xymnovel Chapter 89 The Gold Card is in Hand, the Situation at Liangshan
Chapter 89 The Gold Card is in Hand, the Situation at Liangshan
"Trying to leave? Too late!"
Sun Hanchuan snorted coldly, his figure blurred, and he caught up with one of them. He pointed his fingertip and struck the man's vital point in the back. The man groaned and was then killed by Zhang Hao's spear.
As for the last person, just when he was about to escape, he was blocked by Deng Qiang and his companion, who had just dealt with Wei Zhen.
Shi Kaien held his spear horizontally, the tip pointing directly at the man's throat, and said coldly, "You dare to ambush and kill His Highness the Prince of Laiyang today? Do you think you can leave here alive?"
The man was deathly pale and trembling all over. He had basically lost the courage to fight, but after seeing the fate of his two companions, he decided to make a final stand.
However, this was still of little use, and they were quickly captured by Deng Qiang and his two companions.
After all, you have to leave one survivor, just in case they come in handy later.
The reason why the first two were not kept was naturally to serve as a deterrent.
After finishing the battle, Jiang Ce's eyes turned cold and deep. He raised his hand to wipe away the bloodstains splattered on his robe and said to everyone in a deep voice, "The bandits of Longtou Mountain are colluding with the Han family. Today, we can wipe them out in one fell swoop. Maybe we can even get evidence of their collusion."
Sun Hanchuan and Deng Qiang exchanged a glance and both nodded in agreement.
Shi Kaien had already regrouped, and upon hearing this, he immediately clasped his hands and volunteered: "Your Highness, this humble general is willing to lead his personal guards as the vanguard to strike directly at the bandit's lair on Longtou Mountain!"
Jiang Ce nodded slightly, then looked at Deng Qiang and said, "General Deng, you will personally lead a team of elite troops to circle around to the back mountain and cut off their retreat. Be careful to prevent the Han family's envoy from escaping upon hearing the news."
"This subordinate obeys!"
Deng Qiang bowed respectfully, his voice booming like thunder. Then, carrying a double-edged spear, he turned and led his men swiftly toward the back mountain.
At this moment, on Longtou Mountain.
The bandits were still drinking and making merry in their stronghold, completely unaware that the situation down below had changed dramatically.
The envoy sent by the Han family was sitting upright in the hall, playing with a jade pendant in his hand, waiting for the outcome.
"Rest assured, everyone, as long as we eliminate the King of Laiyang this time, you will certainly receive the gold, silver, and provisions promised by the patriarch!" The envoy spoke arrogantly, completely disregarding the bandits.
The village chief nodded and bowed repeatedly, about to say a few words in agreement, when he heard the deafening sounds of battle and the long blaring of horns outside the village.
"Oh no! Oh no! The government troops are attacking!"
A bandit rushed in from outside in a panic, but before he could finish speaking, Shi Kaien had already led his personal guards to kick open the hall door, their blades flashing coldly as they aimed straight at everyone's faces.
The Han family envoy's expression changed drastically. He turned around and tried to escape through the back window, but before he could take a step, a long spear was pressed against his throat.
"Don't move," Deng Qiang said with a cold laugh.
The envoy trembled, and the jade pendant in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter. Looking outside the hall, he saw that the bandits had already been slaughtered by the government troops, crying out in despair, completely powerless to fight back.
At this moment, Sun Hanchuan slowly walked into the hall, and then ordered people to search the entire village. They quickly discovered letters between the Han family and the bandits, every word of which was treasonous.
"Now that we have both witnesses and physical evidence, the six great families of Laizhou are probably doomed." Jiang Ce's voice rang out slowly. He stood at the door with his hands behind his back, a cold glint in his eyes.
The messenger, his face ashen, collapsed to the ground, muttering, "It's over...it's all over..."
"Not only are you finished, the Han family will also be finished with you."
