I was living in the Five Dynasties period, just after crossing the Zhongdu Bridge.

Open the bow without turning back the arrow!

Now that the sword has been drawn, this so-called grand drama of surrendering to the emperor is now completely over.

What follows is the unveiling of the true colors, a fight to the death.

However, this situation is far from optimistic for Shen Lie.

Although there was only Zhang Heng and a dozen or so trusted henchmen in the hall, there were four or five hundred desperados entrenched inside and outside Zhangjiawu.

Shen Lie only had Yang Ting and twenty personal guards by his side.

No matter how brave they were, in this deadly trap, they could hardly guarantee they wouldn't be devoured alive by these bloodthirsty bandits.

Even worse, Liu Qing and the rest of his men were still in a mountain ravine a mile away.

This distance of one mile is neither close nor far, but in the current situation, it can be considered the distance between life and death.

In this day and age, there's no longer the spectacle of a single arrow piercing the clouds, summoning a massive army.

In the darkness of the Five Dynasties period, there was only one way to send a message across such a great distance.

"Yang Ting!"

Shen Lie roared, but did not immediately slash at Zhang Heng with his sword. After all, Zhang Heng was also a soldier, and if this slash failed to kill him, he would be torn to pieces by the surrounding henchmen.

The so-called "anger that makes one's hair stand on end," if without follow-up measures, becomes mere reckless courage and a death wish.

Thinking of this, Shen Lie kicked the table at Zhang Heng.

Whoosh!

The wine jar shattered, and the wine splashed everywhere.

Zhang Heng subconsciously raised his hand to block.

In the blink of an eye, Shen Lie had already closed in and swung his sword.

But this is not a historical novel. Zhang Heng has some skills to have survived this chaotic world.

In the throes of excruciating pain, he instinctively leaned back, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.

With his momentum waning, Shen Lie had no choice but to swing his sword forward and strike Zhang Heng's nose with the iron pommel of the hilt.

The blow caused tears to blur Zhang Heng's vision instantly, followed by excruciating pain.

Having missed his first attack, Shen Lie showed no sign of lingering in the fight. Instead, he turned and roared at Yang Ting, who was also holding a drawn sword, "Set it on fire!"

Shen Lie wasn't sure if the fifth-generation liquor could be ignited, but in any case, alcohol would definitely have some effect in aiding combustion.

Yang Ting was a reckless and unruly person. He was frightened by the scene of cannibalism earlier, but now that he saw his lord draw his knife, his soldierly bloodlust was aroused.

Upon hearing the command, he looked around, grabbed an oil lamp from the side, and without thinking, threw it at the brocade curtains hanging on both sides of the hall.

Shen Lie was truly lucky to have transmigrated to the Five Dynasties period. If it were before the Tang Dynasty, these bandit dens wouldn't even have oil lamps to use.

With a whoosh, the silk that Zhang Heng had painstakingly snatched from the wealthy family burst into flames. This stuff was inherently flammable, and when it came into contact with kerosene, it became uncontrollable, instantly igniting a fiery dragon.

Meanwhile, the remaining twenty guards, all veterans, threw out oil lamps without a word, and one even rushed to the side with a knife and kicked over the brazier used for warmth.

The weather was still far from summer at the time, and being in the north, it was extremely dry, so the fire started very quickly.

Zhang Heng only recovered after being hit hard, but before him was a sea of ​​fire.

"Madmen! They're all madmen!"

Zhang Heng roared in exasperation. He never expected that this person would dare to play this suicide prank on his own turf.

"Close the door! Don't let them get away! Chop them to pieces!"

However, once a fire starts, it is not something that can be easily controlled by human power.

Thick smoke billowed, and the heat was oppressive.

The henchmen who were initially just watching the commotion instantly erupted into chaos.

Some were busy putting out the fire, some were busy protecting their master, and others were busy grabbing weapons, running around in all directions.

······

Meanwhile, in the mountain valley outside the fortified village.

The remaining soldiers of Fuwei were gathered in twos and threes, some sitting and some lying down, chewing on grass roots or the last bits of dry rations.

Liu Qing was lying behind a large blue stone, his bull-like eyes fixed on the fortified village in the distance.

The atmosphere was actually quite oppressive.

Most of these soldiers were newly recruited refugees and former defeated soldiers who followed Shen Lie for a full meal.

Now, without even having a full meal, the commander-in-chief, with only twenty personal guards, ventured alone into that den of wolves and tigers, ostensibly to borrow grain, but in reality to gamble with his life.

If the bet is won, everyone will naturally get to eat meat.

If you lose the bet...

Although they won a battle in Daizhou, it was mostly due to luck and being pushed along by the situation.

Now, with the prospect of following Shen Lie deep into Guanzhong uncertain and supplies scarce, it's inevitable that some unsettling thoughts will arise in people's hearts.

"Hey, I'm telling you."

An old soldier carrying a long spear nudged the person next to him with his elbow.

"Our envoy has been inside for at least three hours, hasn't he?"

