Chapter 111: One Man Repels Ten Thousand Troops, Lone Rider Intimidates The Royal Army
“Young Qin Xiang, do you dare to open the city gate and fight this general? Do you not even have a tenth of your father’s courage?”
Tudan roared loudly, his voice like thunder, vast and echoing through the ten thousand soldiers.
“Tudan, you have mobilized your troops to invade and attack our border. Are you not afraid that our dynasty will flatten your Mengye Country?” Qin Xiang’s momentum was not weak. He saw the expressions of the surrounding soldiers; their morale was low. As their commander, he absolutely could not falter.
“Hahaha…” Tudan laughed to the sky, “Open your eyes and look! Who is at your city gates now? Your supply lines are cut off, and you are trapped like a turtle in a jar! When you run out of supplies, do you intend to follow your father’s Jinyang incident and eat the common people?”
As soon as these words were spoken, Qin Xiang’s face changed drastically.
“Shut up, you’re talking nonsense, utter rubbish.” Qin Xiang rebuked angrily, knowing that those who knew about this matter were all tight-lipped and unwilling to mention it.
Tudan understood that the Jinyang Campaign had struck a nerve. He laughed heartily, “Common people within the city, do not think they are here to protect you. Your young General Qin is keeping you alive so he can use you as food, just like his father. Now, if you lay down your arms and surrender, I guarantee no harm will come to you. I will give you silver and let you live good lives.”
Verbal combat is the most effective weapon in a clash between armies.
No one can guarantee that what you just said is useless. After all, human hearts are unpredictable. Who knows if the soldiers in the city will consider rebelling after a few words.
Qin Xiang suppressed his emotions and retorted loudly, “Tudan, you are a faithless wretch! That year, you promised not to kill the five hundred surrendered soldiers, yet you skinned and beheaded them instead! Who dares to believe your promises?”
He changed his tone, his voice shaking the surroundings, “Moreover, your mobilization this time is merely because your son, Tuli Ming, was crippled by our Divine Martial Great General Lin Fan!”
“I was present that day! Your son called himself the God of War of Mengye, but when he saw General Lin, he was so scared that he wet himself and knelt down, crying and begging for mercy. Is this the next generation of God of War for your Mengye Country? Utterly laughable!”
Qin Xiang laughed heartily, and the guards on the city wall heard this and their spirits were greatly lifted.
Tudan’s face turned ashen, his fingers clenching the reins so tightly that they creaked.
Tuli Ming was his most outstanding heir and the pride of his life.
He vowed to repay this hatred and humiliation with blood!
He had many children, but none could inherit his strength as perfectly as Tuli Ming.
Now Tuli Ming was crippled.
How could he endure this.
Qin Xiang looked at the surrounding soldiers and said loudly, “Soldiers, you are guarding the border and may not know what happened. So, this general will tell you about the arena competition between our dynasty and Mengye Country a while ago. Tuli Ming, also known as the son of Tudan and the strongest God of War of Mengye Country, could only last two moves against our Divine Martial Great General Lin Fan. And those two moves were given by the Divine Martial Great General…”
Qin Xiang recounted the situation at the time without stopping.
The soldiers listened with great excitement.
The battlefield is like this. In addition to having an excellent general, the morale of the soldiers is equally important.
Tudan tightly gripped his reins, his face ashen. He truly wished he could tear Qin Xiang’s mouth apart.
“Qin Xiang, do you think your Divine Martial Great General dares to appear here? If he dares to appear, I will make him pay a heavy price.”
As soon as his voice fell.
A roar came from the distance.
“Who is Tudan?”
This voice was like thunder, vast and overwhelming the tens of thousands of soldiers. Numerous soldiers turned their heads to look behind them. The voice was too loud and too shocking to ignore.
At the rear of the army, Lin Fan, holding Huo Ge in one hand, faced the overwhelming army without fear. His gaze swept around, searching for Tudan.
But there were simply too many people ahead, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Huo Ge, who was being held, was already terrified by Lin Fan’s astonishing power. Throughout the charge, he personally felt that this was not something an ordinary person could possess; even their Great General could not achieve this.
Carrying him with one hand, he moved as swiftly as a swift steed.
With such speed and strength, who wouldn’t be bewildered and afraid?
Lin Fan couldn’t find him, so he directly pulled Huo Ge forward and stared him in the face, “Speak, where is Tudan?”
