Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Xifu Army

There is only Yalong River between Wendang County and Fudun City.Although the Yalong River is a tributary of the Great River, it is wider than the Great River. Only now do I know why the river is named after "Along".The road runs along the river and winding mountains, and the big river can be seen along the way. Walking on the road, watching the turbid waves in the river, and the dragons appearing and haunting the waves from time to time, I still have lingering fears. Wu Wanling knew a little about the topography of the four provinces in central and western China, but he only knew the way to Fudun.We set off from Gaojiu City and headed northwest, passing through Chengmei and Bingde provinces.Because there were no famous cities in those two provinces, after the war, they were even more deserted.We have also passed through two or three small towns, but there are many bones and no living people inside.I remember that there was a city we passed by when we came here. At that time, I went to massacre the city with Qi Lie and the others.We slaughtered that small town with only 20,000 to 30,000 people in half a day.At that time, I didn't feel any uneasiness, but now when I start again, I can't help but feel a pain in my heart.

Tianshui Province used to be the most populous of the 19 provinces. It is said that in its heyday, there was a small town every 100 miles.Although Fudun City is only ranked in the middle of the twelve cities, Tianshui Province has the most small towns in all provinces.However, Tianshui Province, which has a population of 10 million, now only has a population of more than 300,000. It is unknown when Tianshui Province will recover. In any case, we still gradually see human signs.On the avenues of Chengmei and Bingde provinces, the roads were almost completely covered by vegetation, but after we arrived in Wendang County, we gradually saw some horseshoe prints and footprints, and the roads were much easier to walk.

I walked in the front, dragging the bed with Wu Wanling.Although Xue Wenyi can't walk around by himself now, he can already sit up. I think that when we arrive in Fudun City, even if the Xifu Army does not help, we will probably be able to go back smoothly.It's just that I hope that what Wu Wanling is worried about will not become a reality. Wendang County is close to Fudun City, and the place where we rested last night is about 30 miles away from the city.After a heavy rain, today is actually a rare sunny day.Walking on the road, looking at the grass sprouts emerging from the soil on the side of the road, I was very happy.

At this time, Wu Wanling whispered: "Commander, could the person you met yesterday be from the Xifu Army?" I turned my head, looked at him and said, "Are you still worried about this?" "I think, if it's someone from the Xifu Army, we'd better pretend that we don't know. It's better not to show Mr. Zhang's sword to others, so as to save a lot of trouble." Indeed, if that person is really a member of the Xifu Army, it will really cause trouble.I pondered and said: "That's true. However, I saw his appearance, he looks so ugly, he doesn't look like a member of the Xifu Army."

Wu Wanling smiled softly, and said: "Commander, you really know how to tell jokes. Being ugly doesn't mean you can't join the army. For example..." He looked at Zhang Longyou, Zhang Longyou was walking behind holding a kindling jar, with the picked long sword hanging on his body, he didn't know that we were talking about his beauty and ugliness.Although the scabbard is very simple, it is not rough, it just hangs on his body, no matter how you look at it, it doesn't look like it.Of course Zhang Longyou is not ugly, his appearance can even be called handsome, but he really doesn't look like a soldier, I really don't know how he was allowed to sneak into Wuhou's Southern Expedition Army.I couldn't help laughing, and said: "But, that person is really ugly, it's ridiculous."

Wu Wanling suppressed a smile and said, "What kind of ugly method?" When he said that, I was taken aback, and said, "I only saw that person once, but it seems... as if I've seen it before." "you recognize?" Although the weather was fine and the sun was shining brightly, I shivered involuntarily and murmured: "Yeah, I think I know him. But, but..." I can't remember where I've seen that person, and that person obviously doesn't know me.Maybe, I met once in a while during the southern journey, but I can't remember it. I was thinking about it when suddenly Zhang Longyou shouted: "Look! There is smoke over there!"

In the distance, a wisp of thin smoke curled up.After the rain, the air seemed to be cleansed, and I could see far away, and the wisp of smoke was about ten miles away. That's cooking smoke.I was ecstatic for a while, and didn't say anything else to Wu Wanling anymore, and called out: "General Wu, is Fu Duncheng over there?" "Probably so." Wu Wanling put his hand on the awning to look at it, and said again: "Commander, let's take a rest and discuss it." "Okay," I thought for a while, "it's best if I go to explore the road first."

Wu Wanling wanted to say something else, I said: "General Wu, you don't need to say more, it's settled like this. If I don't come back tomorrow, you can leave immediately, don't wait for me." Wu Wanling pondered for a while, and said, "Commander, be careful." I smiled wryly and said, "I hope the Xifu army is not as bad as you think. Just wait for my news." Saying goodbye to them, I walked forward alone. There are more and more people on this road, and ruts can still be seen on the road.Those ruts are very deep, and they haven't washed away after such a heavy rain yesterday.Looking at these straight ruts, I also feel that I have indeed returned to the crowd.

