Chapter 1049: Come Fight

Fushanlie sneered.

Soon after, another gray owl flew over and hooted at him a few times.

"After Zhao's residence caught fire, did no one send a message to He Lingchuan's home?"

This was an unforeseen event, and a major one for Yuheng City. If He Lingchuan was still hiding in the city, someone should have tipped him off. The two places Fushanlie had sent bird demons to watch were the ones He Lingchuan frequented most.

"I know his house is brightly lit!" He was a little impatient, as this owl was much dumber than its comrades. "I'm just asking you, his door hasn't opened at all in the past two hours, has it?"

"It has opened... but his female neighbor opening the door doesn't count!" Fushanlie frowned. "Did you actually see him in person?"

This time, the gray owl's answer was very direct: "No!"

"Good, good!" Fushanlie clapped his hands. "Go back and keep a close watch. Report any clues promptly."

The gray owl flapped its wings and flew into the distance.

But did that prove He Lingchuan himself wasn't in Yuheng City? Fushanlie pondered it over and still felt uneasy. He needed to think of a way to test him.

Just then, another subordinate rushed in from outside, leaned close to Fushanlie, and whispered, "General, the Ball Gang, the Gathered Mountain Gang, and four other gangs are mobilizing their men."

Fushanlie hmmmed. "It seems it truly is tonight."

The discipline of the river bandits was far inferior to that of regular soldiers. If He Lingchuan wanted to attack here, the last to be mobilized would indeed be the Ball Gang, those spineless turncoats. Conversely, once these former river bandits mobilized, it meant He Lingchuan's attack was about to begin. It seemed that scoundrel truly couldn't wait for the Imperial Nectar's arrival before making his move.

In warfare, strategy is paramount. He Lingchuan refused to fall into the trap Fushanlie had laid. Fortunately, he hadn't been blinded by He Lingchuan's past actions; otherwise, he would have been utterly ruined tonight.

"What about the escape routes?"

"It appears some Yuheng troops have appeared near Suxi. Fortunately, our men had already gone out."

Suxi was an important tributary from Jintao into Longchuan. Yuheng City guarded this area specifically to cut off the retreat routes of the Western Ji rebel army.

"What about their two military camps in western and southern Longchuan?"

"They're empty."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sky lit up brilliantly. It wasn't sudden daylight, but thousands of burning arrows fired in concentrated volleys from outside, soaring over the dense demon-eating forest and raining down on the Western Ji rebel army's water stronghold!

Although the water stronghold's buildings were constructed from local materials, primarily wood, the Western Ji rebel army had long acquired special coatings that were remarkably effective in fire prevention. This wave of fiery arrows, while seemingly fierce, set few houses ablaze; instead, the surrounding forest suffered greatly.

Immediately afterward, the shouts of battle shook the heavens. The fierce bandits rushed out of the water stronghold, guarding the entry and exit passages.

The Western Ji rebel army had already been isolated within Longchuan. Local residents' perception of them had worsened, and furthermore, Yuheng City's influence had already permeated the area, so the Western Ji rebel army no longer had any need to communicate with Longchuan. After several months of cultivation and planting, the Western Ji rebel army had built thick walls of demon-eating trees along the edges of their territory, leaving only two entry and exit passages. This peculiar tree species was a distant relative of the demon-eating vines, but a woody plant that could grow to thirty feet tall and be as thick as three men arm-in-arm. They could be interplanted with demon-eating vines to form a protective tree-vine wall approximately thirty feet wide. Branches, leaves, and vines wove into an exceptionally dense net, so thick that not even a mouse could slip through. Any creature daring to approach would be mercilessly devoured by them. These things were extremely hard and inherently fire-resistant, proving invaluable to the Western Ji rebel army in resisting the Yuheng army's harassing attacks.

Indeed, once the Yuheng army turned the tables in Longchuan and gained advantages in terrain and popular support, they frequently harassed the Western Ji rebel army's territory. While He Lingchuan drilled his various teams, he also ensured the Western Ji rebel army had no peace. No one knew when he would raid, when he would feign an attack, or when he would launch a full-scale offensive, keeping the rebel army's nerves constantly on edge. If not for this tree wall, their territory would have been lost long ago.

A gray wood owl flew down from the sky and said to Fushanlie, "The enemy is attacking from two directions: the west and south entrances of the tree wall, with about a thousand men each."

"Adding Suxi to the north, that makes three forces," Fushanlie said, stroking his chin. "Where is He Lingchuan? Did you see him?"

"I saw him, he's commanding the front line at the west entrance!"

"Are you sure it's him?"

The gray wood owl nodded vigorously. "I recognize his face and his armor!"

"Just recognizing the armor isn't enough; you need to be sure it's him in person."

Fushanlie's eyes darted; he stood up and walked out.

On the west side of the demon-eating vine wall, the Yuheng City army was contending for the entry and exit passage. Suddenly, a loud shout rang out on the battlefield:

"Fushanlie is here! He Lingchuan, do you dare to come out and face me?"

Fushanlie suddenly appeared, killing several Yuheng soldiers. Under his leadership, the rebel army pushed back about twenty feet, re-securing the passage. Using his true power, his roar echoed above the dense forest, even overpowering the sounds of battle. Fushanlie shouted three times in a row.

Being so directly challenged, if the enemy leader was present among his troops, he would most likely come out. Sure enough, the Yuheng army quickly parted in the middle, and several riders galloped forth, the leading general indeed being He Lingchuan.

