Chapter 2: The Stormy Weather of Yan and Zhao Section 23

  Tuoba Hong found that the enemy in front of him was neither panicked nor chaotic, and did not scatter or flee.

  This shows that they only did something on the ice layer of their own piece, but the ice layer where they stood was intact and undamaged. Tuoba Hong became excited, as if he had grasped a lifesaving straw, and with all his might let out a loud roar:

  "Brothers, charge forward! The other side is where we'll survive. Charge..."

  Tuoba Hong struggled to push away the soldiers in front of him, running swiftly while waving his battle knife and shouting non-stop. The soldiers, upon hearing that their destination was a place for survival, were greatly invigorated, cheering and rushing forward with their weapons, charging ahead like an avalanche, no longer heeding the sound of cracking ice around them like thunder.

  Li Hong immediately discovered the anomaly, he flew forward, snatched the iron axe from the wooden stake's hand, and while rushing towards the enemy at high speed, he turned his head and shouted: "Fire, dense fire."

  As soon as the words fell, the soldiers' longbows almost simultaneously raised, aiming at the enemy and shooting out dense long arrows.

  A loud shout, and she was about to catch up. The bearded man made a swift grab, seizing her with one hand, and shouted loudly: "You're crazy!" In her desperation, Feng Xue turned around and threw a punch. The bearded man didn't know that this little girl had excellent martial arts skills, and he immediately took the hit, flying backward. Amidst the nearby soldiers' cries of alarm, Feng Xue charged out again. At the same time, Hua Tou stretched out his hand from behind the war horse's saddle bag and pulled out a bundle of ropes, chasing after Li Hong at top speed. The bearded man quickly got to his feet and chased after Feng Xue. Mu Zhuang and Tie Chui shouted loudly as they followed closely behind Hua Tou, running wildly.

  The enemy was running at the fastest speed, they were madly rushing over under the leadership of Tuoba Hong, regardless of the dense long arrows shot from the opposite side.

  Li Hong was running at high speed, his eyes fixed on the ground searching for cracks in the ice. The pickaxe was chasing after Li Hong, the wooden stake and iron hammer were chasing after the pickaxe. Feng Xue was running on the other side, Hu Zi was using all his strength to chase after them.

  Long arrows are whistling through the sky. The ice layer on the lake surface is cracking, producing increasingly violent explosions. The enemy running across the lake continues to let out mournful cries, as soldier after soldier falls to the ground, hit by arrows.

  The distance between them was getting closer and closer, and only thirty steps were left. The soldiers on both sides could clearly see each other's faces.

  Li Hong raised his great axe and aimed at a crack in the ice layer, chopping down fiercely.

  Tuoba Hong saw through Li Hong's intentions and almost shouted in a completely desperate voice: "Shoot him dead, shoot him dead..."

  The soldiers running in the front saw Li Hong trying to use an iron axe to chop at the ice crack, causing the ice layer to break faster. They immediately knelt down on one leg, aimed at Li Hong and shot their bows. More than a dozen arrows almost simultaneously whizzed out.

  Huo flew swiftly over, standing in front of Li Hong and dancing with his war knife, forming a dense knife screen that was impenetrable to the wind. In an instant, he chopped off seven or eight long arrows, and the rest of the long arrows shot into Huo's chest without any deviation. The huge inertial force brought by the flying long arrows made him retreat continuously.

  Li Hong swung his axe again, and the ice layer suddenly emitted a huge explosive sound. Li Hong saw the pickaxe retreating from the corner of his eye, and he hurriedly used his body to firmly hold the pickaxe's body, shouting loudly: "Hold on, hold on..."

  With a loud roar, he grasped his knife with both hands and plunged it into the ice surface, finally halting his retreat.

  Li Hong raised the iron axe and chopped down again. With a loud "boom", the ice layer on the left side of the lake suddenly burst open, finally breaking apart, followed by a series of deafening explosions and cracking sounds.

  Tuoba Hong raised his knife and shouted: "Shoot, shoot him dead..."

  The two sides were fifteen steps apart.

  Huzi leapt high into the air at the moment when the long arrows were flying towards him, and with a loud whoosh, he knocked them to the ground. Several long arrows whizzed past the two men's heads. Muzhuang made a fish-like leap and fell onto the ice surface, dodging the incoming arrows, his body sliding rapidly forward on the ice due to inertia. Tiechui was hit by an arrow in his thigh and fell onto the ice surface.

