Magical Water Margin: They all call me brother

Page 154

The result of the pure force colliding was even more terrifying. The ground beneath their feet collapsed with a roar, forming a huge circular crater, and spiderweb-like cracks spread wildly!

Both men were jolted by the attack and forced to retreat three steps.

Jin Wuzhu roared, his giant axe being deflected by the stellar energy contained in his double whips. However, relying on the terrifying strength of a giant, he managed to stop his momentum and swung the axe blade horizontally with the power to tear everything apart, aiming for Huyan Zhuo's waist! The force was so great that it seemed capable of cleaving through a city wall in one blow!

Hu Yanzhuo moved like lightning, her speed instantly increasing as she was empowered by the power of the Yao Guang Star! She executed an incredibly swift iron bridge maneuver, the giant axe whistling past her nose with a chilling wind, the sharp axe wind even severing a few strands of her flowing hair.

As she dodged, her right whip shot out like a venomous dragon, striking the junction of the giant axe's blade and handle with pinpoint accuracy. Jin Wuzhu felt an extremely concentrated, penetrating shock coming from the axe handle, which made his huge hand go numb, and his attack faltered once again!

Enraged, Jin Wuzhu abandoned technique and relied entirely on absolute strength and size to launch a fierce and relentless attack! His giant axe swung like a windmill, and ice and fire intertwined to form a deadly tidal wave that completely engulfed Huyan Zhuo.

Hu Yanzhuo wielded his double whips with impenetrable force, creating a tight defense. Two vast galaxies surged forth, and his entire being seemed to transform into a constantly exploding, dazzling nebula, weaving through the shadows of the axe, parrying, dodging, and counterattacking!

The two fought for a hundred rounds, but neither could gain the upper hand.

Chapter 454: Strict Military Discipline Leads to the Liberation of Licheng

After the two had fought for two hundred rounds, Huyan Zhuo, under the protection of the celestial stars, became more and more courageous and steady as he fought, like a majestic and unmoving mountain range.

However, Jin Wuzhu gradually ran out of energy. As a giant of ten meters, his energy consumption was already several times that of Huyan Zhuo. This state of ice and fire bursting was extremely exhausting! He could handle a burst of energy for a short time, but he could not sustain it for a long battle.

Huyan Zhuo, however, keenly noticed that Jin Wuzhu's axe technique had gone awry, so he immediately switched from defense to offense and launched a preemptive strike! Two steel whips, carrying with them countless stars, tore through the universe and pierced through the darkness!

boom! ! !

Huyan Zhuo lashed his whip across Jin Wuzhu's calf, which was covered in ice scales. The tearing power of Tianxuan Star erupted, tearing off a large piece of ice scales and bringing out boiling blood like molten lava!

Jin Wuzhu let out a painful roar and retaliated with a backhand axe, but it was blocked by Huyan Zhuo's steel whip. The pure power passed through the starlight defense, causing Huyan Zhuo's blood to surge and a trace of blood to spill from the corner of his mouth. The starlight dimmed for a moment.

Huyan Zhuo withstood the damage, and his other whip, like a serpent, bypassed the axe shadow and pierced the gap in the ice armor on Jin Wuzhu's arm, unleashing the Heavenly Gang Slash once more! The power of the stars penetrated straight to his bones! It shattered his entire wrist, leaving it shredded and mangled! He could barely hold the axe.

Jin Wuzhu also went berserk, ignoring his injuries, and with his other hand, he didn't even hold the axe handle, but instead used the power of ice and fire to punch Huyan Zhuo in the chest!

"Oh!"

Huyan Zhuo was struck as if by a heavy blow; his star-studded robes flashed violently, and he was sent flying backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood in mid-air. However, Wanyan Jinwuzhu was indeed at his last gasp; two hundred rounds ago, Huyan Zhuo had not dared to take a direct hit from him. He instead adopted a steady and cautious approach, slowly building his defense.

