novelapdf Chapter 263 Parting Ways
Chapter 263 Parting Ways
The ghost guerrilla was so enraged that the Three Corpse Gods were furious, wishing they could snatch the crossbow and shoot all those warriors into sieves!
"Guerrilla, why are you so angry?" Someone asked with a laugh as the sound of horses' hooves rang out behind him.
Upon hearing the familiar voice, the Ghost Guerrilla immediately and nimbly dismounted, knelt down, and kowtowed, the entire sequence of movements flowing smoothly.
His personal guards also knelt down.
It turned out that it was General Wang, commander of this battalion, who had arrived.
He is the ruler of this area, which spans dozens of miles.
"General..." Ghost Guerrilla looked up angrily, accusing these warriors of disloyalty, desertion, disobeying orders, and becoming deserters.
"Please assign five hundred men to this humble servant," he winked, "and twenty ballistae, and I will bring them back."
Without a ballista, we can't win.
He suspected that the scholar surnamed Yang could kill him with one hand.
"Haha, at least he's not completely out of his mind; he still knows to bring the crossbow." General Wang laughed loudly and waved his hand, saying, "Let him be!"
"The families we forcibly conscripted weren't actually soldiers listed on the military register and receiving pay. How could they have violated military orders and deserted on the battlefield?"
"Anyway, they've already fought the toughest battles, so let them run if they want. The bandits have suffered heavy losses and can no longer pose a threat to our army."
"I am confident that I can defend this county town as if it were impregnable. Whether they come back or not is not so important."
"Besides, even if you bring a crossbow, you still can't beat them. There are four grandmasters on the other side, especially that scholar Yang. If you treat him like an ordinary grandmaster, you'll die a terrible death."
The bandits were defeated and suffered heavy losses.
First, let's talk about the cavalry charging into battle. Those who could charge at the front were definitely the most skilled and valiant generals and cavalrymen, and now they've almost all been wiped out.
Large numbers of trained infantry were also abandoned in the wilderness and became prisoners of war. After being brought in and given a little training, they became good soldiers.
In addition, a lot of food, fodder and equipment were left behind in the main camp.
There are other benefits as well.
General Wang patted the guerrilla officer on the shoulder.
"I will report the victory to His Excellency the Governor."
He pointed first to his son, who led his household guards and cavalry, and then to the ghost guerrilla.
"Now, General Wang and Guerrilla Commander Gui led their cavalry in a bloody battle, killing more than a dozen enemy generals and beheading more than a thousand enemy cavalrymen."
"how?"
"Those troublemakers are gone, so their credit can be shared among the brothers. Everyone can get a promotion..."
Ghost Guerrilla's eyes lit up as soon as he heard that.
Yes, the mouth is on the General's body. Now that those cannon fodder have escaped, it's a good opportunity for everyone to report their achievements, and everyone will get a share.
"Yes, yes, yes, Your Excellency is farsighted and insightful. It was my shallowness that made me think too simply."
The guerrilla leader sincerely admitted his mistake.
"There has never been any forced conscription of warriors into the army."
"We've never even seen this former military officer or scholar."
"We have shed blood and rendered meritorious service to the imperial court; if anyone falsely accuses us, we are not afraid!"
General Wang nodded with satisfaction when he saw that his subordinates were on the right track.
At this moment, a baggage train officer stepped forward to ask for instructions.
The bandit camp did not seize much grain or fodder, but it also captured a large number of prisoners, in addition to the "militia" that had been forcibly conscripted earlier.
I'm afraid the food supply won't last long. How should I ask for instructions?
General Wang's eyes lit up, and he had an idea. He pointed his riding whip at the battlefield ahead, littered with corpses, and said coldly.
"Simple, go and do three things."
"First, we need to take in all the soldiers who were forced to join the rebels. How difficult would it be for us to train even one well-trained soldier? We can't just throw them away like that."
"Secondly, let these misguided officers and soldiers, along with the uninjured old bandits, take up their swords and go and behead the wounded bandits. Once they do it, they'll be one of our soldiers."
