Reinforcements (II)

Miao Youfang put down his bow and arrow and realized that these people were suspicious, not because of his wisdom, but because his martial arts sense of crisis had not been acted upon.

This shows that the flying beast army was not hostile.

"Wrong?"

Xu Erlang raised his hand, blocking the centurion who was trying to forcibly escort him away, and turned to look at Miao Youfang.

Miao Youfang then described the characteristics of that group of people and explained:

They meant no harm.

After listening, Xu Erlang immediately made a judgment:

"People from Southern Frontier?"

He had dark skin, naturally curly hair, and wore a blue-green outfit mixed with animal skin clothing.

Whether it was recorded in books or seen with his own eyes (referring to Lina), Xu Erlang was certain that the people who came were from the Southern Frontier.

"A man from Southern Frontier?" Miao Youfang slapped his forehead, overjoyed, and exclaimed:

"I see!"

Without offering any explanation, he tossed aside his bow and arrows, stood on the parapet, and excitedly waved his arms at the approaching flying beast army.

Upon seeing the response, the lead flying rider steered his beast away from the group and swooped down to land on the city wall, while the rest of the flying riders cautiously circled above the city wall, maintaining their distance.

"Hoo hoo."

The gale whipped up by the membrane wings blew away gravel and sand, and the black-scaled behemoth landed on the horse trail, slowly retracting its membrane wings.

Miao Youfang rushed forward to meet him, asking urgently:

"Are you members of the Gu Clan?"

The middle-aged man on the back of the black-scaled behemoth spoke:

"My name is Tamo, and I am the commander of the Flying Beast Army of the Heart Gu Tribe. I have come to support Qingzhou on the orders of Leader Chunyan."

"The Heart Gu Clan has reached an agreement with Xu Yinluo."

Miao Youfang's Mandarin was very non-standard; he had to listen to it three times before he could understand it.

As expected, it was someone he had invited. Miao Youfang breathed a sigh of relief. He and Xu Qi'an had parted ways on their way to the Gu Clan. The Gu Clan's army appeared at this moment, but they showed no hostility towards the Great Feng garrison.

Even a fool could figure out that these people were reinforcements brought by Xu Yinluo.

Miao Youfang turned around, nodded to Xu Erlang to indicate that he was safe and reliable, and then waved.

Xu Erlang, escorted by a vigilant centurion, arrived at Miao Youfang's side.

"I told you, Xu Yinluo and I parted ways on the way to the Gu Clan," Miao Youfang casually explained, then added excitedly:

"They are the reinforcements that Xu Yinluo brought."

The centurion, the reinforcements Xu Yinluo had brought, was completely stunned.

Miao Youfang shouted loudly, and the guards in the distance, who were originally wary and hostile, were suddenly taken aback.

Xu Erlang examined the Southern Frontier man on the back of the giant beast. He had dark skin, thick lips, and a slender but not weak build. On the contrary, his taut muscles were explosive.

Xu Erlang's eyes flashed, and he calmly asked:

"Did my older brother send you?"

"This is Xu Yinluo's cousin," Miao Youfang interjected.

Upon hearing this, Xu Erlang's gaze changed, becoming respectful yet ingratiating:

"Yes."

Xu Erlang nodded, and said casually:

How did you find this place?

Under normal circumstances, the eldest brother would definitely send the Gu Clan's reinforcements to Qingzhou to contact the higher-ups in Qingzhou first. There is absolutely no reason for him to come directly to Songshan County.

He pretended to ask casually, but was actually testing the reaction of this man who called himself Tamo of the Heart Gu Tribe.

"Xu Yinluo sent us, and he even gave us a map of Songshan County." Tamo said, pulling a map from his pocket. "Although I came to Great Feng many years ago, I still got lost on the way. I should have arrived last night."

He glanced at the Great Feng banner atop the city wall and said with relief:

"Luckily, I wasn't too late."

"The elder brother sent them to Songshan County. They've been saved! Songshan County has been saved! The people have been saved! "Xu Erlang closed his eyes, his body trembling slightly.

He took a deep breath, suppressing all his emotions, nodded slightly, and said:

How did you know I was in Songshan County?

This is certainly in line with the eldest brother's style.

I just don't know how my elder brother knew he was stationed in Songshan County.

Tamo shook his head, indicating that he didn't know.

He then asked:

"Can we land now?"

Seeing Xu Xinnian nod, he looked up and whistled loudly.

The flying beast army, circling overhead, received orders and descended in an orderly fashion, landing steadily on the city walls. However, due to their sheer number, most of the black-scaled behemoths could only land below the walls.

A soldier in the distance, carrying a weapon, cautiously approached and asked:

"Lord Xu, I just heard General Miao say that they were reinforcements invited by Xu Yinluo?"

"Brother, the rest of us really want to know if it's true."

Xu Xinnian's gaze swept past him and saw several wounded soldiers gathered together in the distance, looking eagerly in his direction.

