novelhk Page 143
Page 143
Bathed in the glow of frost, a terrifying silver dragon took the place of the commander's tent. Its long, graceful neck was covered with layers upon layers of scales shimmering with the light of ice and mithril, each scale like a suit of armor forged through countless trials, its edges sharp as knives. Its enormous wings suddenly unfurled, their membranes like the surface of a lake frozen for millennia, reflecting the cold moonlight and the campfires, casting shadows large enough to cover half the encampment.
His head was held high, and his dragon snout opened and closed, revealing dagger-like teeth. He spewed out an extremely cold breath that could freeze the soul. His dragon eyes were molten silver, burning with icy rage!
Almost simultaneously, opposite the silver dragon, another burst of violent energy erupted! Liu Hong's body seemed to transform into a humanoid lightning hub! Dazzling golden lightning snakes surged wildly from every pore of his body, no longer coiling around him, but completely engulfing him! His figure also rapidly expanded amidst the exploding lightning, with antlers, a snake's body, fish scales, eagle claws... many features appearing and disappearing in the blinding lightning, transforming into a true lightning dragon with the power of the Ji River! Golden-winged roc wings that blotted out the sky also grew from his back.
The sudden appearance of two colossal dragons with vastly different attributes and forms completely crushed the command tent and everything around it! Their enormous bodies, just by standing upright, smashed through nearby arrow towers and flattened piles of armories!
"Pharmacist Guo!!!"
"Liu Hong!!!"
Without the slightest hesitation, the two completely different dragon breaths clashed! Guo Yaoshi spewed out a torrent of frost that blotted out the sky. Wherever it passed, the air froze into ice crystals and fell. The ground was instantly covered with a thick layer of ice that shimmered with a metallic cold light. Several soldiers who did not have time to escape were instantly frozen into ice sculptures, and then pulverized by the storm of metal fragments contained within them!
Liu Hong's jaws gaped open, unleashing a thunderous breath and a Heavenly Strike combined to unleash a shower of meteors—one hundred and eight meteorites, their surfaces crackling with lightning, rained down from his dragon's jaws! A magnificent spectacle, like a shower of falling stars! A raging torrent of frost intertwined with the meteor shower of lightning, annihilating and erupting with blinding light and shockwaves! On one side, extreme freezing attempted to solidify everything; on the other, extreme rage sought to tear everything apart! The very space at the point of energy clash seemed to warp, ice crystals and electric snakes scattering wildly in all directions, engulfing everything nearby in this deadly battle of ice and electricity!
Unable to determine a winner with their breaths, the two giant dragons roared and pounced on each other!
Guo Yaoshi's claws, carrying a chilling light that could tear through space, fiercely grabbed at the Thunder Dragon's neck, accompanied by icy wind! Liu Hong, on the other hand, displayed astonishing flexibility and agility, his giant tail, wrapped in lightning, swept out like a divine whip with immense force, colliding violently with the dragon's claws!
"clang!!!"
The sharp claws collided with the lightning-covered scales, producing a deafening roar that was a mixture of metallic clang and thunderous explosion! The shockwave spread out in a ring, leveling all the remaining tents and fences within a radius of several dozen feet!
The two colossal dragons became entangled, engaging in a primal and ferocious battle! The power of frost and lightning clashed violently with every bite, claw strike, tail sweep, and wing flap! Explosions! Terrifying dragon roars shook the heavens and earth, their massive bodies tumbling and leaping, each movement causing the earth to tremble and widespread destruction! They fought their way out from the site of the command tent, crushing, freezing, or turning everything in their path—panicked soldiers, burning tents, fortified positions—into scorched earth by the aftershocks of their battle! It was as if two mythical beasts had descended to earth, engaging in a relentless dance of destruction!
"General! We've come to save you!"