  Long arrows whizzed. More arrows shot into the body of the axe head like rain. The axe head stood still, already dead from exhaustion. But he leaned tightly against Li Hong's body, setting up a flesh shield for Li Hong. Li Hong felt the axe head's body trembling nonstop, thinking that the axe head was still dancing with his knife to block arrows for himself, excitedly shouting and cheering, summoning all his strength, chopping seven axes in succession.

  The ice surface near the eastern end of the lake has almost completely sunk to the bottom, and the ice layer is rapidly breaking apart with a piercing explosion sound, quickly approaching Tuoba Hong and his men. The soldiers are screaming, struggling desperately in the icy lake water, sinking rapidly. And large pieces of ice are breaking apart at high speed in the earth-shaking roar, immediately dispersing, sinking, its momentum is so great that it is shocking.

  Feng Kuangfeng and the lucky surviving soldiers stood on the lakeside, each looking shocked and speechless. Feng Kuangfeng cursed loudly, wishing he could scold Li Hong's ancestors for eighteen generations. If it weren't for his slow actions today, he would probably have ended up as fish food like Tuoba Hong.

  The two sides were five steps apart. Tuoba Hong's heart was stuck in his throat. Behind him was the icy lake water, with no room for retreat, and he could only pray that the ice would hold up for a little while longer, so he could escape with his life.

  A loud crash, and the ice layer shattered completely.

  Li Hong let out a loud roar, turned his hand over and grabbed the pickaxe, sliding down the inclined ice block into the icy lake water. Tuoba Hong and the soldiers behind him simultaneously let out despairing cries before their deaths, helplessly looking around, looking at the sky, watching with wide eyes as they were swallowed up by the lake water.

  Feng Xue saw Li Hong sink into the water and let out a shrill cry. Hu Zi rolled and crawled, running wildly while shouting loudly. The wooden stake was still sliding on the ice. He saw the bundle of ropes that the pickaxe had dropped onto the ice surface.

  He grabbed the rope with one hand and slid to the edge of the ice. He let out a terrified yell, having no way to control his sliding speed. He stretched out his hands towards the lake water, instinctively wanting to grab onto something.

  Just then, Li Hong suddenly emerged from the water and raised his hand to push against the wooden stake's big head with force. With this resistance, the wooden stake finally stopped after sliding out halfway. And Li Hong was thrown back into the lake by the counterforce.

  The wooden stake threw out the rope in his hand. Immediately, he was pulled by the beard and dragged back onto the ice surface. The two of them were busy pulling the rope. At this time, Feng Xue also ran over, crying and shouting while helping to pull the rope. Tie Chui and more soldiers rushed over, and the long rope quickly rose into the air.

  Li Hong grasped the rope with one hand and hugged the pickaxe with the other, beaming with joy as he emerged from the lake surface. Everyone involuntarily cheered up. Li Hong, hugging the already dead pickaxe, was pulled and dragged by everyone to come up.

  The wind and snow wailed as she buried her head in Li Hong's chest. Li Hong held her, but his eyes were fixed on the hoe lying beside him. He had always thought he was alive, using all his strength to hold him tightly in the water, never expecting that he had been shot by dozens of arrows to save himself and had long since died. Li Hong wept.

  Everyone buried the bodies of their comrades and passed through Huaiyuan Plain at the fastest speed, crossed Ye Creek, and joined forces with Yan Wuyi's troops. When the enemy's main force went to pursue Li Hong, he led more than 300 people to suddenly rush out of the forest, surround and annihilate more than 50 soldiers guarding the convoy, and plunder all the property in the convoy.

  Yan Wuyi saw the wind and snow, and couldn't help but raise his hands in surprise: "Heavens! There's still such a beautiful woman in this world, with golden hair and blue eyes. If we adults don't snatch her away, I'll do it myself."

  Feng Xue smiled awkwardly. Li Hong pointed at Yan Wu Wei and said to Feng Xue, "He is Yan Wu Wei, a good fellow."

  Feng Xue hastily made a bow on horseback. Yan Wuyi was startled, and quickly dismounted his horse, respectfully returning the courtesy while saying: "Madam should not tease an official. As the madam of the master, you can just nod at an official like me."

  Feng Xue's face immediately turned bright red, unsure of what to do. Her stunning beauty left everyone around her stunned for a moment. Li Hong gave Feng Xue two pushes, hastily withdrawing his gaze that had been staring at Feng Xue in a daze, and secretly sighed in his heart. Such a beauty, how could it be something that a mere martial artist like himself could enjoy?

