Chapter 198

The sky is vast, the wilderness is boundless, the wind blows the grass low and the golden spear appears.

　　Looking around the camp which was several miles in radius, there was a scene of iron horses and golden swords. The troops of Songzhou had already set up simple tents. Pang Jun was not in the big tent at this time, but was sitting on an open space outside the camp, looking up at the blue sky.

　　It is already early summer in Liaodong, with blue sky and white clouds. At least today is a beautiful spring day. Looking at the clouds floating in the sky, Pang Jun's heart is not at peace. Sometimes he himself does not understand whether such a life is really suitable for him.

　　"Are you worried about something?" A magnetic voice sounded beside Pang Jun's ears. Yan Huixin, still dressed in white, stood beside him calmly and asked. She wanted to see what the army looked like and experience the cruelty of the battlefield, so she followed Pang Jun and the 10,000 Songzhou troops to Yanzhou. As for some powerful families who were ready to make a move in Songzhou, they were suppressed by Pang Jun with thunder with the help of the "Suifeng" intelligence.

　　At the beginning of the day, most of the soldiers of Songzhou Army thought that this fairy-like beauty with big breasts and thick buttocks was a favorite concubine of their young governor. But later they found that the relationship between her and the governor was not that simple. Many soldiers would fantasize about this beauty releasing her essence at night, and some even dared to tease her in person.

　　However, the next morning, before setting off, everyone was silent after seeing the martial arts competition between her and the Governor. Even a master like the Governor was defeated by her. This woman was too scary.

　　Pang Jun looked at the eccentric Fairy Yan and felt a little depressed. He thought that after he got her essence, his strength would increase a lot and he could compete with her. Who knew that she would have a new understanding and a new breakthrough because of this? He was still not her opponent. He shook his head secretly and said, "If the Japanese army came here, do we have any hope of winning with these 8,000 people?"

　　Yan Hui was startled. She didn't expect Pang Jun to ask this question. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Whether you win or lose, with your ability, it shouldn't be difficult to survive in this world. Even if you lose, so what? Isn't it okay to take the people you cherish and stay away from the world?"

　　"Lose? If I lose, I will lose everything. Let alone my wealth and status, I don't know how many women around me will leave me. Although you don't care about worldly affairs, you will know that people's hearts are hard to predict. To be fair, how many women in my family are attached to me just to have a home, and how many follow me because they really love me? If I lose, how many of them will leave me, not to mention my subordinates and the wealthy families that cooperate with me."

　　"According to intelligence, the Liaodong border garrison is confronting the Japanese in Xinzhou. If the Japanese sneak attack and take Yanzhou, swallow Huaizhou, and then do not rush to attack and stabilize their position, that would be the most terrible result," Pang Jun picked a piece of grass from the ground and held it in the corner of his mouth. "Blocking Yanzhou and Huaizhou, our traffic with Xinzhou and the Central Plains will be cut off, and we will not be able to get supplies. The Japanese will continue to press eastward and northward, nibbling away at the land of Liaodong bit by bit, and even sending troops to attack the fleet at sea. If that happens, we will be trapped, and I can only watch helplessly, without any way to deal with it."

　　Yan Huixin pondered for a long time before she said, "Master let Huixin go out into the world and experience all kinds of life. Huixin knew that to reach the pinnacle of martial arts and to transcend the seven emotions and six desires, one must first understand them before knowing how to transcend. But Huixin is stupid. Didn't the two of them get together because of love? If they leave you because of your change in status and identity, then why should you mind it, because they don't love you. What's more, in Huixin's opinion, you are not a person who likes adventures. At least you will never do something that has no chance of winning."

　　Pang Jun smiled and said, "Hearing you say that, I feel a lot more relieved."

　　At this time, Qi Lin suddenly came to report: "Sir, a large number of defeated soldiers were found ahead. They are the border troops of Liaodong! I heard from them that the commander of the Liaodong border troops, Ye Yunchen, the Marquis of Jining, was assassinated by the Japanese. The border troops were in chaos. Half of the border troops were defeated and fled. The rest, led by the deputy commander Ji Yanrao, are fighting against the Japanese!"