The four generals, Zhang Linghui, Liu Shunren, Zhen Wuchen, and Zhao Heshou, all manifested dragon forms, which turned out to be four slightly smaller Bohai silver dragons. The six giant beasts were as terrifying as mountains in the Ever Victorious Army camp.
Just as the four generals went to provide support, Lu Junyi also made his move. Compared to the four mountain-like silver dragons around him, his figure was as insignificant as an ant. But the golden dragon spear in his hand erupted with earth-shattering battle intent! The spear was no longer ordinary iron, but was completely enveloped and permeated by pure Samadhi True Fire! That flame was no ordinary fire, but was interwoven with red, gold and white. The core was pure white that could burn everything, the middle layer was golden yellow that had been refined to the highest level, and the outer flame was a crimson that could scorch the soul and shatter the spirit.
It burns without emitting black smoke, instead exuding a terrifying Daoist aura that purifies heaven and earth and burns away falsehood! Flames coil around the gun body, flickering and transforming into dragon-shaped flames that swirl and roar, forcibly dispelling and evaporating the extreme cold that was approaching from the surroundings, forming a scorching vacuum that was constantly twisting and evaporating!
With a sweeping motion, the highly concentrated Samadhi True Fire at the spear tip suddenly erupted, transforming into a three-colored fire vortex that instantly vaporized the frost armor. The mithril dragon scales melted into molten iron, flowing freely. The dragon's flesh carbonized and tore apart, and with a single sweeping strike, Lu Junyi severed the silver dragon's left claw!
"Ow!"
Zhang Linghui let out a painful roar. The terrifying Samadhi True Fire spread and burned along the wound like a bone-deep sore, bringing double pain to his body and soul! The pain of losing his arm almost made him faint. He never imagined that he, in his dragon form, would have his dragon claw severed by a human with a single spear thrust!
Taking advantage of the opportunity, two other silver dragons pounced from the left and right, their enormous wings whipping up a chilling wind that froze blood, their sharp claws and massive tails sealing off all avenues for escape. Lu Junyi didn't parry; he used his bare body to withstand the slashes of dragon claws as large as millstones and the fierce blows of wings as large as palaces. Despite being struck by the claws and wings of the two giant dragons, he wasn't injured at all, and his body didn't even tremble. The Golden Dragon Spear in his hand danced and spun, and wherever the spear's light passed, Samadhi True Fire splashed out, condensing into countless intersecting Samadhi True Fire slashes that slammed fiercely into the scales of the two silver dragons!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!"
Amidst the deafening explosion, countless charred and deep marks were slashed into the indestructible scales of Liu Shunren and Zhen Wuchen, the edges of the scales curling and melting as true fire frantically drilled inward! The silver dragon writhed in agony, smashing the frozen earth to pieces!
Seeing Lu Junyi's terrifying combat power, Zhao Heshou immediately moved away, then unleashed a sky-covering, frost-laden dragon breath. This breath, mixed with metallic fragments gleaming with deadly cold light, resembled a bursting river of white water, or the embodiment of millennia-old ice in the far north, carrying absolute zero that could crush everything and freeze souls, surging towards Lu Junyi! Wherever the dragon breath passed, the earth was instantly covered by a thick layer of ice shimmering with metallic luster; the air was drained of heat, and even the light seemed frozen and distorted! It attempted to freeze and pulverize Lu Junyi.
Faced with this terrifying breath that could instantly turn hundreds of people into ice sculptures and dust, Lu Junyi stood still. A torrent of Samadhi True Fire spewed from Lu Junyi's mouth, initially narrow, but then expanding into a towering wave of fire! It collided head-on with the pale, icy torrent of cold air, instantly suppressing it, and a deafening vaporization sound echoed throughout the battlefield.
The seemingly unstoppable frost dragon breath, upon contact with the torrent of Samadhi True Fire, melted and evaporated at a visible speed, like snow meeting the blazing sun! The countless ice crystal fragments were vaporized into white steam before even reaching the core of the True Fire, only to be completely decomposed by the extreme heat! The metal fragments mixed within were directly melted into molten iron, dripping to the ground with a sizzling sound!