Shi Kaien sneered, stepped forward and tied him up tightly, then announced loudly, "Your Highness, Dragon Head Mountain has been breached, all the bandits have been captured, the Han family envoy has been captured alive, and the evidence of their collusion has been obtained!"
"This is like getting something for nothing!"
After glancing at it briefly, Jiang Ce immediately said, "Seal this evidence away and send it to the capital when the time is right. The era of the six great families of Laizhou should come to an end."
Now that Jiang Ce had obtained what he wanted, he naturally wouldn't stay there any longer. So he instructed Chang Yuchun to incorporate these surrendered bandits into his own ranks.
Even if they are just used as cannon fodder, they still have some value!
As for the corpses of the dead bandits, they were gathered and dragged to an open space behind the mountain. Deng Qiang ordered several deep pits to be dug and the bodies to be neatly buried, so that they could be laid to rest.
With everything settled, the stench of blood in the village gradually dissipated, and the morning light pierced through the clouds, finally restoring peace to Longtou Mountain. The system notification finally sounded.
[Ding dong, in this battle, the host has successively killed and captured two Heaven-level generals, three Grandmaster-level experts, six Super-first-class generals, fifteen first-class figures, and twenty-three figures below first-class. The host has also killed and captured over 5,800 bandits and over 2,000 Han family troops. The host is rewarded with a total of 663 summoning points.]
[Ding dong, congratulations host for defeating the enemy who came to ambush you and surviving the current crisis. Reward: one low-tier gold random summoning card;]
[Ding dong, the host has captured and killed a total of five Heavenly-level figures in this battle, therefore, a Silver Summoning Card is awarded;]
[Ding dong, the host currently possesses the following: 6638 Summoning Points, 3 Random Summoning Cards, 3 Silver Martial Arts Summoning Cards, 1 Silver Intelligence Summoning Card, 1 Silver Political Summoning Card, 2 Silver Summoning Cards, 1 Low-Tier Gold Random Summoning Card, 1 Black Iron Random Summoning Card, 1 Purple Heart Breakthrough Pill, and 1 Low-Tier Silver Any Attribute Point;]
…………
Just as Jiang Ce led his army to capture Longtou Mountain and firmly grasped the secret correspondence, witnesses, and physical evidence of the Han family's collusion with the bandits, on the other side, around the Fengxiang County Marsh, the sounds of battle had already shaken the sky, and blood mist covered the riverbank. The deadly battle between Liangshan and the government army had reached its most tragic point.
Having suffered heavy losses in their previous encounter, Han Fengjing had gained a profound understanding of Liangshan's fighting strength and was increasingly wary of them. Precisely because of this, he would never give Liangshan any room to recuperate.
Fueled by the anger and resentment of his defeated soldiers, he personally donned armor and led tens of thousands of troops to the marshland, vowing to raze the Liangshan camp to the ground and slaughter every last man and dog on the marshland.
At that time, Liangshan only had more than 10,000 henchmen guarding the stronghold.
When Chao Gai saw the government troops approaching with overwhelming force, he immediately decided to delegate authority, handing over command of the entire army to Lü Guang. However, even though Lü Guang was skilled in command, he could not change the inherent disadvantages.
After all, victory on the battlefield is never determined by the general's strategy alone; the soldiers' combat skills, discipline, and teamwork are all crucial to the outcome.
Han Feng personally led a force of over two thousand soldiers, elite border troops who had guarded Laizhou and fought countless battles. They had been on the front lines for many years and their ranks were as strong as iron.
Furthermore, three thousand Wendeng cavalrymen were stationed in the rear, their hooves thundering on the ground, poised to charge and break through the enemy lines.
In contrast, the Liangshan bandits, though mostly strong and healthy farmers and wandering warriors, had never received formal training. Their formations were loose and disorganized, and their movements were haphazard. The difference in combat strength between the two sides was like heaven and earth.
In terms of numbers, the government troops outnumbered Liangshan three to one, giving them a significant advantage.
