Primordial Era: I rule the great sect and command all immortals.

Chapter 90 Chong Houhu suffers a crushing defeat; disciples of the Jie Sect rush to his aid.

Su Hu returned to the inn and discussed the situation with his retainers, saying, "If I don't send the girl, the tyrannical emperor will surely raise an army to punish me, and the people will suffer from the ensuing war. If I do send the girl, the tyrannical emperor will become immoral in the future, and the world will laugh at my foolishness. What are your plans?"

Upon hearing this, the generals said in unison, "We have heard that 'if the ruler is not righteous, the ministers will flee to foreign lands.' Now, King Zhou values ​​women over the virtuous and is in a state of confusion. It would be better for us to rebel and leave Chaoge, and defend our own country. This way, we can protect our dynasty and our families."

At this moment, Su Hu was in a fit of anger. Hearing his servant say this was exactly what he wanted to hear, so he immediately said, "Bring me my writing materials. I will inscribe a poem on the wall of the Meridian Gate today to show that I will never pay tribute to the Shang."

When a ruler corrupts the relationship between ministers, the five constant virtues are lost.

The Protector of Ji Province will never again submit to the Shang Dynasty!

Su Hu wrote a poem, then led his family retainers straight out of Chaoge and headed towards Jizhou.

The next day, King Zhou held court. A minister reported that Su Hu had rebelled, and presented the sixteen characters on his desk. After reading them, King Zhou was furious and cursed, "That old traitor is hateful! If I don't kill this villain, the world will not be at peace! Issue an edict ordering Lu Xiong to reorganize the six armies. I will personally lead the army to conquer Ji Province and exterminate Su Hu's entire clan to appease my hatred!"

A close attendant was sent to the Chaoge camp to deliver the imperial edict.

Before long, Lu Xiong and other generals entered the palace to receive the imperial decree. Upon hearing that King Zhou was going to personally lead an expedition against Ji Province, they were greatly alarmed, thinking to themselves, "Su Hu is a loyal and virtuous man, how could he be plotting rebellion?"

"Why should Your Majesty personally lead an expedition against a mere Ji Province! Today, all eight hundred lords of the realm are in Chaoge. Simply selecting one or two towns from among them to raise an army and attack Su Hu would be sufficient to demonstrate Your Majesty's divine might!"

Lu Xiong did not want the emperor to personally lead the expedition, so he suggested that the other feudal lords send troops. This was exactly what King Zhou wanted to do, as he wanted to test whether the various feudal lords were of one mind with him.

King Zhou, seizing the opportunity, asked, "General, who can represent me in the campaign against Su Hu?"

"this"

While Lu Xiong was pondering, someone else had already given the answer that King Zhou wanted.

"Marquis Chong Houhu of the North commands two hundred vassal states, one of which is Ji Province; Marquis Ji Chang of the West is known throughout the land for his benevolence and righteousness, and his territory borders Ji Province. We can order these two marquises to lead troops to conquer Ji Province." Fei Zhong stepped forward, bowed, and slowly explained.

"Fei Zhong truly understands my heart's desire to cause these feudal lords to wage war against each other and exhaust each other's resources."

At that moment, King Zhou smiled and nodded in agreement.

For the past two years, Ji Chang, the Marquis of Xibo, had been staying at the Chaoge post station. Seeing King Zhou's moral failings, he was extremely pleased. Now, upon hearing that Su Hu had rebelled in Chaoge and that King Zhou had ordered him and Chong Houhu to lead an expedition against him, he seized the opportunity to return to Xiqi. This double benefit had fallen into his lap, making the ambitious marquis extremely excited.

"If we can persuade Su Hu to offer his daughter to King Zhou, then King Zhou will surely become obsessed with women and neglect state affairs."

After Xibo Hou Ji Chang understood this, he met with Chong Hou Hu at the post station to discuss King Zhou's order for the two of them to lead troops. Xibo Hou Ji Chang used the excuse that the journey was too long and he could not delay the king's order, so Chong Hou Hu went to war first.

"Sigh! That's all we can do!"

