In the silhouette of the night, there was a brief but fierce battle. Blood splattered and corpses crashed into the grass. Under the faint starlight, the pursuers surrounded them from an unknown distance. Shouts tore through the forest and countless sounds echoed.
Two silhouettes pounced over from different directions. One of them had just made a move when his entire body was flung away. He crashed into a tree trunk twenty feet away and rolled down. When he tried to get up, a faint light outlined the silhouette of the two parties fighting in the darkness. The mace in his companion's hand spun and flew out of his field of vision, smashing into the trunk of a tree in the distance. The woman moved like lightning, smashing away the frontal attack of the burly man who was a head taller than her.
Fists, palms, claws, seizing, tearing, smashing, but her feet did not stop for a moment. The woman's steps were not big, but they were fierce and fast. She pushed out a series of steps like an iron ox plowing the ground. She took the center position and kicked the man's shins and buttocks with both hands. In the blink of an eye, the man was pushed more than ten feet away. Just as the man's back was against the trunk, she fiercely punched his Adam's apple. The trees shook under the starlight, leaves rustling and falling.
More companions chased over. When 'Nine-tattooed Dragon' Shi Jin came to outflank her, there was no trace of the woman. He shouted, "All of you, come here!" Focusing his attention on the chase, the blade of light swept across the underbrush under the tree several feet away. With two swishing sounds, a large patch of wormwood flew up into the air. One of the two Liang Shan soldiers standing by the underbrush suddenly became shorter, while the other's arm was severed at the elbow. Fresh blood danced in the air along with the countless blades of grass.
"Ah, ah —"
The cold light of the iron spear stabbed out, trying to block the woman's escape route. However, after a few exchanges, the figure rushed out of the interception, running like a cheetah. In the surrounding forest, more than ten figures surrounded her.
Knife, spear, sword, lance, rope. A figure threw out dust in the darkness, and then with a boom, a fire ignited in the forest. However, in this rising fire, a man who rushed to intercept saw the figure suddenly enlarge in front of him, and then a palm pressed against his face. The threat of death suddenly sprang up in his heart, but in the next moment, the figure was already behind him, dragging him away.
More than ten people followed and tried to attack the woman who was retreating behind their comrade. However, the woman was pulling the back of the elite soldier from Liangshan. Only a pair of eyes were exposed behind his shoulder. She kept retreating at an incredible speed. Then, the soldier screamed crazily.
Gu Jian's blade continued to retreat, sticking close to the soldier's body. His four limbs moved like agile snakes, tearing the tendons of his hands, legs, and limbs. Blood splattered behind him. In the blink of an eye, the soldier's limbs were completely covered in blood. Only then did the woman send a palm strike towards his back, sending him flying towards the crowd. He ran through the forest and disappeared in a few breaths. Even Lin Chong, Shi Jin, and the others couldn't catch up.
After chasing for a while, they hurriedly turned back. The wind blew through the forest, and everyone gathered together. Apart from cursing, what was left was a series of screams. Lu Zhishen screamed and smashed his cane on the trunk next to him. He knew that in addition to anger, there was also fear in these curses.
Ever since that day, they had inexplicably provoked that woman. That night, their camp had met with misfortune. That woman attacked in the middle of the night. There were only one or two soldiers guarding the perimeter. How could they fight against her? Caught off guard, several of them lost their lives under that woman's sword. After that, everyone knew that the situation was urgent. They ran all the way and gathered some of the brothers who were separated after the fall of Liangshan. However, the woman came and went calmly at any time and place, whether it was night or day. Under her sword, a group of Liangshan brothers were either killed or crippled. After a few days, everyone's fatigue had accumulated to the highest point.
He couldn't beat her, couldn't escape, and couldn't catch up to her. It was already very unlucky for him to have offended a Master Stage master. Moreover, once this woman made her move, she would do anything to stop him. Recalling the woman's question on the shore that day, both Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen probably regretted it. That might have been the only chance they had. Unfortunately, when they realized it, it was already too late.
