Above the canal, the battle was fierce.
Xiao Jue ordered twenty elite soldiers to dive into the water with iron claws and dig through the Wutuo warships.
There were thousands of Wutuo warships, and it was impossible to pierce through all of them. It was also difficult to use strength underwater. Ten people formed a group and picked the two in the middle to hammer hard. In this way, the Wutuo warship fleet connected by the iron hooks was in chaos. They were busy cutting the iron hooks and watched He Yan's boat escape from them.
"These idiots!" Maka was furious. He snatched the bow and arrow from the soldier next to him and shot arrows at the soldiers in the water. However, the twenty selected people were all good swimmers and were agile and quickly dodged. In this way, the enemy chased me and I fought, and the enemy advanced and I retreated, which made the steps of the Uto people messed up.
"Keep using the forks," Maka ordered with a serious face, "I don't believe they can stay underwater and catch that woman first!"
The woman pretending to be Mu Hongjin had humiliated him greatly. Wutuo men valued their reputation the most. If he could not catch the woman today, his subordinates and his confidants would laugh at him secretly. Even if he won the battle, when he returned to Wutuo City, this matter would probably become a joke and spread everywhere.
The only way to save face is to catch the woman and torture her severely.
"Chase me!"
A slight breeze fell on the person's face, causing a slight itch, very small, but it was immediately captured.
He Yan looked at Mu Yi, whose eyes were filled with surprise: "There's wind!"
Although it was a very gentle breeze, God was finally on their side.
The warships behind him were chasing relentlessly. He Yan frowned and said, "Lead them into the ambush."
"yes!"
The small boat seemed to be trying to escape from the water and was paddling hard to get farther away, but it was blocked by the tall ships beside it, which made it look a bit pitiful.
"Where are they going?" asked the deputy soldier beside him.
Xiao Jue looked in the direction where He Yan's boat was heading. The canal was calm. If he remembered correctly, there should be several reefs hidden in the water in the direction she was heading. If it was a small boat, it could be avoided. If it was a large ship...
Xiao Jue: "Follow them and disperse the Wutu troops."
"Governor?"
"The wind is blowing." He lowered his eyes and said coldly.
The wind was still gentle, like the soft play between lovers, passing by everyone. Mu Yi paddled desperately and only asked He Yan: "Miss He, can we light the fire now?"
"No." He Yan said, "The wind is not strong enough."
The wind was not strong enough, and even if the fire was set, thousands of Utopian warships could not be engulfed in flames immediately. They had various ways to put out the fire immediately, and the timing of the battle was very important.
"What should we do now? They are about to catch up." Mu Yi was anxious.
He Yan looked back and said, "I'll go hold them back."
"You?" Mu Yi worried, "Can you do it alone? I'll accompany you."
"No need," He Yan patted his shoulder, "Take this boat and stay in your position with the other boats. If the Utopian warship sees our boat, it will probably come over to deal with us. You must protect the boat," she paused and then said, "and protect yourself."
"But..." Before Mu Yi could finish his words, he saw He Yan had already tiptoed to the bow and rushed towards the big ship where Maka was.
"Why did Miss He go alone?" the deputy soldier was surprised.
Xiao Jue said: "Let's do it."
With a "bang", the small boat hit the big ship, knocking it slightly to one side. Maka was so angry that his face turned ashen. "Why are you still haunting me?" He laughed. "You are just a few thousand people and you want to stop a chariot with a mantis arm. Since you want to die so much, this general will send you on your way!"
He swung his sword and shouted at the people behind him: "Warriors, fight!"
The two groups of people stood together. Although the Jiyang City Army was outnumbered, they were not afraid. The leaders, He Yan and Xiao Jue, mixed with the people around Maka. He Yan had a whip with iron claws. When the iron claws were attached, it was very powerful when smashing boats, and it was also good when smashing people. She swung the whip and knocked one person over.
But a whip is not a sword after all. Once it pierces a person, it cannot be retracted for a while. More and more Wutuo people are rushing up from behind. She kicked the person in front of her away, and the strong wind came from behind. He Yan dodged to the side, and a crystal long sword blocked her.