Xu Xinnian looked away, then at the young soldiers and nodded vigorously.

"Yes, these are the flying beast troops of the Heart Gu Tribe, reinforcements invited by Xu Yinluo."

The young soldier's face suddenly twitched, and he trembled with excitement. Tears welled up in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks.

Miao Youfang jumped onto the parapet, his gaze sweeping from left to right over the black-scaled behemoths on the city wall, then looking down at the even more black-scaled behemoths below.

His eyes shone brightly, glistening with tears.

He took a deep breath, forcing back the stinging sensation in his nose, and roared:

"Brothers, our reinforcements have arrived! Xu Yinluo has brought us reinforcements. We now have a flying beast army too!"

The sound echoed and reverberated.

An emotional outburst erupted in the hearts of the defenders and militiamen, followed by a cacophony of voices.

Someone murmured, tears streaming down their face, "There's hope."

Some people's faces flushed with excitement, and they roared loudly.

Some people were overjoyed, dancing and cheering.

After the militiamen below the city learned of the situation, they excitedly ran along the streets and alleys to spread the news.

Tell the people in the city that reinforcements have arrived; they are the reinforcements brought by Xu Yinluo.

Cheers echoed throughout the small county town.

Xu Xinnian took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and said:

"Lord Tamor, the Flying Beast Army of the Heart Gu Tribe has come from afar. We should have arranged accommodations for you, but speed is of the essence in war, and opportunities are fleeting."

Tamer patted his chest:

"What are your orders, Lord Xu?"

When Zhuo Haoran received the scouts' report, he was in his military tent playing with camp prostitutes. Some of these women were captured during the march, while others were beauties plundered from various counties when the first line of defense of Qingzhou was captured.

Even General Qi Guangbo couldn't interfere with the abduction of women to accompany the army.

Because military prostitutes were an indispensable part of an army.

For those in power, the necessity of camp prostitutes lay in boosting morale and alleviating the soldiers' boredom during battles.

This is especially effective when the war is going against us.

Hundreds of mounted flying beastmen?!

Upon hearing the news, Zhuo Haoran's first reaction was that the scouts were giving false information.

When did Qingzhou develop a flying beast army of this size?

That's utterly absurd.

He immediately pulled up his trousers, grabbed his weapon, ran out of the military camp, and flew away, gazing at the city walls in the distance.

Only after seeing it with his own eyes did he have no choice but to accept this "absurd" news.

The city walls were filled with colossal black-scaled beasts with their membranous wings folded.

"When did Qingzhou develop such a large flying beast army?"

Zhuo Haoran clenched his fists, his face twitching.

With the city on the verge of falling, the defending army was suddenly greeted by hundreds of flying beast reinforcements. Zhuo Haoran was so angry that his chest felt like it was going to explode. He quickly landed, returned to the camp, and the first order he gave was to retreat.

The Vermilion Bird Army in the camp consisted of only thirty-odd cavalrymen, who were no match for the defending Flying Beast Army.

Whether they admit it or not, the situation has reversed, and now it's their turn to flee.

There was no other option but to retreat.

The military camp was thrown into chaos. The remaining few hundred soldiers abandoned all their tasks and supplies, mounted their fast horses, and, led by Zhuo Haoran, galloped out of the camp, raising dust as they went.

More than thirty Vermilion Bird Army riders took flight and quickly withdrew.

But to Zhuo Haoran's surprise, just as his side retreated, a deep and powerful roar came from behind.

The cavalrymen looked back and were terrified. In the sky behind them, a dark mass of flying beasts surged in like a storm cloud.

The black-scaled behemoth flapped its membranous wings and quickly caught up with the cavalry, while the Heart Gu Masters on its back let out long howls.

In an instant, the well-trained warhorse went completely out of control, collapsing to its knees in the rush, with both rider and horse tumbling and falling, creating utter chaos.

The Gu Masters either hurled cannonballs and oil barrels downwards, or drew their bows and unleashed a rain of arrows upon the defeated army below.

"Xu Xinnian!"

Zhuo Haoran looked up at the sky and roared.

All six thousand elite troops were lost in Songshan County, and his lifelong reputation was ruined in an instant.

Half an hour later.

Inside the half-collapsed barbican, Xu Xinnian sat behind his desk, looked around at everyone, and smiled:

"The Flying Beast Army annihilated 300 enemy cavalry and captured 28. They also annihilated 20 Vermilion Bird Army riders, captured 3, and 8 escaped."

"Zhuo Haoran and his deputy general escaped and their whereabouts are unknown."

Xu Erlang didn't expect the Flying Beast Army to be able to capture a fourth-rank martial artist; the difficulty was too great. The results they had achieved so far were already very gratifying.

Those present included the only two remaining centurions of the garrison, Zhu Jun and Miao Youfang, as well as Tamo, the leader of the Flying Beast Army of the Heart Gu Tribe.

