Simultaneous Transmigration: The Re-merging of 99 Selves

Chapter 151 Ouyang Ke

Three days later, the main force of the Jin army arrived at the northern suburbs of Xiangyang.

Smoke and dust obscured the sun, hooves thundered, and a massive, dark army stretched for miles, exuding an aura of impending doom.

The Jin army commander, Wanyan Kuang, dressed in black armor, sat on his horse, gazing at the towering mound of skulls in front of the camp, his face ashen.

The Jurchen generals beside him could no longer contain themselves. Gripping their sword hilts, they roared in the Jurchen language, eagerly requesting to fight.

They wanted to slaughter all the Song people in Xiangyang to avenge their fallen brothers.

"Shut up, all of you."

As soon as Wanyan Kuang spoke, all the generals fell silent and looked at their commander.

"A ruler should not raise an army out of anger, nor should a general wage war out of resentment. Although the Han people are weak, their wisdom is indeed extraordinary."

Wanyan Kuang stared at the menacing mound of corpses: "The new emperor of the Southern Dynasty did this on purpose to provoke us. Now everyone knows that the Jin are strong and the Song are weak. We can't gain any advantage by fighting them head-on, so he hopes that we will make a mistake and take advantage of the situation."

"The Han people are weak and feeble. In terms of horsemanship, archery, and combat, ten Southern soldiers are no match for one Jurchen warrior. But when it comes to cunning and treachery, we are inferior." He slowly withdrew his gaze, glancing at the generals beside him. "It is precisely at times like these that we must not lose our composure."

After he finished speaking, the anger on the faces of the generals gradually faded. Although they were still gritting their teeth, they all calmed down.

Wanyan Kuang held immense prestige in the army. He was the commander of the Jin troops when the Song army suffered a defeat in its northern expedition, which is why the generals always trusted him.

"Pass down the order," Wanyan Kuang commanded in a deep voice, "Collect the bodies of the fallen soldiers properly and bury them well. After we capture Xiangyang, hold a grand memorial service to let them rest in peace."

"This subordinate obeys the order." A lieutenant took the order and left.

"Order all battalions to reinforce their camps, dig deeper trenches, and set up more palisades. The remaining supplies of provisions and siege equipment will not arrive for another three to five days. During this time, no one is allowed to engage in battle lightly."

Wanyan Kuang paused, then emphasized, "Each camp should triple its night patrol manpower. The cooking areas, wells, and fodder yards must be heavily guarded. We must not allow the Song people to sneak in and poison us again. Any further mistakes will be dealt with according to military law."

"Yes, sir!"

The generals responded in unison and went to carry out their orders.

Although the Jin army suffered a minor setback, they remained calm and went their own way. They quickly set up camp, laying out layers of fortifications and establishing a strong defense.

Wanyan Kuang reined in his horse and turned around.

Not far behind him stood several martial arts figures of various appearances.

There was the Venerable Lingzhi, dressed in a bright red monk's robe; Peng Lianhu, with a face full of scars; and Hou Tonghai, with a weasel-like face.

The most eye-catching one was the young gentleman standing at the very front.

The man was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, holding a folding fan. He had a handsome face and a hint of arrogance between his brows.

In the harsh and cold land where he was marching and fighting, he was accompanied by four delicate and charming foreign maids, some holding zithers, others serving tea. Their graceful and charming demeanor was completely out of place with the grim atmosphere of the military camp, attracting the frequent glances of passing Jin soldiers.

This man was none other than Ouyang Ke, the young master of White Camel Mountain.

Of course, now we might call him the master of White Camel Mountain Manor, since Ouyang Feng is no longer here.

"Young Master Ouyang, Venerable Lingzhi."

Wanyan Kuang dismounted and approached the two men: "A few days ago, our army was poisoned by a strange poison from the Song people, and our soldiers lost all their fighting strength, which led to this defeat. You two are both experts in poison; do you have any methods to deal with it?"

Just as Master Lingzhi was about to speak, Ouyang Ke lightly shook his folding fan and laughed first.

