407. Battlefield Decision

"Yes... it's Mo Xiuyao... the spies ahead said they saw the flag of Prince Ding's mansion!"

"Mo Xiuyao?!" Lei Tengfeng turned around suddenly and accidentally kicked over the incense burner at his feet. He stared at the soldier who came to report the news and asked, "Are you sure it's Mo Xiuyao?!"

The soldier looked at the somewhat out-of-control prince with some embarrassment. He only heard what the spies said. How could he be sure? After thinking for a while, he said, "The spies definitely saw the royal flag of the Mohist Army." The black silver python royal flag of the Mohist Army is only hoisted when Prince Ding leads the army in person.

Lei Tengfeng calmed himself down and said, "Let the spy in. I want to ask him in person."

"yes."

Soon, the scout who was outside to gather information came in and bowed to Lei Tengfeng, saying, "I am honored to meet you, Prince." Lei Tengfeng waved his hand and said hurriedly, "Don't worry about it. You said you saw 800,000 Mohist troops coming in this direction?"

The spy nodded and said, "Your Highness, it is absolutely correct. 800,000 is no more, no less. When I saw them, they were still a hundred miles away. With their marching speed, I am afraid that in the time it has taken me to get back on horseback... in at most an hour, their vanguard troops will meet the troops under Murong Shen and Nan Hou."

Lei Tengfeng asked in a deep voice: "Have you seen the flag of Prince Ding's Palace?"

"Yes, I was definitely not mistaken. So, as soon as I saw the king's flag, I rushed back as fast as I could." The spy nodded affirmatively. Lei Tengfeng waved his hand and said, "I understand, you go down first."

"I will take my leave."

After his subordinates left, Lei Tengfeng sat down in a chair in a daze, muttering in a low voice: "Mo Xiuyao... How come Mo Xiuyao is not dead?" General Yang looked at Lei Tengfeng with some worry, and said repeatedly: "Prince...Prince, should we inform the prince first? I'm afraid the prince doesn't know yet." They only got the news when the Mo family army was approaching, which shows how secretive Prince Ding's whereabouts are, and how swift he is once he takes action. I'm afraid the prince is still kept in the dark.

After being reminded by General Yang, Lei Tengfeng immediately came to his senses and said, "Right... Quick! Send someone to deliver all the news here to father as fast as possible. We..." Lei Tengfeng took a deep breath and said, "Let's stop the Mohist army first, at least... at least give father time to recover."

General Yang frowned and said disapprovingly: "Your Highness, you can't do that. The troops of Prince Ding are several times more than ours. Once they join forces with the troops of Murong Shen and others, the troops of Prince Ding will reach more than one million. By then..." By then, there will be no need to fight. Prince Ding can crush them with his numbers alone. After thinking for a while, General Yang said: "I am willing to stay and intercept Prince Ding. Please set off to the prince's army immediately."

"No!" Lei Tengfeng flatly refused. Even if he was not Mo Xiuyao's opponent, he would never retreat without a fight.

General Yang said anxiously, "Please think twice, my lord! It will make no difference whether I am alone or I am with you when facing the Prince Ding. Why...why make such an unnecessary sacrifice? As long as the prince and the prince are still here, Xiling still has a chance to turn defeat into victory."

"General Yang..." Lei Tengfeng sighed in a low voice. Lei Tengfeng is the prince of Zhennan Palace. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be the ruler of Xiling in the future. How could he not understand what it means to make choices? However, with his personality, it is extremely difficult for him to abandon his soldiers and run away on the battlefield.

General Yang said resolutely: "Prince, time is short. I am not sure how long I can stop the King of Destiny. Please set off as soon as possible!" Lei Tengfeng closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He bowed deeply to General Yang and said: "I am sorry, General. Please accept my greetings." Both of them knew that in the past few years, no general from Xiling or Beirong who fell into Mo Xiuyao's hands had a good ending. If General Yang chose to stay, he would definitely die.

General Yang quickly supported Lei Tengfeng and said, "Your Highness, you are too polite. As a general of Xiling, it is my duty to sacrifice my life for the country. Moreover... if I can fight against Prince Ding, even if I die in battle, my life will not be in vain. Your Highness, please leave."

