Land Yunshan and Tianhua were riding their horses swiftly when suddenly, a scout ahead hurriedly reported, "There's a military force blocking our path up ahead."
Hearing this, the two stopped. Tianhua looked at Land Yunshan and said with doubt, "Yunshan, could it be that the forces from Dusk City are intercepting us halfway?"
"Yes, I believe so," Land Yunshan nodded and then asked the messenger, "How many soldiers and horses are on the opposing side?"
"Approximately more than 20,000 troops," the messenger replied.
"It seems they've underestimated both you and me," Land Yunshan said with a smile.
"In that case, let's give them a warning first to dampen their spirits," Tianhua suggested.
"That's a good idea," Land Yunshan agreed with a smile and then ordered the messenger to relay the command to advance quickly.
In no time, the two armies faced each other, each securing their formations. At this moment, Lei Shuang shouted loudly, "Rebellious thieves, today you meet General Lei Shuang! Dismount immediately and surrender!"
"Yunshan, let me take care of him," Tianhua said.
"Yes, Tianhua, be careful," Land Yunshan said.
Tianhua spurred his horse forward, and upon seeing this, Lei Shuang turned to his subordinates and said, "Who will go and capture him for me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a warrior behind Lei Shuang yelled and, wielding twin blades, charged toward Tianhua. Tianhua, standing still, waited for him to approach. Just as the warrior swung his blades at Tianhua, inexplicably, Tianhua soared into the air, flying towards Land Yunshan. With a wave of Land Yunshan's hand, a few men quickly captured the warrior.
Seeing this, Lei Shuang and his companions were shocked and hurriedly asked, "Who are you? State your name!"
"Tianhua!" Tianhua shouted from his horse.
Upon hearing this, chaos ensued among Lei Shuang's group. Lei Shuang, looking at Tianhua, now felt a bit panicked; it seemed the rumors about Tianhua's prowess were true.
As Lei Shuang observed, a sense of fear crept into his heart. He turned to his men, thinking that if he returned now, it would be a laughingstock. At that moment, he suddenly shouted, "Is there anyone else brave enough to step forward?"
A person stepped forward and whispered, "General Lei, I think this person is capable of using such techniques against a single opponent. This time, let's send several people to attack simultaneously and see how he handles it!"
"Good, I like this plan!" Lei Shuang nodded in agreement.
As the words fell, four men on horses rushed forward towards Tianhua. The four, wielding various weapons, simultaneously attacked Tianhua. However, Tianhua remained motionless, just like before. Land Yunshan watched nervously, while Lei Shuang wore a triumphant smile.
Suddenly...
Similar to the previous warrior, all four men soared into the air, flying towards Land Yunshan. The soldiers moved quickly and captured them all.
Lei Shuang, witnessing this, felt fear gripping his heart. He couldn't comprehend how they all simultaneously flew away. Panic-stricken, Lei Shuang shouted, "Attack!"
The commanding officer quickly waved the flag, and the soldiers charged forward. Land Yunshan drew his sword, shouting, "Attack!" The soldiers followed suit, and a battle ensued. At this moment, Tianhua raised his hand, signaling Land Yunshan to halt the attack.
Seeing this, the soldiers stopped, but it wasn't easy to bring an entire army to a sudden halt. By the time they stopped, they were already close behind Tianhua.
Lei Shuang looked at Tianhua and then at the halted enemy troops, feeling puzzled.
Suddenly, the ground trembled, and a colossal earth elemental warrior jumped out of the ground, wielding a massive sword. It entered the enemy ranks, creating chaos. Soldiers threw away their weapons, and the dust and debris rose into the air. Lei Shuang, unable to control his forces, suddenly felt as if something was pulling him. He watched in horror as his body floated towards Tianhua. Seeing this, Lei Shuang's heart trembled, almost terrified.
