[Fantasy] Clouds Dance and Moon Rises (Complete) - 1-3

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Chapter 1

As the rain began to fall that day, Chen Liu was walking through the main gate of Gao Family Inn.

The weather had turned a bit chilly due to the rain, but the atmosphere inside was bustling with activity. A group of soldiers, shirtless, were playing dice and gambling, shouting and yelling. Some idlers and hooligans from the neighborhood were also betting, having a great time at several tables. Most of these soldiers had gold tattoos on their faces, and their burly bodies were covered in tattoos of tigers and eagles. Judging from the colors of their military robes tied around their waists, some were imperial guards, some were vassal soldiers, and some were patrol archers.

Military discipline didn't exist here, because this brothel catered specifically to soldiers. Merchants who dared to do business in a dangerous place like Hongde Village were not exactly benevolent people; most were fearless desperados. Since the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Qingli era, the imperial court and the Western Xia rebels had been at war for decades. Huanqing Road, as the front line bordering Western Xia, had always been a disaster area ravaged by war, where human life was cheap. Hongde Village, located on Huanqing Road, was also considered part of the front line and was far from a peaceful place.

In fact, all sixty-six shops in Hongde Village catered to the military. They were either engaged in smuggling, loan sharking, or brothels, and behind them was only one owner: the mighty Imperial Guard of the Great Song Dynasty.

Chen Liu walked in and, seeing the surging crowd, moved to the side. He approached a group of soldiers, smiling and chatting.

The soldiers were having a great time and ignored him. Most soldiers, especially those in the Western Army, had experienced battle and death, knowing their lives were uncertain and didn't care about money. After receiving their pay, they indulged in eating, drinking, and merrymaking. A pile of copper coins was stacked on the table. The dealer shook and placed the dice, and immediately some people cursed loudly while others laughed gleefully, creating a chaotic cacophony.

The soldier who was running the game happily tucked the money into his pocket before glancing at Chen Liu.

"What are you doing here, you bastard?"

Chen Liu recognized him and chuckled, "Greetings, Third Brother. I wonder if Tang Tou'er..."

The soldier, who called himself Third Brother, knew that Chen Liu, this idle fellow, had recently been associating with the head constable, but that was none of his business. He only had eyes for the pile of copper coins in front of him, which looked like steamed buns. He impatiently pointed to the backyard, "Tang Tou'er is entertaining himself in the back. Go find him yourself."

Chen Liu bowed and scraped as he greeted the burly soldiers and went to the back. Just as he reached the back room, he heard something amiss. He heard a woman's moans coming from behind the door. He listened intently for a while. He spat inwardly, cursing his bad luck, then turned and retreated, standing silently against the wall.

If it weren't for these scoundrels controlling the trade route between Yanbian and Huiyi, who would want to deal with them? Each one of them had a gold tattoo on their face; they looked like short-lived, murderous bastards.

But it was precisely because of these bandit convicts that he could profit. War has always been the most lucrative source of wealth. During

the reign of the late Emperor Shenzong, he was determined to annihilate the Western Xia and restore the former Han and Tang territories of Hexi. Hundreds of thousands of troops from five routes in Shaanxi fought the Western Xia for over a decade. Among these victories were the glorious triumphs of Wang Shao's expansion of Xihe and Zhong E's restoration of Suide, as well as disastrous defeats like the Five-Route Western Expedition and the defeat at Yongle City. To subsidize military expenses, the court issued an edict allowing border troops to return to Yiyi to replenish supplies. In Chen Liu's view, this edict was the only truly good thing the court had done in recent years.

It was because of this edict that he had transformed from a local ruffian into the wealthy Chen the Official.

Six years ago, Emperor Shenzong passed away, and the Song Dynasty was replaced by a new emperor. Empress Dowager Gao ruled from behind the curtain, and Chancellor Sima became the new prime minister. He proposed the "Yuan You Reform," claiming to make peace with the Western Xia by ceding the territory recovered during the Yuanfeng era's western expedition and resuming annual tributes to them.

He argued that this would end the war and relieve everyone of suffering. It sounded good, but despite ceding land, paying tribute, and withdrawing troops, the Western Xia's attacks became even more rampant and vicious. Last year alone, they invaded three times, plundering Huanqing and Jingyuan. The Dangxiang vanguard even openly penetrated into Qingzhou territory. This year, the Western Xia's Jingse Military Command in Weizhou has been building fortifications and gathering cavalry in Meiyan Gorge, likely preparing for another invasion.

Meanwhile, the imperial court was also constructing Dingyuan City in Xihe Road, clearly preparing for retaliatory action against Western Xia. Everyone knew that the court's Yuan You reforms were a self-inflicted slap in the face. However, for Chen Liu, this was another golden opportunity to make a fortune. Without war, how would he make his money?

In the back room,

Tang Yun and the woman pressed tightly beneath him were both completely naked. They embraced each other tightly, their bodies intertwined in a wanton, lewd manner, rolling and writhing on the bed. The woman's strong, long legs spread wide under the man's advances, tightly gripping Tang Yun's waist, her feet hooked together. Her sexy, full white flesh trembled under the man's powerful kneading, leaving red marks. A satisfied expression graced her face as she moaned with pleasure in sync with the man's movements.

"Oh...oh...da da...kiss da da...oh..."

The man panted heavily, pressing his entire weight between the woman's legs, his hands cupping her buttocks, thrusting forcefully, making the bed creak and groan, accompanied by the sticky sounds of their juicy flesh grinding together. The woman's hands clung to the man's bare, muscular back, her nails digging into his flesh with each wave of pleasure.

This woman was a prostitute, making a living by selling her body in this brothel. Her husband was a local rogue, a gambler and womanizer who had squandered his fortune and now relied on his wife's prostitution to support the family. At this moment, she was working as a hanger-on for someone. Such scoundrels were common in the border towns and cities. Because the government troops and the Western bandits were constantly at war, the border people lived hand to mouth, no one knew if they would live to see the end of this long war. Perhaps the war would break out again tomorrow, and they would die on the battlefield. If they couldn't even save their own lives, who would care about selling their bodies?

Who knows if he'll survive the next time those Tangut traitors come to his doorstep? He'll live one day at a time.

When the future is uncertain, very few people care about dignity and reputation.

"You slut... huff... huff... watch how grandpa will deal with you..."

Tang Yun, drenched in sweat, thrust his body violently, enjoying the pleasure of their bodies rubbing and intertwining. The woman's inside was already soaking wet; his thick penis churned comfortably inside, reaching deep into her anus each time. The harder he thrust, the more the woman climaxed, her juices flowing freely.

"Get up..."

The man's large hand cupped the woman's plump waist, lifting her up with a gentle pull. Her lower body was completely filled; this man's penis was the largest she had ever seen. At this moment, this deadly thing made her vagina overflow with lustful fluids. Waves of tingling pleasure engulfed her like a tsunami. She rose up, hooking her arms around the man's neck, her legs entwined around his waist, her buttocks suspended in the air as she sank down, her wet, plump vagina swallowing that intoxicating penis once more.

The man gritted his teeth, breathing in the cool air, standing barefoot on the ground, holding the woman's body in the air as he thrust violently. A series of liquids, whether urine or vaginal fluid, dripped from their joined bodies, covering the ground. Tiny droplets of fluid splashed with each slap of flesh as his engorged penis was repeatedly swallowed into the woman's wet, sticky vagina, causing the dark red, tender flesh inside to occasionally turn inside out, covered with thin strands of white mucus.

The woman's buttocks rippled with each thrust. These soldiers were all rough men, incredibly strong. Each time they vented on her, they would leave her with a sore back and weak legs. This Captain Tang was the best among them. Despite his handsome appearance, his penis was enormous, and he was incredibly strong. He lifted her, who weighed over a hundred pounds, like a child, bouncing her hundreds of times without batting an eye.

But it was precisely because of this that she loved this young captain the most. Sometimes she wondered why she wasn't his wife. This was a real man. She wondered which lucky woman would be his wife, enjoying nights of passion every night. Just thinking about it made her feel wonderful.

Tang Yun, panting heavily, held the woman's buttocks, suspending her in mid-air. The tender flesh inside her entwined around his penis, grinding against it, the sensation exquisite. There were forty-four brothels and dens of iniquity in the city, but this Sun Erniang was the most pleasurable. Not only was she incredibly alluring in bed, but she also possessed a beautiful face—almond-shaped eyes, peach-blossom cheeks, and an oval face—her figure alluring and seductive. Marrying Zhang Qing was like a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung.

Just thinking about it made him jealous, and the more jealous he became, the more he wanted to fuck her hard. He held her buttocks and placed her on the table, lowering his head to kiss her wide-open red lips, pressing his body tightly against hers, suppressing his pleasure as he thrust forcefully into her wet flesh, as if trying to squeeze out the last drop of her juices.

The woman finally ran out of strength, her body limp from the man's ministrations, her legs dangling to her sides. Tang Yun, increasingly aroused, picked her up again, pressing her against the door as he stood, suppressing his final urges and thrusting forcefully. The woman's crotch was already soaking wet, as if she had lost control of her bladder. Her fifth and most intense orgasm quickly arrived, her body convulsing. Her legs, now powerless, once again clung tightly to the man's buttocks, her nails digging into his flesh.

After a couple of violent thrusts, Tang Yun felt a tidal wave of pleasure rush to the back of his head. With a final, powerful thrust, he knocked down the door, and the two tumbled out naked, embracing each other. Even after falling, Tang Yun remained on top of the woman, using the momentum of the fall to thrust all the way in, followed by a torrent of semen that gushed out, completely filling the woman's vagina.

Hearing the commotion, some of the people in front peeked out and burst into laughter at what they saw. Tang Yun didn't care at all, continuing to hold the woman until he squeezed out the last bit of his semen, releasing it deep into her body. Only then did he stop, panting, and the woman's body gradually calmed down.

At this moment, many soldiers and idlers peeked out to watch the spectacle. Zhang Qing, who had been startled by the noise, hurriedly rushed to the back. He was stunned when he saw what was happening, his face turning red and then pale, wondering if his wife was alright.

Although he had already decided to be a cuckold, his woman had been brought to a state of ecstasy by another man, from the bed to the floor, from inside the house to outside, even reaching the doorway. The two of them had reached orgasm in the yard in full view of everyone, and he didn't look good.

"Captain, this is..."

Zhang Qing forced a smile and tried to move forward.

"Damn it, what are you looking at? Are you asking for a beating?"

Tang Yun stood up casually, his large penis still glistening with the woman's fluids, swaying comically with his movements. He grabbed the woman who was frantically covering herself, turned and went into the house, then propped up the collapsing door.

Amidst the laughter, everyone went back to gambling, leaving Zhang Qing standing there dumbfounded, his face as white as a sheet.

"Captain, you really... how can I face anyone..."

Sun Erniang frantically dressed inside, muttering complaints.

"What's there to be afraid of? You're not going to stand up for yourself. Here, this is a reward."

He took a string of copper coins from his waist pouch and tossed it to Sun Erniang. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he reached into his waistband, his face changing: "Where's my jade pendant?"

He began searching the bed, certain it had fallen somewhere while he was undressing.

After searching high and low, Tang Yun finally found it and breathed a sigh of relief, examining it carefully.

The jade pendant was carved from Lantian jade, its surface warm and smooth, shaped like a unicorn, with a small "Yun" character in the upper left corner.

"Luckily it wasn't broken,"

Tang Yun murmured to himself, carefully putting it away close to his body.

"This jade pendant doesn't look ordinary, Captain."

"It's a family heirloom; my brother and I each have one."

Tang Yun was in a good mood and became more talkative.

"Captain, you have another brother, but I've never heard you mention him."

"Why are you asking about these things?"

Tang Yun glanced at her, put on his clothes, stood up, exhaled a breath of stale air, stretched his limbs, and felt completely refreshed. After releasing his pent-up desire, one always felt particularly relaxed.

When he reached the front, the crowd saw Tang Yun emerge and burst into laughter. One by one, they exclaimed that Tang Yun was quite capable. Tang Yun chuckled without any embarrassment. Seeing Chen Liu in the corner, he beckoned to him, and Chen Liu grinned and came over.

The two went outside the shop to a secluded spot.

"What are you doing here? Didn't I say I would provide you on the appointed day?"

"Please calm down, Chief. It's just that my master can't wait any longer. He only asks for a specific date."

Tang Yun's face darkened, and he was about to explode when Chen Liu, quick-witted and nimble, slipped something into his hand. Tang Yun saw that it was a silver ingot, probably weighing at least ten taels, and his face immediately lit up with joy. At that time, the Song Dynasty used copper coins. Gold and silver items were either collected by wealthy families or given as tribute to the Liao and Xia dynasties. They were rarely seen. It seemed that Chen Liu's master was indeed generous.

"You must know, this is a business that could cost you your life. If those censors find out, you'll be in deep trouble."

"Others can't do it, but for Commander Tang, it's a piece of cake. From Hongde Village to Suning Village, Anse Fort, and Wulan Village, a hundred li or so, it's all under Grand Commandant Zhe's control. In our Great Song Dynasty, who doesn't know the prestige of the Zhe family generals of Hedong? Commander Tang is Grand Commandant Zhe's personal guard; who dares not give him face? Besides, this exchange has been going on for decades; it's just a court practice, nothing serious. Even Fan Zhongyan did it back then..."

This was indeed true. Since the implementation of the military reforms during Emperor Shenzong's reign, Song Dynasty generals had increasingly tighter control over their soldiers. Although the Yuan You era later abolished the reforms, the army had its own strategies, and it wasn't something that could be resolved with a single imperial decree. From Hongde Village to Suning Village, it truly was a one-man show. Hongde Village and Wulan Village were somewhat better, mostly guarded by the Imperial Guards. Suning Village, however, was garrisoned by Mu Hua, the leader of the Mu family's cavalry from Huanzhou. The vassal state was already lax in discipline, and with the addition of trade routes, Suning Village had become a lawless place. Only because Zhe Keshi was protecting it had no one bothered with it.

However, this couldn't be said openly.

"You know nothing! General Zhang Jinglue is now in charge of Huanqing Road, and he has already ordered that trade only with the Qinghai-Tibetan and Qiang tribes is permitted. When was trade with the Western Xia allowed? Don't forget that the Western bandits are currently at war with us. This is aiding the enemy; being caught is a capital offense."

"Yes, yes, yes, I was confused."

Chen Liu nodded and bowed, saying only flattering words, but inwardly he sneered. Which border general in Shaanxi had a clean backside?

Secretly, they were all engaged in smuggling for profit, and a considerable number of them also had clandestine dealings with the Western Xia. The fighting between the two sides did not prevent these people from taking what they needed. As long as the war did not break out again in full force, this smuggling would continue

. Although Zhe Keshi was known as a famous general, he secretly sent his personal guards to smuggle. The fact that he could get on Chen Liu's good side meant that Chen Liu was not clean, so why pretend to be innocent?

Tang Yun glanced at Chen Liu, having his own plans. This smuggling was nothing in itself; the court's official funds and sealed-off funds were openly distributed to border generals as capital for business, and no one would really care about this. However,

his actions were somewhat outrageous. It involved thousands of bolts of silk, not the usual small-scale transactions. Such a large amount sounded quite frightening.

The court had been experiencing a shortage of funds for many years, and with the need for smuggling on the border, a large portion of the annual military pay was replaced by silk. Hundreds of thousands of bolts of silk were sent to the border troops in batches, who then sold them for profit to subsidize their military pay. Because he was secretly doing this kind of business for Zhe Keshi, he was able to conveniently seek some benefits for himself.

The silk was sent to Qinghai and Tibet, yielding a profit of four strings of cash per bolt. He secretly colluded with Chen Liu, who initially purchased over a thousand bolts of silk, earning more than four thousand strings of cash, which he then handed over to the authorities. Afterwards, he secretly transported the silk from Chen Liu to Western Xia for sale. Due to years of war disrupting trade, this commodity was extremely scarce in Western Xia. A thousand bolts of silk could be exchanged for over two hundred fine horses. These horses were either transported to the interior or sold locally to the army, each fetching hundreds of strings of cash – a truly exorbitant profit.

If the army were in charge, the fine horses could be used to train cavalry or sold to supplement military funds. However, Tang Yun was now secretly using the army's silk to generate profits for private merchants, without benefiting the army. He was essentially undermining the army for his own gain, a move that would be no laughing matter if it became known. The army, as a community with shared interests, detested such traitors who betrayed their own side.

Furthermore, his superior was Zhe Keshi, a man not easily fooled.

No military man in the Song Dynasty was unfamiliar with the Zhe family of Hedong. In the early Northern Song Dynasty, there were once illustrious military families like the Yang and Hu families, but they had all declined by then. With the rise of the Western Xia, renowned officials like Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi led the military in the Northwest, painstakingly building a massive Western Army from scratch. During this period, new "noble" families like the Zhong and Yao families emerged, but their foundations were not as deep as the Zhe family's. After all, this was the only allowed military region in the Song Dynasty, a region that produced famous generals and whose members died in service to the emperor.

Zhe Keshi was the most dazzling military star of this generation of the Zhe family.

At a young age, he was regarded as a "true general" by the famous general Guo Kui and appointed to the Imperial Guard. Later, he accompanied Zhong E on a patrol of the border. At that time, Zhong E crossed the Dali River at night, captured Suide, and defeated the Western Xia, avenging the Song army's defeat at Haoshuichuan. The Western Xia hated him to the bone. When they learned of his departure, they sent the valiant general Wei Cailangluo to infiltrate Fuyan Road to ambush Zhong E. Zhe Keshi met him alone on horseback, killed Wei Cailangluo, and returned with his head. He became famous in the western border region after this battle. Later, during the Five-Route Western Expedition, he led an army as the envoy of the Hengxing Zheng. He first defeated the Western bandits at Sanjiaoling, then defeated the enemy at Mizhi Village, and then defeated the enemy at Putao Mountain. In the fifth year of Yuanfeng, he first captured Jintang City and then Xialu City. The court specially commended him and renamed Xialu City Hongde Village, ordering him to garrison it. He was known as the "Ever-Victorious General" in the Western Army.

Such a ruthless general, who kills without hesitation, has a heart sculpted from ice. If anyone angers him, he will show no mercy, no matter how great their achievements.

Tang Yun didn't know if his current actions would anger him, but he preferred not to know.

Chen Liu stared at Tang Yun, not believing that this convict would give up the fat meat that was already in his mouth. For the ten strings of cash per horse, he would have been beheaded, that was more than two thousand strings of cash, an astronomical figure here.

"Fine, I'll risk my life this time. Go back and tell your master that I'll be waiting for him at the horse post in Qingshagou, ten miles outside the South Gate, at midnight in ten days."

It was late at night, and curfew was in effect in Hongde Village.

Chen Liu's figure appeared in the courtyard of Gaojiadian. Zhang Qing and Sun Erniang, their expressions changed from the morning, were having a private conversation inside.

"They finally relented. For the sake of two thousand strings of cash, who can stand firm?"

Chen Liu said of Tang Yun with a look of disdain.

"When will we get the warhorses?"

"The delivery will take place in ten days. Inform the Grand Master to prepare for receiving the goods. With these hundreds of warhorses, the bandits of Hedong, Hebei, and Xijing will have to submit to our Red Lotus Society. We won't fear the government troops. Then we can recruit more soldiers and horses; great things are on the horizon..."

"Does Tang Yun really have dealings with the Xia dogs?"

"I've found out. Tang Yun wasn't originally a Han Chinese; he's a Han slave who escaped from Xixia. He was taken in as a personal guard by Zhe Keshi because he speaks the Xixia language, specifically to gather intelligence on Xixia. I've gone with him a few times; the Xixia dogs there really do have a relationship with him."

"He's a Xixia person?"

Sun Erniang frowned.

"These past few days have been tough for you, Erniang. I've already reported this to the Grand Master; you'll surely be rewarded."

Ten days later, late at night, at Qingshagou Horse Stable.

A convoy of forty large carts, fully loaded with goods, traveled along the mountain road. They dared not light torches in the dead of night, relying solely on the moonlight to grope their way forward. Since Zhang Jie assumed the post of Military Commissioner of Huanqing Road, he had abandoned the large-scale military campaigns of the Shenzong era, which involved hundreds of thousands of troops marching

beyond the Great Wall. Instead, he began a piecemeal, gradual approach to eroding the Western Xia. Zhang Jie vigorously promoted the strategy of "building fortifications and advancing cautiously," constructing castles at every conquered location, then dispatching elite cavalry to sweep the surrounding areas. They then advanced, establishing fortifications every five li and stockades every ten li, until the entire Huanqing Road was riddled with fortifications. The surrounding outposts, both visible and hidden, were countless. Without a knowledgeable military officer to guide them, a convoy of this size could not possibly evade the Song army's surveillance network.