　　After hearing this, Pang Jun immediately stood up and ordered, "Tell the brothers to get ready, prepare the horses immediately, and we will go and take a look."

　　"Yes!" Qi Lin took the order and left.

　　The mountains and plains were filled with the remnants of the defeated soldiers who had fled. Although none of them were seriously injured, most of them were without armor and were shirtless, and some were even barefoot. They didn't even have weapons or horses. They were all sick and weak, supporting each other as they staggered forward. Suppressed cries and painful groans could be heard everywhere. The team was getting longer and longer, and the atmosphere was so heavy that it seemed like a funeral. How could they look like the elite Liaodong border guards who were so high-spirited at the beginning?

　　Pang Jun rode forward and asked loudly in front of the remaining soldiers, "I am Liu Jun, the governor of Songzhou. Anyone here who can speak, please come forward and answer me!"

　　After a while, an officer wearing a lieutenant's armor came forward, bowed to Pang Jun and said, "I am Han Shuo, a cavalry lieutenant of the Liaodong Border Guard Army, and I am honored to meet Lord Changning."

　　"I heard that Vice Marshal Ji Yanrao is still leading your brothers to fight against the Japanese. Why did you escape in the middle of the battle?"

　　Han Shuo said with a bitter face: "Reporting to the Lord, it's not that we don't want to continue fighting with the Japanese, but we really have no other choice. The Japanese not only killed the commander, but also killed our deputy commander Xu Linmao. In addition, our route was heavily attacked by the enemy. In the chaos, we couldn't organize a strong counterattack. The collapse of the middle route also cut off our connection with General Ji on the right wing. In the end, we finally got General Ji's order after much difficulty, asking us to disperse to various places to ask for support."

　　"So how many people are here now?"

　　"Reporting to the lord, there were six or seven thousand of us when we fled, and now there are probably more than four thousand people left here. We have not eaten for two days and two nights. I hope you can help us." Han Shuo's eyes were full of hope.

　　Pang Jun did not answer him directly, but used his inner strength to say to the group of defeated soldiers: "Everyone, I know you are all very tired and hungry, and you really want to have a good meal and a good sleep. I have enough food here to provide everyone with food. That's no problem." Hearing Pang Jun's words, the faces of the defeated soldiers showed excitement, but Pang Jun said, "But! The Japanese are right in front of us. What kind of people are they? They are evil people who burn, kill, rob and plunder. Some of your brothers are still fighting with those hateful people. Do you have the heart to watch your comrades fighting bloody battles while you stand by and watch?"

　　"I can give you enough food, but after you have eaten and drunk your fill, you, all of you, must follow me, go back with me and fight alongside your brothers to take back our land. If we allow the Japanese to successfully invade the Central Plains, then, will you still have a home where you can eat your fill and sleep well? Ah!?" His voice was also unusually cold, but the words he said made people's blood boil.

　　"We are going to the battle only for the people of Liaodong. We must win this battle!" Pang Jun raised his sword high and shouted, "Liaodong will win!"

　　All the soldiers, whether they were the garrison troops in Songzhou or the defeated soldiers of the border defense army, were excited when they heard Pang Jun's solemn shout. They drew their swords, pointed them diagonally to the sky, and shouted in unison: "Liaodong will win, Liaodong will win...!" The sword light was cold and shining, and for a moment the sky and the earth were filled with dazzling bright colors, making it difficult to tell whether it was sunlight or cold swords.

　　Han Shuo and several captains of the border guarding army, who were standing by, couldn't help but show a hint of worry on their faces when they saw Pang Jun boost the morale of these demoralized soldiers with just a few words.

　　The next morning, in front of more than 14,000 soldiers, Pang Jun once again shouted loudly: "This time, the whole army will take me as the flag! If I advance, anyone who retreats will be killed without mercy. If I abandon the others and retreat, everyone can be killed!"

