83 times in a moment of brightness

  Both sides are observing each other's formations, and Wu Song's side is divided into the Five Tiger Generals, the Eight Great Cavaliers, the Imperial Guards, the Four Naval Generals, and the Six Infantry Generals.

  The five tiger generals are Lin Chong the Panther Head, Guan Sheng the Big Blade, Hua Rong the Double-headed Serpent, Qin Ming the Fiery Thunderbolt, and Zhang Qing the Whirlwind; The eight horsemen are Yang Zhi, Xu Ning, Bao Xirang, Li Ying, Yan Qing, Sun Li, Sun Xin, and Hao Siwen.

  Yulin Army was led by Chen Lianqing, with Guihua, Bohe, Foshou and Mei as the four marshals. The four generals of the water army were Hongtian Lei Lingzhen, Shengshui Jiangjun Singu Wei, Shenhuo Jiangjun Weidingguo, and another person was Li Jun, who was captured by Hunjiang Long.

  The six generals of the infantry are Lu Da, Li Kui, Han Tao, Peng Chi, Xie Zhen and Xie Bao.

  The four generals of the Water Army led the tower ships into the sea, with many Taoist priests and high-ranking officials following. However, they saw that Wu Song's army had flags fluttering in the wind, horses and men were neatly arranged, but there was only one color without any horse, only iron horses and mechanical beasts, which were ridden by the generals, while the others were all infantry.

  Both sides looked at each other's formation, and suddenly a cannon sounded from the middle of Wu Song's army tent. Two prisoner carts were pushed out, and several axe-wielding men opened the doors to reveal Wang Ying, also known as Short-legged Tiger, and Gou Huan being led out under duress.

  Two rows of axe-wielding men pushed the two of them to the center of the military flag, kicking them in the back of the knee. The two knelt under the flag, Wang Ying, the Short-legged Tiger, trembling and begging for mercy, calling out: "National Master, I've confessed everything, why do you still want to kill me?"

  Gou Huan shouted loudly, "Shut up, Wang Aihou! You're dead, so just die. Why are you crying with such an ugly face? Even if your head is chopped off and a big scar forms, in twenty years you'll still be a good man!"

  Two executioners stepped forward, removed the upper garments of the two men, and splashed a basin of cold water on them. This basin of cold water had its reasons: first, it made the skin tighten from the cold, making the muscles and skeleton visible, making it easier to cut. The second point was that the cold water cooled down the hot blood, so after beheading, the blood would spurt even higher.

  Two executioners drew ghost-head knives and made a slight motion at the two men's necks, then looked at the central army flag.

  Wu Song signaled to Qin Ming, and Thunderfire Qin Ming immediately rode his iron horse into battle, shouting: "Gou Ying, the True Man of Evil Suppression, your younger brother is here. Will you surrender?"

  The evil true person, Gou Ying Liu, had no master, and his face turned pale as he looked at Liu Hui Niang. Liu Hui Niang glanced at Zhu Yong Qing, who whispered, "If the evil true person really dares to surrender, I'll shoot him dead with one arrow."

  Liu Huiniang said seriously: "Life, I desire it; righteousness, I also desire it. If General Huan sacrifices his life for righteousness, he will surely ascend to the realm of the gods and enjoy eternal offerings. But if you surrender to the bandit Wu, won't that lead him into unrighteousness?"

  Gu Ying burst into tears. Liu Hui Niang said: "If you are willing to let the ancestors of the Gu family be humiliated, then go and surrender, I will not stop you!"

  Gou Ying choked with sobs: "Chen Daizi has a favor for me, how can I do such an ungrateful thing?" He covered his face with his sleeve, unable to bear looking again.

  Qin Ming called out three times in front of the formation, but no one responded. He turned around and said: "Carry out the punishment!"

  Two ghostly heads fell, and two skulls rolled out far away. Two cavities of hot blood splashed onto the central military flag!

  One of them was a gecko, which flew towards Qingyun Mountain.

  The evil true man, Wu E, endured the pain and held back his tears, shouting: "Wu Zei, you killed my brother, I swear to never live under the same sky as you!"

  Qin Ming rode his horse, galloping back and forth on the battlefield, with his wolf-toothed club placed horizontally across his knees. He shouted: "I am Qin Ming, one of the Five Tiger Generals under General Wu Guo's command, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Iron Cavalry! You bandits opposite me, is there anyone who dares to fight me?"

