The road passed quickly. The deafening sound of horse hooves caught the attention of the soldiers guarding the city gate. These few soldiers were left by Hong Chengchou to guard his retreat route, in case the attack failed. However, they were the first to encounter Zhang Yiheng and his sudden attack. Before they could even set up a defensive formation, the Jurchen auxiliary soldiers at the forefront of the charge immediately raised their rifles and fired. Although the mounted shots were not very accurate, they still knocked down more than a dozen soldiers.
Then, those who had fired their weapons thrust their guns onto the hooks above them, unsheathing their horse-slashing swords. Like a whirlwind, they rushed through the city gates. The swords flashed with a cold gleam, their sharp edges exceeding those of the other Jurchens. The Jurchen followers held their swords horizontally, using the momentum of their horses to smite both human and horse heads. Several thousand soldiers, already somewhat intimidated by those dressed as Jiannu, were now even more terrified by their fierce attack. Some tried to flee, but Zhang Yiheng and his men attacked too quickly, like foam under a wave. The iron torrent swept the soldiers away without a trace.
The Guanning Iron Cavalry was the Ming Dynasty's most elite army. Gao Yingxiang and his men had the upper hand against the White Lotus Sect, but they were repeatedly defeated in battle against the Jiannu. This instilled a fear of the Jiannu within them. Given equal numbers, the Guanning Iron Cavalry simply wouldn't dare engage in a decisive battle against the Jiannu. As for the rest of the Ming army, they often fled upon seeing the Jiannu. The sudden sight of troops dressed in Jiannu attire outside Laizhou City couldn't help but send the officers and soldiers into a state of panic.
The battle within the city had reached its final climax, with most of the White Lotus soldiers already dead. The remaining White Lotus soldiers were divided into separate groups by the officers and soldiers, leaving Xu Hongfei with fewer than three dozen men. The ferocious fighting obscured the sound of Zhang Yiheng and his men's horses. The officers and soldiers, who had completely gained the upper hand, breathed a sigh of relief. Zhou Linfeng looked at Xu Hongfei, who was holding out only a few dozen steps away, and couldn't help but smile.
No matter how gloomy Zhou Linfeng looked, he was still a young man. Facing the formidable challenge of Xu Hongfei, how could he remain calm? He raised his sword and charged at Xu Fei. While Xu Hongfei possessed some martial arts skills, they were not of high caliber. The White Lotus Sect did have some highly skilled warriors. Although the White Lotus had been severely wounded by the soldiers and officers ten years prior, after a decade of training, a generation of young masters had emerged. These men were essentially the backbone of the White Lotus, shouldering key responsibilities within the sect. At this point, they were generally leading troops on the front lines, confronting Sun Chuanting and his men. While Xu Hongfei's personal guards were skilled in martial arts, they lacked any such experts.
By this time, Xu Hongfei's guards had been decimated. Facing Zhou Linfeng's charge, they charged. Although a dozen White Lotus soldiers attempted to protect Xu Hongfei, the officers and soldiers vastly outnumbered them. As Zhou Linfeng walked the few steps, only a dozen or so men beside Xu Hongfei remained standing.
Xu Hongfei knew that the situation was going to turn against him. This time, he had let his own composure allow the soldiers to take advantage of him. He was completely defeated. Seeing Zhou Linfeng rushing towards him, he knew that this man was a leader among the soldiers. Mustering up his last bit of courage, Xu Hongfei also rushed towards Zhou Linfeng. At this moment, Xu Hongfei had to die. It was not for his life.
To prevent himself from falling into the hands of the soldiers. If that happened, it would be a result he was not willing to face.
Ten years ago, Ru fell into the hands of soldiers and was tortured to death. A little over a year ago, Gao Yingxiang fell into the hands of soldiers and was hacked to death. Such a fate was not something Xu Hongfei was willing to face. Therefore, he would rather die than live in the hands of soldiers. But sometimes, fate is not enough.
Zhou Linfeng's martial arts skills were far superior to Xu Hongfei's. After more than a dozen rounds, Xu Hongfei was completely defeated by Zhou Linfeng. By then, it was too late for Xu Hongfei to commit suicide. Several officers and soldiers rushed over and tied Xu Hongfei up.
By this time, the battle on Xu Qinglian's side had also ended. Nearly a thousand ordinary White Lotus members had been slaughtered before tens of thousands of soldiers. However, these fearless White Lotus members also caused the loss of most of these soldiers. Xu Qinglian and the dozen or so surviving female guards around her were captured by the soldiers. Before being captured, Xu Qinglian raised her sword to commit suicide. However, the soldiers had already noticed her. With orders from above to capture her alive, they naturally wouldn't let Xu Qinglian succeed.
With Xu Hongfei captured alive, the battle was essentially over. The two sides, currently engaged in a flanking operation, reunited. Zhou Linfeng, escorting Xu Hongfei, felt somewhat grateful for this great honor. Turning back, he saw another captain, grinning even more cheerfully than himself, and felt a little surprised. Only when he noticed the woman in the captain's arms did he understand.
