[Wuxia] The Duan Family Women Generals (Complete) - 29

Chapter 149 – Fengxi Runs Away in a huff, Kan De's innkeeper Arranges a Wedding

, and the story of burning the army's provisions begins with the Battle of Yecheng.
When attacking Yecheng, which was then occupied by Wang Bing, Guan Yuqing had taken two concubines skilled in martial arts: the dark-skinned beauty Cao Fengxi and the fair-skinned beauty Liu Yuge. Because Zheng Mingzhen was jealous and obstructive, she harbored resentment towards Cao Fengxi and Liu Yuge, and was nearly forced into prostitution by them. To appease Zheng Mingzhen, on their wedding night, Guan Yuqing allowed Zheng Mingzhen, as the first wife, to vent her anger through family discipline. However, Zheng Mingzhen took it seriously, beating Cao Fengxi until her buttocks were bruised and raw, and they completed their marital vows in excruciating pain.
This was unbearable for Cao Fengxi. After recovering, she left Guan Yuqing's camp alone, wanting to find a quiet place to live out her days in solitude.
Cao Fengxi let her horse roam freely, aimlessly heading south. She encountered several petty thieves trying to rob her of her virtue, but she dealt with them all. Realizing that her attire would surely bring her trouble, she found a small inn, sold her warhorse, and used the money to buy a set of costumes for a martial arts performer. She then used a cloth cover to secure her double hooks to her back and strolled south until she passed Nanling Pass. But where to go next proved difficult. She couldn't go to Xu Youliang's territory; having deserted the camp, she was guilty of treason and, if caught, would surely be subjected to severe torture. It would be better to head south into the mountains.
With this thought, she headed towards Dafang Mountain. Although the mountain scenery was beautiful, Cao Fengxi was preoccupied and had no heart to appreciate it.
That night, she arrived at a small town and found a quiet superior room in an inn to stay in, then ate in the main hall below.
The customers in the shop were all burly men, speaking in extremely crude and vulgar language. One of them, a dark-faced giant with a full beard and a wart the size of an egg on his forehead, was addressed as "Big Brother." He was spouting nonsense, every word revolving around the lower half of women's lives. Cao Fengxi endured it for a while, but the words became increasingly lewd.
Cao Fengxi, already seething with anger and frustration, finally slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting? Don't disturb my peace!"
This startled the men. After a moment, the burly man said, "Whose pants are so loose that you're showing? I'm drinking and chatting now, what's it to you?" Cao Fengxi
had seen this kind of thing many times on his journey, and had crippled countless others. He retorted, "Who do you think you are? You unruly beast, if you anger me, I'll crush you in a dumpling."
"Hmph! I didn't realize you were a martial arts expert, otherwise no one would dare talk so arrogantly in front of me. Give me your name." "
My name is Zu Zong!"
"Hey, you dare to take advantage of me? You're really asking for trouble. Brothers, teach this clueless bastard a lesson and show him what I'm capable of!"
Before he finished speaking, the men at several tables had already gotten up and surrounded Cao Fengxi.
"What? You want to fight? You're nothing but a bunch of bandits. When I was king, you were probably still playing in the mud." Cao Fengxi stood up, thinking that today was a good day to vent his anger on a few petty thieves. He got into a fighting stance and said, "Who wants to go first? Come on!"
One of the men, a man in his thirties, rushed forward and threw a punch, but Cao Fengxi caught it, deflected it, and sent the man flying four or five feet away, smashing a table.
"Wow! You actually know a thing or two." One of the men praised, "Then there's nothing more to say, let's go side by side!"
The men rushed forward and started punching and kicking.
Cao Fengxi, after all, possessed some general's talent, and was not afraid of these small fry. He unleashed his full power, striking east and west, beating the twenty or thirty men until they were bruised and battered, tumbling and crawling.
Only then did the leader clap his hands and say, "Excellent! Just the kind of skill you need! That's what makes me happy!" He stood up, tucked in his robe, and approached,
saying, "Hero, take two punches from me!" He then swung his fist.
Cao Fengxi, seeing the man's stance, knew he was a true martial artist. Cautious, he met the punch, and the two began to fight in the shop.
With that, Cao Fengxi knew this man was not to be trifled with, and that he was no match for him. He secretly regretted his impulsive actions, but now that the fight had begun, it was impossible for him to back down.
The two fought for over thirty rounds in the shop. Cao Fengxi saw an opening in the man's chest and was secretly delighted. She quickly threw a punch at his heart, but the man was just waiting for her to do so. He dodged slightly, grabbed her wrist, and with a pull and twist, Cao Fengxi felt a great force coming from her hand. Fearing her wrist would break, she had no choice but to turn around as he twisted her. She tried to strike his chin with her other hand, but he caught it with his other hand and twisted and tucked her in, forcing her face to the man's chest, unable to move.
The man, having caught Cao Fengxi, paused for a moment, sensing something was wrong. After a moment's thought, he understood. He ripped off Cao Fengxi's martial arts cap, revealing a head of black hair, but it wasn't tied up in a bun; she was clearly a woman.
"I didn't expect it to be a female, but she's quite beautiful." The man narrowed his eyes and said, "It's not easy for you to have such martial arts skills. Why don't you come with me to the mountain stronghold and become my wife?"
"Pah! Mountain bandit, don't even think about it!" Cao Fengxi was anxious because she realized that her whereabouts had been exposed and that someone wanted to marry her. She struggled with all her might, but she couldn't break free and was sweating profusely.
"Girl, you probably don't know my reputation, Kan De. Everyone here knows Wuhua Village. Whatever I, Chief Kan, want, I get. All I want is a beautiful woman with exceptional martial arts skills to be my wife. Now that I've met you, you have no choice but to agree."
"Robber! Don't even think about it! I'd rather die than submit!" "You can't die! You
can't die! If you die, you won't be able to enter the bridal chamber!" Hearing that he was about to die, the burly man panicked and quickly ordered his men to bring a rope. He pressed Cao Fengxi face down onto an eight-immortal table and then tied her up like a horse with its hooves turned upside down.
The burly man called over the waiter and said, "Go quickly and find all of this guest's belongings. Her room fee is on me. Clean this place up, and the damage is on me too."
"No, no, we didn't know it was Chief Kan coming down from the mountain. We've been so inconsiderate; how could we dare take your money?" "Nonsense!
Although Master Kan is a mountain bandit, he only robs the rich to help the poor. When has he ever eaten or drunk for free?!"
"That's right, that's right."
"How much silver is owed? Name your price and go ask Master Hu for it."
"Yes, yes, yes."
"Damn it, let me go!" Cao Fengxi cried out anxiously. The burly man, Kan De, said, "Be my wife, and you'll eat and drink well. You're not being shortchanged. What are you yelling about?" He casually broke off a chicken leg and shoved it into Fengxi's mouth, silencing her.
"Brothers, we won't stay tonight. Let's head back to the mountain tonight. Tomorrow, I, the chieftain, will marry this young lady as my wife."
"Yes, congratulations, Chieftain!"
"Congratulations for what? We'll celebrate tomorrow when the good thing is done."
Soon, everyone had taken their belongings, including Fengxi's bundle. Kan De picked up Cao Fengxi, and together they left the inn, mounted their warhorses, and with a whistle, set off along the main road.
After traveling most of the night along mountain paths, they arrived at a mountain stronghold. Kan De called out to the gate, and the henchmen hurriedly opened it, letting the group in.
Kan De carried Cao Fengxi to the main hall, summoned all the chieftains, and announced his intention to marry her as his wife.
By this time, Cao Fengxi had already chewed up the chicken leg; Kan De had given her a handkerchief to stuff in her mouth on the way.
When the chieftains saw Cao Fengxi, although her complexion was dark, she was extremely beautiful, and they all offered their congratulations.
