Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

Chapter 207 The Hu Family Generals Will Meet the Qin Family Generals, Double Copper Whips Will Meet

"Chief, Huyan Zhuo is no ordinary man! He already knows the power of our hook-and-sickle spears, so he definitely won't fall into the same trap again. In my opinion, we should find another rugged valley, set up the battlefield like we did today, add plenty of tackling nails and oil, and fight him to the death!" Liu Tang's fiery temper flared up instantly, and he was the first to step forward without saying a word. If it weren't for the fact that although they had won today's battle, he still felt a lingering sense of frustration and felt like he hadn't had enough, he wouldn't have bothered getting involved.

However, just as Li Hanxiao, who had been silent until now, was about to speak, the strategist Wen Huanzhang suddenly interrupted, saying, "No! Absolutely not!" He gently waved his feather fan, his expression serious as he continued his analysis, "Sun Tzu's Art of War states that a skilled strategist doesn't only consider victory, but also the possibility of defeat. Huyan Zhuo is a renowned general, always cautious and methodical in his military tactics. Since he already knows our army possesses the hook-and-sickle spear, he will surely be on guard. If we repeat our old tricks now, not only will we struggle to achieve our desired results, but we might also be exposed and surrounded. The consequences would be unimaginable!"

"So, what does the strategist mean...?" Guan Sheng stroked his magnificent beard, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed.

"In my opinion, we should retreat to Yuncheng, fortify our defenses and clear the fields, then send our navy to cut off their supply lines. Once their army is exhausted, we can devise a better strategy."

"Retreat?" Upon hearing this, Lin Chong's eyes, which always held a hint of melancholy, instantly ignited with two flames. "Strategist, we have just won a bloody battle, and our morale is soaring. How can we retreat before even fighting?!"

For a time, the tent was divided into two factions, who were locked in a dispute.

Li Han smiled, a smile tinged with a chilling, chilling madness. "What Mr. Wen said is a foolproof plan. What Instructor Lin and General Guan said is also the key to the morale of the army." He slowly stood up and walked to the huge geomantic map, but his gaze did not fall on any strategic location. Instead, it fell on the vast, unobstructed plain outside Yuncheng County.

"What you're saying is all right, and all... wrong."

Everyone was taken aback.

Li Hanxiao turned around, his deep eyes gleaming like a hungry wolf in the flickering candlelight. "Huyan Zhuo thinks he's seen through my plan, that my only skills are this hook-and-sickle spear and ambush tactics. Right now, he must be both furious and smug. Furious at losing his vanguard, smug at seeing through my army's strengths and weaknesses."

"The more he thinks this way, the more convinced he will be that as long as he can break my hook-and-sickle spear formation, he can decide the fate of the world in one battle!" Li Hanxiao's lips slowly curled into a cold yet frenzied battle intent.

"So, I decided to play along."

"Tomorrow, I will fight him fair and square in the open! I will 'lose' to him again!"

"What?!" The entire room was filled with astonishment.

"I want Huyan Zhuo to see with his own eyes how his 'Iron Millstone Formation' crushes our hook-and-sickle spear formation to smithereens! I want him to believe that Liangshan has exhausted all its tricks and has no power to turn the tide!"

"Only in this way will he completely let down his guard, and with his invincible pride and his invincible cavalry, charge headlong into the real slaughterhouse I have prepared for him!"

The next day, at the first light of dawn, ten miles outside Yuncheng County, on the plain where blood had been spilled the day before, the two armies faced off once again. This time, the Liangshan army came out in full force, numbering over two thousand men, with banners waving and swords and spears like a forest. However, their formation appeared somewhat scattered, and the soldiers' expressions were mostly filled with fear and unease.

Huyan Zhuo immediately positioned himself under the central canopy, observing the battle through his telescope, a cold smile appearing on his face as expected. "You ignorant fools, daring to face me on the plains? It seems yesterday's lesson wasn't profound enough!" He raised his steel whip, his voice like thunder. "Pass on my order! 'Ironclad Millstone Formation,' activate!"

From within the imperial army ranks, war drums thundered and horns blared! Five hundred heavily armored infantrymen, wielding massive shields and axes, advanced slowly in a huge circular formation, like moving iron towers. Their steps were heavy yet perfectly synchronized, each stomp causing the earth to tremble. This was the "Grinding Heart"! Behind them, however, were five hundred unarmored, unchained, inferior horses! No one rode them; only a single knight led a few.

