Chapter 14

"Do not panic, hold your ground! Hold your ground!"

General Yang Han was vigorously waving his sword, commanding the soldiers to resist at the city gate.

"General, be careful!"

A bodyguard shouted. Yang Han turned around and saw a Song general with a fierce aura appear on his left side, wielding a long spear made of steel that lunged at his temple with the speed of a snake, incomparably fast.

Yang Han was taken aback and swung his sword to block. *Clang!* His sword was knocked away, but the spear was unaffected. *Thud!* The sharp tip of the spear pierced through his skull.

Yang Han let out a惨叫 and died instantly.

Chen Qing swung the body and threw it into the moat.

"General Yang is dead!"

With the main general killed, the defense formation of the puppet Qi army on the city wall instantly collapsed. The soldiers discarded their armor and fled northward in a panic.

"Lower the drawbridge!"

Chen Qing shouted, and several dozen soldiers rushed forward, turning the winch. The chains clattered down, and the drawbridge began to creak and lower.

As the drawbridge was lowered, the gate of life for the famine-stricken people was opened. Tens of thousands of famine-stricken people shouted excitedly, rushing into the city in a frenzy. The sandbags used to block the gate were overturned, and the famine-stricken people surged into the city like a flood, roaring as they charged towards the thousand soldiers ahead.

The thousand puppet Qi soldiers were stunned by the flood of famine-stricken people. They were no match for the tens of thousands of enraged famine-stricken people.

The soldiers dropped their weapons and turned to flee. Those who ran a bit faster managed to escape, while those who were a bit slower were beaten to death by the rain of hoes and clubs. Many soldiers were trampled to death by the surging crowd before they could get up.

There was also movement inside the city. Tens of thousands of residents left their homes, carrying rice bags and baskets, rushing to the granary from all directions.

The price of grain in Jingzhao City had soared to a thousand coins per dou, and countless residents had to survive on wild vegetable porridge. Now, with this sudden opportunity, the equally starving residents could not hold back.

The entrance to the granary was illuminated by thousands of torches, and the streets and squares outside were filled with famine-stricken people. Tens of thousands of refugees and residents were mixed together, each one stretching their necks to look at the entrance.

"One! Two! Three!"

Dozens of young men, holding a thick log, shouted as they charged at the gate.

*Bang!*

A deep and powerful thud echoed, and the gate shook violently, with dust and wood chips falling.

"Again!"

The young men retreated several dozen steps and shouted as they charged at the gate again...

*Bang!*

The gate of the granary was breached. Tens of thousands of famine-stricken people erupted, rushing into the granary in a frenzy. The thousand soldiers guarding the granary could no longer hold back and began to strip off their uniforms. They were not interested in the grain but rushed towards the treasury...

On the street, a thousand Jurchen cavalrymen were charging in formation. This was Wanyan Lou Shi, who was leading a thousand Jurchen soldiers to suppress the famine-stricken people despite his illness.

He had not expected the puppet Qi army to be so weak. Three thousand soldiers had been defeated by tens of thousands of unarmed famine-stricken people, which made Wanyan Lou Shi both shocked and angry. If the grain was taken by the famine-stricken people, the logistics for the various armies would be compromised.

None of them were giving him a moment's peace.

Wanyan Lou Shi, wielding a large golden-backed saber, his eyes blazing with anger, could see from afar that the granary had been breached, and countless famine-stricken people were carrying grain bags out of it.

"Charge and kill them all, not one shall be left alive!" Wanyan Lou Shi issued the order to kill them all.

The cavalry suddenly charged, like a fierce wind sweeping across the ground, heading towards the granary several hundred paces away. But before they had run thirty paces, arrows suddenly rained down from the alleys and rooftops on both sides of the street. The powerful crossbow bolts knocked down the leading Jurchen cavalry, causing nearly two hundred casualties instantly.

Wanyan Lou Shi was taken aback. It turned out that the Song army was involved, which explained why the famine-stricken people could breach the city.

Not knowing the strength of the Song army, he shouted, "Stop advancing, retreat immediately!"

At that moment, a crossbow bolt *whoosh* shot towards Wanyan Lou Shi's throat at an incredible speed. Wanyan Lou Shi was startled and swung his saber to block. *Clang!* The bolt was deflected, but a bodyguard behind him was hit in the chest, the powerful bolt piercing through the iron armor and the heart, causing the bodyguard to scream and fall off his horse.

Wanyan Lou Shi's right arm was slightly numb from the impact, and he was secretly alarmed by the power of the bolt.

The remaining eight hundred cavalrymen raised their shields and retreated. The hundreds of Song soldiers on the rooftops put down their crossbows and quivers, replaced them with shields and spears, and quickly jumped down from the eaves, rushing out from the alleys on both sides.