Huo Ge said fearfully, “The Great General is the commander of an army, so naturally, he would be under the command flag in front.”
He extended his hand, trembling, and pointed forward.
“Tudan.” Lin Fan threw Huo Ge towards the command flag, whooshing like a cannonball, flying over layers of heads. The soldiers below looked up, their mouths agape, lost in thought.
But he gave them no chance to be stunned. Lin Fan roared and took a step forward, charging into the army like a wild bull.
“Stop him.”
The Mengye soldiers at the rear, clad in simple leather armor and holding long spears, turned their spears towards the approaching figure upon hearing the command.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lin Fan crashed into the formation like a wave shattering a reef. The soldiers in front felt as if they had been hit by a mountain, their bones crushed, and they were sent flying backward. The formation was instantly thrown into chaos.
Tudan also noticed the situation here. Before he could speak, a black shadow rapidly approached from the distance. He reached out and grabbed it firmly, the immense force almost dragging him off his steed.
When he saw that he had grabbed Huo Ge, his expression suddenly changed.
Huo Ge’s orifices were bleeding, blood continuously flowing from his nose and mouth, his eyes unfocused, and he said with difficulty, “Great General, he is a monster, he is a monster… Ugh!!”
Before he finished speaking, he had already breathed his last.
“Huo Ge—!!”
Tudan roared, let go of his hand, and placed Huo Ge down. He still didn’t know what that thing was, but the billowing dust rising from the rear indicated that something had indeed broken into the formation, and the warriors of Mengye Country were completely unable to stop its charge.
“Send the shield soldiers.”
As Tudan gave the order, his deputy waved the command flag, and the soldiers parted. The shield soldiers at the front of the formation immediately moved backward.
At this moment, Lin Fan had pushed his strength to the limit. His current state was that of a runaway truck with its collision force maximized.
Whoever stood in his way, he would send them to transmigration.
He had no intention of holding back against soldiers of another country.
Anyone he collided with squarely was unceremonious in death; even those grazed at the edges were either dead or crippled. The once mighty Mengye army was instantly enveloped in screams of agony.
Lin Fan’s gaze sharpened as he saw shield soldiers blocking his path ahead.
The shield soldier captain roared, “Raise your shields and hold the line.”
The shield soldiers raised their shields in front of them, and sharp long spears extended from the gaps in the shields. Anyone charging into the iron shields would be impaled.
When the shield soldiers saw the figure charging at them, their hearts trembled, but they suppressed their fear. They were battle-hardened elite soldiers of the grasslands; how could they be afraid?
Bang!
The moment of solid impact, the leading shield soldier knew something was terribly wrong.
“Get out of the way!!!”
Lin Fan charged forward, and the seemingly indestructible shields shattered into pieces. The elite soldiers behind the shields spat blood and were sent flying backward.
【Guiyi Body Refining Method Proficiency +1】
Hearing the system notification.
Lin Fan couldn’t help but want to laugh. This actually increased proficiency.
Boom! Boom!
The shield formation was broken, and no one could stop Lin Fan’s advance. The army was large, but what use were tens of thousands of men? At most, only a dozen people could stand in front of Lin Fan.
The surrounding soldiers could only stare helplessly.
Not to mention, as Lin Fan charged, the surrounding soldiers were knocked away by the flying soldiers, and the army was instantly thrown into disarray.
One must admit, how terrifying the Guiyi Body Refining Method’s improvement to oneself was.
If it were the previous body refining method.
He would never have been able to achieve this level.
Lin Fan took a step forward, stomping on the ground, his feet exerting force, the ground dented. He leaped into the air, grabbing the iron rod with one hand, his gaze fixed on Tudan, who was as sturdy as a tank under the command flag. He roared and hurled the iron rod with all his might.
“Tudan, lay down your weapons. You are surrounded by me.”
Whoosh!
A silver light flashed, drawing a long line in the air, its momentum extremely powerful, the wind whistling, and the sound booming.
Tudan’s expression changed drastically. He knew how powerful the force contained in the thrown flying rod was. Without a second thought, he immediately rolled off his horse. With a splash, he looked back. The magnificent steed beneath him was now pierced through its body by the iron rod, firmly nailed to the ground.
