Chapter 133: Enemy General's Head, Conquer the Lady
Upon hearing this, Qi Biao immediately invited Xu Liefeng to his tent.
"Who are you? Can you really solve my urgent problem? Hmph, if you're just trying to deceive me, I, Qi Biao, will change my surname to yours if you manage to leave here alive today!"
Qi Biao, with a bold and decisive air, sat in his tent, his gaze suspiciously fixed on Xu Liefeng.
If it weren't for the fact that it was a matter of life and death.
He would never meet with such a shameless scoundrel who dares not show his face.
Xu Liefeng said, "What's the point of me lying to you?" He didn't care about Qi Biao's tone, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "The tea is cold."
Two fingers pinched against the fire stand.
He caught a wisp of flame between his fingertips and held it under the teacup for a moment. Once the tea began to steam and the tea leaves were swirling, he drank it down in one gulp.
"Impressive skills!" Qi Biao exclaimed in surprise, realizing that the other party was intentionally showing off.
"Please speak quickly. If you can truly resolve my predicament, I will repay you handsomely," Qi Biao said.
Xu Liefeng laughed and said, "Your Huanglong Army is short of money and food, and your lives are in dire straits, yet you have been unable to capture Qingning County for a long time. In that case, why not go and loot the surrounding villages?"
Qi Biao said disappointedly, "How could I not have thought of that?"
"It seems things aren't going well," Xu Liefeng said with a smile. "However, those villages are poor, and even if they're looted, there won't be anything of value. I do have a good place to go, which I'll recommend to you."
"Where?" Qi Biao asked.
Xu Liefeng chuckled, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness as he saw that his plan had succeeded. "It's Yihezhuang, west of Qingning County."
"This is a martial arts manor, and the manor lord is quite powerful. But I reckon he can't withstand thousands of iron cavalry and will only be able to flee. If you take over the manor, its treasures, buildings, and food will surely solve your immediate problem."
"Really?" Qi Biao asked doubtfully, "I sent people to search everywhere, why didn't they know about this manor?"
"Even the incompetent magistrate of Qingning County knows how to close the city and defend it. Is it really that difficult for Yihezhuang to bury roads and move trees, hide in the mountains and fields, and avoid your sharp edge?" Xu Liefeng said calmly.
Throughout history, warriors have always had their own reasons for establishing fortified villages. In prosperous times, fortified villages were often built along riverbanks for easy access to water. In times of chaos, fortified villages were often built in mountains and forests to avoid the ravages of war.
Although martial artists possess considerable strength and longevity, they are generally unwilling to face armies directly. He could ensure his own safety, but the destruction of the treasures hidden in the manor would be heartbreaking for anyone.
Xu Liefeng explained the situation clearly and then turned to leave. Qi Biao did not stop him, but instead fell into deep thought:
"Looting a martial arts manor is indeed much easier than attacking a city. But if the martial arts masters hold a grudge and seek revenge, it will be very troublesome."
Everything has its advantages and disadvantages.
Just as Qi Biao was unsure of what to do, he suddenly heard a commotion in the army, which made him even more unable to control his emotions.
"Advance westward!" Qi Biao had no other choice, and his voice came from inside the military tent.
...
Xu Liefeng stood in the shadows, sneered, and considered his plan to use someone else to do his dirty work to be perfect:
"I went out at night, and no one knew. It was I who secretly informed on them. When the Yellow Dragon Army marches in, if it really is Lady Zhejian in that manor, she will definitely show herself. I remain calm and she doesn't know it was me. I won't provoke her, so I think I should be fine."
"If it weren't for Lady Zhejian, I could have taken advantage of the chaos to enter the manor, capture that boy, and interrogate him about his superior martial arts techniques."
Ever since he saw Huanglong's army attacking the city, he had been hesitant, secretly considering whether this plan was feasible. Seeing that Huanglong's army was short of food, he knew it was likely to succeed, but he still needed to starve them for a while.
Hunger breeds courage.
Even if they are martial artists, it's fine to provoke them.
...
...
"Xu Liefeng really came to inform on us; he's still coveting that superior martial arts technique!"
Li Xian thought to himself, "This is bad."
He immediately shook off the mud from his body and ran quickly back to Yihe Village. He ordered all key roads to be strictly guarded and traps to be prepared at various locations.
They felt a great tremor as the Yellow Dragon Army drew ever closer.
