Chapter 1055

From this, one can also see the gap between Yuheng City and Panlongcheng. If Panlongcheng were to catch fire on a night of curfew, the residents would at most glance at it from their doorways, and if they found the fire wouldn't burn their own homes, they would continue to stay behind closed doors.

The operation to capture the arsonist had also begun long ago.

The City Defense Army acted very quickly; by the time the fire was put out, the arsonist had also been caught. He claimed to be a refugee who had crossed the border from the east, and someone had given him three taels of silver to burn down a large mansion, and thoughtfully sent him a few oil bottles; these bottles contained Explosive Fire Talismans, which would ignite and explode as soon as they were smashed open.

After the deed was done, there would be another three taels.

This fellow was blinded by money and boldly went to do it regardless of the curfew, completely unaware that it was the City Governor's residence.

Wen Daolun also rushed over to offer condolences to Zhao Linyang; the two of them were old acquaintances in Panlongcheng and had a good relationship.

"I'm afraid there's something major tonight." Wen Daolun's brows furrowed tightly, "In my divination over the past few days, I've often seen the Thunder Hexagram, which shows that a sudden change is imminent."

Zhao Linyang gave a thumbs up: "Old Wen, your divination is still amazing."

Just at this moment, a personal guard ran over from outside and whispered a few words in his ear.

Zhao Linyang's expression sank, and he said to Wen Daolun: "Your hexagram has been fulfilled; something is coming now."

He didn't have time to explain further to his guest, and strode out, with orders following one after another.

Forest land south of Yuheng City.

Fu Shanlie's adjutant, Hong Ming, led hundreds of men to lurk in the darkness, neither lighting torches nor moving.

These were all the elite of the Jin Tao Kingdom and Fu Shanlie's own.

Those two thousand water bandits were all arranged in Longchuan to attract the Yuheng Army's attack. In the end, the ones Fu Shanlie dared to send here to carry out the mission were still his most loyal subordinates brought from Beijia.

Of the elite in the Xiji puppet army, he only brought out a dozen or so, and after this battle, they would return to Beijia with him.

They had been lying here for most of the night, and many Jin Tao men were yawning wildly.

Are we attacking or not? It will be dawn in another hour.

Just at this moment, an owl flew over, carrying Fu Shanlie's latest message: "He Lingchuan is personally suppressing Longchuan; your operation begins!"

"Get to work, get to work!" Hong Ming's spirit was lifted, and he called over two Jin Tao messengers, "Tell your people to listen for our signal arrows!"

Fu Shanlie's order spread quietly through the night.

A quarter of an hour later, everything was ready.

Hong Ming took a thousand-knot grass knot out of his bosom.

There were inside agents they had arranged in Yuheng City earlier; as long as he snapped this grass knot, it would be the signal for the people in the city to take action.

At that moment, the second large-scale chaotic battle of this night would unveil its prelude!

But before he could snap it, the scout in front suddenly ran over to pass a message:

"People have come outside Yuheng City!"

In the middle of the night, people suddenly came? Hong Ming was startled and rushed to the mountain head in front to check, and sure enough, he saw a cavalry troop slowly walking toward the Nanmen of Yuheng City.

The area below the city gate was very open, and he could tell at a glance that the troop was about sixty or seventy people.

The riders were all in dark red light armor, holding long spears, looking majestic. Their aura was different from the Yuheng City Army; although there were only fifty or so, their arrogance and dominance seemed to be able to overwhelm hundreds or thousands of elite cavalry.

The general at the head was also in red armor, almost completely wrapped from head to toe, wearing a ghost-face mask, with a monster crouching on each shoulder of the battle armor.

That battle armor was gilded and overflowing with color under the illumination of the torches, making it appear even more mysterious and majestic.

Behind him was a large flag held high, with only one word on it:

Wind! Before anyone else could react, several elites of the Xiji puppet army blurted out:

"General Red!"

"This is General Red of Panlongcheng, the butcher who occupied our national capital!"

After the Xiji Kingdom was destroyed, the Xiji puppet army had resisted stubbornly for several months and had been repeatedly tormented by the Great Wind Army; as soon as they saw this red-armored, masked figure, they shuddered, and the unpleasant past surfaced in their minds, and half of their murderous intent flew away.

The impression was too deep. At this moment, they didn't want to take another step forward.

Hong Ming heard this name and was half-believing, carefully sizing up the leader.

Dark red battle armor, scarlet cloak, ghost-face mask, and a Peregrine Falcon perched on the shoulder.

Although he hadn't seen General Red on the battlefield, this iconic attire had legends even in the distant Beijia.

It was always paired with a thunderous title.

Is this really General Red?

Why did General Red appear on this very night?

Someone from that troop shouted at the foot of the city.

Soon, Yuheng City lowered the drawbridge and let this troop enter.

"Are we acting or not?" A subordinate asked Hong Ming.

The drawbridge was lowered; what a great opportunity! Hong Ming's heart was in a mess.

Attack? Don't attack?

If we don't attack, we might miss the opportunity; General Fu Shanlie has already ordered the attack on the city.

However, if the uninvited guest under the city gate is really General Red... that's a demigod! Once the plan is launched, what if it's blocked by such a fierce god and fails to achieve the effect?

Others saw the men and horses under the city gate entering the city one after another, and couldn't help but urge again:

"Lord Hong?"

Hong Ming clenched his fists, several opinions fighting in his mind, and finally, conservatism gained the upper hand.