Now, Hu Yanzhuo, having taken the blow head-on, only flew a meter before managing to steady himself. He plunged his double whips into the ground, carving out two deep furrows to stop his retreat!

Both men were injured, but Huyan Zhuo's breathing was steady, while Jin Wuzhu was panting like a dog after fighting for two hundred rounds, exhausted to the point of death.

"Prepare to die, you barbarians!"

Hu Yanzhuo took a deep breath, and the remaining starlight around her frantically converged into the double whips in her hands. The phantom of the Big Dipper was clearer than ever before, and even formed a dazzling bridge of stars behind him!

Jin Wuzhu also sensed the deadly threat and poured his remaining ice and fire power into the giant axe without reservation. Half of the axe blade turned into dark blue ice, and the other half into crimson lava, emitting a hum that could not bear the weight!

The two roared simultaneously and launched their final charge!

"boom!!!"

With his right hand injured, Jin Wuzhu could only wield the giant axe with one hand, smashing it down with the force of splitting Mount Hua!

Huyan Zhuo snorted coldly, his right hand using a black whip to withstand Jin Wuzhu's attack, while his left hand used a white whip to stab Jin Wuzhu's chest. The power of the stars erupted and raged wildly within Jin Wuzhu's body! One whip shattered the explosive form of his Crimson-Bearded Fire Dragon, and the explosive flames that were wrapped around his body were extinguished!

The other whip followed, shattering his Frost Giant Blue Scale Armor!

Jin Wuzhu's massive body froze on the spot, the rage in his eyes quickly fading, replaced by unbelievable pain and shock. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Two horrific dents were lashed into his chest by the double whips, blood gushing out, broken bones protruding from his body, and he fell heavily backward, defeated and captured alive by Huyan Zhuo.

Huyan Zhuo slammed his whip into the ground, suppressing his surging blood and exhaustion, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield like lightning. The commander-in-chief, Jin Wuzhu, had been captured alive, collapsed on the ground, his fate unknown. This scene, like a heavy hammer, shattered the last vestige of resistance among the remaining Jin troops within the city.

"Jin Wuzhu has been captured! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

Huyan Zhuo's voice was like thunder, echoing across the battlefield. His elite Liangshan troops roared in unison, their shouts shaking the heavens and the earth!

The Jin army, which had been putting up a stubborn resistance, collapsed in morale the moment they witnessed their commander being captured. The demonic whispers that Jin Wuzhu had cast on them also lost their effectiveness, and fear spread like wildfire.

"The Fourth Prince...the Fourth Prince has been captured!"

"Run!"

"We surrender! We surrender!"

Screams, cries, and the sound of weapons falling to the ground instantly replaced the battle cries. The Jin soldiers, devoid of any will to fight, dropped their weapons in droves and knelt to surrender. A few die-hards attempted to escape in the chaos, but were immediately overtaken and cut down by the ferocious Liangshan soldiers. Their will to resist, in the face of absolute defeat, vanished completely.

Having surrendered twice, Du Guoyaoshi gave up and, with a sigh, chose to surrender for the third time, leading the remaining few thousand of his Ever Victorious Army to surrender to Huyan Zhuo.

Resistance within the city had almost completely vanished, becoming negligible. Occasionally, a few scattered Jin soldiers would attempt to hold back the enemy through the streets and alleys, but they were instantly overwhelmed and crushed by the surging Liangshan army.

The Liangshan army was disciplined and did not loot after entering the city. Instead, they quickly carried out orders: squads of soldiers ran forward and occupied key roads and high points; government offices and treasuries were immediately taken over and sealed; and the "Qi" flag was quickly planted on the four city gate towers.

When the fighting quickly subsided, the people in the city dared to cautiously push open their doors and peek out. What they saw was not a chaotic army burning, killing, and looting, but an army in bright armor, in neat formation, posting notices to reassure the people. The notices clearly stated, "Under the command of the King of Qi, we have restored our homeland and will not commit the slightest offense."

