Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Hankou.

One of the most prosperous cities in the Hanzhong region during the Daqian Dynasty.

It is known as the most important transportation hub, and is the center of politics, finance, commerce and other industries.

Since ancient times, Hankou has been known as the "most prosperous city in Hanzhong"!
Hankou was one of the four famous towns of the Daqian era.

Heading north to Beijing, south to the Buddhist city, east to Suzhou, and west to Hankou

It is separated from Wuchang Prefecture by the Yangtze River and from Hanyang by the Han River.

Chen Jie was naturally very familiar with the geography of Hankou.

Therefore,
Ximentang chose two places to cross the river.

The route from Wuchang Prefecture to Hankou via the Yangtze River mainly involved the Qingshan District.

The crossing point from Hanyang Prefecture was chosen in Caidian District.

This place is quite far from the Hankou Prefectural Government Office, and the river is relatively narrow.

Even if the Kwantung Army discovered that Ximentang was crossing the river, due to the special geographical location, it would be difficult for the Kwantung Army to mobilize a large number of troops to stop him.

not to mention,
Ximentang used the same strategy as before when crossing the Yangtze River.

First, the vanguard battalion crossed the river, then established defensive positions, and then carried out a large-scale crossing.

Ximentang now owns about 500 ferries in Hanyang Prefecture, which can transport about 20,000 soldiers and weapons at a time.

Therefore,
Once the vanguard battalion crosses the river, there shouldn't be too many obstacles in the crossing process.

Nine o'clock in the morning the next day.

Chen Jie boarded the ferry and looked around.

At the Hankou Wharf across the river, the defensive positions of Ximentang had already been built, and no attack by the Kwantung Army on the ferry was observed.

After the Kwantung Army withdrew from Wuchang, many of its heavy artillery pieces could not be moved.

This resulted in insufficient firepower output from the Kwantung Army.

Chen Jie observed his surroundings for a moment, then began to make his own plans.

After capturing Hankou, they merged the three cities of Wuchang, Hanyang, and Hankou together.

Ximentang will establish a base in the entire Hanzhong region.

to be frank,
Chen Jie's decision to make Hankou, Hanyang, and Wuchang one of the bases of the Ximen Hall was a well-thought-out one.

This place is located in the heart of the Great Qian Dynasty, or even its 'heart'.

Both waterways and land routes are very smooth.

More importantly, this place has the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, allowing for attacks on Xiangyang to the northwest and southern Hunan to the south, making it easily accessible from all directions.

As long as Ximentang uses this place as his base.

Then,

Both the Prince of Ning, Li Mu, and the Prince of Shu, Li Chuang, could serve as a deterrent to the Northwest Army.

Even after eliminating the two vassal kings, the Hanzhong region will be responsible for the entire Northwest and Southwest regions of the Great Qian Dynasty.

not to mention,
Whether it was the transport of goods by the Grand Canal Gang or the distribution of goods produced by Ximentang throughout the Great Qian Dynasty, the Yangtze River waterway was essential for transportation.

Since it is a vital location in the heart of the Great Qian Dynasty, this place must be developed into the largest inland port.

therefore,

Maintaining the economic prosperity of Wuchang, Hanyang, and Hankou is essential.

Furthermore, this place has been one of the granaries of the Great Qian Dynasty since ancient times.

As long as the situation in Hanzhong is stabilized, the grain production issues of the Daqian Dynasty can be guaranteed.

Moreover, this place also possesses abundant mineral resources.

call--!
Just as Chen Jie stood on the ferry, lost in thought.

suddenly,
Cao Shaoqing's voice came from beside him: "My lord, look, it seems there's a fire in Hankou Prefecture."

No way?
They're doing this again!
While in Jiujiang Prefecture, Tang Manjin set fire to the prefecture to cover Hong Chaoge's retreat, causing heavy casualties among the people.

Now, another major fire has broken out in Hankou Prefecture.

If the city were to be burned down, the damage would be far more severe than that caused by Jiujiang Prefecture.

at this time,

The soldiers of Ximen Hall all looked in the direction of Hankou Prefecture.

