Chapter 350: Fierce Battle at Guizhou

Inside the canyon, two sheer cliffs stood like a corridor, with sparse beech and yew trees growing atop; dense coniferous branches cast mottled black shadows halfway up the mountainside. Through the thicket, occasional waterfalls could be seen plunging straight down, the roaring torrent crashing against protruding rocks, sending sprays of water splashing outward.

The canyon floor was covered with scattered gravel, while the towering cliffs on both sides enclosed the place so tightly that not even air could pass. The noon sunlight refracted within the canyon, forming only a faint halo of light, leaving many corners shrouded in shadow. A faint dampness floated in the air, mixed with the scent of moss and rotting leaves.

It was the height of summer, yet the canyon did not feel stiflingly hot. Occasionally, a gentle breeze blew through the treetops, raising a low, wave-like rustling sound, but it could not dispel the chill in the air. This silent canyon seemed as though it were cut off from the world...

The messenger seemed not to notice Li Goudan's terror, continuing to speak in a leisurely manner.

"Correct, these are indeed ambush troops. Knowing you were heading to rescue Guizhou, our Southern Border grand army has been waiting for a long time."

Before the words had fully faded, a dense mass of Southern Border soldiers drawing bows and nocking arrows appeared on the cliffs to both sides and ahead.

Judging by the numbers, there were roughly ten to twenty thousand men.

Standing right in the center of the ambush was a Southern Border officer with a sinister face and a somewhat thin build.

At that moment, he was smiling sinisterly at the prey before him, already fully prepared to strike.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu scanned the surrounding Southern Border army, raised an eyebrow, and said, "A mere handful of tens of thousands dares to engage my two hundred thousand grand army?"

The messenger sneered, "Hahaha, what does it matter if you have two hundred thousand? I long ago predicted you would lead heavy forces to rescue Guizhou, so I made early preparations, deploying hundreds of thousands of troops to feign moving far from Guizhou while actually lying in ambush, waiting only for you to take the bait before annihilating you all in one stroke!"

Li Goudan roared in anger, "A mere messenger dares to be so arrogant! Do you think I won't chop off your dog's head right now?" As he spoke, he drew the large blade from his waist and advanced step by step toward the messenger.

The messenger showed no fear whatsoever, laughing loudly instead. "Come, come on! What can you do if you kill me? Since I have established great military merits for the Southern Border, if the King of the Southern Border learns I was killed, he will surely order an even more ruthless slaughter, wiping out your entire two hundred thousand grand army! Men, kill this madman!"

Seeing the arrowheads reflecting cold light, Li Goudan, who should have been tense, actually smiled leisurely.

He said to the messenger,

"The messenger sent by Your Majesty has already died at your hands, hasn't he?"

The messenger blinked, his eyes full of mockery.

"You are quite right. That fool was captured by our troops the moment he arrived outside Guizhou."

"If not for that, I would not be standing before you now, would I?"

"Jiang Jiang Mingyu thought himself clever, wanting to rescue Guizhou. Now look, better think about who can save you!"

Li Goudan pondered for a moment, and a faint smile reappeared on his rough face.

"First using you to exchange for our messenger, then spreading false news to lure our army out to Guizhou—truly a well-calculated plan."

"However, do you really think with such a small force you can destroy my One Da Jiang's two hundred thousand grand army?"

The messenger also laughed, his laughter extremely arrogant.

"Correct, you indeed have many people, but my Commander Li, have you not looked at the terrain here?"

"Let alone Jiang Jiang Mingyu and your mere two hundred thousand; even if you had a million troops, you could not deploy them at all."

"Therefore, your fate today is only one: death, total annihilation."

As he spoke, his face alight with excitement, he became even more arrogant.

The Southern Border messenger's eyes gleamed as he laughed hysterically, "Hahaha, Jiang Jiang Mingyu, you thought yourself invincible under heaven, wanting to continue occupying my Southern Border's lands and make my Southern Border submit at your feet! Today I will make you understand that defeating the Southern Border is not so easy!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said calmly, "Oh? A mere small soldier dares to speak such threats before me?"

The messenger shouted sternly, "A mere small soldier? I, acting on the command of the King of the Southern Border, led the elite forces of the Southern Border to lie in ambush here, solely to execute you, this madman!"

Having spoken, countless Southern Border soldiers surged out from both sides of the hillside, holding sharp arrows, completely surrounding the grand army.

Li Goudan saw that the messenger had already gone mad and lost all reason, paying him no heed at all. Just as he hesitated whether to strike, Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly spoke, his tone as calm as ever, "Haha, it seems I underestimated you. You actually penetrated our grand army's plan to rescue Guizhou, set an ambush, and sought to place my grand army in a death trap. Your strategy is indeed not bad."

