82nd Generation of the Nine-Dragon Bagua History

  "The bandit is so resilient and can't be killed, it can only be said that his luck is too strong!"

  Liu Huiniang ordered the troops to return to Qingzhou. She made her debut with a great victory, capturing many of the bandits' siege engines and mechanical beasts and horses. All the armies were jubilant, except for Xiao Li Guang Hua Rong and Mu Hong, who looked gloomy.

  Gongsun Sheng and others were also welcomed into the city, with some being depressed. In this ambush, he was used by Liu Huiniang as a gunner to lure away the main force of the bandits, and then Liu Huiniang could successfully launch a surprise attack. What made him most angry was that Liu Huiniang had not informed him that it was a plan to lure the snake out of its hole, causing him to lead the old Liangshan troops and Zhang Qing's army in a bloody battle, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.

  Zhang Qing's large army is now stationed thirty miles away at the Wangmu Palace, while Lu Junyi has defeated Chai Jin's troops and is currently stationed in Shijiazhuang, ten miles away.

  Qingzhou Prefecture's council hall, Liu Huiniang sat in the main seat, and over a dozen high-ranking generals took their seats according to rank. Liu Huiniang smiled and said: "Today we were able to achieve such a great victory, eliminating the bandits' morale, all thanks to the efforts of you generals." She raised her wine cup and repeatedly urged everyone to drink, the generals happily drinking with abandon. When they had reached the point of intoxication, Liu Huiniang suddenly turned to those on either side of her and said: "Bring me Hua Rong and Mu Hong, those two treacherous spies!"

  More than ten axe-wielding men suddenly rushed out of the wing room, with their axes raised at Hua Rong and Mu Hong's necks, pushing and shoving them to the hall below. The crowd was stunned.

  Liu Huiniang's face was cold and she sneered, "You two secretly let the martial thief go, otherwise how could my plan have fallen through? Now that I've discovered it, what else do you have to say?"

  Mu Hong shouted: "The martial hero is invincible, and the two of us can't resist him. He also has Lin Chong's help, and we almost got killed by him. Fortunately, we managed to escape with our lives, and we even seized two carts of crossbows. Although we didn't have any merit, we did suffer a lot! General, please spare us this once for the sake of Song Gongming!"

  Liu Huiniang insisted on killing the two, Gong Sunsheng persuaded her in vain, saying: "Hua Rong and Mu Hong are both trusted by Song Jiang, it's not good to kill them!" The old members of Liangshan Mountain came out one after another to persuade Liu Huiniang, who finally relented, shouting: "You secretly let the bandit go, I saw it clearly from a distance. You should be executed for this crime, but considering the face of all the leaders, you can avoid death but not punishment. Hua Rong, I've heard that you're a great archer, tomorrow you'll fight against Wu Song and Gong Sunsheng, if you don't kill them with your own hands, I'll definitely behead you!"

  Hua Rong and Mu Hong exchanged awkward greetings, both of them feeling extremely embarrassed. Hua Rong quickly covered his face with his sleeve and rushed down from the hall. Afterwards, Gong Sun heard that Hua Rong was ill and didn't come out, so he hurried to the Hua residence to ask after him. He only saw Hua Rong lying on the bed, his complexion pale yellow.

  Gongsun Sheng observed his words and expression, saying: "Younger brother has been wronged. Today's affair, Liu Junshi has done a bit too much. Not looking at the monk's face but the Buddha's face, it would be better to leave some sentiment."

  Hua Rong shouted: "I have been roaming Qingzhou for over a decade, fighting all the heroes of Qingzhou, but if anyone hears the name of Little Li Guang, who doesn't give a thumbs up and praise him as a hero? Today I was actually insulted by a woman to this extent, Liu Huiniang has gone too far!" After speaking, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

  Gongsun Sheng hastily supported him, called the military doctor to diagnose and treat him with medicine, saying: "Don't worry, Liu Junshi is from Chen's family line, we are from Song's family line. The two families have been suppressing each other for a long time, it's not something that can be resolved in a short time. Liu Huiniang also knows you can't stop Wu Song, she just wants to use your name to put pressure on our Song family line. You don't need to take it to heart, if we talk about being humiliated, which of us hasn't been humiliated?"

