Chapter 370 Visitors to the Small Wine Shed
There was no mountain of swords and sea of flames or infernal before them. In fact, Li Ye and the Feihong Bodhisattva would not be surprised if they saw these scenes. After all, it was a test of the Tao of Heaven, and a danger that must be defeated to get the secret.
But the sight in front of them was really unexpected, neither of them could’ve anticipated it.
Li Ye held his sword and grinned, pointing at the sight, added to Feihong Bodhisattva, “The Fairyland formation test the wisdom and perseverance, the dense white bear test the combat power and cultivation. I can think of these. But what does this formation test before us? Test our skills to weed grass, wash clothes, cook, and live? ”
Feihong Bodhisattva gave him a sideways look.
This look was vivid and charming, like the early morning sun, which made Li Ye a little bit lose.
Appearing in front of Li Ye and Feihong Bodhisattva were several acres of farmland planted with millet and vegetables which were growing well, and a small earthen farm yard. Li Ye even heard the rooster croaking, and a big yellow dog was lying in front of firewood door, looking around monotonously while its tongue was out.
In such a scene, it was no wonder that Li Ye would say that this was the Tao of Heaven’s test of their skill to live.
The idyllic scene did not make Feihong Bodhisattva feel awkward, but make her look relaxed. Li Ye keenly noticed that although her look had not changed significantly, she had a clear brilliance on her face, just like snow mountain began to melt under the brilliant spring sun.
Feihong Bodhisattva stepped towards the field courtyard, leaving Li Ye a light back. “I have a hunch. This is the last test of the secret region of Tao of Heaven. After passing this crisis, the secret will be able to make unlimited demands.”
Li Ye was rigorous.
He and Feihong Bodhisattva both obviously would capture the secret, but there was only one.
But the seriousness on his face soon disappeared.
Because Feihong Bodhisattva’s voice had come from ridges of field. “If you don’t want to bleed to death, come here to let me heal you!”
Li Ye asked loudly, “You will heal me?”
Feihong Bodhisattva added, “Only healing you, you can help if we encounter fight and fierce dangers before we see the secret. When we see the secret, I can kill you then.”
Li Ye limped up into the fields and added, “I can only agree with the first half sentence.”
...
The fight in Taiyuan City had continued for two days.
Under Li Keyong’s fierce offensive, Liu Dazheng could only choose to sustain it hard. Shangguan Qingcheng was restrained by Fu Cunshen and Kang Junli, so she could not support Liu Dazheng in time which made Liu Dazheng’s situation be getting worse.
The Militarism of Zhaoyi, Tianping, Henghai and others did not break through the defense line and were able to provide effective support to the Pinglu army while being blocked by a small number of troops from the Hedong Army.
In the end, after two days of fighting, Liu Dazheng was seriously injured, and Pinglu’s army suffered a lot of loss.
The Ping Lu army without Li Ye’s commanding, did not say to continue the fierce offensive that attacked Hedong before that would win every fight, but now it was even difficult to protect themselves.
Liu Dazheng ordered that the Pinglu Army guarded the military camp of Pinglu Army, stopping fighting with Hedong Army.
Hedong Army did not stop the attack. In the case of Li Keyong fought in person, soldiers of Hedong Army launched a fierce attack on the Pinglu Army camp day and night.
Hedong Army had been defeated after another and suffered heavy losses. They had to be completely defeated with demoralized spirit. But now they had recovered and attacked Pinglu Army who could only retreat from the defense. The morale of Hedong Army’s sergeants rose sharply, and the previous pressure also turned into suffocation.
The impulsion that wanted to take back their dignity and glory and the realistic need that continued to live in Hedong made them erupt unprecedented combat power.
With each passing day, the morale of Pinglu Army gradually declined. The fight situation was unfavorable, the army was in a difficult situation, the commander was not yet there, and then the elite once did not see any hope, their psychological defense line would collapse, and they could be defeated.
At this moment, all Pinglu Army missed Li Ye very much, and urgently needed a commander who led them to victory.
