In the darkness of night, figures and warhorses galloped, passing through the forest and entering a slightly wider expanse of hills. A dilapidated dirt road stretched down the slope, leading towards a desolate village that had become a ghost town. Search: (Complete Book Station) to read high-quality literature for free.

The village had only recently been abandoned. Though deserted, it did not yet bear the heavy marks of time's ravages. This place… was approaching Dengzhou. Silver Jug, tied to the horse's back, recognized it – just over a month ago, she had accompanied the Beiwei Army soldiers here once.

The sound of wind swept past her ears, and a faint commotion echoed from afar, indicating a small-scale fight in progress. The girl, bound to the horse, held her breath. Some in the horse team cast their attention towards the darkness, and soon the fighting subsided.

A man on horseback galloped from the distance, holding a torch. Upon arriving, he reached down and untied two heads hanging from his waist, tossing them into a roadside ditch. Silver Jug closed her eyes, hearing the man say, "Two brigands."

"A couple?" Someone seemed to glance into the ditch.

"A dog and a bitch, died together."

From the back of the horse behind came muffled struggles, followed by a "smack." After the slap, another voice scolded, "You little brat!" It was likely Yue Yun struggling, leading to the beating.

In the night wind, someone laughed contemptuously, and the horse team continued forward.

The village drew closer, and Dengzhou grew nearer.

Approaching Dengzhou also meant that the chances of her and her brother being rescued were diminishing...

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

Perhaps no one can truly describe the concept of war.

To summarize, the closest statement might be "leaving no stone unturned." Since the dawn of humanity, whatever means or events that could occur have the potential to arise in war. The Wu Dynasty had been embroiled in war for several years.

Xiangyang, which changed hands again two months ago, had just become the front line. Now, the area between Xiangyang, Dengzhou, and Xinye remained a chaotic and dangerous zone.

The dispersal of original inhabitants, the gathering of refugees, and the battles between the Beiwei Army, the Great Qi army, and the Jin army had turned this region of hundreds of miles into a chaotic killing field.

Before the assembly and counterattack of large forces, the pseudo-Qi patrol focused on intercepting and killing refugees – those who had made it this far were generally executed without exception. The Beiwei Army, on the other hand, dispatched teams to rescue as many refugees as possible during the initial skirmishes.

Last month, for the sake of a group of civilians, the pseudo-Qi army attempted to ambush the Beiwei Army. Niu Gao and others saw through the plan and turned it into a counter-encirclement, then expanded the results by attacking the reinforcements. The pseudo-Qi reinforcements, along with the Jin supervising troops, massacred civilians to relieve Wei by besieging Zhao. This small battle nearly escalated, but the Beiwei Army gained a slight advantage, restrained their forces, and withdrew. The civilians, however, were slaughtered by half.

Similar conflicts were commonplace these days, but after a large-scale conflict nearly broke out, both sides temporarily maintained a restrained attitude here. The Beiwei Army had just won a major victory, and the enemy had also set up a defensive posture. What was needed was to digest the experience gained from this great victory and consolidate the army's confidence.

The Great Qi army was cowardly and fearful of battle. Relatively speaking, they were more willing to intercept and kill refugees heading south, killing them and robbing them of their last possessions. Forced by the pressure of the Jin supervising troops, they had no choice but to stand firm here.

As for the Jin side, when they supported the establishment of the Great Qi regime, they also left some troops in the Central Plains – but these troops were not elite. Although there were a few Jurchen strongmen supporting them, they had been in the Central Plains for several years, and local officials catered to them, so no one dared to resist them head-on. These people were pampered and gradually lost their morale. By the time they arrived in Dengzhou and Xinye, the Jin generals urged the Great Qi army to fight, while the Great Qi army constantly requested reinforcements and delayed.