After hearing Xu Erlang's "report," everyone's faces lit up with joy, their dejection vanishing.

"I truly never expected that Xu Yinluo, though based in the Southern Frontier, could strategize and win battles from afar."

"Nonsense, don't you think about it? Xu Yinluo is a master of military strategy who has written military treatises."

The two centurions talked excitedly, treating Xu Qi'an as a god and worshipping him immensely.

Even the usually stern Zhu Jun smiled.

Xu Erlang looked at Tamo and laughed:

"The Flying Beast Army of the Heart Gu Tribe has relieved the Great Feng's urgent crisis. I will write a letter later; take it with you to Qingzhou. As for the alliance, leave it to Governor Yang."

The alliance between the Gu Clan and the Great Feng is currently only a "verbal promise." Yang Gong needs to write to the imperial court to obtain a formal document, and only when the court agrees will it be valid.

In Xu Erlang's view, the imperial court was more than happy to have this, but the necessary procedures still had to be followed.

"If Governor Yang knew that Xu Yinluo had brought back five hundred flying beast soldiers for Qingzhou, he would be overjoyed."

Zhu Jun's smile deepened.

Tamer seemed to remember something and said:

"I forgot to mention, besides our Heart Gu tribe, we also have brothers from the Strength Gu, Corpse Gu, and Dark Gu tribes."

Inside the barbican, the laughter and chatter suddenly fell silent.

Xu Xinnian's breathing became rapid, and he stood up, supporting himself on the table.

"And what about them? How many? Where are they?"

Tamer pondered for a moment, then said:

"The three departments combined probably still have more than a thousand people."

"As for where we are, I don't know. We split up after leaving the Southern Frontier. After all, the flying cavalry can't carry that many people."

The three Gu clans combined still numbered over a thousand. Xu Xinnian and the others became excited.

Anyone familiar with the Battle of Shanhai Pass should understand how formidable the Gu Clan warriors are.

Although the Gu Clan has a small population and cannot compare with the hundreds of thousands of troops that the Great Feng often has, they have caused the Great Feng army many losses in the Battle of Shanhai Pass by relying on their strange and troublesome Gu techniques.

If they can be used properly, these more than a thousand Gu clan members, plus five hundred flying beast soldiers, will definitely shine on the battlefield.

Xu Xinnian's face flushed with excitement, and his fingers trembled slightly as he gripped the pen.

"I will write a letter to Governor Yang right away."

He then turned to his deputy and said, "You will go back to Qingzhou with Tamo."

Soon, carrying the Great Feng banner, Tamo rode the Black Scale Flying Beast alone, leaving Songshan County and flying towards Qingzhou.

Two days later, in the main hall of the Provincial Administration Commission.

Yang Gong looked down at the map spread out on the table, staring intently at the three characters "Songshan County," and said in a deep voice:

"We must be mentally prepared for the fall of Songshan County."

Li Mubai and his staff were all heavy-hearted.

Although the scouts sent out have not yet replied, the outcome can be easily predicted by comparing the troop deployment in Songshan County and the enemy's formation.

Li Mubai sighed:

"Reinforcements are ready to go. As soon as the scouts send back detailed intelligence, we can immediately send troops to Songshan County and retake the city."

Based on the overall situation of the second line of defense, the plan formulated by everyone was to first protect Songshan County. The reason was simple: Dongling had been converted into a field battleground, allowing for both advance and retreat, so there was no need to worry about it.

Wan County is besieged by the main force of the Yunzhou rebels, and the Flying Beast Army is circling overhead. It is unknown how many troops would be needed to relieve Wan County's predicament, and there is no guarantee that it can be saved.

In comparison, retaking Songshan County would be the wisest move.

Taking advantage of the fact that the enemy has only recently occupied Songshan County, and that the Yunzhou army is unlikely to arrive and garrison the county in a short time, launching an attack at this time would greatly increase the chances of retaking Songshan County.

They then stationed troops in Songshan County, holding out to the death to secure the last stronghold of the second line of defense.

"Erlang is well-versed in military strategy and is not a pedantic fool. He shouldn't die defending the city," Li Mubai prayed inwardly.

Yang Gong looked around at everyone:

"What brilliant strategies do you all have for dealing with the flying beast army?"

One of the aides said:

"The best way to deal with the Flying Beast Army is naturally to have one."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Besides that, modifying the ballista to fire into the air might be a good way to counter the flying beast army. If the enemy's strength is roughly equal to ours, sending a fourth-rank expert into battle is also a sound strategy."

Just then, a clerk rushed in and said loudly:

"Your Excellency, a mounted rider carrying the Great Feng Banner has arrived outside the city, claiming to be a member of the Gu Clan."

P. S.: Good news! After racking my brains all day yesterday and now, burning countless brain cells, I've finally finished conceiving the biggest plot hole in this book. Well, the specific details still need some further consideration.