Chapter 748: Zheng and Qiao's Strangers (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"But Your Majesty..."
Qi Cang knew what kind of show Zheng Qiao was inviting him to. He hesitated, wanting to say something to Zheng Qiao, but was interrupted by her raising her hand. He understood then that Zheng Qiao's mind was made up, and said nothing more.
"That newly emerged 16th-rank Grand Master, isn't his name Gong Xichou? How does his strength compare to yours?"
Zheng Qiao once used Gong Xi Chou's knife to kill the King of Pigs. The territory controlled by the King of Pigs fell into chaos due to the lack of a leader, which put Zheng Qiao in a good mood for several days. The knife was sharp and left a deep impression.
Qi Cang sighed, "Talented people emerge in every generation."
Although he reached the sixteenth-level Grand Supreme Realm a few years earlier than Gong Xichou and possessed a deeper foundation of strength, even he had to admit defeat when comparing their ages. Furthermore, he had expended too much martial energy fighting the black-clad warrior; a direct confrontation would have been certain death.
Even if they faced each other at their peak, they probably wouldn't have gained much advantage. Qi Cang was lamenting the decline of a hero when he heard Zheng Qiao scoff disdainfully, "His appearance was just in time; he managed to preserve Shen Youli's meager possessions."
Qi Cang's eyelids twitched violently upon hearing this.
Although Zheng Qiao's forces were outnumbered by the allied forces, the morale remained high thanks to the encouragement of the king's personal campaign and the two impressive victories in duels. However, with the addition of Huang Lie's heavy shield warriors to the front lines to hold off Zheng Qiao's troops, each of them possessing immense strength, feeling no pain, and unafraid of death, the previously tilted battle situation gradually returned to balance.
As the disadvantage was gradually reversed, this undoubtedly gave the allied forces a strong boost. The two armies then used the Miao River as the boundary and fought a bloody battle for two whole days and two nights, leaving behind countless corpses. The blood stained the ice surface a glaring scarlet, and in the end, even the rainwater was tinged with blood.
An invisible malevolent aura, accompanied by a chilling wind, lingered on the river for a long time, the wind howling incessantly, like weeping and lamenting.
At this point in the competition, both sides were determined to win.
Whoever falters first will suffer a crushing defeat.
At this moment, Huang Lie resembled a gambler at the end of his rope, his eyes bloodshot and visibly weary. Battle reports reached his ears every moment, and the morale and strength of his soldiers were nearing their breaking point.
The black-clad warrior recovered his martial energy and returned to the battlefield.
But before he could make a move, he was intercepted by Qi Cang.
Qi Cang and Zheng Qiao were indeed kindred spirits; when they went berserk, they showed no mercy. In contrast, the black-clad warrior still had reservations, and during the exchange, he was struck in the chest by the opponent. If it weren't for his breastplate absorbing most of the attack, he would have suffered more than just a few broken ribs.
Qi Cang originally intended to kill the black-clad warrior to boost his side's morale, but Gong Xi Chou, that troublemaker, suddenly appeared, grabbed the black-clad warrior by the back of his collar, and rescued him. As long as Qi Cang didn't pursue, Gong Xi Chou wouldn't join the battle, which made Qi Cang's teeth itch with frustration.
Had he known Gongxi Chou was such a nuisance, he should have killed him before he became too powerful. But alas, there's no going back. Before nightfall the next day, the war drums on both sides of the river were no longer as rousing as they had been at the beginning. Just as the allied forces were beginning to lose heart amidst their own casualties, Zheng Qiao's side inexplicably collapsed first, and the allied forces reached the opposite bank for the first time.
This major breakthrough gave the previously exhausted allied forces hope for victory, and they pursued Zheng Qiao's army for more than 30 miles.
"Alliance Leader, be careful, this might be a trap!"
"Yes, one should not press a desperate enemy; this is a principle of warfare."
"Zheng Qiao's troops showed no signs of collapse before, but suddenly they were defeated and retreated. Something seems fishy... We have crossed the Miao River, and the tyrant has lost the natural barrier of the river. We should first consolidate our position." The allied forces were really worried that Zheng Qiao was playing tricks.
Huang Lie's heavy shield warriors suffered heavy losses, and he hesitated.
Zheng Qiao's side's behavior was really strange.
However, Huang Lie hesitated, his allies were worried, and Gu Ren, who was usually a good-natured person, showed an unusual ruthlessness.
He shouted sternly, "You're afraid, but I'm not."
Having said that, he summoned his sworn brothers, who were covered in blood.
He roared the order in front of everyone: "Gather the troops and give chase!"
"Yes, brother!"
Several of Gu Ren's sworn brothers had a grudge against Zheng Qiao, and they contributed greatly to the battle of Miaojiang. They fought tooth and nail to weaken the enemy, but then they just gave up after the enemy fled? Were they just going to watch Zheng Qiao go back, recover his strength, and come back to fight again?
To hell with his ancestors for eighteen generations!
As for Huang Lie, the leader of the alliance?
Gu Ren doesn't want to care about anything right now.
