Following closely behind the 10,000-plus cavalry was the main force of 50,000 infantry, who also suffered heavy losses from the sudden flood, with about half perishing in the muddy waters. Even worse, the Lan Kingdom soldiers, having lost their commander and most of their generals, were like headless flies in this unfamiliar foreign land, completely bewildered. When the rear guard, escorting the supplies, arrived, all they could do was flee and disintegrate along with them.
On Bailan Hill, Li Jun gazed far to the north, lost in thought. In this battle, he had lost no men but rendered the 100,000 reinforcements from the Lan Kingdom ineffective. Below him lay the Nan'an Pass.
At this time, he was unaware of who was waiting for him in the city of Nan'an.
three,
"Gan Ping!"
"Here!" Gan Ping looked at Li Jun, his face showing barely suppressed excitement. Li Jun smiled slightly. If Gan Ping could be more composed, he would surely become a great general capable of leading independently, just like Fang Fengyi.
"You will lead your troops to pursue the routed Lan Kingdom army. Remember not to push too hard; just let them scatter out of fear. Pushing too hard will only provoke a backlash. But if they feel they have a chance to escape, they will scatter. In this unfamiliar foreign land, once they scatter, it will be difficult to recover. In this way, you will have performed a great service," Li Jun slowly instructed. "And remember, never be greedy for battle and cause trouble!"
A smile appeared on Gan Ping's face: "Understood!"
"Mr. Wei, Brother Shi, you stay here as backup and prepare a reward," Li Jun said. "The rest of you, come with me to take Nan'an Pass!"
Upon receiving their orders, the soldiers of the Peace Army set off from their original encampment on the high ground, traversing the muddy and still-waterlogged ground towards Nan'an Pass. The devastating floods that had ravaged this land had left shocking scars; knee-deep mud, fallen branches and broken trees, and ruins destroyed by the flood were everywhere. Walking in such a place was incredibly difficult. Li Jun had anticipated this, ordering his entire army to abandon heavy armor and proceed in only light leather armor. Although this reduced the soldiers' protection, it was within Li Jun's expectations. After this period of soaking, the morale of the Su Kingdom's army in Nan'an Pass should be low, and their only hope for continuing the defense lay in the reinforcements from the Lan Kingdom. Therefore, Li Jun ordered all the captured Lan Kingdom soldiers hiding on higher ground to be brought over, intending to use them to further demoralize the city's soldiers and civilians.
As the army gradually descended to the flat ground in the middle, Li Jun saw that the banners on the walls of Nan'an Pass were hanging low and the figures were sparse. He guessed that the soldiers in the city had already learned of the great changes outside and had no will to defend. With victory in sight, he couldn't help but smile slightly.
Before the laughter could subside, the outer wall of Nan'an Pass suddenly collapsed with a deafening roar, and thousands of water columns, like soaring dragons, gushed forth from the breaches in the wall. Nan'an Pass was originally higher than the surrounding terrain, and the water rushing down from it was like a waterfall cascading down a mountain, but with a force many times greater than that waterfall.
It's like the Milky Way in the sky being contained within the city walls, but now it bursts out of the city and unleashes its pent-up anger on the approaching Peace Army!
Li Jun's expression at this moment was almost identical to the one on Wu Peng's face when he was caught off guard; the word "retribution" haunted his mind like a ghost. The Peace Army's formation instantly crumbled. In the face of the surging, roaring torrent, the Peace Army disregarded iron discipline and orders. Amidst cries and screams, countless soldiers huddled together, directly struck by the flood. At this moment, they were almost out of their minds; all they could do was huddle together for support. And all Li Jun could do was spur his horse forward to shield Ji Su.
The floodwaters surged down, scattering the Peace Army to pieces. Li Jun, still recovering from his injuries, was struck head-on by the wave. It felt as if a thousand-pound hammer had struck his chest. With a series of cracking sounds, he coughed up blood and fell from his prized horse, Xiaoyue Feishuang. The horse, also startled, struggled futilely in the giant waves, swept dozens of feet away. Unfortunately, Li Jun's right foot was still in the stirrup and was also thrown off.
