A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 245 Flying Pavilions and Colorful Flags, Back and Forth

After the imperial army captured Quancheng, Chen Xizhen slowly woke up. He was already being helped into a carriage. He lifted the curtain and looked out, only to see devastation everywhere, with the aftermath of fires all around.

Amidst the ruins, the smell of sulfur from the cannonballs of the Dragon King Cannon still lingers.

Gou Ying and others, along with the army's sorcerers, found some high places and danced wildly, summoning wind and rain to extinguish the flames all around, preserving more places where the army could be stationed.

After the wind and rain, the firelight disappeared, and the smell of yellow smoke gradually faded, but the dilapidated city appeared even more desolate.

As Chen Xizhen looked around from the carriage, he couldn't see many dilapidated houses on either side of the street that were even slightly taller than the carriage.

Chen Xizhen didn't need to ask how many cannonballs it would take to turn an entire city into this state; he knew that the gunpowder shells specifically for the Dragon King Cannon were almost used up.

What's hateful is that those who perished under the gunfire were nothing more than paper figures and paper horses.

"The fact that these paper figures and horses could remain undetected even under the discerning eyes of the Demon-Subduing Master must not be an ordinary trick. It must be Zhang Wanxian of the Dangerous Army who possesses such skill."

General Feng Hui approached the carriage, speaking with a tone of consolation, "Although we didn't annihilate the Liangshan bandits, we did wipe out 20,000 elite Gan Chi soldiers. The Dragon King Cannon's firepower wasn't wasted after all."

Chen Xizhen said in a hoarse voice, "Order the three armies to garrison and recuperate in the city, be on high alert, and remain inactive. Send Kang Jie to inquire about the movements of the rebels in various places from the ten military governors."

At that moment, 100,000 elite troops received orders and set up camp in this empty and ruined city, organizing supplies and rebuilding defensive fortifications.

The divine horseman Kang Jie mastered a pair of magical wind and fire wheels. Riding on the two wheels, he moved with incredible speed. He also had a precise map drawn by the imperial court, allowing him to travel freely through the sky.

Within three days, he traveled to the places where many generals were fighting, and brought back news that recently, many soldiers in the rebel army, who were originally a rabble, had put on the kind of red uniforms similar to those of Liangshan, and were actually quite elite. They were fighting against the generals of the imperial court in various places, and were becoming much more difficult to deal with.

Especially in Daming Prefecture, Lu Junyi fought against a much larger enemy, facing Wang Huan, the head of the ten military governors. He repeatedly charged into enemy lines alone, killing countless soldiers and officers. Wang Huan also nearly lost his life, which forced Wang Huan's army to retreat and defend.

"It seems that the Liangshan bandits have been making a big move without making a sound these past few days."

Chen Xizhen said, "However, apart from Zhang Wanxian's Gan Chi Army, no other rebels have been able to easily abandon their territory and bring their troops here in such a short time."

That is indeed the case.

Aside from the sorcerers, Zhang Wanxian's troops were basically all paper figures and horses. When they used their magic, they looked like real soldiers and spears, but they could also be collected as light paper cutouts. A few bamboo baskets could hold tens of thousands of them.

Other rebel forces did not have such convenience, nor was it necessary for them to travel long distances to gather together.

Guan Luoyang gave them the combat life fibers that could continuously devour and reproduce. In addition to strengthening the combat power of their original rebel members, he also needed them to recruit more people who were willing to resist in various places and subdue those rebels who had not participated in the Thousand Buddha Cave Alliance.

Chen Xizhen sat in the dilapidated manor that Liu Guang once owned, lowered his eyes and remained silent for several breaths. He had been recuperating from his injuries recently, always maintaining a state of mind focused on the Dao, and had dispelled his previous arrogance and eagerness for quick success. He was finally able to face these enemies of Liangshan Marsh squarely.

"The remaining five prefectures along the eastern route of Jingdong were not attacked or looted."

Chen Xizhen slowly exhaled and said, "Send Tang Meng, Yan Shun, Kong Hou, Fan Chenglong, and Zhen Dayi, each with a small group of men, to notify the local officials and prominent families to bring all their private soldiers and guards to Quancheng to join me in suppressing the rebels."

"Tell them not to be lenient. If there are any who outwardly comply but inwardly defy, cut off a few as an example to warn others."

