Magical Water Margin: They all call me brother

Page 89

Before Luan Tingyu could figure it out, Mu Chun had already attacked, forcing her to swing her iron rod to block. As their spear and rod clashed, Mu Hong was forced back three steps by the impact, and the difference in their strength was immediately apparent.

However, at the point where Luan Tingyu's eighty-pound iron rod clashed with the steel spear, a green fluorescent light flashed. Then, one corner of the iron rod collapsed and disintegrated into atoms right before Luan Tingyu's eyes! This shortened the iron rod by seven or eight centimeters—this person's ability is probably capable of breaking down anything she touches into atoms invisible to the naked eye. No wonder she dares to claim she has no defenses! No one can stop her!

Chapter 228: Thunderbolt Shatters the Earth with Lightning

However, facing Mu Hong's troublesome ability, Luan Tingyu was not afraid at all. He roared and made his iron rod wrap around a storm of lightning, and smashed it at Mu Hong again. Mu Hong was not to be outdone. He used his steel spear to wrap around the emerald green magic light that disintegrated everything and shattered it into atoms, and fought with Luan Tingyu!

The setting sun, like melting gold and blood, splashed across the smoke-filled battlefield, casting a chilling crimson hue over the brutal fighting. In one corner of this carnage, two hordes of warriors, moving like hurricanes, clashed violently! The clash of weapons was like a thunderclap!

Unobstructed, Mu Hong appeared like a deep, churning, emerald-green shadow. Her expression was as cold and aloof as ancient jade in a frozen pool. Her black cloud-treading snow steed uttered not a sound, its swiftness and eeriness like a terrifying ghost. In her hand, the steel spear danced, unleashing viscous, bizarre waves of emerald-green magic! The spear tip flickered and shimmered, so fast that the soldiers saw only afterimages, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. Each strike was incredibly cunning, even the sky itself was disintegrated and annihilated in the spear's sweeping thrusts.

The sky was filled with the shadows of guns, like a sky full of demonic shadows, as if monsters from the subspace had descended to the mortal world to devour, dissipate, and annihilate everything!

Opposite him stood Luan Tingyu, his hair and beard bristling, his eyes wide with fury, his roar like a thunderclap in a clear sky! His magnificent yellow steed, the Snow-Treading Divine Steed, neighed incessantly, its hooves kicking up towering clouds of dust. The iron rod in his hand, weighing a thousand or eighty pounds, carried unparalleled strength, its sweeping motion accompanied by the faint sound of wind and thunder tearing through the air! Countless shadows of the rod transformed into streaks of blazing golden lightning tearing through the twilight, their force fierce and domineering, each strike seemingly capable of shattering mountains and pulverizing the earth!

With each clash of the staff and spear, unable to block Mu Hong's annihilating power, they could no longer harm Luan Tingyu's weapon or body; they could only annihilate and tear apart the lightning wrapped around the staff.

For a moment, the surrounding soldiers, drenched in blood, were all dumbfounded. They could no longer distinguish man from horse. All they could see was a dazzling golden light tearing through the heavens and earth, and a surging, bottomless, dense green shadow, colliding and intertwining wildly amidst the flying dust and the blood-red sunset! The staff moved like thunderbolts cleaving the heavens, the spear like a poisonous dragon stirring the sea; the light of staff and the shadow of spear blended into one, and the two valiant generals and their two divine steeds moved like giant revolving lanterns, whistling, spinning, leaping, pouncing, and clashing within the limited space!

The deafening clang of metal clashing was as dense as a thousand heavy hammers pounding in a blacksmith's shop! Every time swords and spears clashed fiercely, blinding sparks would burst forth, like a rain of fire from an iron tree, so intense in the twilight that it was impossible to open one's eyes! The neighing of warhorses and the angry shouts of generals intertwined and reverberated, the air currents rising into the sky, even the ground beneath one's feet trembled slightly!

