The flames of war were burning everywhere. Donghua Mountain was filled with soldiers and bandits. Xing Laohu's troops had surrounded Fenglingdu and were surrounded by the soldiers of the imperial court. The fighting was especially fierce.
Xu Tai could no longer hold back and suggested to Yang Ling: "Duke, no matter what tricks the Rattlesnake Bandits have, it is a fact that 15,000 elites have appeared at Feiling Ferry. Moreover, the commander-in-chief Xing Laohu is in the army. They should be the main force of the Rattlesnake Bandits. Moreover, from the situation on the battlefield, crossing the river is their only way out.
In my opinion, we cannot miss this opportunity. Jiang Bin's troops may not be able to annihilate this group of enemies with the help of the garrison at Feiling Ferry. Even if we do not lose Feiling Ferry, their main force will escape and continue eastward along the river. Once they leave our main defensive area, it will be much more difficult to redeploy them. "
Yang Ling felt that things were not so simple, so he was hesitant. Feiling Ferry naturally could not be lost, but had the main force of the mountain really escaped to Feiling Ferry? He pondered for a while and said slowly: "No, your reserve troops cannot be mobilized. From here, we can control Donghua Mountain and reinforce Feiling Ferry at any time. Once all of them rush to the ferry and the Rattlesnake Bandits launch a surprise attack, our second line of defense will be too empty."
He thought for a while and said: "Taiyuan Guards set up a defense at Cang Bai Ridge. Order Zhang Yin to lead the Taiyuan Left Guard and Taiyuan Central Guard to reinforce Feiling Ferry. We must annihilate Xing Laohu's troops. The Taiyuan Right Guard will remain in place. "
"Yes!" The messenger cupped his fists and rushed off.
The first line of defense at Feiling Ferry had been broken and both sides were in a stalemate. Jiang Bin had already arrived with his troops on horseback. The soldiers from the front and back surrounded the Rattlesnake Bandits in the middle and engaged in a fierce battle.
Xing Laohu ordered a troop to entangle the reinforcements while he led his men to attack the second line of defense. Four soldiers shouted and rushed over with their spears raised. One of them was killed by Xing Laohu with a flying knife. Then, his personal guard fought with the other three.
Xing Laohu's personal attendants were all 'Tyrant's Roaring Horses. They were highly skilled in martial arts, cold-blooded and bloodthirsty. Their two sabers were not inferior to the long spear in the slightest. In less than three moves, they had already rushed forward. One of the soldiers was stabbed in the chest with a saber, while the other had all five of his fingers cut off. Before he could let out a blood-curdling scream, the snow-white saber light flashed and his neck was slashed open.
The third one made a feint, but just as he turned around to escape, he was stabbed in the back by a robber with a gun in his hand. At this moment, a baihu rushed over on horseback with the spear in his hand pointed at Tiger Xing. He did not say a word and moved as fast as the wind. Zuo You Fang was shocked and wanted to rush forward to help. Tiger Xing took a deep breath and raised his saber to meet them.
Just as the two of them met, Xing Laohu crouched down and immediately sprang up. He raised his saber and shouted, "Open!"
With a 'keng' sound, the long spear that was thrusting towards his face was repelled by the momentum of the horse. The spear flew diagonally into the air. The warhorse brushed past him. Xing Laohu's body landed on the ground. He twisted his body in mid-air and swept the saber in his hand with a gust of wind, slashing across the waist of the official.
"Pu" Blood splattered into the air and half of the body fell to the ground. The severed limbs were carried by the battle horse and they continued to run for a long distance. This frightening martial arts caused the surrounding soldiers to cry out in fear. Although Tiger Xing's saber struck out, they immediately fell to the ground and coughed violently. Unexpectedly, no one dared to come forward.
In a battle of tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, this kind of killing could be seen everywhere. As far as the eye could see, there were the shadows of sabers and swords everywhere. Battle cries filled the air. Near and far, there were people waving their sabers and spears as they fought for their lives. It was like the waves in a group of reefs, crashing against each other and surging. Tiger Xing panted for a moment and said in a stern voice, "Come on, charge! We must take down Feiling Ferry!"
