Chapter 249 |
Chapter 249 You Killed My Master...
"Here they come!" Lin Wanrong exclaimed in great excitement. Hurriedly, he rose from his chair and gazed into the distance.
The approaching army seemed to be in the thousands, predominantly cavalry, their warhorses tall and majestic. The warriors atop these horses were fierce and aggressive, emanating an aura of lethality. At a single glance, it was evident that they were not ones to be easily trifled with.
Lin Wanrong scrutinized the army for a few moments, then turned to Gao Qiu and Hu Bugui, asking, "Brothers, can you help me look for any women among their ranks?"
After surveying for a while, Gao Qiu and Hu Bugui shook their heads, "We see no women."
Nodding, Lin Wanrong ordered, "Alright, Li Sheng, fire at my command—"
Cannons boomed simultaneously, and in a blink, dozens of cavalrymen were knocked from their horses. However, these men were notably tenacious. In an instant, they rushed forward a considerable distance. Lin Wanrong smirked, about to order another volley, when suddenly, two to three hundred infantrymen surged out from the cavalry formation. With white turbans around their heads, their upper bodies bare, and faces smeared with paint depicting monstrous figures, they struck a terrifying image.
"Oh White Lotus Holy Mother, shield your faithful followers, where blades and spears fail to penetrate, and cloud-riding prevails—" These oddly dressed White Lotus warriors, brandishing their massive cleavers, chanted slogans as they charged toward the front lines.
Several soldiers shot arrows at them. The arrows hit and penetrated their flesh, but these White Lotus fanatics seemed oblivious to the pain. Their faces showed no signs of suffering as they bravely charged forward.
This was probably the White Lotus Sect's suicide squad. ‘Damn, I despise these charlatans,’ Lin Wanrong muttered under his breath. He didn't believe the claim about invulnerability; they must be using some sort of pain-suppressing concoction. But his disbelief alone wouldn't change anything. The power of faith was deeply rooted in people's hearts, and the sight before them had dealt a significant blow to his soldiers. This pseudo-sorcery needed to be debunked.
Lin Wanrong drew the musket from his pocket, and with two quick shots, two of the charlatan warriors fell. One was hit in the chest, the other had his head blown apart. Seeing these warriors collapse, the soldiers erupted in cheers.
Gao Qiu was also swift to act. With a swift movement, he dashed into the enemy ranks as fast as lightning. His blade flashed, decapitating more than ten foes in an instant.
"Brothers, fear not," Lin Wanrong yelled. "These charlatans are playing tricks. Aim your arrows at their eyes, their heads—"
Hu Bugui, wielding a powerful bow, sent an arrow whizzing through the air, hitting one of the monstrous figures squarely in the forehead. The arrow pierced through the skull, and the warrior dropped dead without a sound.
"Aim for their heads—" The soldiers suddenly came to their senses and adjusted their targets, focusing on the enemies' eyes and heads. The White Lotus suicide squad fell one after another. The soldiers' morale soared, and in a short while, they had felled the two hundred enemies with their arrows.
After this assault, Li Sheng's artillery fire ceased momentarily, and the remaining enemy, the cavalry advanced further. It appeared they were determined to carve out a path through bloodshed.
The leader of the enemy cavalry had a broad, black face that suggested a significant presence. Hu Bugui suddenly exclaimed, "General, look! That man is the White Lotus Holy King, Lu Kanli."
White Lotus Holy King? And he was surnamed Lu? Lin Wanrong's mind raced. Could it be that Lu Zhongping was his son? That would explain why Xian'er's master had insisted on rescuing Lu Zhongping. He wondered about the origins of Xian'er's master. Since the Holy King had chosen to flee, it indicated that the fall of Jining City was imminent. However, Xian'er was still missing, which made Lin Wanrong incredibly anxious.
"Aim at the Holy King—fire!" Lin Wanrong commanded furiously, his wrath stoked by his failure to locate Xian'er. His wrath was directed towards this Holy King, Lu Kanli.
Li Sheng lived up to his reputation. He aimed the five cannons at Lu Kanli. In an instant, another hundred White Lotus cavalrymen were annihilated. However, the soldiers surrounding Lu Kanli shielded him with their own bodies, ensuring his temporary safety.
"Archers, prepare—" Seeing that the cavalry had left more than two hundred corpses behind and were already near the government army's front lines, Li Sheng stopped the cannons and ordered loudly.
The Divine Machine Unit launched volley after volley of arrows from repeating crossbows at the remaining White Lotus cavalrymen, killing another three to four hundred. Only the Holy King, Lu Kanli, narrowly survived, protected by his guards who used their own bodies as shields. Faced with the remaining five hundred cavalries, Hu Bugui, licking his lips excitedly, requested, "General Lin, allow me to fight!"
"Allow us to fight!" Several thousand-man commanders also requested to participate.
If it was a fight of five thousand against five hundred, even Lin Wanrong would have jumped at the opportunity. He laughed and said, "If that's the case, Brother Hu, as well as the other thousand-man commanders, each of you lead a thousand elite cavalrymen to capture Lu Kanli. Whoever captures him first will be rewarded."
