Chapter 13 Chapter Twenty-Eight

The mountain road is rugged. As fewer and fewer people walk, the road is almost obliterated.Cao Wendao cursed as he walked, "Damn it, is this the way people walk?" Xing Tiefeng and Yang Yi have been promoted because of their official backgrounds, and have become Pu Anli's subordinates.The current number of the Qianfeng Battalion is 983 people, divided into two teams, Cao Wendao was promoted to Xiaoqi, and the unified battalion was 500 people.The other Xiaoqi is Qian Wenyi. Because he has no backer, after Xing Tiefeng and Yang Yi left, he stayed in the forward battalion, and I took command of the forward battalion again. He, the centurion who once commanded the forward battalion on behalf of him, was overtaken by Cao Wendao. Retired as the second battalion Xiaoqi.After setting off, he also looked at me a little strangely, always avoiding me.Indeed, even if he betrayed me once, he must never have imagined that I would be reinstated.Although compared with that time, he has been promoted by one level, but I still have the original title, but I am still five levels higher than him.

We set off on November 17th.After I left, the Pioneer Battalion also made a lot of military exploits. It is now a rotation break, and they came down from Beining City. They did not expect to march to Fudun City again without stopping. Although they didn't say it clearly, they secretly complained. It is winter now, and many plants and trees are withered and yellow. If it is summer, the weeds on the road will grow so hard that it is difficult for people to walk, and they will probably curse people even more.I held Fei Yu back and looked back at the team behind me.The team of less than a thousand still lined up in a long line that was almost endless, winding on the mountain road.It was getting dark soon, and I said loudly: "Send the order, everyone rests on the spot and prepares to shoot."

It will take about ten days to travel from the imperial capital to Fudun City.Although the distance is about the same as the distance from Dongping City to the Imperial Capital, this section is mostly a mountain road, high and low, winding and rugged, which is far worse than the Wumaguan Road from Dongping City to the Imperial Capital, so the time spent on the road will be much longer. double.I still remember the Zengwang Valley that I met on the road when I first came here. Since the Li Tuan Rebellion in Tianshui Province, the people have lived in dire straits, and many people have entered the mountains as bandits, making this road even more desolate.We left the imperial capital for three days, and are now in the territory of Ulchi Province, and we will reach the border of Tianshui Province in a few days.

The troops gathered in one place, and every ten people formed a pile and lit a bonfire. For a while, the road was dotted with fire.I took the saddle off Fei Yu's back, sat on the ground and baked a cold steamed bun.The steamed buns are dry and hard after being cold, but when baked on the fire, they reveal a burnt aroma. Then cut a piece of roasted meat and sandwich it. The hot oil soaks the steamed buns, and it tastes crispy and fragrant. The taste is not bad.I was eating when Cao Wendao sat over and asked, "General Chu, do you want to drink?" I took the wine and took a sip.His wine wasn't good either, it was bland and tasteless, just slightly alcoholic.I said: "You tell the brothers to be careful, the road is not peaceful, so you have to cheer up."

Cao Wendao also took a sip of his wine, wiped his mouth and said, "I have ordered people not to relax their guard. Damn it, Qian Wenyi has the cheek to go with us." Qian Wenyi hasn't spoken to me since he left, so he probably has no face to see me.I whispered: "Keep down, he's not at fault." "Isn't it wrong for him to be a duplicitous villain?" Cao Wendao was a little unconvinced.Although I am considered his superior, I am five ranks higher than him in terms of military rank, but he always speaks to me in this tone, so I can't say anything about him.Cao Wendao is actually very subtle, but he has a bad temper, which is probably his temperament.He can be trusted with a temperament like his. He is not as gloomy as Qian Wenyi.

I said: "General Qian has his own difficulties, so don't criticize him too much." It's not because I'm generous, but now Qian Wenyi is still a battalion of brave cavalry, so I can't treat him for no reason. Cao Wendao couldn't refute me, so he drank another sip of wine, and said angrily: "He's also sensible, so he doesn't come here to cause trouble." Although Qian Wenyi was taciturn, he still carried out my orders to the letter. The battalion he led already had the shadow of the vanguard battalion back then, and it seemed to be stricter than the 500 men led by Cao Wendao.

It was getting dark.The mountain wind blows, and the pines roar like a continuous roar.Looking at the darkness in front of me, a sense of emptiness suddenly surged in my heart. Life is like a dream, and time is like a knife.This knife cut Changmeng, and cut too many scars on the bottom of my heart, how much can I still remember?Maybe, it won't take too long, I will forget everything, everything in the past is gradually like a dream. I stood up and walked forward.It was already dark, and there was only twilight in the west.The purple glow gradually faded.Once upon a time, when I was a child, I also saw such a twilight.

That was when I first entered military school.At that time, I was still a half-year-old child. On the evening of the day when I first entered the military academy, because of a sudden confusion, I stood alone on the mountain next to the military academy and looked into the distance.I didn't miss home, my father was too strict with me, so I was always a little afraid to go home, but that day, when the gorgeous sunset was surging in the sky, what I thought of was the incomparable emptiness and loneliness.It was the loneliness of forgetting everything, as if I was the only one left in the world, and no one would hear me even if I screamed.