Under a clear blue sky, thick black smoke could be clearly seen rising from within the city of Hankou.

hiss--!
Damn it!
Chen Jie felt a surge of anger rush to his head.

He quickly took out his binoculars and looked, and saw that Hankou Prefecture was on fire in several places.

The fire was no small one; it started burning simultaneously in four directions around Hankou.

Upon seeing this, Chen Jie was initially furious, but then he understood.

The fire in Hankou Prefecture was definitely caused by Dashanyan trying to attract Ximentang's attention.

Make a sound in the east and attack in the west!

It was obvious that Daisan Iwa was planning to use the same trick again; he wanted to run away.

Before retreating, they set fire to Hankou Prefecture, which would not only attract the attention of Ximentang, but also disrupt Ximentang's offensive and defensive rhythm.

Oyama Iwao, a general in the Kwantung Army, had done many such heinous things.

"Dashanyan, don't let me catch you, or I'll make you wish you were dead!"

Chen Jie was filled with regret, realizing that he hadn't considered things thoroughly when attacking Hankou Prefecture.

He should have anticipated that Da Shanyan would do such a thing—to achieve his goals by any means necessary.

If they had launched a strong attack across the river last night, they would not have rested in Hanyang Prefecture.

Then the time left for Daishanyan would not be so ample, and even if he wanted to burn the city, he would not be able to do so.

but,

Since it has already happened, it's too late to regret it.

Chen Jie could only order the main force of Ximentang to rush to the city of Hankou to put out the fire as soon as possible.

Hopefully, they can extinguish the fire and minimize losses while defeating the large mountain rock.

It turns out that yesterday, Oyama Iwao sent Kishibe Fumikane and Sakata Takeo to lead 200,000 Japanese troops to meet Ximen Tang in Hanyang Prefecture.

Simultaneously,

He himself led the elite troops of the Kwantung Army across the river from Caidian District to Hankou Prefecture.

But just as he was secretly rejoicing, he received a report that an army from Qingshan District of Wuchang Prefecture downstream of Hankou had crossed the river and blocked the retreat route of the Kwantung Army.

hiss--!
Upon hearing this news, Oyama Iwao was greatly surprised.

He did not expect that Ximen Tang would divide his forces into two groups and use a feint attack to block the retreat route of the Kwantung Army.

Next,
He ordered Oshima Yutaka to lead 50,000 elite Kwantung Army troops to the Hankou wharf to block Ximentang from crossing the river.

but,

It's too late!

Yan Chenghao led 20,000 elite troops from the Ximen Hall and successfully crossed the river, setting up defensive positions at the Hankou Wharf.

When Oshima Yuu arrived at Hankou Wharf, he launched a fierce attack on the positions under Yan Chenghao's command.

Needless to say, they were defeated by Ximentang and suffered heavy casualties.

Yan Chenghao's ability to become one of the major generals in the Ninth Army of Ximentang is naturally due to his bravery in combat.

After repelling Oshima Yutaka in a round of attacks, he seized the opportunity and quickly launched a flanking maneuver to annihilate him.

The 20,000 elite troops of Ximentang are undoubtedly formidable in combat.

After several rounds of attacks, Oshima Yutaka's 50,000 elite Kwantung Army troops were reduced to less than 20,000, who fled in panic to Hankou City and joined up with the main force of the Kwantung Army.

When Oyama Iwa saw Oshima Yuuwu return in such a disheveled state, he was naturally furious again.

He was planning to personally lead a large army to Hankou Wharf to defeat Yan Chenghao, who was blocking the road.

However, unexpectedly, the main force of Ximentang crossed the river from Caidian Wharf, attacking from both sides, making their chances of survival slim.

Sakata Takeo was defeated, Kishibe Fumihiro was captured, and Oshima Yuutake's army was almost wiped out.

Lost——!
Damn it, we lost everything!
From Qingdao in Shandong, then to Songjiang Prefecture, then to Hanzhong, then to Tangshan in Hebei, and finally to Jiujiang Prefecture!
The Japanese army has never won a single battle against Ximen Tang!
Can't fight!
A sense of powerlessness suddenly rose in Da Shan Yan's heart.

