gnovel Chapter 43 Tiger Palm Golden Hammer Strikes Yan Zhang
Chapter 43 Tiger Palm Golden Hammer Strikes Yan Zhang
"Di" refers to postal delivery; the position of "Duyou Shuyuan" existed as early as the Han Dynasty.
The couriers who passed through this place traveled north and south, and gradually a town was formed, hence the name Difang Town.
The town has over a hundred households, and in the most bustling area, there is a shop that combines a teahouse, tavern, restaurant, and inn, sitting alone in the middle of the crossroads.
Across from the shop was a pawnshop, for travelers short of money to use for their transactions; there were no other shops.
Today, the townspeople keep their doors tightly shut, and a dark mass of mounted soldiers covers the town's only two streets, one horizontal and one vertical.
The horseshoes clattered incessantly against the flagstones. Accompanied by the neighing of warhorses, the procession, which should have been bustling, inexplicably exuded a desolate silence.
It was late autumn, and gusts of west wind swept by, swirling up fallen leaves that drifted past the feet of two riders standing in the middle of the street.
The two were Li Congke and Gao Xingzhou, the commander and deputy commander of the Five Hundred Horizontal Charge Command.
"Are you really determined to fight him?"
Li Congke couldn't help but worry for his friend: "Although Wang Yanzhang is over sixty years old, he was once a renowned and brave general, and he's not easy to deal with."
Gao Xingzhou gently stroked the spear in his hand, without saying a word.
Li Congke tried to persuade him one last time: "Our five hundred cavalrymen here are more than enough to defeat them. Besides, Shi San'er's three-pronged attack will arrive in half a day. There is absolutely no need for you to put yourself in danger."
"Wang Yanzhang also knew that his soldiers were not up to the task of fighting, which is why he proposed a duel between generals. If he can boost morale, it will cause some trouble for our army."
Gao Congzhou replied, "I don't want to give him that chance."
After a pause, he finally admitted, "And I also want to ask him, after thirty years, does he still remember this Bagua Plum Blossom Bright Silver Spear?"
Seeing that his friend was determined, Li Congke said helplessly, "Swords and spears have no eyes, so be very careful. If you feel it's not going to work, run away quickly. There's nothing shameful about losing to Wang Tieqiang. We'll take care of him together. I don't believe the two of us can't deal with an old man."
Gao Xingzhou nodded slightly, and Li Congke waved his hand. Hundreds of riders escorted the two of them out of the town and quickly set up their formation.
……
Looking at the Tang cavalry opposite him, whose numbers were similar, clad in fine armor, and well-trained, and then at the haphazardly arrayed Imperial Guards behind him, Wang Yanzhang saw a stark contrast between the two.
A sense of desolation arises spontaneously: to have to rely on mere brute force to reverse a declining trend at the age of sixty is truly tragic.
The so-called Royal Guard Knights sound impressive, but in reality, they consist of only five hundred riders, all newly recruited soldiers, and are not of any use.
Duan Ningsu had no military achievements. His sister was a concubine of the late emperor, and he was promoted and appreciated only because she provided him with generous food and lodging on two separate occasions during the emperor's travels. When it came to military campaigns, he was truly a mediocre and incompetent person.
However, when the scouts suffered a minor defeat, Duan Ning was horrified, thinking that the Tang soldiers had already crossed the river upstream, and blamed himself for venturing too far into enemy territory.
Yet these mediocre and incompetent individuals, in command of the army's elite forces, used them for breaching dikes and looting.
This was the very person who flooded his own hometown, Shouzhang County, and even called it "protecting the emperor with water." (Note 1)
"Pah, shameless scoundrel."
Wang Yanzhang spat disdainfully, grabbed his long-time battle-hardened iron spear, and prepared to fight.
One of the generals who had come out to fight on the opposite side looked familiar upon closer inspection.
Wang Yanzhang recalled those few one-on-one matches where he was evenly matched with his opponent.
Back then, in Li Keyong's army of crows, which was as dark as a black cloud, a rider on a white horse with a silver spear also rode out and fought him fiercely all day long without a clear victor.
As they rode closer, they could see it even more clearly; it was exactly the same person.