The messenger, proud and arrogant, burst into another round of wild laughter, "Jiang Jiang Mingyu, the balance of power between us is now clear. With my tens of thousands of elite soldiers, plus the hundreds of thousands of troops outside the city surrounding us on all sides, while you and I are merely two hundred thousand, how can you oppose my ten thousand armies? Between you and me, victory and defeat have already been decided!"

"Jiang Jiang Mingyu, you were merely lucky, seizing the initiative to destroy Great Feng and Other Xi Xia! Today I have specially set this ambush to make you understand what true military strategy and clever tactics are! My Southern Border's hundred thousand mighty troops surround you, and the five hundred thousand grand army stationed in Guizhou can break out of the encirclement and cut off your retreat at any moment. What heavenly power do you have left to escape alive?!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu replied unhurriedly, "Oh? You say there are five hundred thousand grand troops in Guizhou? That is truly wonderful news. I was just hoping they would appear quickly; eliminating these flies would make things much easier."

The messenger flew into a rage, pointing at Jiang Jiang Mingyu's nose and scolding, "Jiang Jiang Mingyu, you are too ungrateful! I deliberately showed mercy, allowing your entire army to surrender and become slaves of the Southern Border, perhaps you could still drag out a miserable existence! Yet you still dare to be stubborn. Do you think I won't order your execution with a single command?"

Li Goudan's anger also surged; he drew his blade and advanced on the messenger, "A mere traitor dares to be so reckless! Do you think I won't make you understand what it means to wish for death but live?"

The messenger laughed heartily, "Come on! What can you do if you chop me? Since your One Da Jiang's fierce general has such a temper, seeing me killed will surely ignite the killing intent in your army's hearts, won't it? At that time, my Southern Border grand army will take advantage of your army's confusion to annihilate you in one stroke, leaving not a single bone behind!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu sneered, "You wish to compare military strategy? Then I will let you see what the supreme strategy is! Li Goudan, hold back!" Having spoken, he stepped aside, raised his head slightly, and shouted loudly to the sky, "Everyone, you may reveal yourselves! Give our Southern Border friends a surprise!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu narrowed his eyes, a faint cold smile curling his lips, and said calmly, "Do you know who the most pitiful person is?"

The messenger was utterly confused, shaking his head to indicate he did not understand.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes grew dark, his voice low, "Those who think themselves clever are the most pitiful people in this world."

The messenger's heart gave a "thud," and a chill rose within him. He struggled to remain calm, forcing a look of surprise onto his face, "What does the General mean? I do not understand."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu snorted coldly, offering no direct reply, and simply waved his hand, saying, "Never mind, you will understand."

His gaze turned toward the hillside, as if waiting for something.

Just then, a clear sound of an arrow's fletching came from the hillside. The messenger alertly raised his head, only to see a streak of Bai Guang shooting toward him.

"Clang—"

The head of the so-called Commander Li fell to the ground with the sound, blood splattering in all directions, covering the messenger's face.

"No good, we've fallen into a trap!" The messenger's heart turned to ash; he finally understood that Jiang Jiang Mingyu had long seen through his identity, and this entire affair was nothing but a trap!

"Surround them! Let not a single one escape!"

Feng Feng Xiwei's command rang out; eighty thousand cavalry from the Iron Cavalry Camp dug their hooves into the ground, moving as if through an empty world, quickly surrounding the ten thousand Southern Border soldiers on the hillside.

"Ahhh—" Desperate screams rose one after another; before the Southern Border soldiers could regain their senses, they were hacked to death beneath the horses.

"Stop!" The messenger, filled with grief and fury, shouted for mercy, yet could not stop this premeditated massacre.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked at him expressionlessly and said coldly, "I can least bear to see people like you, who resort to any means for power and profit."

At that very moment, a Southern Border soldier broke through the encirclement and rushed straight at Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

"Die!" The Southern Border soldier roared, raising his knife to strike at Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

"Watch out!" The messenger instinctively shouted a warning.

"Your Majesty, be careful!" Seeing the situation, Feng Feng Xiwei leaped forward, blocking the path in front of Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

The Southern Border soldier's long blade was only a hair's breadth from Feng Feng Xiwei, about to strike down.

Suddenly, a great force from behind restrained the Southern Border soldier, slamming him hard onto the ground.

It turned out to be Yang Jiu, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's personal bodyguard captain, who had rushed forward.

"That was close!" Feng Xiwai let out a long sigh of relief. Jiang Jiang Mingyu also nodded slightly and thanked Yang Jiu.

Not far away, the slaughter continued, with screams and wails rising and falling in waves.

