A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 225 Covering the Storm, Liangshan's First Battle

Guan Luoyang stood at the steepest point of the Liangshan mountain range, perched atop the peak. He could almost step into the lake with just one more step. A strong wind blew across the lake, causing his robes to flutter and his hair to become slightly disheveled, but his eyes remained perfectly focused.

A high platform has been erected next to it.

The mountaintop was originally rugged and uneven, but he personally flattened the area beside him, and dug out large rocks from the mountain to form a platform, three feet and six inches high, divided into eight corners and eight sides, with a diameter of about three zhang. Every detail was made according to the requirements of Gongsun Sheng and his group.

At this moment, Gongsun Sheng stood on the platform, taking off his Taoist robe, turning it inside out, and putting it back on. Originally, the outer side of this Taoist robe had a picture of pine and crane, which could resist swords and blades, and could also be used to hide and escape without leaving a trace by borrowing the misty clouds.

Now, when turned over, the outer side of the Taoist robe becomes a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) pattern. The long sleeves and hem are decorated with rolling black clouds, and five-colored silk threads are hidden within the black clouds, symbolizing the five elements.

This is a special way of wearing clothing when performing rituals on stage. It helps Gongsun Sheng harmonize the five elements within his body, clear his mind, and make it easier to communicate with the outside world and summon wind and clouds.

"The Liangshan men have already hidden themselves in the reeds at the edge of the marsh. If we go just one more mile, we will be exposed to the sight of those large warships. It's time for me to set off."

Guan Luoyang said, "After I leave the mountain, you will begin your ritual. Their military camp is still a hundred miles away. Are you absolutely certain you can succeed?"

Gongsun Sheng nodded slowly with a solemn expression and said, "The advantage of performing rituals on the platform is that it allows for attacks from a distance, providing ample room to accumulate power gradually, resulting in a greater force than when I fight in close combat."

"That's good, you can begin."

A blue aura swirled around Guan Luoyang as he took a large step beyond the steep mountain peak, his figure soaring into the air and instantly merging into the night sky and water.

Gongsun Sheng drew his ancient sword with pine-patterned design, walked around the high platform, removed his hair ornament, let his hair fall loose, regulated his breathing, and fixed his eyes on the hazy military camp on the distant shore with a gleaming light.

call!!!!!

The wind gradually picked up, blowing from the mountain to the water, and from the water to the shore, eventually blowing open a corner of the curtain of the central command tent.

Yan Shude, Liu Qi, Liu Lin, Lin Chong, and others were talking inside the tent when a gust of wind blew, causing the Taoist priest sitting next to Yan Shude to frown.

This man was Guo Jing. He had an oval face, elegant eyebrows, thick black hair, and a short beard on his chin. He was handsome and wore a purple-gold crown, a luxurious silk Taoist robe of soft and superior quality, and a pair of pure blue lotus-root silk boots. He had a whisk hanging on his right elbow and a golden bell hanging from a red rope on his left wrist.

Seeing him frown, Liu Qi quickly asked, "Why do you look so doubtful, Daoist Master? Is there something strange about this gust of wind?"

Guo Jing chuckled softly, touching the bell on his wrist, but didn't reply.

Yan Shude let out a hearty laugh and said, "The military camp is near a marshland, where the water is high and the wind is strong, which is not surprising. Even if there are some strange things in the wind, how could they possibly shake the tens of thousands of fierce and brave men in my army?"

"The strange occurrences in the wind are not worth mentioning, but the celestial phenomena are bound to bring wind and thunder."

With his eyes slightly closed, Guo Jing said something startling: "When the thunderbolt strikes, it will surely hit the army's banner first."

He bent his finger, waited a moment, and then rang the bell.

Outside the military camp, the sky was already filled with swirling clouds, and a blinding, zigzagging bolt of lightning struck down with a crack.

The sound of bells and thunder overlapped perfectly. Outside the central command tent, a soldier cried out in alarm. Immediately, a soldier knelt outside the tent and loudly reported that a bolt of lightning had indeed struck the banner with the character "Yan".

"Thunder roared three times, yet General Yan's banner remained completely unharmed."

Guo Jing spoke in a low voice, seemingly listening intently, and then rang the bell twice more.

The thunder and the bell rang perfectly in unison, and everyone in the tent looked at Guo Jing, as if they had the illusion that the wind, thunder, and celestial phenomena outside were all under the control of this Taoist.

Lin Chong had heard of Guo Jing when he was in Bianliang in his early years. It was said that he was a sorcerer who practiced unorthodox methods and had also learned some Buddhist magic. His reputation was already quite well-known among the people of Bianliang.

Later, after seeing Chen Xizhen display his Taoist skills, he admired Chen Xizhen's true teachings of the Longhu Mountain immortals and did not hesitate to lower his seniority and try every means to become Chen Xizhen's disciple, thus also taking on the title of a Longhu Mountain disciple.