"If you are really sensible people, turn around and leave today. Don't hold a grudge, and I will let you go …"
At this moment, when they saw the corpses all over the ground and the miserable state of their brothers who had been killed and crippled in the camp, they more or less understood the value of these words.
In fact, after a few days, although the woman didn't pay attention to some methods in the battle, she actually formed a fighting style that was as cold and skillful as the edge of a blade. Killing people, disabling people's hands and feet, using the injured to delay others' actions and divert others' attention. One person chased dozens of people and killed them in an orderly manner. It actually contained the strength and aura of a grandmaster that was similar to Zhou Dong's. Zhou Dong had killed in a fit of rage, and this woman's methodical slaughter actually gave off a similar feeling of oppression. At this point, there was no longer any difference in methods to speak of …
"Come out! If you have the guts, fight me one-on-one … "
When Shi Jin's angry roar sounded in the continuous forest, in the forest on a higher mountain nearby, the woman wiped her body by the stream, washed the blood off her sword, and then wiped it with a piece of cloth. Then she went to the edge of the mountain, jumped onto a tree, and found a place to sit down among the branches. She looked at the fire in the forest below, felt the anger, and sat down cross-legged to meditate.
Being so angry meant that the enemy's heart had already been filled with fear. With such fear, they were not far from death. On the other hand, she was still concerned about the 'inner demons' that these people had mentioned earlier. If that rumor were to spread, it might really bring him a lot of trouble. At that time, he might not be able to handle it with his current skills …
Thinking of this, she gradually entered a half-vigilant and half-relaxed state of rest under the faint starlight …
*****
The third day of the seventh month, the beginning of autumn. In Yunzhou, the flames of war were still spreading.
In the afternoon light, burned villages and crying people could be seen. Ning Yi stood by the road at the entrance of the village and watched the doctor bandage the wound of a child who had lost his right hand and had cried until he fainted. The convoy from Dulonggang was still moving in, rescuing things that could still be used in the village.
"Count the dead and those who are still alive. Tell Brother Zhu and the others not to go too far. Set up camp and defend. Give some candy to the children … "
The rescue was basically done step by step. In nearly ten days, Song Jiang and the others' looting pattern was basically the same. These people had killed more and more people during their escape. Without their base, the people from Dulonggang had been chasing after them all the way. The soldiers intercepted them head-on, and the anxiety in the people's hearts also accumulated.
Although Song Jiang and the others strictly enforced military discipline, that was only for internal affairs. When they looted the villages, they had already begun to kill people easily. Even women and young girls were raped. In this village, when Ning Yi and the others arrived, a woman had jumped into a well. After being rescued, she still wanted to commit suicide.
Sometimes, they would also be questioned why the soldiers could not kill all the people from Liangshan and let them run around like this. In response to these questions, people would also arrange for people to spread them.
"… Do you think they will really let you go if you don't provoke them?! Do you know what Fang La's rebellion is like in the south? Once it starts, nine out of ten houses will be empty. They will only follow them if they have nothing left! Dulonggang is the first step to their rise, just like you! If they take over Dulonggang, sooner or later, it will be you, Yunzhou, Jizhou, and Shandong. Do you know how many people we have lost? This is a debt of blood! We can only let the people from Liangshan pay … "
Compared to the government, Dulonggang did not have the obligation to help these people. Instead, it was easier for them to unite their hatred. However, although he was usually cruel and merciless and killed people without blinking, when Ning Yi saw many things in front of him, he could not help but feel compassion. This might be a feeling that was hard to get rid of as a modern person. In really chaotic times, human life was really not worth much. Sometimes, when he saw those dead or injured children, and women who were humiliated and cried for death, he also hoped that the whole thing would end faster.
However, after all, military strategy was not his forte. Over the past few days, he had been able to unify the general situation bit by bit. More than 20 stockaded villages and villages were responsible for rescuing people and arranging a way out. Then, he directed their resentment towards Liangshan. At the same time, he also put pressure on the government and the military in the opposite direction. This further influenced the intentions of many greenwood bandits and stockaded villages in Yunzhou and other places. He had already laid the best foundation for more than 3,000 people to be trapped in Liangshan.
