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Weather was sweltering. The wind traveled through the mountains, stirring the verdant trees on the hills and the golden fields below. In Heden County, nestled between these great mountains, black banners were already beginning to flutter among the houses. (Search: \(¨Complete¨Book¨Site¨) for free access to high-quality literature)

The unexpected turn of events began in the morning. At the sound of the horns, troops gathered en masse and swiftly departed. Within an hour, half of Heden's Xia Army garrison had left, and the remainder was on high alert. Although Heden and its two neighboring counties had strengthened their defenses since the Mangshan Tribe's attack, with militias constantly patrolling, this sudden action still made the residents near the county seat extremely nervous.

Ever since relations soured with the Mangshan Tribe, something big was brewing this time.

Heden was the political center of the three counties. Most of its residents were veterans of the Xia Army from Qingmu Village, Small Cang River, and those who had followed after the destruction of their homes in the Northwest. Seeing the sudden change, many spontaneously picked up arms, joined the surrounding defense, and some inquired, understanding the possible cause of the situation.

Since the imperial court officially began blockading the Liangshan area, and the Mangshan Tribe, together with some smaller tribes, took action, the Xia Army had been contacting various Ni tribes to discuss future countermeasures and alliances. This time, under the leadership of the Hengqing Tribe, which had a relatively good reputation among the tribes, sixteen nearby Ni tribes gathered to form an alliance to discuss how to deal with the matter. Ning Yi had personally participated in this meeting the day before yesterday, and perhaps news had arrived today that something was about to go wrong.

The Hengqing Tribe's settlement, Little Grey Ridge, where the sixteen-tribe alliance was located, was dozens of miles away from Heden by mountain road. Ning Yi's accompanying personnel numbered only five hundred. If a major problem really arose during the entire alliance meeting, the Xia Army might not have time to provide assistance.

This sudden mobilization of thousands of garrison troops and the tightening of security in Heden and other places was clearly in response to a desperate attack that could occur at any moment.

The lockdown continued until noon, when a carriage suddenly approached along the road at the edge of the county seat, accompanied by soldiers and a doctor. This hurried group had nothing to do with today's lockdown. The patrol checked them and immediately let them pass. Soon after, children followed the carriage crying, "Grandpa Chen, Grandpa Chen..." From their words, everyone learned that Chen Tuozi, a veteran with considerable seniority in the army, had been seriously injured outside the mountains and was being transported back. Chen Tuozi had been ruthless and unruly all his life, without children or descendants. Later, on Ning Yi's suggestion, he had taken care of some orphans in the Xia Army. The fact that he was being sent back like this suggested that something else might have happened outside the mountains.

The mobilization of the garrison, the escalation of alert, Ning Yi's absence, and the incidents outside the mountains—these things all came together. Soon, old soldiers began taking their weapons to the mountains to petition for battle. For a time, the atmosphere was激昂 (jī áng - fervent and impassioned), making the situation in Heden even more heated.

Su Tan'er, who was in charge of Heden, learned of Chen Tuozi's arrival immediately. The old man had fought his way back, sustaining multiple injuries. He was conscious when the Xia Army soldiers at the forward outpost rescued him and gave a rough account of the attack on Su Wenfang before falling unconscious. The incident outside the mountains probably represented Lu Qiaoshan's attitude. However, this was not the most pressing issue at the moment. For Su Tan'er, although Su Wenfang was already a member of the Xia Army, he was still her younger brother. The emotions she felt with two relatives in trouble and their lives uncertain were difficult to describe.

Su Tan'er was silent in the room for a moment. Hong Ti, responsible for security around her, had already started looking for people to arrange a rescue outside the mountains. After a brief moment of silence, Su Tan'er regained her composure. She composed herself and said, "Hong Ti, don't be reckless… Let's first appease the old folks outside. We can't force our way in from outside the mountains."

