There were dozens of jujube trees in front of them. There was a road in the middle, and across the bridge was Gaolaozhuang. The leaves were bare, and the strangely shaped jujube trees looked a little strange in the night.
Yang Hu was familiar with the path. He waved his hand and ran forward. When he was only about 200 feet away from the jujube trees, a string of sparks suddenly ignited in the forest in front of him. He could see it clearly in the darkness. Yang Hu was shocked at the sight, and in the blink of an eye, a fireball exploded in the air.
The sparks were beautiful, but the sound of the explosion was very small. The fireworks flickered and then extinguished. Many figures suddenly appeared in the forest in front of them. It was hard to tell how many people there were, but under the faint moonlight, sharp blades reflected the cold glint of scales, and the silence was full of murderous intent.
Ma Er, who was following closely behind Yang Hu, cried out, "Brother Hu, Eagle Claw Sun is prepared. Let's fight together."
Yang Hu was also quite surprised. From the looks of it, the soldiers had been lying in ambush here for a long time. How did the news leak out?
Since Yang Ling was prepared, it seemed that there was no chance to touch him tonight. Yang Hu was secretly annoyed, but he was not afraid. He had already experienced the incompetence of the soldiers. Ordinary bandits would not dare to provoke them without several times the number of soldiers. Moreover, in order to assassinate Emperor Zhengde, he had brought his most capable subordinates into the capital.
Yang Hu was not afraid. He looked forward coldly and saw that there were about 200 people suddenly appearing in the forest. The number was about the same. He was even calmer, and immediately shouted to his subordinates, "Brothers, don't panic. There are not many soldiers. Retreat immediately."
At this moment, one of the bandits on the left and right cried out, "Brother Hu, there are people here too. Damn it, we're trapped."
Yang Hu looked left and right in shock. Under the slanting moonlight, he saw countless soldiers suddenly appearing on the open ground to his left and right. These people did not say a word, but silently approached. An invisible pressure and murderous intent was frightening.
Seeing this, Yang Hu's heart tightened. In the distance, Tian Laosi called out, "There are people behind us too. Brother Hu, let's charge out."
Yang Hu stomped his foot, clenched his teeth, and said, "Brothers, let's charge out. Once we get there and get our horses, we'll split up and leave the capital!"
By this time the soldiers who had suddenly appeared were only about two hundred zhang away. Indistinctly they heard someone shout, "Shoot!"
Along with the wind came a loud noise, followed by miserable cries. Several dozen bandits were shot by arrows and fell to the ground. The crowd was thrown into confusion. The foreigners under Yang Ling's command were all from the army. In military battles, bows and crossbows were the priority. They only wanted to kill as many people as possible. Who would want to compete with him in martial arts?
In the army, there were crossbows that could kill people within a thousand steps, while bows and arrows could kill people within three hundred steps. Yang Ling's Shenji Battalion mainly used firearms. Other than Yang Ling's five hundred personal guards, most of them were not good at crossbows.
If a large number of firearms were used to fight in the suburbs of the capital, the noise would frighten the common people. Secondly, if it was heard by the palace, it could easily arouse the fear of the imperial court. Therefore, Yang Ling's soldiers were all equipped with Rapid Bead Crossbows.
These Rapid Bead Crossbows could only shoot at close range within four hundred zhang. But with ten crossbows in a box, their killing power was astonishing. Within a range of two hundred zhang, they could pierce leather armor and enter the human body. The internal factory was now the world's number one official merchant. Under Yu Yong's management, money was rolling in. Even the expensive Rapid Bead Crossbows were equipped with more than a thousand of them. At such a close range, they could naturally take whatever they wanted.
Seeing so many loyal brothers lose their lives to the crossbows, Yang Hu's eyes were burning with anger. He shouted, "Brothers, let's kill them." As he said this, he gripped his steel saber and charged at the nearby Shenji Battalion soldiers.
The fearless bandits had never suffered such a big loss. After a moment of panic, the smell of blood stimulated their ferocity. They immediately raised their weapons and charged at the soldiers behind Yang Hu.