山大王娶压寨压夫人，靠捆靠绑已经不算什么新鲜事，哪个好人家女儿愿嫁给土匪为妻呀？所以大家并不觉得奇怪。
阚德叫山寨的老总管黄先生主持成亲大礼的一切事物，自己则叫上几个丫环婆子，抱上曹凤喜去了自己的住处，给她量体裁衣，这都是因为曹凤喜会武，连男人都对付她不了，几个女人就更不行了。
阚德把曹凤喜放在炕上，解了她被捆的双脚，然后用手一拿，拿住她两个脚腕，另一手揪住她后领，只一按，便直挺挺按在炕上，婆子们急忙拿了尺子替她量了身长。
阚德又把她拖起来，自己坐在炕沿儿上，把两腿夹住她两腿，两手捉住她肩膀，让婆子们给她量了三围尺寸。
They retied Cao Fengxi's ankles, then ordered breakfast to be brought. They placed Fengxi on their laps, embraced her, and tried to feed her with a spoon. Fengxi shook her head desperately, struggling fiercely, refusing to eat. Kan De, annoyed, said, "If you won't eat, will you eat shit? Go and fetch all the chamber pots that weren't emptied this morning and feed her." Cao Fengxi,
having been a mountain bandit leader, knew that mountain bandits were always lawless and capable of anything. Being force-fed a bellyful of excrement wouldn't be pleasant. She could only stubbornly, with seven indignants and eight resentments, open her mouth and drink the porridge Kan De fed her, mouthful by mouthful. She was then forced to eat two fried cakes. Only then did Kan De place her on the kang (heated brick bed), tie her feet to the cabinet at the head of the kang, and go out to watch his henchmen busy themselves.
By daybreak, the entire village was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, filled with a joyous atmosphere.
Several old women had already hastily made a bright red auspicious robe for Cao Fengxi to bathe and change into.
To change her clothes, the ropes binding her needed to be untied. Cao Fengxi's martial arts skills were such that only Kan De in the entire village could subdue her, so Kan De disregarded the custom of newlyweds not meeting each other and joined the old women in changing Cao Fengxi's clothes.
To find out what happens next, please read the next chapter.

Chapter 150—Kan De Forces Her into Taking Her into Captivity, Fengxi Burns Military Supplies with Old Grudges.

It is said that Cao Fengxi was captured by Kan De, the One-Horned Dragon, and taken to the Five Flowers Village to be his wife. The old women had hastily made a bright red auspicious robe for Cao Fengxi, brand new inside and out, to change her. Cao Fengxi's martial arts skills were so high that no one could subdue her, so Kan De had to do it himself.
把曹凤喜从炕上拎过来，一只手当胸按住，一只手去解了她袍上纽子，现出里面裤子，然后一把扯了裤带，曹凤喜尖声喊叫，胡乱扭动，奈何挣扎不脱，被那阚德一把扒下裤子，露出毛茸茸的所在里。曹凤喜满眼垂泪，虽然中间被他解开绑绳，但自己力量比不得阚德，逃无可逃，被他剥得精赤条条，一丝不挂，捉着两手拎将起来，捺在木桶之中，婆子们一拥齐上，使皂角把她浑身洗得干净，强穿上里外衣裳，这才又捆了双手，塞住樱口，以防她在拜堂之时说出些什么不吉之言。
阚德把她两脚也捆了，放在穿衣镜前的椅子上坐下，看着婆子们给她梳头戴花。
曹凤喜兀自挣扎，婆子们弄她不住，只得又寻绳子把她绑在椅背上，这才能够净面搽粉，盘起云髻，蒙上盖头。
阚德见这厢料理妥贴，这才到另一边套间里自己换了衣服，帽插金花，作一回新郎。
山寨里动起鼓乐，聚义厅上点起香烛，阚德大摇大摆，到前面受了众人一贺，然后“搀”出新人，拜天拜地。
那曹凤喜反剪双手，两脚也捆了，被两个力气大的婆子架得脚不点地，拎到聚义厅中，按在地上拜了三拜，然后又抬入洞房，放在炕头，阚德来挑了盖头，要吃交杯酒。
Cao Fengxi refused to eat, but Kan De grabbed her, put a cup of wine in his mouth, and forced it into her mouth. Then he told the maids to accompany the newlyweds while he went to the front to eat the wedding wine with the others.
The wedding feast lasted until dark. Kan De, half-drunk, returned to the bridal chamber laughing, dismissed the maids, closed the door, and took a lamp to the bedside to look at Fengxi. He saw her phoenix eyes, two lines of tears, looking pitiful.
Kan De said, "My wife, we've bowed to heaven and earth and become husband and wife, why are you crying? You want to marry a pretty boy, but can he even feed you? Besides, the world is in chaos now, with endless wars. Where can you find the carefree life on this mountain? I, Kan De, am a rough man, but if you marry me, I will treat you well, let you have everything done for you, and live a life even the empress couldn't match."
Cao Fengxi wouldn't listen, turning her head away and ignoring him.
阚德看凤喜那似愁似怨的模样，越发俏了，兴之所致，把凤喜揽过来，解了绳子，便要求欢。
曹凤喜见绳索一解，正是机会，把阚德一推，向房门便跑。
阚德手快，一把抓住她后襟，凤喜尽力一挣，反把个吉服扯落，只剩了里面亵衣，阚德复一把，抓住凤喜胳膊，拖回炕上。
曹凤喜不甘示弱，伸手便打，手却被阚德拿住，轻轻在自己脸上抹了一把，曹凤喜再挣，便被他一把按在炕上，合身压将上来。
Cao Fengxi struggled desperately, her beautiful flesh twisting beneath Kan De like a small snake, arousing Kan De's lust. He pressed her hands to the sides, thrusting his lower body forward, causing his hard, erect member to rub against her through her clothes. Cao Fengxi cried out in shame, shaking her head wildly.
Kan De saw this and laughed heartily. He bit her belt, untied the knot, and then grabbed the edge of the fabric, tearing off her bodice to reveal her small breasts. He then sucked on her nipples, making Fengxi tremble all over, laughing and crying, a sound that was hard to discern.
After playing around for a while, Kan De pressed his body against hers, reached under her abdomen to undo her belt, and then kicked her pants down.
沐浴更衣之时，阚德已经把曹凤喜的身子摸过看过，此时又看，心中越发喜爱，不顾那曹凤喜两手在自己头上乱打，将她紧紧压在身下，自己褪了衣服，亮出铁杵也似宝贝来，只一挺身，便插将入去。
此时曹凤喜只有泪流满面，止住挣扎，任那阚德一阵乱拱，插了几百插。
凤喜心中暗恨，把自己失身的全部责任，都算在了郑明珍的身上，心中暗想，有朝一日，捉住郑明珍这妒妇，定叫她加倍偿还这笔孽债。
从此，曹凤喜认了命，安安心心在山上当起了压寨夫人。那阚德一心只用在她身上，有求必应，说一不二，寨中众人也都十分尊敬她，时间长了，曹凤喜也不再有他念，反把自己的身世一五一十告诉了阚德，阚德听了一笑，并不在乎她曾经是谁的妻妾，仍旧一心一意，把她捧在手心儿里。
这事本来就算过去了，哪知花荣兵出青龙，关玉罄和郑明珍被派往青龙关作战，正好从大房山北簏大路上通过，曹凤喜听见说关玉罄来了，心中便有些活动，后来想了又想，自己已经成了阚德的夫人，还去管他关玉罄干什么。
不想过了数月，忽然又听喽罗来报，说郑明珍押运着大军粮草，要从山下经过。
Upon hearing Zheng Mingzhen's name, Cao Fengxi's teeth itched with hatred. The thought that she had fallen into such a state was all thanks to this vile woman fueled her anger.
That evening, Kan De returned home and, hearing from the servants that his wife had been angry all day, assumed it was directed at him. He came in to comfort her. Cao Fengxi quickly explained that her anger wasn't directed at Kan De, but rather at the news that her enemy, Zheng Mingzhen, had arrived. She wanted to capture her and bring her up the mountain to vent her anger.
Upon hearing this, Kan De immediately said, "Don't worry, Madam, I'll go down the mountain right away and avenge you."
The people of the mountain stronghold were always impulsive and acted on a whim. Kan De summoned all the leaders, big and small, and recounted the feud between Cao Fengxi and Zheng Mingzhen. Everyone unanimously vowed to avenge the arrow wound inflicted on the lady. Actually, there was something even more important: they had long heard that Zheng Mingzhen was an exceptionally beautiful female general and wanted to capture her and see her in person, perhaps even have a chance to win her favor.
Cao Fengxi was very grateful to everyone, and since it was her own affair, she decided to go down the mountain with them. Among the mountain stronghold's members, besides Kan De, Cao Fengxi was the most skilled in martial arts. With Cao Fengxi accompanying them, their chances of victory increased by seventy percent.
Dafang Mountain was Cao Yunlong's territory, and besides, she had several thousand soldiers. Zheng Mingzhen had never imagined that the mountain bandits would be so audacious.
