Late Ming Dynasty: Starting with the overthrow of the county magistrate, a rebellion was launched to

Chen Sanzhu was, after all, one of Zhang Da's elite soldiers. Furthermore, Zhang Da himself wasn't sure if the hundred cavalry had actually left, making scouting crucial. Therefore, Zhang Da immediately ordered the selection of twenty elite warriors from his personal guards to form a new scout team, instructing them as follows:

"You are to immediately go ahead and scout for the whereabouts of Captain Chen and his men. If you encounter any small groups of enemy troops, do not engage them; report back immediately and do not linger in battle!"

"Yes, sir!" The twenty scouts received their orders and silently slipped into the dense forest.

Coincidentally, Li Dingguo was also feeling uneasy. On his way back to Huaqiao Pass with 500 cavalry, he remained worried, fearing the Ming army might send reinforcements again if their scouts failed to return. To ensure everything went smoothly, Li Dingguo immediately selected fifteen elite scouts from his army and ordered them...

"You will go ahead to scout ahead of our army and confirm the movements of the Ming troops. If you find any trace of the enemy, report back immediately. Do not engage in battle without authorization!"

The fifteen scouts obeyed the order, extinguished their lights, and began their reconnaissance...

As expected, Shanmu Pass was not very large. The two scout teams, driven by the same goal and fate, eventually met suddenly at a narrow valley entrance in the middle of Shanmu Pass.

The area was flanked by steep cliffs, with only a narrow path about ten feet wide running through the middle. Thick, cold fog obscured any figure beyond five steps. The scouts on both sides first heard each other's footsteps, then caught a glimpse of a blurry figure. Their hearts tightened; it could be a ghost, or it could be a comrade-in-arms, or perhaps...

The two groups immediately gripped their weapons, held their breath, and slowly approached.

When they were only three steps apart, they finally saw each other's attire clearly—one was dressed in the Baoqing Army's standard blue turban and white robe, with the words "Baoqing" embroidered on his waist; the other was wearing the Great Western Army's black armor and short jacket, with a blue turban on his head. They were mortal enemies meeting.

"Enemy troops! Enemy attack!"

The Ming scouts were the first to react, shouting loudly and drawing their bows. The arrows shot out instantly, whistling through the air, and flew straight at the Da Xi army scouts opposite them.

Two scouts of the Great Western Army were caught off guard, struck in the chest with arrows, and fell to the ground with a scream.

At this moment, the scouts of the Great Western Army were not to be outdone. They drew their short swords and bows and arrows from their waists and fired back. Arrows rained down, and several Ming scouts were unable to dodge in time. They were hit in the shoulder and thigh by arrows, staggered back, and groaned.

As the saying goes, when two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave shall prevail. At this moment, the two clashed in close combat, and in an instant, a great battle broke out.

The blade flashed, and blood splattered.

Someone was stabbed in the abdomen with a dagger, his intestines were ruptured and his stomach was torn apart. He knelt on the ground and screamed in pain.

Someone was held tightly and tumbled down the cliff with them; the screams gradually faded into the distance and eventually disappeared at the bottom of the valley.

Some men, despite having a knife wound to their foreheads, continued to brandish their weapons and fight to the death.

However, this was ultimately just a small-scale skirmish, so after a brief battle, both sides suffered casualties. The Ming army's scouts, originally numbering twenty, were reduced to only twelve, while the Great Western army's scouts, originally numbering fifteen, were reduced to only eight.

At this moment, both sides were in perfect agreement and did not want to fight any longer, fearing that if the fighting dragged on, it would attract the opponent's main force and lead to their encirclement.

The remaining scouts dared not linger in battle and retreated hastily, each rushing towards their commander to report the news that the enemy was right before them.

So the Ming scouts, stumbling and covered in wounds, ran frantically until they finally found Zhang Da's troops. They immediately knelt down, their voices trembling, and urgently reported the news.

"My lord! We encountered enemy scouts at the valley entrance ahead, about ten men. A fierce battle ensued, with casualties on both sides. They are just a hundred paces ahead!"

