Whale Falls and Becomes a God

Chapter 191 War and Chaos
Hundreds of miles west of Chitai Mountain lies the Funiu Ridge.

Xiao Ying has now led his army back to Jiangdu, but the Jianghuai Army has only been away from Chitai Mountain for a short time. They have arrived at the place where King Fu Gongyou of Chu led the elite Chu army to stop. With too many troops, everything is slow.

Previously, King Fu Gongyou of Chu led the elite Chu army, intending to march quickly to participate in the battle of Hailing. However, after the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Yingzuixia, Fu Gongyou was so frightened that he negotiated a peace through the Demonic Sect and stopped at Funiuling to wait for the main force of Jianghuai to arrive.

Now that King Fu Gongyou of Chu is dead, Du Fuwei, the General Manager of Jianghuai, has taken over the Chu lineage and led his army to this place. I can't help but sigh.

The difference is that at that time, the King of Chu only led 30,000 elite Chu troops, while this time, Du Fuwei led the Jianghuai army, which numbered as many as 500,000 to 600,000, stretching for dozens of miles, vast and overwhelming!
"Report..."

"A large army has appeared in the southwest, moving at a rapid pace, suspected to be... suspected to be the Xiaoguo Army!"

As Du Fuwei was reminiscing in the low-lying Funiu Ridge, a scout suddenly came to report.

"what?!"

"Is it the Yuwen rebels?"

Everyone's expression changed drastically, including Du Fuwei's, and Kan Leng, Zhang Shan'an and others even exclaimed in surprise.

After a pause, Kan Leng asked urgently with a serious expression, "Are they really coming for our army? How many are they?"

"This... there are about ten thousand cavalry and thirty to forty thousand infantry. As for whether they are coming for our army..."

The scout hesitated before replying that he was just a scout, only responsible for relaying intelligence, and had no idea whether the enemy was actually targeting the Jianghuai Army.

If he has the ability to distinguish between enemy positions and targets, he is more than just a scout!

"Phew... only a little over 30,000!"

Many people present breathed a sigh of relief, their expressions softening and their hearts at ease.

A person’s name is like a tree’s shadow!
Whether it's the Xiaoguo Army, widely recognized as the strongest in the world, or the invincible Yuwen Chengdu, their reputations are indeed formidable.

The Jianghuai Army is widely recognized as the overlord of Jiangnan and the strongest force in the region. However, compared to the rising Wagang Army, it is still slightly inferior. Even the Wagang Army merely follows behind the Yuwen rebels, only preventing them from passing through Wagang's territory, and dares not confront them head-on in an attempt to annihilate the rebels. How much less so the Jianghuai Army?

"Godfather?" Kan Leng breathed a sigh of relief, but then looked at Du Fuwei and called out.

In theory, a mere 30,000-plus people charging into the massive Jianghuai army of 500,000 to 600,000 would be tantamount to suicide. Therefore, the Jianghuai people believed that this army was not targeting the Jianghuai army.

However, these 30,000-plus people are the Xiaoguo Army, and the commander-in-chief is most likely Yuwen Chengdu, so it's hard to say!
"Immediately assemble the troops and prepare for battle!"

Du Fuwei's face was grim as he shouted in a deep voice, then quickly yelled, "They're coming for our army... immediately! Right now!"

"Huh?!" Kan Leng opened his mouth speechlessly, stunned and astonished.

"My king..."

"King Wu, please think it over!"

Zhang Shan'an, Feng Huiliang, and others exclaimed in surprise and doubt, even with some dissatisfaction, clearly still believing that a mere 30,000 troops could not possibly be coming for the Jianghuai Army.

"Beat the drums! Immediately withdraw the army, centering on Funiu Ridge..."

Du Fuwei didn't explain further, but instead spoke with a grim expression and a cold tone, emphasizing, "This is a military order!"

"Yes!"

Military orders are absolute, and everyone felt a chill run down their spines before solemnly obeying.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

The heavy, slow sound of war drums signaled the immediate entry into a state of war.

The mighty Jianghuai Army, stretching for dozens of miles like a super long dragon moving slowly, quickly contracted and converged towards Funiu Ridge, and even started jogging.

In a short while...

The Funiu Ridge, which covers only a few miles and is only a hundred meters above sea level, was soon filled with Jianghuai Army troops. The crowd surged, the banners stood tall, and the troops spread in all directions, truly covering the entire mountainside, a sea of ​​people!