The torrent of Samadhi True Fire surged back against the direction of the Frosty Dragon Breath with overwhelming force, its speed far exceeding Zhao Heshou's reaction time! The platinum-gold flames seemed to possess life, roaring and surging, instantly engulfing the remaining cold currents, and slamming heavily onto Zhao Heshou's massive silver dragon body! Engulfing him in an instant!
"Ow!!!"
A deafening roar shook the heavens and earth as Zhao Heshou was completely engulfed by the platinum flames. The Samadhi True Fire was no ordinary fire; it not only scorched scales and flesh but also directly burned away magical power and eroded the soul! The silver dragon's massive body writhed and struggled wildly in the platinum flames. Its hard scales charred and peeled away like paper, revealing instantly charred flesh beneath. It tried to flap its wings and escape, but was tightly bound and enveloped by the true fire, like a trapped beast plunged into a steel furnace, every inch of its body enduring unimaginable, extreme pain!
This is why Liu Hong brought Lu Junyi along—if these five silver dragons had guards protecting them, it would be very troublesome for Lu Junyi to launch a decapitation strike. And once Lu Junyi displayed his extremely terrifying killing ability, the five men weren't stupid; they would run away.
But now, they were drinking with Lu Junyi so closely that once the battle broke out, they had no way to escape! In an instant, one of the four silver dragons was dead and another was injured!
Chapter 417: The Ever-Victorious Army Suffers a Thousand-Mile Collapse
"Forget about Lu Junyi, come and fight Liu Hong with me! He can't fly anyway!"
Guo Yaoshi cursed and told the other silver dragons to take off quickly and not to get entangled with such a terrifying killing god on the ground: his thinking was very clear, Liu Hong wanted to destroy the command center of the Ever Victorious Army and turn the 40,000 Ever Victorious Army into a disorganized mess.
Very well, I'll kill Liu Hong here too. As long as I kill the Prince of Qi of the Song Dynasty, Gao Qiu will take care of the rest of the Liangshan generals without me lifting a finger! They'll definitely realize this and start to fall apart!
The three silver dragons trembled with fear, simultaneously spewing terrifying dragon breath that blotted out the sky. In an instant, the temperature plummeted, and ice and snow filled the air. The triple dragon breath, like a raging torrent or an avalanche, pressed down on Lu Junyi from all directions! In that instant, Lu Junyi felt as if three towering ice peaks were attacking him simultaneously. The frigid mountains crumbled, and the world was filled with a chilling silver-white, obscuring the sun!
Liu Hong snorted coldly, and the Thunder Dragon suddenly spun around, its slender body drawing a dazzling arc, trapping Guo Yaoshi firmly in the center. In an instant, golden light burst forth, thunder roared, and countless electric snakes intertwined and erupted, actually forming a magnificent and dazzling thunder cage!
The cage shone like a blazing sun fallen to earth, with endless golden lightning bolts surging forth, accompanied by a deafening roar as if the heavens and earth were collapsing. Guo Yaoshi struggled to break free, but was instantly devoured by lightning the moment he touched the edge; the electric current tore through his flesh, and a scorching heat spread in all directions. The three dragons on the outer perimeter roared and lunged to his rescue, but were all blasted away by the dazzling electric curtain, their scales torn and claws ripped apart, their cries of agony filling the air, and blood gushing outwards like a torrential downpour!
Not only that, but dazzling lightning burst forth from Liu Hong's thunder dragon body, and like a living thing, it seeped into the shadow beneath Guo Yaoshi's feet—the next moment, that shadow suddenly boiled over!
Like waves churning in an inkwell, a black dragon formed entirely of pure shadow suddenly rose from beneath Guo Yaoshi! Its appearance was identical to the thunder dragon summoned by Liu Hong, yet its entire body was dark, with flowing, roaring shadows between its scales and claws. It roared silently, emanating a suffocating aura that devoured light, as if even one's gaze would be drawn into its churning abyss.
