Chapter 94

The snow was vast and white, the land silent, and the deep, disordered tracks of the carriage had been quickly erased by the gentle, drifting snow.

Qin Yu took a deep breath of the cold air.

What a winter indeed!

His feet moved westward with the snowflakes in the sky, and on the slightly firmer snow, there was almost no trace of his footprints.

To have practiced the Nine Provinces Drifting Steps to this level, it must already be at the point where skill breeds refinement, right?

Qin Yu followed Xu Qian and the four iron-shielded bandits from Lake Tie without haste, but his thoughts wandered elsewhere.

Now, it seemed that the secret manual of the Hundred Flowers Spear was like a large and professional library. Once his martial foundation improved and reached a critical point, it would automatically open the corresponding level of content to broaden his horizons and help him understand new techniques.

However, it was clear that this "secret manual library" was more inclined towards military applications. The basic techniques he practiced, such as the Half-Step Breathing Technique and the Nine Provinces Drifting Steps, were already considered top-tier martial arts in the martial world. Even the old man Zhang Xun had high praise for the Half-Step Breathing Technique.

But in the manual, it seemed to pay little attention to these, treating them merely as basic skills for the disciples.

The Lotus Spear, a defensive treasure for step combat, had only absorbed part of its essence, integrating it into the Hundred Flowers School's spear techniques.

The grading system in the manual also seemed rather peculiar, quite different from the traditional martial arts classifications of the north and south, more like a military hierarchy.

Could it be that the senior expert who wrote this manual really hoped to train the disciples into "thousands of enemies" who could take the head of a general in a million troops as easily as picking something from a pocket?

Qin Yu shook his head in confusion. Since his Nine Provinces Drifting Steps had taken shape and he had used the Fourth Rank Beauty Gun Technique to achieve the realm of "thousands of enemies," there had been no further training methods in the manual.

It only emphasized that he should practice spear techniques on horseback and, if necessary, go to a small battlefield to hone his skills.

This was also a clear weakness for Qin Yu. His horsemanship was still far from adequate!

He guessed that he would only be taught the next level of content when his horsemanship and spear techniques could complement each other and unleash great power.

Fortunately, he now had many personal skills to practice, such as the Jade Sword Heart Sutra and the Stone Guardian Hard Techniques taught by his master. The cultivation of internal and external skills was also an important foundation, so there was no need to rush.

However, this also reminded Qin Yu that it was time to get a good horse.

The Hundred Treasures Catalogue of the Merchant Family had several excellent warhorses, each with its own characteristics. After this raid, he would see if he could find one at the auction.

Thinking of the word "raid," Qin Yu suddenly became alert. Yes, they were now on the way to rob and seize treasures.

Why was it so quiet?

The treasure convoy was at most three hundred meters away, but the enemy had not fired a single arrow.

What a great opportunity!

Qin Yu knew that a Transcendent Master had previously intruded, perhaps causing chaos in the Zhong Army's Strongbow Camp. For the disorganized Five Gangs Alliance, this was the best opportunity.

At this moment, Xu Qian's eyes also shone with surprise.

The opportunity was too good!

Without the suppression of the strongbows, those treasures were like a naked beauty, just waiting for him to pounce and plunder.

"Brothers, charge! The treasures are right in front of us!" He shouted loudly, but his steps were slightly slower, letting the four close aides with iron shields charge first.

Instantly, the bandits shouted and screamed, their blood boiling.

They were experienced in robbery and knew that this was the most ideal and happiest situation for the robbers.

The Zhong Army had no geographical advantage to begin with, and now they had lost the preemptive strike of their bows and arrows. What was left of this group of cowards?

"Charge! Kill! Seize the treasures! Grab the gold!" The fourth of the iron-shielded bandits had a particularly loud voice, shouting as he ran, and it really had a rhythm.

At the same time, the bandits from Chaohu and Poyang Lakes, under the distant supervision of Wang Yue and Huang Zhong, led by their leaders Zheng Bao and Zhang Duo, also attacked from the west and north.

This was a temporary decision made by Wang Yue after discovering the chaos in the Zhong Army's convoy, after a brief communication with Huang Zhong.