When Emperor Tianming was still the crown prince, he befriended Chen Xizhen and relied on him even more after ascending the throne. Logically speaking, Guo Jing should have been able to take advantage of this relationship to obtain a Daoist official position. However, for some reason, Guo Jing was never seen in the Bianliang court. Instead, he hid in Quancheng and only helped Chen Xizhen protect Liu Guang's family.

When Lin Chong first heard about Guo Jing, he thought he was a person who didn't care about fame. But now, seeing his presumptuous and domineering demeanor, he realized that the Taoist's personality was completely different from what Lin Chong had imagined.

A soldier came to report that Yan Shude's banner had been struck by lightning three times, yet it remained firmly rooted in place, without a trace of charring, and was fluttering in the wind.

Guo Jing stood up with a smile and congratulated Yan Shude: "General, our mission is to share the Emperor's burdens. Heaven has sensed this and sent down thunder and lightning to bolster our prestige. The stronger the wind and thunder, the greater our military might will be. There will surely be even more auspicious omens later."

As he spoke, two streams of energy emanated from the Taoist's feet, traveling underground and striking the two large flags outside.

The "Yan" character flag standing tall in the military camp suddenly shone brightly, evaporating a large amount of golden smoke, which made the faces of the surrounding soldiers glow golden.

The other flag, representing Guo Jing, is even more remarkable, with a huge statue of a Heavenly King faintly visible above the flagpole.

Although only the upper body was relatively clear, the height was still over ten zhang. Whether it was the navy or the infantry, everyone inside and outside the military camp could see that the Heavenly King statue held a ritual implement in each of its four arms, wore a jeweled crown on its head, had a kind and smiling face on the front, and a majestic and angry face on the back.

Yan Shude led everyone out of the main tent to watch, and their laughter echoed throughout the camp.

"Good! Heaven above knows that I, the general, have come to quell the bandits and bring blessings to this region, and has bestowed such an auspicious omen."

"Heaven bestows its blessings upon all soldiers; after this resounding victory, we are all blessed by Heaven!"

The morale of the troops soared, and the slump caused by days of travel on land and water was swept away. Everyone raised their swords and spears and shouted in unison.

Tens of thousands of soldiers, each of whom had practiced demonic arts, cheered loudly.

The birds in the surrounding mountains, forests, and reed beds, which had not been disturbed by the thunder before, were all startled and took flight. But they fell back down as soon as they reached mid-air, terrified by the sound. Their bodies fell onto the water and into the forest.

The dark clouds in the sky were lifted much higher by the immense momentum generated by the army, moving them far away from the ground. The sound of the wind immediately diminished, and muffled thunder rumbled in the sky. Lightning bolts darted incessantly in the dark clouds, but no lightning bolt was able to strike the military camp.

Yan Shude and Guo Jing exchanged a knowing smile.

Before they arrived, they knew that there might be evil Taoists like Lin Lingsu causing trouble at Liangshan Marsh. Lin Lingsu's Divine Thunder Technique was extremely powerful and terrifying. If they were not on guard, and he set up an altar and used his magic to his fullest extent, it could have dealt a significant blow to morale and resulted in heavy losses.

However, with Guo Jing's actions, the soldiers who had been mobilized from various places felt the same atmosphere. The morale of the three armies was high, the demonic techniques were running smoothly, and the turbid energy was connected in one place. No matter what kind of spell was thrown in, before it even touched the person, a lot of its power would be neutralized.

If Lin Lingsu were truly wise, she should have abandoned Liangshan and fled long ago.

Yan Shude felt a surge of joy, thinking to himself: No matter what magical powers those sorcerers may have, without any troops under their command, do they even deserve to oppose the imperial army?

He led everyone back to the camp and continued to discuss the battle strategy, which was to have each of his generals lead a unit of troops, with Lin Chong and others assisting from the side, to surround and wipe out the Liangshan people from all sides.

This plan can be described as very casual, and can be finalized in just a few words. With the example of the army's morale soaring just now, he now speaks with even more authority, leaving no room for others to interrupt.

Midway through, a soldier came to report that the wind and waves by the water were getting worse, the sky was getting dark, the reeds were rising and falling, being swept by the waves, and the shadows seemed to be closing in on the edge of the camp.

Yan Shude didn't take it seriously and dismissed it casually.

It seems those evil Taoists are still not giving up, but the wind and thunder energy can no longer enter the military camp. At most, a small wave can add some water vapor to the outside of the camp. What else is there to care about?

At the summit of Liangshan, Gongsun Sheng danced wildly, his ancient sword, with its pine-patterned design, twirling in the wind as he chanted catchy incantations incessantly, his voice possessing its own rhythm, like a ballad.

The distant lightning failed to strike, but the wind on the water grew stronger and stronger.