Although Marquis Chonghou Hu of the North was unwilling to send troops, he could not disobey the king's order, so he had no choice but to accept the edict, muster his personal guards, and return to his territory to prepare for the expedition.

The two powerful lords from the west and north then returned to their respective territories.

The calamity had already permeated the mortal realm, and the time for the investiture of gods had arrived.

One day, at the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable summoned Jiang Ziya, ordering him to descend the mountain, enjoy worldly riches, and to confer divine titles upon the gods.

Although Jiang Ziya has been carefully cultivated by Yuanshi Tianzun over the years, he is like rotten wood that cannot be carved and has never been able to achieve the realm of immortals. There is no one weaker than Jiang Ziya on the entire Kunlun Mountain.

Although Jiang Ziya knew that he was not talented enough, he still wanted to try. After all, the Jade Void Palace was a sacred place of immortals, far superior to the mortal world. Even if he failed to achieve immortality, he was unwilling to go down there.

However, he could not disobey his teacher's orders, so he reluctantly bid farewell to his teacher and descended Kunlun Mountain alone.

Jiang Ziya's descent from the mountain also signifies that the curtain has been fully raised on the Investiture of the Gods.

Leaving aside how Jiang Ziya, this half-baked cultivator, slowly returned to Chaoge.

Three months later, Chonghou Hu and Xibo Hou Ji Chang returned to their respective territories. Unlike Ji Chang, Chonghou Hu immediately mustered his troops and led an army of 50,000 men, traveling day and night towards Jizhou.

They traveled across prefectures and counties, and in less than half a month, they arrived outside Jizhou City, set up camp, and prepared to attack Jizhou the next day.

When Marquis Su Hu of Ji Province heard from his scouts that the commander of the army was Marquis Chong Houhu of the North, he was furious and said, "If it were another vassal lord, we could discuss it; but this man is cruel and tyrannical. If we don't defeat him, the people of Ji Province will surely suffer at his hands!"

After saying this, he summoned his generals and prepared to muster his troops to kill Chong Houhu before he could even establish a firm foothold!

Just as Chong Houhu's army set up camp, they heard that Su Hu was mustering troops to leave the city. Without thinking twice, they gathered their army and lined up to meet the enemy.

After Marquis Su Hu of Jizhou mustered his troops and left the city, he saw that soon after, Chong Houhu's camp was also preparing for battle. Su Hu saw that Chong Houhu was wearing a phoenix helmet, a golden chainmail, a crimson robe, a jade belt around his waist, and riding a purple steed with a large sword on the saddle.

"The emperor is wicked, he values ​​beauty over virtue, and he does not care about the foundation of the state; he listens to slanderous words and forcibly takes the daughter of his minister as a concubine. Such a licentious and shameless person, would you, my worthy lord, punish me for him?"

Marquis Su Hu of Jizhou rode up to the front of the two armies and shouted a stern rebuke.

"You have defied the Emperor by writing a seditious poem at the Meridian Gate, making you a traitorous minister whose crimes are unforgivable. I am acting on imperial orders to arrest you. If you kneel and surrender, the people of Jizhou will be safe; otherwise, the day the city falls will be the day of their massacre!"

Surrounded by his troops, Chong Houhu, enraged that Su Hu was still trying to argue, turned to his men and demanded, "Who will capture this traitor for me?"

The words had barely left his mouth when a general on the left slapped his horse and roared, "I will capture this traitor and bring great honor to Your Excellency!"

"Tap tap tap!"

In a short while, this man spurred his horse and galloped towards Su Hu, the Marquis of Ji Province. He was none other than Yu Mao, a fierce general under the command of Marquis Chong.

"You nameless scoundrel! How dare you harm my father! *Slap!*"

This did not mean that Mao attacked Su Hu. Su Quanzhong, the eldest son of the Marquis of Jizhou, rode up and charged. With a clang, the weapons in the two men clashed and they fought on horseback.

Su Hu's son, Su Quanzhong, was a born warrior with unparalleled martial arts skills.

The two horses clashed, and in just over ten rounds, Yu Mao was killed by Su Quanzhong with a single halberd thrust.

