stonecrandall Page 128
Page 128
Hua Rong's divine arrow pierced the air, but Lu Junyi paid no heed. Hua Rong's skill lay in his extremely accurate archery, but his power was insufficient to break through Lu Junyi's Qilin Scales.
Xu Ning's hook-and-sickle spear moved like a golden snake emerging from its hole, attempting to lock onto the shaft, but he lacked the strength. Lu Junyi's spear tip suddenly sank and flicked, using absolute force to send Xu Ning's hook-and-sickle spear flying high into the air, leaving his center wide open. Xu Ning was then struck off his horse by Lu Junyi's spear.
Yang Zhi's precious sword gleamed with a blue light, while Suo Chao's golden axe whistled through the air as the sword and axe struck simultaneously.
Lu Junyi roared, like a thunderclap from a clear sky! His spear danced like a wheel, and with two deafening clangs of metal clashing, Yang Zhi and Suo Chao were forced back, their blood surging!
Zhang Qing's flying stones came one after another, but Lu Junyi seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He twisted his waist and turned his head, and the flying stones grazed past his helmet plume! Zhu Tong and Mu Hong's pincer attack was also forced back by the elusive spear shadow.
"What a magnificent jade unicorn from Hebei!!!"
Li Kui leaped out of the crowd like a mad tiger, swinging his two powerful broadswords in a wide arc to strike at Lu Junyi's legs! Liu Tang and Lei Heng wielded their broadswords, one on the left and one on the right, aiming for his waist and ribs! Yan Shun's staff, Bao Xu's death sword, and Xie Zhen and Xie Bao's steel forks and iron rulers attacked from different angles at the same time. In an instant, Lu Junyi was trapped in a desperate situation, surrounded by a forest of knives and axes.
But at that moment, a suppressed growl erupted from Lu Junyi's throat. Faced with this three-dimensional, all-around, almost suffocating encirclement, he raised his life's cultivation to its peak! He spun like a top, and the golden spear was no longer a weapon, but transformed into a wildly dancing dragon with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes!
The spear tip pointed sharply, like a rain of pear blossoms, precisely deflecting Li Kui's double axes; the spear shaft swept horizontally like an iron rod, its overwhelming force sending Liu Tang and Lei Heng staggering backward; the movements were like a ghost, dodging Yan Shun's staff shadow in the nick of time; the spear tail slammed into Bao Xu's shoulder, the sound of bones cracking clearly audible.
Faced with Jie Zhen and Jie Bao's deadly attacks from both above and below, she retracted her spear with dazzling speed, flicked her wrist, and unleashed a burst of spear flowers, completely severing the steel fork and iron ruler! The shock caused the two to cough up blood and stagger backward.
When the four mages, Gongsun Sheng, Wu Yong, Zhu Wu, and Fan Rui, used their magic to try to stop her, they were surprised to find that Lu Junyi's magic resistance was terrifyingly high, and ordinary magic spells could not even break through her magic resistance.
In this airtight attack, Lu Junyi's spear moved like a dragon's claw, precisely striking vital points to force retreat; like a giant python churning a river, it crashed into the enemy with unparalleled force; and like a nimble snake, it darted and weaved through fatal gaps! Her footwork was as steady as a rock in the mud, and every strike contained the strength honed through countless trials and the exquisite skill of the art. Fighting and moving at the same time, she actually broke through the defenses of thousands of people single-handedly and retreated towards Licheng, with no one able to stop her.
Faced with Lu Zhisheng, a power ceiling, she cleverly used a technique to deflect the force with minimal effort.
Faced with Lin Chong's skill ceiling, she resorted to overwhelming brute force to violently destroy him.
For a moment, all the Liangshan generals were stunned. This guy possessed the brute strength of Lu Zhisheng and Qin Ming, the speed of Lin Chong and Yue Fei, the skill of Yang Zhi and Wu Song, the stamina of Dong Ping and Hu Sanniang, the defense of Xu Ning, and the magic resistance of Liu Hong… They could only intercept him, not defeat him.
"Let her go. She has nowhere else to go."
Seeing that things were hopeless, Liu Hong had no choice but to abandon his plan to capture Lu Junyi alive—it didn't matter anymore, her family was already destroyed, I wanted to see where she could hide even if she broke through the encirclement.
Chapter 366: Liangshan's Dialogue - Guan Sheng Surrenders
Thinking of this, Liu Hong led his generals to ignore Lu Junyi and directly tied up Guan Sheng, while Dong Ping charged into Licheng! The soldiers in the city had already suffered a great defeat a week ago, and were terrified by Liangshan's attack. Seeing Guan Sheng defeated again and captured alive, they immediately lost all confidence.
