Chapter 29: The Sound of Horse Hooves

  From then on, Tuhatao and Nanguote often brought some wine and meat to Liang Xiao's place for a gathering. Seeing Zhao San and the others practicing martial arts, they were impressed by their clever moves. Liang Xiao also asked them to teach him the art. Tuhatao and Nanguote reciprocated by teaching everyone archery and horse riding skills.

  Liang Xiao was defeated by Tuhatai in horse riding and archery that day, admitting defeat on the surface but not convinced in his heart. He had a high IQ and made rapid progress, competing with Tuhatai every day to ride horses and shoot willows for fun. In ten rounds, Liang Xiao initially won three rounds and lost seven rounds, but after more than a month, he was already evenly matched with Tuhatai. Tuhatai was originally a born martial arts genius, and once he received guidance from Liang Xiao, he became even more powerful, like a tiger with wings added. Even when the four of them joined forces, they often couldn't defeat him.

  February's time passed in a flash. On this day, Liang Xiao was weaving a bamboo fan when he suddenly saw Tutuha, Nangutai and Li Ting'er four people laughing and chatting, riding horses to come. The six people used to be like enemies, but once they made up, they became extremely good friends.

  Six people dismounted and climbed the mountain slope. Liang Xiao saw that they were all smiling, put down their work, stood up and laughed: "What's going on that makes you so happy?" Tu Tuhar smiled with a big mouth: "The emperor has issued an imperial edict! The signed army is 200,000 strong, and will launch a major expedition to the south!" Liang Xiao was surprised: "Southern Expedition? Which place are we attacking?" Nang Gutai laughed: "Attacking Song of course! In the past two times when we attacked the Great Song Dynasty, both were unfavorable. This time the emperor has made up his mind, if he doesn't destroy the Great Song, he will not stop."

  Liang Xiao furrowed his brow, thinking to himself: "What's the point of fighting?" He had always been indifferent to national affairs and didn't bother to think much about it. "Hm," he said, then asked: "Have you all enlisted in the army?" Tuhai said: "I and Qiangude have both enlisted. There aren't many Mongolians within a hundred miles of here. Qiangude's father is the leader of this region, we're going to war with him. Liang Xiao, I want to ask you to take care of my mom."

  Liang Xiao nodded in agreement, looking at the other four and asking: "What about you?" Li Ting'er said: "I and Wang Ke are both military households of Shi Wanhu. This time my dad was supposed to go on an expedition, but he fell ill, so I had to take his place; Wang Ke's father died in battle in Hezhou early on, leaving only him and a younger brother, so he also signed up. Yang Xiaoque and Zhao Sandog are not military households, but since this recruitment is too many, all males over 16 years old who have excellent martial arts skills can join the army. They have martial arts skills, so they naturally signed up."

  A Xue laughed and said: "Everyone has achieved their wish, today we must drink well!" Tu Tu Ha smiled and said: "That's right! I'm delighted to be confused, if I had known earlier, I would have beaten the wolf and wild boar, and let A Xue cook them. Tu Tu Ha loves eating A Xue's cooking the most." As he spoke, his eyes shone brightly, gazing at A Xue.

  A Xue's face turned red, and she lowered her head without responding. Tu Tu Ha still had feelings for her, and this time when he went to battle, his mother wanted him to get married before leaving, but he didn't agree. However, looking at A Xue's expression, he couldn't help but secretly sigh, and a hint of sadness appeared amidst his joy.

  After drinking for a while, Zhao Si hurriedly ran over, with anxiety on his face. Before entering the house, he shouted: "It's not good! It's not good!" Zhao San Gou went up to ask: "Dad, what happened?"

  Zhao Si was out of breath, and with a wave of his hand, he pushed away his son and grabbed Liang Xiao's arm: "Good nephew, Uncle Zhao knows you're the smartest and most capable. You must think of a way!" Liang Xiao said: "Uncle, please speak slowly!" Zhao Si took a deep breath and said anxiously: "I don't know what's going on. Just now, someone from Xihua Garden came and said that the imperial army has been conscripted, and it's been assigned to San Gou'er!" Zhao Si pointed at Yang Xiaoque again: "Xiaoque has also been conscripted! What are we going to do? We're not even military households! How could we have been conscripted?" He stomped his feet, almost in tears.

  Liang Xiao glanced at Yang Xiaojue and San Gou'er, both of whom looked down with guilty consciences. Zhao Si said again: "Good nephew, you must think of a way to get rid of this task." Liang Xiao furrowed his brow and said: "I understand, you go back first!" When Zhao Si heard this sentence, he felt half relieved, glanced at Zhao San Gou, and returned home with a sigh.

  At nightfall, Zhao Si and his wife brought Zhao San Gou and his sister Xiao Hu Lu to find Liang Xiao. Zhao Si was the most anxious, staring at Liang Xiao with eager eyes, hoping he would push away the errand. Zhao San Gou, however, feared that Liang Xiao would intervene and ruin things, so he looked around nervously with an uneasy mind.

  Liang Xiao was silent for a long time, then sighed and said: "Uncle Zhao, I really can't handle this matter!" Zhao Si hastily asked: "Nephew, you're so clever, how could you have no way to deal with it?" Liang Xiao shook his head and said: "I really can't handle this matter. It's not that I don't have a solution, but rather I'm unwilling to get involved." Zhao Si was left bewildered.

  Liang Xiao asked Zhao San Gou, "San Gou, have you thought it through? Are you really going to join the army?" Zhao San Gou looked at his parents and nodded with a red face. Zhao Si was furious, grabbed him and slapped him, shouting, "You little beast, what do you know?! Wang Ke's father, Wang Da Shan, used to be so full of energy, eating half a pig in one sitting, but when he went out, not even his bones came back! I still hoped you would carry on the family line, support me in my old age, and send me off at my funeral. You little beast, how dare you nod again?" With a flurry of punches and kicks, Zhao San Gou didn't dodge or evade, but only nodded desperately.

  Liang Xiao sighed and stopped Zhao Si from speaking: "Fourth Uncle, in my opinion, San Ge is older now and has a broader vision. He won't be content with staying in the countryside. A bird's wings have hardened, it will eventually fly into the sky, a fish has grown big, a small pond can no longer hold it." Zhao Si was stunned for a while, then burst into tears: "We... we don't want him to die! Once he goes onto the battlefield, with knives and guns, he'll be done for..." As he spoke, his eyes were filled with tears. Liang Xiao sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes and said: "Everyone has their own ambitions, you can't force them!"

  Zhao Si saw that he was unwilling to help, and let out a deep sigh. He leaned on the doorframe and stumbled out. Liang Xiao said softly, "San Gou'er, send your dad back home!" Zhao San Gou nodded and followed behind his father. Xiao Hu Lu asked curiously, "Dad, why are you crying?" Zhao Shu sighed and just shook her head. Ah Xue took a piece of malt sugar and handed it to Xiao Hu Lu, smiling and saying, "Here, eat some candy!" Xiao Hu Lu happily said, "Thank you, Ah Xue sister." Ah Xue hugged her in her arms and said, "Let's go outside and play." She glanced at Liang Xiao, then turned around and left.

  Aunt Zhao remained silent, her head bowed as she sat by the cabinet. After a while, Liang Xiao opened his eyes and asked, "Aunt Zhao, do you have something to say?" The woman was startled, forced a smile and said, "No, no! I'll just sit for a bit!" Liang Xiao replied, "Alright, you sit." And closed his eyes again. The woman sat for some time, let out a soft sigh, got up and walked out the door.

  After a while, Ah Xue walked in quietly and said softly: "Brother, I've sent Zhao Si Shu back home." Liang Xiao opened his eyes and looked at her, his gaze flickering. After a long time, he sighed and said: "Ah Xue, come here!" Ah Xue sat down beside him, and Liang Xiao was silent for a moment before saying slowly: "In three more days, I'll be going to war too!" Ah Xue trembled at the news, her small mouth slightly open, a hint of shock in her eyes.

  Liang Xiao sighed and said, "Logically speaking, I should focus on practicing my martial arts to avenge my grievances, but...". He looked at the flickering candle flame, his face showing hesitation, before continuing, "But I just can't put down those six people, especially San Gouzi, he's Zhao Si Shu's son. Zhao Shu has been devoted to Father, but Father couldn't return her feelings... Earlier, no matter how Fourth Uncle begged me, I wouldn't have changed my mind, but when Fourth Aunt didn't say a word, I thought of Mother and felt a pang in my heart." He fell silent for a long time before sighing and saying, "I've thought about it a lot, and I'll follow them this one time. Ah Xue, after I leave, take good care of Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt, tell them that no matter what, I will bring San Gouzi back safely."

  A Xue didn't say a word, just sat there. After sitting for a long time, she suddenly went into the inner room and fell asleep on the bed. Liang Xiao thought about going to war, but felt that it was against his nature. If he missed the opportunity to avenge his father's death due to the war, how could he let his father's spirit rest in peace? Moreover, leaving A Xue alone made him uneasy. His heart was filled with contradictions, and he couldn't sleep all night.