"Form ranks, prepare for battle!"

Du Fuwei arrived at Funiu Ridge. The Wu King's banner was raised high and fluttering. Looking at the chaotic and disorganized army, he gave another order with a cold face.

Military orders were relayed layer by layer, and legions of ten thousand men were arrayed in formation, roughly square in shape. Larger rectangular groups of fifty thousand or one hundred thousand men were quickly formed.

A large ship is hard to turn around!
Even if Du Fuwei reacted quickly and made a decisive decision, it would take a considerable amount of time just to gather an army of five or six hundred thousand, let alone to form ranks.

"Okay! Okay! Okay..."

The Jianghuai Army, stretching endlessly across the mountains and plains, converged on Funiu Ridge. They had just formed a dozen or so formations of ten thousand men each when the sound of their iron hooves shaking the earth could already be faintly heard.

"Dang! Dang! Dang..."

A clear, piercing gong sounded, an early warning of an enemy attack.

The heavy drumbeats continued, mixed with the piercing sound of gongs, creating a momentary commotion, but it did not affect the transmission of military orders, and the soldiers understood the message.

"Report..."

"It is the Xiaoguo Army led by General Tianbao. There are also many troops following hundreds of miles behind, estimated to be more than 100,000... They will arrive here in one to three hours at the fastest!"

As the Jianghuai Army prepared for battle, the scouts reported again.

"Huh? They really are coming for our army? What does the Yuwen rebels want?" Zhang Shan'an's expression changed drastically, and he shouted angrily, nervously, and incredulously.

"I am afraid……"

Feng Huiliang glanced at Du Fuwei, whose face was ashen, and said in a heavy tone, "They're picking on the weak! The rebels have abandoned their attack on Jiangdu and are now plotting against the Jianghuai region!"

"Humph!"

Du Fuwei's face turned ugly, and he snorted coldly, but he didn't utter a word to refute it, which was tantamount to admitting it!
"Our army was outmaneuvered by Prince Jingwu?!" Zuo Youxian shouted indignantly, jumping up and down.

Kan Leng glanced at Zuo Youxian and shook his head, saying, "It's not a scheme! Yuwen Chengdu failed to ambush Prince Jingwu and felt that attacking Jiangdu was too difficult or too costly, so he had no choice but to turn to Jianghuai..."

Everyone, including Du Fuwei, fell silent...

There’s nothing wrong with that!
Now, the Yuwen rebels are being chased by the Wagang army and have no way to return west; to the south are Jiangdu and Tianjiang, and the Grand Canal, and to the east are Hailing City and the East China Sea. At this time, the Yuwen rebels do not have a strong fleet, and crossing the river to the sea is difficult and dangerous.

With no way out from three directions, where else could Yuwen's rebel army go if not north?
Now, the Jianghuai army happens to be on its way back, with no cities or natural defenses, which gives the Yuwen rebels an opportunity. They've become unlucky and easy targets...

More importantly, Du Fuwei and some others suddenly realized the truth.

No wonder the Yuwen rebels had been loitering north of Jiangdu; they were probably watching from the sidelines, waiting for their chance to strike. Now that the situation is clear, the returning rebels aren't aiming for Jiangdu, but rather for the Jianghuai region!
"coming!"

While everyone remained silent, Wang Xiongdan suddenly shouted and drew his knife, preparing to descend the mountain to engage in battle.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound...

A massive, blood-red cloud appeared on the distant horizon, spreading rapidly like a dark cloud covering the sky. Then came countless dark figures, the sound of iron hooves thundering, and dust filling the air!

Du Fuwei quickly pulled Wang Xiongdan, causing Wang Xiongdan to turn his head in confusion, only to see Du Fuwei shaking his head slightly with a serious expression.

"..." Wang Xiongdan's heart skipped a beat; he understood what his godfather Du Fuwei meant!
Upon calm reflection, they couldn't even stop Prince Jingwu and the Peerless Phoenix. Prince Jingwu needed to join forces with the Peerless Phoenix and the Iron Hand Divine Arrow to barely repel Yuwen Chengdu. Add to that the Xiaoguo Army, and what could the Jianghuai Army possibly do to resist?!

The Jianghuai Army was not as well-rounded as the Wagang Army, which had a large number of heroes and generals. Its generals could not withstand Yuwen Chengdu's slaughter!