In the reed marsh, many reeds were tossed about by the wind and waves, resembling messy, damp, thick high walls that were getting closer and closer to the shore.

Without careful inspection, the soldiers in the camp were unable to spot the rafts and small boats hidden among the reeds amidst the turbulent winds and waves.

Wu Song, carrying two swords, stood on a raft, his back slightly hunched, his body lowered, staring intently in the direction of the military camp.

At this distance, he could easily storm into the camp with a single pounce.

However, for the eight thousand Liangshan soldiers hidden nearby, this distance was not close enough or convenient enough, and they had to wait a little longer.

Wu Song was getting impatient. He used the back of his knife to scrape his neck, when suddenly his wrist trembled and a crescent-shaped black blade of light appeared beside him, slashing horizontally.

The blade stopped in front of Guan Luoyang.

"Oh dear, it's you! I was so scared I thought I'd been discovered."

Wu Song sheathed his sword, his fierce-looking face leaning closer, and whispered, "You, Taoist priest, are quite a hero. You're not content to stay in the mountains; you're willing to come to the front."

Guan Luoyang laughed and said, "A Taoist robe is just a piece of clothing, how can there be so much difference? If Gongsun Sheng wasn't going to set up an altar and perform a ritual, he would probably come to the front anyway."

Wu Song clicked his tongue and shook his head: "Back when we fought the Xia people, many Taoist priests in the army were only willing to use magic to harass the enemy, creating fog and sandstorms, which were useless. But afterwards, they always wanted a small share of the credit. You, Taoist priest, are good. You have fine wine and you know how to kill. I'll teach you a trick."

Not far behind, Lin Lingsu sat alone, floating on the water. Her Taoist robe remained dry, and her expression changed slightly when she heard the words "Taoist official".

On the raft, Wu Song pointed to two large flags in the military camp that were showing auspicious signs and instructed, "That Heavenly King Flag is most likely the one of the Taoist priests accompanying the army. It is farther away from the central command tent. The Yan character flag over there belongs to the army's commander-in-chief. The commander-in-chief's tent must be not far behind the Yan character flag."

"Later we will head straight for that main tent, burn it down, and cut down the flags. Even if the commander survives, there will be some minor turmoil."

Wu Song raised his twin swords, "When things get chaotic, people will come and kill people, horses will come and kill horses. Don't worry about whether they live or die, just cut them down. Let them scream, it will only further demoralize the army."

"I understand." Guan Luoyang listened attentively, nodded, and looked up again. He was less than twenty feet away from the camp, but the edge of the camp was fenced with deer antlers, which could even stop cavalry.

If the Liangshan people wanted to rush in from the water, it would definitely take them more time.

Guan Luoyang squinted and used a secret method of sound transmission, his gentle yet powerful voice reaching the ears of more than a thousand people at the forefront of the Liangshan army.

"Crouch down, grab the edge of the raft or boat, and I'll fly you into the camp."

fly?

fly!!

Guan Luoyang extended his right hand, flipped his palm upward, raised his arm, and a vast expanse of green energy spread across the water's surface.

Wherever the green mist passed, the reeds seemed to grow taller, their shadows fluttering as if they were about to detach from the water and float into the air.

The thousand or so people at the forefront felt a sudden lightness in their bodies, and the small boat beneath their feet rose about a foot higher than their own bodies, completely leaving the water.

The wind and waves raged, crashing against the hull. Guan Luoyang spread his arms wide and shouted softly, "Go!"

Before the soldiers outside the camp could react to the sudden change in the water, they saw thousands upon thousands of reeds, like a storm, flying from the water toward the camp.

One of the patrolling officers, with his keen eyesight, spotted small boats and rafts flying in from the reeds that were obscuring his view. His expression changed drastically, and he raised his gun to block them.

bang bang bang bang bang bang bang...

The small boats and rafts crashed into the military camp, hitting the ground and sliding and bumping for a distance before stopping. Some even crashed directly into the tents, causing the entire tent to collapse.

With the strength of ten thousand jin, the patrolling officer shattered the entire raft with a single spear thrust. However, several fiery red figures leaped out from behind the raft and, while still in mid-air, unleashed their weapons.

Those cheap wooden spears, when they struck the patrolling officers, shattered into flying wood chips, but this scene also demonstrated the ferocity of the red-clad soldiers.

"Who are you people?!"

The patrol officer cried out in pain. His armor was intact, but several of his ribs were broken. He had only staggered back two steps when he was repeatedly knocked to the ground by the red-clad figures. More than a dozen large feet trampled on him, burying him in the ground, and his spear was also snatched away.

On every small boat that landed in the camp, a similar scene unfolded: five or six, or even more than a dozen, soldiers in red robes scattered and rushed out of the boats.

They were already in a crouching position when they unleashed their full power, leaping and charging, catching the soldiers in the camp off guard. In a short time, thousands of people were knocked down and their weapons were stolen.

