Double Dragon Gathering

  Xiao Wu's arrow was faster, after all, he only had two hands, and several Liao soldiers rushed to the front of the cave. The ferocity of the Khitan people was revealed, one by one, baring their teeth and grinning, with the hair on the sides of their shaved heads fluttering backwards, like a group of mischievous little demons, several sharp spears stabbed at Xiao Wu simultaneously.

  The bow and arrow are no match for close combat, and even if Xiao Wu could shoot another one to death, he would still be pierced by the chaotic guns. Unfortunately, his body was stuck in the narrow cave entrance, unable to jump or dodge, with only one way to retreat, but behind him were assassins blocking the way, and any slight delay would make him a target for the guns.

  At this critical moment of life and death, purely out of instinct, Xiao Wu suddenly turned the big bow around, using the bowstring to meet the guns, and with a twist, he actually twisted several gun heads into a bundle. Fortunately, the big bow was not ordinary, otherwise the bowstring would have broken long ago. To say it again, if Xiao Wu didn't have 300 jin of bow power, even if he wanted to twist, he wouldn't be able to do it.

  This kind of adaptability in the face of the enemy is not possessed by everyone, and the birth of any seasoned general is the result of accumulating the experience of going through trials and tribulations. Little Wu's life of iron and blood can be said to have started from this point on.

  Several Liao soldiers were suddenly struck by this great force, as if they were clothes being wrung out, and were wrapped up into a ball. Under the same counterforce, Xiaowu's body was also bounced back into the cave, like a stone projectile from a catapult, heavily smashing onto the assassin's body, and the two of them fell to the ground together.

  Having obtained this opportunity, the Liao soldiers rushed in one after another, shouting and rushing into the cave. Fortunately, the entrance of the cave was narrow, and only one person could pass through at a time. If it were any larger, they would have swarmed in and the situation would have been lost.

  Xiao Wu thought that Han Jiu'er was lying there unconscious, and no matter what, he couldn't let the Liao army rush in. A swift movement, he grabbed his iron spear and stabbed it straight at a Liao soldier who was squeezing in.

  That Liao soldier's situation was not much different from Xiao Wu's earlier, but unlike Xiao Wu, he was not so lucky. He swung his sword to block, but let out a miserable cry as the iron spear slid along the blade and stabbed into his own belly.

  This was Xiaowu's first time killing someone at close range, the enemy's blood spurted out along the barrel of the gun, splashing him all over, and he could even feel the opponent's last twitch before death...

  Generally, those who first go to the battlefield can't help but be nervous and frightened, but once they see blood, whether it's their own or someone else's, their heart calms down, and at that moment, human life is no different from grass and trees. Xiaowu was also like this, smelling the pungent smell of blood, his heart was unmoved, and with a burst of strength in both arms, he pushed the corpse of the Liao soldier out of the cave, and he himself rushed out, the iron spear sweeping horizontally, throwing the corpse out at the same time, also sweeping away the Liao soldiers who followed.

  At the moment of rushing out of the stone cave, Xiao Wu didn't think that staying in place and ambushing those who entered would be safer and easier, but it would lose the initiative to attack. However, having read Sun Tzu's Art of War, he had his own views: an army should advance rather than retreat, which is the greatest safety. When there was a chance to prove it, he unhesitatingly put it into practice with his life. From then on, advancing rather than retreating became Xiao Wu's personality trait, and for the rest of his life, he never retreated.

  Perhaps at that time, Little Five had more confidence in his own martial arts, the arrow technique that obtained the proof of death, made him realize that he was born to be on the cruel battlefield, now he wants to prove his close combat skills - marksmanship.

  Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who were regarded as role models by Xiao Wu, were not people who could take the head of a general in an army of millions as if they were taking something from their pocket. They were unbeatable in close combat, especially the story of Zhang Fei holding his 18-foot steel spear on horseback at Changban Bridge and repelling hundreds of thousands of Cao's soldiers made him feel excited and yearn for it.