In no time, the soldiers had fled, leaving the battlefield. Land Yunshan, observing this, approached Tianhua and said, "Tianhua, you fought brilliantly, not killing a single soldier, yet instantly repelling an enemy force of 20,000. Impressive!"
"We should keep some of these people and see how the situation unfolds after capturing Dusk City," Tianhua suggested.
"Good! Let's proceed!" Tianhua said.
Land Yunshan nodded, waved his hand, and the army continued advancing towards Dusk City.
In the cities of Xingshui and Yueliu, news of Land Yunshan's march reached them, and each city convened a meeting. In the main hall of Xingshui City, Lord Qian Fang sat with Li Quan; the hall was silent except for their conversation.
"Considering the current situation, how should we respond?" Qian Fang asked.
"I believe Yueliu City must have received the same news. Their mobilization is inevitable. If we also send troops to the southern gate, when the west and south gates are simultaneously attacked, Shancheng Town will undoubtedly fall. Once Shancheng Town falls, we can follow up and join forces with the army of Dusk City for a pincer attack. By then, Land Yunshan and his forces will be easily captured," Li Quan suggested.
"Your plan sounds good, but they are not fools. They will anticipate our move and likely have a considerable number of troops stationed in Shancheng Town. It won't be easy to capture it," Qian Fang remarked.
"I think they won't leave many soldiers in Shancheng Town. From the previous battle, it's evident they are skilled at strategy. They would want to take Dusk City as quickly as possible. If they delay, the combined forces of the three cities will become a formidable threat. So, they might choose to concentrate their main force on attacking Dusk City," Li Quan explained.
"You make a valid point. Their plan may be to strike Dusk City swiftly, and if they succeed, we can negotiate a truce. I agree with your strategy. General, what's the plan?" Qian Fang asked.
"Speed is of the essence. They may arrive at Dusk City by nightfall. Engaging in a night battle is disadvantageous. I suggest we head to Shancheng Town today, catching them off guard and attacking while they least expect it," Li Quan proposed.
"Excellent, General Li Quan. Proceed with your preparations," Qian Fang commanded.
"Yes, my Lord. If there are no other matters, I will go and prepare the troops," Li Quan said.
"Go ahead," Qian Fang replied.
Li Quan stood up and bid farewell. As he walked away, Qian Fang watched his figure, sighing deeply in his heart, "I hope this endeavor will be successful."
Li Quan headed towards the military camp, selecting five capable generals and mustering an army of one hundred thousand. With all preparations complete, he bid farewell to Qian Fang and set off with his troops.
In the city of Yueliu, Du Nan received information that Lu Yunshan and Tian Hua were attacking the city of Rimu. Pondering for a while, he believed that Xingshui City must have received the news as well, and deploying forces was inevitable. After careful consideration, he immediately sent a messenger leading a hundred thousand troops towards the mountain town.
Outside the South Gate, in the dense forest, Cheng Kong led five hundred men waiting for the arrival of Xingshui City's forces. During the wait, someone stepped forward and said, "Last time, we used this strategy to drive away the enemy forces from Xingshui City. Afterwards, they discovered the truth. Today, if we employ the same tactic, how can we deceive them again? They won't be fooled twice by the same thing!"
"You don't understand. It's about the art of deception, the intertwining of truth and falsehood. The brilliance of this strategy lies in the delicate balance between the two," Cheng Kong explained.
The crowd nodded in agreement, saying, "Makes sense..."
Cheng Kong glanced at the people, then looked into the distance. Despite his confident words, deep down, he was unsure if this plan would succeed.
While deep in thought, Cheng Kong was suddenly approached by someone who exclaimed, "They're coming! Xingshui City's forces are approaching."
Cheng Kong immediately instructed, "Everyone, prepare quickly. Act according to the plan when the time comes!"
With a nod of acknowledgment, the people dispersed to make preparations. Although the strategy was similar to the last time, there was a crucial difference this time. In addition to the large flags from the previous encounter, the group brought many arrows. These arrows were unique, with cylindrical bamboo tubes attached near the arrowheads. Similar to last time, two hundred men held large flags, while the remaining three hundred each carried a bow and arrows. Cheng Kong observed the preparations and then waved his hand, commanding, "Action!"
