Chapter 1: The Hailan Pao Tragedy
As the afterglow of the setting sun gathered its last rays, the sky finally darkened. The banks of the Black Water River in Hailan Pao gradually fell silent. However, the bodies that occasionally surfaced in the river and along the banks continued to silently recount the atrocities of the Tsarist regime.
Several young men, despite having their hands and feet bound, and with their long braids entangled with one another, still charged recklessly towards the executioner upon witnessing this scene. The only thought in their minds was to fight desperately against these beasts, even if it meant using their mouths to tear off a piece of flesh from them. However, the outcome was predetermined; under the steel guns and bayonets of the Russian soldiers, all that awaited them was death. The only thought in their minds was to fight desperately against these beasts, even if it meant using their mouths to tear off a piece of flesh from them. However, the outcome was predetermined; under the steel guns and bayonets of the Russian soldiers, all that awaited them was death
Suddenly, a large crowd, numbering at least over three hundred, was being driven forward under the strict supervision of a group of fierce Russian soldiers, continuously dispersing the surrounding idle onlookers, and swiftly making their way towards the banks of the Black Water River
"Foster father, what do you think we should do now?"
Although the members of the Yue family were surrounded by layers of Russian soldiers, with steel guns directly loaded, they were clearly not ordinary people. It can be said that most of the young men were not intimidated by these brutal Russian soldiers; their eyes were not filled with fear and despair, but rather with endless anger. Among the crowd, there was an elderly man in his sixties, his hair and beard white, yet his eyes shone with brilliance as he constantly surveyed the surroundings. He was Yue Zhenghui, the current patriarch of the Yue family and the forty-ninth descendant of Yue Fei.
Just as Yuehu was deep in thought, a sudden clap of thunder echoed, followed by a tower-shaped white light that appeared from the horizon. In the blink of an eye, the tower-shaped white light descended upon the river surface where Yuehu and Yuehai were located, and then, in an instant, it vanished without a trace
Father, this is not feasible. The black water is rushing, and it is currently the flood season. The river spans two to three miles in width. Attempting to swim across, even for young and strong individuals familiar with the water, is extremely difficult and poses a grave risk to life. Not to mention, our Yue family has so many women, elderly, and children. How can we manage this?
As for revenge, it is said that a gentleman avenges himself ten years later; as long as there are still members of the Yue family alive, as long as the bloodline continues, this grudge will eventually be repaid one day
You damned foreigners, those cursed Russians, are you not even willing to spare a child
Bang bang bang
Indeed, Chief, let us fight. Rather than die in such a cowardly manner, it is better to...
Young Master
The sun in the west casts a faint afterglow, heralding the approach of dusk. Perhaps the slaughter of today will gradually come to an end, as the flow of people surging towards the banks of the Black Water River is also becoming increasingly sparse.
... ...
"Xiao Hu, stop shouting and save some strength. No matter what, we must get the young master and the young master to the other side; otherwise, we would not be honoring the kindness of our adoptive father in raising us." Yue Hai, who is twenty-one this year, has always been relatively composed. At this moment, having received the dying request of his adoptive father, he quickly calmed down.
Originally, when Yue Weihua woke up, both Yue Hai and Yue Hai were quite happy. However, upon hearing Yue Weihua's words, their expressions turned somewhat pale.
Little Lake, do not speak nonsense
What young master?
... ...
Ah
rumbling
Indeed, father, these Russian lackeys are utterly inhumane. Damn it, let's just confront them directly; taking down one ensures we break even, and taking down two means we profit by one
Yue Zhenghui finally let out a helpless sigh, then fixed his gaze with determination and sternly shouted at the members of the Yue family: "Listen carefully, in order to prevent the bloodline of our Yue family from being severed here, I, as the current patriarch of the Yue family, hereby command you all, I command you that no matter what happens next, none of us is allowed to take action or resist, because our only hope is to swim across this Black Water River and reach the other side. Anyone who dares to act recklessly or fight desperately will be deemed an unworthy descendant of the Yue family. Even if I die, I will have them expelled from the Yue family and permanently removed from the family register..."
