On the thirteenth day of the last month of the Great Zhou calendar in 794, Zhang Rulong led the forward soldiers to move forward slowly. Although the border of Xilianghou is close at hand, two days ago, there was a military intelligence report from the lord of Nanling Mansion guarding the border, and there was no change in the border. The safety of Zhennanling showed that everything was normal, so there was not a trace of nervousness in the forward troops.

In front of it is the southernmost and largest river in Nanling Province - Qingshui River. The river is only 300 meters wide, but there is plenty of water in this high mountain and deep valley. The winter in the south is not particularly cold, the river water is clear, and the river is more than 20 meters deep, and you can see the sand and gravel at the bottom of the river and the fish swimming in the water. The trees on both sides were dense, the leaves fell all over the ground, and the bare tips of the trees pierced the sky like a forest of spears.

The army crossed the river slowly on the only wooden bridge, no more than five meters wide, and five columns walked side by side over it, the wooden bridge rattling with a heavy wheezing sound. It has taken two days and two nights to pass only about 80,000 people. The queue on the north side of the bridge lined up in a neat queue waiting to cross the bridge, and the soldiers who had crossed the bridge rested scattered on the south side of the bridge. Everyone, you and I are gathering in a bunch of balls, some are burying the pot to cook rice, and some are wiping knives and guns. More people tell pornographic jokes, and from time to time let out a strange laughter, attracting the attention of others. The dreary march suddenly showed a hint of vitality, and everyone was in good spirits for a while.

Forward coach General Zhang Rulong was patrolling the bridgehead, and couldn't help but shake his head helplessly when he saw such a river crossing. There are many such rivers along the way, and not many people usually cross the river, so such a bridge is already considered large. But for thousands of troops, such a crossing of the river is too painful, and most of the time on the road is delayed in these places.

This morning, under his personal supervision, the pace of the march was quickened, and nearly 20,000 men crossed the river in half a day. At this rate, almost all of them can cross the river in two days and one night, and in another three or four days, they should be able to join the defenders of Nanling Mansion.

It was close to noon, and the guards around him set up a dining table for Zhang Rulong, and the servants set up the general's lunch. Zhang Rulong just sat down, ready to eat, and the others were already squatting and standing to eat lunch in various postures. The originally calm procession on the south side of the river suddenly made a loud noise, and the sound became louder and louder. At first, there were people in the crowd who crossed the river first, and then the people who had just crossed the river also became confused.

The people north of the bridge didn't know what was going on, so many of them stopped to eat and looked at the other side curiously. Zhang Rulong angrily slapped the short knife used to cut meat on the table, stood up, and scolded in his mouth: "Which rabbit cubs are fighting again?" Let Lao Tzu eat a meal must not be quiet. ”

The person who was already in charge next to him quickly ran to the bridge to ask about the situation, and then there was a shocking shout from the other side: "The brute beast is coming." ”

This time, the people in the north heard it clearly, and everyone couldn't believe their ears at all. Yesterday, it was said that everything was normal in Zhennanling, and he didn't even see a single hair of the brute, so he said that the brute beast was coming. Zhang Rulong muttered, "Ghosts believe it." ”

He didn't believe it, but the situation on the other side of the strait made him angry. When these guys heard a rumor, they threw away their rice bowls, picked up knives and guns and rushed to the bridge.

"His grandmother's, who dares to come over, Lao Tzu has to cut off his head" Zhang Rulong jumped up and scolded. But no one came, because the bridge was all going south, and where did the south side come from. I saw a crowd of people on the opposite side, and someone shouted loudly: "Let go, everyone let go, let the lord of Nanling Mansion pass, the military situation is urgent, everyone get out of the way." ”

It's not that everyone is conscious, but there are a few people covered with blood here, which is too special, and everyone has made a way. Several bloody people squeezed out of it, and quickly ran towards this side through the wooden bridge, shouting as they ran: "I am Huang Qingshan, the lord of Nanling Mansion, the brute beast is here, let me go, I want to see General Zhang." ”

Zhang Rulong's face changed suddenly, he had seen this Huang Qingshan, and there would be no mistake. They knew each other when they were young, and when Huang Qingshan came to the Hou Ye's mansion, they drank and had fun together. As long as this person arrives in Shuanglong City, he will inevitably visit the master's mansion. Being able to sit in the position of the lord of Nanling Mansion for decades, the strength of his Huang family and his own martial arts are also extraordinary. Huang Qingshan, like Zhang Rulong, is an arrogant person among general-level martial artists.

