The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 563 Devastated
This was Wu Chengyu's backup plan, and it was also the reason why he faced the army without fear from beginning to end, and why he did not make any use of the hostages he held, but easily let them go.

Wu Chengyu led Guo Jing and others to Zhongdu to find Yang Tiexin, fulfill the eighteen-year promise, and the final step was naturally to rescue Bao Xiruo.

In the original novel, Guo Jing, the three Quanzhen disciples, the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan, and Yang Tiexin and his wife were pursued by Wanyan Honglie's troops. Outnumbered, Yang Tiexin was forced to commit suicide, and Bao Xiruo followed him in death. This couple, whose love was stronger than gold, became one of the most unforgettable characters in The Legend of the Condor Heroes.

Now that he knew this was going to happen, how could Wu Chengyu be completely unprepared? So what if Wanyan Honglie had an army? Wu Chengyu had plenty of men at his disposal.

He had considerable military power at his disposal within the Jin Kingdom; given enough time, Wu Chengyu could mobilize an army of 100,000.

From the moment he entered the Jin Kingdom, he and Hong Niangzi devised a plan: Wu Chengyu would rescue the people from Zhongdu, and Hong Niangzi would personally lead troops to meet them, ensuring that the tragedy of the original story would never be repeated.

With the arrival of the Red Maiden and her Black Armored Army, who formed a battle formation to confront the Jin soldiers from a distance, the situation on the field was completely reversed.

The nearly 5,000 troops that Wanyan Honglie relied on were his trusted troops who could be controlled. They guarded the Jin capital for many years and were definitely considered elite among the Jin army.

However, when facing the Black Armor Army, the Jin soldiers' morale was completely suppressed. They were like a group of relatively strong and energetic young men who used to go out and show off their power, charging around the streets and acting arrogantly.

As a result, when they turned a corner, they ran into a riot police squad consisting of Tyson, who was about 1.9 meters tall. Any one of his arms was thicker than the thighs of these young men.

In this situation, these young men consider it a victory if they can stand up straight without bending their knees, but they absolutely dare not look up and make eye contact, for fear that the Tysons will say something like, "What are you looking at, you familiar face?" The best way to deal with it is to stand obediently against the corner of the wall with their heads down, and respectfully let the Tysons go first.

Even women and children who are ignorant of military affairs and worldly affairs can see the obvious difference in combat strength between the two armies at this moment.

Everyone present was initially overwhelmed by the Black Armor Army's imposing presence. Even the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan, who were known for their fearlessness, were speechless with their mouths agape.

Only Wu Chengyu wore a smug smile. At this moment, his sense of accomplishment was beyond compare. Compared to dominating the martial arts world, even if he were truly invincible, it would not be as meaningful as personally participating in the creation of a powerful army capable of sweeping across the world.

Regardless of their martial arts skills, people in the martial arts world are nothing more than a bunch of roughnecks. Apart from becoming assassins, when will the names of these martial arts masters be recorded in history books?

But the army before us, along with the hundreds of thousands of rebel troops who have yet to appear, is a force capable of influencing the course of the world and rewriting history.

For a moment, Wu Chengyu was also filled with emotion. He remembered the first time he met Hong Niangzi. At that time, the rebel army had suffered heavy losses and was completely suppressed by the Jin army. Hong Niangzi was in dire straits and might be completely wiped out by the Jin state at any time.

After meeting Wu Chengyu, his ideas of building high walls and storing plenty of grain, his strategic vision from later generations and his grasp of historical development, as well as his selection of martial arts techniques more suitable for the army, greatly improved the fighting power of the rebel army. All of this fundamentally changed the rebel army.

Whether it's the Heaven-Mending Technique that transformed the rebel army and greatly enhanced individual soldier capabilities, or various sword techniques and battle formations.

Whether it was raising funds and provisions for the rebel army everywhere, or training a special forces unit composed entirely of experts, the Beiwei Army, for the rebel army.