  Xiao Wu's 8-foot iron spear was the same length as Zhang Fei's 8-foot pointed steel spear. The so-called "8-foot" refers to the Han dynasty measurement, which is only about 7 feet according to the Song dynasty measurement. Xiao Wu was 5 feet 5 inches tall, and his iron spear was more than a foot taller than him, weighing 39 catties. The spearhead was in the shape of a four-sided pyramid, which was called a "large gun" by the Song people, suitable for cavalry battles. However, this time it was an infantry battle, and it felt a bit too long.

  The spear of the Liao soldier was even longer, also used for cavalry battles, with blades on both ends, capable of stabbing and throwing, equivalent to a combination of a large spear and a javelin. They saw the assassin covered in blood, charging out like a mad bear, all of them were seasoned veterans who had tasted blood and experienced many killings, their eyes turned red, desperate to fight to the death.

  The leaders behind saw that the assassin had been surrounded, and led the remaining dozens of soldiers to come and reinforce. However, the space around Dashi was limited after all, and more people could not move their hands and feet freely. Those with knives naturally stayed on the periphery, while those with guns inserted inside.

  This Liao army was accustomed to charging and killing on horseback, but suddenly changed to infantry warfare, which made them awkward in coordination. Each of them held their spears and stabbed randomly, allowing Xiao Wu's iron spear to take advantage of the momentum, shaking its head wildly, parrying left and right, knocking down several people.

  Finally, the leader who held the wolf-toothed club saw that something was wrong and shouted several times in Khitan language. The Liao soldiers who were originally fighting separately responded to the call and gathered their feet, dividing into two teams. The leader shouted again, and a row of guns from the front team of Liao army stabbed towards Xiao Wu's upper three roads, while a row of guns from the rear team of Liao army simultaneously crossed to attack Xiao Wu's lower three roads.

  Although the enemy's experience is insufficient, how can Xiao Wu withstand such a battle plan? For a time, he was at a loss, surrounded by danger. If it weren't for the large stone as a shield, he would have been spared the suffering of being surrounded from front and back. Even if there were several more Xiaowus, they couldn't hold on. Although this is the case, if the Liao army comes again with a few more rounds, can Xiao Wu survive?

  Xiao Wu gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger again, sending the two rows of long guns of the Liao army flying up and down. His tiger's mouth was numb from the shock, and he could hardly hold onto the gun handle. The iron gun had its own advantages and disadvantages - the body was too heavy, the enemy received double the force, and using it was exhausting. Moreover, Xiao Wu was fighting against the combined strength of over a dozen big men with his own strength alone.

  The situation was precarious, with the Liao army's guns at the ready once again. Xiaowu struggled to raise his gun, but just as he did, a figure suddenly jumped out from behind him and snatched the iron gun from his hands. Xiaowu didn't even have the strength to struggle back, thinking to himself that his time had come.

  Never had he thought that the figure would suddenly hold the iron spear horizontally, and with a loud crash, charged into the Liao army formation. Only then did Xiao Wu see clearly that the one who had snatched the spear was an assassin, his bare upper body revealing a conspicuous arrow wound on his left shoulder.

  An assassin burst through the Liao army, with a single swing of his right arm, he threw out an iron spear like a javelin, pinning the leader holding the wolf-toothed club to the ground. He then snatched up a long spear and charged forward, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, thrusting left and right, throwing the Liao army into great chaos.

  Xiao Wu's eyes widened in shock, the assassin's gun was completely unorthodox, simple and unadorned, even the way he held the gun was not standard, yet every shot hit a vital spot. It seemed as if he had eyes all around, and his two hands were like a thousand hands of Guanyin, making each shot from the gun like Xiao Wu's arrow, every one a fatal hit. Was there really such a shooting technique in this world?

  "Arrows! Get arrows!" The assassin didn't know that Xiao Wu was dazed, and with a left and right swing of his spear, he killed two Liao soldiers, but it was already like the last strength of a strong crossbow, knowing that his energy would soon be exhausted, so he hurriedly shouted for help.

  Xiao Wu was like a dream come true, turning around and crawling back into the stone cave. When he returned to the stone cave with one hand holding his bow and the other grasping his quiver, the Liao army had already been killed by the assassin, unable to withstand this kind of terror. With a shout, the few remaining soldiers who were not dead, numbering only a dozen or so, rolled and crawled into the forest, scattering like birds and beasts.

