But Chang Xi had been brutally abused by Wang Jing for so long and was furious at the moment, so how could he listen to his advice?
He was seen removing the alien form of Haozhu and returning to human form, and then he shouted on the spot: "What nonsense! Killing Wang Jing will cause chaos in Yanzhou, and we, the four bandits of Taishan, will be able to take advantage of the situation and rise up to dominate the area. Do you want me to miss this opportunity and watch him run away?"

There is no doubt that in Chang Xi's view, what kind of crappy mission is it? How can it be as important as hunting down Wang Jing and seizing the Hongming Knife and Chunjun Sword from Wang Jing?

Chang Xi would never be willing to give up on the opportunity he finally got when Wang Jing was alone, even if he died.

"Listen to my command. Anyone who kills Wang Jing will be rewarded with a huge amount of money!"

"Kill Wang Jing and you will be rewarded with millions of taels of silver!"

A group of horse thieves shouted loudly, and when they heard the reward, they all cheered and clamored to hunt down and kill Wang Jing.

Ten thousand strings of cash, that’s tens of millions of dollars!

During the reign of Emperor Ling, this amount of money could have bought one of the Nine Ministers!

What does it mean to get rich overnight?
If you kill Wang Jing, you will become rich overnight!
Suddenly, everyone became brave and rushed to be the first, wanting to kill Wang Jing with their swords and get the generous and attractive bounty.

Thousands of bandits rushed forward at once, and a group of them followed Wang Jing relentlessly, shouting, "Brothers, hurry up and chase him! Don't let Wang Jing get away!"

In the chaos, someone shouted, "Kill Wang Jing! You will be rich!"

Suddenly, everyone among the bandits shouted, "Kill Wang Jing! We will be rich!"

Wang Jing heard it, looked back, and couldn't help but laugh and scold: "Good fellow, you're already shouting slogans, am I so easy to kill?"

"My lord, do you want to fight back?"

The Twelve Xuanlin Guards were all martial arts masters who had followed Wang Jing through life and death and had been through hundreds of battles. They had seen countless thrilling scenes, suppressed rebellions internally, and resisted the Huns externally. They had fought countless bloody battles, and the group of horse thieves in front of them were no match for them.

Wang Jing had a calm expression and a melodious look in his eyes: "Don't worry, let's fly the kite for a while to consume their horsepower."

In the cold weapon era, physical strength was a very important factor, and could even determine the outcome of a battle. A famous general must know how to keep the soldiers physically fit and reasonably distribute the responsibilities of combat missions.

If not, he is not worthy of being called a famous general.

Chang Xi's actions seemed extremely ridiculous to Wang Jing. In order to hunt him down, the cavalry unit was disconnected from the main infantry force. Moreover, the pursuit was chaotic and without any tactics, which only consumed the strength of the war horses in vain.

Wang Jing was too lazy to fight back. He just took Chang Xi around in circles, continuing to wear down the opponent's morale and physical strength.

Sun Guan was the first to notice something was wrong and tried to dissuade Chang Xi: "Don't chase them anymore! Our war horses are not as good as Wang Jing's famous horses. We can't catch up with them at all. Let's attack the road construction team first!"

"No need to say more, I must kill Wang Jing today!"

Chang Xi still refused to listen to the advice. At this moment, he was already getting too excited after chasing for so long.

If it were any other time, with his cunning and treachery, he might not be able to see that there was something fishy going on. But today, he was beaten badly by Wang Jing alone and his prestige was completely lost. Now Chang Xi is in a dilemma. If he doesn't kill Wang Jing, how can he convince the people in the future?
Moreover, Wang Jing was too tempting. Not only was he a powerful weapon, but he was also famous. Plus, he had ambitions for Yanzhou. Chang Xi couldn't give up this golden opportunity. So he gritted his teeth and said, "Keep chasing him. I don't believe he can still fly to the sky with wings!"

Sun Guan was furious when he heard this, and even called out his name: "Chang Xi! We really can't chase him anymore! If we destroy the road construction team, what does it matter even if Wang Jing escapes? There are countless noble families in Yanzhou who oppose him. Without convenient road transportation, we only need to stir up trouble and make his army run around to put out fires."

But Chang Xi would never listen to such unpleasant advice, and immediately glared at Sun Guan: "Young man, stop talking! If you continue to disrupt the morale of our army, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"you!"

