Chapter 150: Reunion

Pei and Wu had joined forces, having already ambushed him once before!

Wu Shaoyi had launched a surprise attack on Immortal Spirit Village, and Pei Xinyong had struck Whistle Rock. In both instances, Lu Yao's forces suffered losses. Who's to say Pei Xinyong wouldn't try the same trick again?

If Pei and Wu were to team up again, it would mean the mist wouldn't stop Pei Xinyong. Lu Yao would be the only one trapped and suffering setbacks.

With Pei Xinyong operating openly and Wu Shaoyi covertly, their combined forces would exceed two thousand. Lu Yao, with only four to five hundred men—mostly surrendered soldiers—could not possibly withstand attacks from both of them simultaneously.

This was bad! When had he become so deeply embroiled in danger without realizing it?

The more Lu Yao thought about it, the deeper his heart sank, and his rage quickly intensified.

So what if he was in a desperate situation? Would he just sit back and wait to die? These two had played him more than once. Even if circumstances weren't in his favor, Pei and Wu would have to pay a terrible price if they wanted to deal with him!

His face was expressionless, but Pei Xinyong noticed the tightening of his jaw muscles, indicating he was clenching his teeth fiercely.

The marten had clearly paused in the trees, and Pei Xinyong was sure Lu Yao had seen it, but he hesitated to ask. This meant Lu Yao very likely already knew Wu Shaoyi was still alive.

If that was the case, why did Lu Yao still come to him, defer to him as commander, and insist on pursuing the government soldiers ahead? Why?

Because once Pei Xinyong knew Wu Shaoyi was alive, he might revert to his old ally and collectively besiege Lu Yao. So, was Lu Yao rushing to align himself, intending to strike first?

If Pei Xinyong died, the Pei army would be leaderless, and their threat would be greatly diminished. At that point, Lu Yao would have a chance to turn and deal with Wu Shaoyi. After all, Wu Shaoyi had fought fiercely with the Crocodile God; even if he wasn't dead, he must be severely wounded, right?

If Lu Yao wanted to survive a desperate situation, this was probably his only option left.

Strictly speaking, Lu Yao was not helpless on this stretch of mountain road.

At this thought, Pei Xinyong sighed, "What now? Your kestrel can't fly, can it?"

"Its wings are useless. We'll just have to wait here. Their hastily set formation shouldn't last long; the mist should clear up soon, right?" Lu Yao said testily. "Why do I feel like there was someone standing in the mist ahead of you just now?"

"A log," Pei Xinyong said calmly. "By the way, what deep grudge do you have against the government soldiers that you're pursuing them relentlessly?"

"That dog official, He, plotted against me!" Lu Yao's eyes showed hatred as he recounted He Chunhua's tricks to sow discord among the three armies and obstruct their rendezvous. Then he added, "You and Wu Shaoyi both fell for his scheme!"

"So, you and he drinking wine and eating fish in the village was a delaying tactic?"

"Exactly! The person who informed you must have been sent by him too." Lu Yao sneered, "Our infighting plays right into his hands."

"He only has three hundred men, and he's bringing women and children. You couldn't handle that?" Pei Xinyong mused. "Didn't you have seven hundred men at Whistle Rock then?" That would be nearly a thousand combined.

"I wanted to save him for our flag-raising sacrifice!" This was the biggest flaw in Lu Yao's entire explanation, and he knew it, but he could only maintain a tough front. How could he say, "I was afraid my strength would be depleted, and I wouldn't be able to contend with you two sons of bitches during the rendezvous?"

"You don't believe me?" Lu Yao said coldly. "Otherwise, why are the government soldiers fleeing now?"

No sooner had he spoken than two screams echoed from behind them.

Pei and Lu's combined forces exceeded two thousand. The narrow mountain path made their contingent stretch out very long.

The dense fog obscured everything, making it impossible for them to see the rear of the column from their vantage point.

Both men were already on high alert, and these two screams snapped the last thread of their composure. Lu Yao demanded sharply, "What's going on?"

A shout came from the rear: "General, two of our brothers have been shot by arrows!"

Suddenly, four or five more men cried out in agony.

The column fell into chaos, and men drew their swords. Shrouded in mist, no one knew where the enemy was attacking from. The mere act of shooting hidden arrows caused widespread panic among the bandits, who looked at each other uneasily.

Lu Yao also roared, "Something's wrong, be on guard!"

"Form ranks!" Pei Xinyong frowned and turned around. On such a narrow mountain path, a battle formation was useless.

But just as he turned, his peripheral vision caught a flash of cold steel aiming for his neck.

The oppressive killing intent made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

*Clang* went the clash of metal. In the nick of time, he raised the bladed hammer in his hand to block the attack.

The bladed hammer was his most effective weapon when riding horseback.

Of course, Pei Xinyong also realized that the one who had unleashed this hidden axe strike was none other than Lu Yao, right beside him!

As Lu Yao launched his assault, three of his subordinates simultaneously sprang up, lunging directly at the bodyguards behind Pei Xinyong. At that moment, the screams from the rear of the column had just begun, and everyone's attention was focused there. Who would have expected death to be so close?

Of Pei Xinyong's two bodyguards, one was decapitated instantly, dying cleanly, while the other was stabbed in the lower back with a sharpened spike, and as the enemy pulled it out, his intestines were hooked out along with it.

The third man, seizing the moment while Pei Xinyong was fighting Lu Yao, leaped up, clutching a spiked club with both hands, and brought it down on Pei Xinyong's head in a brutal blow!

If that hit, Pei Xinyong's head would have been smashed in with a single blow.