In the following days, the imperial army rebuilt the fortifications in Quancheng, dug deep trenches, and six Taoist officials, along with their thousand sorcerers, chanted incantations and performed magic to gather earth and stones, repair the city walls, clear blockages in the moat, and redirect the water flow.

Inside and outside the city, everyone was busy. Every now and then, large piles of collapsed bricks and stones, piled up like small mountains, could be seen rising into the air under the influence of magic, stacking together to form a brand new city wall.

Then, countless demonic soldiers were sent out of the city to cut down trees. In just over ten days, the mountains inside and outside the city were completely cut down, leaving only short stumps, which could no longer hide people.

Thousands upon thousands of trees were transported day and night, their branches and leaves used as fuel, and their trunks were crafted into flying war chariots.

The prudent Chen Xizhen was reinstated, and he brought out the full potential of the imperial army of 100,000, demonstrating a power capable of transforming the landscape.

During this period, the Liangshan troops attempted to attack the city several times, but Chen Xizhen remained steadfast in his defense. The Liangshan forces launched several unsuccessful attacks and eventually gave up.

On this day, Chen Xizhen summoned Guan Sheng and others to his residence and said, "Marshal Han Shizhong once said that all twelve generals have old injuries and must rest for a month before they can make contributions. Now, more than a month has passed since the first imperial edict arrived at the border army."

"Have all your injuries fully healed?"

Chen Xizhen's expression was calm and composed, quite different from his previous demeanor; he exuded an air of solemnity and authority.

Guan Sheng and the others understood his meaning and felt a slight chill. They clasped their hands and said, "We will obey your orders and do our best."

"good!"

Chen Xizhen praised, "The scouts report that the Liangshan troops have also set up a military camp on the shore outside the marsh, stretching for several miles. It was expanded from the ruins of Yan Shude's army."

"Brother Yan is also an old friend of mine. I am familiar with his methods and style of troop deployment and have deduced some of the flaws and weaknesses in that military camp."

He took out a stack of sheepskin blueprints and distributed them to Guan Sheng and the others.

"The twelve generals will set off today, each leading one of the flying chariots already built in the city, to attack their camps as shown in the map."

"This battle was mainly about harassment. You could have adapted to the situation and protected yourselves, but since you failed to achieve the desired harassment effect and the Liangshan bandits still had the mind to look elsewhere, I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to ask you all to deal with this according to military law."

The generals listened to his last few words, which were calm and slow, yet chilling. They dared not delay and immediately went to check the flying tower chariots.

The so-called flying tower chariots were crude wooden buildings constructed by carving notches into the trunks of a large number of trees, fitting them together, and binding them. They were generally about ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) high.

Every floor and every corner of this wooden building facing outwards is made of sharpened wooden rafters. If it were to be hit, or if it were to fall and run over, it would likely result in a bloody and gruesome scene.

At the bottom of the wooden building are several huge wheels carved from logs, and there are also cloud-pushing spells carved by military sorcerers who work tirelessly day and night. Once the spells are activated by demonic energy, clouds will naturally swirl around to lubricate the wheels, allowing them to roll quickly even on uneven dirt or stone roads.

In this way, each flying tower chariot only needs eight soldiers to maintain its balance and four ore-fed horses to pull it out.

One hundred thousand elite demonic soldiers, each with the strength of a thousand jin, built four thousand flying chariots in less than a month.

To prevent Guan Luoyang from resorting to crude methods and disrupting the march, this time all the perceptive cultivators and mages, including Wang Laozhi, were mobilized to accompany the army.

As Guan Sheng and his men left with the flying chariots, Chen Xizhen and his men watched from the city wall.

Hundreds of wooden buildings, as tall as city walls, were seen moving away, like a mobile town about to attack the Liangshan army's camp.

"Kang Jie, you can instruct Tang Meng and the others to bring back the private soldiers from various places."

Chen Xizhen said in a low voice, "I want to see how many people Liangshan has, and how much energy they have, to fight against my vast army of six armies, with its endless stream of troops!"

At dusk that day, the flying chariots arrived outside the Liangshan army camp.

The Liangshan soldiers had already noticed that the flag bearers would pour out from every corner of the camp, like a tidal wave, to intercept them.

This time, the two sides' troops were close enough, and with Wang Laozhi and others in charge, they could tell at a glance that those colorful flag soldiers were not living people.

However, there were simply too many soldiers. Even if all the Taoist officials intervened, it would be impossible to break the spell on them all and turn them back into their original paper figures.