The Shadow Dragon and the Thunder Dragon, one in the light and one in the darkness, intertwined and coiled together, like twin children of light and shadow, locking Guo Yaoshi firmly within this cage of thunder and darkness!
Two sides of the same coin, shadow and lightning intertwined—this is Liu Hong's true demonic form.
"Roar!!!"
Liu Hong roared, his figure shimmering like smoke, each scale like a churning abyss, extinguishing light and chilling the bone wherever he went; while Guo Yaoshi's silver dragon was dazzling, its scales bursting with a fierce silver light, its claws and teeth as sharp as ice blades cutting through the air!
One in darkness, one in light, two dragon shadows clashed wildly. The shadow dragon roared silently, yet it caused the void to tremble. Each pounce brought forth large swaths of viscous shadows, which clung to the silver dragon's limbs like a nightmare, instantly dimming and freezing the silver scales wherever they touched. The silver dragon, in turn, roared furiously, its claws and tail whipping out countless icy blossoms, like a reversed galaxy, constantly tearing apart the encroaching shadows. They fought fiercely and wildly within the cage of thunder!
The two clashed and rolled, sometimes their shadows pressing down on the silver light like the sudden arrival of eternal night, sometimes their silver light exploding like the blooming of extreme ice. Dragon blood splattered—the blood of the silver dragon froze upon landing, while the scattered fragments of the shadow dragon wriggled and reassembled like living things!
Liu Hong remained calm. Guo Yaoshi's strength was roughly at the peak of the Five Tigers, which was the level of Guan Sheng, Lin Chong, Lu Zhisheng, and Wu Song.
However, Liu Hong's regular abilities are indeed comparable to Guan Sheng and Lin Chong. But his burst damage is even greater than Guan Sheng's dragon breath!
Liu Hong suddenly looked up, a deep, abyss-like tremor reverberating from the depths of his chest. He opened his mouth and exhaled not flames or ice, but an entire surging, dark abyss! The shadowy dragon breath swept out like a cataclysmic flood, within which rolled one hundred and eight celestial and terrestrial stars of destruction! These were not bright, radiant celestial stars, but demonic fiends rising from the depths of the abyss: each one was dark and chaotic, its surface wreathed in terrifying spiritual energy, swirling, roaring, and erupting within the viscous shadow!
In an instant, stars and shadows poured down like a torrential rain, shattering space and distorting time wherever they passed, all crashing down on Guo Yaoshi! This was the perfect fusion of the Heavenly Gang Slash and the Shadow Dragon Breath!
Guo Yaoshi's expression turned solemn. He hurriedly raised a shield of ice to block, but it was instantly weakened by the lightning and heat energy constantly erupting from the Thunder Prison. After blocking seventy or eighty meteors, it collapsed immediately. A Heavenly Demon Star struck the silver dragon's left wing, instantly eroding through the incredibly tough dragon membrane and leaving a dark hole with constantly crumbling edges. The silver-white dragon bones were exposed and quickly stained with a decaying gray-black. The spiritual energy cracks on the surface of the meteor were the half-human, half-tiger-leopard Lin Chong demon statue.
Another Earthly Fiend Star crashed onto the dragon's spine, exploding with a deafening roar. The flying shadows burrowed into the gaps between the scales like living creatures, and the silver light quickly dimmed wherever they passed. The dragon scales rolled off, revealing the bloody, sizzling, charred wounds underneath. The meteorite cracks also outlined the whip-wielding posture of the sickly Yuchi Sunli.
Three or four stars, wreathed in destructive lightning, crashed into the silver dragon's chest one after another. Each impact unleashed a shockwave that cruelly intertwined the abyss and the silver light—the silver dragon's proud scales were now as if they had been smeared with filthy ink, cracked in every direction.
