared on her face.

  The person in front of him not only has excellent martial arts skills, but also a man with insight. Zhou Xiu Ying proudly raised her neck and said: "Although many of our people have died, we fought to the death without regret. Even if the situation is precarious, I would rather die than surrender. Our brothers who died are also willing to do so, for the sake of the Han people, we are not afraid to die."

  Li Zhen retorted: "But you are dead for nothing!"

  "It's better to die than to live a life as dull and meaningless as yours, it's even better than living in fear of death like you do."

  Li Zhen retorted, "Miss Xiuying, you don't understand me. How can you say I'm mediocre and afraid of death? Some things aren't just a matter of saying them out loud or openly waving a flag. For example, Miss Xiuying and Xiaodao rebelled against the Qing court, killed some corrupt officials, and killed some Qing soldiers. What else did they gain besides that?"

  Zhou Xiuying retorted: "At least we have done something, what have you done?"

  Li Zhen sat up straight and laughed: "What have I done? Hey, I'm working hard to get promoted."

  "You, you..."

  Zhou Xiuying was so angry that her chest heaved up and down, and she hated it so much that her teeth ached.

  Li Zhen continued: "I strive for greater rights, and plot to change the situation. Compared with your adventure, my approach is obviously more suitable. Because of the current situation, no matter how great the momentum of resistance against the Qing court is, it is impossible to succeed. This is not because the Qing court's military strength is insufficient, but because the conditions at present are insufficient. With foreign intervention from outside and the meddling of local landlords from within, how can we possibly succeed?"

  Zhou Xiuying said: "You want to rebel against the Qing court, who believes you? Maybe you and they are the same."

  Li Zhen said: "I don't ask you to believe me, I'm doing my own thing, what's it got to do with you?"

  Zhou Xiuying's eyes flashed with a hint of expectation, and she felt an indescribable joy in her heart, as if the heavy stone that had been weighing on her heart had finally fallen to the ground. Zhou Xiuying remained silent for a moment before speaking up: "Are you really planning to rebel against the Qing?"

  Li Zhen said lightly: "Believe it or not, it's up to you!"

  "I believe you."

  "If you believe me, can I leave now?"

  Zhou Xiuqing said: "You've seen my body, you're my man. Since you're a rebel against the Qing, I'll gather all the generals and persuade them to surrender to you, follow you in rebelling against the Qing. As long as you're a rebel against the Qing, I'll always be with you, be your woman. If you don't rebel against the Qing, I'll fight to the death to kill you."

  Li Zhen furrowed his brow, hadn't he just set a time bomb for himself?

  Li Zhen thought for a moment and said, "There's no need to look for other generals. I've killed Liu Lichuan and Zhu Yuefeng. The remaining generals of the Small Knife Society have also been killed off. You also heard the cries of killing in the city, the Small Knife Society is completely chaotic."

  "What?"

  Zhou Xiuying suddenly lost her composure and said loudly, "Liu Dashi's martial arts are extremely formidable, and Zhu Yuefeng is also a high-ranking master of the Jianghu. The two of them are far more skilled than I am. If you want to kill them, it's impossible."

  Li Zhen stood up and walked to the corner of the wall, took out a sniper rifle wrapped in a black bag, and said: "I killed them with this gun."

  At this moment, Zhou Xiuying really believed it.

  Postscript: 2nd of three watches