  Three days later, Tuhai and the others were busy preparing for battle and didn't come. Liang Xiao carved a bamboo spear with a bamboo stick and rode on the fine horse he borrowed from Tuhai to practice his riding skills. Among various weapons, Liang Xiao liked swords among short weapons and guns among long ones. In martial arts, it is said that "a month of staff, a year of knife, and a lifetime of gun." The technique of spear is elegant and unpredictable, the most difficult to master, but once mastered, it is also the most difficult to resist. Although Liang Xiao's swordsmanship was extraordinary, his treasured sword was too short and not suitable for long-range attacks. The spear technique was indeed difficult to practice for ordinary people, but at Liang Xiao's level of martial arts, he could easily master it by analogy. Both swords and spears were unpredictable and ever-changing, and he could wield them freely with ease. After two days of contemplation, Liang Xiao fully grasped the subtleties of spear techniques and was able to kill enemies on the battlefield with ease. Every time he practiced his spear skills, Ah Xue would watch from the side, her expression changing between surprise and joy, also lost in thought.

  On the third evening, Tuhai and his six men arrived one after another, each bringing fine wine and delicacies, setting up a scene of revelry. Everyone cheered and shouted, holding their wine cups, each with an air of excitement. After drinking several cups of wine, Tuhai's intoxication took hold, and he loudly exclaimed: "Liang Xiao, this time we part ways, who knows when we'll meet again? These past few days, I've been thinking that if only I could ride horseback alongside you, fighting side by side, then this life wouldn't be in vain." Nangong Yao also sighed: "Yes, Brother Liang's literary and martial talents surpass us two by tenfold. To have them go to waste here is truly a pity."

  Liang Xiao laughed and said: "Nang Gutie, you've learned a few Chinese characters and now you're talking nonsense! You two came tonight, seemingly to persuade me to join the army?" The two exchanged a glance, Tu Tu Ha forced a smile and said: "Nothing can be hidden from you!" Liang Xiao smiled and said: "As you wish!" Tu Tu Ha's smile froze on his face, while others were overjoyed. Zhao San Gou shouted: "Liang big brother, are you really going with us?"

  Liang Xiao coldly laughed and said, "You four pig heads, without me, you'd be beaten to death." Seeing the four people with red eyes and swollen faces, he frowned and said, "Don't cry!" Ah Xue also smiled, "Yes, if you cry, brother will feel embarrassed."

  Liang Xiao's face turned red as she spoke, and she glared at Tuhai. Tuhai suddenly came back to his senses and exclaimed, "Liang Xiao, are you serious?" Liang Xiao replied, "What are you talking about? Do you think I'm joking with you?" Tuhai scratched his head and smiled, saying to Nanguo Ye, "Tell your father that I want to join forces with Liang Xiao and not go with him!" Everyone was shocked, and Nanguo Ye frowned, saying, "How can I explain this? Fine, I won't go either. Wherever you go, I'll follow!" Li Ting'er burst out laughing, saying, "With Tuhai and Big Brother Liang on our side, the seven of us can conquer an army of thousands!"

  Liang Xiao said seriously: "You four, all of you have changed your names. Li Ting'er is now called Li Ting, Yang Xiaojue is now called Yang Jue, Zhao Sangou is now called Zhao Shan, and Wang Ke doesn't need to change." As he spoke, he dipped his finger in wine and wrote the three people's new names on the table.

  Tutaha said, "With three more people, it will be a team of ten. I recommend Liang Xiao as the leader." Everyone agreed, and Liang Xiao no longer declined. Tutaha continued, "I just sold three horses from my family's stable, leaving three for my mother, and there are still three left. I was thinking of bringing them as spare horses for battle. But since Liang Xiao is the leader, he can't be without a horse. I'll give one to him, and we can take turns riding the remaining one." Kuangye shook his head, "No need, my family has many horses. I brought ten horses with me, so everyone can have a mount. Tutaha, don't say things like 'relying on oneself' or 'not accepting others' kindness' again."

  Tutuha's heart was moved, and he grasped Liang Xiao's shoulder, laughing: "Alright, this time I won't decline. Since you're joining the army, please take care of my mother for me." Kuangduo said: "Don't worry." Tutuha suddenly remembered something and asked: "What about Ah Xue?" Liang Xiao replied: "She's living with Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt." Tutuha nodded and said: "That's great! Let's finish the war quickly and come back, so our loved ones won't worry!" Liang Xiao smiled wryly and remained silent. Everyone was delighted to hear that Liang Xiao had joined the army, and they chatted about the war while drinking freely. They drank until midnight, when a burst of thunder rumbled outside, followed by a brief downpour - the last spring rain. Only then did everyone disperse, singing songs as they supported each other on their way home.

  Liang Xiao and Ah Xue cleaned up the remaining feast in the rain. Ah Xue had a few more cups of wine, became dizzy and fell asleep instantly. After she fell asleep, Liang Xiao got up and pushed open the large door, the rain poured down from the eaves, like a crystal curtain. The thunder rumbled in the west, continuously, as if thousands of horses were galloping across the sky. He gazed at the dark southern sky for a long time, finally sighed, and closed the bamboo door.

  The next morning, everyone gathered at Liang Xiao's place. Zhao Si learned that Liang Xiao was going to the army and changed from sadness to joy, and again sincerely entrusted him with something.

  Liang Xiao and the others went to Xihua Garden together. This forest garden was the fief of the Shi family in Zhending. The brothers Shi Tianze followed Genghis Khan to start an uprising, conquering south and north, with great merit, and their fiefs were all over the north. Xihua Garden belonged to Shi Tianze's eldest son Shi Ge, surrounded by 10,000 households of Han people, all under his jurisdiction.

  Lin's residence is a huge mansion, covering an area of over ten miles, with watchtowers and high walls inside. In front of the mansion, there is a flat plain where a shed has been set up, with more than twenty iron forges lined up. Over a hundred craftsmen are busy hammering away, sweating profusely as they manufacture bows, arrows, spears, copper helmets and iron armor. Many others are transporting grain from within the garden to load onto large carts.

  In front of the house was a gathering place for soldiers, and the field was crowded with people. The recruits and their families who came to see them off filled the entire area. Parents, wives, and children wailed in grief, and the sound of mourning echoed everywhere. This time, Wanhu Shi Ge recruited 800 soldiers from Huayin, adding to the troops from other fiefs, totaling 3,200 people, all of whom were gathered at Xihua Garden for roll call.

  Everyone bid farewell to their loved ones. Liang Xiao wanted to say something, but had a thousand words and couldn't figure out where to start, so he just said: "Ah Xue, I'll be back as soon as I finish the battle." Ah Xue nodded and turned to leave. Seeing her calm expression, Liang Xiao felt a hint of unease in his heart: "Don't do anything stupid, silly girl!"

  At this time, the horn sounded, and seven people jumped onto their horses. The family members retreated from the school field and watched from a distance. After three drumbeats, the soldiers entered their respective formations. A burst of hoofbeats sounded, and a group of cavalry rushed out of the imperial garden. The leader had a square face, sported two wispy mustaches, and wore shiny leather armor, pointing at things and showing off his military prowess. Liang Xiao whispered to ask, "Li Ting, is this Shi Ge?"

  Li Ting's face showed disgust and he shook his head, saying: "His name is Shi Futong, a lackey of Shi Wanhao, the manager of Xihua Garden, a domineering and overbearing scoundrel!"

  Shifu Tong shouted three times and drank four, counting the soldiers and horses. Nangutai had already agreed with his father to bring himself and Tuhatai over. According to the military system established by Genghis Khan during the Yuan Dynasty, ten people formed a team, and they were free to combine on their own. Once a team of ten was formed, they would elect a captain, and unless it was a high-ranking general's order, they could not change it arbitrarily. The ten people had to live and die together, never leaving each other behind, and if anyone abandoned their companions, they would be punished with the most severe penalty. Liang Xiao's team already had seven people, and Wang Ke found three more of his father's comrades, who were already old, and the ten formed a team.

  The roll call is over, and a white-robed general in his forties gallops out of the courtyard. He has a jade-like face with a long beard, slender eyebrows, and big eyes. A white fox fur cloak flows behind him, fluttering in the wind. Li Ting whispers to Liang Xiao's ear: "This is Shi Ge."

  Shi Guang's eyes gleamed as he scanned the troops, his voice loud and clear: "Throughout history, famous generals have mostly risen from the ranks. On the battlefield, strength and weakness are determined by merit, and one glance can tell all. My family has always treated people with kindness, and those who achieve great things will be rewarded with wealth and honor by me, but if you disobey military orders, you will be killed without pardon. I won't say more, take care of yourselves." After finishing speaking, he divided the troops into infantry and cavalry, drilled them for a while, and then distributed weapons and armor to them. They set up camp around Xihua Garden, preparing to depart the next day to meet up with his father, Shi Tianze.

  Tu Tu Ha returned to the camp, sat down with a huff, and said loudly: "This Shi Ge makes me angry. I, Tu Tu Ha, joined the army to fight for Emperor Kublai Khan, to fight for the descendants of Genghis Khan. What is this Shi family? Are they worthy of my shedding blood for them?" Liang Xiao smiled and said: "Tu Tu Ha, instead of getting angry, why not focus on fighting and achieving merits? With your abilities, your future position will only be above his, not below." Tu Tu Ha said: "You're the same, Liang Xiao." Liang Xiao shook his head and said: "I'm different. I just want to finish this war as soon as possible, return home to practice my martial arts, avenge my enemies, take my mother and Ah Xue on a tour of the world, and live a carefree life."

  Tuo Tuo Ha fell silent for a moment, then sighed and said: "Liang Xiao, you've made me think of those days too! Alas, unfortunately Ah Xue doesn't like me. Besides, I'm a Mongolian, my blood is hotter than the sun in the sky, if I don't fight with others, it's unbearable!" Thinking of Ah Xue, he felt disheartened and sighed repeatedly. Liang Xiao wanted to comfort him with a few words, but Ah Xue didn't want to be consoled, so he had no choice.

