Chapter 32

In the city of Xiangyang, the heroes gathered once again. Before they could catch up on old times, early the next morning, the sound of drums and horns from outside the city walls announced the arrival of the Yuan-Mongol army. Now, with Lu Wendeh no longer a hindrance, the military and political power of Xiangyang was entirely in the hands of Guo Jing, making the city even more prosperous than before. Guo Jing immediately invited Huang Yaoshi to arrange the troops and defend the four gates.

Jiang Chen climbed the city wall with the heroes and saw the Yuan-Mongol army stretching as far as the eye could see, with no end in sight. Over the years, the Yuan-Mongol army had besieged Xiangyang several times, but this time, their military might and strength were unparalleled. Fortunately, Guo Jing, who had spent a long time in the Mongol army, was well-versed in their siege tactics and had made ample preparations. No matter how the enemy used bows, fire weapons, stone catapults, or cloud ladders, the Song soldiers on the city walls, with their superior position, could counter each attack. The battle raged until sunset, with the Yuan-Mongol army suffering over ten thousand casualties, yet they continued to charge forward bravely.

In addition to the tens of thousands of elite soldiers, Xiangyang also had hundreds of thousands of civilians. Everyone knew that if the city fell, no one would survive. Therefore, the able-bodied men fought to defend the city, while women, children, and the elderly carried soil and stones to support the defense. The cries of battle inside and outside the city shook the heavens and the earth, and the air was filled with arrows like a swarm of locusts.

Jiang Chen stood on the city wall, leaning on his Broken Gold Sword. He saw the sky half-covered with red clouds, a scene of unparalleled beauty, while the enemy cavalry galloped below, their fierce faces faintly visible. The evening breeze blew, lifting his black robe stained with blood, and the blood on his sword continued to drip.

He was not a commander like Guo Jing, Huang Yaoshi, or Huang Rong, so he had naturally joined the defense early on. After a day of continuous fighting, he finally realized how insignificant an individual's strength could be on the battlefield.

In a daze, he suddenly heard the Yuan-Mongol soldiers below shouting, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor for ten thousand years!" The shouts grew louder, like a tidal wave, and eventually, over two hundred thousand people shouted in unison, creating a sound like the earth splitting apart. A tall banner was raised high, and under the protection of iron cavalry and a yellow canopy, a group of soldiers galloped forward. It was the Great Khan, Mongke, personally overseeing the battle.

Seeing the Great Khan's arrival, the morale of the Yuan-Mongol army soared. The red flag waved, and the troops below split to the left and right. Two ten-thousand-strong units rushed to attack the north gate. These were the Great Khan's personal guards, the most elite troops, and a fresh force that had not yet been deployed. Each soldier was determined to establish merit in front of the Great Khan, and hundreds of cloud ladders were set up, with Mongol soldiers climbing like ants.

Guo Jing raised his arms and shouted, "Brothers, today we will show the Tartar Khan the prowess of our Song heroes!" His voice was powerful, and even amidst the clamor of thousands, everyone could hear him clearly. The Song soldiers on the city wall, already exhausted from a day of fighting, were instantly invigorated. They all thought, "The Tartars have bullied us for too long; now we must show the Khan our strength." They fought with renewed vigor.

Jiang Chen, of course, did not idle. He moved around the city wall, providing support wherever it was needed. Despite the elite Yuan-Mongol forces, the number of soldiers who could climb the wall at once was limited, and he, being a beauty from the ancient tomb, was indeed worthy of the title that had captivated Yang Guo so deeply. He had seen many beautiful women before, but the beauty of Xiaolongnü was truly indescribable.

After some pleasantries, everyone dispersed to rest. The battle of Xiangyang was not over, and the heroes needed to recover as much as possible to be at their best. The battle was extremely dangerous, and even the greatest martial arts experts were at risk. Among the heroes, there were many skilled martial artists, but few could be called true masters.

That evening, during the banquet, Jiang Chen finally had the chance to hear from Yang Guo, Huang Rong, and others about the events that had transpired after his departure.