Guo Yaoshi let out a long, painful, and furious roar, completely disoriented by the outburst. Liu Hong remained silent, relentlessly unleashing the Heavenly Gang Slash, squandering all his spiritual energy! The Shadow Dragon's breath actually had little offensive power; its effect was merely to weaken the opponent, continuously lowering their level and abilities. Furthermore, combined with Liu Hong's years of training in breath recovery, he could even unleash it in rapid succession.
However, when this dragon breath is combined with the fall of 108 stars, its power becomes quite terrifying! For a moment, Guo Yaoshi, trapped in the Thunder Cage, could neither escape, dodge, nor defend himself. He was hit hard on the head, wings, arms, and chest by a continuous barrage of meteors, with nowhere to hide and nowhere to avoid them!
His limbs went numb in the shadow storm that weakened him, and then he was smashed by the meteor shower, leaving him bleeding from the head. In the end, the meteor shower even shattered Liu Hong's own lightning cage, and Guo Yaoshi fell from the sky with a scream, crashing heavily to the ground. His body was almost entirely covered in bruises, and he was extremely battered and bruised from the blast of the Heavenly Meteor Shower! He immediately fainted.
At this moment, Lu Junyi also used Samadhi True Fire to fight his way out of the icy mountain range created by the three silver dragons. Seeing the three dragons take off, he planted his spear to the side, drew the ten-stone giant bow from his back, nocked an arrow, and shot it straight at the dragons. Each arrow was imbued with Samadhi True Fire, and each arrow could shatter scales and pierce flesh. Zhen Wuchen was caught off guard and was shot through the neck by Lu Junyi's Samadhi True Fire arrow. His eyes rolled back and he fell from the sky. He crashed down with a loud bang, shaking the earth and causing the camp to collapse, killing countless Ever Victorious Army soldiers.
The last two silver dragons were terrified and fled in terror, no longer able to control themselves. Thunderbolt Qin Ming also used his massive, wide-range molten lava attacks to create chaos in the camp, precisely sniping down the commanders one by one.
At this moment, the Ever Victorious Army had completely collapsed. They had been caught off guard by Guan Sheng and had no idea how many people from Liangshan had come in the darkness. Their command system had also been destroyed by Liu Hong, Lu Junyi, and Qin Ming. There was no one with enough prestige to organize everyone's defense.
At most, it would be a commander gathering his battalion of a few hundred soldiers to resist.
This small-scale resistance was like a joke under the iron cavalry of Liangshan's two thousand imperial guards. Guan Sheng charged forward, slashing and spitting blood, his dragon scales stained with blood and his claws covered in bits of flesh. He didn't know how long he had been fighting until there were no enemies in front of him, when he realized that he had broken through the Ever Victorious Army's camp.
At this moment, the 40,000-strong Ever Victorious Army, having lost their commander and witnessing Guo Yaoshi fall from the sky and be defeated by Liu Hong, suffered a complete morale collapse, resulting in a terrifying chorus of groans! Everyone scattered and fled, abandoning their armor and weapons!
In reality, Guan Sheng's cavalry only killed four or five thousand men, as their numbers were too small. However, during their escape, they trampled each other, and the number of those who died in the chaos reached as high as fifteen thousand, three times the number killed by Liangshan! Most of the Ever Victorious Army died that night, and many more were captured alive by Liangshan. Only a little over ten thousand managed to escape this hell.
Liangshan not only captured Guo Yaoshi, but also seized countless military horses and weapons. Most importantly, they seized Guo Yaoshi's thousand dragon-blooded steeds.
The core reason why armored cavalry is difficult to train is that ordinary warhorses simply cannot bear the weight of a full set of armored horse armor and a fully armed adult male wearing two or three layers of armor. Liangshan's armor forging technology is already very advanced, and there is no shortage of iron ore and blacksmiths. They have also captured countless suits of armor from the Song Dynasty. The only problem is the lack of good horses, which is why the number of armored cavalry has remained stuck at around a thousand.