Upon receiving the order, the two hundred flag bearers immediately scattered, while the remaining three hundred, along with Cheng Kong, moved towards the edge of the road, quietly waiting for Xingshui City's forces to arrive.
In the distance, the dust rose as Xingshui City's forces marched towards the mountain town. Cheng Kong and his group observed as the troops approached, estimating that they were soon within arrow range. Cheng Kong turned to the people behind him and said, "Get ready, follow my command, and be prepared to attack!"
Upon hearing the command, the people took down their bows and arrows, aiming at the slowly approaching Xingshui City's forces. Soon, Cheng Kong raised his hand, and the arrows flew towards the enemy. Li Quan, leading his troops, was on the move when he heard the commotion. He looked up and saw the incoming arrows, urgently shouting, "Be careful!" The soldiers raised their shields to defend against the arrows.
Boom... Boom... Boom...
A series of explosions caused panic among the troops. The arrows used by Cheng Kong's group were specially processed, filled with explosive substances in the cylindrical bamboo tubes near the arrowheads. As soon as the arrowhead was hit, the impact triggered an instant explosion. The shields scattered, and cries filled the air.
Arrows rained down, and the army, at Li Quan's command, swiftly retreated. Cheng Kong and his group continued shooting until Li Quan's forces were out of range, then ordered to cease the attack.
Li Quan led his troops to a stable position, dispatched someone to assess the situation, and, apart from some casualties, there were no major issues. Li Quan, on horseback, looked towards the nearby dense forest, furrowing his brows. After thinking for a moment, he shouted, "Orderly!"
The messenger hurriedly approached, and Li Quan gestured for him to come closer. Speaking in a low voice, Li Quan shared a few words with the messenger, then said, "Go quickly and return swiftly!"
The messenger acknowledged and immediately dismounted, heading towards the dense forest.
Before long, the messenger emerged from the forest, riding back to Li Quan's side. After sharing some quiet words, Li Quan waved him away and sat on his horse, gazing into the forest. Lost in thought, he muttered, "Due to the unclear situation, I dare not venture too deep. But in the forest, I found the same flags as last time, and the quantity is also similar... recalling the words of the messenger just now, this seems to be another 'deceptive army' strategy. However, this time, they have set up an ambush of archers with modified arrows. Judging from the recent attack, their main goal is not to snipe us; it's to disturb our troops. In the current situation, it seems they have achieved their goal..."
As he contemplated, the sun was setting, and the evening breeze picked up. Leaves rustled in the forest. Li Quan looked at the sky, then back at the forest, and finally shouted, "Order the archers to prepare. Let the archers cover us, and all soldiers charge forward! We must reach the mountain town before it gets dark."
With the command given, the archers prepared their bows and arrows, with the archers covering Cheng Kong's direction. At Li Quan's signal, he observed his troops, then shouted, "Charge!" Spurring his horse forward, the soldiers followed, and Cheng Kong, in the forest, saw their approach. He urgently called out to his companions, "They're coming! Everyone, prepare!"
As Li Quan and his forces entered the arrow range, Cheng Kong's group unleashed a rain of three hundred arrows towards them. Seeing this, Li Quan hurriedly shouted, "Be careful!" Soldiers raised their shields to block the incoming arrows.
Boom... Boom... Boom...
A series of explosions erupted. Due to the timely evasions of the cavalry, casualties were minimal. Li Quan quickly ordered, "Archer, prepare to fire!" With the command given, arrows swarmed towards Cheng Kong's position. Cheng Kong shouted, "Be careful!" before the arrows arrived. Some agile individuals dodged behind trees, avoiding the arrows, while others were not as fortunate and were struck, creating chaos. Cheng Kong, watching from behind the trees, counted over twenty casualties. Observing Li Quan's forces, shielded by archers, advancing beyond their position, Cheng Kong ordered to halt the attack.
