You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

"Wandering the Heavens as a Tyrant: You Don't Understand My Joy," a masterpiece by a man whose mental illness has slightly improved. Click to read now!

The Jin army's defeat was like an avalanche, and it was unstoppable.

The Jin general whose arm was pierced by a harpoon escaped in a sorry state onto a fast boat under the desperate protection of his personal guards, and hurriedly crossed the sea to the north.

.....

Half an hour later, in Wanyan Zongbi's tent.

The Jin general collapsed to the ground as soon as he stepped into the tent, ignoring the blood streaming down his arm, and reported in a trembling voice, "Marshal!"

"This humble general is incompetent!"

"Upstream...the upstream offensive has been thwarted!"

"A strange force of fishermen suddenly appeared from nowhere in the Song army. They were fierce in battle and used cunning tactics, attacking our rear and flanks!"

"Our army...our army suffered a crushing defeat!"

Wanyan Zongbi sat upright in his commander's seat, listening expressionlessly, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.

After the general finished speaking, the tent fell into a deathly silence.

Fishermen?

A surprise attack?

He narrowed his eyes slightly. Han Shizhong, you really are amazing!

How could an army suddenly appear out of thin air in this Jianghuai region?

Yes, you must have secretly contacted the unruly people along the river, using the pretext of protecting their homes and land to drive them forward!

Although he was shocked and angry, he felt more of a reassessment of his opponent and a cold, shrewd feeling of having met his match.

However, if you think that you can stop my Great Jin cavalry with this rabble, you are underestimating me, Wanyan Zongbi!

"How many men and horses were lost?" His voice was unreadable.

"The rout... the rout and casualties are likely in the thousands..." The defeated general lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

"Several thousand..." Wanyan Zongbi repeated softly, then snorted coldly, "Hmph."

(Please remember the website ①⓪①ⓚⓚⓢ.ⓒⓞⓜ for the fastest chapter updates)

"Han Shizhong certainly has some clever methods."

"How long can these fishermen and local militia hold me off?"

He suddenly stood up, walked to the map, and stared sharply at Laoguanzui upstream.

Don't you, Han Shizhong, have a secret weapon?

I will use absolute power to crush you and your surprise attack in the direction you appear!

"Pass on the order!" His voice turned stern: "He Shilie Zhining!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"I order you to immediately muster 20,000 infantry and cavalry, prepare plenty of bows and crossbows, and reinforce the upstream!"

"Frontline and flanks, attack relentlessly, regardless of casualties!"

"Your humble servant obeys!"

......

More than an hour later, upstream at Laoguanzui, the Song army's position.

Liang Hongyu was bandaging a seriously injured fisherman, surrounded by groaning wounded people, and the air was thick with the stench of blood.

Suddenly, a cry of alarm came from the lookout post: "Jin soldiers!"

"The Jin soldiers are coming again!"

Liang Hongyu was startled and looked up!

The river was filled with ships, dust swirled on the north bank, and the enemy army stretched as far as the eye could see.

They arrived so quickly?

Her heart sank as she recalled Han Shizhong's earnest words before the expedition: "Even with the help of the people, the fundamental problem of our army's insufficient strength remains unchanged..."

"We must do our best and fight to the death."

At this moment, she deeply understood the helplessness and determination hidden in her husband's words.

Yes, no matter how brave the villagers are, how can they withstand a fierce and powerful army for long?

"That golden dog has come crawling back to get himself killed again!"

"Kill anyone who can still move!"

With a shout, Liang Hongyu charged forward with her sword towards the latest wave of Jin soldiers surging onto the beach.

Behind her, the remnants of the Song army, fishermen, and martial artists, their eyes bloodshot, let out hoarse yet fanatical battle roars, following closely behind like a raging torrent that had burst its banks, surging back towards the golden tide.

clang!

puff!

The brief silence was instantly replaced by the thud of weapons clashing and flesh being pierced.

Liang Hongyu's swordsmanship was agile and ruthless. She avoided the heavy axe blows from the front, moved to the side to close the distance, and pierced the throat of a Jin soldier with her sword. She then kicked the corpse towards the enemy next to her, creating a momentary opening.

But she was immediately entangled by three Jin soldiers, who surrounded her with flashing swords.

"Protect the lady!"

A martial artist wielding a staff roared and charged forward, sweeping across the area and temporarily forcing the two back. However, he was struck from the side by a spear that pierced his leg, leaving a bloody hole, and he staggered to the ground.

The battle entered its most brutal phase of attrition from the very beginning.

The newly added troops of the Jin army are in high spirits and are better equipped.

The Song soldiers and local militia relied on their fighting spirit and familiarity with the terrain to hold out desperately.

"what!"

A young fisherman was slashed in the shoulder by a Jin soldier's scimitar. He screamed and staggered backward, but was caught by his companion behind him. The companion then swung his harpoon and plunged it into the Jin soldier's face.

Elsewhere, several wounded Song soldiers leaned against the burning wreckage of a ship, using their last strength to throw stones and broken spears.

"Hold on! Push them down!"

