Volume 3 Chapter 4 The Crisis of Severing Rations

  Lei Meng hurried forward to look at the map, only to find that he couldn't recognize the characters on it and didn't understand the meaning of the lines. His face turned red as he said to Mr. Wen: "Mr. Wen, would you please explain this map? Yang Tian and I can't read yet." The crowd was shocked, their eyes wide with surprise. Suddenly, Qin Hao burst out laughing: "Haha, finally I feel a bit more at ease! I thought you guys were all-powerful before!"

  Yang Tian felt a surge of anger in his heart, thinking that if he hadn't come to this place, he wouldn't even recognize the characters. He pointed at Qin Hao's ribs and made a "whooshing" sound, causing Qin Hao to burst out laughing. The crowd thought he was amused by something and turned to look at him, but Tong Da Shuai didn't like his excessive display of emotion and shouted: "Qin Hao! Stop it, what kind of behavior is this!"

  Qin Hao was so anxious that he wanted to cry, but he couldn't help it and burst out laughing: "G...g...haha...I...can't...stop!...Haha...haha..."

  Tong Dashuai frowned, and Lei Ming glanced at the map beside Yang Tian, who was secretly laughing. Suddenly, he realized that Yang Tian had mastered the technique of pointing to acupoints from a distance.

  "Looks like there's retribution after all." He then said to Yang Tian, "Let it go, otherwise it's too noisy."

  Yang Tian had a sudden attack of laziness and felt that continuing to play was meaningless, so he flashed over and swung his palm at Qin Hao's ribs, clearing away the stagnant energy. Qin Hao saw Yang Tian flash over and swing his palm, thinking he was going to punish him again, and hastily dodged to one side, but didn't dodge in time and was grazed by the blow. Infuriated, he cursed loudly: "Yang Tian, you're too much!" After speaking, Qin Hao suddenly froze, realizing that he had been freed.

  Yang Tianyi didn't like hearing that and raised his hand threateningly, saying: "Do you want to try again?"

  "Ah~, no!" Qin Hao was so scared that he ran out. Everyone watched Yang Tian's performance and couldn't help but praise him.

  Luoyang Tian first showed admiration and said to Yang Tian: "Young brother, I don't know where you learned from? Can you recommend one or two to Luoyang?"

  Lei Meng and Yang Tian were stunned, why did General also want to learn? For a moment, they didn't know how to answer.

  Luoyang Tian saw that the two were speechless and thought they didn't want to talk, so he sighed and said: "It seems I, Luoyang, have been too abrupt." After finishing speaking, he cupped his hands.

  The thunder stopped and Yang Tian, who was about to brag, pulled out another lie: "We don't know who that expert is either, we only know he can fly in the sky and escape on land, after teaching us two people he left."

  Luoyang Tian's eyes lit up after hearing, it seems there is still hope, are these two willing to teach? With a thud, he knelt down on the ground and looked up at Lei Meng and said: "Please accept Luoyang Tian as a disciple, I am willing to take on the responsibility of being a junior!" The crowd was stunned, today's shocking events were really too many. Tong Dashuai first put away his surprised expression and turned into a smiling face: This Luoyang Tian is really clever. In this way, the subsequent matters will also be taken care of by someone.

  Lei Meng and Yang Tian exchanged a glance, Yang Tian nodded slightly. Lei Meng hummed softly and then said to Luo Yangtian: "General Luo, let's discuss this matter privately later, for now, let's focus on the plan."

  Luoyang Tian saw the opportunity and got confirmation, quickly scrambled up and said "Yes sir!"

  It seems that everyone who becomes a general is not simple.

  Everyone gathered around the map, Mr. Wen pointed to a small circle on the map and said: "Here is Hexi, 45 kilometers southeast is Baishan, 30 kilometers southwest of Baishan is Baihe River, and 45 kilometers east of Baihe River is Wujijiang."