In the tent of middle troops of Pinglu Army camp, Liu Dazheng was sitting at the seat next to the commander table, facing the silent generals in the tent, he was deeply exhausted. Most of these generals were indifferent and worried, and some of them were already suggesting withdrawal.
“General Liu, the Hedong Army has been attacking fiercely for many days. Our army has suffered heavy losses and Zhaoyi and other vassal states have just been sitting idly watching. In addition, the Highness is absent. The three armies lack a backbone. If we continue to fight like this, I’m afraid our morale will collapse before Hedong Army rush in!” A middle-aged general persuaded with anxiety.” In my opinion, let’s withdraw first! ”
Liu Dazheng’s face was pale and his injuries had not recovered. Although he was able to walk and lie down as a cultivator, it was nothing more. Once he got angry, it would affect the wound.
He suppressed his anger, and looked around the generals. “Do you all think so?”
A white-haired general sighed and clenched his fist. “We can’t resist Hedong Army’s offensive, it will only be defeated if we continue to drag on. In order to save the strength of the army, I think we shall withdraw to Fenzhou and get out of danger, then took the long view.”
This remark was immediately echoed by everyone, “Yes, withdraw to Fenzhou, if we have the city, we can attack and retreat!”
“Staying here is waiting for death!”
“Zhaoyi and other troops are snobbish, now that Your Highness is not there, who knows what they will do?”
“A long delay means trouble, General Liu, please issue your order!”
Everybody chimed in, and a full fledged argument broke out.
“Enough!” Liu Dazheng groaned, and finally he couldn’t help but cough out blood.
In fact, the general’s opinions made sense. Now the Pinglu Army couldn’t defeat the Hedong Army. There was no good end to drag on, withdrawing to Fenzhou could indeed save its strength. This was a well-established statement, not fear for war.
But Liu Dazheng was afraid to do so.
He was very clear that once he led a siege, the difficulty would increase exponentially if they wanted to return to Taiyuan City.
If Pinglu army withdrew from Taiyuan City, the soldiers of Zhaoyi and other towns would be at a loss as to what to do, it might be not possible that they continued to follow the Pinglu army to fight in the future. In order to protect themselves, they were likely to return to their town.
At that time, the Pinglu Army would face the comprehensive counterattack of the Hedong Army, and they would most likely be driven out of Hedong.
The previous results would be ruined once.
Liu Dazheng didn’t know the specific details of the matter of the secret, but only from the military strategy, he also knew that they could not withdraw at this time.
But what could they do if they did not withdraw? If they withdrew, they might lose. If they did not withdraw, they would lose immediately.
Facing the onslaught of Hedong Army, Pinglu Army could not persist for two days.
This was a dilemma.
In other words, Pinglu Army had no choice at all.
At this moment, outside the Pinglu Army camp, the assembled Hedong Army was ready to start a new round of offensive.
Atop the army watchtower, Li Keyong, who was fully armored, stood while leaning on his blade and surveyed the Pinglu Army camp coldly. His mouth formed a bloodthirsty arc, looking like he was confident about winning the battle.
“Your Highness, our army will be able to break through the Pinglu army camp in two days at most, and that’s when the Pinglu army will be destroyed!” Kang Junli said with a bit of excitement.
After all, they had suffered successive losses at the hands of the Pinglu army. Not to mention that the Pinglu army previously had almost breached their city walls and they were almost completely defeated.
Li Keyong added coldly, “Two days? That’s too long, I’ll give you one day at most. This time tomorrow, I want to see you and the other troops invading the Pinglu army camp, or you will be dealt with by military law!”
Kang Junli, Fu Cunshen and others looked stern, they all clenched their fists. “Obey the order!”
With a cold snort, Li Keyong’s eyes locked on the tent of middle troops of Pinglu Army camp. “Are the troops that intercept their fugitives in place?”
“Everything is in place! As long as the Pinglu army dares to withdraw, it will be ambushed by our army. At that time, make a simultaneous frontal and rear attacks, their entire army will be obliterated!”