When Zhang Da heard that the enemy scouts were so close, he wasn't so much afraid as he was filled with suspicion.

"We just learned that only a hundred enemy cavalrymen passed by, and now we've encountered scouts... Damn it, is this enemy general guarding the pass really Li Dingguo? Where exactly is he in Bushiyao? Could it be that he has divided his forces into several routes, setting up scattered sentries and layers of defense in Shanmu'ao? But such a dispersion of forces is a cardinal sin in military strategy, and is by no means a wise move..."

Zhang Da wondered what was going on tonight, why he had encountered so many strange things in Shanmu'ao!

"Perhaps the enemy has discovered our intention to flank them and sent scouts to investigate. They are only a small force and not worth worrying about. As long as we speed up our advance and annihilate them, we can break through in one fell swoop and reach Huaqiao Pass!"

Zhang Da remained steadfast in his opinion, believing that no matter what lay ahead, the enemy's numbers were definitely not large, and even if they encountered them, he was not afraid.

Almost at the same moment, a scout from the Great Western Army rushed to Li Dingguo, knelt on one knee, covered in blood, and urgently reported the news.

"General! We encountered Ming scouts at the valley entrance, about a dozen or twenty of them. After we fought them, we informed you of this."

Li Dingguo reined in his horse, also filled with doubt.

"What's going on tonight? Zhang Daming was clearly leading a large army in a feint attack on Huaqiao Pass, so how come there are two groups of scouts appearing here one after the other? Forget it, whatever, let's charge in!"

Like Zhang Da, Li Dingguo believed that this was just a small scout group from the Ming army. Zhang Da's main force was still on the front line, and he was trying to harass and confuse the enemy with a small force. There was no need to panic. As long as they were all annihilated, they could return to the pass to defend.

At this moment, the valley entrance where the scouts of both sides were fighting was less than half a mile away from the main force of Zhang Da and Li Dingguo. In the cold fog, they could even vaguely hear the movements of the other side's troops, but the thick fog blocked them from seeing the truth.

"My lord, there seems to be rustling footsteps and figures moving ahead!"

The guards quickly stepped forward, whispering a reminder to Zhang Da, their expressions vigilant, their spears gripped tightly, ready for battle at any moment.

Zhang Da raised his hand, signaling the entire army to halt. Holding their breath, they listened intently. Sure enough, from within the cold mist, came the sounds of chaotic footsteps, horses' hooves, and blurry silhouettes of figures moving about, growing closer and clearer...

"General, that's it! It really is! There are figures ahead! The enemy is right in front!"

The general beside Li Dingguo also reported in a low voice, gripping his spear tightly, a hint of fighting spirit flashing in his eyes.

Li Dingguo nodded slightly, signaling the entire army to be on alert. The five hundred cavalrymen reined in their horses, held long swords and spears, and stood ready to charge at the general's command.

A moment later, the vanguard forces of both sides finally made out each other's attire through the cold fog. The Ming soldiers, seeing the distinctive black armor and short jackets of the Great Western Army, shouted in unison once more.

"Enemy troops! They're bandits!"

The soldiers of the Great Western Army also recognized the white robes and blue turbans of the Baoqing Army and roared fiercely.

"Ming army! It's Zhang Da's troops!"

The two armies were now less than ten paces apart. The darkness and cold fog severely hampered visibility. By the time they spotted each other, there was no time to evade, no time to wait for orders from their commanders, and retreat was out of the question.

Upon seeing the enemy, both sides instantly turned on each other, brandishing their swords and spears, and charged straight into each other.

"kill!"

"Slay all the Ming soldiers!"

The roar was extremely prominent in this environment, deafening.

Swords and spears clashed, metal clanged.

The Ming soldiers under Zhang Da were all from good families in Baoqing. They had received tax reductions and land distribution from Zhang Da, and had also promoted Yu Long. Naturally, they were fearless and valiant.

The soldiers of the Great Western Army were veterans and elite troops from Sichuan, who had followed Zhang Xianzhong in battles across seven provinces. They were fearless in the face of death and only wanted to kill Ming soldiers and achieve military merit.

The two elite forces clashed and fought fiercely.