Whether it was opening up a second camp for the rebel army in Suzhou, or capturing Bright Peak to provide the rebel army with a safe and secure rear base, he was a great man.

Not to mention that he went to Mongolia to assassinate Genghis Khan, which slowed down the Mongol army's southward march by several years.

Wu Chengyu may seem like a street urchin who causes trouble everywhere and never stays in one place for more than three years, but over the years he has devoted himself wholeheartedly to the cause of the rebel army.

If Yue were to spend ten years building up its resources and ten years educating its people, would Wu become a swamp after twenty years?
Wu Chengyu has been involved in the construction of the righteous army for more than ten years. Seeing this army grow stronger step by step and become a powerful force capable of changing the world situation, this sense of accomplishment is incomparable to anything else.

At the same time, Wu Chengyu's eyes fell on Hong Niangzi, who stood in front of the Black Armor Army. Dressed in red armor, she stood with her spear in hand, leading the five thousand Black Armor Army soldiers. With a touch of red, she made the five thousand Black Armor Army soldiers appear even more imposing and awe-inspiring.

Wu Chengyu could provide the rebel army with ideals, and could offer them the most suitable cultivation methods, battle formations, and body-refining techniques, but he never had the patience to manage such a large undertaking.

The Red Maiden deserves the greatest credit for the righteous army's success today. Without her strategic planning, meticulous management, absolute trust and full support for Wu Chengyu, and the fighting spirit and courage she forged that shaped the army's soul, this army would never be where it is today.

Wu Chengyu had always felt affection and guilt towards Hong Niangzi, but more than anything, he respected her. No one was more suitable than her to be the leader of the rebel army.

Fortunately, after more than ten years of painstaking efforts, the couple finally reached the time to reap the rewards, and all they had to wait for was for the right time to change.

Thinking of this, Wu Chengyu's love for Hong Niangzi deepened. He couldn't help but blink hard in Hong Niangzi's direction as if his eyelids were spasming. Then he kissed his palm deeply and blew a kiss on Hong Niangzi's lips.

Originally, Hong Niangzi was an unparalleled commander, commanding respect and unstoppable. However, upon seeing her husband suddenly become so frivolous, she blushed deeply. Fortunately, her face was covered by a mask, but she still couldn't help but secretly roll her eyes at her husband.

But the romance and emotions between the two armies on the battlefield were like demons in Wanyan Honglie's eyes. He and Hong Niangzi were old rivals, and he knew Hong Niangzi's prowess best.

Despite numerous victories against Hong Niangzi during their repeated campaigns against her in the Jin Dynasty, the rebel army, led by Hong Niangzi, remained stubbornly persistent, like a centipede that never truly died.

Later, the situation began to change dramatically. The rebel army gradually grew stronger. Although its troop strength was inferior, its combat power became stronger and stronger. In several battles with the Jin army, it defeated the Jin army with fewer troops and achieved victory against the stronger enemy.

Later, the increasingly powerful rebel army suddenly fell silent and disappeared without a trace. They stopped fighting against the Jin Dynasty everywhere, like a dragon hiding in the abyss, and it was difficult to find their whereabouts.

Despite the Jin Dynasty's spies' extensive investigations, which occasionally yielded clues, they discovered that these clues were either traps or were promptly thwarted by Hong Niangzi. The only clues they had learned were that the rebel army was growing stronger and larger, yet they had never managed to gain any advantage over the years.

Wanyan Honglie and Hong Niangzi had fought each other with wits, but both times he was defeated. In his mind, such a military genius was a mortal enemy, far more threatening than Wu Chengyu. So why would Hong Niangzi, who had been in hiding for the past few years, suddenly appear here?

Immediately afterwards, Wanyan Honglie suddenly shivered. He slowly turned his head to look at Wu Chengyu, the veins in his neck cracking. Only at this moment did he realize that the young man in front of him was not just a master of martial arts.