Tudan immediately broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly scrambled to his feet and was about to adjust his posture when his eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost. The figure whom Huo Ge had called a monster, with a thunderous roar, had landed before him like a meteorite, giving him no chance to react.
He saw the opponent throw a punch, hitting his armor that covered his entire body.
Bang!!
Waves of air diffused, Tudan’s face contorted, his protective armor disintegrated, fragments flying everywhere. Many fragments, carrying incredible penetrating force, pierced his chest, and in an instant, his chest turned blood red, a bloody mess, a gruesome sight.
Lin Fan’s expression was impassive. He pulled out the iron rod, walked step by step to Tudan, grabbed his head, turned around, and proudly faced the vast army alone.
One man, one rod, one captive.
This completely deterred the elite soldiers of Mengye Country.
The elite soldiers stared blankly at the scene before them. Everything had happened too quickly, so fast that they didn’t even have a chance to react. And their invincible Great General Tudan was being held by the head with one hand, covered in blood, staring directly at them.
At this moment, not a single elite soldier of Mengye Country dared to step forward.
On the city wall, Qin Xiang looked at the figure with shock.
It was a figure too familiar to be more familiar.
The Divine Martial Great General—Lin Fan!!!
The title of number one under heaven.
But why was he here?
“General Qin, who… who is he?” a city guard stammered.
Qin Xiang said word by word, “He is the Divine Martial Great General, Lin Fan.”
As he spoke, all the guards on the city wall felt a surge of fervent excitement erupt in their hearts, and they shouted loudly, “Divine Martial Great General, invincible.”
“Divine Martial Great General, invincible.”
Facing the loud shouts from the city wall, Lin Fan appeared very calm.
His gaze was fixed on the elite soldiers of Mengye Country. This was his first time seeing the appearance of Mengye Country’s elite soldiers. He had to admit, they were indeed imposing, with great presence and strong physiques.
Tudan’s confidant general shouted in panic and rage, “Release my general.”
He was both afraid and angry. His invincible Great General was taken down so easily.
Lin Fan released his hand, and Tudan collapsed to the ground. He stepped on Tudan’s back, looking down on everyone, exuding dominance, “Come if you want to die.”
A roar, astonishing in its momentum.
The Mengye Country steeds were startled by the shock, becoming agitated and seeming to want to flee, but the generals held them firmly, not allowing them to move even an inch.
With their Great General now in enemy hands, these generals dared not act rashly. The situation was critical; retreating was not an option, nor was advancing.
They truly did not know what to do.
“Good, since you won’t come, then I will,” Lin Fan said.
Lin Fan stomped on Tudan’s ankle, and the bone-breaking pain made Tudan let out a muffled groan.
Lin Fan then charged forward with his rod, alone against thousands of soldiers. The guards on the city wall panicked at this action, and some couldn’t help but shout reminders.
“Great General, you absolutely must not charge…”
Bang!
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Lin Fan charge before a deputy general, sweeping his rod horizontally. The horse was shattered and sent flying, demonstrating immense strength and divine power.
There was no fancy staff technique, only broad, sweeping strokes with the rod.
On the battlefield today, armored soldiers could be described as extremely deadly, and armored cavalry was invincible under heaven, relying on the fact that swords and blades could not harm them.
But every time Lin Fan swung his rod, even armored cavalry could not resist.
Armor shattered, men died.
The shattered armor fragments, like hidden weapons, rained down on the surroundings.
Lin Fan naturally knew that he couldn’t annihilate the tens of thousands of soldiers before him in his current state, but he had truly been holding back for too long.
Now that he had the opportunity to go on a killing spree.
How could he let it pass?
“Kill them, kill them.” The deputy general of Mengye Country roared, and at the same time, he was ecstatic. He hadn’t expected the opponent to charge in. If so, by encircling him, they might be able to kill him.
On the city wall, Qin Xiang could not continue to watch. “Quick, sortie to assist the Great General.”
The morale of the soldiers in the city was high.
It was a rare opportunity.
With one concerted effort, they might truly sweep through.
At this moment.
Lin Fan was surrounded by a group of elite armored soldiers, and he was trapped within them. The iron rod in his hand swung like a blur, with continuous thunderous roars. Few soldiers could get close.
With one horizontal sweep of his rod, flesh and blood flew, creating an unimaginably safe zone.
Gradually.
