Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 23 Breaking the situation
The fluttering flags covered the sky.

The mighty sound of drums shook the sky.

The heavily fortified Yanwang City camp, with its numerous camps and fortifications, was filled with flags and drums.

Ordinary people would think that Huang Chao's army was defeated several times by Qi Kerang, the commander of the Taining Snow Army, and that he had to have his troops beating drums all day to boost morale.

But if you look closer, you will find that there are no drummers at all. Instead, there are a group of goats with their hind legs tied up, with big drums placed under their front hooves, beating the drums non-stop with all their might.

There was also a group of war horses that had been hungry for several days and had not been given any fodder. Bells were hanging around their necks, and they were jumping and braying in the stable.

The hanging sheep beats the drum, the hungry horse rings the bell, how can it not be a cacophony of sounds?
In this way, the enemy would certainly think that there were still considerable troops in Huang Chao's army camp.

Zhu Wen was not a person who thought from morning to night.

He even spends much more time sleeping than the average person.

But good rest ensures that when he is awake, his mind is exceptionally clear and his brain functions exceptionally efficiently.

Therefore, he thought of more details than ordinary people, and the plans he made were more detailed and thorough than ordinary people.

When he set up the strategy of "hanging sheep to beat drums and starving horses to ring bells" in the main camp.

Zhu Wen himself was already deep underground.

Here, you can only see the surrounding scenery clearly by the light of the pine torches.

Under the illumination of pine torches, elongated human figures were reflected on the walls of the tunnel, winding and swaying like ghosts.

"Madam Fan, I'm sorry for the hard work."

Zhu Wen said this to a large woman with a fair complexion but arms as strong as an ox. Meanwhile, Madam Fan grinned widely and thrust the shovel into the rock wall with a clattering sound, as if cutting tofu, appearing to be working without difficulty.

Zhu Wen found it quite funny to think that this big-mouthed woman had the same name as the singing girl Fan Su, nicknamed "Cherry Fan Su Mouth" by Bai Juyi, a Buddhist monk in Xiangshan.

But Madam Fan’s identity should not be underestimated at all. She is the leader of the contemporary Xiangling Lishi.

The Xiangling Lishi were founded by Fan Chong, the leader of the Chimei rebels during the late Xin Dynasty. To supplement his military resources, Fan Chong excavated the tombs of the Western Han Dynasty.

Later, Fan Chong was destroyed by Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, but his descendants were still active among the people and maintained the Xiangling faction. The "Xiangling Lishi" were somewhere between the green forest and hill digging professions. When there were tombs, they dug them; when they couldn't find any, the leader would pass down his armor and gather in the mountains to rob property.

As the leader of the northern martial arts world, Wang Xianzhi's camp is home to many extraordinary individuals. This sturdy and powerful Lady Fan is the twenty-first generation direct descendant of Fan Chong and the leader of the contemporary Xiangling School.

And digging a tunnel would be a piece of cake for the Xiangling faction, wouldn't it?
The generals were in the tunnel, their eyes fixed on Zhu Wen's back.

There was nothing unusual about the boy's back, and he even looked a little thin.

However, no one dared not to admire Zhu Wen's wisdom and brilliant strategies.

The scene of Zhu Wen speaking eloquently and announcing his strategy at the military meeting now appeared in their minds again.

"Qi Kerang's three-fold strategy of destroying the camp consists of three layers, each linked together."

"Then my strategy to defeat his will also be divided into three layers. Each layer must be completely contrary to the ordinary way of thinking, in order to penetrate the Four Marshals' thinking realm."

Zhu Wenqingmei smiled and casually flipped a dice, which fell to the ground, showing a six.

When Qi Kerang was making plans, he liked to play Go.

But Zhu Wen was a born gambler, so he chose to play dice.

"The leader and Master had previously argued and even fought. Now, it seems that there is still a rift between our two armies, and we can only face the enemy separately. However, I took advantage of this opportunity and quietly borrowed Lady Fan's Ridge-Removing Warrior, and the enemy was completely unaware."

“This is the first floor.”

Another dice was rolled, and it was also a six.

"If the enemy uses tunnels to attack our army, then our army will use the tunnels they have dug to counterattack, which will become a blind spot in their thinking."