However, public opinion and the general situation were the same thing. In the end, there was bound to be a fierce battle. Those bandits and stockaded villages would certainly feel bad about Liangshan, but at most, they would leak the news to others. They would never do anything. On the other hand, after the battle in Liangshan, the Wu Ruiying Camp sent out two teams of 5,000 people each. They knew that this battle was inevitable, but they still wanted to preserve their strength more or less. This was also because Ning Yi had done a good job in controlling the general situation.
If things continued to develop like this, Song Jiang's more than 3,000 people would have a psychological breakdown sooner or later. Because their burning and killing were all for the benefit of others, the people around them would shout at them and beat them up. Shandong, at least in Yunzhou, would probably not dissipate for more than ten years. Only when they truly realized how hard it was to escape and the futility of their efforts would they have a mental breakdown. Otherwise, even if there were more than 10,000 people fighting against the 3,000 elites of Liangshan, they would definitely suffer great resistance and losses if they had to surround and fight to the death.
For the Wu Ruiying Camp who was stationed here, most of the stockaded villages and stockaded villages were unruly and unruly. Liangshan would burn down the villages along the way, and Dulonggang would clean up the mess, so the government would not protest too much. It was a happy ending for everyone. Therefore, even if Ning Yi went over to ask for a chance to fight, He Rui and the others, who were in charge of leading the troops this time, would naturally have to wait for a while when it came to a chance to fight.
In fact, even if Ning Yi sternly requested to start the battle as soon as possible, He Rui and the others would probably be stunned for a long time. They would not understand why a smart person like him would have such an unwise idea.
On the other hand, it was one thing to sympathize with them, but Ning Yi would never allow these 3,000 people to have any chance of survival. He would break down their mental defenses outside the battlefield and kill some of them on the battlefield. Even if some of them were forced to surrender in the end as military achievements, he would definitely bring them to the capital or execute them on the charge of rebellion. Otherwise, it would really be like "if you want to be an official, you have to commit murder and arson to be conscripted".
With his recent relationship with the surrounding counties, his relationship with Qin Siyuan, his control of public opinion, and his achievements in taking down Liangshan in two months, it was not difficult to push things to this point.
Outside the main battlefield, the Wu Ruiying Camp had set up various checkpoints. The progress of the search for the Liangshan bandits in the surrounding areas had also been reported. If the bandits escaped alone, they were either caught in the surrounding areas, or sold out by other villages and Greenwood forces with the attitude of being pushed down by the public. There were also gains every day. However, there were also some reactions from the Greenwood Faction, especially the part about the "inner demons". At this time, the first signs of it could be seen.
"… I heard that in the Qilu Province and the nearby areas, there has been a lot of trouble recently. I heard that a few big shots in the Greenwood Faction, such as Yan Zhenbei of the Jinfu Escort Agency, are saying that you were too calculative in the battle of Liangshan and forced your brothers to kill each other. There is no justice in Jianghu anymore. I also heard that someone wants to kill you to get rid of a pest for the Greenwood Faction … "
The news was brought by Zhu Hu, who was in charge of communication between the two sides. Speaking of the Greenwood Faction in the Qilu Province, Dulonggang was one of them. In the past, the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family in Zengtou City could also be said to be famous in Shandong. Ning Yi was very interested in this news. He excitedly asked his men to write it down. It could be considered as a hobby to take a break from his busy schedule.
"Oh, Yan Zhenbei. This name sounds very powerful. How is his martial arts? What is his ranking in the world?"