She lowered her head, walked out quickly, and Hong Ti followed her. In the years in Heden, Ning Yi was rarely present. Su Tan'er held considerable authority in the hearts of the people. Her appearance calmed the crowd who were petitioning for battle. By the afternoon, the weather was muggy and overcast. Someone came to report that Old Master Chen had woken up.

************

In the care room, Chen Tuozi's injuries were quite severe. He had fought his way back, suffering multiple cuts. He had then traveled a long distance, exhausting himself greatly. If not for his pure internal energy, or if he had been a few years older, this ordeal would probably have killed him.

The moment the old man, covered in bandages, saw Su Tan'er enter the room, he struggled to get up: "Da Furen (Madam), I'm sorry..." Seeing him move, the nurse and Su Tan'er hurried over to hold him down.

"Chen Shu (Uncle Chen), it's not your fault. You are a hero..."

"Send people to rescue him, send people to rescue him, maybe there's still time..."

"I know, I know." Su Tan'er's eyes were slightly red. "Su Wenfang encountering this is just his misfortune. Chen Shu, you must rest well. Otherwise, when Li Heng returns, he..."

"Send people to rescue him, Wenfang is a good man, he may suffer hardship." The old man struggled to maintain his spirit and spoke with difficulty. "Also, tell Dongjia (Master), Lu Qiaoshan has bad intentions. He has been stalling for time. He's not doing his job properly, he may have made up his mind, tell Dongjia (Master)..."

"Okay, okay."

Chen Tuozi had been following Ning Yi since the Zhuji (Bamboo Records) period, and his form of address had not changed over the years. After saying these words with difficulty, he paused to catch his breath on the bed. He then looked at Su Tan'er again, "Da Furen (Madam), what's happening outside? I heard people talking, saying something happened, what is it..."

"Nothing, Chen Shu (Uncle Chen), just rest well."

"I heard Dongjia (Master) went out, something happened? Da Furen (Madam), if you want the old man to feel at ease, tell me..."

Su Tan'er shook her head, was silent for a moment, and then took a breath. "The tribes in the mountains want to deal with the Mangshan Tribe. Sixteen Ni tribes are holding a meeting at Little Grey Ridge. Li Heng went there. But we received news this morning that the Mangshan Tribe has mobilized on a large scale and is marching towards Little Grey Ridge, and... I heard someone betrayed us to the imperial court, things have changed."

"... How many people are around Dongjia (Master)?"

"Five hundred."

"... Then there's nothing to worry about, Dongjia (Master) can come back." Chen Tuozi said subconsciously, then looked up at Su Tan'er again, "Does Dongjia (Master) have secret arrangements? Da Furen (Madam), no one can plot against Dongjia (Master), are there arrangements?"

"I don't know, maybe yes, maybe no." Su Tan'er shook her head. "However, regardless of whether there are or aren't, I know he definitely wants us to deal with things in a normal way, and not let anyone take advantage..."

Her eyes were slightly red, but she never cried. At this moment, thousands of Black Flag troops were crossing mountains and ridges, extending all the way through Little Liangshan, towards Little Grey Ridge in the north. And at a ninety-degree angle to them, the Mangshan Tribe and members of several small tribes, with all their forces mobilized, were surging through the dense forests and rivers, towards Little Grey Ridge!

************

The moment of truth has arrived!

Huge grey clouds covered the sky, and the air pressure was heavy. Near Little Grey Ridge, the Hengqing Tribe was in chaos. Fires were burning, smoke columns were rising, and the gunpowder smoke from the explosions was dancing in the wind, not yet dissipated. The sounds of chaos and fighting could still be heard.

Li Xiannong, styled Chengmao, forty-one years old. At this moment, he walked quickly through the chaotic forest, lithe and composed. Branches snapped under his feet, making cracking sounds. Reaching the edge of the forest, across a cliff, he raised his binoculars to look at the mountainside of Little Grey Ridge in the distance.

The one who murdered the emperor, Ning Yi, was on the stone platform over there. Through the blurred vision of the binoculars, Li Xiannong could vaguely see the outline of that figure.