Mu Hong was a powerful figure in Jiangdong. He had an amazing physique from a young age, standing at 2.4 meters tall, on par with Lin Chong and Suo Chao. With the guidance of a famous teacher and the assistance of a demon, his combat power was terrifying. Otherwise, he could not have become one of the three tyrants of Jiangzhou, alongside Li Jun and Zhang Heng.

Although she was indeed weaker than Luan Tingyu in strength and slightly inferior in skill, her demonic abilities even countered and destroyed Luan Tingyu's Thunder General power, preventing Luan Tingyu from controlling the Thunder General avatar, which was tens of meters tall, to carry out destructive and overwhelming combat. She could only use her own body to fight Mu Hong head-on inside the Thunder General!

Thus, although Luan Tingyu maintained a firm upper hand, he was unable to turn that advantage into a victory, let alone defeat Mu Hong. Mu Hong managed to hold out against Luan Tingyu for twenty or thirty rounds, and although he was somewhat disheveled, he successfully stalled until reinforcements arrived.

While Luan Tingyu was engaged in fierce battle with Mu Hong, he suddenly sensed something was wrong. The terrifying dark clouds that had been covering the sky were now spewing out streaks of golden, terrifying lightning, a sign that one of the Thirty-Six Generals of the Thunder Department had descended.

But now, the pitch-black sky is ablaze with a vibrant green demonic fire, and a blazing infernal meteor roars, spins, and dances as it falls from the heavens! Ominous molten sulfur flows across the rocky surface; the raging hellfire, like billions of roaring fire dragons, coils, pushes, and explodes, scorching and distorting the air in its path, leaving behind a dark green-black trail of destruction!

Thunderbolt Qin Ming once again transformed into a destructive meteorite formed from demonic flames, molten lava, and even rage itself. With boundless terror and destruction, it tore through the inky sky and roared as it descended!

"boom!!!"

The giant thunder general that Luan Tingyu had transformed into now stood majestically like a prison. Her body was forged from the surging and leaping thunder of the nine heavens, terrifying as a mountain, with swirling lightning bolts as her breath, and her eyes spewing out electric snakes that pierced the night.

However, Luan Tingyu, who was controlling this Thunder Warrior, was entangled with Mu Hong and was unable to muster 100% of his energy to fight against a powerful enemy of Qin Ming's caliber.

Therefore, due to Mu Hong's entanglement, Luan Tingyu was one step behind Qin Ming in their first duel, and was a second too slow. He was unable to block the attack and was directly hit on the head by the hellfire that fell from the sky.

In an instant, an indescribable roar erupted! It wasn't the clash of metal, but a terrifying reverberation of mountains collapsing, the sky tearing apart, and countless wronged souls screaming simultaneously! A blinding white light engulfed all vision—it was the primordial explosion of lightning compressed and ignited to its extreme! The radiant lightning giant, bearing the boundless power of a colossus, was shattered the moment it came into contact with the hellfire meteor, like thin ice under the blazing sun, unable to even offer a moment's resistance, its head completely smashed apart!

Boom, boom, boom!

Lightning shattered, molten lava erupted, and the entire lightning general, like exquisite glass, was struck by a massive hammer, cracking, shattering, and vaporizing inch by inch! That power, capable of leveling mountains, was laughably fragile under the hellish impact of Qin Ming's avatar!

Not only that, the momentum of the Hellfire Meteor showed no sign of diminishing! After the Thunder Giant's towering, mountain-like head was smashed open, under the crushing force of the Hellfire Meteor, the remains continued to collapse horribly downwards from the point of contact! The raging lightning that formed his head and neck, like metal thrown into a furnace, instantly melted under unimaginable heat and impact! The raging lightning energy that constituted his existence was forcibly squeezed out, like a dying thunderous beast spewing out its last, most chaotic torrent of electricity. Countless pale white lightning snakes, thicker than a child's arm, lashed out wildly, struggling and howling in all directions, tearing the surrounding space to shreds!

