Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 141 [The moon is bright and the stars are few, crows fly south]! Two armies clash!
On the shores of Taihu Lake, an eerie atmosphere obscured the sun.

Upon learning that a 100,000-strong naval force from Jiangnan had arrived, stirring up a hundred miles of misty waters.

The Taihu Lake area was filled with panicked demon generals and soldiers, stirring up demonic mist and waves, hastily forming ranks and hurriedly practicing their demonic formations.

Amidst the surging black mist, the sounds of clashing weapons echoed incessantly, and various demonic banners fluttered in the turbid waves.

bottom of the lake.

Deep beneath the abyss, a crystal palace stands majestically, its dome adorned with luminous pearls gleaming with a chilling blue light.

Outside the palace, rows of demon guards clad in black armor stood guard, their coral tridents gleaming coldly, making the palace gates as impenetrable as an iron fortress.

In the main hall,
Twelve dragon-shaped pillars support the glazed dome.

The demon king Ao Li sat high on the black jade throne, his crimson-gold scales reflecting the eerie flames of the dragon candle.

Seated in order at the lower level were more than ten demon lords and demon generals.

The white-browed Marquis, with his tiger-like posture and the silver lines on his forehead flickering, tapped his fingertips incessantly on the table.
Fei Wuxin toyed with the nine-section bone whip, his sinister gaze occasionally glancing towards the outside of the hall;
The Imperial Fish Demon General's scales opened and closed, and the twin swords at his waist hummed faintly.

Behind them stood hundreds of demon generals.

The entire hall,

The Demon Lord and Demon General had a somber expression, holding their breath and concentrating intently, with only the ticking of a bronze water clock in the corner of the hall.

Amidst the heavy, fishy smell, the atmosphere was tense, with killing intent taut like a bowstring, growing ever tighter.

"Scholar Fei!"

Ao Li slammed his hand on the armrest of the throne, causing the entire Crystal Palace to tremble. The luminous pearls hanging from the ceiling swayed incessantly, casting chaotic light and shadow.

His crimson-gold vertical pupils were fixed on Fei Wuxin, his voice low and rumbling like muffled thunder—

"Didn't you confidently say that a surprise attack on Longwan Water Fortress and the burning of the warships would be enough to severely damage the morale of the 100,000-strong Jiangnan naval force?"

"Didn't you say that this plan could stop them from sending troops and give us a chance to regroup?"

But now—

It clenched its five fingers, and the black jade throne beneath it cracked inch by inch. The sound suddenly rose in pitch, like angry waves crashing against the shore—

"Three thousand warriors perished at the bottom of the lake, their bodies never to be found!"

"Not only did we fail to stop the enemy, but we also forced that old scoundrel Wei Guanlan to send out his troops ahead of schedule!"

"The human race's 100,000-strong naval force has arrived at Xukou in Taihu Lake. Their warships blot out the sun, and their swords and spears are like a forest!"

"Tomorrow—they will attack my Taihu Demon Court!"

What is your explanation?

Ao Li slowly rose to his feet, his demonic aura surging like dark clouds pressing down on a city, and spoke slowly and deliberately—

Fei Wuxin rubbed the bone whip between his fingertips, chuckled softly, and spoke in a voice as soft and effeminate as a snake's tongue: "Lord Dragon, this plan was flawless—the night raid on Dragon Bay, which burned a thousand warships, with the flames illuminating half the river and sky... should have terrified the Jiangnan navy and made them even more cowardly."

He suddenly looked up, a morbid excitement flashing in his eyes:

"But who could have predicted that Jiang Xingzhou would use a short song, 'Short Song Ballad,' to ignite the fighting spirit of the 100,000-strong navy!"

"Every word is like a knife, every sentence burns with blood!"

"That old scoundrel Wei Guanlan drew his sword on the spot and swore an oath, and before the war drums had even stopped, he marched straight toward my Taihu Lake!"

His tongue slowly licked his sharp teeth, far from being annoyed, but rather like a jackal smelling blood, even his voice was burning:

"However, this is where things get interesting... If we capture such a genius and force him to surrender and serve us, how can we, as demons and barbarians, fail to achieve our great cause?"

The demonic aura in the hall suddenly froze.

The white-browed marquis had dark silver lines on his forehead and slightly nodded.

The scales of the Imperial Fish Demon General opened and closed violently—all the demons recalled the scene at the Dragon Boat Festival where the young man in green robes split the waves with a single stroke and composed the astonishing poem "Striving to Cross the River".