However, these horses mixed with dragon blood are several times stronger, faster, and more durable than ordinary horses, making them perfectly capable of meeting the requirements of armored cavalry. With Guo Yaoshi's thousand silver dragon bloodline steeds, combined with Liangshan's mature industrial system, it's only a matter of time before the armored cavalry is increased to two thousand.
Chapter 418: Emperor Qinzong of Song Trembles in Fear
At this moment, Wanyan Zongwang sat upright in his tent, holding the covenant, but felt a chill run down his spine.
What exactly is the Song Dynasty court up to?
The day before, Emperor Zhao Huan of Song had held hands with him at the foot of Kaifeng and made a solemn oath, speaking earnestly and not only honoring his father, Wanyan Aguda, as his uncle, but also addressing himself as "brother." The silk was still wet, and the wine was still warm.
Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, Liu Hong, the Prince of Qi of the Song Dynasty, led his army to launch a surprise attack on the Ever Victorious Army's camp! In the battle, the commander-in-chief Guo Yaoshi was captured alive, two of the four generals were killed, and the 40,000 soldiers either died or surrendered, with only 10,000 remaining.
When the news reached the Jin camp, the entire army was in an uproar.
Wanyan Wuzhu slammed his fist on the table, furious. One hundred thousand Jin troops were once again arrayed beneath the walls of Kaifeng, their armor gleaming, arrows pointed at the city gates. He demanded an explanation from Emperor Qinzong of Song—this act of betrayal, whether it was war or peace, must be clearly stated!
But Qi King Liu Hong, who had just orchestrated an "accident," simply handed over a document:
"Forgive me, I acted too quickly. I only received His Majesty's decree to end the war after I defeated Guo Yaoshi."
For a time, the Song Dynasty court was speechless, the Jin cavalry pressed on to attack, and Liu Hong, dressed in royal robes, stood in the center of the storm, as if it were all just a "coincidence." To prove his innocence, Liu Hong even released the captured Guo Yaoshi. As for the 40,000 soldiers and their equipment—there's too much equipment; I'll give it to you after I've taken inventory.
At this moment, the Jin army's logistics were truly at their breaking point. After giving the enemy several million coins and a large amount of grain, Emperor Qinzong of Song dispatched Grand Commandant Su with dozens of officials to Liu Hong's camp to prohibit the Qi army from fighting again and force them to retreat.
Only then did Wanyan Zongwang feel somewhat relieved. He led his army, protecting the overflowing gold and silver treasures, to lift the siege of Kaifeng and begin his return journey north across the Yellow River.
As the Jin army around Kaifeng withdrew completely, the capital city seemed to briefly awaken from a nightmare. The dilapidated city walls, the desolate streets, and the lingering fear in the eyes of the people all spoke of the trauma inflicted by this calamity. However, for the Song Dynasty court, the temporary retreat of the Jin people brought no relief; instead, it triggered an even more intense internal storm.
Inside the palace, the atmosphere remained oppressive. Although the Jin soldiers had left, their shadow seemed to still linger among the beams and pillars.
Li Gang, who was in charge of the defense of Kaifeng, was now all disheveled, his hair and beard bristling, and veins bulging on his forehead from excitement. He practically lunged at the imperial steps, his voice hoarse with urgency.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! We must not let this golden opportunity slip away! The Jurchens have plundered vast amounts of gold, silver, and jade, and are driving countless livestock and carts, making their ranks bloated and their movements slow! They are about to cross the Yellow River right now; this is a golden opportunity!"
Li Gang waved his arm, pointing north, as if he could see through the palace walls and witness the Jin army's crushing defeat.