  Hua Rong took the medicine, became dizzy and drowsy, grasped Gong Sunsheng's hand and said: "Mr. Yiqing, tomorrow watch me on the battlefield killing enemies, if I don't take the lives of Wu Zei and Gong Shu, I swear not to return alive! We must let the Chen family know our loyalty...". After finishing speaking, he fell into a deep sleep.

  Gongsun Sheng sighed and had a bad premonition in his heart, so he quickly found Jinmiao Hu Yan Shun and asked him to immediately go to Qingyun Mountain to inform Song Jiang.

  Gongsun Sheng made the arrangements and went straight up to the city tower of Qingzhou City. Looking out, he saw Lü Junyi leading an army in the southwest and Zhang Qing leading an army in the northeast, each setting up camp. There were also fierce bandits coming from the due north, with a large contingent of mechanical beasts, 26,000 troops besieging Qingzhou City.

  The bandits replaced human labor with mechanical beasts, and set up camp in Xuqili Village. In front of them was a sea of fierce beast troops, flags waving, responding to the armies of Lu Junyi and Zhang Qing.

  "When a country is about to perish, there must be evil spirits. The Jiangshan of the Great Song Dynasty is weathered and worn out, yet it reinstates bandits like Wu Zetian, while loyal officials like us are forced to flee and hide in the wilderness...it's truly lamentable."

  Gongsun Sheng was thinking, when he saw Shi Jin leading a team of axe-wielding soldiers, about to leave the city. He hastily called out: "Shi Dajiang, where are you going?"

  Shi Jin cupped his hands outside the city gate and said, "Mr. Yi Qing, the martial thief is right outside, if I don't kill him with one strike of my spear, how can I justify this blade of mine?"

  Gongsun Sheng hastily came down from the city wall and rebuked, "Don't be reckless! Your skills are indeed among the best of the heroes, and you're not inferior to Lu Junyi in the slightest. But when it comes to fighting against Wu Zong's bandits, you're far from being a match!"

  Jiuwen Long Shi Jin did not admit defeat: "The martial thief is just a person, don't exaggerate him, and don't underestimate my eighteen martial arts!"

  Gongsun Sheng said: "This is the bravery of a common man, what's the use? If you want to achieve great merit, it's better to protect Liu Junshi. As long as you keep her alive, it's better than killing thousands of soldiers and horses!"

  Shi Jin sneered: "Protecting a woman and child, how can it show off my skills?"

  Gongsun Sheng laughed and said, "Tomorrow when we fight against the bandits, they will surely want to get rid of Liu Junshi. At that time, won't you have fewer people to kill? How many people have been killed by your sword!"

  Shi Jin clapped his hands and laughed: "This feeling is great, there's killing, and there's merit, don't deceive me!"

  Gongsun Sheng smiled and said, "I'll go talk to Military Advisor Liu, let you get close to him for protection." He dispersed Shi Jin's personal guards, took him to see Liu Hui Niang, and said, "Military Advisor, this is Jiuyin Long Shi Jin, with unmatched bravery and strength. He once defeated Pu Tianyi Li Ying in 50 rounds, injured the sickly Erti Sun Li with one whip strike, and knocked out Jingmu Hou Siwen in another round. He's the bravest of all three armies."

  Liu Hui Niang hastily looked towards Shi Jin, and saw that the Nine-patterned Dragon had a majestic appearance, with an air of dignity and grandeur. He was nine feet tall, with an aura that was awe-inspiring, indeed a rare and exceptional hero!

  Liu Huiniang hastily said: "Pu Tianyue Li Ying, Bing Yilü Sun Li, and Jingmu Hou Siwen are all top-notch heroes in the Wu Ze army. General, you can defeat them, indeed brave and unmatched!"

