In the big tent of the Ming army, Li Yingxiang summoned Zhou Guanghao and others to discuss the plan to suppress the thieves. Zhou Guanghao said: "General, this blockhouse is surrounded by water on three sides, and one side is backed by a mountain, and his subordinates propose to attack in two ways. One side goes around to the back mountain and enters from the cliff, and the other goes all the way to the front to feint. The main frontal feint is to lead the enemy to the front of the tower, so as to win the fighters for the rear army entering the fort.

The subordinates thought that it would be best for Zhou Shen to wait until the evening of the third day before making a move, so that the Xiao brothers would have enough time to get out. Zhu Dawen, Bian Zhiyuan, and Zhou Yude all agreed.

Li Yingxiang stroked his beard and said: "Guoyong's strategy is very much in line with my wishes, but the cliff behind this bunker is steep, which of you can take on this great task?" Zhou Yude volunteered: "The last general is willing to take five hundred soldiers to sneak in from this cliff." Li Yingxiang said: "Very good, since you recommended yourself, I will appoint you." Pass me the order, and do it immediately. Zhou Yude took the token and hurriedly walked out of the camp.

Li Yingxiang looked at Zhou Yude's distant back, and sighed: "Guoyong, do you say that Brother Xiao can do this?" Zhou Guanghao frowned and said: "According to the speculation of his subordinates, even if Brother Xiao can't capture the thief alive when he goes, at least with him, there will be chaos in the castle." If there is chaos in the fort, it will be more conducive to the actions of our army. ”

Li Yingxiang nodded and said, "But I'm worried that if Brother Xiao misses, they will threaten Brother Xiao's life and force us to retreat." Zhou Guanghao said: "If it really comes to that moment, presumably Brother Xiao understands the righteousness and will definitely make a choice that is beneficial to the general." Although Li Yingxiang and Xiao Yunfan have been together for a short time, he admires Xiao Yunfan's personality and still doesn't want to watch him lose his life in vain.

Bian Zhiyuan pressed his long sword and said: "General, General Zhou has already received orders, so how should we make a feint?" Li Yingxiang pointed to a small circle marked on the map and said slowly: "Zhiyuan, you are stationed here." The other party was condescending, if it was done during the day, it would be extremely unfavorable for our army, and Guoyong Fang also said that Zhou Yude would do it on the night of the third day.

During the day, we fed and drank the brothers, beat drums and shout in front of the battle, and occasionally put a few arrows to frighten them. Come and go, so that they can let their guard down. When Zhou Yude succeeds, he will definitely send a signal, and that is to let the brothers move seriously. ”

The leaders of the southwestern tribes who are better with Ji Qianyun all came to the appointment. Ji Qianyun dressed in a servant costume welcomed everyone into the castle, and the wine banquet that had already been set up was filled with an attractive aroma. The leader of the Fallen, Safake, was a bald old man in his sixties, with a turquoise necklace around his neck.

Sitting below him was his cousin An Xing, a middle-aged man in his forties with red hair. Opposite them was Bai Lu of the Papaya Tribe, a forty-year-old yellow-faced man dressed in a white-furred fox fur and wearing a bracelet made of gold on his hand. Bai Lu's subordinates were Lei Gongpo's thief Yang Jiucha and several other minor leaders.

Ji Qianyun raised his glass and said, "The rank brothers can come, and it gives me enough face." Isaac was the elder among the crowd, and he smiled and said: "The Yu tribe and our Hongyi tribe are both descendants of Chiyou, and we are originally a family, and Your Highness the Yu tribe does not have to be polite." ”

Ji Qianyun sighed and said: "The Han people have been tyrannical against us, so we have to rebel, otherwise there will be a good day, and who will be willing to shed blood and send them to death? This first glass of wine, everyone toasts them first. ”

Everyone was so pleased with his offer that they all raised their glasses and sprinkled them on the ground. Sa fake said to Ji Qianyun: "Brother, let's open the skylight and say something, how many soldiers do you still have in your clan now?" Ji Qianyun said: "Three thousand." Sawan laughed and said, "Very good, how about your three thousand sergeants to fight against the Ming army?"