To make matters worse, the Liangshan leaders had become complacent after their previous lucky victory over the government troops. As soon as Han Feng's challenge arrived at the gate, Wang Ying, Song Hui, and others volunteered to fight, boasting that they would once again rout the government troops, completely ignoring Lü Guang's advice.
Thus, the two armies clashed in battle on the western bank of the marsh. As soon as the government troops' war drums sounded, their iron cavalry charged ahead, followed closely by the border troops who pursued and killed them.
The Liangshan army's formation was breached in several places in an instant, and the lackeys were routed before they could even engage in battle. Even though the leaders fought to the death, they could not reverse the decline.
Leader Song Hui charged forward with his spear to fight against Cao Kewei, a general of the government army. However, after only three exchanges, Song Hui was killed instantly by Cao Kewei, who pierced his horse with a single spear thrust.
Zheng Tianshou charged into the chaotic army with a knife, intending to rescue the scattered soldiers, but he was surrounded by several government cavalrymen, shot several times, and fell into a pool of blood.
Bai Sheng was not skilled in mounted combat, and in his panic, he was trampled by a horse's hooves and died in the chaos of battle.
In this battle, the government forces revealed all their trump cards, with two god-level generals personally leading the charge, stunning the entire battlefield.
One of them was Pan Feng, the renowned and unparalleled general, wielding a massive axe. He stood at the front of the battle in golden armor, exuding an awe-inspiring presence.
The other was an elderly man dressed in a blue cloth robe, who looked to be only in his forties, with a ruddy complexion and a steady gait. In fact, he was the ancestor of the Cao family of Laizhou who had lived for nearly eighty years.
Once a martial artist reaches the Divine General realm, their internal energy and blood undergo a complete transformation, their appearance remains youthful, and their strength never dissipates, only gradually declining after they reach the age of one hundred.
The six great families of Laizhou have dominated the city for nearly a thousand years, possessing profound cultural heritage. Each family has a reclusive ancestor. This time, to help Han Feng conquer Liangshan, the Cao family ancestor personally came out of seclusion.
Song Jiang and Chao Gai led their personal guards in a desperate battle, but they were targeted by Cao Cao's patriarch. The old man's spear seemed ordinary, but every move was deadly. Wherever the spear struck, the guards fell to the ground.
The two charged left and right, finding no way to escape, and were about to be pierced by the spear when Nangong Xiao led three hundred light cavalry to their aid. Nangong Xiao intercepted the Cao family patriarch with his spear, thus saving their lives.
Although Nangong Xiao was already at the peak of the Heavenly Realm and had unlimited potential, he was still young and his battlefield experience was far inferior to that of the Cao family patriarch.
After exchanging blows for more than twenty rounds, Nangong Xiao gradually lost ground, and his spear techniques became increasingly scattered. Finally, the Cao family patriarch seized the opportunity and struck Nangong Xiao's shoulder with his spear, causing blood to soak through his armor.
At the critical moment, Zhao Delin came to the rescue, wielding his broadsword to fight. The two fought desperately, barely managing to withstand the Cao family patriarch's offensive and maintain their undefeated situation.
On the other side, Lü Guang's situation was even more perilous.
He was confident in his own fighting prowess and raised his halberd to meet Pan Feng in battle.
If it were Pan Feng from the novel, with his current strength, he could defeat him in just a few rounds.
The key point is that this is an unofficial historical version, in which Dongpan Feng, who was as famous as Lü Bu, once fought against Yan Liang and Wen Chou, who joined forces and defeated them.
It can be said that this record alone is enough to secure him a place among the initial-level divine generals.
With his peak Heaven-level combat strength, Lü Guang fought head-on against a Divine General. At first, he could barely hold his own, but after more than thirty rounds, he began to run out of strength. His halberd was shaken by Pan Feng's great axe, making a buzzing sound. His tiger's mouth split open, blood flowed freely, and he retreated step by step.