Sun Guan looked at Chang Xi unwillingly, and could only give up angrily: "This young man has no strategy, what can I do? It seems that our army has already lost this battle, we must make plans early."

Wang Jing was riding on his horse, feeling contented, as if the thousand horse thieves chasing him and shouting for death did not exist. He even had the mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery along the road and enjoy the feeling of galloping at lightning speed.

huh~
Not far away, a sharp voice soared into the sky, like an eagle flying in the sky, and the sound could be heard for miles.

"It's a signal arrow!"

Wang Jing's mouth tilted slightly, and a happy arc appeared: "It seems that Ziyi has gathered all the troops and is ready for battle. Let's go and meet Ziyi!"

"As ordered!"

The Twelve Xuanlin Guards immediately followed behind Wang Jing, turned a corner halfway and rushed towards the road construction team's camp, eager to return home.

Chang Xi was still chasing him relentlessly, like a gambler who had lost all his money. Even though there was little hope, he gritted his teeth and bet all his chips, hoping to get his money back in one go. "Chase, keep chasing!"

However, everything he did was in vain.

When Wang Jing returned to the camp, beside the flat and open official road, two battalions of Qingzhou soldiers, more than 4,000 people, were lined up in battle formation facing east. Their neat military appearance revealed a solemn and murderous aura.

There were spears like a forest, pointing obliquely toward the sky. A solemn and murderous aura was blowing in one's face like a bone-chilling north wind.

When Taishi Ci saw Wang Jing return safely, he was overjoyed and said, "My Lord!"

The formation split into two like a tide, leaving a passage for Wang Jing to ride his horse in at full speed.

After Wang Jing entered the formation, the crowd gathered together again, becoming tight and airtight, like an indestructible steel wall.

A defense line consisting of thousands of fine iron armors and sharp spears is ready for battle.

Wang Jing came to Taishi Ci and said, "Ziyi, you and I will fight side by side this time."

"I am willing to die in the service of my lord!"

Taishi Ci clasped his hands together, his chest burning with fighting spirit and his eyes as sharp as an eagle.

"Xu~"

In front of the two armies, Chang Xi and Sun Guan stopped their horses. When they saw that Wang Jing's army was well-organized and well-organized, they all gasped and were greatly shocked.

"With such a well-organized army, the spirit of thousands of people is united as one, connecting the sky and the earth. It must be as solid as iron and stone. It is probably difficult for us, a thousand cavalrymen, to break through."

Sun Guan's judgment was very accurate. He could tell at a glance that the 4,000 infantrymen in front of him were in high spirits, well-organized, and were definitely veterans who had seen blood.

Otherwise, ordinary militiamen would not be able to maintain their morale and fighting spirit in the face of the thundering sound of horse hooves when they saw a thousand cavalrymen charging. They would probably have been in turmoil before they even got close. How could they stand there quietly and indifferently as they did in front of them?

There are only four thousand infantrymen, but they have spears and swords like a forest and are as still as a mountain!

Chang Xi was filled with hatred and began to blame Sun Guan: "If you hadn't been whining and slowing down our advance, I would have caught up with Wang Jing and chopped off his head long ago. Why would I have needed to forcefully attack and break through the formation?"

Taishan Sikou had dealt with encirclement and suppression attacks by government soldiers many times in the past, and Chang Xi had fought in wars before, but the 4,000 Qingzhou soldiers in front of him were obviously not the local county and state soldiers he was familiar with.

There were more than 4,000 people, lined up in neat rows with high morale. Just by looking at the armor and weapons on their bodies, it was obvious that they were not to be trifled with.

Although Chang Xi still has 10,000 infantrymen under his command and is not without the ability to fight, even if he can defeat the Qingzhou soldiers in front of him, how many soldiers will be lost in the end?
For a mere sum of money, you would damage the army and clip your own wings?

Chang Xi is not that stupid!
Sun Guan could see that Chang Xi was getting scared and didn't want to fight anymore.

Although it is a bit shameful to take money and not do the job.

But who is Ke Changxi?

He was a bandit, so he didn't care about a person's character. He just wanted to turn around and leave on the spot.

Sun Guan persuaded him: "You have to think it over carefully. Now the arrow is on the string, how can you just walk away?"

Chang Xi glanced at Sun Guan with disdain: "Infant, are you going to stop me?"

Before the battle started, the Taishan Four Bandits had already had several internal disagreements. Sun Guan defected to Tao Qian and changed his official status. Chang Xi was already unhappy about it. Today, Wang Jing made him look bad, and Chang Xi was even more angry with nowhere to vent. If the conflict between the two intensified, they would probably have an internal fight before they went to attack the road construction team.