"Kill!" A cannon boomed from the Liangshan formation, and Liu Tang and Lei Heng each led a thousand Trapped Hoof Battalion soldiers, charging out from both flanks! The same formation of crouching soldiers, the same gleaming hook-and-sickle spears!

"Now! Abandon your horses! Charge!" A command rang out from the government army ranks! When the five hundred heavily armored infantrymen were only fifty paces away from the Liangshan army formation, they all abandoned their horses, letting those five hundred frightened steeds gallop wildly towards the crouching hook-and-sickle spear formation like wild beasts!

"Hook the horses' legs!" Liu Tang roared, his eyes bloodshot. The soldiers of the Trapped Hoof Camp instinctively reached out with their hooked spears, intending to repeat their previous tactic. However, these inferior horses were unarmored, swift, and lacked a fixed formation, galloping about wildly—they were not so easy to hook. In an instant, the Liangshan army's formation was thrown into chaos! Some soldiers were knocked over by the startled horses, while others, trying to avoid the hooves, lost their formation.

In the midst of the chaos, the five hundred heavily armored infantrymen formed a shield wall, like a moving hill, and slammed into the enemy! "Clang! Clang! Clang!" The barbs of their hook-and-sickle spears clashed with the heavy, horse-slaying shields, sparks flying everywhere! The sharp barbs, sharp enough to sever a horse's leg, couldn't even leave a mark on the thick shields! Instead, dozens of hook-and-sickle spears were snapped in two by the immense impact! "Kill!" the government heavy infantry roared. From behind the shield wall, countless axes and spears, like the fangs of venomous snakes, viciously thrust out from the gaps in the shields, slashing down! "Thud!" "Ah!" How could the soldiers of the Trapped Hoof Camp withstand such an onslaught? Their rattan shields, like paper, shattered at the slightest touch against the axes! Their flesh and blood were utterly powerless against the barrage of spears! In a single exchange, dozens were killed or wounded! Liu Tang, his eyes bloodshot, brandished his broadsword and fiercely cut down two government soldiers, but he was pinned down by three heavy shields and unable to move! Lei Heng was struck in the shoulder by a large axe; if he hadn't dodged quickly, half of his body would have been severed! "Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Seeing the situation was dire, the two men were terrified and dared not linger. They fought their way out and led their remaining troops in a desperate escape!

"Hahaha! You rats, where do you think you're going!" Huyan Zhuo, seeing everything clearly from the center of the army, was even more smug. He waved his command flag, and the linked cavalry, which had been impatiently arrayed on the left and right flanks, finally moved! Two black iron torrents, like two huge, red-hot iron pincers, with a destructive force, fiercely encircled the Liangshan army's flanks, which had already lost the protection of their infantry! "Hold on! Hold on for me!" "Purple-faced General" Zhang Xiong led five hundred infantrymen, forming a square formation, trying to resist the charge of the linked cavalry. However, before absolute power, any resistance was futile. With a deafening roar, the seemingly solid square formation, under the iron hooves of the linked cavalry, crumbled like a castle on a sandy beach in an instant! Men and horses fell, blood and flesh flew everywhere! Zhang Xiong swung his iron hammer with all his might, knocking down two warhorses, but was pierced in the thigh by a long spear from behind. He screamed and fell off the battlefield.

"The time has come!" Li Hanxiao, watching from the rear, saw it all clearly. A cold, almost imperceptible glint flashed in his eyes as he abruptly raised his command flag. "Pass on my order! The entire army... rout!" The shrill sound of the retreat rang out across the battlefield. The Liangshan army, like wild dogs with their spines completely broken, collapsed like a house of cards! One by one, they threw down their weapons, discarded their armor and helmets, and cried out for their lives, fleeing for their lives towards "Wolong Valley" in the southwest. The scene of defeat was so real, so utterly chaotic. Flags were scattered, armor lay strewn everywhere, and some soldiers even pushed their wounded comrades to the ground in their desperate escape. These were the "death squads" that Li Hanxiao had selected from among surrendered soldiers, prisoners, and scoundrels. They were a burden to Liangshan, the dregs of the army, useless to keep and easily discarded. Before the battle, Li Hanxiao summoned them, speaking earnestly: "You all deserve to die, deserving of a thousand cuts. However, I have a benevolent heart and will grant you a chance to atone for your sins. In this battle, if you fight bravely and die on the battlefield, your families will be cared for by the stronghold! If you are fortunate enough to survive, your past crimes will be forgiven!" A generous reward will surely attract brave men. Moreover, for these desperate men who had already disregarded life and death, this was the best possible outcome. Their current rout stemmed from deep-seated fear, and was a desperate gamble for their families!

