Yang Guo: I'm invincible in the opening battle against Aunt Guo!

Yang Guo nodded and then carefully examined the layout of the military camp.

The central command tent was in the very center, and the royal flag was right in front of it.

The left and right sides are side tents, with provisions on the east and stables on the west.

The patrol team passes by every 15 minutes, and the changing of the guard takes place around 1-3 AM.

"Senior," he whispered, "make your move during the shift change. That's when the guards are most lax."

The old man nodded repeatedly, "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you!"

The two lay hidden behind the mound, waiting quietly.

At three-quarters past midnight, the bugle call for the changing of the guard sounded.

Yang Guo and the Old Urchin exchanged a glance and stood up at the same time.

They emerged from behind the mound.

Two dark figures glided along the ground like ghosts, silently approaching the fence surrounding the camp.

Yang Guo used the "Snake-like Leap" technique from the Nine Yin Manual, making him seem boneless as he squeezed through the gap at the bottom of the fence.

The old rascal leaped over the fence as lightly as a falling leaf, without making a sound.

The two met in the shadows.

"Let's split up," Yang Guo said in a low voice. "I'll steal the flag, and you, senior, will set it on fire. After you've succeeded, we'll meet up at the haystack east of the central command tent."

The old man nodded, his eyes gleaming in the darkness, as excited as a child about to play a prank.

"Watch out for that old monk." He patted Yang Guo on the shoulder. "If you can't beat him, run away. Don't try to fight him head-on."

Yang Guo nodded, and the two of them vanished into the night in a flash.

Yang Guo followed the route he had taken last time, silently making his way towards the central army.

He had been here once before and knew the layout and patrol patterns inside and out.

Having evaded three patrolling cavalry squads and bypassed two hidden sentries, he reached the vicinity of the central command tent in less than a quarter of an hour.

Thirty feet away, the deep blue royal flag fluttered in the night wind.

Eight guards stood at the foot of the flagpole, each one sharp and capable, their eyes fixed straight ahead.

The number of guards has doubled compared to last time.

The Golden Wheel Monk has learned his lesson.

Yang Guo lay hidden in the shadows, observing quietly.

The eight guards were positioned evenly and coordinated with each other, so that anyone approaching from any direction would be detected by at least two of them.

A direct assault won't work; we must outsmart them.

After a moment's thought, he took out a few copper coins from his pocket.

With a flick of his wrist, a copper coin shot out and hit a tent thirty feet away.

"Snapped!"

The guards all turned to look in that direction.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yang Guo darted out, his figure as swift as smoke, instantly covering a distance of twenty zhang and lying in another shadow.

The guards, finding nothing amiss, turned back.

Yang Guo threw out another coin, this time in the opposite direction.

The guards turned their heads again.

Yang Guo advanced another ten zhang.

After doing this three times, he had reached within five zhang of the flagpole.

The final blow.

He took out three copper coins from his pocket and threw them out at the same time, each shooting in a different direction.

"Clap clap clap!"

The three crisp sounds rang out almost simultaneously.

The guards were immediately thrown into chaos. Some went east, some went west, and some went north. The eight men split into three groups and went to check the situation.

Only two people remained at the foot of the flagpole.

Yang Guo made a move.

He emerged from the shadows like a ghost, striking out with both palms, delivering two precise hand chops to the sides of their necks.

Before they could even utter a sound, they collapsed to the ground.

Yang Guo looked up at the flagpole.

The wooden pole, three zhang high and smooth, offered no leverage.

But for him, this was not a problem.

He took a deep breath, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his body soared into the sky.

When you reach a height of ten feet, gently step on the flagpole with your left foot to gain momentum and rise another ten feet.

After doing this twice, the person had jumped to the top of the flagpole.

With a flash of cold light, the dagger in his hand snapped the leather rope binding the flag.

He caught the falling royal flag with one hand.

He rolled up the royal flag and carried it on his back, about to jump down, when suddenly an idea struck him.

He took out a white silk handkerchief from his bosom.

This silk handkerchief belonged to Guo Fu; she picked it up casually before leaving the house.

It was tied to the top of the flagpole, replacing the royal flag.

After doing all this, he gracefully landed.

Meanwhile, on the east side of the camp.

The old rascal crouched low, moving with the ease of a fish in water among the tents.

He found the grain and fodder storage area and saw dozens of tents piled up like mountains, all filled with military rations and hay.

Several guards were dozing nearby, snoring loudly.

The old man's eyes lit up. He took out a tinderbox from his pocket and then took out several small porcelain bottles—containing the kerosene he had bought in Xiangyang City.

He crept up to the grain pile, sprinkled kerosene on several key spots, then lit a tinderbox and tossed it into the kerosene.

"boom!"

The flames shot up instantly and, carried by the night wind, spread rapidly.

The old man grinned from ear to ear, then took out a few more firecrackers, lit them, and threw them towards a tent further away.

"Crackling and popping—!"

The firecrackers exploded, sparks flew, and ignited more tents.

"Hahaha!" The old man couldn't help but laugh out loud. "So fun, so fun!"

That smile gave away his whereabouts.

