Chapter 161: Charging the Military Formation

"Let's go! Let's go meet these big and small Zhangs of Wudang!"

Despite having been full of awe for Zhang Jie earlier, Wang Baobao now cast it to the back of his mind.

He was the deputy commander of this army and also the Wudang Special Envoy appointed by the Great Yuan imperial court; now it was time for him to step forward.

He feared Zhang Jie, but he was unwilling to weaken the prestige of his Ruyang Prince's Mansion.

Wang Baobao, in full military attire, rode his horse to the front of the formation,

closely followed by three Tantric Great Lama guards.

He took out a bright yellow imperial decree embroidered with dragon patterns and said loudly:

"Daoist Zhang, Zhang Shaoxia, our Great Yuan Emperor intends to confer Wudang as the state religion.

Daoist Zhang will be the Great State Yang Jiaozhu, and Zhang Shaoxia will be the Small State Yang Jiaozhu, managing religious affairs in the world.

As long as the two of you agree, we will withdraw our troops immediately!"

'Great State Yang Jiaozhu, Small State Yang Jiaozhu, is it that direct?'

Zhang Jie complained in his heart.

"Grandmaster?"

Zhang Jie turned his head to look at Zhang Sanfeng.

"Handle it as you see fit."

Zhang Sanfeng gave Zhang Jie his full trust.

"Thank you, Grandmaster, for your trust."

Zhang Jie thanked him, and then he asked with interest:

"Does this management of religious affairs in the world also include Mongolian and Tibetan Tantric Buddhism?"

Mongolian and Tibetan Buddhism had been the de facto state religion for the decades since the Yuan Dynasty entered the Central Plains,

and from ordinary Mongols in Dadu to high-ranking Mongol officials and nobles, they generally believed in them.

Even the Great Yuan Emperor had repeatedly issued decrees for Living Buddhas from Tibet and

Mongolia to enter Dadu to preach the Dharma, perform great rituals, and pray for the Great Yuan.

"Since His Majesty said religious affairs in the world, it naturally includes Mongolian and Tibetan Buddhism."

Wang Baobao bowed toward the direction of Dadu and affirmed decisively.

"Oh? Is that really so?"

Zhang Jie turned his gaze to the few Lamas following Wang Baobao.

Although he hadn't met these few Lamas, he wasn't unfamiliar with them;

they were the Tantric experts specially invited by the Yuan Court from Mongolia and Tibet to check Zhang Wuji after he became the Ming Sect Leader in the original work.

Having the strength to contain Zhang Wuji, their status in Tantric Buddhism could be imagined to be not low.

And the bright yellow cassocks and lotus hats that only Great Lamas could wear also explained this.

"What a truly great man!"

Seeing Zhang Jie still able to talk and laugh under such a massive army pressing at the border and their side being outnumbered,

whether it was the Ming Sect people or the Yuan Court people who were hostile to him, they were all filled with admiration.

"Amitabha."

"If Zhang Shaoxia is willing to accept the Great Yuan's conferment, then naturally he also has the right to manage us."

The leading Great Lama among the three gave an affirmative answer.

"Amitabha!"

The other two Lamas chanted a Buddha name with sorrowful expressions.

Although they were also unwilling to accept the management of heretics,

ever since the Great Dharma Yang Jiaozhu Phagpa passed away at the Great Snow Mountain's Great Wheel Temple,

their Tantric Buddhism had no one who could contend with Zhang Sanfeng.

Originally, relying on their large numbers, and the fact that no matter how good Zhang Sanfeng was at health preservation,

he was already a hundred years old, and it was difficult for him to exert full strength many times due to old age and physical decline, they maintained a balance with Zhang Sanfeng:

that is, their Tantric Buddhism would not join the war in the Central Plains,

and Central Plains martial arts experts like Zhang Sanfeng would not be allowed to assassinate the King.

But Zhang Jie's appearance broke this balance: with the combat power he showed at the Ruyang Prince's Mansion,

even assassinating the King would have a not-insignificant success rate.

Coupled with the fact that young people are hot-blooded, no one knew if he would suddenly have a whim one day

and break into the Dadu Imperial Palace just like he broke into the Ruyang Prince's Mansion at night.