The towering silhouette of that giant, standing between heaven and earth, crumbled and collapsed layer by layer, starting from its head, as the fiery meteor plummeted unstoppably. Like a sand sculpture struck by a heavy hammer, it crumbled, disintegrated, and crushed downwards! Qin Ming's incarnation as hellfire smashed Thor's avatar from head to toe, creating a devastating magma crater on the ground once again!

boom! ! !

First came a terrifying, muffled roar that exceeded the limits of hearing, as if the heart of the earth had been crushed by brute force. At that moment, the ground within a radius of tens of meters from the point of impact was as if it had been stomped down by an invisible giant foot. The hard ground instantly turned into soft waves, and the soil and earth trembled violently like waves. Then, in a strange and deathly silence, it collapsed and sank.

Immediately following, an indescribable shockwave of destruction, centered on the crater, transformed into a solidified, ring-shaped giant wave, carrying remnants of green demonic fire and golden lightning, roaring outwards in all directions! Rocks, trees, corpses, and even small hills were utterly crushed into dust by this pure power! Like a mischievous child's fingers grinding over a fragile anthill, leaving not a trace.

At the point of impact with Qin Ming, a massive and terrifying circular crater instantly formed! The bottom of the crater was not soil, but a bubbling pool of evil green magma that had been instantly melted by extreme heat and pressure. The crater walls were smooth as a mirror, displaying a bizarre arc shaped by violence. Layers of rocks were squeezed and overturned, like a hideous wound opened up in hell.

Smoke, mixed with sulfur, lava, and the acrid smell of electricity, formed a thick, impenetrable fog of death that slowly rose and obscured the sky.

"Cough, cough, cough,"

Mu Hong retreated from the battlefield in a very disheveled state. At the critical moment, she also managed to create afterimages with her gun, breaking down all the splashing hellfire meteors into atoms. This is how she survived Qin Ming's indiscriminate, wide-range attack.

He wasn't even Qin Ming's target, yet he was already in such a sorry state just from being caught in the blast. Luan Tingyu, who was targeted and struck by Qin Ming, must be dead by now, right? This Thunderbolt is truly formidable!

Chapter 229: Luan Tingyu's Success Fails at the Last Minute

But before Mu Hong could even rejoice, he saw the magma pool in the crater begin to boil and bubble. The magma pool boiled and expanded violently, as if an ancient behemoth lurking in the earth's core had been completely enraged! The crimson lava was no longer a flowing liquid, but was being frantically seized by some primal force. Two giant columns of lava, thicker than palace pillars and carrying viscous liquid and frenzied energy, erupted like angry blood arrows from the sleeping earth, crashing through the surface of the lava with the force to shatter the sky, and piercing straight into the clouds!

They burst through the thick smoke and dust, stretching violently under the gray sky, their tips even touching the low-hanging dark clouds, transforming into a sky full of scorching, burning, and destructive crimson rain!

This torrential rain of lava was no ordinary water droplet, but a metallic fire rain condensed with extreme heat and violent magical energy. With a piercing shriek, it rained down densely on this ravaged land. Wherever the fire rain touched, rocks instantly melted, steel twisted and vaporized, scorched soil rose with acrid smoke, and even the surviving air groaned and twisted under the high temperature.

In the center of the terrifying lava lake, the source of the gushing lava columns were two colossal figures that stood tall and shook the universe, breaking through the boiling lava and rising majestically.

The giant on the left is Qin Ming's Hellfire form. This giant is formed by casting obsidian, which is as dark as night, and molten green lava, which is as violent and dazzling as night. Obsidian forms the skeleton of his huge body and the core of his ferocious horns, which is hard and deep. The hot and violent fel energy molten lava flows and burns on his bones, like flowing veins and burning muscles. The destructive hellfire leaps and roars around him forever, and every breath brings out thick smoke of sulfur and scorched earth, like a walking volcano of purgatory.

In Qin Ming's hand, Thunderbolt was gripping a wolf-tooth magic club that resembled a collapsing mountain. The giant club was also sculpted from a condensed obsidian pillar and the living magma wrapped around it. It was covered with rough, sharp spikes like demon fangs, each of which burned with a ghostly green flame. Just swinging it caused space to distort and groan!

