flstandardbreds Chapter 113 The Prefect Draws His Bow, Displays His Ferocity; The Commander Throws His Copper Hammer
Chapter 113 The Prefect Draws His Bow, Displays His Ferocity; The Commander Throws His Copper Hammer
Zhang Bao's martial arts skills were supposedly no less than those of "Golden Wings of the Clouds" Ou Peng, but he was at a disadvantage at the moment, losing half of his momentum, which affected his hand skills to some extent.
But strength is strength after all. Zhang Bao seized the opportunity and counterattacked with his iron rod, which grazed Ou Peng's brow bone. With just one strike, Ou Peng was injured and had to take two steps back.
"All the cuts I made on him before couldn't compare to this one blow!"
"Golden Wings of the Clouds" Ou Peng thought to himself that he had been careless; if that blow had landed, he might have injured his brow bone!
"Brother! I'm here!"
Hearing the commotion, Tao Zongwang, nicknamed "Nine-Tailed Turtle," led the river workers to come and help, armed with their weapons. Although Tao Zongwang usually used his shovel, he also picked up a broadsword at this moment.
"Good brother, help me beat this dog!"
When Ou Peng saw Tao Zongwang leading his men to arrive, he felt more confident. Tao Zongwang rushed forward and wielded his sword to help. The three of them fought fiercely for another twenty or thirty moves.
At this moment, the crescent moon hangs like a hook, and the firelight at the entrance of Xixi Village illuminates the bluestone road with flickering light. Zhang Bao's iron rod plows deep furrows in the yellow earth, and the blood seeping from the three knife wounds on his back soaks through his battle robe.
Ou Peng's eight-foot-long broadsword slashed down, the blade scraping against the iron rod and sparks flying. Tao Zongwang's broadsword swept across the ground, its blade flashing like a venomous snake's tongue, aiming straight for his ankle.
Zhang Bao staggered backward, the iron rod plunging half a foot into the ground. Using the momentum, he jumped up and dodged the attack. His breathing was heavy, but he didn't forget to retaliate. With a flying kick, he struck "Nine-Tailed Turtle" Tao Zongwang in the chin.
"Hey bro, what's up?"
Seeing Tao Zongwang fall victim to the attack, Ou Peng immediately shielded him, retreating repeatedly. Tao Zongwang spat out blood, glaring at Zhang Bao and cursing viciously: "These cowards from Jeju only know how to resort to such underhanded tricks! It's nothing!"
Zhang Bao noticed that the Liangshan troops had completely surrounded their Jizhou government army, leaving them no way to escape. "Golden-Winged Cloud-Piercing" Ou Peng stood with his sword planted firmly, watching the terrified eyes of the government soldiers. He wiped the blood seeping from his brow and suddenly laughed loudly: "Excellent staff technique! Then don't leave. Let's settle this next time!"
"I'm afraid you won't succeed!"
Zhang Bao was a tough guy, and he wasn't afraid of anything at this moment.
But before he could finish speaking, three whistling arrows tore through the night, their red tassels still trembling, when the sound of thunderous hooves came from the northeast.
Zhang Bao's eyes flashed with ferocity as he swept his iron rod aside, forcing Ou Peng and Tao Zongwang's knives aside. He roared with laughter, shaking down withered leaves from the locust tree: "Let's see who kneels and begs for mercy!"
Originally, he had discussed with Zhang Shuye, the prefect of Jizhou Prefecture, that Zhang Bao would lead his men to raid the Liangshan bandits in Dongxi Village, behead them, and return. However, Zhang Shuye was worried that they might be in danger, so he told Zhang Bao that he would lead his cavalry to provide support in half an hour.
This is precisely why Zhang Bao risked his life to draw away the Liangshan bandits. Cavalry is like a whirlwind when dealing with infantry on the plains. Once Zhang Shuye's troops arrive, none of the Liangshan bandits in Xixi Village will be able to escape!
Two hundred cavalrymen shattered the night. Zhang Shuye, clad in golden armor, rode ahead of the others. This golden armor was his father's family heirloom. He came here in person today for two reasons: first, he had calculated that the Liangshan reinforcements would not arrive in time, and he was confident that the bandits of Xixi Village would be defeated; second, he also wanted to see what kind of skills the Liangshan bandits possessed!