The Taoist priests were also afraid that they would be ambushed by enemy sorcerers while they were dealing with the paper figures. Fortunately, they did not rush to take action, but instead confronted the spellcasters in the enemy camp from a distance.

With the officials in a lenient manner, the colorful flag soldiers and flying chariots charged into battle without any fancy moves.

The wooden building trembled and made a loud noise. The flag bearers who were hit by it were sent flying backwards along with their horses, their bodies mangled.

However, the horses responsible for dragging the wooden building were also killed by the swords and spears of the paper figures and horses, bleeding profusely and collapsing to the ground.

The next moment, inside those trembling wooden buildings, the soldiers worked together to turn the huge winch, and the thick ropes were pulled taut, causing the wheels at the bottom of the wooden buildings to turn.

Stimulated by the blood energy of the demonic steed, the Cloud-Buying Spell was pushed to its limit. Every moment, the incantation characters carved on the wooden wheel could not withstand the pressure and collapsed and deformed on their own.

But in return, these wooden buildings, some as tall as ten feet, began to rotate as a whole, slowly turning and moving closer together.

Many of the flag bearers had their bodies pierced by sharp pieces of wood and were hung on the corners of the wooden building. After struggling for a while, they turned into tattered pieces of paper.

The surging tide of colorful flags and soldiers, with their silent roars, continued their charge.

The Flying Tower Chariot may appear majestic, imposing, and terrifying, but it is a one-time use war machine. Whenever its wheels are cut, broken, or the wooden tower is about to collapse, it is destroyed.

The branches and leaves piled up on the upper part of the wooden building would be set ablaze, engulfing the upper half of the building in black smoke and flames, causing it to collapse and inflict even greater casualties.

When each wooden building collapsed, the soldiers inside would rush out. Some managed to escape back to the government troops, while others were overwhelmed by the colorful flags and horses.

Some of the colorful flag soldiers, with half their bodies already engulfed in flames, continued their charge and pursuit.

The battlefield before us, though primarily composed of paper and wood, exudes an atmosphere of utter carnage.

When several flying chariots actually approached the military camp, the general with six command flags on his back leaped up from the camp, his horse's hooves pounding in the wind, and used his halberd to forcefully ram the flying chariots.

The wooden pillars were broken and scattered, and the wooden building collapsed out of the camp.

The officials behind the soldiers were deeply moved at this moment, as if they could hear the sounds of gongs and drums and the beating of gavel.

Those generals riding horses and soaring through the air are still paper figures in essence, yet they can utter loud and clear roars.

The scent of battle wafted in, carrying with it the image of a severed hand.

Hu Sanniang reached out and caught the arm shrouded in black smoke.

Above the severed wrist, there were still wrist guards and arm armor. There was no blood at the cut and no flesh inside, but Hu Sanniang could still feel a real weight.

"I've seen these unorthodox techniques involving paper figures and horses before."

Hu Sanniang asked in bewilderment, "But why is it that these paper soldiers possess such fierce spirit, seemingly displaying a willingness to sacrifice themselves that rivals that of real soldiers?"

Wang Laozhi, who was sitting on the carriage next to him, said: "Ordinary paper horse and sword magic is all made by the sorcerer himself or his servants cutting out paper figures. Some are even cut into the shape of ghosts and monsters. From the moment they are cut out, they are only for driving and harming people."

"But these paper figures are different."

He chuckled and said, "When these paper figures were cut out, they must have been imbued with longing. Longing, expectations, and resentment for husbands, fathers, and children. Later, these paper cutouts came into the hands of people skilled in magic, and were able to be transformed into such a resentful spirit."

"That Zhang Wanxian is using these paper figures to avenge countless families against the imperial court!"

Gou Ying and the others paled upon hearing this, and quickly said, "Mr. Dongwei, please be careful with your words!"

"What do you mean by avenging the court on behalf of the people? It's clearly some troublemakers and charlatans spreading rumors and distorting public opinion."

"Indeed, our Great Song Dynasty's current wise and enlightened emperor is chosen by Heaven..."

The cacophony of words was interrupted by a laugh.

"Hahaha, you people are really funny. The emperor cares about the plunder of this lifetime, but he doesn't care about the reputation of future generations. Yet you all want to deceive yourselves and embellish his image."

Wang Laozhi laughed and said, "I think I understand why he likes you guys a bit now. After all, you're much more interesting than some of the court officials."