The giant on the right was the second time Luan Tingyu had summoned the Purple Thunder Palace Howling Wind Whip Heavenly Thunder Lord. His entire body was tightly interwoven with billions of pure, dazzling, and heavenly-powerful golden lightning bolts! His form resembled an embodiment of will forged in the Nine Heavens Thunder Pool, its outline clear yet composed of constantly exploding, surging, and recombining thunderbolts! It had no substantial flesh and blood, only a pure energy life form, majestic, sacred, and filled with destructive purifying power. Dazzling golden electric snakes endlessly surged and exploded within his towering ten-meter-tall body, emitting continuous, earth-shattering rumbling thunder!

In his hand he held a lightning rod that also shone with terrifying lightning light, as if it had been condensed from the heavenly punishment! The giant rod was not a physical object, but a condensation of violent lightning. Its golden light was dazzling, and its surface was wrapped with countless dragon-like electric snakes. Every swing was accompanied by the pungent smell of the air being ionized and the feeling of space being torn apart under the strain!

These two colossal demon gods, who descended from the Abyss of Hell and the Heavens of Thunder and Punishment at the same time, shattered lava and crashed through the sky, standing tall in the burning lava lake. Countless molten lava draped over their heads and shoulders, falling downwards like two tattered molten lava cloaks.

They were only inches apart, their massive bodies casting shadows that almost covered the entire crater! No words were spoken, no probing needed; the pent-up anger and power ignited in an instant!

"boom!!!"

The Thunder God Staff and the Wolf Fang Demon Staff, wreathed in hellfire and divine tribulation lightning, clashed fiercely on the rolling magma and amidst the raging rain of flames, with an ultimate, all-shattering force! The point of contact between the two giant staffs erupted with an extreme brilliance far exceeding that of the sun! Pure golden lightning pillars and viscous, evil dark green demonic flames annihilated and devoured each other.

The shockwave was no longer a gust of air, but a tangible ripple of energy, like a giant wheel crushing thin ice, forcibly flattening and spreading the molten lava beneath their feet, forming a huge concave surface! The deafening collision sound was no longer just a sound, but a shattering sensation that penetrated the depths of the soul! The dazzling light and shooting energy fragments instantly evaporated, distorted, and assimilated the rain of lava falling from the sky.

Two warriors, two giants, fought fiercely, their battle so intense it seemed to eclipse the sun and moon, locked in a fierce struggle for over thirty rounds without a clear victor! Meanwhile, the infantry and cavalry legions under Li Kui, Mu Hong, and Qin Ming, relying on Song Jiang as their center, formed a defensive network that effectively withstood the charge, thwarting Luan Tingyu's plan.

Luan Tingyu was also very anxious at this moment. This was only half of Liangshan's forces, yet they had so many capable and brave generals? The three brothers Zhu Long, Zhu Hu, and Zhu Biao were all intercepted by Liangshan bandits, and Hu Sanniang, the One-Zhang-Qing, could not break through Li Kui's frenzied offensive. Even he himself was blocked by Qin Ming, the Thunderbolt!

At this moment, Luan Tingyu hesitated. Should he retreat? Or should he take a gamble? Song Jiang was right in front of him, less than forty meters away! If he could just kill her, half of Liangshan's army would be in complete chaos.

Just as she was hesitating, several cavalrymen charged at her from behind, urgently delivering intelligence.

"Instructor Luan! Something terrible has happened! The Great Sage of Chaos from the back gate is attacking the Zhu Family Village! Their firepower is fierce, pinning our brothers down. Flying Tiger Hu Cheng, who's defending the village, is no match for them! Help! Help!!!"