The remains of soldiers piled up around him, truly a river of blood.
Suddenly.
An elite soldier thrust his spear into Lin Fan’s lower back, and he rejoiced, shouting loudly, “I hit him, I hit him!”
But soon, this joy vanished in an instant.
He saw darkness before his eyes, and an iron rod swept towards him, directly smashing his head.
This scene was witnessed by the deputy general.
The soldier’s spear had indeed hit the opponent, but the opponent seemed unharmed, with not a drop of blood from his waist. Seeing this, his face turned ashen, and the idea of a monster emerged in his mind.
At the same time, the city gate opened wide. Qin Xiang, holding a halberd and riding a steed, with great fanfare, led the soldiers out. The deputy general knew that saving the Great General was impossible.
The soldiers were demoralized by Lin Fan’s slaughter, and if they continued to fight, they would suffer heavy losses.
“Retreat, retreat!!!”
The deputy general shouted and waved his command flag wildly.
“Damn it, you think you can run away after I let you? How will I get by later?” Lin Fan saw this situation and could not tolerate it. Just then, Qin Xiang rode his horse in front of Lin Fan.
His eyes were filled with reverence.
“Great General, do not pursue the desperate…”
Before he could finish speaking.
Lin Fan directly dragged Qin Xiang off his horse, mounted it himself, and chased after them, “Keep a good eye on Tudan.”
In the blink of an eye, he had chased them far away.
Qin Xiang was left sitting on the ground with a bewildered look.
No, I rode my horse out.
How was I suddenly pulled off my horse?
In the distance.
Lin Fan’s primary target was the deputy general who had just ordered the retreat. The deputy general looked back and felt his liver and gallbladder split. He tightened the reins and sped up.
He was truly terrified out of his wits.
“Don’t run, stop for me.” Lin Fan roared.
The deputy general said nothing, only fleeing.
Qin Xiang’s horse was indeed a fine steed, extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, he caught up. The deputy general looked back, terrified. Facing the swinging iron rod, he dared not hesitate and, gritting his teeth, drew his saber to clash.
Bang!
The saber shattered, the man died, and he rolled off his horse.
The fleeing soldiers saw their deputy general killed and immediately cried out in terror, “The general is dead, the general is dead…”
The flag bearer threw down his flag, wanting only to save his life.
Without a flag to lead the way, the soldiers fell into complete disarray, not knowing which way to run, and dispersed, fleeing in all directions.
The armored soldiers had the worst time. They were not cavalry and relied on their legs for travel. Now, under the weight of their armor, they ran very slowly.
But Lin Fan’s target was not them, but other deputy generals.
These deputy generals saw that Lin Fan’s target was them and had witnessed one being killed with a single blow. They were already terrified beyond measure. Some deputy generals took advantage of the chaos, rolled off their horses, quickly took off their general’s uniforms, and mixed in with the ordinary soldiers to escape.
But not all deputy generals possessed such intelligence.
“Why are you still chasing? Don’t you know the principle of not pursuing a cornered enemy?” the deputy general being chased had a tearful voice, his face already pale with fear, completely devoid of color.
“F*** you, I know you have to pursue a cornered enemy.” Lin Fan cursed.
Then, he threw his rod. With a splash, the iron rod pierced through the opponent’s back, directly sending him flying off his horse.
The opponent never understood until death.
Where did this guy come from?
The Central Plains Dynasty, how could such a monster appear?
Not long after,
The setting sun melted like gold, casting a blood-red hue over the vast plains.
Lin Fan reined in his horse, standing at the peak of the hillside. His steed’s front hooves rose high, its neighing cry piercing the sky.
It wasn’t that he didn’t pursue.
It was because the vast plain below was filled with the royal army of Mengye Country.
The royal army marched south to capture the Central Plains.
The Mengye royal army was like dark clouds pressing down, their flags fluttering in the wind, their horns sounding low and majestic, making the earth tremble.
The steed nervously pawed the ground, exhaling puffs of white mist.
Lin Fan squinted slightly, his gaze falling on the eagle on the distant royal army’s banner. That was the totem and faith of Mengye Country. The vast, dark army gave off an immense sense of oppression.
The steed he was riding was clearly restless.
Lin Fan stroked its mane, “You and your master have never seen such a scene, but don’t be afraid. Now that you are with me, you don’t need to fear such a scene.”