One day, as they passed Xiaogufeng, the closest peak to Wuhualing, a group of bandits suddenly appeared from the side of the road and blocked their way. Zheng Mingzhen found it amusing. Were these scoundrels tired of living? How dare they block the army? So he spurred his horse forward to take a look and saw that there were four or five hundred bandits. Several chieftains stood in front of them on horseback. The leader was a young female chieftain who was beautiful and charming, but her face was dark.
Upon seeing the woman, Zheng Mingzhen immediately understood why someone dared to obstruct the government troops: "So it's you!" Zheng Mingzhen said, "You deserted the camp without permission. I thought you had become a nun, but it turns out you've returned to banditry and even dared to obstruct the government's supplies. You're truly audacious and reckless, aren't you afraid of the law?"
"Hmph! Zheng Mingzhen, Cao Fengxi owes a debt to you. Today, you'll pay double. Accept your fate."
"Cao Fengxi, with your martial arts, are you a match for me?" "
Two fists can't beat four hands, and even a hero can't withstand a crowd. Zheng Mingzhen, you've come to your end here today. However, I'm magnanimous and won't make things too difficult for you. Just take off your clothes and ride your horse past your soldiers twice, and I'll let you go. Otherwise, if I catch you, you'll be thrown into a brothel to be plundered by anyone."
"You shameless, despicable Cao Fengxi! Your words are rude! I'll tear your mouth apart!"
Zheng Mingzhen cursed, spurring her horse forward and charging at Cao Fengxi. Cao Fengxi knew he was no match for her in a one-on-one fight, but he was there for revenge, not a duel. So he beckoned, and together with several of his bandit leaders, they rushed out and surrounded Zheng Mingzhen.
Zheng Mingzhen, worthy of her reputation as a general, wielded her spear skillfully. Even with five or six men, Cao Fengxi couldn't subdue her; in fact, she grew stronger with each fight. Seeing he couldn't win, Cao Fengxi shouted, "Brothers, burn her supplies! Let her go to the front empty-handed; according to military law, that's a death sentence!"
The bandits responded and charged towards the grain carts.
The thousands of soldiers guarding the grain wouldn't allow such a success, brandishing their swords and spears to block the bandits.
These bandits, seasoned in sabotage, seeing they couldn't break through, threw lit oil canisters over people's heads. Some landed on the grain carts, others on the ground, instantly igniting a large fire that trapped the grain.
Zheng Mingzhen, realizing the danger, hastily abandoned Cao Fengxi and turned back to kill the arsonists, but Cao Fengxi and his men caught up and held him tightly.
It was autumn, and the wind was strong; in no time, the already burning grain ignited nearby grain carts.
"Quick, retreat west!" Zheng Mingzhen shouted.
The soldiers, hearing this, hurriedly protected the grain carts and retreated westward. They had only gone half a mile when they heard the sound of a gong, and the carts ahead stopped, also on fire.
Zheng Mingzhen still had seven or eight officers and lieutenants scattered at the front and rear of the column; now, following Mingzhen's orders, they all ran back, leaving Mingzhen to hold the line alone.
Halfway through a meal, the soldiers behind him cried out, "Fire has broken out again ahead!"
Mingzhen looked up and saw flames soaring into the sky at the other end of the column. He then saw his own soldiers shouting and rushing towards them.
Zheng Mingzhen, not knowing what was happening, was about to investigate when a black horse galloped towards them. The rider wielded two fire clubs, striking anyone he encountered and setting carts ablaze. Soldiers who tried to stop him were either killed or wounded in the chaos. Behind him followed five or six hundred henchmen, also carrying torches and burning carts along the way.
Zheng Mingzhen, realizing that the generals of the grain transport team had all perished, understood that this man was no pushover. He quickly brandished his long spear and charged at the approaching figure.
Upon seeing Zheng Mingzhen, the man threw down his fire clubs, grabbed a large Xuanhua axe from his hook, and came to meet him.
Cao Fengxi hurriedly shouted, "Master, this vile woman is Zheng Mingzhen! Capture her and avenge me!"
The one who arrived was Kan De. Upon seeing that it was Zheng Mingzhen, he didn't answer and swung his axe to chop her down.
What happens next? Find out in the next chapter.
(The Empire, Part II, Chapters 151 and

152) Chapter 151—Zheng Mingzhen is captured and suffers misfortune. Cao Yunlong, seeking refuge with the King of Nanling,

says that Zheng Mingzhen's supplies have been burned. He rushes forward to fight Kan De, who, upon hearing Cao Fengxi say that this is Zheng Mingzhen, doesn't answer and swings his axe to chop her down.
Kan De's martial arts skills are slightly better than Zheng Mingzhen's, and Zheng Mingzhen, having been engaged in a prolonged battle with Cao Fengxi and his men, is clearly exhausted and struggling to fight. Although Kan De had fought his way from the back of the column to the front, he had only been fighting low-ranking soldiers. Moreover, with the help of a group of bandit leaders, his stamina was high, and he could easily take on Zheng Mingzhen. At this moment, Cao Fengxi, seeing this, intervened, harassing Zheng Mingzhen with his hooks.
Zheng Mingzhen was fighting desperately. Since burning the supplies meant certain death if they returned, he figured killing one would be worthwhile, killing two would be a bonus, or he might as well fight to the death. However, killing someone in this situation wasn't easy, especially against a stronger opponent.
In the midst of the fight, Zheng Mingzhen thrust his spear towards Kan De's throat. Kan De dodged and swung his axe at Zheng Mingzhen. Zheng Mingzhen blocked with his spear, but Cao Fengxi's double hooks came from behind. Seeing there was no way to dodge, Zheng Mingzhen closed his eyes, resigned to being torn to pieces.
In that brief moment of blinking, Kan De sheathed his axe and, with the flat of the axe head, struck Zheng Mingzhen on the shoulder. Zheng Mingzhen staggered, and Cao Fengxi, using a hook, snagged Zheng Mingzhen's belt and dragged him alive onto the horse, throwing him to the henchmen to be tied up.
Meanwhile, the grain carts were all reduced to ashes in the raging fire.
Kan De's stronghold was no small one; it boasted three or four thousand henchmen and seventy or eighty chieftains. Adding to this the chieftains of the nearby mountains, all of whom followed Kan De's lead, it wouldn't have been difficult for him to muster five thousand men. He simply preferred to remain in his stronghold and didn't want to attract attention.
Zheng Mingzhen had come to escort the grain supplies with a considerable number of soldiers and generals who had given their all, but the grain carts were a hindrance, and Kan De's martial arts skills were exceptional. As a result, they fell into a trap, with several thousand soldiers scattering in all directions. Zheng Mingzhen was captured, and all the other generals were killed by Kan De and the band of stronghold chiefs. The grain supplies burned for a full day and night.
Meanwhile, Cao Fengxi, having captured Zheng Mingzhen, personally carried her onto his horse and triumphantly returned to the stronghold. Along the way, Cao Fengxi berated Zheng Mingzhen mercilessly, still not satisfied. On horseback, he unzipped her pants and laid her across the horse's back, her bare, white buttocks exposed.
Cao Fengxi was overjoyed and called the other stronghold chiefs to see.
The bandit leaders had already seen Zheng Mingzhen during the grain raid; she was indeed incomparably beautiful, and each of them longed to have her. Now, seeing Zheng Mingzhen naked and lying on her horse, they all rushed over to admire her, groping her buttocks and probing her vulva with their fingers.
Zheng Mingzhen could only close her eyes, letting tears of regret stream down her cheeks.
Back at the stronghold, during the victory celebration, Cao Fengxi stripped Zheng Mingzhen naked, bound her tightly, and ordered his henchmen to bring her to the banquet for entertainment. Poor Zheng Mingzhen, the bandit leaders poured wine on her, licked it, and then lifted her legs up, pouring wine into her vulva. The men, using reeds, took turns sipping the wine.
After the banquet, Cao Fengxi ordered Zheng Mingzhen to be tied to a bed, then summoned men to patronize her.
Such a beautiful woman was irresistible; everyone flocked to her, bidding against each other. Finally, a bandit leader paid thirty taels of silver to secure her place, climbing onto the bed and roughly penetrating her, exclaiming with pleasure.
For several days, Zheng Mingzhen remained in the bandit camp, subjected to the humiliation of the bandits.