Seeing that the village was in dire straits, Luan Tingyu sighed, knowing that he had failed this time. He could only sound the retreat. The cavalry of Zhujiazhuang broke through and disrupted the four battalions of Song Jiang's soldiers. They even fought their way to within 30 meters of Song Jiang's banner, but still failed to achieve their goal of killing the general and capturing the banner. They could only retreat in frustration, fighting and retreating.

Thunderbolt Qin Ming pursued relentlessly, but he was indeed unable to defeat Luan Tingyu in a short time, or even gain the upper hand. He could only fight and pursue.

Hu Sanniang, nicknamed "One-Zhang-Qing," sighed and gave up on entangled with Li Kui. This female general seemed to have inexhaustible energy. She had already defeated several Liangshan heroes, but she did not feel tired at all. In fact, her fighting spirit was even stronger! Her steed was extremely fast. In an instant, she was able to kill her fiancé Zhu Biao. A blue light flashed, and she wielded the Ice and Fire Twin Blades, charging from the flank at Yang Lin, nicknamed "Golden Leopard." Yang Lin was caught off guard and overwhelmed by the two. He was slashed and stabbed, and hastily retreated under the protection of his soldiers.

Meanwhile, Deng Fei, the Fiery-Eyed Lion, and Ou Peng, the Golden-Winged Cloud-Piercing Roc, had been fighting Zhu Long and Zhu Hu since the very beginning of the battle. After fifty or sixty rounds, all four were exhausted. Upon hearing the order to retreat, Zhu Long and Zhu Hu fled, but the two Liangshan demons relentlessly pursued them!

Just then, Hu Sanniang, nicknamed "One-Zhang-Qing," charged forward like a ghost, a streak of blue lightning traversing the battlefield! Her twin blades danced with ice and fire, first attacking Deng Fei, then Ou Peng! The two demons were already exhausted. Deng Fei fought Hu Sanniang for ten rounds before finally giving up and retreating. Ou Peng fared no better, unable to withstand even five rounds before flapping his wings and flying away. They truly couldn't understand it. Everyone else had fought the entire battle, they were practically exhausted, yet this "One-Zhang-Qing" seemed to grow stronger with each battle, her energy seemingly tireless!

Having captured Dwarf Tiger alive, fought Black Whirlwind to a draw, and then defeated Leopard, Fiery-Eyed Lion, and Golden-Winged Cloud, Hu Sanniang's record was now ridiculously good. She had fought five Liangshan generals in a row, and instead of getting tired, she was even more enthusiastic about the battle! Her confidence was growing, and she even thought that Liangshan was nothing special. She prepared to pursue Deng Fei and Ou Peng to see if she could capture another one alive.

Just then, Liu Hong, the Great Sage of Chaos, worried that something might happen to Song Jiang's side, as Luan Tingyu had killed his general and seized his flag. Therefore, he ordered Lin Chong to serve as his deputy commander, overseeing all matters related to the rear attack on the city, using overwhelming siege firepower to force Luan Tingyu to return to defend. He was playing a game of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao."

With his unparalleled flying ability, he flew directly across the sky above Zhu Family Village and descended onto the battlefield like a nightmare to observe the battle situation on Song Jiang's side. Before Liu Hong could figure it out, Hu Sanniang's eyes flickered, and she mistook Liu Hong for the fleeing Golden-Winged Roc. She drew her bow and shot three arrows at Liu Hong in succession!

Liu Hong casually flapped his wings, and the resulting storm blew away the three arrows. At this moment, he also fixed his gaze on Hu Sanniang.

Alright, Luan Tingyu has already retreated, Song Jiang is safe now. I'll kill some of the Zhu Family Village people first, or capture a few alive as hostages. I'll start with this little girl who dared to shoot me!

Chapter 230: Yi Zhangqing's Army Defeated and Captured

Seeing that the "Golden-Winged Roc" had actually stopped fleeing and not only launched a counterattack against her, but also easily swept away the arrows blocking her with the storm created by its wings, Hu Sanniang frowned, sensing that something was wrong—wait, I just fought with her, and after only a few rounds, she fled in disarray. Even if she was exhausted and had no strength left to retreat, she shouldn't have this kind of strength now!

