Chapter 76: Hongmen Banquet

Jiang Xiaomu's blade grew ever fiercer, each strike aimed straight at Li Zhen's vital points.

Li Zhen was forced to retreat repeatedly, his clothes torn in multiple places, blood flowing freely.

"Protect the general!"

Several deputy generals, seeing this, rushed forward heedless of death to block Jiang Xiaomu's attack for Li Zhen.

"Overestimating oneself!"

Jiang Xiaomu snorted coldly, turned his blade, and slit open a huge gash in the chest of one deputy general.

The other deputy generals, seeing this, flew into a rage, throwing themselves at Jiang Xiaomu in a desperate attempt to overwhelm him with numbers.

Li Zhen seized the chance, violently pulling back to increase the distance between himself and Jiang Xiaomu.

He drew a deep breath, endured the numbness in his arm, and pointed his spear once more at Jiang Xiaomu.

"Jiang Xiaomu, you do have some skill, but do you think this is enough to kill me? You're too naive!"

Li Zhen said through gritted teeth.

Jiang Xiaomu did not swing his blade again; his bladework became even swifter and more ruthless.

"Clang!" Another loud bang—Li Zhen's spear was shaken from his grasp, and he himself was shoved back several steps.

His chest felt suffocated, and a mouthful of blood spurted out.

Jiang Xiaomu flickered, instantly appearing before Li Zhen, his long blade thrusting straight at Li Zhen's chest.

"Pfft!" the sound of blade entering flesh—Li Zhen felt only a sharp pain in his chest.

Jiang Xiaomu's long blade had already pierced his armor, blood streaming down the blade.

"General!" the remaining deputy generals, seeing this, grief-stricken, threw themselves at Jiang Xiaomu without regard for their lives.

"General! Run!"

A deputy general bellowed, using his body to block Jiang Xiaomu's attack.

Li Zhen's eyes flashed with a complex expression; he shoved aside the deputy general in front of him and roared:

"Get out of my way! I'm going to fight this brat to the finish!"

"General! As long as the green hills remain, we need not fear running out of firewood!"

Another deputy general clung desperately to Li Zhen's leg, pleading:

"Let go!"

Li Zhen kicked that deputy general away, but this brief delay gave Jiang Xiaomu an opening.

Jiang Xiaomu's slash struck Li Zhen's chest, instantly dyeing his armor red with blood.

"General!"

The remaining deputy generals, seeing this, immediately closed in, shielding Li Zhen as they fought and retreated.

Killing intent flared in Jiang Xiaomu's eyes; he was about to pursue when Xiong Kuohai stopped him.

"Sir, do not pursue a desperate foe!"

Jiang Xiaomu drew a deep breath, suppressed his killing intent—reckless pursuit would only put him in danger.

"Pass the order: clear the battlefield, tend the wounded!"

He issued the order coldly, then turned and left; he needed to think carefully about his next plan.

Li Zhen, under the desperate cover of several deputy generals, fled in disarray from Yun Cheng.

Li Zhen lost, utterly defeated; the siege he had meticulously planned was completely smashed by Jiang Xiaomu.

"Sir, after this battle, Lixiongtu's conspiracy is utterly ruined."

Xiong Kuohai walked up behind Jiang Xiaomu, his tone excited.

Jiang Xiaomu said nothing, merely giving a slight nod.

The victory in the Yun Cheng Defense Battle spread quickly through the streets and alleys.

The people ran to tell each other, and Jiang Xiaomu's name, along with this victory, was deeply etched in their hearts.

"Have you heard? General Jiang won against the odds, crushing Li Zhen!"

"Indeed! I heard Li Zhen was slashed by him, nearly losing his life!"

"General Jiang is truly invincibly brave!"

Yunjinnian, Lord of Yun Cheng, was now seated in the hall of the City Lord's Mansion, listening to his subordinates' report.