"Hahaha! Li Hanxiao! You've run out of tricks!" Huyan Zhuo stood at the front of the battle line, looking at the fleeing Liangshan army in their disheveled state, at the mess scattered on the ground, and finally, he completely let down his guard. He laughed loudly, full of pride and righteous indignation, feeling that the pent-up frustration and humiliation of the past few days had vanished in this moment! "Issue my order! The entire army is in pursuit! Today, we will storm Wolong Valley and wipe out the Liangshan bandits in one fell swoop! Whoever captures Li Hanxiao alive will be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces and ennobled as a marquis of ten thousand households!" He took the lead, personally leading the main force of the central army, relentlessly pursuing the fleeing Liangshan army! He wanted to see with his own eyes the arrogant Li Hanxiao kneel before his horse, wagging his tail and begging for mercy!

Seeing Huyan Zhuo personally pursuing them with unstoppable momentum, a general suddenly charged out from the rear of the Liangshan army! Clad in golden armor and wielding a golden spear, with a face like jade, and riding a yellow steed, it was none other than the "Golden-Faced Buddha," Qin Zhi! "Huyan Zhuo, you scoundrel! Don't be so arrogant! Qin Zhi is here; who dares to step forward!" Instead of retreating, he advanced, alone, spurring his horse and brandishing his spear, blocking Huyan Zhuo's path! Huyan Zhuo, seeing this, was slightly taken aback, then burst into laughter. "A defeated general dares to boast of bravery? I spared your life yesterday, and today you dare to come and die!" He was about to spur his horse forward when he suddenly noticed the peculiar weapons in Qin Zhi's hands. They were not spears, but a pair of tiger-head gilded maces, crafted entirely of pure gold, shaped like bamboo joints, thick at the top and thin at the bottom, about three feet long and weighing sixty jin! "Double maces?" A strange light flashed in Huyan Zhuo's eyes. His twin whips were also powerful striking weapons, and seeing this, his competitive spirit was ignited. "Who are you? What school do you belong to?" Qin Zhi stood proudly, his twin maces separating in his hands, his voice like metal and stone: "I am a descendant of Qin Qiong, Duke of the Great Tang Dynasty, and Duke of Yi! This is my family's heirloom tiger-head gilded mace! Huyan Zhuo, since you are a descendant of a military family, do you dare to have a fair and square contest with me?" "A descendant of Qin Qiong?!" Upon hearing this, Huyan Zhuo was not surprised but delighted! His ancestor, Huyan Zan, was also a famous general who founded this dynasty, and like Qin Qiong of the Great Tang Dynasty, he was a hero who wielded whips and maces on horseback! Today, he could actually have a duel here with a descendant of Qin Qiong, a contest spanning hundreds of years! What a thrill this was! "Good! Well done, a descendant of the Qin family! Today, I, the commander, will see whether your Qin family's 'trump card' is more powerful, or my Hu family's 'water-milling whip' is superior!" He split the steel whip in his hand, his fighting spirit soaring to the sky!

Indeed: Generals from different families face each other, heroes cherish heroes. Double whips clash against double maces, iron and blood stain the sky! As the poem testifies:

The Hu family's iron whip roars like thunder, while the Qin family's golden mace is honed day and night.

Today we meet for the first time on the battlefield, not for the sake of kings or status.

A single whip strikes and mountains crumble; twin maces hold back awe and fear.

Let's see whose martial arts are superior, and whose name will be recorded in history!

The two spurred their horses forward, colliding instantly. Huyan Zhuo's double whips, carrying immense force, struck Qin Zhi like lightning. Qin Zhi remained calm, his double maces crossing to parry with a loud clang, sparks flying. Immediately afterward, Qin Zhi swiftly withdrew his maces, thrusting them back at Huyan Zhuo's chest. Huyan Zhuo dodged to the side, his steel whip sweeping towards Qin Zhi's leg. Qin Zhi pulled on the reins, his warhorse leaping high, avoiding the attack.