After saying that, Tiger Xing brandished his blood-dripping saber and charged towards the most concentrated part of the imperial army. His personal guards were all brave and followed closely behind him like a whirlwind, sweeping away all who stood in their way. When the river guards at Feiling Ferry saw the big flag with the character "Xing" on it, they did not dare to face him alone and immediately moved to the sides to avoid him.
Tiger Xing's warhorse had been shot to death, so he led his personal guards into battle. His main task was to personally lead the charge, supervise and encourage these new recruits who had just joined the gang not long ago. On the other side, a group of more than a hundred cavalrymen formed by the old Rattlesnake Horse Gang of Bazhou was responsible for cutting and charging. Using their fast horses and exquisite saber skills, they charged all the way forward and destroyed the broken second line of defense. Behind them, the fierce bandits with long spears, iron forks, wooden maces and other weapons followed closely, pushing the officers and soldiers to continue retreating.
The total number of officers and soldiers in the area of Mount Dong Hua on the north bank of the Yellow River was three times that of the Rattlesnake Horse Gang, but the local strength was limited. Now, with the addition of Jiang Bin's fresh troops, the morale of the originally somewhat cowardly officers and soldiers was greatly boosted. The gap that had already been torn open was pushed forward by the officers and soldiers who were continuously swarming in. The officers and soldiers on the front line who could not withstand the strong fighting power of the fierce bandits and wanted to retreat, were now able to counterattack. But overall, the situation was still precarious.
Tiger Xing made a prompt decision and immediately abandoned the enemy in front and launched an attack from the flank toward the main attack direction. Following the direction of his banner, Zhao Pan and Zhao Gao immediately led their troops and charged over. Several of the Rattlesnake Horse Gang's fighting separately formed a triangular attack formation. The officers and soldiers who were surrounded in the middle were isolated and helpless, and were quickly annihilated.
The reinforcements had arrived. Guard Xia, the commander of the garrison of Feiling Ferry, was greatly relieved. He hurriedly waved the lantern signal and ordered the soldiers to retreat to the last line of defense and use crossbows and firearms to fend off the enemy to avoid more casualties.
But most of the soldiers and horses under Tiger Xing's command came from the Lulin Forest. When they fought, they were not afraid of death, especially at this critical moment of life and death. Only by seizing the ferry would they have a hope of survival. Every one of them was even more valiant. It was as if the blood in their bodies had been ignited by the battle cries. They turned a blind eye to the constantly falling corpses and only focused on fiercely charging forward with their weapons.
Some of the officers and soldiers who had retreated to the last line of defense were fighting in a stalemate. As they retreated, the Rattlesnake Horse Gang, who were hot on their heels, pursued them relentlessly. Although they paid a heavy price in casualties, there were a few places where the Rattlesnake Horse Gang had already killed their way into the trenches of the officers and soldiers. Although they were quickly chopped into meat paste by the swarming officers and soldiers, the momentary chaos made it impossible for the crossbows and firearms in these places to be used. The cavalry of the Rattlesnake Horse Gang immediately took advantage of the situation and continued to attack these places, intending to completely occupy the ferry.
Seeing this, Garrison Xia was greatly alarmed. He quickly organized his men and horses to reinforce the few gaps that had been torn open. At the same time, he used the lantern signal to ask for help from the distant reinforcements. Jiang Bin leaped on his horse and held his saber, charging at the forefront. His two sabers danced like wheels and his men killed countless people. When he saw the flag signal in the distance, he became even more anxious. He suddenly let out a loud roar and slashed down with his sabers, chopping the Rattlesnake Horse in front of him to the ground. He roared: "Brothers, charge! There are still reinforcements coming. The Rattlesnake Horse Gang can't escape. Kill! Kill! "
As he said this, he took advantage of the opportunity when the officers and soldiers beside him rushed forward to rein in his horse. Carrying his two bloody sabers, he said to the soldiers beside him: "Go! Tell the High Duke that the Rattlesnake Horse Gang is determined to take Feiling Ferry. The officers and soldiers at the ferry are too f * cking incompetent. They only know how to defend and don't know how to cooperate and surround us … "
Halfway through his speech, Jiang Bin suddenly remembered that it was inappropriate to complain at this time. He quickly changed his words: "No, tell the High Duke that the main force of the Rattlesnake Horse Gang is very valiant. They request for reinforcements. Otherwise, even if we can protect Feiling Ferry, we won't be able to stop them from escaping."