"If our army quickly dispatches its elite cavalry to join forces with Liu Hongqi's army, and pursues them swiftly, we can strike them while they are crossing the river! With the great river blocking their path in front and pursuers behind, the Jin army will be unable to defend themselves from both ends, and we will surely achieve a great victory! Even if we cannot annihilate them completely, we can still recover some of their wealth, severely damage their army, and prevent them from looking south for several years! Your Majesty, this is a golden opportunity to avenge our defeat, restore our national prestige, and win back our honor!"
Almost simultaneously, veteran Zong Ze, though old, still had a booming voice. He stepped forward, bowed, and spoke earnestly yet powerfully.
"Your Majesty, Li Gang is absolutely right! The Jin invaders are arrogant, assuming our dynasty will not dare to attack, hence their slow retreat and complete lack of preparedness. Our army has just suffered a great humiliation, and our soldiers are filled with resentment; they are just the right force to be used! I beg Your Majesty to grant me an elite force; I am willing to lead it personally. If we fail to achieve victory, I will gladly accept the consequences! Seeking peace blindly will not bring peace! Peace is won through war!!!"
On his throne, Emperor Qinzong of Song, Zhao Huan, was even paler than when the Jin army besieged the city. It wasn't that he couldn't see an opportunity; rather, immense fear had completely consumed him.
As he listened to Li Gang and Zong Ze's impassioned speeches, his body trembled slightly involuntarily. What appeared before his eyes was not the scene of victory, but the six terrifying eyes that looked like demons after Wanyan Loushi killed Jiu Taibao in battle, the earth-shattering battle cries of the Jin army's iron cavalry charging, and the even more terrible massacre that might occur after the fall of Kaifeng.
"No...no..."
His voice was weak, almost squeezed out of his throat, and his hands gripped the sleeves of the dragon robe tightly.
"You're overestimating the situation. What if we lose? What if the Jin army is besieging Kaifeng? You... what you're saying is far too risky..."
Emperor Qinzong suddenly raised his voice slightly, as if trying to convince himself and his ministers.
"Though the Jin have retreated, their power remains! Our army has just suffered a defeat and is exhausted. How can we start another war? If we pursue them and fail, we will only anger the Jin and cause them to return. Wouldn't Kaifeng be doomed again? Wouldn't I... I and my ministers be in grave danger again?! Besides, who says that seeking peace alone cannot bring peace? Didn't the Treaty of Chanyuan bring a century of peace between the Liao and Song dynasties? Why can't the Treaty of Kaifeng bring a century of peace between the Song and Jin dynasties???"
Emperor Qinzong's logic boiled down to one word: fear. He was terrified, utterly terrified. He preferred a temporary peace bought with exorbitant tributes and ceded territory, even if that peace was utterly humiliating, rather than take the slightest further risk. He fantasized that satisfying the Jin's demands would bring him true peace, completely unaware that this would only fuel their greater greed.
"His Majesty!"
Li Gang knelt down with a thud, kowtowed, and wept bitterly.
"The Liao and Jin are different! The Jin have already broken the alliance at sea, so why would they care about the alliance at Kaifeng? What trust or righteousness can there be with tigers and wolves! The Jin barbarians are greedy and insatiable. Their retreat today is only because they are an isolated army deep in the enemy territory, running out of supplies, and reinforcements from Shandong are arriving one after another."
"When their army is strong and well-equipped, they will surely march south again! At that time, our Great Song will not have recovered its strength; how can we resist? Now is the best opportunity to weaken their power! This is not a rash act of war, but the last chance to defend our nation! Your Majesty!!!"
Zong Ze was also moved to tears and knelt down heavily.
"Your Majesty! This old minister is willing to sign a military pledge! If we fail to win, I am willing to offer my head as a reward! I only beg Your Majesty to give our soldiers a chance to avenge our defeat! To give the Great Song Dynasty a chance!"
However, no matter how tearfully they pleaded, how they analyzed the pros and cons, or how they pledged their lives, Emperor Qinzong remained unmoved, like a block of ice frozen by fear. He was even more uneasy and annoyed by the vehement attitude of his loyal ministers.