Ji Qianyun's eyes flashed and said, "Naturally, he is not the opponent of the Ming army. Sajiao glanced at everyone and said, "Then we have to join forces, right?" Ji Qianyun nodded. Safake said loudly: "Since everyone wants to be the dog of the Han people, then we must unite as one." We have to elect a leader with both ability and integrity, and the big guys obey him, so that we can have a chance to compete with the Ming army. ”

Ji Qianyun wished that he would mention this matter, since Sa Fake had this thought, presumably other people's thoughts were the same as his. Ji Qianyun said loudly: "Who do you think is the most suitable for choosing a leader?" These people admired Sajiao so much, and they also liked him a lot in their hearts. An Xing glanced at Ji Qianyun and said, "Brother, you are pretending to be confused, naturally my brother is fake." ”

He said: "Old and faint, timid and timid, this leader cannot sit still. Ji Qianyun had expected them to have such a statement early on, and immediately said, "I also elected Chief Saphan as our leader. Sa fake smiled reluctantly: "Okay, since everyone says so, the old decay should be punished." ”

Ji Qianyun said: "The old chief is highly respected and is the most suitable person, with you in charge, everyone can put their hearts in their stomachs." Sa Fake didn't expect everything to go so smoothly, and said happily at the moment: "Brother, you praised it falsely." Hua Siniang, who was standing next to Ji Qianyun, frowned and was about to have a seizure, Ji Qianyun stretched out his hand and signaled to her, telling her to calm down.

Ji Qianyun smiled and said, "Everyone has come from afar. I've prepared a few songs and dances here to cheer up the big guys. As he spoke, he clapped his palms, and seven graceful girls danced to the music. While everyone was feasting and drinking, Ji Qianyun stepped forward to toast them one by one.

The wine has passed three rounds, and the dishes have passed five flavors. Ji Qianyun saw that everyone was drinking and said slightly: "Everyone, a friend of mine gave me a few lions a few days ago, I wonder if you can appreciate Yaxing?" Bai Lu opened his eyes and said strangely: "I heard that only the Tianzhu country has a rare beast like a lion, but I never thought that I would have the honor to witness it today." What a pleasure. ”

The thief Yang Jiucha's cheeks were red, and he burped and said: "What kind of lion, eighty percent is to fool us, I have only seen stone lions when I am so big, and there are real lions in this world?"

Ji Qianyun said with a smile: "If you don't believe it, so big guys will go and take a look." So saying, he led the way, and the crowd followed him. After a while, everyone came to a square, and in the center of the square was a huge iron cage, eight feet high.

Ji Qianyun clapped his palms, and eight strong men with knotted muscles pushed a big cart to the iron cage, which was covered with black cloth. One person took the lead and opened the cage door with the key, and the rest lifted the black cloth from the car. The beast tamer had a cowhide whip in his hand and snapped at the edge of the iron cage. A sturdy lion in the cage shook its mane and burrowed into the cage.

Yang Jiu saw the lion at first glance and smacked his face: "Good guy, this lion's head is really big, this has to be swallowed in one bite, you have to swallow a living person." Sawan also opened his eyes and looked closely, and the lion opened its bloody mouth and roared like a thunderbolt. Everyone's ears were buzzing, and Safake only felt that his legs were weak, and his face turned pale, and he said in a trembling voice: "This...... This beast is terrible. ”

Ji Qianyun smiled and said, "I've been starving this lion for a few days, I'll feed it something to eat later." An Xing looked at him and asked, "What does this beast eat?" Ji Qianyun said: "This beast likes to eat raw meat the most, and the more alive things it likes, the more it likes them." ”

A short time later, a group of soldiers pressed two men with black cloth bags on their heads towards the cage. Bai Lu touched his round belly and said, "Are you going to feed the living to show us?" Ji Qianyun said lightly: "Don't you dare to look at it?"

