Chapter 74: Pressing Closer Step by Step
Xiang Kui was exceptionally brave, and the power of his twin hammers was enough to make the young Zhu family members tremble with fear in the blink of an eye.
Upon seeing this, Zhu Zijian rode away on horseback, with Zhu Ziqiao following closely behind. Once they were close, they drew their swords mid-air and launched a flying attack on Xiang Kui.
Seeing this, Xiang Kui knew in his heart that even ants could kill a snake, and once he was exhausted, it would be difficult for him to leave.
Having made up his mind, he no longer lingered in the fight. He leaped up, wielding his twin hammers to block the power of the twin swords. As the two forces collided, Xiang Kui was sent flying three zhang away.
Xiang Kui shouted, "You little brat Zhu, I'm not going to keep you company!" After saying that, he leaped and bounded a distance of ten feet, and in the blink of an eye, he had already fled far away.
The Zhu brothers stared in astonishment; seven or eight hundred men had failed to trap him.
Zhu Ziqiao snorted coldly, clearly unconvinced, and led his team in pursuit. After about an hour, they reached Sanzhangyuan.
On Sanzhangyuan, the terrain is flat, the plateau is more than three zhang high, and there is a road at the bottom of the plateau that runs along the plateau.
Just as the cavalry stepped in, countless arrows rained down from the Sanzhang Plain, causing another wave of panic among the crowd.
Zhu Ziqiao looked up and saw Ying Qing's archery team, over two hundred men, standing on the Shadow Plain, firing arrows incessantly. He immediately shouted, "Second Brother, you lead the men to attack from the flank, I'll lead the men to charge!"
Immediately, Zhu Ziqiao brandished his sword to parry and protect himself, leading his men to charge forward, with archers providing cover from behind.
Seeing this, Ying Qing shouted after breaking through, "Retreat!"
Upon hearing the order, the two hundred-plus archers pretended to flee.
Seeing the situation, the Zhu brothers pressed on relentlessly, and within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they had caught up with the Zhu brothers and reached Qingshan Road.
The Green Mountain Path is over two zhang wide, with gentle hills on both sides. Although it is not suitable for ambushes, anyone who blocks this path will be the bravest to prevail in a narrow encounter. If the one blocked climbs over the hill, they will have wasted their time and effort.
Zhu Ziqiao arrived at the mountain path, startling his men and horses. Upon closer inspection, they saw a group of men in front of them, imposing and blocking their way.
Those blocking the way were the iron cavalry of the Yongle Gang, each clad in gray armor and wielding a long spear, full of vigor and strength. Though numbering less than a hundred, they stood firm at the gate, displaying their formidable power.
The leaders were Lü Zhong and Zhang Qi. Lü Zhong, dressed in gray cloth, held a seven-foot-long spear and rode a white horse side by side, looking majestic and imposing. Zhang Qi, riding a red horse, wore a silver armor and a white cloak that fluttered in the wind. He also held a long spear and looked very powerful.
Upon seeing this, Zhu Ziqiao hurriedly shouted, "Archers, prepare!"
But Lü Zhong wouldn't let him succeed. Before the Zhu family archers could even advance, Lü Zhong's iron cavalry charged forward with spears. In the blink of an eye, the two cavalry forces clashed, and the archers all retreated upon seeing this.
Lu Zhong rode his horse through the air, once again taking on the Zhu brothers alone. The three had fought many times before and were well aware of each other's strength, so they unleashed fierce and deadly attacks.
After a brief battle, the Zhu family brothers had suffered more than half their casualties, and their cavalry had been wiped out. Meanwhile, the Yongle Gang's cavalry, filled with murderous intent, charged into enemy ranks with their spears, galloping across battlefields, and won a seven-on-one battle in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Zhang Qi shouted, "Brothers, kill all the archers, leave no one alive!"
Upon receiving this order, the cavalry ceased their pursuit of the scouts and instead forced the archers to their deaths. The poor Zhu family archers, most of them hadn't even drawn their swords before their spears pierced their bodies; outnumbered, they retreated step by step.
Seeing this, Zhu Ziqiao realized the situation was hopeless and was about to order a retreat. Just then, shouts arose from behind, Zhu's banner was raised high, and reinforcements had arrived.