"The third thing is that after we incorporate them, we can leave these useless soldiers in the front and middle armies who can eat but not fight outside the city and let them fend for themselves. Of course, we should postpone this for a few days."
When General Wang was speaking.
The former civilians of the Central Army, whom he described as able to eat but not fight, were happily cleaning up the battlefield. Many of them found something to eat among the bandits and hurriedly put it into their mouths.
Unbeknownst to them, the heartless commander who had once seized their wealth and driven them into battle now abandoned them.
They actually planned to abandon them in the wild a few days later.
The young master of the Wang family listened, puzzled.
"Father, let's just forget about the first two."
He understood accepting surrenders and pledging allegiance, but he didn't understand the third thing.
"These former soldiers and civilians were driven into the wilderness to fend for themselves. Without food and supplies, they would all turn to the bandits."
Therefore, it is likely that the two armies will fight again in half a month.
The government troops were mostly former bandits, while the bandit army was mostly former militia. Just imagining this scene makes one feel both absurd and comical.
General Wang laughed heartily and waved his hand dismissively.
"Let them be."
"We lack elite infantry, the militia lack food, and the bandits lack infantry cannon fodder after their major defeat."
"In this way, all three parties benefit, and everyone gets what they want, isn't that right?"
"With several thousand elite infantrymen and over a thousand cavalry, how could we possibly lack provisions? I could hold out for six months to a year in this small county town."
He patted his son on the shoulder and said in a deep voice.
"Son, remember this, this is already a chaotic world."
"Benevolence and righteousness are not to be trusted, and propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame are not to be relied upon."
"The only thing we can trust is the sword in our hands. You have over ten thousand soldiers under your command; even the imperial court has to appease you..."
-
The river flows swiftly.
A boat rocked and swayed on it.
At this moment, the area above was densely packed with heads; it was Yang Silang and his group.
They rushed to the shore and found that there were boats there, including large ones, but they were all moored there.
Moreover, the bandits had very few sailors left behind, making it impossible for them to operate large ships.
It is true that everyone here is a martial artist, but maneuvering a ship is not just about brute force; it also requires skill.
Chai Qing acted decisively, seizing a medium-sized vessel and using knives and guns to force the dozen or so sailors to leave.
The boat was not small to begin with, but more than two hundred people suddenly surged onto it, filling the deck to capacity.
Left with no other choice, the crowd abandoned most of their horses and mules and squeezed their way on.
With the combined efforts of the sailors and the assistance of martial artists in rowing, the boat eventually reached the center of the river after a short while.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the chaotic battlefield recede into the distance, certain that neither government troops nor bandits could catch up.
The clanging sound continued.
Everyone threw their knives, guns, and other weapons onto the ground.
Some people sobbed, relieved to have escaped death.
Some people gritted their teeth and cursed the officers and soldiers for being shameless.
Many more people were trembling all over and sat directly on the deck of the boat.
Some people didn't feel tired at all after charging into battle.
Now that he had rushed over and boarded the ship, he realized that his true energy was exhausted, his blood and qi were depleted, and he didn't even have the strength to move a finger.
Fortunately, Chai Qing was a veteran.
He spent two years as a rebel without achieving much, but now, after serving as a centurion for a few days, he seems to be enjoying it and has found a familiar feeling.
He calmly assigned tasks to the group.
The uninjured were divided into several teams.
One team bandaged the wounded, some lightly and some seriously injured; the other team, still able to keep up, took up swords and supervised the sailors.
They then asked Guo Laogan, the living map, where everyone should go next and how to get there.
Guo Laogan has clearly given this issue considerable thought.
He roughly drew a design on the boat plank with water.
If we were to retrace our steps and return to the Xiaonihe Wharf, we would be going against the current, moving slowly, and the boats wouldn't have enough food yet.
It took us two days to travel by boat to get here, and it will take another four or five days to go upstream. By then, everyone on the boat will probably be too weak from hunger to even lift a knife or gun if something happens.
If you travel downstream, you will enter the territory of Jiangbei Province.