This area fell under Zhe Keshi's defenses, and Tang Yun was Zhe Keshi's personal guard captain, making him a familiar military figure. He led the convoy slowly, winding its way through the enemy lines. The hidden stakeouts at the stockades seemed to have relaxed their guard that night, and the massive convoy gradually infiltrated the Song army's defenses.

After passing through a grove of trees, they came to a series of deep, haphazardly dug trenches and felled trees and rocks, seemingly a man-made boundary line. The road was severely damaged. Tang Yun raised his hand to signal them to stop and turned to Chen Liu, saying, "This is the border. Further ahead is Xia territory. The convoy can't go any further; we'll have to proceed on foot."

Although Chen Liu had been to Xia territory with Tang Yun before, he was still afraid, and beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead.

Tang Yun led the way, traversing the trenches and obstacles. Ahead lay a small path. This was the defense zone of the Western Xia Jingse Military Command. Not far ahead was Weiding Village, the largest stronghold under the Jingse Military Command. Every time the Western Xia invaded Huanqing Road, the soldiers stationed at Weiding Village were the vanguard of the invasion, their hands stained with the blood of Han Chinese. Moreover, this place was one of the main activity areas of the notorious Western Xia's capture-the-wild troops. They frequently crossed the border to raid and enslave Han Chinese, earning the deep hatred of the border people. The Song army also considered this stronghold a thorn in their side.

Chen Liu followed Tang Yun, walking anxiously for a while. The surrounding area was full of rocks and forests, dark and indistinct, as if countless people were lurking nearby, ready to jump out and shoot them at any moment.

"We're here,"

Tang Yun suddenly stopped, and Chen Liu almost bumped into him.

Looking ahead, a tall, dark building stood—this was the beacon tower set up by Weidingtun. In recent years, the Song army's strategy of "building fortifications and launching shallow attacks" has been remarkably effective. While the Western Xia were not afraid of large Song armies advancing rapidly, they were greatly troubled by this gradual, piecemeal approach. Forced to emulate the Song army, they built beacon towers in key border locations. However, the Tanguts, clearly inept at fortification, only scratched the surface. The vast Weidingtun village had only one beacon tower, built exceptionally tall, resembling a small castle, easily accommodating two or three hundred people. However, only about twenty soldiers were usually stationed there, a fact Tang Yun had long understood.

Although Chen Liu had seen this beacon tower before, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. In fact, all the border people living in Shaanxi spoke of Western Xia with a mixture of hatred and fear, after all, it was an opponent that the powerful Song Dynasty, with its tens of millions of people, had spent decades trying to defeat without success.

Several figures flashed in the darkness ahead, and then someone lit a lantern at a window on the beacon tower.

By the light, it was clear that the four men in front of him were dressed as Xixia soldiers, wearing iron and leather armor, with long swords and bows at their waists, and their heads sporting disgusting bald hairstyles, resembling Japanese kappa monsters. However, these guys were all familiar faces. The one in the lead was a minor leader who opened his mouth and spoke a string of Xixia words to Tang Yun.

Chen Liu didn't understand a word, and Tang Yun didn't translate for him. He simply continued speaking in Xixia language, exchanging words back and forth for a while. Then, the other party laughed heartily, appearing quite pleased. He even bowed to Tang Yun, seemingly very close. Tang Yun, in turn, held his hand as if they were old friends. After the other party left, Tang Yun told Chen Liu, "They agreed. Five bolts of silk for one horse. Our large carts can't cross, so they agreed to settle the transaction at the border." As soon as

he finished speaking, a large herd of horses was seen being driven from behind a small hill on the opposite side. Then, the soldiers from the beacon tower came out to help drive the horses, and together they reached the man-made obstacle.

The atmosphere was quite strange. Soldiers from two warring countries, separated by a pile of garbage-like obstacles, were both wary of each other and began doing business. One side counted out five bolts of silk and handed them over to the other, who then led over a horse.

The entire process lasted for over an hour. By the time all the horses were counted, the dark sky was beginning to lighten.

"It's time to go,"

Tang Yun urged. Among the men Chen Liu brought appeared to be herdsmen or similar people, who were leading the horses back. However, this time they weren't taking the same route they had come by. Tang Yun didn't care; the transaction was complete, his task was finished, and he had nothing more to do except collect the money. He

certainly couldn't keep all two thousand strings of cash for himself. The night watchmen at the stables—since they were so cooperative, he'd definitely have to pay them hush money. And the vassal soldiers of Suning Village—those bastards had withdrawn their patrols last night; they needed to be paid for their hard work. And his comrades in the personal guard—they were helping him cover for him, and their appetites wouldn't be small either.

Thinking it over, he realized he had to bribe almost everyone around him. He wondered how much of the two thousand strings of cash he'd actually have left.

Tang Yun would be satisfied if he could keep 30%.

Most importantly, that old man Zhe Keshi…

When Tang Yun returned to Hongde Village, he was still empty-handed. He had parted ways with the men Chen Liu had brought halfway there. They took another path with their herd of horses back to Huanzhou. Tang Yun didn’t know which path these horse traders had taken that allowed such a large caravan to bypass the government checkpoints along the way. However, most horse traders on the Northwest Road had connections with bandits. These bandits usually roamed the mountains and forests and knew some secret paths that were not usually known. It was not difficult for them to freely enter and exit the borders of the two countries, or even freely enter and exit Xingqing Prefecture.

Two thousand strings of copper coins were far too heavy, requiring several large boxes to pack, making it impossible to carry on one's person. Chen Liu agreed to pay with an equivalent amount of gold and silver upon returning to the city. Tang Yun didn't know where these people got so much gold and silver, but he wasn't interested in digging into it. Most of the merchants who came to the border to smuggle were resourceful; they could simply exchange the money for copper coins or other hard currency later. In any case, the scum in the army wasn't in a hurry to split the profits.

He didn't think Chen Liu would renege on the debt, because Tang Yun felt these people probably wanted to do long-term business. Once they lost their credibility, they would have nowhere to stay on the border, and with the army's strength, that would be a piece of cake. Besides, the other party had a thousand strings of cash as a deposit in his hands.

When they arrived at the city gate, it was already dawn. The city gate was open, and soldiers and civilians were bustling in and out. Tang Yun, with his sharp eyes, noticed that the number of gate guards at the gate was several times greater than when he left the city, and there were also some soldiers he didn't recognize resting their horses outside the city.

Judging from their banners, they included Dang Wan, the sixth general of Huanqing Road, and Liu Suo, the second general—both local tyrants who ruled over their respective territories in Huanqing Road. Zhe Keshi, the seventh general of Huanqing Road, was a trusted and beloved general of the military commissioner Zhang Jie. This group gathering meant they had some important military matters to discuss. Considering the recent rumors of the Western Xia gathering troops in Weizhou and undertaking large-scale construction in Meiyan Gorge, they might have come here to discuss countermeasures. After all, among the generals of Huanqing Road, Zhe Keshi was undoubtedly the most intelligent and courageous.

Was war about to resume? Perhaps the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived…

Watching Chen Liu enter the city gate, Tang Yun deliberately kept a distance before entering, handing his pass and command token to the gatekeeper for verification. He had been on duty patrolling the city these past few days and had received the command token. He would have to return to the government office to return the token upon returning to the city, and then find an opportunity to collect the money from Chen Liu. Anyway, the fellow would definitely return to the city; there was no rush.

Just as Tang Yun was at the city gate, he saw a group of soldiers approaching from the opposite side of the road. Leading them was his colleague and friend, Gao Long, the Left Commander of the Guards. Gao Long's expression turned strange upon seeing Tang Yun. Tang Yun's heart skipped a beat, but Gao Long quickly walked to his side and said, "Tang Yun, the Grand Commandant has ordered you to pay your respects upon returning to the city. Go now."

Tang Yun smiled and said, "Fifth Brother, why the rush? I see that most of the soldiers outside are subordinates of General Dang and General Liu. Does the Grand Commandant have urgent business to discuss with me?"

Gao Long's face darkened, and he winked at him, saying, "How would I know what business the Grand Commandant has? Hurry up, hurry up."

Tang Yun frowned immediately. This Gao Long was his friend and colleague; he even received a share of the money Tang Yun had made. Seeing his expression, Tang Yun suspected something was amiss.

Looking back, he saw that Gao Long's men were scattered around him, forming a guard-like posture. He immediately knew his secret had been exposed. These were the men Zhe Keshi had sent to deal with him; they were all people he knew, elite warriors with exceptional skills.

It seemed it was true. With two or three of these men, he would have been helpless; now there were ten, plus Gao Long.

Was this inevitable? The day had finally come… Tang Yun sighed inwardly, making no other move, simply letting Gao Long and his men escort him towards the government office. All of this was clearly seen by Chen Liu, who was hiding behind the wall not far away.

What was going on? Chen Liu was no ordinary man; those who made their living in the underworld needed sharp eyes. Seeing that Tang Yun seemed to be being taken away, though not chained, the manner was unmistakable. Had this corrupt official committed a crime? This was extremely bad. He had painstakingly built this path, bribing officials at all levels, and now it seemed it was all about to be cut off? Was he facing legal trouble because of this trade with Xixia? Was this guy really going to be beheaded?

He didn't care whether Tang Yun, that corrupt official, lived or died, but Tang Yun was currently the only military officer willing and able to trade with Xixia, and he was powerful and influential enough to protect them. They were hoping to get more warhorses through him.

And what if Tang Yun implicated him? Chen Liu was almost certain he would.

But he wasn't sure if Tang Yun was involved because of this… The wisest decision now was to leave quickly, but if he had misunderstood, Tang Yun would definitely think he had run away after defaulting on his debt, and the connection they had finally established would be severed, and he would never have such an opportunity again.

What to do?

Chen Liu was getting anxious when suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind. Startled, he turned around and saw a robust middle-aged man standing behind him, with a full beard, dressed like a merchant.

"Big Boss!"

Chen Liu immediately recognized the man.

The man made a subtle gesture, and Chen Liu thought, perfect, this is the perfect opportunity to tell him.

“Big Boss, just now…”

“No need to say anything, I know everything.”

The man raised his hand to signal him to shut up. “Pack your things and leave the city immediately. It doesn’t matter if this line is cut off.”

“This… leaving like this, isn’t it a pity…”

“I just saw that old scoundrel Zhang Jie’s trusted retainer in the city. I’m afraid he has already noticed our movements. Capturing this corrupt official surnamed Tang is definitely not without purpose. It’s not worth such a risk for a mere few thousand strings of cash. Anyway, we already have the horses. It’s not too late to find another way later. I, Su Yanfu, have roamed the martial world for so many years, and I don’t rely on these corrupt officials to achieve anything.”

“That old scoundrel Zhang Jie!”

Chen Liu gasped in a low voice, then gritted his teeth. Su Yanfu was originally a notorious bandit in the Jingzhou area, occupying Tianwang Mountain and founding the Red Lotus Society. His men were strong and well-equipped, and even government troops would avoid them. The outlaws of Jinghu Road, who ruled the mountains, all obeyed his commands; he was a renowned leader among the outlaws. However, later, Zhang Jie, the supervisor of the Jinghu North Road criminal justice system, launched a brutal crackdown on these bandits. Countless outlaws died at his hands. Su Yanfu lost his stronghold to Zhang Jie and, unable to establish himself in the south, eventually fled to the north. Now, he is slowly recovering, but the mere mention of Zhang Jie's name still terrifies him.

"Sooner or later, we'll tear that old thief to pieces."

"Great Boss, if that happens, I'm afraid our retreat will be in jeopardy. That old thief Zhang is now in charge of Huanqing Road, and Huanzhou is also his territory. Our cavalry has over two hundred horses; such a large force... I'm afraid..."

"No need to worry about that. There are many vassal states here, and most of their sons grew up in the mountains and are familiar with many hidden paths. I've already bribed a vassal official named Meng Zhen. He knows a secret route that leads directly to the mountains outside the south gate of Huanzhou, without taking the official road."

"No wonder Gao Qi and the others didn't enter the city but went straight into the mountains; it turns out Great Boss had already made arrangements. As for Zhang Qing and Er Niang..."

"Let's all set off together. They've suffered these past few days; the traps we set up haven't been used, and they've endured so much hardship for nothing."

"Great Boss, can that vassal official Meng Zhen be trusted?"

“If he’s unreliable, wouldn’t it be a great achievement to report us to the authorities and have us arrested? Besides, these vassal tribes are different from us Han people. They’re not Song people. They’re used to being lawless and have no loyalty to the government. They’ll do anything for money. Anyway, we only need this guy to lead the way. When he’s no longer useful, we can just kill him.”…

********************************************* (Separation line)

Night fell, and the undulating mountains of Huanqing Road were covered with a layer of silvery frost under the moonlight.

A dark night for murder, a windy night for arson. Today, the moon wasn’t dark and the wind wasn’t strong, but Tang Yun’s mood was murderous. He took the same old road, and the group behind him was much smaller than last time: one hundred bolts of silk, five large carts, and thirteen people.

No one knew what had happened to him last time. In fact, those who heard about it found it strange that he was still alive. Tang Yun's secret collusion with the enemy in the trade with Xixia had undoubtedly been exposed. Given Zhe Keshi's strict military law and the ruthless nature of Zhang Jie, the current commander of Huanqing Road, such a blatant offender would be a perfect example to scare the rest.

However, Tang Yun's continued survival has inevitably aroused speculation.

Some believe Zhe Keshi might be eyeing the lucrative profits of the trade with Xixia, and that allowing Tang Yun to continue trading is evidence of this, except that his subordinates no longer have the opportunity to profit—a classic case of the big fish eating the small fish.

Others think Zhe Keshi values talent; Tang Yun is shrewd and capable, possessing exceptional martial arts skills, and is already a captain in the guards in his early twenties. Zhe Keshi once said that Tang Yun could one day reach his position.

With another major war about to break out between Song and Xia, it's a time when manpower is needed, so giving him a chance to redeem himself is understandable.

Regardless of others' speculations, Tang Yun himself remains as relaxed as ever.

"Have we arrived yet?"

someone asked in a low voice. The thirteen men who had arrived were all agile and strode quickly, speaking very little along the way. Maintaining formation and discipline even on such a long journey was a testament to their elite status. The men escorting the wagon were seasoned veterans selected from Zhe Keshi's personal guards.

"Almost there,"

Tang Yun replied without turning his head. Ever since the day he escaped from Western Xia, his heart had been numb. But now, he felt as if his heart was boiling; the overwhelming excitement made him afraid to speak, lest others notice.

Ahead, the beacon tower of Weiding Village was faintly visible.

On the tower, Leiding Milan peered eastward from the crenellations. Tang Yun had sent word that there was another profitable opportunity today, which was great news for them.

The Leiding clan was a small Dangxiang tribe; for them, fighting the powerful Eastern Dynasty was merely a means of survival. They needed the Eastern Dynasty's wealth and food to feed their people. If they could obtain these things without fighting or losing lives, why not? The Jing Sai Military Command is dominated by the Renduo tribe. The twelve military commanderies of Western Xia are controlled by powerful clans and large families. These smaller tribes are merely tools for others, always serving as cannon fodder in wars against the Song Dynasty, while the larger tribes reap the benefits.

Of course, Leiding Milan cannot change this situation, but smaller tribes have their own ways of survival. Caught between Western Xia and the powerful Eastern Dynasty, they can only survive by playing both sides. The Song Dynasty is an enemy of Western Xia and the Renduo tribe, but not necessarily of the Leiding tribe, even though the Leiding tribe is now part of Western Xia.

As a nation composed of tribes, the Bai Shang Kingdom prioritizes the tribe itself.

The throne of the Weiming tribe is a matter for the Weiming people to worry about. "We, the Leiding tribe, need to survive. There's no need for us to swear allegiance to you. The greedy Renduo tribe always places us small tribes in dangerous areas as shields for them, like here. Once war breaks out, this place will definitely be the first target. With such malicious intentions, why should we be devoted to you?

" "Here they come."

Seeing the familiar figure appear, Leiding Milan was excited.

"Leiding Milan!"

A shout came from below in Xixia language; it was indeed Tang Yun. He hadn't brought much today, which was normal; he hadn't even finished using the more than a thousand bolts of silk from last time. They just wanted horses, right? The Tanguts had plenty of horses.

"Go down and take a look!"

Leiding Milan called to the men guarding the beacon tower to come down with him. There were five regular soldiers, ten porters, and ten laborers inside the beacon tower, and they had all come out now.

"Young Master Tang, you are indeed a man of your word."

Leiding Milan had a good impression of the handsome Song Dynasty military officer before him. If possible, he would even be willing for the border between the two countries to remain in this state of confrontation forever, to do business with this man forever. Then he saw Tang Yun wave to the back, and several large carts creaked and groaned as they approached. He was momentarily stunned. The Song army usually parked their carts at the border, and then the two sides would hand them over at the border. Why were they coming over today? How did they manage to pull the carts over the obstacles?

But upon closer inspection, he saw that there were only about a dozen people on the other side, all unarmed. Since his side outnumbered them, he didn't worry about it.

"How will the handover proceed today?"

"The usual procedure."

Tang Yun said, beckoning him over. "Chief Redding, you've worked hard. I have a gift for you, a small token of my appreciation."

Redding Milan laughed heartily. "Young Master Tang is too kind."

He had just taken two steps closer when he suddenly realized something was wrong. The burly men who had come with him all had grim faces and an indescribable aura about them, like predatory beasts eyeing their prey. They were definitely not ordinary people. Moreover, their positions were subtly suspicious. If a fight broke out, they would be in positions most advantageous for launching an attack.

As a veteran who had fought for over a decade, he keenly sensed danger.

"Something's fishy!"

He retreated with all his might, shouting at the top of his lungs. However, the moment his feet left the ground, Tang Yun was faster than him. In a flash, Tang Yun appeared before him like a ghost. Redding Milan watched in horror as Tang Yun raised his arm. Then, in a blur, a dazzling blade of light sliced through his chest. Redding Milan was sent flying backward, his iron and leather armor cleaved in two, a gaping wound in his chest, blood splattering as he fell to the ground.

"Kill them!"

Redding Milan screamed, spitting blood. But Tang Yun pounced like a whirlwind, his blade sweeping wildly. He single-handedly blocked everyone's path, while the burly men on the other side immediately opened the boxes on their carts and quickly retrieved large crossbows.

"Get out of the way!"

someone shouted. Tang Yun leaped more than ten feet into the air and jumped sideways to clear the way.

The Western Xia soldiers, brandishing their weapons and yelling wildly, were met head-on by a hail of arrows. The arrows were incredibly accurate, and eight fell in the blink of an eye. Some were even pierced through the body, pinned to the ground and the walls of the beacon tower.

Chaos erupted at the scene.

"This is..."

Redding Milan could no longer stand, but he could see the corpses of his clansmen lying beside him, their iron armor pierced, their bodies riddled with arrow shafts. He recognized these arrows—wood-feathered, steel-tipped. The Western Xia army did not possess such arrows; only one unique army in the world used this terrifying killing weapon: the Divine Arm Bow Unit of the Eastern Dynasty's Imperial Guard.

It was over. This wasn't Tang Yun, that scoundrel, trying to double-cross them; this was the Song Dynasty declaring war! This was the beginning of war!

"Light the beacon fires!"

These were his last words. Then Tang Yun's blade slit his throat. His vision blurred, and he saw his own headless corpse.

Tang Yun beheaded Redding Milan with a single stroke, then rushed to the gate of the beacon tower. Inside, someone was desperately trying to close the gate, but Tang Yun kicked it open, causing half of it to collapse. A servant, brandishing a spear, lunged out, but Tang Yun grabbed the shaft and slashed it away, severing the servant's hand. He then kicked away and leaped inside. The most important thing now was to quickly seize the beacon fire on the top floor; if it got set on fire, all their efforts would be in vain.

Zhe Keshi already knew his purpose; the reason he was kept alive was for today's surprise attack on the beacon tower, and he needed to prove his worth.

Reaching the top floor, Tang Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief; no one was there. Looking down, he saw that the thirteen men had already slaughtered all the survivors. These men were all carefully selected martial arts masters from the army, battle-hardened veterans, and with the aid of the divine crossbow, dealing with these ragtag soldiers was a piece of cake. Not a single one of the thirteen men was injured.

"Tang Yun, is everything alright up there?"

Gao Long shouted from below. At the same time, several assassins carrying crossbows went up to the top floor and took control of the high ground.

"Not a single one escaped! Quickly report to the Grand Commandant! The beacon tower has been captured."

One of the men below untied a horse pulling a cart, mounted it, and rode back towards Song territory.