Lin Fan held the reins and controlled his steed, charging down the hillside. Even facing such a massive army, he showed no fear.
At this moment, within the army, numerous soldiers carried a throne, and the Mongol King of Mengye Country sat majestically upon it. He looked into the distance and naturally spotted Lin Fan, a man on a horse.
A deputy general who had escaped knelt before the Mongol King, his voice trembling, and recounted the events.
Upon hearing this, the Mongol King’s expression changed drastically.
But he still pretended to be calm.
Internally, however, a storm had already erupted.
Tudan had been captured!!!
This was something he could not bear. He had personally led the expedition and marched south, having received military reports from Tudan stating that the border defenses of the Central Plains Dynasty were weak, their army collapsing like a mountain, and they had captured Ganzhou.
Jizhou would not be able to hold out for many more days.
He thought what a great opportunity this was. As the Mongol King of Mengye Country, he naturally had to appear, and he was even prepared to negotiate well with the Emperor of the Central Plains Dynasty.
Who would have thought that things would take such a turn?
This was something he had never expected.
As he was contemplating these matters, Lin Fan leisurely rode his horse closer to the Mengye royal army and called out loudly, “I am the Divine Martial Great General Lin Fan. Is the Mongol King leading this campaign personally?”
He hadn’t expected to encounter the Mengye royal army here.
To charge was out of the question.
The number of enemy soldiers was simply too great; how could he possibly charge through? More importantly, if this royal army attacked Jizhou, even with him present, it would be difficult to resist.
At this moment.
Movement occurred in the royal army. A large group of iron cavalry and shield soldiers approached. Soon, the shield soldiers formed a dense, impenetrable iron wall. The Mongol King, seated on the throne, was carried closer, surrounded by iron cavalry guards.
“Divine Martial Great General? When did the Central Plains Dynasty have a Divine Martial Great General?” the Mongol King’s voice was deep and resonant.
Lin Fan replied, “He was just recently appointed. Does the Mongol King have any objections?”
The Mongol King said, “Great General Lin, I have heard of your bravery. Tudan is the Marshal of our Mengye Country’s three armies. What are Great General Lin’s demands for releasing him?”
The Mongol King now only wanted to rescue Tudan.
At any cost.
He was willing to sacrifice anything.
Lin Fan replied, “Tudan mobilized his troops to invade. Now that he has been captured by this general, what do you think should be done to release him?”
At this moment, Lin Fan analyzed the situation before him.
He was confident that he could break through the defenses in a very short time and capture the Mongol King directly, but capturing the Mongol King would not be very meaningful. For any dynasty that could function, even if the emperor was captured, the ministers would immediately enthrone a new king.
It might even trigger a full-scale war.
This was not what Lin Fan wanted at this moment.
Although he had not yet dealt with military matters, he knew that Qin Li controlled the military power. If a war were to break out with Mengye Country, the Emperor would be in a very passive position.
The Mongol King said, “Great General Lin, state your demands. This King will agree to anything I can, and will try my best to satisfy what I cannot. Or perhaps, Great General Lin is willing to defect to our Mengye Country? This King will grant you the title of the second king of Mengye Country.”
“Hahaha…” Lin Fan laughed heartily, “The Mongol King is very generous, but I, Lin Fan, never betray. His Majesty has treated me, Lin Fan, very well. How could I do the work of a scoundrel?”
The Mongol King said, “Well said, Great General Lin. The Central Plains Dynasty is indeed a land of many talents. I only hope that Great General Lin will treat my Marshal well. When I have a good discussion with your Emperor, I will redeem Tudan.”
The Mongol King could afford to lose an army of tens of thousands, but he could not afford to lose Tudan.
He was the cornerstone of their Mengye Country.
“Mongol King, in my life, there is one achievement I have not yet completed. I wonder if the Mongol King can grant it?” Lin Fan asked.
“Great General Lin, what is this achievement you speak of?” the Mongol King asked.
Lin Fan said, “To capture the king and make the enemy retreat single-handedly.”
As soon as these words were spoken.
The Mongol King was stunned on the spot, and the soldiers of the Mongol King looked at Lin Fan with anger. This was a blatant humiliation to them. With their army of one hundred thousand here, the opponent actually said he would capture the king and make them retreat.
Wasn’t this slapping them in the face?