Everyone had just escaped from that hellish place and knew it was purgatory. More than a dozen generals under Governor Chen had gone mad.
General Wang's practice of seizing land and forcibly conscripting civilians into the army was by no means an isolated case.
However, the bandits who fought against the government troops were no better; they also plundered all the wealth in a place and used the people as cannon fodder during their marches.
Therefore, going downstream is absolutely out of the question.
The only solution is to divert the land to the other side of the river, which is not part of Jiangbei Province, but rather Liangzhou Province.
Once everyone gets there, they will be safe for the time being.
After disembarking, you can sell some weapons and armor to get silver.
More importantly, Yuanwei Escort Agency has a branch in Liangzhou Province. Guo Laogan said that the opposite side should be a county town under Xiaoliang Prefecture called Qingliang County.
Suddenly, one of the people spoke up.
"I have a relative by marriage who works as a clerk in Qingliang County."
Upon closer inspection, everyone realized that it was the same lowly county clerk who had been humiliated and thrown to the ground by the ghost guerrilla's personal guards.
His official position is insignificant, yet he is truly a local tyrant.
It would be quite reasonable for two officials to become in-laws.
Then several other people said they had old acquaintances in Liangzhou Province and could help the group.
So everyone agreed to row across the river and leave this wretched place on the north bank first.
Chai Qing originally wanted to arrange for everyone to rest, as he was addicted to being a centurion.
After being glared at by Yin Ciyou, he realized that he was actually just a servant under the protection of the Dharma Protector and the Holy Maiden, and said regretfully to Guo Laogan.
"Master Guo the镖头 (Guo the镖头 is a nickname for a镖师, meaning镖师 is a person who is very skilled in
"To save my life on the battlefield, I fought for a few years, so I temporarily took on the role of a leader."
"Now that we've left the battlefield and are on the ship, please take the helm!"
Guo Laogan didn't think there was anything wrong with it and readily agreed.
He had over a dozen bodyguards and escorts to keep things under control, and Wu Tiechuan and Yang Silang were both his guests and his helpers, so no one dared to disobey him.
Guo Laogan kept issuing orders and making arrangements.
Let everyone stay overnight first.
The injured were given better and more comfortable accommodations, and arrangements were made according to their skill level and proximity to the hospital, which was an unavoidable custom.
Although most of the mounts were left by the river.
However, no one dared to disembark the mounts of those grandmasters and warriors who had contributed to the charge.
They have now been moved to the animal pen under the ship's deck.
Masters like Yang Silang, Chai Qing, and Wu Tiechuan were all assigned to good cabins to rest.
However, there wasn't enough space on the ship, so Wang Daniu, Ruyan, and Yin Ciyou were each assigned to a cabin, two people per cabin.
Of course, the best and largest cabin was given to Yang Silang.
The standard for a martial artist to be convinced of someone's worth is very simple—I can't beat him.
obviously.
Yang Silang's performance on the battlefield was like that of a god of war, which has completely won over everyone.
If we say that the three grandmasters charged into the formation, it's still within everyone's comprehension.
Yang Silang defeated six warriors with a single spear thrust and killed another with a bow and arrow. He was skilled in both close and long-range combat, earning him the title of "invincible" in everyone's hearts.
His murderous aura and ferocious, bloodthirsty presence lingered even after he arrived on the ship, and people who weren't acquainted with him dared not approach him to talk.
Guo Laogan sent people to collect dry rations from the ship, which barely managed to feed everyone.
in this way.
The next day at dawn, the ship docked, and everyone finally set foot on the territory of Liangzhou Province with peace of mind. Then people kept leaving.
We were brought together by chance, and fighting side by side was out of necessity.
They used to stick together for warmth, but now that they're safe in their new place, they've naturally scattered.
Feng Sanxian left, having searched everywhere for the "secret goods" without success, and had to return in person; Yin Ciyou, Ruyan, and Chai Qing also left.
They didn't bother searching for Susu, who might have become a camp prostitute, and headed to the capital first.
The group finally realized that they had been tricked by the Six Doors' elaborate deception.