"Uh …" A bandit had just taken a few steps when a sharp arrow pierced through his throat. He ran a few more steps before falling heavily to the ground. The crossbow's body was small and silent. In the darkness of the night, even with Yang Hu's martial arts skills, it was difficult for him to see. Yang Hu waved his saber so that the wind and rain couldn't see through it. In a flash, he had already moved more than a hundred zhang forward and knocked away four or five crossbow bolts.
The people around Yang Hu fell one after another. Yang Hu's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. Just as he was about a hundred zhang away from killing his way into the crowd and finding a chance of survival, he suddenly felt his thigh go numb. He staggered and fell to the ground.
Yang Hu stretched out his hand and felt around. One of the crossbow bolts only had the tail of the arrow left. The arrowhead was deeply embedded in his thigh. Yang Hu didn't have time to pull out the short arrow. He threw away his saber and touched his waist in pain. He raised both hands and threw out twelve throwing knives in succession. The soldiers who were hit by the knives fell to the ground one after another.
More than a dozen bandits with high martial arts skills took advantage of the gap Yang Hu had opened and charged into the crowd. They began fighting with the soldiers. Swords and sabers clashed in the wilderness, creating clanging sounds. Although the soldiers outnumbered the soldiers, they were no match for these bandits in a one-on-one fight. A few soldiers who had hastily pulled out their podaos to fight were cut down and fell to the ground. The rest of the bandits took the opportunity to swarm over and start a chaotic battle with the soldiers.
Just now, a few rounds of arrows pierced through the air. The arrows were as dense as rain. Before the shadows of the arrows could even be seen, more than half of the two hundred bandits had fallen. The remaining sixty or seventy bandits were all highly skilled in martial arts. They were also vigilant and fierce. When some of them saw their brothers around them being hit by arrows, they immediately fell to the ground and rolled away. Some of them simply grabbed their dead comrades and used them as meat shields to save their own lives.
Yang Hu pulled out the arrow from his thigh, grabbed his saber and stood up. Several bandits brandished their sabers and rushed over. Yang Hu let out a deafening roar and kicked with his leg. A large clump of frozen soil was kicked out and scattered towards the bandits along with the snow.
The bandits covered their faces and retreated. In this short moment, Yang Hu let out a hideous laugh and leaped up. He dragged his saber horizontally across the waist of one of the bandits and cut that bandit's abdomen open. Yang Hu displayed his invincible might. Sure enough, he was like a tiger in a flock of sheep. Blood splattered everywhere the saber passed. In an instant, six or seven people had been cut down by his saber.
Only after this exchange did Yang Hu realize the secret behind it. Turned out these bandits were wearing cloaks. The color of the cloaks was strange, with streaks of grey and white twisting. Even if they were close by, under the moonlight and the darkness of the night, those bandits who were fighting with their backs to him would not be able to see clearly. No wonder hundreds of bandits were lying in ambush three hundred feet away without his eyes and ears noticing.
The bandits were brave and fierce, but the number of bandits was large. Moreover, although they were not as skilled as the bandits, not a single one of them retreated in fear. Those sixty or seventy bandits were already injured by arrows. If their movements were slightly slower, four or five sharp podaos would immediately tear them to pieces. In this short period of time, although several dozen soldiers were killed or injured, the bandits were only left with about thirty people.
Yang Hu saw one of his brothers had his thigh chopped by a bandit and fell to the ground. The bandit raised his saber and chopped down on his head. Yang Hu's saber immediately flew out of his hand and with a deep whistle, it fiercely pierced into the bandit's back. Yang Hu punched and kicked one of the bandits, causing blood to spurt out of his mouth. He sternly shouted, "Don't linger, let's go!"
While saying that, he took the lead and dashed out. The bandits immediately followed. The wound on Yang Hu's leg was not bandaged. The movement tore the wound open and blood gushed out, but he did not seem to feel it. As he moved forward, he kicked and kicked. Wherever his toes passed, the frozen ground and snow flew in all directions. The bandits withdrew their sabers and blocked for a moment. The bandits saw the opportunity and rushed into the crowd to kill.
