Unexpectedly, the soldiers guarding the stone fort’s first reaction was to ring the warning bell. This was indeed beyond Kou Zhong and the others’ expectation. Fortunately, there was no arrow or dart being shot at them, otherwise, it would ruin the enterprise for the sake of one basketful; they would be stopped forcefully outside the stone fort.
Because the Tujue main forces were about to invade their territory, the entire Mohe clansmen were like a piece of string pulled taut, any little wind blowing, the grass moving immediately triggered them completely, but they did not see through Kou Zhong and the others’ disguise.
The guards continuously swarmed up the fort’s arrow tower. Someone shouted down, “Password!”
Kou Zhong overtook the crowd, he laughed aloud and said, “Forgot to ask Bai Ziting!”
He sprang up from the Thousand-Li Dream’s back, the Moon in the Well turned into a circle of saber light protecting his front, he flew over to the stone fort’s upper level like a stone being shot by a trebuchet.
Only this moment did the enemy find out that the incoming people were enemies and not friends. Hastily the bent their bows and put on arrows, but they were one step too late.
By the time the Moon in the Well’s saber light was unleashed, one after another Bielegunatai, Yuekepeng, Kezhuan, and more than thirty of the most powerful Shiwei and Jushi warriors soared off their horseback and pounced the guards on the tower, who did not know what to do.
At the same time, the two teams of warriors, which amounted to two hundred men – waiting to ambush inside the forest, charged out to intercept the enemy coming from the army camp to help.
Their strategy was to make the Little Longquan’s defenders mistakenly think that it was the Tujue army invading their territory, so that they would feel in their heart that it was futile to resist and that the situation was hopeless.
The violent attack, coupled with the howling wind and torrential rain, indeed felt like Tujue army’s surprise attack.
Everywhere that Kou Zhong’s Moon in the Well went, the enemy was either dead or wounded. In just a few breaths, the stone fort’s upper level’s city gate tower has fallen under their control.
Bielegunatai took the lead. His left and right, a pair of axes whirled like wheels, pressing down and chopping the guards charging upstairs from the lower level. The blockers were swept by the wind. Stepping over the enemy’s corpses, he forcefully advanced down to the lower level.
It was only this moment that Kou Zhong really had a taste of Bielegunatai’s fierce and severe axe technique; no wonder he was called the Mighty of the Erguna [Argun] River, and was praised as the unrivalled martial art master. Kou Zhong fought side by side with Bielegunatai. The Moon in the Well moved in concert with the double-axe, they killed every enemy they encountered, as they advanced step-by-step into the fort.
Little Longquan was in total chaos, the sound of shouting and killing was coming from both the stone fort and the docks. Under the relentless and ruthless whipping of the wind and the rain, the panicked porters, shipyard workers, the merchants who had not had any chance to board the ships, as well as the soldiers who were losing their mind, scattered in all directions, fleeing in disarray, as if doomsday was coming.
The earth turned dark, the sky hazy, Xu Ziling, with a long spear, which he conveniently snatched away, and Yin Xianhe spurred their horses in the direction where Ma Ji was escaping.
Ma Ji was the key figure in the wolf-bandits incidents, as long as they could capture him, the truth might be like ‘as the water recedes, the rocks appear’.
Suddenly a group of more than a hundred Mohe soldiers came from the side, breaking through the wind and rain to cut their way; surprisingly, the leader was Zong Xianghua, the chief imperial bodyguards under Bai Ziting’s command.
She was brandishing a long sword, the braids of her hair flying, the pretty pupil of her eyes emitted fiendish light, she shouted sternly, “Kill without mercy!”
Xu Ziling sighed inwardly. On the battlefield, it was either kill or be killed; but since he already promised Yin Xianhe not to harm Zong Xianghua, his only choice was to avoid this battle and stare blankly as Ma Ji escaped.
Pulling the rein, he called out to Yin Xianhe, “This way!”
He urged his horse to the left, heading for the stone fort instead.
Yin Xianhe understood; he hurriedly followed.
Zong Xianghua let out a tender shout and led her men to pursue relentlessly behind the two.