  The generals under Liu Huiniang's command had long been enraged by the death of the two senior generals and were eager to avenge them. They asked for permission to kill Qin Ming, but Liu Huiniang looked around at her generals before fixing her gaze on Haran Sheng. "To defeat Qin Ming, we need General Haran," she said. "However, your horse is inferior and cannot match the mechanical horse of Gongshu family. If you charge recklessly, you will surely suffer losses."

  Liu Huiniang ordered her maid to take down a batch of bronze horses and hand them over to Haran Sheng, saying: "I will wait here for the news of General Hou's victory!"

  Harlan said generously and enthusiastically: "My family will be back soon!"

  The three armies suddenly drummed, Haran Sheng rode on the copper horse, and the copper horse rushed into the field. Qin Ming saw this and shouted loudly: "Who comes?"

  Harlan rushed forward, raised the bronze man with one foot, and slammed it down on his head with a loud shout. He sneered: "You treacherous minister, do you know my family name?"

  This bronze statue weighs seventy-five kilograms, and with this one blow, it's no less than a thousand kilograms of force. Truly worthy of being a fierce general who emerged from the midst of thousands of soldiers and horses in Jinan City!

  Qin Ming saw him with a tough and unyielding expression, fiercely fighting, and couldn't help but feel great joy, swinging his wolf-toothed club to meet him! With a loud crash, a string of sparks flashed in the air, both men were shocked, their arms numb, and they shouted in unison: "Good strength!"

  They both wielded heavy weapons, and when they encountered the enemy, they would often strike with one blow, smashing both men and horses into a pulp. At this moment, one of them was riding Gongshu's iron horse, and the other was riding Mozi's copper horse. Although the horses could withstand a thousand pounds of force, they still stood firm and steady.

  Two horses clashed, and the two generals on horseback each displayed their skills to take down the other as soon as possible. After all, both weapons were heavy and terrifying, and swinging them was extremely exhausting.

  After forty clashes, both of their weapons were bent by each other's immense force. The wolf-toothed club had all its hooks crushed flat, while the surface of the solitary copper man was pockmarked with dents.

  Qin Ming and Hala were both panting, Hala thought to himself: "This guy's strength is on par with mine, it's indeed hard to defeat him. However, I've been practicing the Child's Skill since childhood, which makes me more enduring than him. As long as I can drag this out for a few more rounds, he'll definitely fall into my hands!"

  Haran was just thinking about it when he heard Qin Ming burst out laughing: "Great, great! Someone really can't bear to kill you, but they want to use your head as a trophy!"

  Harlan's heart was filled with vigilance, but he saw that Qin Ming took a long breath, and his entire skeletal system crackled like exploding beans, his muscles twisted and knotted, causing the armor on his body to burst open. The giant, over two meters tall, sat on the iron horse, becoming even more majestic!

  Qin Ming raised his wolf-toothed club with both hands and struck it at Haran, who caught the blow. The impact sent shockwaves through his body, causing his ears to ring and his chest to feel like it was going to burst, unable to muster up a single breath of true energy.

  Qin Ming struck again, and this second strike violently dispersed Hala's Tongzigong, causing blood to flow out of all seven orifices!

  Harlan was shocked and hastily rode his horse to the rear of his own formation, but the copper horse was one part faster than the iron horse, Qin Ming couldn't catch up. Seeing Harlan's small soldiers swarming forward to support him, Qin Ming suddenly let out a loud roar, throwing the wolf-toothed club in his hand like a javelin, striking Harlan's back with a thud, knocking him off the copper horse, unknown whether he was dead or alive!

  Those strong men hastily lifted Harlan up and rushed back to their troops.

  Liu Hui Niang saw this scene and couldn't help but frown, waiting to see Haran Sheng, only to see that his back had already been crushed, and he had long since stopped breathing. Liu Hui Niang looked at Xu Huai beside her, and Xu Huai said in a low voice: "The great generals beside the martial bandits are mostly between the masters of the Taoist school and the great generals, such as Qin Ming of the Thunderfire Sect, who have cultivated the military family's law, so their martial power can surge for a while."

  Liu Hui's eyebrows furrowed even tighter, and Xuhuai said: "No need to worry about that. Among the 108 Demon Kings, many have cultivated the military arts, so let them deal with their own kind."

  Liu Huiniang nodded, ordering Suo Chao to go into battle and giving him a copper horse. Suo Chao was also an impatient person, mounting his horse and grasping two golden axes before charging forward, raising the axe head without hesitation and chopping!

  Qin Ming had no weapon and did not dare to resist, so he hastily turned his horse around and left. Suo Chao caught up with him from behind, shouting loudly, and was just about to throw his axe to kill Qin Ming to avenge Ha Lan Sheng, when suddenly a person on horseback rushed out of the woods, wielding a silver spear with a red tassel.

