Chapter 34

After a night raid, Guo Jing, Huang Rong, Xiaolongnü, Cheng Ying, Lu Wushuang, and Guo Polu were anxiously waiting. Seeing Jiang Chen and Yang Guo return safely, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Upon hearing that the two had killed many enemy soldiers during the raid, their faces lit up with joy.

Jiang Chen looked at the people waiting in the room. Apart from Guo Polu, who was genuinely waiting for him, the others were all waiting for Yang Guo. He felt a bit uneasy and, after a few polite words, bid everyone farewell and returned to his room to rest.

The next day, the Yuan-Mongol army made another move. When everyone climbed the city walls to look, they saw that the enemy's ten-thousand-strong unit had formed an array a few miles away from the city, but did not attack. Soon, over a thousand workers carried stones and erected a wooden platform over ten zhang high. They also saw thousands of soldiers digging a deep and wide moat around the platform, piling the excavated earth outside to form a wall of earth.

Suddenly, the sound of horns and drums filled the air, and another ten-thousand-strong unit advanced and formed an array to the left of the platform. Then another unit formed to the right. After the formation was complete, another unit formed in front of the platform. Together with the previous units, four ten-thousand-strong units surrounded the platform. The formation stretched for several miles, with shield bearers, spear wielders, horse cutters, strong archers, and shock troops layering the platform like an iron bucket.

Suddenly, a horn sounded, and the drumming stopped. Tens of thousands of people fell silent. Two horsemen galloped to the base of the platform. The riders dismounted and walked up the platform together. Due to the distance, their faces were unclear, but they seemed to be a man and a woman. As everyone was stunned, Huang Rong suddenly cried out and fainted. Everyone quickly revived her and asked, "What happened?"

Huang Rong's face was pale. She pointed at the platform and trembled, saying, "It's Xiang'er, it's Xiang'er." Everyone was shocked and looked at each other in dismay.

Yang Guo shouted, "Oh no, I never expected this. The Tartars, failing to capture the city, have resorted to treachery. They are truly despicable and base."

Huang Yaoshi and Zhu Ziliu understood immediately and were filled with indignation. Guo Jing, however, was still confused and asked, "Why is Xiang'er on that platform? What treachery are the Tartars using?"

Jiang Chen sighed, "Great Hero Guo, Xiang'er has unfortunately fallen into the hands of the Tartars. They have built this platform and piled firewood underneath it, placing Xiang'er on top. They are trying to force you to surrender. If you do not, they will set the platform on fire, causing you and Lady Guo great pain and confusion, making it impossible for you to defend the city."

Everyone was both shocked and angry but felt helpless. Huang Rong stared at the platform, her mind in turmoil. Even with the wisdom of Zhuge Liang, she could not think of a solution at this moment.

Seeing this, Jiang Chen quickly said, "Our only option now is to break through the four ten-thousand-strong units surrounding the platform to have a chance of rescuing Xiang'er."

Huang Yaoshi agreed, "Exactly." After a moment of thought, he said, "Let's use the Twenty-Eight Constellations Formation to fight the Tartars. This formation is complex and was created by me after studying the Heavenly Gang Northern Dipper Formation of the Quanzhen Sect and ancient battle formations. I intended to use it to compete with the Quanzhen Sect, but now it will be used against the Tartars."

He then selected the city's elite and martial arts experts, totaling forty thousand, divided into five units of eight thousand each. Guo Jing and Huang Rong, Dada Master Yideng, Zhou Botong, Yang Guo, and Huang Yaoshi himself would lead each unit. Jiang Chen, being the strongest, was responsible for rushing to the platform to rescue Guo Xiang.

After assigning the troops, Huang Yaoshi ordered them to collect the necessary equipment from the armory. Then, with a wave of the command flag, the forty thousand troops were divided into five directions. With three cannon shots, the four city gates opened, and the five units marched out.

The eastern unit, each carrying a long wooden stake, attacked the eastern side of the platform. A thousand soldiers with shields charged forward to block the arrows, while the remaining seven thousand placed the stakes in a seemingly random but actually strategic pattern based on the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, quickly sealing off the eastern side of the platform.

The western unit, led by the Quanzhen Sect, was familiar with the Heavenly Gang Northern Dipper Formation. They wielded long swords, forming groups of seven and forty-nine, moving left and right, overwhelming the Mongol soldiers, who could only shoot arrows to block them.

Suddenly, the northern unit shouted as Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü led the Three Mountains and Five Peaks heroes, dragging water dragons to spray toxic liquid at the Mongol soldiers. The liquid caused unbearable pain and immediate blisters and rot, forcing the Mongol army to retreat south.

In the south, smoke rose as Dada Master Yideng led eight thousand soldiers in a fire attack, spraying sulfur and saltpeter from iron tubes. The Mongol army, seeing the situation, retreated to the center. Guo Jing and Huang Rong led eight thousand soldiers, advancing slowly. Seeing the chaos in the Mongol ranks, they charged forward, heading straight for the platform.