  Originally, Tong Dashuai had not been idle these past few days and had dispatched soldiers to roughly map out the surrounding terrain. Lei Meng and Yang Tian looked at Wujijun nestled in a seam between the mountains and finally understood why it was a key frontline stronghold - because aside from this place, anywhere else would be too difficult to cross over the mountains.

  Yang Tianxi looked at the map, and with Mr. Wen's gestures and explanations just now, he also understood how to read this map. Although he felt that the information was still lacking, it was easy to understand the terrain. Just a moment later, he discovered a problem and raised his head to ask: "Mr. Wen, why is the west of the river on the east side of the river?"

  Mr. Wen smiled and said, "At first, we were also puzzled, so we asked the locals. The locals said that it was rumored that this river was originally on the east side of the city, so after the city was built, the city was called Hexi; later, there were several big floods, and it actually ran to the west side of the city, but the name of the city had been used for a long time, so no one changed it again."

  "Mr. Wen, I don't know what's to the northwest of this river?" Huang Chu asked, looking at the map. "If the Haotian army is coming, where will they come from?" Mr. Wen looked up at General Tong, who took over and said: "This river is called the White River in our section, with a width of over 20 meters and a depth of 5-6 meters. The water is turbulent, making it difficult to cross from the surface. To the northwest along the White River, there's a city called Haoyue, which is an economic hub for Haotian. Nearby, there's a narrow point, only over 10 meters wide, with a 5-meter-wide wooden bridge spanning the river. That's where the Haotian army is most likely to emerge, other places are too far."

  "Hmm, in that case, we need to guard against the Hwangcheon Army attacking from this side of the river." Yang Tian said, stroking his chin.

  Everyone stared at the map on the table in contemplation, thinking about what to do if Haotian wanted to attack.

  Suddenly, Mr. Wen raised his head and asked: "General Luo, how much grain did you bring?" General Luo felt it was not quite right, but still said casually: "We only brought two days' worth of rations. What's wrong?"

  "What a nuisance!" Mr. Wen said with annoyance, "I was just saying that I felt like something was missing earlier."

  Seeing Mr. Wen's expression, everyone reacted and realized that there was not enough food. Huang Chu asked: "Mr. Wen, how much food is left?"

  Mr. Wen's face was full of worry, and he said, "Before you came, we could hold on for two months; now, I'm afraid it will be eleven days at most..."

  After a moment of silence, Luoyang sighed and said, "It seems we still have no choice but to charge forward!"

  "Yes! The two brothers still have to rush forward desperately! Otherwise, they will starve to death!" Tong Dashuai muttered.

  Lei Meng, who hadn't spoken much, opened his mouth and asked: "I don't know how much grain is left in Huáng Yuè's place? And how much is there in Wū Jī's place?"

  Tong Dashuai and Luoyang Tian shook their heads, indicating they didn't know.

  Huang Chu snapped his fingers and calculated, "The grain in Wujicheng should be able to last for a month. But Wujicheng doesn't have to worry about running out of grain, Jin Yuan will keep supplying it continuously." He paused, swept a glance at the crowd who were listening attentively, and continued, "As for Haotian's grain reserves in Haoyue, I don't know how much they have, but one thing is certain, they must be stockpiling grain. Otherwise, there's no way they can engage in a protracted war with us Jin Yuan."

  Qin Hao interrupted at this time: "In other words, the Haotian Army has not arrived yet because they are adjusting their grain supply?"

  "Uh, but I think it's almost time..."

  Yes...

  Tong Dashuai and Luoyang Tian sighed one after another, it seems that charging into the enemy's array to kill them is unavoidable, only wondering where they will end up dying. Only wondering who will benefit from the war achievements gained through their desperate fight. Only wondering what they can leave behind for their families after their death...

  Lei Ming saw that everyone was disheartened and opened the way: "Since this battle cannot be avoided, we should think of ways to minimize damage. It is meaningless to make unnecessary grief here."

  Tong Dashuai's eyes lit up and he exclaimed, "Right! We'll start training our troops now! At least we can set up a formation!"

