Chapter 246: Ten Thousand Beasts Manor and the Eight Trigrams Formation
When the sounds of fighting in the mountain forest erupted, the eating escorts and runners reacted swiftly, forming a triangular defensive formation with the escort carts. Mules and horses were brought in, and over a dozen tiger-backed and bear-waisted runners drew their bows and nocked arrows, while the escorts unsheathed their weapons and concealed daggers, standing ready.
Zhang Wangyue picked up his star anise copper rod and looked towards the ridge.
Not long after, Zhou Yan, Huang Rong, Huyan Lei, and Mu Nianci emerged from the forest and approached rapidly. Zhou Yan was holding a lean, black-clothed man.
“There were five people hidden in the forest on the ridge. We captured one and killed four.”
Zhou Yan threw the “Iron Hawks” scout onto the ground and used the “Acupoint Unsealing Manual” technique from the Nine Yin Manual, releasing the acupoints with two swift movements.
Huang Rong let out a soft sound, “The Head Escort just released the Orchid Finger Flicking Hand as if it were nothing.”
Zhou Yan, having unsealed the acupoints, placed his foot on the man’s chest. “What’s your origin?”
The scout rasped, “Kill me.”
“Xiaowu.”
Liang Xiaowu was adept at water torture. The alert young Head Escort had already grabbed a water pouch and bamboo paper when he saw the scout.
Two runners held down the scout’s limbs, and Liang Xiaowu covered the scout’s face with bamboo paper soaked in water.
After the first round of water torture, the scout’s clothes were soaked with cold sweat. Not long into the second round, the man was nodding his head like garlic.
Liang Xiaowu removed the bamboo paper.
“What’s your origin?”
“Iron Hawks.”
Zhang Wangyue’s expression instantly became solemn, and Zhou Yan’s heart sank.
The reason for their reaction was that Fu’an’s Chief Escort knew the caliber of this army, and Zhou Yan had knowledge from his two lifetimes.
Throughout history, one of the fiercest cavalry units.
Huyan Lei didn’t understand and kicked the man. “Explain in more detail.”
The scout had a mocking expression on his face.
“I know,” Zhang Wangyue said. “They are the cavalry that forms the foundation of the Western Xia Dynasty. Both men and horses are clad in iron armor. They symbolize not only Western Xia’s strongest military might but also the traditional symbol of the Dangxiang nobility. Passed from father to son, and son to grandson, they continue generation after generation. Only when the entire family falls in battle are others allowed to supplement them. They are nobles, officers, and the very foundation of the nation. The ‘Book of Military Affairs’ records: ‘The Pingxia cavalry, known as the ‘Iron Hawks,’ can travel a hundred li in a day and cover a thousand li in a planned engagement. They are most adept at sudden movements and swift attacks, like lightning strikes and flying clouds. Whenever they encounter the enemy on open plains, they primarily use the ‘Iron Hawks’ as their shock troops for breakthroughs.'”
The scout’s face showed surprise.
Huyan Lei was taken aback. “The Western Xia cavalry is targeting us?”
“This is strange,” Zhang Wangyue asked. “How many people came, and how did they know about the escort team?”
The scout was now a captive, but he looked at Zhang Wangyue and the others as if they were watching the living dead. He smiled sinisterly. “Five hundred cavalry. You won’t be able to fly away. We were just following orders. We arrived in Liangzhou a few days ago and searched everywhere. We noticed you as soon as you emerged from the desert.”
“Where is the cavalry?”
“Heishan Fort.”
Mu Nianci, having stayed in Wuwei for a period, immediately said, “Heishan Fort is over 300 li northeast of Wuwei, an abandoned earth fort near a body of water.”
“When was the message sent?” Zhou Yan asked.
“When we discovered you,” the scout said sinisterly. “Everyone will die. Even if you enter the desert, you will be annihilated. Give me a quick end.”
“Xiaowu, kill him,” Zhou Yan said.
“Got it.”
Liang Xiaowu grabbed the man, dragged him into the mountain forest, and with a swift stroke of his blade, severed his head.
Huang Rong asked Zhang Wangyue, “Chief Escort Zhang, is what this man said true? Escort Zhou can handle a hundred men by himself, so there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Zhang Wangyue gave a wry smile. “This isn’t simply a matter of comparing martial arts. When the armored cavalry charge in formation, they are like a landslide or a tsunami. It’s not uncommon for five hundred to break through a ten-thousand-man infantry formation. Unless we scatter and go our separate ways now, once we are found, it will be pretty much the result the scout described. Compared to the bandits we encountered in Jingzhou and the ‘Iron Hawks,’ the difference is like that between an ordinary martial artist and Brother Zhou in the Martial Dao.”
As Zhang Wangyue said this, Mu Nianci and Huyan Lei had a very direct understanding.
“The ‘Iron Hawks’ are clearly after the escort goods, but how did they know the escort cart contained gold and treasures?” Huyan Lei asked, confused.
This was also a point of confusion for Huang Rong. Although she was intelligent and quick-witted, she hadn’t inquired about the escort goods or merchant information along the way, so she couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard she thought.