The world is eternal, but life is short, like a drop of dew on the tip of grass, it will disappear in the blink of an eye.Those rhetoric of "conquering the world" is at best a ridiculous lie.What is conquered is not the world, but human beings, and we will always be prisoners of this world. As I was thinking, another gust of wind blew by, making me feel a little chilled.Because I had to go a long way, I put all my battle armor on the car, and I only had a layer of soft armor under my coat, and it was really cold now. I was just about to go back to the fire to warm up, when suddenly there was a burst in the middle of the team. ringing.

Cao Wendao was baking a steamed bun by the fire, when he heard the sound he jumped up and shouted, "What happened?" I said, "I'll go over and have a look, you're here, be careful." Hearing the voice, he wasn't very panicked, and I'm afraid it's not a serious problem.I turned over and jumped on the horse, reached the middle of the team, and shouted: "What's the matter?" A centurion came over and saluted and said, "Controller, a few refugees suddenly appeared to beg for food." Only then did I notice three ragged men sitting by the fire, wolfing down food, and Qian Wenyi was sitting next to them.I jumped off the horse and walked over, saying, "Hey, where are you from?"

The three people were two men and one woman, one old, two young, three. One man was in his forties, the woman was eighteen or nineteen years old, and the other boy was only fifteen or sixteen years old. They were probably a family of three.Hearing what I said, the three of them stood up at once, knelt down in front of me and said, "General, we are refugees who escaped from Chengmei Province. These are my son and daughter. We haven't eaten for three days. Please tell me, General." Have mercy." Among the four provinces in China and the West, the territory of Chengmei Province is the strangest. It is close to Tianshui Province and is in the shape of a long strip.This is because Chengmei Province is built on the mountain, sandwiched between two large mountain ranges, the two mountain ranges are full of peaks, and the road is difficult. Except for the northern part of the province, the transportation is relatively convenient, and the rest of the province is a barren land.Shihu City, the capital of Chengmei Province, is the largest city among the twelve cities. The population of the province is about 1.2 million, and more than 1 million live in the north.Among the nineteen provinces of the empire, the one with the greatest difference between the north and the south in a province should be counted as the province of Mei.The southern part of Chengmei Province is still south of Tianshui Province, and it probably has already fallen into the hands of the snake people. If these two people escape from Chengmei Province, it will be the same way as when I escaped from Gaojiu City. I looked at them. Although the boy was kneeling on the ground, he was still devouring food, but the girl had a calm attitude.When I saw her, my heart skipped a beat. Her eyes were slightly familiar, but I couldn't tell.Her appearance is quite upright, with a pair of big eyes looking forward, very energetic, a little shy, because the clothes on her body are already torn into shape, a piece of snow-white skin is exposed on her shoulders, and there are quite a few soldiers standing beside her. secretly looked at her.As soon as I saw her, my heart felt like I was hit hard. I sighed and said to the centurion, "Bring three pieces of clothes, and some dry food." The centurion took three garments.There were only some casual clothes in the army, so I gave them something and said, "I'm really sorry, but we can't give you the strength of your feet. Fortunately, the imperial capital is not far away, and you will be there in ten days after walking." From Chengmei to here, the road is really difficult enough.The man took the things, tears suddenly flowed from his eyes, he kowtowed and said, "Thank you, General, thank you, General." I sighed and said, "You guys can rest here today." The man said: "General, you have military affairs. We dare not disturb you. We are lucky to be able to ask for something to eat. Wenmei, Wenhua, come and kowtow to the general." He thankfully led the two young men away.I was looking at their backs, and I was meditating when Qian Wenyi's voice suddenly sounded next to my ears: "General Chu, why did you let them go?" This is the first time he has spoken to me.He spoke very softly, and I also said softly, "Whether it's true or not, it's always true that they were hungry for a few days." Qian Wenyi was taken aback, and said, "General Chu, so you can see it too." I smiled and said: "That's right. The man's right index finger and thumb have calluses, which are formed by people who often draw bows. The girl's clothes are worn out. It is reasonable that the first thing he does after holding the clothes Put it on for her, but he didn't. And the clothes are so shabby, they should be very dirty, but their exposed skin has no traces of sun exposure, so the shabby clothes are