Guo Xiang could not escape her fate. That night, she feared that Yang Guo might commit suicide if he could not find Xiaolongnü, so she took the last golden needle and rushed to the Valley of Absolute Affection. On the way, she encountered the Dharma King of the Golden Wheel and was captured and taken back to the Yuan-Mongol camp.

Ko Zhen'e, the leader of the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan and one of Guo Jing's teachers, learned of this news and immediately informed Cheng Ying and Lu Wushuang. The two women entered the Yuan-Mongol camp to investigate but found nothing, so they came to Xiangyang to inform Huang Rong.

Upon learning that her daughter was captured, Huang Rong immediately set out with Cheng Ying and Lu Wushuang to find Guo Xiang. Concerned about the Dharma King's formidable martial arts, they specially invited the First Light Master, Zhou Botong, and Yinggu for support and planned to go to the Valley of Absolute Affection to seek the help of Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü to deal with the Dharma King.

On the other side, the Dharma King of the Golden Wheel had initially captured Guo Xiang to use her to threaten Guo Jing, but during their journey, he genuinely admired her extraordinary talent and wanted to take her as a disciple. Guo Xiang used his long-standing enmity with Yang Guo to persuade him to go to the Valley of Absolute Affection, and thus, they unexpectedly met there.

A fierce battle ensued. Although the Dharma King was powerful, he could not match the combined strength of the First Light Master and Zhou Botong. Just as he was about to retreat, he was blocked by the sudden arrival of the Eastern Heretic, Huang Yaoshi, and was captured. At this point, the righteous heroes were proud because they did not kill the Dharma King on the spot but instead left him in Guo Xiang's custody while they went to the bottom of Heartbreak Cliff to find Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü.

However, Guo Xiang, being a naive and kind-hearted young girl, was deceived by the Dharma King and unknowingly released his sealed acupoints, resulting in her being captured again.

At the bottom of Heartbreak Cliff, the seven people, including Huang Yaoshi, failed to find Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü and returned empty-handed. When they reached the top of the cliff, they discovered that Guo Xiang and the Dharma King were missing. Suspecting that Guo Xiang had been taken by the Dharma King, they followed the Yuan-Mongol army to Xiangyang, leading to the camp raid the night before.

As for Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü, thanks to the information provided by Jiang Chen, Yang Guo quickly rushed to the Valley of Absolute Affection. He did not foolishly wait on Heartbreak Cliff for sixteen years but prepared a rope and descended to the bottom of the cliff. After searching, he followed the clues into a deep pond, passed through an underwater passage, and arrived at the valley where Xiaolongnü was staying. The two lovers, separated for sixteen years, were finally reunited.

Reunited, they naturally indulged in their love, sharing their sixteen years of separation, joy, and sorrow. Yang Guo learned that Xiaolongnü had jumped off Heartbreak Cliff to save his life, leaving a note behind. Fortunately, fate had not abandoned her. She did not die from the fall, and the white fish in the cold pond at the bottom of the cliff, when eaten with honey, were an excellent antidote. Additionally, her practice of reversing her meridians to cultivate her martial arts skills had detoxified her body.

Lost in their love, they forgot the passage of time. It was only a few days ago that the sounds of battle above the cliff woke them, reminding them of the impending crisis in Xiangyang. They quickly left the valley, gathered heroes from all directions, and headed to Xiangyang. However, they were still a step too late and missed the earlier battle.

Jiang Chen sighed, realizing that Guo Xiang had indeed fallen into the hands of the Dharma King. Thinking of the adorable girl, after a hearty meal, Jiang Chen immediately picked up his Broken Gold Sword and headed out of the city. Yang Guo asked, "Brother Jiang, are you going out of the city?"

Jiang Chen replied without turning back, "Yes, I'm just going to take a walk around the Yuan-Mongol camp outside the city and kill a few soldiers to digest my food. Do you want to come along?"

Yang Guo laughed, "That's exactly what I wanted."

...

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