Battle cries filled the air on the canal as boats collided with each other.
The Uto surrounded the Jiyang soldiers like vicious wolves. They outnumbered them, and the archers on the boats were ready. Arrows flew like shooting stars and pierced the boats of the Jiyang soldiers into sieves in the blink of an eye. They could no longer sail. Although the Jiyang soldiers who fell into the water could swim, they could not exert their strength in the water. The Uto had also prepared many pitchforks, which looked like the tools fishermen used to spear fish. However, the tips were forged and sharp. They stabbed the Jiyang soldiers who had fallen into the water.
The water of the canal was quickly dyed red with blood.
A young Jiyang soldier dodged the sharp arrows shot from the Uto's boat and jumped into the water. Dozens of Uto laughed and stabbed him with the pitchforks in their hands. The Wutuo people were strong to begin with, and the young man was only sixteen or seventeen years old. He couldn't dodge in time and was stabbed in the arm. Immediately after, the pitchforks stabbed at him from all directions, piercing through his body.
The pitchforks were quickly retrieved, leaving a bloody hole in his chest. He struggled for a while and sank. Only blood was left on the surface of the water, proving that he had been alive.
The deputy soldier looked back and shouted at the young man in the middle of the chaotic battle, "Commander, we can't do it. They have too many people!"
There were too many people.
Two fists were no match for four hands. They were outnumbered. This was not Guo City in the past. The only way to win by surprise was to attack with fire, but they still lacked an east wind.
"No, we can't." Xiao Jue held a long sword in his hand. His gaze was as sharp as a blade. He said coldly, "Fight!"
Since he was the leader, he had been entangled in a chaotic battle. Maka was not a brainless person. Although he was arrogant, he had heard of Xiao Jue's name. Previously, he had used the Western Qiang people as bait to ambush the Liangzhou Guards. However, Xiao Jue's sudden return had disrupted the plan. Maka clearly remembered that the leader of the Western Qiang, Rida Muzi, was extremely strong and fierce. However, he had died at the hands of Xiao Jue.
Maka wanted to win. He wanted to take down Jiyang City and claim credit from the Monarch, but he did not want to lose his life for nothing. As he pushed back, he shouted to the Utaobin beside him, "His Majesty said that whoever takes Xiao Huaijin's head will be the greatest contributor to this battle and will be conferred a noble title!"
"Warriors, kill him!"
The motivation of military exploits was always useful at times like this. When the Utuo soldiers heard this, their blood boiled, and they immediately swarmed in front of Xiao Jue.
This was the scene that He Yan saw when he approached with his boat.
The young commander-in-chief's cloak left a dark mark on the surface of the water. His long sword was as cold as ice, which made his handsome face look like a Rakshasa. He could take someone's life with a snap of his fingers. Wave after wave of people surged forward. Corpses had already piled up around him, but there was no sign of fatigue on the young man's face. He was as valiant as ever.
"We can't go on like this." He Yan frowned. There were too many Uto. One Xiao Jue could fight against ten, or even a hundred, but what about a thousand Uto? What about ten thousand? What about a hundred thousand? Of course, he could fight his way out of the encirclement alone, but as long as the Uto didn't come ashore, he would always have to stand in front of the civilians. The remaining Jiyang City soldiers weren't enough to form a tacit understanding with him and cooperate seamlessly with him.
Chi Wu and Fei Nu had both been arranged by Xiao Jue to Cui Yuezhi's side. He could only fight by himself.
He Yan thought for a moment, then said to the other people on the boat, "Do as I said. Row the boat to the position I drew and wait for orders. Don't go too far. Mu Yi, "she said to Mu Yi," Take this boat and follow me. "
After saying this, she put on Mu Hongjin's robe that Chu Zhao had given her.
"You …" Mu Yi was stunned.
"I disguised myself as Her Highness the Princess to draw some people away," He Yan replied. "Otherwise, the Commander-In-Chief won't be able to hold on for so long. We have to disperse the Uto's forces in order to delay them for a longer time."
"Even if you disguised yourself as Her Highness," Mu Yi couldn't help but say, "How do you know that they will definitely chase after us?"
