Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The wind and snow were everywhere, and the entire northern part of Liaodong was covered in silver.

In the cold wind, on the fields south of Ci Lishui, horses' hooves swirled on the thick snow. Rows of cavalry drew their bows and shot arrows, like a snow dragon rolling past with bared fangs and claws. Signal arrows were shot into the sky one after another from miles away from the snow dragon, and flew towards the distance like a relay.

Arrows fell from the sky from time to time. The sky was already dark at 3 p.m., and corpses of people and horses were spread out. The dead people or horses left a glaring red mark on the snow, which was soon covered by the wind and snow. The survivors groaned in pain, struggled to stand up, and walked with one deep step and one shallow step. Bloodstains exploded on the snow.

"Go, go, go! Don't stop! Don't worry about those scouts!"

The roaring sound was suppressed by the wind and snow, and the ox horns made rapid sounds of varying lengths. The cavalry of the Qi army rushed past, their hair, beards, eyebrows and eyes were covered with fine ice and snow, making them look older.

They gritted their teeth as they chased another group of cavalrymen holding a golden battle flag, but due to their small numbers they could not charge in. They just hung behind and fired flares from time to time. If someone came to chase them, they would turn around and run, refusing to fight head-on with the opposing troops.

Unfortunately, not everyone can tell the direction in the snow and wind, and there are always unlucky people who die on the way to chase, while there are also people who try their best to catch up and intercept the rear.

boom--

The sound of metal clashing was carried far away by the whistling cold wind. In the conflict, a burly young general wielding a spear fought back and forth with another strong general wearing a white cloak. The two wielding long weapons always wanted to cut into the opponent's vital points, smashing out sparks in the dim light.

bang bang bang-

The two war horses that were circling each other made wild cries as the weapons clashed above them, biting and kicking each other with their mouths and hooves, and the tendons under the fur of both sides made dull sounds.

On the saddle, between the two horses, the three-pointed, two-edged sword drew a huge half-moon and chopped down from above with the most violent momentum. The snowflakes scraped by the blade suddenly became chaotic. On the opposite horse, the young general named Wanyan Huonu raised his gun to block. The three-pointed, two-edged sword with a chill in the air hit his gun barrel with a bang. His four hands that had lost their temperature felt numb, and sparks burst out from the blade. The horses under the two men either were injured by their own kind or could not withstand the force of the impact, and immediately took a few steps back.

"Living girl, let's go——"

"Hurry up, the enemy army is strong!"

A shout was heard in the wind and snow. The young man who had been chasing impulsively turned around. The dozen or so riders who followed him were led by a strong man holding a whip and fell off their horses one after another. The war horses holding spears rushed out of the wind and snow first.

"Ahhh-"

Wanyan Huo Nu screamed, raised the gun in her hand, nodded, forced back Teng Xun who was holding a three-pointed double-edged knife, pulled the reins, turned around and ran away.

"Leave your life behind—"

Teng Kan, who was charging over, kept silent. Zeng Tu next to him shouted in Jurchen. Wanyan Huonu turned around and cursed a few words, then rushed into the wind and snow without looking back.

"Stop chasing! Stop!"

Amid the sound of horse hooves, Teng Xun pretended to run several dozen feet and swung the three-pointed, double-edged sword in his hand horizontally in the air.

boom--

Suddenly, a strong force hit him. Teng Xun, who was not prepared, loosened his grip and the three-pointed double-edged sword flew out and fell to the ground with a clang. Teng's eldest brother, who had reined in his warhorse, turned back instinctively and saw his brother putting away the tiger-eye bamboo whip. He glared at his brother and said in a muffled voice, "Brother, why did you suddenly stop and hold out your sword? I was almost cut in half by you."

"I..." The elder brother clenched his fist and wanted to hit him, but in the end he didn't waste his energy. He dismounted, picked up the knife, jumped back on the horse, glared at Teng Kan fiercely, and shouted, "Are there any casualties?"

"Several of our brothers were shot by arrows, and three horses were killed." Zeng Tu replied from behind, "We have sent someone to take them away."

"Okay, go back, catch up with Yuan Annan, and we retreat!"

He rode his horse and galloped towards the direction where the horn sounded, and the Qi cavalry behind him followed one by one.

Soon, Wanyan Loushi came galloping with two thousand cavalrymen, followed by the ashamed Wanyan Huonu. The father and son followed the horse's hoof prints in silence.

……

The thorn left the east bank of the water and the wind blew across the ice.

Du Fu looked towards the north anxiously. Yuan Lang did not arrive within the scheduled time. The blue-maned horse under his crotch kicked its legs nervously. The wind and snow made it feel a little uncomfortable, and its body was trembling slightly.

"We can't wait any longer." The white mist from his mouth dissipated immediately, and Du Fu turned around and shouted loudly: "Blow the horn, cross the Ci Li River, and return south first."