  One night without incident, the troops set out the next day. Liang Xiao followed military custom and inspected the troops before departure, having each person report their number. He started with "one", and the others reported from two to ten, one by one.

  Three Dog finished reporting "ten", and Liang Xiao was about to turn around and hand over to the hundred officials, when suddenly a faint voice said: "Eleven!" Everyone was shocked. Liang Xiao looked carefully and saw that behind Three Dog, a small soldier stood timidly, wearing a uniform that didn't quite fit him, with a round face as white as snow, and clear eyebrows and eyes. Everyone thought someone had lined up in the wrong place and were about to speak up to remind them, but Liang Xiao didn't say a word, and with a swift motion, grabbed the small soldier, ignoring his struggles, and pulled him aside, pressing down on his throat and saying: "Ah Xue, what are you doing?"

  Ashu's eyebrows and eyes turned red, saying: "Ashu wants to go with brother." Liang Xiao angrily said: "It's not like cooking or making a meal, take off your armor!" After speaking, he turned around and wanted to leave. Who would have thought that Ashu suddenly squatted down and started crying. Liang Xiao thought to himself: "No matter how you cry, I won't be soft-hearted." Suddenly, he heard Ashu say: "Brother's words don't count."

  Liang Xiao was taken aback, turned his head and frowned, saying: "Why don't I count?" Ah Xue sobbed: "Brother said, just want Ah Xue to live a happy life." Liang Xiao thought to himself: "These were the words I said when Tuthaha proposed that day." So he said: "I did say that, what's wrong with it?" Ah Xue cried: "Brother left, Ah Xue is not happy, Ah Xue is so sad she wants to die... Waaah, I want to be with brother... Waaah, I don't want to stay here..."

  Liang Xiao was stunned by her words, feeling both annoyed and heartbroken. He had no choice but to squat down and persuade her gently: "Ah Xue, this is going to war! You're just a girl, how can you join the army?" Ah Xue wiped away her tears, opened her eyes wide, and stared at Liang Xiao, saying: "I don't care, brother. You said so yourself, that all I want is for Ah Xue to live happily ever after. Now Ah Xue wants to follow you into battle; if brother doesn't agree, Ah Xue won't be happy; if Ah Xue's not happy, then brother's words are meaningless; and if your words are meaningless, then you're not a real man."

  Liang Xiao's eyes widened in shock, and a thought kept circulating in his mind: "This stupid girl is so foolish, how could she say something like that? This is terrible, now I'm trapped by her." He didn't know that although Ah Xue was foolish, for the past three days, she had been constantly thinking of ways to not be separated from Liang Xiao. As the saying goes, "A fool may sometimes give wise counsel", a person who persistently thinks about something will eventually have an epiphany. Liang Xiao thought Ah Xue was foolish, but he didn't expect that foolish people can also come up with clever ideas, and now he couldn't say a word, his eyes wide open in shock. Ah Xue had already made up her mind, not blinking, staring back at him.

  The two stood facing each other for a while, when the sound of a horn came from afar. Liang Xiao stomped her foot, pulled up Ah Xue and said with hatred: "If you were a man, I would slap your butt to pieces." Ah Xue's plan had succeeded, and she couldn't help but smile. Liang Xiao glared at her, pulling her to quickly turn back.

  Everyone saw the two of them leave and return, and they were all shocked. Li Ting'er recognized Ah Xue and exclaimed: "Ah, isn't this Ah..." Before she could finish speaking, she was kicked by Liang Xiao. Liang Xiao angrily said: "All of you shut up, whoever dares to speak again will be dealt with military law." He had a grudge in his heart and took the opportunity to vent it on others. The other five people had already recognized Ah Xue, but seeing Liang Xiao's angry face, they knew there must be some hidden reason and didn't dare to provoke him. The other three old soldiers were very curious, clearly this was a team of ten, how did an extra person appear, and she looked so feminine, could she fight? They also saw the squad leader's face full of murderous intent, and none of them dared to make a sound.

  The bugle sounded three times, the firecrackers started to sound, two thousand soldiers and civilians wrapped in recruitment, slowly moved eastward. The roadsides were crowded with relatives who came to see them off, parents crying for their sons, wives crying for their husbands, children crying for their fathers, pulling clothes and horses, blocking the way and crying, the sound of wailing filled the air. All the recruits were moved, those with weak wills shed tears one after another.

  The army marched further and further away, the cries could no longer be heard, but still lingered in everyone's ears. Liang Xiao turned back to look, the hills and mountains were heavy with sorrow, not a single relative was left, he couldn't help but sigh, and fell into deep melancholy.

  The troops set out from Huayin, passing Tongguan on the same day and camping at Minxiang that night. The next day they crossed the Yellow River and marched for two days before entering Henan Province. Upon arriving in Luoyang, Shi Ge was joined by his brother Shi Ruo, bringing their forces to a total of 7,000 men. They took a shortcut southward and arrived at Cai Prefecture ten days later. By this time, Shi Tianze had also brought his elite troops to the area, and the two brothers went to pay respects to their father. At noon, Shi Ge returned to camp and assembled all his troops.

  Everyone arrived at the school field, Shi Ge's face was gloomy, and he didn't say a word. After a long time, Shi Ge finally said: "The commander has seen my father, and my father thinks that this new army is too weak and cannot be used again. He ordered me to station here, intensify training, and the grain and grass will arrive soon, at which time assist in escorting."

  Everyone was either delighted or enraged. The delighted ones were the likes of Liang Xiao, who didn't have to fight and could enjoy a leisurely life. The enraged ones were Tu Tuo Ha and Nang Gu Diao. As everyone returned to their tents, Tu Tuo Ha hadn't even entered his tent when he furiously threw his helmet to the ground, exclaiming: "I had expected to charge straight into Xiangyang and engage in a great battle with the Song people! Who would have thought it was just transporting grain?" He turned around and saw Liang Xiao sitting on the ground, holding a chopstick and drawing patterns in the sand. Tu Tuo Ha couldn't help but shout: "Liang Xiao, why aren't you saying anything?" Liang Xiao smiled and said: "I'm not Shi Tian Ze, my words don't carry any weight."

  Nangong Pu saw the characters on the ground and exclaimed in surprise: "Liang Xiao, are you doing arithmetic?" Liang Xiao smiled and said: "Do you also know arithmetic?" Nangong Pu replied: "I know a little, but I don't understand what you're calculating." Liang Xiao said: "Since there's nothing else to do, I'm calculating the grain and fodder in and out of the army. Incidentally, if we were to go to war, how much military rations should each soldier carry per day? How much fodder would be consumed daily? How much would infantry consume, how much would cavalry consume? How would the distribution of grain and fodder be arranged for a three-day battle, and how would it be arranged for a seven-day battle?"

  Tutuha said, "Can this be calculated?" Liang Xiao smiled and said, "Yes, look at this question. Suppose a civilian carries five dou of rice, and a soldier has five days' worth of dry rations. Each person eats two sheng per day, so two people can eat for eighteen days. However, if you factor in the return journey, coming and going, they can only eat for nine days. If there are two civilians and one soldier, with more people carrying grain but also more mouths to feed, they can only eat for thirteen days on the round trip; if there are three civilians and one soldier, they can only eat for sixteen days." Tutuha scratched his head and smiled wryly, "Even if three people carry it, it's still not enough for us to eat!"

  Li Xiang said, "This time we're going to conquer Song, with an army of 200,000, plus the frontline troops, that's a total of 300,000. The campaign will take at least a month or two. Many people have huge appetites, like you, Tuhai, eating one dou of grain per day is nothing, one person can eat as much as two pigs, no, it should be two cows! If you eat for three to five months, even 10 to 20 civilians won't be enough to support you." Everyone burst out laughing.

  Liang Xiao also smiled and said, "If we use oxen and horses, it would be easier. A camel can carry three shi of grain, a horse one shi and five, and a donkey one shi. However, livestock needs to be fed fodder, and if there are too many, they will fall ill or die. If the grain is left in one place, it will rot there! Moreover, using oxen and horses requires clear roads, so when encountering obstacles, we need to open up roads and build bridges. Furthermore, Mongolians eat a lot of meat, which results in huge consumption of livestock. Based on these factors, I have calculated that for an army of 300,000, at least one million civilians would be needed to transport supplies by horse-drawn carts, day and night."

  Li Ting sighed, "Listening to Brother Liang say this, we only know that fighting is thrilling, but we don't know how difficult it is to support a soldier." Tuhutu also said, "No wonder Kublai Khan was reluctant to sign the military order, it turns out it's because of this." Liang Xiao said, "In terms of financial expenditure, attacking is more costly than defending. The farther the expedition goes, the more disadvantageous it becomes. However, defending also has its disadvantages, and fighting without supplies is the most foolish strategy. The best approach is to 'use the enemy's grain' to sustain oneself with the opponent's food and grass. After capturing a city, one can obtain supplies, which will lead to the defender's weakness and the attacker's increased strength."

