Longevity Martial Arts: Obtain Golden Affixes at the Start

Eagle Beak Cliff.

The mountains on both sides are as if they were cut by a knife and axe, and a narrow ancient road winds northward in the middle, connecting Tianmu City and Hengjiang County.

Gongsun Qi sat on a boulder with two guards standing behind him, waiting for Mo Wentian to come and die.

According to the plan, Huo Qingbai should have already taken over Hengjiang County, and Mo Qiushui should have fallen into their hands.

When the news reaches Tianmu City, Mo Wentian will surely lead his troops to the rescue, and Eagle Beak Cliff is the burial place he has chosen for Mo Wentian.

Martial artists were lying in ambush on the cliffs on both sides. Once Mo Wentian's men entered the ancient road, they would block the way from both sides, turning the area into a hot dumpling pot.

"My lord," a scout knelt on one knee behind him, "there is still no news from Hengjiang County."

Gongsun Qi frowned slightly: "What's going on with Huo Qingbai? Does it really take this long to capture a woman?"

The scout lowered his head and dared not answer.

Another scout came running, panting: "My lord! Urgent report from Lingchuan City! Mo Wentian has led troops from fifteen counties and has arrived within Lingchuan City's borders!"

Gongsun Qi abruptly stood up: "What did you say?"

The scout knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head: "Mo Wentian personally led troops from fifteen counties of Tianmu Prefecture, less than fifty li from Lingchuan City! The passes along the way offered no resistance, and the garrison surrendered at the mere sight of them..."

"Impossible!" Gongsun Qi exclaimed sharply. "How could Mo Wentian not go to save his daughter? She is his only daughter, the apple of his eye. How could he dare..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was stunned.

Gongsun Qi slowly sat back down on the stone, and suddenly remembered something.

Back when Mo Wentian was just a minor county magistrate in Longxiang County, Qin Yan instructed him to raise an army and seize the county.

When everyone thought he wouldn't dare, he beheaded Fan Qingya with a single stroke.

That person never takes the path that others assume he will take.

Gongsun Qi gritted his teeth: "Send the order! Everyone retreat to Lingchuan City!"

The guard beside him changed his expression: "Sir, it takes at least ten hours to travel from Eagle's Beak Cliff to Lingchuan City by fast horse, I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of? If Lingchuan City falls, we'll both be like stray dogs! Return to the city! Now!"

……

Outside Lingchuan City.

Mo Wentian reined in his horse and stood on a high slope, with troops from fifteen counties behind him, a dark mass with banners fluttering in the wind.

He gazed calmly at the distant city, where only a few soldiers stood guard on the walls.

One of them rode forward and whispered, "Sir, the scouts report that Gongsun Qi has retreated from Eagle's Beak Cliff and will arrive in four hours at the earliest."

Mo Wentian nodded slightly: "How many troops are still stationed in Lingchuan City?"

"Gongsun Qi took away most of the elite troops, leaving only about twenty warriors in the city, most of whom were old, weak, or disabled."

Mo Wentian sneered and drew his long sword: "Order the attack! I want to take Lingchuan City within one hour!"

As the horn sounded, hundreds of warriors surged toward the isolated city like a tidal wave.

Before the Lingchuan City garrison could even raise the drawbridge, several martial artists at the Tongmai Realm crossed the moat and leaped onto the city wall.

Swords flashed, and blood splattered on the city walls.

Half an hour later, Mo Wentian stood on the city wall of Lingchuan City, looking at the winding mountain road in the distance.

Zhou Liang said from the side, "My lord, Lingchuan City has been pacified."

"Where is Gongsun Qi?"

"Reporting to my lord, the scouts report that Gongsun Qi is retreating at full speed and will arrive at Lingchuan City in about three hours."

"Ten warriors will remain to guard Lingchuan City; the rest of the troops will follow me out of the city."

Zhou Liang was taken aback: "My lord, out of the city? Where to?"

"Go and deliver a generous gift to Gongsun Qi."

……

Qingshiling.

This is the only way back to Lingchuan City from Eagle's Beak Cliff. Although the mountains on both sides are not as steep as Eagle's Beak Cliff, they are still covered with lush trees, making it easy to hide troops.

Gongsun Qi rushed back day and night, arriving just as everyone was exhausted and their vigilance was at its lowest.

Mo Wentian stood under a tree on the ridge, watching his men enter the pre-arranged ambush positions.

Of the troops from the fifteen counties, excluding the ten who remained to guard Lingchuan City, there were still nearly three hundred warriors.

These men were divided into three groups: one group hid on the ridge, one group ambushed in the dense forest on the left side of the road, and the other group went around to the other end of Qing Shi Ridge to cut off Gongsun Qi's retreat.

After arranging the ambush, Zhou Liang walked to Mo Wentian's side and said in a low voice, "My lord, everything is arranged."

Mo Wentian nodded slightly without saying anything.