Meanwhile, even more people rushed over onto the water outside the camp.

These soldiers in red had no armor, only what appeared to be a layer of clothing, but the defensive capabilities of this clothing were no less than those of leather armor. Their fighting style was actually quite rudimentary, but they were as fierce as mad tigers, and in the blink of an eye, they had already thrown half the camp into chaos.

The soldiers, who had been cheering for the auspicious signs not long ago, launched a counterattack after a brief period of shock and confusion. However, their commander had not anticipated this scene and had not assigned any generals to command them.

Soldiers from all over instinctively sought out acquaintances to fight alongside, and the entire camp was like a boiling oil pot, with noise echoing across the riverbank.

Yan Shude and the others rushed out of the main tent and, seeing this scene, asked incredulously, "Where did these troops come from?!"

These generals' first reaction was that someone in the army had launched a rebellion. They knew the inside story: Liangshan could not possibly have such a force; it could only be a rebellion. But which province did those red-clad infantrymen come from?

Which prefect or governor is planning a rebellion?

Guo Jing suddenly turned his head, floated into the air, and looked at his flag embroidered with the image of the Heavenly King.

Under that large flag, a burly man wielding a crescent-shaped shovel laughed loudly and slammed it down three times in a row, causing the flagpole, as thick as a man's waist, to tremble and sway.

The Heavenly King statue that appeared in mid-air atop the flagpole was enraged. It turned its head, its angry face facing forward, and its four arms slammed down.

The brute ignored everything, swung his shovel horizontally again, smashing the flagpole in half. He then stuck the shovel in, jumped up, grabbed the flagpole, and swung it down on the statue of the Heavenly King.

Guo Jing had been cultivating this flag for many years; it was the foundation of his unorthodox methods. By drawing on military might, it could grow stronger day by day and, in turn, benefit the soldiers. But he never expected that it would be broken in such a way.

The Heavenly King's banner struck the Heavenly King statue, perfectly restraining it. The majestic statue immediately cracked, let out a mournful cry, and was absorbed into the banner.

The false Heavenly King of Buddhism in the heavens is like dry sand in the wind, easily pushed over; Lu Da on the earth is the true Heavenly King!

After he landed back on the ground, he didn't even bother to pick up the crescent shovel. Instead, he swept the large banner across the ground, sending countless soldiers flying. Seven or eight tents were shriveled and collapsed by his single sweep of the banner.

Guo Jing looked at his flag with immense heartache and was also astonished by Lu Da's divine might. He gritted his teeth, used all his magical power, and summoned the bell in his hand.

The small golden bell, after the red rope was broken, was thrown into the sky and grew in the wind, transforming into a large golden bell. The bell's surface was engraved with many patterns of three-legged divine birds, the Fire Virtue True Lord, and the Sun God General, amidst auspicious clouds and auspicious seas, like a celestial palace.

This is the Pure Yang Treasure of Longhu Mountain, the Nine Yang Divine Bell!

Guo Jing borrowed it from Chen Xizhen to study, and usually only showed it to people as a bell. Today is the first time it has transformed into its original form as a large bell.

As soon as the bell rang, echoing within a nine-mile radius, the Liangshan soldiers who had stormed into the camp felt an inexplicable heat rising throughout their bodies. Their eyes turned red, their foreheads bulged with veins, and they felt dizzy. Their movements slowed down involuntarily.

Lu Da was targeted by the bell, his whole body felt like it was being branded with a hot iron, fire spewed from his seven orifices, and his hair caught fire first, so he couldn't help but roar.

Just as Yan Shude was about to take the opportunity to issue an order to gather his troops, a beam of azure light suddenly struck the top of the Nine Yang Divine Bell from mid-air.

Unable to withstand the immense force, the Nine Yang Divine Bell crashed down, trapping Guo Jing inside before plunging to the ground.

As soon as the bell rang, the surrounding earth trembled like waves, turning up fresh soil. Tents collapsed one after another, and many soldiers and horses were buried by the earth.

As the blue light subsided, Guan Luoyang stood atop the bell, his robes, which had just fallen, were shaken up again, creating ripples all over the fabric, as he looked down upon the chaos of the camp.

The Nine Yang Divine Bell vibrated repeatedly, but it seemed to have gone silent, and the sound could not be transmitted at all.

Yan Shude saw the key point, brandished his broadsword, and gave an order to Lin Chong and the others.

"All generals, heed my command! Slay this evil Taoist priest first!"

"Anyone who dares to shirk their duty is defying the imperial court, committing a heinous crime, and their entire family will be exterminated!"

Lin Chong and the others did not know what kind of troops were on the other side. In desperation, they had no choice but to take up their spears and swords and follow Yan Shude to kill the Nine Yang Divine Bell.

(End of this chapter)