Zhou Linfeng was also well-read. He knew the phrase "beautiful enough to overwhelm a city and overturn a nation." At this moment, he suddenly understood its meaning. What a beautiful woman that was. Zhou Linfeng was a sinister man, but at this moment, he felt a strong desire to protect that woman in his arms, to keep her from even the slightest harm.
Zhou Linfeng couldn't take his eyes off the woman for a moment. But then, a burst of gunfire erupted. Zhang Yiheng and his men had successfully entered Laizhou City, forcing their way through the city's widest roads. Breech-loading rifles rang out from afar, and horse-slashing spears lashed out from nearby. Equipped with the Guanning Iron Cavalry, their individual combat effectiveness far surpassed the latter. Meanwhile, the officers and soldiers had fought for days, their strength largely depleted. Furthermore, they had lost nearly half their men in the battle against the White Lotus Sect. Of over ten thousand, only six thousand remained. Facing the sudden onslaught of Zhang Yiheng and his men, they offered little resistance. Wherever the Jurchen auxiliary troops advanced, the officers and soldiers' ranks collapsed.
Lin Feng turned around and saw a black torrent surging from the other end of the street. The soldiers along the way were like sand and stones in the torrent, unable to stop the surge. They were swept away by the black torrent. Zhou Linfeng knew that things were not going well. There was no way to organize his troops to fight back. He made a quick decision and shouted for his men to retreat.
On another street, Hong Chengchou suddenly saw a group of Jiannu soldiers appear. He was startled and immediately organized his men to retreat. Hong Chengchou thought to himself that this must be a conspiracy between the White Lotus Sect and the Jiannu. Taiji had borrowed troops to deal with the siege of the government soldiers, but he didn't expect to encounter them during this surprise attack.
Hong Chengchou was well aware of his own strength. He knew his remaining soldiers couldn't resist, so he naturally didn't want to make a fearless sacrifice. However, the city was narrow, and retreating was impossible. The Jurchen allied forces were hot on their heels, and within a short period of time, over half of his men were killed or wounded. Even Hong Chengchou was injured by a stray bullet, nearly losing his life.
The Jurchen allied forces pursuing Zhou Linfeng and his men happened to be led by Zhang Yiheng. Zhou Linfeng and his men, caught in the act, couldn't care less about others. They scrambled to escape. The officer carrying the captives was two men to a horse. Naturally, their speed was slow, and they fell behind. One by one, they were caught by Zhang Yiheng and his men.
Zhang Yiheng had already issued an order: All males must be killed. No young women should be harmed. Anyone who rescued a young woman would be rewarded with ten taels of silver. Thus, Xu Qinglian's female guards were rescued and placed on their horses by the Jurchen soldiers, treated like precious treasures. Poor Xu Hongfei, a man, fell from his horse and was trampled to death by the reckless Jurchen soldiers. The general who was carrying Xu Qinglian was reluctant to let her go. Although his horse was better than others, he was eventually caught up. It was too late to abandon Xu Qinglian and escape.
For the silver, the Jurchen allies were particularly aggressive. Several of them simultaneously pursued the captain. One drew his sword and chopped him down. Another boldly reached out and grabbed Xu Qinglian. The captain was skilled in martial arts, but the horse-slashing swords in the hands of the Jurchen allies were forged by combining Tang steel technology passed down from Japanese craftsmen with new technology from the Tang family's research institute. Their sharpness was unmatched by ordinary weapons.
The captain's spear was severed by the slashing horse. With no means of resistance, he was instantly killed by another. Zhou Linfeng glanced back at the slain captain and Xu Qinglian, who had fallen among the Jiannu-dressed troops. His heart throbbed violently, and a fiery rage blazed in his eyes.
As long as you remain in this position, one day, I will snatch you back from those people. Zhou Linfeng cast a longing glance at Qinglian and vowed fiercely in his heart. From that moment on, Zhou Linfeng's heart surged with a strong desire to rise above the crowd. He vaguely understood that to obtain the women and things he loved, he must possess immense power and influence. That night, Zhou Linfeng could never forget that stunning face, that incomparable and charming appearance, and the breathtaking beauty of that moment.
Hong Chengchou and Zhou Linfeng, along with the remaining thousand or so men, finally escaped Zhang Yiheng's pursuit. Zhang Yiheng and his men suffered only casualties of over three thousand men. After recovering the equipment of the fallen Jurchen soldiers, Zhang Yiheng began searching the city for Xu Qinglian. This time, Tang Tong's primary order was to locate Xu Lian. However, to minimize losses, Zhang Yiheng delayed the operation, resulting in the near-complete annihilation of the White Lotus soldiers in the city.
Unable to find Xu Qinglian, Zhang Yiheng knew he couldn't explain this to Tang Tong.
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