The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 444 Courage in the Face of Adversity, Living in the Face of Death
The Beiwei Army was Yue Fei's elite force, and they were responsible for almost all of the tough battles during Yue Fei's Northern Expedition.

It is easier to shake a mountain than to shake Yue Fei's army. This saying actually refers to the Beiwei Army, which was the hardest boulder on the battlefield.

However, the Beiwei Army always existed as a whole, and all the soldiers remained unknown, not appearing among the famous generals under Yue Fei.

Yue Yun, Zhang Xian, Lu Wenlong, Gao Chong, Yang Zaixing, Yan Chengfang, He Yuanqing, Niu Gao, Di Lei, and even Zhang Bao in front of the horse and Wang Heng behind the horse—these names all shone brightly in Yue Fei's famous battles in the north.

The Beiwei Army is the only one with this name. No one knows their specific names. Even Wu Chengyu, as a descendant of the Beiwei Army, can only name his own grandfather at most. He can't say anything about the other grandfathers of the Wu family because none of them came back alive.

The Beiwei Army was essentially a suicide squad. They were small in number and needed to be replenished after each battle. While they were brave and fearless and invincible, it also meant that most of them fell on the way to the battlefield.

After Yue Fei died unjustly, the Yue Family Army was disbanded. Those famous generals either remained loyal to the court or, like Lu Zhiyi, went into hiding among the common people. From then on, the Beiwei Army seemed to disappear overnight, and people gradually forgot the name.

As for where those Beiwei Army soldiers went, some committed suicide to follow Yue Fei, some returned to the Jin Dynasty with Yan Chengfang and others to fight against the Jin, and some, like weeds and withered trees, slowly passed away and never mentioned the three words "Beiwei Army" again.

Many years later, if any of the Beiwei Army soldiers from that time were still alive, they would be nearly a hundred years old and in their twilight years.

The Beiwei Army is like a symbol, at most mentioned occasionally in later historical records when Yue Fei is remembered, without much effort being put into it.

When Wu Chengyu reorganized the Beiwei Army in Qianlong Cave, he told Song Mu and the others about the history and glory of the Beiwei Army. Under the subtle influence of his persuasive skills, Song Mu and the others gradually regarded themselves as the new Beiwei Army and were proud of it.

Their Beiwei Army was no longer just a suicide squad, but a special forces unit trained by Wu Chengyu over many years with countless resources, combining later-era concepts with the training methods of Yue Fei's army and imparting superb martial arts skills.

They all waited for the day when the name of the Beiwei Army would once again resound throughout China, striking fear into the hearts of their enemies.

According to Wu Chengyu's plan, they would work with him to build a force in Suzhou, using veterans of the rebel army as instructors, and gradually expand it. The Beiwei Army would be the sharpest weapon in Wu Chengyu's hands in the future, so they would still need to lie low for the next few years.

But when Wu Chengyu decided to bring the Beiwei Army back onto the historical stage, Song Mu was stunned.

He is undoubtedly the leader of the Beiwei Army, Xiaolu is positioned as a strategist, and Li Geda is more like a lone assassin.

Only Song Mu was qualified and most suitable to lead the Beiwei Army. He had been waiting for this day, but he also knew that this day should not have come so soon.

"What are you standing there for? Weren't you kids already itching to get started when you were slaughtering people in Hangzhou? If that's the case, why don't we get started sooner?"

Song Mu finally came to his senses. His posture remained as upright as a pine tree. This was the muscle memory that Wu Chengyu had trained them to stand at attention for many years. It must be said that the army of later generations was always so upright.

But now, Song Mu can no longer be described as upright. His entire spirit and energy have begun to transform. His posture remains the same, but the immaturity of an eighteen-year-old boy on his face has faded in an instant, replaced by determination and killing intent—a killing intent that can crush everything if he so desires.

Song Mu's eyes shone with an unprecedented light. He clenched his right fist and placed it on his heart to show Wu Chengyu his loyalty from the bottom of his soul. Then he strode out of the room and shouted to the Beiwei Army youths who were waiting outside.