“Hahahaha…” The Mongol King laughed heartily, perhaps angered by Lin Fan’s words, or perhaps surprised by the arrogance of the Divine Martial Great General of the Central Plains Dynasty.
Some generals wanted to move the throne backward and increase the number of elite soldiers to protect the Mongol King.
But the Mongol King raised his hand and remained in his position, “Good, Great General Lin. There are a hundred meters between us. Outer cavalry, middle shield, inner crossbow. If you have the ability to capture me, this King will say no more and will immediately retreat. History will record that this King was captured by you and ordered a retreat, making you famous for centuries.”
“Alright… you said it.”
As his words fell.
“Giddy up!”
The steed beneath him seemed to sense that it was about to accomplish the greatest feat of its life. It neighed and erupted with unprecedented momentum.
“Shoot!”
The elite crossbowmen of the Mongol King immediately fired.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
In an instant, a sky-darkening volley of arrows rained down.
Lin Fan’s gaze was sharp. He spun the iron rod with one hand, forming a dense wall of rods.
Ding-ding-dang-dang.
Numerous arrows were swept away, blocked outside, and not a single arrow managed to land on him.
This scene alone made the Mongol King sweat and tremble with fear. It was only now that he truly understood that what the deputy general who had escaped had said was absolutely true, not even exaggerating in the slightest.
“Charge!”
The leading iron cavalry army charged forward majestically. The Mengye Country iron cavalry horses were all armored and formidable, but Lin Fan’s steed was not afraid. Instead, it became even more valiant and charged even faster.
Bang!
The two sides met.
Lin Fan swept his rod horizontally. To others, a single rider who could be considered a match for a hundred men was sent flying backward. In the blink of an eye, the surrounding iron cavalry was forcefully torn open.
The generals protecting the Mongol King had never witnessed such a scene before and were instantly thrown into a panic. “Protect the Mongol King, protect the Mongol King, shield soldiers, advance!”
Too fast.
The speed of the opponent’s charge was simply too fast.
Hundreds of iron cavalry could only effectively block a dozen or so, and after tearing open a gap, the opponent continued to charge without stopping.
Just as Lin Fan was about to collide with the shield soldiers, spearheads gleaming with a cold light extended from the gaps in the shields, causing the steed’s front hooves to leap high.
Lin Fan swept his rod horizontally, unleashing terrifying power, snapping all the extended spearheads. Then, from bottom to top, he swung his rod upwards. The shield soldiers cried out in pain, and they, along with their shields, were unable to stop him.
At this moment, everyone was stunned and in a panic.
The triple line of defense had collapsed so quickly.
“Push forward, push forward!” the generals roared. If the opponent were allowed to achieve this, it would be a disgrace to their Mengye Country.
An elite soldier roared and tried to block with his body.
He was sent flying by the steed.
At this moment, Lin Fan stomped on the horse’s back, leaped into the air, landed in front of the throne, swung his rod horizontally, the wind whistling, and all the elite soldiers blocking his path were sent flying backward, dying on the spot.
Lin Fan leaped up and landed on the throne. He looked at the Mongol King, who was still seated there, and walked towards him with a smile. The surrounding generals drew their swords, wanting to fight Lin Fan to the death.
But the Mongol King stopped them with a hand, pushing them aside. He gritted his teeth, his expression solemn as he stared at Lin Fan.
However, even with such forced composure, the fear in his eyes could not be concealed.
“Mongol King, I have captured you. What do you have to say?” Lin Fan walked up to the Mongol King and looked down at him from above.
The Mongol King, seated on the throne, had knuckles that were white from clenching.
His breathing was heavy.
Lin Fan pointed his rod into the distance, “According to our agreement, retreat!”
There were no roars, no battles. When he said these words, for all the soldiers of Mengye Country, it would be an unforgettable humiliation.
“Re… retreat.” The Mongol King closed his eyes slightly. When he opened them, he said with difficulty.
Lin Fan moved closer to the Mongol King and reached out to take the crown from the Mongol King’s head. “This is the proof of your capture by this general. Henceforth, I hope you will always remember this moment. This crown will be kept by me on your behalf.”
“Bold!!!” The general beside him was furious.
But the Mongol King raised his hand to interrupt, “Good, I, the King, keep my word. You have the ability to capture me single-handedly; you are capable. I will remember today’s events.”