  Gongsun Sheng said, "Shi Dalang is a bit too impulsive and I'm afraid he'll cause trouble on the battlefield. He wants to fight the bandits to the death, so I've asked him to protect the young lady instead. Tomorrow, when we go into battle, the bandits will surely target the young lady. If anything happens to her, Qingzhou City will be lost for sure. That's why I've asked Shi Dalang to come and protect her!"

  Liu Huiniang had not yet spoken, when Zhu Yongqing, standing beside her, sneered: "The likes of Li Yingsun and his kind are nothing but country bumpkins and stray dogs. What's so difficult about beating them? Are they even worthy of being called good men?"

  Shi Jin slanted his eyes at him and smiled: "This general speaks in a strange and ambiguous tone, could it be that he took the wrong medicine this morning?"

  Zhui Yongqing flew into a rage, leapt onto the martial arts arena, grasped a halberd and shouted: "You boast of your excellent skills, dare you exchange blows with me?"

  Shi Jin saw that he was a man of medium build and average height, and he couldn't help but feel great joy. He exclaimed loudly: "Bring me my weapons!" Before the words had even left his mouth, dozens of muscular men came running in, carrying a rack of weapons. Shi Jin took off his upper garment, picked up a halberd with a square blade, and leapt into the arena, laughing: "I'm used to using my opponent's strong points against him and defeating him! Today I'll use this halberd with a square blade to counter your halberd with a square blade!"

  Zhu Yongqing sneered, stepped on the ring, and with a single thrust of his spear, he charged at Shi Jin. Shi Jin hooked and parried, easily dissolving the attack. The two men engaged in a fierce battle in the arena, their spears flashing in the sunlight. Each spear was over three meters long, belonging to the most difficult-to-master category among all weapons, yet both men wielded them with ease, sending leaves swirling around the arena and shredding them into fragments.

  Wishing Yongqing to be defeated is fine, after all, he has been immersed in this way since childhood, naturally it's effortless and ingenious. But Shi Jin's eclectic learning of various schools can also wield Fang Tianhua's halberd with ghostly craftsmanship, indeed a stunning skill!

  Liu Huiniang opened her eyes and saw that Shi Jin's back had a tattoo of nine green dragons, with each dragon head looking different and in a different location.

  A dragon head on the chest, a dragon head under the neck, one on the back, two on each arm, and presumably one on each foot. The other two are unknown where they are hidden.

  But seeing his muscles bulging and contracting, the dragon's head also raised high, emitting a chilling aura.

  Next to the tattoo were two lines of words:

  The Great Wilderness breeds strange creatures, and the Dragon's nine sons are gathered in one body!

  Liu Huiniang saw him and her face suddenly changed color, looking at Gong Sunsheng, she said: "Sir, this is..."

  Gongsun Sheng nodded and said, "Shi Dalang was born with a rare gift, possessing the power of nine dragons from birth. The Taoist boasts of human strength, saying it's like that of nine oxen and two tigers, while Buddhism speaks of the strength of three elephants, but neither compares to the power of one dragon. This Shi Dalang is still young, given time, if he can unleash his nine-dragon power, no one will be able to match him."

  Liu Huiniang nodded, and the two of them looked back at the scene. They saw that victory had already been decided, but Shi Jin's powerful blow had broken off Zhu Yongqing's Fang Tian painting halberd. Zhu Yongqing hastily jumped out of the circle and shouted: "My weapon is not sturdy, this round doesn't count! Are you willing to try a round of archery with me?"

  Shi Jin threw away Fang Tian's halberd, and immediately a Liao soldier picked it up and inserted it back into the weapon rack, laughing: "I haven't practiced archery, but I have honed my skill in catching arrows. You can come and shoot at me, if I dodge even once, I won't be considered a good man!"

  The two of them were about to fight again, when Liu Hui Niang hastily intervened: "Both generals, please stop! You are both heroes and your martial arts skills are evenly matched. There's no need to continue fighting." Zhu Yong Qing walked over to her side with a huff and said: "Cousin, if you hadn't stopped me, I would have definitely defeated him with my Flowing Water technique."