"River! Sailing! Boat!"

It's Jiang Xingzhou again! Whenever he shows up, he ruins everything!

Ao Li's five fingers dug deeply into the throne, causing spiderweb-like cracks to appear on the black iron armrests. A raging demonic wind whipped up the pearls in the hall, making them tremble violently.
This person must be eliminated—

"Our Taihu Demon Court will surely perish at his hands!"

"Everyone——"

Ao Li's claws gripped the throne, his scales gleaming coldly in the eerie light, his voice like a knife scraping bone:

"Is there anyone who can offer a plan to execute this scholar?"

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

The demon generals' gazes shifted, finally settling on the hall in unison—

Fei Wuxin leaned against the coral throne, a pale finger lightly tapping the skull cup in his bosom.

In terms of strategy, this human scholar is the best; he's full of cunning schemes.

Noticing the gazes of the crowd, he suddenly chuckled, a hint of eeriness seeping from beneath the refined exterior of a Hanlin scholar:

Why should the Dragon King be angry?
"This brat, I'll deal with him!"

Fei Wuxin suddenly chuckled, the sound like a cold spring dripping into an ancient well, rippling outwards in the deathly silent crystal palace.

He slowly straightened up, his blue robe and wide sleeves fluttering even without wind, as if a black poisonous mist was flowing between his sleeves.

The jade pendant, bestowed by the emperor, jingled at his waist, and for a moment he was still the triumphant scholar who had once graced the Qionglin Banquet.

"Gentlemen, we only need to focus our efforts on dealing with Wei Guanlan's 100,000-strong navy!"

"Good! With Scholar Fei's words, I'll take responsibility for tearing down Wei Guanlan's banner!"

Upon hearing this, the White-Eyed Marquis burst into laughter, his silver brows surging like waves, and his rough voice made the pearls on the palace ceiling rattle.

Moon stars are rare.

Students from the ten prefectures of Jiangnan and naval officers and soldiers took turns guarding the camp at night. The river breeze swept through the tents, and the torches flickered like stars in the darkness.

Tonight, the students of Jiangzhou Prefecture will keep watch for the first night.

They wore blue robes with their hair tied up, swords at their waists, and books in their hands. Although they were not wearing armor, they possessed a scholarly demeanor.

Some people were reciting the Analects in a low voice, studying diligently even before going to war. Others were dipping their fingers in wine and sketching a map of the defenses around Taihu Lake on their desks, pondering military strategy.

The fog on the river thickened, and the distant sound of waves crashing against warships could be faintly heard, mingling with the clear recitation of poetry by the scholars, creating a somewhat somber atmosphere.

Jiang Xingzhou and the students of Jiangzhou Prefecture, along with ten thousand naval soldiers, guarded the outer perimeter on thousands of warships.

High on the mast, a dense swarm of magpies perched—those were the thousand-plus magpie soldiers transformed from the line "The moon is bright and the stars are few, magpies fly south" in his poem "Short Song Ballad".

These spirit birds, with a faint aura of talent flowing between their wings, can survive for ten days to half a month, but as their literary aura fades, they will dissipate into smoke.

A full thousand talented Magpie Soldiers, comparable to elite death squads, constitute a formidable fighting force.

To avoid waste, he volunteered to stay on the first night.

On the deck, Jiang Xingzhou was playing chess with his classmate Zhou Guangjin.

"Brother Jiang, will the demon soldiers launch a sneak attack tonight?"

Zhou Guangjin's hand trembled slightly as he held the chess piece, and the black piece remained untouched for a long time.

Most likely.

Jiang Xingzhou chuckled and slammed the white piece onto the board. "The Taihu Demon Court, facing the 100,000-strong navy of Jiangnan Province, doesn't have many options. A night raid is probably the only tactic they can use to gain an advantage."

However, the Jiangnan navy was already on high alert, making it virtually impossible for them to gain an advantage through a night raid.

at this time,

bottom of the lake.

Thousands of demon soldiers lay dormant in the dark abyss, their scales gleaming coldly.

They prepared to repeat last night's attack on the human navy's warships.

The demons held their breath, their demonic eyes reflecting the shattered moonlight—on the shimmering waves, they saw the outline of a human warship and the figures of human night watchmen.