In his panic, Li Jun waved his hands wildly, his halberd nowhere to be seen. He only felt a hand grab his belt the instant the horse was thrown forward; the owner of that hand held on so firmly that even the force of the surging wave couldn't make him let go! The two were carried away by the horse and the giant wave as if flying through the clouds. Li Jun couldn't control his body at that moment, feeling as if his right foot was about to be torn off. Fortunately, after the first wave, they were swept away by the water, and the current slowed down slightly. Li Jun heard a familiar shout and felt his right foot loosen, finally leaving the Moonlit Frost.
"My husband!" Ji Su cried out, her face pale, as she pulled Li Jun into her arms amidst the surging waves. Had Li Jun not shielded her, she would have been the one swept away by the waves. And if she hadn't desperately grabbed Li Jun, he would have been swept away by the current, his fate unknown. In this life-or-death moment, they had saved each other, and only now did they truly believe that the other's affection for them was not for political reasons.
"Ha!" Li Jun gasped heavily, coughing up blood again. Looking at Ji Su's face, he forced a smile: "It's alright, we...we won't die."
As they were talking, they felt their bodies sinking desperately into the water. Li Jun was shocked. He suddenly remembered that Ji Su was not a good swimmer. He didn't know where she got the strength to protect him in the raging waves, but now that the water had calmed down, she could no longer float on the surface.
"Damn it." These two words surfaced in Li Jun's mind. With his swimming skills, in such a large body of water, and having suffered such serious injuries, it was difficult for him to even protect himself, let alone save Ji Su. His first thought was to let go and let Ji Su be swept away by the water, but halfway through loosening his grip, he suddenly reached out again and firmly hugged Ji Su into his arms.
Ji Su tried her best to push him away, but Li Jun glared at her with eyes full of anger. His angry gaze warmed Ji Su's heart, and tears welled up in her eyes: "If you want to die together, then die together. With Sister Mo here, she will certainly not mistreat our child..." The two embraced tightly, letting the turbulent current toss and turn them upside down. Eventually, their lips met, and they kissed passionately in the turbid waves.
"How...how come they haven't drowned yet?"
After a while, the two of them came to their senses and saw that many Peace Army soldiers around them had emerged from the water, just like them, and were looking at them strangely. Embarrassed, the two of them suddenly realized that they were not standing on water, but on solid ground!
"So the water wasn't deep!" Li Jun suddenly realized. Nan'an Pass was situated on higher ground, and the amount of water Li Jun poured into the city after digging up the Nan'an River was relatively small. Combined with the heavy rains brought by the southeast winds of the past few days, it was far less powerful than the force of Li Jun's river. Furthermore, Zhao Xing, seeking a complete victory, had breached all four city walls, causing water to pour out in all directions simultaneously. As a result, none of the four sides could completely overwhelm the Peace Army. If he had concentrated the city's stored water to attack Li Jun's route, the main force of the Peace Army would likely have been decimated, much like the main force of the Lan Kingdom's cavalry. Instead, only more than half were wounded, and less than ten percent were dead. Fortunately, the Peace Army was lightly armored, and the cavalry had been taken by Gan Ping to pursue the fleeing Lan Kingdom army; otherwise, the losses would have been even more severe.
The moment his senses returned, Li Jun understood everything. If Zhao Xing had been able to devise this counter-strategy, then he wouldn't have made such a mistake, allowing himself to escape death. In other words, Zhao Xing must have had a capable person by his side, and it was this person who offered the strategy to Zhao Xing. However, Zhao Xing didn't completely trust him, which is why he hadn't consulted him on how to release the enemy.