Even these Tantric experts had been guarding him day and night these days,

and the Great Yuan Emperor Borjigin Toghon Temür also couldn't sleep at night.

And it was very difficult for them to maintain such high-intensity protection for a long time;

after all, there are only thieves for a thousand days, where are there guards for a thousand days?

This time, the Yuan Emperor gave a death order: either Wudang submits, or Wudang will be wiped off the face of the earth!

They were the dead men launched by the Yuan Court and Tantric Buddhism to surround and kill Zhang Jie!

"Interesting."

A smile appeared on Zhang Jie's face, and he continued to ask with interest:

"Is the Yuan Emperor not afraid that I will pretend to accept the decree first, and then go back on my word after you withdraw?"

"Hahahaha!"

The Cloth Bag Monk and the others laughed out loud.

They were the ones managing and leading the insurgent army; the idea that "all is fair in war" was engraved in their bones.

Even the corners of Zhang Sanfeng's mouth curled up slightly:

Having lived for a hundred years, he had long seen through everything and was not at all repulsed by such tactics.

"Zhang Shaoxia is joking."

Wang Baobao also smiled:

"The officials in the imperial court naturally thought of this point, so there is another imperial decree."

A knight serving him respectfully presented an imperial decree with both hands.

Wang Baobao took the decree and read:

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Layman Yu Lianzhou of Wudang is virtuous and capable,

cultivates diligently, and has deeply won the Emperor's heart; now he is specially conferred as the Third-Rank Chongxu Daoist Yang Jiaozhu,

to enter the palace to serve by the Emperor's side, so it is decreed!"

"Second Senior Brother!"

"Second Senior Brother!"

The faces of Song Yuanqiao, Zhang Songxi, and others were extremely ugly.

All the talk about being virtuous and capable and cultivating diligently is bullshit!

The only reason the Yuan Court conferred Yu Lianzhou was for one reason,

and that is that he was the master who raised Zhang Jie from childhood, like a teacher and a father.

As for the part about serving by the Emperor's side, it is even easier to understand:

Since they couldn't simply eliminate Zhang Jie, in order to prevent Zhang Jie from either assassinating the King

or raising an army to rebel, they directly summoned Yu Lianzhou into the Imperial Palace as a hostage!

Even Yang Xiao and the others had their faces change drastically:

Since they came to Wudang to ask Zhang Jie to be the Sect Leader,

they naturally investigated Zhang Jie and knew he valued relationships and righteousness.

Don't look at the fact that Zhang Jie has already become their Ming Sect Leader;

this position of Sect Leader is probably not even worth a single hair of Yu Lianzhou in Zhang Jie's eyes!

"Sect Leader, later, even if we have to sacrifice our lives, we will cover Second Hero Yu's breakout!"

Yang Xiao and the others were afraid that Zhang Jie would waver, so they hurriedly guaranteed.

"Wuliang Tianzun!"

Yu Lianzhou's eyes were full of determination, and he had already developed a will to die:

Zhang Jie had previously expressed his ambition to expel the Yuan barbarians and restore China,

so he, as a master, naturally couldn't hold Zhang Jie back.

"Zhang Shaoxia, what have you decided?"

Looking at the panicked appearance of the Wudang and Ming Sect members, Wang Baobao felt he had the victory in his grasp.

As the Prince of the Ruyang Prince's Mansion and the future Ruyang Prince, he naturally knew the heart-worrying threat to the Great Yuan,

the Ming Sect's Left Envoy, Guardian Dharma King Wei Yixiao, and others,

and he also knew that one of the things the imperial court worried about most had happened:

that is, the unfathomable Zhang Jie and the Ming Sect, which possessed most of the anti-Yuan power, had merged.

However, they arrived in time today; under the iron hooves of the five-thousand-strong army, all obstacles would be turned into dust!

As for the other thing the imperial court worried about most, it was Zhang Jie assassinating the King.

Not to mention directly assassinating the Emperor, as long as he assassinated a few Pingzhang Zhengshi of the Xingzhongshu Province,

without these frontier officials who transmit orders from above and below, the Great Yuan's ruling foundation would collapse.

"Interesting, interesting! You have truly decided on me!"

Zhang Jie laughed in anger.

It had always been him, Zhang Jie, threatening others; when was it someone else's turn to threaten him?

"Haha!