Cavalry had been scarce since the founding of the Song Dynasty, but Zhang Shuye managed to dig out the entire treasury of Jizhou City and form a force of two hundred cavalrymen.
Warhorses clad in crimson leather armor pounded the bluestone slabs with their iron hooves, and amidst the flying debris, the shields of the front-line river workers were pierced by the lances of the charging cavalry.
Originally, Tao Zongwang led a group of river workers to block the village entrance to prevent the government troops from escaping. These people were mainly engaged in construction and were like the "engineers" of later generations. They were not good at fighting, and when the cavalry charged, they were unable to resist!
"ah!"
Seeing that many of his river workers had fallen, Tao Zongwang, nicknamed "Nine-Tailed Turtle," brandished his sword to help them. However, the cavalry was too fast and numerous, moving with lightning speed. He dodged several cavalrymen's swords and charged straight at Zhang Shuye's horse.
Zhang Shuye, however, waited in comfort and thrust his spear at Tao Zongwang. Tao Zongwang was not wearing armor, and the spear tip ripped off his clothes, staining half of them crimson.
Seeing Tao Zongwang wounded, Ou Peng roared like thunder, abandoned Zhang Bao, turned around and charged towards them. His large halberd swept across the horse's legs, and a green horse neighed and knelt down. The horse's jaws were knocked off and instantly trampled into a bloody pulp by the iron cavalry following behind.
"Retreat! Retreat to the village!"
He grabbed Tao Zongwang by the back of his collar and pulled away hastily. The two of them pressed against the bluestone millstone, their blades flashing like an iron curtain.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhang Bao rolled into the army formation and swept off the thighs of three men with his iron rod. He could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!
But in the blood mist, figures could be seen everywhere, the government troops surrounded the mill like an iron barrel, and the torches illuminated the mill as bright as day.
"We've failed this time!"
Ou Peng thought to himself that he probably wouldn't survive this time!
Just then, a strange noise arose in the Dongxi River, and twelve red horse boats sailed upstream. The three-pointed double-edged sword in the hand of the yellow-robed general at the bow of the boat was as white as frost under the moonlight.
Under the moonlight, a fleet of light boats could be seen cleaving through the waves. It was Li Hanxiao leading his warships to the rescue. Originally, Li Hanxiao had been surveying the waterways along the river at night with "Blue-Faced Beast" Yang Zhi and a group of men to provide information for Tao Zongwang's construction. He hadn't planned to come to the rescue, but he saw the deafening shouts of battle coming from Xixi Village on the water. Lanterns and torches were flashing in the night, making it as bright as day. Knowing that something had happened, he led his troops to the rescue.
Suddenly, the blue-faced man at the bow of the boat swung out a meteor-shaped bronze hammer. The hammerhead was engraved with the seal script "Tianbo Yang Mansion," which belonged to "Blue-faced Beast" Yang Zhi.
Yang Zhi plunged his copper hammer and chain into the river. Suddenly, a nine-foot-long copper chain materialized on his blue face. With a loud shout, he threw the copper hammer, which entangled the wooden fence on the bank. Using the momentum, Yang Zhi swung like a monkey and reached the shore in a moment.
Yang Zhi, nicknamed "Blue-Faced Beast," came with Li Hanxiao to investigate the hydrology. He hadn't expected any battle, so he didn't even bring any weapons, only a copper chain hammer that he carried with him.
At this moment, Yang Zhi unleashed his power, immediately charging into the cavalry. His chain hammer swept across like a black dragon's tail, specifically targeting the horses' hooves, causing the front-line cavalrymen to fall over.
A startled horse, dragging half its reins, rushed into the mill, knocking over a row of tung oil braziers, and flames shot up the roof beams from the straw mats.
"come out faster!"
Upon seeing the mill on fire, Yang Zhi immediately called out to Ou Peng and Tao Zongwang, while Li Hanxiao and his troops had already stopped their ships and were disembarking.
&34;Not good!&34;
Zhang Shuye saw it clearly: the leader of the Liangshan bandits who came from the river was holding a three-pointed double-edged sword!
Zhang Shuye already knew that Li Hanxiao, the leader of the Liangshan bandits, used a three-pointed double-edged sword. Now that the Liangshan chieftain had come to support him in person, he was afraid that a large force was behind him!
Zhang Shuye did not expect that the Liangshan reinforcements would arrive so quickly, and that the chieftain himself would be there!