  "Right! Such an easy principle, how come I didn't think of it?" Li Ting said thoughtfully: "In that case, if we are the defenders, wouldn't it be best to clear the walls and fields, not leaving any grain or grass for the enemy?" Liang Xiao didn't answer him, but smiled and asked: "Tutuha, what do you think?" Tutuha replied: "I think it's better to cut off the enemy's supply lines and force them to retreat." Liang Xiao said: "Tutuha is right. Rather than defending to the death, it's better to launch a surprise attack with elite soldiers, attacking the enemy from behind and cutting off their supplies." Tutuha burst out laughing: "Liang Xiao, you're beating around the bush, aren't you? You want to say that transporting grain is extremely important, and tell me not to underestimate it?"

  Li Xiao smiled and said, "I don't know if the Song people have such courage, but launching a surprise attack on our army, raiding and disrupting, destroying the grain route is indeed an excellent strategy. The Art of War says 'surround them with ten times the strength', so defending a city is relatively easy, but a surprise attack requires extremely elite soldiers. If I were in their shoes, I would definitely use my weakness to attack the enemy's strong points, and use my strength to attack the enemy's weak points. The weakest point is food supplies. Just now, I calculated that if we destroy one thousand-stone grain convoy every day, within two years, the Yuan army will be defeated and return without success."

  Tu Tu Ha heard this, couldn't help but shout: "Liang Xiao slow down, who are you fighting for? Why do you always think for the Song people?" Liang Xiao smiled and said: "What's your hurry? I'm just bored to death, just calculating that's all."

  Tu Tu Ha grasped his arm excitedly and said, "Liang Xiao, if you become a general, your opponents will be in trouble." Liang Xiao shook his head and said, "This trick won't work on Genghis Khan." Tu Tu Ha retorted, "That's right. During the Taizu era, cattle and horses followed the army, so it can be said that there was no grain to cut off." Liang Xiao said, "My mother told me that Mongolian men are both soldiers and herders, and they don't make mistakes in either battle or herding. But they were able to unify the north and sweep across the west using this method, yet it's very difficult for them to conquer the south. Because the south is full of rivers and lakes, making it impossible to herd, and they must carry grain and grass, and even use boats."

  The account was quiet for a while, and then Tu Tu Ha sighed: "Liang Xiao, you are really clever. If it were me, I wouldn't have thought of such a reason." Liang Xiao smiled: "I heard an old man with the surname Ming say that a great general is not someone who can fight one person, but someone who can fight ten thousand people. It's not about brute force, but about using your mind. If you want to be a great general, you must know a lot about military strategy. Genghis Khan's military strategy is very powerful, but the Han people's military strategy is not simple either. I heard Old Man Ming say some things, and since we have nothing better to do, I'll tell them to you." Everyone was overjoyed when they heard this, and they all sat up straight, eager to listen to Liang Xiao speak. Ah Xue wasn't very interested, so she started a fire, seasoned the two pieces of beef that had been distributed with salt, and roasted them on an iron fork.

  Many people stayed in Cai Prefecture, practicing martial arts and archery during the day, and listening to Liang Xiao's lectures on military strategy at night. On their escape route that day, they had discussed many tactics with Liang Xiao, who then shared them with the six men. However, he was innovative in his thinking and never simply followed the books, often presenting his own insights. Among the six, Tudaha and Li Ting understood the most. Tudaha loved field battles; Li Ting preferred deploying troops and formations.

  Shi Ge was far away from the battlefield, feeling unfulfilled, and spent his days and nights with his concubines and singing girls. Tuer Yehe and Nangong Yao looked down on him, despising him greatly. After more than 20 days, the army's grain supplies arrived, totaling around 3 million stones. Shi Ge divided the troops into 30 groups of 100 people each, sending them off one after another to escort the supplies, while he himself led the rear guard. Liang Xiao's team was placed at the front, with the intention of being the vanguard, making Tuer Yehe very pleased. However, that night, news arrived that the hundred-man commander of this group was actually Shi Futong, and upon hearing the news, everyone lost morale and cursed loudly.

  As expected, Shi Futong took office the next day. All the way, he was extremely critical of Liang Xiao and others, calling them names and scolding them at every turn. However, Liang Xiao was unusually calm, smiling and welcoming him, helping him get on and off his horse, and being extremely obedient. But this didn't last long, just after lunch, Shi Futong suddenly changed his demeanor, following behind Liang Xiao with a fawning expression, extremely well-behaved, as if Liang Xiao had become the commander of a hundred men and he had become a small commander of ten men.

  Everyone saw him being arrogant and then suddenly becoming obedient, they were all shocked and puzzled, not knowing what method Liang Xiao used to make him listen. However, Shi Futong stuck to Liang Xiao like a shadow, even sleeping together, without any chance to ask questions. It wasn't until the next day that everyone finally got an opportunity to quietly ask. Liang Xiao smiled and said: "It's simple. He asked me to help him get on his horse, so I helped him get on his horse. I just took advantage of the situation and did some tricks on his 'Zu Yangming Wei Jing' (a meridian in traditional Chinese medicine), making him feel chest tightness and loss of appetite, unable to eat. Then I told him that I knew medical skills and could see that he was in danger! I also described all sorts of symptoms. This guy listened and really lost his soul. I then said that if he listened to me, I would think of a way to save him, or else he would be on his own!" Everyone burst out laughing. Tuhai said: "This method is good, but I'm afraid that as time goes on, Shi Futong will realize he's been deceived."

  Liang Xiao Dao said, "I have my own way. Last night I randomly grabbed two pills and gave them to him to eat, taking the opportunity to check his pulse and lift the ban on the stomach meridian, and then fiddled with his small intestine meridian. Today he's not nauseous anymore, but now he's started having diarrhea. I've decided to give him a treatment every day - today is the regulating meridian, tomorrow is the governing vessel, the day after tomorrow is the conception vessel, and the day after that is the eight extraordinary vessels... Hmph, no rush, one by one, slowly... Ah, he's gone to have diarrhea now. When he comes out, you're not allowed to laugh and ruin my good deed." As soon as he finished speaking, they saw Shi Fu Tong come out from behind the mountain slope with a pale face, holding up his pants, and everyone turned their heads around, covering their mouths to stifle their laughter, finding it very hard to bear.

  Shifu Tong pulled Liang Xiao along, explaining his condition in detail. Just as he had spoken a couple of sentences, his face suddenly turned red and he clutched his stomach, dashing towards the back of the mountain slope. The crowd opened their mouths to laugh, but when Liang Xiao glared over at them, they managed to stifle it, hiding behind a tree to burst out laughing loudly.

  He walked and rested, and after seven or eight days passed. Shi Futong was seriously ill but had minor ailments constantly. Suddenly his back hurt, suddenly his waist ached, one place got better, another place came up with an illness. At first, he also suspected that Liang Xiao was playing tricks on him, and along the way, he found several doctors, but everyone felt that the pulse was not right, yet they couldn't say where the problem lay. Taking medicine and getting acupuncture had no effect, only after each time Liang Xiao "examined" him did he get a little better. But before long, one unbearable symptom disappeared, another unbearable symptom emerged. Shi Futong cherished wealth and power, feared death, but felt that his whole body was not comfortable, really thinking he had contracted an incurable strange disease. His life was in Liang Xiao's hands, so he immediately opened up to him, listened to his plans, and didn't have a single bit of disobedience.

  On this day, the grain army entered the Funiu Mountain area and suddenly saw a team of about 200 people on the right. Liang Xiao saw it and smiled: "Mr. Shi, it seems that there are people in front, do you want to inform them?" Shi Futong was lying on a pile of grain hay, feeling uncomfortable, and when he heard this call, his heart sank: "Shi died with the same sound, he called me Mr. Shi, which is not auspicious now." Thinking about it, he felt sad and his eyes turned red, and he said in a hoarse voice: "Good brother, you take care of it! We're probably not going to make it to Xiangyang. As the saying goes, when a person is about to die, their words are kind, and when a bird is about to die, its cry is sad. Please tell Master Wanhu on my behalf that Shi Futong died before achieving his goal, and until the very end, he was loyal to the Shi family. I beg of you to treat my four wives well." Good brother, I'll tell you, apart from the four at home, Shi has six concubines, and a hundred acres of land are in their names. Once I'm gone, those six women will surely take advantage of it, please tell Master Wanhu that he must come back to give my two poor children... Thinking about the prosperity of the world, he couldn't help but burst into tears. The dying man cried with great energy, and everyone who heard it was amazed.

  At this time, a horseman was sent from the opposite side to gallop up and ask: "Ali Haigya asked me to ask you, are you transporting grain?" Shi Futong was shocked, let go of Liang Xiao, and shouted: "Ali Haigya? Ah, good brother, help me down, help me down." Everyone saw that he suddenly came back to life, and they were all surprised.

  Shi Futong got two civilians to support him and showed a weak appearance, saying: "Where is the master? I am Shi Futong, a subordinate of Shi Ge, the millionaire."

  The orderly was surprised to see him and asked, "Are you the leader here?" Shi Fu Tong hastily replied, "Yes, I am the hundred-man commander." The man looked uncertain and said, "Alright, I'll tell Lord Haiga." He galloped away on horseback. In a short while, the group of people rushed over. The leader was wearing a purple satin robe and a purple sable hat, with a high nose bridge and a pair of bright brown eyes that seemed extraordinary, unlike ordinary Mongolians, but rather similar to Tuotuo Ha.

  That man pointed at Shifu Tongdao and said, "Are you the Hundred-Man Commander?" Shifu Tongdao replied weakly, "General Shifu Tongdao has met Right Chancellor. General is seriously ill and cannot perform the ceremony, please forgive me." Ali Haiya frowned and said, "If you're sick, you should be replaced as commander. Your personal life or death is a small matter, but losing the grain is a big deal." Shifu Tongdao was immediately speechless.

