Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 80: Meeting Wang Jian Again
Death is not painful, it's just a moment. The most painful thing is waiting for death. Every moment is torture, and the heartstrings are tightened little by little with each passing moment, until they can no longer withstand the tremendous force and break and collapse.

So the proverb says, it is easy to die bravely, but difficult to die calmly.

The three generals who stayed behind, Cao Shixiong, Wang Zhongyin and Xu Tangju, all knew very well that, from a tactical point of view, it would not be difficult to hold the narrow road for three days.

Even though the enemy's forces were five times larger than their own, the Cao army's rearguard troops had the advantage of terrain and positions to rely on.

The most important thing is that neither the Xuanwu Army nor the Xiangyang Army wants to suffer heavy casualties in order to eat them up.

But the established position was also a cage that trapped them. Once they left the position, they would be immediately hunted down by the enemy on horseback and devoured in an instant.

Yan Shuai's main force needed a rest and regroup. They had annihilated 30,000 Cao troops, but Wang Xianzhi and his men had fought desperately, resulting in over 2,000 casualties and over 6,000 wounded. Excluding the Xuanwu and Xiangyang armies, nearly half of the Heluo and Huaixi divisions, which had primarily carried out the battle, had lost their combat effectiveness.

This forced General Yan to allocate all the horses to the Xuanwu Army and the Xiangyang Army, and let the two armies with less casualties take the lead in the pursuit.

However, the casualties were mostly minor, meaning it would only take about three days for Yan Shuai's main force to launch a pursuit. Li Fu and Mu Renyu's primary mission was to slow the Cao army's retreat, preparing for Zhen Ranyu's main force to follow up and annihilate the remnants of the Cao army.

Therefore, Cao Shixiong and others had to fight steadily and hold on for three days, and they were also aware that what was waiting for them after three days was not the dawn, but the enemy's butcher knife.

If they could hold out for three days, it would mean their strategic mission was accomplished. Even if they surrendered at this point, Marshal Yan would not let anyone go.

"Wang Xianzhi is dead, and the remnant of Huang Chao is like the glow of rotten grass, how can it compare to the bright moon in the heart of heaven? The Heavenly Family is kind and merciful, so why do you still resist so stubbornly? Young Master Cao, your father Cao Zixiu died loyally serving the king. If you surrender, lay down your arms, and surrender with courtesy, the court will certainly not hesitate to reward you with titles and rewards. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the country is safe and the people are happy?"

In response to Li Fu's call for surrender, Cao Shixiong simply laughed.

True courage is to overcome your own cowardice.

Once, Wang Xianzhi called him into his tent to talk, and he learned that this number one master in the world, who had slain the Demon King at the age of 20 and suppressed the martial arts world for 40 years, was once a coward.

Be open to your past cowardice. There's no need to dwell on it or avoid it. It's just a part of your life. Overcoming your past cowardice is something you should be proud of, even more than being brave from the start.

Wang Xianzhi's words impressed Cao Shixiong.

It also became the spiritual pillar that supported his determination to face death calmly.

"Li Fu, we are both dying. I am in my twenties, and you are nearly seventy, very old. Soon you will be like the old thief Song Wei lying in the hospital bed, and be taken away by the death."

Cao Shixiong said firmly, "But for the past twenty years, I've known why I live, and I've lived as happily as a tiger in the mountains. But you've lived in a muddleheaded, servile and self-absorbed life, like a pitiful turtle."

Following Cao Shixiong's order, powerful bows and crossbows rained down on the swarming enemy cavalry. Even many stones were thrown out, forcing Jiedushi Li Fu on horseback to step back a few steps.

"Brothers, use your arrows sparingly. We need to hold out for three days." Cao Shixiong smiled and instructed the soldiers, "Be sure to leave someone on guard at night to prevent the enemy from attacking the camp on foot."

From the tone of his voice, it seemed as if they would be rescued in three days.

But in Cao Shixiong's eyes, if he couldn't hold on for three days, how could he be worthy of being in Tianque and receiving instructions from Alliance Leader Wang again?

Everyone in this world will eventually die. Having made your choice, there should be no regrets or hesitations. For Cao Shixiong, such a final end is truly glorious and glorious!
……

"It's a good thing that Marshal Yan didn't lead his troops to pursue us right after the battle," Qin Yan said thankfully, "otherwise, our army would have no chance of survival."

"Marshal Yan has given all his horses to Li Fu and Mu Renyu. Chasing on horseback always saves a lot of energy. As for her main force, after such a brutal battle, if we pursue them immediately, they might mutiny." Zhu Wen analyzed, "Even a madman like Huo Qubing had his troops equipped with horses."