In the grand scheme of things, the three forces were at a stalemate. In the gaps of the confrontation, the situation of refugees being massacred did not ease. At the suggestion of his advisor Sun Ge, Yue Fei sent teams of three to five hundred soldiers to patrol and receive people coming south from the north, occasionally seeing the tragic scenes of civilians being slaughtered and looted in the forests and fields. Those killed elderly and children, the women raped and murdered... When these soldiers returned, they spoke of these things, wishing they could immediately rush to the battlefield, drink the enemy's blood, and devour their flesh. These soldiers became even more capable of fighting.

Of course, in the rear of the Beiwei Army, different voices were fermenting because of these events. In order to prevent northern spies from entering the city, the Beiwei Army strictly controlled Xiangyang. Most of the refugees were only allowed to rest briefly before being diverted south. There were also scholars and officials in the south who learned of many things and keenly realized that the Beiwei Army did not have the ability to continue pushing north.

If the Beiwei Army pushed north with a more resolute attitude, instead of sending only three to five hundred people out of the city at a time, those civilians who died between Xiangyang, Dengzhou, and Xinye might have been able to survive.

Of course, under the circumstances of a major victory, such voices were not yet obvious. Silver Jug, who was only thirteen or fourteen years old, was not very clear about these things, but what she could understand was that her father would not and could not move his troops out of Xiangyang to save his two children. Even her father himself could not abandon Xiangyang at this time and chase after them from the rear. When she realized the strength of the team that had captured her and Yue Yun, Silver Jug vaguely sensed that her chances of survival were slim.

Two days ago, the scarred giant who took action in Xiangyang City defeated her and Yue Yun with just three moves. When she woke up, she was already outside Xiangyang City. Waiting for them was a team with a core of about forty or fifty people, composed of both Jin and Han members. After capturing them, they had been detouring around Xiangyang City.

The core of forty or fifty people, separated from them, and there were obviously more people involved in occasional reports. At this time, the experts in the Beiwei Army had already chased out of the city, and the army was estimated to be heavily defended. When Silver Jug woke up, she first calmly identified the situation in front of her. However, after an encounter with the scout team of the Beiwei Army, Silver Jug began to realize that things were not good.

The leader of this team was a Jurchen in his thirties. The dozens of people he led could all be called first-class experts in the bandit world. The one with the highest martial arts skills was obviously the scarred giant who had entered the city before. This man had a fierce face and few words, but even the Jin leader addressed him as Master Lu. Silver Jug did not have much experience in the martial world, but she vaguely remembered one person, the grandmaster-level expert who once roamed northern lands, "Fierce Yama" Lu Tuo.

Back then, Demon Heart Ning Yi, as the leader of the Secret Intelligence Division, had extensively collected various information about the martial world. After Ning Yi's rebellion, the Secret Intelligence Division was dispersed, but many things were secretly retained by the Princess Cheng's Mansion, and later passed on to Crown Prince Jun Wu. As a confidant of the Crown Prince, Yue Fei, Wenren Buyi and others were naturally able to access them. During the process of Yue Fei forming the Beiwei Army, he had also received the joining of many martial artists. Silver Jug had seen the name of Lu Tuo when she reviewed the archived data.

Compared to the names of grandmasters such as Fang La, Zhou Tong, and Lin Zongwu, "Fierce Yama" Lu Tuo's martial arts were slightly inferior, and his presence was greatly reduced. The main reason for this was that he was not a strongman who led a force or had an independent identity. From beginning to end, he was just a lackey of the Qi family, a large family in Hebei.

Among the several aristocratic families within the Wu Dynasty, the one with the worst reputation was probably the Qi family in Hebei. Before the Blackwater Alliance, the Wang family of Wang Qisong in Hebei and the Zuo family of Zuo Duanyou in Hedong had balanced them. After almost all the male members of the Wang Qisong family died and the female relatives withdrew south, only the Qi family was left dominant in Hebei.