"You have to know," He Yan shook his head, "Destroy their strength, seize their crown, and disintegrate their bodies. When a dragon fights in the wild, its path is exhausted. "
Moreover, the Uto would think that compared to capturing Xiao Huaijin, they would be more confident in capturing Mu Hongjin, a woman who didn't know any martial arts.
She raised her head and looked into the distance. It was already noon, and the sun was high in the sky. It was already slightly hot, and there wasn't even a hint of wind.
There was still no wind.
He Yan ordered the other boats to row further away. He and Mu Yi boarded the small boat alone and rowed in the direction of Xiao Jue. However, they didn't row too close. They only stopped at a place where the Uto soldiers around Xiao Jue could see. They were a little anxious, as if they were lost.
"Where did that boat come from?" Maka saw a small boat in the distance, on the other side of the soldiers' boat led by Xiao Jue. This small boat looked exactly the same as the other boats of Jiyang City's soldiers. There was a banner on it, but it was indescribably strange.
This boat didn't get close to where they were fighting. Instead, it seemed like it wanted to escape. Deserter?
Maka vaguely felt that something was strange. He ordered people to row the small boat to check it out. The small boat only rowed a little when the scout came back and reported, "General, the person sitting on the boat seems to be Princess Mengji. She should want to abandon the city and escape!"
Maka's spirit rose, "Princess Mengji? Did you see it clearly? "
"This subordinate saw a woman wearing princess robes and a person dressed as a guard. I don't know if it's true."
Maka thought for a moment, then said, "Princess Mengji hasn't shown her face until now. She said she was in the prince's mansion to stabilize the soldiers' morale. I think it's very likely that she's planning to escape. That's right, she's just a woman. Without someone to rely on, she's probably already scared out of her wits. "
He laughed sinisterly, "If that's the case, capture her!"
"But …" His trusted aide beside him said, "General, our boats are fighting with Xiao Huaijin. We can't capture Mu Hongjin."
After all, Uto Kingdom wasn't a water city. The Uto soldiers weren't as proficient in water as Jiyang City's soldiers. Moreover, they had come by water. The mountains were long and the water was wide, so they used iron hooks to connect the thousands of boats. At this moment, it was impossible to untie the boats. If they chased after Mu Hongjin, they would have to give up on the battle with Xiao Jue.
"Idiot!" Maka cursed. "To catch bandits, first catch the ringleader. So what if she's Xiao Huaijin? Xiao Huaijin isn't the master of Jiyang City. If we capture Mu Hongjin, the Jiyang City army will definitely fall into chaos. At that time, we'll win without a fight. "
There was one more thing he didn't say. Compared to Xiao Huaijin, Mu Hongjin was a woman. She was much easier to capture.
"Once we capture Mu Hongjin, this general will use her to knock on the gates of Jiyang City. Xiao Huaijin must obediently surrender. Otherwise, I'll kill this woman in front of the Jiyang City army." Maka's smile contained cruel malice. "What do you think Xiao Huaijin will do?"
With Xiao Jue's reputation as a cold-blooded and heartless Jade-Faced Commander-In-Chief, he wouldn't even care about his biological father. What was Mu Hongjin to him? He naturally wouldn't surrender. Furthermore, Mu Hongjin was going to die anyway. If she died because Xiao Jue refused to lay down his weapon, the Jiyang City army would naturally resent him.
At that time, there would be internal strife, and the morale of the army would be in chaos. Jiyang City would be nothing more than a sheet of loose sand. It would only be a matter of time before it collapsed.
"Turn the ship around and follow me!" Maka smiled.
The Uto soldiers beside him didn't continue to surge forward wave after wave. The ship at the front turned around and sailed in another direction. The Jiyang City army stopped what they were doing and asked, "What's going on?"
"Why did they suddenly stop fighting?"
Even though the Jiyang City army had been trained by Xiao Jue for a few days, they hadn't been trained for many years. Their formations were also old-fashioned. Xiao Jue had only brought fifteen thousand men with him. At this moment, nearly half of them had been lost.