Father, please don't
I will fight you all to the end
Little Hai, Little Hu, the care of Wei Hua and his son is entrusted to you. If anything were to happen to Wei Hua, I hope you can raise Kun Er to adulthood, and then I would die without regrets.
"All of you, shut your mouths. One thing is clear: whether it is feasible or not, it must be done. If anyone dares to lay a hand on the old Russian, and provokes him, it will ultimately lead to the destruction of the Yue family. Even if I become a ghost, I will never let you off. Remember this well," Yue Zhenghui shouted sternly.
Gribovsky was the highest military commander in the Amur region of Tsarist Russia. Several months ago, before the Amur region had entered military mobilization, he served as the governor of the Amur province. Gribovsky was privately good friends with Yue Zhenghui, but this time, it was Tsar Nicholas II who personally issued the order to eliminate the Chinese expatriates in Kharanbao, which put him in a difficult position. However, seeing that Yue Zhenghui did not cause any trouble for him, but instead chose to quietly lead his people and resolutely jump into the Black Water River, Gribovsky felt somewhat relieved. He then calmly ordered, "Let them go; they have not violated the orders of the Tsar or ours, have they?"
Suddenly, a silent thunder arose
Indeed, Chief, the Young Clan Leader is not wrong...
No, adoptive father
"Please, I beg you, let me keep my child. She is not even 1 year old. I implore you, I am willing to go into the river myself, ..."
As they drew closer to the banks of the Black Water River, the stench of blood grew increasingly intense, and the emotions of the members of the Yue family began to become more and more agitated. The pushing and shoving among the surrounding Russian soldiers also intensified, and occasionally, the sound of gunfire could be heard from the outskirts of the crowd.
After Yue Zhenghui finished speaking, without waiting for his two adopted sons to respond, he directly dove into the surging black water from the half-floating door panel, not even causing a single splash, and in the blink of an eye, he was swallowed by the merciless black water.
A dazzling flash of lightning illuminated the dark waters, and through the haze, one could faintly see a few scattered figures still desperately paddling their feeble hands. Indeed, they were the members of the Yue family who had jumped into the dark waters, having swum across most of the Black Water River, and were fortunate enough to survive.
Damn, my head hurts so much, for heaven's sake, I was just having a good time at Shennongjia, and all I did was enter a dilapidated temple, how did it turn into this scene? Ouch, who the hell is stabbing my head with a needle? It hurts like hell, oh no, I can't take it anymore
The Yue family enjoys a high reputation in Hailan Pao, and it is said that they are descendants of Yue Fei from the Southern Song Dynasty, having resided in Hailan Pao for several hundred years. Even high-ranking officials of the Tsarist Russia would not dare to offend the Yue family too much when visiting Hailan Pao. However, even such a prestigious family faces the prospect of total annihilation today, which illustrates the determination of the Tsarist government.
Oh no, could it be that the young master has lost his mind?
Yue Weihua is the only son of Yue Zhenghui and the young clan leader of the Yue family. At this moment, he is holding a child about four or five years old in his left arm, who is also his only son, while his right hand is holding his wife, Xie Min. Xie Min's complexion is pale, and she occasionally bends over to catch her breath, clearly indicating that her physical condition is not very good
After listening, Yue Hu gradually fell silent, glancing at Yue Weihua and his son on the door panel. His inner feelings were extremely complex. If it were not for Yue Weihua's overwhelming grief and anger due to his wife's departure, leading him to attempt suicide several times, and ultimately being knocked unconscious by the old man, then with Yue Weihua's physical condition and swimming ability, combined with this fortunate door panel, the three of them together would have completely eliminated the need for the adoptive father to seek death.