The farther you go, the more people there are.I was a little tired from walking, so I picked a stone by the side of the road and sat down. Fortuna is just ahead.The closer I got to the city, the more panicked I became. Just sitting for a while, suddenly heard a sound of horseshoes coming from the front.The sound was very urgent, and it was heard from a distance, as if dozens of horses were galloping.I stood up and looked forward. This mountain road twists and turns in the mountain, turning everywhere, and there is not a single person in sight.However, the sound was very close.Listening to the sound of horseshoes, I don't know whether I should be happy or worried.

Those who came were probably from the Xifu army. I waited for a short time, and suddenly a dozen figures appeared a hundred steps ahead.A hundred paces away, there was a corner. They ran very fast, and they appeared in front of me as soon as they turned the corner. They must have seen me too, and the galloping horse also reined in. The one running ahead reined in so fast that the horse stood up. I stretched out my hands and waved them, signaling that I was not hostile, and walked forward. Anyway, I am still a little happy. Unexpectedly, I had just walked a few steps when those knights suddenly took off their spears from their horses and lined up on the road, looking like they were facing an enemy.

Was Wu Wanling right? My heart sank, but with a smile on my face, I called out: "Generals, I am..." Before I finished speaking, a knight patted his horse and shouted: "Stop! Don't go any further!" I stand still.Looking over, two knights even took off their bows and set up their arrows. It seemed that they were about to shoot arrows when I stepped forward. I shouted: "Don't get me wrong, I am Chu Xiuhong, the commander of the Dragon Scale Army of the Imperial Army. Excuse me, are you generals of the Xifu Army?" The knight who came forward immediately said, "Who do you say you are?" He's still pointing his gun at me.I was a little unhappy, but still said with a smile on my face: "I am Chu Xiuhong, the commander of the Dragon Scale Army." "Dragon Scale Army?" He looked at me, and suddenly shouted: "Nonsense! The Dragon Scale Army is led by General Shen Xiping himself, how could such a leader like you appear!" Looking at him like that, it seems that he will shoot me right away.I shouted: "Master Shen has already died in battle, I was promoted by the Lord himself." He looked at me and snorted, "Are you a deserter?" I said: "The Southern Expedition Army has been wiped out, I escaped." I said it very calmly, knowing that they may not believe it.Another reason why Wu Wanling was worried was probably this.The Xifu army might not believe us, but they were shocked when I said it.One lost his voice: "Could it be true?" I was taken aback and said, "You know?" The leading knight said: "Go and meet with Zhou Tao and the two governors before we talk. Xiao Zhu, you and him take a horse and go back first, and we will inspect it." The chief governor of the Xifu Army is Zhou Nuo, and the deputy governor is Tao Shouzhuo, I also know that.That little Zhu's horse is the biggest, come over and let me sit behind him.I sat on the horse and said, "May I ask your general's name?" The man said: "I am Du Bao, an officer of the Third Army of the Xifu, General Chu." When he said the last three words, I just felt relieved in my heart.If he calls me that, he already believes me.I said: "General Du, I still have a few companions behind, and there are still wounded among them, please General Du bring them along." Du Jin smiled and said lightly: "Okay." I was already very relieved, but when I saw his smile, I couldn't help feeling hairy.His smile is not very sinister, but I always feel that it seems to have a deep meaning when I look at it.I regretted telling him all about Wu Wanling's whereabouts, but the words had already been spoken, and it was too late to regret. Xiao Zhu and two other knights returned to the city with me.Those two were probably watching me, so I didn't take it too seriously.That little Zhu was a talkative person, and when Du told them to go far away, he said, "General Chu, has the Southern Expedition Army really been wiped out?" I said dejectedly: "Yes." "Is it really that kind of snake-like person?" I was surprised: "How do you know? The news is so fast?" Xiao Zhu laughed haha ​​and said: "Someone has already sent your news, and you are considered fast, and the ones will arrive soon." "Someone has heard the news?" I was taken aback. "Is it the remnants of the Southern Expedition Army?" He shook his head and said: "I don't know. I only know that he is a man wearing a big hat. That man is really good at swordsmanship. Our Governor Zhou thought he was the remnant of Li Tuan's troops, who came to disturb our army's morale, but he refused to take it. Putting off the bamboo hat, he didn't even show what he looked like, hiding his head and showing his tail, so he ordered him