Green Mountain

Chapter 531 393: Five Mad Soldiers

The defeat of the Ning Dynasty founder in the Battle of Luocheng City was once a popular topic in all the teahouses of the Ning Dynasty.

There were storytellers who said that at the age of no more than twenty-eight or nine, the founder had already shown talents as great as supporting the heavens and lifting the seas, with the courage of a thousand men.

In that encounter, the Emperor of Bei Wei personally led an expedition. With banners covering the sky and the neighs of horses, his massive force of eighty thousand pressed the founder to hastily withdraw from Luocheng City.

The Bei Wei army pursued relentlessly, and the founder, having no choice, led a rear guard of three hundred elite soldiers in an attempt to cover his army's retreat into Wubei City.

In the official history of the Ning Dynasty, the enemy general led cavalry in pursuit, but the founder shot to the left and right, and the pursuers fell one after another, shocking the enemy army into retreat.

In the teahouse tales, another general with the surname Zhou, named Zhou Huaixin, was added to the story.

According to the storyteller, Zhou Huaixin reached the peak of the Seeking Dao Realm that day. Facing the pursuers, he was clad in a blood-soaked white robe, walking in a celestial pattern, and a hemp rope in his hand transformed like a living dragon soaring into the heavens. Under a bright sky, a swirling cloud dragon was suddenly formed, and a white dragon composed of cloud scales and claws descended, its tail sweeping away the pursuers over a hundred zhang, the dragon's roar causing Bei Wei's war horses to collapse kneeling, unable to rise!

After retreating into Wubei City.

Then, not yet the founder of the Ning Dynasty, he stood atop the city wall of Wubei City, laughing loudly: "Did you see? Old Tuoba is hiding inside his Dragon Chariot trembling! The Zhou brothers' method shouldn't be called 'rope-walking'; from today, we'll call it 'dragon-leading,' dragging that foolish emperor by the nose!"

"You and I, brother, joining hands, can bind a true dragon even with a hemp rope!"

However, before establishing the Ning Dynasty, the founder found the term 'dragon-leading' quite inspiring, but once he established the dynasty and became the emperor, he found the name awkward.

The founder hosted a banquet in the Jinling Palace to entertain Zhou Huaixin, during which, with a glass cup containing Drunken Crab from Dongting, the founder lightly tapped the golden cup with his fingertip and said, "Huaixin, recently, there are many stories in the market about the old 'dragon-leading' incident... I hear them, and it surely seems like that cloud dragon is the protagonist?"

Zhou Huaixin's hand holding the chopsticks paused slightly, and he bowed his head, replying, "Your minister is fearful. The crude tricks of those days were originally named 'rope-walking,' merely by chance protecting your majesty and thus honored with such a beautiful name... Yet the sky cannot have two suns, can the people recklessly speak of 'dragon-leading'?"

The next day, a request titled "Please Restore the Name of the Rope-Walking Method" was presented to the imperial desk.

The red seal had only one word: "Approved."

The ink was abundant as if it were dripping blood.

Human emotions have always been such, the same a thousand years ago, and the same a thousand years later, never changing. But the term 'dragon-leading' had already spread far among the populace, impossible to stop.

In the ninth year of founding the dynasty, Zhou Huaixin was imprisoned due to drunken remarks, and three years later he was released to live as a wealthy patriarch in his hometown, which was considered a rare good ending.

...

...

At this moment in Mei Valley, Zhou Kuang stood holding a hemp rope, and the floral leaf wandering dragon danced along the rope, shattering each incoming crossbow arrow into dust with his own power.

The death soldiers surrounding the floral leaf wandering dragon were unwilling to give up, riding continuously and shooting arrows at them but failing to harm anyone. The fragments of wooden arrow shafts became part of the dragon's body, while the iron arrowheads dropped to the ground like a falling rain.

Prince Fu clapped his hands in admiration: "Zhou Kuang, your prowess! When we return to the Imperial Capital, I must at least drink a couple of cups to you!"

Zhou Kuang calmly said, "Three cups."

Prince Fu laughed heartily, "Ten cups!"

