Chapter 57: Attacking the Great Stockade, Shi Jin Uses a Clever Plan
Those officials and soldiers who were originally guarding the stockade, when they saw Shi Jing and the others, were like seeing ghosts, without saying a word, they threw away their helmets and armor and fled in the wind. Those "culprits" of the official household cavalry were even more frightened out of their wits, the tragic death of their leaders made them even more frantic, along the military road of the camp, they ran wildly all the way to the end, panicked and unaware of left or right, directly driving their horses to break through the stockade, escaping to the foot of the mountain. Because it was not easy to go up the mountain, they dispersed in all directions.
Shi Jin chased the government soldiers to the back of the camp, saw their dispirited appearance, and Shi Jin couldn't help but raise his long spear and laugh loudly towards the sky. The phrase "knowing when to stop" was thrown far away by him in this excitement. He swung his long spear and continued to kill, until he killed to the foot of the mountain at the back of the camp, saw the government soldiers fleeing in all directions, unable to form a formation, before gathering his troops.
At this time, Shi Jin did not intend to rest at all, but instead planned to lead his troops north again, launching a surprise attack from the rear on the northwest military camp of the government army, making it impossible for the government army to take care of both ends, and also helping Chen Da to speed up the resolution of the siege.
Just as he was about to give the order to march north, the trees on the mountain, which had been quiet until then, suddenly rustled with a loud "shhh" sound. Shi Jing felt something was amiss and began to make preparations in secret. But just at that moment, the forest on the mountain erupted into chaos, as hundreds of thousands of flaming arrows shot down from above, like scattered falling stars, streaking across the twilight sky.
Shi Jin's heart secretly cried out in alarm, and he turned his horse around to lead the troops in retreat. But unexpectedly, those fiery arrows were not heading towards them, but instead flew over their heads with a whooshing sound, shooting straight into the government army's camp. In an instant, flames erupted all over the camp, and Shi Jin didn't know what was inside that had caught fire so easily. The entire camp was engulfed in a sea of flames in just a few moments.
Shi Jin took a look back and the road was cut off, the ominous feeling in his heart grew stronger. Although he knew there were ghosts on this mountain, with no way to retreat, he could only take it one step at a time, fighting gods and killing ghosts as he went. Shi Jin gritted his teeth and immediately gave the order for everyone to follow the foot of the mountain northward.
Shi Jin had not run far when suddenly a war drum sounded on the mountain, and in an instant tens of thousands of cavalrymen rushed down along the mountain slope, again with silver helmets and armor. This time Shi Jin was worried. The rumbling sound of the drums made people's hearts cold, and the sudden killing of the soldiers made people even more frightened.
Shi Jin knew the situation was dire, but he had no choice but to lead his brothers from Shao Huashan forward with determination. However, in just a few moments, the government soldiers took advantage of the terrain and charged down the mountain, quickly breaking Shi Jin's troops into several segments. Watching his men being ambushed, Shi Jin felt anxious and desperate, but for the moment, he couldn't think of any good solution. In this narrow mountain pass, with steep slopes on one side and a sea of flames on the other, there was no safe route to take. Now that they had been scattered by the government soldiers' charge, it was even more impossible to coordinate their efforts and break through together.
Shi Jin led a group of brothers to the front, facing the intercepting government soldiers. With a fake swing of his spear, he opened up the space in front of him and quickly stabbed forward with the tip of his gun, creating a whirlwind of attacks. He then swept his gun from side to side, knocking down several people in front of him. In this chaotic melee, Shi Jin couldn't use his horse's strength at all, and instead, his warhorse was repeatedly intercepted by government soldiers, causing it to become trapped in the midst of the chaotic horse group.
At this moment, Shi Jin's brothers behind him were no more than a hundred or so people, closely following Shi Jin and slowly killing their way out. But the war horse couldn't run, without the help of speed, it all depended on moves and strength. And under the current circumstances, the well-trained government army and the bandits with only brute force, the advantages and disadvantages between the two sides were even more thoroughly exposed.
Shi Jin watched with his eyes wide open as his brothers behind him were slaughtered by the government soldiers. They desperately wielded their long guns, but they were no match for the enemy, and would inevitably suffer in this close combat. The government soldiers took advantage of their superior strength and better marksmanship to charge recklessly into Shi Jin's army, without any regard for their own safety.
Shi Jin looked at his brothers struggling to kill, and he knew where the problem with Shao Huashan lay. When they returned to the mountain, arranging troops and training soldiers was the top priority. In future battles, the number of soldiers would not be small, and their martial arts skills had to be fierce in order to increase the chances of victory. But now it's too late to say anything. The troops behind thought about rescuing them but couldn't get out, Shi Jin could only use all his strength to break through with the hundred or so people behind him.
The number of people is not advantageous, and the geographical advantage is also not occupied. All the way being pressed by the government army, the heart is as bitter as it is. After killing to the open land in the northwest, they were surrounded by the government army like a water leak. Shi Jin has been besieged by the government army for the first time, and the fear in his heart has long since disappeared, but every time he fights so hard, he feels unhappy. Originally, all the way to kill was pleasant, but now, after being ambushed, not only did they suffer a bellyful of humiliation, but also lost many brothers.
Shi Jin's old wound had never fully healed, and now this frantic outburst of activity had torn open the scar on his right shoulder, causing a pale yellow liquid mixed with blood to flow out. The pain in his spine also began to act up at an inopportune moment, and with each twist and turn, a sharp pang followed another, piercing straight into his heart. Shi Jin's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his entire body was drenched, the water soaking through his clothes and flowing down his back.
Shi Jin endured the pain and swung his spear, using the "Dragon Rising in Four Seas" move to swirl his spear around him, not only deflecting the surrounding soldiers' blades but also knocking down the officials on either side. Shi Jin took advantage of this brief moment when no one was near to glance around, and oh dear, there were too many officials to kill. Wherever he looked, all he saw were officials in silver armor, with over a dozen layers of them running around the perimeter. Shi Jin's heart sank at the sight, feeling that even if they fought to the death, they couldn't break through this formation. Shi Jin himself was not one to cry easily, but he feared for his brothers from Mount Liusha who followed him, and he had no confidence in their ability to hold out in such a desperate situation. If they were to be defeated by the officials, it wouldn't happen anytime soon, but if they lost heart, they would be finished in an instant.
Shi Jing didn't dare to think about it anymore, what he could do now was to muster up his spirit, even if they couldn't break through the siege for a while, they had to create an atmosphere. Not only did they want to create an atmosphere that would make the government soldiers tremble with fear, but also one that would make their brothers feel relieved. As long as this atmosphere existed, everyone's heart wouldn't collapse. As long as they fought more and more fiercely, even if they all fell in the end, with swords and guns piercing their chests, no one would feel any pain, only then could they truly die a heroic death.
Shi Jin relied on his own martial arts skills, not only truly displaying this momentum, but also making everyone indulge in it, forgetting life and death, and shouting with excitement. This is not only due to the martial arts taught by his master, but also due to Shi Jin's prestige in the mountain stronghold and his magnificent personality charm.
