Chapter 124: Luring the Enemy

As mentioned in the previous chapter, Luo Changsheng took the lead in the assault, charging at the forefront, and was on the verge of scaling the city wall!

"You brat! Take this!"

A thunderous shout suddenly rang out, followed by a low, whistling sound. A heavy object came crashing down with immense force! Luo Changsheng had nowhere to dodge and was forced to raise his rattan shield to block the blow.

With a resounding "Bang!" Luo Changsheng felt a violent jolt through his arms. The scaling ladder beneath his feet let out a series of frantic creaks. Looking up, he saw Xu Yaozu wielding a Zao-Yang lance, bearing down on him. Luo Changsheng was inwardly shocked—he had not expected this old man to possess such formidable strength despite his advanced age!

Before he could even recover his composure, Xu Yaozu shouted, "Second strike: Sweeping Autumn Wind!"

The lance swung horizontally once more. This time, Luo Changsheng dared not meet it head-on; he raised his sword to parry. As the Zao-Yang lance struck the blade, he skillfully guided the weapon downward, diverting the force elsewhere. While the momentum was deflected, a portion of the impact still resonated through his sword. Once again, the ladder beneath him groaned under the strain. Luo Changsheng’s heart pounded with alarm.

"Third strike: Fierce Dragon Turns Its Head!"

Before he could take another step, the Zao-Yang lance swung back with a vicious, whistling wind, carrying the weight of a thousand catties! Luo Changsheng was terrified; he hurriedly spread his legs, straddling the rails of the ladder, and slid downward.

"Crack!" With a sharp snap, the Zao-Yang lance smashed into the ladder, shattering the upper section into splinters. The lower half tipped over, and Luo Changsheng tumbled to the ground along with the debris. Fortunately, he was highly skilled; he performed a roll upon landing and scrambled to safety.

When he stood up, he was seething with fury. Having been on the brink of breaching the city, he had been thwarted by Xu Yaozu. He felt like tearing the old man into eight pieces!

Just as he was fuming, he heard a rhythmic, thundering sound coming from the city gate. He hurried toward the noise to find dozens of men pushing a battering ram against the gate. Arrows rained down from the battlements, instantly striking down a dozen soldiers. The rest were thrown into a panic, milling about in confusion, unable to advance or retreat.

"Do not panic! The Marshal is here!" Luo Changsheng roared, leaping forward in several bounds to reach them. "Rattan shield bearers, forward! Protect us! The rest of you, continue battering the gate!"

Luo Changsheng remained calm under fire, issuing orders with perfect clarity. Seeing their Marshal at the front, the soldiers’ morale surged, and they pushed the battering ram with renewed vigor.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Each impact was louder and heavier than the last. The city gate began to sway, on the verge of collapse!

"Hold them off! Hold them!" Xiao Ling shouted, about to leap off the wall to reinforce the gate, but Xu Yaozu grabbed him tightly.

"Ling'er, it is time to retreat! If not now, when?!"

Xiao Ling looked up at the sky and nodded repeatedly. "Uncle Xu, you retreat first; I will cover the rear!"

"Nonsense! What rear to cover?! What good can you do alone?! Retreat! We will fight while we withdraw!" Xu Yaozu dragged Xiao Ling away.

With no other choice, Xiao Ling shouted, "Retreat!" and led the garrison in a hurried withdrawal from the walls.

***

Down below, the sound of the gate being battered grew more frantic. Finally, with a thunderous "Crash!" the gate gave way, and the government troops swarmed inside. Luo Changsheng was the first to charge in, only to find the city empty. The defenders had already retreated through the back gate.

Luo Changsheng was livid. Raising his sword high, he bellowed, "Pursue them!"

Just as he reached the back gate, a massive explosion erupted with a deafening "Boom!" Fire shot into the sky, and smoke filled the air. Many of the soldiers at the gate were blown to pieces. Luo Changsheng’s face was blackened, his golden armor turned soot-gray, and a piece of flying shrapnel had pierced his shoulder, blood streaming down.

Enraged and resentful, he shrieked, "Don't let Xu Yaozu escape!"

He was about to give chase when he looked around and saw his surviving soldiers standing there in a daze, their souls seemingly terrified out of their bodies. Enraged, Luo Changsheng grabbed a soldier by the collar and dealt him two swift slaps. "You bunch of bastards! Cowards! The enemy has run off! Why aren't you chasing them?!"

He then kicked several soldiers to the ground, raised his sword, and screamed, "Pursue! Kill!" He took the lead and charged out.

Stung by the slaps and kicks, the soldiers snapped out of their stupor. Seeing Luo Changsheng charging ahead and no further explosions occurring, their courage returned, and they followed closely behind. Thus, Xu Yaozu and Xiao Ling fled ahead with Luo Changsheng in hot pursuit, chasing them for hundreds of miles until they were not far from Wild Wolf Valley.

"Whoa!" Xiao Ling reined in his horse. He looked back and, seeing that the pursuers had not yet caught up, furrowed his brows.

"Uncle Xu, you go ahead! I will go back and lure the enemy in!" Xiao Ling urged.

"Ling'er, if we go, we go together!" Xu Yaozu also turned his horse around.

"Uncle Xu, please don't cause trouble at a time like this! Marshal Murong entrusted me to take care of you! If you come with me and something happens, how can I, Xiao Ling, answer for it?" Xiao Ling’s eyes turned red with anxiety.

"Ling'er, what kind of talk is that? Do you look down on me? Do you think I'm too old? I don't need anyone to take care of me! Besides, do you really think you can lure the enemy in by yourself? It takes me to get the job done!" Xu Yaozu turned his horse, puffed out his belly, and scolded Xiao Ling before digging his heels into his steed and galloping back. "Giddy-up!"

