The scattered crowd rushed over like a tide and spread out in all directions in the night. Lou Shuwan sat on her horse and gripped the reins tightly. She looked at the flames and explosions in the valley from afar. The man named Qiu Guyan was standing guard beside her with a few guards, blocking the mountain bandits who were fleeing in this direction.
"What's going on … gunpowder …"
Lou Shuwan mumbled to herself as her horse turned restlessly in a small circle. She could now remember a rumor in Hangzhou that Ning Yi had used gunpowder to kill a few of Fang La's fierce generals. Looking from the opposite slope, the opening in the valley had already turned into an uncontrollable chaos. People were fleeing in all directions. Blood and corpses were splattered on the ground or flying in the air. The startled warhorses fled in all directions, abandoning their riders. Some crashed into the running crowd. Some riders could not even get their legs out of the stirrups in time and were dragged around by one of their legs. Due to the darkness of the night, every time the light from the explosions lit up, the people in the distance could clearly see the chaos that seemed to have frozen in an instant. The people at the back almost immediately collapsed from fright.
Lou Shuwan had never seen gunpowder with such power before, but she had experienced many things. After calming down, she could understand what had caused this effect. In a moment of panic, she grabbed the clothes on Qiu Guyan's shoulder and pointed at the scattered mountain bandits, saying, "Gather these people, gather these people. Is it possible!"
Qiu Guyan stood beside her and only shook his head, "It's impossible."
"They scattered too quickly …" Lou Shuwan clenched her teeth and tried hard to calm down her thoughts. She was naturally shocked by Ning Yi's backup plan and handling of the situation. If she were to look at it from the back, the other party's turnaround was really simple and direct. It was as if he had done it with ease. However, the more shocked and stunned she was, the more she had to quickly gather her thoughts. For someone with no battlefield experience like her, she only felt that they had scattered too quickly. Even if these Lu Liang people really thought that the other party had used witchcraft, they shouldn't have scattered like this. While he was thinking about this, Yu Yulin was leading Tian Shi and a group of scattered soldiers in his direction.
The bandits of Lu Liang Mountain had chosen to escape immediately, but Yu Yulin had also run so fast, which was enough to prove that he had also made the decision to escape almost immediately. Lou Shuwan gritted her teeth in hatred. She could not understand the other's thoughts at all. Even without Lu Liang's men, the 300 elites on his side were more than enough to fight against the enemy. Just now, his men had charged to the frontline, but now they actually retreated? Seeing that Yu Yulin was running up the hill, Lou Shuwan rode her horse closer to him.
"General Yu, General Yu, why don't you try fighting …"
"I can't fight anymore." Yu Yulin glanced back and answered casually without much hesitation or shame. "More than half of Qiu Mengtang's men were injured or killed. If it weren't for the fact that they were already in a mess and couldn't react in time, they would have collapsed long ago. Those people over there … this move is too good. I don't know what it is, but it's shockingly powerful. Charging at the very front of the col is a group of horses, and the horses are all frightened … Qiu Mengtang's men are scattered like this, so it's impossible for us to continue charging. This time, we've been led by them … "
Yu Yulin's judgment sounded calm and accurate. It was very difficult to figure out his true feelings. However, the Wu Dynasty's warhorses were rare items. In this charge, 50 of the cavalry at the very front were Yu Yulin's subordinates. Even though the horses they rode might not be good, one could imagine how heartbroken he was. When he was attacked and saw the situation clearly, he immediately gathered his subordinates and fled. Now, he was probably feeling heart-wrenching regret.
At this time, the scene of people fleeing was everywhere on the mountain. Some people were shouting sorcery, some were shouting to run, and some only now remembered how many of their brothers had died in the battle just now. They ran over the corpses in the path. Although the soldiers led by Yu Yulin and the others had gathered 170 to 170, they were still in order, but they didn't dare to stay for long. Looking back, there was another loud explosion at the mouth of the col. The other side's experts were killing their way out and harvesting the fleeing bandits. It seemed like the little rattling horse was also frantically running for its life.