Some generals initially wanted to hold out, but after witnessing the terrifying damage Ling Zhen's cannons could inflict on the city walls, they trembled with fear and ultimately surrendered.
Licheng has fallen.
Liu Hong immediately resorted to his old tricks: seizing the treasury, rewarding his soldiers, killing wealthy landowners, distributing the spoils to the common people, slaughtering the entire ruling class of Licheng, taking two-thirds of the treasure back to Liangshan Marsh, and distributing one-third of the treasure to the people to win their hearts. He then left Licheng, carrying a small mountain of coins and provisions, and returned to Liangshan Marsh.
At dawn, Liu Hong led his followers up the mountain. As the east gradually brightened, they took their seats in the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, and Guan Sheng, Dong Ping, Xuan Zan, and Hao Siwen were brought in separately.
Upon seeing this, Liu Hong personally untied Guan Sheng and helped him up from the ground.
“I have long admired your great name, General! If it weren’t for the corrupt and incompetent Emperor Gao Qiu, our Liangshan would have been driven to the brink of ruin and had nowhere to turn in Shandong! Our defeat today is not your fault. If you are willing to stay with my Liangshan Marsh, it would be my honor. If you do not stay, I will escort you back to the capital. I have no intention of forcing you!”
"Great Sage, you flatter me. How dare a defeated general speak of bravery?"
Guan Sheng gave a bitter laugh and quickly returned the greeting. She glanced at the other leaders, who were filled with deep loyalty, and then turned to Xuan Zan and Hao Siwen, asking, "We were captured here. What has become of us?"
The two replied, "We are willing to obey the general's orders."
Guan Sheng was somewhat disheartened at this moment. He sighed and bowed to Liu Hong with his hands clasped in greeting.
"This crushing defeat has wiped out the entire Imperial Guard of Beijing, the capital of the Great Song Dynasty, at my hands! With such a tremendous loss, I, Guan, have no face to return to the capital. I wish to be granted death soon!"
"Why does the general say this?"
Liu Hong grabbed Guan Sheng's hand.
"The four treacherous ministers of today—Cai Jing, Gao Qiu, Tong Guan, and Yang Jian—have wreaked havoc and deceived the emperor. We must enter Tokyo, purge the emperor's inner circle, and restore peace to the land! This arduous path requires your assistance, General. I wonder if you, General, would be willing to join me in accomplishing this great task and hang the head of that old traitor Gao Qiu on the gates of Tokyo?"
Guan Sheng stared intently at Liu Hong.
"Great Sage, do you really believe that the root cause of the turmoil in the world lies in four treacherous ministers?"
Liu Hong's body trembled slightly. Of course, this was a lie, just a common tactic he used to persuade court officials to surrender.
However, this set of words actually failed to work on Guan Sheng?
Thinking of this, Liu Hong leaned close to Guan Sheng's ear and whispered something in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"It is not because there are treacherous officials that there are foolish and incompetent rulers."
"It is the presence of incompetent and foolish rulers that breeds so many treacherous officials."
Guan Sheng was also shocked. She had thought about this for a long time before she understood it. She never expected that there would be someone in this mountain stronghold who had the same idea as her, and who actually said it and was trying to change it?!
Thinking of this, she immediately knelt down in front of Liu Hong, her phoenix eyes fixed on him, as if trying to see the man before her clearly.
"The people of the martial world call Liu Hong, the Great Sage of Chaos, loyal and righteous, and the name is indeed true! Today, we have nowhere to go to our homes and nowhere to serve our country, but we are willing to serve under your command! In the battle of Shandong, the old villain Gao Qiu did not listen to my advice, which led to this defeat. I wonder if the Great Sage would be willing to listen to my plan?"
Liu Hong also gazed at Guan Sheng and immediately understood her meaning: a good bird chooses a good tree to perch on, and a good minister chooses a good lord to serve. Guan Sheng wanted to know if he could heed her advice and whether he was a wise ruler.
"General, please speak freely. If it is reasonable, I will adopt it."
"Okay, then I said it."
Guan Sheng nodded and began to speak.
"First of all, the territory you occupy is only Dengzhou and Jizhou, just two prefectures. Why do you maintain a huge army of tens of thousands of people?! Even if you have consumed a large amount of birthday tribute and plundered countless prefectures, and have money, why recruit so many new soldiers? If I were you, Great Sage, I would concentrate all that money on the elite forces and create a small but elite force, rather than expanding the army on a large scale."