Zhang Shuye charged to the front alone. Zhang Zitang's face turned blood red. He pulled out a dragon-headed carved bow with his backhand. This was a precious carved bow presented as tribute by the Western Xia. The bowstring was made of the hair of a strange beast from the Tianshan Mountains. It was extremely tough. With a light stretch of his ape arm, he pointed the wolf-tooth arrowhead straight at Li Hanxiao's throat.
"Be careful, chieftain!"
Yang Zhi caught a glimpse of a cold glint in his eye, and the copper hammer at his waist transformed into a burst of blue light.
This copper hammer contains thirty-six winding silk-reeling forces, and its chain is nine feet and nine inches long, which corresponds to the "yin-yang number".
In the blink of an eye, before the wolf-tooth arrow had even left the bowstring by three zhang, the copper hammer, though fired later, arrived first.
Li Hanxiao rode his horse ashore, his bronze ruler pointing directly at the central army banner: "Prefect, you have quite the scheme!" Zhang Shuye's eyes widened in fury, his bronze hammer flew from his hand and spun, the chain hammer swung like a serpent's tail, the hammerhead striking the arrow shaft seven inches deep—this is the Yang family's "Arrow-Striking Technique," a secret method of arrow-breaking passed down through nine generations!
The hammer struck like a meteor, the nine-foot copper chain swaying in the air, leaving a serpentine afterimage. The hammerhead struck the arrow shaft seven inches from the shaft, the clang of metal against metal making the eardrums of nearby soldiers ache.
Amidst the clanging of metal, an arrow pierced three feet in front of Li Hanxiao's horse, its trembling still echoing even after it had entered the earth!
"trick!"
Yang Zhi then flicked the chain again, and the copper hammer chain locked the arrow, which he then pulled out and swung in the air with incredible skill, leaving the soldiers on both banks mesmerized.
The arrow, carried by the copper hammer, traced a strange arc in the air before suddenly changing direction and "thud!" piercing the flagpole of Zhang Shuye's army. The four large characters "Jizhou Xiang Army" on the flag were torn apart, startling the warhorses and causing them to rear up.
Li Hanxiao never expected that Yang Zhi had such a unique skill. In fact, "Blue-faced Beast" Yang Zhi had many more skills. He was a descendant of the Yang family generals and had learned almost all of the Yang family generals' unique skills from nine generations. He had a deep family background in martial arts and was proficient in all eighteen kinds of martial arts.
The move he just used was the signature technique of Yang Gun, the ancestor of the Yang family generals, known as the "Volcano King"—the "Walking Line Copper Hammer." Back then, when he exchanged the jade belt with the copper hammer with Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, he used this very move!
"Your skill in using underhanded tactics is certainly befitting of a corrupt official like yourself!"
The "Blue-Faced Beast" pulled on the chain with one arm, and the copper hammer spun around, smashing the iron helmets of two government soldiers. Brains mixed with bone fragments splattered onto the banners before he stopped.
"Is that Prefect Zhang of Jizhou Prefecture? What a grand entourage!"
Li Hanxiao stood by the stream, his three-pointed sword pointing at Zhang Shuye. Such a formation, capable of mobilizing two hundred cavalry for protection, could only belong to Zhang Shuye.
Zhang Shuye's face was contorted with rage beneath his golden helmet, but seeing that besides the dozen or so ships of men, no reinforcements had arrived from Li Hanxiao's direction, he began to have another idea.
If two hundred cavalrymen charged forward together, they might very well be able to take Li Hanxiao's head...
One must not be greedy or have any thoughts of greed, otherwise one will be trapped by greed. Greed for wealth is greed, greed for fame is greed, and greed for merit is also greed. At this moment, isn't Zhang Shuye being greedy for merit and reckless? Of course, there is also some thought of avenging his two sons mixed in. The cavalry immediately advanced and entered the battlefield again!
The battlefield was in complete chaos. Three government soldiers formed a triangular formation, their spears shooting straight at Tao Zongwang like poisonous dragons emerging from their lair.
The peasant rolled on the spot, his broadsword severing the spear shafts in front of him. He then grabbed the broken spear and threw it, striking an enemy in the throat from behind.