  Ali Haiya snorted, looked around at the troops, and saw Liang Xiao and Tuhai with an air of dignity and extraordinary appearance. He was delighted and pointed with his whip: "You two, come here." Liang Xiao and Tuhai exchanged a glance and walked forward.

  Ali Haiya asked, "What positions do you hold?" Tuhatao replied, "I am a common soldier, and he is my squad leader." Ali Haiya nodded and said to Liang Xiao, "I order you to temporarily take over as company commander." He then turned to Tuhatao and said, "You will replace him as squad leader." The two of them could only comply.

  Ali Haiya asked Shi Futong again, "Why did Shi Ge divide the army to escort?" Shi Futong was speechless. It turned out that Shi Ge deeply believed in the military book's "easy to control stupid soldiers" method and never told his subordinates about the way of using troops. Shi Futong didn't know either. In a state of panic, he looked at Liang Xiao with pleading eyes.

  Li Xiang smiled and said: "The heat is approaching, the grain team's livestock is numerous, and if we combine our troops to transport them, once an epidemic breaks out, it will affect all the livestock. If we divide into twenty teams, with some distance between each other, even if one team gets sick, it won't put the entire army in danger." Shi Fu Tong listened and thought it made sense, so he quickly said: "Yes, yes, that's what General Wan said." Ali Haiya nodded and said: "Indeed, as the son of a famous general, you think things through thoroughly. However, every decision has its pros and cons." Li Xiang smiled and said: "Sir, aren't you afraid that dividing our troops will weaken our forces, making us vulnerable to being attacked separately? But considering we are near Xiangyang, with a large army responding to a single call, I doubt the Song people would have the guts to rob us under the eyes of over a million soldiers."

  Ali Haiya thought to himself, "I just asked a question and the hundred-man commander couldn't answer, but this ten-man commander is talking fluently; I mentioned pros and cons, but he immediately pointed out the disadvantages." He sized up Liang Xiao and thought, "Looking at his uniform, he's just an ordinary soldier, how can he have such insight?" For now, he didn't reveal any expression, calmly saying, "What you said is right, in all matters one must prevent small problems from becoming big ones. If someone really does commit robbery, how should we deal with it?" After speaking, his eyes gleamed brightly as he stared at Liang Xiao.

  Liang Xiao smiled and said, "What can a mere soldier like me do? At most, we'll just divide into smaller groups of 200 people each, with not too much distance between them. We'll have messengers in each group, and when we encounter danger, the front and back will respond to each other. If they attack our head, our tail will respond; if they attack our tail, our head will respond. And if they attack us in the middle, that's just their bad luck - both our head and tail will arrive, and we'll kill them until they're defeated." Ali Haiya looked at Liang Xiao for a while, nodded and said, "When you get to Xiangyang, come see me at my camp." Shi Futong was shocked by Lei Zhen's words, and when he looked at Liang Xiao, there was a hint of jealousy in his eyes.

  Liang Xiao smiled but didn't speak, thinking to himself: "I'm not in trouble, what's the point of seeing you?" Ali Haiya continued: "Xiangyang is a border town between two countries, our army has arrived, and so has the Song army. If we join forces together, we can take care of each other." Seeing Liang Xiao didn't respond, he sternly shouted: "Hundred-man commander! Did you hear that?" Liang Xiao replied: "I completely obey your orders, sir." Thinking to himself: "This is great, I get to relax too."

  The two armies merged and passed through the mountain road to Xiangyang. Shi Futong was preempted by Liang Xiao, suddenly came in spirit, looking for an opportunity, riding a horse squeezed beside Ariq B?ke, and flattering: "I heard from Wanhu Ye that General Haiya and General Art are both under Bayan's command. The Song army also has several formidable characters, such as Li Tingzhi and Lü De, who had fought against Emperor Xianzong and the Holy One in those years, and can be considered famous generals of the time, but they have never been able to get a good deal from you and General Art!"

  Ali Haiya was not good at welcoming, and upon hearing this, he also felt relieved in his heart. He smiled slightly and said: "How can I compare to Master Asha? Master Asha is skilled in using troops, the Song people fear him like a tiger. The current situation in Xiangyang is mostly due to his efforts. However, speaking of it, Li Tingzhi and Lü De are only relying on the city's defenses and stubbornly resisting. With His Majesty's wisdom, he repeatedly attacked the Song people but was unable to bring them down, not because they were particularly formidable, but because he was not familiar with naval warfare. Now that His Majesty has made up for his mistakes and is vigorously revitalizing the navy, this southern campaign will surely be a triumphant victory!"

  Shifu Tong sighed: "Living in a remote and secluded place for a long time, I am ignorant and rarely heard of! Alas, the Holy One is wise and intelligent, his will is like a dragon, it's not something we can measure. If there's anything unclear in the future, please don't hesitate to enlighten me." Ali Haiya was originally a Uyghur farmer from Western Regions, with a humble origin, relying solely on his own hard work to achieve success. After gaining fame and fortune, he also liked others to be like him, diligent and inquisitive, so he nodded and said: "Knowing one's own shortcomings is the beginning of progress. As long as you are diligent and studious, thinking deeply and self-strengthening, there will definitely be a day when you'll stand out. Hmm, weren't you ill? You seem to have recovered a lot now." He spoke with a hint of concern.

  Shi Futong sighed, "My illness is unpredictable, and Liang Xiao knows it best. I'm afraid I won't get better." Ali Haiya frowned and said, "Really? I know a few skilled military doctors who can take a look at you when we arrive at the camp." Shi Futong was moved to tears and almost dismounted his horse to kowtow. Ali Haiya stopped him with a few words of comfort and turned to glance at Liang Xiao, who was following from afar. He smiled and said, "Is that Liang Xiao? Although he's young, he's an exceptional talent." Shi Futong felt envious upon hearing this, but his smile remained as he said, "He has great abilities, but also a big temper, making him difficult to get along with." Ali Haiya frowned and said, "Now that you mention it, I think he's too arrogant. Ordinary generals might not be able to handle him." Shi Futong revealed a hint of regret and said, "Yes, even the Wanhu Ye doesn't dare use him." Ali Haiya smiled slightly upon hearing this.

  Liang Xiao fell behind, but his ears were sharp and he heard more than half of what Shi Fu Tong said. He sneered in his heart: "You're at it again, stirring up trouble! Humph, tomorrow it'll be the turn of the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian, you little scoundrel, get ready with two jars of clear water, drink and pull at the same time!"

  He then heard Shi Fu Tong say: "But I don't know why General Hai Ya has come to this place, instead of fighting against the Song army in Xiangyang?"

  Ali Haiya said: "I have just returned from Dadu, only because before His Majesty ascended the throne, he twice sent troops to conquer the Song, but returned without success. Therefore, he had doubts about this southern expedition from the start. The ministers in the court also held different views and argued fiercely. General Bayan and Ping Zhang Aji were too busy to leave, so they ordered me to return to the court to report on the situation in Xiangyang and firm up His Majesty's intention to conquer the south. Alas, after many twists and turns, I was lucky not to fail my mission."

  Shi Fu Tong seized the opportunity to flatter him even more. As the saying goes, "A thousand schemes and a million schemes are not as good as one scheme of flattery", Ali Haiya heard what he wanted to hear and burst out laughing with joy.

  As they chatted and laughed, the crowd walked around the foot of the mountain, following the path opened up by the Mongolian army. After a while, they suddenly saw a huge boulder in front of them, blocking nearly half of the road. Although people and horses could bypass it, vehicles found it difficult to pass through. Ali Haiya frowned and said, "Isn't this because of the rain, rolling down from the mountain slope?" He turned to Liang Xiao and said, "You dispatch a few men to move the stone." Liang Xiao furrowed his brow, calling on everyone to work together to move the boulder. The boulder was deeply embedded in the soil, weighing at least 10,000 catties. Even with Liang Xiao and Tuo Tuo Ha working together, they couldn't budge it. Other Han soldiers came to help, and Liang Xiao shouted out a rhythmic chant, as everyone worked together to push the stone inch by inch up the mountain slope.

  At this time, the sound of whipping came, a village girl accompanied by a young boy, one in front and one behind, whipped and drove more than 20 cows to meet the team. The boy had his hair tied up in two braids, with clear eyebrows and eyes, whipped the cow's buttocks, suddenly sang loudly: "When drawing a bow, draw it strongly, when using an arrow, use a long one. When shooting people, shoot their horses first, when capturing bandits, capture their leaders first. Killing people is also limitless, each country has its own borders. If you can control the invasion, why kill more?" The voice was tender and crisp, while singing, they got closer and closer to the team.

  Ali Heya was familiar with the Han people's script and couldn't help but think, "The Great Song is indeed a prosperous land of culture, this young child can even recite poetry?" The Uyghurs loved music, and Ali Heya was particularly skilled in this area. He listened to the child sing in harmony with the rhythm and nodded slightly. Suddenly, he heard the woman laugh and say, "Little brother, you sang well, I'll also sing a song." She had fair skin and delicate features, her eyebrows were like paintings, and although she wore simple clothes, she didn't lose her elegant demeanor. She lightly opened her red lips and sang in a gentle voice: "Driving horses through the rain and snow, marching into the high mountains. The steep path hugs the cold stone, pointing to the ice between. Already gone for many moons, when will we return to build the city? Floating clouds in the southern expedition, can be seen but not reached." The soldiers saw her talent was beautiful, her voice was round and smooth, they listened with their ears and watched with their eyes, and couldn't help but be stunned. The cattle had arrived at the army's front just then, although everyone felt that the two of them came unexpectedly, but since they were just a child and a woman, no one took it to heart.