Lou Shuwan pulled on the reins and forcefully controlled the horse that was running in circles. She looked in that direction and clenched her teeth. She felt the tears in her eyes about to fall again. Through gritted teeth, she said, "Ning Liheng … Ning Liheng …" She turned and followed the group. Tian Shi followed from the side. "What Ning Liheng …"
Yu Yulin knew this was probably the name of the enemy over there. He also looked back. After running for a while, he suddenly reacted. "Ning Liheng … Inner Demon? Is it the inner demon Ning Yi? "
Lou Shuwan didn't want to hear this name at all. She glanced at him, clenched her teeth, and ran even faster with tears in her eyes. Yu Yulin opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. People at this level in the pugilistic world … Iron Arm Zhou Dong, Demonic Sect Sikong Nan, the former Sacred Duke Fang La, Cloud Dragon Nine Appearances Fang Qi Buddha, the current Great Radiant Sect Leader Lin Zongwu, Mental Demon Ning Yi … Usually, when he thought about them, they did not seem like much. But now … they seemed to have become very important.
How did you get involved with him? You should've told me earlier …
*****
The running in the mountains lasted for a long time. The sounds of fighting behind them had already stopped. When they regained their senses, the valley in front of them was still filled with spots of light from the torches. Yu Yulin gathered all the soldiers he could. After counting, there were about two hundred and thirty of them. Perhaps there were some bandits who had escaped to who knew where, and they would only be able to regroup at dawn. However, they had charged too quickly, and dozens of casualties were unavoidable, especially for the cavalry at the front. It was such a pity.
Little Snapping Horse Qiu Mengtang had also escaped and rushed here. He gathered two to three hundred people. Just as Yu Yulin had said, they had suffered too many casualties and should have collapsed long ago. It was because the order was too chaotic. When night fell, the fanatical mountain bandits couldn't react in time. That was why they were able to organize an attack. Qiu Mengtang might have realized this at that time. That was why he wanted to win at all costs. However, after the terrifying explosion, everything was for naught.
In a mountain stronghold like Lu Liang, order was not considered good. Now that things had escalated to such a state, even if there were still some people in the stronghold, they were basically doomed. After the two parties reunited, they took a short break in this valley to deal with the injured. There were also people who were still searching for the nearby corpses. As a result, the valley was filled with spots of light from the torches. It made the scene look somewhat dreamy.
"… Rumor has it in Jianghu that Ning Yi is the best at attacking people's minds. His plan isn't too extraordinary. He's just relying on a group of subordinates and using that magical item in the end … He's now a strong person who can stand shoulder to shoulder with people like Zhou Dong and Lin Zongwu in Jianghu. I was too impulsive not to ask about it in advance. But Miss Lou, how did you end up in conflict with him … "
Although they were dispirited, after meeting up, Yu Yulin, Tian Shi, and the others reflected on each other's actions. It could be considered as searching for the reason for their failure. Although he didn't really understand the inner demons, for example, if a group of people went to besiege Sikong Nan and Lin Zongwu, it wouldn't be hard to understand why the other party had a large number of elite subordinates with him. However, there was more or less a hidden meaning in their words. They were a little dissatisfied that Lou Shuwan didn't reveal the other party's background despite her usual meticulous planning.
What they didn't know was that in Lou Shuwan's heart, no matter how powerful and ruthless Ning Yi was, he couldn't be as powerful as Sikong Nan — but she didn't know Sikong Nan — or as ambitious as Fang La. At first, she was confused. Then, she became a little afraid. When the absurd scene really happened and she regained her composure, the situation was already irreversible.
Now that things had come to this, Lou Shuwan had nothing more to say. Yu Yulin, Tian Shi, and the others looked at the situation around them. Then, Yu Yulin went to look for Qiu Mengtang.