probably a temporary change." Qian Wenyi opened his mouth wide and was speechless.I jumped on the horse and said, "Brothers, please step up your guard. Don't be careless. On this section of the road, there is an old general of Li Tuan, Zeng Wanggu, haunting us. We must prevent him from attacking us." I was about to ride back, when Qian Wenyi suddenly said, "General Chu, since you saw their flaws, why didn't you keep them?" I sighed and said, "What if I am wrong? Well, as long as there is no trouble, let them go." I hurried back to ask Cao Wendao to step up his guard.Riding on the horse, I was a little confused.Is it really like what I said to Qian Wenyi?In fact, it was because seeing her eyes reminded me of someone, right? There was another twitch in my heart, and there was a trace of pain.Pale yellow clothes, snow-white fingers, the sound of a pipa like jade beads.That person, in this life, I will never see him again, right?I raised my head and let a trace of tears flow back to the corners of my eyes, but the pain in my heart could never be erased. There was nothing unusual that night, maybe I was overthinking.But I still dare not be careless, and let the whole army be more careful.After walking for another two days, we arrived at Ghost Howling Forest. People in Zengwanggu are used to attacking with arrows, if he launches a surprise attack in the Ghost Howling Forest, it will be difficult.Outside the Ghost Howling Forest, I asked the whole army to stop and rest for the night, and set off early the next morning, preparing to go all out and spend a day passing through the Ghost Howling Forest.Zeng Wanggu has only about a hundred people under his command, and his strength is far below that of the forward battalion, so there is no need to worry too much. When we entered the Ghost Howling Forest, Cao Wendao and I walked side by side. While walking, we looked around and said, "This place is really gloomy. If people gather here, it's really hard to deal with." I said: "That's right. Let all the troops be careful. Although Zeng Wanggu has a small number of people, he advances and retreats like the wind. Don't underestimate it. Let the former army pay attention to exploring the road to prevent them from digging pits on the road." When the armies heard that there were only a hundred men in Zeng Wanggu, most of them didn't care.If it was a head-on confrontation, Zeng Wanggu's ghost army would not be a problem at all, but Zeng Wanggu would definitely not confront our army head-on. Now I have entered the depths of the ghost howling forest, and I can only hear the wind around me like ghosts crying at night, endlessly.Ghost Howling Forest has a radius of 200 li, and it is not easy to pass through it in one day.It was almost noon at this time, but the trees in the Ghost Howling Forest were towering, even though it was winter, there were still many leaves that had not fallen, and it was still dark inside.Cao Wendao patted his horse forward and shouted loudly: "Ding Xiao, be careful." Ding Xiao was the first centurion under Cao Wendao's command.He was also Lu Jingyu's subordinate before, and he is capable and capable.He turned his head and said, "Of order." He had just finished speaking when suddenly a gong sounded from the west side.This burst of gongs came out of nowhere, and my ears were also "buzzed" by the shock, and Fei Yu was also startled by the sudden sound and stood up.I reined in the reins and shouted: "The whole army dismounts and prepares for battle, guarding against the east!" Zeng Wanggu finally strikes!I didn't expect that a hundred people like him would actually dare to attack. Although I was on guard against him all the time, I was a little surprised when he really came.He is also repeating the old trick. In the Ghost Roaring Forest, the horses cannot gallop vigorously. After he startled our horses, he would immediately shoot arrows.The trees on both sides are towering, and although many leaves have fallen, they are still very lush, and even if someone hides in the trees, they will not be able to see them.Zeng Wanggu has been entrenched in Gui Xiaolin for a long time, and he must be very familiar with sneak attacks in the forest. The tricks he used are also the same. First, we startled our horses, and then a burst of arrows. Launch an ambush on the other side, so as to disrupt our position.The last time he attacked the tribute mission of the Xifu Army, the strategy he used was exactly the same. I turned over and jumped off the horse, pulled Feiyu to the side of the car, and stared at the east side of the road.At this time, another shower of arrows was shot from the east, but we were prepared, and most of the arrows were shot down.I picked up the gun and plucked away an arrow that was shot at Fei Yu. Suddenly, there was another gong sound from the west side of the road, and the arrows that flew down suddenly thinned out.Cao Wendao came over with a gun in hand and said, "General Chu, they are going to escape, I'll go and get the head of Zeng Wanggu." I looked around, because the soldiers heard me mention Zeng Wanggu's usual method, this