"Secondly, maintaining such a large army is one thing, but why did you divide the elite troops into four parts and station them in Liangshan Marsh, Mangdang Mountain, Dengzhou, and Qingzhou respectively? Dengzhou is where your base is located, so it is understandable to station a large force there. Liangshan Marsh, which is eight hundred li in size, seems huge, but it is a place for farming and development. It is just a small island, and stationing a naval force there can ensure its safety and also radiate outwards to the eight hundred li of waterways."
"Qingzhou and Mangdang Mountain are even more absurd. You have no foundation there at all, yet you insist on placing two legions there. I can see at a glance that this is your biggest weakness, so the first battle was to attack the three mountains of Qingzhou."
"I need an army to deter Henan and Shandong and ensure that land reform can continue there."
Liu Hong answered truthfully.
"What kind of wealthy man needs an army of several thousand men stationed here? You should build an elite cavalry force. Place a fierce general and three hundred elite cavalrymen in Mangdang Mountain and Qingzhou. Tell me, which wealthy man can withstand such a force?"
Guan Sheng continued to question him.
“Good steel should be used at the tip of a blade, not scattered and misused. You see, my strength is far inferior to yours, but in the end, eight hundred cavalrymen, along with all the fierce generals I could find, almost raided and beheaded your command post.”
“Great Sage, your Liangshan is brave, but its size is incomparable to that of the Great Song Dynasty. It is like an ant facing Mount Tai. I can understand your idea of expanding your army. If you want to confront the extremely large Great Song Dynasty, a large army is indispensable.”
"But there is another way. If you build a cavalry force composed entirely of elite troops, not many, just a thousand, you can lead it yourself, and I will be the vanguard. Add to that Instructor Lin, General Huyan, Envoy Qin, Hua Rong, Yang Zhi, Xu Ning, Suo Chao, Shi Jin, Zhang Qing, Sun Li, and Hu Sanniang's twelve riders, plus Master Gongsun's assistance, I ask you, which Song army in the world can withstand such an elite charge?"
"Given the Song Dynasty's redundant and outdated military system, as long as we capture generals and seize flags, even a million-strong army will be routed in one battle! Your advantage has always been your elite cavalry! But the Song Dynasty's advantage lies in its sheer numbers. Don't use your weaknesses to fight against the Song Dynasty's strengths. It might work once or twice, but if it happens a few more times, you will be worn down and killed by the Song Dynasty's national strength in Shandong."
Upon hearing this, Liu Hong's expression changed. He realized that he had indeed made a mistake. Just as Guan Sheng had said, he should have gathered the elite forces of Liangshan to form an invincible assault cavalry, instead of continuing to blindly expand his army and fight against the Song Dynasty head-on.
"I was truly enlightened by General Wen's glance. I'll get to it right away!"
Seeing that Liu Hong had actually adopted his suggestion, Guan Sheng also felt that Liu Hong was a wise ruler and was completely convinced, which gave Liu Hong another plan.
【Guan Sheng · Tian Yong Xing】: Your Dragon Breath damage is increased by 100%, the Dragon Breath coverage area is increased by 100%, the Dragon Breath cooldown time is reduced by 33%, and in True Dragon form, the ferocity of Dragon Might is doubled.
Chapter 367: Jade Kirin Has No Way Out
After persuading Guan Sheng to surrender, Liu Hong turned his attention to Dong Ping once again. He used the same method to untie him and persuade him to surrender, employing the same old rhetoric: "Look, you've suffered a defeat. When you go back, you'll probably be branded on the face, exiled to the army, and never have a chance to rise again."
Why not join Liangshan first, and then return to the imperial court after being granted amnesty? Wouldn't that be wonderful?
To Liu Hong's surprise, Dong Ping refused, his face ashen, saying that he would do as he pleased, whether to kill or torture him.
Liu Hong seems to have lost his mind after being tricked. What could be the reason for this?
Usually, surrendered generals who beg for death do so to save face, to maintain their dignity, and to feign arrogance. But this kid seems genuinely seeking death? What could be so troubling you at such a young age?
"You are so young, yet your combat prowess is so high. You are destined for great things, to be remembered in history and for generations to come! Why do you seek death now? If you are unwilling to surrender, I can send you back to Dongping Prefecture right now. I am not lying!"
Liu Hong tried to persuade him again.
"It doesn't matter, it's all the same. If the Great Sage lets me go back, how can a defeated general like me have the face to marry Miss Cheng? Not being tattooed, being exiled is already a good thing."