"There's an assassin!"

"Fire on the east side!"

"Quickly, put out the fire!"

The entire camp was thrown into chaos.

In a short while, Mongol soldiers surged in from all directions, some carrying buckets of water to put out the fire, and others carrying weapons to chase after the old man.

Upon seeing this, the old rascal not only didn't run away, but became even more excited.

He darted around, throwing firecrackers as he ran, setting more tents ablaze.

Flames shot into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and the entire eastern camp was instantly engulfed in flames.

……

Central command tent.

The Golden Wheel Dharma King was awakened by the commotion outside and put on his robes to leave his tent.

He looked up and saw the flames shooting into the sky to the east.

"What's going on!" he demanded sharply.

"Grand Preceptor! Grand Preceptor!" A soldier stumbled in, "The grain rations on the east side are on fire! Someone set them on fire!"

The Golden Wheel Dharma King's face turned ashen. Just as he was about to give the order, he suddenly remembered something and abruptly turned his head to look at the flagpole in front of the tent.

The dark blue royal flag on the flagpole was gone.

Instead, a white silk handkerchief was placed.

Exactly the same as last time.

"Zhou Botong—!" The Golden Wheel Monk roared to the sky, his voice shaking the surrounding area.

Ever since Yang Guo rescued Guo Fu that day, he has kept a close watch on this place.

Surprisingly, several days passed, and the old rascal still didn't come to steal the flag.

He let his guard down that night, and to his surprise, they arrived.

Just then, a dark figure swept in from the direction of the flagpole.

The Golden Wheel Monk's eyes were like lightning; he spotted the man in an instant.

"Yang Guo!" He recognized the boy who had broken into the camp at night to rescue Guo Fu.

Yang Guo also saw him.

Their eyes met, and in the firelight, a murderous glint flashed in both of their eyes.

The Golden Wheel Monk suddenly rose up, unleashing both palms simultaneously. He fully activated the eighth level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, and the palm wind pressed down on Yang Guo like a mountain!

Yang Guo did not take the hit head-on.

He turned and retreated like a willow catkin, while simultaneously raising his right hand and sending three copper coins flying straight at the face of the Golden Wheel Dharma King!

With a wave of his hands, the Golden Wheel Monk knocked the copper coin down, his speed undiminished.

Yang Guo retreated again, simultaneously rushing towards the firelight on the east side.

The Golden Wheel Dharma King pursued relentlessly.

The two chased and fled, moving between the tents.

Suddenly, a figure shot out from the side and struck the Golden Wheel Monk with a palm!

"Old monk, take this punch!"

He's a playful old man!

The Golden Wheel Monk's expression changed, and he quickly changed his move to counterattack.

"Bang!"

With their palms clasped together, a burst of energy emanated from them, causing several surrounding tents to tilt and sway.

The Golden Wheel Monk took three steps back, and the Old Rascal also took three steps back.

"Zhou Botong!" the Golden Wheel Monk gritted his teeth, "You..."

"Hehe!" The old rascal laughed like a child. "Old monk, your flag is gone again! Quite a few tents over there burned too, right? How was it? Was it fun?"

The Golden Wheel Monk was so angry that he trembled all over.

Nemo Xing, Xiao Xiangzi, and Yin Kexi arrived at this time and surrounded Yang Guo and the Old Urchin.

The royal flag on Yang Guo's back was particularly conspicuous in the firelight.

"Lower your royal banner and surrender," the Golden Wheel Dharma King said coldly. "You may be spared a complete corpse."

The old rascal curled his lip: "You said that last time, it's meaningless."

He suddenly pulled two black balls from his pocket and threw them on the ground.

"Bang!"

Thick black smoke instantly billowed out.

Yang Guo was prepared. He held his breath and pulled the Old Urchin toward the predetermined direction.

The Golden Wheel Monk used his palm to disperse the smoke, but the two figures had already vanished.

"Chase them!" he shouted sharply. "They can't have gone far!"

The four masters, along with Darba and Huodu who rushed to the scene, and hundreds of elite soldiers, chased after Yang Guo and the Old Urchin in the direction they had fled.

……

East side of the camp.

Yang Guo and the Old Urchin traversed the sea of ​​fire, hiding and fleeing amidst the smoke and chaos.

The shouts of battle behind them were deafening; the pursuers were getting closer and closer.

"Yang Guo, run that way!" The Old Urchin pointed ahead, "That's the stable!"

Yang Guo's eyes lit up.

There are warhorses in the stables; if you can steal one, you'll be much faster.

The two men rushed toward the stable.

The warhorses in the stables were agitated by the firelight and shouts of battle, neighing and thrashing about.

Several grooms were trying to calm them down when the two men rushed over. Before they could react, the old rascal knocked them unconscious with a single slap each.

Yang Guo untied the reins of the two warhorses and leaped onto them.

The old rascal also mounted a horse.

"drive!"

The two riders rushed out of the stable and galloped towards the outside of the camp.

Behind them, the Golden Wheel Monk and the others chased after them out of the camp, but could only watch helplessly as the two disappeared into the night.

……