Ximentang's combat strength is too strong. He is good at using artillery, and the artillery is extremely powerful. It not only has a long range, but also a very fast rate of fire. The explosive force is extremely terrifying, making it impossible to defend against.

Fifty thousand elite Kwantung Army troops were utterly defeated by twenty thousand of Ximen Tang's troops!
Dashanyan had witnessed the heavily armed troops of Ximentang.

The Kwantung Army was utterly helpless against the tank corps.

Although Oyama Iwao had always had unwavering faith in the fighting capabilities of the Kwantung Army.

However, after so many battles, the facts are clear: the Kwantung Army is no match for Saimon-do.

Both armies of the Kwantung Army were defeated by Ximen Tang, and this was despite their overwhelming numerical superiority. At this moment,
Da Shan Yan understood why the Western Allied Army, numbering over 100,000 and led by the Duke of Waldersee of the British Empire, was routed by Simon Tang.

obviously,
It will be difficult for the Kwantung Army to achieve anything significant this time in the Hanzhong region.

A protracted war of attrition is simply impossible to wage.

Although Dashanyan wanted to contain Ximentang in the Hanzhong area.

but,

When Ximentang came knocking on his door, he became afraid again.

Therefore,
Upon hearing that Ximentang had crossed the river and was attacking from both sides, Dashanyan didn't hesitate and immediately decided to run away.

It has to be said that all of this seems very ironic.

The Allied Forces of the East Asia had an army of 500,000, of which 200,000 were elite Kwantung Army troops.

However, Daisan Iwao did not intend to fight Ximentang, but instead planned to flee.

However, the route from Hanyang Prefecture to Ezhou Prefecture has been cut off by Yan Chenghao's army.

Da Shanyan dared not take the risk and could only flee north.

Xiaogan!

That's right, the direction that Dashanyan planned to escape in was to retreat northwest towards Xiaogan.

So, in the following period, Oyama Iwao ordered Oshima Yuutake and Sakata Takeo to transfer all the supplies, money, and other valuables looted and plundered from Hankou Prefecture to Xiaogan.

He himself led the main army to cover the rear, preparing to retreat towards Suizhou.

If the opportunity arises, he may also move to the Henan region of Daqian and attack Zhengzhou Prefecture.

In order to buy time for Ximentang, during the retreat, Dashanyan ordered his troops to set fires throughout the city of Hankou.

He planned to burn the city to delay Ximentang's pursuit.

Simultaneously,

He then ordered Yagyu Asahi to lead 50,000 troops to cover the rear.

When Chen Jie led his army across the Han River and arrived at Hankou Prefecture.

The city gates had been opened, and several parts of the city were engulfed in flames.

Several bustling streets in the city were engulfed in flames.

A wave of heat swept around, and thick smoke billowed.

Although it was morning, many people were unable to escape in time and perished in the fire.

The cries echoed throughout the surrounding area.

this moment,
The entire Hankou Prefecture was like a living hell, utterly miserable.

Chen Jie quickly ordered the Ximen Hall members to put out the fire.

In addition to the heavy armored brigade and artillery regiment responsible for guarding the perimeter of Hankou Prefecture.

He personally led light infantry into Hankou Prefecture to fight the fire and minimize losses.

Fortunately, Ximentang entered the city in time, and since Hankou Prefecture was surrounded by rivers, the fire did not spread completely except for a few streets that were engulfed in flames.

After Ximentang entered the city to fight the fire, many people in the city joined him in fighting the fire, and they responded enthusiastically.

Less than half an hour.

The fire in Hankou Prefecture was brought under control, unlike the fire in Jiujiang Prefecture which was burned out of control.

Under Ximentang's leadership, the efficiency of firefighting was greatly improved.

The key is that it's morning now, not night, so it's much more convenient for both putting out fires and rescuing people.

at this time,

Yan Chenghao led his army to arrive.

At this time, the Kwantung Army was fleeing towards Xiaogan.

After learning about the situation, Chen Jie quickly understood what Da Shanyan was planning.

then,

He immediately issued an order, commanding Yan Chenghao and Huang Yaoguang to each lead 20,000 troops to pursue the Kwantung Army and enter Xiaogan Prefecture.