In the heavy rain, which was like pouring down from the tray – covering up the sky, suddenly a group of riders came from ahead like a whirlwind; surprisingly, it was the Shiwei and Jushi coalition army, coming with rainbow-like momentum to attack.
Xu Ziling had no other choice, together with Yin Xianhe they turned around to meet Zong Xianghua’s pursuing troops head-on.
‘Qiang! Qiang!’
Unleashing his spear technique, Xu Ziling cut the mad-tiger-like Zong Xianghua and engaged her in horseback battle. Although this beautiful woman was dashing bravely with no thought of personal safety, plus her swordsmanship was brilliant, she was still some distance away from Xu Ziling. By utilizing an ingenious usage of the length of his spear, he entangled her and did not let her go, so that she could neither advance nor retreat, and was trapped in a hard battle situation.
Yin Xianhe understood his intention, he cooperated in one heart with the allied armies coming to help. In just a short time, due to their lofty spirit, morale and superior military strength, they beat Zong Xianghua’s entourage that everything was broken and in disorder, and they fled everywhere and in all directions.
From the stone fortress’ side, the sound of hoof beats shook the sky, the other team of the allied armies, in hiding-the-sky-and-covering-the-earth momentum, arrived. Taking the lead were precisely Kou Zhong, Bielegunatai, and Yuekepeng, three men.
Anybody knew that the overall battle situation has already been decided. Zong Xianghua, leading a group of stubbornly-resisting warriors, was unable to hold out; the dead was dead, the wounded was wounded, some escaped to the wilderness, leaving this long-legged female general alone, still staking her life.
‘Dang!’
The long sword fell to the ground.
Xu Ziling sent out the Treasured-Vase True Power via the long spear, one was heavier than the previous, finally Zong Xianghua’s palm [orig. the web between the thumb and the forefinger] was shaken and cracked, the treasured sword fell to the ground.
Kou Zhong and the others left Xu Ziling alone to deal with Zong Xianghua, they continued toward the docks to pounce on the enemy.
Yin Xianhe pulled the rein and came back to Xu Ziling’s side.
Zong Xianghua’s warhorse was still snorting and skipping, but she was sitting on the horseback like a wooden chicken, her expression looked sad.
Xu Ziling heaved a sigh again and said, “Shiwei Zhang [imperial bodyguard chief], please go back to notify your honorable superior …”
Zong Xianghua shouted sternly, “I’ll stake everything against you!”
Spurring her horse, she charged toward the two men.
The two sidestepped to the left and right, so that Zong Xianghua was pouncing on empty air. Reining her horse, she turned around called out in grief, “Just kill me! Why don’t you kill me?”
In the midst of the sound of the chaotic warfare under the blowing wind and pouring rain, her voice seemed to be near, yet far away, as if in a nightmare.
From the bottom of his heart, Xu Ziling was weary of war and hatred and killing; recalling that just last night they were sitting around the same banquet table, raising their cups to toast one another, while talking and laughing, yet today they faced each other in you die, I live manner, not willing to yield to one another. Smiling bitterly, he said, “If your honorable superior did not wish to put us to death, how could we all meet on the battlefield? Victory or defeat is commonplace in military operations. As long as we can agree on suitable terms, we could return Little Longquan back to you. Great plans can be ruined by just a touch of impatience. Zong Shiwei Zhang, please go back!”
Zong Xianghua was silent for half a day. Her gaze turned to Yin Xianhe, emitting a deep hatred. “Good! Good!” she shouted, and then, pulling the rein, she turned her horse around and let the sound of hoof beats disappear into the boundless wind and rain.
Yin Xianhe slightly hesitated. He waved to Xu Ziling and ran after her figure.
The wind and the rain gradually abated, but it has not completely stopped; the remainder of its prestige still seemed to stubbornly stay as fine water droplets freely floating and flying in the empty sky, covering the entire bay area in thin-yarn-like cloud or fog, whitewashing the cruel truth of the battlefield.
The attack came suddenly and it ended just as abruptly, leaving behind dead and injured men and horses everywhere.
A beam of sunlight broke through the seams of the clouds, shining on the four ships, the spoils of war, moored on the shore. The black clouds in the sky, like a curtain being pulled open, revealed the beautiful blue sky behind them, as if frantic storm just now had completely washed it clean.