Dong Ping said with a gloomy expression.
"If I join Liangshan Marsh, the prefect will surely betroth Miss Cheng to someone else."
"I was born in the late Han Dynasty. At the age of six, I became a demon messenger due to an accident. I was chosen by the prefect and have been doing everything for him ever since. I have done all sorts of dirty and lousy things. I worked hard to get the position of military commander of Dongping Prefecture!"
The prefect promised that as long as I continued to serve him, fight diligently for him, and overcome all obstacles, he would marry his daughter, who was my childhood sweetheart and whom I loved, to me. I would then marry into the Cheng family, and I would be able to change my social class and my destiny! I would no longer have to be a knife in someone else's hand!
I never imagined that after all these years of striving for this goal, I would end up with nothing but emptiness. This defeat means there's no going back.
"Judging from your appearance, you must be at least in your twenties, well past the age for marriage. How many years has the prefect been making this promise to you? How old is that young lady?"
Liu Hong was speechless. What kind of boss was making empty promises?
"The same age as me, twenty-two years old."
Dong Ping was also taken aback, only then realizing that something was amiss. In the Song Dynasty, it was quite normal to marry at sixteen, and eighteen was considered an old maid. Twenty-two was considered very old. "I've been drawing this cake-shaped prefect since I was twelve, for ten years now. He definitely doesn't look quite normal."
"Furthermore, don't you have some misconceptions about your own abilities?"
Liu Hong patted Dong Ping on the shoulder.
"Is it possible for you, all by yourself, to wipe out the prefect's entire family and rescue Miss Cheng, your childhood sweetheart and the one you love? Instead of becoming the prefect's dog, groveling and begging for mercy?"
Dong Ping looked at Liu Hong and gave him a very complicated smile.
"What good is being a fighter if you're out in the game?"
"I know that one person's bravery cannot change the overall situation, but what about the bravery of a group of people?"
Liu Hong turned to the side, letting Dong Ping see the fierce generals behind him. At this moment, Guan Sheng, Lin Chong, Huyan Zhuo, and Qin Ming—four of the Five Tigers of Liangshan—were present. Lu Zhisheng and Wu Song, the two infantry heroes, stood proudly. Luan Tingyu, Hua Rong, Yang Zhi, Xu Ning, Suo Chao, Zhang Qing, Sun Li, Hu Sanniang, Shi Jin, and Li Cunxiao—the new Ten Tiger Generals were all gathered. In addition, there were Li Ying, Mu Hong, Zhu Tong, and Lei Heng, who were also Tiger or General level, but were leaders in charge of other tasks.
With so many heroes gathered together, Liangshan has now reached its full potential!
"Don't think too little of yourself, and don't imagine the existing class system to be too strong. Come on! I'll let you personally break into Dongping Prefecture. I'll show you just how easy it is to kick down the seemingly impregnable gates of the prefectural government that you think are so high and mighty! You don't need to be someone else's pawn! Just be yourself!"
Dong Ping was stunned for a moment. He never expected Liu Hong to give such an answer. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that he had no other way out and his only hope was to join Liangshan. So he tremblingly grasped Liu Hong's hand and surrendered with Guan Sheng. He wanted to see if the unbreakable class system in his eyes could really be broken so easily.
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Meanwhile, Lu Junyi, the only one to escape the battlefield, was covered in the blood of Liangshan soldiers. He staggered out of the battlefield, the blood quickly forming scabs that stained his magnificent golden armor a dirty, foul-smelling dark red. Behind him, the flames and clamor of the battlefield continued to burn mercilessly, like a distant purgatory that swept across the entire city of Licheng.
She endured the excruciating pain and ran desperately, finally escaping that abyss that devoured lives. She fled all the way to Daming Prefecture, refusing to believe that she had really become a wanted criminal, and even less believing that her wife and steward would betray her. So she ran wildly towards home!
Soon after, Lu Junyi was recognized by the soldiers at the gate of Daming Prefecture. Dozens of soldiers from Daming Prefecture were so frightened that they almost wet themselves. They tremblingly drew their swords and made a show of it in front of their superiors, but none of them dared to rush over and actually arrest Lu Junyi.
I'll beat up Lu Junyi? Really?
Fortunately, Lu Junyi was also stunned at this moment. Dealing with these dozen or so soldiers would have been a piece of cake for her. However, due to her ideology, culture, and education, she was intimidated by the soldiers' identities. Like a criminal, she panicked at the sight of the police uniforms. When she saw that these soldiers were coming to arrest her, she panicked as well. She didn't want to fight at all and turned to run away.
