Chapter Seventy: The tide has turned.
At this time, Lü Zhong had already invited Doctor Xu to arrive. This Doctor Xu was over fifty years old, with gray hair tied in a bun, a half-foot long beard, and a dignified and composed demeanor.
Upon seeing him arrive, Xiang Kui hurriedly said, "Doctor Xu, please quickly examine the gang leader. What poison has he been afflicted with, and is there any antidote?"
Doctor Xu hurried forward, checked Shi Jiquan's pulse and eyes, then took a thin needle and inserted it into Shi Jiquan's vein. Black blood slowly flowed out. He then shook his head, stood up, and said quietly, "Let him settle his affairs quickly. Time is running out."
Xiang Kui exclaimed, "How can you say that? What kind of poison has he been poisoned with?"
Doctor Xu: "The poison that Chief Shi was poisoned with is 'Heart-Eating Poison,' which is made from several kinds of snake venom and is extremely poisonous."
Lu Zhong hurriedly said, "Doctor Xu, is there really no way at all?"
Doctor Xu said seriously, "No, this poison is peculiar. Even if there is an antidote, it must be taken first. His blood and qi are already slow. If you don't give him time, he won't have a chance to speak."
Upon hearing this, Shi Jiquan said weakly, "Brother Lü Zhong, listen to me, after I leave, the Yongle Gang will be handed over to you!"
Lü Zhong choked up and said, "Chief Shi..."
Shi Jiquan: "Ying Qing, you should lead the gang members to evacuate immediately. Take everything you can, and don't destroy anything you can't take."
Ying Qing: "Okay, I'll take care of it right away." He then turned and left.
Shi Jiquan: "Brother Lü Zhong, after you leave, use the Si River as a barrier to establish defenses and prepare more archers. The Zhu Family Village will not cross the river to launch a strong attack rashly. Remember, do not take the initiative to challenge them."
Lü Zhong: "Chief Shi, I've got it."
Shi Jiquan laughed and said, "Also, the villagers are already living a prosperous life. Don't be too kind. Take what you should take, otherwise, things will get out of control..." He breathed his last as he spoke.
Lu Zhong shouted, "Chief Shi..."
The crowd also shouted, "Chief Shi..."
Doctor Xu: "You must quickly transport the gang leader's body back to the farm and sever the four meridians in his hands and feet. Otherwise, if the poison continues, the meridians throughout his body will rupture."
Xiang Kui said, "Alright! Let me do it." As he spoke, he carried Shi Jiquan away and placed him on the carriage bed.
Lu Zhong and his group also took separate actions to prepare for their evacuation and subsequent actions.
Meanwhile, inside the Zhu Family Village, Zhu Zijian and Zhu Ziyi had already heard Zhu Zixing's plan and were counting their troops. After five hours, they launched a full-scale attack on the Yongle Gang.
Zhu Ziqiao called out, "Second Brother, time is of the essence, let's set off now!"
Zhu Zijian shouted to the group of young students, "Alright! Let's go!"
Upon receiving the order, over a thousand men, armed with swords, spears, and bows, marched in a mighty force towards the Yongle Gang.
The group of Xiaoyao Lang entered the city of Shanshui, and it was already past 7:45 PM.
Yin Xiaosheng laughed and said, "Oh my, this mountain and water city is really something else, it's still so lively so late."
Xie Yunfeng: "That's right. Shanshui City has a large population, and besides, tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival. It's normal for the festivities to last until late tonight."
Murong Hanchan declared boldly, "What fun is there in the middle of the night? You all should hurry and find an inn. I'm exhausted after traveling all day!"
Yin Xiaosheng laughed and said, "Junior Sister, you should find an inn yourself. The inns we find might not suit your taste!"
Murong Hanchan: "What's so difficult about that? Just find the biggest one, and that's the best!"
Xie Yunfeng smiled and said, "The largest inn in Shanshui City is a distance ahead, named 'Qingyun,' which runs through the entire area."
Xiaoyao Lang said, "Thank you, Brother Xie. Please lead the way!" Then the group set off.
Inside the Yongle Gang, the group was leading people to transfer the last batch of supplies, with Lü Zhonghe and Chong Sheng escorting them along the way.
Just then, a brother arrived on horseback. He hurriedly dismounted, cupped his hands, and said, "Chief, the people from Zhu Family Village have crossed Maple Forest Ridge, and there are probably more than a thousand of them!"
Lu Zhong said gravely, "They've arrived so quickly. Judging from the time you returned, their cavalry must not have gone far. You may leave now."
"Yes!" Xiao Zu responded and withdrew.
Upon hearing this, Chongsheng immediately said, "You take your men and go first, I'll lead a group to hold them off."
Lü Zhong: "No, Brother Chongsheng, you take men and escort the supplies first. They are chasing us at high speed, and the cavalry and infantry will definitely widen the distance. I will lead the cavalry to counterattack back and forth, which will be safer."