  Liang Xiao pushed the stone up the slope, found a stone stuck underneath, took a deep breath, turned around and looked back, but felt that both the woman and the shepherd boy were familiar faces. Suddenly, his brow furrowed deeply, and he shouted loudly: "What are you two doing?"

  The girl and the shepherd boy were also stunned by his appearance. They were not others, the girl was Chu Wan, and the boy was Feng Mian, Yun Shu's book boy. As soon as they saw Liang Xiao, their faces were shocked. Everyone saw Liang Xiao arguing with them and felt strange. Ali Haiya couldn't help but shout: "Liang Xiao, what are you talking about?" Liang Xiao saw Feng Mian and immediately thought of Yun Shu, not answering Ali Haiya, took a step forward, and sternly said: "Little boy, what are you doing here in disguise?" Feng Mian's eyes turned, and he smiled: "Herding cattle! Isn't this place called Fowniu Mountain?" Liang Xiao scolded: "Herding cattle? It's more like herding fart!"

  Before the words had fallen, someone on the opposite mountain slope began to sing: "The Xiongnu invaded my camp, and the wind and dust were confused for a hundred miles. The heroic sword moved four or five times, and the enemy army fled from me." Liang Xiao heard it and looked up, but saw only one person in white clothes like snow, with one hand behind his back and the other holding a book, walking down quickly and slowly at the same time, like flowing clouds and running water. Looking at him, it was indeed Yun Shu.

  Liang Xiao's heart sank, knowing that the arrival was not good. Suddenly, Feng Mian and Chu Wan took out their fire starters and lit the fuse on the cow tails. The explosive bamboo tubes ignited with a loud bang, startling over 20 large cattle. Their first instinct was to charge forward wildly. In an instant, the herd rushed into the military formation, catching the soldiers off guard, causing them to fall over each other. The grain carts' horses and cows were also startled, struggling and moving about wildly. Liang Xiao and Tu Tu Ha were pushing a large boulder and had left their bows and arrows on their horses. In the sudden chaos, they couldn't even shoot arrows at the cattle, helplessly watching as the crazed herd trampled the military formation.

  Yun Shu let out a long, loud laugh, the sound of which shook the heavens and rose up from the two slopes on either side. The treetops in the forest swayed back and forth as hundreds of people emerged. Yun Shu flipped his right hand over, and suddenly there was an ancient sword with a mottled pattern in it. The tip of the sword pointed downwards as he sang: "The king's name is taken, his neck is bound by the gate. In secret, we prepare our battle lines, one victory is not enough to discuss!" The crowd responded in unison: "In secret, we prepare our battle lines, one victory is not enough to discuss!" Amidst the singing, they brandished their long spears and knives, rushing down from both sides of the mountain slope.

  Yun Shu's sword led the way, its light and shadow dancing across the ground. Severed limbs and broken arms flew through the air like falling leaves, and fresh blood splattered onto his white robes, resembling petals of peach blossoms. With a few swift movements, he arrived before Ali Haiya's horse, saw his attire, and knew he must be the leader. With a single swipe of his paw, Yun Shu struck down at Ali Haiya's head.

  Ali Haiya, a seasoned veteran of many battles, saw an opportunity and swiftly dodged to the side, hiding under the horse's belly. Before he could regain his composure, a tender face suddenly appeared before him - it was the cowherd boy. Ali Haiya had no time to react and was quickly grabbed by Feng Mian, who pressed down on his vital points. Seeing Shi Futong scrambling about in the distance, he hastily cried out: "Quickly come and save me!" Shi Futong, however, was paralyzed with fear at this moment, only thinking of how to escape with his life, and didn't care about "General Haiya" anymore.

  Fengmian dragged Ali Haiya off his horse, laughing: "Young master, you're caught!" Yun Shu's feet tapped on the saddle as he said: "Hold him tight." Without stopping for a moment, he leapt up and with three swift sword strikes, killed three more of the colored-eyed soldiers.

  The ambush came suddenly, and Liang Xiao and others were all on the slope, taking the lead, only to counterattack. A strong man with a ghost head knife rushed towards Liang Xiao, a thin and tall man held a spear and stabbed Tutuha, and Li Ting and others also met their opponents.

  Liang Xiao slightly shifted his body, causing the knife in Hanzi's hand to lighten, and the Ghost Head Knife was already taken away. Liang Xiao turned his hand back and rolled the knife over. Hanzi did not expect a soldier to have such martial arts skills, and under great surprise, he dodged too late. Liang Xiao's knife was halfway through, suddenly turning the blade, and the back of the knife slapped him on the temple. The robust man suffered this severe blow, groaning and falling to the ground.

  Liang Xiao knocked down one person, and before he could turn around, he suddenly heard a loud shout. Turning back to look, he had his long spear tucked under his arm, and with a burst of divine power, he lifted the thin man into the air. With this great force, the thin man couldn't hold onto the spear shaft, and flew backward. But he was skilled in martial arts, and with a quick flip, he landed on the ground, and Tuhata rushed forward, sweeping his spear horizontally. Born with divine power, this sweep had a force of several hundred kilograms, hitting the man's calf, causing him to cry out in pain and fall to the ground.

  Tu Tu Ha and Liang Xiao easily won, but Zhao Shan, Nang Gu Die and the others were trapped in a fierce battle. The ones who came this time were all good hands from Nan Wulin, and the five of them had only practiced martial arts for a few months. Even with Liang Xiao's guidance, it was difficult to make great progress. How could they possibly contend with these skilled fighters empty-handed? As soon as they clashed, they fell into disadvantage. Liang Xiao saw this and went forward, his Ghost Head Knife moving like a dragon, forcing the heroes to retreat one after another. Liang Xiao had no grudge against them, so he never used his killing move. His opponents relied on their numbers, retreating and then coming back up, desperately entangling him.

  Tu Tu Ha rushed up, taking advantage of the crowd being attracted by Liang Xiao. He launched a sneak attack from behind, knocking down two people and shouted: "Liang Xiao, you can't show mercy on the battlefield!" Liang Xiao furrowed his brow, his energy concentrated in his sword, and the sound of clashing metal was incessant. Six or seven Southern Dynasty warriors were wounded, their swords and spears falling to the ground. Liang Xiao shouted: "Pick up your weapons!" Li Ting'er and five others responded immediately, rushing forward to pick up the fallen arms. The Southern Dynasty warriors saw that these few soldiers were formidable and surrounded them.

  Liang Xiao saw that the others were all skilled fighters, and it would be difficult to escape without getting hurt. He shouted loudly: "Those who want to live, get out of here!" The heroes ignored him, a man with scars on his face wielding a pair of short spears, rushed forward first, suddenly seeing a flash of knife light like snow, instantly reaching his shoulder.

  Liang Xiao's heart turned ruthless, and he unleashed the "Shura Destroying World Knife", a move that could shock ghosts and gods, and take away the breath of thousands of soldiers. Just as Hanzi's arm was about to be severed, a long spear appeared out of nowhere, blocking Liang Xiao's "Electric Wind Chase". Liang Xiao's arm shook violently, knowing that he had encountered a formidable opponent. He slightly adjusted his knife stance, and with a move called "Lonely Spirit", the knife light swallowed and spat out, sliding along the spear shaft, cutting off the man's fingers. The man let out a cry of surprise, jumped back several feet, and exclaimed: "Good guy!" The scar-faced Hanzi picked up his severed arm and retreated in disarray.

  The spearman's hair and beard were all white, with a red glow on his face. He was indeed the "Heavenly Dragon". He looked at Liang Xiao and felt shocked: "Among the Tartar troops, there is actually such a person?" With a loud shout, he shook his long spear and attacked. Liang Xiao's sword met it, but his martial arts skills were far above Fang Lang's. Seven cuts and eight slashes later, he forced his opponent to retreat step by step, relying only on the length of his spear against Liang Xiao's short sword, struggling not to let him get close.

  Liang Xiao's patience was wearing thin, and he suddenly changed his move to "Burning Heaven and Earth". His sword flashed rapidly, and the blade swept towards him in all directions. Fang Lan hastily parried three swords, but was suddenly caught off guard by Liang Xiao's knife, which had been hidden between his legs. He kicked away the long spear, and a sword sliced towards his chest. Just as Fang Lan felt he couldn't withstand it, someone suddenly rushed to Liang Xiao's back, an iron claw tearing through the air, striking at his back.

  Liang Xiao helplessly turned the knife's momentum, blocking the incoming iron claw. Fang Lan took a deep breath and shouted: "Jing Fei, this person's claws are quite hard!" He danced with his long spear, joining forces with Jing Fei to attack from both sides. Both of them were top-notch figures in the Southern Martial Arts world, and Liang Xiao was indeed formidable, but he was entangled and unable to break free. It wasn't until Jing Fei and Fang Lan joined forces that they managed to block the Mongolian soldier's single knife, and their hearts were filled with an even greater sense of shock and alarm.

