piratefiction Chapter 108 The Marquis of Zhenbian
Chapter 108 The Marquis of Zhenbian
Chapter 108 The Marquis of Zhenbian
Outside the camp, the army had gathered together, a total of three thousand men.
Of the three centurions originally brought along, all except Zhou Xiong had been killed in battle, so two more had to be selected.
One of them was named Zhao Wu, and the other was named Sun Li.
Their strength is all at the Blood Transformation Realm, and they are considered fierce and brave on the battlefield.
They all came from northern Xinjiang.
However, it is some distance from the Icefield Fortress.
At this moment, the three centurions gathered around Lu Yuan, all of them wearing brand-new armor.
Zhao Wu was a man of well-proportioned build, around forty years old, skilled with a Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and adept at using a meteor hammer.
In the recent bloody battle, nearly a hundred enemies were killed.
At this moment, he leaned closer to Lu Yuan and said, "My lord, I heard that the Western Rong wolf soldiers at Moya Mountain, which the imperial court transferred from its garrison, have attacked several times, but have been driven back each time. The one leading the troops is the garrison commander."
We only have these three thousand men. What exactly does this mean?
"Don't overthink it. Just focus on killing the enemy when you get there. We're here to tackle the toughest challenges," Lu Yuan said, patting him on the shoulder.
Then, he looked at Zhou He beside him: "Are the provisions and supplies all prepared?"
"Pretty much, don't worry."
Lu Yuan nodded and didn't ask any more questions. Zhou He had always been reliable when it came to logistics.
After the team left the camp.
Heading towards Moya Mountain, when Lu Yuan passed by the battlefield again, he saw the remaining blood pits, which had frozen together.
It contained fragments of limbs, and a strong, pungent stench wafted from it.
This is still in winter; if it were summer, the flavor would be even stronger.
There could even be large-scale outbreaks of disease.
After Lu Yuan led his men through this stretch of road, they came into view of numerous villages and towns scattered like stars in the sky. Some people had migrated to the interior of the pass, but due to various reasons, their numbers were still less than one-tenth.
Even today, millions of people still live scattered across the area outside the Great Wall.
When they saw the imperial army, they all looked expectant.
These days, the Western Rong's plundering of these people has reached a frenzied level.
"It's still two days' journey to Moya Mountain from here, so everyone should stay alert," Lu Yuan said, glancing at Zhou Xiong beside him.
The dire situation outside the Great Wall caused some soldiers to feel down.
This is not what he wanted to see.
"Yes, sir!" Zhou Xiong replied and stepped back.
The army continued its march for the next two days.
On the third day, they arrived at the foot of the cliff. The mountain was not steep, and there was even a path leading up the mountain, which was quite wide.
But Lu Yuan knew that this battle would be difficult.
He saw traces of battle along both sides of the road, and even the mountain path was almost stained red.
"Let's set up camp here," Lu Yuan said from a relatively high hill after glancing around.
With the order given, the army began to set up camp.
In the distance, a group of more than ten imperial guards were observing Lu Yuan and his group.
This imperial guard was a scout dispatched by Xiao Heng.
The squad leader, who was in charge of reporting the battle situation, had a black eagle perched on his shoulder; he was the messenger.
One of the Imperial Guard soldiers said, "Boss, this army has been attacked three times already, and each time they have been scattered. This time there are only three thousand men. Although they are considered the elite of the border army, I feel it is unlikely that they can win."
"I feel the same way, but that's the rule," the squad leader said softly, taking a sip of his drink.
"What are the rules?" a soldier next to him asked.
"Since ancient times, border soldiers who want to stand out have to go through life-or-death experiences and do things that others cannot do. If Lu Yuan can survive, he has already soared to the sky. But if he can't survive, it means he is not destined to be ennobled."
This battle has only just begun.
I never expected Commander Xiao to think so highly of him.
A smile appeared on the sergeant's lips. He was an old soldier who had served in the Imperial Guard for decades and was used to such things.
Before the others could see it, the scout squad leader had already noticed something amiss.
"What you're saying is too far-fetched. Commander Xiao thinks highly of Lu Yuan, and then sends him to his death?" Several Imperial Guards soldiers around him shook their heads.
Clearly, some people didn't believe it, but the old soldier didn't explain further.
He can go home next year. He has saved some money over the years and should enjoy his retirement. I can't say for sure, but after retiring from the Imperial Guard, he should be able to become a landlord in his hometown without any problem.
With his cultivation level, he will live a very comfortable life.
What happens in the military is none of our business.
Anyway, it has little to do with me anymore.
At that very moment, Lu Yuan was also in his tent, making arrangements for tomorrow's battle.
He was accompanied by three centurions, drinking and looking at a map.
Zhao Wu took a sip of wine, looked up, and asked, "My lord, how should we attack tomorrow?"
"I checked, and there's only one road up the mountain. Let's launch a full-scale attack," Lu Yuan said slowly.
Then he looked up and continued: "Tomorrow morning I will lead the way with my shield-bearing guards, and the three of you will follow behind with your respective men. This is a temporary encampment of the Western Rong, not a fortified stronghold."
Rinsing quickly is not a big problem.
These past few days, they've looted quite a few villages and towns nearby. There's a lot of stuff inside. After we break through, I'll take half, and the rest will be divided equally among the brothers.
Lu Yuan has run out of money. Although he bought some pills this time, enough for use in the True Essence Realm, he is lacking in rare and precious medicinal materials.
Therefore, in this battle, he not only needed to make military achievements, but more importantly, he also needed to obtain enough silver to buy things.