The leading general, mounted on a horse, holding a large iron spear, said coldly, "General Wanyan, I have been waiting for you for a long time!"

Wanyan Lou Shi looked at him in surprise, raised his saber, and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Chen Qing, the scout commander of the Eight-Character Army!"

Wanyan Lou Shi laughed, "I know you. Wuzhu has offered a reward of ten thousand coins for your head. I thought you were some divine being, but you're just a small commander."

"Exactly! A small commander of the Song Dynasty has come to challenge you!"

Chen Qing waved his spear and said proudly, "General Wanyan, do you dare to fight me one-on-one?"

"Your commander Wu Jie is also my defeated opponent. Do you think you have the qualifications to fight me one-on-one?"

Chen Qing laughed loudly, "I heard you are a sick cat, so I took advantage of your illness to take your head. If you dare not fight, it's fine. Let your subordinates charge!"

Wanyan Lou Shi, known as the Tiger of Wanyan Mountain, hated being called a sick cat. He was instantly enraged and swung his saber, "Fine! I will grant your wish and send you to the afterlife!"

The guard, Yinyin Muya, was alarmed, "General, the enemy only has a few hundred men. We can eliminate them with one charge. You are seriously ill and should not engage in combat with the Song army."

"Rubbish!"

Wanyan Lou Shi glared, "I have roamed the world for thirty years, killing countless people. When have I ever been defeated? Do not ruin my reputation!"

Wanyan Lou Shi spurred his horse and charged at Chen Qing, who shouted and swung his spear to meet him.

As the two horses met, Wanyan Lou Shi roared and swung his saber, a powerful and straightforward strike with no tricks, but immense force.

Chen Qing shouted, "Good move!"

He blocked with his spear, *Clang!* A loud noise echoed, sparks flew, and both were shaken, their arms numb.

As they passed each other, Chen Qing swung his spear in a reverse strike, the tip flashing like lightning, aiming for Wanyan Lou Shi's back. Wanyan Lou Shi did not dodge but swung his arm, a cold light flashed, and the golden saber cut towards Chen Qing's left shoulder. This seemed like a mutual destruction move, but the result would be one dead and one injured, with Chen Qing having the advantage.

Chen Qing realized something and deflected the spear, *Clang!* Another loud noise, and both weapons almost flew out of their hands as the horses separated.

Wanyan Lou Shi chuckled, "Boy, you reacted quickly, but you were wrong!"

Chen Qing realized at the critical moment that the other must be wearing inner armor, and this spear might not pierce his back, but his arm would be lost.

But Wanyan Lou Shi told him he was not wearing armor, and his judgment was wrong.

The two roared and charged again. Both were powerful and fast, making the battle a blur. After ten rounds, Wanyan Lou Shi, being ill, began to show signs of fatigue.

However, Chen Qing's weakness also emerged: his horse was ordinary, slow, and could not withstand the force of the battle.

Wanyan Lou Shi, with his rich experience, had already devised a plan to kill the opponent.

As the two horses approached again, Wanyan Lou Shi roared and swung his saber horizontally, a fierce cold wind sweeping towards Chen Qing.

Chen Qing suddenly disappeared from the horse, and Wanyan Lou Shi smiled coldly. *Crack!* The saber struck the head of Chen Qing's horse.

But at the moment the horse's head was struck, a short spear suddenly flashed from under the horse's belly, reaching Wanyan Lou Shi's face. Wanyan Lou Shi's body leaned forward, his saber stuck in the horse's skull, and he had no time to dodge or block. Even if he dropped his saber and fell off the horse, he could only avoid the vital points.

Wanyan Lou Shi hesitated for a moment, *Thud!* The short spear pierced his throat, the tip protruding from the back of his neck.

Chen Qing rolled off the horse, kneeled on one knee, and gripped his spear, coldly watching Wanyan Lou Shi slowly fall off the horse.

"This move is a gift from you!"

The two moved like lightning, both bleeding, and the soldiers on both sides did not see clearly until Wanyan Lou Shi fell off the horse, and Chen Qing stood with his spear, the crowd realizing that Chen Qing had defeated Wanyan Lou Shi.

"General—"

The guard, Yinyin Muya, shouted in sorrow.

Chen Qing mounted Wanyan Lou Shi's horse, cut off his head, and lifted it with his spear.

The five hundred Song soldiers erupted in cheers, their voices reaching the sky.

"Revenge for the general, kill them all!"

Yinyin Muya roared, charging forward with his mace, and the eight hundred Jurchen cavalrymen, filled with hatred, charged at the Song soldiers.

This was the life-and-death battle the five hundred Song soldiers faced...