"Don't be in a hurry for this moment; send an owl in to scout and see if it's the real General Red!"

The drawbridge was slowly raised, and General Red entered Yuheng City.

The open space inside the Nanmen of the city was full of people, but they didn't light torches, and the soldiers stood in strict formation in the darkness.

Outside the city, General Red and these dozens of people crossed the drawbridge unhurriedly; inside the city, everyone was fully armed.

If the ambushers outside didn't fear the intimidation and took the opportunity to attack, then the battle of Yuheng City would break out immediately.

But until the drawbridge was raised, the area outside the city remained silent.

Those in the know breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Linyang strode forward, followed by Wen Daolun, and both bowed to General Red:

"General!"

Actually, Wen Daolun was quite confused and couldn't figure out why General Red suddenly appeared in Yuheng City.

At this time, shouldn't she be on the northwestern front line resisting Xianyou? From there to Yuheng City, the journey is a bit far.

"Exempt," General Red's low voice came from beneath the mask, "The two of you, please step forward."

Zhao Linyang stepped forward as instructed, but Wen Daolun couldn't help but be stunned.

This voice... this is not General Red's voice!

But Zhao Linyang secretly pulled him.

Wen Daolun was startled and hurriedly stepped forward.

The three of them gathered together, protected by the Great Wind Army soldiers.

They heard the "General Red" before them say in a tight voice: "There are ambushers outside the city; Fu Shanlie is using the strategy of luring the tiger away from the mountain, preparing to sneak attack us!"

"Commander He determined that the fire just now was the work of spies in the city; once the flames of war ignite later, they will inevitably coordinate from inside and outside."

Wen Daolun remembered; this was the voice of Liutiao, the female warrior beside He Lingchuan!

Zhao Linyang's face didn't show surprise, but he kept nodding: "Yes... yes... this subordinate understands."

Wen Daolun understood as soon as he saw it; Zhao Linyang had also received the news and was cooperating in the act.

Immediately following this, Zhao Linyang called over several generals and whispered instructions. The latter nodded and went to handle it themselves.

Before long, the number of guards at the Nanmen of the city increased visibly.

General Red and Zhao Linyang, surrounded by the guard, climbed the high wall of the Nanchengmen.

This move was to let the enemy inside and outside the city see her more clearly—

If there were indeed ambushers in the deep mountains and wilderness outside the city gate.

It was quieter and more open on the city gate, and Wen Daolun whispered to "General Red": "Where is Commander He?"

"He has other arrangements."

"If the enemy retreats out of fear of 'General Red,' what then?"

"Commander He said that would be best. To subdue the enemy without fighting," Liutiao smiled, "We will definitely take Longchuan tonight, and even if Fu Shanlie goes back, he won't have a stronghold and can only leave this place."

He Lingchuan letting her pretend to be General Red to appear was meant to achieve a deterrent effect.

If Fu Shanlie could be scared away—although the probability was very small—the military disaster in Yuheng City tonight would be dissolved into nothingness;

If not, it could also delay the enemy's attack, buying more time for He Lingchuan to rush back.

Zhao Linyang nodded: "That would be best."

It wasn't that he was boosting the enemy's morale and destroying his own, but Panlongcheng hadn't killed a Beijia general yet; was Commander He going to be the first to break the seal? Wen Daolun wasn't so optimistic: "Retreating without firing a single arrow is not Fu Shanlie's character."

He had been the City Governor here for more than half a year, and even if he didn't command the military, he knew a thing or two about Fu Shanlie's methods.

Liutiao pointed forward: "If there are indeed ambushers ahead, Yuheng City is the main battlefield for tonight's battle."

Zhao Linyang whispered: "You guard the Nanchengmen, and I'll go down to arrange the East Gate and North Gate."

Wen Daolun also came to help: "I'll go down with you."

Hong Ming and the others hid in the dark jungle, observing the silhouettes on the Nanchengmen.

A black shadow suddenly emerged from the forest behind without a sound, approaching rapidly.

"Who!" Everyone raised their vigilance.

But Hong Ming immediately stepped forward and whispered:

"General!"

The visitor was none other than Fu Shanlie.

Although Yuheng City sent dark soldiers to guard the northern entry and exit waterways of Longchuan, they couldn't stop Fu Shanlie, who was proficient in water escape.

He slipped out of the Yuheng Army's encirclement, used the escape technique to go up the stream, and then switched to a fast horse, galloping all the way here.

"What's going on!" As soon as he stopped, he asked point-blank, "Didn't I order the attack?"

After confirming He Lingchuan's presence in Longchuan, he immediately ordered the owl to fly over and pass the order. He thought the battle here was already in full swing, but who knew that after he had gone through all the trouble to rush to the city, he saw nothing but silence! It hadn't started fighting at all! What on earth happened, and why was his well-arranged plan messed up?

Hong Ming knew he would be furious, so he hurriedly pointed to the top of Yuheng City: "General, General Red has come."

"Who?" Fu Shanlie was stunned, thinking he had misheard, and his voice raised several degrees.

"General Red of Panlongcheng." Another subordinate leaned over and said, "We just saw with our own eyes that she arrived at the Nanchengmen with dozens of people."

Fu Shanlie stared into the distance, and sure enough, he saw several people wearing dark red battle armor on the city gate tower of Yuheng City, one of whom was wearing a ghost-face mask, with a cloak fluttering in the wind.

Everyone else was surrounding her.

"That's General Red? How are you sure that's General Red?"

(End of chapter)