Forget about home, she can't even go back to Daming Prefecture!
Once a prominent and wealthy man, Master Lu, the legendary swordsman known for his unparalleled skill in martial arts and chivalry, a figure of immense power and influence throughout Hebei, had unexpectedly fallen into such a state of exile. After a bloody battle and a long march of hundreds of kilometers, she was exhausted and hungry. Normally, at this time, servants would bring her food, maids would prepare her bedding and warm her bathwater, and attend to her needs for rest.
But now, exhausted and starving, Lu Junyi didn't even know where to find something to eat or where to sleep. This sheltered young lady had no idea how to live without her servants and could only huddle in a corner of the dilapidated City God Temple, shivering.
The temple roof was long gone, the cracked sky like a gaping wound, letting in the cold starlight. She endured the aching pain all over her body, struggling to sit up, leaning against the broken clay statue of the deity, her eyes lifeless, completely disoriented. The night wind howled, ruffling her hair. She sniffed her own body; the stench of blood and filth disgusted her, yet there was nowhere to wash herself!
Daylight arrived, but the world seemed even more piercing and intimidating. Passersby looked at her blood-stained figure with evasive and disdainful eyes. She stared longingly at the food and water at the stalls, only to realize she had no money—her servants usually carried it. If she wanted, she could easily fight off a hundred stall owners and rob them of their food, but her strong sense of morality prevented her from doing so; she could only watch helplessly.
Another dusk mercilessly slipped into darkness. Lu Junyi wandered alone in the empty village, the low eaves of the houses on either side blocking out a sliver of sunlight, casting an even darker shadow beneath her. She wrapped her tattered clothes tighter around herself, her heart sinking into a suffocating grayness. She pondered repeatedly, feeling that in this vast world, there wasn't an inch of land where she could find refuge!
Her wanted posters have been plastered all over the Song Dynasty. Based on the intelligence gathered over the past few days, it has been discovered that the Lu family has indeed betrayed them.
His wife publicly announced their divorce, and that damned steward married the wife who had sworn to grow old with him. This is currently the biggest news and the biggest joke in Daming Prefecture. The entire Lu family has betrayed him!
For a moment, Lu Junyi felt a tightness in her chest, and the pent-up emotions in her heart were tearing her apart, even causing her to vomit blood! She was exhausted, hungry, and in pain, and she actually fainted from the pain! She desperately wanted to go home, but she had nowhere to go!
Now, the only place that can get me into Daming Prefecture is Liangshanbo.
Three days later, Zhu Gui, the "Dry Land Crocodile," was gathering intelligence at the Liangshan Inn when he suddenly saw a three-meter-tall woman covered in blood rush into the inn. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Lu Junyi! He was so terrified that he collapsed to the ground! He tried to scramble out of the inn to escape, thinking, "Hit Lu Junyi? I'll die!"
"Don't run! I'm not here to fight."
Lu Junyi's voice was incredibly hoarse from a dry throat, and her spirits were utterly exhausted. After struggling for a long time, she finally managed to stammer out a complete sentence to Zhu Gui, who was nearly scared to death.
“Tell your Great Sage that I…I think I have nowhere else to go.”
Chapter 368: Lu Junyi and his servant are reunited
When Zhu Gui relayed the news to the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness overnight, everyone was shocked. Qin Ming, Hu Yanzhuo, Dong Ping, and others knew how formidable Lu Junyi was, and they immediately drew their weapons, wanting to accompany Liu Hong.
Liu Hong simply waved his hand, without wearing armor or carrying weapons, and went to see Lu Junyi alone to show his sincerity.
The night wind howled, whipping at Lu Junyi's tattered clothes, as if trying to tear away the last shred of her dignity. Lu Junyi didn't care anymore; as long as Liangshan could storm Daming Prefecture again and let her see what had become of her family, she was willing to accept any humiliation. However, the expected mockery and coldness did not arrive; Liu Hong simply gave her a big hug.
Lu Junyi lowered her head in astonishment, tears still glistening in the corners of her eyes. What she saw in her blurred vision was no longer Liu Hong's ferocious slaughter on the battlefield, but his gentle, warm smile.
"Senior sister, welcome home."
Six words, low and hoarse, yet like a pebble thrown into a still, deep pool, they created boundless ripples in Lu Junyi's heart. He had said so many harsh words, so many curses against his fellow disciples Lin Chong and his sister for betraying their country and siding with the enemy, but even now, Liu Hong still considered him family.