Yangyang looked not far at Zhou Kuang, who was in the spotlight, cursing softly, "Damn it, it's just that my method isn't suitable for blocking arrows; otherwise, how can I let him steal all the attention?"

At this, Yangyang also felt a bit regretful: "Such a capable man should fight side by side with me on the battlefield. If I had had him at Chongli Pass back then, I could have certainly stopped the main general of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. How can such a man be left to watch over things for officials and the noble? He should join my Longevity Army!"

Zhang Zheng chuckled, "But that's Prince Fu, not an ordinary official or noble."

Yangyang retorted impatiently, "What's the difference? All the same!"

Zhang Xia explained in a low voice, "It's not that Zhou Kuang willingly subjects himself to Prince Fu, he served in the Five Armies Camp back in the day; later, after a battle in Crimson City, where he killed prisoners, an Imperial Censor accused him, and he lost his position."

Yangyang was taken aback: "Did he do that in Crimson City? There was no right or wrong in that matter, if I were him, I'd have done the same. These Imperial Censors have nothing better to do, and along with those Eunuch Party members from the Jiefan Guard and Spy Department, they're always finding trouble behind our backs."

He then looked at Chen Ji: "Young Chen, you should join my Longevity Army; the Yulin Army isn't a place for you."

Qi Zhenzhuo suddenly asked, "Can I go?"

"You?" Yangyang looked him over: "Does the Qi family let you go? Heh, I heard about you all wanting to go to Korea with Mr. Wang. You Qi family members should stay well in the Imperial Capital."

Qi Zhenzhuo's expression darkened.

Chen Ji ignored Yangyang and turned to look at Zhou Kuang.

Zhou Kuang remained neither pleased nor disheartened, his face showed no sign of pride, and the floral leaf wandering dragon was dispersing, seemingly indicating that Zhou Kuang was also nearing exhaustion.

Chen Ji suddenly looked down and saw a crossbow arrowhead on the ground, reflecting a bluish hue in the sunlight.

He instinctively exchanged a glance with Zhang Xia, "Something's wrong, the crossbow arrows are poisoned!"

Poison?!

They had just been discussing how the death soldiers hadn't poisoned the crossbow arrows because the mastermind only wanted to kill Chen Ji, not caring to accidentally kill Zhang Xia.

But now the death soldiers returned and the crossbow arrows were poisoned again; the brief absence was likely to make full preparations for mutual destruction upon return.

Oddly enough, doesn't the mastermind fear accidentally killing Zhang Xia now?

No, now it is not a question of whether Zhang Xia will die, but: Chen Ji is now so close to the Crown Prince, and when the Death Soldiers shoot at him, they could also shoot the Crown Prince.

If the poison on this arrow is lethal upon contact, how can the Crown Prince ensure his survival? Could it be that the Crown Prince has an antidote?

Even if there is an antidote, how would the Crown Prince explain to the court his possession of an antidote afterwards?

There is no way to explain it.

Chen Ji's mind raced, and he silently turned to observe the Crown Prince, but at this moment, not only did he notice the poison on the arrowhead, but Mr. Liao also noticed it.

Mr. Liao's expression suddenly changed, and he shouted loudly, "The arrow is poisoned, protect the Crown Prince!"

As he spoke, Mr. Liao grabbed the collars of two close attendants of the Eastern Palace and pulled them in front of the Crown Prince, fearing that a poisoned arrow might fly in from somewhere and take the Crown Prince's life.

Zhang Xia said in a low voice, "It doesn't seem fake."

Chen Ji's heart tightened: Mr. Liao truly worried that these Death Soldiers would kill the Crown Prince!

Who do these Death Soldiers belong to? Could it be that they really came to assassinate the Crown Prince and Prince Fu?

No, no, no, that's not it.

At this moment, Zhou Kuang retrieved the rope into his hand, and the dragon-like vine suddenly scattered, falling to the ground like a torrential downpour.

The crowd looked intently, only to see that aside from the forty or so Death Soldiers surrounding them, there were two Death Soldiers dressed in straw coats and bamboo hats, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

In front of each of them was a palm-sized stone altar, but it was unclear what was inside. Around the stone altar were runes formed with fresh blood, and the scent of blood was blown by the wind, hitting them in the face.