"That's about it." The person next to him sniffed the snot that had frozen out of their nose.

"There's been no news for so long, do you think... something might have happened?"

"Zhangjiawu is a den of dragons and tigers. The Flying Hawks have four or five hundred men, and our lord only took twenty personal guards in... If the negotiations break down, I'm afraid there won't even be any bones left, right?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the soldiers who had heard the commotion around them changed.

"Don't talk nonsense!" a younger soldier beside him rebuked. "The magistrate is a high-ranking official; would that bandit leader dare to kill an official?"

"Kill the official?"

The old soldier chuckled and spat out the grass root in his mouth.

"Brother, you're still too green. These days, even a military governor can die without a second thought. Killing a defense commissioner is nothing!"

As he spoke, the old soldier turned his gaze to the dozens of warhorses left behind.

"In my opinion, Magistrate Shen is most likely dead inside. Shouldn't we plan our escape route?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the surrounding soldiers immediately changed.

In these chaotic times, soldiers will follow whoever feeds them; it is common for the troops to scatter when their commander dies in battle.

Even without dying in battle, as long as the commander shows the slightest sign of weakness, some subordinates will betray him for personal gain.

"I think it's a good idea."

Another squad of burly men approached, their hands resting on the hilts of their knives.

"We still have so many people here, but less than forty horses. Why don't we divide the horses among ourselves and head west to Fengxiang? At least that'll be a way to survive."

"What about that big, dumb Liu Qing?"

"Why bother with him? If he knows what's good for him, fine; if he doesn't..."

That team was making a throat-slitting gesture.

Just as these people were whispering among themselves, preparing to pack their bags and go their separate ways...

"Look! Fire!"

Someone shouted out.

Everyone looked up at the same time.

Suddenly, a red light rose from the direction of Zhangjiawu in the distance.

At first, it was just a few scattered flames, but in an instant, it turned half the sky red, and even the village walls could not stop the raging fire.

No advanced military skills are required; any soldier who has survived the chaos of war can understand what this means.

The talks broke down.

Get started.

"Commander-in-Chief!"

Liu Qing stood up, grabbed the general's flag, and was about to rush outside, shouting, "Quick, come with me to rescue them!"

However, few responded.

Most of the soldiers were still observing, and some were even quietly retreating.

"Save my ass!"

The old soldier who had just spoken suddenly jumped out.

"That fortified village has high walls and deep moats. We don't even have a ladder. Are we just going to charge in and die? If the magistrate gets trapped inside, he'll be asking for it!"

At this point, the man pointed to the dozens of warhorses tied up beside him.

"Brothers! In my opinion, we don't need to go to Yaozhou! Let's divide these horses, take our weapons and go our separate ways, or go to other mountains to join the bandits. That's better than following a dead ghost to our deaths!"

These words are highly inflammatory.

At this critical juncture of life and death, human greed and cowardice are magnified to an extreme.

Many people turned their gaze to the warhorses, and their feet unconsciously began to move.

Liu Qing was stunned.

His simple mind couldn't contain such complexities.

All he knew was that Shen Lie had given him food, given his uncle a way to survive, and even made him an official.

Shen Lie told him to stay here, so he had to stay; Shen Lie told him to save people, so he had to save them.

"You...you want to rebel?"

Liu Qing turned his head and stared at the old soldier who was still inciting the crowd, his eyes almost bursting with anger.

"Rebel? That's called being pragmatic!"

The old soldier knew Liu Qing was just a big, dumb brute, so he naturally looked down on him and sneered, "Big brute, if you want to go die, go ahead, don't stop the brothers from making a fortune..."

puff!

A muffled thud interrupted his unfinished words.

With brute force, Liu Qing pierced the old soldier's chest with the general's flag in his hand.

The spear tip emerged from his back, spraying hot blood onto the faces of several soldiers behind him who were about to start a fight.

"My uncle said, as long as the magistrate is here, we are here. If the magistrate is gone, none of us will survive."

Liu Qing drew his general's flag, drawing out a stream of blood. His honest face was now filled with murderous intent, like an angry Vajra.

"Anyone who dares to touch the magistrate's horse, I will kill them!"

The old soldier's body fell limply to the ground, his eyes wide open in death.

The previously restless crowd instantly fell silent.

In this chaotic world, reasoning is useless, but killing to establish authority is always the most effective method.

Although he didn't understand military strategy or how to manage subordinates, this simpleton managed to preserve the last bit of morale for Shen Lie through his most basic actions.

"Listen up, all of you!"

Liu Qing raised the still-dripping flagpole, pointed to the distant fortified village engulfed in flames, and issued his first military order of his life:

"Our lord is risking his life inside. If we escape, who will feed us? Who will save our lives?"

"If you want to live, charge with me!"

Having said that, the big, simple-minded man took the lead and strode off towards the burning fortress.

Behind them, the stunned soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment.

After a moment, someone finally gritted their teeth, drew their knife, and followed.

Then came the second, the third...

"Damn it, I'll risk it!"

"Since we're going to die anyway, we might as well take a gamble!"