The soldiers of the Iron Cavalry Camp had gone berserk with killing intent; they were fierce warriors personally trained by Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

And now, the Southern Border soldiers who might threaten Jiang Jiang Mingyu's life had only provoked their murderous rage further.

Thus, this group massacre was nearly impossible to stop; no matter how the messenger pleaded, it was of no avail.

The messenger knelt on the ground, his body completely limp. He finally realized he was merely a cannon fodder pawn of Mu Mu Feihang, and this deception was destined to wipe them all out.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu watched the messenger's wretched appearance with cold eyes, sneering, "Now, you should understand, shouldn't you?"

"It is clear you are no ordinary soldier. Speak: who are you?"

The false messenger did not hide anything; he replied with a cold laugh.

"My name is Gong Guang. I am a deputy general under Governor Mu."

"Having fallen into your hands, this general has nothing to say. Kill me or flay me; do as you please."

He stiffened his neck, adopting the appearance of one offering his neck for execution.

Seeing that this was still a big fish, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's smile seemed to brighten considerably.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu narrowed his eyes, examining Gong Guang kneeling on the ground with interest: "Oh? Governor Mu's trusted talent is nothing more than this. It seems the battle for Guizhou is undoubtedly a victory for One Da Jiang!"

Gong Guang ground his teeth, refuting with a harsh voice and fierce expression: "Jiang Jiang Mingyu, you overestimate yourself! My lord has deployed troops and made arrangements perfectly. The city of Guizhou is as solid as a metal fortress; even ten Jiang Mingyus would be powerless against it!"

"Hah! Spouting nonsense!" Li Goudan delivered a heavy kick, knocking Gong Guang to the ground, but was stopped by a wave of Jiang Jiang Mingyu's hand. "Come, come. I need him alive to extract information. Hold back for now."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu kicked aside the corpse beside Gong Guang and smiled: "General Gong, your words are too sharp. It must be that our army pressing at the gates has finally exposed Governor Mu's flaw. Tell me: how is the defense of Guizhou City? How many defenders are there?"

Gong Guang struggled to prop himself up, spitting a mouthful of saliva at Jiang Jiang Mingyu's feet: "Go to hell! I, Laozi, will never reveal secrets! Someone! Hurry and behead me!"

"You Gong Guang! I'll skin you alive!" Li Goudan flew into a rage and was about to rush forward, only to be blocked again by Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu frowned, thought for a moment, then signaled Feng Xiwai beside him before turning to Gong Guang: "General Gong, I see you are no pushover. How about we discuss terms? If you are willing to compromise, perhaps you can still escape with your life intact."

Gong Guang sneered: "Save your breath, Jiang Jiang Mingyu! I will show no mercy to scoundrels like you! Bring it on!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu waved his hand, and a dozen brave warriors from the Iron Cavalry Camp quickly surrounded Gong Guang. The lead fierce general exerted his arms, snapping both of Gong Guang's arms directly!

"Aaaah—!"

Gong Guang screamed in pain, sweat beading on his forehead, yet he still clenched his teeth, refusing to reveal secrets.

"Hmph, truly a stubborn bone! You can withstand even this?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu sneered. He knew well that extracting information from a fierce general like Gong Guang would be no easy task.

As dusk approached, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's scouts returned covered in dust, reporting that the city ahead was indeed Guizhou, and its citizens were suffering under the siege of the Southern Border army. Jiang Jiang Mingyu pondered for a moment, then ordered Tu Tu Kesiluo: "Go tell Fu Xing Shangshan Jian: tomorrow, our allied forces will attack from three sides and utterly exterminate these Southern Border scum!"

Tu Tu Kesiluo accepted the order and departed. Deputy General Feng Xiwai, worried, said: "My lord, our soldiers have marched all day and are utterly exhausted. Should we rest briefly before moving to rescue Guizhou?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu shook his head: "Time is critical; Song An and the others are already on the brink of despair in Guizhou! We must fight quickly and decisively. Notify all company captains: march at night to the east of the city and launch the attack at dawn!"

The generals accepted the orders and left to relay them. Jiang Jiang Mingyu, with a grave expression, gazed at the dark wilderness ahead, silently chanting: "Song An, Fu Xing Shangshan Jian, you must hold on!"

At the fourth watch of the night, the army arrived silently within the cover of a forest five li from Guizhou's East Gate. Jiang Jiang Mingyu, his face solemn, summoned Tu Tu Kesiluo again to discuss strategy: "Before us, besides the East Gate, there are two heavily guarded North and South Gates, and Governor Mu Mu Feihang's main camp five li away. We must quickly breach the East Gate, then head straight for the South Gate to link up with Song An and Fu Xing Shangshan Jian, using a three-sided encirclement tactic to annihilate Mu Mu Feihang!"