The two lowered their heads, cut open their wrists, and dripped their blood into the altar.

Then, the two stood up, raised their hands over their heads, and performed a deep bowing ceremony.

Suddenly, a burst of flame ignited in the stone altar, shooting up into the sky. The flame in the air transformed into the bizarre silhouettes of thousands of troops, as if they were about to charge out of the fire.

The flames condensed in the air, showing no sign of dispersing, and the soldiers in the flames wore white bone masks; some held long spears, others were armed with bows and arrows, some held ropes...

The white bones were gruesome.

These soldiers rampaged within the flames, as if trapped by the fire, unable to get out.

Indeed, daring to confront the forces of the Crown Prince and Prince Fu, how could they not have a backup plan?

How could there be no Executive Officer to oversee the battle formation?

The color of Yangyang's face changed, and he urgently asked, "Axia, what kind of method is this? I've never seen it before."

Zhang Xia carefully observed the phantom bone soldiers in the flames and said in a concentrated voice, "Five Mad Soldiers that capture souls and establish prohibitions, Five Mad Soldiers used for mountain hunting, Five Mad Soldiers sealed with knives and joined with bones, Five Mad Soldiers forming alliances in the southern mountains, Five Mad Soldiers sacrificing chickens and offering blood, I've only ever seen it in shadowy depictions..."

"Five Mad Soldiers? So it's this ghostly thing! How is this thing still in the world?" Yangyang exclaimed irritably, "Chen family boy, I've heard those stone altars cannot be moved, shoot those stone altars, don't hold back!"

Chen Ji drew the bow and shot, but as he bent his bow like a full moon, his two fingers hooked onto the bowstring and suddenly released, sending the feathered arrow flying through the air with a thunderous sound.

The feathered arrow flew like a meteor, heading straight for the stone altar.

Yet, the two Executive Officers suddenly lifted their heads, with eerie smiles on their faces beneath the bamboo hats, as if victory was assured.

The Death Soldiers, who had previously been encircling Chen Ji, galloped forward to block the arrow. Chen Ji's arrow struck one of the Death Soldiers, piercing through their chest and embedding itself within.

Chen Ji's expression did not change, and he continued to shoot arrow after arrow until he had fired all eleven arrows from his quiver. Only when he reached back to the quiver to find it empty did he stop.

Arrow after arrow shot out like a continuous stream towards the stone altar, while the Death Soldiers surged forward like a torrent, forming a straight line in front of the stone altar. The arrows pierced through one Death Soldier after another until they used their bodies to block all the arrows.

The arrows pierced straight through their hearts, and the Death Soldiers slumped forward on their horses.

The two Executive Officers leading the formation said in low voices, "We humbly request, esteemed officer, to lead your elite soldiers in toppling altars and breaking temples, with sandstorms and stones flying, seize the living souls, eliminate future troubles, the situation is urgent, there must be no delay!"

"Rise!"

In an instant, the flames in the sky descended like a meteor shower, with clusters of flames shooting into the bodies of the dead Death Soldiers.

Those Death Soldiers who had been struck in the heart by Chen Ji's arrows suddenly lifted their heads, now ashen-faced, with fire burning in their eyes.

More than sixty Death Soldiers who had died reached into their own chests in unison, forcibly breaking off a rib and drawing it out. The ribs twisted and grew vigorously, transforming into white bone masks.

The Death Soldiers donned the white bone masks on their faces, and once again reached into their chests, forcibly breaking off a rib. For some, the rib grew into a long spear, for others a hard bow, and for yet others a large sword.

The Death Soldiers stood silently with the white bones on their faces, and the first among them held a sword pointed downward, riding slowly up to the two Executive Officers and asked in a commanding tone, "We understand your wish, do you know the price of summoning us?"

The two Executive Officers knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads: "We know."

"Good!" The Commander of the Five Mad Soldiers, sealing knife and joining bone, raised his sword high and brought it down heavily, and the two Executive Officers' heads rolled on the ground.

Yangyang was dumbfounded: "This is truly devilish!"

Just as he finished speaking, more than sixty Five Mad Soldiers turned their heads in unison and looked towards them, urging their warhorses to charge: "Victory!"