  "Right!" Luoyang Tian also lifted his spirits.

  Mr. Wen suggested: "Since we are going to concentrate our forces to respond, then let's transfer the troops from Baishan and Baihe over here."

  Tong Dashuai saw Lei Meng and Yang Tian nodding, and shouted: "Pass on my order! Let the troops of Baihe and Baishan all be transferred to the west of the river!"

  "Qin Hao! Guang Piao scout, pay close attention to the movements of the Huan Tian army!"

  "Yes!" Qin Hao took orders and left.

  "Older brother, let's also distribute some troops, I'll give you 20,000 troops..."

  "No, give me 15,000 instead."

  Luoyang Tian hesitated for a moment and said, "Alright then."

  That night, the troops of Hakko and Shiroyama all arrived at Kōsei.

  The leaders gathered together again to hold a grand meeting, where Commander Tong announced that they would be the vanguard. He appointed himself as the Grand General, Luoyang Tian as Deputy General, Lei Ming as the Central Army Leader with 3,000 troops, and Lin Chong as his deputy; Yang Tian was given 2,000 soldiers, plus the original 900 soldiers who had surrendered to Huo Tian, totaling 2,900 soldiers. Zhang Shan and Liu Yi were assigned to his side. Qin Hao remained in command of 5,000 soldiers.

  Then each general dispersed to tidy up their troops and prepare to send out troops tomorrow.

  The room was small, and Lei Meng and Yang Tian lived in the backyard of the city master's mansion. They had just sat cross-legged on the bed for a short while, finishing their circulation of four or five cycles - because the two were too special, others would need at least four or five minutes to circulate one cycle, but they could do it in just one minute, and Lei Meng could even be faster - when suddenly, outside the window, there was a faint "plop" sound, as if a mouse had fallen from the wall. However, Lei Meng and Yang Tian felt that the atmosphere in the air was different, and the two of them alertly grabbed the Tang knife beside them and jumped up.

  A soft laughter echoed outside: "Hehe, quite vigilant. Come out then."

  The two men did not dare to underestimate the thunder, and cautiously stepped out of the house one after another. However, at this time, a black cloud floated in from somewhere in the sky, blocking the bright moonlight. As they came out, the two only vaguely saw a tall figure standing in the center of the courtyard.

  "Who's there!" Yang Tian shouted.

  "Haha, it seems that you two are indeed the extraordinary children of legend." The man still chuckled, with a hint of disdain.

  Lei Meng said calmly from a slightly later position: "What's your business?"

  At this time, someone outside had already heard Yang Tian's questioning and was surrounding this side with a murmur. It seems that the assassination of Wujijin last time made Tong Dashi more cautious.

  "Hmm, reaction is still quite fast, looks like Tong Wen Zheng and Luo Yang Tian are not too stupid after all." The person's voice turned slightly low.

  The thunder saw that person calm and heard the surrounding soldiers moving without panic, either because he was close to hiding or because his martial arts were high, and the latter possibility was very large. So he shouted loudly: "Everyone doesn't need to come over! Thunder is here! Disperse!"

  Dai Zong heard the thunder and ordered the soldiers to disperse: "All of you go back to sleep, nothing's wrong!" But secretly he left Zhang Shan, Lin Chong, Liu Yi and several other skilled fighters behind, in case of emergency. - He knew that even if more soldiers came, it would be pointless as Lei Ying and his companion couldn't hold them off anyway.

  "Haha, quite bold and confident, aren't you?" The man's tone was sarcastic.

  At this time, the surrounding houses gradually lit up.

  Yang Tian retorted with a sneer: "You're not bad either, daring to come alone! In that case, I'll take my time capturing you."

  "How shameless! Make a move!" The man only shouted but didn't take action, seemingly because he saw the two little kids and had no desire to make a move.

  "Yang Tian, go ahead and see if you can take him down within ten moves." Lei Meng provoked Yang Tian from the side.