The only solution...

Human wave tactics!

The Wagang Army dealt with the Yuwen rebels in the same way, except that the Wagang Army had more generals, and during the siege, Yuwen Chengdu killed dozens of their generals. What about the Jianghuai Army?!

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

"Shields in front, spears providing support, crossbows ready..."

The heavy drumbeats of war quickened, and military orders were conveyed.

Countless soldiers, wielding shields of varying sizes, were deployed to the front lines, forming shield walls of varying sizes and strengths. Then, spearmen followed, their spears forming a forest, their blades menacing. And then, countless archers drew their bows, nocked arrows, or cocked their crossbows, aiming for the front!

"Okay! Okay! Okay..."

More than ten thousand iron cavalry, like a steel storm sweeping across the heavens and earth, with the earth-shaking sound of their iron hooves, rapidly approached, approached...

Behind the iron cavalry were infantry troops covering the mountains and plains. Scouts reported that there were about 30,000 of them, and they were also covering the mountains and plains. They were moving as fast as galloping horses, and they were obviously all elite troops with good individual combat strength!
The Iron Cavalry's fiery clouds resembled giant arrows soaring through the sky. It was a simple arrow formation, but condensed by the valiant Iron Cavalry, making it more solid, powerful, and sharp! The Infantry's fiery clouds resembled soaring wings. This was a basic wing formation that could amplify the speed of the soldiers, giving it a sweeping momentum.

The cavalry and infantry had in common that both were equipped with fine helmets and armor, making them far more presentable than the Jianghuai Army, whose quality was already quite good!
At the very front of the Iron Cavalry Storm was a golden-armored general, moving with incredible speed, leaving the army nearly a hundred meters behind, which speaks volumes about his bravery.

That was the invincible and renowned General Tianbao... Yuwen Chengdu!
"Kan Leng will lead the vanguard, and Xiong Dan will lead the rearguard. Quickly and do your utmost to regroup and charge, and encircle and kill the powerful enemy!"

Seeing the formidable enemy charging towards them, Du Fuwei coldly ordered in a deep voice, then quickly added, "All generals, follow me to meet the enemy. As long as we hold them off and blunt their momentum, our army will surely win!"

"Yes!"

Apart from Wang Xiongdan's somewhat strange expression, everyone present was full of fighting spirit and readily agreed.

Du Fuwei is right. The Yuwen rebels were strong because of their generals and troops. But if you don't count the rebels' rear guard, their vanguard was only a fraction of the size of the Jianghuai army. They could overwhelm a strong enemy by sheer numbers.

As long as the Jianghuai Army doesn't collapse, it seems certain that they will win in the end!
"Crackling..."

The 10,000 elite cavalrymen charged forward like an unstoppable steel storm, or an invincible arrow piercing the sky. Facing the Jianghuai army, whose shields and spears stood in rows across the mountains and plains, they showed no sign of slowing down, but instead accelerated their pace.

Yuwen Chengdu, leading the way, was far ahead...

Purple lightning appeared and swirled around him, and his speed, including that of his warhorse, increased instead of decreasing, as he charged directly towards the Jianghuai Shield Formation!
"This...this is outrageous!"

Seeing this, many of the generals in the Jianghuai region were shocked and furious. Yuwen Chengdu and the Xiaoguo Iron Cavalry clearly looked down on the Jianghuai army. They dared to charge straight into the enemy lines without warning or any respite. It was obvious that they were bullying them and thought they were not on the same level as the enemy!
Thinking of this, the generals of Jianghuai became even more furious and charged towards the front line with great momentum, thinking of besieging and killing Yuwen Chengdu and becoming famous in one fell swoop!
"shoot!"

At a single command, arrows and crossbows rained down simultaneously. Three archers from a force of ten thousand men unleashed a barrage of tens of thousands of arrows at Yuwen Chengdu... one man!
Yuwen Chengdu, however, seemed not to hear, not even swinging his phoenix-winged gilded halberd to defend himself. His fierce eyes looked towards Funiu Ridge, searching for Du Fuwei and his commander.

Arrows rained down, but were mostly shattered, burned, or devoured by the purple lightning. Occasionally, a powerful iron arrow pierced through the lightning barrier, but was blocked by Yuwen Chengdu's protective aura and armor, leaving him unharmed!

"boom……"

Before the archers could fire a second volley, Yuwen Chengdu had already charged into the enemy ranks.

