Chapter 20

Xiang Fei was quite perceptive and immediately knew that this Xue Mou was no ordinary person. In the current situation, the archers on the opposite bank were being suppressed by the young man in the boat, while the swordsmen were engaged in fierce combat with several fierce men. If he were to be entangled as well, he feared that today would truly be a big trouble!

While his thoughts were racing, Xue Tong had already approached. Xiang Fei took a deep breath, shouted, and swung his saber, assuming a fighting stance. Suddenly, he darted forward, rushing towards the small boat stranded on the riverbank. His movements were so swift that it was like a gust of wind. Xue Tong was deceived by his feint, unable to stop and rushed past. By the time he turned to chase, it was too late, and he was already several yards behind.

Xiang Fei, after all, was a notorious bandit in the southern part of Bingzhou, who had faced countless encirclements by the imperial army. His combat experience was unparalleled. In just the brief moment of facing Xue Tong, he had made his decision!

With his side having the advantage of numbers and equipment, even if the county lord's guards were fierce, they could still be suppressed. The key to the current situation lay entirely with the County Lord of Jingling. As long as he could capture the county lord first, wouldn't these people be at his mercy? It seemed that these enemies had lost their minds, for... hahaha... no one was guarding the county lord!

Xiang Fei sprinted forward, charging straight towards the County Lord of Jingling on the small boat.

Indeed, no one was guarding the county lord. Wang De and the others had all rushed out to engage the bandits. He Yun was on the bow of the boat, exchanging arrows with the archers on the opposite bank. The archers were numerous, and arrows flew continuously, forcing He Yun to barely dare to show his head. He cursed incessantly, occasionally finding a gap to stand up and return fire.

Xiang Fei knew that the opportunity was fleeting and could not afford any delay. He roared and, with all his might, threw the long saber in his hand towards He Yun.

He Yun was drawing his bow when he suddenly heard a fierce wind behind him. He instinctively turned his body and immediately felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. The saber was so heavy that He Yun fell to the ground instantly.

Xiang Fei laughed loudly and leaped onto the small boat in one swift move.

At his feet, the County Lord of Jingling was already terrified, crouched into a ball, trembling. Xiang Fei, of course, did not know that this was a decoy. He opened his large hands, grabbed the maid, and looked at her, then fiercely choked her neck, a cruel smile on his lips.

"Brothers, I've got her! Shoot! Shoot! Kill them!" Xiang Fei roared.

"Damn!" Lu Yao cursed, his face completely changed.

The real county lord was safely hiding in a cave by the river downstream. The "County Lord of Jingling" on the boat was actually a maid in disguise. Therefore, Wang De and the others had no real concerns. When they launched a surprise attack from the water, they also engaged the bandits.

Xiang Fei's capture of the county lord's maid did not actually harm Lu Yao and the others. However, the problem was that he had fiercely charged and injured He Yun. This was just an incidental attack by Xiang Fei, but it hit the core of their defense!

With He Yun, who was responsible for restraining the archers, injured and on the ground, the archers on the opposite bank became emboldened. Without the threat of He Yun, they boldly approached the shore, and fourteen strong bows were drawn and aimed.

Fourteen long arrows shot out like lightning. Wang De let out a惨叫 first, hit in the thigh, and fell to the ground. Xue Tong, who had been chasing Xiang Fei, was shot by four or five archers. Despite his best efforts to parry with his saber, he could not hold out for long.

The riverbank was completely exposed, with no cover until a hundred steps away where the forest began. In front of these archers, everyone was in great danger. Lu Yao was extremely anxious and suddenly rushed forward, cutting down several swordsmen. However, the other swordsmen immediately saw through his intentions and spread out, leaving him completely exposed to the archers.

For a moment, Lu Yao and the others were each preoccupied with their own survival, while Xiang Fei was at ease.

Although there were many twists and turns, the ultimate victory was still his! As long as he captured the county lord, wouldn't it be a great achievement with the Xiongnu? High-ranking officials, titles, and honors for his wife and children were all within reach! The eunuch Chen Gong of the Han dynasty had personally promised, and it was not a lie! Once the Jin dynasty was overthrown and the world was taken...

Xiang Fei, though uneducated, knew that the greatest glory throughout history was that of the founding heroes. In the distant past, Jiang Ziya, who helped establish the Zhou dynasty for eight hundred years, received the reward of land and titles. In recent times, the eight founding dukes of the Jin dynasty enjoyed immense wealth and power.

All these beautiful prospects flooded his mind in an instant. The ten years of wandering like a stray dog seemed to see a glimmer of hope, making him extremely pleased, almost to the point of singing.

Xiang Fei carefully examined the frail woman in his hands.

The woman seemed to be in a daze, staring blankly at Xiang Fei with a vacant look. Her face, covered in tears and sweat, had strands of black hair stuck to her cheeks, making her skin appear as white as snow.

Xiang Fei grinned, "Ha, County Lord, don't be afraid..."

In the next moment, cries of pain echoed!

The archers, who had been dominating the situation, were suddenly hit by even more arrows, one after another, falling to the ground. At the same time, hundreds of Jin soldiers in dark red armor, armed with sharp weapons, emerged from the dense forests on both banks and charged towards Xiang Fei's men without hesitation.

How could such a large contingent of Jin soldiers be here? Hadn't the Jin already been defeated? Their leader, the cowardly Sima Teng, the governor of Bingzhou, had already fled to Ye City. How could there still be such a well-organized Jin army here?

Xiang Fei stared at the scene in front of him, unable to believe his eyes.

After a while, he suddenly came to his senses. He tightened his grip on the "County Lord of Jingling" and roared, "The county lord is with me! If you want her to live, stop and retreat!"

His thinking was not wrong, and his methods were not ruthless. The only problem was that the woman was just the county lord's maid, not the County Lord of Jingling. No matter how loudly he shouted, the soldiers continued to advance without hesitation.

******

Victory finally arrived.

The bandits' desperate counterattack was quickly crushed. Xiang Fei, who had intended to hold the county lord hostage, was forced close by a group of crossbowmen and was shot to death by a barrage of arrows. His men were all killed before their leader died, with no one escaping.

The maid, who was mistaken for the county lord, was unharmed but was terrified, now wailing loudly, her voice piercing the sky, startling the birds in the forest.

He Yun was tough and had already regained consciousness. The ring-headed saber thrown by Xiang Fei had been blocked by his leather armor, and the wound was not deep. However, he could not reach it with his hand. He could only lie on the side of the boat, weakly muttering, "I'm still alive! Who can treat my wounds? Apply some medicine!"

At this moment, Lu Yao was sprawled on the riverbank, unable to move. Once his spirit relaxed, the pain from his wounds seemed to suddenly intensify, tormenting his nerves. The wounds were still bleeding, with blood trickling down and dripping onto the pebbles by the river, then being washed away by the water.

The fatigue from excessive blood loss made it difficult for him to even breathe. When a robust officer in a sleeveless armor approached him, he could only勉强 lift his hand to signal, "Commander Li, Lu Yao greets you."

The troops that seemed to have descended from the heavens were actually the elite forces of Commander Li Yun, the Duke of Dongying.

"Is it you, Lu Yao? You're still alive?" Seeing Lu Yao greet him, Li Yun hurriedly returned the salute and asked, "Where is the county lord? Is she safe?"

"She's hiding over there. Don't worry, the county lord is safe." Lu Yao struggled to point in the direction.

Li Yun did not say more and immediately led his men to the location. He had no particular relationship with Lu Yao and did not feel like chatting. Moreover, in terms of status, a hundred ordinary military commanders combined could not match even a fraction of the County Lord of Jingling.

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