It is not a glorious thing to flee before meeting the opponent. However, the lessons learned over the years also told Lei Tengfeng that if he did not leave now, he would not be able to leave. More importantly, Lei Tengfeng had the courage to sacrifice his life for the country, but he could not ignore the Zhennan Palace for the sake of momentary courage. In this battle, Lei Tengfeng did not see the slightest blood, but it was destined to become his lifelong nightmare.

On the mountain road not far from Xiling Military Camp, Lei Tengfeng looked back at the still quiet military camp, and finally turned back cruelly, waved his whip and said in a deep voice: "Let's go!" The guards and soldiers following Lei Tengfeng followed the prince silently. They didn't know why the prince wanted to leave the military camp suddenly, but as subordinates and soldiers, they had no room to say anything, and all they could do was obey.

Lei Tengfeng and his group rode at full speed, and they arrived at the fourth watch of the next morning after a journey of several hundred miles. Lei Zhenting was also surprised by Lei Tengfeng's sudden arrival, and he knew that something must have happened, otherwise Lei Tengfeng would never leave his camp easily. He quickly got up and came out to meet him, only to see Lei Tengfeng covered in dust, with red eyes, and obviously very tired.

"Tengfeng, what's going on?" Lei Zhenting asked with a frown. Seeing Lei Zhenting, Lei Tengfeng quickly stood up and walked forward unsteadily to grab Lei Zhenting and said, "Father... Mo Xiuyao, Mo Xiuyao..."

Lei Zhenting's heart sank, and he held Lei Tengfeng down and said in a stern voice: "Tengfeng, calm down! Speak slowly..." Lei Tengfeng looked at Lei Zhenting, took a deep breath, and said in a hoarse voice: "Father... Mo Xiuyao is still alive."

Lei Zhenting was shocked, but he didn't lose his composure. From the moment Lei Tengfeng mentioned Mo Xiuyao in a distraught state, Lei Zhenting had expected something. Lei Zhenting looked at Lei Tengfeng calmly and asked, "Mo Xiuyao is not dead, so you ran back?"

Perhaps Lei Zhenting's calmness had an impact on Lei Tengfeng, and he slowly calmed down. He closed his eyes, and the corners of his eyes twitched slightly as he said, "Mo Xiuyao brought at least 800,000 troops from Liyang. Add to that Murong Shen and Nan Hou's troops... Father, there are at least a million Mo family soldiers behind us."

Lei Zhenting sighed softly, raised his hand and patted Lei Tengfeng on the shoulder and said: "Father knows, you did the right thing." The more than 200,000 Xiling troops can be abandoned, General Yang can die, and even Lei Zhenting can die, but Lei Tengfeng cannot. He is already old, and Lei Tengfeng... is the hope for the future of Xiling. Lei Tengfeng looked at Lei Zhenting with guilt. He understood the truth, but he had to feel guilty for his incompetence. If he had the ability to resist Mo Xiuyao, what would happen even if Mo Xiuyao came back to life?

Watching Lei Tengfeng gradually calm down, Lei Zhenting walked to the side and sat down. Mo Xiuyao's sudden resurrection was also a big shock to him, forcing him to start rethinking everything. Mo Xiuyao would never fake his death for no reason, even at the cost of abandoning all the advantages that the Mo family army had gained in the early stage. At this point, Lei Zhenting could naturally see a clue. If the war continued according to the original situation, it would take at least three to five years to determine the winner. Now it seems... Mo Xiuyao played this trick of faking his death in order to resolve this deadlock as soon as possible. And it is obviously very effective, at least... Mo Jingli may have been solved by him now. Otherwise, the Mo family army would not have been able to cross Liyang so quickly. And the army of nearly one million...that must be Mo Jingli's original troops.

"That bastard Mo Jingli! I really overestimated him." Lei Zhenting said in a deep voice.