The personal soldiers around Sun Guan felt threatened, and they drew their swords and guarded their commander behind them.

"Chang Xi, I just told you to attack the road construction team directly and not to bother with Wang Jing, but you didn't listen. Now you want to retreat without a fight, have you thought about the consequences? You have already been put on Marquis Qi's kill list by sending troops to invade. If you offend my lord again, is there any place for you in this vast world?"

Sun Guan was so angry that he immediately scolded.

"Are you teaching me how to do things!?"

What Chang Xi hated most in his life was being lectured by others.

How can a bunch of bullshit life principles be as powerful as the knife in your hand?

With one strike of the sword, what wealth and glory can’t you obtain?

Therefore, Chang Xi was very unhappy with Sun Guan's words, but he also knew in his heart that he had already offended Wang Jing. If he offended Tao Qian again, he might no longer have a place to stand in the three states of Qingzhou, Xuzhou and Yanzhou.

So after Chang Xi got angry, he patiently explained to Sun Guan: "You can see the current situation. If the attack fails, you and I will die without a burial place. It is not appropriate to fight hard now. It is better to retreat first and wait for the opportunity to get back at the right time."

Seeing Chang Xi act impulsively when he should be calm, and act cowardly when he should make decisions, Sun Guan, who was very disappointed with Chang Xi, was furious: "How many people helped in secret to have this God-given opportunity? Do you think you can wait for it? If we retreat today, Marquis Qi will be alert, and how can we have another chance?"

Chang Xi's eyes wandered, and it was obvious that he was still unwilling to fight to the death.

In a rage, Sun Guan shouted angrily, "Do you want to fight now, or go back to Mount Tai and wait for death?"

While the two were arguing, tens of thousands of Taishan bandits' main infantry had arrived at the battlefield. They were dressed in colorful costumes and held a variety of weapons in their hands, but at least they were serious weapons, not hoes, dung forks and the like.

But the only thing they had over the refugees was their equipment. The Taishan bandits were essentially thieves. Most of them were refugees who had lost their land. They had not received formal military training and had no organization or discipline.

Before this, these Taishan bandit infantry had been separated from the vanguard cavalry led by Chang Xi, so they had no idea what the situation was.

Because they were so eager for the reward, they chased too hastily, and the 10,000 bandits were scattered and in disarray. More than half of the soldiers were panting due to exhaustion. Many of them simply took off their armor and clothes, threw down their weapons and sat on the ground. The scene was once very chaotic and it was simply jaw-dropping.

Wang Jing saw it from afar and could not believe it: "The enemy army took off their armor in front of the battle line. How foolish! With such a good opportunity, we should launch an attack immediately!"

Taishi Ci also agreed with this decision: "The enemy is weak and exhausted, and it will be difficult for them to withstand the might of our army. If we go to battle now, we can defeat them in one battle!"

"Go to war!"

"Go to war!"

The war drums sounded like thunder, and Wang Jing and Taishi Ci went out to fight together.

The two of them took the lead and led the crowd to attack the enemy.

Chang Xi was still hesitating, not knowing that the situation on the battlefield was fleeting. If he did not make a decision, he would only miss the opportunity.

"Boss Changxi, the enemy is coming!"

"What should we do? We better run."

A group of horse thieves no longer had the majesty and dominance they had when they were chasing Wang Jing just now. They now just felt very weak and did not dare to fight at all.

Seeing this, Chang Xi personally took up his sword and supervised the battle, with an attitude of "do it or not, it's up to you", and led his personal soldiers to support the battle, forcing the horse thieves under his command to launch an attack: "Our army is large in number and powerful, and we will surely win this battle!"

Although he had no confidence in his heart, Chang Xi was unwilling to retreat like this.

Finally, he decided to fight first. After all, he heard that the Qingzhou soldiers in front of him had just surrendered not long ago, and the remaining road construction workers were guarding the camp and dared not go out to fight, so there was no need to worry.

His mind was working rapidly, and after a thorough analysis, Chang Xi felt that he still had some chance of winning and it was worth a try.

Of course, it was more out of consideration for his own interests. If he just left today, not only would he miss out on the two peerless magic weapons, the Hongming Knife and the Chunjun Sword, but he would also probably offend Tao Qian and Xu Si, and it would be difficult for him to explain himself in the end.