A few days later, Cao Fengxi directed a group of his men to stuff Zheng Mingzhen into a sack and personally transport her to the Yanxiang Brothel in Wuhua Town at the foot of the mountain, where she was put up for prostitution.
Zheng Mingzhen, who had nearly become a prostitute when she fell into Cao Fengxi's hands, was captured this time, but Guan Yuqing did not come to her rescue.
Poor Zheng Mingzhen, tied to a comfortable chair in the brothel, her legs in the air, her private parts exposed, though possessing martial arts skills, could not save her chastity.
Upon hearing that the woman was Zheng Mingzhen, the patrons flocked to see her, thoroughly examining her body before lining up to rape her in turn.
Two days later, Cao Fengxi, having vented his anger, finally dragged Zheng Mingzhen back to the mountain for his henchmen to continue their pleasure.
With four thousand henchmen on the mountain, there was no way they could all get their turn. The henchmen, consumed by lust, couldn't wait and took turns, day and night.
Even if Zheng Mingzhen were made of iron, she couldn't withstand such humiliation. After several days of this, she was driven to her death.
Cao Fengxi, still seething with hatred, ordered his men to hang Zheng Mingzhen's corpse on the roadside, clearly stating her identity, for all to see.
This Zheng Mingzhen, who originally had three good friends in her bedchamber, gaining two close sisters in her boudoir—wasn't that a good thing? Just because of a moment of jealousy, she brought about her own demise. How pitiful and tragic!
While Cao Fengxi was venting his anger by humiliating Zheng Mingzhen, Kan De was discussing important matters with several of the village chiefs.
Although the chiefs were impulsive and reckless, once the deed was done, they realized they had gone too far.
Xu Youliang, who boasted of having a million-strong army, how could he let Wuhua Village go?
The chiefs discussed it and decided that since they had already done it, there was no turning back. They decided to join Hua Rong, raise an army, and occupy Dafang Mountain.
Having finalized their plan, they quickly sent someone to sneak out of Xiaolong Pass to Meihe Datao to meet Huang Yukun.
Huang Yukun was overjoyed to hear that Kan De had burned Guan Yuqing's grain supplies. He immediately sent someone to inform Hua Rong of the good news and issued orders for Wang Fangyu to lead 20,000 troops south with the messenger to recapture Xiaolong Pass and support Kan De's attack on Dafang Mountain.
Guan Yuqing and his men only knew that the grain supplies had been robbed and that Cao Fengxi was responsible. They were unaware that Kan De intended to defect to Hua Rong. However, possessing the keen intuition of soldiers, they instinctively knew they couldn't continue garrisoning their troops along the Mei River. Otherwise, the enemy might take advantage of their weakened morale to launch an attack, leaving them with no chance of victory.
With this in mind, the two decided to withdraw their troops immediately before Huang Yukun learned of the situation.
The original plan was for Shi Wenlong to continue to Dafang Mountain, where they could gather some grain to await Xu Youliang's resupply, while Guan Yuqing would retreat to Qinglong Pass to hold it and await supplies.
Having finalized their plan, the two led their troops out of camp that very night. Unaware that Huang Yukun already knew about the food shortage and was constantly monitoring their every move, they remained oblivious.
Just as Shi Wenlong and his men were breaking camp and about to leave, a cannon roared, and battle cries shook the heavens. Huang Yukun led tens of thousands of troops into the ranks, hacking and slashing. The Xu family army, already demoralized, had no will to fight and immediately collapsed towards Qinglong Pass.
Huang Yukun pursued them for half the night before finally halting his advance, gathering a small force, beheading over four thousand, and capturing countless spears, swords, weapons, gongs, drums, and tents.
After a brief rest, Huang Yukun led his troops in pursuit again, chasing them for days and nights until they reached the foot of Qinglong Pass. Because of this pursuit, Shi Wenlong missed his chance to head south to Xiaolong Pass, and thus entered Qinglong Pass with Guan Yuqing. Ironically, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, preventing Kan De from capturing Dafang Mountain; otherwise, Shi Wenlong's two hundred thousand troops would have been surrounded.
Shi Wenlong and Guan Yu retreated to Qinglong Pass, strengthening their defenses while sending messengers to Nanyang Pass to report the battle and request more supplies. Just a few days later, they received another report that Xiaolong Pass had been recaptured by Wang Fangyu, and that the Dafangshan area had been captured by a bandit named Kan De, who had surrendered to Hua Rong.
Dafangshan controlled the passage from Qinglong Pass to Nanling Pass; if Hua Rong controlled this vital route, Qinglong Pass would become an isolated fortress. Therefore, it was imperative to recapture Dafangshan.
Shi and Guan hurriedly wrote a joint letter, instructing Guan Yuqing to lead his troops back to Tongzhen and deliver the letter, requesting Xu Youliang to send troops to Dafangshan. Leaving aside
Shi Wenlong's retreat, let's turn to Hua Rong. War is like a game of chess; both sides are initially on edge, but a single bad move can lead to complete defeat.
Shi Wenlong and Guan Yuqing were forced to retreat to Qinglong Pass due to insufficient supplies, giving Hua Rong an opportunity to
urgently summon Huang Yukun's troops to Guoting for reinforcements. Cao Yunlong, who was then focusing his efforts on attacking Guifei River, heard news of Shi Wenlong's defeat and, realizing the danger, immediately ordered a retreat.
By the time Huang Yukun arrived, Cao Yunlong had already retreated over a hundred miles, pursued relentlessly by Hua Rong.
At Changling Ferry, even worse news awaited Cao Yunlong. Huang Yunxiang, the garrison commander of Hexi, harbored ambitions and, taking advantage of Cao Yunlong's absence while attacking Hua Rong, declared himself king. He had heavily fortified the riverbank, preparing to prevent Cao Yunlong from crossing.
Knowing that Hua Rong was hot on his heels, Cao Yunlong knew that if he couldn't cross the river quickly, his entire army would be annihilated. Therefore, he turned south, intending to cross at Yanglin Ferry, part of Yecheng territory, guarded by Hong Wei.
Halfway across, he was intercepted by Huang Yukun. At this point, Cao Yunlong disregarded everything else and charged forward, engaging Huang Yukun and his men in battle. Cao Yunlong, a former martial arts champion, possessed exceptional skill, while the four Xu sisters were all capable generals. Thus, he broke through Huang Yukun's ranks, who had just arrived and were still establishing themselves. However, the soldiers behind him were not so fortunate, with a third of them being intercepted by Huang Yukun.
Cao Yunlong fled to Yanglin Ferry, where Hong Wei sent a boat to pick him up, allowing him to cross the river and escape to Yecheng.
He learned that he now had no place to stand except for his tens of thousands of troops; even Yecheng belonged to Xu Youliang.
Cao Yunlong was a man of flexibility. Now that he had lost his territory, he had no reason to treat Xu Youliang as an equal or a guest. Therefore, Cao Yunlong left his men in Yecheng and led the four Xu sisters to Nanyang Pass, abandoning his princely airs and announcing his allegiance to Xu Youliang.
Although Xu Youliang regretted losing the valuable granary at Qinglong Pass, he needed manpower at the moment. So, after some polite exchanges, he accepted Cao Yunlong's offer and appointed him Marshal of the Eastern Route.
As for Cao Yunlong's former territory, Xu Youliang would reclaim it sooner or later. The first priority was to retake the Dafang Mountain area as quickly as possible. This area served as a natural barrier to the plains outside Zhuque Pass and also controlled the road to Qinglong Pass; therefore, it was imperative to capture Dafang Mountain from both perspectives.
After some preparation, Xu Youliang ordered provisions to be sent to Guan Yuqing, instructing him to advance from the northern foothills of Dafang Mountain, and gave Cao Yunlong 100,000 troops, instructing him to advance from the western foothills of Dafang Mountain.
What happens next? Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Chapter 152 – Xu Youliang Attacks Kan De, Guan Yuqing Wins Battles to Recapture Dafang Mountain

. As mentioned in the previous chapter, Kan De's raid on Xu Youliang's military supplies forced Shi Wenlong and Guan Yuqing to retreat, disrupting the balance of power on the battlefield and leading to a complete defeat for the Xu-Cao allied forces. Except for Qinglong Pass, Cao Yunlong's territory became Hua Rong's base.
Considering the crucial strategic importance of the Dafang Mountain area in both offense and defense, Xu Youliang decided to send Guan Yuqing and Cao Yunlu to launch a two-pronged attack to recapture Dafang Mountain.