"Father, Mo Jingli was never Mo Xiuyao's opponent." Lei Tengfeng frowned. Lei Zhenting sneered, "An opponent?! If I guessed correctly, that bastard was defeated by Mo Xiuyao before he even fought with him. Otherwise, where do you think Mo Xiuyao's hundreds of thousands of troops came from? Mo Xiuyao is not a god. The north has been in war for years and the population is sparse. How can he create an army of 700,000 or 800,000 people in such a short time?" The army is not something else. It's not that anyone can join. They must be young and strong men, and they must have undergone some basic training. Otherwise, if so many people go to the battlefield, once chaos breaks out, they can trample their own people to death without killing the enemy.

"Father, do you mean to say that Mo Xiuyao's 800,000 troops were seized from Mo Jingli?" Lei Tengfeng said in shock.

Lei Zhenting sneered, "Are there any other possibilities? You just said... Murong Shen and Nan Hou are not in the army?" Lei Tengfeng nodded. Although he didn't understand this matter, he still felt something was wrong when he connected it with Mo Xiuyao's sudden appearance. So he reported everything to Lei Zhenting one by one. Lei Zhenting frowned. Not to mention Lei Tengfeng, even he himself couldn't figure out where Nan Hou and Murong Shen could have gone at this time instead of waiting to meet up with Mo Xiuyao and go back to Feihong Pass together. He had to put aside the things he couldn't figure out for the time being. After Lei Zhenting instructed his generals and staff to pay attention to the movements of Mo Xiuyao and Mo Jingli and Nanchu, he locked his eyes on Feihong Pass again. At this point, with Mo Xiuyao's speed, it was too late for them to retreat. Moreover, if they retreated in such a disgraceful manner, where would Xiling go? If Mo Xiuyao continued to pursue them, it would be even more disadvantageous to Xiling. In addition, Lei Zhenting had a vague premonition that this time... would be the last time he would fight against the Mo family army in his life.

At Feihong Pass, the Mohist army was still dressed in mourning and waiting in a solemn battle formation. Below Feihong Pass, the Xiling army was equally imposing and eager to attack. On the tower, Ye Li and General Yuan Pei stood side by side, with Feng Zhiyao, Leng Haoyu, Han Mingyue, Qin Feng and others standing beside them. General Yuan Pei chuckled and said, "It seems that Lei Zhenting is determined to capture Feihong Pass. Judging from the current situation... he will not retreat until Feihong Pass is captured." Feng Zhiyao frowned and said, "What medicine did Lei Zhenting take? His injuries are not healed yet?"

Ye Li nodded and said calmly: "It will take at least two or three months for his injury to heal."

"Look over there..." Han Mingyue, who was standing aside, raised his hand and pointed lightly. Everyone looked in the direction he pointed, and at the place where the battle flags were fluttering behind the army, stood a tall man in armor and battle robes. Feng Zhiyao frowned and said, "That's... Lei Tengfeng, why is he here? Shouldn't he be fighting with General Murong... Could it be..." Ye Li said decisively, "No, Lei Tengfeng alone can't deal with the combined forces of Nan Hou and General Murong. Lei Tengfeng's face doesn't look good, something must have happened there." Han Mingyue raised an eyebrow and said, "Princess, are you so confident? If so, why haven't General Murong and Nan Hou come back yet?" Ye Li frowned, shook her head and said, "This... I don't know either."

Han Mingxi stroked his forehead, groaned, pointed down and said, "I think we should worry about the people down there. An army of more than 600,000 people... can break open Feihong Pass even with rocks, right?"

Yuan Pei glanced at Han Mingxi with dissatisfaction and said, "What are you talking about, Han boy? As long as I am still alive, Feihong Pass will not be breached!"

"Then you must live a long, long life." Han Mingxi smiled with the corners of his lips.

The people on the tower were talking happily, but the Xiling generals below the city were not in a good mood. Especially when they saw the large number of white clothes, which originally seemed timid and heavy to the Xiling people, now they saw it as a clear mockery of them. A hot-tempered Xiling general rushed out first, pointed his spear at the tower, and shouted: "People of the Mohist Army, why don't you come down and accept your death!"