"My lord," Zhou Liang hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but ask, "Are you really not going to do anything about Miss's situation?"

Mo Wentian remained silent, and the mountain wind whistled through the pine forest.

"She is my daughter. Gongsun Qi wants to take her hostage, so he won't kill her easily. As long as I don't go to rescue her, she will be safe."

He looked toward Hengjiang County: "But if I go, she will be in danger. There's no need to mention it now."

Gongsun Qi's troops arrived at Qingshi Ridge late at night.

More than 500 people, with their banners askew and their ranks scattered, had clearly come all the way from Eagle's Beak Cliff and were exhausted.

Gongsun Qi, mounted on his horse, had a livid face.

The news of the fall of Lingchuan City hit him like a dull thud, leaving him still somewhat dazed.

He set up a trap, calculating that Mo Wentian would come to rescue his daughter, and that he would surround and annihilate him at Eagle's Beak Cliff.

But he overlooked one thing: Mo Wentian didn't care about his daughter's life or death at all.

Or rather, Mo Wentian placed his bet on the other side.

"My lord," a guard rode forward and whispered, "Qingshi Ridge is just ahead. Should we send scouts up to check it out first?"

Gongsun Qi looked up at the mountains in the night. The trees were lush and the mountains were pitch black, so he couldn't see anything.

He glanced back at the troops behind him; all five hundred-plus men looked exhausted.

They had been traveling for nearly ten hours straight from Eagle's Beak Cliff to this point, without taking a single break.

Seeing that Gongsun Qi's troops had stopped, Mo Wentian said to Zhou Liang beside him, "Take thirty men and charge out from the front down the ridge, catching them off guard!"

Zhou Liang was taken aback: "My lord, thirty people?"

"After you charge out, just keep attacking Gongsun Qi's central army, but remember, halfway through the attack, you must reveal an opening, fight and retreat, and lure them up the ridge."

Zhou Liang suddenly understood and cupped his hands, saying, "Your subordinate understands; feign defeat to lure the enemy."

"Gongsun Qi has been on a night raid for ten hours. His men and horses are exhausted and he is at his most anxious. If you collapse at the first sign of trouble, he will become suspicious. If you fight to the death, he will think you are a lone army coming to intercept him and will want to swallow you whole."

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Gongsun Qi was still hesitating whether to force his way across the ridge when suddenly a series of rapid hoofbeats came from ahead.

At the bend in the mountain road, a troop of cavalry shot out like arrows. The leader, clad in iron armor and wielding a long spear, was none other than Zhou Liang.

"kill!"

Zhou Liang took the lead, his spear like a dragon, knocking down a warrior before charging straight towards Gongsun Qi's central army.

Thirty riders followed closely behind, their blades flashing and blood mist billowing.

Gongsun Qi's troops were already exhausted from marching and their formation was loose, so they were caught off guard by this sudden attack.

"There's an ambush!" the crowd shouted in panic.

"Stay calm! Stay calm!" Gongsun Qi roared, drawing his sword.

Zhou Liang, covered in blood, killed more than ten more people before shouting, "Retreat! Retreat now!"

Upon seeing this, one of Gongsun Qi's lieutenants was overjoyed and hurriedly stepped forward to volunteer for battle: "My lord! The enemy force numbered only thirty or so men, and they have already been driven back by our army. This humble general requests permission to pursue them and surely capture this scoundrel!"

Gongsun Qi frowned, staring at the fleeing cavalry: "Chase them!"

Zhou Liang led his men on a frantic run up the mountain path, the shouts of battle growing ever closer behind them.

He glanced back and saw that Gongsun Qi's men had indeed caught up.

Gongsun Qi has taken the bait!

If they simply flee in disarray, it will seem deliberate. If they fight a little longer before retreating, it will further solidify the illusion that "the defeated general is putting up a desperate fight."

"Halt! Form ranks!" Zhou Liang suddenly reined in his horse, turned around, and shouted.

The thirty riders stopped in unison and quickly formed a sparse defensive line behind him.

One of the warriors in Gongsun Qi's formation sneered, "With so few men, you dare to block our way?"

Without saying a word, Zhou Liang grabbed his gun and charged forward.

During their exchange, he deliberately exposed an opening, and the martial artist slashed his left arm, causing him to grunt and turn his horse to flee again.

"They can't hold on any longer! Chase them!" The warrior was overjoyed and led his men in a fierce pursuit.

This time, the pursuers were significantly faster.

Mo Wentian stood on the ridge, watching the torches on the mountain path form a winding fire dragon as they slowly entered the ambush zone.

His gaze was calm, as if he were watching a game of chess that had reached its end.

The vanguard passed through, the central force entered the pass, and the rearguard also stepped into the ambush zone.

Mo Wentian drew his longsword from his waist and shouted, "Attack!"

Dozens of boulders suddenly rolled down the ridge, carrying mud, sand, and broken logs, crashing into the group on the mountain path.