The sky is slightly bright.
The early morning haze, wrapped in a thick chill, is undoubtedly a knife for those who are wearing thin clothes.
In the mountain forest to the south, Chen Jiaqiao was carrying an umbrella sword on his back. He raised his head silently and looked at the people and horses gathering at the foot of the mountain, including county soldiers, battalion troops, and private armies of aristocratic families.
His robe was stained with blood and was not resistant to the cold, and was blown up by the cold wind.
"Mr. Chen, Hall Master Cao has already left Laoshan. After passing Laoshan, you can go around to Muyun Prefecture."
"The important task I have been waiting for is completed."
Chen Jiaqiao laughed. He had been attracting enemies since they left last night. Let Cao Hong rush back to Chengdu with the information.
His head is probably more valuable. After all, everyone inside and outside Cangzhou knew that he was a spy leader who played with umbrellas and swords.
"A few people down the mountain."
"Mr. Chen, at least ten thousand people."
"We've surrounded the mountain and can't go back." Chen Jiaqiao smiled. Then he turned his head and looked at the last four dead Night Owl soldiers around him.
After a night of baiting and escaping, Cao Hong's side left, but their side was in a desperate situation.
"Cao Hong is so stupid. I guess he will wrinkle his nose with tears when he goes to the grave to offer a toast in the future."
The last four dead men beside Chen Jiaqiao all raised their heads and laughed.
"Mr. Chen, the army of dog men is about to attack the mountain."
"There are only five of us, what a big deal. Could it be that I, Chen Jiaqiao's head, can be exchanged for a lot of money? Military merit?"
"Mr. Chen, this is called a mad dog snatching food."
Chen Jiaqiao took off his umbrella and sword, his laughter continued as the cold wind became more and more violent.
"Mr. Chen Jiaqiao from Siwu in Heshan Town is here to teach Cangzhou's thousands of troops!"
…
At the foot of the mountain.
A middle-aged general riding an armored horse came out of the camp, his brows full of murderous intent.
His name is Zhang Shun, a native of Cangzhou, the legitimate son of a powerful family, and the leader of the four eagles in Cangzhou. Today, I followed the emperor's order and went into the mountain to fight against thieves.
It is said that he is a spy leader who sneaked into the imperial city of Cangzhou in an attempt to steal information. At present, the mountains in front of him are surrounded.
"Enter the mountain to suppress the thieves!"
The army of five thousand people behind them shouted in unison. With light armor and long halberds, they followed Zhang Shun in neat steps and marched forward.
"Quickly, encircle and suppress the enemy chieftain in Shuzhou! If you capture him alive, you will be rewarded with fifty taels of gold! If you only cut off his head, you will be rewarded with ten taels of gold!"
"Bless me for great times!"
In all directions, there were ant-like crowds, rushing towards the mountain crazily.
The black-robed military advisor, with the swordsman beside him, stood silently on a high ground, looking at each other coldly.
"Chen Lu, can you capture him alive?"
"I think he will die. Xu Thief's people have always been like this." Chen Lu hunched over and spoke calmly.
"Think of something." Hei Pao said in a hoarse voice, "Tell Zhang Shun not to let those lunatics from aristocratic families kill people first."
"I asked you to inform Zhang Shun, but I didn't ask you to spread the news. Next time, if you are greedy for such short-term wealth, get out of Cangzhou yourself."
Chen Lu lowered his head and said nothing.
The black robe stopped speaking, raised his head, and continued to look ahead. In fact, there are many things that I can't figure out, such as why these Xu thieves are willing to die, and why they are willing to assist a boss who is originally a stickman from all walks of life.
In troubled times, people should go crazy. Warriors kill people and plunder wealth. Rich merchants stockpile grain and sell it at high prices. Even the lowest-level tenant farmers should follow the rebels in rebellion, leaving no grass growing wherever they go.
This is the sign of the demise of a dynasty.
Of course, this is true for most people, except for a few.
"I roughly figured it out. There was once a bright light that illuminated the way forward for many people in the turbid darkness."
Neither Chen Lu nor the swordsman next to him understood.