Soon after, a slight tremor came from the earth, like rolling thunder. A wild military aura surged in the distance, the air was turbulent, and even the wind carried the heroic spirit of war. Countless troops emerged from the darkness from all directions, their hooves trampling the grass and trees in their wake. As they drew nearer, by the light of the torches, they could be seen as Song soldiers in red battle robes, each one fully armored. They were a dark mass, covering the mountains and fields, their numbers unknown. In the distance, one could vaguely see spears and halberds, and banners everywhere.

"Tang Yun reports! The Xia Gou beacon tower has been captured, and the garrison of twenty-five men has been beheaded. The Xia Gou beacon fire has not yet been relayed. Please, Commander Zhe, make your decision!"

Tang Yun knelt down. Before him stood a military general riding a large black horse. This man was around forty years old, with a handsome and imposing appearance. He wore a set of finely crafted, gleaming steel armor, covered by a black robe, and a ten-barb belt around his waist. A phoenix-beaked dagger hung from a victory hook, and a large bow was hanging from his saddle. He had thick eyebrows and large eyes, with a cold flame burning deep within them.

"Commander Liu."

"Your subordinate is here!"

Although Commander Liu and Zhe Keshi were of equal rank, Zhang Jie had ordered Zhe Keshi to lead this operation. Military law was not to be trifled with, so he addressed him as "your subordinate."

"Leave one battalion of your troops to guard this place, the rest will follow me to take Weiding Village."

"Understood!"

"I have already sent men to investigate and find out that the Western bandits have drawn tens of thousands of troops from Weizhou, actually to take Dingyuan City on the Xihe Road. The troops of the Jingse Military Command have already been completely drawn away, and they are just bluffing. The soldiers guarding the various forts and villages in Weizhou are only a few hundred each, all old and weak, not worth mentioning! Weizhou is now empty, it is a golden opportunity. We will first break through Weiding Village, then take Weizhou, burn down that dog Renduo Baozhong's lair, and see if he will return to his army! Such great merit is within our grasp, a great man can be rewarded with a wife and children, fame and glory should be obtained on horseback! Tang Yun, you go to the vanguard to be the flag bearer. If you don't plant the flag on the city wall of Weiding Village, you will have to answer to me with your head!"

"Understood!"

"We are willing to follow the general to defeat the enemy!"

After the initial victory, the morale of the Song army has risen, and they are all shouting and cheering.

Tang Yun didn't know what Zhe Keshi was thinking. Weidingtun was a large stronghold, usually garrisoned by several thousand troops. Zhe Keshi kept saying the enemy only had a few hundred men; the accuracy of this intelligence was unknown. Their side seemed well-prepared, but Zhe Keshi clearly intended a surprise night attack. Night battles were most prone to chaos, and a misjudgment could easily cause even an army with an initial advantage to waver in morale.

However, this was Zhe Keshi's decision; he was now the commander-in-chief.

In the darkness, countless figures moved through the mountain paths, their dark mass blending into the surrounding forest, seemingly stretching to the horizon. Song soldiers, each leading their horses and biting on branches, advanced cautiously. Riding horses in the dark was dangerous, and now was the time when they couldn't afford any accidents.

Tang Yun's vanguard unit was at the forefront, composed of Zhe Keshi's personal guards, tasked with the most arduous mission: to launch the first attack when the battle began. Zhe Keshi was known for his strict system of rewards and punishments. His personal guard received the highest rewards and enjoyed the best treatment in peacetime, but also bore the brunt of the danger in battle.

At this moment, no one dared to breathe, gripping their horses' reins and weapons tightly. They knew the road well; their scouts had repeatedly ventured deep into Xia territory to investigate. Weiding Village was not far ahead, but were there really only a few hundred soldiers?

This thought raced through everyone's minds, including Tang Yun's. According to Zhe Keshi's current plan, they should have attacked Weiding Village under cover of night, then rested there until dawn, conserving their strength before using their cavalry to storm Weizhou City. With luck, the Xia army might not even be able to react effectively.

If the intelligence was correct, the main force of the Jingse Military Command was not currently in Weizhou; this was indeed a feasible plan.

The Song army is no longer what it was during Emperor Renzong's reign. In that era, with poorly trained soldiers and a severe shortage of warhorses, even the entire nation could only muster a little over ten thousand cavalry capable of field battles. Even minor disturbances caused by insignificant barbarians like Nong Zhigao in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions could cause the court officials to be on high alert. But the situation is different now.

Since Wang Shao conquered the Qiang people in Xihe, the Song Dynasty has received 20,000 horses annually from the Xihe, Qinghai, and Tibetan regions. Furthermore, the horse administration policies implemented during the Xifeng era, despite the stigma of oppressing the people, have gradually alleviated the Song army's horse shortage. Currently, each of the five routes in Shaanxi has around ten thousand cavalry, some as many as twenty thousand. The eight thousand cavalrymen deployed this time are all seasoned veterans.

However, to be fair, these 8,000-plus cavalrymen represented almost half of the resources that Huanqing Road had painstakingly accumulated over the past decade. Unlike nomadic peoples like the Khitan and Tangut, the Song Dynasty had no such thing as 8,000 cavalrymen. They could be summoned and dismissed at will, and even if they suffered losses, they could quickly muster five or ten times that number. If the Song army lost these 8,000-plus cavalrymen, it was uncertain how many years it would take to replenish them.

These were all precious assets, and to gamble with them like this showed Zhe Keshi's audacity.

Ahead, they finally saw the low walls of Weidingtun. Although it was a fortified village, the Tangut people's fortification skills as a nomadic people were no match for the Song Dynasty. In the entire Western Xia, only Xingqing Prefecture and Lingzhou were of any concern to the Song army; the rest were insignificant. The Song army didn't even consider the walls of Weizhou a threat, let alone Weidingtun, which was under Weizhou's jurisdiction.

On the hanging beams of the stockade wall, a Western Xia soldier was dozing off. Their Yeshi tribe couldn't compare to the Renduo tribe's large numbers and power; being a soldier was just a way to get by, and there was no need to take anything seriously. Besides, the lack of signal fires ahead meant everything was peaceful, so why torture themselves? The Western Xia army wasn't like it was during Li Yuanhao's era, with clear rewards and punishments. The Liang family held absolute power, favoring their own people, excluding dissidents, and failing to reward merit or punish wrongdoing. Those Renduo bastards always thought of them when there were good opportunities, always sending them to do this arduous work; nobody would work hard for them.

Just as he was dozing off, he rubbed his eyes and suddenly saw several dark figures climb up the stockade wall from outside. He looked at them suspiciously, his sleepy mind still not quite registering what they were, assuming they were soldiers who had deserted and were returning to camp under cover of darkness. So he went up and shouted, "Who are you? How dare you! Don't you value your lives?"

Unexpectedly, the men opposite him had ferocious expressions on their faces. One of them raised a hand and threw a knife, striking the soldier squarely in the chest. A

piercing scream tore through the night.

Then came the sounds of horns, gongs, war drums, shouts, and the neighing of horses—a frenzied battle roar. Fireballs were tossed into the stockade like celestial flowers. The Western Xia soldiers in the barracks rushed out of the courtyards, disheveled, running around like headless flies. Warhorses neighed and charged wildly. The entire stockade was plunged into chaos, a scene resembling the end of the world.

Ye Shining stood dumbfounded on the stockade wall; half of his stockade was now ablaze. When the attack began, as the garrison commander, he was sound asleep, embracing a Han Chinese female slave. He had acquired her from the Renduo tribe's capture army for four strings of cash, and she was incredibly pleasurable. When he was awakened by the noise, he had rushed out of the room completely naked. Now, he was only wearing trousers, a half-armored suit of armor, barefoot, wearing a helmet, and carrying a large bow.

Inside the city, Song soldiers were rampaging everywhere, fighting amongst themselves. Outside, torches lit up the landscape, and the sheer number of Song soldiers attacking him stunned him. The stockade gates had fallen, and a large section of the east wall had been breached by some unknown weapon used by the Song soldiers. A dense throng of Song soldiers was pouring in, while a large Song banner stood crookedly but firmly planted on the west wall.

At this moment, only the south wall remained in the hands of the Xia army. But outside the south wall, there were countless Song soldiers.

Everyone was shouting the order given by Zhe Keshi: "Annihilate the Xia dogs, everyone will be rewarded!"

It's over, the Ye Shi clan is over...

Ye Shi Ninglang's face was full of grief. He drew his bow and shot an arrow at a Song soldier below, shouting: "Children, fight to the death to kill the traitors, kill all these Song dogs!"

The Xia soldiers below were completely overwhelmed by the number of Song soldiers. They couldn't run away and couldn't fight back. They were pushed back step by step by countless swords, axes, spears and lances, then divided and surrounded. With each step back, one after another fell. Countless bodies were stabbed, torn, and pierced, then pushed down haphazardly. At this moment, the Song army had completely gained the upper hand. Ye Shi Ninglang's shouts did not inspire any morale, but instead attracted the attention of the Song archers.

"That's a Xia dog chieftain, kill him!"

someone shouted in the crowd.

Over a hundred crossbows, including the Divine Arm Crossbow, the Yellow Crossbow, the Black Lacquer Crossbow, and the Yellow Yenu, were simultaneously raised from all directions, aimed at the south city wall. At this moment, the Xia army was either dead or had fled. Those who remained by Ye Shininglang's side were his own flesh and blood, his personal guards. Seeing their commander in danger, they immediately rushed forward without hesitation. Several shields completely covered Ye Shininglang, and then a volley of arrows came. With a series of loud bangs, the shields were pierced, and even the bodies behind them were pierced. Waves of blood splattered, soaking Ye Shininglang. Looking at his personal guards, who were riddled with crossbow bolts, their bodies were completely fused with the shields, maintaining their protective posture even in death.

"Song dogs, I'll fight you to the death!"

Ye Shininglang's eyes were bloodshot, and he wiped the blood from his face, looking like a demon from the underworld. He threw down his great bow, turned around, grabbed a long-handled sledgehammer used for guarding the wall, pushed aside the corpses around him, and jumped down from the wall with a loud shout.

Seeing this as a perfect opportunity, the surrounding Song soldiers shouted and swarmed forward, their spears and lances raining down. However, Ye Shininglang was a renowned general in the Western Xia army, known for his exceptional martial arts skills. He was incredibly fierce, wielding a large hammer with incredible speed and power, making him impenetrable. Song soldiers were sent flying by his blows, and two were killed in the blink of an eye.

The rest simply surrounded him, not daring to approach rashly.

Zhe Keshi, now atop the western wall, watched Ye Shininglang charge left and right like a mad tiger, while the Song soldiers below, mostly his elite guards, couldn't even get close. This infuriated him.

He knew the skill of his guards; they were all personally selected and recruited by him, and they could easily spar with him forty or fifty moves without being at a disadvantage. Yet now they were helpless against a barbarian chieftain fighting like a cornered beast.

Then he saw Xie Xiong go up to fight. This man was a platoon leader among his personal guards, known for his superb martial arts skills. However, after less than ten moves, he was struck in the chest by a hammer, coughing up blood and collapsing to the ground, clearly not going to survive.

Zhe Keshi gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, suppressing the urge to personally join the fight. He was now a high-ranking general of the court, no longer the greenhorn he once was. He said in a deep voice, "Whoever can take this bastard's head will be rewarded with a hundred strings of cash!"

Defeating this man in a one-on-one duel would greatly boost morale.

Before he finished speaking, a dark figure darted out beside him. Looking closer, it was Tang Yun.

Ye Shining was wildly swinging his hammer when suddenly a figure flashed before his eyes. He swung his hammer horizontally, but the man slipped away like an eel, then snatched the man into his arms. Ye Shining sneered, his toes barely touching the ground as he leaped back, simultaneously thrusting his hammer forward, aiming straight for the attacker's chest.

The man was equally skilled, dodging the attack with a swift spin, his broadsword flashing as it slashed towards his neck. Ye Shining ducked, his hammer swung back, creating a gust of wind. The man, unable to dodge, could only raise his sword to block, his broadsword flying away in the process, nearly knocking him over. Ye Shining was overjoyed, striking with his hammer. The man rolled away, sprawling to his feet, but realized he was now within the hammer's attack range. If the hammer swept across, he wouldn't be able to dodge.

Indeed, Ye Shining saw that this Song army officer was highly skilled, likely no nobody. His fate was sealed; if he could take a few worthy Song soldiers down with him, it wouldn't be a wasted death. He roared and swung his hammer wildly. Seeing he couldn't dodge, the man raised his fist to strike his waist. Ye Shining thought to himself, "What's so great about you with your bare hands? I'll take this punch and then smash you into mincemeat."

Just then, the opponent's punch struck Ye Shininglang in the lower back, causing a large gushing of blood. Looking at his previously empty hand, a wooden-feathered, steel-tipped arrowhead was now clutched, as if he had picked it up when he fell. The arrow had penetrated deeply, splattering blood. Ye Shininglang cried out in agony, a sharp pain nearly causing him to drop his hammer, but he still managed to swing it. Knowing he couldn't dodge, the man grabbed a shield from the ground to shield himself, but the hammer shattered the shield, sending him flying several feet.

Ye Shininglang stood swaying, hammer in hand, one hand clutching his lower back, blood seeping from between his fingers. Tang Yun coughed up blood, his left arm so painful he couldn't lift it, but he grabbed a broadsword with his right hand, rushed forward, and swung it at Ye Shining's head. Ye Shining couldn't dodge in time and instinctively raised his hand to block, but the blade chopped off half his hand and four fingers. He screamed again, then his scream abruptly stopped as Tang Yun's blade was deeply embedded in his neck.

The battle finally ended when the last Xia soldier was hacked to death.

In the entire battle, the Song army beheaded 955 people, captured 380 horses, rescued 409 Han slaves, obtained a certain amount of military rations and supplies, and captured over 1,000 Western Xia women and children. However, not a single man was captured. All the Dangxiang men in the entire Weidingtun village, regardless of age, were slaughtered. This was because Western Xia implemented a policy of universal conscription; men farmed, herded, and hunted in peacetime, and became soldiers when they took up arms. Since Western Xia themselves did not distinguish between soldiers and civilians, the Song army saw no such distinction either; all men were enemies. This was the rule of the war against Western Xia.

On the Song side, 29 were killed, 117 were lightly wounded, and 60 were seriously wounded. Regardless, this should be considered a great victory. The casualties were primarily from Zhe Keshi's elite elite troops, reflecting Zhe Keshi's leadership style: fairness first, and his most trusted troops bore the heaviest casualties.

"Order a commander to escort the wounded and prisoners back first. The rest of the troops will rest where they are, and sent out scouts to scout twenty li ahead to investigate Xia Gou's movements."

The troops busied themselves, each finding a place to set up camp. Tang Yun and the other wounded soldiers began their journey back. For them, the battle was over, and for some, their military careers were over. But they were lucky to have survived, and they knew their commander, Zhe Keshi, would not mistreat them. So, along the way, except for the seriously wounded who needed to be transported by cart, the lightly wounded who could ride horses continued on foot, chatting and laughing among themselves.

"Tang Yun, you've done a great service this time! You've killed the Western bandit's general. The Grand Commandant will surely reward you with a promotion when you return."

"Just lucky. If I lose this arm, I'll be crippled..."

"Heh heh, the Grand Commandant has quite the appetite this time, even wanting to swallow Weizhou whole. I think that dog Ren Duobaozhong is in trouble."

"Serves him right! The Western bandits deserve to die. Once I recover, I'll fight alongside the Grand Commandant again, and one day we'll even take Xingqing Prefecture."

Even wounded soldiers don't lose their morale. However, Tang Yun had no time to think about these things. He didn't even consider future promotions or rewards. He was only pondering what Zhe Keshi thought, and whether his performance would satisfy him. He had risked his life to fight a fierce general like Ye Shininglang. Would this pledge of loyalty satisfy Zhe Keshi...?

********************************************** (Separation line)

Huanzhou Road, a mountain path.

This secluded path, usually seldom traversed except by hunters, was bustling with activity today. Hundreds of horsemen moved through the forest, their escorts dressed in a motley crew—not government soldiers, but ordinary civilians, some carrying guns and knives, others bows and crossbows. Leading the way were Su Yanfu and Meng Zhen.

"Han man, we'll be past Huanzhou City soon. You should give me the money you promised," Su Yanfu said,

his brow furrowed. He glanced disdainfully at the greedy barbarian. "Barbarians are barbarians," he thought, "they don't understand the principle of 'people die for wealth, birds die for food.' But killing him was inevitable anyway, so he might as well give it to him." With that thought, he reached into his saddlebag and tossed a packet of money to Meng Zhen.

Meng Zhen caught it and opened it on horseback. Inside were copper coins and a few silver ingots; his face immediately lit up with a smile.

"Alright, I've finished my work, I'll take my leave now."

Seeing Meng Zhen take the money and turn to leave, Su Yanfu hurriedly stepped forward to stop him: "You, a vassal official, are being unreasonable. How can you leave before even leading us to our destination?"

"You said you'd lead the way, so I will. This is where you're going. Why shouldn't I leave?"

"Where is this?"

"The Gates of Hell."

Oh no! Su Yanfu was so shocked that the hairs on his body stood on end. He had fallen into a trap! Looking at the foreigner's face, although he was smiling, his movements were lightning fast. Su Yanfu drew his sword to meet him, and the two swords clashed, sparks flying. Su Yanfu swung his sword back, and the foreigner easily dodged the blow, turning his horse and galloping away.

"Catch him!"

Su Yanfu was filled with hatred. He had been hunting geese all day, but today he had been pecked in the eye by a goose. He never expected to be tricked by a mere vassal.

But then a series of clapper sounds rang out, and a hail of arrows flew from the surrounding trees. His men screamed as they fell to the ground, struck by arrows. Then, shouts of battle erupted, and countless government soldiers emerged from all directions, yelling in unison, "Don't let the bandits escape!" They pounced on the thieves like wolves. The thieves, already terrified by the sudden attack, were now surrounded by government soldiers who outnumbered them several times over. They realized they had fallen into a trap.

If this had been a well-trained regular army, they might have formed ranks for self-defense or worked together to break through. But thieves are thieves, undisciplined. Faced with imminent disaster, they immediately revealed their true nature as a rabble. Despite Su Yanfu's desperate shouts of "Follow me!", almost no one listened; they simply scattered and fled.

Su Yanfu cried out in anger, grinding his teeth in frustration. Left with no other choice, he and his trusted men, including Chen Liu, Zhang Qing, and Sun Erniang, led a dozen or so skilled horsemen and charged forward. These men were seasoned bandits, not only excellent riders but also martial arts experts. The soldiers' swords and spears flew at them, but they dodged and weaved in their stirrups, occasionally firing arrows in return, managing to shoot down more than ten soldiers. Seeing their ferocity, the soldiers swarmed to intercept them, unleashing a hail of arrows, causing several to fall from their horses. Su Yanfu, wielding a large spear, thrust and slashed, charging and knocking down more than ten men, managing to break through the encirclement.

"Chase them!"

Zhang Cun, the military commander of Qingzhou, was furious to see the bandit leader escape. He had led over a thousand men to ambush more than two hundred bandits, and yet the bandit leader had escaped! What face did he have left? While the forests were ideal for ambushes, they weren't conducive to cavalry movement. The bandit leader was exceptionally fierce and a master horseman, able to gallop swiftly through the dense undergrowth. Zhang Cun had only heard of such skill among the cavalry of Weizhou in Jingyuan Road; he hadn't expected a Han Chinese to possess such expertise.

Dozens of soldiers gave chase, but their speed was clearly insufficient. Several bandits had already escaped the encirclement using their horsemanship. Enraged, Zhang Cun ordered an arrow volley, but the volley barely hit anyone; the bandits had vanished into the distance under the cover of the trees, and the pursuing soldiers were merely chasing after them.

By the time Zhang Jie arrived, the battle was over.

Nine horses died from arrow wounds in the battle, and a small number of others were frightened and scattered. Seventeen bandits were killed and nineteen wounded by arrows. One hundred and sixty-six bandits were captured. One of the bandit leaders, Chen Liu the Winged Tiger and Zhang Qing the Sky-Piercing Rat, resisted arrest with weapons and were shot to death by a hail of arrows. However, Su Yanfu the Iron-Faced Judge and Sun Erniang the Rouge Tiger escaped.

"This humble general is incompetent. The bandit leaders escaped. Please forgive me, sir,"

Zhang Cun reported to Zhang Jie, dejectedly.

"That scoundrel Su Yanfu has been a bandit for decades without ever being caught; he must have some skill. He escaped from me in Jingzhou years ago, and now, having infiltrated Huanqing and caused trouble, he's escaped again. Immediately send men to pursue him, and issue a nationwide arrest warrant to all cities and villages in Shaanxi and Hedong, with his image and location depicted on a wanted poster."

"Reporting to Your Excellency, these are all Hetao horses."

A personal guard of Zhang Jie led a horse over.