to be taken down. Who knew that this man's swordsmanship was extremely strong, and a thin sword withstood more than ten attacks without hurting anyone. We said to beware of monsters, people like snakes, and then they floated away. Are you really annihilated?" I was dumbfounded for a while.The person Xiao Zhu mentioned was clearly the one who fought with me and died in the mouth of the dragon.Unexpectedly, he actually reported to the Xifu Army, so it should be our side? I nodded and said, "Yes." "Is that monster really that powerful?" Maybe I'm supercilious, but I can't see much sympathy on Xiao Zhu's face, but a gloating expression on the contrary. My heart sank, and I said, "Yes, that kind of monster is very powerful." He curled his lips.Perhaps, in his mind, there must also be the idea that Marquis Wu made a mistake in commanding the troops, leading to the collapse of the army.Maybe, he was thinking "If the Xifu army is the main force, that kind of defeat would be impossible" or something like that.I didn't say much, just said: "How many troops does the Xifu Army have now?" When talking about this, Xiao Zhu immediately blushed, and said: "Since the defeat of the traitor Li Tuan, our army has resumed the old system, and there are still 50,000 troops. It is a pity that we were not able to accompany you when you marched south, otherwise, Marquis Wu would not There will be accidents." If the Xifu army went together, maybe our defeat would be even worse.There are tens of thousands more, the command is not effective, and the consumption of food and grass is more, it is really not necessary.In fact, we have never been defeated in the military. Although the snake people have amazing attack power, if we can guarantee the logistics, we may not be unable to hold on.Just talking about this seems to be just the stubbornness of the defeated general, so I just said lightly: "Maybe." The horses moved forward and zigzag through the mountains for half a day.Although Fu Dun City is right in front of you, across a big river, it seems to be within reach, but it still takes half a day to walk.I said, "How much more is there?" Xiao Zhu said with a smile: "Look at the dead horse running over the mountain, is General Chu tired of walking? It's almost there." Indeed, after turning a few more turns, a camp appeared ahead.There were guards guarding the gate of the camp, and someone shouted from a distance, "Xiao Zhu, you guys are back first? Where did Lao Du go?" Xiao Zhu turned her head and said, "We've arrived at the ferry, let's get off the horse." I jumped off the horse, and he got off the horse too, shouting: "Achang, we have brought back General Chu Xiuhong, who was defeated by the Southern Expedition." There was a commotion in the camp, probably they were also taken aback.When we walked into the camp, there were already some people gathered at the door, and I was surrounded by them as soon as I entered the door.Someone shouted: "Did you escape from the Southern Expedition Army? The Southern Expedition Army was really defeated?" I said: "Yes." "tell me the story." It may be uncomfortable to admit failure, but it is also true.But if you want me to say how to lose, I'm really not in the mood.Xiao Zhu probably noticed my appearance, and said, "Let General Chu rest for a while. Ah Chang, do you have any more steamed buns?" The soldier named Achang said: "Yes, yes, it's just out of the pot, I'll get it." Xiao Zhu said to me: "General Chu, you can rest here for a while, and wait for General Du to come back before crossing the river and reporting to the two governors." Camping is very simple, but I am used to sleeping in the open air, and sitting on the bed is really a kind of enjoyment.I just sat there for a while, when that Ah Chang came over with a bowl of steaming white flour steamed buns and said, "General Chu, please use." Although our food is not too bad now, we are a bit tired of eating the bland meat. I grabbed a steamed bun and said, "Thank you." I swallowed it in three bites. After eating the steaming steamed buns, it is really delicious.I ate three in a row before I stopped.Seeing that they were a little stunned, I smiled a little embarrassedly and said, "I'm sorry." Xiao Zhu let out a long breath and said, "You really can eat." I can't help but smile wryly.It was the first time someone judged me like this, and I said, "I haven't had a good meal for more than half a year." Xiao Zhu said: "General Chu, tell me, how did your entire army be wiped out?" At this time, many soldiers from the camp also crowded over to listen.Just as I was about to say something, Achang handed over a glass of water and said, "General Chu, take a sip of water and speak slowly." The cup is full of green tea.Tianshui Province has a lot of rain, and the tea trees grow well. It is famous for its tea production in the hinterland of the empire.After drinking this cup of dark green tea, the mouth is fragrant.After I took a sip, I said: "That's when we broke