“Corrupt officials!”
“No, calling you dogs is an insult to dogs!”
“Dogs know how to guard their homes, but you, fed by the people of the Great Song, stand by and watch them be bullied by the Jurchens!”
“Seventh Master is indisposed today due to an ailment and cannot engage in prolonged combat. I shall visit you another day for a proper spar!”
“Brothers, the situation is tense, let’s make a strategic withdrawal~”
“Return these dogs’ Jurchen masters to him. We’ll collect them another time!”
After a torrent of scolding directed at the commanding general, Hong Qiye prepared to lead his men away.
A wise warrior knows when to retreat from a bad situation. These soldiers numbered at least a thousand, and facing overwhelming odds was not the style of the honorable members of the Beggars’ Sect!
“Draw bows!”
The Song general’s loud command was met by his soldiers nocking arrows, aiming directly at Hong Qiye and Wang Chongyang.
Hong Qiye’s expression changed: “Officials worse than dogs! Aren’t you afraid of harming your own masters?”
But as he turned, he saw Scarface dragging the corpse of a Beggars’ Sect member to shield himself. He then yelled at the Song general.
“Luo Bu Tuo, shoot quickly, kill them all!”
“If you let even one escape, Grandpa will report you to the Marshal!”
“And say your sincerity in seeking peace is questionable!”
The Song general, Luo Bu Tuo, whom the Prefect of Luzhou had mentioned earlier, heard Scarface’s words and his earlier imposing demeanor vanished.
He bowed obsequiously to Scarface and said, “General Wanyan, rest assured, these unruly commoners will not be allowed to escape!”
“Men, loose the arrows!”
“Hold your fire!”
Another sharp shout echoed from afar.
Wang Chongyang was bewildered. What was happening today? He had only killed a few Jurchens, why were waves of people rushing to the scene?
“Shangguan Jiannan of the Iron Palm Sect is here! I’d like to see who dares to shoot!”
A sturdy middle-aged man in grey, with his hands behind his back, slowly approached from the north.
Behind him followed countless other strong men.
Upon hearing the name, Luo Bu Tuo’s heart sank. He only recovered his senses after Shangguan Jiannan had reached Wang Chongyang and his companions.
He forced a calm demeanor and shouted, “Shangguan Jiannan! You were once a subordinate of Han Shizhong. Do not forget Yue Fei’s fate!”
“Your master was sensible enough to voluntarily relinquish his military command and retire from worldly affairs, managing to escape unscathed. You are now drawing fire upon him!”
“Hahahaha~”
Shangguan Jiannan burst into laughter and then fixed a cold stare at Luo Bu Tuo.
“You cur! You probably haven’t received news from Lin’an in a long time!”
“Qin Hui and the other traitors have all been executed! Marshal Yue has also returned and will soon lead a large army north once more!”
“Who gave you the audacity to lay hands on these chivalrous individuals of the martial world!”
Luo Bu Tuo was instantly panicked. He hadn’t received any letters from the court for nearly a month, which was highly unusual. Thus, he couldn’t help but believe Shangguan Jiannan’s words.
However, if Qin Hui was overthrown, he, as a dog of Qin Hui’s dog’s dog’s dog’s dog, would absolutely not fare well!
He quickly pushed the thought from his mind. He dared not believe it, and he could not!
Therefore, he roared hysterically, “Utter nonsense!”
“Prime Minister Qin is the pillar of the Great Song! How could His Majesty be influenced by petty men!”
“Your actions are merely an attempt to disrupt my army’s morale. Do you truly believe this general will fall for such a trick?”
“Men, shoot! Shoot them all!”
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~~”
As soon as he finished speaking, arrows rained down from the Song soldiers like a swarm of locusts towards the Beggars’ Sect, the Iron Palm Sect, and Wang Chongyang’s group.
“Shield formation!”
Seeing the arrows flying, Shangguan Jiannan bellowed to the men behind him. The members of the Iron Palm Sect swiftly unslung small shields from their backs, covering themselves, and quickly moved to the front of the Beggars’ Sect disciples.
The small shields formed a larger wall, and a shield wall instantly took shape.
“Iron Palm Sect? Shangguan Jiannan!?”
“Why are you here instead of Jingxiang?”
Hong Qi, seeing the arrows blocked by the shield wall, finally relaxed. He looked at Shangguan Jiannan with some surprise.
“Hahahaha, Chief Hong, are you surprised? Are you delighted?” Shangguan Jiannan laughed heartily.
“I came here to welcome Marshal Yue and Marshal Han, but I heard that a Jurchen envoy would be passing through here today!”
“To think I would arrive just in time for such a grand spectacle!”
After speaking, he gestured proudly towards his subordinates.
“By the way, would my unworthy subordinates be worthy of the Beggars’ Sect’s regard?”
“Impressive! Truly impressive! Your military background shows. The Beggars’ Sect cannot replicate such tactics,” Hong Qiye said with admiration, nodding repeatedly at him.
However, gradually, the smile on his face froze, and he began to tremble uncontrollably. He grabbed Shangguan Jiannan’s shoulder and asked excitedly.
“You just, you said, Marshal Yue, Marshal Yue has returned?”
Beside him, Wang Chongyang also looked at him with immense anticipation. This news was quite exhilarating!
Shangguan Jiannan understood their feelings well. To the anti-Jurchen righteous individuals of the common folk, Yue Fei was like a war god of the Great Song!
“That’s right, Marshal Yue has returned!”
“According to the information I received, they have been leading their troops from Lin’an for days. They should reach Luzhou in at most three to five days!”
As he spoke, his gaze flickered towards the Song army.
Luo Bu Tuo, seeing that his arrows were ineffective, was growing increasingly furious. He had abandoned the long-range attack and was personally leading his soldiers to charge towards them.
“My two friends, shall we join forces to eliminate these traitors for the country?”
“It is our duty!”
“Let’s kill these dogs, so Marshal Yue won’t be annoyed when he arrives!”
The three of them, hand in hand, led the members of the Beggars’ Sect and the Iron Palm Sect into a chaotic melee with the Song army.
Luo Bu Tuo’s eyes gleamed fiercely as he wielded his weapon, cutting down Beggars’ Sect disciples one by one. But soon, he realized something was amiss.
The soldiers following him were dwindling, and many had turned back towards the city shortly after the engagement began.
It was only then that he came to his senses. The soldiers who were willing to fight would hardly be content to languish under his command!
The capable ones had either become outlaws like Shangguan Jiannan or had been recalled by the court to serve as guards in Lin’an.
His subordinates were a bunch of strawmen who struggled even in easy battles!
The thousand-plus Song soldiers scattered like a pile of loose sand as they fled. The drawbridge leading to Luzhou city even saw a stampede.
Many were crushed and fell into the moat by their own comrades. By the time they crawled out, soaked and miserable, they looked utterly pathetic.
“Rumble~~~~~~”
“Rumble~~~~~~”
Suddenly, a thunderous sound echoed from afar, making the ground tremble. Even the water in the moat stirred.
This change caused both sides engaged in battle to instinctively halt and look in the direction of the sound.
“What, what, what is that!”
“Look quickly, there are people on top of it!”
“So imposing! So magnificent! So awesome!”
“~~~~~”
West of Luzhou city, three colossal beasts rounded the corner of the city and appeared in everyone’s sight. The moat, several zhang wide, was like flat ground before these machines. With only a slight jolt, they surged forward.
These were Li Shimin’s three Caterpillar 797s!
Looking at the various factions locked in battle before him, he nudged Yue Fei.
“Go down and find out what’s happening!”