But when the approaching figure drew near, they breathed a sigh of relief. It was Huang Yuanji.
Huang Yuanji was in a sorry state, though: covered in blood, with his helmet and armor gone.
"Yuanji, how are you?"
Pale-faced, Huang Yuanji shook his head. "I'm fine. But General Jin Kui... Su Hu, that old bastard, ran him through with a spear while he was saving me!"
Huang Yuanji looked back, grinding his teeth.
Chong Houhu said nothing, his expression dark. This was his fault. If he had not insisted on having his way and placed too much faith in himself, none of this would have happened.
Seeing something was wrong with his father, Chong Yingbiao immediately said, "Father, victory and defeat are common in war. Don't worry too much. Once we regroup and fight our way back, we'll cut that father and son who defied the Heavenly Law into ten thousand pieces!"
"Go!"
As they fled northwest, more and more scattered soldiers joined them, until their number swelled to over two thousand.
Chong Houhu urged his horse onward. A mountain hollow lay ahead, with Huang Yuanji riding in front. Just then, a cannon boomed, followed by battle cries that shook the heavens.
The commanders' faces changed in fright. Countless ambushers appeared all around them.
"Chong Houhu! Where do you think you're going?"
At their head was Su Quanzhong, who had appeared from who knew where.
Chong Yingbiao and the others hastily surrounded Chong Houhu and fought their way through. They lost men and commanders along the way, but Chong Houhu escaped.
Chong Yingbiao, however, took a blade to the arm, leaving it covered in blood.
Just then, hoofbeats sounded ahead. Chong Houhu thought, My life ends here!
But the approaching commander sounded puzzled. "Is that you, elder brother?"
Elder brother?
"Is that you, Heihu?"
At the sound of that rough voice, Chong Houhu nearly burst into tears. It was his own brother, Chong Heihu!
"Uncle!"
Chong Yingbiao was overjoyed too.
Huang Yuanji breathed a sigh of relief. He had been ready to lay down his life beside the Marquis. If these had been enemies, he would have gotten the Marquis away even if it cost him his own life.
Chong Heihu rode forward and cried out when he saw the sorry state they were in.
"Elder brother! How did things come to this?"
"Ah, don't ask! Who could have known..."
After hearing the whole story, Chong Heihu snorted. "Don't worry, elder brother. Tomorrow we'll gather the army and fight our way back!"
"Yes!" Chong Houhu ground his teeth in hatred.
Meanwhile, Su Quanzhong returned to Ji Province beaming. After such a great victory, his confidence soared. He had never imagined the Great Shang army would be so weak.
"Did you kill Chong Houhu?"
Su Hu asked anxiously.
"No..."
"Why not?"
"It was dark, and I feared an ambush."
"Very well."
Su Hu said nothing more.
At dawn the next day, cries of battle and shouted curses suddenly rose from below the city walls.
"Su Hu! You scoundrel, come down and surrender at once!"
Su Hu hurried onto the walls. At one glance, his face went pale. Tens of thousands of troops had gathered below without his knowing—several times more than the day before!
"Father, this..."
Even Su Quanzhong no longer dared speak of a great victory. There were simply too many troops. With numbers like these, taking the city by force would be no great difficulty.
"Who's shouting down there?"
"I don't know. A burly man with a thick beard."
From atop the wall, Su Hu saw that besides Chong Houhu, there was a burly, rough-looking man with a thick beard, hurling curses in a booming voice.
"Ah! It's him!"
"Father, who is he?"
"Chong Heihu, Chong Houhu's younger brother. He's a formidable fighter and a brilliant commander."
Su Quanzhong's eyes shifted as an idea struck him. "Father, why not ask those two immortal ladies for help? They've become sworn sisters with my younger sister!"
"That... may be worth trying."
Su Hu thought it made sense.
"Honored immortals!"
"Greetings, Marquis."
Zhu Wushuang and Xiang Wuchen exchanged a glance, unsure why Su Hu had come.
"Honored immortals, an army stands at our gates, and Ji Province is in danger. Please help us..."
Zhu Wushuang thought, Help you? Drive back the Great Shang army? Then how are we supposed to enter the inner palace?
She could not say that aloud, so she replied, "Marquis, it isn't that we won't help you. But we already performed a spell yesterday, and our powers are limited. We cannot do so again. I can, however, recommend someone in your Ji Province army who may be able to help you."
"Oh? Recommend someone?"
Su Hu froze. Do they even know whether there's anyone capable in my army?
"Indeed. His name is Zheng Lun. He's a grain-supply officer."
"A grain-supply officer?"
That was a minor post, not even the rank of a deputy general. What could such a man do?
Still, Su Hu could say no more. "Thank you, honored immortals!"
Trusting the immortals, Su Hu summoned Zheng Lun. At the sight of him, Su Hu was delighted. Who would have thought a lowly grain-supply officer could carry himself with such presence?
He stood tall and imposing, every inch a fierce general. It was hard to imagine a man like him held only the post of grain-supply officer!
"Zheng Lun, an army is at our gates. As a man of Ji Province, are you willing to fight?"
Zheng Lun smiled. "Why wouldn't I? Rest assured, Marquis!"
He was about to make ready when fighting broke out below the walls. Su Quanzhong had been unable to stomach the filthy insults from outside and had mustered troops to ride out.
He had assumed that even if Chong Heihu was formidable, he could not be that strong. But Chong Heihu was not only a skilled fighter; he knew magic too. In the midst of their clash, he found a moment to pull out a large red gourd and mutter an incantation. Black smoke billowed forth, and an Iron Beak Divine Eagle flew out of it.
The enormous Iron Beak Divine Eagle spread its wings, blotting out the sky. It knocked Su Quanzhong from his horse in a single blow, then swallowed his mount whole!
"Quanzhong!" Su Hu cried, but it was too late to save him.
"Tie him up!" Chong Heihu ordered.
Su Quanzhong was bound hand and foot at once!
Zheng Lun frowned. "Rest assured, Marquis. I'll go down now!"
Zheng Lun hastily mustered his troops and rode out onto the battlefield.
Chong Heihu laughed. "Su Hu, why haven't you come out and surrendered? Or do you no longer want your son?"
Just then, the city gates swung open, and a troop of soldiers charged out. "Don't get so cocky, Heihu! I'm here!"
Zheng Lun rode a Water Eye Golden Eye Beast, while Chong Heihu rode a Fire Eye Golden Eye Beast.
"Who are you?"
"Zheng Lun, grain-supply officer of Ji Province!"
Chong Heihu paused. He had not expected Ji Province to have such a fine commander. Zheng Lun stood over ten feet tall and carried himself with imposing dignity. He was no ordinary man.
"Good! Let this Marquis see what a mere grain-supply officer can do."
The two beasts charged toward each other, and the men began to fight. Once they crossed blows, Chong Heihu privately marveled. A tiger of a general, indeed.
Dozens of exchanges passed without a victor. Chong Heihu thought, Why not take him with the Divine Eagle?
With that thought, he drew out the red gourd.
Zheng Lun recognized the magic and promptly gave a snort. A muffled, thunderous sound burst from his nostrils, and a streak of white light shot like lightning into Chong Heihu's face.
Chong Heihu's vision blurred and his ears rang. An instant later, he fainted and fell from his mount.
The Crow Army behind Zheng Lun seized him at once.
As it turned out, Zheng Lun had learned the Two Qi Within the Apertures from Du'e Zhenren on Kunlun Mountain, a technique that could draw away a person's soul.