If the Uto pursued them, the situation would be even worse for the Jiyang City army.
However, at this critical juncture, they retreated.
Xiao Jue looked in the direction where the Uto ships had left. On the vast river, there was a small boat with a banner. There was a red dot on the boat, which was like a bright signal on the river, attracting people to chase after it.
"That's … the Princess?" The soldier beside him muttered.
"No, it's He Yan." Xiao Jue's eyes darkened. After a moment, he said, "Follow them."
"They're catching up!" Mu Yi said nervously.
"Don't worry," He Yan said. "We only have two people on the boat. They're going after us, not the boat. You're a good swimmer. Later, hide in the water and don't show your face. "
"What about you?" Mu Yi looked at her blankly.
"I'll give them a big gift." He Yan smiled faintly.
She took out an iron ball from her bosom. This iron ball had barbs on all sides and was extremely sharp. It looked like the giant claws of a wild beast. She pulled out a long whip from her waist. There was a buckle on the iron ball, and she fastened it to the long whip.
"This …"
He Yan suddenly made her move. She threw the long whip in her hand at the reef. The iron ball sank into the reef, but it did not shatter. She quickly retracted her hand. On the reef, there were five empty holes. It was a frightening sight.
If this thing was aimed at a person's heart, it could dig out a large piece of the person's chest. Mu Yi could not help but shiver. He knew that He Yan was not an ordinary girl. Her strength was astonishing. But seeing it with his own eyes, he was more and more shocked.
"Miss He, you want to use this to fight?"
This weapon was fierce, but it was not as agile as swords. She could only swing it once. Each whip could only kill one person. Before she could swing it a second time, the enemy would pounce on her. Moreover, what if the whip was cut in half?
"No," He Yan shook her head. "I'm going against the boat."
Mu Yi wanted to ask more questions, but He Yan pushed him. "Quickly get into the water!"
He subconsciously jumped into the water and hid behind the reef. He clenched the dagger in his hand. It was difficult to swing swords in the water. Only the dagger was agile. But it was not as agile as on land.
The Utuo military ship was taller and flatter than the small boat in Jiyang City. From afar, He Yan looked like a lamb forced into a strange path by a giant beast.
"Your Highness," Maka stood at the bow of the ship and shouted. "Surrender. If you know what's good for you, maybe I will spare your life! "
He was determined to get Mu Hongjin. There was no one else on the small boat. Even the only guard was gone. Did the guard see that the situation was not good and left Mu Hongjin alone and ran away?
Tsk, the people of Da Wei are always so weak!
The red-robed woman stood at the bow of the ship with her head lowered. She did not say anything. The distance between the two boats was getting closer and closer. Just as Maka was about to order people to capture her, the woman suddenly raised her head and jumped from the boat.
The small boat was not as tall as the big boat. She did not want to jump onto the Utuo military ship. Instead, she jumped onto the hull of the ship. Her feet stepped on the hull of the Utuo ship and swept past like lightning.
"Peng, peng, peng, peng, peng —"
Her speed was extremely fast. With every step, the whip in her hand would hit the hull of the ship.
The iron ball hit the hull of the ship and was quickly taken away by the whip. Only five empty claw marks were left. Water poured in.
"What's that sound?"
"What is she doing? Capture her! "
"Quickly release the arrows! Quickly release the arrows! "
The arrows were like black rain falling from all directions. The woman easily dodged them as if she was walking on flat ground. As she moved, her robe fell with the wind, revealing the black armor underneath. She landed in the wind and stepped onto her own ship. Standing at the bow of the ship, she looked at the ship that was gradually tilting due to the water. Her lips curled into a mocking smile.
"I am illiterate. I don't know how to read. I don't know the words' surrender '." Her gaze landed on the flustered and exasperated Maka's face. Her words were as arrogant as usual. "If you know what's good for you, kneel down and kowtow to me. Perhaps I will spare your life."
Maka was stunned. After a while, he said angrily, "You are not Mu Hongjin?"
"How can a piece of trash like you trouble Her Highness to take action?" He Yan said with a smile, "Her Highness should stay in the mansion. I can fight three people like you alone."
