The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

The morning's journey was uneventful, and everyone secretly thought that Lu Da must have made a mistake.

Only Lu Da remained unmoved, standing expressionless at the bow of the ship, constantly observing the passing vessels.

"Young Master, have you noticed that we've encountered fewer and fewer ships in the last two hours?" Around four o'clock in the afternoon, Lu Da walked in with a serious expression.

"Are we about to leave Shandong and enter Zhili (Hebei)?"

"Yes, young master. We'll probably be entering Zhili in about ten miles!" Uncle Lin said from the side.

"It seems they're preparing to make their move!" Shen Lian nodded, gathered everyone together, and had each person guard their assigned position.

"They're here!" After walking a few miles, Lu Da suddenly let out a low roar.

Shen Lian peered out and saw that the river channel here should have been twenty or thirty meters wide. However, many sections of the riverbank had collapsed, and mud had piled up on the banks. The water level was now estimated to be less than twenty meters, just enough for two boats to pass each other.

Two small boats blocked the way ahead, each carrying five or six men armed with knives and guns. Their fierce expressions clearly indicated they were up to no good.

Shen Lian turned to look behind him and saw two more ships rushing towards them.

"Stop the boat! Stop the boat now!" the bandits on the boat ahead shouted, brandishing knives and guns.

"Where did you thieves come from, daring to rob an official ship? Don't you want to live?" Lu Da shouted loudly.

"Hahaha, we are the Boxers. We're here to rob you corrupt officials!" The leader of the men laughed loudly, his shirt open to reveal his thick chest hair.

"Heh heh! If you want to hijack the ship, first ask if this stick in my hand will allow it." Lu Da held a jujube wood stick, standing at the bow of the ship like an angry Vajra.

The jujube wood stick in his hand was as thick as a goose egg and about two meters long. He had polished it until it was smooth and shiny, its color a reddish-black, making it look like an iron rod.

Seeing that a collision was imminent, Shen Lian had no choice but to order the boatman to stop the boat. They were just an ordinary passenger boat; if they were to collide with it, although they could capsize the other boat, their own hull would inevitably be damaged as well.

The boat had barely come to a stop when the hairy-chested bandit leader, wielding a large knife, leaped aboard. Shen Lian estimated the height to be over two meters; the guy's ability to jump so high was indeed impressive.

"Hey!" Before the other person could even regain their footing, Lu Da swung his stick at them.

Even the hairy-chested bandit leader dared not take the blow head-on. He rolled onto the deck and slashed at Lu's thigh with his knife.

At this moment, Lu Da had already pulled back his stick and thrust it straight into the boat plank. With a "clang," the knife struck the stick but couldn't cut it even an inch.

Lu Da raised his size 58 foot and kicked the hairy bandit leader hard in the chest. The hairy bandit leader was lying on the ground, unable to dodge. He could only protect his chest with his left arm and take the kick.

The hairy-chested bandit leader rolled a few times, finally standing up on the edge of the boat. He felt a tightness in his chest and a sharp pain in his left arm. He thought to himself, "This big, dark guy is troublesome!"

Shen Lian had never witnessed a real fight before, and he watched in stunned silence. Despite all that talk, the two only exchanged blows for a few seconds before a winner was decided. Although Lu Da ate a bit too much, he really proved his worth in crucial moments.

Just then, two more robbers climbed onto the ship's side. "These guys are tough, let's go side-by-side!"

The hairy-chested bandit leader gritted his teeth, and the three of them together drew their knives and charged at Lu Da.

Lu Da was completely unafraid and immediately engaged the three men in battle. The three bandits were all wielding large knives, but they were no match for Lu Da's powerful and heavy club. Not only did they fail to injure Lu Da, but he also managed to sweep one of them into the river.

Seeing that there was no danger ahead, Shen Lian looked back. He saw that the two pursuing ships were already within twenty meters.

"Xiao Hu, Lai Fu. Fire!" Shen Lian was worried that the two of them didn't have Lu Da's strength, and it would be troublesome if the bandits boarded the ship.

"Received!" Shen Xiaohu shouted, he had been holding back for a long time.

"Bang, bang, bang bang bang..." A burst of gunfire rang out. Shen Xiaohu and his companion each took on one ship, quickly emptying their guns.

Can't you two slow down a bit? If you finish shooting at once, and the other side has a gun too, you'll be done for by the time you reload.

Just as Shen Lian was cursing inwardly, a loud "boom" rang out as a plume of white smoke rose from a small boat behind him. A burst of iron shot rattled against the boat windows. Startled, Shen Lian quickly shrank back.

"Are you injured?" Shen Lian shouted.

"It's alright, young master!" Shen Xiaohu replied. Fortunately, they had all followed Shen Lian's instructions and climbed onto the deck to fire their guns; otherwise, they would have inevitably been hit by a few bullets coming from that volley of iron shot.

"Fuck your mother!" Shen Xiaohu, having already loaded his gun, immediately roared and fired at the ship that had fired. Laifu followed suit.

The two boats behind were now about ten meters away, and Shen Lian saw a scene of utter devastation on their bows. They were covered in corpses and blood. It seemed the two rifles had inflicted significant damage on them; the two small boats were now spinning in circles in the river.

With the threat from behind eliminated, Shen Lian turned his gaze to the bow of the ship. There, he saw Lu Da displaying his might, sweeping away the bandits who had climbed aboard. The hairy-chested bandit leader was forced to flee in all directions.

Two small boats had already docked at the side of the ship, and several bandits were climbing aboard. Shen Lian looked closely and could vaguely see a dark gun muzzle aimed at Lu Da.

"Lu Xiao, be careful!" Shen Lian roared, raising his revolver and firing at the small boat. He emptied the boat in a few quick bursts.

He was just cursing Shen Xiaohu and his group for attacking too quickly, and he only realized it when it was his turn. When the fighting really started, he didn't care about anything else; he just knew to fire like crazy.

Shen Lian frantically began loading the ammunition, feeling a sharp, intense pain in his stomach. He knew it wasn't an injury, but rather spasms caused by his extreme tension.

Trembling, Shen Lian loaded the bullets, enduring the excruciating pain in his stomach, and raised his gun to look at the small boat below. Suddenly, a cold wind blew by, and with a "thud," a sharp arrow embedded itself in the bulkhead beside him.

Immediately, a series of "snap" sounds rang out, startling Shen Lian so much that he covered his head and rolled into the cabin.

"There are archers on the shore! Open fire on both sides immediately!" Shen Lian shouted hoarsely.

"Bang bang bang!" The remaining three rifles fired simultaneously into the grass on both sides of the bank, and Shen Xiaohu and his companion also turned their guns and fired to both sides.

Shen Lian hid by the window, not daring to peek out. He raised his hand and fired bullets recklessly onto the shore.

He quickly fired all six bullets and hurriedly reloaded. He was so nervous that his hand trembled, and the gun fell to the ground, scattering bullets everywhere.

A small hand quickly reached out, grabbed the pistol, loaded it with bullets, and handed it to Shen Lian.

"What are you doing here? Get out of the way." Little Stone chuckled and hid back.

"Young Master, Young Master!" Yue'er's cries came from inside the cabin.

"Stop shouting, cover yourselves with the blankets and hide!" Shen Lian yelled, tilting his head, and then started firing at the shore again.

Tan Ya stood at the doorway of the inner cabin, holding a kitchen knife. He was drenched in sweat, his palms so wet he could barely grip the handle. His legs trembled uncontrollably, and he felt an urge to urinate, which he could only clench tightly.