"The courage of Beiwei is to live in the face of death." Overwhelmed with excitement, Song Mu's voice cracked slightly, yet it sounded like the beating of the war drums of the Beiwei Army.

This is the slogan of the Beiwei Army. Wu Chengyu said that when they walked out of the Hidden Dragon Cave and Song Mu shouted this slogan, it would be the day that the Beiwei Army returned to the world. Everyone understood what was about to happen at that moment.

At the same time, everyone's spirit and energy also underwent a transformation, just like Song Mu's. They were like swords that had been sheathed before, but now they were all drawn, revealing their sharpness and exuding a murderous aura.

"Courage to face death, to live on the brink of it," everyone responded in unison, at the top of their lungs.

"Change clothes," Song Mu ordered again.

When the young men of the Beiwei Army left the Hidden Dragon Cave, they each carried a backpack, which they never parted with. Now, they unpacked their backpacks, revealing their own unique red battle armor.

Considering the unique nature of the Beiwei Army, Wu Chengyu sought out Lady Wen from Tongguan County and the best craftsmen to design armor specifically for them.

The armor is a blend of blood red and bronze, with breastplates at the front and back, chainmail at the waist, arm guards and shoulder armor, leg guards, and even thin iron plates embedded in the leather at the toes of the boots.

To facilitate the execution of martial arts techniques, the remaining parts are covered in leather armor to ensure flexibility at the joints.
This armor was less protective than iron armor on the battlefield, prioritizing lightness and a very imposing and capable appearance. The only similarity to later models was the addition of a shield-shaped armband on the right arm, embroidered with a white tiger.

The White Tiger represents killing and warfare, but also symbolizes protection.

In fact, these suits of armor are like uniforms for these teenagers. They have wanted to wear these uniforms for a long time, and today they finally have the opportunity.

After all the boys had changed their clothes, they immediately lined up, stood at attention, and counted off. Finally, Song Mu walked up to Wu Chengyu and said, "Report, the Beiwei Army has assembled. Please give instructions."

This is not a joke, but Wu Chengyu's tribute to his past life.

"How many horses did Duan Tiande bring?"

"There are only a dozen or so horses in total. This guy is a naval force; he doesn't have that many warhorses."

Horses are scarce in the south, and even now, it's difficult to find more than a few hundred.

"Have the wounded brothers take Duan Tiande and these horses back to Hangzhou and wait for me at the secret cave where you were hiding. The rest of you, march quickly towards Jingmen."

All the Beiwei Army soldiers had practiced the Crane Shadow Flowing Light technique, and under Wu Chengyu's orders, they had conducted countless full-armor cross-country runs. They were now truly like an army, swift yet orderly, rushing towards the official road in an organized manner.

After a day and a night, they arrived at Jingmen. The record for the army's forced march in later generations was 132 kilometers in 24 hours. These Beiwei soldiers were skilled in both internal and external martial arts and had extraordinary lightness skills, so they broke this record early on.

Soon, they found the official road that Duan Tiande had mentioned, the road where the group had chased Aku. Wu Chengyu saw many signs of fighting along the way, and even saw palm prints made by the heavy techniques of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, which were Aku's handiwork.

After a short rest, they continued their pursuit along the way. Half a day later, they finally saw a group of people who had been waiting there for a long time in front of a mountain forest.

The leader was a man dressed in clothing with obvious Jin Dynasty characteristics; he was probably the one who gave Duan Tiande the orders.

A spy lurking in the Southern Song Dynasty made no attempt to conceal his identity by dressing as a Jurchen, which shows the decline of the Southern Song Dynasty in recent years and its loss of control over many of its territories.

In addition, there were dozens of people standing behind this Jin man, all dressed as martial arts practitioners. Judging from their appearance, they should all be skilled fighters. Only a few of these people looked like Jin people, while the rest were clearly Song people, yet they were willing to be Jin lackeys.

Wu Chengyu was overjoyed when he saw these people. He was getting closer and closer to Aku, but he had no news at all about Aku's current situation.

The appearance of these people means that Wu Chengyu's tracking route has not gone astray, and it also means that Aku is at least safe at this time.