Zhang Rulong was not lazy, he ran over in a few steps, and the three-hundred-meter bridge was for a general-level warrior, but in a few breaths, Huang Qingshan came to Zhang Rulong.

"Brother Huang, what's the situation? How does it look like this? ”

"General, the brutes have attacked our camp at night. Our whole army was destroyed, more than 80,000 people, and they died so miserably! Huang Qingshan couldn't cry, and cried as he spoke.

"What? You repeat. Did you say it was okay yesterday? How could it be gone all of a sudden? Tell me, what's the use of crying, what's the situation? ”

"General, it's a poisonous wolf, a poisonous wolf all over the mountains."

Zhang Rulong's face suddenly turned pale. He understood, when he followed his father in Xiliang thirty years ago, he had seen the scene of fighting with poisonous wolves, and the horror and gore made him blush all of a sudden. He grabbed Huang Qingshan's shoulders and asked eagerly, "Really?" Is it really a poisonous wolf? ”

"That's right, no less than 100,000, I only have a few big samurai desperately breaking through the encirclement to report the news, and the rest are all finished. The general retreated quickly, or he would be here in half a day. Be quick, or we'll all be finished," Huang Qingshan nodded heavily.

Zhang Rulong looked at the crowd across the river and muttered, "It's too late, it's too late, how many people can come over in half a day." Only to see if this river can be guarded. ”

"General, if you can't keep it, you have to defend it, without this river, we all have to become the food of the brute beasts" A big warrior next to him hurriedly spoke, the matter was urgent, and he couldn't take care of the etiquette, "General, take an idea, time is pressing." ”

"You're right, I also know that whether we live or die depends on guarding this river. Deliver my orders, and the troops on the other side of the strait will immediately deploy defenses. The troops from the north stopped crossing the river and lined up along the river, all ready with bows and spears. ”

"General Huang, you rest here for a while, and I'll go across the river to organize the defense. The guards came with me. ”

"General, let's evacuate as many people as possible. I don't have to rest, I'll go over, general, you'll command here. ”

"No, you can't retreat. As long as we retreat, we will die faster. Moving forward boosts morale, but if you retreat, the opposing team will immediately be in chaos, and in the end, no one will be able to get through. People don't know you, and they won't listen to you over there. The other side is not well organized, I have to go. The only way to do this is to kill as many poisonous wolves as possible to relieve the pressure on this side. ”

Zhang Rulong ran to the other side of the bridge with a small number of personal guards, leaving dozens of warriors at the north bridgehead. Zhang Rulong ordered with a blushing face: "No one is allowed to retreat, and those who retreat will be killed!" ”

The front line in the south immediately began to be armed, and in the face of the south, it was spread out layer by layer, with arrows and guns in hand. A large number of soldiers cut down the trees in front of them and sharpened them to make defensive fences.

The herald weaved through the crowd and loudly conveyed the order: "Listen to the warriors, the brute is coming." Just before us, a poisonous wolf appeared. This kind of thing is not powerful, but it is poisonous in his mouth, and as long as it bites, it can only cut off the bite place. Otherwise, people will go mad and die. We have no way out, we have to hold on to this river, or it will all be over. Without the order of the great general, who dares to take a step back and kill! ”

"Prepare bows and arrows, shoot them with arrows, and try not to let them get close. If anyone comes close, stab it with a spear. ”

The men and horses on the north bank organized a concentrated defense at the bridgehead, and the archers were layered on top of each other, followed by several rows of spears, and here a desperate defense had to be carried out. Once the poisonous wolf is allowed to come, the consequences are unimaginable. On the north bank, a line was lined up to prevent poisonous wolves from crossing the river.

Time passed quickly in the tense air, and the banks of the Qingshui River were no longer quiet, shrouded in a breathless tense atmosphere.