Gaojiu City..." I briefly explained it to them. Of course, I didn’t say anything about the final decision to eat people. I just said that I persisted for many days after I ran out of food, which made them sigh.Although my eloquence is not very good, when it comes to Guan Hong's fierce battle, Cang Yuegong's last strategy also made them sigh.When we were talking about the last time we fled the city in Xue Wenyi's plane, we heard someone shouting outside: "Where is everyone? Get out!" It was Du Bin's voice.They all ran out, and I also walked out of the tent, only to see that Du Tun and those inspectors had all returned, several of them rode together, and Wu Wanling and the others also came back.Unexpectedly, the mountain horse is not amazing in appearance, but its long strength is so strong. When Du Ting saw me, he nodded and said, "General Chu, your companions have all been brought back, and we will report to Zhou Tao and the two governors immediately." He jumped off his horse and led us to the river.This camp was stationed at the head of a broken bridge. The original stone bridge spanned the Yalong River, but due to Li Tuan's rebellion, the bridge had been destroyed. This camp was set up for the ferry. We boarded a big boat, and Du said: "Xiao Zhu, you must strictly investigate, and report immediately if there is any change." I don't know what the snake man's movements are now, maybe, the victorious snake man is dispatching troops, and he doesn't know when he will attack, there is also a kind of worry in Du Chen's words. The boat started, and I looked at the flowing water in the river, and suddenly felt sad. The river water is soupy, with some fallen leaves and dead branches on the water surface.Looking from a distance, the mud under Fudun City is also dark red.The last time I came, those dark reds were still bright red. After a few months, the red color turned dark purple, and maybe it won't be long before they will turn into black mud. That was the blood shed by the attacking and defending soldiers under Fudun City.After the catastrophe of the empire, how many cities have the soil turned red?I looked at Fudun City under the noon sun, and what surged in my heart was an inexplicable sorrow. What we entered was the south gate of Fudun City. The Yalong River flows into the big river from southwest to northeast. The two big rivers form an angle, and Fudun City is built on this corner. Therefore, the north and south gates are water gates, and there is a tidal flat outside the east gate.It is said that many years ago, the city at the corner of the two rivers outside the east gate was a fertile field, and the grain and grass were harvested every year, because every summer, the river rose and flooded this piece of tidal flat, and the land left behind was extremely fertile. Rice is grown twice a year, and the grain produced in this field alone is enough to make Fu Duncheng more than self-sufficient.But I don’t know which year, more and more dragons grew in the Yalong River, and they built their nests at the corner between the Dahe River and the Yalong River. The area expanded year by year, so that the acres of fields shrank year by year. Now there are only more than 200 acres outside the east gate. mu.Fortunately, there is a lot of fertile soil outside Fudun City, so it doesn't have much impact on the city.When the Xifu army fought against Li Tuan, although Li Tuan was a mob, he had enough food and grass, and the Xifu army was still unable to completely defeat him.Marquis Wu also mobilized a lot of grain and grass during the southern expedition, but after the victory of the Xifu army, there was still no risk of food shortage, which shows that Tianshui Province has a prosperous grain production. As soon as the boat sailed into the ferry outside the south gate, a group of soldiers was already guarding the ferry, and the leader said: "General Du, is there anything urgent to report?" Du Ting shouted from the bow of the boat: "Marquis Wu's Southern Expedition Army was completely annihilated. This letter is true. I will bring back the rest of the Southern Expedition Army to meet the governor." The man was taken aback, and said: "Is this really the case? It seems that the man did not provoke the crowd with his evil words. General Du, you rest outside the city first, and I will report to the governor immediately." The Governor's Mansion of the Xifu Army was originally Li Tuan's Governor's Mansion.The governor of Tianshui controlled the four provinces of China and the West, and the governors of Chengmei, Bingde, and Langyue provinces were also at Li Tuan's disposal, so this governor's mansion is quite luxurious.I don't know what Li Tuan is thinking, although his title is only Si Chenbo, two ranks lower than Cang Yuegong, but his strength is really comparable to Cang Yuegong.I don't know why a town of princes in the empire would not do it, but they wanted to take refuge in Duke Cang Yue. When he arrived at the gate of Dudu's