Once these dozens of bandits gathered together and broke out of the encirclement, the only ones who could fight them in close combat were these bandits in front of them. Their advantage in numbers immediately disappeared and they gradually broke out of the crowd.
These bandits were meticulously trained by Liu Biao and Yang Hu, but they did not have enough battle experience. Only the Centurion had rich battle experience and had followed Yang Ling through several big battles in Jiangnan. One of the Centurion saw that his own people's martial arts were inferior to these fierce bandits. In close combat, he used his own weakness to meet the enemy's strength. He immediately called over the bandits who had not emptied their crossbows and shouted to his men who were desperately trying to stop him, "All of you retreat, don't fight with them, hurry …"
Before he could finish his words, Yang Hu had already sensed that something was wrong. He turned around and leaped like a fierce tiger pouncing in front of him. Several bandits had just raised their sabers when Yang Hu let out a thunderous roar. His right fist carried the sound of the wind and struck the chest of the Centurion with a 'bang', causing his chest to cave in.
The Centurion's words were stuck in his throat. His body flew into the air and smashed into several of his men. For a moment, his throat gurgled and blood seeped out of his seven orifices. It looked like he would not survive. Yang Hu lowered his body and turned around, avoiding two steel sabers. He raised his left elbow and sent a bandit flying. His right foot kicked backwards and hit a bandit's lower abdomen. He conveniently snatched a podao. Suddenly, blood rained down from the sky. The surrounding sabers and spears were like a forest. Unexpectedly, no one could get close to him.
Yang Hu took the opportunity to rush back into the group of bandits and shouted, "Charge with me, those who block me will die!"
These foreigners had never seen such fierce and ferocious bandits, and their momentum was immediately taken away. Yang Hu and a few of the most valiant and swift bandits in the northern Greenwood Forest led the way. The weapons in their hands flashed and slashed, and they did not show any mercy. They actually managed to carve out a bloody path. More than thirty bandits who were determined to risk their lives escaped into the boundless night.
The main door of the Weiwu Mansion was wide open. The two red lights in front of the door were as bright as day. In the middle of the hall, a huge candle as thick as a child's arm burned. Yang Ling's long hair was tied up and draped over his shoulders. He wore a sea blue robe with arrow sleeves and a sleeveless vest. He sat upright in the hall, looking handsome and elegant.
Cheng Qiyun wore a soft toque and a round collar and narrow sleeves robe. Her lips were red and her teeth were white. She paced back and forth in front of him anxiously. Liu Biao stood at the door of the hall. A bandit rushed into the courtyard and whispered a few words to Liu Biao. Liu Biao waved his hand to dismiss him. He turned around and came to the hall. Cheng Qiyun immediately asked impatiently, "Liu Daren, how is it?"
Liu Biao praised, "As expected of the Great Bandit Yang Hu, the bravest mountain bandit in the Northern Green Forest. Factory Supervisor, Cheng Daren, Yang Hu led about two hundred people. Even under our ambush, he still led about thirty people to open a bloody path and break out of the encirclement."
When Yang Ling and Cheng Qiyun heard this, they asked at the same time. Yang Ling asked, "How are our people's casualties?" Cheng Qiyun asked, "Have you sent people to stop them? Is the ambush at the horse hiding place ready? "
When the two of them spoke, Cheng Qiyun's face turned red.
Yang Ling secretly sighed in his heart. This woman was still too concerned about her own interests. She thought too much about herself. She simply did not care about the life and death of others.
Although she had done so many things for Yang Ling in silence, warm and affectionate, without complaint or regret, even an iron man's heart should have been melted by a strand of her soft silk. But all along, Yang Ling still harbored some vigilance against her, and it was precisely because of this reason.
It was possible that she had fallen in love with him, but Yang Ling did not know how much this feeling weighed in her heart. He did not know that if she encountered a strong external pressure and had no choice but to have a conflict of interest with him, would she abandon her feelings for profit and commit an act of betrayal?