Li Quan, leading his forces, retreated and secured their formation. After checking, he found only minor losses. Looking at the dense forest not far away, Li Quan furrowed his brows, pondered for a moment, and then shouted, "Messenger!"
The messenger hurriedly approached, and Li Quan waved him off, saying a few words in a low voice. The messenger acknowledged and immediately dismounted, walking towards the dense forest.
Not long after, the messenger returned from the forest and approached Li Quan. After sharing some quiet words, Li Qu
an waved him away. Sitting on his horse, he gazed towards the forest, deep in thought, "The heavens are not on our side. Now that the morale is shaken, continuing forward is futile. Quickly, send orders for the army to retreat to Xingshui City."
The messenger responded, brought a horse, helped Li Quan mount, and as Li Quan rode away, he said, "I'm fine. This injury is nothing."
"General, what should we do now?" the messenger asked.
Li Quan looked at the chaotic scene of fleeing soldiers and sighed, "The situation is unfavorable. Continuing forward is pointless now. Quickly, send orders for the army to retreat to Xingshui City."
Upon hearing the command, the messenger quickly mounted a horse and conveyed the orders to the soldiers. In the darkness, countless trampled bodies fell to the ground as people rushed towards the rear, resulting in numerous casualties.
Cheng Kong, in the forest, gradually only heard the explosions, and all other sounds disappeared. Suspicion arose in Cheng Kong's mind: Have they already charged through? But judging from the recent sounds, it shouldn't be the case. Have they already retreated? With this thought, Cheng Kong immediately ordered his men to stop the attack. As the assault ceased, the surroundings fell silent, with not a single sound.
Cheng Kong waited for a while, then leaped into the battlefield, where some remnants of the explosions still glowed. In the firelight, no traces of human figures remained. Cheng Kong walked towards the direction of the mountain town for a while but found nothing. At this point, he was sure: Xingshui City's forces had retreated!
Realizing this, Cheng Kong felt overjoyed and shouted towards the dense forest, "Xingshui City's forces have withdrawn. Quickly, send them a signal!"
Upon hearing the news, the people in the forest screamed in joy. Soon, two individuals carried out a massive long arrow, and as everyone watched, they shot the arrow into the sky. A long, resounding signal echoed, reaching the sky with a deafening roar. In response, countless colorful lights appeared.
As Lu Yunshan and Tian Hua approached the city of Rimu, not far from their camp, night fell. The two discussed and decided to set up camp for the night and attack the city early the next morning. After all arrangements were made, the two took a leisurely stroll in the camp and suddenly, the sky darkened. Unable to see their hands in front of their faces, the camp fell into chaos. Seeing this, Lu Yunshan quickly ordered someone to light torches. Soon, the camp was brightly lit.
Lu Yunshan and Tian Hua stood in the camp, watching the pitch-black sky. Lu Yunshan said in surprise, "What's going on? I've never seen such a strange thing before! How did the sky suddenly turn dark!"
Tian Hua also nodded and said, "Indeed! I've lived for so long, and this is the first time I've encountered such a weird phenomenon!"
As Lu Yunshan and Tian Hua were discussing, colorful lights suddenly appeared in the dark sky, becoming even more brilliant in the darkness.
"Yunshan, look! It's a signal arrow!" Tian Hua exclaimed with excitement.
"Yes, judging from the direction, it should be from the South Gate. It seems Xingshui City's forces have already retreated!" Lu Yunshan said with a smile.
"Xingshui City's forces have withdrawn. I wonder how things are in the city of Yueliu!" Tian Hua pondered.
"Let's wait a bit longer. Overall, this plan is much more challenging than the last one," Lu Yunshan remarked.
