Chapter 18: Fierce Battle
The headquarters of the Daan Chamber of Commerce seems to be a mess, but in fact, everything is in order. Except for a dozen people running around and shouting, the other guards were either armed with swords or crossbows and lurking on the commanding heights. Daan has been operating in Hengcheng for decades, and the headquarters has been built as solid as gold. The walls are three feet high, and the gate is made of pure copper. The watchtowers built at the four corners are more than five zhang high. The star-picking tower in the center is as high as ten zhang and is the tallest building in Hengcheng.
At this time, Yun and Uncle Li stood on the roof of the building, and they could clearly see the movement within a radius of several miles, and the two family members stood behind Uncle Li with small flags, and kept conveying Uncle Li's orders to the guards everywhere in flags.
"It seems that the Red Cloud Sect doesn't take us seriously!" Uncle Li squinted his eyes and couldn't help but sneer: "You see that their sect members didn't even bring ladders and bows and arrows, and they scattered one by one, not like they came to fight but as if they were coming to see the scenery." If it weren't for the current city lord being theirs, we wouldn't have had to run away. Even if there are twice as many people, with the old man and his more than 200 brothers, they can let them have no return. cough, it's a pity that I've been building a business for decades!"
Yun looked at it and shook his head. It seems that the Sky Wolf Gang is used to running rampant in Jiangbei and has never suffered any losses. So I don't take Da'an seriously at all, and it seems that it is not too difficult for this rabble to escape tonight.
The next moment, under the urging of a man who was obviously the leader, the members of the Red Cloud Sect began to storm the gate. I saw these people scolding and slamming at the gate in twos and threes, and the sound of knocking was very harsh in the quiet night. The others laughed and laughed like a game, shouting and clapping. But with these dozens of people, how can they shake the door of Da'an.
Uncle Li waved his hand and ordered: "Release the arrow!" The family behind him immediately waved the small flag in his hand. With a snort, the sound of bows and arrows pierced the night sky and harvested the Red Cloud Sect members at the door like a curse. When he landed, a ghost cried wolf. The thirty or so people who slammed the door were all hit by arrows, and some of them had six or seven arrows stuck in their bodies, staring at them in disbelief and dying in the west.
The leader of the red cloud was also a veteran of a hundred battles, and immediately saw that something was wrong, put away his contempt, gathered the rest of the sect and quickly withdrew from the range of the bow and arrow. While treating the wounded, he sent a message to the three Dharma Protectors.
At this time, the three protectors of the Red Cloud were pushing the cup and changing the cup in the largest restaurant in the city, and they were very happy, and the Red Cloud Sect had done a lot in the past few years, and it had never been strongly resisted. The general sect heard that it was the Sky Wolf Gang that had fled without a trace, and more people surrendered without a fight, obediently sacrificing their industrial resources to accept the incorporation. Therefore, in the past few years, the Red Cloud Sect, as a thug of the Sky Wolf Gang, has been fighting everywhere, not only can he complete the tasks assigned by the Sky Wolf Gang, but also get a lot of benefits. This time should be no exception, a chamber of commerce is not how powerful a martial arts sect can be, and even the yamen is on its side. I want to come and go and pass by to level Da'an. Therefore, the three protectors of Red Cloud did not appear in person at all, but only ordered their leaders to lead people. At this time, the three of them were drinking and calculating how much benefit they could get, a chamber of commerce was much richer than an ordinary sect. The three of them were in high spirits, and suddenly reported that the attack on the Daan Chamber of Commerce was met with strong resistance and heavy losses. The three of them were angry at that time, and the boss Daqing slapped the report more than two feet away, and scolded: "A group of waste, more than 600 people can't attack a small chamber of commerce, you all grew up eating shit!" The third elder on the side, Han Dong, hurriedly pulled Yu Qingyin and smiled: "Big brother, don't be angry, don't spoil your interest because of this little thing." Maybe the brothers are careless, you and the second brother drink first, and I will come when I go, and promise to leave the chickens and dogs killed by Da'an. ”
"Yes. Yu Qing sat down again with a gloomy face, and Han Dong walked out of the restaurant and went straight to the Daan Chamber of Commerce. When Han Dong came to the Daan headquarters, his nose was crooked. There were more than 500 people left, all of them cowering in frustration like frosted eggplants, and they didn't even dare to show their heads behind the nearby shops. There were more than thirty people lying in front of Da'an's gate, and they were shot into strings of sugar gourds, and a few of them were obviously squirming non-stop. And none of the more than 500 people dared to go up to save people. couldn't help but be angry: "Who the can tell me what's going on!" The leader of the previous command came over to give a salute: "Third master, the Da'an Chamber of Commerce has a high wall and a heavy door, and I have already prepared to have at least a few hundred bows and crossbows in my hands." The brothers can't get in!"
"Rubbish! You think you're the minister, kill people and set fires, and you have to go through the gate. There are only a few people in the Daan Chamber of Commerce! Can you hold such a large courtyard? You take someone to jump over the wall and open the door. I'm telling you, the boss is already unhappy. Give you an hour to take Da'an down. Or Lao Tzu will stab you to death with his own hands!"
The leader shrank his neck in fright, ran out again and again, and went to find a few good helpers to climb over the wall. Many of Hongyun's people were born in snitches, and they all had flying scratches on their bodies, so more than 20 people touched the wall, shook out their flying grabs and grabbed the head of the wall and slowly climbed up. Yun and Uncle Li were standing on the top of the building at this time, climbing high and looking into the distance, how could the movements of the Red Cloud Sect hide them. Uncle Li immediately ordered the guards to pay attention to the movement of the wall and take precautions.