"My lord, Jiang Xiaomu has earned great merit in this battle; his prestige is unmatched for the time being!"

Yunjinnian's face alternated between gloom and clarity.

He was pleased that Jiang Xiaomu had repelled the enemy, yet worried that his prestige would surpass his own.

"Jiang Xiaomu, what a mighty presence you have!"

Yunjinnian's tone was icy, his eyes flashing with a sinister light.

He slammed his teacup to the ground, shards flying everywhere.

"My lord, please calm your anger."

Strategist Li Huan bowed and said, a gleam flashing in his eyes:

"Jiang Xiaomu has achieved great merit in this battle, won the people's hearts, and indeed poses a threat to your position, my lord."

Yunjinnian's face darkened; his position as lord had never been legitimate, maintained only through scheming and Li Huan's support.

Now that Jiang Xiaomu's reputation grows daily, how could he not be wary?

"According to the strategist's view, how should we respond?"

Yunjinnian asked in a low voice.

Li Huan gave a cold, sinister smile and said:

"In my view, we should eradicate the root to prevent future trouble!"

Yunjinnian fell silent for a moment, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes, and he said:

"To root them out? How could that be easy?"

"Jiang Xiaomu has now won the people's hearts; if we strike directly, we fear it will provoke public anger."

"Moreover, Jiang Xiaomu is surrounded by experts as numerous as clouds; those few are all ruthless characters who eat people and don't spit out bones."

"How could it be easy to get rid of Jiang Xiaomu!"

"This matter still needs long-term planning."

Li Huan smiled faintly and said:

"City Lord, there's no need to worry; I already have a splendid plan."

"We can invite him to a celebration banquet under the pretext of holding a victory feast for Jiang Xiaomu."

"If he dares to come, we will hide swordsmen and axemen around the banquet, waiting for the chance to strike and kill Jiang Xiaomu."

"If he dares not come, we will openly arrest and execute him on the charge of plotting rebellion."

"As for his subordinates, at that time the City Lord only needs to send people to deliver them poisoned fine wine."

"As long as they drink it, they will pose no threat."

Yunjinnian listened, his expression gradually easing, and he asked again:

"What if Jiang Xiaomu doesn't come to the banquet, but instead leads his troops to forcefully leave the city?"

Li Huan smiled and said:

"My lord, you promised Jiang Xiaomu his rewards and military pay, haven't you not given them yet?"

Yunjinnian immediately understood Li Huan's meaning, and finally showed a satisfied smile.

"Good! Let's do as the military advisor says!"

Jiang Xiaomu stood in the tent, directing a few personal guards to pack the captured spoils, preparing to set out at dawn the next day to return to Wangjiang Cheng.

"Brother, do we really have to leave? Yun Cheng is so prosperous, much better than Wangjiang Cheng."

A petite figure slipped in from outside the tent—it was Jiang Xiaomu's younger sister, Jiang Xiaoyu.

Jiang Xiaomu glanced at his sister, his gaze softening somewhat.

"Xiao Yu, you're still young and don't understand these things; although Yun Cheng is nice, it's not our home."

"Moreover, here the undercurrents surge and dangers lurk everywhere; we shouldn't stay long."

Jiang Xiaoyu nodded as if half-understanding, continuing to lick her sugar figurine.

Just then, a cold mechanical voice suddenly sounded in Jiang Xiaomu's mind:

【Warning! The host is about to face mortal danger!】

【The lord of Yun Cheng, Yunjinnian, uses the celebration banquet as a pretext, but in fact has set up a Hongmen feast.】

【Intending to kill the host and all his subordinates!】

【Yunjinnian plans to hide swordsmen and axemen at the celebration banquet, waiting for the chance to slay the host.】

【At the same time, he will give the host's subordinates wine laced with deadly poison, thereby eliminating the host's forces.】

Jiang Xiaomu's face turned grim beyond imagination; he never expected Yunjinnian to be so vicious, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.