sneak attack did not disrupt the formation, and most of them heard me say that Zeng Wanggu's ghost army used arrows They were all wearing battle armor, very few people were injured, and probably none were killed.I said: "Okay, you order two hundred people, let's go together, take this opportunity to kill Zeng Wanggu, and make this road more peaceful." Cao Wendao showed a hint of a smile, and shouted: "Obey." Zeng Wanggu's sneak attack on us was probably to snatch some food and grass, so his attack will not last long, if he misses a hit, he already has the intention to retreat.Since he dared to make a sneak attack, he couldn't be allowed to retreat comfortably, at least he had to pay some price, making it easier for him to go than easy for him.Cao Wendao was eager to fight, and a fighting spirit surged in my heart. I gave Ding Xiao a few words and asked him and Qian Wenyi to temporarily lead the rest of the people. With a gun in hand, I led Cao Wendao and the others to chase eastward. The people in Zengwanggu moved on the treetops, no matter how flexible they are, they are not as nimble as we are on the ground.I watched the leaves shake and shake, and leaves fell from time to time, which they touched as they moved.While running, Cao Wendao took off the longbow from his back and shouted, "Get down for me!" His bow skills may not be very good, but he can draw a bow while running, which is quite commendable.With the sound of the bowstring, a person screamed and fell from the tree.There was a cheer in the vanguard battalion, and the soldiers with bows and arrows opened their bows one after another.Although I couldn't see the situation on the tree clearly, the arrows shot up were very dense, and more than ten people were hit by the arrows and fell down.Those trees were several feet high, and some people who were hit by the arrows were not fatally wounded, but they were half dead if they fell. The people from Zeng Wanggu ran wildly for a while, but at this moment their breath stagnated and they stopped for a while.It just stopped for a while, and finally we succeeded in counterattacking.I know that Zeng Wanggu has suffered this loss, and he will definitely fight back next time, staring at the top.But I didn't expect that they just stopped for a while, and then rushed forward again, but they didn't fight back. Cao Wendao hitched another arrow and said cursingly, "Damn it, eat me again." He opened his bow like a full moon, and shot it. With a sound of "swipe", some leaves were chopped off, but this time He must have missed the shot.He was about to shoot again when an arrow pierced through the leaves and hit him in the head.The arrow came very quickly, I was anxious, I pulled out the Baipi knife, and shouted: "Be careful!" The gun in my left hand pushed to the ground, jumped up with strength, and slashed at the arrow. With a sound of "cha", the arrow was cut in half by me, and I don't know where it flew.Cao Wendao's face was also a little pale, and he cursed: "You bastard!" The arrow in his hand was also put on the bow, and he aimed at the way the arrow came from just now, but there was no movement after the arrow was shot. It must have failed again. I looked around, the soldiers of the Vanguard Battalion were all experienced veterans, only a dozen were slightly injured, and there were more than a dozen of the Zengwanggu Ghost Army who fell on the ground, most of them fell unconsciously .Those people were wearing green clothes, no wonder we couldn't see them hiding among the leaves.I patted my waist, but found nothing, and then remembered that I left the crossbow in the car and didn't bring it out.Zeng Wanggu's sneak attack was not worth the loss, and the loss was huge. I was just trying to get everyone to stop chasing me, when Cao Wendao suddenly yelled strangely: "They're coming down to the ground!" About a hundred paces ahead, some people fell to the ground.Cao Wendao has already shouted: "Brothers, cut off all the heads of these people!" He put his bow behind his back and rushed over first. I was about to stop him, but before it was too late, some soldiers had followed He rushed down quickly.There were about forty or fifty people who jumped off the ground and escaped. They were all dressed in green clothes and had no soft armor. They would not be our opponents at all if they did it. I asked a dozen people to stay here and tied up the ghost army lying on the ground, fearing that Cao Wendao would fall into Zeng Wanggu's trap, so I hurriedly led the rest of the people to chase them down.However, Zeng Wanggu's troops were not many, and the soldiers were divided into two groups. Most of the people on this route were only so small, and I'm afraid they couldn't think of any kind of trap.I just don't know if Zeng Wanggu is among this group of people. If he can really carry his head to Fudun City, he can show his prestige in front of the Xifu army. The people from Zeng Wanggu ran faster after getting off the ground, while the people from the Vanguard Battalion ran with great difficulty because they were wearing battle armor, so they chased them further