The entire battle temporarily halted. He looked at Fushanlie, who stood in the middle of the passage, expressionless. "What, do you want to confess before you die?"

Fushanlie laughed heartily. "We've been fighting for almost a year, but even now, on the night of our decisive battle, we've never shared a drink. It's truly a pity."

For him, a Beijia general, to say such a thing was extremely high praise for He Lingchuan, the commander of this small border town. The people of Beijia were incredibly proud, and Fushanlie was an outstanding figure among them, believing that few in Beijia could push him to his current predicament.

"Alright, I'll humor you," He Lingchuan said, raising an eyebrow. He dismounted, pulled a wine gourd from his storage ring, and shook it at Fushanlie.

Seeing this, Fushanlie also took out a silver flask. The two leaders stood facing each other, less than fifty feet apart. Behind them, two armies stood in a standoff, their ranks formidable, with swords and spears glinting menacingly in the torchlight.

Fushanlie sighed. "If you had been born in Beijia, you would be a fierce general with limitless prospects. What a pity, to be in this hopeless place."

He Lingchuan smiled. "So your greatest wish is merely to become a Grand General of Lingxu and continue to be a dog for the Celestial Gods?"

Fushanlie snorted. "What do you know? I am loyal to Beijia."

"Not the Celestial Gods?" He Lingchuan secretly marveled at the strange twists of fate. Fushanlie's temperament indeed bore a striking resemblance to Fushanyue. One might even say Fushanyue inherited his disposition.

Fushanlie didn't pursue that topic. He simply raised his silver flask to He Lingchuan. "Come, I toast you. Regardless of victory or defeat tonight, you are a worthy opponent."

He Lingchuan raised his gourd and toasted him from a distance. Both men tipped their heads back and drained their drinks in one gulp, then inverted their drinking vessels. Sure enough, not a drop remained.

"Shall we fight?"

"Let's fight!"

He Lingchuan mounted his horse again, and Fushanlie took a few steps back. Both raised their arms and gestured forward:

"Charge!"

The two armies charged forward in unison, colliding like a tidal wave once more.

After retreating to the water stronghold, Fushanlie instructed several of his subordinate generals to "defend this place well."

"Rest assured, General." All of these men had been brought by him from Beijia and were fiercely loyal.

With that said, Fushanlie returned to his own quarters. Most of the wooden houses in the water stronghold were built on the lake surface, and his house was no exception. Fushanlie pulled up a plank from the floor, revealing a three-foot square opening, below which lay rippling water. He jumped into the water and disappeared in an instant.

He Lingchuan had indeed personally gone to the Longchuan front line; Fushanlie had confirmed this with his own eyes. Therefore, the next phase of the operation could begin.

The attack on the rebel water stronghold resumed. Soldiers streamed past He Lingchuan like a tide, surging forward. As the commander-in-chief, he only needed to remain in the rear and strategize. Longchuan seemed exceptionally chaotic that night, with soldiers everywhere and torches lighting up the sky. Almost all former bandit gangs in Longchuan had received orders from the Grand Commander to participate in the Yuheng army's operation against the rebels. Yuheng City had made up its mind: they would achieve victory in a single battle tonight.

Messengers frequently entered and exited the brightly lit main tent like worker ants, and nearby troop movements were orderly. Two small teams applied a black, sticky, and greasy ointment to their bodies. It had a pungent odor and couldn't be washed off with plain water, requiring a special cleanser. Yet, the captain ordered his men to apply it over their entire bodies, leaving no blind spots. This was a new invention by the pharmacists of Panlong City. Although demon-eating trees were aggressive towards outsiders, they also suffered from insect infestations and similarly needed their own private doctors, which were small creatures called "mud moles." Mud moles moved in and out of the demon-eating forest without being attacked by them. The camouflage potion concocted by Panlong City's pharmacists simulated the ointment on the mud moles' bodies and simultaneously masked human scent, allowing humans to deceive the demon-eating forest as well. Unfortunately, the dosage was limited and couldn't be distributed on a large scale. The two teams were sent to infiltrate and carry out sabotage behind enemy lines.

While the battle raged fiercely both inside and outside the demon-eating tree wall, no one noticed a messenger, after emerging from the main tent, blend in with the chaotic troops and quietly slip into the dim bushes. A magnificent *bo* beast had been waiting outside the forest. On the battlefield, torches filled the sky with smoke, making the surroundings appear even darker. No one noticed the black-robed, masked figure rush through the forest, mount the *bo* beast, and speed northward under the cover of night and tree shadows!

The man and his beast were very familiar with the terrain. He even dared, in the dim and unpredictable environment, to affix a swiftness talisman to the *bo* beast's neck, using the wind to run even faster. Even if other animals and demons were dwelling in the forest, just as they were startled by the sound of hooves, the rider and beast were already far away, leaving only a blurry silhouette.

Every breath, every moment, was precious. He was racing against time, and time meant life, meant victory or defeat.

Before long, he rode onto the main road. People traveling at night were few and far between; what was strange about one more? After becoming road managers, the Longchuan river bandits had truly exerted themselves to properly maintain the main road. Now, the trade route was much easier to travel than a few months ago, and the *bo* beast's speed increased again and again. And traveling on the main road had another benefit: Fushanlie's spies rarely kept watch on the main roads.

Before he was halfway there, a bird appeared ahead, flapping its wings and descending toward him, its posture exceptionally agile.

The kestrel arrived.