An hour later, a signal arrow was also shot from outside the West Gate. Lu Yunshan and Tian Hua watched the sky filled with colorful lights, feeling relieved. Lu Yunshan, excited, shouted, "Tian Hua, now we have no worries. Tomorrow, we can attack the city of Rimu without any concerns. Once the city is captured, our success is assured! Our ideals will soon be realized."
"Yes, Yunshan, we are about to succeed!" Tian Hua nodded, looking at the sky full of colorful lights.
Li Quan led his troops back to Xingshui City. Upon hearing the news of the military retreat, Qian Fang hurried over to inspect. When he saw Li Quan covered in wounds, Qian Fang anxiously inquired, "General Li, what happened?" Li Quan then detailed the events, and after listening, Qian Fang fell into a silent contemplation. After a long while, he raised his head to gaze at the dark sky, sighing, "It's the will of heaven!" With these words, he sighed several times. Suddenly, he remembered something and said to Li Quan, "General Li, you are severely injured. Rest and recuperate first!" After speaking, he instructed someone to assist Li Quan in resting.
When the troops of the Moonflow City were ambushed by Lu Yunshan's forces, colorful lights suddenly appeared in the sky outside the South Gate. The troops of Moonflow City immediately deduced that the forces of Xingshui City had likely retreated. The leader of the troops looked at the sky, then at the arrows continuously flying from the dense forest. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to withdraw his troops.
The night was silent, with few able to peacefully fall asleep.
As dawn broke, Lu Yunshan and Tian Hua rose early, leading their troops towards the city of Rimu. Upon reaching the city, Lu Yunshan did not exchange words with those on the city walls. Instead, he said to Tian Hua, "Tian Hua, let's finish this quickly!"
Tian Hua acknowledged, and a massive spear appeared, flying straight towards the city gate. With a loud bang, the gate was instantly broken. Seeing this, Lu Yunshan drew his long sword from his waist. Waving it, the people exerted their efforts to move forward, rushing towards the city of Rimu.
The soldiers who had fled the day before had spread the news of Tian Hua's actions. Combined with the recent breach of the city gate, the hearts of the people were already trembling with fear. Seeing Tian Hua leading a large army charging towards them, they had no time to escape or resist. As the city gate broke, the soldiers scattered in all directions.
Lu Yunshan and Tian Hua occupied various important positions in the city, and at that moment, Tian Hua said to Lu Yunshan, "Yunshan, I need to leave here and find Yuxing Tian."
"Tian Hua, I'll accompany you!" Lu Yunshan said.
"Yunshan, no need. There are still many things for you to do here! Just find someone to guide me," Tian Hua said with a smile.
Lu Yunshan looked at Tian Hua, thought for a moment, and then said, "Alright! Be careful on your own." After that, he called a person to guide Tian Hua to the "Imperial Dragon Mansion."
Tian Hua looked at Lu Yunshan, and then the guide led the way. The two rode their horses quickly towards the "Imperial Dragon Mansion." Lu Yunshan watched them go, then turned and left.
Arriving at the front of the mansion, Tian Hua heard that the city of Rimu had already fallen. Then, he heard about Tian Hua's prowess. At this moment, the mansion was in chaos. Tian Hua walked into the mansion and stopped a person, saying, "I am Tian Hua. Take me to see Yuxing Tian!"
The person was shocked and hastily said, "Master Yuxing is in seclusion. We don't know when he will come out."
"Then take me to where he is in seclusion," Tian Hua said.
The person could not refuse and could only lead Tian Hua towards the depths of the mansion. Before long, they arrived at the place where Yuxing Tian was in seclusion, a courtyard with a large house. The person stood in front of the door and said, "Master Yuxing is in there."
Tian Hua nodded, then let the person leave. Standing at the door, Tian Hua looked around for a while. In addition to the large house, there was an old man standing in front of the house. The old man stood there quietly, watching Tian Hua. Tian Hua took a look around and walked towards the door. The courtyard was large, and apart from the house and the old man, there was nothing else.
The wind gently blew the old man's long robe....