Mansion, Du Bao got off his horse and said, "I'll report first, General Chu, please wait a moment." I looked at Zhang Longyou who came with me, and he also looked at me.I left Wu Wanling in the place where we were placed, because I was afraid that if the situation changed, it would be difficult for Zhang Longyou to deal with it alone.But even if Wu Wanling was left there, it would not be of much use.I nodded and said, "General Du, please take care." The guards at the gate of the Governor's Mansion also looked at us curiously, and they probably heard about it.Both Zhang Longyou and I were dressed in rags, and I still had a soft armor, but Zhang Longyou's clothes were much torn, although not quite like a beggar, it was almost the same.I smiled wryly, and said in a low voice, "I hope Zhou Tao and the two governors don't regard us as deserters." After waiting for a short time, Du Zhi came out and said, "The governor sent you in." My heart sank when I heard his words.When Du Xun first met me, although he was not very polite, he was still a little polite.He must be the kind of person who expresses emotion and anger, and now he is so rude to me, I'm afraid the situation is a little bit bad.But at this time, there is no way out, and I only hope that the governor of the Xifu Army will not turn his face and be ruthless. I followed Du Bao in, feeling uneasy in my heart.Zhang Longyou followed behind me, he probably sensed something was wrong, and looked at me from time to time. The Dudu's mansion is very tall, I only thought that the Dudu would meet me in the middle hall, but when I got to the middle hall, there was no one there.I said, "Where are the two governors?" Du reported: "The governor of Zhou is practicing swords with others inside." Meet me at the knife practice place?My heart was beating again.Zhou Nuo, the Chief Governor of the Xifu Army, was born in a military family and has served in the Xifu Army for generations.His great-grandfather and grandfather both served as the governor of the Xifu Army, and there are many other mid-to-high-ranking officers in the Xifu Army, almost hereditary.For the Zhou family, there has always been a reputation for being "unsmiling". When Zhou Nuo's grandfather was the governor, he was known as the "iron-faced governor" because he never smiled in his life.Although Zhou Nuo didn't have such comments, he was also known as being unkind.The last time Marquis Wu and the Xifu army jointly attacked Fudun City, because many family members of the Xifu army were in the city, so the city was not slaughtered.But that time, Zhou Nuo almost got into a fight with Shen Xiping to stop Shen Xiping's subordinates from committing violence in the city, probably he also heard Du Zhi report that I was the commander of the Dragon Scale Army and wanted to neglect me. If that's all, that's fine.In any case, I will bear with it.In fact, from the bottom of my heart, I also felt that Shen Xiping went too far that time.It's just that the right army's military discipline has always been a problem, and Shen Xiping was also in trouble at that time, so he can't be blamed deeply. Walking through the nave, there is a big courtyard.In the row of houses on the left side of the yard, the sound of wooden clubs hitting each other could be heard from time to time.That's Zhou Nuo's sword practice room, right?The last time I passed by in a hurry, and at that time I was only a centurion of the Vanguard Battalion, and I was not qualified to enter the Dudu Mansion at all, and I had never been here. When he reached the door of the knife training room, Du Ting knelt down at the door and said loudly, "Dudu Zhou, General Chu Xiuhong of the Southern Expeditionary Army is asking to see you." I followed him and knelt down.In any case, Zhou Nuo's official position is far above mine, and I also decided that even if Zhou Nuo wanted to spit on me, I would admit it, let alone kneel down. Zhang Longyou also knelt beside me, only to hear a voice from inside: "Let him in." Du Ting said to me: "Go in." He stepped in first, and I followed him into the sword training room. This sword training room is very large, the floor is covered with a polished floor, and it has been painted with a layer of raw lacquer.A middle-aged man in short armor was holding a wooden knife in his hand and was dealing with four people. He is Zhou Nuo, right?The last time I was in a hurry, I only saw him once from a distance.This time, I can see it clearly. Zhou Nuo had a bearded face and was quite tall, holding a large wooden knife in his hand.The wooden knife was used for practice in the Imperial Martial Arts School. Although it was less dangerous than a real knife, his wooden knife was one size larger than normal ones. If it hit someone hard, even the bones would be broken. The four people he fought against were quite tall, and one of them was even a head taller than Zhou Nuo.The four of them surrounded Zhou Nuo trying to make a move, but they always looked a little