Although his two loud roars were not very conspicuous in the midst of the tens of thousands of horses and horses, they were still heard by the Rattlesnake Horse Gang's men. The leader in charge of covering the rear was Liu Twenty-Seven. He took a moment to take a look and saw that the fierce general on the horse was the enemy who killed his sworn brother Zhang Maohe. His eyes turned red.
Liu Twenty-Seven fiercely brandished his saber and roared a few times. He consecutively chopped down five or six officers and soldiers. He then flew back a few steps and called over a Rattlesnake Horse Gang with a bow. He took the bow in his hand and stared at Jiang Bin.
The battlefield was filled with people and horses, flags fluttering in the wind. Moreover, it was night time and many places were set ablaze. Although Liu Twenty-Seven's archery was good, he did not dare to be careless in such an environment. He held his breath and waited for an opportunity to shoot an arrow. He then took another arrow and nocked it on the bowstring.
Jiang Bin hurriedly gave the order and the messenger turned his horse and left. Jiang Lin had just turned his head when he caught a glimpse of a shadow flashing in the night sky. He subconsciously dodged and his shoulder was shaken. A cold arrow hit his shoulder. Jiang Bin was a bloodthirsty fighter. Moreover, it was August and the weather was extremely hot. He could not bear to wear heavy armor. He did not expect to be hit by a cold arrow.
Jiang Bin screamed in pain. His mind was shaken. Before he could react, Liu Twenty-Seven sneered and shot a second arrow without hesitation. Jiang Bin subconsciously turned his head to look at his shoulder. The second arrow pierced through his right cheek and exited through his left, all the way to his tail feather.
This time, even if Jiang Bin wanted to shout, he couldn't do so. He suddenly bent down and rode away. His bodyguards swarmed around him and protected him in the middle. Jiang Bin endured the pain and looked up. He saw a man in the distance standing unmoving in the midst of a battlefield filled with swords and spears. The man held a saber in his hand and laughed maniacally at him. "Heartless and unjust Jiang Bin, I shot this arrow on behalf of Brother Zhang Mao. You traitor, do you have the guts to fight me?"
Jiang Bin glared at him fiercely. A surge of anger rushed to his head and made him feel numb.
He had never suffered such a big loss. He was so enraged that his eyes turned bloodshot. The sharp arrow pierced through his cheek, and he couldn't roar in anger. That anger filled his chest, and with nowhere to vent it, Jiang Bin let out a muffled howl like a wounded wolf. The front of his military uniform shook, and his sturdy chest muscles seemed to have suddenly expanded.
Pulling out the arrow from his left shoulder, the barb on the arrow split open a wound. It was painful, but he didn't care. His eyes were fixed on the only unmoving figure in the battlefield. Then he raised his two blades and fiercely kicked off the horse's pedal. He opened his eyes wide and charged over without a word.
The horses galloped like a dragon. The whistling horses, who were in the middle of fighting, suddenly saw a general of the imperial court charging toward them. They were caught off guard and were about to brandish their sabers and spears to hack and stab, but Jiang Bin had already disregarded everything and charged forward. His bodyguards, who were scared out of their wits, followed closely behind and chopped them down to the ground.
When the warhorse arrived in front of Liu Twenty-Seven, it was blocked by two of Liu Twenty-Seven's bodyguards. Jiang Bin did not make a sound. He waved the saber in his hand like lightning and knocked away the two's weapons. With a trembling arrow hanging in front of his face, he swooped down towards Liu Twenty-Seven.
Seeing this terrifying momentum, Liu Twenty-Seven was also frightened. He hurriedly stepped forward and twisted his waist. Using all the strength in his body, he raised his saber to meet the attack.
"Clang! Clang clang clang! Clang clang clang! " Sparks flew in all directions as the weapons of both sides clashed. With a clang, a saber in Jiang Bin's hand broke into two. Liu Twenty-Seven staggered back a few steps, tripped over a corpse behind him and fell to the ground. His saber fell to the ground with a clang, full of chips.
Jiang Bin sneered and jumped down from his horse like a haunting ghost. He raised his saber and pounced over. Liu Twenty-Seven's bodyguards rushed forward to stop him. Jiang Bin held his saber with both hands and used one leg as a pivot. He crouched down and spun around like a whirlwind, cleaving them apart. Some were dead, some were injured, and some had their weapons knocked away.
