It all started with one person becoming a shaman, but the Stand user...

Zhang Xuanling held his son's hand, his voice hoarse:

“I heard everything.”

Zhang Zifan was slightly taken aback, and then his eyes welled up with tears.

"You made the right decision; you should repay kindness."

Zhang Xuanling gently patted the back of his hand:

"This man is no ordinary person. But whatever his purpose is, he is a true hero to us, a man of great courage and loyalty. We two must remember this."

Zhang Zifan didn't say anything, but just nodded vigorously.

The unexpected arrival of a benefactor showed people that the martial arts world is not just about scheming, fighting, and social niceties.

There is also another side: upholding benevolence and righteousness, standing up for justice, and taking action for the greater good.

This is probably the charm of the martial arts world.

Unconditionally good people do exist.

Behind me, the mountain wind still blew.

In the distance, the sound of horses' hooves had faded away.

……

Qigou Pass.

This military pass, established during the Tang Dynasty, is located in what is now southwest Zhuozhou, Hebei Province.

It is the most important gateway to Youzhou in the south.

It guards the strategic Qigou Pass on the north bank of the Juma River, controlling the passage from the Yi River northward to Youzhou.

One man can hold the pass against ten thousand.

At this moment, the troops on the city wall stood in neat rows, completely silent.

Not far from the city, in a huge central command tent, dozens of generals stood solemnly on both sides, intently watching the battle formation ahead.

Standing in the center was an old general with slightly graying hair and beard, yet possessing an imposing presence.

Zhou Dewei.

His current official positions are: General Commander of the Han and Barbarian Cavalry of Hedong in Jin State, Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Route Army, Military Governor of Zhenwu, Grand Protector, and Chancellor.

Every title is earned through decades of military exploits.

At that moment, a glint flashed in his eyes, and with his usual calm and composed expression, he gazed at the distant battlefield.

The Jin army has joined forces with the armies of Chengde and Yiwu at the Yi River. The 40,000-strong army marches in a mighty procession, heading straight for Qigou Pass.

The sun rises high in the sky, shining its light upon the earth.

On the horizon, armies kept appearing and entering the open area in front of the city.

The army was in full force, with banners stretching as far as the eye could see.

With the addition of the soldiers and laborers accompanying the army, this once empty plain was now teeming with people, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The bugle sounded loudly.

Hundreds of siege engines began to move slowly forward.

In the past few days, Zhou Dewei has sent people several times to persuade them to surrender, but the Yan army guarding the pass has remained unmoved. They even beheaded the messengers and hung their heads on the city wall for all to see.

If that's the case, then there's nothing more to say.

The war drums thundered.

"Kill—"

At a single command, tens of thousands of people shouted in unison, their voices echoing across the fields.

The sound surged up like a tidal wave, sweeping towards the lonely city.

Arrows rained down first, striking the city walls with a fierce, rapid, and devastating force.

Zhou Dewei withdrew his gaze and turned to face the tent, where several clerks were organizing documents at their desks.

After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly spoke:

"Who else has arrived recently?"

Upon hearing his question, a clerk quickly bowed and replied:

"Reporting to the Commander, they've almost all arrived. But..."

He paused, seemingly hesitant.

"Just what?"

"However, the troops under the command of the Left Vanguard Commander of the Expeditionary Force are still resting in the rear and have not yet gone into battle."

Commander-in-Chief of the Left Vanguard of the Expeditionary Force.

This is Qinghe Miao's new assignment to accompany Zhou Dewei on his expedition to Youzhou.

Chapter 105 Happy New Year, Promotion and Wealth

Qinghe Miao's original official position, "Commander-in-Chief of the Hedong Vanguard," was a permanent military post.

Now that he has temporarily left the defense zone, he has been assigned to the "left wing of the headquarters," which means that he has entered Zhou Dewei's northern route headquarters combat sequence and is under the direct command of this veteran general.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Dewei raised an eyebrow slightly:

"Still under repair?"

There was no anger in his tone, only a hint of surprise.

The allied forces numbered forty to fifty thousand, while the garrison at Qigou Pass numbered only three thousand.

How long can a mere three thousand men hold out against a single pass?

So actually, it doesn't really matter if he's the only one who's there.

The problem is that Qinghe Miao's troops are located in the Taihang Mountains, which is the closest place to this location.

That's why they were conveniently transferred here to fight this battle together.

Now everyone else has arrived, but he is the slowest to arrive. He hasn't encountered any enemies on the way, yet he is still "resting".