Besides, as soon as the two dozen or so gangsters climbed the wall, they felt the pain in their hands and fell down screaming. It turned out that Uncle Li had already arranged for his subordinates to cover the wall with iron nails, and the tips of the nails were pointed upward, and the people who climbed up were pierced through their hands and fell, and before they could get up and escape, they were nailed to the ground by hundreds of arrows, and none of them were spared. Seeing that his subordinates were killed and injured without even seeing the other party's figure, Han Dong's eyes were red. He pulled out the steel knife and rushed up himself, but before he could reach the outside of the wall, he was shot back by a rain of arrows. couldn't help jumping like thunder, "Call all the brothers guarding the city gate back and attack me everywhere, I don't believe that these hundred or so people in Da'an can block thousands of us." ”
Soon after the order was issued, a large number of people poured in from all directions, plus the remaining five hundred or so people, a total of more than a thousand people of the Red Cloud Sect launched a crazy attack on Da'an. At this time, Da'an was surrounded by enemies, and many clever Red Cloud Sect members had already searched out a large number of ladders from nearby shops and houses, and set up the walls. A lot of door panels were dismantled, and several people held them to resist the arrows. Several of the nails on the walls of the courtyard had been swept away with iron rods. Then, a large number of men and horses jumped into the courtyard to fight with Da'an's guards.
Uncle Li sighed, knowing that he couldn't hold on. There are not many arrows left. Moreover, the Da'an headquarters is too big, and with only more than 200 people running back and forth, it is better to gather people and horses to break through from one place. So he turned to Yun and said, "Young Master Yun, it's time for us to go." After saying that, he ordered all the horses to abandon the courtyard wall and assemble in the hall. When the two of them came to the hall, they saw that the original more than 200 guards could be withdrawn, and only more than 100 people were able to return. And most of them were wounded. From time to time, there were sounds of fighting and screams outside. Apparently there were a lot of people who didn't have time to retreat and fell into the siege. Uncle Li knew that now was not the time to be a hero, so he could only give up his brothers outside. So he said in a deep voice: "According to the original plan, go out of the back door, go straight to the west gate, don't fight and retreat." Twenty men were left to set fire to the house, and it was necessary to block the enemy for a moment or three. If you break it up, hide it on the spot, and then find a way to leave Hengcheng and go to Jiangnan to join the master. Let's go!" So the guards took out the fire oil that had been prepared in advance and poured it on Da'an, and for a while, the fire was in full swing, and Da'an's decades-long foundation was burned.
When the people of the Red Cloud Sect jumped in and opened the gate, Han Dong led a large number of his men into the courtyard, but was blocked by a sea of fire. Then I heard that my subordinates reported that Da'an's people had gone straight to the west gate from the back door, and they couldn't help but cut off the big tree at the door with a knife. led his men to bypass the Chamber of Commerce and chase westward. But at this time, the figures of the people in Da'an were gone.
The clouds ran wildly with everyone in the Chamber of Commerce, although they were a little embarrassed but not hindered. When everyone came to the west gate, they were dumbfounded, only to see a large army of soldiers and horses waiting around the city gate, and the swords and guns were standing in the light of the torches and shining with cold light. The leader of the one-yuan warrior sat on his horse with a long sword in his helmet. Behind him, a large number of archers bent their bows and arrows, ready to attack at any time. Uncle Li chuckled in his heart and had an ominous premonition. This general is none other than Yuan Bin, who he asked to answer. At this time, there was no other way but to step forward and arch his hand: "Brother Yuan, what do you mean?"
Yuan Bin immediately owed a wry smile: "Brother Li, I'm sorry." This afternoon, Lord Garrison Fan gathered our officials and warned us not to meddle in the affairs of Da'an and the Sky Wolf Gang. If found, severe punishment will be met. Brother, you know, I've been in the army for more than ten years and finally managed to get a partial general position, if I let you go out of the city through the West Gate, then I'll be finished. Even if I don't care about this official position, but my wife and children are all in Hengcheng, what will they do if something happens to me! But don't worry, brother, I didn't divulge your exit from the west gate, and I won't stop you from going to other gates. Brother, please take care of yourself. ”
Listening to the sound of hurried footsteps behind him, Yun knew that the people of the Red Cloud Sect had caught up. So he quietly pulled Uncle Li's sleeve: "The chasing soldiers will arrive soon, and it's too late to go to other city gates now, why don't we fight? You entangle him, I will sneak attack and take him down to blackmail the officers and soldiers to open the door." ”
Uncle Li flatly refused. "We can't do anything with the people of the imperial court, even if we can successfully escape from Hengcheng, the Da'an Chamber of Commerce will be over. We will be accused of rebellion, and when the time comes, we will be purged by the imperial court, and there will be no place for us. I guess the city lord Lord Fan will not dare to transfer troops to deal with us, or he will be accused of collusion between officials and bandits. We hurried to break through the north gate. So he stopped talking nonsense with Yuan Bin, turned around and shouted to his subordinates: "Leave thirty people to block the pursuers and delay time as much as possible." The others followed me to the North Gate. ”
Looking at the team of guards who turned around and ran back, Yun nodded secretly and his heart was surging. These people are really the elite of Da'an, and they rushed over without hesitation, knowing that they would die if they turned back to block the enemy. No wonder Chairman Jiang can rest assured that his son will remain in Jiangbei. These men are indeed faithful and do not fear life and death. But now is not the time to regret, so he had to run towards the north gate with Uncle Li and the remaining less than 100 people.