Liang Hongyu's hair was disheveled, and sweat and blood mingled, streaming down her face. Her red dress was soaked with blood, making it appear even darker, but she continued to wield her sword, sparks flying with each parry.

She had lost count of how many waves of attacks she had repelled; she only felt her arms growing heavier and heavier, and every breath she took was filled with the taste of blood and a burning pain.

……

At almost the same time, the fighting on the main water fortress downstream was just as fierce.

"Fire! Aiming the artillery at the enemy ladders!"

Han Shizhong stood atop the rudder of the command ship, his armor splattered with blood, his voice hoarse from shouting for so long.

On the river, Jin army ships swarmed in like ants, and countless arrows wove together in the air to form a deadly net.

"Reporting, Commander!"

"The third water gate on the left flank has been breached, and Jin warships are pouring in!"

Han Shizhong: "Order Wang Sheng to lead the jumping squad to immediately block the way!"

"Use fire ships to block the breach!"

"Report!"

"The right-wing arrow tower has been destroyed, and the archers have suffered heavy casualties!"

Han Shizhong: "Move in reserve archers to replace them!"

"Inform Li Heng to advance the warships and use their battering rams to sink the intruding enemy ships!"

He issued orders one after another, trying his best to maintain the crumbling defense line.

He managed to barely manage to fill each crisis by mobilizing his remaining troops, but the pressure was visibly increasing.

The Jin army seemed inexhaustible, launching a fierce attack regardless of casualties, depleting the Song army's last strength and resources.

At this moment of extreme tension, a scout covered in dust and with an injured arm scrambled onto the commander's ship, rushed to Han Shizhong, and cried out:

"General! Urgent report from upstream!"

"Madam...Madam is about to collapse!"

"The Jurchen invaders have greatly increased their forces, and our brothers have suffered heavy casualties!"

"General, could you please send some of your personal guards to our aid?"

Han Shizhong's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. His gaze remained fixed on the horrific scene on the river ahead, where yet another Song warship was set ablaze by rockets and slowly capsized.

He paused for a moment, then said, "Go back and tell her, and all the soldiers upstream."

"No reinforcements."

"Even if we die, we will keep the Jin soldiers pinned to Laoguanzui and not allow them to retreat a single step."

Chapter 233 of this book contains a surprise. Click here to unlock it now.

The scout looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with unbelievable despair.

Han Shizhong did not look at him, but slowly drew his sword, pointing the blade at the most turbulent section of the river where several large Jin ships were trying to break through.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a cold wind sweeping across the deck, reaching the ears of every guard and general around him:

"Personnel guards, send them all up!"

"Target: Confront the enemy flagship."

"Charge with me!"

"General!" the adjutant beside him exclaimed, for the personal guards of the general's ship were the last line of defense.

"Execute military orders!"

Han Shizhong interrupted sharply, his gaze as firm as iron.

He understood the perilous situation upstream better than anyone else, and he also knew better than anyone else that if the troops were divided at this moment, the front line of defense would collapse immediately, and the entire situation would be lost, with no chance of survival for the upstream area.

Only by launching a more devastating attack from the front can we perhaps gain a slim chance to breathe for the upstream region and the entire Jianghuai defense line.

The scout watched Han Shizhong's resolute back, then looked upstream, finally sighed, turned around, and staggered off the commander's ship.

……

At this moment, on Liang Hongyu's side of the battlefield.

Just as Liang Hongyu pierced the throats of two approaching Jin soldiers, a Jin soldier's scimitar slashed open her thigh.

Thump!

She swayed and fell to the ground.

"That woman is no longer capable!"

"Kill her!"

"Cut off her head and claim the reward!"

Not far away, a Jin army captain saw this and his eyes flashed with greed and ferocity. He pointed his blood-stained scimitar directly at Liang Hongyu.

Upon hearing this, the dozen or so Jin soldiers around him howled excitedly like hungry wolves smelling blood, and surrounded him from all directions, brandishing their swords and spears, exuding murderous intent!

"Madam! Hold on!"

Upon seeing this, a martial artist wielding a single sword immediately became enraged and shouted as he desperately slashed down the enemy in front of him, attempting to rush over to his rescue.

But he had only taken two steps when a Jin soldier's spear lashed out from the side like a venomous snake, forcing him to parry with his own sword.

Clang!

A loud bang, sparks flying everywhere.

His arms went numb from the shock, and the rescue route was completely blocked.

Another old fisherman tried to throw his harpoon to break the siege, but he was entangled by two Jin soldiers. Before he could even throw the harpoon, he was slashed in the arm and was covered in blood. He could only barely defend himself.

Other Song soldiers and militia who wanted to join them were also held back by Jin soldiers who outnumbered them several times over, making every step they took fraught with blood and extremely difficult.

Liang Hongyu gritted her teeth and swung her sword to parry the slash aimed at her face, her arm almost losing sensation from the impact.

She tried to stand up using her right leg, but the excruciating pain in her left leg made her vision go black, and she collapsed to the ground again, powerless.

ended……

I never imagined that I, Liang Hongyu, would perish here today…

Farewell, Shizhong...