and further.However, all the members of the Qianfeng Battalion rushed out from the battlefield and were well-trained. One of the usual military training is to march in armor, so they still bite tightly and keep a distance of two to three hundred steps.But if I continue to chase like this, I will probably lose it. I was about to stop Cao Wendao when suddenly a large open space appeared in front of me. It was a valley. Looking from a distance, there were some houses in it, which must be Zengwanggu's lair.I was overjoyed, but vaguely felt something was wrong.They brought us here, is there really an ambush?There is a saying in the art of war: "Be careful not to enter the deep valleys and forests lightly", that is also the truth.Cao Wendao also stopped, and was yelling: "You bastards, come and fight me if you have the guts!" But he didn't dare to chase in easily.Although he was very rude, he was quite considerate. I led people to catch up with Cao Wendao, turned around and shouted: "Form!" The Qianfeng Battalion really deserved to be Lu Jingyu's troops back then, and they immediately formed a horizontal line and guarded the entrance of the valley.Now that there are no forests around, there is no need to worry about Zeng Wanggu's surprise attack from above, all he needs to do is to watch for someone to come out from behind.The most fearful thing is that when we rush into the valley, if there are more than ten people ambushing on the cliffs on both sides and throwing stones from them, then we will suffer. I walked up to Cao Wendao, Cao Wendao said in a low voice, "Control, what should I do?" The people who once looked at the valley and the others stopped using arrows at the mouth of the valley, but used the trees and rocks at the mouth of the valley to cover their bodies and prevent us from shooting arrows.This posture really seems to be desperate, waiting for a corner to resist.I said: "Zeng Wanggu was able to escape from the Xifu army's repeated conquests, he is by no means easy to deal with, everyone be careful." We have an absolute advantage in terms of equipment and numbers.If I really got caught in an ambush, then I would be ashamed to see people again.Cao Wendao nodded and said, "I'll take half of the brothers to see what's going on, General Chu, pay attention here." I said: "You have to prevent them from laying an ambush from the cliff and throwing stones." Cao Wendao agreed, ordered half of the people to move forward, and I took the remaining half to draw the bow and aim. As long as one person sticks out his head, he will immediately shoot the arrow.He had just taken two steps forward when suddenly a person appeared from the valley and shouted, "Hey..." He only called out once, and dozens of soldiers around me shot arrows at the same time.Dozens of arrows shot past, the man let out a loud cry and hurriedly dodged in, but he was hit by an arrow in the shoulder.I stopped everyone from shooting arrows, and said, "Wait, they seem to have something to say." The man came out again.Looking from a distance, he saw an arrow sticking out of his shoulder, and shouted, "What kind of soldiers are you guys?" Cao Wendao was only a few dozen steps away from him, and he said loudly, "We are the vanguard battalion led by General Chu Xiuhong. Is Zeng Wanggu there? Let him offer his own head, and I will spare you all." Those people were silent for a while.At this time, a sharp voice suddenly called out, "Is it Chu Xiuhong?" There was a sense of malice in that voice, and even though it was noon and the sun was shining brightly, I couldn't help shivering.Cao Wendao turned around and looked at me, probably surprised that I have such a great reputation.I stepped forward and said loudly, "Is your Excellency Zeng Wanggu?" The last time I went to the imperial capital with Tang Kai and the others, I was ambushed by Zeng Wanggu on the way, and I killed one of them. At that time, Zeng Wanggu swore to take my life.As soon as I heard this voice, I immediately remembered the scene at that time.At that time, I heard Zeng Wanggu's sharp voice, like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old child, and I was still very surprised. From behind a pile of stones, a small figure stepped out.This man was also wearing a green coat, but his face was covered with a mask and a bow was carried on his back.He went outside, put down his bow and quiver, pulled out a knife from his waist, pointed at me and said, "I am Guitou Zeng. Chu Xiuhong, do you remember what I said?" I don't know if it was gilded or what, but the whole body is golden yellow, shining brilliantly. I stepped forward and said: "Of course I remember. But it seems that this promise can't be fulfilled, Zeng Wanggu, if you surrender immediately, I will spare your subordinates and only take you to Fudun City." Zeng Wanggu wore a mask on his face, so he couldn't see his expression, but his eyes seemed to spew fire.He shouted: "Fart! You surnamed Chu, if you have the guts, come and fight me to the death." I smiled and said, "I'm a general of an army. I'm the way of a general. I don't show off the bravery of