Chapter 14: The Fire Burns Black Wind Stockade

  The next day passed and it was already late afternoon on the second day.

  The sun has just set, the beauty of dusk is intoxicating, an orange glow spills through the forest, birds chirp happily, and in the stillness, one can hear the sound of flowing water, making people feel extremely comfortable.

  However, with the arrival of a team of about 1,500 soldiers and horses, the peaceful scenery in the mountains was suddenly disrupted.

  "Director Chang, we can't fully believe what that Li dog leg said. If we rashly attack the stronghold and encounter an ambush, our army will be completely defeated, not a single person will escape. Please think thrice, Director Chang!"

  Li Er rode a yellow horse and completely disregarded Li Dog Leg's face beside Huang Le, advising him.

  Huang Le's face revealed displeasure, pointing at Li Er and scolding: "Enough! Li Er, you know the heart of this official. Li Dog Leg offering a wonderful plan to me is a good thing. Why must you be jealous? If not for this official's clear mind, believing your slanderous words, missing the opportunity to destroy the enemy, what crime would you have committed?"

  "Unjust! Your Honor. Li Er is by no means malicious towards you, it's just that..."

  Li Er's face turned pale with fright, and just as he was about to continue speaking, Huang Lesi interrupted him, saying: "Still not giving the county magistrate a chance to speak! Do you want the county magistrate to take your dog head?"

  "General Zhang, please calm down. Mr. Li is also thinking of you. Please forgive Mr. Li's mistake. At this hour, my brothers should be almost ready. After the enemy army gets drunk, they will find a hidden place to set off wolf smoke and inform us to launch an attack." Li Dog Leg said with a smile to Huang Le.

  "Alright! We can rest assured and take a break, waiting for the right moment to capture the enemy's head. Li Er, you see Li Dog Leg's magnanimity, in the future you should learn from him more often, don't lose the face of our boss!" Huang Le first smiled in agreement at Li Dog Leg, then scolded Li Er, pointing at him.

  Li Er was so frustrated at this time that he almost shed tears.

  Two incense sticks later, the sky gradually darkened. At this time, a fire light appeared on the top of Black Wind Mountain, and a thick smoke slowly rose from the fire light.

  "General Zhang, the time has come, it's the moment to kill the enemy!" Li Gou shouted loudly. Huang Le heard this and was overjoyed, ordering his troops to prepare. After a brief commotion, 1,500 men formed their battle array, waiting for Huang Le's order to attack.

  "On a dark and windy night of murder, today is the day when we, young heroes, take the enemy's dog head!" Huang Le raised his sword high, and with one horse in front, he charged up the Black Wind Mountain Road.

  Kill!!! ~ The deafening killing shout, echoed through Black Wind Mountain.

  One thousand five hundred soldiers were like a giant beast that devoured humans, with an overwhelming momentum and a fierce killing intent, they rushed up to the Black Wind Mountain stronghold.

  Just as the soldiers were making a final effort to rush up the mountain, Li Dog-legs was smiling slyly and took advantage of an empty space to turn his horse's head around and gallop down the mountain.

  Huang Le spurred his horse to gallop, seeing the mountain stronghold's gate already open, thinking it was someone secretly supporting him. Uncontrollably bursting into laughter, under the protection of nearly a hundred mounted men, he entered the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold!

  "Hahaha. You ignorant young man, and that detestable Yang Dian dog thief, I, Huang Le, have come to take your lives! Come out quickly and accept your death!"

  Huang Le shouted loudly, and his heart was filled with great enthusiasm.

  "General Zhang, there is no one in the camp!" Suddenly, the vanguard troops who had just finished patrolling around the camp rushed to Huang Le's side and reported.

  Huang Le's eyes widened in anger and he bellowed "How is this possible!!!! Has the news leaked out, search for me!"

  At this time, the large army following Huang Le also rushed into Heifeng Village. Li Er saw that the situation was not in his favor and immediately asked loudly when he saw Huang Le's figure: "What happened? Lord Zhangshi, why didn't you see the killing?"

  "What a joke! This Black Wind Mountain stronghold doesn't even have a single person!!" Huang Le angrily replied to Li Er's question.

  Li was greatly shocked, as if he suddenly thought of some details, and immediately looked around but couldn't see the shadow of Li Dog Leg. In his heart, he secretly shouted "It's bad".

  "General Zhang, that Li dog's leg is gone! Must be an enemy spy! Hurry and retreat! We've been tricked! This is an empty camp!"

  Li Er hastily took a big gulp, and suddenly there was a commotion in the army. Huang Le's mouth opened wide, his face flushed red from holding it in, his belly full of raging flames that were about to burst open his skin.

  "Huang Changshi, you want to take my life. It's not that easy. Coming but not going is also impolite. Release the arrow!!!"

  At this time, batch after batch of dense crowds rushed out from the mountain forest not far from the mountain stronghold. There were probably over 300 people. It was Wen Han's troops who had been ambushing for a long time. With Wen Han's order, the soldiers drew their bows and shot arrows, shooting out the burning fire arrows in their hands.

  Arrow after arrow shot into the mountain stronghold, like a small meteor shower, and soon the entire Black Wind Fortress was surrounded by raging flames.