With a single swing of his Phoenix Winged Golden Halberd, he forcefully cleared out a large area, shattering shields, breaking spears, and sending limbs and broken bodies flying everywhere. Purple lightning also raged around him for several meters, taking down another large group of people!

Lightning raged, and the long spear swept across the battlefield.

Amidst the overflowing crimson, Yuwen Chengdu charged straight into the army of ten thousand men with unstoppable momentum. Those who stood in his way were either killed or maimed!
Ten breaths...

It was estimated that in less than ten breaths, Yuwen Chengdu had broken through the formation of ten thousand soldiers and was charging towards the second formation without stopping!

The Xiaoguo Iron Cavalry was a few breaths slower, but they followed closely behind Yuwen Chengdu. They shot into the formation like giant arrows, then expanded, crushed, and annihilated the enemy. The 10,000-strong army that was broken through by Yuwen Chengdu suffered heavy casualties, with less than one-tenth of them surviving. It could be said that the entire army was wiped out!

From a high-altitude perspective, it looks like a giant arrow piercing through the boundless black cloth, then easily penetrating and tearing it apart, unstoppable!

One, two, three...

When Du Fuwei led the Black Cloud Cavalry and the generals of Jianghuai arrived at the lower part of the Funiu Ridge, Yuwen Chengdu had already led his cavalry to break through three 10,000-strong army formations in succession, and almost annihilated them all.

"Hey……"

Du Fuwei showed no change in expression, but sighed inwardly.

Yuwen Chengdu and his elite troops lived up to their reputation. However, the main problem was that they arrived too quickly and suddenly. The Jianghuai Army didn't have time to set up a thick and solid defensive line, and now they can only use their flesh and blood to hold them off!
Fortunately, Du Fuwei decisively chose Funiu Ridge as the center, where there were still some trees and rocks. Even if they couldn't stop Yuwen Chengdu and the Xiaoguo Iron Cavalry, they could at least provide some obstruction.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

"Kill! Kill those who retreat!"

The war drums thundered, and the military orders were as firm as mountains.

Yuwen Chengdu and his Xiaoguo Iron Cavalry, who were unstoppable and had broken through three military formations in succession, were blocked and shut down by the Jianghuai Army that surged from all directions along the Funiu Ridge. Then they launched a desperate charge!

"Eight Directions Overturning Heaven Formation!"

Their momentum was halted and their sharpness slightly diminished, but the valiant iron cavalry's fighting spirit remained undiminished. They quickly changed formation, transforming into a giant saw-shaped octagon, which then slowly rotated, resembling a rotating blade, forcefully and bloodily slaying enemies from all directions.

Yuwen Chengdu continues to fight alone outside, bathed in lightning, battling against all sides!
"Kill! A thousand gold pieces will be awarded to anyone who wounds an enemy general, and a hundred gold pieces to anyone who kills an enemy!"

Du Fuwei, who was leading the Black Cloud Cavalry to the foot of the mountain, did not advance but retreated, slowly retreating to the mountainside. He then gave a stern order and issued an astonishingly high bounty!

Given the size of Yuwen's rebel army, if the Jianghuai army wins, Du Fuwei certainly won't be able to offer such a large reward. But does that matter?

There must be a brave man under the heavy reward!

Only elite soldiers in the Jianghuai Army received a monthly salary, which was only a few taels of silver. When the bounty was announced, the entire army went crazy and rushed towards the Xiaoguo Iron Cavalry like a raging tide.

Many generals and retainers also secretly approached Yuwen Chengdu, who was invincible and had slaughtered everyone in the land. They didn't even want to kill him; just injuring him would be a windfall!

"Soul-Severing Spear!"

Blood stained the ground, the glint of swords and spears was dazzling, and the crowd was in chaos and scrambling. Xu Shaozong, one of the six generals of the King of Chu, did not ride a horse, but was hidden in the army. He flashed out with the speed of a phantom, and his spear shot out like a dragon, piercing Yuwen Chengdu's back. Its power could split the earth and pierce through mountains!

Yuwen Chengdu continued to sweep across with his halberd as if he hadn't heard anything, slaughtering the Jianghuai army like mowing grass!
Xu Shaozong was overjoyed. Chen Dangshi, one of the six generals of the King of Chu, stepped out from the right at the right moment and slashed at Yuwen Chengdu’s right waist with his more than ten-foot-long sword. The power was enough to split mountains and shatter peaks.