“Retreat!!!”
This was the unwilling roar uttered by the Mongol King.
A moment later.
Lin Fan rode his steed, gazing at the vast royal army retreating. Bathed in the setting sun, his back seemed to glow with golden light, appearing sacred and solemn.
This event was a blow to any soldier of Mengye Country. Those who had witnessed it firsthand and were lucky enough to survive near Lin Fan would be haunted by him for the rest of their lives.
Mentioning the Divine Martial Great General Lin Fan of the Central Plains Dynasty would likely scare them to death.
One man repelled an army of ten thousand, a single rider intimidated the royal army.
This was also Lin Fan’s most glorious moment.
After a long while, as the Mengye royal army disappeared in disarray, Lin Fan reined in his horse, turned back, and headed towards Jizhou.
When he returned to Jizhou.
Qin Xiang was still waiting at the city gate. When Lin Fan appeared in the sunset, Qin Xiang stared blankly at the figure. Before Lin Fan appeared, he was a rising star recognized by the court officials and even His Majesty.
But with Lin Fan’s appearance, he knew he was just an ordinary Qin Xiang.
The horse stopped in front of Qin Xiang. Qin Xiang reached out to touch his beloved horse, but who knew his beloved horse would turn its head and let out a muffled groan.
Huh?
Qin Xiang was a bit confused. What was wrong with his beloved horse?
In the past, when he reached out, his beloved horse would immediately nuzzle its head, allowing him to pet it. Why was it like this now?
If horses could talk, they would definitely say, a horse that has been ridden by a lion, how can it tolerate being ridden by a mongrel?
“Qin Xiang, as Qin Li’s son, you are much better than your father,” Lin Fan said.
Qin Xiang said nothing, remained silent.
Lin Fan continued, “Tudan led the army to invade, and your father actually bargained with His Majesty for six million taels of military pay, implying that without military pay, the army could not be dispatched. I am very dissatisfied with your father’s actions. What do you think?”
Qin Xiang opened his mouth slightly, as if he had many things to say, but in the end, he lowered his head, unsure how to speak.
Loyalty and filial piety have always been difficult to balance.
Qin Xiang had also advised his father, saying that the Qin family’s current status was all due to His Majesty’s favor and deep grace, and they must not hurt His Majesty’s heart.
However, he often received only his father’s scolding.
“Fine, I won’t discuss this with you, to avoid making things difficult for you.” Lin Fan waved his hand, saying no more.
And at this moment, Qin Xiang saw the crown in Lin Fan’s hand, seeming to find it somewhat familiar, “Great General, this is…”
Lin Fan said with a smile, “I have brought the Mongol King’s crown. That’s all, I won’t say more. Hand Tudan over to me, this general must rush back overnight. After all, His Majesty is very worried right now. Old people can’t be stimulated; once stimulated, they are prone to accidents.”
“These civil and military officials in the imperial court are all not honest.”
After speaking.
Then he saw Qin Xiang still standing frozen on the spot, unable to recover for a long time.
The words Lin Fan just spoke seemed to contain some complex meaning.
A crown?
That is the symbol of the Mongol King’s crown, how could it possibly appear here?
Could it be… a terrifying, even unbelievable thought surfaced in his mind.
That is, the Mongol King personally led the troops, wanting to head south, but was stopped by Lin Fan?
But how was this possible? Even if he were beaten to death, he wouldn’t believe it.
“What are you still standing there foolishly for? Go and bring Tudan to me.” Lin Fan urged.
Qin Xiang snapped back to attention, “Oh, oh, oh…”
For some reason, Qin Xiang always felt a sense of fear towards Lin Fan, a fear that came from the depths of his heart.
…
The next day.
Imperial Court.
“Report!!!”
A messenger rushed to the hall, “Your Majesty, General Qin has fallen into a trap and is now surrounded in Jizhou. The rear grain and fodder have been cut off, and the large army in the city cannot be supplied. Today, they are likely completely out of ammunition and provisions!”
Upon hearing this.
The officials panicked, and the Emperor’s eyes widened, his breathing becoming rapid.
“Where is Qin Li?”
The Emperor was extremely anxious. He knew that once Jizhou was breached, the vast land of the Central Plains Dynasty would become like the backyard of Mengye Country. Then, their army could charge in unimpeded, and it wouldn’t be impossible for them to reach the heartland and reach the city gates in the blink of an eye.