To him, what does it matter if someone is highly skilled in martial arts? Even someone as strong as Ouyang Feng or Wu Chengyu is just a commoner in the martial arts world. As long as the price is high enough, they can be bought off. But a master with extremely high martial arts skills who is also connected with the rebel army poses an immeasurable threat.

Wanyan Honglie's face was flushed, and his eyes blinked even more violently than when Wu Chengyu had given him a flirtatious look. He pointed at Wu Chengyu, his voice filled with extreme shock and anger: "You, who exactly are you, and what is your relationship with the rebel army?"

Wu Chengyu's eyes were subtle, with a hint of pride. Although he had traveled around and done a lot of things over the years, he had mostly changed his appearance and lived in seclusion. People all over the world and the martial arts world knew very little about him. Now, he could finally openly tell others his true identity.

"My name is Wu Chengyu. When I first started out in the martial arts world, people called me Ruthless and Unpredictable, but I didn't like it. It was like being a third-rate figure in the martial arts world."

Later, I killed someone, which shocked the world. From then on, people called me the Incomparable of the Nine Provinces, but no one knew who I really was.

I have done many other things. The destruction of your Jin Dynasty's intelligence network and the bloodshed at the Great Ci'en Temple were all my doing.

By the way, Prince Zhao should thank me. Wanyan Hongyu and Wanyan Hongxi both died at my hands. If it weren't for that, Prince Zhao might not have had his current status in the Jin royal family, and the position of crown prince would have been out of the question.

Until recently, I snatched the title of "Eastern Heretic" from someone else. Before that, who in the martial arts world really knew me? It's not good to keep your identity and name hidden for too long, so I decided to show myself.

As for my relationship with the righteous army, all the anti-Jin righteous armies in the world call me Brother Renyi and are willing to obey my orders.

Oh, and what makes me most proud is that the leader of the righteous army, Hong Niangzi, is none other than my wife. Do you understand now?

Wanyan Honglie's body trembled uncontrollably. It was one thing for him to be ruthless and unpredictable, but the Jin Dynasty's secret agents had also searched the entire country for his reputation as the most powerful in the land. Wu Chengyu had killed Shi Miyuan, but he had also killed the Jin prince who had gone to negotiate with the Song Dynasty.

The peace talks between the Song and Jin dynasties were sabotaged in this way, and no one knew the true identity of the assassin until now. Finally, someone has admitted it.

Wanyan Honglie finally realized that the two leaders of the most powerful rebel army in the Jin Kingdom were now standing in front of him.

He clenched his fists, forcing himself to calm down, and said, "Our military strength is evenly matched, and it is still unknown who will win or lose once we fight."

Even if you are stronger, this place is only ten miles from Zhongdu City. I can definitely hold out until reinforcements arrive. Neither of us has a chance of winning. Let's withdraw our troops here and fight again another day.”

Wu Chengyu did not reply, but Hong Niangzi spoke up: "You sent someone to the vanguard camp to mobilize troops, but they were intercepted by my men halfway there. There are four major camps near the capital of the Jin Kingdom. The other three camps are far apart, and it will take the nearest vanguard camp an hour to get here."

Moreover, I have already set up three traps along the way. Even if they manage to get here, they will inevitably suffer heavy losses and will probably have to ask you for help.

"And your Jin soldiers could be wiped out in half an hour, Wanyan Honglie. My righteous army has been lying low for many years, and my soldiers have been holding back for too long. They need to vent their killing intent. Today, we will use your troops as a sacrifice to our flag."

As soon as she finished speaking, Hong Niangzi raised her silver spear high in her right hand. She had been practicing the Lesser Formless Skill for some years, and her internal strength had reached a high level. At this moment, she focused her energy in her dantian and shouted loudly.

"kill!"

At a shout of "Kill!", five hundred heavily armored black cavalrymen on each side began to charge, their target being the Jin cavalry brought by Wanyan Honglie.

These Jin cavalrymen were all light cavalry. If they had kept their distance in the daytime wilderness, they could have avoided the onslaught of heavy cavalry. But at their current distance, they could not escape the charge of heavy cavalry.