Several meters in an instant...

Just as the spear was about to pierce Yuwen Chengdu's back, Yuwen Chengdu swiftly grabbed it with one hand, his grip as firm as an iron clamp, making it impossible to budge even an inch.

Xu Shaozong was shocked and decisively released his spear, retreating rapidly...

"Rumble..."

The phoenix-winged gilded halberd stirred up air currents like waves, its terrifying divine power lifting the Jianghuai soldiers close by, and then smashing down the large swords that came crashing down, along with Chen Dangshi, who was also cleaved in two in mid-air, armor and all, with blood splattering everywhere.

"Hey..."

Yuwen Chengdu did not pursue. Purple lightning clung to and coiled around his spear. With a flick of his wrist, the spear whistled and shot out fiercely, piercing through two Jianghuai soldiers in succession. Xu Shaozong, who had escaped dozens of meters away, was pinned directly to the solid mountainside...

Du Fuwei's eyes narrowed in shock, and many generals and retainers who had been hiding near Yuwen Chengdu turned and fled!

A ferocious beast in human form!

Can't afford it!
"Kill! Arrows! Crossbows! Ranged attack!"

Known for his bravery and skill in battle, Du Fuwei, who always led from the front, did not act rashly this time. Instead, he gave the order once again, and countless arrows, crossbows, hidden weapons, and even spears and lances shot towards Yuwen Chengdu with a piercing whistling sound!

Even if it's an indestructible diamond, you can grind it down to death!

At the same time, another 30,000 elite infantrymen arrived at the foot of the mountain, only to be blocked by the ever-surging Jianghuai army!
The two armies engaged in a frenzied and brutal battle on the mere hundred-meter-high Funiu Ridge, with piles of corpses and blood staining the mountains and forests!
……

While the Jianghuai Army was fighting a bloody battle at Funiuling, a fierce battle was also taking place in Hailing City, a thousand miles away.

The Phoenix Army, with its boundless and endless force, surged towards the northern city wall of Hailing City.

The war drums sounded charcoal-colored, and blood covered the sky!

On the walls of Hailing City, arrows rained down, stones and logs thundered down, and pungent, foul-smelling liquid was splashed everywhere.

Beneath the majestic city wall, corpses piled up for meters, blood flowed like a stream, even staining the weathered city wall red.

As time passed, Li Zitong, the Prince of Fengming, who was overseeing the battle from the rear, felt his heart sink deeper and his face grew increasingly gloomy and ugly.

"kill!"

A battle cry erupted as two armies charged out from the east and west, flanking the fierce Phoenix Cry Army that was relentlessly attacking the north city wall.

It was the Western Martial Army led by Princess Fengming Yang Qingxuan and the Frontier Martial Army led by the young master of Shangliang Shen Lun, each numbering fifty thousand!
It would be difficult for an army of 100,000 to defeat the mighty Fengming Army. However, fighting along the northern city wall, with the support of the Sui army on the city walls, would put the Fengming Army in a difficult position, making it even more difficult for them to attack the city with peace of mind!

"Hey……"

"Sound the gong! Withdraw the troops!"

Li Zitong's face was extremely ugly, his expression changing rapidly, before he finally gritted his teeth and gave the order!
"My King?!" Strategist Li Ziyun's expression changed drastically as he looked at Li Zitong and exclaimed.

After such a fierce battle, the Fengming Army has already paid a considerable price. Are they just going to withdraw like this?

More importantly, withdrawing the troops now means that the Fengming Army has lost the best opportunity to occupy Hailing City and the chance to expand its territory. It will still be trapped in Donghai County and can only wait for the Sui army to settle accounts later!
"The time is not on our side! The Jianghuai Army has retreated and cannot hold out alone. We should retreat to the Tianmu Mountains and wait for the situation to change!"

Li Zitong was well aware of the impact and significance of the withdrawal. Looking towards the distant southwest, he shook his head bitterly and sighed.

Back then, we marched into Donghai County full of vigor and ambition; who would have thought we'd be where we are today?
In this battle of Hailing, Prince Jingwu and the Sui army were lucky enough to escape danger, but they are still surrounded by powerful enemies. Who can say what the future holds?
Dusk has fallen, the afterglow is dazzling, and the clouds on the horizon are ever-changing...

(End of this chapter)