an ordinary man. Will you surrender or not?" Zeng Wanggu screamed, "You coward!" I lowered my face and shouted, "Fire the arrow!" A shower of arrows flew out behind him.Zeng Wanggu probably didn't expect that I would order the arrow to be released, so he jumped back suddenly, and the knife in his hand flew up and down.Although this way of doing things is a bit unfair, but Zeng Wanggu has always been a sneak attack on passers-by, and I don't bother to talk to him about being honest. If he runs away again, I really don't dare to chase him anymore, so I might as well just shoot him to death He, and the rest of the tribe will save their lives in vain. Now the distance was less than a hundred paces, and the Qianfeng Battalion had just shot arrows, and suddenly dense arrows flew out from behind those rocks, aiming at me.I didn't expect Zeng Wanggu to come up with this idea, I was shocked, the Baipi knife was out of its sheath, and he jumped back suddenly.The arrows they shoot are not as dense as those of the Vanguard Battalion, but it is still difficult to deal with dozens of arrows being shot at the same time.Cao Wendao exclaimed, and rushed over with another soldier. The two of them helped me to block the arrow, only to hear "Ah". Although the soldier moved quickly, he was shot into the throat by an arrow. Standing upright, the arrows flying over made a "jingling" sound on his body. This soldier died for me. I suppressed my anger and collected myself, but saw a bunch of broken arrows in front of Zeng Wanggu.He didn't have anyone to help him, and he couldn't even shoot a single one of them, and some arrows actually shot to the edge of the cliff three or four feet away from him. It seems that the archery skills of the soldiers in the vanguard battalion are also good and bad, and there is no such thing as Zeng Wanggu. His archery skills are excellent.I shouted: "Do it! Don't leave a single one behind!" Zeng Wanggu and the others are at the mouth of the valley, if they rush up now, if there is an ambush on the mountain, they will be crushed themselves, it seems that they really escaped here because they had nowhere to go.I thought too much, let a brother die for me, I felt guilty and angry, and I no longer intend to forgive one, and I will definitely kill Zeng Wanggu and his group. Cao Wendao shouted: "Everyone, follow me!" He was already in front of me, but as soon as he exerted his strength, he rushed forward.Two hundred people are nothing among thousands of troops, but they are really unstoppable in this valley.I followed behind Cao Wendao, without using a long spear, holding a Baipi knife in my hand, staring at the figure of Zeng Wanggu, Zeng Wanggu challenged me, I didn't agree, but now I want to fight him.I have made up my mind to take off his head and pay homage to the soul of the dead brother. Zeng Wanggu remained motionless, holding a single knife in his hand, as if waiting for me.Although he had a mask on his face, I could seem to see the sneer at the corner of his mouth.I took a step forward and rushed in front of Cao Wendao, jumped up, and shouted sharply: "Die!" The knife struck the top of his head, but just as I rushed in front of him, I suddenly felt as if someone had snatched the knife from me.This force came out of nowhere, and I was taken aback. I looked to the side, thinking that someone had taken my knife, but there was no one around me.I was inexplicably terrified, I felt that there was still a force on the saber, although it was not too great, but my saber had lost its direction, it was not aimed at Zeng Wanggu.At this time, Zeng Wanggu jumped up and screamed, "You are the one who died!" His knife stabbed straight at my chest.I was horrified, there was still a strange force on the Baipi knife, as if an invisible person was pulling my knife.I snatched the knife abruptly and swept across it, even if there was an invisible person, I would definitely get rid of his grasp with this grab.But the strength in the opponent's hand has not diminished at all.On the side, Cao Wendao exclaimed, "What kind of evil?" Zeng Wanggu's saber had already reached my chest, but my Baipi Dao was still a step behind and failed to receive the defense in front of my chest.I was nervous, and I took a sharp breath, and my chest shrank a little bit.When a person breathes, it is like this. You need to hold your chest and abdomen in. Take a breath first. After your chest shrinks a circle, the momentum of Zeng Wanggu's knife has weakened by half, and I have soft armor, so I can probably block it. His knife. With a sound of "cha", his knife made a heavy cut on the soft armor on my chest, but there was no pain, and it seemed that it failed to cut the skin.Looking at his dazzling golden knife, my hand suddenly loosened, the Baipi knife was released, my right hand grabbed the back of Zeng Wanggu's knife, kicked it out, and my left palm took advantage of the situation to slash at his wrist.Zeng Wanggu didn't expect that I would dare to abandon the saber, he was about to withdraw the saber and strike again, but I had already grabbed the back of the saber.He didn't