Of the hundreds of thousands of rebel troops, only five thousand heavy cavalry have been trained over the years. The cost of weapons, armor, and provisions is comparable to that of training one hundred thousand elite infantry.

Every cavalryman was handpicked and trained in Wu Chengyu's body-refining techniques. Each one was capable of taking on at least ten men, wielding a twelve-foot-long spear and wearing chainmail armor. Once their camouflage was pulled down, they resembled killing gods.

Although the warhorses he rode were of different colors, they had all undergone special training. Wu Chengyu experimented repeatedly with bamboo slips, using the gallbladders of the Bodhi snake to make water, adding different proportions of medicinal herbs. At first, he killed many horses, but in the end, the warhorses he bred were all top-notch.

The most prominent feature of each horse is its great strength and endurance, which makes it a perfect match for heavy cavalry. The vital areas of the horses are also covered with leather armor.

It is precisely because of the enormous cost that, even with Wu Chengyu and Hong Niangzi's abilities, they have only managed to train five thousand heavy cavalrymen so far, and today they have brought one thousand of them here.

Wanyan Honglie's light cavalry, lacking depth, scattered and fled upon encountering the black-armored heavy cavalry, utterly powerless to resist.

"kill!"

At the second shout, the first echelon of the Black Armor Army, consisting of a thousand Mo Dao soldiers, moved. Their seven-foot-long Mo Daos were made from the alloy formula researched by Wu Chengyu, weighing thirty catties and seven feet long. The blades were tough and indestructible.

The Mo Dao soldiers are selected from those who have made the fastest progress in cultivating the Heaven-Mending Technique. Under the influence of the Heaven-Mending Technique, they are all 1.9 meters tall. The Heaven-Mending Technique is a pure body-refining method, and its effect on cultivating internal energy is average. It mainly improves physique, strength and endurance.

The Heaven-Mending Technique has a low ceiling; once mastered, it is equivalent to the fifth level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, after which it is difficult to improve further. However, as a soldier on the battlefield, with such power, wearing heavy armor and wielding a long-handled sword, anyone who dares to stand in front of the enemy lines will be cut in two with a single stroke.

The heavy cavalry maneuvered from both sides, while the Mo Dao soldiers advanced savagely. Wanyan Honglie's cavalry and infantry crumbled at the first contact, and their formation was immediately broken.

The only force the Jin soldiers had to fight back was the five hundred archers, but just as they were about to draw their bows again to fire, Hong Niangzi spoke up once more.

"kill!"

At the third whistle, the soldiers behind the Black Armor Army's Mo Dao squad raised their crossbows. The crossbow bolts were already nocked, and without needing to draw the bow or pull the trigger, the iron arrows shot out quickly. Ten arrows were fired in succession, which were the Zhuge Repeating Crossbows that Wu Chengyu had recreated using bamboo slips.

The archers of the Jin Kingdom could not fire arrows as frequently as the crossbowmen, and they could not fire continuously. Most of the archers' arrows were pierced by crossbow bolts before they could be fired, and the few arrows that were fired were intercepted by Hong Niangzi with her soft shield.

The two sides had roughly equal military strength, but their combat capabilities were worlds apart. In the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn, more than half of the Jin soldiers were killed or wounded, and the rest were surrounded and gradually devoured.

Wanyan Honglie's eyes were bloodshot with rage. At this moment, he knew that escaping was the only way out. He quickly pulled up Yang Kang, who was still unable to move due to acupressure, and ordered a guard to carry him on his back, trying to use the martial arts masters he had recruited to fight his way out.

Unfortunately, Sha Tongtian and Peng Lianhu were both injured earlier, and the remaining people were mostly third-rate, with only two or three second-rate experts.

Before them appeared a group of experts dressed in black, without armor, wielding long swords, numbering about thirty. The lowest among them were second-rate. Although they used martial arts, their fighting style was that of a battle formation. They were none other than the Beiwei Army, which Wu Chengyu had carefully cultivated.