As Hu Sanniang was enveloped by the shadow of Liu Hong's wings, a suffocating killing intent and oppressive feeling also pressed down on her, making every cell in her body scream and tremble! It was as if a natural enemy had descended!

"call--"

As Liu Hong landed some distance, Hu Sanniang got a better look at him and was horrified—the Golden-Winged Roc was only 1.67 meters tall with wingspans of just over three meters. But the Golden-Winged Roc that had landed was a full 2.5 meters tall, with wingspans of over six meters, almost twice the size of the Roc!

This isn't the Golden-Winged Demon of the Earthly Fiends, but the Great Sage Equaling Heaven of Liangshan! When did this person arrive? Shouldn't he be at the back door?!

However, it was too late. Hu Sanniang knew that escape was impossible. The deadly golden figure was already close at hand, and her retreat was completely blocked by the violent airflow, which even made her warhorse's hooves go weak.

In a flash, Hu Sanniang's pupils shrank, knowing there was no hope left. A fierce look instantly replaced her panic. She gritted her teeth, her inner energy surged, and the two willow-leaf goose-feather knives in her hands hummed and transformed into two cold, intertwined streaks of light, which rose upwards to meet the attack. It was the last counterattack of a trapped beast!

Liu Hong, hovering in the air, wore a cold, sinister smile, like a hawk locking onto its prey on the ground. With a mere thought, his colossal wings, capable of blotting out the sky, suddenly retracted, transforming into a sharp golden shuttle with his robust body, causing his already lightning-fast speed to surge even further! The air was brutally torn apart, emitting a piercing shriek.

One moment he was still in mid-air, the next he transformed into a burning golden meteor, powerful enough to blind anyone, crashing down in front of Hu Sanniang with the force of a thunderbolt.

"boom!!!"

Using the momentum of his charge, Liu Hong wielded his staff instead of a spear, employing the essence of the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear Technique. He even unleashed a Sevenfold Heavenly Gang Slash, seven golden-green hellish meteors detaching from his staff and roaring like demonic eyes from purgatory, carrying the sulfurous aura of burning everything, and scorching the sky. Furthermore, fourteen accompanying stars from the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends, trailing dark purple star trails, intertwined to form a destructive net of light, like a flock of birds taking flight, like a dense meteor shower, like a collapsing and crumbling Heavenly Gang star field, pressing down on Hu Sanniang's head with an inescapable and terrifying force that seemed to shatter the void!

"Huh!!!"

Hu Sanniang let out a delicate roar, mustered all her strength, and swung her twin swords to meet Liu Hong's Heavenly Gang Slash head-on. As the swords and staffs clashed, she felt her bones go weak and her muscles go numb, her body go limp and her strength go limp. Although she could still barely hold on, her arms had begun to tremble wildly.

At that moment, the steed beneath her could no longer support itself. With a mournful cry, it coughed up blood from its mouth and nose, its hooves buckled, and it collapsed to the ground! This caused Hu Sanniang to lose her balance as well. She fell to the ground with a soft moan, watching helplessly as Liu Hong swung his dragon-patterned staff, unleashing a dense shower of jade-like meteors that slammed into her body!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!"

In an instant, stars fell, the sky shattered, and the earth exploded. The ground was instantly smashed into more than a dozen circular craters of varying sizes. The shockwave, carrying with it evil green demonic magma and brilliant golden Buddhist flames, roared and splashed in all directions before falling one after another. Hu Sanniang's green robe was obliterated and her scales were shattered. If she hadn't been wearing a suit of armor, she would probably have been reduced to ashes.

Even so, her armor was smashed apart by the meteor, silver armor plates and green leather ropes scattered everywhere like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, revealing a light blue close-fitting undergarment that covered her alluring body. She was so shocked that blood flowed from her seven orifices, her hair was broken, and her black hair was wildly dancing. Then, Liu Hong grabbed her under his arm and captured her alive.

"Third Sister!"