Maka pulled out the long blade at his waist. "I think you are courting death!"
But as soon as he finished speaking, the boat beneath him sank. Just now, He Yan's whip had smashed the bottom of the ship one by one, creating a row of holes. At this moment, the water was pouring in and the ship was already unstable. The Utopian soldiers swayed left and right with the ship.
The ship was gradually sinking.
"Quickly go to the ship on the side!"
In the chaos, someone said, "No, the ships are all connected. We have to cut the iron hooks!"
For the sake of convenience, the ships were all connected head to tail. Now, it was a trap that they had dug for themselves. A large ship tilted and sank, dragging all the other ships with it. They could neither advance nor retreat.
"Cut the iron hooks! Quickly! "
The iron hooks were heavy and sturdy, not something that could be cut in one or two moves. The Utopian soldiers covered Maka and went to another ship. The rest of the people were carried by the sinking ship, frantically trying to cut the hooks.
"Hua La", the iron hook was cut off and fell into the water, bringing the boat full of holes with it as it slowly sank. Some of the Utopian soldiers who did not have time to escape also fell into the water. Not everyone could swim. For a moment, the water was filled with cries and screams. It was very chaotic.
Maka was furious. He looked up at the culprit, but saw that the girl had already taken advantage of the chaos to row the ship far away.
"Chase after her!" Maka shouted. "Catch her, I want to skin her!"
Being played by a girl in front of everyone was a great humiliation. How could he be willing to accept it!
He Yan rowed the ship across the water and reached out to Muyi hiding behind the reef. He pulled him up. "Quickly come up!"
Muyi jumped onto the ship. He knew that there was no time to waste, so he immediately began to row. But when he glanced at He Yan, he was shocked.
He knew that He Yan was very strong, but with just her strength, she had overturned a ship, and it was not even a small ship. It was really shocking. Just now, He Yan had stepped on the ship's side and swung the whip smoothly. Those Uto did not even have time to react before they fell into her trap. In Muyi's heart, besides admiration, there was also a faint excitement. He said to He Yan, "Miss He, can we do what you did just now and overturn all their ships?"
"Impossible." He Yan replied quickly. "Now that we are in such a critical situation, how can we directly use the Iron Tiger Claw?"
"Then why don't you … do more?" As soon as he said that, Muyi also felt that he had gone too far.
He Yan did not get angry. She only explained patiently, "It's useless to do more. They don't have as much strength as I do. Even if they do have great strength, they may not be able to accurately hit their ships."
Her skills had been honed through a long period of military campaigns in the past. Although the weapon was important, the person using the weapon was more important.
"Moreover, this method can only be used once. The Uto are already prepared. I'm afraid that they have already prepared archers on the ship. Before we even get close, they will shoot. That whip just now was just to delay a little. The longer we delay, the greater our chances of winning. "
"If we keep delaying, will the wind really come?" Muyi looked at the sky. Such a clear sky, but it filled his heart with haze. It was difficult for him to have any confidence.
"If Master says there will be wind, there will definitely be wind." He Yan's gaze was firm. "If there is no wind, we will become the east wind. In short, don't stop fighting." She said, "Steer the ship in the direction of the ambush."
On the other side, the Jiyang City soldiers who were chasing after the Uto soldiers also saw the scene just now. Everyone was stunned. He Yan's skill of smashing the ship with the whip was difficult to forget.
"Miss He … is so powerful," someone murmured.
It was not flattery, but even the most powerful person in the Jiyang City army would not be able to do so. Strength and skill were secondary. What was more important was that she had to escape unscathed from so many Uto soldiers. She had to grasp every moment with great precision. The Uto's arrows were like rain. They were so dense, but they did not waver in the slightest.
The ship was smashed, causing the Uto to frantically cut the iron rings. Some Uto who did not know how to swim were also drowned. The Jiyang City soldiers, who had been suppressed before, felt slightly relieved. At this moment, they only felt happy.
Xiao Jue lowered her eyes and whispered, "I actually thought of something." She turned and ordered the deputy, "Take out the box."
