Chapter 10: Luo's Counterattack

  Haotian and others saw this, also very tactfully slowly withdrew from the hall, the door of the hall also closed.

  Waiting until Haotian and the others had disappeared from view, Tan Bo stepped forward and said: "Master, your body has already weakened to this extent, why do you still want to reveal so many heavenly secrets?"

  "I've grown old, and living a few more years doesn't make much sense. As long as I can prevent the catastrophe that will befall my country in the future, even if it means dying immediately, what's the harm? It's just that I still can't see through what will happen to them after all. Tan Po, what do you think of that person from Huatian?"

  "Most affectionate and most righteous, valuing both affection and righteousness."

  The old man opened his eyes: "Yes, with extreme emotions and strong sense of justice, this is exactly what I'm worried about. If such a person were to be enraged, the whole world might not be able to suppress his anger."

  "Master, aren't you worrying too much? I think although Hua Tian is very emotional and sensitive, with Tian Yi and Xuan Ji by his side, nothing too unexpected should happen." Tan Bo said tentatively.

  The old man shook his head: "Heaven's will? She is the root of all the bloodshed in the world. Although Xuanji is clever, she is just a military strategist and cannot fundamentally influence Huatian's decisions. Blood killing has both bravery and strategy, Feng Jing is intelligent and wise, Xin Ke is invincible, and with these three people alone, Huatian can dominate the river valley. Moreover, Huatian himself is also a genius, and his determination to kill is heavy, so it is really difficult to predict what will happen in the world."

  "Master, I think Haotian has a heavy murderous intent, but his main target is the foreign tribes outside the pass. He still has feelings for the people of Shen Zhou."

  "I'm afraid he'll get used to killing and eventually lose control. Haotian, I hope you can distinguish between right and wrong and leave some foundation for the people of our country."

  "Master, what you just said about the Watchful Clan, what's going on?" Tan Po asked with some curiosity.

  The old man pulled the tiger skin again, closed his eyes and said: "Today, there are some ancient tribes that have been passed down for thousands of years, such as the legendary Yao Nu tribe, the Gui Nu tribe, and the Shou Wang tribe I mentioned earlier. The Shou Wang tribe is one of the most mysterious groups in China for thousands of years. Their people are not only intelligent but also talented, and they are all outstanding figures. Just like Qin Shuang, who was a sensation in the world twenty years ago, he completely overturned the entire continent of China. However, due to their unique blood inheritance method, their tribe is also extremely rare, and Huang Tian and Tian Yi are the direct descendants of the Shou Wang tribe. The people of the Shou Wang tribe are extremely contradictory. All men are both compassionate and ruthless, generous and vengeful, romantic and sentimental, indecisive and stubborn, fond of all beautiful things and possessing a destructive desire that ordinary people can't imagine. Such a person, if someone can assist him well, will definitely be a blessing to the country, but if no one can control him, it will be a sorrow for the entire world. However, their blood inheritance method is indeed difficult for ordinary people to accept."

  "Quiet and simple, good life and curiosity, continued to ask: 'Master, how did they inherit it?'"

  "This is still not something that can be revealed to you for the time being. Apart from the people of the Guardian Clan, only five people in the world know the truth behind this matter. If you were to find out now, it might bring about great calamity upon you."

  But then Haotian and others left the main hall, Haotian said to Pang Yan: "I don't know if Guoshi is leaving with Mojiang and others?"

  General, you are busy with military affairs, it's better to return as soon as possible. With the mysterious power present, although the Ten Extremes Slaughter Immortal Formation is formidable, there will be no danger. Moreover, this place is already within the Empire's control range, and with your protection, my safety is guaranteed.

  Hao Tian was shocked: "The national teacher and the general are only two people. If something unexpected happens along the way, what should we do?"

  One of the mysterious men smiled and interjected, "Don't worry, sir. Behind this valley, there is a small path that can directly cross the Yin Wind Mountains and enter the Qin River Road. Our master is familiar with the terrain, and General Wu's martial arts are exceptional, so it should be safe."

  Haotian saw that his persuasion was ineffective, so he could only nod: "Then, General and National Master, take care of yourselves. I will bid farewell first."

  "General, you must also take care of yourself. The general's responsibility is heavy, and from now on, you must be more careful."

  Haotian also smiled: "Thank you, Guoshi, for your kindness. I will take my leave now." Then he pulled over Xing Ke and others, without looking back, and entered the big array. As for Pang Yan, he just sighed and shook his head, ultimately saying nothing.

  They came out of the valley, and the sky had already darkened. Due to concerns about the situation in Dingzhou, Haotian and others did not stay either, and after reuniting with the loyal soldiers at the entrance of the valley, they rushed towards Dingzhou on horseback.

  "My lord, ten miles ahead, a large number of enemy troops were discovered, with infantry and cavalry each accounting for half, all lightly armed and advancing stealthily, heading straight for Dingzhou." Just as they were about to reach Dingzhou, the sky completely darkened. Haotian Zheng and Xuanyi were discussing their strategy after returning when Situ Lie came galloping up to report.