"Indeed, they've come to buy horses; they must have bought them from the Western Xia."

Zhang Jie could tell at a glance they were good horses. The source of Hetao horses was controlled by the Western Xia. Most of the Hetao horses in the Song army were seized from the battlefield or obtained through previous trade. The army itself didn't have enough, so they certainly wouldn't sell them to others. Su Yanfu must have obtained so many horses from the Western Xia. The border troops in Huanqing had a long history of private trade, but the court turned a blind eye. Combining these two factors, the truth was clear.

"There must be someone in the Huanqing Road border army secretly colluding with that scoundrel Su Yanfu to buy horses from the Western bandits. I have repeatedly ordered that no one should trade with the Western bandits, otherwise they will be treated as traitors. I didn't expect that someone would still be so audacious as to defy the law and even collude with bandits wanted by the court. Hmph..."

Ten days later, in Hedong Road, within the territory of Huoshan Army.

Su Yanfu, Sun Erniang, and six bandits were panting as they traveled through the mountains. Since escaping from Huanzhou, they had been fleeing for their lives, not daring to take the main roads, only traveling through the mountain trails. The hardships they had endured were indescribable. Now, they were living in fear, unable to eat or sleep well, and everyone had lost weight. They finally crossed the Yellow River and entered the territory of Hedong Road.

Everywhere they went, there were wanted posters with their portraits. They dared not let their guard down for a moment. This time, they had been defeated by Zhang Jie on their westward journey, and most of the elite troops they had painstakingly gathered had been lost. It seemed that they could only return to their old stronghold in the Taihang Mountains to make further plans.

The only consolation now was that the government troops trailing behind had finally been shaken off. Only after crossing the Yellow River did Zhang Jie's pursuers disappear from sight. This was thanks to the imperial system; Shaanxi's government troops couldn't cross the border into Hedong.

"Back to Taihang Mountain?"

Sun Erniang looked at Su Yanfu. So many people had gone out, but only a few had returned—a truly pitiful sight.

"There's a village ahead. Let's go in and find some food, feed the horses, and then we'll talk. That old thief Zhang Jie, if I ever catch you, I'll disembowel you, tear out your heart, grind your bones to dust, and only then will I be able to quell my hatred."

Su Yanfu said bitterly, then led his horses down the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, on a flat area, a natural village had formed, with wisps of smoke rising from chimneys.

The eight riders roared down the mountain, emitting strange howls. The villagers, seeing the bandits emerge, panicked and scattered like headless flies. Su Yanfu ignored them, entering the largest house. Without a word, he killed the man first, then grabbed the woman and made her serve him food.

These thieves, having suffered enough at the hands of the government troops and long harboring resentment, were finally able to swagger around again. They began looting the village, claiming to be kings of the Taihang Mountains who had come down to borrow grain. With a few swift strokes of their swords, they had already killed several people. Cries and screams erupted throughout the village, while the thieves laughed and chased after the young women, some ransacking houses.

Sun Erniang frowned deeply. They weren't even out of danger yet, how could things have turned out like this? If even one of these villagers escaped and reported to the authorities, she and her few companions would surely be in grave danger. Just

as she was about to go and talk to Su Yanfu, she suddenly heard a great commotion at the village entrance, followed by a series of thunderous booms—the sound of hundreds of iron hooves pounding the earth. Startled, she turned back and saw a large group of armored knights shouting and yelling incomprehensible syllables, rushing into the village like a whirlwind.

Sun Erniang was terrified. She was the daughter of a leader of an archery guild in Xiongzhou, Hebei. She had practiced martial arts since childhood. Later, her father was caught smuggling salt and sentenced to death. She then joined Su Yanfu's band of thieves in Hedong. Having spent her days on the border, she immediately recognized them: Liao cavalry!

The Song and Liao dynasties had been at peace for decades after the Treaty of Shanyuan. However, while large-scale wars had ceased, small-scale military conflicts still occurred frequently, and the cross-border raids never stopped. The Song army, being weaker, needed to disguise themselves when crossing the border, while the Liao army brazenly crossed to plunder grain and abduct people, not even bothering to conceal their identities. This particular Liao soldier belonged to the cavalry of Datong Prefecture in Xijing Road of the Liao Dynasty. They had originally crossed the border to fetch water, but later decided to rob as well.

"Run!"

Sun Erniang cried out in terror, turning and fleeing. The brutality of the Liao soldiers was well-known; falling into the hands of these beasts would be worse than death.

The village was in chaos. The bandits who had been looting scattered in panic at the sight of the Liao soldiers, but the Liao troops, numerous and powerful, quickly surrounded and intercepted them, shooting them off their horses one by one in a volley of arrows.

The remaining villagers were no match for them. The Liao soldiers, laughing and riding, swung their lassos through the air, capturing more than a dozen people in the blink of an eye. For this nomadic people, capturing on horseback was a specialty.

Sun Erniang was caught before she could run far; her beauty made her a prime target. Several Liao soldiers, laughing wildly, circled her, seemingly intending to toy with her for a while. The Liao soldiers behind began to plunder, herding all the Song civilians who hadn't managed to escape together like sheep, binding them in a chain. Then the Liao soldiers began looting house to house, taking everything, valuable and worthless.

What to do… Sun Erniang’s legs were trembling. She had heard of the Liao army’s atrocities before; women who fell into their hands were often gang-raped to death, and some were even sold into slavery. Although she was a bandit, she was still a Han Chinese; how could she become a slave to these barbarian beasts?

Just as she was trembling, a Liao soldier suddenly shouted and screamed, causing a commotion among the crowd. A rider suddenly appeared—it was Su Yanfu. He had been trying to escape in the chaos, but was caught red-handed by the Liao soldiers from Xicun. In a moment of panic, he killed one of the Liao soldiers, seized a horse, and was about to force his way in.

“Han dog, you’re asking for death!”

The Liao soldiers, seeing someone resisting, were immediately enraged. More than ten riders charged out, raising their sabers and maces, aiming straight for Su Yanfu.

Su Yanfu was a notorious bandit and a renowned martial arts master. Seeing the ferocity of the approaching enemy, he remained calm. A Liao soldier, with his horse close behind, thrust his spear at Su Yanfu’s back. As if

he had eyes in the back of his head, Su Yanfu shifted his body to the side, grabbed the spear shaft with both hands, and with a powerful thrust, snatched the spear from his horse, pulling the Liao soldier off his horse with incredible strength.

With a weapon in hand, Su Yanfu became unstoppable, wielding his spear and charging forward, felling four riders in quick succession. The Liao soldiers drew their bows and arrows, raining down arrows upon him.

Seeing that the Liao soldiers surrounding her were distracted, Sun Erniang immediately attacked. She leaped into the air, landing a powerful kick on a Liao soldier's throat, shattering his neck bones, causing him to spurt blood and fall from his horse. Sun Erniang seized the opportunity to steal a horse and gallop away.

The Liao soldiers, seeing that a woman could injure someone and steal a horse, reacted too late. Sun Erniang broke through the encirclement, but after only a few steps, a rider suddenly blocked her path from the side. The rider wielded a large iron whip, striking his horse's head with lightning speed. The warhorse neighed violently and crashed to the ground like a collapsed wall. Sun Erniang rolled more than ten feet to her feet, and saw that the rider who had killed her horse was a young Liao general in his twenties.

"Haha, this beautiful lady, what superb skills!"

The young Liao general spoke fluent and standard Mandarin. Sun Erniang's heart sank, and she couldn't help but scrutinize the newcomer. This man was not like the typical burly Khitan; instead, he was a handsome young man with delicate features. Although his speech was somewhat frivolous, his eyes and brows carried a thousand layers of murderous intent, and he exuded an imposing aura that commanded respect from a hundred paces away.

"Are you Han Chinese?"

Sun Erniang knew that there were many Han Chinese loyal to the Liao Dynasty in Nanjing and Xijing provinces. Could this man be Han Chinese? And how could he be the leader of these Khitan cavalrymen at such a young age?

"Indeed, I am Han Yue, a scout and escort officer under the command of Lord Xiao, the garrison commander of Xijing in the Great Liao Dynasty. Judging from your skill, madam, you must have some background..." As

he spoke, his lecherous eyes scanned Sun Erniang's body. As a scout operating on the border, Han Yue knew that there were countless militia organizations such as archery societies and loyalty societies within Song territory, many of which were powerful and well-equipped. He just didn't know if this woman was one of them.

"Bah! A perfectly good Han Chinese, yet he becomes a lackey of the Liao dogs!"

Seeing that things were going badly, Sun Erniang steeled herself, determined to at least drag this officer down with her. With a leap, she soared into the air, her feet aimed straight at Han Yue's face. Han Yue chuckled, sheathed his iron whip, and raised a shield, flicking it outwards. He kicked it, sending Sun Erniang flying more than ten feet through the air. Upon landing, her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground. Two Liao soldiers rushed forward and pinned her down.

"Don't break it! This woman is mine!"

Han Yue shouted, discarding the shield, which clattered to the ground. Only then did Sun Erniang realize that the shield was made of solid iron. She was horrified, realizing that her Eight-Step Cicada-Catching Leg Technique, practiced for over a decade, could break even thick wooden stakes, yet it couldn't damage this shield. It was made of iron; this man's strength was truly formidable.

Turning back to look at Su Yanfu, she saw that he couldn't break through the Liao soldiers' encirclement but was still stubbornly resisting with his spear.

Han Yue curled her lip and cursed, "You damned scoundrel, do you really need my help?"

With that, she took the large bow from her hand.

Su Yanfu was already panting heavily from exhaustion. These Liao soldiers were all highly skilled and experienced in combat, blocking all the roads. As he approached, they fired arrows, and more than ten men followed closely, wearing down his strength and horse's stamina. Just as he was about to die under their blades, a sudden gust of cold wind swept through him. He instinctively twisted his body, and a long arrow pierced his left shoulder, completely shattering his shoulder blade.

"Ah!"

After a scream, Su Yanfu fell from his horse.

"Come on, tie this guy up and put him on the horse! Take all the prisoners back!"

Han Yue guessed that this man and woman were probably not ordinary people, perhaps with some background. If so, they could have their relatives ransom them, which would be another windfall.

The Liao soldiers each took their looted valuables and drove the prisoners away.

Just then, Han Yue's scalp suddenly tingled.

Killing intent!

The sudden change in the air around him made him instinctively sense something was wrong. Without even looking, he instinctively ducked under his horse's belly. Almost simultaneously, a terrifying gust of wind swept past, giving Han Yue the illusion that a black shadow of a soaring eagle had sped past him and disappeared into the Liao army.

Cannonball-like arrows pierced the body of a Liao soldier,

then a second.

The immense force nearly sent both men flying off their saddles. After their bodies fell to the ground, many were still confused, but Han Yue glanced north and saw a Song Dynasty military officer on horseback on a cliff on the other side of the village, holding a large bow, facing them directly. Below

him, on the flat ground, a large number of Song soldiers appeared, their robes indicating they were local patrol archers.

"Such superb archery!" Han Yue exclaimed in astonishment. He hadn't expected the Song army to have such a skilled archer. Judging by the distance, the opponent must be wielding a powerful four-stone bow, and this was on horseback. Even among the Liao army, which was renowned for its mounted archery, Han Yue had never heard of anyone who could draw a four-stone bow on horseback. To pierce two people with an arrow at this distance, especially those clad in iron armor—was this guy some kind of monster?

The opposing officer was equally astonished, cursing, "You Liao dog, you actually dodged my Eagle Charge!"

His competitive spirit ignited, he nocked another arrow. "Let's see this Eagle Shot."

Han Yue was sweating profusely because he suddenly remembered a legend about the Song Dynasty's Hedong Volcano Army. If the opposing officer was indeed that person, he would find it extremely difficult to win on his own. Seeing his opponent nock another arrow, he immediately tensed and became alert, but he was still a step too slow. He hadn't even seen his opponent's movements when the deadly killing intent had already crossed four hundred paces away. A fierce gust of wind, tearing through the air, struck his helmet. In the instant his helmet shattered, he managed to tilt his head back, and the immense force of the impact made him feel as if his head had been cleaved open by a thousand-pound axe. Blood splattered, and he tumbled off his horse's rump. "

That's it, it must be that monster surnamed He..." This was the only thought in Han Yue's mind.

He felt dizzy after landing, realizing it was from the shock. He touched his head and found it covered in blood. His body swayed, and he sat down on the ground. "

No one can escape my archery skills, not even the Heavenly King himself!" A smug sneer appeared on the Song army officer's lips as he raised his arm and roared, his voice shaking the heavens.

Seeing their commander succeed, the Song army's morale soared, and they charged forward in a swarm, shouting and firing arrows as they went. The Liao soldiers paid no heed to these patrolling archers, but the formidable archer officer on the other side also charged down, unleashing a rapid-fire barrage of arrows. Each twang of the bowstring brought down at least one Liao soldier, and in the blink of an eye, he had felled more than twenty riders. Some arrows, after piercing bodies, remained firmly embedded in the rocks.

The Liao soldiers had never seen such a fierce warrior. They all fired arrows at the officer, but he deftly swerved to dodge them, then returned fire in quick succession, bringing down several more. The Liao soldiers were terrified. Seeing the situation was dire and their commander seemingly oblivious to his fate, they could only turn their horses, lift the blood-covered Han Yue from the ground, and, along with the captured Sun Erniang, flee in a frenzy. In the blink of an eye, only swirling dust remained on the road; not even a shadow could be seen.

The military officer's patrolmen were mostly infantry, unable to catch up, only managing to rescue some captured civilians.

Su Yanfu was wounded and unable to move, otherwise he would have escaped long ago. He could only remain where he was, muttering incoherently, hoping to slip past the soldiers. However, the civilians "enthusiastically" pointed out to the soldiers the heroic deeds of this brave man who had fought against the Liao soldiers and was gloriously wounded. Upon hearing this, the patrol officer immediately became interested, beckoning his soldiers to bandage Su Yanfu's wounds. After calming the civilians down, he personally came to find Su Yanfu.

Su Yanfu inwardly groaned, helplessly lowering his head and feigning ignorance.

"Brave warrior, I am He Guan, patrol inspector of the Huoshan Army. I don't know your injuries... Ah... Hey? Brave warrior, you look familiar. Have we met somewhere before?"

Of course he had seen him; his portrait was posted everywhere. As a patrol officer who apprehended thieves, he must have seen him.

"Uh... Your Excellency must have misremembered. This humble subject has never seen Your Excellency before..."

Su Yanfu mumbled incoherently, bowing his head lower and lower. But He Guan kept looking him up and down, as if examining some rare animal, clicking his tongue in amazement.

"Strange, I feel like I've seen you somewhere before, brave warrior, raise your head."

Su Yanfu dared not raise his head. "This humble subject has an ugly face, I fear Your Excellency will not be pleased..."

Just as he finished speaking, a hand pinched his chin and forced him up, revealing He Guan's suspicious face before him. A soldier beside him held a wanted poster next to his face, comparing it clearly.

He Guan's eyes darted back and forth, clearly comparing.

After a long while...

"...You are Su Yanfu, aren't you?"

Xixia Jingse Military Command, Weizhou City.

Zhuang Langma stared at the collapsed city gate, his scar near his eye twitching slightly.

Weizhou City was considered an ordinary city in Western Xia, with only a few hundred households. While it wouldn't even qualify as a small town in the Song Dynasty, it was a densely populated area in Western Xia. Now, the entire city resembled a dead city, filled with black smoke rising from ruins, headless corpses, and scattered valuables.

Zhuang Langma was very familiar with this scene. As one of the commanders of the Capturing-Life Army under the Jingse Military Command, this was often the scene they left behind when they crossed into Song territory to burn, kill, and loot.

The low city walls showed no signs of damage, indicating that the Song army encountered little resistance when they arrived, and didn't even attempt to breach the walls, simply breaking through the gates. The retreating Renduo tribe soldiers claimed they were ambushed and, after a fierce battle, were outnumbered and forced to abandon the city.

It's true they were ambushed, but a fierce battle is unlikely. Nine times out of ten, they fled without a fight, handing Weizhou City to the Song army.

Zhuang Lang despised these defeated soldiers, but he wasn't a member of the Renduo clan, and the Renduo didn't even care about their own stronghold, so why should he? What he needed to worry about now was the whereabouts of the attacking Song army. After plundering Weizhou, would they continue deeper into Song territory or return? According to the defeated soldiers, the Song troops were all cavalry, flying the banner of Zhe Keshi, numbering no less than four or five thousand.

If it was Zhe Keshi's army, it shouldn't be underestimated.

Among the Song generals of Huanqing Road, he was the most ruthless, intelligent, and decisive in battle. His style of warfare couldn't be judged by ordinary standards. If it were any other Song general, having already achieved success in their raids and amassed considerable wealth, they would be content to withdraw and return to camp. If it were Zhe Keshi, he might not be satisfied even after capturing Weizhou, and could very well be lying in ambush nearby, waiting to devour any reinforcements that come to its aid. It's a cardinal sin for a lone, isolated army to linger in enemy territory, but given this man's audacity, such a reckless act is entirely possible.

Zhuang Langma was deeply conflicted. Perhaps Zhe Keshi was secretly watching him nearby, waiting for him to slowly walk into a death trap.

But he couldn't just stand there doing nothing. If Ren Duobaozhong knew he was passively watching Weizhou fall, even as the commander of the Qinsheng Army, Ren Duobaozhong would surely take his life. After all, the Qinsheng Army's reputation wasn't what it used to be. In

its heyday, the Western Xia was known for its 100,000 Qinsheng soldiers, daring to challenge even the mighty Khitan cavalry. Moreover, it was directly under the command of the Weiming clan, holding a prominent position among the Western Xia armies—a true elite force. Although they still claim to have 100,000 "captured soldiers," it's truly just a "claim." Historically, only during Li Yuanhao's reign did the "captured soldiers" actually reach that number. Zhuang Lang doesn't even know if they have half that now.

As for their status, it's utterly pathetic. The once-powerful central army has been reduced to being subservient to local military commands. Zhuang Lang feels like anyone can order the "captured soldiers" around, like motherless children at the mercy of others.

This is no longer Li Yuanhao's era. The current ruler of Xingqing Prefecture is nominally surnamed Li, but in reality, he's surnamed Liang.

Back then, Emperor Jingzong established twelve military supervisory offices to unite the various Dangxiang tribes. He selected elite troops from each tribe to form a separate army called "captured soldiers," led by a member of the imperial family. With Li Yuanhao's unparalleled prestige and iron fist, the various Dangxiang tribes naturally obeyed his commands uniformly. However, after the reigns of Liang Zha and Bing Chang, the Western Xia Dynasty was now dominated by the Liang clan, a powerful maternal relative. The Li royal family had long since lost power, and the descendants of Wuzu had become puppets of the Liang clan. Local powerful families and clans were dissatisfied with the Liang clan and unwilling to hand over their elite troops. Furthermore, the soldiers of the Qinsheng army mostly came from various Dangxiang tribes and had close ties with local powerful families. The Liang clan lacked popular support among these people, and Xingqing Prefecture gradually lost control of the Qinsheng army.

Later, in the seventh year of the Da'an era, the Liang clan staged a coup, killing the entire family of Li Qing, a trusted Han official of the Xia ruler. They also imprisoned the Xia ruler, Bing Chang, for his insubordination. Local military commanders loyal to Bing Chang seized power to protect themselves, and Western Xia nearly erupted into civil war. The Qinsheng army, composed of various tribes, was thus divided up in the process. Then Yu Zanghuama led the Song army into Xia, and the Song Dynasty took advantage of the situation to launch a large-scale invasion. This was the famous Yuanfeng Western Expedition. Western Xia was once on the verge of collapse, and in the chaos, no one cared about this matter. After barely surviving this disaster, the Liang family knew that they could not defy the public's anger, so they acquiesced to the matter.

Now, many troops under the Twelve Supervisory Offices are called the Capture the Living Army, but they are actually private soldiers of various tribes. Zhuang Langma's troops are like this. Since they do not want to fight for the Liang family, as relatives of the Renduo tribe, they can only rely on Renduo Baozhong now, because only Renduo Baozhong can withstand the orders from Xingqing Prefecture for them.

"Yelicai! Take three hundred men into the city and see if there are any survivors."

"Understood!"

A small leader shouted, and several cavalry squads broke away from the main force and rushed into the city after him.