Li Xian buried the road and moved trees to block it. But in the end, he couldn't withstand the overwhelming numbers of Huanglong's army, whose soldiers swarmed like ants across the mountains and forests.
Even the most secluded place will eventually be discovered. At night, it's alright; it's pitch black, and there's a natural curtain to cover it.
But things were not going well during the day.
The sky began to lighten with a pale, fish-belly-like glow.
A soldier shouted excitedly, "General, I've found it! There really is a passage here!" pointing to a hidden road.
"If that's the case, push them over, push them over!" Qi Biao shouted excitedly.
Huang Longjun, like a hungry tiger, came sniffing out the scent.
The forest path was already crowded, but the soldiers trampled and cut down trees, turning it into chaos in an instant.
Ding Hu, who had been waiting there, suddenly charged out, shouting, "Brothers, let's fight them!"
The guards who had been lying in ambush poured out, forming ranks among themselves, and held the key passage, fighting head-on with the Yellow Dragon Army and blocking them at this point.
The first wave of clashes has begun.
The sound of swords clashing rang out.
Yihe Manor was making every effort to take advantage of the terrain. The guards possessed internal martial arts energy. Ding Hu and the others, clad in impressive armor, fought against dozens of enemies single-handedly, displaying remarkable bravery, and were not easily defeated.
But the other side had more people after all.
If this continues for too long, Yihezhuang will inevitably lose.
Amidst the fighting and bloodshed, Li Xian remained calm, pondering a way to break the deadlock.
"Yihezhuang is barely considered a secluded place, but it doesn't really have much of a terrain advantage. There are no natural strongholds or passes around it to block those tens of thousands of troops."
"In a head-on confrontation, annihilation is inevitable."
"The only way now is... to capture the leader first. But taking Qi Biao's head amidst the chaos of battle will be no easy task. Besides, Qi Biao's martial arts skills seem quite formidable..."
"Now, we should wait for the right opportunity, and try to kill him with one arrow!"
Li Xian chose not to participate in the battle and remained hidden in the manor. This was to avoid revealing his strength and to prevent Qi Biao from becoming wary.
He looked around.
The tallest building in the village is the "Moon-Gazing Tower." This tower has nine stories, each story being three zhang (approximately 10 meters) high. The entire tower is twenty-seven zhang (approximately 64 meters) tall, nearly one hundred meters high.
It was set up by the lady to observe the weather and climate.
Li Xian quickly went upstairs and climbed to the top of the building. He observed the battle outside the manor, which was extremely fierce, but Qi Biao was very cautious and did not "take the lead" and charge first.
"The time is not right yet... Qi Biao will definitely be wearing heavy armor. Even if we use Madam's Lingyu Arrows, we need to make them get closer. Make sure we can pass through their armor!"
Li Xian calmed himself and composed himself. He had already spotted Qi Biao's figure amidst the vast army. The distance was extremely far; although he was confident he could hit him, he wasn't sure he could kill him.
The guards, servants, tenant farmers, and others suffered repeated defeats.
Having gradually withdrawn from key strategic areas and lost its environmental advantages, its defeat will only be faster.
"Brothers, kill them!"
"Charge forward if you don't want to die."
The Huanglong Army beat their drums and charged forward with great ferocity. By this time, they had suffered heavy casualties, with many guards, servants, and tenant farmers already dead.
The scene was horrific.
Seeing the situation was very favorable, Qi Biao laughed heartily. His army had reached this point and could already see the manor's pavilions and palaces, which must contain countless treasures.
Greed overcame his previous hesitation.
"Um?"
Qi Biao suddenly saw a figure slowly rise from the tall building in the village. Because of the great distance, even when the figure stood up, it was only the size of a black dot.
"This is…"
"Draw the bow!"
Qi Biao's eyes widened! Under the blazing sun, he saw a figure with the bow fully drawn, the golden bowstring reflecting the sunlight, dazzlingly bright.
The figure's robes fluttered, exuding an indescribable calmness and boundless spirit. Qi Biao suddenly felt his hair stand on end, instinctively knowing that this arrow was meant for him.
In an instant, he felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, as if a knife were stuck in his throat. A tremendous life-or-death crisis was imminent. He, the dignified commander of the Yellow Dragon Army, was so frightened that his legs went weak.
You clearly know the other person is going to shoot you.
But they had no idea how to hide or avoid it.
Li Xian, poised to strike, shouted, "You dog, do you dare to take one of my arrows?!"