Seeing this, Kang Shi also mounted his horse, gave orders to Chu Jie and the others, and then said, "Prefect Gu, please wait a little longer. I will go with you."
Huang Lie's face darkened: "What if there's a trap..."
Kang Shi sat on his warhorse without turning his head and said, "If we fall into the enemy's trap, then it's just my bad luck!"
A slight ripple appeared on Wu Xian's expression, which he quickly suppressed. Qin Li, who had rushed over from the front lines after hearing the commotion, seemed about to say something, but Wu Xian silenced him before he could speak. He knew what Qin Li wanted to say, but Wu Xian didn't want to risk further losses. For the sake of his ultimate goal, he needed to preserve some strength for the final plunder.
If Zheng Qiao's troops were feigning defeat, Gu Ren and his men, who went to pursue them, would undoubtedly have stepped into a trap, their fate uncertain.
If Zheng Qiao's troops aren't feigned, even with Gu Ren and half of Shen Tang's forces combined, they couldn't do anything to Zheng Qiao; it would be futile. It's better to wait for news from Gu Ren and his men, and then make plans accordingly.
Wu Xian glanced coldly in Huang Lie's direction, and when Huang Lie seemed to sense something and looked back, Wu Xian had already looked away.
Huang Lie and his men certainly wouldn't stay put and stand there idly; they actually dispatched elite scouts to investigate.
Any intelligence received must be transmitted back immediately.
The order for the allied forces to rest and regroup was passed down through the ranks.
The ordinary soldiers, of course, had no complaints. Their bodies and minds were at their limits; if they continued fighting, they wouldn't be able to hold out before the enemy was killed. For the past two days, their minds had been consumed by the thought of "killing" and "charging." Seeing familiar faces being taken away forever, how could they not be terrified? They were afraid they would be next. Not chasing was tantamount to saving their own lives.
Some people almost started swearing.
Zhao Feng snatched his old friend's sword and fan to cool himself down. His appearance at this moment could only be described as "horrifying," enough to stop a child from crying at night. Blood, some unknown, dripped from his thick beard, along with bits of flesh and skin. His armor was pitted and scarred, covered with marks from cuts, spears, and swords, some of which penetrated deep into the flesh.
only--
The pain from his injuries was not as great as the shock he felt at that moment.
"Alas, Master Wu is so foolish—"
Despite harboring thoughts of fleeing, my old friend diligently stood guard until the very end. I thought the Battle of Miaojiang would be a perfect conclusion, but who would have thought such a turn of events would occur at the very end? Even the adage "don't pursue a cornered enemy" needs to be considered under different circumstances, right?
Zheng Qiao's army's rout was completely disorderly, showing no signs of order within chaos, indicating that it was not a premeditated action.
If we don't rush in now, when will we?
Because of his dissatisfaction, his old friends changed their address for Wu Xian from "Lord" to "Lord Wu," which shows how much they resented him.
He snatched his precious sword fan.
Carefully wipe the bloodstains off the fan handle with a handkerchief.
He said, "I hope Gong Su hasn't been angered to death this time."
Zhao Fengyi shook his head inwardly, recalling the expression on Qin Li's face he had just seen. It was a difficult question. He watched as a thin soldier pushed through the crowd to deliver a package to his old friend, and he choked on his words: "You...you're planning to leave now?"
My old friend said, "It will be difficult to leave if it gets too late."
Zhao Feng asked him, "Don't you need to submit your resignation to the lord?"
The old friend retorted, "Does the lord even remember me? Why submit a resignation? Take this opportunity to leave quietly; it'll save face for both sides. As for Gong Su, just mention it to him privately. But don't tell him where you're going..."
Qin Li hated "evil schemes," and Qi Shan was obsessed with them.
If Qin Li knew that he planned to share a lord with Qi Shan, given his temperament, he would obsessively cause serious problems. Zhao Feng nodded in agreement; he understood this. Seeing that his old friend was determined to leave, he didn't try to persuade him to stay.
He ordered two bodyguards to escort his old friend away quietly.
His old friend was already rather unremarkable, and now, with the chaos and post-war cleanup in disarray, no one cared where he'd gone. He tapped Zhao Feng's shoulder with his sword-fan and said, "The green hills remain, the clear waters flow on, righteousness prevails, we'll meet again someday!"
Zhao Feng sighed inwardly and said, "Farewell!"
At the same time, Gu Ren relentlessly pursued Zheng Qiao's troops.
Unfortunately, their side was not as familiar with the terrain as the enemy, and after chasing for half a day, they still couldn't catch anyone, but they did capture quite a few wounded soldiers.
Kang Shi used his persuasive words to severely interrogate them.
They actually managed to uncover the truth behind Zheng Qiao's army's rout.
The deserter, controlled by the power of words, stared blankly as if he were mentally impaired, and confessed everything: "The grain...the granary has fallen..."
Kang Shi grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.
"What grain depot has fallen?"
The deserter could not provide specific details.