Before they boarded the ship, Xiao Jue had ordered people to carry the box. It was very heavy. One person opened the box and saw that it was full of things like the end of the whip in He Yan's hand, which looked like a tiger's claw. However, there was no whip. It was a sharp weapon that could be worn around the wrist.
"The twenty elite soldiers who knew how to swim, step forward," Xiao Jue said.
The twenty elite soldiers who had been informed of the order in advance immediately stepped forward.
Xiao Jue looked at them and said in a calm and indifferent voice, "Take the iron claws and enter the water."
In the distance, the large ship was chasing after He Yan's small boat with all its might. There were only two people paddling the small boat. How could it compare to the large ship? He Yan would be caught up very quickly.
Twenty thousand against a hundred and fifty thousand was a very difficult matter. He also knew that this battle was difficult to win. Moreover, the heavens might not be perfect. He had to be fully prepared for everything. This box of iron claws was his secret weapon. However, he didn't expect that she had the same idea as He Yan. However, she was in the light, while he was in the dark.
"Smash the ship," he said.
The sound of the zither and the sound of fighting on the river in the distance formed a sharp contrast. The spring sun and the battlefield were two completely unrelated things.
The sunlight shone on the man in white, making his clothes even cleaner. At a glance, it seemed that he was still the young man in white.
A drop of blood dripped onto the zither in front of him. The zither string seemed to move and made a very soft sound. The seemingly clear zither sound also became sad because of this.
Roars and shouts came from the depths of the dense forest. There were more and more Uto, crushing and trampling the flowers on the roadside. However, they couldn't continue moving forward, as if they were imperceptibly hindered. The seemingly peaceful and happy spring scenery had become a killing weapon, and there were ambushes everywhere.
More and more blood dripped from Liu Buwang's lips, and the sound of the zither became more and more urgent.
There were too many people. His formation couldn't stop too many people. It was already very difficult for him to do this. The old injury from his early days in seclusion on the mountain started to ache again. Liu Buwang knew very well that he couldn't hold on for long.
However, he still had to stop them here. The longer he stopped them here, the longer Cui Yuezhi's side could hold on. The more Uto he killed here, the more time Cui Yuezhi's people could have. The people in Jiyang City would be safer … and so would she.
The peach blossom smiled sweetly out of the fence. It was the most affectionate of all.
In his life, there was only one peach blossom that seemed to have bloomed. He couldn't see this peach blossom bloom to the end. It was good to take care of it a little longer.
With a clang, the zither string in his hand seemed to be unable to bear it and suddenly broke. The zither sound stopped abruptly, and Liu Buwang spat out a mouthful of blood. The blood fell on the surface of the zither in front of him, and some splashed into the grass on the ground.
It was like the peach blossoms in March, pretty and affectionate.
Without the zither sound, the footsteps in the depths of the dense forest quickened and were right in front of him. Since the formation had been broken, he slowly stood up.
"Who is that?"
"Who is it!"
"Why is there only one person? Is there an ambush? "
After breaking the formation, the Uto broke in. However, because of the ambush in the forest just now, he was afraid. Seeing that Liu Buwang was alone in front, he was afraid that there would still be an ambush around, so no one dared to come forward for a while.
The two sides were in a stalemate for a moment. In the end, the Uto was bolder because he had more people. After a while, he laughed and said, "It's just one person. Even if there is an ambush, there aren't many soldiers left in Jiyang City. We'll kill as many ambushes as there are! What are you afraid of? "
The man in white in front of him didn't move at all. His clothes were neat and tidy, like an immortal. In the past, his black hair was tied up with white silk, and he looked otherworldly and cold. Now, his hair was gradually turning gray, but his back view, which was as reassuring as a tree, had never changed.
He would always protect the people he wanted to protect.
A gentle breeze blew past, causing his hair tie to sway slightly, causing his robes to sway gently, and causing ripples to appear in the man's watery eyes. He was stunned at first, and then a smile slowly appeared on his lips.
The chance of survival in this death game had come.
The hope of Jiyang City had come.
The wind had come.
Liu Buwang slowly pulled out the long sword at his waist.
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