"But if we fully utilize the enemy's tunnels, we run the risk of being discovered. During the Battle of Suiyang, the An Lushan rebels stormed Songzhou, and both the attackers and defenders left many tunnels underground. If we uncover these tunnels, which have been there for years and repair them a bit, we can still use them."

“This is the second floor.”

As Zhu Wen continued to narrate, the expressions of everyone present became extremely solemn, and their eyes were completely focused on the dice in his hand.

"Typically, tunnel warfare is conducted at night. However, our army should do the opposite. Even if casualties are high during the breakthrough, during the day, the enemy soldiers will need to defend the Beibian River embankment and the various forward camps on the hills. Our camp will not be able to organize much resistance!"

“This is the third floor.”

The third dice fell, and it was also a six.

"I've finished talking. Who is in favor and who is against?"

Zhu Wen leisurely looked at the three leopards formed by six points on the ground and clapped his hands.

The audience was silent.

At that moment, everyone knew.

The undefeated myth of the Four Generals of the Tang Dynasty may have really come to an end.

"Our army will soon break out of the ground," Meng Kai's deputy general, Ban Fanlang, said excitedly, but there was still a hint of trepidation in his voice: "Will it really be that smooth?"

"Impossible." Zhu Wen, the maker of the entire plan, gave a negative answer without any hesitation.

Under Ban Fanlang's stunned gaze, Zhu Wen swung his sword, and the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Sword shone with unparalleled brilliance. In an instant, the earth and rocks collapsed and fell, revealing a huge hole above. Zhu Wen, fearless, leaped forward.

Outside was the camp of the supply troop, with the five-colored flag of the Five Virtues Camp erected.

The Five Virtues Camp is divided into five parts: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, and is centered around skilled craftsmen from all over the ten regions of the Tang Dynasty.

However, these earthwork wizards are not good at fighting in person. Even if some of them have some strength and know a few tricks, they are undoubtedly no match for truly well-trained soldiers.

"Oh no! The thieves are digging back out of the tunnel!"

"Oh my God, we're dead, run!"

The craftsmen of the Wude Camp screamed in surprise and ran around the camp like headless flies.

Huang Chao's nephew Lin Yan's eyes sparkled: "The Wude Camp has a large number of people but is weak. If our army attacks them and attacks them relentlessly, we can disrupt the entire enemy camp..."

Zhu Wen said, "To plan for victory, one must first consider defeat. Has Qi Kerang considered the possibility that we might discover his plan, or even counterattack through the tunnel?"

Lin Yan was shocked: "If Qi Kerang has calculated everything, how can he be defeated? Wouldn't he be invincible?"

"If he had unlimited resources and could create an army by spreading beans, that would be theoretically possible," Zhu Wen said calmly. "But the reality is that Qi Kerang's forces are insufficient, with only 5,000 combat troops. His numerous strategies and scattered forces will inevitably lead to an empty camp."

Lin Yanxi said happily: "So we won't encounter any decent resistance?"

Zhu Wen shook his head: "In this case, the enemy must have an ambush."

Lin Yan looked puzzled.

Zhu Wen, however, remained calm and composed: "The ambushers are also human beings, not ghosts."

"If we knew about the ambush, would we still fall into it?"

Lin Yan was shocked: "So, you have one more level than Qi Kerang besides the third level?"

Zhu Wen smiled slightly: "To plan more is to win, to plan less is to lose, and what about to plan nothing at all?"

After he finished speaking, he suddenly waved his hand, signaling the heroes who had rushed out of the tunnel to form a circle and protect each other's backs.

Everyone carried short weapons like swords and knives, which were good for melee combat. Many of Huang Chao's soldiers came from the Jianghu, and they could easily put down their spears and switch back to swords, which was a great advantage for being a grassroots hero.

He placed his palm at the level of his forehead, shielding himself from the sunlight, and gazed towards a narrow corner on the left side of the Wude Camp. He then resolutely said to Duan Hongyan, "Junior Sister, shoot an arrow there!"

Duan Hongyan exchanged glances with him and smiled sweetly. She then drew her bow and arrow. The arrow flew out of the string like a meteor chasing the moon, piercing through a layer of tent and going through the narrow gap between the two felt tents.

A heart-wrenching scream was heard. Xiao Ling, the last of the six Southern Dippers of the Taining Army, was shot in the thigh. The blood spurting out instantly stained his battle skirt with a dark red.

Zhu Wen winked to express his provocation to Xiao Ling, who was not bad looking but whose facial features were now distorted beyond recognition, and then laughed heartily.