The fact that Li Fu and other 5,000 government troops failed to pursue them proved that Cao Shixiong and others had completed their rearguard mission at the cost of their lives.

After General Yan led his troops to join forces with Li Fu's troops, the number of troops reached more than 20,000, and there was no possibility of survival for Cao Shixiong and others.

We cannot see the scene of their execution, but we can imagine that it must have been quite shocking.

The team left the plains again and entered the hills on the southern foot of the Dabie Mountains. As long as they crossed the Dabie Mountains and entered the flat and vast Central Plains, they would be able to escape.

But Zhu Wen's expression became more and more cautious, and he spoke less and less.

Wang Jian, the "thief turtle" who may be the most intelligent general of the young generation in the court, is still hiding deep underwater. No one knows when he will show his claws and launch a fatal attack on the Cao army.

As for the Cao army, how many troops Wang Jian had, what types of troops he led, and which generals were under his command were all unknown.

Zhu Wen had sent scouts to search as far as possible, but failed to obtain any useful intelligence. Instead, many scouts never returned, as if they had disappeared from the face of the earth. Their fate was self-evident.

The enemy was in the dark, while we were in the light. It was like being trapped in a dead city. At first glance, the city was bustling with people, but in reality, it was filled with zombies, and ghostly figures could be seen around every corner. We walked alone in the foggy dead city, unable to find our way, let alone the exit.

The hills on the southern foot of the Dabie Mountains are not very high. The valleys in them are crisscrossed like streets, yet deserted with very few people. In the night, the trees sway in the wind, making it look like an endless dead city.

The invisible enemy is always the most terrifying.

Zhu Wen would certainly not be afraid, but he would not take it lightly either.

He suddenly remembered the friend named Yang Xingmi mentioned by Xuzhou general Shi Pu during the Taishan adventure.

Shi Pu disguised himself as a table-cleaning boy, which was enough to fool Tian Jun, but he was not hiding well enough. Once Tian Jun fought back with all his strength, Shi Pu was quickly defeated.

However, Yang Xingmi played against him thousands of miles away by giving advice to Shi Pu. Zhu Wen had no idea what this person's purpose was or what his real position was at the moment.

In this coy, coy style, Yang Xingmi was quite similar to Wang Jian, the "thief." Which of these two guys was the harder one to deal with? Zhu Wen pondered.

The further north they went, the higher the mountains became, and the narrower the roads became. There were often towering cliffs on either side of the road. Landslides, water attacks, fire attacks... these were all possible tactics Wang Jian might employ. Therefore, thorough forensics were essential during the march.

Zhu Wen's heart was in his throat as he passed through a long and narrow valley. The army was stretched out very long, and if attacked from the middle, it could be cut in two.

Therefore, he specially sent people to climb up the cliffs on both sides for reconnaissance, and also estimated the strength of the water attack that could be caused after the surrounding river channels were dug.

The conclusion was that the area was very unlikely to experience landslides and the stream flow was limited. The search also failed to reveal any enemy traces.

But Zhu Wen could never be completely at ease as long as he didn't see Wang Jian's shifty eyes for a moment.

Who knows what kind of evil is hidden in that guy's mind?
Suddenly, a deafening explosion sounded from the direction of the distant mountains. Crimson flames burst out, spraying bright fire in all directions, and sand and rocks flew everywhere.

"Gunpowder?" Tian Jun asked in astonishment. "How could this thing, with its power, cause a landslide or change the course of a river?"

"It's a fierce fire bomb." Zhu Wen said.

As early as the reign of Emperor Gaozong, Tang Dynasty Taoist alchemists discovered that mixing saltpeter, sulfur, and black charcoal from burning soap nuts could produce a bright flame, known as "fierce fire." During the arduous campaigns in the Western Regions, a Tang army craftsman devised a unique method. He prepared lithosphere using a secret method, mixed it with sawdust and white phosphorus, heated it, and poured it into a sealed ceramic jar. He then formed a fiery flame at the seal and inserted a length of dried vine soaked in castor oil through the jar's opening.

To use it, first ignite the dried vines. Once the fire reaches the mouth of the pot, a fierce flame will erupt. This intense fire, when combined with the prepared lithosphere mixed with flammable materials, creates a formidable battle, like a dragon and a tiger fighting each other. The explosion is so powerful that it sounds like thunder, hence the name "fierce fire thunder."

Ordinary asphalt cannot be detonated at all. Only the asphalt prepared by secret methods can have such power. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, Turks tried to sabotage Chang'an with fierce fire bombs, but were later thwarted.