Xiao Jue had his back to her, the sword in his hand was dripping with blood. He pulled Yin Qiu out from Wu Tuoren's chest and warned him quietly, "Be careful."
"Commander-in-chief," He Yan said, "Let's go together!"
The two of them stood back to back, one holding a sword, the other holding a whip, and they trusted each other with their backs. They had never fought together before, but between life and death, they had developed a wonderful tacit understanding, like they cherished each other and understood each other's thoughts. They didn't need to remind each other of every move, and they cooperated naturally.
For a while, no one from Utuo could get close to him.
The deputy general pushed aside a Wutuo man and looked back to see exactly this scene. She thought for a moment and said, "Who is this Miss He and why is she so skilled?"
She did not rely on Xiao Jue's rescue or Xiao Jue's protection, but was able to join forces with Xiao Jue at the same time. Not only did she not hold Xiao Jue back, she even cooperated with him with ease.
"General, this woman is so powerful!" said the confidant to Maka.
Xiao Huaijin is powerful because he is the commander of the right army of the Wei Dynasty, General Feng Yun. I have never heard of this woman's name. She doesn't look very old, so how can she be so powerful? Could it be that there are many talented people in the Wei army, and Xiao Huaijin is not the only one with such skills?
For a moment, Maka felt a little regretful for his initiative to request to come to Jiyang. He saw that Jiyang had few troops and Mu Hongjin was the only woman in charge, so he thought that conquering Jiyang was a simple matter, so he took the credit. Who knew that he would meet Xiao Jue and a difficult woman. The two of them joined forces and their skills were outstanding. And the Jiyang city army. Just a few days ago, the spies reported that the Jiyang city army had not fought for many years and their formation was outdated, so they were no match for the Wutuo people. It was not until today when they really fought that they found that their military morale was high and their momentum was undiminished, and even their formation was different from the past.
Although most of the troops in Jiyang City had been lost at this moment, for the 150,000-strong Wutuo army, they not only failed to capture the city immediately, but also suffered a lot of losses. It was a great shame and humiliation that was unimaginable!
"Gan people, charge!" Maka gritted his teeth as he looked at the men and women surrounded by the Uto people, "I don't believe they can defeat my 150,000 people!"
The mast of the ship stood still, but the flags hanging on it began to sway. Not the slight sway just now, but a visible movement like the spreading of a bird's wings.
"The wind is blowing!" He Yan's voice could hardly conceal his excitement, "Commander-in-chief, the wind is really blowing!"
It's not a breeze, more like a light breeze, maybe it will become a gale or a gust of wind.
and……
"It's the southeast wind!" He Yan smiled with eyes crooked, extremely happy, "It's the southeast wind, Governor."
Xiao Jue glanced at her and said, "Now I can lead you into the jar."
He Yan looked at him, a smile flashed across his face, and he jumped up and said, "Let's go——"
The two of them broke through the encirclement and jumped onto a small boat of the Jiyang City Army, as if they were exhausted. The Jiyang City Army on the boat paddled desperately, as if to take them far away.
"Want to run?" Maka sneered and waved his hand, "Chase them! I must take down these two people today!"
At this juncture, the number of soldiers in Jiyang City has been decreasing, and it is obvious that Xiao Huaijin and the woman are outnumbered. Although Maka had a flash of doubt in his mind, is Xiao Huaijin the kind of person who would abandon his troops and run away? But this doubt was soon washed away by the joy of the upcoming victory. No matter how brave and invincible he is, with such a small number of people, he may not be able to turn the tide. The most favorite saying of the people of Wei is "As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood to burn." Who knows, maybe the two of them saw that the situation was not good, and wanted to escape first to hide their strength and then make a comeback. He Maka would chase them to the end today.
Even his confidant was a little hesitant: "General, don't chase after the enemy. Why don't we first kill the remaining Jiyang City troops here, and then we can go ashore and enter the city."