  "I'm going to die!" Yang Tian shouted, but his right hand still swiftly drew the Tang knife from the scabbard held in his left hand and chopped towards the black shadow in the courtyard. ——Yang Tian's left hand had not fully recovered, but as long as he didn't use more than 50% of his strength, the wound wouldn't rupture.

  That black figure also swiftly drew out his sword, holding it horizontally to block. A "ding" sound was heard as the knife and sword clashed, flashing a faint green light.

  Yang Tian didn't dare to be arrogant, and he straightened his body, using the force of the rebound to retreat. He shouted: "Hmph! Not bad, you can actually withstand a single slash from Grandpa Yang!"

  That person didn't respond, but instead charged forward with a swift movement, his sword merging into one as he stabbed three meters away at Yang Tian, without making a single sound in the darkness.

  Yang Tian felt a chill on the left side of his chest, and it turned out that the sword tip was pointing there. He immediately circulated his internal energy throughout his body, feeling slightly better. Taking a bow step forward, Yang Tian used 70% of his strength to slash diagonally upwards with his right hand near the hilt of the charging sword. If he continued to thrust forward, it would be unavoidable that his sword would be chopped out of his hand.

  That man busily used the sword in his hand to deflect slightly to the left, and then turned to parry the incoming Tang knife with a rightward motion. As he turned his body to the right, he intended to use the scabbard in his left hand to strike Yang Tian, but saw that Yang had again borrowed the force of the parry to bounce back, and his left hand swept through empty air.

  Lei Meng watched Yang Tian fight on the side, shaking his head. This kid still doesn't know how to use his moves skillfully, and if another person like him comes along, Yang Tian will be in danger. Hmm, let him practice with this guy then.

  Lei Meng thought so and didn't lend a hand.

  "Haha, indeed not bad. No wonder you can defeat the Hwangcheon Army. Try this move of mine."

  After finishing, the man swung his sword in a circle in front of him. Yang Tian only felt a suction force pulling him forward, and his body leaned forward slightly. Then he saw the man's sword stabbing at him like a venomous snake, making him secretly cry out in dismay. Suddenly, he had an idea, and with a fierce thrust, he stabbed his Tang knife forward, then pushed it out, using the momentum to propel himself backward. He stomped his right foot on the ground and retreated a step. At this moment, all that could be heard was the sound of "ding ding ding" as the Tang knife was knocked away by a flurry of wild strikes, falling to the ground two meters away with a "pu" sound.

  Yang Tian didn't have time to call out in celebration, the other person also didn't have time to call out "opportunity has arrived", Lei Meng standing on one side suddenly drew out his Tang knife and stabbed over. The other person then held up his sword and rolled past, wanting to roll away Lei Meng's "sword" and take advantage of the momentum to stab two holes in his body. However, as soon as the knives touched, the other person's sword couldn't be rolled up, instead feeling a thick and heavy suction force on the opponent's "sword", causing him to lose grip on his own sword. Terrified, the other person hastily retreated backwards, but at this moment, the sword in his hand flew out, his right wrist and chest feeling something brush past, he hurriedly swung his left hand's sword sheath over. Lei Meng used his Tang knife to deflect the sword sheath, but the other person had already managed to squeeze out a narrow opening, turned around and fled towards the rooftop, "whoosh" sound of some things falling down.

  On the side, Yang Tian had already become furious and angry, using 100% of his energy to strike a blow that hit the person who was fleeing on the rooftop, only to hear a dull hum, and the person accelerated their escape.

  Yang Tian picked up the Tang knife and climbed onto the rooftop, wanting to chase again. Lei Ming hurriedly shouted: "Don't chase anymore, I'm afraid there's an ambush! Something fell here."

  Yang Tianyu was sulky, but had no choice but to defend himself, and jumped down with a humph.

  At this time, Tong Dashuai, Qin Hao, Zhang Shan and Lin Chong etc. entered the yard with torches. Lei Ming picked up an oilcloth package from the wall foot where that person left under the firelight.

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