Zhou Yan’s ability to deduce and analyze was no less than Huang Rong’s. He said, “The possibility of the escort bureau personnel leaking the information can be directly ruled out.”
Zhang Wangyue nodded. “That’s right. Only a dozen or so of us knew about the escort goods. Even if the runners who packed the goods made a mistake and leaked information, it wouldn’t have been revealed to the Western Xia Kingdom.”
“So the problem lies with the merchants.”
“Was it someone close to the merchants who leaked the information?” Huyan Lei asked.
Zhou Yan smiled. “Could it be that the problem originated from the Mongolian Little Prince Huo Du?”
“What does Brother Zhou mean?”
Huang Rong had a flash of inspiration. “The Mongolian Little Prince held a Heroes’ Banquet to recruit experts. Who knows if among those who stayed to serve the Little Prince, there weren’t people from the Lin’an Court, the Jin Dynasty, or Western Xia.”
Zhang Wangyue nodded. “That makes sense. Western Xia must have sent people to participate in the banquet and become moles by Huo Du’s side. Genghis Khan plundered gold and jewels from Zhongdu. Given Huo Du’s status, it’s highly likely he knew about this matter. He might have let it slip unintentionally, and someone with intent overheard. The dispatch of five hundred ‘Iron Hawks’ cavalry means they intend to annihilate everyone in the escort team.”
“Hiss!” Huyan Lei said. “I’ve been an escort my whole life and encountered all sorts of villains, but being robbed by an army is a first. However, this is quite tricky.”
“Indeed,” Zhou Yan said.
Huang Rong winked at Zhou Yan and then walked outside.
Zhou Yan followed.
“I’ve paid attention.”
“Tell me.”
“The ‘Iron Hawks’ scout transmitted the message to Heishui Fort northeast of Wuwei. For the ‘Iron Hawks’ to arrive, it will take at least one to two days.”
“Exactly!”
“I have enough time to deploy a Boulder Maze according to the Eight Trigrams Formation.”
Zhou Yan had no doubt about Huang Rong’s abilities in this regard.
“But the enemy has superior numbers, and brute force destruction likely won’t last long.”
“That’s true.”
Huang Rong smiled charmingly. “If you ride the Night-Shining Jade Lion to Liangzhou, at the very least, you should be able to return around the same time as the ‘Iron Hawks’.”
“You want me to go to Ten Thousand Beasts Manor?”
“You know me well, Head Escort. If what Shi Bowei said is true, the ‘Iron Hawks” warhorses should have weak legs when they hear the roar of lions and tigers, right?”
“That should be the case.”
“If the cavalry is forced to dismount, then it will be a great success. Fu’an has over a hundred people, plus experts like you and Chief Escort Zhang. With the Boulder Maze, we can establish an unassailable position.”
“A brilliant plan.”
“See the benefits of bringing me along,” Huang Rong said with a proud smile.
Zhou Yan let out a sound and turned to look at Zhang Wangyue. “Chief Escort.”
Zhang Wangyue strode over, and Zhou Yan said, “Island Lord Huang’s mastery of esoteric arts, the Five Elements, and Bagua is unparalleled. Young Lady Huang has inherited his true teachings and can deploy formations to repel the enemy. I met a remarkable person in Zhongdu during the Heroes’ Banquet who is in Liangzhou and is skilled in taming beasts, capable of controlling lions, tigers, leopards, and elephants. Riding the Night-Shining Jade Lion there, I can arrive before the ‘Iron Hawks.’ With the assistance of lions and tigers, we can fight.”
Zhang Wangyue’s eyes suddenly brightened.
“Also, the escort bureau’s runners are well-trained and skilled in joint attacks. If we practice the eight formations of Tian Fu, Di Zai, Feng Yang, Yun Chui, Long Fei, Hu Yi, Niao Xiang, and She Pan, there might be unexpected effects.”
“Good idea.”
“Time is of the essence. I’ll head to Liangzhou.”
“Brother Zhou, please trouble you. Thank you, Young Lady Huang.”
“You’re welcome, Chief Escort,” Huang Rong said with a smile.
Time was pressing, so Zhou Yan did not delay. After greeting Huyan Lei, Mu Nianci, and the others, he rode the Night-Shining Jade Lion straight to Liangzhou.
Zhang Wangyue surveyed the surrounding terrain. After the escort team broke camp and traveled more than ten li northwest, they chose a rocky valley to settle down.
All the escort carts and mules and horses were brought into the valley and hidden.
Zhang Wangyue had been training Fu’an’s escorts and runners in battlefield joint attacks for a long time, practicing the formations from Wumu’s Military Writings, so he picked them up very quickly.
He selected the archers and grooms from the escort team and, under Huang Rong’s command, cut down trees and moved stones to deploy the Boulder Maze. He had Liang Xiaowu lead a few capable runners to act as scouts, while Zhang Wangyue, following the methods in Wumu’s Military Writings, began practicing the Eight Trigrams Formation with a hundred escorts and runners as the core.