"You know shit!" Maka said contemptuously: "The Jiyang City Army is already in disarray. After capturing Xiao Huaijin..." A greedy look flashed across his eyes, "The king will only reward me generously. This is a military achievement that will go down in history!"
Everyone in Wutuo knew that he led the troops to attack the city. Not only did he capture Jiyang City, but he also killed Xiao Huaijin, who was feared by the world. In fact, this life is worth boasting about! Moreover, he suffered a great loss from the woman who pretended to be Mu Hongjin. Maka was a vengeful person and could not accept it.
For a moment, I just wanted to kill them all.
"Chase!"
The boat was moving fast ahead. There were countless inconspicuous reefs hidden under the vast canal. The merchant ships that usually passed by had already known this and would avoid them from a distance. But these Utuo people might not know this.
They may not know what kind of weapons are hidden in the seemingly inconspicuous small boats scattered everywhere.
"General, have you seen those boats?" the confidant asked Maka.
Dozens of small boats appeared around the water. These small boats looked like the ships of the Jiyang City Army, but the people on them were not as big as the ones of the Jiyang City Army just now. They were distributed at several ends of their warships. They were at a distance, as if they had bad intentions.
The ominous premonition was growing stronger and stronger, and the confidant said: "General, is this an ambush? Should we ..."
"What an ambush! If you are afraid, just go back home as soon as possible. We don't have cowards among our Uto soldiers!" Maka kicked the people around him away. "There are only a few ships, and you call it an ambush? Are you trying to make people laugh! We have so many ships and so many people. This is not an ambush, but a suicide mission! I think it's better. Get ready and wait for them to get closer, then shoot!"
The confidant thought about it and felt that what Maka said made sense. These small boats from Jiyang were like moths to a flame. Even if they came from all directions, it seemed that they had no chance of winning.
He Yan's signal had been sent out, and the remaining ships led by Mu Yi were approaching this side one after another. He Yan turned his head to look at the Wutuo warship behind him, which was getting closer and closer.
At the same time, the wind was getting stronger.
The wind made the flags on the ship rustle, and made the joy in her heart spread out layer by layer, unable to be suppressed.
"Would you like to order?" He Yan asked Xiao Jue.
Xiao Jue curled his lips and said, "Click."
The two ordered the surrounding Jiyang City soldiers to stop rowing and "get in the water!"
"Plop, plop, plop" -
The sounds of people falling into the water continued one after another, and the people on the Utopia were shocked and asked, "Why did they all jump into the water?"
"Get your iron forks ready! Even if you fall into the water, you can still fight." Maka said gloomily. He just thought they were poor and had reached the end of their rope.
He Yan smiled slightly, stepped on the bow, and took out a flint from his arms.
“Squeak——”
A very faint sound bounced out from her hand, but no one took it seriously. The girl's eyes were bright and her smile was sly, "I'm giving you a big gift, take it!"
A spark streaked across the sky like a meteor, and the next moment, it fell onto the boat. At the same time, the sound of Jiyang city soldiers falling into the water could be heard from all directions.
Sparks fell on the opened curtains and on the dry firewood covered with oil. There was a loud bang, and a huge ball of fire exploded on the boat, almost illuminating the entire sky.
The Uto ship was quickly engulfed in flames, and the wind gradually grew stronger, blowing the flames diagonally toward the Uto ship.
…
The movement on the canal seemed to have reached Jiyang City.
Lin Shuanghe walked out of the backyard of Cui's house, looked into the distance, and said to himself, "What's that sound?"
Zhong Fu, who was standing beside him, also listened attentively, but could not answer his question. After a moment, Zhong Fu looked at Lin Shuanghe and asked, "Mr. Lin, do you really want to stay here?"
He now knew the true identity of Lin Shuanghe. The so-called "elegant housekeeper Lin" really did not exist in the world. At least he had never seen one in his life. This young man looked elegant and refined. He was said to be a doctor. Unlike Xiao Jue and He Yan, he had no martial arts skills at all. Why did he stay here instead of evacuating with the people?
"There are so many sisters in this mansion," Lin Shuanghe said with a smile, "If I leave, who will protect them?"