Tu Tu Kesiluo said in a deep voice: "My lord, rest assured. I estimate the East Gate defenders are very few. As long as we use a feint to tie down the Southern Border reinforcements at the North and South Gates, we can quickly slaughter our way into the city!"

As the sky gradually brightened, Jiang Jiang Mingyu and Tu Tu Kesiluo gave detailed instructions to each division. Immediately, Li Goudan raised the command flag, and amidst shouts, the Iron Cavalry Camp charged toward the East Gate fortress like an arrow leaving the string!

Shortly after, at the first quarter of the Mao hour.

Seeing the signal arrow carrying a pale blue smoke shoot into the sky, Li Goudan raised his blade and shouted.

"Iron Cavalry Camp, kill!"

As he spoke, eighty thousand elite cavalrymen, blades sharpened and ready, charged toward the distant Southern Border soldiers.

The enemy army surged forward like a mountain roaring and a sea surging. The unprepared Southern Border soldiers instantly panicked.

Before one Southern Border soldier could even swing his weapon, Zheng You, rushing head-on, chopped him into two pieces with a single blade strike.

The troops brought by Mu Mu Feihang totaled only one hundred thousand. Besides those killed by Jiang Jiang Mingyu, the rest were scattered outside the four gates of Guizhou City.

On Jiang Jiang Mingyu's side, the Iron Cavalry Camp alone numbered eighty thousand.

Facing the charge of Tu Tu Kesiluo and the other two, and the massive numerical disparity, the Southern Border soldiers blocking the East Gate soon could not hold.

Just as they fled in disarray toward the South Gate, Song An inside the city led his thirty thousand troops and charged out of the South Gate.

Such a sudden turn of events made Mu Mu Feihang, who had been constantly troubled by how to breach the city, overjoyed.

Damn it, you finally came out.

He drew his waist sword and licked his dry, cracked lips.

"Brothers, destroy them, seize Guizhou, kill!"

Before his men had charged very far, a cannon shot suddenly erupted from far behind his rear army.

Immediately followed Fu Xing Shangshan Jian's extremely hoarse voice.

"Leave not a single one alive."

Mu Mu Feihang gripped the sharp blade in his hand tightly; his lips had peeled from prolonged dryness. Staring at the panicked Southern Border soldiers below the city, a wave of wild elation surged in his heart—this was the taste of victory!

Just then, a dull cannon shot came from behind. Mu Mu Feihang's smile froze on his face. He turned in terror and saw a sky filled with rolling dust and smoke surging forward.

"What is happening? Fu Xing Shangshan Jian and his subordinates were surrounded by our main forces; how is it possible for them to break out?" Mu Mu Feihang muttered to himself.

Just then, a soldier in iron armor stumbled forward, his face deathly pale: "Reporting to the Governor! Bad news! Jiang Jiang Mingyu has brought troops to reinforce Song An!"

"What? Jiang Jiang Mingyu? Impossible!" Mu Mu Feihang was shocked, "According to the plan, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's main army should have been led into a death trap by Gong Guang. Even if not completely annihilated, he should have suffered heavy losses. How could he possibly arrive at Guizhou with a complete force in just three days?"

The soldier, his face solemn, said: "Governor, I do not know how Jiang Jiang Mingyu managed this. But now his army has reached the city walls and is linking up with Song An!"

Mu Mu Feihang fell silent. He knew the soldier spoke the truth. At this moment, guessing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's movements was meaningless; the most urgent matter was to make the correct response immediately.

"My lord, the situation is now extremely unfavorable for us," the adjutant beside him spoke up. "Perhaps we should temporarily retreat and wait for an opportunity to strike. What do you think?"

Mu Mu Feihang snorted and said coldly: "Retreat? What nonsense! When has Mu Mu Feihang ever fled from a battlefield?"

"Mr., now Song An and Jiang Jiang Mingyu have joined forces, their strength far exceeding ours. Moreover, Fu Xing Shangshan Jian has led his army to break through the encirclement. The situation is extremely unfavorable for us!" the adjutant urged anxiously.

"I don't care! Even if it means mutual destruction, I will fight them to the death!" Mu Mu Feihang roared.

The strategist sighed helplessly. He knew that further advice was futile now; Mu Mu Feihang was determined to fight to the end.

At that moment, a long, piercing cry suddenly rose from the city wall: "Mu Mu Feihang, your doom has arrived! Why not kneel down and accept death!" It was Song An standing atop the wall himself, screaming at Mu Mu Feihang.

Mu Mu Feihang looked up into the distance and said in hatred, "Song An, today I will ensure you leave not even a bone behind!"