  The assassin turned around, swaying back and forth like a blood man, with the bodies of Liao soldiers lying horizontally and vertically at his feet. He looked at Xiao Wu, revealing his snow-white teeth, and smiled: "Saada!"

  Although Xiao Wu didn't understand the assassin's words, he knew he was unharmed and couldn't help but let out a huge sigh of relief. His chest surged with emotion, filled with the feeling of having shared life and death with someone for the first time. Even though this person wasn't one of his own kind, he stepped forward: "Good marksmanship!"

  "Saada, what's your name?" The assassin wiped the blood from his face and bowed solemnly. "This life of mine was saved by you, great kindness doesn't need to be thanked!"

  "My name is Yue Fei, courtesy name Pengju, from Yonghe Village, Xiaotie Township, Tangyin County, Hebei Province. How should a strong man address you?" Little Wu saw the assassin and felt somewhat embarrassed. After all, the assassin had saved his life, so he put aside his resentment and exchanged greetings.

  "Call me Zongbi, a man from the Tiger Water Clan." The self-proclaimed Zongbi assassin replied loudly, seeming to be quite proud of his origin.

  "What is Anchu Tiger Water? And what does Saada mean?" Since their relationship had progressed to another level, Xiao Wu's curiosity could no longer be suppressed.

  "It's all our women's true words, 'Anchu Hu' is the golden son, my great Golden Kingdom was named after this, 'Saada' means good fellow, you are a good fellow, shooting a good arrow!" Zongbi managed to say a string of awkward Chinese.

  "Zongbie brother, you are the real hero, even daring to kill the Khitan Emperor!" At that time, due to the fact that they were separated by the Liao State, the Song people were quite unfamiliar with the Jin people and had no bad feelings. Xiao Wu admired Zongbie's daring assassination of the Liao Emperor, and this time, joining forces to kill the enemy, they appreciated each other even more.

  "Brother Yue Fei, let's hurry on our way to rescue your Yelü. Otherwise, you'll kill me." Zong Bian hastily winked and bent down to strip a tiger skin jacket from the body of a Liao army commander and put it on himself.

  "Oh..." Xiaowu was momentarily unaccustomed to Zongbi's straightforward way of speaking, although what he said was all true.

  Back on the road, with no horses left, only two people took turns carrying Han Jiu'er, who was still unconscious and powerless in both hands, relying solely on the two waistbands taken from the Liao soldiers' corpses to tie her up.

  The road up the mountain became increasingly rugged, and even with a horse, it was impossible to ride. Xiao Wu grew up in the plains and was not good at climbing mountains. After just experiencing a fierce battle, the burden of carrying people mainly fell on Zong Bi's shoulders.

  Zong Bi's physical strength was revealed, and he had just gone through a fierce battle. Previously, he had been shot by an arrow, but at this moment, he coiled the two long braids around his neck, supported Han Jiu'er with both arms, and walked uphill as if on flat ground.

  Xiao Wu reluctantly followed behind, knowing that Han Jiu's current state was caused by Zong Bi, and felt a bit apologetic: "Zong Bi brother, thanks for your trouble."

  Zong Bi said with a big air, "Your Ilha is too light, I can carry an old tiger without getting tired."

  "What does Yiluha mean?" Xiaowu asked after hearing this word for the second time.

  "Yī ěr hā... is a maiden who has an intimate relationship with you, or one who may marry you." Zōng Bì paused for a moment, unable to find the right Chinese words, and made his best effort to explain. He had naturally already observed that Hán Jiǔ'ér was a young girl, and also seen that Yuè Fēi and she were not husband and wife, but he had yet to grasp elegant Chinese phrases like "red sleeve confidante".

  "Ah?" Xiao Wu's face suddenly turned red, and he subconsciously glanced at Han Jiu'er who was leaning on Zong Bi's back, afraid of being overheard. Without arguing, "She is not my Ilha, we... are not as you think."

  "If it weren't for your Ilha, how would you risk your life to save her?" Zongbi sneered, "It's said that southerners are muddle-headed, having things they love but not daring to ask for them, having desires but not seeking them. They like to beat around the bush and talk about 'following one's emotions' and 'stopping at propriety'. Which is unlike our Jurchen women, who dare to love and dare to seek... if we like you, we'll make you our Ilha..."