"Understood!" The thousand-man commanders excitedly accepted the order. They all knew what it meant to capture the White Lotus Holy King, Lu Kanli. In a fight where they outnumbered the enemy ten to one, who wouldn't be excited? Five thousand elite cavalrymen charged forward, shaking the ground with the thunder of their horses. They kicked up a cloud of dust and in the blink of an eye, the five hundred White Lotus members were swallowed in a sea of men.
Leisurely sipping his tea, Lin Wanrong knew that no matter who captured the Holy King, the credit would go to him, the General of the right wing vanguard. Ah, with so many accomplishments, would he really have to replace Xu Wei and become a marshal? Such a thought was not honorable.
Turning to Du Xiuyuan, Lin Wanrong asked, "Brother Du, does the White Lotus Sect have only one top leader, the Holy King? Capturing him is not satisfying enough."
Watching Hu Bugui battle fiercely against the guards of the White Lotus Holy King in the distance, Du Xiuyuan laughed and said, "This Lu Kanli was originally a powerful warlord from Shandong. After he was persuaded to join forces with the Holy Mother of the White Lotus Sect, they founded the sect together. As for the top leaders, besides him, there's only the Holy Mother."
White Lotus Holy King and White Lotus Holy Mother? Were they a couple? Could this Holy Mother of the White Lotus be Xian'er's master?
In the midst of their conversation, they saw Hu Bugui sever the legs of Lu Kanli's horse with a single strike. The White Lotus Holy King tumbled to the ground, struggling and with a look of terror on his face. Hu Bugui charged forward on his horse, leaned over and hoisted Lu Kanli above his head single-handedly. He bellowed, "Lu Kanli is captured! You White Lotus rebels, surrender now!"
Lin Wanrong rose to his feet and laughed heartily. "Excellent, Brother Hu has performed a great deed. We have surely stolen the limelight this time."
Du Xiuyuan respectfully said, "General, now that Lu Kanli is captured and the west gate lacks strong troops, I request permission to attack! Let us seize Jinan and create new victories for our army."
"Good, permission granted!" Lin Wanrong exclaimed.
Du Xiuyuan shouted, "Brothers, the White Lotus Holy King Lu Kanli has been captured by our army. We'll breach Jinan City next, and our army will be highly honored. Into Jinan City, then home for the New Year! Charge—"
Five thousand foot soldiers surged towards the city like a tidal wave, excitement on their faces. With the west gate virtually undefended, capturing it was as good as done.
Triumphant, Lin Wanrong mounted his horse, ready to join the battle. Suddenly, he heard a light whistle. A woman leaped out from the city, effortlessly soaring several feet into the air. She appeared like an ethereal fairy walking on waves. The woman was indescribably charming, with peach-like eyes and an alluring face. Her curvy body was mature and enticing, like a fully ripened peach.
Caught off guard, Lin Wanrong wondered, ‘Who is this seductress, so dangerous to men? Her movements seem to defy the laws of gravity.’ He turned to Gao Qiu and asked, "Brother Gao, is this the legendary lightness skill?"
Gao Qiu solemnly nodded. "Indeed. Brother Lin, this woman is highly skilled, I fear I am no match for her."
Lin Wanrong chuckled. "Who cares if you're no match? We have cannons and repeating crossbows. Why should we fear her?"
‘This little lady thinks she can play with lightness skills, huh?’ He waved to the back and commanded, "Li Sheng, aim at that woman. Repeating crossbows, cannons, let them all loose!"
At Li Sheng's command, thousands of arrows from repeating crossbows shot toward the woman. No matter how skilled she was, facing a swarm of arrows, she had no chance to fight back. After she was forced to retreat under the arrow rain, Li Sheng adjusted the cannon. In the booming sound, several cannonballs whistled out. The woman narrowly escaped being scorched by the cannonballs, and her state was incredibly disheveled.
Lin Wanrong chuckled darkly. ‘A martial arts expert, huh? And a beautiful one at that. Well, I too am half an expert, but I've never been as ostentatious as you, showing off your skills as if you're afraid people won't recognize your expertise. A few cannon shots from me and see how 'high' you can be.’
Under the barrage of crossbows and cannons, the woman could no longer withstand the assault. After a thunderous cannon blast, the beautiful martial arts expert screamed and collapsed to the ground.
Leading the army, Du Xiuyuan furiously stormed toward the city gate. In the blink of an eye, they broke into the city.
"Jinan City has fallen, Jinan City has fallen—" Lin Wanrong, leading thousands of soldiers, roared in unison. The White Lotus Army, still resisting, was terrified and quickly subdued.
"Master—" From the west gate, a young woman suddenly rushed out, running frantically towards the fallen female expert.
"Xian'er—" Lin Wanrong jumped up instantly. ‘My little treasure, you finally showed yourself.’
"General, should we attack this female thief?" Li Sheng asked.
"Attack your head! That's my wife!" Lin Wanrong snapped, spurring his horse, and darted toward Qin Xian'er like an arrow.
As he approached, he leaped off his horse to see Qin Xian'er with her hair disheveled, her face pale and haggard. Her pretty cheeks were stained with tears, and she looked dazed and foolish, kneeling on the ground, staring blankly at the female martial arts expert who had been bombarded by the cannons.
"Xian'er, Xian'er—" Lin Wanrong called out softly.
Qin Xian'er turned around and looked at him blankly. A flicker of joy crossed her face, then tears started to stream down again. She covered her face with both hands and said, "Young Master, you killed my master—"
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