The Thief Prince

Meanwhile, Li Zheng relentlessly pursued the man-eating demon.

However, although Wuyun was a magnificent and fine horse, Wang Jing was also extremely cunning.

Hearing the hoofbeats getting closer and closer behind him, he deliberately avoided the main road and took the winding and difficult side roads instead.

Wuyun's speed far surpassed Wang Jing's mount, but it was unfamiliar with the terrain, sometimes encountering a rock blocking its way, and sometimes being blocked by a broken branch.

Li Zheng steered his horse left and right, dodging and weaving, but he couldn't catch up no matter what he did.

Once we emerged from the side path, with no obstacles in sight, we finally closed the distance a bit.

Li Zheng immediately sheathed his long spear, drew his riding bow from the side of the saddle, and was about to nock an arrow when he suddenly heard the sound of a bowstring from the roadside.

In a flash, an arrow streaked past like a shooting star.

With a "thud," it struck Wang Jing squarely in the face.

The arrow was extremely powerful, piercing Wang Jing's right eye socket and exiting from his left forehead, splattering blood and brain matter together.

This cannibalistic monster, who had committed countless evils, ultimately met his end as a candied hawthorn, falling off his horse without even uttering a sound.

Li Zheng was startled, still wondering where the arrow came from, when suddenly he heard the sound of a bowstring, and an arrow tip whistled straight toward his face.

Li Zheng was shocked and quickly turned his head to avoid it.

The arrow grazed his cheek, and he immediately felt a burning pain on the left side of his face.

He reached out and wiped his hand, only to find it covered in blood.

Li Zheng was furious. Without thinking twice, he grabbed an arrow, nocked it, and fired an arrow in the direction from which it came.

The person opposite also fired an arrow at the same time.

The two arrows flew out rapidly and coincidentally collided in mid-air, flying away and disappearing into the unknown.

The person opposite seemed to be stunned for a moment, but the two were now only about twenty steps apart.

The man threw away his bow and arrows, took out a hook-and-sickle spear from the side of his horse, and charged straight at Li Zheng.

How could Li Zheng be afraid of him? He threw down his bow and arrow, grabbed a long spear, and spurred his horse to meet him.

The spears clashed instantly, but Li Zheng's strength was superior, causing the opponent's spearhead to deflect.

Just as he was about to sheathe his spear and strike again, the barb on the hook-and-sickle spear caught on the shaft.

As the two were struggling, Li Zheng looked up at the person who had come.

But then I saw:

His eyebrows were like swords, reaching straight to his temples, and his eyes shone brightly like stars.

His body was imposing, over eight feet tall, and his jade-like face was naturally dignified without any beard.

The bow is drawn to its fullest extent, startling the wild geese into flight; the spear dances like pear blossoms, covering all directions.

His mastery of both archery and spear is admired by all; his horsemanship and archery skills are unparalleled in the world.

Born into a military family in the north, he harbored strategic brilliance hidden in the mountains.

Li Zheng was secretly shocked; this man had an impressive appearance and was definitely a hero.

He then demanded, "Why did you hit me, you man?"

The man retorted angrily, "A villain like you deserves to be killed by everyone!"

Judging from his tone, Li Zheng assumed he was a government soldier, so he said no more and charged back into battle.

The two fought for more than ten rounds, but still could not determine a winner.

Li Zheng felt that his strength far surpassed that of this man, but the hook-and-sickle spear was unpredictable and unpredictable. Every time the long spear was about to succeed, it would be hooked by the barbs on the spear and unable to advance.

The man also had doubts: What a bandit! With such martial arts skills, why didn't he go to the army to make meritorious achievements? Why did he become a bandit?

Just then, Wu Anqing arrived, drawn by the sounds of fighting.

Seeing the situation clearly, Wu Anqing quickly shouted, "Stop fighting! We're on the same side!"

Li Zheng turned around and saw him, immediately shouting, "Brother Wu'an, quickly help me kill this scoundrel!"

The man was taken aback when he saw Wu Anqing, then overjoyed: "Brother, quickly help me kill the traitor!"

The two spoke in unison, both startled.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wu Anqing spurred his horse forward and parried the two men's weapons with a single halberd strike: "Please stop for now! There must be some misunderstanding."