"Hahaha! My son is indeed brave and valiant!"

Su Hu pulled on the reins and rode his warhorse back to the front of the army. He saw his son's victory and was overjoyed.

"Beat the drums to boost morale! Zhao Bing and Chen Jizhen, each of you command ten thousand cavalry to flank and rout the bandit leader Chong Houhu's army!"

Seeing that their general had won a battle, the morale of the soldiers soared, so they ordered the drums to be beaten.

"Your subordinate obeys!"

At a shout, Zhao Bing and Chen Jizhen, the generals of Jizhou, led their respective armies and charged out to the left and right.

Immediately, shouts of battle erupted from both sides, like muffled thunder. Seeing the attacks coming from the left and right, Su Hu brandished his spear and shouted, "All soldiers, join me in capturing and killing Chong Houhu!"

In an instant, the entire battlefield shook violently, with shouts of battle rising and falling. The two armies clashed, resulting in a bloody and brutal fight, with corpses strewn across the battlefield.

Su Hu's army, having rested and exhausted themselves, and having already won a battle, was in high spirits. They launched a fierce attack, and Chong Houhu, unable to maintain his footing, led his many generals in a retreating retreat, fighting as they went, until they were more than ten miles away.

When Su Hu withdrew his troops, Chong Houhu took stock of the losses and was immediately filled with despair. Of the 50,000 troops, less than half had been able to regroup. The rest were either dead, captured, or had scattered and fled, their whereabouts unknown.

On the other side, in Jizhou, everyone was overjoyed. After Su Hu returned to the city, he rewarded his troops.

"Father, that Chong Houhu is utterly useless, a good-for-nothing. It's truly hateful that such a piece of trash has been able to oppress you all these years! Tomorrow, I will go into battle, capture Chong Houhu, and hand him over to you for punishment!"

With their side having achieved a great victory and Su Quanzhong having made the greatest contribution, their morale was high. They couldn't wait to leave the city, completely crush Chong Houhu's army, bring him back bound, and let the whole world see Su Quanzhong's might.

"My son, do not be careless! Chong Houhu has not yet established a firm foothold. He was just defeated by our army. Once he has a firm foothold, he will not be so easy to deal with."

Stroking his beard and smiling, Su Hu looked approvingly at his brave son, but warned him not to be arrogant or careless.

A deputy general, Zhao Bing, stepped forward and said, "My lord, although Jizhou has won a battle today, it is still a small place. If King Zhou sends several more vassal states to attack, we will find it very difficult to resist! The best course of action now is to take advantage of Chong Houhu's recent defeat and low morale, and sneak into his camp at midnight to capture him first. This will let Chaoge know the strength of Jizhou. Then we can find an opportunity to plead with Chaoge and submit a petition to continue our submission to Chaoge. Only then can we repay the people of Jizhou."

"That's very true, exactly what I was thinking."

On that day, Su Hu was in a fit of anger and wrote a rebellious poem. Afterwards, he regretted it deeply. He was already inferior in strength, but he still angered the foolish King Zhou, which ultimately brought such trouble upon himself and Ji Province.

After thinking it over, Su Hu turned to his son and said, "Quan Zhong, you will lead three thousand men to ambush ten miles west of the gate. Ji Zhen will command the left army, Zhao Bing will command the right army, and I will personally command the central army. At midnight, we will roll up the banners, silence the drums, have men gag themselves, remove the reins from the horses, and use the drums as a signal to launch a surprise attack on Chong Houhu's camp."

"Yes, sir! I obey!"

The commander-in-chief gave the order, and all the generals, including Su Quanzhong, stood up to receive the order and went down to organize their troops, preparing to quietly leave the city.

Meanwhile, after suffering a crushing defeat in his first battle, Chong Houhu, feeling dejected, held a banquet in his central command tent, where he and his generals drank to drown their sorrows.

At midnight, Su Hu immediately ordered the drums to be beaten.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Hundreds of large drums resounded simultaneously in the silent night.

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

Su Quanzhong led three thousand iron cavalry, shouting in unison, and charged into the camp.