Arrows of passion, driven by emotion, must be uttered. While a hidden arrow kills silently, an arrow of passion kills in broad daylight, right before everyone's eyes.
Otherwise, how could it be called "spiritedness"?
His roar brought his spirits to their peak.
The young man stood atop the tower, his arrows sharp and unstoppable.
Upon hearing this, both sides in the battle instantly stopped. Tens of thousands of people laid down their weapons, their eyes fixed on Li Xian.
He stood high above, his feet on the spire, his spirit as bright as the blazing sun.
He loosened his grip.
The Lingyu Sword flew from the bowstring, slicing through the air with a hissing sound. The sound was neither too soft nor too loud, like a feather brushing against one's heart.
In absolute silence.
The arrow flew through the enemy ranks, striking Qi Biao directly in front of him. It was aimed at his heart!
With a "thud," Qi Biao fell from his horse. Seeing their commander dead, the entire Yellow Dragon Army panicked. Their limbs went weak, and they lost all will to fight.
It was at this moment.
Qi Biao mounted his horse, coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, and laughed wildly, his teeth stained red, but the aura of a military commander was still evident.
This arrow struck the very heart.
But Qi Biao revealed his true form... He was a "dual-hearted" being; on the day this manifested, he had two hearts. He never mentioned this to anyone, solely to protect himself from sneak attacks on the battlefield.
Despite being pierced through, Qi Biao's blood surged, and though his injuries were severe, his spirit remained high. Filled with hatred, he roared in fury:
"I have already taken your arrow; I will repay you with ten thousand eight thousand cuts!"
The sound was deafening.
The yellow dragon flag fluttered, the yellow dragon danced, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws. The soldiers raised their weapons high, shouting, "Give us back our ten thousand eight thousand cuts! Give us back our ten thousand eight thousand cuts!"
With the army's morale now high, even if the city gates of Qingning County were here, it would be enough to capture them.
The soldiers' morale was incredibly high. Their commander had survived a fatal wound; if not by divine intervention, how else could it be explained?
Li Xian frowned. The first arrow of his spirit-driven attack was the most powerful, making the target forget everything and only able to take the arrow with their own body. By the time he fired the second arrow, the target was already on guard.
But in this situation, there was no other way but to burn one's boats! He drew his bow again, full of spirit, and was not intimidated by the shouts of "ten thousand eight thousand cuts" from the crowd.
He murmured, "What do I have to fear?"
The bow was fully drawn. Qi Biao beckoned, and his personal guards, holding iron shields, stood in front of him, forming a tight, impenetrable defense.
"I am chosen by Heaven. Even if your archery skills are unmatched, as long as I, Huanglong, live, Heaven's mandate will belong to me!" Qi Biao shouted.
"Yeah?"
Just then, a clear sound resounded throughout the battlefield.
Behind Li Xian, a woman in white had appeared. Her white dress was as white as snow, fluttering gracefully. Her beauty was so striking that even the thousands of soldiers couldn't take their eyes off her.
Her delicate hand rested on Li Xian's hand; it was smooth as jade, warm and cool to the touch.
The two of them actually fired the same arrow together!
An arrow was shot.
It was a bombshell.
They overturned the soldiers' armor, pierced their chests, stabbed them in the heart, and killed their commander.
Unstoppable.
Qi Biao, who had just been destined for greatness, was instantly killed by this arrow, his heart shattered by fear!
Lady Wen flicked her sleeve. Li Xian was swept away by a gust of wind and fell into the army formation.
He understood the lady's intentions. He drew his black sword and beheaded Qi Biao with a single stroke, then stood on the strange horse.
With his back to his wife and facing the army, his aura was already unmatched. When he revealed his double pupils, his aura pressed down like a mountain, as if he could break spines out of thin air.
He raised Qi Biao's head high and shouted, "Why don't you surrender now!"
The sound was like a dragon and a tiger, resounding through heaven and earth, and awe-inspiring.
Their momentum was so great, like a tiger or a flock of sheep.
The once fluttering and flamboyant yellow dragon flag snapped with a "crack".
It was said that the young man was so powerful that no one could compare to him; he could subdue an army of ten thousand men simply by carrying a severed head in his hand.
Madam Wen was a woman of great experience, having seen countless outstanding talents and heroes, but even she was moved by this scene, her beautiful eyes rippled and her red lips moved slightly.
There was something strange about it that I couldn't quite put my finger on.
(End of this chapter)
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