  It's unclear whether it was because he had found the right conversation partner, but Zhong Bi's Mandarin became increasingly fluent as he spoke non-stop. Xiao Wu listened in silence, feeling that although this Jurchen youth's words went against the teachings of the sages, they also seemed to make some sense, and she couldn't help but ask herself: did she have feelings for Han Jiuer or not?

  "We're almost at the top of the mountain!" Zongbi suddenly shouted with joy, quickening his pace. Xiao Wu heard this and hastened to catch up.

  Suddenly, the scene in front of me was bright and open. Xiao Wu, who had been crawling up the mountain with his head down without looking at the scenery, inserted his iron spear into the ground, gazed out, and saw that it was high noon, the sky was a vast expanse of blue, and white clouds like cotton balls seemed to be within reach. Below was a vast grassland stretching as far as the eye could see, with an atmosphere of grandeur and vastness that was unparalleled in the Central Plains. Looking back, there were endless mountains and ridges, like a thick and heavy ink painting, majestic and introspective. And this mountain top was the intersection point of two completely different heavens and human realms.

  "It's a great man who can stand between heaven and earth!" Xiao Wu's disturbed mind, due to this rare and extraordinary scene, returned to its calm state, and he let out a long whistle, which echoed endlessly.

  "A fine young man should ride his horse freely across the land!" Zong Bi was also infected, unwilling to show weakness, and responded with a sharp whistle, suddenly rising from the ground, rushing straight into the clouds, his momentum not losing out to Xiao Wu in the slightest.

  Fate is such a tease, bringing together two people who would shake the annals of history and be etched in the collective memory of their respective nations for eternity, due to a small coincidence. They formed a bond of friendship hidden deep within their hearts, but this secret friendship became entangled with unforeseen national hatred and family feuds, ultimately being erased by history, known to no more than a handful of people.

  These two proudly opposing youths, each etched the mighty passion they shouted out at this moment into their hearts, and carried it through to the end of their lives, leaving later generations to sigh or admire, lost in thought.

  The mountain facing the vast grassland is quite steep, with a saying "going up the mountain is easy, coming down is difficult". Xiaowu struggled to carry Hanjiuer down to the middle of the mountain, but couldn't hold on anymore and let Zongbi take over. The Liao army didn't know if they were killed or had their morale broken, and disappeared without a trace.

  Finally arrived at the foot of the mountain, when the red sun was setting, the afterglow was like blood, and the vast grassland only left a desolate horizon. Looking back, the mountains were hazy, as if a giant shadow was about to swallow the two people.

  "Brother Yue Fei, have something to eat first. Are you tired? We need to rush through the night." Zong Bi put down Han Jiu'er, took a short rest, and brought out dried meat and water bottles taken from the Liao soldiers, sharing them with Xiao Wu.

  "Not tired!" Xiao Wu had no mood to eat or drink, carefully holding Han Jiu'er in his arms, seeing that she was only physically cold, as if asleep, and feeling slightly relieved. He wished he could fly to the destination in one step, but suddenly thought of a serious problem, "How are we going to get there?"

  "Walk past? I'm afraid that by the time you've walked halfway, your Ilha will be gone." Zong Bi smiled mischievously, but appeared confident.

  "If I can't save Xiao Jiu, you will pay with your life!" Xiao Wu also didn't care about "Yi Er Ha" anymore, and spoke seriously and sternly.

  "Don't worry, I'll definitely return to you a lively and energetic Yirha!" Zong Bi kept saying "Yirha" over and over again, making Xiao Wu so angry that he couldn't breathe, and finally didn't respond.

  Zong Bi saw that Xiao Wu was ignoring him, so he chuckled and pulled out an object from his waist pocket. It was a wooden tube that looked familiar to Xiao Wu.

  Xiao Wu glanced sideways, wanting to see what trick Zong Bi was up to. He saw him put the wooden tube to his mouth and blow, producing a "yuuu" sound. Unconsciously, he felt at ease, realizing that this thing could imitate the call of a deer. Following this thought, he remembered that among the entourage who followed the Liao Emperor on a hunting trip, there was one person wearing deerskin who had such an object. Could it be... Just as Xiao Wu was about to ask, Zong Bi made a silencing gesture with his hand. Suddenly, from afar came the same deer call sound.