By this time, Kan De had already established himself as the local tyrant of the Dafangshan area. Hua Rong, recognizing his merit in robbing grain and beheading generals, appointed him as the Governor-General of Dafangshan and Commander-in-Chief of the three armies, effectively concentrating military and political power in his hands.
However, being a mountain bandit, Kan De also possessed the insurmountable flaws of a bandit leader. Firstly, he was stubborn and unwilling to learn from experience; secondly, he had a severe territorial mentality. These two traits alone led to his demise.
Dafangshan was already militarily weak, so Kan De easily seized control. At that time, Hua Rong wanted to send two generals, Zou Bin and Wang Fangyu, with an army of 100,000 to garrison Dafangshan, but Kan De, fearing they would seize his territory, resolutely refused.
Helpless, Hua Rong sent Xu Zhi to advise Kan De on defense strategies, making him understand that Xu Youliang would not easily give up Dafang Mountain and that careful management was necessary. However, Kan De ignored this advice and instead sent Xu Zhi back to Xiaolong Pass.
In Kan De's view, he had been the chieftain of Dafang Mountain for many years, and the government troops had repeatedly tried to suppress the mountain, but he had easily thwarted them all by utilizing the terrain. With Dafang Mountain as a barrier and now seventy or eighty thousand troops, even if Xu Youliang mobilized a million soldiers from Zhennan, he would not be able to conquer Dafang Mountain.
However, he failed to consider that when the government suppressed the mountain, they only used a few hundred or a thousand troops at most. This was only because Kan De had not caused any trouble for the government at the time, so it was merely a show. Moreover, at that time, the experienced generals of Dafang Mountain were all fighting outside and had no time to deal with a small-time bandit like him.
But things are different now. They have nearly a million men. Sending just 100,000 into the mountains would be enough to give Kan De a hard time, not to mention Guan Yuqing and Cao Yunlong are both renowned generals, especially Guan Yuqing, who is incredibly cunning.
Although Kan De is skilled in martial arts, he's not cut out to be a general. After occupying the Dafang Mountain area, he didn't know how to defend the dozens of counties within it. He scattered his hard-won tens of thousands of troops across various county towns, leaving the key transportation routes understaffed.
Kan De believed Guan Yuqing and Cao Yunlong would fight them one by one, thus wasting their resources and energy on the road. Then he could lead an elite force to charge uphill, defeating one force while the other retreated without a fight.
Guan Yuqing and Cao Yunlong were far from being ordinary generals. Before their departure, the two had secretly planned and adopted a swift and decisive strategy, not concerned with immediate gains or losses. They would launch attacks from the northwest, breaking through several key passes before heading straight for Dafangshan County, the heart of Dafangshan, where Kan De was based.
Since Cao Yunlong's initial offensive in the west, Kan De had been awaiting news in Dafangshan County, where he had concentrated nearly 20,000 elite troops, preparing to deliver the final blow to Cao Yunlong or Guan Yuqing. Cao Yunlong dispatched the Xu sisters to launch successive attacks, first breaching the western gateway, Jianping Pass. Then, he ordered Xu Xiaoyang to lead the vanguard to bypass the important town of Jianzhou. Taking advantage of the city's commander, Wang Qiang, launching a surprise attack from outside the pass, Cao Yunlong suddenly turned his attack on Wang Qiang, unhorsing him and capturing Jianzhou.
After that, whenever Cao Yunlong encountered a prefecture or county, he would send his vanguard to bypass it and then turn back to encircle it, attacking from both sides together with the central army. The leaders defending the cities only knew how to defend the mountains, not the cities themselves. Seeing the fierce attack, they panicked, many of their soldiers deserted, and some surrendered.
When the news reached Dafangshan County, Kan De was stunned. He hurriedly led his 30,000 troops westward to meet Cao Yunlong.
After traveling west for two days, an urgent report came from the county seat that Guan Yuqing had also set out from the north of the mountains, had broken through two passes, and besieged Shanyin County.
Shanyin County was also an important passage north of Dafangshan. Kan De had deployed 5,000 troops there, plus the local militia, totaling over 10,000.
Kan De believed that with these 10,000 men defending the city, Guan Yuqing would not easily pass Shanyin, so he continued westward to meet Cao Yunlong, intending to defeat Cao Yunlong first and then turn back to attack Guan Yuqing. To everyone's surprise
, after sleeping for a night, news arrived that Guan Yuqing had already passed Shanyin County, allowing them to pass through two intermediate counties without attack, and had reached Huliu Pass, the northern gateway to Dafangshan County, overnight.
Kan De was greatly alarmed. If Guan Yuqing broke through Huliu Pass, his retreat route to Xiaolong Pass would be cut off, leaving him vulnerable to attacks from both sides. Therefore, he hurriedly turned back east to prepare to reinforce Huliu Pass.
When he arrived at Huliu Pass, Guan Yuqing's troops had retreated and their whereabouts were unknown, while Cao Yunlong had captured two more counties and advanced eighty li.
Kan De marched west to reinforce the area, but after a day's march, he received a report that Guan Yuqing had used the attack on Huliu Pass as a pretext to lure the garrison of two counties he had intentionally passed to the south to reinforce them. Guan Yuqing then launched a night attack, annihilating the more than 3,000 garrison troops of the two counties en route. Within two days, he also surrounded more than 10,000 reinforcements arriving from other places. Seeing Guan Yuqing's overwhelming strength and having nowhere else to turn, these troops surrendered.
Guan Yuqing defeated several reinforcements and returned to Huliu Pass.
Knowing he couldn't divide his forces to attack Cao Yunlong and Guan Yuqing, Kan De placed his hopes on the garrison at Huliu Pass and decided to risk a battle against Cao Yunlong.
Kan De remained in place, waiting for a day. That evening, Cao Yunlong's army set up camp twenty li away from Kan De's army.
Kan De thought, "I am well-rested and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out. Why not take advantage of Cao Yunlong's disarray while he is setting up camp and launch a surprise attack?"
Thinking this, Kan De mustered five thousand cavalry and quietly left the camp, heading west to raid it.
Upon arriving, he saw Cao Yunlong's army indeed encamped. Kan De waved his hand, and the five thousand cavalrymen roared and charged into Cao's camp.
Cao's army, unperturbed, withdrew the soldiers who were setting up palisades, revealing archers. A volley of arrows killed over a hundred of Kan De's cavalrymen.
The rest followed Kan De, risking their lives to reach the front. Kan De pushed aside the palisades and was about to advance when he saw countless wooden stakes already buried in the ground. These stakes, sharpened at one end, were angled towards the outside of the camp; if they charged in, both men and horses would be impaled. Kan De quickly reined in his horse, and the others followed suit. Several unlucky men were still pushed by those behind them and crashed into the stakes, dying instantly.
Seeing Kan De's group blocked by the stakes, the soldiers in the camp hastily drew their bows and fired wildly. Kan De and his men were huddled together, with no way to escape, and many more were killed.
Realizing the enemy was prepared, Kan De had no choice but to order a retreat.
Halfway there, they were ambushed by Xu Xiaoyang, who attacked and killed over a thousand men. Kan De, in a sorry state, led his remaining troops back to the main camp.
The next morning, Kan De sent men to challenge Cao Yunlong's camp. Cao Yunlong replied that he had led a long and arduous campaign and was exhausted, so he did not wish to fight and asked Kan De to wait a few more days.
Kan De could not wait, so he sent men to launch a strong attack on Cao Yunlong's camp, but they could not break through and had to endure the attack.
After waiting only a day, Kan De could no longer remain still. An urgent report arrived stating that Cao Yunlong's generals Xu Xiaoyang and Xu Xiaoyao, each leading a contingent disguised as Kan De's men, had secretly bypassed Kan De's main army and had successfully breached Huliu Pass and the city of Dafangshan.
Kan De, realizing the danger, withdrew his troops overnight before Cao Yunlong could even react.
Knowing that Huliu Pass and Dafangshan City were in enemy hands, Kan De dared not linger. He bypassed Dafangshan City and fled eastward, while simultaneously sending messengers to Xiaolong Pass for help.
Cao Yunlong and Guan Yuqing met at Dafangshan City, leaving Cao Yunlong to oversee the city and eliminate Kan De's remaining forces, while Guan Yuqing led the four Xu sisters in pursuit eastward.