"The world … I don't know. But since he can do the escort business in Shandong, he must have a good relationship with all parties. He must have some skills. But these years, he has been living like a prince. He definitely can't be compared with Instructor Luan. But those who have a good relationship and many disciples can't be underestimated. "
"This sounds like a weak chicken … It's okay. I'll write down the name first. If I have time, I'll call Instructor Luan and Ah Biao to smash his place …"
"That's for sure! Dulonggang has never been afraid of anyone! " The people in the village were still rescuing people. When Zhu Hu came over to talk about this, Zhu Biao also came back. He listened and patted his chest to express his stance. Then he said, "I've seen the Jinfu Escort Agency's convoy. After this matter is over, I'll smash them every time I see them!"
Zhu Hu curled his lips. "In addition, because of the Liangshan incident, some places have become very chaotic. The government can't control the Three Flowers Shop. Some people are harboring Liangshan people and fighting with the people around them. It almost turned into a fight between several small villages. Because the news of the Liangshan incident has spread, not only to Yan Zhenbei. I heard that in our Shandong Greenwood Faction, there are a few famous … villains like Chen Jinxia and Lu Wenhu. I heard that they've made some moves. They've secretly gathered people from the Greenwood Faction and their good friends. Maybe they want to get rid of Liheng. In short, Brother Ning, you have to be careful. People who live on the edge of a knife will cherish their lives after they become famous. But in order to be famous, they can do anything … "
Ning Yi nodded. Zhu Hu continued, "The others are not so bad. After this battle, the enemies of those Liangshan people have also come out. I heard that Ma Jia Village sent out more than a hundred people to catch two Liangshan leaders. I heard that there are also people chasing after the Liangshan bandits near Zengtou City. If they are caught, they will be burned to death. Among the Liangshan leaders, there are a pair of brothers named Zhu Fu and Zhu Gui. They escaped all the way to Fengping County and met a local rich family named He. They had a grudge against them, so they gathered people to kill them. In addition, that Leopard Head Lin Chong and Flowery Monk Lu Zhishen met some tough people and are also being chased … "
"Wow!" Ning Yi blinked his eyes. "Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen are very powerful. How many people are chasing after them?"
"I'm not sure, but it's said that there's only one of them. They don't know how they offended a woman, but they say that this woman is very powerful. She chased after them all the way and chopped off the hands and feet of their brothers. Oh, the one who followed them was the Nine-marked Dragon Shi Jin … These people couldn't stop her, so they could only fight and retreat. Some of their brothers were chopped off, so they couldn't do anything about it. In Zhuxi County, they could only enter the county and look for a doctor. There aren't many soldiers in Zhuxi County, so no one really dared to offend them. Then they met Lin Qi, the 'Quick Sword' of Zhuxi County. He's very famous in Zhuxi County and has many disciples. I heard that Lin Qi was also invited by Chen Jinxia, Lu Wenhu, and was about to set off. He's old friends with Liangshan, so this time he wanted to help them fight. He told that woman something like … according to the rules, they should sit down and talk. He said that many people have died and hoped that the other party would stop … "
"And then?" Zhu Biao was very interested and kept urging him.
"And then Lin Qi was killed by a sword. He took advantage of the fact that Zhuxi County is his territory. In the afternoon, he went out to buy braised pig's ears with three powerful disciples. Then he met that woman coming from the other side. After saying that, she drew her sword, and he and his three disciples all died. What did Lin Qi say? I think it was something like 'In the Lulin Forest, strength is everything. Sometimes misunderstandings are inevitable, but even if there are misunderstandings, we still have to follow the rules and not be ruthless …'. He probably wanted her to take a step back. That woman said, 'I don't like your rules.' Tsk, this story is too exaggerated. I don't think it's reliable. It might be fake … "
"Wow, did that woman have white hair?" Ning Yi was very curious and patted Zhu Hu's shoulder.