Her experience was too complicated. Admittedly, it made people sympathize with her, but it also tempered her heart to be as hard as stone. She only cared about profit. Without going through a long period of trial and careful observation, it was really hard to be assured of her steadfastness.
Liu Biao said to Yang Ling, "Factory Supervisor does not need to worry too much. We only have a few dozen casualties. Other than a dozen or so bandits who were seriously injured and captured, and the thirty or so who escaped, the rest have all been killed."
Finishing, he smiled at Cheng Qiyun and said, "Don't worry, Cheng Daren. Captain Peng has personally led the Fire Artillery Battalion to set up an ambush several li away. If the remaining bandits do not go, they can only wait helplessly to be captured tomorrow. If they go, they will not be able to escape tonight even if they grow wings."
Yang Ling nodded and said, "It was this Supervisor who underestimated these bandits. I really did not expect them to be braver than the sea pirates. I had originally thought that other than Yang Hu and his wife, there were no other experts."
Cheng Qiyun's black brows furrowed slightly and said to Yang Ling, "Daren, I had originally thought that they would come out in full force and flee far away. Therefore, our ambush troops have been set up outside the city. Yang Qianhu has only led twenty or so brothers to keep watch inside the city.
The news said that Yang Hu left the residence alone. Why is his wife still in the city? Is she not afraid that if something happens here, she will never have the chance to leave? Or is there another conspiracy? "
Yang Ling shook his head and said, "I also did not guess the intention of the couple. The city is closed at night. Even this official cannot open the city gates." He got up and paced back and forth in the room. Suddenly he raised his head and said, "We can't wait any longer. Send a message in. Tell Yang Yiqing to immediately summon the people of the QING: Five Cities Warlords to capture … to capture Red Lady."
* * *
Cui Ying 'er's door was knocked. She immediately woke up and asked, "What is it?"
She lifted the curtain. In order to wait for her husband to return, she did not extinguish the candle. Seeing that the candle was half burnt, Cui Ying 'er couldn't help but frown. Looking at the time, it should be the third watch of the night. Yang Hu and Liu Xian Shen were still drinking?
Outside the door, Cui 'er's voice said in a low voice, "Miss, quickly get up. We have to leave immediately."
Red Lady grabbed her dress and hurriedly put it on. She quickly took off her shoes and opened the door. Seeing Liu Lao Dao and Cui 'er standing at the door, she was startled. While fastening her collar, she asked, "What happened? Where is Yang Hu? "
Red Lady's black hair flowed down from her shoulders. Her exposed skin was smooth and moving. Her hair was foggy and her sleeping posture was lazy. She was indescribably charming. Liu Lao Dao couldn't help but stare at her. He didn't dare to show a greedy look, so he quickly lowered his eyes.
Cui 'er said, "Miss, the son-in-law left the city at the second watch of the night to go to the Weiwu Mansion. I'm afraid the matter has already been exposed. We have to leave the city quickly."
Red Lady was startled. She immediately stomped her feet and said angrily, "He still doesn't give up! How dare you! Why are you only telling me now? "
Liu Lao Dao hurriedly smiled and said, "Madam, Biaobazi insisted on going. He wanted me to cover for him. Miss Cui 'er also just found out. He prepared a horse in the road outside the city. He wanted me to inform Madam at the third watch of the night and quickly leave the city to meet him. Now the time is just right. We should leave quickly. When the news of Yang Ling's death reaches the city at dawn, it will be difficult to leave."
Red Lady was so angry that her eyebrows were raised. She didn't say anything and just retreated into the room. The door was closed with a bang. Cui 'er couldn't help but stick out her tongue. Liu Lao Dao revealed a sinister smile.
After a short while, the door was opened again. Red Lady had changed into a green skintight outfit. Her black hair was wrapped in a silk handkerchief, and there was a dagger on her slender waist. She was wearing a pair of soft-soled boots made of ivy. Her expression was cold and solemn, and she looked very heroic.
Cui Ying 'er angrily said, "Go, follow me out of the city!"
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