After chasing eastward for a hundred li, scouts reported that Generals Zou Bin and Wang Fangyu, leading 50,000 troops, had joined Kan De on the road and were now advancing along the main road to retake Dafangshan.
It turned out that Hua Rong, after hearing Xu Zhi's report, knew that Kan De was more trouble than he was worth and had always been uneasy about Dafangshan. He ordered Zou Bin and Wang Fangyu to closely monitor Dafangshan's movements.
When Cao Yunlong and Guan Yuqing set off to attack Dafangshan, Hua Rong received information from a spy and thus dispatched five more generals—Huang Yukun, Liu Heiling, Wang Dapeng, Shan Biao, and Liu Wuyang—with 200,000 troops to reinforce Dafangshan.
Hua Rong hadn't expected Kan De to be such an incompetent fool, nor had he anticipated the swift advance of Cao Cao and Guan Yuqing.
It would take several days to gather 200,000 reinforcements, and another five or six days to reach Xiaolong Pass from outside the pass. Meanwhile, Guan Yuqing was already at Erda Huliu Pass. Zou Bin and Wang Fangyu knew that if Cao Cao and Guan Yuqing occupied all the passes of Dafang Mountain, even Hua Rong himself might not be able to capture it. Therefore, they decided to immediately send 50,000 troops from Xiaolong Pass to reinforce Kan De.
Upon hearing the news of Kan De's arrival, Guan Yuqing asked for a map and decided to advance another 30 li to Dongwu Ridge East Alley to camp and meet Kan De and his men.
Dongwu Ridge was the highest mountain in the Dafang Mountain area; after passing Dongwu Ridge, the terrain descended steadily.
Guan Yuqing arrived at Dongwuling East and ordered his army to set up camp near the mountains and water. Kan De and others arrived that night and set up camp twenty li away, sending messengers to deliver a challenge, agreeing to fight the next morning.
Guan Yuqing returned the letter verbatim, simply stating that they would fight as agreed.
The next day at dawn, after a battle meal, Guan Yuqing led his entire army ten li away to meet the enemy, as agreed.
When Guan Yuqing arrived, Kan De and others were already there, forming their battle formations. After
both sides had completed their formations, three drumbeats sounded, and the two commanders marched out.
Marshal Guan Yuqing stood in the center, with the four Xu sisters on either side, and more than thirty other officers, including deputy generals, commanders, lieutenant generals, and guards, standing on either side. Behind them were hundreds of thousands of troops; their imposing presence was beyond words.
Guan Yuqing looked across and saw that the general on horseback in the center, with a large wart on his forehead, was undoubtedly Kan De; behind him was a dark-skinned, very pretty female general, whom he recognized as Cao Fengxi, the woman he had once shared a bed with; looking to the other side, two generals stood there, and from the names of the generals behind them, one was Zou Bin and the other Wang Fangyu.
Upon seeing Cao Fengxi, Guan Yuqing's anger flared. If it weren't for this wretched woman, Zheng Mingzhen wouldn't have ended up like this. Now that he saw her, he would not let her escape easily.
Thinking this, Guan Yuqing said to the generals around him, "Generals, when the battle begins, kill the enemy generals who deserve it, cut them down, but leave Cao Fengxi to me."
"We understand," everyone knew about Cao Fengxi's affair, so they all agreed in unison.
After observing for a long time, Guan Yuqing lifted his horse and slowly rode out of the formation, shouting loudly, "Cao Fengxi, you wretched woman, come out!"
Whether Cao Fengxi would come to see Guan Yuqing remains to be seen; we'll find out in
the next chapter. (Chapter 153

, Part 2 of the Empire—Kan De's Defeat at Wuhua Ridge, the Female General's Merit) Guan Yuqing

stepped forward, specifically requesting Cao Fengxi.
Kan De, being a hero, rushed out of the formation, asking, "Is that Marshal Guan over there?"
"Indeed, are you Chief Kan?" Guan Yuqing didn't call Kan De General, but Chief, her words carrying a hint of disdain.
"It is indeed I."
"Chief Kan, what brings you to the front lines?"
"Marshal Guan, are you only capable of challenging women?"
"What do you mean?"
"Marshal Guan, you've arrived at the front lines, yet instead of challenging me, your commander, you've targeted Cao Fengxi first. Isn't that abusing your power and bullying women?"
"Heh heh. Chief Kan, this Cao Fengxi is my runaway concubine. As her husband, I must bring her out to face me so I can punish her according to family rules. This is my family matter; what does it have to do with you, Chief Kan?"
"Marshal Guan, I don't know you have any concubines. I only know that Cao Fengxi is my wife. As a man, I naturally have to stand up for my woman in times of trouble."
"Chief Kan, this Cao Fengxi and I swore an oath of marriage three times. I never wrote her a single word of divorce. Although she has eloped with her husband, she is still my concubine. You, Chief Kan, are just picking up scraps, but why don't you ask if she is still a married woman? Chief Kan, if you are truly devoted to her, I will not make things difficult for you. I will simply have her come here, undergo the family rules of my Guan family, and then write her a letter of divorce. From then on, we will have no further connection. At that time, Chief Kan can come back to be her protector."
"How do you plan to deal with her?"
"Convenient. Convenient. According to my family rules, anyone who elopes with their husband will be imprisoned as long as they haven't taken any of my Guan family's children. I will not harm her."
Isn't this clearly an attempt to embarrass Kan De? Kan De couldn't bear it any longer and shouted, "Well done, Guan Yuqing! I'll fight you to the death!" With that, he was about to attack.
Guan Yuqing turned his horse around, then raised his hand to stop Kan De, saying, "Chief Kan, if you want to fight, I'm not afraid of you. But you're just a bandit. If I, a marshal, were to fight you, wouldn't I be a laughingstock?"
Xu Xiaoyang chimed in from behind, "The marshal is right. Such a minor character isn't worth your time. Let me handle her."
Kan De looked at Xu Xiaoyang and his mouth watered. He thought to himself, "Where do Xu Youliang get so many beauties around him? They're making my heart itch."
He thought to himself but didn't say anything. Just as he was about to reach for Xu Xiaoyang's hook-and-sickle spear, Wang Fangyu called out from behind, "General Kan, you are the commander. Fighting this little woman would be beneath your dignity. Let me handle her." With that, he spurred his horse, Black Cloud Snow, raised his spiked club, and charged straight at Xu Xiaoyang.
Upon seeing this, Xu Xiaoyao also stepped forward, pointing her spear at Zou Bin and saying, "You scoundrel, you must be helping Kan De, why don't you come out and fight me?"
Zou Bin laughed and said, "Since I'm just killing time, I've exchanged a few blows with you, young lady."
Xu Xiaoyue and Xu Xiaojing also stepped forward, saying, "Is there anyone else who wants to fight my sisters?"
The remaining lieutenants and adjutants were all from Qinglong Pass and knew the reputation of the Xu sisters, so they all remained silent and dared not step forward.
The two Xu sisters called out for a long time, and seeing that no one was willing to step forward, they looked at each other and laughed, saying, "I thought Kan De's men were all formidable heroes, but now it seems they're nothing special, not real men at all." These
words enraged the two lieutenants behind Kan De.
Both were former leaders of Wuhua Ridge, renowned for their martial arts skills. One was Cai Zhong, nicknamed "Flowery Knife Hand," wielding two double-edged swords; the other was Wang Qing, nicknamed "Flowery Spear Hand," wielding a fancy spear. Bandits dreaded being called unmanly, especially by women. Hearing the Xu sisters belittle them, Cai Zhong and Wang Qing became enraged and charged forward, shouting, "Listen up, you two young ladies! We men of Wuhua Ridge are all heroes, but as the saying goes, a good man doesn't fight with a woman. Take off your pants and let everyone see. If you have any 'teapot mouths' (meaning vulgar expressions), then my brothers will fight you!"
Xu Xiaoyue and her brother, their faces burning with shame, retorted angrily, "You two, shut up! If you have the guts, come forward! I'll hook your two dog whips off and make you unfit to be men!" "
The worst thing in a fight is when someone gets provoked, and the same goes for battle. Cai Zhong and his companion, provoked by Xu Xiaoyue, disregarded their mediocre martial arts skills and roared like thunder as they spurred their horses into battle against Xu Xiaoyue and Xu Xiaojing.
This battle, with four pairs of male and female officers fighting each other on the front lines, was quite a spectacle.