This is somewhat unreasonable and appears to be a case of "slacking off".

Zhou Dewei pondered for a moment.

He had drunk a few cups with Qinghe Miao at a banquet in Luzhou City, and they had met several times, so they could be considered to have some acquaintance.

I know this young man has some skills.

He was able to shine in that adversity in Luzhou, forcing Wang Yanzhang to retreat at a critical moment, and earning personal praise from Li Cunxu. He was definitely not a pushover.

The army is now advancing with overwhelming momentum and is pressing its attack on the city.

The opponent is merely struggling in their death throes; it's only a matter of time before they break through.

The battle cannot be delayed.

Firstly, prolonged conflict could easily demoralize the troops; secondly, if the situation in Youzhou were to improve and further complications were introduced, it would be counterproductive.

"Order Qingmiao and his Taihang Army to launch a flanking attack tomorrow."

Then, Zhou Dewei slowly gave the order, leaving no room for argument:

"We have been besieging the enemy for many days, and the enemy is exhausted. Now that we have had a long rest, it is time to see their might and fight them to the death. Let's take this opportunity to break through this pass and force Zhuozhou to surrender!"

The clerk in the tent bowed and accepted the order, quickly drafted the military command, stamped it with the official seal, and summoned a messenger who sped away.

……

The siege engines had reached the city walls, and the siege ladders were slowly being raised, with countless soldiers climbing up.

Arrows rained down from the city walls, and screams, shouts, and the clang of metal mingled together, soaring into the sky.

"Kill—!"

The defending general's hoarse roar echoed from the city wall, and his long sword swung down once more.

Another Jin soldier who had climbed onto the city wall was cleaved in two, his blood splattering everywhere, and he fell to the ground with a scream.

He was breathing heavily, his chest like a broken bellows, each breath accompanied by a tearing pain, and everything around him began to blur.

The enemy's repeated attacks had already exhausted the body's strength.

Just then.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

In the distance, the sound of war drums suddenly rang out again!

At the sound of the drums, the defenders on the city wall suddenly erupted in a clamor.

A troop broke out from the enemy's densely packed camp on the flank below the city wall.

A huge flag flutters high in the middle, with yellow background and black characters that boldly read "Taihang".

Around the flag, dozens of square formations stood in neat rows, braving the rain of swords and spears, resolutely pressing towards the crumbling fortress.

More enemy reinforcements!

Moreover, they are a fresh force that has never appeared before!

The commander's pupils suddenly contracted, and he opened his mouth as if to give an order, but found his throat so dry that he could not utter a sound.

But what's even more terrifying is yet to come.

"Follow me—!"

With a loud shout, three hundred fully armored cavalrymen from the Taihang Army charged out like arrows released from a bow!

The leader, clad in black armor and wielding a long staff, thrust straight towards the city walls!

Then he dismounted and, with remarkable agility, swiftly and skillfully climbed the ladders that had already been erected for the siege!

The enemy's advance was fierce, and the defending general was almost fainting.

He had no choice but to pull himself together and continue giving orders in the same way as before.

On the city walls, there are still soldiers who can fight.

The Yan army that has managed to hold out until now is no ordinary force.

Hopefully, we can get through this round.

A roar rang out, and hundreds of elite Yan soldiers rushed towards the breach that was about to be broken through!

"Kill—!"

Qing Hemiao, who rushed back in time to replace Liu Zhiyuan, burst out with a furious shout at this moment!

The hundred or so riders behind him roared in unison, drawing their swords at once. The gleaming blades momentarily blinded everyone!

The two streams of iron collided violently!

The blade flashed and clashed, and blood spurted out!

Qinghe Miao charged ahead, unstoppable, and wherever his long staff went, enemy soldiers fell to the ground.

They truly lived up to their reputation as soldiers of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

These defenders, who have managed to hold out against an siege of tens of thousands of troops until now, are all ruthless characters who have survived countless battles.

They were fearless, experienced, and knew how to take a bite out of the enemy even in dire circumstances.

However, they couldn't stop Qinghe Miao, who had better equipment, deeper skills, and a stand-in, and was unafraid of being attacked from the shadows.

At the same time, Qinghe Miao was secretly relieved.

Unexpectedly, if he hadn't returned in time, Liu Zhiyuan, despite his many abilities, would have been unable to command the various troops he had brought from the Taihang Mountains.

They underestimated the so-called fierce and powerful soldiers of ancient times.