Chapter 209: This Man Must Be Silenced
Their blades clashed, producing a resonant hum as the scout's saber was violently deflected. His heart leaped in surprise: *Dian Dengzi, that frail scholar, has such a formidable fighter among his subordinates?*
Cheng Xu chuckled, shoving Zhao Sheng (Dian Dengzi) far behind him, leaving only himself and the scout face to face. "A border army scout, are we? Not bad, but ultimately, just a soldier."
The scout snarled, "Damn it!"
With a furious curse, he raised his saber again, simultaneously bellowing at the top of his lungs, "Attack!"
The squad behind him charged forward in unison. Further back, in the distant woods, a thousand five hundred of his men also shouted and burst forth.
He had, in fact, been thoroughly prepared to eliminate Zhao Sheng.
Zhao Sheng was utterly astonished. He hadn't expected a fellow rebel, and a subordinate of Bu Zhan Ni at that, to attack so decisively without a moment's hesitation. It made him feel rather foolish.
Fortunately, though Zhao Sheng was naive, his kinsmen from Qingjian County were not. In the Battle of Jiejia Gully, it was these very kinsmen who had proactively come to rescue the naive Zhao Sheng.
It was no different now. Without needing a command from Zhao Sheng, Village Chief Xie roared, "Kinsmen, attack! These people have long harbored ill intentions; they only want to seize our ten bushels of grain!"
Qingjian County was no place for the naive!
During the vast peasant uprisings of the late Ming Dynasty, the small Qingjian County produced three famously formidable rebel leaders: first, Wang Zuogua, who had once attacked Bai Family Fortress (though he launched his rebellion in Yichuan, he was from Qingjian County and originally known as Prince Shun of Qingjian); second, Zhao Sheng (Dian Dengzi); and third, the renowned Lao Huihui, Ma Shouying, who later became one of the Five Camps of Ge-Zuo.
Qingjian was a place of many heroes, and its villagers were brave and daring in battle.
When these three thousand Qingjian county folk charged, their momentum was truly like a rainbow.
It bore repeating: when two gangs of street toughs clashed, they fought with reckless abandon, ready to spill blood and die. They would pull out their cleavers and fight to the bitter end.
The able-bodied young men in the front lines immediately engaged in a fierce melee, while the old, weak, women, and children in the rear began strategically cheering...
Amidst the chaotic battle, the scout's blade flashed as he struck at Cheng Xu again.
Cheng Xu, with a masterful drag and pull of his saber, sent the scout's blade shrieking across the armor plate on his waist, causing the scout to stumble and nearly fall. Simultaneously, Cheng Xu's own saber arced towards the scout's side abdomen.
This move truly startled the scout. Luckily, years of experience as a skirmisher had taught him flexibility and adaptability. In his haste, he dropped to the ground, executing a series of rolls to finally escape Cheng Xu's blade.
He sprang to his feet several meters away, his expression shifting dramatically. "You... you're no ordinary martial artist!"
Common martial artists rarely used armor to deflect blows in a skirmish, as they might go their entire lives without donning it once. Yet, this masked man had deliberately dragged his blade to strike his armor, using the deflection to throw him off balance while simultaneously minimizing his own defensive movements for a swifter counter-attack.
"Damn it, which army are you from?" the scout roared. "The Yansui border army? The Guyuan garrison? Or an elite unit from some other wei-suo?"
Cheng Xu chuckled. *I'm a ranked military officer, yet this fool keeps thinking I'm just a common soldier. Where exactly do I look like just a soldier?*
He wasn't in a hurry to attack, waiting for Bai Yuan's reinforcements to arrive. Since his opponent enjoyed talking, he let him; it was a good way to stall for time. Cheng Xu said smugly, "My surname is He, my given name is Jiu. You've had the misfortune of encountering me. Prepare to meet your ancestors."
He would have been better off not boasting, for as soon as the words left his lips, the scout froze, then exclaimed in alarm, "Chengcheng's War God, Cheng Xu? Weren't you killed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"
Cheng Xu: "!!!"
*What in the blazes is going on? How was my identity exposed with just a single sentence? I clearly covered my face so thoroughly and even gave a fake name, yet I was recognized with one sentence!*
Cheng Xu panicked, a profound, desperate panic. *What if my name gets out? In a blink, the Embroidered Uniform Guard could surround Gao Family Village. And what if the Heavenly Lord happens to be visiting other deities for a few days? I'd be finished.*
This man must be silenced; he cannot be allowed to escape.
He no longer bothered with idle chatter. He lunged forward with a great stride, saber swinging, and fiercely attacked the scout's face. The scout, startled, hurriedly raised his blade to parry. Clang, clang, clang, their blades clashed several times.
In an instant, Cheng Xu gained the upper hand.
However, the scout was also clad in a border army cotton armor, which proved difficult to penetrate. Several times, Cheng Xu gained an advantage, found an opening, and struck his opponent, only for the blow to be blocked by the scout's armor.
He tried to target areas not covered by the cotton armor, but his opponent never gave him the chance.
Just then, a great shout erupted from the hillside. Bai Yuan had finally arrived, leading a group of Bai family retainers, Gao Family Village Militia, and Bai Family Fortress militia—a total of two hundred people, all able-bodied young men with considerable fighting prowess.
The Gao Family Village Militia, in particular, were all armored.
As soon as they scrambled up, they saw a chaotic and fierce battle already underway. Both groups of rebels wore similar rough hemp clothes and had no identifying marks. Mixed together, who could tell them apart?
The Gao Family Village Militia lowered their repeating crossbows. Using them indiscriminately in this situation would surely cause friendly fire.
Bai Yuan seemed anxious. "We can't distinguish friend from foe. Which side should we help?"
While he was still bewildered, Zheng Daniu had already charged forward.
Two men were fighting in front. Zheng Daniu reached out and grabbed both men by their collars simultaneously, lifting them into the air. He asked loudly, "Which side are you on?"
The one in his left hand replied, "Second Squad!"
The one in his right hand replied, "Seventh Squad!"
Zheng Daniu swung his right hand, and with a thud, he slammed the "Seventh Squad" man to the ground, his head striking a rock. The man's eyes rolled back, and he knew no more.
The man in his left hand gasped sharply. *Good thing I'm from the Second Squad.*
Bai Yuan and the others were also dumbfounded. "That works?"
Cheng Xu suddenly yelled, "Everyone under those trees opposite us belongs to the Seventh Squad! Just charge straight towards those trees. The people from Qingjian County won't attack us; anyone who blocks you is one of the scouts!"
He was fighting the scout and still had time to bellow orders, seemingly having a significant advantage. Conversely, the scout was struggling to parry, not daring to even open his mouth.
*Hm... advantage.*
Cheng Xu dared not let him speak either, fearing he would blurt out his identity. His blade moved faster and faster, forcing the scout to twist and turn, looking disheveled and desperate.
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