Chapter 80: Invulnerable To Blades And Spears, Matching A Thousand Troops
Mingguang Courtyard is located in the south city’s Jinming Ward, covering a vast area, with thick walls over two zhang high built on all four sides, allowing soldiers to pass through.
Heading east from the villa is no more than two li away, reaching the most bustling Heavenly Street marketplace.
In the past, the Imperial Court set up barracks here to guard against unrest; any slight disturbance in the city, and the officers could know immediately, swiftly mobilize to protect the yamen, granaries, main streets, and traffic nodes.
But as the Great Yin Dynasty’s central authority lost power and directly gave up, the Imperial Court’s regular troops fell into the hands of local noble clans, and this barracks gradually fell into disuse, even falling into the Hua Family’s hands and being transformed into a villa.
The most ridiculous thing is, if not for running into Hong Yuan this evil star, Hua Shouren wouldn’t even know their clan had such a large asset.
Whoosh! Pa!
A signal arrow whistled into the mid-air, exploding in the sky above the prosperous area of the city.
This sound was a signal, followed closely by several more sharp whistles cutting through the sky, like footprints rapidly spreading toward the Mingguang Courtyard.
“What’s going on?” On the long street, the bustling crowd all looked up in surprise.
Until cries of alarm rang out, many people turned toward one end of the long street, seeing a fine horse slowly approaching, the knight on horseback in white tight-fitting clothes, with outstanding demeanor.
Someone rubbed their eyes, as if thinking they had seen wrong, but most people hurriedly cleared a path.
In the Mingguang Courtyard, inside a hall within, as the signal arrow sound reached his ears, Hua Shouren trembled: “He’s here!”
Opposite him, Guo Wei was already armored, his face grim, sneering coldly: “This really puts our two families in no regard at all!”
They had set up informants in the city, but it was just casual, and they actually didn’t hold much hope.
With that person’s displayed martial arts, how could these informants detect him, unless he came openly…
Hua Shouren took a breath, after all as a clan leader, he maintained composure: “Then let’s fight him!”
He clapped his hands, and two sturdy servants quickly rushed in, swiftly putting a suit of shiny silver armor on him.
Guo Wei strode ahead, first stepping out of the hall, already having called the disciples of the two families, shouting sternly: “Meet the enemy!”
Amid a thunderous response, the Guo Family and Hua Family clan disciples also donned elite armor, drew sabers and spears, leading their soldiers onto the thick walls.
In moments, saber formations like a forest on all four walls, arrowheads chilling, this long-abandoned barracks came alive again, but not to suppress rebellion in the city, only to resist one person.
Hong Yuan rode into Jinming Ward, sensing many secret gazes spying, paid no mind, his eyes looking ahead, gradually spotting that massive manor.
Its scale might not match the Grain Transport Gang Stockade, but its defenses were far stricter.
Three sides dug with several zhang wide moats, water channeled in to form a protective river around the courtyard, high watchtowers on all four sides of the walls, scouts stationed atop, able to see all movements around clearly.
Moreover, there were no houses around this villa, and even the original trees and weeds had been urgently cleared in these past few days…
Even at night, just lighting bonfires on all sides would illuminate everywhere brightly; sneaking in without alerting the sentries wasn’t impossible, just required enormous effort and mental energy.
Of course, with Hong Yuan’s martial arts, breaking this villa actually didn’t require entering it personally; he could simply build a high platform outside, from above snipe and kill the soldiers on the walls daily with bow and arrows.
Even, more ruthlessly, continuously shoot fire arrows in; this barracks had only restarted a few days ago, fire prevention measures full of gaps, likely burning up big within a day.
Before the Twin Dragon Gorge battle, Hong Yuan would absolutely do that, but now he wanted to try breaking the formation and killing the army.
Whether Moon Embracing Garden or the Twin Dragon Gorge battle, Hong Yuan had actually not truly clashed with a military formation; this was truly the first time.
Opposite were Linjiang Prefecture’s two great noble clans, Guo Family and Hua Family gathered two thousand soldiers, fully equipped with bows and crossbows, hundreds of armored soldiers, weapons also elite.
Himself alone, one horse, one spear!
Hong Yuan pinched his glabella, his mind instantly emptied, an unparalleled clarity and ethereal feeling surging out.
Advantage is mine!
In Jinming Ward, the streets were empty.
Residents almost all hid in their homes, peeking out through door and window cracks; many had sensed the storm coming when the two great families moved into Mingguang Courtyard days ago, and directly left.
The peepers weren’t just ordinary residents, but also many forces’ spies, now hidden in the dark, either with flickering gazes or whispering.
Under all these watching eyes, Hong Yuan slapped the horse hard, the horse let out a long neigh, hooves raised, suddenly charging toward the front thick wall.
In a pavilion, window half-open, seven or eight people of various appearances all in black clothes, someone stared in shock: “He won’t want to charge the formation alone, just kill through like this, right? Crazy?”
No one answered his question.
Everyone stared intently, tightly watching that figure.
On the wall top, Guo Wei both shocked and delighted; shocked that the opponent dared charge straight at the main gate, completely disregarding their two thousand elites, delighted also at the opponent’s arrogance, killing intent rising on his face, he gave an order.
“Archers, crossbowmen all come over, divide into three teams, prepare!”