"The one who can make me so miserable must be brought under my control at all costs." Li Jun's mind raced. Although the outer city of Nan'an Pass had already been breached by the defending soldiers themselves, with that strategist still around, who knew what other tricks he might pull? The Peace Army was still in shock and their morale was low, so it was not advisable to launch a direct attack. He had to devise a new plan to both capture the city and get that person! With his mind made up, his face suddenly turned ashen, and he spat out another mouthful of blood, staining Ji Su's filthy clothes in his arms. He then lay limply down, looking like a dead man.
"Li Jun's injuries were aggravated, and he was carried back to the army. From the outside, it seemed that he could not even move."
The spy brought this good news to Zhao Xing in the fortress: the main force of the Peace Army had not been destroyed in one fell swoop, but only forced to retreat temporarily, which made him extremely embarrassed. He knew that if he hadn't been too greedy, he wouldn't have made such a mistake, so he repeatedly apologized to the woman who had offered the plan. The woman just sighed softly and said, "Such is the fate of the nation; you can't blame the general."
If the woman had mocked or cursed him, he would have felt better, but this simple remark left him speechless. Fortunately, the spy brought news that Li Jun's injuries had worsened, which somewhat eased his mind. He said, "Li Jun is a worthless scoundrel; I'm afraid he won't die this time. What should we do if he retreats and returns?"
The mysterious woman pondered for a moment, then said, "Li Jun was severely injured by the Seven Emotions Sword, wielded by the Earth Demon, the leader of the Netherworld Sect's assassins. The power of the Seven Emotions Sword would have shattered the meridians and internal organs of an ordinary person, causing death. Li Jun had consumed dragon pills, making his spiritual power unmatched in the world. Furthermore, the late Commander Lu had passed down the Prajna Heart Sutra to him, which is why he was able to withstand the attack. As far as I know, only the legendary Saints of the Three Religions can heal the Seven Emotions Sword wound. Now that the Netherworld Sect has appeared, the Saints of the Three Religions will likely emerge as well. But in such a hurry, where could he find a Saint to heal this sword wound? During this siege, he was most likely forcing himself to stay alive. If so, he will have lost most of his life, if not his, and will likely be crippled from now on."
“If he’s a cripple, I’m afraid he’ll never be able to control the Peace Army again,” Ding Zhi said. “But letting him die at the hands of someone else would be too easy for him.”
"If he becomes a cripple, it would be best if his two wives could accompany him through the rest of his life in peace and tranquility." The woman sighed. "But Li Jun is resourceful and wise, and I dare not say whether he is dead or alive now. In my opinion, if the Peace Army makes a big fuss about his injuries, then the injuries are most likely real. On the contrary, if they are kept secret and covered up, then he is most likely safe and sound."
“What you say is strange, young lady,” Ding Zhi said again. “Warfare is based on deception. If Li Jun is injured, he certainly won’t make a big fuss about it. On the contrary, if he is unharmed, he might exaggerate to lure our army into a trap.”
“Wrong. An ordinary general would think that way,” the woman said. “Li Jun is well-versed in the military strategies of the former commander Lu. His tactics are unpredictable, and he was careless and underestimated the enemy, which is why he fell for the water attack. Now he will surely reassess the city’s troops and will not reveal any weaknesses.”
"This woman seems very familiar with Li Jun." Zhao Xing was secretly amazed. Not only was she so clear about Li Jun's abilities, but she was also so familiar with his personality and habits. Could this woman be someone Li Jun knew? "Then what does the young lady mean?"
"Take this opportunity to rebuild the city and quickly construct the outer city to prevent them from retreating and returning," the woman said resolutely. "Whether Li Jun lives or dies, the key is for the general to block the main force of the Peace Army from advancing north."
The people of Lan Kingdom are not to be relied upon; we can only depend on the soldiers and people of my Great Su.
“After this lesson, the people of Lan should know how formidable Li Jun is.” Zhao Xing snorted coldly. “Our Great Su spent so much money and the people of Great Su suffered so much humiliation, yet the people of Lan we invited did not manage to harm a single soldier of the Peace Army.”