Cai Zhong and Wang Qing were both brave men, and although they possessed great strength and were willing to risk their lives, they were ultimately outmatched in skill. After a dozen or so rounds, they were exhausted.
The bandits were used to gang fights, and when Kan De saw that his two men couldn't keep up, he hurriedly turned back and called for four other adjutants, all former leaders of Wuhua Ridge, to fight the Xu Xiaoyue sisters. Seeing that the other side had gained reinforcements, Xu Xiaoyue and Xu Xiaojing exchanged glances and, taking advantage of the opportunity after one round to regroup and fight again, joined forces, two against six. The eight of them fought like a wheel, roaring and clashing in a chaotic melee."
The Xu sisters, being from a prestigious family, possessed formidable martial arts skills passed down through generations. After fighting for about an hour, Xu Xiaoyue first spotted an opening. She parried Cai Zhong's twin swords with her spear, employing a feint, and swung her spear at Cai Zhong's face. Cai Zhong hurriedly drew his sword to block, but Xu Xiaoyue instantly spun the spearhead, the foot-long tip striking the head of a nearby adjutant. The adjutant bled profusely and fell from his horse, only to be trampled in the chest by Cai Zhong's warhorse, breaking several ribs and piercing his heart, killing him instantly.
The five officers, all former bandit leaders, were shocked by their fallen comrade. A moment's hesitation allowed Xu Xiaoqing to seize the opening, thrusting her spear into the heart of the officer facing her, sending him flying several feet away, also dead.
This was like Sima Guang breaking a water jar – once it started, it was unstoppable. The four generals, who had managed a draw while fighting the two Xu sisters, were now struggling to hold their own. Seeing this, Cai Zhong hurriedly shouted, "Brothers, the wind's getting strong! Let's get out of here!"
The other three heard him and jumped out of the circle. One was a step too late and Xu Xiaojing struck him on the back of the neck with her spear, breaking his neck and killing him instantly.
Cai Zhong and his two companions grew even more terrified. As they tried to flee, Xu Xiaoyue's horse blocked their path, and Xu Xiaojing appeared from behind, this time creating a situation where two female generals surrounded three male generals.
The Xu sisters, trained by the same master, worked together with great skill, their combined power significantly amplified. The three male generals, however, were hampered by their own weaknesses, their combined strength failing to match the three men's. Previously, when they were surrounding their opponents, the larger space masked their individual strength, but now, surrounded and in a smaller space, this disharmony became apparent, their weapons clashing and clanging.
The Xu sisters, sensing their opponents' predicament, deliberately engaged them in combat, luring them into a fight before striking.
This time, the sisters chose the most direct targets. Xu Xiaoqing first thrust her spear into the right rib of the last adjutant, simultaneously striking Cai Zhong's left rib. Both were forced to defend, simultaneously parrying. Xu Xiaoqing, however, remained in her original stance, only pausing her spear. The two enemy swords clashed with a loud "clang." Both men, expecting a change of attack and their comrade's defense, hastily withdrew their weapons, leaving the area undefended. Seeing an opportunity, Xu Xiaojing thrust her spear forward along the same path, slightly deflecting to the left, aiming precisely at Cai Zhong's ribs. Cai Zhong cried out "Ah!" and hurriedly turned around. The spear had only penetrated an inch deep before he dodged it, barely escaping death. However, Xu Xiaojing flipped her spear, twisted it, and pulled it back. Unlike ordinary spears, this hook-and-sickle spear had a small sickle, about half a foot long, attached to the side of the spearhead, specifically for hooking a horse's leg. This time, she used it on Cai Zhong, hooking his left ribs open from back to front. With a scream, Cai Zhong spurred his horse and leaped out of the circle, fleeing back into his own ranks.
Xu Xiaojing didn't pursue, but instead blocked the fleeing enemy general, striking him in the back with the shaft of her spear. The general coughed up blood and fell from his horse, then thrust her spear into his heart, killing him instantly.
Now only Wang Qing remained, struggling to hold on.
Kan De knew things were going badly the moment the first soldier fell from his horse. He was about to send reinforcements, but three of the six men were already dead. By the time those who were ready to help arrived, only Wang Qing remained. Kan De realized it would be pointless for anyone else to go, so he grabbed his Xuanhua axe and rode forward to rescue Wang Qing. Guan
Yuqing, seeing this, hurriedly rode over to stop him, saying, "Chief Kan, those sisters have been fighting for a long time. If you go now, it might seem like you're taking advantage of their vulnerability. It's better to wait until they've decided who's stronger."
Kan De wanted to ignore Guan Yuqing, but he couldn't help but watch helplessly as Wang Qing, caught between the Xu sisters, was struck five times by spears before finally falling from his horse and dying a violent death. Kan De felt a pang of pain, but there was nothing he could do.
Meanwhile, Cai Zhong ran back to his own lines, only to fall from his horse. When the generals saw him, he was already dead, his eyes wide open, a truly terrifying sight.
Xu Xiaoyue and Xu Xiaojing killed Wang Qing and then went to help their two sisters besiege Zou Bin and Wang Fangyu.
Kan De, seeing this, feared that if things continued this way, none of his men would survive. He hurriedly ordered a retreat, intending to temporarily withdraw and devise a better strategy.
What happens next? Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Chapter 154 – Xu Family Women Kill Two Generals, Guan Yuqing Challenges Kan De:

It is said that in a great battle at Dongwu Ridge, the sisters Xu Xiaoyue and Xu Xiaojing joined forces and defeated six generals of Wuhua Ridge, greatly weakening Kan De's soldiers. They then went to help their two older sisters, Xu Xiaoyang and Xu Xiaoyao, besiege Zou Bin and Wang Fangyu.
Kan De knew that Zou Bin and Wang Fangyu were Hua Rong's favorite generals; if they were lost, he would be doomed. Therefore, he wanted to go and provide support, but Guan Yuqing stopped him. Upon seeing this, Kan De had no choice but to order a retreat in preparation for another battle. However, the situation on the battlefield had already deteriorated rapidly. The four Xu sisters had surrounded Zou Bin and Wang Fangyu, and they were unwilling to let them return easily.
Zou Bin and Wang Fangyu's martial arts skills were comparable to those of Xu Xiaoyin and the others; otherwise, Hua Rong would not have assigned them to guard Xiaolong Pass. However, as the saying goes, even the strongest fist can't fight four hands. With the four sisters attacking all at once, they couldn't hold out. The two were battered and bruised, their armor riddled with holes, and they desperately wanted to break out of the encirclement and retreat for the time being. Unfortunately, they weren't given the chance. The four sisters wielded four hook-and-sickle spears with incredible speed and precision, leaving no openings. It was as difficult for Zou Bin and Wang Fangyu to escape.
Seeing this, Kan De had no choice but to temporarily halt the retreat. However, he also had to guard against Guan Yuqing, so he ordered Cao Fengxi to lead the remaining generals to rush to Zou Bin's rescue.
Seeing this, the generals behind Guan Yuqing also rode off, blocking Cao Fengxi and his men, and a chaotic battle broke out in front of Dongwu Ridge.
Although the leaders Kan De led from Wuhua Ridge were all desperate men, they were outmatched in skill and outnumbered, making it difficult to rescue Zou Bin and the others.
Seeing this situation, Zou Bin and his companion lost confidence as the fight progressed, already considering themselves as dead men. When
a person loses the will to live, death becomes inevitable.
Zou Bin gritted his teeth and shouted, "Brother Wang, let's fight to the death!" Ignoring the spear thrust aimed at his chest by Xu Xiaoyang, he instead thrust his spear into Xu Xiaoyang's abdomen, choosing to die together with him. Seeing this, Xu Xiaoyue couldn't tolerate it. She used the small hook on her hooked spear to grab Zou Bin's spear shaft, pulling it towards her. The spear slid past Xu Xiaoyue's waist, while Xu Xiaoyue's spear accurately pierced Zou Bin's chest. Taking advantage of Zou Bin's charging horse, she stabbed him from both front and back, killing him instantly.
Hearing Zou Bin's shout, Wang Fangyu also abandoned his defense, striking Xu Xiaojing at the waist with his club. Xu Xiaojing blocked the club with her spear, while Xu Xiaoyao thrust her spear from behind, striking Wang Fangyu squarely in the back, lifting him upwards. He kicked twice in mid-air, ending his life as well.
It was pitiful that Generals Zou Bin and Wang Fangyu died here unjustly because of Kan De's stubbornness.