dare to throw away the knife like me, he held the handle tightly with both hands, my left hand had already grabbed his wrist, and the lower kick had already kicked him hard on the lower abdomen. With a sound of "bang", he was kicked by me and flew back three or four feet. I fell to the ground, but I saw Cao Wendao and some soldiers resisting desperately.For some reason, their movements were very slow, as if the battle armor on their bodies weighed hundreds of catties. Some ghost troops in green clothes were attacking them.Fortunately, those ghost soldiers didn't have any weapons. Most of them used wooden sticks, which could be stopped after being hit twice. I glanced out of the corner of my eye, only to see that my Baipi Dao was now attached to the edge of the cliff.I didn't use any force when I dropped the knife, and I was still five or six feet away from the cliff, could it be that the Baipi knife flew more than half a zhang by itself?The strange thing is, now that I hold Zeng Wanggu's saber in my hand, there is nothing unusual. What exactly is going on?Suddenly, my eyes lit up, and I thought of the mystery. It turned out that Zeng Wanggu did have an ambush, but this ambush was a bit special.I shouted loudly: "Come here without armor, or leave the valley!" Most of the soldiers in the Vanguard Battalion wore battle armor, and there were only twenty or thirty soldiers who did not wear battle armor.After I yelled, I rushed to Cao Wendao's side, just as a ghost soldier stabbed Cao Wendao in the face with a sharpened wooden stick in his hand.Cao Wendao also had a few wounds on his arm. He was wearing battle armor, and those wooden sticks couldn't go in at all. The injuries were not serious, but the stick piercing his face was unbearable.When I rushed to his side, the wooden stick was already in front of him, I slammed the knife from top to bottom, and the knife in my right hand was drawn down along the wooden stick, with a "click", the man's finger was cut off by me Two sticks fell, and I couldn't hold the stick anymore. I held my hands and cried out in pain.I didn't care about dealing with him anymore, so I bumped Cao Wendao with my shoulder, knocked Cao Wendao back a few steps, and shouted, "Get out!" At this time, the soldiers who were not wearing armor rushed up.Although they didn't know the reason for my order, they still carried it out to the letter. Some of them even took off their armor and rushed in.The ghost army's archery skills are very good, but they are far inferior to the experienced soldiers of the vanguard battalion in this way of fighting with guns and sticks. However, more and more soldiers rushed in, and they couldn't stop them at all.The soldiers of the Qianfeng Battalion disregarded life and death, and were merciless in their actions. There were more than a dozen dead ghost soldiers on the ground, and most of the rest were wounded. I was about to kill again, when suddenly, Zeng Wanggu screamed: "Stop, I'll let you go! Don't kill!" I was taken aback and saw Zeng Wanggu walking towards me slowly.He kicked me, probably suffered internal injuries, and walked a little staggeringly.I stopped the knife and shouted: "Everyone stop!" Cao Wendao said that when they rushed in, some soldiers were seriously injured because of their inability to move. The most important thing now is to rescue those soldiers.I watched Zeng Wanggu come forward, and said coldly, "Zeng Wanggu, have you admitted defeat?" Zeng Wanggu raised his head and said: "I will not admit defeat. If I have two hundred people, then you will all die without a place to die." Cao Wendao scolded: "You have to be tough when you are about to die!" He was helped to take off his armor, and now he is standing beside me.He was seriously injured, and one arm was red with blood, but he didn't realize it. Zeng Wanggu said: "I'll let you go, I just ask you to let these people go." Cao Wendao said angrily: "Now there is no condition to talk about, they will all be killed!" He was furious and was about to step forward, but I stopped him, looked at Zeng Wanggu and said, "Is that really what you said?" He stretched out his hands without moving.I looked at him and said: "Do you know that the defeated general has no conditions to say, I will not agree to you." Whether Zeng Wanggu is willing or not, now he cannot escape at all.I hate him for using this kind of vicious ambush. If he really has two hundred people, even if we won't be wiped out, at least half of us will be killed or injured.I have made up my mind that I will not show any more kindness, and I will not keep any of them. Those ghost soldiers looked at each other, suddenly a short ghost soldier came out, knelt down in front of Zeng Wanggu and cried, "Madam Zeng, see you in the next life." This person's voice was delicate and crisp, and it turned out to be the woman named "Wen Mei" that day.She was indeed from Zeng Wanggu, but I didn't have time to get angry.She actually called Zeng Wanggu "Mrs. Zeng". Could it be that Zeng Wanggu is also a woman? Zeng Wanggu slowly took off the ghost mask on his face, revealing a beautiful