Due to geographical advantages, the Qi family was most enthusiastic about trading with the Liao Kingdom and was a staunch pro-peace faction. For this reason, when a noble of the Liao Kingdom was trapped in Jiangning, the Qi family sent Lu Tuo to rescue him, and also sent someone to assassinate Qin Siyuan, who was about to rise again. If Lu Tuo had not been responsible for the rescue mission at the time, Qin Siyuan, who had met Ning Yi by chance, would have had little chance of escaping Lu Tuo's attack.

After the demise of the Liao Kingdom, the Qi family was still a pro-peace faction and was the first to contact the Jin. Later, when the Jin occupied the Central Plains, the Qi family defected to the Jin and secretly supported General Pingdong Li Xizhi. In this process, Lu Tuo had always acted in accordance with the Qi family. His martial arts might have been slightly inferior to Lin Zongwu, who was currently famous, but he was also a rare opponent among martial artists. Perhaps only Gao Chong, the vanguard of the Beiwei Army, could contend with him besides her father.

In the competition between armies, the significance of experts was only to become generals and gather the hearts of the army. However, the pursuit and escape of the two teams was another matter. On the first day, this team was intercepted by scouts twice. The scouts in the army were all elites, but in front of these experts, there were few who could withstand several rounds. Lu Tuo did not even take action himself, and the people who went over chased and killed those scouts.

Silver Jug could see that this team was led by a Jurchen high-level official and obviously thought highly of themselves, wanting to disrupt the situation in Xiangyang with their own strength. In such a large area, a hundred or so experts running around could not be surrounded by hundreds or thousands of soldiers. Even if a small group of elites could catch up from behind, it would be difficult to gain any advantage without experts like Gao Chong leading the team. And it would be even more of a risk to dispatch a large army. No one knew whether the Great Qi and Jin armies had already prepared to launch an attack on Xiangyang.

This team ran and detoured, and on the second day, they finally turned towards Dengzhou. Occasionally encountering refugees, and then encountering several groups of rescuers, who were successively killed by the other side, Silver Jug learned from the laughter of this group that the changes in Xiangyang had alarmed the nearby martial artists. Many martial artists in Dengzhou and Xinye had also been dispatched, wanting to rescue General Yue's two relatives, but how could ordinary rabble be a match for these specially trained and well-coordinated first-class experts? Often, they were detected and killed as soon as they approached. As for sending messages, there was no way to get them out.

There were also two times when the other party caught the captured martial artists and brought them in front of Silver Jug and Yue Yun, humiliated them before killing them. Little Yue Yun was extremely angry and cursed loudly. Qiu Tianhai, who was responsible for guarding him, had a very bad temper, so he laughed loudly and then beat him severely, as entertainment along the way.

Late that night, Lu Tuo's group approached the desolate village, and gradually approached Dengzhou. In fact, with the speed of these people, where would they need two days to travel between Xiangyang and Dengzhou? It was just that the leading Jurchen thought highly of himself. This team was obviously not under the control of the army in Dengzhou or Xinye. Lu Tuo's capture of Silver Jug and Yue Yun was just a whim. After they were captured, they turned around and detoured nearby, just to lure the Xiangyang garrison to attack, and then notify Dengzhou, Xinye, and other places to seize the opportunity to attack.

This constant running had exhausted everyone, so they stopped near the village, lit a bonfire, and ate some dry food. Silver Jug and Yue Yun were let down, and the cloth strips blocking their mouths were removed. A Han man walked over and placed two bowls of water in front of them. Yue Yun had been badly beaten before and was still recovering. Yue Silver Jug looked at the Han man: "If you don't untie my hands, I can't drink."

"Then drink lying down."

"Heart Fist Li Gangyang! You are also a Han, why..."

Silver Jug raised her head and called out the man's name. Before she finished speaking, a "smack" rang out in the night. The nun next to her slapped Yue Silver Jug firmly in the face. Silver Jug's martial arts cultivation and foundation were not bad, but she did not even notice this slap. Her mouth tasted sweet, and her mind buzzed. The nun said coldly: "A woman should be quiet. If you talk too much, I will follow your brother's example and pull out your tongue."