No one among the officials in the hall spoke.
Because they also didn’t know the current situation.
The Duke said, “Your Majesty, the situation is urgent. Let this old official lead the troops. Mobilize the troops from the Imperial Capital camp, and I will lead them to restore the grain and fodder supply lines to Jizhou and alleviate the crisis.”
While waiting for news.
The Duke also pondered various solutions. He truly hated Qin Li to the bone. At a time of national crisis, instead of solving problems for the Imperial Court, he was thinking about military pay. What was the point of wanting so much military pay?
Was he keeping it to rebel?
The Emperor did not agree to the Duke’s request. He knew that if he let the Duke go, the news he would receive would inevitably be that the Duke had died a martyr. He was too familiar with the Duke’s personality.
The Grand Tutor beside him remained silent. How could Qin Xiang, leading the three regions’ camp soldiers, end up like this, being trapped in Jizhou?
Could this father and son be colluding to deceive Your Majesty?
The Emperor looked at the officials in the court. His gaze was calm, yet filled with helplessness. As he swept his eyes across them, for some reason, he found no one usable, no one he could entrust with a mission.
There was still no news from the Imperial Guards.
He was also worried about Lin Ai Qing’s safety. How could he be so impulsive in such a critical border war?
Another day passed.
Imperial Capital, City Gate.
A person rode a horse, casually bringing a stout Tudan, as strong as an ox, into the city.
The common people saw this scene and began to discuss amongst themselves. Some knew of the Divine Martial Great General Lin Fan but had never seen him. Even if they had, it was from a distance, their appearances blurred, making them difficult to remember.
However, many common people recognized the person riding the horse as the Divine Martial Great General at first glance.
“General Lin, you’re back?”
“Yes, I’m back.” Lin Fan replied with a smile.
The common people said, “Someone spread the word that you went to the border to twist Tudan’s head off, and if you couldn’t bring it back, you would return with your own head. Are you…”
“Who said that? It spread so widely. However, the person who said that will be disappointed. Look who I have here?” Lin Fan dangled Tudan in his hand in front of the common people.
The common people gasped. It wasn’t that they recognized who it was, but they were intimidated by the person’s physique.
They only thought he was so strong.
“Great General, is this…?”
“Tudan of Mengye Country.”
Lin Fan replied.
As soon as these words were spoken, the common people present widened their eyes and looked at the scene before them in shock.
Lin Fan smiled and continued on, passing through the street and arriving at the Imperial City gate. The Imperial Guards opened the gate and all bowed their heads in welcome. Some of the guards had been soldiers before, and when they saw the person the Great General was holding in his hand.
They were all utterly astonished, murmuring in disbelief.
“Tu… Tudan.”
The strongest Great Marshal, Commander, and Great General of Mengye Country, Tudan, was also the stabilizing force of Mengye Country. There was once a saying that as long as Tudan was present, Mengye Country would not fall into chaos, nor would it be conquered by others.
And now, in the Imperial Court.
Bang!
The Emperor slammed the letter sent by the messenger to the ground. The content of the letter was information about Qin Li’s march. Who would have thought that he would only set off after the military pay arrived?
This made the Emperor furious. By the time he got there, it would be too late.
The officials present trembled, all knowing that the Emperor was very angry at the moment. Many military officials in the court were Qin Li’s men. They stayed in the Imperial Capital without following Qin Li, so they could control some of the military power in the capital.
However, even they were very apprehensive now.
They were truly afraid that the Emperor would vent his anger on them.
Just as the Emperor was about to lose his temper.
Outside the hall, a loud and clear voice suddenly echoed.
“Divine Martial Great General, enter the hall!!!”
“Divine Martial Great General, enter the hall!!!”
One cry followed another, and the officials could even hear an excited tone in the voices of the eunuchs announcing the arrival, as if there were some happy event.
The officials in the hall, and even the Emperor, all looked towards the entrance of the hall in unison.
Before the person arrived.
A huge dark shadow was seen being thrown in from outside. With a bang, the dark shadow landed. Only then did everyone clearly see that this dark shadow was actually a person. They had initially thought it was a bear.
But when they clearly saw the person’s face.
Everyone was shocked and pointed with trembling hands.
“This… this is.”
“Tudan!!!”