cowering.Nearby, two people were already sitting on the ground, probably knocked down by Zhou Nuo, and these four people were a little scared. It's no wonder that if you fight Zhou Nuo, you will be punished if you hit him, but if you get hit by Zhou Nuo, you will suffer some injuries. Of course, they all cringe. Holding the wooden knife, Zhou Nuo suddenly yelled and slashed at the particularly tall man.The man was left-handed, and Zhou Nuo's roar made him tremble all over, and he raised the knife to fight it. With a "snap", Zhou Nuo's wooden knife hit the back of his knife, shaking the floor. Zhou Nuo actually used such a lot of energy!If this knife hits, I'm afraid that the man's skull will be split open.I was taken aback, it didn't seem like I was practicing, it was a life-and-death struggle. Zhou Nuo's wooden knife was lifted on the man's wooden knife, and with a light lift, the wooden knife bounced again.He turned back and shouted, "Aren't you guys full?" After being drunk by him, the other three were shocked and attacked together.The three wooden knives were chopping very fast, if Zhou Nuo was hit, he might be injured too.Zhou Nuo made a wrong step, and the wooden knives drew a circle around his body. The three wooden knives seemed to hit an invisible wall, and they were blocked almost at the same time, with only one sound. Good knife skills!Even those few people dare not fight Zhou Nuo, but his saber skills can indeed be called miraculous. The tall man suddenly took a step forward and slashed at Zhou Nuo with a knife.Zhou Nuo's attack was blocked by him just now, now Zhou Nuo is facing the other three people, the one facing him is the right half of his body, and his knife is coming horizontally again, if Zhou Nuo wants to parry his knife, It is necessary to raise the saber upright, and this posture is quite awkward, and his saber strikes extremely fast, Zhou Nuo may not be able to stop it. The people on the side all exclaimed.If Zhou Nuo was injured, he might be convicted as well.It's just that he probably didn't think about it when he attacked. I only saw him pursing his lips and showing no expression on his face. The knife is close. The defense of the knife is about two to three feet away from the body.If the enemy's sword penetrates within two feet, then the game is over.This man's saber skills are also really extraordinary, perhaps, Zhou Nuo will hit this move. The exclamation of others has not yet subsided, but Zhou Nuo suddenly took a step back, let go of his hand, and shot the wooden knife straight at the man, and took another step very quickly, and his hands faced each other again, and they were suddenly closed, palms like pliers Generally, it clamped the blade of the man.This retreat and advance, dodged the tall man's knife, and then counterattacked, but the other three people didn't even react, that is, at the same time as he clamped the knife, the wooden knife he threw hit the man hard , the tall man seemed to be struck by lightning, the NPC took two steps back, his face flushed immediately, as if he was holding back something, but just as he settled down, he involuntarily took another step back, with a "wow" in his mouth , vomited a mouthful of blood.It was at this moment that there was another "snap" sound, and the other three people held their right wrists with their left hands, and the wooden knife in their hands fell to the ground. Come here." Those men knelt down, and the man who vomited blood also knelt down, blood still dripping from his mouth.The wooden knife thrown by Zhou Nuo was so powerful that it might have broken his ribs.If it was a steel knife, it must have passed through the chest. Zhou Nuo first said to the tall man, "Ruan Qiang, you have made a lot of progress, and your salary will be increased by five hundred." Although Ruan Qiang was still spitting out blood, his face showed joy, and he said, "Thank you Dudu." Zhou Nuo smiled slightly, and said to the other three: "You guys need to practice more, keep it as it is." These three were finally swept by Zhou Nuo with a knife, and the three wooden knives fell on the three people.Their wrists were also injured a little bit, but it wasn't too serious, because they were still able to put their hands on the ground, and they said in unison: "Xie Dudu." Zhou Nuo turned to the other two.These two were probably the first to be knocked down, and the beating was quite miserable. There was a big bruise under the corner of one eye. If the knife hit a little bit, I'm afraid they would be blinded.The other one was even worse. The clothes on the shoulders were torn a big slit, and the upper body was almost naked. There was a high swelling on the shoulders, which was blue and purple. These two people will probably be fined. As I was thinking about it, Zhou Nuo shouted: "Drag them out, each person will be beaten twenty times, dismissed from office, and fined three hundred yuan." The two kowtowed, but walked out without any dissatisfaction.On the contrary, I