The little horse was slightly affected by the explosion. Its hair was a mess, and half of its face was almost blackened by the smoke. However, its injuries weren't serious. At this moment, it pulled back its hair. In its eyes, there was a mixture of ruthlessness, madness, and calmness. After this incident, it wouldn't be easy for him to maintain his authority. He might have to kill a lot of people. Yu Yulin and the others still needed to rely on him for this trip into the mountains. He said a lot of good things to him. When he walked to the side, he said, "Don't worry, Fort Master Qiu. We also know about the situation in Mount Lu Liang. It's just business with Green Wood. The person Tiger King really trusts is Fort Master Qiu. "This time, Fort Master Qiu has helped us. When we return, we will naturally thank you. Also, if Fort Master Qiu needs anything, please don't hesitate to ask."
Qiu Mengtang's expression was cold. He nodded to express his gratitude. At this moment, there were bandits in twos and threes on the grassy slope, identifying the corpses on the ground. After speaking to Yu Yulin, Qiu Mengtang turned and walked up. Yu Yulin turned and walked down the slope. At the same time, in the direction Qiu Mengtang was facing, a figure appeared among the corpses.
Yu Yulin seemed to have sensed something. A chill suddenly flashed across the back of his head, and goosebumps appeared all over his body. However, he only confirmed it in the next moment.
Behind him, Qiu Mengtang brandished his dual sabers and flicked them in the air, creating a violent wind-breaking sound. At this moment, Yu Yulin was still holding his spear in his hand. He suddenly turned around and saw what was happening behind him.
At that moment, there were three companions beside Qiu Mengtang. They were all trusted experts in the stronghold. When the black figure rushed over, they also subconsciously went up to meet it. One of them was hit in the back of his head, and his body was already flying in the air, crashing into a tree on the grassy slope. Lines of blood bloomed in the darkness, accompanied by the sound of bones breaking and flesh shredding. The two sabers of the small horse slashed wildly, as though it was chopping up a pile of meat paste. In the darkness, the figures of both sides were almost frantically fighting. Yu Yulin could barely see the black figure's attack clearly. However, he almost subconsciously knew that the other party's weapon was moving back and forth, slashing and stabbing. It could have possibly broken through the defenses of the three of them at the same time.
The tip of his spear had already pierced forward.
As a general under Tian Hu, his martial arts skills were considered top-notch in the martial arts world. The piercing of his spear whistled through the air. In the darkness, the other party seemed to glance over and thrust out his weapon. Yu Yulin's body moved with his spear. In theory, an inch longer was an inch stronger. He was using a spear, and the other party was using a short weapon. He had a great advantage, but at that moment, he only felt that in front of him was a quagmire of death. The further he went, the colder he felt.
With a cry, he withdrew his spear and retreated. Qiu Mengtang's saber slashed through the night sky.
The people in the valley looked over. For them, what they saw was only the scene after the explosion. Facing an approaching assassin, Qiu Mengtang's two sabers were like the wind. "Ah — —" With a roar, of the three experts beside him, one of them was directly sent flying, crashing into the trunk of a large tree on the hillside. Two of them and Qiu Mengtang's bodies were cut open with blood. Yu Yulin stabbed out with his spear, and the next moment, he staggered down the hillside for more than a dozen steps before stopping. Qiu Mengtang's two sabers flew backward in the air, and the other spun two meters away, chopping down on the forehead of a bandit.
With a "pu" sound, the small horse's body staggered back. The head on its neck flew into the air and rolled to the ground, blood gushing out like a fountain.
The assassin's figure was still moving forward. After taking two steps, the weapon in his hand swung three times in the air, seemingly wiping away the blood stains, and put it away in his cloak.
Behind him, the body of the expert who was sent flying hit the trunk of a tree and fell down with a "pa" sound.
The night wind blew, rolling up the black cloak. At that moment, the people nearby all subconsciously retreated. Even if no one had clearly said it, from the intimidating exchange of blows just now, Yu Yulin had already guessed the identity of the terrifying black shadow above him.
Mount Lu Liang.
Blood Buddha.
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