Zhong Fu was speechless for a moment, and spoke as if he was very powerful.
"Cui Zhongqi's wives are still in the mansion. My sisters dared to stay, so how could I escape alone? I am a man after all," Lin Shuanghe waved his fan, smiling as carefree as ever, "As a man, of course I should protect the girls."
The Second Aunt looked through the window at Lin Shuanghe who was talking to Zhong Fu outside, and said with her chin in her hand: "This Mr. Lin looks so frail, but I didn't expect him to be so manly at the critical moment. If I were ten years younger..."
"So what?" Aunt Wei glared at her. "It's already this hour, and you're still in the mood to think about this!"
"I just said it casually, sister, why are you so excited?" Second Aunt stretched her waist lazily, "It's hard to say whether we can survive today, can't you let me sleep for a while."
"Ptah, pah, pah," said the Fourth Aunt, "Second sister, don't be so stupid. The old man will definitely defeat those Wutuo people. Not only can we survive today, but we can also survive tomorrow, and we can live for a very, very long time! Didn't the old man say that Master Qiao Qingqiao is actually General Feng Yun of the Wei Dynasty? With General Feng Yun here, this battle will be won no matter what. Don't worry!" She spoke quickly and anxiously, as if she was very confident, but she didn't know whether she was comforting others or convincing herself.
The Third Aunt loved to cry, and her tears rolled in her eyes for a long time. At this moment, she finally couldn't hold back and cried, "So what if it's General Feng Yun? We haven't fought a war in our city for many years. There are even fewer soldiers than civilians. He is not a god. I am still so young, I don't want to die, I... the old man hasn't spoiled me for a long time, I'm so scared..."
"Stop crying!" Aunt Wei shouted with a sullen face. Seeing that Third Aunt shuddered but still couldn't hold back her tears, she finally sighed and handed her a handkerchief. Her voice softened, "What are you afraid of? Although we are concubines, we are also members of the Zhongqi Mansion. Without the master protecting us in front, we are just crying and holding back behind us."
"Even though I am a concubine and a woman, I am also a woman of the cavalry. I must have integrity and not fear death. If we win this battle and the master comes back alive, we will celebrate and make soup to reward him and make him feel relieved. If we lose... and the master can't come back, we won't live under the hands of the Wutuo people. The rope is in our hands, and everyone will die, it's just a matter of sooner or later."
"We sisters are all together after all. Even if we really have no way to survive, we will have someone to take care of us on our way to the underworld. There is nothing to be afraid of," she said.
The Second Aunt burst out laughing, tears seemed to flash in her eyes, and she smiled and held the Third Aunt's hand, saying, "Yes, we sisters are all together, there is nothing to be afraid of."
The Third Aunt sobbed and wiped the tears from her face, refusing to speak. The Fourth Aunt looked out the window and murmured, "The wind is blowing."
…
"It's windy." Mu Hongjin looked at the trees outside the window.
It was just a light breeze at first, but then it grew stronger, blowing the willow branches outside this way and that, as if they would be uprooted at any moment. The pond was rippling with shallow waves.
The palace was empty, except for a few old people who had always been by her side. She let everyone who could leave go, and followed the people who were evacuating out of the city. They left as many as they could, as there was no reason for them to be buried here in vain.
"What was that sound just now?" she asked the maid beside her.
The maid shook her head.
"That's right," Mu Hongjin sighed, "How would you know?"
The loud noise was so shocking that it could be heard both inside and outside the city. It seemed to come from the direction of the canal. The servants who came to inquire about the intelligence came twice and said that the Wutuo soldiers were fighting on the water with the Jiyang City Army led by Xiao Jue. The Wutuo soldiers had not yet landed and entered the city, but... the Jiyang City Army had suffered most of its casualties.
The situation was unequal and the strength was not good enough. This battle was really difficult for Xiao Huaijin. Mu Hongjin thought in her heart, hating her own incompetence. If she could also deploy troops and charge into the battle line, she would not have to sit in this empty palace, waiting for the end in vain and powerless.