With the two dead, Kan De's men lost all fighting spirit. Without waiting for Kan De's order, they scattered and fled eastward.
Unable to stop them, Kan De had no choice but to call Cao Fengxi and follow the retreating army eastward in a rout.
They had only run half a mile when Guan Yuqing caught up with them.
Guan Yuqing and the Xu sisters rode fine horses, much faster than Kan De, and easily overtook them.
Guan Yuqing sent his men to pursue the fleeing soldiers, while he and the Xu sisters surrounded Kan De and Cao Fengxi.
Knowing he had no chance of escaping punishment, Kan De laughed heartily, "Very well! Guan Yuqing. You've won on the battlefield today, but our personal grudges remain. Now, five of you against one of me, I'm not afraid. You can cut off my head as you please."
Guan Yuqing knew he was challenging him, so he said, "Chief Kan, our personal grudges will be settled here today. If I were to win by numbers, I wouldn't be a hero. The four generals of the Xu family!"
"Yes, sir!"
"You four are only to keep an eye on that vile woman, Cao Fengxi. In my battle with Chief Kan, no matter who wins or loses, you are not allowed to interfere. Otherwise, don't blame Guan for the severity of military law!"
"Understood!"
"Chief Kan, if I don't defeat you in martial arts, the world will laugh at me. Now I'll wager with you. This Cao Fengxi is my concubine. Although you and she have had your wedding ceremony on the mountain, you are still considered adulterers. Therefore, you must hand her over to me now. If I win, you won't be able to keep her. If I lose, you can give her a divorce and let her remarry. What do you say?" "
General Guan, you are mistaken. As a man, how can I hand over my woman to another? If we wager like this, and I lose, it will be difficult to protect Fengxi. How about we make a gentleman's agreement? If I am lucky enough to win, I will not take your life, as long as you give her the divorce papers and let her have a proper status. If I lose, I only ask that you spare her life."
"Chief Kan, you are mistaken. If she had merely eloped with her husband, Guan Yuqing would not be so petty. However, she also framed my first wife and caused her death. Such an unforgivable crime cannot be forgiven by me. If Chief Kan wishes to save her life, he must defeat the blade in my hand."
"Very well! There's no point in saying more now. Marshal Zheng, please!"
"Chief Kan, please!"
Guan Yuqing and Kan De bowed to each other, then raised their weapons and began to fight.
This time, for Cao Fengxi and for their own honor, the two fought with their lives on the line. But this was different from ordinary martial arts matches; both used their ultimate moves, determined to kill the other.
The battle lasted for an hour, until the sky darkened and the earth trembled. The victorious soldiers abandoned their pursuers, and the defeated generals forgot to flee and gathered together again.
Just as Guan Yuqing's generals were about to come to his aid, Xu Xiaoyang shouted, "The Marshal has ordered that he settle his personal grudge with Chief Kan. Anyone who dares to help him will be executed!"
The leaders of Kan De's stronghold also wanted to join the fight, but Kan De jumped out of the circle and shouted sternly, "Brothers, this is a gentleman's battle between me and Marshal Guan. We'll leave it to fate.
Anyone who tarnishes my name is no longer my brother!" Hearing this, no one dared to step forward, and they could only watch helplessly as the two fought to the death.
Guan Yuqing, who always won with his wits, was fighting for his life for the first time. After nearly two hundred rounds, both were wounded and shouted, "What a satisfying fight!"
In such a battle, victory or defeat could be decided in an instant.
They fought for several dozen more rounds, and before anyone could understand what was happening, the two suddenly separated.
Guan Yuqing stood silently, blood streaming from his left chest, while Kan De stood silently opposite him.
The crowd watched for a long time, unable to discern the victor.
Finally, Kan De said, "Marshal Guan truly lives up to his reputation. I, Kan De, am utterly convinced of my defeat." He turned to his generals behind him and said, "Brothers, my feud with Marshal Guan is settled today. After my death, those who are my brothers are not allowed to seek revenge against Marshal Guan." He then said to Cao Fengxi, who was watching with mixed feelings, "Madam, I am incompetent. I forcibly took you up the mountain and failed to protect you, causing you suffering."
Cao Fengxi burst into tears, trembling, and said, "Chief, I...I..."
"Madam, there's no need for further words. Our marriage is over today!" With that, he fell from his horse with a thud.
The generals swarmed around him, shouting "Chief!" and "Brother!"
Guan Yuqing dismounted and slowly walked over. He saw that Kan De was still alive, staring at him with open eyes.
Guan Yuqing said, "Chief Kan is indeed a hero. I am honored to meet you today; my life has not been in vain."
Kan De nodded slightly, smiled, and breathed his last.
"Clang!" Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Cao Fengxi had dismounted, dropped his weapon, and walked slowly towards Guan Yuqing.
"You..." Guan Yuqing was speechless.
"Marshal Guan, as you said, our marriage is not yet severed. I am still your eloped concubine and a criminal before Lord Xu. For both public and private reasons, Cao Fengxi has no reason to live. Now, tie me up and do with me as you please!"
"Madam! You can't do this! My brothers will risk their lives to protect you!" The chiefs exclaimed in unison.
"Brothers, there's no need for this. I was originally Guan Yuqing's concubine. My marriage to Chief Kan was inappropriate, so I am unfit to be your wife. Each person must bear the consequences of their own actions. Marshal Guan, if you now remember our past love and affection, or if you remember your mutual respect with Chief Kan, please allow me and the brothers of the stronghold to bury Chief Kan. I will then return with you."
Guan Yuqing, who had also been seriously injured in the battle with Kan De, nodded with difficulty and staggered back to his officers. They helped him back to his quarters to recover.
The sound of firecrackers echoed outside, and Guan Yuqing was lost in thought.
As the saying goes, even a day as husband and wife brings a hundred days of kindness. Deep down, Guan Yuqing and Cao Fengxi had shared a moment of intimacy in bed, and feelings still remained. Although Zheng Mingzhen died at Cao Fengxi's hands, she was somewhat to blame, and Guan Yuqing was not so heartless as to harm Cao Fengxi. Therefore, when Cao Fengxi wanted to bury Kan De, Guan Yuqing immediately agreed, even keeping all the soldiers in the camp and forbidding them from leaving. Subconsciously, he hoped Cao Fengxi would flee.
The night passed like this, and early the next morning, Cao Fengxi waited outside the camp. Guan Yuqing hurriedly ordered her in. Cao Fengxi entered the tent, knelt on the ground, and said with her hands behind her back, "Marshal, this sinful concubine, Fengxi, has come to confess her guilt."
"Cao Fengxi, why did you come back?" Guan Yuqing's words carried a hint of reproach.
Cao Fengxi's heart trembled, and she was filled with remorse. She had only done this to betray Guan Yuqing because of her resentment towards Zheng Mingzhen. In truth, her love for Guan Yuqing had not diminished. Only after Zheng Mingzhen's death and hearing that Guan Yuqing had been forced to retreat did she feel deep regret, but it was too late. Now that she has surrendered, and hearing Yu Qing's words, it's clear she still harbors love. This makes Cao Fengxi feel even more deeply guilty, and she cries out, "This sinful concubine deserves to die a thousand deaths; death alone is not enough to atone for my sins."
"Then when you came here, didn't your brothers in the stronghold stop you?"
"They all had a brotherhood pact with Kan De. After burying Kan De, they all followed him in death."
"What?!"
"They all dug their own graves next to Kan De's tomb, paid their respects to Kan De, and then each committed suicide to follow him. This sinful concubine only came after burying them."
Guan Yu Qing and the generals sighed upon hearing this.
"Do you know the consequences of returning here?"
"I know."
"Then why didn't you end it all yourself?"
"What sins a person commits, they will surely be punished accordingly. There are gods three feet above one's head. Even if one escapes this life, can one escape the next?"
Guan Yu Qing listened, speechless for a long time.
"Marshal, I, your humble servant, have come here to accept my punishment. I have only two wishes."
"Speak."
"First, I wish to see my beloved sister, Yu Ge."
"Of course. And the second?"
"I, Feng Xi, have failed to protect my body for you, Marshal, and I deeply regret it. At the execution, I wish you would personally carry out the execution, and not let anyone else touch my body."
Everyone who heard this was deeply moved.
Guan Yuqing remained silent, only nodding slightly.
What will happen next? Let's find out in the next chapter.

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