The water flowed silently between the demon general's claws, and a poisoned bone spear slowly pointed upwards, its tip aimed at the shadow of the warship.

"Is that Jiang Xingzhou on that warship?" In the dark currents at the bottom of the lake, the demon general's pupils suddenly contracted.

Its serrated claws sliced ​​through the water, a gurgling sound came from its throat, and its expression was one of extreme excitement.

The merit of slaying this human genius might even earn a drop of [Dragon's True Blood] bestowed by the Demon King himself—enough to make low-level demon soldiers shed their scales and transform into generals.

As the water rippled, thousands of scarlet demonic eyes lit up.

"kill--!"

In an instant, the lake surface exploded! Thousands of demon soldiers surged into the sky like a black tide, bringing with them a foul-smelling curtain of water.

In their hands, bone spears, poison hooks, and water-splitting spikes were all pointed at the warship with its lights swaying, causing the chess pieces on the deck to bounce violently.

“Quack—!”

Suddenly, a flock of magpies on the mast, their eyes fixed on the water, took flight.

Suddenly, the magpies cried out in unison, their voices as sharp as tearing silk.

In the next instant, thousands of magpies took flight, their dark feathers leaving sharp, inky marks in the moonlight.

They suddenly swooped down, transforming into streaks of black armor in mid-air—the cold light of broken swords, the forest of spears and halberds, and thousands of black magpie armored soldiers formed from their talent, riding the waves and piercing straight into the underwater demon horde!
"Pfft——!"

The broken sword pierced the throat of the demon soldier in the water, the halberd tore through the scales, and the dark energy exploded in the water, spreading like ink.

"kill--!"

The demon soldiers roared in alarm.

But the magpie soldiers showed no fear whatsoever. Even when torn apart by sharp claws, they turned into black mist and coalesced again.

They are not flesh and blood, but rather the killing spirit forged in poetry and prose, which dissipates only when the spirit is exhausted!

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows—!"

On the numerous warships, the tens of thousands of naval soldiers finally awoke, bowstrings twanged, and a rain of arrows poured down, forming a pincer attack with the Black Magpie Armored Soldiers.

The lake was instantly stained red with blood mist, and the screams of the demon soldiers mingled with the sounds of clashing weapons.

a long time,

The lake gradually calmed down, leaving only the floating demon corpse swaying with the waves, its scales reflecting the pale moonlight.

The figures of thousands of black-clad soldiers gradually blurred, and the broken swords and halberds turned into streams of dark light, dissipating into the night wind.

The last wisp of talent swept past the mast, startling a lone crow, which flapped its wings and disappeared into the clouds.

Shadows lurked beneath the water, and the surviving demon generals and soldiers gripped their broken bone spears, their sharp teeth grinding together.

In this battle, they lost nearly a thousand demon soldiers, yet failed to kill even a few human soldiers.

Another night raid!

It ended in failure!
"withdraw--!"

The leader of the demons let out a resentful growl that echoed across the water, and the demon horde disappeared into the depths of the lake like the receding tide.

The lake returned to silence, with only the demon's corpse slowly dissipating in the ripples.

As dawn broke, a fleet of 100,000 naval troops surged forth on Lake Tai like a mighty dragon.

Eight hundred towering warships stood majestically like mountains, while nine thousand warships were arrayed like a forest, their battle flags fluttering and obscuring the sky.

"Dang——! Dong——!"

The sound of war drums shook the heavens and thundered across the lake, causing the water to surge and churn.

Governor Wei Guanlan stood on the flagship's deck, clad in black armor, his gaze sharp as a blade, piercing the churning, eerie mist on the lake dozens of miles ahead.

The fog was as thick as ink, and countless hideous demonic figures could be vaguely seen swimming within it, as if they were gathering their strength to strike.

The governors of Jiangnan stood with their hands on their swords, their air thick with a chilling aura.

Jiang Xingzhou held a command flag, on which the ink of the poem "Short Song" flowed like dragons and snakes, its surging talent transforming into an invisible battle intent that enveloped the entire army.

opposite.

Within the eerie mist.

The nine-headed siren stood riding the waves, its ferocious heads spewing out a foul wind.

Ao Li leaned against the bone seat, his black scale cloak draped over his shoulders, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, each sound like muffled thunder rolling across the lake.

originally,

Tens of thousands of demon soldiers are hidden deep at the bottom of the lake, waiting for the human navy to attack the lake bottom—this is most advantageous for the demon soldiers and generals who are skilled in naval warfare.

