Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 155 Competitive Spirit (Part 1)

Pei Xuan and Pei Feng were both beside Pei Qinghe, muttering to themselves.

"In this competition, Sun Chengyi's battalion had a great advantage. He sent out veteran soldiers who were skilled in archery on horseback. Almost every one of them hit seven or eight arrows."

"That's right. Only Sister Yan and Second Sister-in-law's battalions can compete with him. Commander Feng's battalion is definitely going to lose."

"Look at him, Feng Chang's face has turned black with anger."

Pei Qinghe smiled and rolled her eyes at her: "Speak less and watch carefully."

Pei Xuan and Pei Feng obediently shut up, but couldn't hold back for a moment, and whispered again: "Pei Feng, which three camps do you think will be in the top three this time?"

"It's hard to say. No matter how high the score is in the first three matches, as long as we win the last match, we might be able to turn the tide."

The first three matches are point-by-point accumulations. The final battle, a contest of military formations, awards twenty points to the winner. As long as the point difference doesn't reach twenty, a comeback is entirely possible.

Therefore, the real highlight is in the last game.

The leaders of the various camps, who had waited for ages to finally have a chance to compete, were all eager to see what they could do. Some were silently praying that they wouldn't encounter the fierce Pei Yan, the resilient and composed Mao Hongling, or the shrewd and cunning Feng Chang...

Pei Qinghe shook the divination tube and randomly selected ten leaders to draw lots. There were twenty lots in the tube; whichever lot they drew would determine their opponent in the next battle.

"How did I get to draw Second Sister-in-law!" Pei Yan was also somewhat reluctant to face this opponent. Being drawn into Mao Hongling's battalion, Pei Yan was immediately overwhelmed and wailed repeatedly, "It's over! I'm going to lose!"

Mao Hongling smiled, pursing her lips.

Pei Qinghe found it somewhat amusing and reached out to tap Pei Yan: "You're already spouting nonsense before the competition even starts. Go and get ready."

Pei Yan didn't just say it; he immediately went back, gathered the seventy men together, and quietly laid out tactics.

Pei Yan's battalion was entirely composed of female soldiers, mostly direct descendants of the Pei family. Mao Hongling was the same. These two battalions were widely recognized as the strongest in terms of combat power.

Unexpectedly, these two battalions clashed right from the start. When two tigers meet, who will emerge victorious?

Feng Chang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that his two most feared battalions were facing off meant he had avoided his two strongest opponents. As for the rest, he had nothing to fear, no matter who he drew.

Feng Chang strode forward confidently and drew a divination stick from the container.

Pei Qinghe glanced at it and a smile appeared on her lips: "Your opponent is Sun Cheng."

Feng Chang: "..."

Sun Cheng: "..."

What a coincidence?

Feng Chang and Sun Cheng exchanged a glance, their eyes sparking with barely contained anger.

Pei Qinghe understood and said gently, "Go and make your own arrangements for the second round of the competition."

The two men bowed and accepted the order, returning to their respective camps as quickly as possible.

"Boss Feng, your luck is just too bad." Wang Erhe was always gossipy, always stabbing people in the back: "Everyone saw how good Sun Cheng's battalion was during the archery competition. Their formation practice must be pretty good too. Of all the lots you could have drawn, why did you have to pick them?"

Feng Chang raised an eyebrow: "Just what I wanted. What, are you afraid of them?"

The tactic of provocation is old-fashioned, yet very effective. Wang Erhe immediately puffed out his chest, patting it to show that he was not afraid in the slightest.

Sun Cheng gathered everyone together and carefully gave instructions. The new recruits hadn't been training for long, and some looked bewildered. Sun Cheng ignored them, repeatedly emphasizing that everyone must follow their captain. The formation must never be broken, no matter what. The captains were all veterans under Sun Cheng's command. They had followed him for many years, experienced life-or-death battles, and had a strong rapport with each other.

Pei Qinghe personally beat the drum, and amidst the intense drumbeats, the first battle of troop formations began.

Pei Yan led the charge, forming a cone shape. Mao Hongling's side fought steadily, responding with a straight line formation.

In the first round of the charge, some were scattered. Anyone who fell had to leave the field immediately to avoid being accidentally injured. Those with wooden swords or spears coated with quicklime, or with white lime on their vital points, were also considered "dead" and had to leave the field immediately.

After several rounds, the two battalions began a fierce melee.

Sun Cheng's mind flashed back to the scene three years ago when Pei Qinghe led the women of the Pei family in a battle against bandits. At that time, it was the first time the women of the Pei family had ever fought with knives; some couldn't even hold a knife steady, some were timid, and some were terrified. Over the past three years, the women of the Pei family have all developed excellent skills and are quite fierce in battle.

Sun Cheng pondered silently for a moment: if he were leading his men and encountered Pei Yan or Mao Hongling at this moment, could he win?

It seems the initial goal was too high. I need to adjust it slightly; as long as the overall score stays in the top five, that would be good enough.

Pei Yan ultimately lost to Mao Hongling in a single move.

In a martial arts contest, if one side's leader is defeated, the other side automatically wins.

Pei Yan reluctantly conceded defeat: "I lost. Second sister-in-law won this contest."

Mao Hongling smiled and cupped her hands in greeting: "Thank you for your kind offer."

Pei Qinghe beat the drum again, and the two battalions in the second competition quickly took to the field with their wooden swords and spears.

Feng Chang had specifically arranged for the most skilled fighters to charge ahead. He had practiced martial arts for three years and was quite skilled. However, in the Pei family army, where masters were plentiful, he was hardly considered top-tier. His strengths, after all, did not lie in martial arts.

In military formations, there's a rule that "victory is achieved by beheading the enemy's leader." Therefore, Feng Chang didn't want to confront Sun Cheng right from the start.

Unfortunately, once on the field, in close combat, Sun Cheng went straight for him. Feng Chang was prepared and dodged from a distance. Sun Cheng immediately turned and attacked again.

You can't evade once, you can't evade twice. Once morale collapses, defeat is just around the corner.

Feng Chang called over several experts who rushed forward and surrounded Sun Cheng.

“Feng Chang has been defeated,” Pei Qinghe suddenly said.

Shi Yan, who didn't understand warfare, was completely bewildered: "Sun Cheng was surrounded by Feng Chang's men. How could he lose when six or seven were fighting one?"

Pei Qinghe patiently explained: "Sun Cheng used his own strength to hold back the experts in Feng Chang's battalion, allowing his men to take the opportunity to wipe out the enemy camp."

“Sun Cheng is a true master; even Pei Yan and his second sister-in-law might not be his match. Feng Chang led several men to attack him, but Sun Cheng handled it with ease.”

With Pei Qinghe's guidance, the fog in Shi Yan's eyes suddenly cleared.

That's right, Feng Chang has already fallen into Sun Cheng's trap.

Just as Feng Chang thought he had Sun Cheng completely surrounded, Sun Cheng's men had already cleared out the enemy camp. The remaining men then surrounded them.

Feng Chang not only lost, but he lost badly. In the end, his entire side was wiped out. Sun Cheng's side was left with only eight men.

Sun Cheng politely bowed to Feng Chang, who was covered in quicklime, saying, "Thank you for your kind gesture!"

Feng Chang swallowed his resentment and frustration, and conceded defeat with his hands clasped: "I lost. I hope to meet you again in the martial arts competition next month, and our two battalions can have another match."

(End of this chapter)