  Ji Xianfeng suddenly abandoned Qin Ming and rushed up like a whirlwind, with two large axes chopping down from front and back!

  That man was a warm and gentle person, with tight gun skills, and he didn't panic. Now, Qin Ming returned to the army, personally beating the drum, striking the war drum loudly, shouting: "Chong Ge, let's kill him together!"

  That man was indeed Lin Chong, the Panther Head. Although he heard Qin Ming say so and also heard the drumbeat shaking the sky, he still fought with Suo Chao in a lukewarm manner, 80% defending and 20% attacking. Qin Ming became even more anxious, and the drums beat even tighter.

  Lin Chong simply ignored him. Wu Song sat on the central military platform, smiled at Gong Sunshu and said: "Qin Ming and Lin Chong are a hot-headed person and a cold-headed person, these two people join forces, they are invincible."

  Gong Sun smiled and said: "Lin Chong is like a needle hidden in cotton, silent but deadly. Once his killing move appears, the outcome will be decided."

  Wu Song deeply agreed and nodded in approval.

  Su Chao wielded two large axes, flying up and down, surrounding Lin Chong in a whirlwind of attacks. No matter how great his strength or how heavy the axes were, Lin Chong continued to parry them with ease. Su Chao grew enraged, bellowing furiously as he summoned the power of the celestial stars, his body gradually growing larger.

  But at this moment, his axe technique had a slight gap. Lin Chong's spearhead was like a poisonous snake emerging from its lair, lightly touching and stabbing the armor on his chest, shaking his hand, the spearhead spun like a top, piercing a hole in the armor!

  Lin Chong was just about to stab him to death with one spear, when Suo Chao's chest suddenly sank three inches, and the two large axes, one chopped towards the spear body, while the other stretched out a six-foot arm, holding an axe and chopping towards Lin Chong's forehead, shouting: "I have been practicing the 'Heavenly Treasure Scripture' since childhood, if I can't take you down, it would be a shame!"

  Lin Chong's spear shook, dodging one axe and meeting another large axe. The spear could not withstand Suo Chao's divine strength and was bent like a crescent moon.

  Lin Chong's arms suddenly grew twice as thick, and with a loud clang, he sent the axe flying back. He laughed and said, "I've also cultivated!" His muscles bulged out one after another, his bones enlarged, and his entire body transformed. Just moments before, he was still a refined and elegant Confucian general, but now his appearance had changed completely, like a demonic god from the Asura realm.

  Su Chao was so frightened that he hastily jumped off his horse and fled back to his own lines at top speed, for Lin Chong was half a meter taller than himself.

  Lin Chong did not rush to kill him, but instead swung his large spear and shouted: "Follow me, charge into the enemy's formation!" The iron cavalry he led immediately swarmed out, Qin Ming also jumped onto his war horse, took a wolf-toothed club from the quartermaster, and charged forward, trying to disperse the enemy's formation, and then the main force would take advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack.

  Just as they were about to charge into battle, a boundless rain of arrows came shooting down from the sky like a covering of tiles!

  Qin Ming shouted loudly: "Raise your shields!" The iron cavalry troops raised their shields one after another, barely blocking this attack, when they saw the bandits in Qingzhou City suddenly scatter, revealing more than 30 bed crossbows with icy arrowheads!

  Lin Chong saw the situation and hastily retreated back to his camp. As soon as he returned, Suo Chao led his troops in pursuit, but when he saw a yellow flag waving under the main banner of Lin's army, he immediately stopped in his tracks.

  Lin Chong arrived at the front of the central army tent, bowed to Wu Song and said: "The enemy's defense is tight, although they have suffered two major defeats, it is still difficult to break through the formation, please punish the national teacher."

  Wu Song hastily helped him up, laughing and saying: "This is not your fault. The woman opposite you has a set of military skills that can be called the best in the country, and her mechanical techniques are also unparalleled, with few opponents."

  The two armies remained at a stalemate, neither daring to make the first move. Liu Huiniang had attempted three times to launch an attack, trying to break through the Great Wild Goose and Flying Bird formations with sheer numbers and clever tactics. Gong Sunyan, standing beneath the commander's flag, waved a yellow apricot banner, instantly changing the formation into a Tiger's Head and Sleeping Dragon array, causing all three attacks to return without success.

  It's not that the two armies are at a stalemate, but rather the two female military strategists have reached an impasse. The two women are almost equally outstanding, with intelligence and talent that would make any man ashamed, and their knowledge is almost identical, which has led to a deadlock between the two sides.