Two young local militiamen seized the opportunity to pounce, using rakes to lock the spearman's legs, and cleavers to cleave through his leather armor. The roof of the mill on the west side collapsed with a crash, and Ou Peng's large cleaver cleaved the "Zhang" character flag in half. The flag, covered in sparks, fell and ignited the livestock fodder. Ou Peng picked up the burning fodder and threw it into the cavalry ranks.
In the thick smoke, five government soldiers with swords and shields huddled together, occasionally thrusting out sniper spears through the gaps in their shields. Three Liangshan foot soldiers, wielding halberds, charged forward, hooking the edges of the shields and pulling hard. Torches thrown from behind ignited the oil-soaked rattan shields in the government soldiers' hands. Screams filled the air as their formation crumbled.
Zhang Bao blocked five long knives with his iron rod, which was already cracked, demonstrating his fierce fighting spirit. Tao Zongwang stabbed him in the shoulder from the side, and blood spurted three feet.
&34;My lord, please retreat immediately! &34;
Zhang Bao, the fierce general, roared like a trapped beast, threw his iron rod back to force Tao Zongwang back, and staggered back into the ranks of his personal guards.
Zhang Shuye made a mistake. On flat ground, cavalry would naturally be more powerful, but in this village, Li Hanxiao immediately ordered his men to climb onto the roofs on both sides of the house. They either fired arrows wildly or thrust spears down from the sky, causing the cavalrymen to fall from their horses one after another.
"Where to go!"
Tao Zongwang charged at Zhang Shuye, grabbed Zhang Shuye's spear, and slashed at Zhang Shuye's hand holding the spear. Zhang Shuye had no choice but to drop the spear and turn to run.
Zhang Shuye, his golden helmet askew, drew his Longquan sword from his waist and cleaved through the shield blocking his path. As the sword flashed, a bare-chested villager clutched his bleeding neck and collapsed into the stream.
"Go away!"
Yang Zhi smashed his copper hammer at Zhang Shuye, striking the back of his chest where he was wearing a protective armor. The armor shattered, but the armor was so strong that Zhang Shuye was unharmed. However, he was knocked off his horse and fell into the mud. The yellow soil mixed with blood formed a red mud that stained Zhang Shuye's face.
"Retreat! Retreat now!"
Prefect Zhang gritted his teeth and, just as Zhang Bao helped him up, shouted for a retreat. The remnants of the army fled along the route they had come from, their iron hooves crushing the broken arrows scattered on the ground. A flock of crows, smelling the blood, circled down. They had gained no advantage in this battle, and if they continued fighting, Liangshan reinforcements would likely arrive again.
"Chief, charge forward!"
Tao Zongwang, nicknamed "Nine-Tailed Turtle," was in high spirits and was about to charge forward when, before Li Hanxiao could even speak, Yang Zhi, nicknamed "Blue-Faced Beast," grabbed him and said, "Are you stupid?! Once you leave the village, how many heads do you have to chase after cavalry on two legs in open ground?"
"So, we're not going to pursue them?"
Tao Zongwang asked again.
Li Hanxiao stood by the stream, his bronze ruler lightly touching the ripples on the water: "Take stock of the casualties. Do not disturb the civilians. Do not pursue the government troops. Order the mountain stronghold and each village to send additional men and summon a leader from each village to come down the mountain to assist."
"Yes!"
Ou Peng used the tip of his knife to pick up the wet mud, and the golden threads shimmered in the morning light—it was Zhang Shuye's battle robe that had been left behind. When Tao Zongwang saw it, he tore off the robe to wrap his wound.
Yang Zhi put away the copper hammer, slightly out of breath. The hammerhead was covered with dents. This copper hammer was quite strenuous to use, and he had just used up a lot of energy.
"Zhang Shuye is determined to make a comeback. Failing to capture him alive this time will surely cause future trouble."
"Blue-faced Beast," Yang Zhi said.
"Don't worry, we'll deal with whatever comes our way. Some officials are just keeping bandits around to maintain their power, so we have to keep Zhang Shuye around too. Otherwise, if we kill him now, we'll just attract the imperial army!"
Li Hanxiao understood that you need to make the court feel that Zhang Shuye is effective here in order to maintain a delicate balance; otherwise, they will directly send a large army, and Liangshan Marsh is currently unable to stop them.
It is:
A gold-inlaid ruler measures the waters of heaven and earth; a lotus hammer shatters the Big Dipper.
To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next episode.