The sounds of fighting were boiling on the side. Putting down the binoculars, Li Xiannong's expression was serious and calm, but from the slightly trembling depths of his eyes, one could faintly detect the churning of emotions in the man's heart. With this calm demeanor, he was the strategist of this era. In the southwest, for several years, as a scholar, he had traveled among various barbarians, laying out plans, and had also experienced life-or-death choices. At this moment, the most evil enemy in the entire world had finally been placed in his trap.

In this grand scheme, many people dreamed of defeating this powerful enemy with overwhelming force. The imperial court sent troops, and Long Qifei and others forced the Wu dynasty to fight the Black Flag decisively as soon as possible, to revive the morale of the people and soldiers after his assassination of the emperor. However, Li Xiannong was not limited to this. If he could achieve his goal, he was willing to use any means.

In the mountains these past few years, he appeared to be instigating Lang Ge and others to stand against the Xia Army, cooperating with the Wu Xiang Army to weaken the Xia Army, but in reality, his biggest plan was in the Hengqing Tribe. Through Chief Shi Meng, who was secretly on the side of the imperial court, he had established good relations with the Black Flag Army, and in the subsequent major conflict, he tried to speak fairly for the Black Flag Army. In the end, he organized a "fair" alliance meeting to reveal his true colors at the last moment and wipe out Ning Yi and his party.

The reason he was able to plan to this extent was that Li Xiannong, during his years in the mountains, had seen the difficulties and limitations of the Xia Army in Liangshan. Newly arrived and borrowing land to survive, even with their strong combat power, the Xia Army would never dare to break with the surrounding Ni tribes. In these years of cooperation, although the Ni tribes had also helped the Xia Army maintain trade routes, in this cooperation, these Ni people had no obligations. The Xia Army relied on them on the one hand, but had no control over them on the other. Regardless of how business was done, many benefits had to be maintained to transfer to the Ni people.

The Black Flag people would never be willing to be trapped in Little Liangshan, and Ning Yi would not be someone who would sit idly by and watch the situation.

Li Xiannong knew that he needed this alliance, an alliance that could further deepen cooperation.

So Ning Yi walked into the trap.

In the event of war between the two armies, the Black Flag Army would not give up monitoring the Mangshan Tribe, so they could not arrive too early. However, the Hengqing Tribe's betrayal was completely unexpected. The guards brought by the chief were largely separated. Li Xiannong even arranged for artillery to bombard the alliance hall. However, the Black Flag Army's keen sense of warfare prevented this step from succeeding. The Black Flag elite, with suicide rushes, wiped out the artillery on this side. But by this time, it was too late to counterattack. The allied chiefs and Ning Yi were driven to the dead end on Little Grey Ridge. Although the Black Flag guards resisted stubbornly, the many chief guards who had been separated could not gather much combat power. As long as they could break through the defensive line of more than a thousand Black Flag and tribal members in front of the mountain, everything would be settled.

And even if they dragged it out, the main force of the Mangshan Tribe was already on its way.

Before things were settled, even though he was already in the Hengqing Tribe, Li Xiannong did not dare to act recklessly. He didn't even dare to steal a glance at Ning Yi from afar, as if just a glimpse could alarm the terrible man. But at this moment, he could finally raise his binoculars and take a look from afar.

Even though he couldn't see the other person's appearance clearly through the binoculars, Li Xiannong felt that he could grasp the other person's mood. In fact, a long time ago, he felt that as outstanding people in the world, even if they were opponents, they would cherish each other. On this chessboard in the southwest, Li Xiannong slowly placed his pieces, and Ning Liheng would never ignore his moves, but, he had too many enemies.

A chess game kills one eye. At this moment, he knew that Ning Liheng on the opposite side must have realized who was playing the pieces here.

If it was possible, he really wanted to shout over there, attract the other person's attention, and then enjoy the other person's gritting reaction.