Zhang Shaoxia, you wouldn't want Wudang, which you regard as your home, to be destroyed,

or Second Hero Yu Lianzhou, whom you regard as a teacher and father, to be harmed, right?"

Wang Baobao smiled triumphantly, not taking Zhang Jie's anger to heart at all,

but directly issuing a threat in the tone of a 21st-century netizen whose life hasn't been going well.

"Sect Leader, we will cover you and Second Hero Yu's breakout!"

Yang Xiao and the others surrounded Zhang Jie and Yu Lianzhou, their eyes firm.

They looked at each other, and all saw the determination to die in each other's eyes:

Only Zhang Jie could unite the fractured Ming Sect and realize their ambitions.

"No rush."

Zhang Jie remained calm and normal, without any tension of being trapped.

He looked at Wang Baobao and asked:

"Is the Prince not afraid that I will capture you as a hostage?

You should know that these few Lamas alone cannot stop me."

"I naturally know this."

Wang Baobao nodded.

In the battle at the Ruyang Prince's Mansion, Zhang Jie defeated the Xuanming Elders with one palm each.

Although these three Great Lamas were also extraordinary in martial arts, they did not far exceed the Xuanming Elders.

In short, as long as Zhang Jie was willing, he could defeat these three Lamas with three palms as well.

The next second, his tone changed: "However, how many such palms can you strike, Zhang Shaoxia?

And how much strength will you have left to break out and protect others?"

"As for my life, ever since I accepted this appointment,

I have already prepared to put life and death aside.

I am but a deputy general; the commander has other orders.

To have an expert like Zhang Shaoxia accompany me in death, I die for a worthy cause!"

"Interesting."

Zhang Jie looked around the army and found that there were no other generals under the great banner.

Instead, there was an inconspicuous small camp far away from them,

where messengers and scouts were denser than anywhere else.

Clearly, that was where the true brains of this five-thousand-strong army were located,

and the great banner and Wang Baobao were all bait and traps.

"Let me meet you."

Zhang Jie walked toward the forest of troops step by step.

"Sect Leader, you must not!"

Wei Yixiao and the others were shocked.

Even if Zhang Jie's martial arts were beyond their imagination, it was impossible to charge the army head-on!

"Second Hero Yu, hurry and persuade him!"

Yang Xiao urged Yu Lianzhou.

"I believe in A-Jie!

He has always planned before acting; he is not an impulsive person!"

Yu Lianzhou's tone was firm and decisive, seemingly having infinite trust in Zhang Jie.

However, his fists, with veins bulging from too much force, exposed the tension in his heart:

Since ancient times, no martial artist had ever charged a military formation head-on.

Even the Overlord, whose "bravery is unparalleled in history", had to take the divine weapon Overlord Breaking Formation Spear,

ride the divine horse Wuzhui, wear impenetrable black gold heavy armor,

and bring eight hundred warriors from his hometown of Jiangdong to behead generals, break formations, and seize flags!

"Shoot arrows, shoot arrows!"

On the Yuan army side, seeing Zhang Jie dare to approach the military formation alone, the generals shouted loudly.

"Whoosh, whoosh!"

Following the generals' roars, thousands of Yuan soldiers pulled the strings and pulled the triggers,

and dense arrows like locusts covering the sky flew toward Zhang Jie.

"Let's see how you dodge this!"

Looking at the arrows covering a hundred meters around Zhang Jie, holding a multi-stone hard bow,

the Yuan general with a ferocious iron mask showed a grim smile.

Martial arts people, it's not like they haven't dealt with them before.

One or two, these martial arts people can dodge with light-body techniques,

but with everything covered up, down, left, and right, who can dodge?

But the next second, the smile on his face froze: what did he see?

But the next second, the smile on his face froze: what had he seen?

leaving the range covered by the arrows!

"Shoot arrows, shoot arrows!"

The general's voice became hoarse at some point.

"General, we can't aim at him!"

The soldiers sighed helplessly.

Even though they, as soldiers, didn't pursue the precision of a hunter,

they just shot in the same direction, forming a range of coverage.

But Zhang Jie was too fast; in the blink of an eye, he left their range of coverage! ===== CHAPTER 162 =====

But Zhang Jie's speed was too fast; in the blink of an eye, he had left their coverage area!