was taken aback, I didn't expect Zhou Nuo to be so strict. It's just that if you lose your sword practice and lose your official position, the fine and salary are not counted, but you still have to be beaten.Although it has nothing to do with me, I couldn't help but pouted secretly.It seems that Zhou Nuo's rule of the army is only with an iron fist.This way of governing the army may be extremely effective, but there are always hidden dangers. Those people went out, Zhou Nuo pointed at me with a wooden knife, and said, "Are you Chu Xiuhong who returned from the defeat of the Southern Expedition Army?" His words were extremely rude and impolite. I couldn't help feeling angry, but I still knelt down and said, "The last general of the Dragon Scale Army is Chu Xiuhong. Please refer to Zhou Dudu." "Is there any left of your Southern Expeditionary Army?" His words were still so blunt.I suppressed my anger, and said, "Report to Governor Zhou, after the Southern Expedition Army broke Gaojiu City, they were surrounded by an army of snakemen of unknown origin. Marquis Wu failed to break through. After forty days of defending the city, the city was lost and the entire army was wiped out." .There is probably only one person in a hundred who escaped." "No one in a hundred?" He seemed to be figuring out the words, and after a moment of silence, he suddenly shouted: "Nonsense! If there is no one in a hundred, why did you still take the woman out of the city? You are obviously greedy for life and afraid of death. Get out!" I didn't raise my head, but said: "Minister inspector, we escaped on the plane of Zheng Xue Wenyi, a military engineer. This person is already in Fudun City, and the governor can ask him. Those four women were chosen by the princes. Those who offer sacrifices to the emperor will eventually be ordered by the emperor to escape with him, and it is definitely not an escape." There was another silence.After a while, Zhou Nuo said, "What about you? Are you also from the Dragon Scale Army?" What he asked was Zhang Longyou.Zhang Longyou also knelt beside me, and when he asked, he said: "The humble job is Zhang Longyou who joins the army in the tent of a prince." "Are you joining the army?" Zhou Nuo suddenly laughed again.Zhang Longyou doesn't look like a soldier, even if he joins the army.He walked up to Zhang Longyou and said, "You also carry a sword?" I just felt a buzzing sound in my head and almost passed out.The original owner of Zhang Longyou's sword must be the one who came to report the news. Xiao Zhu told me that the man was very skilled in swordsmanship. Zhou Nuo once ordered someone to capture him. Then this sword must be very impressive.In the past, I was only worried about whether that person might be from the Xifu army, so I asked Xue Wenyi to make a scabbard. The scabbard was also very large. Others would think it was a two-handed epee, but who knew it was actually a sword scabbard? A rapier.But if Zhou Nuo recognized the sword and thought that Zhang Longyou was that person, that would be terrible, even my words would become rumors. I said: "Captain Zhou, Zhang Longyou was single-handedly pulled up by the lord to join the army, he is not good at shooting horses." As he spoke, his heart trembled.I didn't think carefully about this matter. I heard Xiao Zhu said that the man was not from the Xifu Army, so I thought it didn't matter. I didn't think about it further, and I never told Wu Wanling.Otherwise, with Wu Wanling's careful thinking, he must be able to see something wrong. However, it was also wrong, and it is useless to regret it now. Zhou Nuo didn't pay attention to Zhang Longyou's saber anymore, turned to me and said, "Then General Chu must be proficient in bow and horse, and has a deep understanding of the art of war?" I said: "The last general dare not say that he is proficient in bow and horse, and has a deep understanding of the art of war, but there are merits in both the law of bow and horse and the law of war." Zhou Nuo smiled and said, "You are not modest." I was thinking about the meaning of his words, but suddenly I heard him shout: "Get up!" I trembled all over, but I heard a gust of wind rushing towards me, Zhou Nuo threw the wooden knife in his hand towards me.I jumped up, stretched out my hands, and caught the wooden knife.He threw the wooden knife flatly, and I caught it with both hands. It must have looked quite skillful, as if the two of us had practiced it well, and the people around me shouted hello. However, there was a pain in the tiger's mouth of my hands.Zhou Nuo's throw was quite powerful, if I couldn't catch it, the knife would definitely hit me on the top of the head.Although the wooden knife has no point or edge, but that Ruan Qiang was hit in the chest by Zhou Nuo and vomited blood, I would be hit on the top of the head, and I would probably pass out. Does Zhou Nuo really not take other people's lives seriously? I was anxious and angry, but my face remained calm and