With Guo Wei’s order, the other three wall tops stirred, archers and crossbowmen rushed to the front gate wall top.
Compared to the other three walls, this main gate city wall was obviously much wider, about a hundred archers and crossbowmen, divided left and right into three teams, poised to strike.
With archers and crossbowmen at the center, sabers and spears like a forest on both sides, densely arrayed.
Rumble!
Hoofbeats sounded, one man’s momentum like surpassing thousands of troops and horses, Hong Yuan grabbed cloth and flung it, force passing, shredded cloth fluttered like butterflies, with a ‘ding’ sound, the Life-Snatching Throat-Locking Spear in hand.
In a breath, already within twenty zhang of the wall, Guo Wei held his breath, body faintly trembling, he suppressed this trace of panic, roaring: “First team, loose arrows, shoot him dead!”
Swoosh swoosh swoosh!
Voice just fell, instantly crossbow bolts and arrows turned into a cloud of black, densely covering toward Hong Yuan.
Hong Yuan’s spear moved, silver light flowing, like a fierce lightning sweeping out, forming a rapid whirlwind before him, only heard “ding ding dang dang” crisp sounds unceasing, incoming crossbow bolts all shattered to pieces.
Distance closed again, on the wall top, second team crossbowmen and archers quickly took positions, arrows like flying locusts, crashing down.
Distance closer, accuracy naturally steadier, this time Hong Yuan only shattered arrows aimed at the horse, letting over a dozen arrows land on himself.
Crisp sounds, like striking gold and iron, rang out in sequence.
Hong Yuan seemed oblivious, only slightly shifting when arrows aimed at his eyes.
This was the confidence behind his daring to single-handedly assault Mingguang Courtyard.
After killing Lei Meng and Han Ding Tian, two grandmasters, in the Twin Dragon Gorge battle, subduing the Grain Transport Gang, root bone rose another trace; testing his physique on the training ground, Hong Yuan discovered ordinary people’s blades and swords could hardly break his defense.
Invulnerable to blades and spears!
Of course, if Entering Force Martial Artists burst true force, wielding weapons could still threaten, but how could every ordinary soldier be Entering Force?
One in a thousand was already good!
“What?” Guo Wei’s pupils contracted sharply, thinking he had seen wrong.
If arrows just bounced off the opponent’s body, it could be explained as wearing inner armor, but he clearly saw one arrow land straight on that person’s face.
No time for more thought, Hong Yuan already within ten zhang of the wall, his palm pressed hard on the horse, body leaped up, flashing suddenly, wrapped in silver light, without pause leaped onto the wall top.
Soldiers on the wall had prepared boiling oil, molten gold, lime pots, but not a single one was used.
Opponent’s speed too fast!
Only saw the spear sweep horizontally, instantly bursting a series of bone-cracking sounds, amid shrill wails, blood splashed!
The crossbowmen and archers, most threatening to martial world masters, had only shot two volleys before being swept by one spear, in an instant flying out one after another.
With Hong Yuan’s strength, wielding this dozens of jin heavy spear, even gold and iron in front would be smashed to pieces, no armor of use.
His figure dashed out, not even using any moves, his powerful body already the fiercest weapon, directly knocking flying the soldiers blocking ahead.
Guo Wei’s eyes widened, face full of utter shock, wanting to retreat, but his pounding heart weighed his legs like lead, unable to move.
He bit his teeth hard, finally bursting his final effort, swinging the saber straight down.
Guo Wei was also an Entering Force Martial Artist, in this instant bursting full body force, as if all his qi and blood drained by this saber, a fierce killing aura rising, chopping down at the incoming figure!
Next moment!
A fair slender hand reached out, flatly plainly grabbing, five fingers clenching, the fearsome blade edge and chilling light instantly scattered.
Hong Yuan didn’t use the Life-Snatching Throat-Locking Spear, just left hand grabbing, five fingers as claws, suddenly gripping this saber between his claws.
Guo Wei roared from his throat, both hands on the saber, struggling desperately to pull the blade away and slash sideways, but the long saber on that fair hand didn’t budge.
“Who are you?” Hong Yuan looked at Guo Wei, asked puzzled.
Though regarded as thorn in the side by Guo Family and Hua Family, with a one hundred thousand taels sky-high bounty, Hong Yuan actually hadn’t met these two families’ helmsmen.
But from this man’s appearance and dress, he should be an important figure.
“Not important anymore!”
His claws slightly exerted force, blade snapped, Hong Yuan threw it, the broken blade edge cut through air, ‘puff’ piercing Guo Wei’s throat.
Guo Wei’s eyes suddenly widened, brain only flashing one thought: “Hua Family, and my Guo Family, exactly what monster have we provoked!”
At the same time, in his final sight, two young generals let out shrill roars, desperately charging, two spears moving together, stabbing toward Hong Yuan’s back.
These two were exactly Guo Family’s young talents placed in Linjiang Prefecture’s army; seeing Guo Wei dead, rage to the sky, ignoring fear, assassinating from behind.
Clang! Clang!
Two fine iron spear tips instantly stabbed Hong Yuan’s back, clothes immediately torn with two holes, Guo Wei’s widened eyes dimmed.
Hong Yuan slowly turned back, looked at the two shocked young generals, expression calm, opened and asked: “Why stab me?”