"White hair? That can't be. If it was white hair, it would have spread far and wide. Brother Ning, does Little Brother Ning know white-haired experts? "
"'White Head of Beauty' Cui Xiaolu. She's as powerful as Zhou Dong. Uh, the only one I know of is Sikong Nan. But I heard that Sikong Nan is very old and might have died. Perhaps he's a disciple he taught … Of course, I can't say that there are only a few experts in this world. That Chen Jinxia and Lu Wenhu are also very powerful …"
Ning Yi thought that if Lu Hongti were here, she would probably be just as powerful. However, it was said that the woman was a killer. In the past, the feeling that Lu Hongti gave him was that she killed people cleanly and efficiently. She didn't seem to be too violent or bloodthirsty. Of course, it couldn't be that coincidental. She had just returned and still had to rebuild Mount Lu Liang.
"Regardless, Zhuxi County is in an uproar. This is what it means to give a man a push when he's down. Once they see that they're down on their luck, those who have been wronged will take revenge. Although that woman is powerful, she probably wouldn't have been able to kill her way to Mount Liangshan. This time, she's finally found a chance. Hehe, Lin Chong and his gang are really unlucky to have provoked such an enemy. Do you think they accidentally killed her Husband in the past … Hahahaha, retribution … "
"That's right, that's right. It's already very tragic to provoke Brother Ning …"
"Haha, the news has spread far and wide. It's inevitable that there will be misunderstandings. This is too exaggerated …"
Next to the carriage, the three of them chatted about the affairs of the pugilistic world and laughed heartlessly.
At the same time, on a foothill not too far away, in a tent, Wu Yong was trembling all over as he listened to the news reported by a spy …
Over the next few days, the military situation in Mount Liangshan suddenly changed.
At the same time, the uproar caused by the defeat of Mount Liangshan continued to spread. During this period, the figure of a woman was gradually becoming more and more obvious. After a few more days, the uproar became even bigger. When Ning Yi received firsthand information, he was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.
Starting from the 25th of June, the sword-wielding woman in red chased after Lin Chong and his gang. She killed dozens of people in succession, including Fan Rui, Xiang Tong, and Shi En. On the 1st of July, she killed 'Quick Sword' Lin Qi in Zhuxi County, causing an uproar in Zhuxi County. A group of disciples joined in to seek revenge. On the 3rd of July, 'Sickly Officer Chi' Sun Li met up with Lin Chong and his gang. They fought the woman in red and forced her to retreat. On the 4th of July, Chu Feng, the 'Six Directional Fists', who was on good terms with Lin Qi, met up with the others. That night, 'Double-Headed Snake' Jie Zhen was beheaded in the process of encircling the woman.
On the 5th of July, while fleeing, 'Iron Beggar' Le He was left alone and killed by a sword through his heart.
On the night of the 6th of July, the two sides fought fiercely and several of Lin Qi's disciples were killed.
On the 7th of July, 'Double-tailed Scorpion' Jie Bao suffered internal injuries in battle and Lu Zhishen died. On the morning of the 8th of July, Jie Bao vomited blood and died. On the 8th of July, Lu Wenhu and Chen Jinxia arrived and chased after the woman with the others.
The most shocking thing was that the woman finally left behind words on the 7th of July, revealing her identity.
"… If I'm weak in martial arts, you ignore me when I try to reason with you. If I'm strong in martial arts, you talk to me about rules. Then why should I pay attention to you? Since you want to say that I bullied you, I, Bloody-Handed Butcher Ning Liheng, is my disciple. Now, I, Lu Hongti, am here to collect the debt on his behalf. This debt … should be paid! Pay what should be paid! "
It was said that not long after she said that, the two sides fought fiercely. After escaping, the woman returned and fought with Lu Zhishen, who was left alone. She cut off his palm with one sword and shattered his skull with another. By the time Lin Chong and the others arrived, the woman was already far away.
It was because Ning Yi was involved that the news was sent to him. When he received it, it was early morning on the tenth day of the New Year. The sun was rising from the foothills in the east. Ning Yi sat by the window of the carriage and thought for a while. He could almost see the expression of the woman who claimed to be his master when she spoke. Only then did he laugh, not knowing what to say. The troops beside the carriage broke camp and set off. There were only three days left before the final battle with Liangshan. Everything was closing in …
*****
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