"Wasn't it all the idea of that traitor Wu Shu! Wu Shu is a traitor, skilled in internal strife but inept at external affairs." The woman said without any politeness, "If this traitor doesn't die, our Great Su will never have a peaceful day, and Li Jun will always have an opportunity to take advantage of us."
Hearing her criticize the powerful minister, Zhao Xing and Ding Zhi exchanged awkward glances. Ding Zhi changed the subject, saying, "I have a plan; please see if it's feasible."
The woman's face, hidden by a veil, was expressionless. She paused briefly, clearly calming down from some rather agitated emotion. She said, "Lord Ding, please don't be so polite. I dare not accept such a compliment."
“This young lady is a divine being, a blessing to my Great Su. To show her respect is to be mindful of the fate of my Great Su.”
Ding Zhi flattered him a couple of times, saying, "Our army will not pursue Li Jun, but will instead inform the remnants of the Lan Kingdom. These defeated soldiers will be eager to take revenge and save face. Their pursuit of the Peace Army, regardless of victory or defeat, will be beneficial to us."
The woman hummed in agreement, neither confirming nor denying. After a moment, she sighed softly, "This matter is best left to you two gentlemen to decide."
For several days in a row, news of Li Jun's injuries circulating within the Peace Army was increasingly grim. One by one, the army doctors were summoned into the tent, only to emerge with worried expressions. Li Jun's wife, Ji Su, who was always by his side, only showed up briefly the next day with red, tear-filled eyes, and refused to leave his side for even a moment. The army was filled with unease; everyone knew Li Jun's injuries were severe, and that this northern expedition might become one of the few unsuccessful campaigns in the Peace Army's history.
On the fifth night, Ji Su's crying suddenly came from Li Jun's tent, but it stopped after a moment. The army doctor was hurriedly summoned away and never came out again. The generals of each camp also went into their tents, and when they came out, their faces were ashen. They ordered their troops not to make a fuss or act rashly. But how could such a change be kept from the spies? Soon, the spies spread the news to Nan'an Pass. When Zhao Xing and Ding Zhi went to see the mysterious woman after hearing the news, there was no one there. Only a plain note was left: "Defend the city firmly and do not be greedy for merit."
"I told you to keep a close eye on her!" Zhao Xing scolded the maid who had been assigned to serve the woman. The maid said aggrievedly, "We haven't left the gate for a single step, nor have we closed our eyes for a single moment, but we clearly haven't seen that young lady leave."
“This woman is elusive and cannot be easily monitored by them,” Ding Zhi advised. “Now that the news of Li Jun’s serious injury and death is difficult to verify, it is hard to tell whether he is truly the Marquis. Why don’t we send the people from Lan Kingdom to investigate Li Jun’s background? What do you think, General?”
"The remnants of the Lan Kingdom barbarians who harassed us number less than 30,000, and they keep blaming me for not informing them that Li Jun would use water attacks." Zhao Xing snorted. "They were chased by the cavalry sent by Li Jun and had nowhere to hide. If Li Jun hadn't been seriously injured by us, none of them would be alive. What you said is right, let them go. Whether they live or die, it won't harm us."
The current commander of the Lan Kingdom's army is Wu Peng's younger brother, Wu Ying. He gathered his defeated troops and hid in the city of Nan'an. Heartbroken by his brother's drowning, he had long wished he could tear Li Jun to pieces and devour him. Adding to this, the situation had reversed in the past few days; they had suffered a crushing defeat but hadn't lost a single soldier in the Peace Army, while the Su Kingdom had won a great victory, leaving them utterly humiliated by the mockery. Upon hearing this news, he didn't even wait for Ding Zhi to provoke him before ordering a pursuit of the Peace Army. When they arrived at the Peace Army's camp, they found it completely empty; the Peace Army had apparently broken camp and left sometime earlier. Looking around the camp, they found many paper money and funeral banners, and even a memorial tablet for "Commander Li of the Peace Army" haphazardly stuffed in a corner, clearly indicating that Li Jun was indeed dead.