Once we catch up with the main force of Daisan Rock, we must cripple them.

After Yan Chenghao and Huang Yaoguang led their troops out, Chen Jie began organizing people to fight the fire again.

Although the fires in the main areas have been extinguished.

However, Hankou City is very large, and that bastard Dashanyan is too wicked; he deliberately expanded the area where the fire was ignited.

In some areas, the fire has spread completely and is very difficult to extinguish.

Unless there are high-powered water pumps to draw water from nearby rivers for irrigation, it is unlikely that the fire can be extinguished in a short time.

Otherwise, we can only wait for the fire to burn out completely.

Although Chen Jie didn't know how to put out a fire, he still knew a lot of basic fire-fighting knowledge.

Since the fire cannot be extinguished, the best approach is to isolate the area around it to prevent the fire from spreading.

otherwise,
Once the wind picks up, the fire will grow larger and gradually spread to other areas, burning more and more fiercely.

therefore,

Chen Jie had people clear firebreaks in the burned areas to prevent the fire from spreading.

Simultaneously,

Temporary medical facilities were set up on every street in Hankou.

Despite the desperate efforts of the people of Ximentang and Hankou to put out the fire, it was still not extinguished by noon.

Hankou Prefecture - Houhu!
Chen Jie stood by the lake, watching the people and Ximentang's elite troops busily fetching water to put out the fire.

Om-!
His body surface occasionally emitted an unusual glow.

This is a method by which he integrates his own sword intent into the grand scheme of heaven and earth, constantly refining his sword intent.

Although it is very difficult to condense sword intent, this method of tempering is not very efficient.

However, it can always merge with the power of heaven and earth, enhancing the power of the sword.

At the same time, it allows the internal energy to slowly transform.

Great Completion of Qi Condensation!

The next step is to break through to the 'Meridian Opening Qi' realm!
Incredibly, despite only being at the Great Perfection stage of the Blood Pill Force, he was able to refine his sword intent and merge it with the power of heaven and earth.

Although he was not the first powerful individual to integrate sword intent into the grand scheme of things.

but,

In terms of his martial arts prowess, he is absolutely unprecedented.

at this point,
Actually, it's because he fully inherited the legacy of the Wuji Sword Saint.

He is using the power of heaven and earth to transform the sword intent of the Wuji Sword Saint into his own!
Although the surrounding fire had not yet been extinguished, he suddenly felt himself entering a very mysterious state.

Om-!
Suddenly, a suffocating atmosphere emanated from the middle of the back lake.

The pinnacle of martial arts—indestructible even when facing gods!
This aura was even more powerful than that of Chiba Teru of the Eastern Ninja Sect.

It contains an immense, almost unbearable pressure.

This powerful sense of oppression far surpasses that of ordinary 'Meridian Opening Qi' realm experts.

and,

Without breaking through to the Blood-Moving Pill Force realm in martial arts, one cannot sense this oppressive force at all.

The fact that someone can control their aura to such an extent demonstrates just how formidable their strength is.

call--!
Chen Jie took a deep breath.

A sudden realization dawned on him.

Before retreating, Dashanyan lit this fire in Hankou Prefecture, which was actually a way to lure himself to Houhu.

That person finally couldn't hold back any longer and made a move!
The leader of the Hongmen—Situ Wushang!
Ever since Chen Jie killed Chiba Teru of the Eastern Ninja Sect on the Yangtze River.

Xi Mentang's elite troops and the four chief stewards of the inner palace strengthened their defenses.

It would be incredibly difficult for anyone to get within 100 meters of Chen Jie.

Even if they manage to get close, it would be difficult to threaten Chen Jie.

Dashanyan lit the fire in Hankou Prefecture, which led Chen Jie to Houhu in Hankou.

And at this moment,
Situ Wushang, in the center of the back lake, made no attempt to conceal his provocation.

No, it should be called a challenge!

This is a challenge issued by a martial arts master to an opponent of equal strength!
A life-or-death duel unfolds on the shores of Houhu Lake! (End of Chapter)