“Great! Let them completely annihilate!” Li Keyong added with a sense of killing, “Fight!”
...
Twenty kilometers away from the east of Taiyuan City, there was a small town. There were no city walls because of its small size, just a hundred houses were connected into one piece, and some scattered houses on the periphery were far from the central area.
Although sparrow was small, it had five internal organs, there were shops and inns in the town. Although the store was not large and the business was lacklustre, it was also an indispensable existence for people here.
For the cultivators, this place was not far from the Taiyuan city. But for the hardworking people in the fields, twenty kilometers was already a very long distance, so long that perhaps they would not travel such a distance for years.
The town was facing the official road, and some business travelers would come to the town in normal times.
Taiyuan City was in a fierce fight, and nearby villages had been affected. The town was at a special location that blocked by a small hill, so it had not suffered a military disaster.
The afternoon sun was dripping from the treetops, which mottled into shadows, making people feel lazy. In front of the shack before the old locust tree on the east side of the town, the inn flag that was waving in the wind was quite old and raggedy. In fact even its sway was reluctant, as though it was just perfunctorily moving.
Cripple Xu, nearly at the age of fifty, was lying on the table and dozing off, his saliva was drooping down along the corner of his mouth to his cuff with a patch, and he was not even aware of it. A rooster held its head up, giggled and walked with a group of hens and chicks past the shed, leaving a hot lump of chicken feces.
“Old cripple, don’t sleep anymore, bring me wine now!”
The big palm slapped on the table, shocking Cripple Xu to look up in a horror, when he saw the burly young man with a philistine face clearly, Cripple Xu got up angrily, “You lil’ bastard, how dare you disturb my dream?”
“Come on, wipe your saliva first before you want to teach me!” The young man dressed poorly that only wore a short gown was not in awe of old cripple. He sat straight at the table, reached for the teapot and tea bowl on the table and poured himself tea. “By the way, this time we really have a guest.”
Cripple Xu had seen the guest that the young man mentioned.
His eyes were bright.
It was a middle-aged man with silver-gray hair in cyan unpatterned robe. He looked amiable, and every move was full of elegance. He was walking into the shed.
He smiled and said, “Excuse me, do you have wine?”
Cripple Xu immediately replied, “Of course! Which kind of wines do you want?”
Middle-aged man still smiled. “The strongest one.”
Cripple Xu clapped his hands. “Wait a minute, I will prepare it for you!”
“Thank you.” The middle-aged man found a table and sat down.
There were two tables in this shed, and there were only six benches.
Although the table and stool made by the farmers themselves at first glance were coarse, the edges had been smoothed out over time, so they would not feel uncomfortable to sit on.
Cripple Xu quickly came out with a bottle of wine and two dishes. The wine was schnapps brewed by the town people themselves. And the dishes were a plate of fennel beans and a cordata salad.
Putting down the wine jar, setting the dishes, opening the sealing mud and pouring a bowl of wine, Cripple Xu smiled, and the cunning of crafty people in his eyes was hidden well. “Sir, how many bowls of wine would you like?”
“Good wine.” The middle-aged man smelled the wine and couldn’t help praise, “Leave this jar”.
“You are a crisp man, for it’s not ordinary people with such capacity for liquor at first glance!” Cripple Xu immediately flattered enthusiastically, but only he knew the irony and complacency flashed in his eyes.
This was not ordinary wine, and it was very strong. Ordinary people could not drink too much, and even if his drinking capacity was great, five or six bowls were the limit. But there were at less ten or twenty bowls in this jar.
In Cripple Xu’s opinion, this middle-aged man was a fool, and later, he wouldn’t even know how he got drunk. So there was ridicule in his eyes, not hiding the disdain for the fool.
As for the complacency, the reason was even more obvious, when the middle-aged man was drunk, the price of this wine was up to him.
The bad surroundings made unruly people, and some people in small rural areas were not as honest as the outsiders thought.
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