With blank expression on his face, Kou Zhong sat on a stone stump where the ship was tied, accompanied by Xu Ziling, gazing at the ocean, which has been disappeared from sight for a long time, looking at the sunlight like a monarch overlooking the heaven and earth before its eyes – once again.
They finally got back the eighty thousand sheets of highest quality sheepskin.
The Gaoli ships were carrying a full load of bows, arrows, weapons, and a variety of city-defense equipment.
Bai Ziting was really formidable. If these things fell into his hands, combined with the ambushing troops that was most probably under Gesuwen’s personal command, they could really surprise the unrivalled and mighty Tujue army, so much so that they could even force them to fall headfirst.
Ma Ji’s cabin on board was filled with priceless gold and silver and precious stones, enough for an average person to spend in wild living for ten generations. This wealth could be used to compensate the Pingyao merchants.
All of a sudden most of their problems were solved.
Kou Zhong turned his head around to glance at the Shiwei and Jushi warriors cleaning up the battlefield behind him. Shaking his head, he smiled ruefully and said, “I am beginning to be weary of war as well! Only I hate it that I have no other choice, I must resolutely continue.”
Xu Ziling sighed and said, “Your resolution does not seem to be too resolute at all. I even think that you are a bit afraid to face the reality.”
Kou Zhong’s pair of eyes revealed a contemplative expression; he spoke slowly, “Reality is indeed extremely cruel, making it unbearable to see. I, Kou Zhong, whether I am the king or the bandit, it will depend on whether or not I can defend Luoyang and defeat Li kid. Ay! His Niang! Whether I am a king or a bandit, Laozi is clearly surnamed Kou [lit. bandit], so I am violating the taboo of my name. In the future, if my dead body lies in Luoyang, remember to ask my bones back from Li kid, and bury me in Niang’s valley, let me obediently keep Niang company.”
Ba Fenghan came behind the two. Hearing that, he said, “Since that’s the case, you might as well let Wang Shichong, that old fox, to emerge and perish on his own [idiom: to run its course], and then Shaoshuai can go all-out to capture the Eastern Capital, which is your hometown anyway; how could you give Li Haitong [I think it’s supposed to be Li Zitong], that outsider, the convenience to occupy a favorable location?”
Kou Zhong said, “If there is any choice, who would want accompany Wang Shichong to be on his way together? Only I hate that the Li Clan already has an agreement with various powers in Bashu, big and small, that if the House of Tang can capture Luoyang, Bashu will bow before Li Yuan. If that happens, not only the Li Family will obtain Bashu’s copper, iron and grains, but can also take advantage of the rugged Yangtze River to quickly move their troops to attack enemies on both banks. With the addition of Ol’ Die Du Fuwei providing assistance midstream, in the world, who could challenge that? Therefore, Luoyang simply must not fall.”
This was the first time that Ba Fenghan heard about the important agreement that Shi Feixuan won over on behalf of the Li Family. After remaining silent for half a day, he sighed and said, “Knowing that undoubtedly defeat is certain, why don’t you disband Shaoshuai Army, and then we, three brothers devote ourselves to perfecting our art side by side, whistling and roaming the world? Won’t that be a delight?”
The divine light in Kou Zhong’s pair of eyes burst forth, he laughed aloud and said, “The problem is that in war, no victory is permanent. There is no such thing on earth as defeat is certain. Precisely because it is difficult that it also stirs up my will to fight. I, Kou Zhong, am betting my little life in this large-scale gambling.”
And then his gaze turned toward Ma Ji’s ocean-going ship that they captured, he spoke heavily, “Tomorrow, whether Xieli is willing to let Bai Ziting off or not, after settling this matter, Ling Shao and I are going to the sea to deliver these eighty thousand sheets of sheepskin to Shanhai Pass first, afterwards I will travel at double speed to Luoyang, to see whether Laotianye wants me, Kou Zhong, to be buried with the city. What’s your, LaoGe’s plan?”
Ba Fenghan’s gaze was fixed on the flat line at the end of the ocean, his two eyes emitted unswerving expression. Tranquil, calm, and at ease, he said, “Right now my only goal is to defeat Bi Xuan. I may give myself a year to train to beat Bi Xuan. Luoyang should be an ideal place, but I definitely don’t want to be buried with the city.”