  Shi Jin didn't think much of it, but Liu Hui Niang said: "Don't engage in a battle of wits, I originally knew that the bandit Wu would definitely harm my life, so I arranged for two mechanism people to guard me, and also asked Yong Qing's brother to assist. Now that we have Shi Tou Lai, the bandit Wu will surely have no way out." After speaking, she pointed to the ground, and only saw two three-inch-tall people standing beside her.

  Liu Hui Niang said: "Rise!" Suddenly, two small mechanical men grew with the wind, and in the blink of an eye, they were over four meters tall, carrying copper shields and sharp swords.

  Shi Jin's eyes widened in amazement and he shook his head, saying: "This mechanism is incredibly powerful, but unfortunately it's a bit clumsy."

  Liu Hui's daughter smiled and said, "That's why we need the protection of both generals." As soon as she finished speaking, a loud drumming sound was heard outside, and a scout rushed in, saying, "Something big is happening! The bandit Wu is leading his army to attack, and he's challenging us at the city gate!"

  Shi Jin was overjoyed and jumped up saying: "I'll go!"

  Gongsun Sheng glared at him and said, "You stay by the military advisor's side and ensure her safety." He then turned to Liu Huiniang and said, "Miss, please proceed to the city tower and let's see who's superior between you and Wu Zei!"

  Liu Hui Niang smiled and said, "The bandit Wu has suffered a defeat, his morale is already low. If I go to the city tower to meet him, he will only laugh at me." She ordered her attendants, "Prepare my carriage, I'll go out of the city to meet the bandit Wu!"

  Next to the maid immediately rushed a seven-treasured fragrance sedan, with copper horses as riders, tinkling pendants hanging pearls, precious canopies fragrant splendor, rich and majestic, fragrance hitting the nose. Liu Hui Niang boarded the seven-treasured fragrance sedan, immediately dozens of maids riding copper cranes surrounded her on all sides, escorting the sedan to the North City Gate.

  Outside the city, Chai Jin and Haran Sheng led their troops out of the city, with an army of 30,000 men, arrayed in formation below the city walls, with banners fluttering. Due to the large number of people and horses, it was inevitable that there would be places where commands could not reach, so the army was divided into several large blocks, each led by its own leader, namely Chai, Ha, Deng, Xin, Bi, Zhu, Dong, Suo, and Mu.

  On the city wall, there were dense crowds of people's heads, with a large flag every hundred meters, respectively marked with names such as "Guo", "Xu", "Gongsun", "Zhuwu" and "Zheng". On the city wall, there were also Zhuge crossbows, 100-step machines, stone-throwing machines, bird gunners, soldiers carrying stones and arrows to the top of the city, and soldiers boiling pots, with scalding hot water, ready to fight at any time.

  Liu Huiniang arrived at the central army tent, and again a group of soldiers brought in a strange and peculiar large cart, with thousands of horizontal wooden planks stacked into a platform. Liu Huiniang lifted her skirt and boarded the flying building, immediately twenty people pulled on the ropes, and four small soldiers inside stirred up the pulley car, that flying building suddenly rose more than forty feet above the ground.

  Liu Huiniang looked down from her high vantage point, carefully observing Wu Song's troop deployment and smiled: "So it's the Great Wild Goose Formation, Flying Bird Formation." Just as she was about to descend from the flying tower, suddenly a woman with a bundle on her back appeared below Wu Song's command tent, waving at Liu Huiniang and smiling all over her face.

  Liu Hui Niang was stunned for a moment, also smiled and nodded, with an inexplicable feeling in her heart, she got off the flying building.

  Wu Song saw Gong Sun nodding at the woman and greeting her with a smile. He asked: "What are you doing?"

  Gong Shu Yanran smiled sweetly and said: "Psychological tactics, that woman is clever, but after all, she's a bit younger."