"General." Niu Gao clasped his fists behind him, his steel beard covered with white ice shards: "General Yuan may just have not found the way for the time being, why not wait a little longer." "No need to wait, no matter what the reason is, it's too late. According to our previous discussion, we should just go now." Du Fu shook his head, his long beard motionless in the cold wind, thinking for a while: "Let's go southwest and check out the area near Hunhe River, let's go--"

Wuwuwu——

The war horses galloped, making the sound of trampling on the ice.

……

The wind gradually grew stronger, the light became dimmer in the wind and snow, the sound of horns echoed in the air, and the Wanyan soldiers, wearing suede jackets and fur hats, were gathering.

"Father Khan, what happened?" Wanyan Xishi broke into the tent with ice and snow all over his body. The moment he stepped into the tent, the crystals turned into water droplets that stuck to his fur.

"There are discoveries over there in Wanyan Loushi." Wanyan Shitumen put on his armor and cloak, put on his thick sable helmet, grabbed his iron spear, and strode over: "Go and catch those Wangba who disregarded the friendship of their own people. I will chop off their heads and stick them in a row along the river bank."

"But Father Khan, there is another group of thieves waiting?"

"It's all the same." He opened the curtain, and the wind and snow blew on his face. The cold wind made Wanyan Shitumen's breathing stagnate: "Just catch one of them." With anger flashing in his eyes, he turned his head and looked at his son: "Go inform your eldest brother and ask him to take people to meet up with Wanyan Loushi."

"Yes."

Order the rider to run into the wind and snow.

The horn blew a long note, and strange shouts were heard among the cavalry. The earth began to tremble slightly, and when the snow dragon took off into the sky, the earth shook.

At the same time, the news that Wanyan Loushi's troops had tracked down Wanyan Sheng's cavalry spread throughout the Wanyan tribe as the cavalry galloped.

A bunch of Wanyan generals, who were furious, immediately mobilized the men in the tribe, some two or three hundred, some five or six hundred to join the pursuit. At the same time, there were fast horses along the way to deliver messages, informing everyone of the latest pursuit situation. This stimulated the group of Jurchen men, who were known for their brutality in the past, to fight even harder.

In the first month of winter, the snow had stopped and Wanyan Loushi pursued the Jin army. The two sides had a brief confrontation. Yuan Lang escaped again, leaving behind dozens of corpses. Wanyan Loushi led his son Wanyan Huonu as the vanguard and led 400 people.

On Gengchen, Yi Dian's troops launched a fierce attack on Xinzhou. Wanyan Sheng was furious and urgently transferred Wanyan Zonghan to the south to Xinzhou. Nearly 10,000 people from both sides fought in a group under the city.

On the 23rd day of the 11th month, Wanyan Huonu, as the vanguard, once again caught up with the rear of the Jin cavalry and was led into an ambush by Zeng Tu. More than 20% of her 400 men were killed. Wanyan Huonu rode her horse back desperately, while Yuan Lang continued to flee south holding the Jin army's flag.

On the same day, Wanyan Zonghan used Wanyan Hunchu as bait to attract the attention of the Yidian tribe. He led his troops to bypass a circle and attacked the center of the Yidian tribe from behind. The chief of the Yidian tribe fought hard but was shot by an arrow and fled. The siege of Xinzhou was thus lifted.

On the evening of Xinsi, Wanyan Sheng learned that the Wanyan cavalry was gathering in large numbers. Frightened, he quickly sent people to recall Wanyan Zonghan's troops and station them north in Huaide to guard against Wanyan Loushi in Ningjiang Prefecture.

On the day of Renwu, Wanyan Shitumen met up with Wanyan Loushi, and the two groups of 3,000 cavalrymen followed the horse hoof prints again. Behind them, Wanyan Gao led more than 2,000 cavalrymen from his tribe and followed the soldiers left by Wanyan Loushi.

On Jiashen day, Wanyan Zonghan led his cavalry to the vicinity of the Hunhe River and set up camp nearby.

At the end of early winter, Yuan Lang's troops galloped onto the frozen Hunhe River, and the team of more than a thousand people moved quickly towards the other side.

"General, there seems to be a large camp of Jin soldiers on the other side!"

The cavalry ahead sent back the news. Yuan Lang stood up on his warhorse, his untidy beard growing wildly on his face. He stared for a while, then turned around and shouted, "Send a message to Zeng Tu, and ask him to take a few brothers to the Jin army to ask for help!"

The messenger immediately took the order, pulled the reins, ran out of the army diagonally, then slowed down his horse, waiting for the arrival of the people behind.

Soon, soldiers dressed in the uniforms of Jin army generals ran towards the standing camp.

……

Flags above the camp fluttered in the cold wind, and a large golden banner floated high in the sky.

A general guarding the gate rushed into the tent and saw Wanyan Zonghan kneeling down to report: "Meng'an, our cavalry is being chased by Wanyan Loushi outside, requesting support!"

The sturdy young man stood up and grabbed the spear: "Send out the troops——" (End of this chapter)