However, this was too humiliating; they were completely overwhelmed by the human navy!
Therefore, it personally led its demon army to the surface of Taihu Lake, preparing to fight the human navy on the surface first. If that failed, it would then fight underwater.

Its eyes gleamed with a chilling golden light as it swept over the massive fleet of the Jiangnan Daoist Clan, a sinister smile creeping onto its lips.

Its left and right sides—

The white-browed marquis's fangs were exposed, and his tiger-striped armor gleamed with blood.
Fei Wuxin's plain robe fluttered, and the bone flute in her hand shimmered with a ghostly light;

The Emperor Fish Demon General's dorsal fin is like a knife, and lightning patterns are faintly visible between the opening and closing of its scales.

Further on, hundreds of demon generals stood in formation, their demonic energy condensing into dark clouds that pressed down overhead.

The three thousand rebels remained silent, while the fifty thousand demon soldiers roared like a tidal wave. Their blades and halberds formed a forest, and the sounds of tortoise shells clashing against shields, crab claws scraping against each other, and clamshells exhaling mist intertwined, shaking the lake water to its boiling point!
"Roar—! You human brat, come and die!"

"The Demon Lord's bone blade is itching for a fight!"

The demon soldiers erupted in jubilation, their roars shaking the heavens, their malevolent aura surging like waves.

Ao Li slowly raised his hand—

In an instant, all the demons fell silent, and the lake became deathly still.

Its mouth parted to reveal gleaming white fangs, but its voice was surprisingly calm: "Prefect of Jiangnan Circuit, Lord Wei..."
I, the King, have established my capital at Taihu Lake and feed on fish and shrimp. You and your humankind dwell on land, cultivating the land and engaging in agriculture.

"We could have kept to ourselves"

It suddenly slammed its fist on the table and stood up, its nine demonic horses neighing in unison: "Why—have you invaded my demon court?!"

The last four words exploded like thunder, causing the lake water to surge three feet upwards!

Wei Guanlan's sleeves trembled, and his voice boomed like a bell: "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king! On the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king!"

The ink on the banner, "Short Song Ballad," suddenly lit up, its righteous spirit rising like the sun, shining brightly!
Eight hundred warships simultaneously beat drums, and soldiers slammed their swords and halberds on the ground. The metallic sounds shook the demon army's formation slightly.

"Taihu Lake has been part of the Jiangnan Circuit of the Great Zhou Dynasty since ancient times, and our fishermen make a living by fishing here."

Wei Guanlan pointed his sword at Ao Li, the cold light reflecting the demon king's suddenly contracting pupils. "If you kneel and submit, the current sage may follow the old precedent—"

He paused deliberately, then sneered coldly, "I pardon you from the death penalty, but appoint you as the King of Taihu Lake, to guard this waterway for my Great Zhou!"

"Humph!"

Ao Li's eyes flashed with golden light, his scales clanged, and a deep, angry roar like a dragon's roar rolled from his throat—

To submit to the Great Zhou?

It would rather tear apart the entire Taihu Lake than bow down to the human race!

If it were willing to bow its head, it should have submitted to the Dragon Emperor of the East Sea back in the East Sea Dragon Palace. Why would it need to call itself a demon king in these shallow waters?
But Wei Guanlan's words were sharp and each sentence like a knife, and for a moment it was so choked that its breath caught in its throat, its head tensed, and its fangs were bared.

At that very moment, Fei Wuxin lightly waved her feather fan, her plain robes fluttering as she stepped forward, and spoke with a smile:
"Lord Wei, arguing is pointless."

His voice was gentle and warm, yet it carried a chilling undertone. As he unfolded his feather fan, several wisps of ghostly spirits appeared, entwining around the fan ribs and emitting a silent shriek.

"Why don't we each send one general to fight on the battlefield? Let's see who's the best!"

"it is good!"

Wei Guanlan let out a long laugh that shook the lake and the sky. With a flick of his sleeve, he caused the waters of Taihu Lake to ripple slightly, like the low roar of a dragon.

"Since you have challenged us to a duel, how could my Great Zhou possibly back down?"

His gaze swept across the demon army formation like lightning, finally settling on the demon king Ao Li and Wu Xin Gong Fei Wu Xin, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"When two armies clash, their generals fight; the victor is triumphant, and the loser is terrified!"

"—Please proceed!"

(End of this chapter)