  "Get ready to ride the deer!" Zong Bi lowered his voice and blew a few more times on the wooden tube, then without warning, he tied Han Jiu'er's back with a waistband.

  "Ride a deer?" Xiao Wu was shocked, seeing that Zong Bi was not joking, he quickly adjusted his bow and gun. Just then, a sound of "clip-clop" hooves came from another part of the mountain foot, getting closer and closer.

  "Ride along with them, grab one and mount it!" Zhong Bi said as he started to run, his footsteps kicking up clouds of dust, shaking the earth, with an air of "those who block will be killed, those who touch will be injured".

  "How to ride?" Xiao Wu, born in Song territory, had never seen such a scene before. He asked while following Zong Bi as he ran, and by the time they finished speaking, the deer herd had already swept up to them like a whirlwind.

  Taking advantage of the last rays of the setting sun, Little Wu saw clearly that this group of grayish-brown deer was not the spotted deer he had seen before. They were tall and large in build, with antlers that seemed to be neither deer nor non-deer, heads that seemed to be neither horse nor non-horse, bodies that seemed to be neither donkey nor non-donkey, hooves that seemed to be neither cow nor non-cow. Especially the pair of tree-branch-like large antlers were particularly frightening, as if they would poke several big holes in him if he wasn't careful.

  "Grab their horns!" Zhong Bi suddenly accelerated, carrying Han Jiu'er on his back, chasing after the leading stag.

  "You go first!" Xiao Wu followed closely behind, wanting to see how Zong Bi would get on.

  A herd of deer attracted by the calls of their own kind, seeing a man, were naturally startled. The lead deer kicked and ran wildly, wanting to lead the herd away from this dangerous place, but it was already too late.

  Only to see Zong Bi stretch out one hand, towards the front a probe, hanging on the head deer foot has an adult body length big horn, both feet a kick leave ground, just like ape, lightly and nimbly fall on the head deer back.

  The deer was frightened, jumping and leaping wildly, trying to shake off the burden on its back. However, Zong Bi held tightly onto the deer's horns and wouldn't let go, no matter what.

  Xiao Wu was extremely perceptive and saw that the key to success lay in grabbing the deer's antlers. He immediately pounced on the largest deer closest to him. However, seeing it and doing it were two different things. The large deer, sensing someone approaching, swung its head and pointed its sharp antlers at Xiao Wu.

  If he was knocked down, would he still be alive? Xiao Wu didn't expect to encounter such a dangerous situation in the midst of the deer herd. In a flash of inspiration, he thrust his iron spear into the ground and leapt high into the air, barely avoiding a fatal blow. Seizing the opportunity, he grabbed hold of the deer's antlers and, with a mid-air somersault, landed steadily on its back. Already drenched in cold sweat, he exclaimed: "What a fine beast!"

  At this time, the sunset had completely sunk below the horizon. The deer group, with these three uninvited guests, turned their backs to the few remaining clouds that still lingered in the sky, and rushed into the depths of the vast black grassland. They didn't know how long they galloped wildly before gradually slowing down.

  "Zong Bi, brother, does the deer know the direction?" The big girl sat in the sedan chair, and Xiao Wu, who was riding a deer for the first time, was shaken so much that he looked pale. He looked at Zong Bi, who was only a black shadow in front of him, and shouted with some worry.

  "They don't know, I do!" Zhong Bi said, twisting the large antlers of the lead deer with his hand, leading the herd to turn a big circle, proving it to Xiao Wu.

  "How can a deer be controlled by people?" Xiao Wu was truly impressed. The Khitan could ride camels, and the Jurchen could tame deer. These northern tribes seemed to have some magical skills.

  "Yue Fei, we northerners are used to hunting with deer whistles. That Khitan dog emperor would never have thought that we would use the flower deer to assassinate him. The ones we ride are called big horned deer, they can run long distances, as long as we control the lead deer, we can go wherever we want." Zong Bi boasted proudly.