Zhu Biao cried out in alarm, trying to save his fiancée, but Zhu Long and Zhu Hu held him back tightly—"Brother, don't go to your death! That's Liu Hong, the Great Sage of Chaos! And the four battalions of Song Jiang's troops that we defeated have come back from both sides to surround us. Stop fighting, let's run back to Zhu Family Village first! Otherwise, we'll be trapped here too!"

Luan Tingyu was currently entangled with Qin Ming and forced to retreat, unable to provide reinforcements. He could only watch helplessly as Liu Hong captured Hu Sanniang.

However, as revenge, she deliberately did not return to Zhu Family Village, but took a back road instead. Qin Ming, who had an unusually fiery temper, was unaware of the trap and continued to chase after her, once again falling into his old habit.

When they attacked Liangshan Marsh, Qin Ming pursued too fast and became separated from his soldiers, resulting in the complete annihilation of the Qingzhou Camp by Liangshan and his own capture by Liu Hong.

When fighting Song Jiang, she chased after him too fast and became separated from her soldiers, which led to her being captured by Song Jiang.

But now, she was still chasing too fast, and once again she lost track of her cavalry. After crashing into the dense forest, she discovered that there was actually another group of men lying in ambush there. Luan Tingyu also turned around and led about a hundred elite soldiers from the Zhu Family Village who were lying in ambush there to surround Qin Ming. Iron chains, ropes, and large nets flew everywhere, and poison gas and sleeping potions were sprinkled out of thin air. They were determined to capture and kill this fierce general!

Liu Hong cursed under his breath, and with Hu Sanniang, who had been knocked unconscious, in his left hand, he traversed the battlefield like lightning and arrived beside Qin Ming. He swept his dragon staff horizontally, instantly tearing apart seven nets and shattering eight demon-sealing iron chains. With another strike, he unleashed a destructive force capable of collapsing the heavens, causing Luan Tingyu to stagger back two steps.

Even the Thunder General incarnate was shaken by the Great Sage of Chaos's meteor shower and retreated.

Seeing that he couldn't capture Qin Ming, Luan Tingyu didn't dare to delay and led his men to retreat. Liu Hong chased after them for a while, but found that the group had retreated to the cover of fire from the walls of Zhu Family Village. On the three-tiered stone walls, a large number of villagers fired thousands of arrows, which forced Liu Hong and Qin Ming to retreat. This forced Luan Tingyu to lead his army to retreat hastily back to their own village, signifying the complete failure of the general's plan to seize the flag.

Chapter 231: Demonstrating Authority, Uniting the People of Liangshan

"Thanks, brother!"

Seeing that the surprise force from Zhujiazhuang had retreated back to the fortress and had almost been killed by Luan Tingyu, Qin Ming, who had been captured alive, breathed a sigh of relief, exited his Hellfire form, returned to his normal human form, and repeatedly clasped his hands in thanks to Liu Hong.

"You're still as reckless and impatient as ever."

Liu Hong gave a wry smile and tried to persuade Qin Ming.

“I know my sister is capable, but you are a cavalry commander. Don’t be too reckless. At least don’t get separated from your soldiers. As the saying goes, two fists can’t beat four hands, and a tiger can’t fight off a pack of wolves. My sister, you should be more careful and avoid getting captured again.”

With Liu Hong's patient persuasion, Qin Ming, who had suffered losses several times in a row, nodded and admitted his mistakes like a child in front of Liu Hong, and finally began to take his problems seriously.

When the two returned to Song Jiang's six battalions, everyone looked at Liu Hong and Qin Ming with admiration. Everyone had seen how terrifying Luan Ting was. Only Mu Hong could hold his own against her for a couple of moves, while the others couldn't stop her at all. Ma Lin, Shi Yong, Zheng Tianshou, and Mu Chun were all seriously injured and were still on stretchers, unable to move. They were just barely alive.