  As the sky was getting dark and the sun was setting in the west, both sides were exhausted. Wu Song shouted loudly: "Liu Hui Niang, today the sky is already late, I think you are a woman, and I don't want to take advantage of you, you can lead your army back to the city, we will fight again tomorrow!"

  Liu Hui's voice was crisp as she said, "Thank you for your kindness, Master Wu!" After speaking, she led her troops to slowly retreat, the gates of Qingzhou City opened wide, and the army entered the city slowly.

  Wu Song and Gong Sun Yan looked at each other, admiring the perfect retreat of the army. Wu Song laughed and said: "She is indeed a rare woman! The formation is flawless, not a single gap can be exploited. Yan, you have met your match!"

  Gong Shu Yanran smiled and said: "Didn't you lay down a strange soldier? Why didn't that strange soldier make a move?"

  Wu Song smiled and ordered his troops to retreat, saying: "We'll see who's the better man tomorrow. That strange soldier is right next to Liu Huiniang, but hasn't had a chance to make a move yet."

  Liu Hui Niang and others returned to Qingzhou City, on the one hand still ordering the city's defenses to remain as they were, guarding against the Wu bandits' night raid, while on the other hand finding several great masters in the city lord's mansion to discuss matters. "Today I saw the Wu bandits' formation, indeed it was impenetrable, that woman with the surname Gongshu by his side is truly my powerful enemy, whether it's mechanisms or formations, they are all around me. I couldn't break her formation, and she couldn't break mine either. The Gongshu family excels at attacking cities, while the Mohist school excels at defending cities, this battle's outcome is hard to predict."

  Gongsun Sheng and Xu Huai, Xu Qingniang and others all praised, saying: "In ancient times, Gongshu Ban helped the State of Chu attack Song, but was easily defeated by Mozi, lifting the crisis for the State of Song. Now there is also a great Song Dynasty, with bandits causing chaos, officials oppressing people to rebel, and Liu Junshi competing in magic with Wu Zetian's Gongshu military strategist. Is all this not the will of heaven?"

  Liu Huiniang's face lit up with a smile, saying: "How dare I be compared to the great sages? You gentlemen have overpraised me." After a pause, she continued: "I and Gongshu were evenly matched for a moment, but now it is already deep autumn. If Qingzhou delays the battle, our food and grass will not last, and this winter will be difficult to pass. The bandits have the imperial court as their backing, so they don't worry about food and grass. If snow falls, the war situation will be unfavorable for our army."

  Gongsun Sheng and several other Taoist priests exchanged a glance, saying: "If Chen and Song were to learn of the bandit's presence here, they would certainly come to our aid. With their help, Qingzhou can be taken."

  Liu Hui Niang shook her head and said: "Breaking the martial bandits is a great achievement, don't you all want to get this merit?"

  Xu Huai and others remained silent for a while, then Xu Qingniang smiled and said: "What does the young lady want us to do?"

  Liu Hui Nang smiled and said: "I've heard that Mr. Gong Sun is well-versed in the Five Thunder Heaven's Punishment Orthodox Method, and has a unique skill with the Five Thunder Seal Great Method?"

  Gongsun Sheng nodded and said: "The power is slightly inferior, but it wins in that it doesn't require a high level of magical power."

  "Gongsun, if it's convenient for you, please pass on the Five Thunder Seal Great Method to everyone present. Tonight, we'll use this thunder method to blast the bandits' headquarters, and I'll lead a charge with the Thunderbolt Chariot and several thousand elite soldiers. Even if we can't kill the bandit leader, we must kill her military advisor Gongshu."

  Liu Huiniang sipped her tea and raised her head with a smile: "If Gong Sun dies, the bandits will not be worth worrying about!"

  Gongsun Sheng thought for a moment, then smiled and said: "Mr. Xu and Mr. Gou are both people from my Taoist school, they can learn the Taoist methods of my Erxian Mountain." He also turned to Liu Huiniang and said: "General Liu is proficient in both Mo School and Buddhist techniques, it's really not suitable for him to learn the thunder method of my Taoist school, please withdraw for now."

  Liu Huiniang stood up and left, and Gong Sunsheng immediately transmitted the Five Thunder Heavenly Punishment Orthodox Method to Xu He, Xu Hui, Xu Qingniang, and Gou Ying. The four of them were originally not weak in their magical powers, and they had inherited the same Taoist teachings as Erxian Mountain. After a moment's comprehension, they suddenly understood and smiled at each other, saying: "Let's go to the city tower, it's convenient for us to perform our magic!"