  Yun Shu led over a hundred people, charging back and forth in the Yuan army, unstoppable, killing more than 300 soldiers. In the chaos of the battle, suddenly Chu Wan let out a loud shout: "Don't run!" Yun Shu followed the sound and saw a short Yuan soldier, wielding a long sword with a cold glow, fighting and retreating with Chu Wan. He was agile and his sword was sharp, only trying to escape, and Chu Wan couldn't stop him. Yun Shu turned around again, even more shocked, on the eastern mountain slope, a flash of cold light came and went, forcing Fang Lang and Jing Fei to retreat in disarray, while six other Yuan soldiers were killed by that flash of light.

  Yun Shu stood out with the intention of killing all the grain troops, and not letting a single one escape. With a loud shout, he leapt out and saw that the short and small Yuan soldier was rushing up the slope. He immediately rushed to his side. The Yuan soldier was Ah Xue, who had not gone to move the stone blocks, so she stayed in the army. Suddenly seeing people killing from both sides, her heart was frightened, and seeing Liang Xiao on the east slope, she fled to the east, but unexpectedly was intercepted by several southern warriors face to face. Fortunately, Liang Xiao feared that she would encounter danger, so he gave her the Xuan Yuan sword for self-defense. The opponent was caught off guard and was cut off by her knife and gun. Just as a breakthrough was imminent, suddenly a strong wind sound came from behind, and her heart trembled with fear. She turned around and drew out her sword. Yun Shu's left hand became a claw, and he snatched the Xuan Yuan sword from her hand. His right sword shook, just about to stab out, when Ah Xue suddenly shouted: "It's you!"

  She had met Yun Shu at Wulon Ridge that day, and now she recognized him as soon as they faced each other, exclaiming in surprise. Yun Shu's long sword was already at her throat, but when he heard the woman's cry, he was quite startled in his heart. His swordsmanship was controlled by his mind, and with a condensation of the sword's edge, he turned around and grabbed Ah Xue's shoulder, saying: "You're a girl?" He didn't have time to think carefully, and with a toss of his hand, he threw Ah Xue out, shouting: "Chu Niangniang, take care of her!" Without touching the ground, he rushed straight up the slope. Ah Xue was grabbed and thrown by him, her fur hat falling off, revealing a head of black hair, showing her feminine appearance completely. Chu Wan secretly found it strange, took a step forward, and captured her.

  Liang Xiao was surrounded by a group of experts, using all his skills to try and escape. Just as he was about to be overpowered, Zhao Shan and Wang Ke were attacked by their opponents and stumbled to one side. Suddenly, they heard a woman's cry for help and turned around to see Ah Xue being captured. The two men were shocked and didn't have time to call out to Liang Xiao for help before turning around and rushing forward, trying to rescue Ah Xue. Just then, Yun Shu rushed over at high speed, meeting them head-on.

  Zhao Shan, unaware of the danger, brandished his wooden sword and charged forward. Yun Shu's left hand hung onto the Yuan Sword, deflecting Zhao Shan's wooden sword to one side, while his right hand flashed with a swift and deadly strike, piercing into Zhao Shan's chest. Zhao Shan let out a loud cry and fell backwards. Wang Ke's eyes widened in fury as he shook his golden spear, sweeping it towards Yun Shu. Yun Shu countered with the same technique, using his left sword to deflect the golden spear, while his right sword flashed out, slicing across Wang Ke's abdomen. Wang Ke let out a pained cry and fell to the ground.

  Liang Xiao heard the mournful cry, turned his head to look, and was shocked to the point of being frightened out of his wits. He was surrounded by a dense encirclement, and as soon as he lost focus for a moment, Jing Fei's iron claw swept past his shoulder, with blood seeping through his armor. Liang Xiao let out a painful hum, the knife light in his palm flashing wildly, and the four heroes were beheaded on the spot. Jing Fei angrily shouted: "Good thief, you die or I die!" And Fang Lan, the two of them joined forces to pounce forward. Liang Xiao had no intention of fighting for a long time, avoiding the two of them, killing all the weak enemies, and in an instant, several more people fell under his blade, the encirclement collapsing like a landslide, leaving nothing behind.

  Yun Shu was just about to strike the final blow at Wang Ke, when he suddenly saw his companions heavily killed or wounded. His heart skipped a beat as he abandoned Wang Ke and rushed towards Liang Xiao. Tu Tu Ha intercepted him with his spear thrust out. Yun Shu's feet didn't stop moving as he dodged the spear while sprinting, his sword flashing like lightning, heading straight for Tu Tu Ha's left chest.

  Tutaha brandished his horizontal sword, but unexpectedly Yun Shu drew a sword flower and swept it towards Tutaha's throat. Just as Tutaha was about to follow in Zhao Shan's footsteps, a sudden shout echoed through the air, and Liang Xiao descended from above, striking down with one knife. The blade had not yet arrived when the wind began to churn. This move, "Shura Danyue", was ferocious and violent, the most powerful of all sword techniques under heaven. Yun Shu's left sword swiftly blocked upwards, his right sword naturally slowing, Tutaha's body and hands were quick and agile, taking advantage of the opportunity to leap back, but the sword tip still tore through his chest armor, fresh blood gushing out.

  Swords clashed, sparks flew everywhere, Liang Xiao exerted all his strength to strike a blow. Yun Shu hastily parried the attack, but his sword was knocked out of his hand and flew away. He remained calm in the face of danger, his long sword rising like an angry dragon, stabbing straight at Liang Xiao's abdomen. Liang Xiao saw that this sword move was the "Gui Cang Sword" style, and he was shocked in his heart. Knowing that this move "Xiu Luo Duan Yue" had no defense, only offense, he could only use Yun Shu's momentum to retreat and dodge. Yun Shu took advantage of the situation and didn't let up, his sword flashing rapidly as he pursued Liang Xiao's retreating figure, striking out two zhang (about 6 meters). Just when Liang Xiao finally caught his breath, his ghost-head knife rose, making a "ting" sound, and finally blocked Yun Shu's sword.

  The two clashed twice, both as swift as lightning, until now, when Yun Shu finally saw Liang Xiao's face clearly, he was slightly stunned and exclaimed: "Is it you?" Liang Xiao didn't answer, instead striking again with two knives. Yun Shu drew out his swords and couldn't help but ask: "Liu Niang..." Liang Xiao hated him even more, the three words "Liu Niang" were like adding fuel to the fire, as he swung his knife, he spat in his face. Yun Shu dodged to the side, but still got splashed with two drops of saliva on his cheek, and for a moment, he was both ashamed and angry, shouting loudly: "Good thief, are you going to die?" The sword light flashed, no longer showing any mercy.

  The two exchanged blows and dismantled each other in ten moves. "Shura Destroying the World Knife" was not Xiang Qian's most satisfying skill, but "Gui Cang Sword" was Gong Yangyu's lifelong ultimate technique. In less than twenty moves, Liang Xiao had already revealed signs of defeat. Looking at Fang Lan and Jing Fei leading the crowd to annihilate Tuhaha and his five men, he felt anxious and impatient. With a flash of his foot, Yun Shu swung his sword to strike empty air, feeling slightly stunned. Suddenly, he saw Liang Xiao unfold "Gui Yuan Step" and rush towards Tuhaha at high speed.

  Yun Shu's thoughts were unclear, and the young man had already exhausted his internal energy. Why not only did his martial arts recover, but also far surpassed before. At this critical moment, there was no time for him to think carefully, so he immediately launched "Guiyuan Step" and closely followed behind Liang Xiao. The two of them, one in front and one behind, were as swift as a bird escaping from its cage and as slippery as a fish swimming in the depths. Along the way, Liang Xiao frequently used his killing moves, every knife seeing blood, not missing once. Yun Shu was both angry and hateful, knowing that if he let him turn around two more times, there would be no one left alive here. Immediately, he urged on his internal energy, his feet stomping once, and leaped into the air, "Zhenjian Dao" striking out, a thunderous sword, stabbing towards Liang Xiao's back.

  Liang Xiao counterattacked with a single knife, sealing the path behind him. However, Cloud Shu's "Inferno Dragon Sword" was a treasured sword, and as their blades entwined, Ghost Head Knife snapped in two. Cloud Shu's sword edge didn't stop, pressing straight against Liang Xiao's back heart. Liang Xiao didn't have time to turn around, awkwardly taking a step forward with his feet at an angle. The two people's footwork was evenly matched, originally knowing each other's foundation, and Cloud Shu had calculated carefully, this one sword sealing off all of Liang Xiao's possible paths. Unexpectedly, Liang Xiao's strange step was extremely unusual, absolutely not any of the footwork from "Three Talents Returning to Origin Palm". Cloud Shu's painstakingly set up ambushes were completely useless.

  This step comes from Liang Xiao's "Wu Suo Bu Neng Tu" and is called the "Ten Directions Step". Jiu Ru Monk has a saying "Stick Beats Ten Directions World", Liang Xiao uses "Ten Directions" as its name, with the meaning of "Treading all over the Ten Directions World". If we say that "Gui Yuan Step" retreats into the divine, it has already achieved the great completion of the Nine Palaces Diagram. Then this "Ten Directions Step" goes beyond the Nine Palaces and is even more divine and mysterious.

  Liang Xiao dodged Yun Shu's attack, swaying left and right, and landed a palm on Fang Lan's ribs. Fang Lan opened up his long spear, intending to stab Liang Xiao to death with one thrust, but didn't notice Liang Xiao launching a sneak attack from behind, spitting out fresh blood as he threw himself at Yun Shu. Yun Shu had no choice but to let Liang Xiao go and catch him instead.