Zhuang Langma then ordered scouts to be sent out to scout around. He was a defeated soldier from Weizhou who had encountered Weizhou yesterday afternoon. Because it was dark and he was afraid of being ambushed, he set off at dawn today and arrived here at noon. In other words, the Song army had nearly two days to maneuver at their leisure, and the enemy consisted mainly of cavalry…

Could Zhe Keshi really dare to advance further? It was an open secret that the Song Dynasty's cavalry in Huanqing Road only had forty commanders. According to the defeated soldiers, there were five or six thousand men under the walls of Weizhou, precisely the number of troops under Zhe Keshi's command. Could these few thousand men dare to continue causing trouble in Weizhou? Moreover, he was carrying plundered goods, and there were still many Han slaves within Weizhou…

Not long after, Yeli returned to report that the entire city was filled with headless corpses, completely looted. Judging from their clothing, the corpses were all Tangut men. These Song dogs were truly ruthless; it seemed that all the Tanguts who couldn't escape when Weizhou fell had become victims of the Song army's blades. The Han slaves within the city had all disappeared; it seemed they had all been rescued by the Song army.

As expected… Zhuang Langma pondered. If Zhe Keshi had truly taken these Han slaves with him, he wouldn't have the strength to fight. If so, it would be necessary to set up a feint nearby to lure the pursuers elsewhere, so that he could return with his army at his leisure.

After waiting for a while, the scouts returned.

"Commander, Zhe Keshi must be heading back to Huanzhou via Weidingtun. Weidingtun must have already fallen. Why not pursue him? He is accompanied by over a thousand Han slaves. Those men have no horses and are all a burden; they can't move fast."

"Yes, it's a good opportunity to teach the Song dogs a lesson!"

The scouts' reports confirmed the presence of a large force of infantry and cavalry heading straight for Weidingtun. The subordinate leaders were beginning to lose their composure. This was within Zhuang Langma's expectations. The movement of five or seven thousand men could not be completely concealed, not even by Zhuge Liang himself. Unless Zhe Keshi was a god, especially in enemy territory.

The nearby towns and villages saw the Song soldiers passing by. The village guards dared not engage in battle and could only watch as the Song army plundered the countryside and tribes before turning and galloping away.

"This is a feint!"

Zhuang Langma sneered, interrupting his subordinates' clamor. "Zhe Keshi is no ordinary man; it's best to use deception. I reckon he won't be taking the route from Weidingtun. Song Gou's invasion this time took the Weidingtun route, and I expect there will be a large force waiting for him at the border. What advantage can we possibly gain from this?"

"It's precisely because there's a large force waiting for him that Zhe Keshi is turning back..."

one of his subordinates argued indignantly.

"If Zhe Keshi wanted to avoid pursuers, he could have taken this route. But if he wanted to catch them, he wouldn't have taken this route. Think about it: if we pursue them along this route to the border and suddenly encounter a large force blocking our way, Song Gou will be well-rested, while we will be exhausted from our journey. Do you think you can win the battle?"

No one uttered a sound. Having fought the Song army for so many years, they knew the power of the Song army's large formations. As long as the Song army held the strategic points and formed their usual large army formations, even the Khitan cavalry would be helpless, let alone the Tanguts. The Tangut cavalry always dealt with the Song army's large formations by either completely surrounding and cutting off their supply lines, waiting for them to collapse on their own, or by mobilizing their elite units like the Iron Falcons, the Infantry, and the Chargers to find an opportunity to charge forward, regardless of casualties. Now, their side only had less than four thousand cavalry, and they simply couldn't afford to take that risk.

"If we fight for a long time without success, and our men and horses are exhausted, then if Zhe Keshi suddenly attacks from behind, it will surely be disastrous!"

"Commander, your calculations are brilliant! We can't wait!"

the men below exclaimed in unison.

"Send the order: take the route north of the mountain, passing through Guaiyangtan. I suspect Zhe Keshi is using a feint. As long as we don't fall for it, even if his isolated army is bold, he won't dare to linger in enemy territory. If he waits until Renduo's main force arrives, he won't be able to leave. Moreover, although Zhe's arrival was unexpected, it violates a major military taboo."

"Why do you say this, Commander?"

"It's about supplies! Zhe's light troops are advancing quickly, making it difficult to carry their baggage. He must be carrying several days' worth of supplies. Although he captured Weizhou and made some spoils, he also released over a thousand Han slaves, adding over a thousand mouths to feed. But how can the supplies carried by over five thousand people be enough? And he's greedy, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant, trying to seize our army. When a guest army enters enemy territory, speed is advantageous, but prolonged delay is not. As long as our army doesn't fall for his trick, after two or three days when our supplies run out, our morale will be thrown into chaos. At that time, we can launch an attack and expect a complete victory!"

"How did the commander know that the bandit Zhe only had two or three days' worth of provisions?"

Some of his subordinates were quite puzzled. Normally, when they went out to troop and herd horses, it was common for them to carry ten days' worth of provisions with them. Zhe Keshi was a famous general in the Song army. How could he have carried so little supplies?

"Hmph, the Eastern Dynasty's cavalry is not as capable as our generations of nomadic people. Our northern warhorses are hardy and can sometimes be satisfied with a little grass. The Eastern Dynasty's warhorses are different; they need to be fed fine feed. They cannot go without wheat and millet at every meal. If they miss a meal, the warhorses will lose weight. Therefore, Zhe's troops must carry horse feed in addition to their own rations. A warhorse eats much more per meal than a person. A soldier, fully armored, with bow, arrows, and weapons, is already very heavy. How many people can he feed? The Song army has few horses, at most one horse per person, and no packhorses to take with them. Therefore, I predict that Zhe will carry no more than five days' worth of rations this time. Any more would slow them down."

"Commander is wise. In that case, we only need to wait for them to defeat themselves."

"Hmph, don't underestimate Zhe Keshi. What I can think of, he can naturally think of as well. As long as he realizes his scheme has failed, no matter where he's hiding, he'll definitely move immediately. There aren't many places nearby that can hide several thousand people, and there also needs to be enough water. I reckon if that traitor Zhe moves his troops, he'll definitely follow the Lingzhou River. If he takes this route back to Song territory, he'll inevitably have to pass through Guaiyangtan. We'll wait for him there!"

"Commander, what if he turns back to Weizhou?"

"No problem, Bird Mi Xiong Lian!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

A general flashed past from the side.

"Take your troops and deploy a large number of feints along the route from Weidingtun to Weizhou, setting up numerous camps and displaying false banners to create the appearance of a large army gathering. The enemy, short on supplies and outnumbered, will not dare to take the risk. They will only have one route: Guaiyangtan."

"Understood!"

The subordinate leaders, no longer hesitant, turned their horses and relayed the orders in turn. The bugles sounded, and the cavalry began to turn around in disarray. Thousands of troops, a dark mass, crawled along the mountain road, raising clouds of dust, heading north...

The sky was overcast, the clouds thick, and the distinctive north wind of the Loess Plateau swept across the mountain ridges.

In the steep mountains of northern Shaanxi, the Western Xia army wound its way along the mountain roads.

Agile scouts occasionally broke away from the main force, climbing nearby hills to survey the surrounding area. Since discovering the Song army's movements yesterday, Zhuang Langma had gathered all his scouts and scouts into ten teams, keeping a watchful eye on the Song army from a distance.

He hadn't expected his luck to be so good, discovering the Song army's tracks so quickly.

Clearly, as soon as Zhe Keshi realized his scheme had failed, he decisively ordered his troops to retreat. To be fair, this man's decisiveness truly surprised him; his own plan to wear down the enemy through supply lines was no longer viable. Now both sides were aware of each other's presence, but this was within Western Xia territory, and Zhuang Langma was confident geographically superior to Zhe Keshi. The Song army ahead numbered five or six thousand, including a large number of foot soldiers; clearly, Zhe Keshi had no intention of abandoning the rescued Han slaves. With these burdens, Zhe Keshi wouldn't be able to shake them off. That's how the

Han people of the Eastern Dynasty were—they liked to emphasize benevolence and morality; what was the point of carrying such burdens?

With these burdens, when supplies ran out, the enemy's army would be worn down. That would be the time for his own attack. Of course, Zhe Keshi wasn't incompetent; he wouldn't wait for his morale to plummet.

His last chance is at Guaiyangtan. While morale is still high and supplies are plentiful, he'll wait there for a real battle. Guaiyangtan's location has been exposed, the initiative has shifted, and the situation is extremely favorable.

As long as he reaches Guaiyangtan before Zhe Keshi—or even without being there—and prevents him from passing through easily, he won't have to worry about him escaping. The Song army's location is now exposed; every day of delay consumes more supplies, and more Xia troops will surround them. However, if the Song army passes through Guaiyangtan, they might escape the encirclement. Zhe Keshi has also grasped this point, knowing Guaiyangtan is a crucial point, which is why he's confident he can wait for Zhuang Langma there.

He will not let him pass through unscathed under his nose, and Zhe Keshi has also calculated this.

Whoever's army arrives first, the real battle begins.

What both sides are thinking is no longer a secret; their target is Guaiyangtan.

"Reporting to the commander, Song Gou has set up camp at Guaiyangtan and is gathering boats to build a pontoon bridge."

The scout brought good news, and Zhuang Langma sneered inwardly. Just as expected. Guaiyangtan was the place where the battle would begin!

"Order the entire army to rest for two hours and prepare food."

Zhuang Langma made up his mind and said to the leaders surrounding him, "Give the horses a rest. After the children have eaten their fill, it will be time for the tiger to come out of the mountains. Guaiyangtan will be Song Gou's burial ground."

The junior leaders cheered and returned to their respective units. Zhuang Langma had no intention of fighting Zhe Keshi to the death. After all, the Dangxiang cavalry's specialty was to run away when they couldn't win and then come back to fight. As long as he harassed Zhe Keshi and caused him to suffer more wounds, he would take advantage of any opportunity. Of course, if there was a real chance, he wouldn't mind a great victory.

Regardless, a fierce battle with the Song army would be enough to satisfy Ren Duobaozhong…

When the Song army's resounding bugle call rang out, the entire plain around Guaiyangtan was already teeming with densely packed troops. With the waving of banners, cavalry units arrayed themselves amidst the dust and smoke.

On the opposite side, the dark mass of Western Xia cavalry surged across the plains and forests like a rising tide, their banners fluttering in the wind. The Song army on the opposite side was clearly in disarray. A makeshift camp, with spears planted as a makeshift fortification, stood by the riverbank, where many elderly, weak, women, and children cried out in despair, protected by over a thousand Song soldiers. All of this was clearly visible from Zhuanglangma on the high slope.

The opposing banners bore the name of Zhe Keshi, but he couldn't see Zhe Keshi anywhere. This made sense.

As a general, his responsibility was to command the overall situation; he was unlikely to reveal himself easily. Moreover, the Song army on the other side was obviously prepared. Although there was some chaos at the back, the cavalry at the front tried their best to maintain their formation. Judging from the number of men and horses, there were about five thousand soldiers.

"They're all here..." Zhuang Langma laughed heartily, feeling smug. Zhe Keshi was a famous general of the Eastern Dynasty, who had repeatedly defeated the Xia army. If he could defeat him, it would be a great achievement. At this moment, his courage also grew. He thought that he had four thousand men under his command, all of whom were battle-hardened elites, and their morale was high. He might not be afraid of Zhe Keshi in a real fight.

"Beat the drums! Sound the horns! Ye Licai, Mao Panglian'e, you two lead your troops to advance first and be sure to disrupt the Song dogs' formation!"

"Understood!"

The wild horn sounded instantly, resounding through the clouds, and the booming war drums were awe-inspiring. From the air, thousands of Western Xia cavalrymen looked like a dense swarm of ants covering the earth, galloping wildly across the land, raising clouds of dust. Then, the Song army opposite them dispatched over a thousand men, swarming forward like a beehive. Nearly ten thousand iron hooves pounded the ground, and after a brief run, the two thousand-plus warhorses collided violently…

Amidst the chaos of thousands of troops, Yeli roared and brandished his great axe, hacking and slashing wildly, engaging a Song junior officer in battle. This junior officer was also highly skilled, wielding his spear with incredible agility and possessing superb horsemanship, controlling his horse purely with his legs, and managing to fight Yeli to a standstill.

All around were galloping warhorses and flying arrows; the situation was now a complete melee. Shouts of men, neighing of horses, and the clashing of halberds filled the air as groups of Xia and Song soldiers chased and clashed fiercely. Both sides possessed formidable archery and horsemanship skills. The standard-bearers at the forefront had almost all perished in the initial hail of arrows. Without their command, the cavalry began to fight independently. Yeli Cai was always accompanied by a dozen or so personal guards who remained close by. As for Mao Panglian'e, who had initially appeared incredibly fierce, having cut down four or five Song junior officers, he was now lost in the chaos.

"Kill!"

someone roared. Yeli Cai turned and saw a Song general leading dozens of men charging through the chaos, wielding a formidable spear that had already felled several Xia soldiers. Seeing that Yeli Cai was their leader, the general turned and charged at him.

Yeli Cai parried the Song junior officer's spear with his axe, and his personal guards immediately joined the fray. He drew his greatbow and fired an arrow at the Song general.

Unexpectedly, the Song general was extremely alert. Hearing the bowstring twang and sensing the approaching gale, he raised his spear and deflected the arrow. He then drew his crossbow and fired back. Yelicai dodged, but the arrow struck the arm of one of his personal guards behind him, who cried out in pain and nearly fell from his horse.

Just then, a group of Xia and Song soldiers, engaged in a fierce chase, inadvertently ended up near Yelicai. The Xia soldiers, having found their commander amidst the chaos, swarmed around Yelicai. Upon seeing the Song general raise his spear, his soldiers expertly drew their bows and unleashed a hail of arrows.

The Xia soldiers, also seasoned veterans, didn't need their commander's orders; almost simultaneously with the Song's firing, their own arrows flew, and several riders on both sides fell from their horses. The Song general roared, spurring his horse forward. In just a few steps, he was in front of Yelicai's horse, swinging his great spear in a wide arc, delivering a devastating blow. Yelicai, his eyes wide with rage, raised his great axe in a fiery display. The spear, whipping through the air, slammed into the axe shaft with a deafening clang. Yelicai's arms went numb from the impact, and he nearly dropped his axe. The Song general's spear was also deflected high, his horse swerving past him. The general swung his spear again, and Yelicai, startled, ducked to avoid it. Then, his personal guards clashed with the surging Song army. A Song

army force had already attacked, and now the general was bringing another. With the two forces combined, Yelicai realized he was outnumbered. These Song soldiers were all ferocious to the point of being reckless, showing no fear of death whatsoever. Some, even with multiple arrows in their bodies, still staggered and refused to fall. When their warhorses died, they dismounted and fought on foot; when wounded, they broke their bows and arrows, desperately clinging to the legs of the Xia soldiers' horses, even when their intestines were spilling out from being trampled, they just wouldn't let go. Although his own men were also battle-hardened warriors, their numbers were clearly dwindling.

At this moment, the Song general was also pushed aside by the chaotic army, but he was exceptionally fierce, swinging his spear and knocking down several men in succession. This man's strength was truly astonishing; he didn't need any special techniques, just brute force, swinging and sweeping, and no one could get close.

Good Song dogs, are these Zhe Keshi's men? No wonder he's hailed as the bravest general of Huanqing Road; the troops he leads are indeed a formidable enemy of our Great Xia. Such a person must not be let go when there's an opportunity to kill him!

Ye Licai swung his great axe fiercely, cutting down the Song soldier's warhorse in front of him with one blow. The Song soldier cried out as he was pinned to the ground, unable to move. Just as one of his personal guards was about to dismount and take his head, a spear flew from the side, piercing his armored body through his chest. The spearhead protruded from his chest, and without a sound, his body collapsed onto his horse, demonstrating the incredible force of the spear thrower.

"Ah!"

Ye Licai turned his head and saw it was the same Song soldier from before. This man was still alive, and somehow had somehow circled back to his side in the chaos of battle.

"Song dog, take this!" Ye Licai's

eyes flashed with bloodlust as he watched his personal guards die one by one.

He raised his axe and swung it down. The Song soldier's spear had already slipped from his grasp, and he was now only holding a large sword. Axe and sword clashed, and with a single blow, the sword was knocked away. Then Ye Licai swung his axe in a backhand strike. The junior officer, clearly exhausted from long battles and having thrown his spear with excessive force, was too weak to dodge. The axe struck the Song soldier's arm, and half of his arm flew off in a spray of blood. The officer screamed and fell from his horse. "

I'll crush you!" Ye Licai gritted his teeth and spurred his horse forward. A Song soldier without a horse rushed forward to block him like a madman, only to be knocked down by Ye Licai's horse. But the warhorse neighed, and the Song soldier who had been pinned down by the horse somehow got up, plunged an iron mace into his horse's belly, and then twisted it open.

Steaming hot blood and entrails gushed out, splattering the Song soldier's face and head. The immense momentum of the charging horse threw him off balance, and the horse's dying hooves kicked him squarely in the face, crushing half his cheek and spilling out his brains. He died instantly.

Caught off guard, Ye Licai fell with his horse, his right leg hitting a rock on the ground, sending a sharp pain through him. He couldn't get up, knowing the fall had likely broken his leg.

A chaotic mob of swords clashed all around, but many Song soldiers saw an opportunity. Abandoning their immediate opponents, they rushed towards Ye Licai. Xia soldiers, realizing their commander was in trouble, also rushed to his aid. A bloody battle ensued around Ye Licai, resulting in over a dozen dead and wounded. Ye Licai had barely managed to stand when two of his men were killed by arrows. He himself was then struck by several arrows. His tough iron armor shielded him from most of the damage, but the sharp arrowheads still pierced his flesh, blood flowing from the seams of the armor plates.

He swayed and knelt on one knee, only to see the Song general directing his men to fire arrows in his direction. His men lay scattered on the ground, while many Song soldiers, their horses dead, charged at him with weapons raised, their own men barely able to hold them off.

Was he really going to die here…? Ye Licai gritted his teeth and tried to stand, but then a figure tackled him to the ground. A Song junior officer, covered in blood, missing an arm, his eyes like those of a demon from the underworld, his only intact hand holding an iron hammer.

It was him again… Damn it, this only brought him fame and fortune.

Ye Licai had no strength left to struggle, and waited for the hammer to fall. But then he heard a whistling sound like locusts swarming by, followed by an arrow striking the junior officer in the throat. The officer swayed, as if in disbelief, and then a hail of arrows swept across the battlefield like a whirlwind, riddling him with arrows until his body fell heavily to the ground. Yelicai lay on the ground, hearing the rumbling, thunderous sounds from below. Looking around, he saw the Song and Xia soldiers screaming and scattering in all directions, those struck by arrows falling and their horses crashing down. "

What's going on?" Yelicai struggled to his feet, turning back to look, and then couldn't help but let out a wild howl.

Thousands of cavalry were rolling in!

Their main force had finally moved out. Surrounded by hundreds of personal guards, Zhuang Langma was flanked by three thousand elite Tangut cavalry captured alive. The rumbling thunder was the sound of tens of thousands of hooves pounding the earth. Dust billowed as thousands of Xia soldiers launched a full-scale offensive, sweeping towards the Song army with overwhelming force.

Almost simultaneously, the Song army's war drums suddenly intensified, and the resounding horns echoed across the plains. Almost all the Song soldiers roared, and guided by countless banners, they poured out!

The main forces of both sides had finally begun their decisive battle!

Surrounded by hundreds of personal guards, Zhuang Langma searched the battlefield for his target. He had only one target: Zhe Keshi. Although he held the upper hand, the enemy outnumbered him. If he could kill Zhe Keshi…

His greatbow had already fired thirteen times, and thirteen Song soldiers had fallen from their horses. The enemy's arrows never left his side, but his personal guards were no pushovers; so far, no one had managed to wound him. Now, the banners of both sides were intertwined, making it difficult to discern the flags. Zhe Keshi's banner, which had been visible just moments before, was now nowhere to be seen.

A Song general appeared in his field of vision; officers were always prime prey. Zhuang Langma drew his great bow again, aiming for the enemy's back.

A whoosh—an arrow flew out, but a white flash in mid-air shot it down.

Excellent archery! The Song army actually had such a skilled archer!

Zhuang Langma turned his head and saw hundreds of Song cavalry surrounding a general who appeared in his field of vision. The general was clad in heavy armor, riding a large black horse, a large sword hanging from his saber, the bowstring trembling slightly in his hand, coldly staring at him. Looking at the banner fluttering behind him, a large character for "Zhe" was displayed—it was Zhe Keshi.

This man was Zhe Keshi? What a formidable general!

"Kill!"

The frenzied battle cries rang out almost simultaneously from both sides...

Mao Panglian'e had lost count of how many times he had changed horses. His mount had long been shot dead, and after changing horses, it was shot dead again. After fighting on foot for a while, he seized an opportunity to seize an unclaimed warhorse, but soon after, he was knocked down by a Song rider.

All his personal guards were dead, and now he was all alone.