Silver Jug's eyes were bloodshot, and she glanced at the nun, her face gradually swelling up. People around her laughed: "Li Gangyang, you have been recognized. You are indeed famous."

"This little girl is quite knowledgeable."

"Who else do you recognize? Do you recognize me, him, him... Haha, tell me, there's no need to be afraid of this female Taoist."

"Cotton Palm Qiu Tianhai, Yufeng Hand Zheng San, Taishi Knife Pan Dahe... That one is Young Master Lin Qi, Buddha Hand Lei Qing... Over there is Fierce Yama Lu Tuo..." Silver Jug also had a fierce streak in her bones. She stared at the nun and said the names of the people she recognized one by one. Lu Tuo was sitting near the bonfire in the distance, just listening to the Jurchen leader talking. When he heard Silver Jug say his name, he just glanced over here without much expression.

The others heard Silver Jug name them. Some were silent, some had unhappy expressions, and some laughed. After all, these people were mostly Han people. No matter why they worked for the Jin, many of them did not want to be named. The nun listened to Silver Jug, silent, but waited until she finished speaking word by word, then her palm brushed out, and there was a clear "ping" sound in the air, and then a series of "clangs" rang out. The man who had said "there's no need to be afraid of this female Taoist" on the other side suddenly took action, blocking the attack for Silver Jug.

The two exchanged blows as fast as lightning, and Silver Jug could hardly see clearly. After the exchange, the man next to her put away the short knife in his sleeve and laughed: "Little girl, you are in trouble now. Do you know that the nun next to you is ruthless and always does what she says. When she was young, she was betrayed by a man. Later, she went to his door and killed his entire family of more than fifty people, leaving no one alive, not even the chickens or dogs. The man who betrayed her was almost torn to pieces by her. You dare to offend Heavenly Tribulation Claw Li Wanlian. I can't save you a second time."

Not far away, Little Yue Yun struggled to sit up: "Your nicknames are all ugly..."

During the conversation here, there was fighting sound from far away, The closer to Dengzhou, the more martial artists came to obstruct them. This time, the battle in the distance sounded not small. Although the peripheral personnel who were released were also experts, there were still several figures rushing towards here, obviously attracted by the lit bonfire. Everyone here was unmoved. Qiu Tianhai, who was not tall and round, stood up, swung his arms and legs, and said, "I'll go activate my blood." In a blink of an eye, he passed through the crowd and met the several figures rushing in the night.

The silhouettes of the fight flickered like ghosts in the distance. Qiu Tianhai's Tongbei Fist, Tan Tui, and Cotton Palm skills were as light as a feather, and in a blink of an eye, he killed three of the four people who rushed over. The remaining one wielded a long knife, acting like a madman, chasing Qiu Tianhai and slashing, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hit him.

This playful chase came towards the bonfire, In the middle of everyone's discussions and laughter, they saw the knife-wielding man who was being played by Qiu Tianhai covered in blood. His swordsmanship might be considered good in a city, but in front of Qiu Tianhai and others, it was simply not enough to look at. He killed to the vicinity, panting like a cow, and suddenly saw Silver Jug and Yue Yun on the field. The man froze for a moment and shouted: "Is that General Yue's daughter and son! Is that—"

Silver Jug and Yue Yun shouted, "Be careful—"

Behind the man, Qiu Tianhai suddenly grew in stature. He was originally a short, round figure, but at this moment, he looked like he had doubled in height in the darkness. The fist strength started from the left, moved to the right, passed through the entire body, and the strength of the limbs was gathered into a beam through the back. This was the ultimate move in the White Ape Tongbei Fist, "Touching the Clouds and Striking the Sky." He was highly skilled in martial arts, and even Silver Jug, Yue Yun, and others could clearly see the ferocity and wonder in this punch.

There was a muffled sound, and the man hadn't finished speaking when he spewed blood all over the sky and was blown away by two zhang, dying on the spot.

"Good!" Someone shouted loudly.

