Rebel army

Biodata

Background and History

The rebel army began by denouncing suffering under Great Zhou and recruiting people to its cause. An early force of roughly a thousand was scattered by Liangzhou government soldiers into the Black Mountain Range, where its members ravaged villages. Reports soon put the force approaching Blackwater County at three to four thousand people 61.

The Liangzhou rebels were once allied with the Yin Tong Cult. The alliance broke down after the cult secretly sacrificed refugees and rebel soldiers and tried to win over rebel leaders as believers. Defeat by the Liangzhou army subsequently scattered the rebels into regional forces 76. The Vermilion Bird lineage, originally the rebels' women's army, became a separate lineage amid internal conflict and the cult's schemes 148.

An earlier campaign marked the rebellion's peak: two million people besieged Liangzhou's provincial capital. The four lineages were not yet well organized, and the Liangzhou army routed them, forcing a retreat into southern Liangzhou 350. Later, the rebels stopped advancing north and worked to establish a permanent base in the southern hills and mountains 291.

Organization and Forces

The lineages distinguish themselves with blue, black, white, and red uniforms for Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird respectively. Lower-ranking soldiers do not always observe a strong distinction between the divisions 313 320. The army includes both poorly equipped recruits and dedicated martial-artist elites; one five-hundred-man infantry unit placed a hundred Skin Refining Realm fighters in its Vanguard Camp 188.

Methods and Capabilities

• Recruitment and morale — Commanders select fighters driven to rebellion by grievances against government soldiers, then draw on that hatred to sustain repeated charges 200 201.
• Infiltration — Rebels place agents among refugees, seek help from local gangs to open city gates, and disguise operatives as Liangzhou soldiers 100 111 306.
• Explosives — Explosives and Sky Thunder Seeds break defensive formations; some squads carry explosives into enemy ranks for suicide attacks 202 319.
• Military formations — The four lineages deploy formations with distinct intents. Black Tortoise emphasizes defense, while White Tiger emphasizes offense 349 350.
• Unconventional arts — Strategist Wang Cang makes paper figures, while Xu You deploys soul-capturing entities sustained by purple burial shrouds 98 203 205.

Major Campaigns

Blackwater County

The rebels annexed the Black Wind Bandits and sought local help to open Blackwater County's gates. When Zhao Han refused to involve the Poisonous Snake Gang, strategist Wang Cang turned to Black Wolf Gang leader Lao Lang, who agreed to betray the county's defense 85 100. Xie Dun ordered a night assault on all four gates despite Wang Cang's concern about the Female Weird inside. The soldiers attempted to capture residents rather than kill them indiscriminately 111.

Zhao Han defeated the soldiers attacking his gang and killed Xie Dun. Wang Cang was captured, and the Qingshan force lost its leadership; its remaining soldiers dispersed rather than maintain their blockade 111 112 113.

War with the Liangzhou Army

In a later battle, Black Tortoise forces sent successive waves against a smaller Liangzhou army, then advanced behind shields and used explosives to breach its formation 201 202. General Yan Feng's intervention reversed the battle. Xu You fought him and deployed soul-capturing entities, but the Beggar's Gang destroyed their burial-shroud mediums. Xu You withdrew, and Liangzhou troops attacked the retreating rebels 202 203 205 206.

Xuanwu County and the Emperor's Tomb

The four lineages assembled around Xuanwu County and restricted access to the nearby Emperor's Tomb. Their forces exceeded one million, though many were assimilated refugees rather than trained soldiers 320. Black Tortoise personnel also excavated near the tomb, seeking a gap in its protective formation 331.

When Liangzhou cavalry attacked, four hundred thousand rebel elites formed the lineages' military formations. The cavalry overwhelmed a ten-thousand-soldier outpost, but the rebel armies held a broader defensive line 349 350. The later activation of the Four Spirits Killing Array killed rebel soldiers indiscriminately; only baptized elites were shielded from its attacks 352.

Relationships

• Liangzhou and Black Cloud armies — Government adversaries; the Black Cloud Army's stated responsibility includes suppressing rebels 89 447.
• Yin Tong Cult — Former ally turned enemy after the cult sacrificed people associated with the rebellion and sought influence within its ranks 76 148.
• Zhao Han — Initially rejected the rebels' approach and killed Xie Dun. He later cooperated with Xu You and temporarily joined the Black Tortoise lineage for the Emperor's Tomb expedition, while denying that he was a rebel operative 85 112 206 328 457.
• Beggar's Gang — Its members intervened against Xu You's forces; later, Beggar's Gang experts confronted Black Tortoise elder Xu Yuankai 205 446 447.