The ruthlessness of the Song army before him was something he had never seen before; they were simply a bunch of reckless madmen. They dared to fire crossbow bolts indiscriminately in the chaotic crowd, not caring whether they would hurt their own men. Some of the cavalrymen, whose horsemanship was inferior, recklessly spurred their horses to charge at the enemy's horses, even if it meant being knocked down themselves. This kind of mutual destruction was not an isolated phenomenon; it was happening everywhere.

At this moment, it was impossible to tell whether the blood on his body was his own or that of others, and his helmet was nowhere to be found.

His greatsword had been knocked away by a Song general, and now he was holding a three-pronged fork that he had picked up from the ground. The Song general, after knocking away his weapon, was struck head-on by a stray arrow, hitting him squarely in the face. He fell from his horse but was snatched back by Song soldiers, his fate unknown. He, too, had escaped with his life and, wielding a large fork, charged towards his own people.

His rear guard had already joined the battle; if they could break into the enemy camp, the Han slaves would surely cause chaos, and once they were in disarray…

He was thinking this when suddenly he saw over a hundred Western Xia cavalry break through the Song army's blockade and rush towards the camp gate.

Before he could even shout in celebration, a clapper sounded from within the camp, and a hail of arrows rained down like locusts. Western Xia soldiers, even from a distance, were shot down, their horses and men falling prey to the ground. The rain of arrows was so dense that the Western Xia's relentless charges couldn't reach them. Many cavalrymen and their horses were riddled with arrows, some flying backward from their horses, and even more than ten nearby Song soldiers were accidentally wounded.

Something's not right! Mao Panglian'e was immediately alarmed. As a seasoned general, he recognized at a glance that the opposing camp contained the Song army's Divine Arm Archer unit, with perhaps over a thousand archers.

Weren't there only Han slaves inside the camp?

But those were clearly Divine Arm Archers!

There were five thousand Song soldiers outside the camp; where did the Divine Arm Archer unit inside come from? Wasn't the Song army supposed to have only five thousand men?

Could there be more than five thousand? Those Han slaves were in disguise!

Just as this terrifying thought crossed his mind, signal cannons roared from the Song camp, followed by a cloud of dust rising behind the Xia army, and countless cavalrymen emerged from the mountains. Judging from their banners and attire, they were vastly different from the Song imperial guards currently engaged in battle. They wore braided hair, strange clothing—some in iron armor, some in leather, some even unarmored—but their frenzied, desperate demeanor was even more savage than the Song soldiers before them.

The Qiang cavalry of the Song Dynasty!

They had fallen into a trap!

Zhuang Langma, who had just exchanged more than ten blows with Zhe Keshi, stared dumbfounded at the ambush troops attacking from behind, his mind buzzing.

Where did these people come from? Had he fallen into a trap? Did the Song army have more than five thousand men? Right, he had only heard from the defeated soldiers of Weizhou that the Song army numbered over five thousand, but that was only the force sent to attack the city. He had naturally assumed that the Song army would mobilize its full strength to attack a strategic location like Weizhou, but he hadn't expected...

Zhe Keshi definitely had more than five thousand men; he must have divided

his forces beforehand! His subsequent discovery of Zhe Keshi's feint was probably within Zhe Keshi's expectations. Zhe Keshi's deliberate appearance before him, leading him all the way to Guaiyangtan, and then having his men disguised as Han slaves, was all to make him believe that this was his main force—a feint! A feint!

Had he been planning this situation before even attacking Weizhou?

Zhuang Langma felt a tingling sensation in his head, while the Song army's morale soared. The war drums thundered, their roars mingling with the soldiers' shouts, creating a deafening tsunami-like sound. Red robes, red banners—Zhuang Langma felt surrounded by enemies on all sides. The Song army directly in front of him had launched a full-scale counterattack.

"Commander! We've fallen into a trap! Now is the time to escape!"

"Commander, we'll protect you and fight our way out!"

"Order the retreat! Retreat now!"

Zhuang Langma finally couldn't hold on any longer. He turned his horse around and, surrounded by his personal guards, spurred it on, fleeing for his life. Behind him, countless Western Xia soldiers, caught in a pincer attack, scattered and collapsed like ants encountering a flood. The Song army's cavalry, like two giant blades, relentlessly slaughtered the fleeing Xia army...

Four days later, when Renduo Baozhong, the commander of the Jingse Military Command in Weizhou, hurriedly returned with 30,000 troops, he was left with a devastated Weizhou. In this surprise attack, Renduo Baozhong lost nearly 2,000 men in Weizhou and Weidingtun, about 20% of whom were registered soldiers, along with over 1,000 Han slaves and over 3,000 head of cattle and horses. For the Dangxiang tribe, where numbers meant strength, or more precisely, men, strength, this was a disaster.

Of course, the bad news didn't stop there.

In the Battle of Guaiyangtan, 4,000 captured elite cavalry were ambushed and routed by Song troops. Zhuang Langma, wounded by three arrows, escaped under the desperate protection of his personal guards. The Song army beheaded 300 and captured 1,200 horses, taking no prisoners as usual. Afterwards, Zhe Keshi calmly crossed the Guaiyangtan, detoured to Mengjing, and returned to Weidingtun. After reuniting with the garrison troops, he set fire to Weidingtun and burned it to the ruins. Then he swaggered back to Hongde Village.

The news of the Song army's victory quickly reached Qingzhou. Zhang Jie, the Pacification Commissioner of Huanqing Road of the Great Song Dynasty, immediately submitted a memorial to the emperor. However, the court's reaction was quite indifferent. Bianjing was now under the control of the "Yuanyou Gentlemen," while the "Xifeng Traitors" were collectively staying in the poor mountains of Lingnan counting stars. Empress Dowager Gao was still ruling from behind the curtain, and Emperor Zhao was still a puppet who only concerned himself with issuing imperial edicts.

Despite the failure of the policy of ceding territory and paying reparations to the Western Xia in exchange for peace, and despite the increasingly rampant aggression of the Western Xia under the manipulation of the Liang family, the ministers of the Council of State still bury their heads in the sand and refuse to face reality. Even when the border generals won battles, they saw no reason to encourage their "troublemaking" actions.

However, when the news reached the common people, the reaction was quite different; the people of Shaanxi were overjoyed.

In any case, it was better for the government troops to win than to lose. Although war would bring all sorts of heavy corvée labor, it was still better than being plundered by the Western Xia bandits. No one wanted Shaanxi to be endlessly plundered by the Western Xia bandits. If the government troops had a few generals who could win battles, the people would have more security. Zhe Keshi's light cavalry raid to capture Weizhou, his ambush at Guaiyangtan that defeated the pursuing troops, and his military prowess that shook Longyou—such heroes are truly admirable.

Of course, not everyone was in a good mood…

In the dark wilderness, swift warhorses neighed and galloped, riders brandishing their weapons in a fierce battle. In an instant, a hail of arrows rained down, warhorses neighed and fell, warriors screamed and tumbled to the ground. Countless dead faces flashed before his eyes: Uncle Guang, Little Ma…

A large hand pulled him up from the ground. It was Uncle Tang. He lifted him onto the horse, shielding him with his body, and spurred the horse to gallop desperately towards Song Dynasty territory…

And that child, the child kidnapped by the Khitans, his own brother, cried out hoarsely…

On another cold night, Uncle Tang lay on the bed, his face gaunt, clutching his own hand.

“Brother Yun, the hatred for your father’s killer is irreconcilable. Don’t forget your family’s enemy…”

My father… who is he… I never knew his name, I only saw him from afar…

Who is that man…? Slender and upright, with a dignified face, but always carrying a hint of bitterness and loneliness in his expression, that man was my and Yue'er's father. He was the one who gave each of us a jade unicorn pendant, symbolizing clouds and moon...

"Captain, Captain!"

A voice seemed to come from beyond the heavens.

Tang Yun awoke from his slumber. Beside him was the army's medic, carrying a basin of clean water. This man was a barefoot Qiang doctor, lacking any advanced medical skills, only able to treat common military injuries like bruises, cuts, and arrow wounds. Moreover, he was rough and burly, looking more like a butcher than a doctor; treating injuries with him was like torture.

"Captain, time to change the dressing."

Tang Yun reluctantly stretched out his injured arm. The man unwrapped the bandage, first cleaning the wound with water, then pouring medicinal wine from a gourd, and then vigorously rubbing it onto the swollen areas of Tang Yun's arm. This was his signature move, the same medicinal wine for any injury. The wounded soldiers in the army who fell into his hands all complained bitterly, but the medicinal wine of this man, of unknown recipe, was not entirely without effect.

"The captain's bones are really hard, how can they be so hard? They're not broken, tsk tsk..."

Tang Yun already knew about his injury. Although the hammer blow was solid, his own hard qigong was not to be underestimated. It was a unique skill personally passed down by Uncle Tang. In addition, there was a shield blocking it. Although he was stunned at the time, his arm bone was only cracked and not broken. Every time the doctor came to apply medicine to him, he would ramble on about it.

"You rascal, are you perhaps hoping I'll lose my arm to be happy?"

"What are you saying, Captain?"

The barefoot doctor chuckled. "In my opinion, Captain's body is as strong as steel in Hongde Village as Grand Commandant Zhe's. Last winter, I saw Grand Commandant Zhe practicing martial arts shirtless in the snow in the dead of winter. Four of his personal guards tried to stab him with spears, but they couldn't get a hold of him. Such invulnerability is truly divine."

Tang Yun knew Zhe Keshi's martial arts skills well, having served as his personal guard for several years. In the army, martial arts were primarily based on spears, clubs, bows, and crossbows. Although Zhe Keshi used a broadsword, he was skilled in archery and horsemanship, possessing astonishing strength. He could draw a strong bow with a strength of 1.67 dou (a unit of weight) twenty-three times in one go on horseback and more than forty times on foot. It was said that he could draw a strong bow with a strength of 3 dou (another unit of weight) on foot, but this was just a rumor and no one had ever witnessed it. Tang Yun himself had tried to draw the three-stone bow from the armory, but could only manage to draw it halfway. He felt that the bow was probably not meant for human use.

"Has Commander Zhe returned?"

"Not yet. This great victory was quite an achievement for you, Captain. You killed a general of the Western Bandits. The court will surely reward you handsomely. I'd like to congratulate you first."

It was already April, almost a month since the great victory at Weizhou. These wounded soldiers hadn't participated in the subsequent battles, and their accounts of the battles came from their fellow soldiers. The story of Zhe Keshi's surprise attack on Weizhou and the ambush at Guaiyangtan that utterly defeated the pursuing troops had already become legendary among the common people. However, after returning to his army, Zhe Keshi feared retaliation from the Western Xia, so he deployed scouts extensively along the border and set up several ambushes, not daring to be negligent in the slightest. But the Western Bandits did not pursue him, and he only returned to Hongde Village ten days ago. Afterwards, he went to Huanzhou to meet Zhang Jie. The army said he went to ask Commander Zhang for a reward, so all the soldiers eagerly awaited his return.

It was a customary practice of the imperial court to demand rewards from its soldiers after battles, a practice inherited from the late Tang Dynasty of the Five Dynasties period, and the court dared not be negligent in this matter. Previously, rewards were to be distributed on the spot after each volley of archers' shots in battle; otherwise, there was a risk of rioting. Zhe Keshi himself had witnessed this firsthand. During the Yuanfeng Western Expedition, he decisively defeated the Western Xia at Putao Mountain, but because the rewards were not paid in time, his troops mutinied and scattered on the battlefield. Fortunately, the Western Xia army had already retreated; otherwise, they would have surely turned the tide and won. He chased them alone on horseback for over ten miles, using all sorts of persuasion and deception, and finally, thanks to his established prestige within the army, he managed to convince them to return.

This was also one of the reasons why the practice of exchanging rewards among border troops and prefectures could not be completely eradicated. Border generals needed to always have cash on hand to reward their soldiers; otherwise, mutiny was possible. Huanqing Road had a history of mutinies; the mutiny in Qingzhou in the fourth year of the Xining era was still fresh in the court's memory.

"Those cavalrymen have made a fortune this time, and they don't even ask for rewards. I'd rather be a cavalryman myself,"

Tang Yun joked, his arm less painful now.

"What's so great about being a cavalryman? They don't even get paid," the doctor

scoffed. "A bunch of scoundrels and downtroddens, none of them are any good."

His words were full of contempt for the cavalrymen, a common practice in the army. Which honest man with property in the Yanbian vassal state would want to risk his life on the battlefield? It was mostly idle scoundrels who joined the army. Moreover, the cavalrymen didn't receive regular pay; they were only recruited temporarily during wartime. The rewards for killing enemies were the same as for regular soldiers, but after paying the government 30% of the loot, the rest was theirs. Therefore, most of the cavalrymen were mercenaries who lived off the war; if they didn't fight, they had no food. If they were lucky enough to win a battle, the loot would be enough for them to live on for a year or two without doing anything else.

“I heard last time that a regional official even colluded with bandits, but when the time came, he betrayed the bandits and got promoted and made a fortune.”

“What regional official? Bandits?”

Tang Yun’s expression changed.

“You probably haven’t heard, Commander. A while ago, the notorious bandit Su Yanfu from Hedong sneaked into Huanzhou. I heard he came to buy horses from the Western bandits. This bandit actually colluded with the Western bandits, truly courting death. Who would have thought that the regional official who led him was part of the government? He devised a plan to have the bandits wiped out by Zhang, the Prefect of Qingzhou, and several bandits were executed. It is said that Ma Poliu, Zhang Qing, and Sun Erniang from Gaojiadian in our village also joined the bandits, and they were all wiped out.”

Here it comes! Tang Yun’s heart tightened.

“I really didn’t expect this. The bandits are all dead?”

“I don’t know that. I only heard that Su Yanfu was captured on the Hedong road. I’m afraid General Zhang will investigate this matter thoroughly. I wonder what General Zhe will say to General Zhang…”

Tang Yun suddenly looked up and stared into the doctor’s eyes. He looked directly at me without flinching, a faint smile on his face, but deep in his eyes, something unspoken remained.

So it came after all…

“And what brings you here?”

"The captain is a smart man; he knows why I'm here."

"Five li outside the south gate, there's a dilapidated earth god temple. Behind the temple is a large poplar tree, and under the tree is a huge rock. Move the rock, dig five feet into the ground, and all my money is there—a thousand strings of cash. If you go to collect it, you'll need to bring men and horses."

"Thank you for your kind offer, captain; I'll gladly accept it."

"Then...when?"

"Tomorrow at the latest."

"Who...who sent you?"

"The captain is a smart man; this matter doesn't need to be explained. I suppose the captain already knows."

The next day, Zhe Keshi returned to Hongde Village from Huanzhou, bringing back the reward money his subordinates had been eagerly awaiting. However, he was accompanied by two officers from the military governor's office and ten sergeants; they had come to capture Tang Yun. This confession, supposedly obtained from the notorious bandit Su Yanfu, alleges that Tang Yun colluded with bandits, secretly violating the ban by trading with the Western bandits. The evidence is irrefutable, tantamount to treason, an unforgivable crime. The military governor's office has issued a warrant for his arrest and execution.

In the distance, Tang Yun, dressed as a commoner and wearing a tattered straw hat, watched Zhe Keshi's men enter Hongde Village. Seeing the accompanying military governor's men, he let out a long sigh, then turned and disappeared into a mountain path.

Perhaps his life as a Song Dynasty soldier was over.

From now on, everything would depend on his fate. (

Chapter 3, March 21)

The mountain path was overgrown with vegetation, but traces of footsteps and cart tracks could be seen on the ground. Perhaps Chen Liu's group had taken this path some time ago, only to be ambushed by the soldiers. Unexpectedly, Chen Liu was actually one of Su Yanfu's men. Uncle Tang had told me about Su Yanfu; he was supposedly a notorious bandit, but actually a member of the Xinlian Society. His former sect, the Red Lotus Society, had inextricable ties with the infamous Maitreya Sect from decades ago.

The Maitreya Sect was a heretical sect explicitly banned by the imperial court. In the seventh year of the Qingli reign of Emperor Renzong, they raised the banner of rebellion in Hebei Province. The garrisons in several prefectures and counties in the heart of Hebei, including Beizhou, Shenzhou, Qizhou, and Bozhou, where their followers gathered, mutinied one after another, rising up in rebellion. Some followers even infiltrated the imperial guards in Bianjing, committing murder and arson in the palace, attempting to assassinate Emperor Renzong. This was the famous Qingli Beizhou Mutiny during Emperor Renzong's reign. Later, the Maitreya Sect rebellion was quelled by Wen Yanbo's army. Since then, the government has taken strict measures to crack down on the Maitreya Sect, and it had been dormant for decades. Unexpectedly, it has now resurfaced.

However, Su Yanfu had really chosen the wrong place to come to Shaanxi to cause trouble. The most capable soldiers in the court right now were probably those from Shaanxi. They weren't even afraid of the brutal Western Xia, so dealing with a small cult bandit would be a piece of cake.

But now he was a criminal, and this road might not be a good omen for criminals.

Just then, Tang Yun suddenly heard something. He concealed himself behind a tree. After listening carefully for a moment, he leaped up the tree, enduring the pain in his arm, and climbed into the canopy. Hiding himself, he pushed aside the branches and leaves blocking his face and looked into the distance. He saw that the once deserted mountain road was now teeming with soldiers, like a busy swarm of ants.

This road was really bustling now—first bandits, now soldiers…

Then Tang Yun saw many large carts, each carrying something very large and heavy, covered tightly with blue cloth and tied with ropes, being pulled forward by mules. Beside a large cart, Tang Yun saw a familiar face.

Gao Long? Wasn't he supposed to have gone to Huanzhou with Zhe Keshi? He just came back…

He hadn't really noticed Gao Long earlier; he had no recollection of whether Gao Long had entered the city with Zhe Keshi. But his presence here meant that Zhe Keshi was playing some kind of trick, and that this person was plotting some scheme against Xixia. The things hidden in those mysterious carts must be related to this.

Tang Yun stared intently for a while. It didn't seem to be transporting grain. For the government troops to be mobilized, it would only be for grain or weapons. Traveling along such a desolate road, and with the carts so heavily concealed—could it be some kind of secret weapon? Deliberately kept hidden for a surprise attack in wartime? Quite like Zhe Keshi's style. That makes sense. This trip to Weizhou had caused Xixia such humiliation; it would be strange if they didn't retaliate. Zhe Keshi was a strategist; of course, he would have made preparations beforehand.

What exactly was it? Where was it going?

Tang Yun watched for a while, then suddenly remembered that he was no longer a soldier, but a fugitive. Why was he bothering with this? He knew that Zhe Keshi had his reasons for doing this. He should focus on his own affairs first. He quietly climbed down from the tree and disappeared into the depths of the dense forest…

Just three or five days later, an official document from the Qingzhou Military Governor's Office reached the Shaanxi Circuit Judicial Commissioner's Office. Another portrait appeared at the gates of various towns in Shaanxi Circuit of the Great Song Dynasty. Wanted posters and arrest warrants were passed down from city to city. In the blink of an eye, Tang Yun went from a soldier to a wanted criminal…

***************************************** (Separator)

Western Xia, Weizhou City.

Inside the city, Ren Duobaozhong, the commander of the Jingse Army of Weizhou, Western Xia, patrolled the city with several hundred personal guards. With each step he took, his resentment and anger increased.

When did the Song people become like the Western Xia?

The entire city was looted; every house that could be burned was burned. Clearly, the Song army had no intention of staying long; after their rampage, they simply packed up and left. This was the usual practice of the Western Xia army, but now the Song had learned it perfectly. The Song people of the past weren't like this. As he walked, he pondered how to send spies to spread the Song army's atrocities to the ears of the Eastern Dynasty's officials. Then, plenty of pedantic people would impeach Zhe Keshi and Zhang Jie, those two traitors.

On the battlefield, the more ruthless the enemy, the better—that was the Western Xia's rule. But the Eastern Dynasty was different. The Eastern Dynasty considered itself a superior nation, a land of propriety and etiquette, emphasizing manners and morality in everything they did. Especially now that the old faction was in power, those "gentlemen," once they learned of Zhe Keshi's indiscriminate killing of civilians and prisoners, would surely impeach him.

This was the Eastern Dynasty's officialdom; they didn't believe in retaliating in kind; they believed in winning people over with virtue.

Ren Duobao truly hoped that the Eastern Dynasty had more fools like this.

And then there's Zhuang Langma, who was utterly humiliated and defeated by the Song army on Western Xia territory!

Utterly incompetent! The Qinsheng Army are elite troops; such losses cannot be replenished quickly. Such a crushing defeat is intolerable. Does the Western Xia army know less about their own territory than the Song army?