Greatly delighted, Kou Zhong said, “With you, LaoGe, lending a hand, it’s going to be another thing, perhaps … Ay! You’d better go elsewhere to train! I really don’t want to drag you down.”
Ba Fenghan threw his head back in laughter, he said, “You are not dragging me down, I only don’t want to give up on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in the life-and-death-attack-and-defense decisive battle for Luoyang, which is unfolding between Kou Zhong, whose name intimidates the world, and the invincible Li Shimin, that’s all!”
Turning to Xu Ziling, Kou Zhong asked, “What’s Ling Shao’s plan?”
Smiling wryly, Xu Ziling said, “What do you want me to do?”
Kou Zhong spoke with serious expression, “Even if you want to accompany me to Luoyang, I won’t allow you. If I really can defend Luoyang, so that Li Shimin suffers a real big defeat for the first time, then you come to see me, we’ll drink and have a heart-to-heart chat. That should do it!”
Xu Ziling was silent for half a day; he sighed and said, “Is there really no other choice?”
Kou Zhong resolutely shook his head and said, “It’s not that there is no other choice, but I am most willing to pick this path, and now there is no turning back even more. If the House of Tang’s crown prince were Li Shimin instead of Li Jiancheng, I may comply with your suggestion, but now I can only persevere with my choice.”
This moment Bielegunatai and the others have finished their business, they came to have postwar meeting to discuss their next step with the three men; everybody changed to using Tujue language.
Bugunatai reported, “We have a total of 325 prisoners, 254 of whom are Gaoli King’s warriors and sailors. The rest are Mohe Clan soldiers and Mohe shipyard workers. All are locked up in one of the shipyard building.”
Kou Zhong felt a big headache. If these three ships belonged to Gesuwen, that would be much better. It’s a pity that things turned out contrary to the way he wished. The old grievance with their young martial aunt Fu Junqiang has not been resolved, now they added a new enmity.
Bielegunatai said, “Bai Ziting’s main forces may arrive any moment, I already dispatch scouts and sentries. If that happens, we must decide now whether we ought to defend our property to the death or get on the ship and slip away?”
This place had a stone fortress in which they could defend their property to the death; as long as they were able to hold out for one night, due to Bai Ziting having misgivings on the Tujue main forces invading their territory, he would pull the troops out of here. The question was whether they would be able to hold out that long.
Yuekepeng said, “If we want to slip away on the ship, we must move immediately. Otherwise, if the opposite side block the seaport using warships, even if we grew wings, it will still be difficult to fly.”
Everybody could not help casting their gaze to the exit of the seaport. With the mountain ridges stretching to the left and right, the ocean was encircled, forming a deep and wide natural harbor. The width of the seaport was approximately a hundred zhang, if the enemy had about a dozen warships, they could easily seal off the harbor.
Seeing Kou Zhong was muttering to himself irresolutely without speaking, Ba Fenghan knew that he was deep in thought. “Where is Yin Xiong?” he asked.
Noticing that everybody’s eyes were on him, Xu Ziling said with a wry smile, “He chased after Zong Xianghua.”
“What exactly is his relationship with Zong Xianghua?” Ba Fenghan wondered aloud.
Xu Ziling shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he had no idea.
Kou Zhong finally spoke up, “If our goal is just to get the people whom Bai Ziting imprisoned, the best course of action is to take the ship away and use it to bargain with him. It’s just that our purpose is more than that. First of all, nobody wants to see the entire Mohe tribe exterminated. Secondly, Peng Xiong bears the heavy responsibility to kill Funantuo to wash away the deep enmity. Therefore, we definitely cannot give up defending the Little Longquan. I have ninety-percent confidence that Bai Ziting won’t dare to invade our territory. Gentlemen, please see whether Xiaodi is guessing incorrectly, Xieli’s strength is much higher than his, yet there was that defeat at the Helian Fort. Old Bai is proficient in the art of war, he definitely will not repeat Xieli’s disastrous policy.”
Bielegunatai agreed, he said, “Shaoshuai’s remark makes sense. If I were Bai Ziting, I would not dare to take this risk either. We are afraid of Bai Ziting, Bai Ziting is afraid of the Tujue main forces, it becomes mutual restraint, no one can move a single step.”