Like Xu Qian, Zheng Bao and Zhang Duo found themselves with only two choices: go or not go.

Not going meant certain death!

Of course, they had to go.

Behind Wang Yue and Huang Zhong, there were about five or six black-clothed crossbowmen, with black arrows on the strings and snow knives drawn. Anyone who showed fear or tried to escape would be executed without mercy.

Wang Yue's message was simple: if you want to run, don't even think about turning back; jumping off a cliff would be more direct.

For a moment, the mountain path was filled with the flames of banditry, and the demons danced.

In the treasure convoy, Ji Hu was severely injured and unconscious, and the archers had lost their best commander. They could only resist separately. Most of them, led by the hastily appointed Rapid Shooter Commander Cheng Lei, quickly climbed onto the large wagons to resist the bandits from the west and north. The other dozen or so could only overturn two large wagons for cover, lying down to intercept the bandits from Taihu Lake who were charging from behind.

Both Huainan Zi and Tian Chan Zi were injured and felt helpless in this chaotic situation.

Who would have thought that the three groups of bandits would choose to attack simultaneously?

In the blink of an eye, the four iron-shielded bandits from Taihu Lake had charged to within two hundred meters.

The bowstrings finally sounded.

The four bandits' hearts trembled, and they stopped their charge without hesitation. The four iron shields gathered in the center, two up and two down, forming a Four Iron Turtle Shell Formation.

Xu Qian waved his steel saber, signaling the bandits behind him to pause.

Qin Yu watched from the side but did not interfere with his normal command.

Although they were just cannon fodder, he hoped these firewood and charcoal could burn for a while longer.

Zhang Ren muttered, "Just a few small arrows, why hide?"

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

A strong sound of arrows hitting.

The four iron shields shook slightly, almost unable to hold. But the four bandits behind the shields all showed signs of joy.

They had also noticed that the arrow rain... was actually just a drizzle! No, not even a drizzle.

"Twenty at most!" the most experienced bandit, the third, judged.

Their hearts in sync, the iron shields suddenly scattered. The fourth bandit knocked on the iron shield with his knife and shouted, "Brothers, only twenty crossbows, charge for me!"

His voice was loud and long, and the bandits heard clearly, all delighted.

"Charge!"

Now Xu Qian didn't need to motivate them at the front. Over a hundred people rushed forward, looking like brave and fierce soldiers of the vanguard.

Qin Yu was pushed to the side. He grabbed Zhang Ren, "Let them go and rob!"

Zhang Ren grumbled, "Why should they get to rob randomly?"

"Are you still complaining about just taking the money?" Qin Yu looked at his competitive little junior, feeling a sudden sense of emotion. This high-level talent, who would grow into the greatest general of Yizhou in the original historical river, had been unknowingly changed by him from a young age. For him, it was unknown whether it was a good or bad thing.

Looking up, the four bandits from Taihu Lake were less than fifty meters from the Zhong Army's archers.

This distance was also a dangerous stage, but twenty strongbows clearly could not stop the ambitious Taihu bandits. The four iron-shielded bandits only lost the fourth, who had the loudest voice. He was hit in the leg, and his iron shield was immediately taken by Xu Qian to maintain the four-shield formation.

The fourth bandit had to sit on the ground, shouting pitifully, "Boss, leave a gold cake for your brother!"

Qin Yu thought, "At this moment, why haven't the Huainan Sect's experts appeared to suppress the situation?"

He brought Zhang Ren to the end of the line and called Shi Huang.

"Old man, Wang Lao and Huang Lao should be here soon, right?"

Shi Huang listened to the shouting and nodded.

Qin Yu frowned, "What about the Transcendent Master?"

Shi Huang said, "He must have left." The distance was too far, and the masked master had gone northeast, so he didn't see him, but he could guess that if the person hadn't left, the convoy wouldn't have been able to spare people to intercept the three major bandit groups.

"Haha, Master Shi, does that mean the treasures are ours?" Zhang Ren asked excitedly.

"Unless there's an unexpected event," Shi Huang's response was profound.