Just as Lü Guang was about to be struck down by Pan Feng's axe, Xu Cheng and Yang An sensed the danger and immediately abandoned their opponents, galloping over on horseback.
Xu Cheng, wielding a spear, and Yang An, brandishing a sword, formed an encirclement with Lü Guang. The remaining two were both Heaven-level generals, and among the best. With the three streams of evil energy intertwined, they barely managed to force Pan Feng back, thus preserving a precarious chance of survival for Liangshan.
Taking advantage of the situation, the remaining soldiers retreated to the Shuibo Great Village and held their ground.
.........
Although Han Feng's army temporarily retreated, this was by no means a victory for Liangshan. It was only through the desperate protection of Nangong Xiao, Lü Guang, and others that the lives of the leaders were barely saved.
In this battle, nearly half of Liangshan's followers were lost, and the remaining soldiers retreated to the stronghold in disarray, abandoning their armor and weapons. They could only rely on the natural defenses of the marshland to hold their ground, but everyone knew that the stronghold would be breached sooner or later.
Inside the Hall of Gathering Righteousness at this moment.
The flickering candlelight illuminated the sorrowful faces of Song Jiang and Chao Gai as they sat listlessly before the table, their wine cups long since cold.
Chao Gai knew that Liangshan was no match for the regular government army, but he never expected that the difference in combat strength between the two sides would be so huge. In just half a day of fighting, the Liangshan troops were scattered and defeated by the government army.
What was even more disheartening was that the intelligence gathered by scouts indicated that the government troops had suffered only a little over two thousand casualties, and this was under the command of Lü Guang.
If he hadn't handed over command of the army to Lü Guang today, the losses would have been even greater, and Liangshan might have been wiped out in a single battle.
Such drastically different battle losses plunged Chao Gai's heart into despair, and even his voice was hoarse.
Wu Yong, standing to the side, had lost his usual composed demeanor as he fanned himself. Now, his turban was slightly disheveled, his brows were furrowed, and all his brilliant schemes had failed him.
After all, faced with an absolute gap in strength, all calculations became mere illusions. He racked his brains and deduced the solution countless times, but could not come up with even the slightest way to break the deadlock.
"Brother, Liangshan is now at a critical juncture of life and death. Do you have a plan?"
Chao Gai said tremblingly, his eyes fixed intently on Wu Yong. This was the last hope for the Liangshan people. If Wu Yong also had no solution, then they would all face certain death.
Wu Yong stroked his beard with his fingertips and pondered for a moment before finally speaking in a deep voice: "To be honest, Brother Chao Gai, I have one last plan, but it will take a few days to finalize the details. In the next few days, the stronghold must be defended to the death, and we cannot retreat even half a step."
"Good!" Chao Gai did not hesitate for a moment, slammed his hand on the table and stood up, saying decisively, "With Brother Lü Guang in charge, we will defend every inch of Liangshan within ten days."
If my worthy brother still has no solution after ten days, I will first send men to escort General Zhang and his family down the mountain through a secret passage to escape. We brothers will then commit suicide in front of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, and will never kneel down and surrender!
"Brother, rest assured, I will give you an answer within ten days." Wu Yong bowed and took his leave. He hurried away and did not return to his residence, but went straight to a secluded place in the back mountain.
Now, Liangshan Marsh is completely surrounded by Han Feng's army, with layers upon layers of defense, making it virtually impenetrable. Wu Yong has only one thought in his mind: to pray that the person is still in the mountain, otherwise Liangshan will truly be beyond saving.
After all, Lü Guang and Zhao Delin were unable to escape at this moment. If they took even half a step out of Liangshan stronghold, they would be surrounded and intercepted by experts from various powerful families, without even a chance to catch their breath.
As for Nangong Xiao, although his strength is above the other two, his combat experience is a major weakness. If he were to leave Liangshan stronghold, it would basically not change the outcome.