"Rest assured, General. This is but a minor poison, nothing more than a scab. If the Song people don't come, fine. But if they dare to invade again, I will make them taste the power of my Western Regions' extraordinary poison."

"Good! With Young Master Ouyang's words, I am relieved." Wanyan Kuang clapped his hands and laughed. "With the help of Young Master Ouyang and all the other experts on this southward journey, how can we not fear the fall of Xiangyang and the destruction of the Song Dynasty?"

"You're too kind, General."

Ouyang Ke nodded slightly, his tone turning colder: "I have an irreconcilable hatred for that Southern Dynasty emperor, who killed my uncle. I have come to serve you, General, not for fame or fortune, but only to take his head and appease my uncle's spirit in heaven."

After the Mount Hua Sword Tournament, news of Ouyang Feng's death spread throughout the martial arts world.

Hong Qi was not one to keep secrets, and with so many people present, the news naturally couldn't be kept hidden.

When Ouyang Ke learned that his uncle had died at the hands of Zhao Yu, he was both shocked and furious.

Knowing that his martial arts skills were far inferior to Zhao Yu's, and that seeking revenge alone would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock, he simply decided to defect to the Jin Kingdom.

Wanyan Kuang's southward journey was intended to recruit martial arts masters to deal with the Song army's martial arts practitioners.

Ouyang Ke took the initiative to come and join him, which he was naturally very happy to accept.

As for Lingzhi Shangren, Peng Lianhu, Hou Tonghai, and others, they were originally recruited by Wanyan Honglie. This time, they were transferred into the army to deal with Wang Chongyang, Hong Qi, and others.

"You have all had a long journey. Please come with me to the tent to rest. As for how to deal with the martial arts masters of the Southern Dynasty, we can discuss that in detail inside the tent."

After saying that, he led Ouyang Ke and the others toward the central command tent.

Inside Xiangyang City, in the council hall of the government office.

Hong Qi had just returned from scouting outside the city. He picked up his teacup, gulped down a large mouthful, wiped his mouth, and looked somewhat solemn.

"You mean, the Jin army didn't rush to attack the city, but instead set up camp on the spot, repaired the fortifications, and showed no intention of advancing rashly at all?" Zhao Yu asked softly from the main seat.

"That's right." Hong Qi nodded. "Wanyan Kuang stared at Jingguan for a long time without getting angry. Instead, he ordered the collection of corpses. The camp was set up perfectly, and it seems that he plans to take a steady approach and wait for the siege equipment to arrive before making a move."

Zhao Yu shook his head and sighed softly, "What a pity."

He originally thought that the Jingguan (a mound of skulls) would provoke the Jurchens into rashly attacking, giving him the opportunity to further weaken them.

It now appears that his plan has failed.

As the saying goes, a man of great reputation is not to be underestimated. Wanyan Kuang was not to be underestimated. His disastrous defeat in the Northern Expedition was no accident.

Wang Chongyang stepped forward: "Although the Jin army's defenses are strong, they are not without weaknesses. It would be better to take advantage of their unstable foothold, without sending out a large army, and gather the Jianghu people again to test them and find out their true strength."

"No," Zhao Yu waved his hand in direct rejection. "There is still a disparity in strength between the two armies, so it is not advisable to act rashly. Moreover, we do not know the background of those martial arts practitioners, and it would be easy to lose the lives of our heroes."

Upon hearing this, Hong Qi spoke up: "It's not that I know nothing about him. I saw one of them and he looked somewhat familiar. I heard someone call him Young Master Ouyang from afar. I wonder if he has some connection with the Old Poison Master."

Zhao Yu seemed to be deep in thought.

After a moment, he spoke and instructed, "Brother Hong, go and keep the Jianghu brothers who have come to our aid in check. Without my order, no one is allowed to go into battle on their own. This is a national war, not a Jianghu duel. We can't act on impulse."

"In this battle, we will not rely on underhanded methods or shortcuts."

Zhao Yu stood up and walked to the map: "I will defeat the Jin army with a righteous and honorable army, so that the whole world can see that the men of my Great Song Dynasty are not lambs to be slaughtered."

Hong Qi and Wang Chongyang exchanged a glance and agreed in unison.