Jiang Bin's thigh was hit by a spear and his forehead was cut by the tip of a saber. Blood gushed out, making him look like a ferocious ghost. But he did not care. With a heavy exhalation, the saber in his hand was raised like lightning. His elbows were unbent, and the saber was drawn in a circle. His body seemed to be falling forward, and the saber had already chopped down like lightning!
No one had ever heard such a horrifying sound. The sound of the saber cutting into the body, the sound of bones breaking, and the screams that stopped abruptly intertwined together. Jiang Bin's saber chopped down, but he was already kneeling on one knee. His hands were tightly gripping the saber hilt, and the muscles in his arms bulged like balls, stretching his military uniform.
He had used all his strength in this strike. The tip of the saber seemed to have cut into the ground. Under the dumbfounded gazes of the surrounding people, the saber suddenly broke into two. Liu Twenty-Seven, who was sitting on top of a corpse, stared at Jiang Bin with his eyes wide open. Suddenly, the two halves of his body fell to the side. Jiang Bin's saber had chopped him and the corpse beneath him into two halves.
When the Japanese forged new sabers, they would often use the corpses of people in their forties or fifties with hard bones or prisoners on death row to test their sabers. They would chop off their shoulder blades or pelvis. Chopping off one human body was called a shurikatsu, and two was called two shurikatsu. Usually, it would not exceed three shurikatsu. The highest record was set by Nakanishi Shurikatsu, who had achieved an astonishing result of seven shurikatsu. But no one knew how many shurikatsu Jiang Bin had chopped down from the top of the skull, vertically and horizontally to the person beneath him. How many shurikatsu would it take for the long saber to penetrate a foot into the ground?
Jiang Bin stood up shakily. His head and face were covered in blood, and blood was flowing out of his mouth. But he was grinning and laughing. An arrow was trembling on his face. That scene was like a demon descending into the world. Even the Ringing Horse Bandits, who were fierce bandits who killed without batting an eyelid, were scared out of their wits when they saw this scene. The Ringing Horse Bandits all around shouted and immediately scattered.
Jiang Bin's bodyguards rushed over to support him, while the rest of the people desperately chased after their opponents. Jiang Bin broke the shaft of the arrow on his cheek and stabbed the broken arrow into the thigh of Liu Twenty-Seven, who had been chopped into two halves. He did not bandage the wound, but snatched a saber from the bodyguard's hand and rushed into the crowd like a whirlwind. The officers and soldiers saw the power of their general and shouted in unison. The Ringing Horse Bandits at the back began to retreat.
* * *
Jiang Bin's messenger reported the battle situation at Feiling Ferry to Yang Ling. Yang Ling looked at the map and pointed his finger heavily. He frowned and said: "Pass the order again, order Zhang Yin's troops to quickly withdraw from the ridge and support Feiling Ferry."
Xu Tai said: "High Duke, most of Zhang Yin's troops are foot soldiers. Moreover, they have set up a defensive formation on the mountain to prevent the Ringing Horse from using the mountain range to escape towards the direction of Taihang. If we ask him to gather his troops and go down the mountain to Feiling Ferry, it will not be as fast as dispatching his troops from here. Now there is still no movement on the periphery. The various troops from Mount Donghua are attacking the Ringing Horse Bandits and attacking the Five Elders Peak. The battle for every inch of land is also extremely fierce. In my opinion, they are sacrificing their soldiers to protect the general and cover Tiger Xing's escape. "
Miao Kui also said: "High Duke, we can no longer hesitate. Dispatching troops from Puzhou will quickly pass through Cang Bai Ridge. Although Jiang Bin is brave, he will not be able to stop Tiger Xing. More than ten thousand troops are already a piece of fat meat. They must not be allowed to escape."
Yang Ling stared at the sand table map and said: "The small group of Ringing Horse that broke through first is moving along the Yellow River. Obviously, they are looking for a ferry. Tiger Xing is the general of the Ringing Horse Bandits and he is leading nearly a third of the elite troops. If he is said to be baiting the enemy, it is impossible to use so many troops and even the general. Could it be that I have guessed wrong? Is Zhao Sui so determined to stay at Mount Zhongtiao and die to attract more troops to cover Tiger Xing's escape? "
He slammed the sand table heavily and said: "Break camp and split into two groups to flank Feiling Ferry from the left and right. There is no need to annihilate Tiger Xing's troops. Order Zhang Yin's troops to speed up and block the middle road."