Zhao Wu and the others nodded upon hearing this.
Sun Li then asked, "Sir, do you want prisoners?"
"No, it's too much trouble to carry them around. Just kill them all," Lu Yuan said coldly.
In fact, his greatest confidence in this battle came from himself. After reaching the True Essence Realm, he could rival those of the Innate Realm.
You should know that once your cultivation reaches the Innate Realm, you can fight three thousand armored soldiers single-handedly.
Of course, these three thousand men probably refer to border troops. If they encountered the Imperial Guards, being able to fight three hundred would be considered very strong.
Therefore, Lu Yuan was also eager to try whether he could confront this Western Rong wolf army head-on.
After the discussion of the battle was completed...
Zhao Wu and his men then withdrew.
Lu Yuan, meanwhile, was wiping the blade of his crescent-shaped sword.
This knife is very sturdy; it has withstood many fierce battles, and the blade remains sharp.
After the entire blade was wiped clean.
Lu Yuan took out a True Essence Pill and swallowed it.
Today's practice has begun.
At the same time, in Yanzhou, the northern frontier, Zhou Hongling returned to her family with a grim expression.
As they entered the hall, Zhou Ren looked at his daughter and said softly, "In officialdom, ups and downs are always inevitable. There's no need to be too anxious. The reason why this Marquis of Zhenbian, Shang Yong, was transferred here this time is actually because of the buffer zone issue."
After all, with a dutiful marquis stationed in the northern frontier, things are easier to handle with the higher-ups in the buffer zone.
"I'm not angry about that. It's that Shang Yong reprimanded you without any politeness as soon as he arrived. Moreover, he knew that Yunmo was Second Uncle's disciple, yet he still removed him from his position as Tiger Hill Commandant."
They gave some fancy excuse, saying they really didn't want to see a disabled person overworked, but that this was taking away our family's rights.
Zhou Hongling's face turned green with anger.
His chest heaved, clearly indicating that he was genuinely angry this time.
Zhou Ren took a sip of tea and said, "Calm down. We still have you. The Helian family doesn't dare to offend Shang Yong now. Our family can't stand alone."
Let's be patient for now. Our Zhou family has been a military family for generations, guarding the northern frontier. As the saying goes, "Marquises come and go, but military families remain." Shang Yong will be transferred sooner or later, and then everything will be fine. This kind of thing is very normal; our family has experienced it before.
"
Seeing that his daughter's face was still pale, Zhou Ren continued, "Unless a marquis is produced someday, this situation will be difficult to avoid in the future."
Hearing this, Zhou Hongling's face darkened; the Marquis was having a really tough time.
Not only must one possess formidable strength, but also remarkable military achievements.
This is something not just anyone can do.
Lu Yuan might be a possibility, but he is too young and his strength is insufficient.
"Alright, go back and rest. Just manage your affairs well these days and don't cause any trouble. Life in the future will definitely not be as comfortable as it used to be, but it won't shake the foundation of our family."
"Our Zhou family is stationed in Yanzhou. Although we are not as powerful as those marquises, we still have some connections. It won't be so easy for Shang Yong to bring us down; it will only cause him a little more trouble."
After saying that, he waved for Zhou Hongling to leave.
After nodding, the latter could only walk out of the hall and head towards his own courtyard.
On the other hand, Lu Yuan was unaware of all this. After a night of cultivation, he led his army out early the next morning.
The Western Rong army was clearly well-prepared.
Troops were ambushed at key points along the way up the mountain.
Baiyun Bend at Moyashan is the perfect place for an ambush. This section of the mountain road is so steep that it would be an exaggeration to say that one person could hold off ten thousand.
Although the Western Rong knew that the Dayong had not sent many people this time, they still did not slack off and sent a group of people to wait here.
The leading Western Rong general, whose strength was at the Blood Transformation Realm, carried a large axe in his hand. He was burly with a large head and wore gray armor. He squatted on the ground, eating meat while waiting for Lu Yuan and the others to arrive.
He was followed by thousands of people.
The already narrow road was completely blocked.
There were also many stones piled up in front to create obstacles.
The archers were ready and waiting for Lu Yuan and his men to arrive before launching their attack.
The border troops of Dayong suffered a loss here. So many elite Western Rong troops were blocked on a mountain road that was only a dozen meters wide.
It's too difficult to rush up there.
On one side is a stone wall, and on the other side is a cliff; there is a risk of falling if you are not careful.
As the sun rose higher, Lu Yuan arrived here with his men.
The two sides were several hundred meters apart.
From afar, one could see that the Western Rong warriors had already raised their bows and arrows. As soon as they approached the attack range, they would likely be met with a dense barrage of arrows. No wonder those border soldiers had died here.
The mountain roads were difficult to traverse, and the giant crossbows, which gave them the advantage, could not be transported up. In this narrow place, the Western Rong, who were firing from high ground, became easy targets.
Seeing this, Zhao Wu looked rather grim and said, "My lord, this road is too dangerous. I'm afraid we won't be able to make it."
Lu Yuan didn't speak, but looked at Wei Yong beside him and said, "Notify the guards to form shields and follow me!"
"Yes, sir!"
After Wei Yong responded, hundreds of guards simultaneously raised their iron shields and began to slowly advance.
It's like a giant wall.
Lu Yuan drew his bow again.
At the same time, he turned his head and shouted, "The rest of you, follow us! We must take down Moya Mountain in this battle. Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed without mercy."
Then, the python tendon bow was drawn to its full length.