Suddenly, the sound of horns and shouts came from the platform. Thousands of helmets emerged from underground. The Mongol commander, skilled in warfare, had not only openly deployed four ten-thousand-strong units around the platform but also dug pits and hidden several ten-thousand-strong units. Guo Jing and the others, seeing the pits from a distance, thought they were traps, not realizing they were hidden troops. This turned the tide of the battle, and although the Twenty-Eight Constellations Formation disrupted the enemy, it could not completely defeat them.

The battle drums roared as the Song and Mongol armies fought fiercely. The guards around the platform shot arrows, and Guo Jing's central unit charged several times but was driven back by the arrow rain. After half an hour of fighting, the battle was still undecided. Huang Yaoshi waved the green flag, and the eastern unit attacked south, the western unit attacked north, changing the formation.

The Twenty-Eight Constellations Formation was based on the Five Elements. The southern unit led by Dada Master Yideng, with the red flag, moved to the center. Guo Jing's yellow flag unit moved west, Zhou Botong's white flag unit moved north, Yang Guo's black flag unit moved east, and Huang Yaoshi's green flag unit moved south.

The Five Elements rotated: Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, and Wood generates Fire. Although the Song army had only forty thousand soldiers, the formation was exquisite, and the leaders were all martial arts experts. The Song soldiers, grateful to Guo Jing and his wife, were determined to save their beloved daughter, so even though the Mongols outnumbered them, they could not resist.

After a long battle, Huang Yaoshi let out a long whistle, and the green flag unit retreated to the center. The yellow flag unit attacked north, the black flag unit moved south, the red flag unit moved west, and the white flag unit attacked east. The formation changed again, with the Five Elements reversing: Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, Fire overcomes Metal, and Metal overcomes Wood.

Dharma King Jinlun stood on the platform, watching the battle below, secretly alarmed. Seeing the increasing casualties among the Mongol soldiers, the yellow flag unit gradually approached the platform. Although he used Guo Xiang as a hostage, he could not bear to burn her alive. He tried to persuade her, but Guo Xiang, who had always been quick-witted and unyielding, spoke a few words that almost made Dharma King Jinlun explode with anger. He shouted, "Guo Jing, listen: I will count from one to ten. If you do not surrender, I will order the platform to be set on fire."

In the midst of the battle, Guo Jing responded, "Evil monk, do you think I Guo Jing will surrender?"

Seeing the situation, Dharma King Jinlun called, "Guo Jing, listen: I will count from one to ten. When I reach ten, your beloved daughter will be burned to ashes. One, two, three, four..." He paused after each number, hoping that Guo Jing would finally break and, even if he did not surrender, would become mentally disoriented.

Guo Jing, Huang Yaoshi, Dada Master Yideng, Yang Guo, and Zhou Botong, hearing Dharma King Jinlun counting, saw hundreds of soldiers holding torches, ready to set the firewood alight at his command. Everyone was both anxious and angry, fighting desperately to reach the platform and rescue Guo Xiang. However, the Mongol archers were too skilled, and the thousands of elite soldiers shooting arrows made it impossible to break through.

As the battle intensified, Dharma King Jinlun reached ten. Although he was reluctant, he ordered the fire to be set. The firewood around the platform ignited, and thick smoke rose. Guo Jing and Huang Rong's eight thousand yellow flag soldiers, each carrying a bag of earth, could not get within two hundred steps of the platform, leaving them helpless.

At this moment, a thunderous shout came from the distance. Tens of thousands of Mongol soldiers in iron armor emerged from the sides and attacked Xiangyang. The cry of "Long live, long live, long live the emperor" shook the earth as the Mongol Khan's banner was raised, and the elite soldiers, led by Möngke, rushed to the city walls.

Guo Jing, holding a shield in his left hand and a spear in his right, had already advanced to within a hundred steps of the platform. The Mongol archers shot arrows like a swarm of locusts, but he remained unharmed. Just as he was about to leap onto the platform, he heard the commotion behind him and was startled, thinking, "Oh no, we've fallen for the Tartars' ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain."

Jiang Chen, who had been hidden in the army, knew this was the critical moment. He said to Guo Jing, "Great Hero Guo, don't worry. I will save Xiang'er." With that, he charged out of the yellow flag unit, moving like a meteor, and in an instant, he was at the front of the Mongol formation. Despite the rain of arrows, his long sword spun, creating a barrier that no arrow could penetrate.

Guo Xiang, bound on the platform, saw that her parents and grandfather could not come to her rescue. The smoke and flames quickly surrounded the base of the platform, and she knew she would soon be burned alive. But unexpectedly, someone broke through the Mongol blockade. In her despair, she recognized the person and shouted, "Brother Jiang, you came!"

...