  "Yan Wuyi, have you contacted the Linghuo tribe's Duanzhen Duan yet?" Li Hong asked, tapping his horse whip and occasionally stealing glances at Yan Wuyi amidst the wind and snow.

  Swallow nodded hastily, "It's already been arranged, we'll meet at Star Dream Meadow."

  The troops immediately set off without rest, with over 800 people and more than 1,000 war horses, carrying rich spoils of war, advancing day and night towards the direction of Da Yan Mountain.

  Stardream Origin.

  Duan Zhen and Li Hong tightly hugged each other. Two sworn brothers who had been through life and death together met again after several months of separation.

  Feng Xue and Yan Wuwei immediately went forward to see Duan Yun.

  "Go on, what is it?" Duan Zhen said with a smile.

  "I want to borrow Uncle's power and secretly send the Wind Snow to Fuyu State. Uncle's family is a Xianbei noble, with great influence on the grasslands, it should be no problem."

  The wind and snow stood silently on one side, staring foolishly at Li Hong, without making a sound. It was estimated that Li Hong had already told her. But Yan Wu Wei was stunned. He stared at Li Hong with eyes as dull as white porcelain.

  Duan Zhen smiled.

  "General, you were right, you are indeed a man of great integrity. Don't worry, I have already made all the arrangements. Since you've found me, I'll personally escort Xiaoxue to Fuyu Country, so you won't have to worry."

  Li Hong gave Duan Zhen a deep bow, then leaped onto the black leopard. Yan Wuyi hastily followed him and jumped onto the horse's back, looking at Li Hong in confusion, not knowing why he wanted to leave after just saying one sentence.

  Li Hong gazed out at the wind and snow, then suddenly said loudly: "Cheer up a bit, Little Snow, you will be happy."

  Feng Xue gazed at him, allowing her tears to wet her collar.

  Li Hong turned his horse's head and galloped away, leaving a cloud of dust behind him.

  Yan Wuyi chased after Li Hong's back, angrily shouting: "Sir, have you gone mad? Why did you send the lady away?"

  Li Hong smiled wryly.

  "Why? Can't you see that Madame is almost desperate to death?" Yan Wuyi shouted loudly.

  Li Hong shook his head helplessly.

  "She can't exist anymore, you know?"

  "Why?" Yan Wuwei was stunned.

  "If Helian knows that she is here with me, where would he put his face? He can't even protect his own woman, and she was taken away by someone else to be their wife. Helian will be ridiculed by the whole world. Helian has no dignity, so where does the dignity of Xianbei come from? Helian will definitely send troops to attack Lulong Pass."

  "If the two countries go to war again, what will become of us? Staying here with me is too dangerous, it's a dead end. Not staying here with me and returning to He Lian's camp is also a dead end."

  "So she can only be non-existent, let's just assume we've already killed her."

  "So you sent your wife away, and Lian will not look for you?"

  "The storm is not here, and the face of He Daquan has not been lost too much. The property was looted, the woman was gone, and the hatred for the Great Han State only deepened a bit more. Even if he had the heart to take revenge, his reason for asking the troops from the central and eastern Xianbei to attack Lulong Pass was no longer sufficient. These two armies could not go out to take revenge just for one person's face. But if it involved the face of the Xianbei State, it would be different. So without the storm, the matter seemed insignificant."

  Yan Wuyi finally understood Li Hong's painstaking efforts. In fact, it was true. The existence of Feng Xue concerned He and also involved the dignity of the Xianbei State. But she had disappeared, and things were no longer the same. Under the current decline in power of the Great Han State, which was insufficient to resist the Xianbei State, it would be extremely unwise to provoke a series of wars for the sake of one woman. Yan Wuyi suddenly felt a deep respect for Li Hong.

  "When will the lady hide?" asked Yan Wuyi.

  "He and Lian died, then she can appear."

  Swallow was speechless for a moment, and had nothing more to say.

  "Then you and your wife..." Yan Wu Wei hesitated and didn't say it out loud.

  "She won't be my wife." Li Hong sighed with a disappointed smile, "We and the Xianbei State will continue to fight this war without end, we don't know how many more years this war will last. She will never be my wife, you know?"

  Swallow knew he was clear, and with a sigh of regret, he said no more.

  Li Hong also let out a long sigh and said in a low voice: "The general is about to attack the Great Han State."