Having a headache, Ba Fenghan said, “I am a Tujue, I understand Xieli and Tuli’s way of thinking better than you do. Since they already issued written war challenge, telling Bai Ziting to hand over the Five-Colored Stone before sunrise tomorrow, if they could not obtain this demand, the only way is to put Longquan in blood bath, otherwise, the hard-earned reputation that they built in the prairie will be obliterated completely.”
The Five-Colored Stone was in Meiyan’s hands. Whether they could find Meiyan in such a short period of time was still a big question, while whether they could retrieve the Five-Colored Stone from her hands was another question. What’s more, if Bai Ziting refused to surrender, even if out of their good intentions they handed over the Five-Colored Stone on Bai Ziting’s behalf, it would be no more than a superfluous action.
Yuekepeng sighed and said, “Killing the demonic monk is really not an urgent matter, it could be dealt with later.”
Holding his head in his hands, Kou Zhong said, “Who can tell me what is the real relationship between Meiyan and Funantuo?”
Naturally no one could provide him with an answer.
Xu Ziling calmly said, “All these difficult problems are in fact related to each other. As long as we could make Bai Ziting feel that he is completely without a chance to succeed, he could only surrender, so much so that he might even help us find Meiyan.”
Bugunatai laughed and said, “We confiscated these two batches of bows, arrows, and weapons supply for him, how could Bai Ziting not surrender and admit defeat?”
Shaking his head, Kou Zhong said, “Bai Ziting is a natural adventurer, although losing his supply could be a serious blow to him, it is not fatal. Unless we could capture the Wo Long Bie Yuan, so that Bai Ziting becomes isolated and without help, only then would he be willing to listen obediently. The most ideal is, of course, if he is willing to hand over Funantuo, so that Peng Xiong could bring his severed head back to Turfan.”
Xu Ziling smiled and said, “Whether Gesuwen is deep or shallow, it is hard to fathom. Moreover, we know nothing about his military strength. However, as long as we let Bai Ziting know that we are aware of these wonder troops [troops appearing suddenly (in a raid or ambush)], the existence of Gesuwen’s army may lose its role.”
Shaking his head, Bielegunatai said, “Bai Ziting could notify Gesuwen to move his troops elsewhere, they could still pose a threat.”
Kou Zhong slapped his thigh, “I got it!” he said.
Everybody knew that he had a hundred wisdom and scheming ability, all eyes were cast on him.
Kou Zhong rose to his full height, his gaze swept across his clothes, which had not completely dried, he said, “I am going to see Bai Ziting for a drink and a heart-to-heart chat. Along the way, I am going to see Du Xing and Xu Kaishan. Who wants to come with me?”
Ba Fenghan laughed and said, “If it’s not dangerous, you can’t possibly do it. How about Ling Shao and I come with you to gain first-hand experience of it? So we decide to keep Little Longquan and hold on to it, right?”
Kou Zhong nodded and said, “Not only we are going to defend Little Longquan to the death, we are also going to get that batch of bows and arrows that we hid someplace else and bring them here, to be stored inside the stone fort. At the same time, we’ll send our men to watch Wo Long Bie Yuan. My tactic is empty is real, real is empty. As long as Bai Ziting fell into the trap by moving Gesuwen’s hidden troops elsewhere, we’ll call it a success.”
And then he turned to Xu Ziling and asked, “Who would be the most suitable person to pass on this information for Bai Ziting?”
Xu Ziling nodded in agreement, he said, “Most likely it’s going to be Funantuo. If Du Xing did not tell us a lie, Funantuo’s relationship with Gesuwen ought to be closer than Bai Ziting.”
Yuekepeng and Kezhuan’s two pairs of eyes lit up at the same time.
Kou Zhong laughed aloud and said, “For the first time we have more bargaining chips in our hands than Bai Ziting’s. Ay! I hope Pingyao’s various gentlemen Dage have not left Longquan.”
The sound of hoof beats came from the west, rapidly coming near.
Looking at the direction of the sound, Kou Zhong was shocked, he said, “The person that is more difficult to deal with than Bai Ziting has arrived! My Niang!”