Rebirth: "Then be careful in everything you do!"
Lü Zhong nodded, then turned his horse around and shouted, "Zhang Qi, lead the first and second cavalry squads and follow me!"
That Zhang Qi appeared to be twenty-three or twenty-four years old, seven feet tall, and wielded a long spear. He wore a suit of gleaming silver armor, revealing only his exquisitely defined features; he was incredibly handsome.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qi shouted loudly, "First and second teams, follow me and prepare for battle!"
Immediately, two groups of men, about forty riders in total, appeared. Each rider was dressed in gray armor, wore an iron helmet, and carried a long spear, exuding a powerful and imposing aura!
Lü Zhong led the team and set off at full speed. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they met Zhu Zijian and Zhu Ziqiao, who led more than two hundred cavalrymen.
Lu Zhong raised his gun and shouted, "Kill!" Immediately, more than forty horsemen charged forcefully towards the Zhu Family Village's forces.
Upon seeing this, Zhu Zijian and his companion had not yet formed their battle formation when Lü Zhong's troops were already upon them.
Lu Zhong swiftly rode forward, leaping into the air with his spear in hand, fiercely defending himself against the Zhu brothers. Seeing this, Zhu Zijian and his brother also drew their swords and spears, spurring their horses into the air, and the three clashed in mid-air for the first time.
Zhang Qi led his men into battle on horseback, wielding his spear with effortless skill, unstoppable in their path. His men, also armed with spears, fought fiercely, and the forty-odd troops, despite being outnumbered by two hundred enemy cavalry, actually gained the upper hand. Each of them was highly skilled with their spears, and in a short time, more than a dozen of the Zhu Family Village's cavalrymen had fallen from their horses.
Lu Zhong and his two companions were already locked in fierce combat on the ground, each displaying their unique skills, the sounds of swords and spears clanging loudly. Lu Zhong's spear technique was extraordinary, carrying a powerful sweeping thrust in all directions. Although it was a skill among spearmen, he was unable to gain the upper hand against the combined attack of the Zhu brothers.
Zhu Zijian's sword strikes were fierce and relentless, each move ruthless and powerful. The blade landed with tremendous force and domineering might, and he used every technique he could muster, from kicking to sweeping.
Looking at Zhu Ziqiao again, his swordsmanship was swift and powerful, his sword force in no way weak, and he could easily block the force of the spear. His movements were graceful, moving back and forth, mostly avoiding the spear's attacks.
Zhang Qi led his cavalry, weaving through two hundred enemy riders. After a short battle, the Zhu Family Village's troops were already covered in casualties.
Just then, reinforcements from the Zhu Family Village arrived, with seven or eight hundred young soldiers swarming in from afar. Upon seeing this, Zhang Qi spurred his horse and shouted several times, "Retreat! Retreat!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd spurred their horses, brandished their guns, and together cleared a path, retreating in a bloody retreat.
The three of them, Lü Zhong and Zhang Qi, leaped up and down, moving back and forth, exchanging over a hundred blows, yet neither could gain the upper hand. Hearing Zhang Qi's shout, Lü Zhong unleashed a series of powerful attacks, seized the opportunity to break free, and fled on horseback.
Upon seeing this, Zhu Ziqiao quickly mounted his horse and shouted, "Chase after them!" All the horses responded and followed.
Zhu Zijian spurred his horse and shouted, "Fifth Brother! Fifth Brother, don't chase after them!"
Zhu Ziqiao, riding his horse, said, "They fled in disarray, why didn't we pursue them?"
Zhu Zijian: "You'll know when you look back!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ziqiao turned around and walked away from the crowd, creating some distance between them.
Zhu Ziqiao immediately stopped the pursuit and said, "Fifth Brother, the cavalry has already suffered heavy casualties. If we continue the chase, we will only suffer more."
Zhu Ziqiao sighed, "That's true. Then let's wait until we can march together and then send troops to catch up."
After a while, they caught up with the Yongle Gang, but the place was empty, and they hadn't even left behind a pair of worn-out shoes. Zhu Ziqiao continued the chase.
Zhu Zijian: "Fifth Brother, it's already dark. If we chase after them any further, we might encounter an ambush!"
Zhu Ziqiao pulled on the reins and laughed loudly, "Second Brother, you're overthinking it. The Yongle Gang has very few men; less than two hundred archers, less than one hundred cavalry, and fewer than fifty foot soldiers. Besides, they need to transport valuables. What ambushes can they possibly have?"
Zhu Zijian nodded and said softly, "Your analysis is correct, but in the dark, I'm afraid they might launch a surprise attack!"
Zhu Ziqiao said confidently, "Second brother, don't worry. Eighth brother instructed us that as long as we don't cross the Si River, we won't be in too much danger."
After thinking for a moment, Zhu Zijian said, "Alright then, let's chase after them carefully."
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