"What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and chop him up!"

Chang Xi urged his infantry to rise up and engage in battle. He often fought with government officials and knew that before starting a battle, he had to first deplete the enemy's physical strength and use the cavalry's advantage in mobility to launch a surprise attack from behind.

The ten thousand infantrymen were already out of breath because of the previous chase.

Now they were being driven forward to fight, and they were immediately dissatisfied and complained: "Before hanging, people should be allowed to breathe first! How can you send people like this?"

"Stop talking nonsense! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll chop you into pieces with a knife!"

Those who could ride on horses were Chang Xi's personal soldiers and subordinates. Now they all acted as temporary law enforcement teams in the army, using cruel means to force the infantry to fight forward.

Many of these infantrymen were refugees who could not survive, or they were civilians who were forced to flee.

In Chang Xi's eyes, they were nothing more than cannon fodder that could be consumed at any time, so he didn't care about their life or death at all. He would beat and scold them at any time on normal days, let alone at this critical juncture?

Such a ragtag army would have dispersed long ago if it had not relied on occasional looting to maintain its morale.

The result of Chang Xi's battle against Wang Jing's powerful army with such weak troops can be imagined.

The scene could be described as an egg hitting a rock. With just one encounter and one charge, two thousand Qingzhou soldiers head-on defeated the Taishan bandits, who were four times their number, with a crushing force.

Taishi Ci was a hero, and he saw the opportunity and decisively deployed all his forces, including the reserve troops: "All troops will attack, and we will kill the enemy and make achievements soon!"

"Kill!"

The remaining two thousand Qingzhou soldiers were thrown into the battlefield as manpower, which immediately triggered an avalanche effect.

Four thousand men turned into two sharp knives, one on the left and one on the right, and stabbed directly into the waists of the Taishan bandits. This was a fatal blow.

Puff~Puff~
The Qingzhou soldiers were divided into groups of five or ten, and they fought in formation. They fought in a very methodical manner and with good coordination. When they killed people, it was as clean and efficient as an experienced farmer harvesting crops. With a few moves of their hands and a few drops of their swords, heads rolled and blood flowed.

Compared with their well-organized battle, the Taishan bandits seemed insignificant.

Dressed in colorful clothes and charging with nothing but courage, the Taishan bandits' swarm tactics were completely disorganized. After being beaten to a bloody pulp by the Qingzhou soldiers' immovable formation, their morale quickly collapsed and they scattered, wishing their parents had given them two more legs.

"A bunch of rubbish, don't run away, get on the battlefield and kill the enemy!"

Chang Xi personally led the troops in the rear to suppress the rebellion and try to reverse the situation, but his defeat was so overwhelming that even if he tried his best, the defeat was already decided and he was powerless to turn the tide.

The wrong troop deployment caused more than 10,000 infantrymen to be exhausted. In this situation, even the bravest men could only be slaughtered. What's more, the Taishan bandits were a motley crowd to begin with, and now they had become weaklings. How could they turn defeat into victory?
Wang Jing led his team to charge for a while, and immediately found Chang Xi in the crowd. His eyes lit up immediately: "Chang Xi, why don't you surrender quickly!"

After saying this, he pointed the tip of his knife at Chang Xi who was not far away, then raised his horse's hooves, and Wang Jing led the Twelve Xuanlin Guards to rush towards the target at lightning speed.

The twelve Xuanlin guards are all highly skilled in martial arts and have unique skills. They use swords in foot combat and long spears in horse combat. This is a kind of heavy cavalry weapon that Wang Jing specially ordered Li Feng to make personally, and its combat power is extremely ferocious.

The shape of the lance is similar to a combination of a red tassel spear and an axe, and its lethality is extremely amazing among offensive weapons.

It is made of hardwood, with a handle six feet long and a hammer-shaped lance head. Some lance heads are equipped with several iron nails and a spike at the tail end. The blade is more than half a meter long, much longer than ordinary guns and spears. It can be used for cavalry to charge with the lance or to swing the lance across.

In the hands of the Twelve Xuanlin Guards, these jet-black horse lances were used to chop, cover, intercept, block, lift, charge, carry and thrust. Each move was deadly and set off a terrible storm of killing.

"Anyone who stands in my way will die!"

Amidst the crowd, Wang Jing led Taishi Ci and the Twelve Black Scale Guards to and fro on the battlefield, leaving only blood and death wherever they went. (End of this chapter)