Courtyard House: A System Connecting Two Worlds, Resources for the Nation

Hearing the crisp, rhythmic clattering sound coming from the direction of the main camp behind them, like the whispers of a demon, the Liao soldiers ran even faster.

Under these circumstances, it doesn't matter whether they can outrun the iron box or not; as long as they can outrun their comrades around them, that's enough!

The results of Zhou Feng and his men's proactive attack this time were not as efficient as in the morning. In more than an hour, they only killed two or three thousand Liao soldiers.

The reason is simple: during the morning's battle, the Liao soldiers were all walking right into the line of fire. All they had to do was pull the trigger, and they could easily take the enemy's lives.

At this point, their proactive attack would involve targeting each fleeing Liao soldiers individually, naturally reducing their killing efficiency.

Even so, it was enough to terrify the fleeing Liao soldiers.

Tie Jianguo, who was crouching on the roof of the truck closest to Zhou Feng's SUV, squinted and shot a Liao soldier, then breathed a sigh of relief.

The battle lasted for two hours. Although most of the time was spent aiming and firing from inside the carriage, it still put a considerable strain on Tie Jianguo's body, not to mention the Taoist followers who were already struggling and had just managed to raise a small number of followers.

"Sir, the Liaodong troops have retreated. Shall we continue the pursuit?"

Tie Jianguo leaned close to the SUV door and reported to Zhou Feng, who shook his head: "Send someone to inform Chen Zhengqing first, tell them to come and clean up the battlefield, and also send us a guide. The Liao soldiers who fled here must have gone to Empress Xiao's side. Let the brothers rest, and we'll wipe them out in one fell swoop later!"

"yes!"

After giving a salute, Tie Jianguo immediately turned around and sent someone to make arrangements.

In fact, Chen Zhengqing had been following Zhou Feng and the others at a distance after they left the city.

Having witnessed the morning's victory, he was absolutely certain that Zhou Feng and his men could swiftly and decisively defeat the tens of thousands of Liao soldiers!

As expected, things went exactly as he predicted. The Liao people were routed. Zhou Feng's men, who had been sent to inform him, hadn't gone far when they encountered Chen Zhengqing, who had come to clean up the mess.

"Master Celestial! This battle you fought has truly broadened my horizons; it's simply breathtaking! Please lead your troops back to the city with me, so that I may fulfill my duty as a host."

Chen Zhengqing couldn't suppress his smile. He stood in front of Zhou Feng and bowed deeply, lowering his posture to the lowest possible level.

Zhou Feng simply shook his head: "Lord Chen, we still need to pursue the enemy, so we won't disturb the people of Yingzhou City any longer. Please send one of your men who is familiar with the roads to lead us to find the Liao people."

"This…"

Chen Zhengqing wanted to persuade him again, but after being glanced at by Zhou Feng, he awkwardly retreated and hurriedly arranged for someone to follow Tie Jianguo.

There are no satellites in the sky here, making navigation difficult to use. Having a local guide would be much more convenient.

Upon learning that Zhou Feng and his group needed a guide to hunt down the Liao army, those who had come with Chen Zhengqing immediately became interested and volunteered one after another.

Being able to sit in such a magical iron box is an honor that not everyone can have. It may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and no one wants to miss it!

After considering it for a long time, Chen Zhengqing chose the subordinate who knew the route best.

It wasn't that he didn't want to choose his own confidants, but he knew his own people best. His confidants were all brought from the city he had previously ruled, and they knew nothing about the road conditions here.

If this delays Zhou Feng's important matter, it would be counterproductive!

After Chen Zhengqing and the others cleaned up the battlefield, Zhou Feng's group of Daoists withdrew to the side and unloaded several cardboard boxes from the military truck.

Inside were the individual rations Zhou Feng had prepared for them in advance for the battlefield. After opening the simple lid, there were different bags inside.

Although these plastic bags were produced a thousand years later, they had already been trained before setting off from Tokyo, so the Taoist priests knew how to use them.

The heating element was placed in place, and the braised bamboo shoots, tuna, grain sticks, and black kidney beans inside were torn open one by one. Finally, noodles mixed with minced meat sauce were added, and the aroma was so strong that it even overpowered the smoke of the battlefield, causing the guards who were cleaning up the battlefield to turn their heads involuntarily.

These pre-made individual rations can't compare to freshly made food in terms of flavor and warmth, but they're definitely enough to fill your stomach on the battlefield.

After finishing their meal and resting, Zhou Feng greeted Chen Zhengqing, and the convoy started its engines and headed into the distance.

Zhou Feng's SUV followed far behind the convoy, and he and Zhao Pan'er observed the scenery on both sides.

If it weren't for the lingering smell of blood in the air, they would have looked like they were on vacation.

By the time Yelü Longxu led his remaining troops to the rear army camp where Empress Xiao was located, it was already dawn.

The rear camp was mainly responsible for the logistics of the front army. When Empress Xiao received the report and stood at the entrance of the camp, she saw her son on horseback, looking disheveled and unkempt. Her face immediately darkened.

Her gaze swept over the routed soldiers who had fled with Yelü Longxu. They were all disheveled, their faces ashen, their eyes unfocused, as if they were fleeing a disaster.

"Your Majesty, the vanguard numbered over 7. How many have returned?"

Empress Dowager Xiao's eyes held a hint of coldness as she silently watched her son.

She originally thought that Yelü Longxu, who had been in power for many years, was capable of handling things independently, so she decisively relinquished the position of supreme commander of the army during this trip south.

Who would have thought that after only a short time heading south, his own son would poop a huge pile of poop for him!

"This...Mother..."

Yelü Longxu dismounted, his boots hitting the ground, causing him to stumble before he could barely regain his balance.

Faced with Empress Dowager Xiao's question, he opened his mouth but couldn't come up with a coherent answer, so he could only look at the general beside him.

The man, under Empress Dowager Xiao's murderous gaze, knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty, about 30,000 of us retreated with you. Many warriors scattered along the way, and once we gather them back, there should be 50,000. As for the Song people... they have mobile armored chariots, and the people on them wield iron pipe magic weapons, killing with a single point. Our army couldn't even get close, and we suffered nearly 10,000 casualties!"

"A magical artifact?"

Empress Dowager Xiao gave a cold smile, remained silent for a moment, then gestured for Yelü Longxu to follow behind her, and the two walked back into the tent.

"Tell me, what kind of magical artifact is it?"

Yelü Longxu stood before him, his head bowed in rare composure: "Mother, I cannot explain it either. That thing makes a clear, continuous sound. As soon as it makes a sound, someone will fall and die instantly. Moreover, their armored chariots are extremely fast and can emit light, making night marches no problem."

"So... are they chasing you?"

Empress Dowager Xiao's expression suddenly changed, and she abruptly looked up at her son.