  Hao Tian's eyebrows slightly furrowed: "Military Advisor, what do you make of this?" Although Xuan Ji had asked Hao Tian to address him by his name, Hao Tian continued to respectfully refer to him as Military Advisor.

  Xuanji sank his voice and said: "On that day, the lord used a thousand cavalry to capture Dingzhou. Although there were tens of thousands of captives to help, but Dingzhou city was too big, it was impossible to annihilate all the enemy troops. The six states of Hexi, each occupied by one of the six tribes. Now that the lord has captured Dingzhou, the other five tribes will not stand idly by. This army, since it is marching from east to west and is half infantry and half cavalry, must be the soldiers of the Haixi Wang Dynasty stationed in Kuo State."

  Haotian nodded and said, "This morning when we left, the scouts reported no abnormalities, but unexpectedly, in just one day's work, others have already approached. It seems that Hai Xi's guardian Jin Lianghe is not a thrifty lamp after all."

  Feng Jing interjected, "In the city of Dingzhou, there are still nearly 40,000 soldiers, but basically they are all prisoners from the beginning. We just started reorganizing this morning when we left. These people can defend the city, but if they encounter a surprise attack, the consequences will be unthinkable. I don't know if Mr. Luo and Li Xiang have received news of the enemy's sneak attack."

  Xuanji shook his head: "Although I haven't seen the two of them, judging from the intelligence of several generals and the fact that our lord can let them guard Dingzhou, they should be extraordinary people. This enemy army has more than 20,000 people, with such a big movement, it's impossible for Dingzhou city not to have received any news. However, on this road, we haven't found any of our scouts, which means that our army has already realized the arrival of the enemy and has narrowed down the reconnaissance range, preparing to give them a surprise under Dingzhou city."

  Haotian smiled slightly, and the mysterious idea coincidentally converged with his own: "What does the military advisor think we should do?"

  Xuanji smiled and said, "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Since Jinliang River dares to launch a sneak attack on us, why don't we go and launch a sneak attack on his home? I wonder what our master thinks about this?"

  Jin Lianghe sat on his horse, quietly watching the city of Dingzhou in the night. Seeing the flags on the city wall still waving, he could also faintly hear the shouts coming from within the city, his tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed. As one of the leaders of the six tribes stationed in the Hexi Corridor, Jin Lianghe was not the best fighter, but he thought he should be the most meticulous. This morning, he had received news that Dingzhou City had been captured by the remnants of the Qingfeng Empire, which had startled him greatly. Although the defender of Dingzhou, Haburida, was a mediocre general, he still had 30,000 elite soldiers under his command, and the city walls were as strong as those of the capital, Yanzhou. Since the enemy had captured Dingzhou, their military strength and combat power must be considerable. However, when he learned that it was an inside job, using the prisoners of war, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, and then began to make his own plans.

  Because the Rouran soldiers were the main force that defeated the Qingfeng Northern Expedition Army, they got the most extensive and fertile Dingzhou City in the Hexi Corridor under the reward system. Haburida, on the other hand, openly instructed his subordinates to plunder everywhere during his southward journey. This man was indeed very talented, when the rest of the tribes were still working hard to clear up the remnants of the Northern Expedition Army, he had already gathered most of the wealth and resources in Hexi to Dingzhou. However, it was unexpected that this person was so incompetent, with 30,000 elite soldiers under his command being defeated by a thousand cavalry, and even losing his own life. Thinking of the huge wealth in Dingzhou City, Jin Lianghe's heart was naturally moved. The opponent's main force was only a thousand cavalry, although they had rescued tens of thousands of prisoners, as long as they could seize the time, the opponent would not have time to reorganize. Most importantly, according to the scouts' report, this morning 500 cavalry led by several generals went south towards the direction of Yinfeng Ancient Fortress, seemingly eager to lead the reward. Thinking that he still had 30,000 troops under his command, Jin Lianghe's heart suddenly became active, and after careful consideration, he finally decided to launch a surprise attack on Dingzhou. If he could capture Dingzhou, not to mention the huge wealth inside, just the emperor's reward would be enough for him to squander for several generations.

  "General, everything is normal inside. The brothers who snuck in this afternoon have already set up an ambush, and as soon as we arrive at the east gate, they will lower the drawbridge." The speaker was Vice General Jin Haoliang, a fierce and powerful man who could split tigers and leopards with his bare hands, and had killed no less than a hundred Qingfeng soldiers in that day's battle against the Northern Expedition Army.

  Jin Lianghe did not make a sound, he just observed alone for a long time, making sure there was no ambush before waving his hand to let the army prepare to enter the city.