Yang Jiucha laughed and said: "Lao Tzu has eaten people, what dare you not look at." He clasped his hands to his chest and looked towards the cage. A soldier ripped off the cloth bag from Xiao Feng's head, quickly pushed them into the cage, and closed the cage door.

The lion shook his head and walked slowly towards the two. Feng Miaoqing's frightened face turned pale, and she pulled Xiao Yunfan's arm and shouted. Xiao Yunfan fixed his eyes, and the lion opened its mouth, revealing its fangs, and its scarlet tongue was even more terrifying.

Ji Qianyun said proudly: "Xiao Yunfan, aren't you called the Jade Lion? This time you meet a real lion, you have to make its snack." Xiao Yunfan hugged Feng Miaoqing tightly and said, "Sister Qing, don't be afraid, I'm here." Saying that, he plucked up his courage and stood in front of Feng Miaoqing.

The lion's eyes were fixed on him, and its claws grinded on the ground. Although his fear was no less than Feng Miaoqing's, he tried his best to keep himself calm at the moment, he silently recited the Thousand Spirits Recipe in his mouth, and his eyes stared at the lion. The lion walked towards him slowly, and Xiao Yunfan also walked forward boldly.

He concentrated his mind and poured his spiritual sense into the eyes of the lion. The lion seemed to resist at first, but gradually, it seemed to be able to understand Xiao Yunfan's language, and slowly crawled in front of him obediently like a cat. Xiao Yunfan leaned down, touched its mane and said with a smile: "Ah, you are really a good boy." The lion was not angry, but let him pet it.

Feng Miaoqing was surprised and delighted: "Brother Xiao, you can actually surrender it." Xiao Yunfan turned around and raised a finger and said, "Shh, this little guy is in a bad mood, I'm appeasing him." Everyone was amazed at what they saw.

Ji Qianyun's face was pale, he looked at the beast trainer and scolded: "Didn't I tell you not to feed this lion, did you do it?" The beast trainer said with a look of grievance: "The villain will do what you want." Ji Qianyun said: "If you don't want to let the lion eat people, I will put you in a cage." ”

The beast tamer didn't understand what method Xiao Yunfan used to make this lion so obedient. He whipped his whip at the cage, trying to provoke the lion. No matter how hard he tried, the lion seemed unmoved, and he couldn't help but sweat profusely.

Bai Lu looked at the lion in the iron cage and did not eat people, and said at the moment: "The big guy should drink and go, His Highness has opened our eyes when we see this lion, as for whether he eats people or not, I don't think there is any need to watch it anymore." ”

His words were undoubtedly a round for Ji Qianyun, Ji Qianyun clenched his fists and said to Hua Siniang: "You go and throw the beast trainer into the cage for me." Hua Siniang nodded, walked to the edge of the iron cage, she grabbed the beast trainer's vest, slapped the palm of his hand on the back of his head, and the beast trainer fainted.

She took the key, turned the door of the cage, and was about to throw the trainer into the cage. Unexpectedly, the lion suddenly pounced, Hua Siniang was startled, tiptoe, and swept out upside down. The lion burst out of the cage and roared.

When everyone saw this, they panicked and fled for their lives. Xiao Feng and the others slowly walked out of the iron cage, and the lion bit it when it saw someone, and one of the guards wanted to stab it with a spear, but it suddenly pounced, and slapped the guard's head with a bloody hole with one claw. When the rest of the people saw it, they were terrified, lost their weapons, and longed to give birth to a few more legs.

Xiao Yunfan whistled, and the lion abandoned the corpse on the ground and ran towards him. Xiao Yunfan hugged Feng Miaoqing on the back of the lion and jumped up himself. He sat in front of him, asked Feng Miaoqing to hug his waist, and then said loudly to Ji Qianyun: "Thank you Mr. Ji for the treasure." As he spoke, he touched the lion's mane and said, "Good boy, let's go." ”

The lion kicked on his hind feet and flew forward. Seeing the blurred flesh and blood of the guards bitten on the ground, Ji Qianyun couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart, where did he dare to stop him.