However, that incident only proved that the Fiery Thunder wasn't a mature firearm at all, with limited destructive power. Therefore, very few records remained, and if Junior Junior Sister Duan Hongyan hadn't mentioned it once by chance, Zhu Wen would have been completely unaware of it.

What on earth was Wang Jian planning by detonating a fire bomb at such a distance?
Zhu Wen pondered in his heart and suddenly realized that something was wrong.

The fire bomb can neither blow down city walls nor destroy soil and rocks. Even if it hits a person, it must hit the target accurately to kill the person - there are also many cases of people surviving even with broken limbs.

But what if it is used to make ice cubes?

Spring had returned in February, but many streams high in the mountains were still partially frozen. Short-range reconnaissance efforts were unable to determine the specific conditions upstream of these streams.

The ice was blasted through, and the spring water rushed down, roaring with a large amount of broken ice. If Wang Jian deliberately made some modifications to the river bank along the way, the overflowing water would be mixed with a large amount of earth and rocks, turning into a deadly mudslide!

Zhu Wen, who led the cavalry to the rear together with Tian Jun, Huo Cun and others, expressed his analysis with a heavy face.

Tian Jun was horrified: "The army has entered the valley and formed a long line. Doesn't that mean..."

"The valley is quite wide, and the mudslides will inevitably rush in from both sides. The actual casualties will probably be around a hundred people." Zhu Wen sighed, "But that's why I let my guard down."

"I don't understand." Tian Jun said, "Cao Shixiong has already lost a thousand warriors, so losing another hundred is no big deal."

"Because Wang Jian has no interest in annihilating our main force. He already knows that I am at the rear of the team."

Zhu Wen thought that either there was Wang Jian's spy among the disappeared scouts, or he was tortured and confessed.

Tian Jun tilted her head and looked at Zhu Wen's handsome face: "So, his target is your head?"

On the hillside, a mudslide wrapped in ice rushed down and rushed into the ranks, completely engulfing dozens of soldiers in an instant. Then the mudslide slowly spread in the valley, forming a wide swamp.

The connection between the rear team and the main force was completely cut off by the mudslide.

"Zhu San'er, we meet again. What a coincidence!" Zhu Wen saw a cowhide rope several dozen feet long swinging down from the sky. Wang Jian leaped down and landed heavily, leaving behind a cloud of dust. He still wore a fake smile and said, "Didn't we agree to fight again on another day? Wang Jian has kept his word and arrived on time. Are you touched, Master Zhu Wen?"

"Brother Wang Jian, I am truly impressed by your plans and strategies." Liu Xun, the prosecutor of the Pinglu Army, also came over like a flying man.

"You shameless little thief, I will cut off your head today and use it as a chamber pot to avenge all the humiliations you have inflicted on me..." Chen Liqing, one of the Five Burning Sky Swords, gritted her teeth and said.

Zhu Wen calmly interrupted her mid-sentence: "When a woman uses a chamber pot, does she also have to squat on it?"

Chen Liqing was choked and speechless for a moment.

On the distant mountains, General Li Guochang, whose full nickname is "Shuo Mo Feng Biao", was still watching all this with great interest together with his adopted grandson Li Cunxiao.

"Cunxiao, what do you think?"

Li Cunxiao shook his head and pounded his fists against his chest, making a popping sound. "This is so boring."

"You find it boring because Wang Jian lacks the heart of a warrior. He seeks to eliminate any growing enemy in the bud, not allowing them the opportunity to grow and engage in a fair and glorious battle."

"Many famous generals in history have followed this style, and there's nothing wrong with that." Li Guochang stroked his short stubble and mused, "It's just that the saying 'a skilled warrior without illustrious achievements' is really quite boring."

"Right, we wanted to see a grand spectacle, but this is all we got?" Li Cunxiao frowned and complained, "Are those hiding behind the boulder the leaders of the Kunlun Sect and the Cuiyan Sect?"

"Your eyesight has improved, grandson." Li Guochang happily gave Li Cunxiao a slap on the head. Although Li Cunxiao didn't know why his grandfather would beat him whether he was happy or not, it didn't hurt him much anyway, so he didn't care.

"These two factions are dissatisfied with the Wulin Alliance headed by the six major factions established by Wang Xianzhi, so they want to curry favor with the imperial court by suppressing the Cao army. Unfortunately, in the eyes of my junior sister, they are also unstable factors and are best treated as consumables."

For Li Cunxiao, these two sect leaders could be defeated with just a few punches. But for Zhu Wen, these two were masters whose martial arts skills were slightly better than Kou Qianzhi's.

In order to deal with Zhu Wen, Wang Jian could be said to have used all his strength, even as a lion would fight a rabbit.

(End of this chapter)