Cleaning up a single street would not change the entire district. So, Jian Zhi began his move to eradicate the whole corruption from every corner of what was known as Liánhuā District (莲花县 - Liánhuā Xiàn) – the Lotus District, a place that had long forgotten purity.

  He met Lin Wei and said, “Lin, I will be going to meet some important people in this village and the district. Wait for me here and play with the other ladies, okay?” He offered a warm smile, his eyes filled with kindness.

  Lin Wei's curiosity sparked. “When will you come back? Bring me something to eat when you return—I heard other villages have new snacks.”

  After hearing her childish yet innocent wish, Jian Zhi smiled and nodded in agreement.

  Later, he met with the people of that street and told them, “I will march to make the people who have sinned in this district answer for their actions. I need someone who knows the way and the wicked to come with me.”

  After hearing his words, people began to talk among themselves. “He is strong and courageous, but the entire district… is that not too grand a vision?” “Who does he think he is?”

  Amid the noise, a woman named Mei Lin (美琳- 'Beautiful Jade') stepped forward. She was twenty-one years old. “I worked in the gambling house before coming to this brothel. I have seen and heard who they are and where they work. I think I can help you.”

  Jian Zhi nodded. “Pack your dress and some food.”

  After thirty minutes, Jian Zhi and Mei Lin began their journey to purge the wicked.

  “We go to the mountain first,” Jian Zhi said. “We need company—and my pets.”

  Hearing that, Mei Lin wondered what kind of company—or pets—he could have in that mountain.

  After walking four kilometers, they reached the cave. He asked her to wait for him inside. “Eat and rest while I am gone. I will close the cave from the outside for your safety.”

  “Okay,” she said. “I will wait and see what I can eat. Be safe on your way.”

  After closing the cave, the Dragon Scale metal embedded in the ceiling began to glow, illuminating the space. Mei Lin looked around, touching his bed and throne. She found dried deer meat and began roasting it over the fire.

  Mmmm… Woah… So this is the delicacy of this mountain. So good, she thought, savoring each bite.

  As she was eating, the cave’s entrance opened. Jian Zhi stood at the threshold.“The job here is done. Let’s go.”

  She was still eating and looked up with slight embarrassment, offering him some meat.“It’s fine. Finish your meal. Come outside when you are done.”

  After saying that, Jian Zhi waited outside. Mei Lin hurriedly finished and emerged—then stared in amazement.“Wait, how is there a white horse here? How did it appear in this devil’s mountain?”

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  Jian Zhi replied calmly, “His name is Yǐnhún Zhě (引魂者 – Soul-Guider). Now hop on. We have a long way to go.”

  Once she was on board, she clung tightly to him, afraid of the height. This special breed of hidden white horse—rare, pure as snow, and swift as the wind—was considered a myth. But Jian Zhi had discovered their herd deep in the mountain’s heart and had raised this one himself for two years. Now, it was time to unveil another weapon from his arsenal.

  With his crimson armor and The Punisher at his side, mounted upon the mythical white stallion, the Crimson General descended back toward the villages.

  Within fifteen minutes, they arrived at a bar. Before entering, Mei Lin warned him, “In that bar, women serve nobles without clothes. They are humiliated, used as tools for lust and entertainment.”

  The Crimson General closed his eyes. “Cover my eyes with cloth. Tell the women to go somewhere safe.”

  Mei Lin rushed in and called out, “Everyone working here—find somewhere safe and put your clothes on. Trust me, your misery ends today!”

  Her words sparked a flicker of hope. Without hesitation, the women dressed and hid in the back rooms, locking themselves away. One young girl, confused in the rush, was guided to safety by Mei Lin.

  “The path is clear, General,” she said.

  Jian Zhi removed the cloth. All the drunken men looked on in confusion. The owner of the bar stormed in. “Who are you? Get out of my business! Those women need to pay for disrespecting the guests!” He tried to calm the nobles: “Just a moment, sirs, I will bring them back.”

  “You call this a business?” Jian Zhi’s voice was ice. “I am shutting it down—permanently.”

  The enraged owner signaled the soldiers to attack.

  As they charged, time seemed to slow in Jian Zhi’s mind. He moved.

  The Devil’s Way: The Punisher’s Hell Clap.

  In a blur of motion—a fusion of Ghost Step, blinding speed, and brutal precision—he struck. When the men blinked, the soldiers’ heads had already toppled from their bodies, landing right on the tables where the nobles sat.

  The owner fell to his knees, begging, clutching Jian Zhi’s legs. “Please! Mercy!”

  “You want forgiveness?” Jian Zhi said, his voice cold and final. “You may have it—after you’ve begged in hell.”

  The Punisher flashed. The owner fell.

  The now-terrified, sober nobles begged for their lives, but the General had other plans.

  He tied them up and brought the women back to the main hall.When the women saw the heads and bodies, they froze in fear.

  Jian Zhi spoke firmly: “Point out which ones harmed you. One by one.”

  They hesitated, still trembling, until Mei Lin encouraged them. “You can trust him.”

  One girl, Lian (莲 -"Lotus"), stepped forward and pointed. “H-He always… touched me. My back… my chest…” She began to sob.

  “Enough.” Jian Zhi drew his dagger.

  One by one, he gouged out the eyes of every noble who had preyed upon them—eyes that had only objectified, now scattered like bloodied marbles on the floor. Then he took their hands—hands that had violated without remorse.

  The room echoed with screams. Blood soaked the ground. There was no mercy—only execution.

  When it was done, Jian Zhi turned to the women—Lian, Xia (夏- "Summer" ), Fen (芬- "Fragrance" ), and others—their faces pale but filled with dawning hope.

  “Gather your things. You are free. Follow Mei Lin to the safe house.”

  As they left, the bar was set ablaze—a pyre of purification.

  For a week, the Crimson General continued his purge—eradicating brothels, gambling dens, and breweries across the entire district. Soldiers who opposed him fell or fled. Whispers spread like wildfire: The Mountain Devil walks—and he frees the oppressed.

  In the magistrate’s office, the actions of the Crimson General struck like thunder. Some officials plotted to kill him. Others considered making him an ally.

  Whose plan would succeed?