After all, watching monkey shows is always more enjoyable than long and serious remonstrances.

Gou Ying understood what he meant and was so angry that she couldn't speak. She thought to herself that when she got back, she would definitely gather her friends and submit a report to the emperor impeaching this old man Wang.

Looking towards the military camp, Wang Laozhi thought: "I'll use the hearts of the people to create paper dolls. There are countless different kinds of fortune in the world, but countless similarities in misfortune. Therefore, by gathering the sorrow and hatred in the hearts of the people, I can create an army of paper dolls that can be commanded in a unified manner."

"This approach is similar in principle to the most advanced methods of Taoist alchemy."

He carefully sensed the vibrant divine form opposite him, unconsciously rubbing his fingers together, his eyes gleaming with greedy curiosity. He said, "This Zhang Wanxian will definitely be a valuable medicine!"

Despite having high expectations, Wang Laozhi still did not make a move.

He was someone who could be indifferent to everything else, and even if he saw through everything, he would still remain unmoved by emotions. However, he was extremely patient with alchemy and had invested a great deal of emotion in it.

So he could wait, until the battle became more intense, until Zhang Wanxian on the other side made the first move.

They could even wait until the end of the entire war against Liangshan to look for this opportunity.

Unfortunately, Zhang Wanxian did not appear today.

As darkness fell completely, the flying chariots were finally almost completely destroyed by the flag-bearing soldiers.

Guan Sheng and his men had harassed them long enough and were ready to retreat.

The soldiers with colorful flags pursued for three miles before gradually withdrawing.

Guan Sheng and his entourage successfully returned to Jinan.

A few days later, the imperial army attacked Liangshan's military camp again.

This time, the number of flying chariots was far less than last time, but the number of elite soldiers sent was much greater, and private soldiers from other prefectures were also mixed in.

These private soldiers are adept at oppressing the people, but they have never actually been on the battlefield. Chen Xizhen uses this method to hone their skills.

Thus, Liangshan and the imperial army frequently clashed, with each side fighting the other. As a result, the number of soldiers with colorful banners in Liangshan's army camp dwindled, and figures like Lu Da and Lin Chong had to personally lead their troops into battle.

Meanwhile, taking advantage of Liangshan's preoccupation with other matters, the private soldiers from various prefectures set off with peace of mind and gathered in Quancheng, their numbers increasing rapidly.

Despite the ebb and flow of fortune, Chen Xizhen did not relax.

He summoned Feng Hui and others and reminded them, "Nowadays, there are more and more private soldiers in various places, totaling more than 30,000. Their origins are too complicated, and it is difficult to completely figure out their backgrounds. But we must ensure that no soldiers from Liangshan are mixed in among them."

Feng Hui accepted the order: "Don't worry, Daozi, we will definitely examine them carefully."

Generals like Feng Hui already had a plan in mind to distinguish between such matters.

The Liangshan army currently consists of three parts. The first part consists of ordinary young and strong people with shallow skills, who only have the strength of elite soldiers after they put on red clothes.

Secondly, the soldiers who were captured by Liangshan after the imperial army suffered a major defeat.

If these people were to infiltrate, it would be somewhat difficult to distinguish them, but that is almost impossible. They originally belonged to the government, so how could Liangshan dare to let them return to the government army?

Even if Liangshan dared to do such a thing, some of these people would inevitably report it to their generals.

After all, the treatment of officers and soldiers was far better than that of bandits with no future.

Thirdly, paper figures and horses are easily detected by Taoist officials at close range.

After Feng Hui and his men conducted daily inspections, they sent people to disperse the private soldiers and integrate them into the government army.

Chen Xizhen maintained his cautious approach, sending troops to attack the Liangshan army camp. Liangshan had no choice but to send out even more living soldiers to resist.

Even Guan Luoyang personally launched a surprise attack, but was besieged by six Taoist officials including Wang Laozhi and Gou Ying, along with three hundred court sorcerers. They were entangled for half an hour, forcing him to return to the Liangshan army camp.

Upon hearing the news, Chen Xizhen finally showed a hint of joy, but it vanished in an instant.

"Many bandits have been gradually eroded and worn down by us, and they must be anxious. They will surely make some unusual moves recently, so you must all be careful and on guard."

Chen Xizhen's instructions were remarkably prescient. That very evening, Feng Hui rushed over to report that something strange had happened in the military camp.

Many soldiers could no longer find their own shadows.

(End of this chapter)