  Liāng Xiāo saw Tǔ Hǎ covered in blood, his long spear dancing wildly, already killing to the point of dizziness. Knowing the situation was dire, he grabbed him and shouted "Run!" Wáng Kě rushed over, one hand clutching his stomach, the other holding the Huányuán sword, gritting his teeth saying "Liāng big brother! Give it to me!" He lay on the ground, the Huányuán sword slipping from Yuān Shū's hand, coincidentally falling beside him, and he picked it up to charge into battle.

  Liang Xiao took over the long sword and saw that Wang Ke's face was pale and defeated, swaying as if about to fall. Unconsciously, his heart tightened, and he shouted loudly: "Nang Gu Die, support him well!" The sword light flashed continuously, knocking down two people, leading the crowd to rush up the main road. Li Ting hugged Zhao Shan, crying while running: "Liang big brother, San Gou Er is going to die... going to die..." Liang Xiao's heart sank, and he took over Zhao Shan, shouting: "Li Ting, go grab the horse!" He looked down and saw that Zhao Shan's chest was stained with a large patch of fresh blood, his breath weak, and his heart ached. He shouted loudly, "San Gou Er, San Gou Er..." Before he finished speaking, a gust of wind rose behind him, and Yun Shu rushed over with his sword. Liang Xiao quickly put Zhao Shan on his back and turned to resist. The two men had equally precious swords and equally skilled swordsmanship. Yun Shu saw that Liang Xiao used the "Gui Cang Sword" and was shocked and puzzled in his heart, asking repeatedly about its origin. Liang Xiao did not say a word, relying solely on the "Ten Directions Step" to dodge and weave, forcing Yun Shu to exhaust himself from chasing after him.

  Zhao Shan faintly heard Liang Xiao's voice, and with great effort, he opened his eyes to see a blur of white light flashing before him. The sound of swords whizzing through the air filled his ears, making him feel as though his three souls and six spirits were drifting away from his body. Suddenly, he heard the clash of two swords, ringing out in a long, clear tone. Zhao Shan's mind cleared, and with a gasp, he said: "Liang... big brother... I'm going to die..." He had been stabbed in the lung, and each breath he took was labored, his voice barely audible. Liang Xiao's heart felt as though it were being cut by a knife; while fending off Yun Shu's swift sword with one hand, he cursed: "You three dogs... don't spout nonsense..."

  Zhao Shan gasped for breath, and with each gasp, a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out, soaking Liang Xiao's back, warm, wet, and sticky. All he could hear was Zhao saying: "I... I... want to make mom laugh... let mom have a good life..." As he spoke, his coughing grew more violent, and the fresh blood flowed out of his mouth, dripping onto Liang Xiao's neck, scaldingly hot, almost burning his skin.

  Tutuha took advantage of the situation and led five others to rush forward, jumping onto the horse. Four heroes came forward to block them, but Tutuha drew his strong bow and shot arrows in quick succession. The four men hurriedly raised their weapons to parry, but unexpectedly, Liang Xiao attacked from behind, striking all four down. Yun Shu followed closely behind, shouting loudly and thrusting his long sword rapidly. The two men's martial arts skills were originally evenly matched; in terms of body technique, Liang Xiao was slightly stronger, while in terms of swordsmanship, Yun Shu was a bit more formidable. Liang Xiao had been carrying Zhao Shan, which added to his burden, and by this point, he was already having great difficulty. He hastily parried two swords, stumbled, and fell backward.

  Yun Shu gained momentum and didn't let up, swiftly stabbing with his sword. Tu Ha saw the situation and drew his bow, firing a flurry of arrows that flew in like a long snake, winding their way towards him. Yun Shu had no choice but to circle back with his treasured sword, knocking down a string of arrows. Liang Xiao took advantage of the opportunity to dash out, seeing from afar Li Ting leading his horse in a swift gallop towards them. Liang Xiao rushed over in several strides, flipping onto the horseback, and in an instant, the six people shouted in unison, urging their horses forward.

  Yun Shu's hatred for Liang Xiao was deep-seated, and he picked up a long spear from the ground, exerting all his strength to throw it out. Liang Xiao raised his sword to deflect the spear. In this brief pause, Yun Shu rushed forward several steps, picking up another long spear, but before he could throw it, the crowd had already turned around and opened fire, shooting arrows at him with a whooshing sound. Although Yun Shu didn't take Li Ting and others seriously, he was extremely wary of Tuer's archery skills, so his body hesitated for a moment, and Liang Xiao took advantage of the opportunity to urge his horse forward, galloping far away.

  Six people rushed out for a while, and when no one came, Liang Xiao finally stopped the horse. He looked down and saw that Zhao Shan's face was as white as paper, his body was icy cold and stiff, his eyes were empty, and he stared at the sky. Liang Xiao's expression was wooden, and he reached out to slowly close his eyelids. It wasn't until then that Li Ting, Yang Yi, and Wang Ke dared to believe that Zhao Shan had really died, and they couldn't help but burst into tears. Wang Ke, who had been seriously injured, fainted from grief, falling off the horse's back.

  Liang Xiao picked him up and saw a four-inch wound on his abdomen, with blood flowing like a stream. He raised his hand to seal the bleeding meridian. Then he found some fine grass stems and used his bamboo weaving skills to thread the grass stems through the wound, sewing it shut.

  Stabilize Wang Ke, who was injured. Liang Xiao stood up and turned around, only to see that everyone was covered in wounds. Tu Tu Ha's injuries were particularly severe, but he had a strong physique and could still hold on. Liang Xiao reached into his sleeve and took out a white jade ring, handing it to the least injured Gou Gu Die, saying: "You quickly go to the main camp, use this ring to ask for an audience with Bo Yan, tell him about the situation here, and ask him to treat your injuries."

  Everyone looked at each other in dismay, and Tu Tuo Ha asked: "Liang Xiao, why don't you go with us?" Liang Xiao's eyebrows twitched, and he said casually: "Either that group of people dies out, or I, Liang Xiao, will be exhausted to death. From now on, this matter will never be settled." His tone was gloomy, and the crowd felt a chill run down their spines when they heard it. Nang Gu Die said: "Liang Xiao, these people must be Song Dynasty's special troops sent to cut off our grain supply. They might have succeeded this time and escaped back to the Song territory. How can one person like you contend with an entire country? Let's go back to the big camp and think of a plan." Everyone echoed in agreement.

  Liang Xiao turned over on his horse, staring at the road he came from, his face pale as iron, and suddenly shouted: "I am Liang Xiao, the commander of the ten husbands. Now I order you to quickly go to the big camp, those who refuse my orders will be dealt with by military law!" He gave orders as a general, and the five men were stunned, no longer daring to disobey, turned their horses around, and rushed towards Xiangyang.

  Liang Xiao slung his bow and arrows over his shoulder, with his precious sword inserted at an angle by his waist. Wherever his eyes fell, the setting sun was sinking in the west, and the sky seemed to be stained with fresh blood. He let out a sorrowful cry towards the heavens, turned his warhorse around, and galloped away along the road he had come from.

  As he rushed to the place where the grain and grass were cut off, a fierce flame rose in front of him, and all the grain and grass fell into the sea of fire. Liang Xiao was greatly grieved in his heart, dismounted and rushed into the fire, searching for Ah Xue's body everywhere, but after half a while, he didn't see it. Just as he felt bewildered, a corpse suddenly jumped up from the ground and stumbled towards him. Liang Xiao was startled by the sudden change of the corpse, and involuntarily retreated half a step. After a closer look, it turned out to be Shi Futong. He suddenly understood that this guy had fallen to the ground pretending to be dead and had escaped a disaster.

  Shi Futong threw his arms around Liang Xiao and burst into tears, "Good brother, I thought we'd never see each other again!" Liang Xiao had wanted to push him away, but hearing Shi Futong's pitiful sobs, he too felt a lump in his throat, and with great effort held back his own tears. He spoke coldly, "You're quite clever, aren't you?" Shi Futong detected the sarcasm, and with a sheepish grin wiped away his tears. Looking at the raging fire, he couldn't help but stamp his foot and wail again, "It's all over! How are we going to explain this to Wan Hu?" He turned to Liang Xiao and said, "Let's get out of here fast, if those people come back, it'll be disastrous!"

  "Where did they go?" Liang Xiao asked. Shi Fu Tong pointed to the eastern mountain slope: "They took the captives into the mountains." Liang Xiao heard that there were still captives, and let out a sigh of relief: "Brother Shi, I will remember your kindness forever. You ride my horse back to the main camp, okay?" As he spoke, he stepped forward up the mountain.

  "Shifu Tong exclaimed: "What are you doing?" Liang Xiao didn't respond, continuing on his way. Shifu Tong guessed his thoughts and anxiously shouted: "Good brother, don't do anything foolish! We're both terminally ill, if something happens to you, I won't be able to live either!" Liang Xiao's heart was in turmoil, he had no time to respond, and rushed up the mountain slope. Shifu Tong stood still for a moment, gritted his teeth, and shouted: "Forget it, we're all going to die anyway, let's die together!" He picked up a broken spear and followed Liang Xiao."

  Liang Xiao was slightly surprised: "This rascal still has such audacity?" Without saying more, he directly crossed the mountain path, searching for traces. Along the way, there were many footprints and bloodstains, probably because the group of heroes had a large crowd and some injured people, so they couldn't help but leave behind traces. Liang Xiao followed the traces, searching all the way.