As the saying goes, outsiders watch the excitement, and insiders watch the doorway. Everyone was skilled in their own arts, and at this time, they couldn't help but comment and praise a few words. Someone said, "Old Qiu's skill has improved again."

Someone said: "This Tongbei Fist, the power runs through the whole body, and is released at one point, it's really amazing. Old Qiu, your power generation method is good, shall we spar sometime?"

Qiu Tianhai showed off this stunt, and returned triumphantly in the midst of endless praise. On the ground here, Silver Jug and Yue Yun looked at the dead Han man, gritting their teeth. Yue Yun suddenly laughed: "Hahahaha, what's so great about it!"

The twelve-year-old child's immature voice was particularly harsh among the comments, but the others were unwilling to lose face and would not really argue with him at this time. An elderly man practicing棍法 glanced at Yue Yun and said loudly: "Your father naturally has even more amazing skills. If there's a chance, this old man would also like to ask for some guidance." (Gun – Staff/pole weapon)

As Yue Fei was a closed disciple of Iron Arm Zhou Tong, his high martial arts skills were already rumored in the martial world. When the old man said this, everyone nodded in agreement. Yue Yun was still laughing: "What's so great about it? In battle array killing, how many people can you experts抵得了? In my Beiwei Army, the people I admire the most are not you clowns who sell your art in the martial world, but the Han people who are not afraid of death or losing their heads when fighting against the enemy. What's the use of your beautiful punches? You are dogs for the Jin—" (抵得了 - Comparable)

As soon as he said this, everyone's faces changed drastically. In fact, if these Han people who had already defected to the Jin still had anything to be proud of, it was nothing more than the skills in their hands. If Yue Yun said that their martial arts were not as good as Yue Pengju's or Zhou Tong's, they would not have the slightest rebuttal in their hearts. Only these words that cursed their skills as worthless were a real slap in the face. Someone slapped Yue Yun to the ground: "Ignorant child, if you dare to talk nonsense again, I will cut you into pieces!"

Yue Yun's mouth was full of blood, and he laughed on the ground: "Hahahaha, gagagagaga... See, this young master is not afraid of losing his head when facing you lowly dogs. Cut me into pieces? Your grandfather Yue Yun is only twelve years old this year, come and cut me. If I beg for mercy or cry in pain, then I am not a man! Otherwise, I am your grandfather. Do you want to come! Come—Ugh—Ugh Ugh Ugh... Mud drum man as a drum, Ugh Ugh... Drum..."

The others captured Silver Jug and Yue Yun, and it was impossible for them to kill them at this time. Whether they were used to threaten Yue Fei in the future, or to sacrifice them on the battlefield, they would be of great use. Qiu Tianhai came over with a gloomy face and stuffed a cloth ball into Yue Yun's mouth. The child was still struggling non-stop, repeating "You are dogs for the Jin... dogs, dogs, dogs..." to Qiu Tianhai over and over again. Even though his voice had changed, everyone could still tell what he was saying, and they felt greatly ashamed.

At this moment, at the other end of the bonfire, Lu Tuo's figure soared, and the wind pressure he brought up caused the bonfire to suddenly fall down. Someone shouted violently in the air: "Who—" Someone else suddenly made a sound on the other side, his voice like thunder: "Haha! You are dogs for the Jin—"

Suddenly rushing out of the darkness was a violent and domineering dark red spear. It appeared from one side of the camp, and had quietly sneaked close. It was only when it was discovered that it suddenly launched an attack. Lin Qi, a master in the vicinity, noticed it in time, and his entire body was curled up and blown away. The spear was like splitting waves and cutting through people, heading straight for the position of Yue Silver Jug and Yue Yun. At the same time, Lu Tuo's figure rushed over the bonfire, like a demon god, waving the serrated heavy blade behind him.

Two figures collided together, one knife and one spear, in a night of confrontation, bursting out with thunderous and heavy light and fire.

Gao Chong, the number one expert in the Beiwei Army, had finally arrived—