Actually, back in the seventh year of the Da'an era, when the Song army launched a major invasion, Gao Zunyu's tens of thousands of troops unexpectedly crossed the Minshan Mountains and captured Weizhou without bloodshed. Zhang Cun also attacked Weizhou a few years earlier. Since then, the geographical situation of Weizhou has been no secret to the Song Dynasty. Of course, at this moment, Ren Duobaozhong was extremely angry and naturally ignored this matter. In his view, a defeat is a defeat, and all reasons are just excuses.

And the Liang family… the once glorious Bai Shang Kingdom is now in complete chaos, all because of the Liang family's misrule!

Dingyuan City in Xihe Road of the Eastern Dynasty is directly opposite Zhuoluo and the Southern Army Command. My own Jingsai Army Command is mainly responsible for defending Huanqing Road of the Eastern Dynasty. As the Commander-in-Chief, I also concurrently command the Six Armies of the Left Wing, and Zhuoluo and the Southern Army Command are also under my jurisdiction. However, this treacherous Liang Yibu, relying on his position as Prime Minister, dared to interfere in my affairs of the Left Wing, openly ordering me to send troops under the guise of Qian Shun's decree, leaving Weizhou vulnerable, which allowed the Song army to take advantage of the situation.

This is a blatant provocation and insult! Veins bulged on Renduo Baozhong's forehead, his eyes wide with rage. The surrounding officers and soldiers dared not breathe, fearing that if they said the wrong thing, Renduo Baozhong would seize them and kill them.

Perhaps Liang Yibu did it on purpose, on the one hand, to suppress and weaken my authority in the Left Wing, and on the other hand, to use someone else to do his dirty work. To use the Song army to destroy the foundation of my Renduo clan. I thought I had kept my military expedition very secret, how could the Song army know so much about it? And how could they have timed it so well? Was someone deliberately tipping off the Song army?

Ren Duo Baozhong became increasingly convinced that this was inevitable. After all, the conflict between the Ren Duo and Liang clans was common knowledge. Back during Bingchang's reign, he, Ren Duo Baozhong, was Liang Yimai's political enemy, and he maintained close relationships with key figures in the imperial faction such as Li Qing and Yu Zanghuama.

When the Liang clan staged a coup and imprisoned Bingchang, he, Ren Duo Baozhong, was the first among the twelve military commanders to openly raise an army for self-defense. Although the Liang clan later feigned welcoming Bingchang back, and relations between the two sides superficially eased, the extent of their sincerity was an open secret.

Now that the new emperor had ascended the throne, everyone outwardly presented themselves as subjects, living in peace for several years, but everyone knew that a reckoning was inevitable. Currently, the Liang family still controlled the government of the Great Xia, using the emperor to command the other lords. He could not resist the righteous cause; as long as the Liang clan did not openly rebel, he could not refuse their orders issued in the name of Qianshun, even though he knew they were acting arrogantly! That was why he had endured until now.

But now, were they finally preparing to attack him?

If the Liang clan was not eliminated, the Western Xia would surely perish! My Renduo clan is doomed!

Back then, Liang Yimai and Empress Dowager Liang controlled the government, even openly staging a coup and imprisoning the king, Bingchang, nearly sparking a civil war. The Song army seized the opportunity to launch a major westward advance, and Western Xia almost perished. From that time on, Renduo Baozhong believed the Liang family was a great scourge to Western Xia. Even after the Liang family reinstated Bingchang, Renduo Baozhong never changed his mind, because it was merely to ease domestic tensions and appease anti-Liang forces, not a genuine desire to return power to the Li family.

Now, Bingchang is dead, and Liang Yimai and Empress Dowager Liang are also dead. However, the new generation of the Liang family still controls the government of Western Xia. The Xia king, Qianshun, is just a child, and the Empress Dowager still rules as regent, and this Empress Dowager is still Liang Yimai's daughter. Liang Yimai's son, Liang Yibu, has become the new prime minister; everything is no different from over a decade ago.

Renduo Baozhong is not without ambition; on the contrary, his ambition is great. The Liang family's current rejection of Han customs and systems, their adoption of vassal rituals, and their policy of attacking the Song Dynasty, which he viewed as a radical step, were seen as attempts to consolidate their power and divert domestic conflicts. He believed this would inevitably exhaust the Western Xia's resources and lead it to its demise. Renduo Baozhong had always admired Chinese culture and even disliked the Western Xia script. In his view, Western Xia's only future lay in adopting Han customs and rituals, just like the Liao Dynasty.

If the powerful Liao Dynasty still used Han customs and rituals, why couldn't Western Xia?

Furthermore, and most importantly, he was a Tangut. He could accept loyalty to the Li family, but he could never bring himself to submit to the Han Chinese Liang family.

He always believed his talents were sufficient to be the prime minister of Western Xia and had always wanted to replace the Liang family. However, Empress Dowager Liang and Liang Yimai were both shrewd and cunning, and the siblings were united, holding the symbol of righteousness, which Renduo Baozhong was powerless to change. Now, Liang Yibu is utterly incompetent, and the young Empress Dowager Liang isn't as aggressive as her aunt. It's rumored there's a sordid rivalry between them. Could he exploit this?

What if his target was solely Liang Yibu? If he could replace Liang Yibu and possess enough power to keep him in check, leaving only Empress Dowager Liang would be acceptable. After all, she's the Empress Dowager, the biological mother of Emperor Qianshun; completely overthrowing her is unrealistic. Most importantly, Empress Dowager Liang is a woman, yet her descendants bear the surname Li. Liang Yibu, on the other hand, is a man, yet his descendants bear the surname Liang. The true source of trouble is self-evident.

If he could sow discord between them… that would be quite advantageous. Sibling affection is worthless before power; in Western Xia, this is the law of power.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but recall Li Qing from years ago. He wondered what Li Qing would do if he were still alive.

Among the Tanguts, Renduo Baozhong considered himself a leader in both literature and military strategy, but the person he admired most in his life was Li Qing. The two were close friends and political allies. Despite being a Han Chinese general who had surrendered, Li Qing's talent was truly that of a national hero. It was he who advised Bingchang to abandon the Tangut customs and adopt Han customs and etiquette, to ally with the Song and Liao dynasties, and to use the power of the Eastern Dynasty to deal with the Liang clan. Once the war ended, the Liang clan would have no reason to hold military power, and then power could be returned to Bingchang, allowing him to truly rule in his own right.

This move could be said to have struck at the Liang clan's Achilles' heel, but the Liang clan launched a coup first, Li Qing was killed, and his entire family was executed, the entire plan failing. "

Li Langjun… now that you see the situation in Western Xia, what plan do you have?"

Night fell at the main camp outside Weizhou City. The city was in ruins, so Renduo Baozhong set up his command tent outside.

"Commander, an envoy from Xingqing Prefecture has arrived."

At midnight, a central officer rode in through the gate and reported in a low voice to Ren Duo Baozhong's tent. This man was Ren Duo Baozhong's confidant. Ren Duo Baozhong summoned him in and frowned, saying, "An envoy from Xingqing Prefecture? Who is he?"

"The visitor is Wu Zangmai, the Left Wing Inspector of the Sixth Guard of the Imperial Guard."

"Oh!"

Ren Duo Baozhong's heart skipped a beat. Although the Liang siblings were currently in power, Liang Yibu, despite being the Chancellor, could not interfere with the armed forces of Xingqing Prefecture. The Sixth Guard of the Imperial Guard, the Xingqing Prefecture Garrison, and the Xiangqing Military Command of Lingzhou were all controlled by Empress Dowager Liang's confidants. Liang Yibu only commanded the Right Wing Sixth Army Command.

Could it be that his previous probing had worked?

Had a rift truly formed between Liang Yibu and Empress Dowager Liang?

If that's the case, it's truly a stroke of luck...

"Please come quickly!"...

************************************ (Separator)

Liao Kingdom, Xijing Circuit, Southwest Pacification Commission, Jinsu Army.

Jinsu Army is one of the three military prefectures in the Hetao region of Xijing Circuit. It, along with Heqing Army and Ningbian Prefecture, represents the entire territory of Liao Kingdom in the Hetao region. Despite their high administrative level, they are all remote border defense cities that only govern one city. Ningbian Prefecture is adjacent to the Southern Dynasty's Huoshan Army, while Heqing Army and Jinsu Army are responsible for the direction of Western Xia.

Back then, when Liao and Xia were at odds, tens of thousands of Liao troops marched into the desolate Hetao desert grasslands and built the two fortresses of Heqing Army and Jinsu Army as bridgeheads for attacking Western Xia. Later, Li Yuanhao adopted a scorched-earth policy, burning the entire grassland and poisoning the rivers so that the Liao army's warhorses had no water or grass to eat. He also used delaying tactics, dragging out the Liao army until it was exhausted before launching a major counterattack and finally defeating the powerful enemy with great difficulty. However, this battle was a Pyrrhic victory, as it took place within Western Xia territory. The grasslands were the lifeblood of Western Xia, and while Yuan Hao's move defeated the Liao army, it also weakened his own forces. Therefore, Liao and Xia tacitly reconciled, and the Jin Su Army and the He Qing Army ceased hostilities. The Liao state relocated several hundred households of Yan people from Nanjing Road to these two cities, symbolically stationing a thousand autumn defense troops in each, and then left them to their own devices.

For the next several decades, the Liao troops in these two cities experienced virtually no warfare, and their main daily work shifted from defending against Tangut invasions to raiding for supplies across the border. Currently, the entire Hetao region was under Western Xia control, while the area bordering Liao consisted of vast, uninhabited deserts and Gobi, offering little opportunity for profit. Therefore, the Jin Su Army and the He Qing Army primarily raided the Hedong Road of the Southern Dynasty. (The scene is described

in the Jin Su Army city, near the west gate, in the residence of Han Yue.)

The air inside was stuffy and humid. Han Yue, naked and panting heavily, pressed the naked Sun Erniang down on the table like a bull in heat, thrusting into her bare buttocks from behind. The muffled thuds of flesh colliding were lewd and stimulating, and the wooden table creaked under the strain. The jade unicorn pendant around his neck was covered in sweat, gleaming as it swayed.

Han Yue swayed his strong waist, his large penis thrusting in and out of the woman's wet, slippery vagina, reaching its full depth with each stroke. He held Sun Erniang's shapely waist. As expected of someone who had practiced martial arts for many years, her body was without an ounce of excess fat. Her figure was graceful and elegant, and her chest was firm and upright. His hands reached under her armpits and reached in front to grab her breasts and knead them wantonly. He lifted her body up while standing, pressing her tightly against him. The two of them stood close together and committed adultery from behind. Sun Erniang's legs were weak from the impact of his powerful penis. She could only support herself with her arms and her hands also reached behind her to hold his waist, fully enduring the stimulation in her vagina.

This Liao man is truly skilled; I never imagined he was so handsome and well-endowed. He's a real brothel boss. If I fell into his hands, I'd probably suffer less.

"Huff...huff...little lady...pee..."

Han Yue got carried away, his body thrusting rapidly, the sound of flesh slapping against flesh growing more and more urgent. Sun Erniang felt a burning sensation in her vagina, waves of pleasurable pleasure washing over her. She couldn't help but moan, as if she were crying or panting. After being rubbed a few times by that hot, large, hard flesh, she shuddered and climaxed.

Han Yue noticed and threw her onto the bed, spreading her thighs wide without a word. Between her shapely, long legs, pubic hair grew thickly, revealing the woman's mature body and vigorous libido. Her slightly dark, thick labia were parted, the pink flesh inside glistening with fluid, and strands of white discharge trickling from the still-open labia, soaking the dark pubic hair.

Sun Erniang cried out in shock. Although she wasn't a chaste woman and was prepared to be a slave and abused, having her legs spread wide by a strange foreign man who carefully examined her most private and shameful vulva and the urine flowing from her body finally made her cover her face. The afterglow of her orgasm hadn't subsided, and seemingly stimulated by the man's gaze, a strange restlessness stirred within her. It seemed that being violated and raped by this man had revived some long-dormant desire within her, and she couldn't help but want him to continue to press down on her, violate and rape her.

“Little lady, I’m here…”

Han Yue grinned lewdly, climbing on top of her and spreading her legs. His large, glistening, juicy penis easily plunged back into Sun Erniang’s cunt. Sun Erniang screamed, clutching Han Yue’s back tightly. Scratch marks were left on his bare, muscular back. Han Yue’s hips sank, thrusting deep inside her.

The bed began to creak and shake violently, accompanied by the woman’s excited, wanton moans and gasps.

The shaking reached its peak as Han Yue pressed down on the alluring female body beneath him, squeezing out moaning breaths. He grabbed the woman’s legs, bent down, folded her body, raised her legs high, and slammed them down like a ram, showing no mercy. Sun Erniang cried out, writhing like a snake, but was helplessly pinned down, which only fueled the man’s lust.

After thrusting dozens of times, Han Yue gripped Sun Erniang's slender waist with both hands and thrust all the way in. The overwhelming pleasure made him roar, and then he released his pent-up desire, his hot semen spurting directly into the woman's core. Sun Erniang trembled again, climaxing once more.

At this moment, she had forgotten that the man on top of her was a Liao man and she was a Han woman; she only knew that this handsome young official was making her feel like she was in heaven.

After finishing, a moment later, Han Yue climbed off her sweaty body, getting off the bed naked. His genitals, glistening with fluid, swayed back and forth, quite amusing. He opened a cabinet, took out a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, spread them on the table, and began to paint on Sun Erniang, who lay sprawled on the bed, drenched in sweat.

Sun Erniang, of humble origins, knew nothing of such things. Yet, at this moment, she felt a tingling, comfortable sensation throughout her body, her soul seemingly wandering freely, exuding an indescribable allure. Han Yue, seeing this, was overjoyed. Inspiration flowed like a spring, and his brush moved with divine inspiration. In less than the time it takes for an incense

stick to burn, the painting was complete. Looking at the woman in the painting, it was indeed Sun Erniang. Her eyebrows and eyes were enchanting, her figure alluring, her seductive body reclining on the couch, seemingly asleep yet awake, obscene and captivating. Even the vulva and labia were clearly depicted, conveying boundless sensuality and endless charm. It was truly lifelike, indistinguishable from the real person. Not only men, but even women would blush and their hearts would race upon seeing it.

Even the most wanton Sun Erniang blushed with shame upon seeing this painting.

Han Yue finished the painting with a smile and admired it himself. Feeling unsatisfied, he inscribed a poem in the blank space beside the painting: "An ivory bamboo basket and green gauze shroud, a graceful beauty sleeps soundly, a wisp of morning mist veils the peonies, a pool of autumn water soaks the lotus.

My spirit wanders to the three thousand realms of Penglai, my dreams linger around the twelve peaks of Wushan, who startled me from my reverie with the sound of chess , I rise, my fragrant sweat dampening my breasts?"

After finishing, he recited it, swaying his head, clearly quite satisfied. Although Sun Erniang was a commoner, she had grown up in the Song Dynasty, a time that valued literature over martial arts. Influenced by this, she considered those who could read and write true heroes, and those who could compose poetry and paint were as unattainable as celestial beings. Now, seeing a mere Liao army officer capable of composing poetry and painting, she felt a strange stirring in her heart. However, when her gaze fell upon Han Yue's crotch, she felt a surge of shyness.

She saw that Han Yue's penis had become large and erect again, like a powerful iron pestle, clearly aroused by her painting. She inwardly exclaimed, thinking that most of the men she had passed earlier were womanizers from the outlaw world, and even those who spent their days among women didn't possess his virility and endurance.

Han Yue, aroused by his own "masterpiece," strode to the bedside, his penis erect, and pounced into Sun Erniang's arms. He grabbed her legs and thrust in, penetrating her completely.

The room echoed with wanton moans and gasps once more…

After an unknown amount of time, Sun Erniang finally awoke. Han Yue had long since left, and she was alone in the room, undisturbed. She dressed and noticed the painting still on the table, the ink dried. She picked it up to admire it closely, her face flushing and her heart pounding. Although she could read, she only understood vernacular Chinese and didn't understand much poetry, but she could understand paintings.

After a while, she shyly put it down, only to find the cabinet door ajar, revealing what appeared to be another scroll inside.

Out of curiosity, Sun Erniang took out the paintings. There were more than ten in total. Unfolding them, she saw that they were all erotic paintings, clearly the work of Han Yue, with a seal in the lower corner. The women in the paintings were all different, some indoors, some outdoors, all with captivating beauty, alluring yet lewd, lifelike. Most had slender, jade-like bodies, and a few were lightly veiled, making them even more alluring.

It seemed that these women were real people, and all had had fleeting affairs with Han Yue. This Han Yue had ruined the chastity of countless women, and yet he still painted them as souvenirs, accompanied by poems. But who were these women? They couldn't all be prostitutes from brothels. If he had stolen the virgins of any of them, and these paintings were to spread, who knows what kind of storm they would cause.

Was he making these paintings as a memento, or did he have ulterior motives? Some lecherous bandits in the greenwood used such methods, ruining women's chastity and then extorting money from them.

One of the paintings depicted a woman half-sitting, half-reclining on a bed, her hands covering her breasts. Her breasts were perfectly round and alluring, her eyes filled with a languid and charming allure, much like the weary yet satisfied passion after a passionate encounter. Beside it was a poem: "A pair of bright moons hang before her chest, purple grapes and jade round.

Husband and wife flirt beneath her, a few dewdrops hanging from her golden stem."

There was also a matching poem, perhaps written by the woman herself, addressed to Han Yue: "Reclining on the bed, arranging her golden lotus feet, half-revealing her soft breasts, half-revealing her shoulders.

She whispers sweet nothings to her lover, 'Where will I sleep tonight?'"

Sun Erniang put the painting down and looked at the others, finding many similar "bed paintings," each with a different background—some set in this room, others elsewhere. It seemed Han Yue was accustomed to illicit affairs. The women he painted, each with a different posture and expressive charm, were truly masterful works of art.

Looking at one of the paintings, it was a picture of a dignified noblewoman leaning against a tree in the mountains. Clearly, this wasn't Han Yue's residence, but rather the wilderness, with flowers and grass in the valley, full of spring's vitality. This lady possessed a noble air and outstanding beauty, yet also a shy and affectionate demeanor, her eyes sparkling with spring. Her feathered robes had come undone, revealing her jade-like shoulders and soft breasts; the thin gauze billowed, revealing her snow-white thighs and jade-like legs. Judging from this scene, it was unclear whether she was undressing in preparation for a tryst, or if she had already finished and was savoring the afterglow.

Beside her was a poem: "Phoenixes and luan birds mate, ecstatically, in the spring colors of Wuling, immortals meet.

Her apricot-red face flushed, a golden hairpin falls, her delicate brows furrowed, her cloud-like hair askew.

Her clothes are stained with the fragrance of powdered flowers; her handkerchief is damp with the tender red of peach blossoms.

Beneath the mountain, boundless affection, truly a paradise on earth."

Beside her was another poem: "Throughout history, beautiful women have been ill-fated, drifting east and west, rarely receiving pity."

Tears stream down my face as I hear the cuckoo's cry, my heart aches as I listen to the gibbons' wail all day.

Village wine and mountain liquor only intoxicate me, while wall flowers and roadside weeds vie for attention.

Don't say pearls are easily produced by old oysters; first, say

jade is easily grown in Lantian. Of all the paintings,

this one depicts a woman of exceptional grace and elegance, almost like a celestial being. Judging from her attire, she's from the North, perhaps the wife of a high-ranking official. Han Yue's painting suggests a past relationship with her, perhaps a shameless, illicit affair. This barbarian woman, seemingly dignified, is actually wanton. Thinking about this, I inexplicably compare myself to her, feeling utterly inferior, a sudden tightness in my chest.

Just as I'm about to put the painting away, I hear a commotion outside the door, followed by footsteps. A fierce-looking man dressed as a Khitan military officer bursts in, his eyes lighting up at the sight of Sun Erniang, and he bursts into laughter.

Sun Erniang is startled, not knowing what's happening.

The burly man didn't speak, but grabbed Sun Erniang around the waist and embraced her. Then, seeing the painting on the table, he couldn't help but lewdly chuckle, "That pretty boy Han Yue is actually doing such shameful things at home."

He looked at it carefully for a moment, and the more he looked, the more lustful he became. "I wonder where this beautiful woman is from."

With that, he turned around, carried Sun Erniang, and strode out...

Dongguan, Lanzima Military Camp.

This was the camp of the Liao army's scouts, the Lanzima. As the Liao army's elite troops, the Lanzima were always highly valued by the Liao army. All the Lanzima soldiers in the entire Liao Kingdom's Xijing Road were under the direct jurisdiction of the Xijing Garrison Command. However, in peacetime, the Lanzima could not all be gathered in Datong Prefecture. Moreover, even the standing troops of the Liao army, such as the Khitan Pishi Palace Guards, had their own livelihoods to attend to, such as herding and farming.