Only the black robe was talking to himself, his voice drifting into the cold wind, and was suddenly torn apart by the cold wind.
"Chen Lu, go and watch."
…
"Wai——"
Cangzhou's infantrymen and private soldiers from all directions, holding swords, shields and halberds, pressed forward step by step up the mountain. Accompanied by this, there were roars one after another.
Under the cold wind, the five people on the mountain had no way to escape.
"Mr. Chen, I'll go first." The four dead Night Owl warriors clasped their fists.
Chen Jiaqiao closed his eyes in silence.
"Night Owl Ba Tang, I wish... to be the Lord's eyes and ears."
"May the Lord have his eyes and ears!"
"While we are waiting for the bloody battle, I will save my last breath of strength and bite the poison to kill myself!" The four dead Night Owl warriors roared and rushed forward.
One person was hit by an arrow, another had his head cut off, and the other two had their bodies pierced by halberds and rolled down the cliff.
There was a dead soldier who was still breathing heavily. Before the enemies surrounded him, he threw his head back and laughed, chewing up the poison under his tongue and rolling it down his throat.
Chen Jiaqiao saw it clearly. In the future, he would always remember his brother's face when we were together on Huangquan Road.
"Mr. Siwu Chen Jiaqiao, I would like to be the Lord's eyes and ears——"
…
"Mr. Chen, you have four ancestral houses, sixty acres of land, and you have passed the first-class examination. Why do you still want to learn martial arts and become a knight?"
"That day I was riding a carriage out of the town, and some hungry refugees came to me to beg for food. Even after the rice and steamed buns were distributed, they were still begging. They knelt in front of me, begging me for help, and smashed their heads. "
"I always wanted to do something, but I found that just being a landlord in this life would be very miserable."
"Living alone is called living alone; letting everyone live is called helping the world."
Chen Jiaqiao opened his umbrella and sword and stood coldly in the mountain wind.
A noble general roared and struck with his sword. The knife struck down and scattered sparks on the iron umbrella.
"Kneel down!"
"My whole body is made of iron, how can you make me kneel down!"
The umbrella sword opened and cut the general's body to pieces. The general fell to the ground coughing blood.
Chen Jiaqiao jumped up to Qinggong, his face full of fierceness. He lifted his umbrella sword forward and made a half circle. Four or five more of the Cangzhou soldiers who were approaching fell down.
A black shadow suddenly rushed out, took out his sword, and stabbed out several swords in succession.
Clang clang clang.
The umbrella sword was cut until the iron cloth was broken into pieces, and one of Chen Jiaqiao's shoulders was also stabbed until blood spattered out.
The black shadow sword in front of him seemed to be waiting for something and did not kill him immediately.
The umbrella handle was discarded, leaving only a thin sword. Chen Jiaqiao laughed. He raised his head again and looked around, seeing more and more people gathering.
Not long ago, he told his boss that if he was forced into a desperate situation one day, he would definitely recite two lines of anti-poetry.
In a daze, he thought of the little boss again. Take him to beat Digou, take him to Shuzhou, take him to see the world in this troubled world, where the Qingming Festival is approaching.
"Mr. Chen, do you want to surrender?" Chen Lu hunched over and stepped out with a frown.
After Chen Lu, the masked black-robed military advisor also appeared after Shen Chen.
Ignoring Chen Lu, Chen Jiaqiao grinned and pointed to the black robe, "Seeing you with my own eyes, I suddenly understood many things."
"I don't understand the truth. I only know that people who like light things like lotus cakes will definitely not be heavy-weight people."
"You are pretending, like a monkey pretending to be a mountain man, extremely cunning, stealing food and fruits."
"Kill him!" Under the mask, the black-robed man's eyes were startled and he immediately ordered.
Chen Jiaqiao raised his head and laughed. His laughter shook the green hills, and the echoes lingered endlessly.
"The heroic ambition to die without regrets, to cut through the nine heavens of troubled times——"
An arrow shot through Chen Jiaqiao's head, and the sound stopped suddenly.
The wind all over the mountain began to moan loudly.