Li Zheng asked in confusion, "You recognize this person?"

Wu Anqing was both surprised and delighted, nodding repeatedly and saying, "This man's name is Bei Gongjun, and he is my colleague and brother."

Colleagues? Wouldn't that mean they were also remnants of the Liang King's faction?

Li Zheng stopped talking and just stared intently at Bei Gongjun, looking him up and down, growing more and more fond of him the more he looked.

He was overjoyed, as if he had found a treasure, and secretly vowed in his heart: with such skills, if he did not join Liangshan, he was afraid he would never be able to sleep well again.

Bei Gongjun, however, looked angry and said to Wu Anqing, "How could you associate with bandits, brother?"

Wu Anqing quickly said, "This is a long story. Why are you here, brother?"

Bei Gongjun said, "I was working as a guard for a merchant caravan in the south. Today, I received news from my hometown that my mother had passed away, so I came back for the funeral."

"Passing by this place, I heard that a wicked bandit has appeared in Niutou Mountain, who robs and steals and commits all kinds of evil deeds."

"Although I have left the army, I still have a heart full of justice and a desire to eliminate evil. I have come here to get rid of this villain."

As she spoke, she glared fiercely at Li Zheng: "I've been keeping an eye on Wang Jing for many days, but he doesn't come down the mountain often, so it's not convenient for me to go up the mountain myself."

"I finally saw him come down the mountain today, so I shot him dead with an arrow."

"This man is following Wang Jing; he must be an accomplice. How can we not kill him?"

Wu Anqing quickly said, "Brother, you've misunderstood. We're here to kill Wang Jing too. This is Brother Li Zheng from Black Wind Stronghold."

Bei Gongjun frowned: "Li Zheng? Is that the 'Suppressor of Shandong' Li Zheng?"

Li Zheng was overjoyed upon hearing this.

Having a reputation is great; this is a sure thing!

He immediately cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "I am indeed Li Zheng."

Unexpectedly, Bei Gongjun angrily retorted, "Isn't that still a bandit?!"

Both Li Zheng and Wu Anqing were taken aback.

Bei Gongjun turned to Wu Anqing, his face filled with disappointment: "We brothers may have no way to serve our country, but we shouldn't give up on ourselves!"

"I heard you've become an outlaw, and I initially thought it was out of desperation. But this man's name is renowned throughout Shandong; he must be a major bandit. You're aiding and abetting evil; I'm ashamed to call you brother!"

Wu Anqing was anxious, but he also knew that his brother was always upright and could not stand injustice.

He then advised, "Brother, there are too many reasons for this. Just look at my brother and see who he resembles."

Bei Gongjun frowned and looked over, his expression first relaxing, then turning to shock: "Your...Your Highness?"

Wu Anqing breathed a sigh of relief, looked around to make sure no one was nearby, and then said, "Brother, please dismount first. I will explain the reason later."

Bei Gongjun was skeptical. After a moment's hesitation, he finally put away his hook-and-sickle spear and dismounted.

Li Zheng dismounted as well, and as soon as he regained his footing, he strode forward and grasped Bei Gongjun's hand, saying eagerly, "Brother, you shoot arrows well and wield a spear skillfully! Please join my Black Wind Stronghold!"

Bei Gongjun was caught off guard and struggled twice but failed to break free. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Wu Anqing, standing nearby, felt both amused and exasperated, but also pleased that his lord was so eager to find talented individuals.

He stepped forward and said, "Brother, you may not know this, but my brother here is the best archer under the Liang King. Even in the Great Zhou army, he is hard to match."

"We, his comrades, all admired his skills and gave him the nickname 'Divine Arrow' Beigong Jun."

Li Zheng was even more delighted after hearing this.

"Heavy Halberd" Wu Anqing.

"Divine Arrow" Bei Gongjun.

Both have compound surnames, and even their nicknames are similar; they are clearly a pair of peerless warriors.

This hand cannot be spared even with a slap; these two excellent generals must be completely captured!

Bei Gongjun blushed as he was pulled, but unable to break free, he could only angrily say:

"Explain your reasoning first. If that doesn't work, we'll have to fight another hundred rounds!"