Wanyan Honglie was surrounded by his own guards and could not move an inch. He could only watch helplessly as the guards around him were beheaded one by one. Even Sha Tongtian and Peng Lianhu were decapitated.

Until only Wanyan Honglie and his son Yang Kang remained, and within a radius of twenty feet, there was not a single living person from the Jin Kingdom, Wanyan Honglie sighed, closed his eyes, and awaited death, showing a hint of the hero's despair.

After a long while, there was still no movement. Wanyan Honglie opened his eyes in a daze and found that the enemy experts who had been as fierce as wolves were all ten feet away from him and had not attacked him. Just as he was wondering about this, he heard a voice again.

The voice was clear and bright, carrying a hint of disdain, a hint of mockery, and a hint of ill intent, but to Wanyan Honglie it was like a demonic sound. He vowed never to hear such a voice again in his life.

“Your Highness Zhao, do not be afraid, Wu Chengyu is here to protect you.”

Wanyan Honglie did not turn around, but he knew that Wu Chengyu had appeared behind him at some point and could kill him with a single hand. He dared not make any rash moves, for Wu Chengyu could kill him as easily as killing a chicken.

"What exactly do you want? A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. At this point, death is the only option. Such humiliation of others is not befitting your identity as the Eastern Heretic."

Wu Chengyu's voice immediately sounded somewhat aggrieved: "What are you saying, Prince Zhao? I have been speaking the truth to you from beginning to end tonight."

I said I'd return Yang Kang to you, didn't I? I said I wouldn't take you hostage, didn't I release you? I said I'd come to protect you, and you see these little devils immediately retreating in fear? It's just a pity that my sincere heart was ultimately misplaced.

Wanyan Honglie had fallen completely silent. He only knew that Wu Chengyu was a vile man and wondered what tricks he was up to. Tonight, he had been repeatedly tricked by Wu Chengyu and had lost the will to resist. He was like meat on a chopping board, powerless to struggle.

Wu Chengyu also became unusually serious: "Prince Zhao, I have said that I keep my word. Tonight, I will not kill you as I said I would. As for Yang Kang, consider it a buy-one-get-one-free deal."

But as you saw, I mobilized five thousand troops for you tonight. Mobilizing an army is very costly. So although I had good intentions and spared the lives of the prince and his son, I took the lives of the soldiers you brought. I couldn't let my brothers make a wasted trip.

As for you, I will spare your life because you are still useful. Don't underestimate yourself. Among the dwarfs, you are the only one of the more presentable among the Jin princes. Therefore, for the sake of the righteous army, it is not time for you to die yet.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Chengyu reached out and forcibly turned Wanyan Honglie's body around so that he would face him.

"I spared your life. As a human being, you should know how to be grateful. I don't need you to sing 'A Grateful Heart.' Come on, say 'thank you' with the utmost sincerity."

Under Wu Chengyu's threatening gaze, Wanyan Honglie's lips trembled, and he actually managed to say "thank you" in the end, but his face had already turned purple from holding it in.

"Give me a few men and help escort Prince Zhao and his son to the gates of Zhongdu City. If they get snatched away by wolves in the middle of the night, all this thanks will be for nothing."

This guy is useful; I need to let him live a few more years.

The rest of you, clean up the battlefield and leave before dawn. From now on, behave yourselves; our days of conquering the world are not far off.

At this time, apart from Wanyan Honglie and his son Yang Kang, there were no other survivors on the Jin side of the battlefield. The two of them were escorted away by ten Beiwei soldiers.

Wu Chengyu led Hong Niangzi to the mountain god temple, and the couple bowed to Yang Tiexin and his wife at the same time.

“Brother Yang, I know that Wanyan Honglie and the Guo and Yang families are sworn enemies, but this man is not yet ready to die. He is useful to me and to the great cause of restoring the Han dynasty. Let him live a few more years, and one day, I will surely send his head to you, Brother Yang.”

(End of this chapter)