Therefore, most of the elite cavalry were scattered throughout the border regions according to their hometowns, busy with their own livelihoods. The local officials actually had command over these cavalry, but no personnel authority. To distinguish these elite troops, they were usually stationed in a separate camp.

Inside the camp, Han Yue, as the commander, had just finished his roll call, dismissed his men, and was strolling out.

The bandage on his head had been removed, but a noticeable scar remained between his eyebrows, looking like a vertical line, as if he had an extra closed eye.

The terrifying archery skills still made Han Yue's heart tremble when he thought about them. How could such domineering and terrifying archery exist in this world? What did that Song general surnamed He eat to grow up like that? The bow he drew was at least a three-stone bow, possibly even a four-stone bow, and he was drawing it on horseback! Even in the Liao Kingdom, renowned for its mounted archery, ordinary soldiers used six- or seven-stone bows, which were already considered powerful. Some exceptionally skilled archers and officers wielded even stronger bows, such as the one-stone bow. Many members of the Lanzima (a type of cavalry unit) used one-stone bows. Those who could wield a bow with a strength of one stone and six or seven dou (a unit of volume) on horseback were among the most elite, like Han Yue himself.

Even in the Liao Dynasty, there was no one who could draw a three-stone bow on horseback with perfect accuracy. Yet,

the Song Dynasty had just such a person, and it was this man who caused Han Yue to suffer heavy losses. The Lanzima were the elite of the Khitan elite forces. For a Han Chinese to join such a group indicated that his strength was already recognized. However, he suffered a great loss under this unknown patrolman, nearly losing his life.

Losing thirty-five men in a crushing defeat would have resulted in execution under military law for most. Fortunately, his Lanzima officer status protected him, and his father was a former chief clerk. The Han family was a prominent clan in Jinsu City, with hundreds of relatives and servants, many of whom served in the garrison. Their connections were strong, which allowed them to resolve the matter.

In reality, the Southwest Pacification Commission was mainly established to defend against the Western Xia. Given the current situation, there's not much to recruit. Jinsu City's military preparedness has been neglected for decades. Of the registered thousand garrison troops, less than seven hundred actually remain, and about twenty percent of them are old, weak, and incapable of fighting, never staying in the barracks, only showing up to collect rations. The dozen or so yamen runners and constables in the government office take turns on duty; everyone is used to a chaotic mess, and in this godforsaken place, their lives are worthless. Losing thirty or forty men isn't a big deal. Moreover, the raiding party only consisted of Han Yue; the rest were Han soldiers and tribal soldiers from the garrison, and not a single Khitan died. His father smoothed things over, sending ten strings of cash as compensation to the families of the deceased, thus resolving the matter.

Han Yue has always resented this; there was really no need to send money. War always results in death; if you're afraid of death, don't be a soldier. Their only option for raiding in the three cities of the Hetao region was the Southern Dynasty's Hedong Road. However, the neighboring Southern Dynasty's Hedong Road, including the Huoshan Army, Baode Army, Linzhou Army, and Jinning Army, were areas where the Zhe family's power was deeply entrenched, known for its fierce fighting spirit. These areas were also considered the most dangerous by the Liao army of Xijing Road.

Raiding in such places was a death-defying gamble; it was hardly an easy task.

Lanzi Ma never cooperated with other troops. It was these unruly rascals in the defense forces who had begged him to take them out to raid, and he hadn't forced them. Now, he was the one who had been disgraced; it was truly outrageous.

Upon leaving the camp, servants and stablemen brought his horse. Han Yue mounted and rode straight home. He declined the invitations from his subordinates to drink, his mind only on the woman he had captured.

The woman's allure was intoxicating. Han Yue prided himself on his experience with women, but he couldn't control himself with this woman, sometimes ejaculating three times in one night. Aside from that, she was quite obedient and never seemed to try to escape; she appeared content to serve as his servant.

However, this woman's martial arts skills were somewhat strange. While her other skills were mediocre, her footwork was formidable, remarkably similar to the Eight Steps of Lotus Climb taught to him by his father, Han Su. When she stepped on the plaque, the outer leather covering was unharmed, but the inner iron plaque developed a shallow dent, nearly causing him to drop his grip. And the man she kicked to death—her foot was aimed directly at his throat, the force so concentrated that it shattered his neck bones, yet the victim remained unmoved. This unique, precise force was precisely the technique of the Eight Steps of Lotus Climb.

This woman's martial arts were the same as his father's; could her background be related to his?

He knew about his father's origins. He was only nine years old when he first met him, and everything before that felt like a dream. Besides his older brother, Yun-ge'er, there was Uncle Tang and many other strangers. He was too young to understand many things then, and he had gradually forgotten them. He only knew that his father later adopted him as his godson, and his name became Han Yue. From then on

, he lived in the Liao Kingdom. Perhaps he was originally from the Western Xia, since his father had taken him from within Western Xia territory.

His father treated him like his own son, so he didn't dwell on the past. However, there was one thing he didn't care about: there was an incense altar in the cellar of the old family house, which his father always made him kneel and worship, claiming to be a disciple of Maitreya. For some reason, he disdained such superstitious and supernatural things, but since his father said his martial arts skills were those of a Maitreya successor, he had no choice but to bow to him.

My father said that their Han family were remnants of the Maitreya sect from the Southern Dynasties. Decades ago, they launched an uprising in Hebei, which failed. The sect leader, Wang Ze, perished, and the followers either died or fled under the government's strict pursuit, eventually scattering like monkeys after the tree fell. Han Su, along with his master, fled across the border into Nanjing Road of the Liao Kingdom, hiding their identities, and dared not return home. Later, when the Liao army conquered Xia and built Jinsu City, they selected households from the Yan people to serve on the border. They were selected again and were relocated to the Hetao region, where they gradually settled down. Later, they even became officials, and now their population has grown to several hundred.

The "Eight Steps to the Lotus" is the ultimate skill of the Maitreya sect. Once mastered, even a small, thin woman could kill a strong, burly man with a single kick. During the reign of Emperor Renzong, at the height of the Maitreya sect's power, there were tens of millions of followers who knew this skill, and there were over ten thousand militia members and countless martial arts practitioners in the Hebei area, which the government could not manage.

However, this kind of martial arts is only suitable for hand-to-hand combat, and is only useful in one-on-one fights. It is of little use in military formations, because no matter how powerful one's fists and feet are, they are still flesh and blood, and cannot compare to the sharpness of swords, spears, bows, and crossbows. Even if you can punch a tiger and kick a dragon, a barrage of arrows will turn you into a hedgehog. Therefore, when the Maitreya Sect raised its banner, although it spread to several states and had a great momentum, it was wiped out by the well-equipped and numerous government troops in just over a month.

However, after this, at least there were no heroes in the Central Plains who knew this martial art. The government was cracking down hard, and no one wanted to get into trouble. Unexpectedly... this woman's background is really interesting.

Maybe her father knows about this woman's background. Perhaps she is also a descendant of the Maitreya Sect?

Just as she was thinking, a person came running up panting. Han Yue looked closely and saw that it was her servant. The man rushed to his horse, shouting, "Master, something terrible has happened! Yelü Da just led his men to our house and forcibly took that woman away! We tried to reason with him, but he injured two of us!" "

What!"

Han Yue was instantly enraged. "That damned bastard!"

"Sixth Brother chased after him, I came to report to you, Master."

"Lead the way!"

Han Yue roared, immediately drawing his bow and arrow. This Yelü Da was truly courting death. He usually only abducted people by stopping their horses, but today someone dared to abduct him! Did he think he wouldn't dare kill him?

The Liao army kept all the people and goods they plundered, except for a portion that was handed over.

The woman he had abducted was exceptionally beautiful and alluring; the news had already spread throughout the city, and his colleagues were envious.

A few days ago, when he returned, Yelü Da, the commander of the vanguard of the defense army, came to ask him for the woman, saying he could protect him from the crime of defeat and disgrace to the country. He refused outright. This Yelü Da, relying on being a Khitan, was illiterate and his uncle was the current military commander. He always bullied others and looked down on Han officials. Han Yue had long disliked him and wouldn't give her the woman even if offered money, let alone ask for her with empty words.

Did he think he was easy to bully just because he saw him return to Maicheng after a campaign? So what if he lost a battle! "Defeat and disgrace to the country"? How laughable! Does he even know how to write those four words? Han Yue was furious.

He passed by his house without going in and chased after him all the way to the west gate.

Outside the city gate, a meadow was dotted with felt tents, where some tribes resided. Yelü Da, leading a group of men, dismounted before a large felt tent. This man was ugly, tall and strong like a hairless bear. Sun Erniang, held in his arms, struggled and cried out. Her clothes were torn open, revealing her snow-white breasts, which were being kneaded by large, hairy hands. A dozen or so servants around them laughed and joked.

Yelü Da's erection was already rock hard. He turned around, intending to take the woman into the tent and enjoy her. He had been captivated by this woman since the first time he saw her, only Han Yue had interfered. This was the land of the Liao Dynasty, and he was a Khitan. What did it matter if a Khitan took a Han's possession? Today, he was determined to seize this woman and see what Han Yue, that Han, dared to do to him.

"Yelü Da! You son of a bitch, stop right there!"

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, and Han Yue had caught up with them. Yelü Da sneered, gestured to his servants, and they immediately rushed forward with swords and spears. Han Yue, enraged, raised an arrow and shot the strongest man to the ground. His throat was pierced, blood gushing out. He writhed a few times on the ground, and that was the end of him.

Ah! The crowd was shocked by Han Yue's ruthless attack. Taking advantage of the situation, Han Yue spurred his horse forward and shot two more men dead. Then he drew his large iron whip, and with a single lash, he shattered a man's skull, smashing his helmet. In the blink of an eye, he had killed four men. The rest of the men were terrified and scattered in all directions, keeping their distance.

Yelü Da was terrified. Although he was an officer, he had never experienced battle. Seeing Han Yue kill people without batting an eye, as easily as killing chickens, he was also intimidated. He could only force himself to maintain his composure and shouted, "How dare you! Han Yue, have you rebelled?"

"Rebel my ass! You scoundrel, you dare to steal my slave! I'm here to take her back!"

"What slave! This is clearly my slave!"

Yelü Da had long since forgotten his earlier ambition. Facing such a ruthless killer, it was best to save his bravado for now.

"Bullshit! You dare say that again."

Han Yue glared at him.

"You...you dare to be so insolent! You injured four of my servants, this woman is compensation for me!"

"Compensate my ass! You son of a bitch! Don't even mention injuring four of your servants, I'd rather take your dog's life!"

Han Yue's face was ashen as he cursed. In a few strides, Han Yue darted in front of Yelü Da. Yelü Da shoved Sun Erniang forward, grabbed a large mace, and swung it down.

Han Yue gently pulled Sun Erniang aside, nimbly dodging the blow. At the same time, she deliberately raised her foot in front of her, following the momentum of the falling mace, and kicked Yelü Da. Yelü Da felt a powerful shock, and the mace slipped from his hand. Sun Erniang's expression changed; she had clearly seen through the trick. Then, Han Yue grabbed Yelü Da's wrist, spun him around, and threw him to the ground. Yelü Da was dazed and nearly fainted. Just as he was about to cry out, he received a heavy punch to the face.

The punch sent Yelü Da's nose gushing blood, his vision blurring, as he mumbled, "Han dog, you dare hit your grandpa? Today I'll teach you a lesson from the law..."

"The law?"

Han Yue laughed. "In this Jinsu City, my fist is the law!"

He continued to pummel Yelü Da with punch after punch, until Yelü Da cried out in agony, his mouth full of blood. He stopped screaming, only panting and begging for mercy, calling out "Grandpa" and "Ancestors." Then he began to whine like a dead dog.

The surrounding people watched, hesitant to approach. Some had already run off to report, but most of the herdsmen were unfazed, some even clapping and cheering. Sun Erniang watched in horror, thinking how barbaric these people were. Even though they were Khitan soldiers, they showed no mercy. If this continued, they might beat the man to death.

Such was the custom of the northern frontier. Nomadic peoples valued might over might; whoever had the bigger fist was considered right. Raiding among themselves was commonplace. If someone had the ability to steal from others, not only would no one condemn them, but most would likely praise them as heroes. The Khitan territory was vast. Apart from the Nanjing and Xijing circuits, where Han Chinese were concentrated, the other circuits were sparsely populated, uncivilized, and backward. Tribal warfare was a daily occurrence—this was the custom of the northern frontier. The Liao government had neither the interest nor the energy to manage it. As long as it didn't infringe upon their interests, they were happy to see these "barbarians" killing each other.

Although the Jin Su Army belonged to the Xijing circuit, it was located in the Hetao region. The local tribes were also considered barbarians by the Khitan, and their customs were predictable. Han Yue, having had her woman stolen, would be considered the victim according to Song Dynasty standards. However, if she didn't resist and only sought justice from the government, she would be looked down upon. When she met her superiors, even if she was in the right, she might lose it. First, one must display some ruthless methods to let others know that one's family is not to be trifled with, only then can one proceed with caution.

"You dog, you really have a death wish! It's a miracle your ancestors didn't come looking for trouble, yet you dare to cause trouble?"

Han Yue's blows landed squarely, his curses incessant. Later, he simply snatched a horsewhip and lashed it across Yelüda's body. Yelüda screamed in agony, his robes torn to shreds, rolling on the ground, blood streaming down his face.

Having beaten him enough, Han Yue stood up. Stepping on Yelüda's face, he asked, "You scoundrel, do you still dare to defy the law?"

"No...no..."

At this moment, Yelüda's face was swollen and deformed, his head was spinning, several teeth were missing, his face was covered in blood, and he couldn't even open his eyes. He just lay on the ground, afraid to move. He was naturally domineering, but today he had met someone even more domineering than himself. This beating was truly unforgettable.

"Even if you go, Grandpa won't be afraid!"

Han Yue spat on him and pulled Sun Erniang over.

At this moment, Sun Erniang's eyes had changed, and she had clearly seen through his martial arts skills. She had been saved from this ugly Khitan tyrant. Although she was now a slave, being the servant of this handsome young man was better than serving this Khitan beast. She came from a humble background and was not a virtuous woman. She associated with bandits and outlaws, which had fostered her promiscuous and dissolute nature. She had had countless casual affairs. After falling into Han Yue's hands, knowing there was no hope of escape, she had resigned herself to her fate, but now a glimmer of hope arose again.

"Eight Steps to Lotus?"

Han Yue said in a low voice.

Sun Erniang's body trembled, unable to control herself. This martial art was taught to her by Su Yanfu. It was originally called Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada, but after becoming Su Yanfu's confidant, he told her that the leg technique was actually called Eight Steps to Lotus, a unique skill of the Maitreya Sect. Everyone in the world who knew this unique skill was a disciple of the Maitreya Sect. She never expected that this Han Chinese military officer from the Liao Kingdom would also know it. Could it be...

"You shameless slut, get back to your master!"

Han Yue shouted, beckoning a servant to come and ordering him to take the woman to the old house. He then whispered a few more instructions. Afterwards, he turned back to look at Yelü Da. Seeing that he was just trying to sit up, he couldn't help but feel angry again. He kicked Yelü Da in the chin, making him spit out blood and fall face-first into a mess.

"You scoundrel, bring your grandfather a hundred strings of cash!"

Han Yue seemed determined to torment Yelü Da to death. A hundred strings of copper coins was a fortune here, enough to bankrupt someone.

Yelü Da was about to speak when Han Yue began to beat him mercilessly, rendering him speechless and causing him to cough up blood.

The servants watched in horror, thinking that this man surnamed Han was indeed worthy of being a bandit leader. They had heard that bandits were ruthless killers who would brave mountains of knives and seas of fire without batting an eye, and would kill without hesitation. At this rate, even if they brought back the money, the man would probably be crippled.

"Good sir, have mercy! We'll go get the money to apologize to you, please have mercy!"

An older servant finally came to his senses, knelt down, and begged for mercy, kowtowing repeatedly. The others also knelt down, and one of them ran as fast as he could towards the city.

"Go back for reinforcements? Let's see if Grandpa's scared or not!"

Han Yue sneered, standing imposingly with his hands behind his back. A commotion erupted at the city gate, followed by a chaotic rush of riders, numbering about a hundred. The herdsmen outside the gate scattered in disarray. They quickly approached, and judging by their armor and uniforms, they were indeed the Autumn Defense Army, each carrying a whip and bow.

Han Yue merely smiled. There were hardly any Khitans among the Autumn Defense Army in the city; those who were were exiled for crimes. The majority were sons of powerful clans within the city, and they had no relation to Yelü Da. They were only there because Yelü Da was their superior, and they had no choice but to come.

"Han Yue, stop your insolence!"

The leader was Yelü Da's deputy, the former judge Yan Zhigu. Although he didn't have a good impression of Yelü Da, he was still his superior, both being officials of the Liao Dynasty. He was shocked to see Yelü Da beaten to such a state. He wouldn't have cared if he hadn't known, but if he ignored it, military law would surely apply to him. The Liao military law was no joke; execution was a common punishment.

Moreover, Han Yue, as a cavalryman, a member of the Liao army, had attacked his colleague with such ruthlessness. This wasn't just a brawl; it was a matter of life and death!

This Han Yue was too arrogant! Did he really not fear military law? Or did he harbor ill intentions?

"I'll be insolent then, what are you going to do about it?"

Han Yue stood with his hands behind his back, sneering incessantly. "Just now, more than a dozen of his servants attacked me with knives. If I were not skilled enough, do you think he would have shown me mercy? If he hadn't provoked me, why would I have sought revenge?"

"How dare you! You are so arrogant, daring to fight with your superior! Do you know the military law of the Great Liao?"

"What if I know, what if I don't?"

"Insubordination is tantamount to rebellion! If you don't want your family to be implicated, you will be bound."

"I am not Yelü Da's subordinate. What do you mean by insubordination? It's truly laughable. He robbed my servants and injured my guards. What about that? Pay me one hundred strings of cash today, and I will be satisfied. Otherwise, let's settle this with weapons!"

Before Han Yue finished speaking, there was another commotion at the city gate. A group of knights rode in. Yan Zhigu looked back and couldn't help but feel sorry for himself. All that was coming were twenty horsemen.

He was quick-witted and immediately roared, "Charge! Save the commander!"

A group of people rushed out from both sides, but Han Yue didn't care. He simply dodged and retreated, allowing Yelü Da to be snatched back.

In a moment, the entire Lanzi Ma (a type of cavalry unit) was close behind, each soldier fierce and capable, their faces filled with murderous intent. They rode behind Han Yue, looking down on the opposing defense forces. The Lanzi Ma were elite Khitan soldiers, and most of Han Yue's men were Khitans, but none of them were willing to stand with Yelü Da. These men were brave and fierce, usually respecting fearless heroes. Someone like Yelü Da was beneath their notice. Besides, Han Yue was their escort; their allegiance was obvious.

Yan Zhigu was also inwardly groaning. The Lanzi Ma were local tyrants in Jinsu City, used to running rampant. How could they accept this defeat? Fortunately, Yelü Da had been rescued. Otherwise, if a real fight broke out, his hundred or so men might not be able to defeat these deadly devils.

"Han Yue, you'll be in for questioning by your superiors today!"

After uttering these polite words, Yan Zhigu led his men to protect Yelü Da, and the large group rode away.

Back at the camp, Yan Zhigu ordered his men to guard the gate. He had just summoned the army doctor to treat Yelü Da's injuries when bad news arrived: a group of thugs had stormed into Yelü Da's house, driving out men, women, and children, and smashing everything inside and out. They claimed to be there to collect a debt of one hundred strings of cash—a debt of flesh hooks.

Yelü Da was furious and anxious upon hearing the news. He barely managed to get the doctor to treat his wounds before hurriedly leading his men home. He found that the thugs were long gone, and his house was practically being demolished. All the utensils were smashed, leaving a scene of utter chaos. His family was sitting at the door, wailing and lamenting. He learned that it was Han Yue who had brought the men again, claiming to be collecting a debt.

"What a scoundrel! This is outrageous! I swear I won't rest until I avenge this!"

Yelü Da gritted his teeth, his eyes red...

Night, at the military headquarters.

Yelü He'an, the prefect of Jinsu Prefecture and commander of the Jinsu Army in the Southwest Pacification Command of the Liao Kingdom's Western Capital Circuit, looked at the inhuman Yaluda kneeling there complaining, and felt a deep sense of disappointment.

This nephew of his always liked to show off his bravery and bully others, but that wasn't a big deal. The Liao people valued martial arts, and such was their custom. However, everyone should have some self-awareness. He was only half-baked. It was one thing to provoke others, but the Lanzi cavalry were all fierce warriors who had risked their lives, each one highly skilled in martial arts and ruthless in killing. With his meager abilities, he dared to provoke them, only to suffer the consequences. Today, he would teach him a lesson and show him his true worth.

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