  "Ahhhhh!! It's on fire, it's on fire!!" Huang Le's soldiers, seeing flames all around them, were so frightened that their souls were gone, and they ran wildly in all directions, each one fearing for his own life.

  Huang Le's face was illuminated by the flames, and the look of incredulity on his face appeared particularly clear and ironic.

  "This fire is going to burn down my entire family business!!!!!!" Huang Le's heart was bleeding, these 1,500 people were all personally trained by him with a large amount of silver, they were the foundation of his ability to stand firm in Xie County and sit securely in the position of Long Shi.

  If it weren't for these 1,500 people, Huang Le would likely be treated as a discarded son by the outer family next!

  Suddenly, an arrow flew in and shot off Huang Le's helmet.

  Huang Le's hair was disheveled and he roared like a madman: "Ahhh, I won't be defeated!!!!"

  Li Er galloped up on horseback, anxiously shouting: "Chang Shi, as long as the green mountain is still there, what's the harm in not having firewood to burn? For now, we should first rally our troops and break out of the encirclement. Later, we can find that young man and avenge this great injustice!"

  Huang Le was not an ordinary person, and Li Er's words immediately made him come to his senses. He then ordered the surrounding soldiers to gather together. However, due to the chaos earlier, excluding those who were trapped or burned to death by the fire, or trampled to death, the number of people gathered was less than 800.

  At this moment, another wave of fire arrows came. Looking up, you can see that the sky is full of sparks, and Huang Le was even more frightened, shouting repeatedly: "Break through, break through!! Quick, quick breakthrough!"

  Huang Le's troops concentrated on the mountain stronghold, rushing towards the blazing gate with all their might.

  Wen Han ordered his 300 archers to fire at the mountain stronghold's gate and began to retreat.

  After this round of impact, Huang Le's soldiers became fewer in number, and only 500 people escaped from the mountain stronghold. This big fire caused Huang Le to lose a full thousand men!

  "Young man, you and I are destined to be sworn enemies!!" Huang Le galloped his horse at a rapid pace, his disheveled hair flying wildly, his face filled with despair. When he saw Wen Han approaching him with a calm smile, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anger, and he wished he could rush up and kill the detestable young man on the spot.

  "Spare him! Let Huang Changshi go." Seeing Huang Le successfully break through, Wen Han did not take advantage of the situation to attack, but instead ordered his 300 archers to stop and began to retreat quickly.

  Before leaving, Wen Han shouted to Huang Yue on the mountain: "I didn't want to kill you, but you wanted to silence me. Today, I won't kill you, Huang Zhangshi. After you escape, don't think about harming my life again."

  Huang Le let out a snort, his heart not having the slightest bit of gratitude towards Wen Han for sparing his life. He ordered his troops to quicken their pace and fled in the direction of Jie County, wanting to return as quickly as possible to regroup and recover from their defeat.

  Looking at the departing figure of Huang Le, Zhou Lian couldn't help but ask Wen Han beside him: "Younger brother, this is releasing a tiger back to its mountain. A rotten boat still has three nails, if Huang Le returns to Xie County, there will be endless troubles!"

  "Hehe. I said I wouldn't kill him, but didn't say others couldn't take his head off either. Brother Zhou, rest assured, next year on the day of the winter solstice will be that Huang Zhangshi's death anniversary."

  Wen Han smiled and gazed at the disappearing figures of Huang Le's soldiers.

  An hour later, Huang Le led his troops to rush to a mountain valley. Huang Le saw that Wen Han did not send troops to attack, and immediately ordered the troops to rest and recover their strength before continuing on to Xie County.

  Huang Legang dismounted and wanted to sit down against a stone.

  At this moment, a burst of earth-shattering killing shouts suddenly rang out.

  In the front were two hundred light cavalry led by Yang Dian, and in the back were more than three hundred Black Wind bandits led by Pei Yuanshao. Li Dog-Legs, who had lost his trace, appeared beside Pei Yuanshao.

  The two armies descended like heavenly soldiers, surrounding Huang Le's army from front and back, trapping them tightly.

  Yang Dian rode his horse, galloped a few steps forward, and revealed a cold smile: "Chang Shi, the general has been waiting for you here for a long time. Can you recognize the general?"

  "Ah!"

  Huang Le saw that the general in front was his arch-nemesis 'Yang Dian', and his heart, which had just calmed down, suddenly thumped violently, spewing out a mouthful of thick blood.

  "Men, follow me to take the head of this dog thief, kill!" Yang Dian swung his whip and charged forward on horseback, with two hundred light cavalry following closely behind him.

  Behind him, Pei Yuanshao also did not fall behind, leading more than 300 Black Wind bandits to attack from the rear, and the two sides sandwiched them. For a time, the Yellow Army was killed, calling out to heaven and shouting to the earth, abandoning their armor and helmets, throwing away their spears and shields, each fleeing for their lives, trampling each other, and countless people died.

  "You scoundrel dog, you want to take my life! Today I'll let my iron spear show its ferocity!"

  Yang Dian saw the shadow of Huang Le, and from behind, a gun pierced in, the muzzle passing through Huang Le's body. Huang Le let out a miserable cry, his eyes wide open, gradually losing his breath.