Zhang Qi was the first to see this and hurriedly shouted, "Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!..."
Upon hearing the order, the Yongle cavalry quickly joined forces to clear a path and retreated in a bloody retreat.
The Zhu family's reinforcements arrived and gave chase. The leader was none other than Zhu Ziyi. He wore blue armor, held a seven-foot-long halberd, rode a large black horse, and exuded a murderous aura. His face was extremely fierce.
Seeing this, Lü Zhong withdrew and rode his horse at the back, with Zhu Ziqiao leading the army behind, chasing after them relentlessly.
In an instant, along the secluded mountain path, over a thousand people chased and killed dozens of others, trampling the lives that had just fallen again and again.
At this moment, Zhu Zixing also arrived on horseback. He looked at the corpse on the ground, sighed slightly, and closed his eyes.
Upon seeing Zhu Zixing, Zhu Ziqiao hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Eighth Brother, it was Fifth Brother's fault. I didn't listen to you, which led to the deaths of eight hundred brothers."
Zhu Zixing said calmly, "Fifth Brother, things have come to this point, there's no point in saying more. You should rest and regroup, and return to the Yongle Gang's original base. I'll have Second Brother accompany me."
Zhu Ziqiao said with a wry smile, "Alright! I'll lead everyone back to the Yongle Gang right now."
Zhu Ziqiao said to Zhu Zijian, "Second brother, why don't you accompany me to see the battle situation ahead?"
Zhu Zijian mounted his horse and said, "Let's go!"
As the two rode along the road, Zhu Zijian asked, "Eighth Brother, Fifth Brother just said that he didn't listen to your advice, which led to the defeat and losses in the army. What makes you say that?"
Zhu Zixing sighed and said, "Before this matter, I repeatedly instructed Fifth Brother that after taking control of Yongle Gang, we could pursue them, but if we encountered enemy resistance, we should return to defend Yongle Gang and not pursue them any further."
Zhu Zijian: "I see. I also reminded my fifth brother not to chase after them lightly, but he just wouldn't listen."
...
Seeing the situation, Lü Zhong and his men dared not resist any longer and spurred their horses towards the farm. After about two quarters of an hour, the horses slowed down and could no longer gallop at full speed. Fortunately, they were near the Sishui River and escaped danger.
Zhu Ziyi was close behind, about half a mile from the Sishui River, when he suddenly ordered a halt, leaving everyone puzzled.
Zhu Muyan, the subordinate, said, "General, they have nowhere to run. Let's take this opportunity to pursue and kill them!"
Zhu Ziyi heard this but said nothing, watching as Lü Zhong and his men rode their horses across the bridge.
As Lü Zhong and his group crossed the wooden bridge, Ying Ying and his two hundred archers had been waiting behind the defensive wall for a long time.
Zhu Ziyi asked, "Do you know why they stopped running after crossing the bridge and instead stayed to wait?"
Zhu Mu: "This bridge is no more than five feet wide, barely wide enough for two horses to ride side by side. They must think we won't attack it head-on!"
Zhu Ziyi laughed and said, "That's one reason. There must be an ambush behind that defensive wall, probably with powerful crossbows. Furthermore, with people like Kui and Chongsheng around, breaking through the five-foot bridge will be extremely difficult!"
Zhu Mu: "General, according to this, what should we do?"
Zhu Ziyi: "Be prepared. We'll hear the next steps once Eighth Brother arrives!"
On the Yongle Gang's side, Ying Qingyan said, "If they launch a full-scale attack, I'm afraid we won't fare much better."
Xiang Kui shouted, "What discouraging words are you talking about? It's best if they dare to come. We'll hold this bridge and kill as many as they come!" As he spoke, he swung his large iron hammer with both hands.
Lü Zhong: "Brother Yingying is right. Although we built defensive walls along the river first, as long as this bridge is still standing, they will risk attacking and take the opportunity to build bridges elsewhere by throwing stones."
Zhang Qi coldly said, "Since we cannot launch a counterattack, what's wrong with burning this bridge?"
Ying Qing said calmly, "This is the wisest decision!"
Xiang Kui sighed, "Alright! Since you all agree, I have no objections." He then turned and roared at his subordinate, "You, go find a few jars of wine! And be quick!"
...
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