Above, Feng Zhiyao curled his lips and said, "It seems that all the people in Xiling have taken the wrong medicine today. Well, I will come to meet you." Feng Zhiyao propped up his right hand on the city wall, and the red-dressed man fluttered down from the top of the city. On the battlefield, Feng Zhiyao also put away his usual folding fan, and stabbed the general with the long sword in his hand. The general was also a famous general in the Xiling army, and he had a deep hatred with the Mo family army. Among the people killed by Mo Xiuyao in the Xiling Imperial City, there were his family members. Seeing Feng Zhiyao rushing over, he also raised his long spear and stabbed Feng Zhiyao without avoiding or dodging. In a blink of an eye, the two exchanged seven or eight moves, and neither of them got the upper hand. Feng Zhiyao raised his lips slightly and whispered, "Interesting. I want to see if you have the ability to kill the Mohist army leader."

"Princess, that's not right..." Yuan Pei, who was watching the battle, narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice: "Hurry up and call Feng San back!" Unfortunately, it was too late. Before Yuan Pei finished speaking, thousands of arrows from the Xiling army were already shot towards Feng Zhiyuan. The people upstairs couldn't help but shout: "Feng San?!" Feng Zhiyuan was shocked by the sudden change, but she didn't panic. She dived forward and landed on the horse of the Xiling general who wanted to take the opportunity to withdraw from the battlefield. The Xiling general turned over and wanted to knock Feng Zhiyao off his horse, but he didn't expect that his neck would feel cold and he fell off the horse. After killing the Xiling general, Feng Zhiyao did not dare to stop for a moment, and flew towards the city tower. Finally, at the last moment when the feather arrow hit him, he threw himself into a circle of barriers built in front of the city gate and escaped the disaster.

Lying on the ground, Feng Zhiyao was panting and sweating. He had clearly felt the arrow piercing his head and shooting past him. He was very lucky to be able to dodge this sudden attack.

Just as Feng Zhiyuan was panting and secretly cursing Lei Zhenting for his despicable behavior, the two sides had already started fighting. Soon, the city gates opened and countless Mohist soldiers rushed out of the city gates. The Xiling army had too many people. If they didn't go out of the city to resist the enemy, once Lei Zhenting risked his life to climb up the city wall, Feihong Pass would be lost sooner or later. The best way was to prevent the Xilin army from approaching the tower of Feihong Pass. However, this would cause too much damage to the Mohist army, and it was unknown how long they could hold on. But at this point, they could do nothing but defend to the death.

As soon as the Mohist army left the city, they were soon surrounded by the Xiling army. The difference between the less than 100,000 soldiers and the more than 600,000 Xiling army was too great. Although the Mohist army was extremely brave, they did not have much chance of winning in such a human wave. However, in such a situation, a group of people suddenly appeared in the Xiling army. These people were all dressed in yellow, and they were even more powerful and brave than the ordinary Xiling soldiers. In a one-on-one situation, they were even more powerful than the Mohist army. Just after they joined, many Mohist soldiers died tragically. Although it was not enough to shake the defense line built by the Mohist soldiers with their flesh and blood for the time being, the outcome was expected in the long run.

"It's the Golden Guards." Leng Haoyu said in a deep voice. Like the secret guards of Prince Ding's Mansion and the Great Chu Royal Family, the troops in Lei Zhenting's hands that were specifically designed to protect him were called the Golden Guards. Lei Zhenting even brought out his own private guards, which could be said to be his hidden trump card. Everyone could feel not only Lei Zhenting's determination to break through Feihong Pass, but also a hidden impatience.

"Qin Feng, how many people did Qilin bring?" Ye Li asked in a deep voice.

Qin Feng said: "Three teams will stay in Licheng, two teams will follow General Lu, one team will follow General Zhang, and the remaining six teams will be in Feihong Pass." Over the years, there are already about 3,000 Qilin members, divided into 12 teams. This time, knowing how difficult it is to guard Feihong Pass, Qin Feng transferred all the idle Qilin to Feihong Pass, as they are needed in case of emergency. Ye Li nodded and said: "Very good, four teams will hold back the Golden Guards, and the remaining two teams...behead them!"