Qin Ming was able to fight Luan Tingyu to a standstill, and Liu Hong could shake the Thunder God with a single Heavenly Gang Slash. Such combat prowess was enough to make Song Jiang's generals hold the two in high esteem.

Black Whirlwind Li Kui, Fiery-Eyed Lion Deng Fei, and Cloud-Piercing Golden-Winged Ou Peng—these warriors who had fought against Yi Zhangqing were filled with awe for Liu Hong. They knew better than anyone else what Yi Zhangqing's strength was; he was definitely stronger than them. They had struggled to defeat him, but Liu Hong had done it all in one move! He truly deserved to be the leader of the stronghold.

Deng Fei and Ou Peng, who were being chased by Yi Zhangqing and indirectly saved by Liu Hong, bowed deeply to Liu Hong, expressing their immense gratitude.

Yan Shun and Zheng Tianshou on Qingfeng Mountain also knew Wang Ai Hu's abilities. The three sisters were not much different in fighting strength. Ai Hu was captured alive by Yi Zhang Qing after only a few rounds. If it were us, the result would probably be the same. At most, we would just be less lustful and more willing to hold back, and we could fight a few more rounds.

Liu Hong, the leader of the stronghold, defeated Hu Sanniang with overwhelming force. Although we had just arrived at the mountain and did not know the abilities of the Great Sage of Chaos, his fighting power alone was enough to inspire awe! His loyalty and character in flying from the back gate to the front gate to rescue his brothers also won everyone's heartfelt admiration.

At this moment, Song Jiang's feelings were very complicated. Through the battle in front of the Zhu Family Village, she had roughly figured out the fighting strength of her subordinate leaders. Thunderbolt Qin Ming and Little Li Guang Hua Rong were indeed brave and skilled in battle. However, apart from these two, the fighting strength of Deng Fei, Ou Peng, Yan Shun, Wang Ying and the other Earthly Fiends was very uncertain.

They say they can't fight, but these guys are still quite capable.

They're said to be good fighters, but their performance on this battlefield is really only average.

Li Kui is a special case. Song Jiang had witnessed how fierce and brave Li Kui was during the battle of Jiangzhou. Killing ordinary people was no different from crushing an ant. However, he seemed to be able to clear out the miscellaneous soldiers and fight his way out with extremely high efficiency. But once he encountered a tough guy like Yi Zhangqing, he would get stuck and unable to move.

What's worse, in this battle, not only did he fail to win a single battle and establish his authority at Liangshan, but he also allowed Liu Hong to successfully establish his authority within his own ranks. Although the heroes of Qingfeng Mountain, Huangmen Mountain, and Jiangzhou were not about to leave him directly, they all acknowledged Liu Hong's strength and his loyalty in flying thousands of miles to rescue them, making him worthy of being the leader of Liangshan.

After the first battle between Liangshan and Zhujiazhuang ended, both sides took stock of the battlefield and found that Zhujiazhuang had lost 63 cavalrymen. Liangshan was caught off guard by the shameless sneak attack, and its lines were in complete disarray, with more than 300 infantrymen killed. Song Jiang's campaign was unsuccessful, with a one-to-five ratio of casualties, and his brothers' casualties were almost one-tenth of the total.

On the Liangshan side, Dwarf Tiger Wang Ying was captured, and Ma Lin, Shi Yong, Zheng Tianshou, and Mu Chun were seriously injured.

On the Zhu Family Village side, only Zhang Qing was captured alive, and they suffered some minor losses in their first battle.

Seeing the heavy casualties on their side, Song Jiang and his six battalions were furious. Yan Shun, seeing one of his sisters captured alive and another beaten to the point of death, was even more enraged. He grabbed his knife, ready to kill the captured Hu Sanniang, but was stopped by a glare from Liu Hong.

"Be rational. This hostage is very useful. Maybe we can use her to get Shi Qian back. Sister Wang Ying, don't be too impulsive."

Liu Hong persuaded Yan Shun to give up.

In the past, Yan Shun might not have listened to him and really wanted to kill Hu Sanniang to avenge his sister.