As Xiao Ling was shot by an arrow, hidden figures quickly appeared, densely packed like ghosts.

"I originally wanted to use the Five Virtues Camp as bait, letting you charge in for a bit, then seize the opportunity to kill you." A young man with a gloomy, somewhat sickly expression tapped his knuckles, which had turned blue. "I didn't expect you to see through me. Now I have no choice but to fight with real weapons."

This person is none other than Deng Jijun, another of the Southern Dipper's six stars, who is as famous as Yan Lingkong! Compared to Yan Lingkong, Deng Jijun's actions are even more cold and decisive.

"Bah! You are about to die, yet you still dare to brag like that!" Fan Niangzi, the leader of the Xiangling faction, shouted angrily, waving a giant shovel and rushing towards Deng Jiyun.

Deng Jiyun waved his weapons, which turned out to be a pair of Wu hooks.

Seeing Madam Fan charging towards him, Deng Jiyun did not reply, but just laughed strangely twice, then used his pair of Wu hooks to turn into dancing silver snakes to resist Madam Fan's fierce attack with the iron shovel.

As a descendant of Fan Chong, the leader of the Red Eyebrow Army, Madam Fan was born with broad shoulders and a thick waist, and her eyebrows were as sharp as knives. When she rolled up her sleeves, her arms were full of tendon flesh. She was more than half a head taller than Deng Jiyun.

The iron shovel she used also had an incredibly long handle and an extremely sharp edge, capable of easily severing a person's limbs. When she swung it, she exerted a force as powerful as a mountain.

But Deng Jiyun's swirling wields of the Wu Gou swords were as seamless as a flawless sword, impervious to any leaks. With his mastery of softness overcoming hardness, he completely neutralized Lady Fan's shovel-like attacks, which were like tidal waves and mountains. The two fought for about twenty rounds, a match made in heaven, a match made in heaven.

However, Deng Jiyun only heard a sinister hoarse sound from his throat, and Wu Gou suddenly increased his strength. The Yin energy on the sword was like a python, twisting back towards Fan Niangzi's iron shovel. Because he had his hands as a fulcrum, he just happened to offset the enemy's momentum and use the enemy's force to counterattack.

Madam Fan was shocked and wanted to retreat quickly to dissolve Deng Jiyun's tyrannical Yin energy, but her body was too thin to move quickly, and she was entangled by the poisonous python-like energy. She hesitated for a moment, and the huge force hit her heart in an instant. She flew back several feet and fell to the ground, bleeding from her mouth!

"Big sister, are you okay?"

Disciples of the Xiangling Sect had already rushed forward to support the seriously injured Madam Fan. They saw that her life was not in danger, but she could no longer fight.

Some officers of the Cao Army were so shocked that they murmured to themselves, "Although the Xiangling Sect isn't known for its martial arts, Madam Fan is the leader of a large sect and her strength is definitely not low. How could she be defeated so quickly?"

Another person continued, "Madam Fan is a tall woman with extraordinary strength. She fought Deng Jiyun for only twenty rounds before she was severely injured. It seems that the heroes of the Taining Army under the command of Snow Marshal Qi Kerang are truly not to be underestimated!"

Before he could finish his words, the two men felt a splitting pain on their heads. It turned out that Zhu Wen had attacked these two guys who were boosting others' morale and destroying his own prestige from both sides, giving each of them a hard slap.

"This bandit is nothing more than this." After beating Madam Fan so hard that she vomited blood and retreated, Deng Jiyun said sinisterly, with contempt in his eyes.

Before he finished speaking, there was a loud bang and smoke and dust flew everywhere.

Deng Jiyun retreated like a shuttle, his expression suddenly changing. He looked closely and saw a swordsman beside him being knocked to the ground, his bones and tendons broken, blood spitting out of his mouth. He died instantly. And the one who had knocked him down was actually a half-grown colt.

Meng Kai, with his chest bared and a large axe in hand, looked like a furious King Kong, his roar turning into thunder.

"That's all? That weird, androgynous pretty boy, tell me that again!"

No one knew where Meng Kai had caught the colt in the camp. Although it was not fully grown, it weighed at least one or two hundred pounds. He threw it out and killed a man in an instant. His movements were as swift as a rabbit and falcon, shocking everyone in the camp.

(End of this chapter)