Xu Tai finally had a battle to fight. He was instantly refreshed and hurriedly cupped his hands in obeisance.
Bugles sounded in the camp. The officers and soldiers who had long been ready to go quickly assembled and began to flank Feiling Ferry.
On the Yueping Beam, Li Hua was extremely busy. He had suffered defeats everywhere. The news that the officers and soldiers had already gathered at the main peak of Wulao Peak made him panic. "How can this be? How can this be? Tiger Xing and Madman Zhao are leading their troops to break through. They are the criminals and the main force. Why hasn't that bastard Yang Ling withdrawn his troops? Why is he making things difficult for father? "
Zhou Pan rushed in with a demon-headed saber in his hand and said with a sad face: "Big Brother, Chessboard Peak has fallen."
"Ah!" Li Hua was shocked. He jumped up and said: "How can Ba Liuzi defend the mountain? Quick, send reinforcements immediately. If the officers and soldiers stand still, it will be difficult to defend the other four peaks. "
Zhou Pan came closer and said anxiously in a low voice: "Big Brother, the twenty thousand men and horses in the mountain have lost seven thousand in this battle. Moreover, the officers and soldiers have no intention of retreating. I think … I think we have fallen into Madman Zhao's trap. Third Brother's disappearance might also be his doing. I think he knows that we have ulterior motives and is sincerely sending us to our deaths. "
Li Hua looked at his trusted subordinates in the cave. He then pulled Zhou Pan to a corner and said in a low voice: "How can this be? How can Madman Zhao be so disloyal? Besides … our mountain stronghold originally only had five thousand men. Madman Zhao gave me another fifteen thousand soldiers. Is it just to trick me? Is he willing to pay such a heavy price? "
Zhou Pan stamped his feet and said: "Big Brother, then tell me, if he really acted according to the plan, why would the officers and soldiers attack the mountain relentlessly? If he wasn't so generous, he wouldn't have left so many soldiers for us. Otherwise, who would have believed him?!
Loyalty? I think ever since Yang Ling offered amnesty, this group of people have started to plan their own things. What loyalty? Now that their parents are dead and their parents are getting married, everyone looks after their own!
Big Brother, we can't wait like idiots. If we wait any longer, we will be surrounded by the officers and soldiers like an iron bucket. We won't be able to leave even if we want to. In my opinion, we should retreat and walk along the forest towards Mount Wang Wu. "
"But … will we be able to recall the men and horses in time? Won't the officers and soldiers chase after us? "
Zhou Pan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He said with a bitter smile: "Big Brother, why are we still calling for men and horses? Those newly recruited soldiers from other mountain strongholds are obviously a burden. Madman Zhao gave us a sweet date to make us work for him. Can't we use them to work for us? Where there's life, there's hope. Bring our men and horses and leave immediately. Go to Mount Li and Mount Wang Wu. We can't care about those mountains anymore. "
"Report ~ ~! Taiyi Peak has been captured by the officers and soldiers. Chief Luo requests the Great Stockade Master to send reinforcements immediately. "
"Ah! Taiyi Peak has also fallen? Quick, all of you come over! "Li Hua hurriedly shouted.
A group of trusted subordinates swarmed over and said at once: "Big Brother, what do we do?"
"Motherf * cker, the one with the surname Luo is a coward. Big Brother, I'm going to take back Taiyi Peak!"
"Yes, yes, we originally had five thousand men and horses. We didn't even put the officers and soldiers in our eyes. Now that Big Brother has twenty thousand men and strong horses, why should we be afraid of them? Big Brother, I, Old Seventh Hu, will definitely … "
"Don't be noisy!" Li Hua roared and stopped his subordinates. He then swept his gaze around and said in a deep voice: "Quickly, bring everyone that can be brought and follow me!"
"Big Brother, you should be in the middle of the army. If there's anything, I'll do it for you. You can't let Big Brother personally take back Taiyi Peak. Big Brother …"
Li Hua was embarrassed into anger. He waved his hand and shouted: "Big Brother my ass! All of you f * cking pack up. We'll immediately escape to Mount Li. I don't believe the officers and soldiers can catch up to Mount Wang Wu! "
"Ah?! … "
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