"Uncle Xu, wait!" Xiao Ling was frantic. He ordered the troops to wait at the valley entrance and whipped his horse to follow.

They hadn't run far before they saw Luo Changsheng reining in his horse, hesitating whether to continue. He had grown suspicious—why had the pursuit been so easy? Xiao Ling and the others hadn't even defended the city properly, choosing instead to flee; this wasn't their usual style. He had heard that the义軍 (righteous army) of Black Earth City were skilled and brave; the two arrows shot by that white-armored youth earlier were proof enough. And Xu Yaozu was notoriously cunning—he couldn't fall into a trap!

He was torn between stopping and continuing. Xu Yaozu was a famous general, the master of Murong Yan and the foster father of Ye Feng; if he could capture him, he could use him to force their surrender!

Just as he was indecisive, he saw the two generals charging toward him. The portly old general was waving his Zao-Yang lance, while the white-armored general held a silver spear. As they approached, the portly old general pulled his horse to a halt.

"Luo, you call yourself a hero? Why stop now that you've chased us this far? Let me tell you, there is an ambush ahead! If you have the guts, come and challenge the 'Ten-Fold Ambush, Heaven-Net-Earth-Trap Pig-Catching Formation' I’ve set up, and see how I catch you, you big fat pig!" With that, he turned his horse and left.

***

Luo Changsheng was so furious his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Xu, where are you going?! Even if your formation is truly lethal, I will climb mountains and dive into seas to capture you!"

He spurred his horse in hot pursuit, followed closely by his cavalry and officers.

Xu Yaozu fled ahead, urging Xiao Ling, "Ling'er, run! Run! The Luo fellow is catching up!"

Xiao Ling nodded, let Xu Yaozu pass, and turned his own horse to flee. He had already decided that he would stay right behind his uncle; if Luo Changsheng wanted to catch Xu, he would have to get through him first. He would die before letting anything happen to the old man!

They hadn't run long when it became clear that Luo Changsheng’s horse was faster than Xu Yaozu’s. The gap was closing! Xiao Ling broke into a cold sweat, thinking, *Uncle, why didn't you listen to me? Now you're here, and you can't outrun him! If something happens to you, how can I face Marshal Murong?*

He realized he had to find a way to slow Luo Changsheng down. He checked his gear and found nothing but his precious bow. He immediately unhooked it from his saddle, drew an arrow, and with his left hand holding the bow and his right drawing the string, he funneled his inner strength into the shot and released it!

"Whoosh!" The arrow shot forward like a bolt of lightning, aiming straight for Luo Changsheng’s throat!

Luo Changsheng was in full pursuit. Seeing Xiao Ling protecting Xu Yaozu, he thought, *Brat! Your time has come! I’ll crush you with my mace!* He urged his horse forward, raising his iron mace to strike, when he suddenly heard the whistle of wind and saw a shadow streaking toward his face. He barely managed to dodge by leaning low in his saddle!

Before he could sit up, more arrows came whistling in, one after another, like falling stars, fast and relentless! Luo Changsheng relied on his superior skill to use his mace to parry and deflect the incoming arrows one by one.

By the time he had knocked the arrows away, he assumed Xiao Ling was out of ammunition. He looked ahead and saw that Xu Yaozu and Xiao Ling had already gained considerable distance. He was livid! Just as he was about to spur his horse forward, his subordinates called out.

"Marshal, stop! Beware of a trap!" Several generals rode up, pointing ahead. "Marshal, look! Two mountains flank a narrow gorge; the terrain is treacherous! If we rush in, the enemy only needs to set an ambush on the slopes and roll down boulders and logs—we won't be able to escape!"

Luo Changsheng finally regained his senses. He looked at the terrain and caught his breath. Two towering mountains rose into the clouds, covered in dense, lush forest. Between them lay a path no more than ten feet wide, rugged and dark, devoid of sunlight. A chilling wind blew from the gorge, howling and eerie, creating a terrifying, ghostly atmosphere.

"Whoa!" Luo Changsheng reined in his horse, not daring to advance another step.

"Oh! I'm... I'm... I'm exhausted, old Xu is!" Xu Yaozu suddenly let out a loud cry, panting heavily.

Looking ahead, the soldiers who had guarded the city were waiting at the entrance of the valley. As soon as they saw Xu Yaozu, they swarmed around him for protection. Xiao Ling also stood guard with his spear.

Luo Changsheng felt a pang of regret—he had been so close to catching him! Still, he refused to give up and shouted, "Hey! Xu, why are you running? If you have the guts, why don't we have a proper fight?"

"You... you... you talk nonsense! If you have the guts, then... then... then come and catch me! My... my... my 'Ten-Fold Ambush, Heaven-Net-Earth-Trap Pig-Catching Formation' is waiting inside for you!" Xu Yaozu pointed into the valley, gasping for air.

Was Xu Yaozu truly exhausted? He was. He was naturally portly, and his horse shared his temperament—fond of eating and drinking—so it was also quite fat and could not outrun Luo Changsheng’s mount. Had Xiao Ling not blocked the pursuit with his arrows, Xu Yaozu might well have been captured alive. With no one chasing him for the moment, he stopped his horse and panted heavily.

Luo Changsheng stared at Xu Yaozu, who was drenched in sweat, his dark face flushed the color of liver, breathing like a broken bellows. Even the horse was soaked, its legs trembling. He didn't want the duck in his hands to fly away again. He looked back at his generals.

"Generals, I will pursue Xu Yaozu alone. If there is indeed an ambush in the valley, you must absolutely not enter!"

With that, he prepared to urge his horse forward once more. If he were to charge in, it remained to be seen whether he would live, die, or be taken prisoner.