As she watched the approaching, deathly blade, she slowly closed her eyes, gripped the hilt of the sword tightly in her right hand, and held it across her neck.

At this critical moment!

call out!call out!call out!

Several extremely sharp whistling sounds, like the whispers of death, suddenly rang out! The sounds came from the reeds behind them!

puff!

what--!

The outermost few of the Jin soldiers who were besieging Liang Hongyu fell to the ground!

A bodhi seed was embedded in the back of a man's head, and he died without even uttering a sound.

A man collapsed to the ground, clutching his throat with both hands and letting out a hissing sound as a small swallowtail dart pierced his throat.

Another person's knee was shattered by a caltrop, and he screamed as he knelt on the ground.

This sudden attack caused the remaining Jin soldiers to pause in their movements and turn around in shock.

In the instant they were stunned, more than a dozen figures shot out from the reeds like ghosts, their speed so fast that they left only afterimages!

These people were dressed in various ways, some in short, tight-fitting clothes, some in night-clothes, and some in Taoist robes.

But each of them had bulging temples, piercing eyes, and moved silently, yet they carried an incomparably fierce killing intent!

The leader was tall and thin with a stern face, holding a pair of judge's pens.

With a swift movement, he plunged into the ranks of Jin soldiers, his brushstrokes flowing like dragons and snakes, his moves cunning and ruthless, targeting vital acupoints throughout the body.

With two sharp sounds, the two Jin soldiers' acupoints at the center of their chests were struck, and they died on the spot!

Beside him stood a burly man wielding a thick-backed, thin-bladed ghost-head saber. His swordsmanship was wide and powerful, and he roared, "Golden Dog, prepare to die!"

With a flash of light, a Jin soldier who was blocking with his shield was cleaved in two, his blood and internal organs splattering everywhere!

There was also a man with agile movements like a monkey, wearing a pair of fine steel brass knuckles on his hands. He was skilled in close-quarters combat, and his moves were vicious, specializing in tearing throats, gouging eyes, and crushing throats. Wherever he went, Jin soldiers were either killed or maimed, and screams of agony filled the air.

These dozen or so people were like tigers among sheep, their attacks ruthless and decisive, their teamwork impeccable; they were clearly all highly skilled martial arts masters.

Dealing with these ordinary Jin soldiers was an absolute crushing massacre!

In the blink of an eye, the dozen or so fierce-looking Jin soldiers had all turned into corpses lying on the ground, each dying in a different way, all killed with a single blow!

The cold-faced man wielding the judge's pen lightly touched the ground with his toes and gracefully landed beside Liang Hongyu. His gaze swept over the injury on her leg, and with lightning speed, he pressed several acupoints on her side to stop the bleeding.

He then raised his eyes to look at the fallen Jin soldiers: "Ha, so these are the Jin soldiers who were said to be 'invincible with ten thousand'?"

"After looking at them all, Liu realized they were nothing more than worthless scoundrels."

Upon hearing this, the burly man wielding the ghost-head saber shook off the blood from his blade and laughed loudly, "Brother Liu, what are you saying!"

"How many people in the world possess martial arts skills like yours, Liu Feng?"

"These ordinary soldiers are naturally like weeds in your eyes."

"But killing them was quite exhilarating!"

The skinny man wielding the brass knuckles added sinisterly, "Heh heh, the Golden Dogs are powerful because of their numbers. When it comes to one-on-one combat or small-group fighting, they're not even worthy of carrying our shoes!"

Liang Hongyu stared blankly at this group of strangers who had suddenly appeared, whose martial arts skills were unbelievably high and whose words were arrogant and overbearing. She was deeply shocked.

These people...

He is definitely not a soldier; judging from his skills and demeanor, he is clearly a top-notch martial arts master!

Who are they?

Why did they come to save me?

She endured the pain and dizziness, using her sword to support herself on the ground, her voice trembling slightly from blood loss and shock: "Who are you all...?"

Liu Feng put away his judge's pen, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, his voice clear and powerful:

"My name is Liu Feng, and I am the leader of the Hengyang Sect."

"We are all martial arts practitioners who have come to the aid of Jianghuai on His Majesty's orders."

By order of His Majesty?

Liang Hongyu was slightly taken aback. How could His Majesty, who lived deep within the nine-layered palace, command these powerful figures from all over the world?

She and Han Shizhong, situated between the court and the common people, were all too aware of how clearly distinct and even subtly opposed the imperial court and the martial arts world were.

Those martial arts practitioners who roam freely have always regarded the government as a hindrance and the imperial power as nothing, and they often boast of their defiance of the emperor's rule.

Let alone ordinary officials, even for high-ranking officials like her and her husband, who were border generals, to get these江湖 figures to genuinely help them, they needed to be bound by loyalty and righteousness, and to be motivated by the national crisis, and often it was much more difficult than they could achieve.

But now, the leader of the Hengyang Sect is so straightforward in saying that he is acting on His Majesty's orders.

Having a reading slump? Check out our recommendations for novels set in the Infinite Realms!