I said, "Thank you Governor Zhou." The big wooden knife that Zhou Nuo used to hit Ruan Qiang earlier was still on the ground, he walked over, picked it up, and said, "General Chu, since you admit that the bow and horse are quite good, but wait for the governor to come and get one." Take it. Go on!" He grasped the back of the wooden knife with the thumb and index finger of his left hand, and with a flick of his right wrist, the wooden knife slashed towards the top of my head with a "huh".This knife is still chopping with great force, even if it is a wooden knife, I can't bear it. I jumped back, dodged the knife, and said: "Captain Zhou, the general dare not." "Why don't you dare," he yelled, "The generals of the Xifu Army all seek their backgrounds from swords and guns. Could it be that the Dragonscale Army, which is famous all over the world, is not as good as it?" He danced the long knife, and with a "snap", he stood still in the position of holding the knife, and said: "General Chu, you should prepare first." I looked at Zhang Longyou.He had stood up, with a flustered expression on his face, and beside him, Du Bao was still expressionless, but his eyes were a little strange, as if he was a bit resentful towards me.The other two seemed to be Zhou Nuo's guards, standing against the wall with faint smiles on their faces.Perhaps, in their view, Zhou Nuo's actions are extremely common and nothing to be astonished about. I lowered my head and said, "Dudu Zhou's swordsmanship is superb, and the last general is beyond his reach, so he must not be the Dudu's opponent." Unexpectedly, the more I backed down, the more aggressive Zhou Nuo became.He took a step forward and shouted: "General Chu, don't say too much, if you don't have any skills, how can you be the leader of the Dragon Scale Army, come on." He crossed the knife twice in front of him very quickly, and made two "huhu" sounds. At that moment, his figure also became blurred. This is a magical knife technique. Just as I was thinking about it, one of his guards cheered, "Dudu has a Zhanying Dao!" Is that the Zhanying Knife?I remember that people also said that the Zhou Nuo family had two extraordinary abilities, so this is probably one.The guard's flattery was just right, Zhou Nuo smiled and said, "General Chu, be careful." He raised his hand, and the wooden knife made another "huh", as if it had popped out, and hit my forehead.With his moves, every move seems to kill me. Although the wooden knife will not be fatal, it will always hurt.I couldn't help being angry, I jumped back, and dodged the knife again, with a look of fear and fear on my face, I said: "Captain, the last general is just a defeated general, so what's the point of being brave, the commander's sword skills are like a god , the final general is definitely not an opponent." Zhou Nuo shouted: "Where is there so much nonsense!" He took a step forward, and the wooden knife was crossed left and right again, and the figure became blurred.I just felt a strong wind rushing towards me, I knew something was wrong, and was about to retreat, but I didn't know that my heel was heavy and I kicked the board wall. I took two steps back and reached the wall. Danger! I had kicked the board wall with my right foot behind me, but I kicked hard, and I was short, turned over on the ground, and landed at Zhou Nuo's feet.Even though his body was curled up, he could see more clearly now that Zhou Nuo held the knife in both hands and was slashing towards my back. 周诺一定没料到我会如此反应，如果我此时将木刀前掠，那正好砍在他胫骨上。周诺尽管人很壮实，但我不相信他的胫骨能有铁一般硬，我又借着这一蹬之力，如果用足力气，只怕用木刀也能打断他的腿。不过打断他的腿的话，我的性命，张龙友的，还有吴万龄他们的性命也准是到头了。可是，如果被周诺的木刀击中我背心，那我大概也要被他打得吐血。 那只是一瞬间，但我脑中好象闪过了许多事。我咬了咬牙，反手将刀后掠，自下而上砍上周诺正在下击的木刀。 周诺的木刀比我的要沉重长大，而且我是反手，肯定格不住他的。我这么做，无非是让他这一刀的力量减小一点，我被击中时不至于受太重的伤。 “啪”一声。可是，没有想象中那力逾千钧的巨力，周诺的刀好象停在了空中。我的刀反手掠去，反而成了我去砍他的刀。两把木刀相交，发出了一声响，我借着这力量在地上又是一滚，翻出了他脚下。 周诺没有动，脸上那种讥讪的笑意淡了许多。 看来，我出乎意料的强悍让周诺也小小地吃了一惊。他大概以为我这种败军之将一定不堪一击，他想用击败我来显示一下他的武勇吧。可是刚才我虽然没有反击，但这种极快的反应也让他明白，我并不是那么好对付的。 what should I do now? 拿出本领，和周诺大斗一场，不论胜负都是下策。如果我显得不堪一击，那周诺一定知道我是在故意让他，只怕适得其反，也是下策。最好的办法，是与他对上几刀，用很微弱的劣势败下来，那才是上策。可要做到这一点，却着实不易，除非我的刀术远在周诺之上。事实上周诺的刀术绝对是高手中的高手，我用尽全力也不见得赢他，更不用说是放水了。 周诺又将木刀舞了个花，转过身，又踏上一步。木刀虽然又硬又长，可是在他使来，几乎象是柔软的，刀影绕着他的身体，象是将他全身都包围起来。他在我面前欲进不进，可是我却觉得似乎有一股极大的压力压在我身上，我几乎无法动弹。 他的斩影刀是利用极快的刀势劈开空气，使得空气波动有异，从而使得我看不清他的样子吧。如果是一个瞎子，我敢说他这斩影刀绝无用处。 难道我要闭上眼睛么？ 周诺的刀法实在很是神奇，不过这种刀法也只有步下一对一时才有用，如果在战场上，那并没什么用处。可是现在不是指摘他刀法不对的时候，我却得想办法正面应付他这种刀法。也许，我不能击败他的话，周诺会把我当成平常的败将，也许会把我算成逃兵就此拿下也说不准。 周诺的刀势越来越强。他每出一刀，我根本无法看清他出刀的来龙去脉。我咬了咬牙，只待硬着头皮上，这时，忽然听得有人叫道：“周都督！等等！” I breathed a sigh of relief.是有人来为我求情么？ 周诺的刀势一下减弱了，他笑道：“陶都督，你怎么有空过来？” 那是西府军的副都督陶守拙来了？ 周诺和陶守拙我都不曾面对面见过，但陶守拙的声音听起来便是忠厚长者之声。周诺的无礼让我敢怒不敢言，也许陶守拙能通人性一些。 周诺已收起了木刀，我正想把木刀也收起来，忽然脚下一软，人跌跌撞撞地冲上一步，膝盖一软，竟然半跪在周诺的跟前。周诺微微一笑道：“楚将军不必多礼，在我斩影刀刀势下能支持这么长时间，你还是第一个。” 我不禁哭笑不得，可心里也不由得一阵佩服。周诺的斩影刀似乎绝不止隐去刀势那么简单，他并没有攻击却已让我象激战一场一般疲惫，如果真的攻上来，我也不知自己能抵得他几刀。可是他再强，这等无礼之举却让我恼怒，偏生他又误以为我是在向他行礼，还让我不必多礼，我不由得胸口象堵了团东西一样，纵然一肚子气，却说不出话来。 这时，听得陶守拙笑道：“周都督，听说你强要龙鳞军的统领比刀，那可唐突得很，不是待客之道啊。” 随着这话语声，陶守拙走进了门。