After a brief silence, a huge cheer erupted from all parts of the city like thunder in spring!

"They are the soldiers of the King of Qi! They are the heroes of Liangshan!"

"The royal army is back! We are saved!"

"Heaven has eyes!"

The people, who had long been oppressed by the Jurchens and the puppet Qi regime, were moved to tears and flocked to the streets to welcome the royal army. They took out the only food and water they had left in their homes and tried to put it into the soldiers' hands, but the soldiers refused it all.

Huyan Zhuo even used his precious military rations to aid the people of Licheng, opened the treasuries of the Jin army and Liu Yu, and distributed one-third of their wealth to the people. This immediately earned him widespread praise, and the hearts of the people of Licheng were won back.

The children chased after the procession, their eyes filled with curiosity and admiration. Many elderly people knelt by the roadside, bowing repeatedly in the direction where Huyan Zhuo was.

Huyan Zhuo didn't even rest; he immediately boarded a boat and headed straight for the Chenqiaoyi battlefield in Henan to support King Liu Hong of Qi!

Chapter 455: Huyan Zhuo Rushes a Thousand Miles to Reinforce the Rescue

Inside the ruins of the Crescent Moon Formation, smoke billowed into the sky, corpses piled high, and blood flowed like rivers. Although Liu Hong had withstood the Jin army's relentless and frenzied attacks, he had also suffered heavy losses. The oppressive feeling emanating from Aguda was a terror he had never experienced since his debut, without exception.

Just then, the Shandong reinforcements gave him a much-needed boost. Hu Yanzhuo, wielding double whips, personally rushed to Chenqiao Post Station, covered in blood and staggering, but disregarding his exhaustion and injuries, he went straight to Liu Hong, knelt on one knee, his voice hoarse with excitement and thirst, yet filled with thunderous elation:

"Brother! Great news! A great victory in Shandong!"

The eyes of all the generals and soldiers around were instantly drawn to it, and they held their breath.

Huyan Zhuo took a deep breath and continued to roar, each word like a heavy hammer blow to everyone's heart:

"Licheng has fallen!!! I personally fought Jin Wuzhu for three hundred rounds, and he was exhausted and captured alive by my own hands! He is now in prison and awaiting my brother's judgment!"

"The biggest traitor, Liu Yu, the prefect of Qizhou, attempted to surrender to us, but rebelled a second time. He was intercepted and killed by Jin Wuzhu in the city gate. His head is here!"

Huyan Zhuo snorted coldly, then suddenly tore off a blood-soaked leather bag from beside the saddle and slammed it heavily on the ground!

"The Jin army led by Wanyan Zongwang to reinforce the east, upon hearing that Licheng had fallen and Wuzhu had been captured, was in disarray and retreated in disarray back to Henan!"

"The entire Shandong region has been liberated! Our army has pushed the defensive line back to the Yellow River! South of the Yellow River, the flags of the Great Qi have been raised everywhere!!!"

Silence! Deathly silence!

Immediately following was a deafening cheer, like a volcanic eruption!

"General Huyan, well done!!!"

"Long live! Long live! Long live!"

"Shandong has been liberated!"

Upon hearing the news of the great victory in Shandong brought by Huyan Zhuo, all the exhausted soldiers seemed to be injected with boundless strength. They brandished their weapons, embraced each other, and wept. The oppression and sacrifices of the days of fierce fighting were rewarded in the most generous way at this moment!

Liu Hong's body jolted, and he stepped forward to help Huyan Zhuo up. His gaze was intense, and his voice trembled slightly: "General Huyan, is what you say true?!"

“Absolutely true!” Huyan Zhuo looked up, a bright but weary smile spreading across his blood-stained face. “Brother Chao Gai is cleaning up the battlefield and comforting the people. He sent me, this humble general, to travel day and night to report the victory! Shandong is safe!”