A Russian officer personally supervised the entry of the Yue family into the Black Water, and then quickly returned to the temporary command post not far from the shore to report to the highest commander of Hailanpao, Gribski. The reason for this was that the original order was to execute anyone from the Yue family on the spot if they showed any resistance. However, it was unexpected that the Yue family members would be so compliant, which was truly unforeseen.
Yue Hai and Yue Hu are both orphans adopted by Yue Zhenghui, who raised them from a young age, taught them to read, and imparted martial arts skills to them. In the hearts of Yue Hai and Yue Hu, Yue Zhenghui is their biological father, even closer than a biological father. Yet at this moment, they can only watch helplessly as this dearest relative passes away, feeling utterly powerless. The intensity of their helplessness and hatred is truly beyond words to describe
Thus, over three hundred members of the Yue family, facing the evening glow, stepped one by one into the surging black waters
Alas, even the family of the Yan family cannot escape; it seems that we, the Huaxia people of Hailan Pao, are to be completely exterminated. The ways of heaven are unjust
Cough cough cough
This is a desperate plea and narration from a young mother filled with immense grief and anger. Although her clothes are torn with countless rips, revealing streaks of blood, she continues to cry out to the Russian soldiers beside her, pleading for them to spare her child who has not yet been weaned. However, the response she receives is the merciless bayonet. In a flash of cold light, the child is lifted by the bayonet and, before the child can even let out a cry, is thrown directly into the raging black waters of the Heilongjiang River.
Indeed, although the members of the Yue family possess ancestral martial arts skills, which would make it difficult for an ordinary person to contend with three or five of them, the situation is different now as the adversaries are armed with steel guns and have positioned numerous cannons nearby. Despite the fact that the Yue family members are not physically restrained, they are unarmed. Engaging in a desperate fight against the soldiers of the Russian Empire under such circumstances would only lead to certain death. As the head of the Yue family, Yue Zhenghui must ensure the continuation of the family lineage; this is his mission. Otherwise, he would have no face to meet the ancestors of the Yue family after his death.
"Look, isn't that the head of the Yue family? My goodness, all the members of the Yue family have been captured as well"
Remember, on July 16, 1900, at Hailanpao, where the left bank of the Heishui River meets the right bank of the Jingqili River, this marks the first day of the brutal Hailanpao Incident orchestrated by the savage Tsarist Russia
... ...
Such a scene unfolds repeatedly on this day and in this place. Despite the cries that shake the heavens and the black waters along the shore gradually stained red with blood, it continues to happen. Countless compatriots from Huaxia are driven from the city of Hailanpao, either choosing to leap into the surging black waters, being pierced by bayonets, or struck by bullets. However, the outcome is almost always the same, as it is essentially a dead end. Driven from the city of Hailanpao, they either choose to leap into the surging black waters, are pierced by bayonets, or struck by bullets, yet the outcome is nearly indistinguishable, as it is fundamentally a dead end.
Damn old Russians, I will not share the same sky with you, ah, ... ...
"Report, General, the Yue family has already moved their entire clan into the Heishui River. Should we proceed with the shooting?"
After the tower-shaped white light disappeared, Yue Weihua, lying on the door panel, suddenly woke up. After glancing around, he exclaimed, "Damn, where is this?"
The family and clan rules of the Yue family are quite strict, and the clan members hold great respect for the clan leader. Although the leader's words cannot be considered as imperial edicts, very few would dare to defy them. Especially regarding the current situation, as long as one is not a fool, it is clear that the only path to survival lies in the merciless, surging black waters. While the hope of swimming across may seem extremely slim for most, there remains at least a glimmer of hope. In contrast, directly confronting the old Russians would truly be a dead end, with no possibility of escape. It is well understood that the only path to survival lies in the merciless, surging black waters. While the hope of swimming across may seem extremely slim for most, there remains at least a glimmer of hope. In contrast, directly confronting the old Russians would truly be a dead end, with no possibility of escape.
Time passes swiftly; within just one day, hundreds, if not thousands, of lives have been lost by the banks of the Black Water River