　　The soldiers were all stunned.

　　Pang Jun said nothing more, sheathed his sword, raised his arm and said, "Go!"

　　These two simple words were powerful and condensed. All the generals in the army immediately passed them down one after another. There were more than ten thousand people, but now there was only one voice.

　　Go!

　　The voices were loud and clear, the three armies were in order, without any mixed sounds, footsteps sounded, the vanguard went ahead, the horses' hooves rumbled, the front army came out, teams and rows of soldiers, with orderly and firm footsteps, began to move towards the south like a long dragon. Pang Jun rode on his warhorse, looking at the marching army with a solemn expression. He didn't know how many people could come back alive after this trip, but there was no time for him to hesitate. This expedition would be a life-and-death struggle, and no matter what the outcome would be, this was the path he had to take. A real man should firmly walk towards the path he should take, even if there are thorns like a forest, he should not look back!

　　Yan Huixin, who had been staying quietly beside Pang Jun, looked at the man who had taken away her virginity and allowed her to experience the word "love" in the world, and now was about to let her experience the cycle of life and death on the Shura battlefield. She had a vague sense of anticipation.

　　A valley outside Yanzhou City was where the Japanese Army's left wing was hiding. Shimazu Nobuhisa, the Japanese Army's left wing marshal, was planning in the camp how his troops would be deployed after Fei Lin agreed to surrender and enter Yanzhou. At this time, a scout came to report: "Report to the left marshal, there is something strange about Yanzhou City. Since this morning, the city gates have not been opened as usual, but all four gates are closed."

　　"What? All four doors are closed? Did something happen to Abe-kun?" Shimazu Nobuhisa pondered.

　　At this time, another subordinate came to report: "The master from the Martial God Camp is back."

　　After hearing this, Shimazu Nobuhisa hurried out of the tent and saw that Abe Hideaki, who used to be neatly dressed, was now a little disheveled and had lost his former elegance. He looked embarrassed, and the people around him were also injured to varying degrees. He asked, "Abe-kun, what happened?"

　　Abe Hideaki smiled bitterly and said, "An old fox is an old fox. I was cautious, but I was still tricked by the old fox Fei Lin. He was so cruel that he even killed his own son. He set an ambush in an attempt to catch us all. Fortunately, we are lucky, otherwise we would have died under the arrows."

　　"Could it be that Fei Lin has someone else to rely on?"

　　Abe Hideaki shook his head and said, "I don't know either, but Lord Shimazu, please cut the Gordian knot and avoid any more trouble. Please lead your troops to attack Yanzhou City immediately. If something unexpected happens, we will not be able to take the blame."

　　Shimazu Nobuhisa nodded and replied, "I understand. We will immediately enter combat readiness and set out in half an hour to march towards Yanzhou City!" Then he said to Abe Hideaki, "You guys should rest first. I'll be here. After you have rested, Yanzhou City will be in the hands of Daying."

　　Abe Hideaki was about to leave when someone came to report that Master Ankokuji and Yagyu Shizuun had sent news: the attempt to assassinate Liu Jun failed, he was only severely injured but not killed, and there were masters from the Central Plains Demon Sect and Jingchen Pavilion around him!

　　Abe Hideaki almost fainted when he heard this, and solemnly said to Shimazu Nobuhisa: "Lord Shimazu, we only have two choices now. Either we immediately do our best to attack Yanzhou, but we must capture it within three days, or we withdraw our troops immediately. If Liu Jun receives the information here, he will definitely not miss this opportunity. By then, we will be attacked from all sides, and the consequences will be disastrous."

　　Shimazu Nobuhisa said angrily: "I will not retreat. This is related to the rise and fall of my country, Great Ying. Just watch, I am determined to take Yanzhou City!" After saying that, without caring about Abe Hideaki, he turned around and left to prepare for a battle.

　　Abe Hideaki murmured, "This is troublesome."