The two armies on the left and right, led by Ji Zhen and Zhao Bing, charged out. Seeing the three armies moving at the same time, Su Hu waved his hand and personally led the main force to charge in.

"It's terrible! My lord! The Jizhou army has launched a surprise attack!"

Chong Houhu had drunk too much and was fast asleep when he suddenly felt the earth shaking and heard shouts like thunder. He had already sat up.

Upon hearing the message from his personal guards, he panicked and, without even having time to put on his armor, mounted his warhorse and, under the protection of his guards, broke through the encirclement.

Chong Houhu's generals were all drunk, and for a time, the soldiers in the army were without command. How could they possibly resist the army of Ji Province?

The three armies of Jizhou fought bravely, shouting battle cries as they broke through the seven layers of encirclement and knocked down tigers and wolves from all sides.

Su Hu, along with his generals, charged straight into the camp, shouting, "Capture Chong Houhu alive!"

"Alas! How hateful! Drinking leads to trouble!"

Chong Houhu looked back and saw Su Hu and a group of generals from Ji Province charging towards him one by one amidst torches.

"Father, escaping is the most important thing!"

Seeing this perilous situation, his eldest son, Chong Yingbiao, disregarded everything else and quickly led his father in a desperate charge, like stray dogs or fish that had escaped the net.

Chong Houhu led his defeated army of two or three thousand men, retreating twenty miles. Just as he was feeling frustrated, he heard a loud shout: "Chong Houhu, why don't you dismount? What are you waiting for!"

Upon hearing this, Chong Houhu was greatly alarmed. Looking around, he saw that Su Quanzhong had led a group of soldiers in pursuit.

"Lord Chong! Go first! This subordinate will hold this man off!"

Two generals from Chong Houhu's forces charged out, each leading a small number of remaining soldiers to intercept them. When Su Quanzhong saw the two generals approaching, he spurred his horse, grabbed his weapon, and charged forward. He fought the two generals alone without fear. After only a few exchanges, Su Quanzhong let out a loud shout and killed both generals on the battlefield.

Chong Houhu and his son were greatly surprised, never expecting Su Quanzhong to be so fierce and brave. They spurred their horses, jumped out of the encirclement, and headed away.

Su Quanzhong originally intended to give chase and capture Chong Houhu and his son, but the two had broken away from the main army. In addition, it was dark and difficult to discern directions. After chasing for a while, he could not find the father and son. He had no choice but to slap his thigh and angrily withdraw his troops back to the city.

In one day, after suffering two defeats, by dawn, Chong Houhu had finally managed to gather some of his remaining troops. Of his 50,000-strong army, only two or three thousand remained, and he had lost several generals. The surviving soldiers were all wounded.

"Oh dear! What should we do!"

When Chong Houhu saw the miserable state of his troops, he was heartbroken. Only after being comforted by his eldest son, Chong Yingbiao, did he feel at ease and send men back to his territory to continue mobilizing troops.

Thus, Chong Houhu retreated fifty li, and there was no further fighting between the two sides.

Half a month later, the reinforcements that Chong Houhu had been waiting for finally arrived.

After his personal guards reported this, Chong Houhu walked out of the main tent and came to the camp gate. He saw two flags unfurled and a general with a dark face, wearing chainmail, a bright red robe, and a white jade belt. He was riding a tall horse and wielding two golden axes. The man was none other than his younger brother, Marquis of Caozhou, Chong Heihu.

Chong Heihu led his army into the camp, dismounted, and came before his elder brother, saying, "I heard that you were defeated, so I led my troops to help you."

Chong Houhu laughed loudly, "With my brothers' help, this matter is settled!"

"Thank you for coming to help, Uncle. With you here, what do we have to fear from the troops of Ji Province?"

Chong Yingbiao also stepped forward to greet him, and his worries were finally relieved.

Chong Heihu had been a disciple of a Jie Sect immortal since childhood. His master secretly gave him a gourd that he carried on his back and which possessed great supernatural powers.

It was precisely because Chong Heihu possessed extraordinary abilities that Chong Houhu and his son felt at ease and confident of victory.

(End of this chapter)