"enough!"
The young emperor's voice carried a hint of bluffing sharpness.
"My mind is made up! There is no need for further discussion! Pursuit is absolutely out of the question! You only need to focus on strengthening the city's defenses and reassuring the people; that is fulfilling your duty! Dismissed!"
The young emperor waved his hand, as if to dispel the troubling advice before him, then turned and, supported by his eunuch, fled the hall almost as if escaping, leaving behind a hasty figure. The Jin spies exchanged glances and immediately passed the intelligence to Jin Wuzhu, only then did the Jin dynasty begin to cross the river with peace of mind.
Then, an unexpected event occurred. When one-third of the Jin army had crossed the river to the north bank, one-third was crowded on the south bank, and another third was floating on the Yellow River, Chao Gai's First Navy immediately raised its banner and launched an attack—what Qi navy? We are Yellow River pirates!
Meanwhile, on the riverbank, Zhang Qing led a light cavalry unit to attack the Jin army that had not yet crossed the river on the south bank—what Qi cavalry? We are Henan bandits!
At this moment, Liu Hong was sitting in the camp, chatting with Grand Commandant Su, looking completely innocent and pretending that nothing had happened.
Chapter 419: The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King's Fierce Battle on the Yellow River
On the Yellow River, a great battle was about to break out. When the Liangshan boats were less than two hundred meters away from the Jin army's warships, they all turned to the right, pointing their long side bows at the Jin army's transport fleet. The thick waterproof straw curtains on one side of the boats were suddenly torn open, revealing a neat row of longbows, muskets, and the smallest one-pound cannons underneath! The eyes of the many pirates who had been laughing and joking instantly became sharp as eagles, and their movements were perfectly synchronized.
In an instant, bowstrings twanged, cannons roared, and lead bullets, iron shells, and arrows blazing with flames rained down on the distant Jin soldiers like a storm!
A heavy, solid projectile struck the side of a Jin army transport ship with a deafening roar. Wood chips flew everywhere as if from an explosion, and the sturdy planks were easily torn open, allowing the icy Yellow River water to rush in. The ship began to tilt at a visible speed, and the Jin soldiers screamed as they slid into the water, sinking to the bottom with a gurgling sound.
Another shotgun shell exploded mid-air above the deck of a Jin warship! Countless iron filings and shrapnel rained down like a deathly storm, indiscriminately sweeping away the lives on the deck. Screams were instantly drowned out by the explosion, and blood and severed limbs splattered everywhere in the smoke.
Meanwhile, a large number of Liangshan soldiers, equipped with muskets, lined up on the deck and unleashed a volley of fire on the Jin ships that had entered their range and fallen into disarray. Lead bullets rained down like locusts; although each bullet was less powerful than a cannonball, the dense barrage riddled the exposed bodies of the Jin soldiers with holes, bursting forth in bursts of blood mist. It was as if a storm of metal, fire, and blood had swept across the deck!
The archers' arrows did lose kinetic energy after flying two hundred meters and could not penetrate the Jin army's armor, but the arrowheads were all tied with burning oil, which could ignite the ship's hull if it came into contact with it!
In the distance, the Jin army fleet crossing the river was plunged into a scene of utter hell. Flames rose from many ships, and explosions echoed everywhere. Lead bullets and arrows clattered against the decks or pierced flesh with a hissing sound. Smoke, water vapor, and thick smoke from the fire mingled together, obscuring visibility. Only desperate cries, agonizing screams, and the incessant roar and howl could be heard.
The Yellow River was not only stained red with blood, but also flickered in the light of the cannon fire, as if the river itself was churning and roaring in agony under the ravages of thunder and flames. The Liangshan heroes' first wave of attack far exceeded the Jin army's expectations; even the least powerful one-pound cannon and various matchlock muskets possessed a power that ordinary Yellow River ferries could not withstand!