If the city fell, she would be buried with the others; if the city survived, she would continue to live. It seemed that this was all she could do now.
The wind blew in from the window outside, knocking the mirror she had placed on the soft seat down with a "bang", and it fell to the ground. Mu Hongjin was startled and walked over to pick up the mirror.
The mirror had been dropped once before, leaving a slight crack on it. This time it was dropped harder than the last time, with cracks all over the mirror. As soon as she reached out to touch it, the mirror broke. The broken mirror fell on the soft carpet, like a gem falling in the sky, or like memories scattered deep in the heart.
She felt a sudden pain in her heart and bent over. For some reason, tears began to flow.
…
Deep in the dense forest, the white-clad swordsman was surrounded by dozens and hundreds of Uto people.
Blood was dripping from the long sword in his hand. His white clothes had already been stained red with blood, and he couldn't tell whether it was his own blood or someone else's.
“Come on!” The Wutu people around him came in waves, but this man’s swordsmanship was very good. He could fight ten people at once and had not fallen down until now.
But he also suffered a lot of injuries.
His arm was cut by the Wutu people's knife, leaving a long scar on his arm, and his leg was bleeding, but his posture was always light, like the mist on the Qiyun Mountain, making it difficult to grasp. He was also like an immortal from the nine heavens who had come down to earth to experience tribulations, never in a hurry, and smiling.
He made the slaughter around him seem a bit like a fairy, like the heroic young man in the storybooks of the past, a swordsman in the world, with a sword and a harp, and a broad mind.
But even heroes have their downfalls.
Liu Buwang's eyes were gradually blurring and his vision was becoming blurred. He had already spent a lot of energy on setting up the formation just now, and it was related to his old illness. Now it was just a spent force.
But if he can hold on for a moment longer, Jiyang City will have a moment more of peace.
The wind had gradually picked up, and the smile on his lips grew stronger and brighter, as if he had listened to the idle laughter and jokes of the girl in the red skirt and silver bells many years ago, pretending to be bored, but turning his back and smiling secretly without knowing it.
A knife was coming towards his face, and Liu Buwang jumped to avoid it. As he moved, something flew out of his arms. He subconsciously reached out to grab it and held it in his palm.
It was a silver bracelet with a circle of small wild daisies engraved on the edge. Because so much time had passed, the less delicate edges had been polished to a warm state and still carried a person's body temperature, giving off a slight warmth.
Someone once said to him: "This is called a Joy Bracelet. Give one to your loved one and they will never be apart for the rest of their lives."
The seventeen-year-old Mu Hongjin begged him: "Young Master Liu, please give me one!" But he replied coldly: "She is not my sweetheart."
However, when he was returning to the mountain with Yushu and met the old woman again at the foot of Qiyun Mountain, he somehow took out money to buy the bracelet.
Liu Buwang didn't understand why he did this at that time. He tried to convince himself that he was afraid that Mu Hongjin would be bored waiting in the inn alone, and that the guy would definitely act pretentiously when he returned. This bracelet was a gift to shut her up. Unfortunately, he would never have the chance to give it away again in the coming years.
Maybe there was a moment, maybe there were many moments, when he really wanted to live with that beautiful and bright girl forever.
“Puff——”
A long knife stabbed at him from behind, and the tip of the knife pierced through his chest, as if it wanted to cut open his heart and let him see clearly who his sweetheart was.
The Wutuo people behind him laughed and said, "This head is mine! No one can take away my military merits!"
There was loud laughter all around.
Liu Buwang fell down.
When she fell down, she was still holding the Joy Bracelet tightly in her hand.
The wind was like a young girl's hand, gently caressing his brow. He lay with his head tilted back, no longer having the strength to stand up.
In a trance, he seemed to have returned to the time many years ago when he first went down the mountain.
That year, the young man rode a horse with a sword, full of ambition. His senior brother laughed and teased him, saying that the women down the mountain were tigers, and he should not be blinded by the worldly dust. He curled his lips and said he didn't care. When he turned around, he saw a girl in a red skirt and a long braid sitting under a tree, with peach blossoms falling like rain.