"I obey your orders!" Qin Feng looked solemn. He saluted Ye Li and went downstairs to gather manpower.

Amidst the chaos, a group of men in black appeared on the battlefield. Less than a thousand soldiers were not noticeable among the Mohist army, which was also dressed in black. But when they rushed into the enemy, their terrible attack power was felt. The Mohist soldiers who were originally in danger of fighting with the Golden Guards were separated. The Golden Guards, who were originally difficult for the Mohist soldiers to resist, seemed fragile and vulnerable in their hands. Their martial arts may not be higher than those of the Golden Guards, but their methods are obviously more effective than those of the Golden Guards, and they know how to cooperate better than those arrogant Golden Guards. The originally invincible 5,000 Golden Guards were quickly divided into countless small pieces and then killed one by one when facing more than a thousand Qilin. The other two pairs rushed forward towards the rear of the Xiling army with an unstoppable momentum. During this process, many people fell behind or even died, but the remaining people continued to rush forward without stopping.

Lei Zhenting and Lei Tengfeng sat on horseback and looked at the Qilin fighting with the Golden Guards in the distance, "Is this the Qilin?"

Lei Zhenting nodded solemnly. Even in the chaotic battlefield, he could still see that the Golden Guards, who had always made him feel at ease, were being reduced at an alarming speed under the sharp blade of the Qilin. "Shoot!" Such a terrifying army must not be allowed to exist. Lei Zhenting pointed with the whip in his hand and said loudly.

"Black Cloud Riders, shoot!" Ye Li also gave the same order from the tower. Arrows rained down on the battlefield, and both the Mohist Army and the Xiling Army suffered heavy casualties.

"Father, look there!" Lei Tengfeng said angrily, pointing forward.

Lei Zhenting was startled. In the meantime, a team of no more than 500 people shot straight at the heart of the Xiling army like a black feather arrow. On the battlefield, among the hundreds of thousands of Xiling soldiers and horses, they actually killed their way to this side. Lei Tengfeng frowned and said, "They want to assassinate my father?! Quick, shoot!" But it would not be so easy. As soon as the first arrow of the Xiling soldiers was released, these people quickly dispersed and merged into the Xiling army. If they wanted to shoot arrows, they would have to shoot their own people to death, and with these people's skills, I'm afraid most of them would be their own people. But once the danger was lifted, these people gathered together again at the same speed, and even kept rushing forward in the process. If you look carefully, you will find that these people always maintain a formation whether they are scattered or gathered together.

"Father, please step aside first." Lei Tengfeng said worriedly. Under normal circumstances, Lei Tengfeng would never make such a suggestion, but now that his father is seriously injured and has not recovered, he cannot do anything. Once these people rush to the front... the consequences will be disastrous.

Lei Zhenting's eyes darkened slightly. He looked down at his wound and sighed, "No need! They can't get through!"

"Father!" Lei Tengfeng said disapprovingly. Lei Zhenting waved his hand to signal him not to say anything more, and at the same time ordered the generals on his left and right, "Stop these people at any cost!"

"yes!"

As the commanding flag was waved, countless Xiling soldiers gradually moved towards the King of Zhennan. The two teams of Qilin were finally surrounded, but even so, they did not lose their minds or feel helpless. As if they had only one goal in mind, they kept moving forward, forward...

"Princess, we can't kill Lei Zhenting, let them retreat." On the city wall, Leng Haoyu looked at the countless black colors among the dark yellows in the distance and said anxiously.

Ye Li closed her eyes and did not answer.

Qin Feng whispered beside him, "They can't withdraw, and they won't withdraw." Because these two Qilins, which only had 500 to 600 people, made nearly one-third of the Xiling troops on the battlefield withdraw. The role of King Zhennan to the Xiling army is just as important as Mo Xiuyao to the Mo family army, but the current King Zhennan is too weak and can't withstand the slightest accident. They don't have to kill Lei Zhenting, as long as they act like they will kill Lei Zhenting at all costs, it will be enough to make the Xiling army nervous. And these Qilins are destined to become the sacrifices of this battle.