face.The night before, Mo Dawu told me that Zeng Wanggu was said to be Li Tuan's molester. six year old child. When Zeng Wanggu took off the mask, everyone in the Qianfeng camp sighed in unison.That Wenmei is not ugly, but standing beside Zeng Wanggu, she really looks ordinary.Zeng Wanggu can be regarded as a peerless beauty, and they must also sigh that such a beauty will have her head cut off.Zeng Wanggu turned to me and said, "General Chu, I've been here for a long time, and I never thought I'd fall into your hands. When Master Li was here, there was no army that could match you. General Chu was able to empathize with the virtue of nature and let go of the women and children in my valley." My mind is already in turmoil.I said I wanted to kill all the ghost army, but I didn't even think that there were even women in the ghost army.I stared at her, and slowly said: "Can you promise to dismiss the troops and stop attacking the imperial army in the past?" Cao Wendao said anxiously beside me: "General Chu, this woman's flattering words can't be let go!" I looked behind me, the soldiers of the Qianfeng Battalion were standing there blankly one by one, they followed me to chase and kill them, and now five of them were killed in battle, if I let Zeng Wanggu go, I don't know if they would be dissatisfied.Distraught, I shouted to Cao Wendao: "Shut up!" I had never spoken to him so fiercely before, and Cao Wendao was stunned for a moment, not daring to speak again.I said loudly, "Brothers, what do you think?" The soldiers all looked at each other without saying a word.Presumably no general had ever asked them such a thing.A veteran who was nearly forty years old said: "People cannot be resurrected after death, and killing more will not help. General Chu, you can figure it out." 曾望谷眼前一亮，道：“楚将军若真能放过他们，曾望谷愿自尽以谢。” 我道：“自尽也不必了。你们也害死了我的五个弟兄，以后若再有袭击我军之事发生，那时不要怪我不懂怜香惜玉，我会将你身上的肉一片片割下来的。” 她微微一笑道：“楚将军真是好男儿，我哥哥死在你手上，也该不枉。曾望谷在世一日，定不会再与楚将军为敌了。” 她看了看我手头的刀，我把刀扔了给她，喝道：“快滚吧，少婆婆妈妈的。” 她拣起刀，看着我道：“楚将军你怎么知道这儿的奥秘？” 我走到山崖边，拿起了百辟刀。百辟刀像是粘在上面的一样，得花点力气才能拿下来。我道：“不久前我刚读过了当初天机法师的《皇舆周行记》，内中有谓：'山中有石能吸铁器，如慈母引子，故名磁石。'我想这面山崖上，大概都是磁石，所以你们不用铁器，你用的也是铜刀。” 曾望谷露齿一笑道：“楚将军真是文武全才，如果你早生三十年，想必这天下就是你的了。” 她突然将刀一翻，右手往刀口一击，一只手切在刀上，直飞起来，血喷了半身。文美惊叫一声，撕下一条布来绑住她的断腕，叫道：“夫人！”曾望谷望向我道：“文美，这样能让楚将军向他属下有个交代。” 我没想到她居然会断腕明志，一时说不出话来。曾望谷脸上已无血色，强忍着疼痛，向我跪下来道：“多谢楚将军不杀之恩，多谢列位将军仁心。” 她不畏死，说谢我的不杀之恩，那也是谢我不杀她的部属吧。我让自己保持平静，道：“曾望谷，记得你的话。”转身对曹闻道道：“我们走。” 曹闻道看了看身后那些人，小声道：“楚将军，是不是要我把他们全干掉？” 我叹了口气，曹闻道其实颇为精细，现在把曾望谷他们杀光才是永绝后患的上策。但是，这种上策纵然我做得出来，只怕日后也难以面对自己的良心。我道：“曹将军，我以前就有过一个誓言，今生今世不杀女人，你不要让我违誓吧。”我当然并没有这种誓言，但此时说出口了，现在立这个誓也不算晚。 曹闻道怔了怔，道：“那也好，反正他们死了也有一半，翻不起什么浪了。” 背着五具死去弟兄的尸首回到方才遇袭的地方，丁孝也已等得急了，见我们浴血而归，他吓了一大跳，跪在我眼前道：“统制，曹将军，你们没事吧？” 我道：“不碍事。这儿呢？” 丁孝道：“那些家伙见射不动我们的阵脚，自己乱了阵脚，被我们射死了十来个。” 在路边，整整齐齐地排了十来具尸首。我叹了口气道：“连同我们的弟兄，一块儿埋了吧。有受伤的弟兄马上医治，我们得快点走出这鬼啸林。” 丁孝答应一声，转身便去传令。我重新上马，曹闻道这时也将马带到我身边来，小声道：“楚将军，你还在防着曾望谷出尔反尔？” 我点点头道：“正是，防人之心不可无。” 曹闻道想了想，像是鼓足勇气道：“楚将军，我真觉得你有点妇人之仁。既然怕他们出尔反尔，不如干脆做个了断，以绝后患。” 我叹了气道：“曹将军，你以前是陆爵爷麾下健将，君子五德，'仁、义、信、廉、勇'，陆爵爷之勇你已得了，但陆爵爷之仁你却少了点。他宁受君侯责罚，也不忍妄杀平民，我们岂能如此好杀成性？” 曹闻道道：“可你不怕那曾望谷有反复么？” “我看过一句话，叫仁者爱人，每个人都有活下去的权力，所以我宁可错放，也不愿错杀。” 我说得有些响，边上的一些士兵都被我的话感动了，那个方才附和我的老兵点了点头道：“楚将军这话实是不错。与人方便，与己方便，能不杀的，还是不杀好了。” 进入符敦城时，天已近黄昏。我们坐船渡江，到达北门时，城中早已涌出了一群人来等在北门，当先两骑，正是西府军的正副都督周诺和陶守拙。周诺和我并马入城，很亲热地道：“楚将军，年初见你时，我便知道你必成大器，果不其然，哈哈。” 我笑了笑道：“周都督取笑了，小将只不过是机缘巧合，何足挂齿。周都督为国出力，是国之柱石，此番朝中军制变革，我奉太子与文侯大人之命而来，一为周都督晋爵，二是在周都督手下听命，还望都督关照才是。” 周诺大笑道：“这个自然。如今妖兽横行，我等自当戮力同心，以报天恩。” 我也笑着，但心里只在捉摸着他话里的意思。陶守拙在一边面无表情地走着，他准是做梦都想不到文侯竟然会派我来。当他出主意要害我时，大概做梦也想不到我居然能咸鱼翻身。如今今非昔比，我成了奉王命而来的钦使，并且知道他告发周诺的底细，饶是他足智多谋，也一定正惊魂未定。我突然有一种想要恶作剧的念头，道：“陶都督，今番你虽未能晋爵，太子亦加封陶都督为偏将军，陶都督可不要有多余想法。” 李湍败亡后，他的司辰伯之爵便转授给周诺了。周诺现在的爵位职衔为司辰伯、副将军，陶守拙是副职，加封为偏将军。他以前的军衔与我一样，都是下将军，不过他这个下将军是有实权的，手下有两万兵马，比我这个有名无实，只能统领一千多人的下将军权势大得多。这时我才想到，在军衔改制后，文侯让我恢复下将军，实在是对我青眼有加，极为看重了。 陶守拙笑了笑道：“楚将军取笑了。守拙一心只要辅佐周都督，能早日平定妖兽之乱，平生之愿足矣。” 他的脸皮倒也够厚，说着这些正气凛然的话时脸也不红一下。我也微微一笑，道：“这个是自然的。” 陶守拙现在心里一定在臭骂我了吧，我有些好笑。 到了都督府，周诺将西府军重新整编后的五路军指挥使引见给我，西府军仍然带有太多独立的痕迹，新军制仍不能在这里通行，按理这些指挥使都该是都统。一路军指挥使叫谷宁，他也是天水省军户出身，三代都是周诺部将，他也该属于周诺的心腹。二路军指挥使叫夜摩天，三路军指挥使名谓尚师接。听到那个“夜摩天”的名字，我就想起随唐开回帝都时认识的那个叫夜摩大武的西府军。夜摩大武告诉我，“夜摩”只是他们夜摩族的氏，他本名是个又怪又长的名字，这个夜摩天大概也另有个又怪又长的本名吧。 这三路是由周诺统率，第四第五两路则是陶守拙的人马了。第四路指挥使是陶守拙的侄子陶百狐，第五路指挥使名叫盛昌。陶百狐这人年纪也只有三十出头，但整个人都焕发出一股精明的气息，他一定也是个智将，盛昌却显得敦厚老实。 这五路指挥使个个都相当精干，人们传说西府军在山中是天下无敌，可能也是不假，西府军从上至下还不曾沾染上帝国军的毛病，虽然他们军备不及帝国军，但士气却有过之。尤其是不久前刚击退了蛇人的第一次进攻，一个个更是意气风发，不可一世。 向周诺下了犒师诏后，周诺说今晚要在都督府为我接风洗尘，让我先去休息一下。我仍然被安排在来仪馆，不过这回周诺给我的是上等房。来仪馆虽然大，却也容不下一千来人的前锋营，所以除了曹闻道和钱文义也各有一间房，其余的士兵都被安排在军营歇息。 回到房里，我只觉周身骨架都散了，软甲也没脱，倒头便睡。这床铺松软舒适，想起上回来时让我住的只是普通的客房，这两次真是天壤之别了。 我刚躺了一会儿，门外突然响起了曹闻道的声音：“楚将军，一块洗澡去吧。” 我拉开门，只见他肩上搭着条浴巾，战甲早就脱了，兴冲冲地站在门口。一见我出来，他道：“楚将军，客栈里的人说，楼下有个温泉可以洗澡，我们去见识见识吧。”他大概从没见过温泉，已是跃跃欲试。 我点了点头道：“正是，上回来时我也洗过一次。” 我将软甲脱了，从衣橱里取出一套新衣服来。周诺安排得颇为周到，衣橱里已放了两套内外衣物，我拿起一套来比了比，没想到像定做的一样，这衣服极为合身。我不由得一怔，曹闻道却有点不耐烦，进来道：“楚将军，走吧。” 我看着衣服道：“周诺真的很厉害。” “何以见得？我看他也不过如此。” 我把衣服叠了叠道：“他给我们准备的衣服如此合身，你不觉得诧异么？” 曹闻道撇了撇嘴道：“楚将军，你就是会疑神疑鬼，那又算什么大事？” 他根本不把这事放在眼里，我笑了笑，也不说什么了。但是，准备两套合身衣服虽然只是一件小事，可周诺把这种小事也想进去了，这人绝不会是个简单的人。如果他真的有不臣之心，我该怎么办？ 我拿着衣服出门，刚把门掩上，我道：“叫一下钱文义吧。” 曹闻道又撇了撇嘴道：“叫他做甚，难道楚将军你还没被人骗过瘾？” “不能这么说，钱将军如今与我们同舟共济，自当齐心协力。叫他一下吧。” 曹闻道有点不情不愿地向钱文义的房间走去，敲了敲门道：“钱将军，楚将军请你一块儿洗澡。”听着他的话，我有些想笑。曹闻道虽然有点粗鲁，但一点也不莽撞，他虽然对钱文义满脑子不满，但说出来的话仍然很和蔼。