Liu Hong let out a long breath, and a truly relieved and joyful smile finally appeared on his face, which had been tense for days. He patted Huyan Zhuo's shoulder heavily: "Good! Good! Good! Jingzhi, you've worked hard! This is Heaven's blessing on our Great Qi! Soldiers, you've worked hard!"

He turned to face the jubilant army, his voice suddenly rising, filled with soaring fighting spirit and authority:

"Gentlemen! A great victory in Shandong! The Jin chieftain has been beheaded! This is the result of our bloody battle in Henan, where we fought fiercely to repel the main force of the Jin ruler!"

"Today's great victory is enough to comfort the souls of all our fallen brothers! The Jin army has lost an arm; their momentum is broken!!!"

"May the King of Qi be victorious!"

Cheers resounded through the sky once again, and morale soared to its peak!

At this moment, it was like a bolt from the blue for Wanyan Aguda. The fall of Licheng meant the complete annihilation of more than 200,000 men in the Eastern Route Army, plus the direct loss of two of his four generals! The strategic failure was utterly disastrous.

However, the good news is that, due to the Song Dynasty's questionable actions, Wanyan Loushi's western army achieved numerous epic victories, defeating Zhong Shidao's Guan-Shaanxi army and Tian Hu's Taiyuan army.

Meanwhile, Wanyan Aguda also inflicted a major defeat on the Song army in the central route, while only the eastern route army suffered a rather disastrous defeat.

The current record is only two to one.

If Liu Hong had calmly and steadily managed Shandong after defeating the Eastern Route Army, then Wanyan Aguda would indeed have had little chance against him. He would have had to defeat the two emperors first.

However, Liu Hong was trapped at Chenqiao Post Station because he wanted to reclaim the two emperors, protect the royal family and the hundreds of thousands of people in Kaifeng. So he could still fight!

Moreover, Wanyan Zongwang also returned with 50,000 men.

As long as Liu Hong is killed, as long as Liu Hong is killed!!!

Waaaaah—! ! !

The mournful bugle call, signifying a fight to the death and a full-scale assault, resounded throughout the Jin army camp like a death knell from hell!

In an instant, the Jin army besieging the city, centered on Chenqiao Post Station and stretching for dozens of miles, roared like a bloodthirsty beast that had been fully awakened! All reserves were committed to the battlefield, siege weapons were pushed to the front line, archers nocked their arrows, and heavy infantry began to form ranks!

"Kill! Slaughter all the southern barbarians!"

"To avenge Zonghan and Zongbi!"

"Slaughter! Slaughter!"

Incited by their officers and enraged by the wolf lord, the Jin soldiers also descended into a frenzied killing spree, surging towards Chenqiao Post Station like a tidal wave!

From the very beginning, the battle entered the most brutal and ruthless meat grinder mode.

The Jin archers unleashed an unprecedented barrage of arrows, sparing no effort. Wave after wave of arrows rained down on the city walls and within the city, suppressing the defenders to the point that they could barely raise their heads.

Moreover, the Jin army drove a large number of civilians and surrendered soldiers who had been sent there by the Song emperor to serve as human shields, forcing them to carry sandbags to fill in the moat.

The defending soldiers opened fire, and these poor souls were the first to die. The trenches were filled with corpses and mud at a visible speed!

Numerous temporary pontoon bridges were erected, and the Jin army attempted to launch a surprise attack from the river, but they were destroyed by the Liangshan navy.

Countless battering rams shattered the fortifications, and Jin infantry swarmed forward like ants, disregarding casualties. Once an opening appeared in the crescent-shaped battle formation, the Jin army organized its most elite ogre and troll heavy infantry, braving the defenders' fierce resistance, and launched a desperate assault on the breach with giant axes, battering rams, and even gunpowder! The corpses piled up on the battlefield were several feet thick!

At this moment, Chenqiao Post Station is like a lone boat in a stormy sea, which could capsize at any moment.