In fact, not only were the allied forces baffled by the rout, but they themselves were also somewhat confused. While the two armies were locked in fierce fighting at Miaojiang, a rumor spread that granaries near the main force had been burned down, and several large granaries storing grain had been completely destroyed. This news caused panic, and indeed, some people saw smoke rising from the granaries near the main force.
One tells ten, ten tell a hundred.
The building is about to collapse in an instant.
That's why everyone was stunned and fled in disarray.
Kang Shi asked around, "Do you know who did it?"
No one knows the answer to this question.
They were just ordinary low-ranking soldiers. Upon hearing this, Kang Shi slapped his thigh and said regretfully, "It's most likely that it was the lord and his men. How hateful—such a good opportunity was wasted by a group of scheming, cowardly villains."
Gong Xi Chou cared nothing for anything else but Chen Tang, or rather, the sacred object in the coffin that his Gong Xi clan had guarded for over two hundred years. He said, "Since this is Mama's doing, let's go and meet her now to avoid any accidents."
What should you do if a sacred object gets bumped or knocked?
Tsk—
If Gong Xichou hadn't promised Mama during the battle of Xiaocheng that he wouldn't bring her back to lie in her coffin, he would have really wanted to politely invite her back and bury her in the clan's territory, as that would have been the safest and most secure option.
Kang Shi was completely unaware of Gong Xichou's ulterior motives.
Nodding in agreement, he said, "Absolutely!"
They couldn't contact their lord and his party, but as long as they pursued the same goal, they would eventually reunite. They had to seize the Imperial Seal from Zheng Qiao before the allied forces. Little did they know, the allied forces, having only wasted half a day, launched another offensive.
Because they learned the truth about the routed soldiers from the prisoners.
Huang Lie said coldly, "Chase them!"
Chasing and stopping, stopping and chasing.
Some lucky ones trigger serendipitous encounters.
For example, when Wu Xian's troops were pursuing someone, they found a suspicious person. At first, they thought he was a refugee fleeing from war, but the person's voice was so high-pitched and raspy that it was clear he wasn't a normal man. So they arrested him and investigated, only to find that he was actually a palace eunuch.
Wu Xian asked, "Eunuch?"
The soldiers presented all the items that had been brought to them.
Upon opening the package, one finds only rare and precious treasures.
There are also several of Zheng Qiao's personal seals.
Upon hearing of Zheng Qiao's defeat, the eunuch hastily gathered some treasures and fled, attempting to blend into the refugee crowd to escape. Little did he know he would be caught. The eunuch trembled, a sudden tightness in his abdomen caused him to urinate on his trousers beneath his clothes.
Wu Xian smelled the urine and waved his hand.
The soldiers dragged the terrified eunuch out.
Some lucky ones encounter fellow villagers who offer their lives for a treasure map, some find treasures emitting strange light, and others intercept bluebirds flying overhead and receive rewards from them... Well, the chances of triggering such serendipitous encounters are extremely high.
Even Gu Ren, who was relentlessly pursuing Zheng Qiao, successfully triggered it.
Kang Shi, however, knew nothing about it.
After several hasty escapes, Zheng Qiao's troops dwindled, and the once pampered man began to look somewhat disheveled. Despite his dire situation, he unusually smiled brightly, his eyes radiating a vibrant and dazzling light.
Qi Cang stayed close to him the whole time.
Zheng Qiao asked, "Have you shaken off Gu Ziyi's troops yet?"
Qi Cang said, "We've shaken them off for now."
But based on previous experience, Gu Ren's troops would catch up again soon, biting like mad dogs.
Zheng Qiao smiled and said, "Gu Ziyi has lived up to his name, but unfortunately, people like him often don't live long."
He investigated Gu Ren and a group of Gu Ren's sworn brothers.
He naturally knew why Gu Ren was so ruthless.
Is he after the national seal in his hand?
This may only be one of the reasons.
More importantly, he wanted to avenge his sworn brothers.
Zheng Qiao rested for a while, then got up, dusted off his clothes, and said, "Hahaha, let's take them for a spin around Ganzhou!"
The young king found pleasure, but this pleasure might be the last bit of joy he would ever experience. Qi Cang said, "Yes!"
As for the morale being low and the number of deserters increasing?
Zheng Qiao didn't care at all.
He just needs to enjoy his last few days!
Because Zheng Qiao's escape route was completely unpredictable, the allied forces were like kites, unable to catch him no matter how hard they tried. Finally, they unanimously decided to split their forces into multiple groups to encircle him, gradually forming an encirclement, especially blocking the only routes to various counties.
Zheng Qiao's side fought and retreated, and their troops dwindled in number.
"A net has been cast, let's see how he escapes!"
If you really want to escape, you can still do so.
Who told him to have a 16th-rank Grand Master by his side?
Huang Lie's troops surrounded Zheng Qiao's remaining forces, trapping them at a precipice. However, to everyone's dismay, the one captured was a eunuch dressed in Zheng Qiao's clothes; the real leader had already escaped!
"Chase him! I don't believe he can grow wings and fly away!"
ヽ(ー_ー)ノ
The boxed lunches are almost ready, hehehe.
(End of this chapter)
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