Footsteps came from behind. Chief Shi Meng came over with his subordinates. The two had known each other for a long time. Shi Meng was burly, but his temperament was relatively unruly. Li Xiannong handed the telescope to the other person.

"If possible, I really want to see Ning Liheng before he dies and hear what he thinks... But the truth tells me that as long as there is an opportunity, he must be killed immediately, without leaving any room."

"I also want to chat with him and see his regretful expression," Shi Meng said.

"You don't have to take care of me like that," Li Xiannong laughed.

Shi Meng also smiled coldly, looking at the picture in the lens: "Guess what they are talking about? Are they talking about how to capture Ning Liheng and surrender?"

In the distance of the field of vision, above the stone platform, one could see the mountain forests, houses, gunpowder smoke and fighting below. Ning Yi turned his back on all of this. Just now, a warrior from the Jijing Tribe had attacked to take him down, and the warrior had been killed by Liu Xigua next to him in a pool of blood.

"... Things are urgent, it's time to choose your future. I don't blame him! But I hope you elders can think clearly, how did Shi Meng treat you just now? Those artillery pieces, did he only want to kill me, or did he want to kill you all together!" Ning Yi looked at the people around him, speaking with a serious expression.

"Of course, I don't want to say that Shi Meng just wants to dominate Liangshan, he can't do it, the imperial court wants my head the most. But they didn't take you seriously. I want to ask you to think about how the imperial court outside looked at you before. The Xia Army came, and they want to appease you, is that really the case? Without the Xia Army, I guarantee the imperial court's attitude towards you will be the same as before. But I'm different, I want to take root here."

"The Xia Army has been here for six years, and we have not broken any promises that we should have made. We have given you the benefits that we should have given you, even if we tighten our belts. These days are very good, but this time, the Mangshan Tribe started acting recklessly, and many people did not express their opinions, because this is not your business. What the Xia Army brought to you, the Xia Army should give, like a pie falling from the sky, so even if the Mangshan Tribe acts without restraint, even attacking your people, you still endure it, because you don't want to rush to the front."

"But if you watch like this, the Xia Army will be gone, and your things will also be gone. The imperial court can't give you anything, they look down on you."

"The Mangshan Tribe wants to take action, and someone asked me, why doesn't the Xia Army take action. Are we afraid of them? Because Liangshan is their territory?--We have fought the most brutal Jurchens in the north, fought millions of troops in the Central Plains, and even repelled them! The Xia Army is not afraid of fighting! But we are afraid of not having friends, Liangshan is yours, you are the masters, you allow us to live here, we are very grateful, if one day you don't want it, we can leave. But as long as we are here for one day, we hope to share more things with everyone, at the same time, the Ni warriors are brave and good at fighting, we admire them very much."

"The melon that is not grown by oneself does not taste sweet." On the platform, Ning Yi spread his hands, "We want to be brothers with everyone."

"So, even in this situation... we came with sincerity."

************

At the edge of the forest, Li Xiannong saw Ning Yi on the stone platform turn around and look towards this side. He had finished what he wanted to say and was waiting for everyone to discuss it. Fighting was fierce at the foot of the mountain. In the forests in the distance, the people of the Mangshan Tribe and the people of the Black Flag were surging forward, racing against time.

At one moment, a signal flare was launched into the sky.

"The Black Flag is making a desperate attempt to counterattack," Li Xiannong put down the binoculars.

Shi Meng laughed loudly: "Bring my Wolf-Slaying Saber!"

A subordinate carried over a heavy saber with serrated teeth. Shi Meng shouldered the giant blade, with an aura like a mountain erupting.

In the distance, at the foot of the mountain, more than two hundred members of the Black Flag Army formed a formation and launched a charge. The warriors of the Hengqing Tribe surged up!

"I want to see how powerful the legendary Black Flag Army is!" Li Xiannong said these words between his teeth with excitement in his eyes.

In just the next moment, an inescapable nightmare, like Mount Tai crushing down, rushed towards them!