Fortunately, there was no "if." Pei Xinyong's right hand blocked Lu Yao's sneak attack, and without even turning his head, his left hand swung his bladed hammer in a diagonal strike, deflecting the spiked club. Then, with a fluid follow-through, he swung back, shattering the armored bandit's sternum, causing internal injuries to his heart and lungs, and sending him flying more than two *zhang* away.

The spiked club was renowned, but the bladed hammer was its equal. Both were blunt weapons, designed to inflict injury with immense force. The head of the bladed hammer was divided into six facets, resembling the pages of an open book. When it struck a person, its destructive power concentrated on a "page," often resulting in broken bones, severed tendons, and fatal internal injuries.

These weapons usually came in pairs. After Pei Xinyong dealt with the spiked club behind him, his subordinates also reacted, rushing forward to protect their master.

The two contingents, which had coexisted peacefully for over an hour, suddenly turned on each other.

As the two generals fought, Pei Xinyong sneered, "After ambushing Wu Shaoyi, you couldn't resist striking again?"

Lu Yao fought with all his might, uttering not a word.

Now that the facade was shattered, he had to kill Pei Xinyong and scatter Pei's army as quickly as possible. Only then would he have the strength to deal with the impending crisis!

The mountain path had become a chaotic mess, true to the nature of fierce bandits fighting in pairs. He Lingchuan and Lian Deng quietly retreated, leading two horses.

Fortunately, the dense fog provided cover; a few steps back and they vanished from sight.

After shooting their arrows, they had imitated two screams, instantly throwing the scene into disarray.

This was exactly the effect He Lingchuan wanted. One could only "fish in troubled waters"—or rather, "grab horses" in this case—in chaos. So, he slipped into the fray, picked up horses belonging to the fallen, and ran out.

This was the proverbial chaos of battle, where no one even noticed horses going missing.

Unidentified projectiles frequently flew through the fighting crowd. He Lingchuan and his companion carefully put some distance between themselves before leaping onto their horses and following the mountain path to pursue the government soldiers.

Their combined strength was too insignificant here; they needed reinforcements.

For He Lingchuan, protected by primal energy, finding his way was no problem at all. Soon, they left the mist behind.

Before them was a clear sky, a bright day, and good weather with visibility stretching for a hundred *li*.

Unexpectedly, after less than two *li* of riding, they heard the sound of many hooves ahead, approaching them head-on.

He Lingchuan's heart immediately tensed.

Could it be...?

A few more breaths, and the approaching contingent rounded the mountain pass, revealing their true appearance:

A flag in the army fluttered in the wind, emblazoned with a large character "He" (鹤 - crane).

The first thought in He Lingchuan's mind was the Hebei Garrison, which his father had written to for reinforcements.

This contingent also hadn't expected to encounter anyone around the bend. Several riders in front abruptly reined in their horses, and suddenly someone shouted, "Young Master!"

He Lingchuan froze at the sound of that familiar cracking voice, then looked closely to see it was Maotao!

"Young Master!" A few more riders emerged from the group—Zeng Feixiong and Zhao Qinghe, along with many familiar faces from the support army, all ecstatic. "You're alive, you're alive!"

"How could I die that easily?"

Zhao Qinghe sighed, "My lord was right; you truly are a lucky general!"

The two commanders approached. Zeng Feixiong introduced them to He Lingchuan: "The Hebei Garrison dispatched troops immediately upon receiving the call for aid, and they met us on the road. Lord He then assigned our support army to assist in combating the enemy. This is Commander Zhao, and this is Captain Li!"

He Lingchuan immediately saluted the two commanders, observing that the garrison army behind them was formidable, appearing to number at least seven or eight hundred. The support army also had nearly two hundred men with them. Clearly, after confirming He Lingchuan's safety, He Chunhua intended to turn their escape into an offensive.

Lian Deng, impatient, coughed several times. "Young Master He, the main business is important!"

"Yes, the main business!" He Lingchuan suddenly realized. "Two commanders, the bandit Lu—who harmed the civilians of Immortal Spirit Village and caused me to fall off the cliff—is currently fighting Pei Xinyong in the mist behind us! Why don't we seize this opportunity?"

Seizing an advantage, taking credit—who wouldn't like such a good thing? Commander Zhao and Captain Li looked solemn. "We are just about to conquer these rebels. Let's go!"

On the way, He Lingchuan briefly explained what he had witnessed in the mist and introduced Lian Deng: "This man is one of Wu Shaoyi's subordinates. Wu Shaoyi is willing to submit to the royal court and fight alongside us."

A thousand government soldiers, full of vigor, hurried towards the misty battlefield.

Two *li* of mountain road passed in a flash, and ahead lay a mist-shrouded mountainous area once more.

The chaotic battle zone was ahead; they could already hear the clash of weapons.

The men exchanged glances, drew their personal weapons, and deliberately slowed their pace.

No sooner had he fended off Lu Yao's sneak attack than Pei Xinyong sensed trouble.

The enemy, having planned their move against unsuspecting targets, immediately attacked and killed his subordinates. As a result, Pei Xinyong, who had started with over twenty bodyguards, was left with only six or seven after a dozen breaths.

Fortunately, these six or seven men were the elite of the elite, and they stubbornly withstood the enemy's storm-like assault.

Pei Xinyong's main army, over a thousand strong, was astonishingly cut off by Lu's forces and unable to provide assistance.

The current situation had devolved into Pei Xinyong and his seven or eight men forming a tight defensive cluster, resisting Lu Yao's attack. Beyond Lu Yao's men was Pei Xinyong's own army.

Although Pei's army desperately tried to attack and rescue their master, the narrow terrain prevented them from forming an effective offense.