  The city gate opened as scheduled. Facing the dark and endless streets inside, Jin Lianghe's heart hesitated for a moment, wondering what to do if the enemy was well-prepared. But he immediately smiled, thinking that even with the rescued prisoners of war, the enemy had only 200,000-300,000 men, while his own army had 250,000 seasoned warriors who were not inferior to the Qing dynasty's elite troops in a one-on-one duel. Moreover, they were facing a defeated army that had just been freed from captivity, and this was an ambush. Thinking of this, he nodded slightly at Jin He, ordering him to lead 10,000 cavalry into the city first. At this time, Jin Lianghe still had a mind for caution, if there was really an ambush in the city, let Jin He take the blame, after all, he was not his trusted aide, and even if he died, Jin Lianghe would not be heartbroken.

  After a day, the clear sound of horseshoes echoed again in Dingzhou City, and then waves of screams spread throughout Dingzhou City. Jin Lianghe was overjoyed in his heart, it seemed that the opponent was indeed unprepared, so he pointed with his whip, and the remaining 5,000 cavalry also charged in, while the 10,000 infantry followed behind under the command of another general, Jin Shituo.

  At this moment, a huge firework suddenly burst open in the sky, and after a loud noise, a shout of killing sounded from within Dingzhou City. Jin Lianghe's heart was shocked, and he immediately understood that he had fallen into a trap. He didn't care about the 10,000 vanguard led by Jin Da, and shouted "Full army retreat", preparing to push out of the city gate. However, in the chaos, how could the large army do so? In an instant, his 5,000 cavalry and Jin Shitou's 10,000 infantry collided with each other, immediately causing a commotion. Before they could regroup, the thousand-pound gate on the city gate had already fallen, trapping all 15,000 who had entered the city, including Jin Shitou's several thousand infantrymen.

  At this time, countless torches suddenly ignited on both sides of the street, illuminating the entire Dingzhou with bright lights. The defenders of Dingzhou were deployed along the houses on both sides of the street, using their bows and crossbows to inflict severe casualties on the Haixi soldiers. Meanwhile, Jin Lianghe's 10,000 cavalrymen were pinned down by the enemy on the streets. The enemy had set up numerous tripwires and anti-cavalry stakes on the streets, with a deep defense line that was layered one after another. Even Jin Lianghe's bravery was helpless against the heavily fortified defenders of Dingzhou.

  Jin Liang River stabilized his mind, this situation is not too bad, the enemy army has surrounded itself here, but perhaps due to insufficient troops, except for the part of the army that ambushed Jin He Ling on the street, the rest are only long-range attacks. As long as the Golden Stone Takahashi outside can break through the city gate in time or Jin He Ling can break through the enemy's defense, this battle still has a chance to succeed. Thinking of this, he ordered Jin He Ling to break through the opponent's defense line at the fastest speed, while thinking about how to contact the Golden Stone Takahashi outside the city.

  The enemy commander's IQ was not on the same level as his, and their plan was step by step. Before he could react, countless wooden barrels had smashed down from the sky, shattering to pieces on the ground, with ** flowing everywhere. Recognizing the familiar smell, Jin Liang River felt his gallbladder bursting, it's kerosene! The enemy actually wanted to burn this army to death!

  At the time of the raging fire, Jin Liang River finally understood why the opponent had only launched a remote attack. After all, when a beast is trapped and fighting back, in order to eliminate this pair of people and horses, the opponent would have to pay an extremely high price. And if they used fire attacks, as long as the opponent could withstand their frontal assault, then they would inevitably be completely defeated. Unexpectedly, there was such talent in the opponent's army, it seemed that all his actions today had already been anticipated by the opponent. Today's battle, losing was not unjustified.

  Outside the city of Dingzhou, the commander was Deputy General Jin Shituo. However, this man was extremely cunning. As soon as he saw the fire rising from within the city, he knew that this time would not be a good omen. Under the brave warrior's desperate situation, he couldn't care about the people in the city like Jin Lianghe anymore. After adjusting his troops, he prepared to retreat. At this moment, two cavalry units had already circled around from the south and north gates, attacking from both sides. In the dark of night, it was unclear how many enemy soldiers there were. Jin Shituo only felt that he was surrounded by enemies, without any hesitation, he abandoned all his soldiers, threw away his helmet, and removed his armor, instantly transforming into an ordinary soldier disappearing into the chaotic army.

  "I didn't expect Mr. Luo and Li Xiao to have such a move, it's really beyond my expectations. I just don't know whose handwriting this is?" Following behind the great army of Jin Lianhe, Hao Tian couldn't help but applaud and say.

  Xuanji also smiled: "The lord's subordinates are indeed talented. Tonight, the battle will surely fall into the lord's hands. Lord, shouldn't this unexpected surprise troops of ours be deployed as well?"

  Hao Tian nodded: "That's for sure, if it's any later those kids will say I'm stealing their credit."

  Kinshiro Taku, who had just escaped from the chaotic army, was secretly rejoicing when a cavalry suddenly emerged from the darkness in front of him. Before he could react, a large double-bladed battle axe had already been thrust in front of him. He felt his body lighten and fell to one side as if flying. Before losing consciousness, he couldn't help but wonder where this cavalry came from.