Most importantly, the more people they send to block reinforcements, the fewer people will pursue and kill Ah Ku.

Thinking of this, Wu Chengyu's eyes did not look at the Jurchen man in front of him, but at the woods behind him.

The Jin man spoke first: "You must be the so-called brother of Mo Ku. I have been in the Song Kingdom for many years and I never knew that there was such a person as you, let alone that you had such capable soldiers under your command."

Wu Chengyu did not reply, but waited quietly for what would happen next.

"How about we make a deal? As far as I know, this Mo Ku is not your biological sister. She has been in the Beggars' Sect for four or five years and has never seen you. So, this sibling relationship is probably not that important."

Mo Ku is quite good-looking. I can understand that you want to be a hero and save the damsel in distress, but there are plenty of beautiful women in Jiangnan. As long as you have money and power, you can find a place for gentle pleasures anywhere.

Your troops are formidable. If they cooperate with me and obey the orders of my Jin Kingdom, when the Jin army marches south and unifies the land, you will surely be rewarded with high-ranking positions, noble titles, and generalships—far beyond what a mere woman can offer.”

Wu Chengyu turned his gaze back: "You came here to stop me, so I suppose A-Ku is not far ahead. Hong Qigong should be heading north from Hankou to rescue A-Ku."

So, if you use Ah Ku as bait, the ambush set up by Hong Qigong should be right in front of you.

There's something I don't understand. What makes you think you can eliminate Hong Qigong in one fell swoop? That old beggar is a terrible leader, but his martial arts skills are unparalleled.

"With the several thousand soldiers hidden in the woods behind you, and they're probably all infantry, they won't be able to catch Hong Qigong if he tries to escape."

As soon as Wu Chengyu arrived, he immediately noticed birds circling overhead in the woods behind the group, hesitant to land.

There was a bloody smell and a chilling aura in the woods, clearly belonging to an army. The number of people was estimated to be two or three thousand. With so many people hiding there, it was impossible for Wu Chengyu to miss their senses.

"Therefore, you should have experts who can hold Hong Qigong back, at least one or two people who can match Hong Qigong. With other experts surrounding him and these thousands of soldiers deployed on the perimeter, there is indeed a chance to kill Hong Qigong."

But the only expert you can rely on is Qiu Qianren, but he alone wouldn't dare to stand in front of Hong Qigong. There must be other experts, but I really can't think of anyone in the short term.

However, now that I have appeared, and because of the strength my men have demonstrated, we are strong enough to break through your encirclement. This is why you had no choice but to bring these soldiers here ahead of time, first trying to lure them in, and then, if that failed, launching a full-scale attack.

The Jin man narrowed his eyes and the smile on his face disappeared: "Your young men are indeed good, but there are only a mere two hundred or so, while I have brought three thousand elite soldiers."

With the help of my experts behind me, and before Hong Qigong arrives, I'll eliminate you all first, so as not to jeopardize my grand plan.

As soon as he finished speaking, a man behind him fired a signal arrow, and the soldiers hidden in the dense forest stepped out in formation, all of them Song soldiers.

Wu Chengyu was furious. Duan Tiande was one thing, but this man had long since defected to the Jin people. Now, there was even a whole unit of Song soldiers in Song territory, completely siding with the Jin people and openly under their command, eliminating dissidents within Song territory.

The Song Dynasty has been thoroughly infiltrated, like a sieve, yet the high-ranking officials in the court are completely unaware. How could such a court not perish?

Feeling they had the upper hand, the Jurchens issued an ultimatum: "It's not too late to surrender now. If I give the order, you will all be dead."

Wu Chengyu turned to Song Mu and said, "Back then, I had a requirement for you. I dare not say that you could fight against a hundred men on the battlefield, but fighting against ten men was the minimum requirement. Now, with three thousand enemy soldiers in front of you, are you confident?"

Song Mu replied loudly, "I regard them as mere clay chickens and earthenware dogs."

Wu Chengyu was very satisfied and turned to look at the Jin man: "Since you have been a spy in the Song Dynasty for many years, have you ever heard of the Beiwei Army?"

(End of this chapter)