Wanyan Aguda personally supervised the battle at the front lines, his golden wolf banner flying high above the enemy lines. The Jin army's offensive surged wave after wave, breaching the city walls in several places. A fierce, bloody tug-of-war ensued at these breaches. Whenever the Jin soldiers charged through a breach, the defenders would immediately use their bare hands to push them back, employing spears, swords, axes, and even their teeth! They would be overwhelmed by the next wave of attacks!

Chapter 456: Lu Junyi Slays Generals and Seizes Flag

Seeing the critical situation, Lu Junyi, the Jade Kirin who had been sent to sweep the outskirts, had bloodshot eyes and could no longer suppress the overwhelming fighting spirit and anger in her chest. She knew that this journey was extremely dangerous, so she did not bring any troops. Instead, she rode alone like a golden lightning bolt and charged into the dense Jin army formation outside the city! She headed straight for Wanyan Aguda!

At this moment, the golden dragon spear in her hand emitted terrifyingly high temperatures that could incinerate all things and blazing flames that could purify evil! It was none other than the extremely terrifying Samadhi True Fire!

Lu Junyi rode his magnificent Fiery Qilin, its roar like a dragon, carrying its master like a burning meteor as it crashed into the sea of ​​Jin soldiers! Lu Junyi brandished his spear, unleashing a deafening burst of Samadhi True Fire. Wherever the spear's light passed, divine fire ignited armor; the Jin soldiers' fine iron armor melted like paper, molten iron splattering everywhere.

The intense heat scorched the soul; before the victim could even scream, their eyes glazed over, and their soul seemed to evaporate instantly.

The fire shattered the weapons; swords, spears, and halberds broke upon contact, as fragile as withered branches.

Alone on horseback with only her spear, she carved a fiery path of death through the dense ranks of the Jin army! Wherever she went, men and horses fell, flames roared, and limbs and molten iron flew everywhere. No one could withstand a single blow from her! The Jin army was caught off guard by this sudden solo charge, their formations were thrown into chaos, and their offensive stalled!

The Samadhi True Fire was so terrifying that half the sky was burning under Lu Junyi's rage.

At first, the Jin army didn't take it seriously. They thought that Liangshan had many such charging abilities, and the Jin army had quite a few as well, but it was useless—even ants can kill an elephant. If your defenses can't withstand the attack, and no one is there to provide cover for you, no matter how capable you are at charging, you'll eventually be riddled with arrows and turned into mincemeat by spears.

No matter how good the armor is, it has its limits. If it withstands too many attacks, it will eventually be destroyed.

This was a consensus among the Jin army, especially among those veteran generals who had fought countless battles.

The Liao, Jin, and Song dynasties all had their share of ruthless individuals. They were accustomed to seeing so-called "warriors capable of defeating ten thousand men" exhausted in the battlefield, ultimately being hacked to pieces by nameless soldiers.

In their view, Lu Junyi's behavior was tantamount to suicide.

However, what happened next completely overturned their understanding, turning their contempt into shock and disbelief!

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

The dense rain of arrows swarmed towards Lu Junyi like locusts, but instead produced a series of clanging sounds, as if they had struck indestructible divine iron, breaking and bouncing away! They even failed to penetrate the dragon scales of the Qilin beneath him!

A forest of spears thrust at her from all directions, attempting to shove her off her horse. But when the spear tips touched the invisible Samadhi True Fire surrounding her, it was as if they had been pierced by a red-hot iron. The spear shafts instantly carbonized and broke! The soldier holding the spear had his hand split open and was thrown about by the recoil!

Heavy weapons such as axes, maces, and spiked clubs slammed down with enough force to shatter stone pillars, yet they only stirred up ripples of flame on the Qi Gang. Lu Junyi's figure didn't even sway! On the contrary, the attacker's arm went numb from the shock!

This is beyond the scope of defense as understood by the Jin army! It's practically invulnerable to swords and spears!