Wang Yanzhang became increasingly certain and pointed his iron spear: "General, you may state your name."
"Gao Xingzhou, son of Gao Siji of Huai Rong Army. Sailor thief, dismount and surrender!"
really.
The opponent from thirty years ago seemed to have been reincarnated, appearing before him once again in his prime, while he himself had become old and frail.
So what if you're old? I killed your father back then, and today I'll fight his son again. How exhilarating!
Wang Yanzhang was hot-tempered and easily discouraged. He quickly rallied, mustered his spirits, and shouted, "Come and fight!"
With a single, overwhelming strike, the hundred-pound iron spear came crashing down like a dark cloud, but the user was using the spear as a club.
The Shandong spears share the same lineage. Wang Yanzhang and Xia Luqi's Northern Overlord Six Harmony Spear both follow the path of strong attacks and fierce strikes.
Gao Xingzhou did not fight back directly; he used his silver spear, which resembled a white snake spitting out its tongue, to strike and press the spearhead.
This technique has two aspects: a hard spear thrust and a soft spear bend, with both wrists slightly turned downwards, resembling embracing the moon. This is the true way of spear technique, where softness can overcome hardness and weakness can defeat strength.
As the saying goes in marksmanship: If the opponent attacks with force, I will also fight back with force. This is called "offense." The stronger one wins, the weaker one loses, and those of equal strength will fight for a long time.
If I become soft when the opponent is exerting force, causing their strength to fall short, and then strike where they are unprepared, this is the method of breaking through hardness with softness.
In the blink of an eye, the iron spear was pulled away from its target, landing beside the warhorse and kicking up a small cloud of dust on the ground.
The silver spear bounced back, making a circle, thus dissipating the force it carried.
"Not bad, you've learned a thing or two from your dad."
As the two horses passed each other, Wang Yanzhang praised them.
Gao Xingzhou was secretly shocked. He considered himself a veteran of many battles, yet he had never seen anyone with such immense strength as Wang Yanzhang. It was hard to imagine what kind of power he must have possessed in his prime.
Second in the world, truly deserving of the title.
Was this the kind of opponent my father fought against all day long back then...?
Wang Yanzhang was a veteran of countless battles, and many generals tried to use the strategy of overcoming strength with gentleness to deal with him. Why has his reputation remained untarnished to this day?
Because under his relentless onslaught, how many people can persevere for long and remain without making a single mistake?
The power of a hundred-pound iron spear is such that it cannot tolerate the slightest mistake; even a glancing blow would result in serious injury.
Having dominated the world for forty years, apart from Li Cunxiao who used force to subdue force and Gao Siji who employed meticulous and long-term strategies, there were really very few people who could get away with anything from Wang Yanzhang.
The Seventy-Two Styles of Yellow River Spear Technique should be like a long river descending from the sky, rushing to the sea, unstoppable and endless, giving the enemy general no chance to catch his breath.
One can use the spear from beginning to end, then reverse the direction and use it again, repeating the process without any hesitation. By performing this technique several times, one can easily crush one's opponent.
Unfortunately, time waits for no one, and Wang Yanzhang is no longer the Yellow River sailor with boundless energy.
After several rounds of fierce fighting, the two riders separated, and Wang Yanzhang caught his breath.
Gao Xingzhou is a skilled marksman, and his techniques are no less than his father's. He is a truly formidable opponent.
He could feign defeat against other opponents and launch a counterattack, but this tactic would be ineffective against Gao Siji's son.
A shadow fell over Wang Yanzhang's heart; he feared that today's battle would not end well.
Watching the battle from behind, Li Congke saw that Gao Xingzhou was not at a disadvantage, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was slightly relieved.
After several more exchanges, Wang Yanzhang grew anxious. If he couldn't capture Gao Xingzhou, he would have to order his men to charge forward in one fell swoop. Once the Tang army charged, his ragtag troops would likely be unable to withstand them.
He recalled that when Gao Siji came to fight the second day, he was completely different from the day before. His marksmanship was no longer steady and careful, and he showed signs of anxiety and impatience, which is why he fell for his feigned defeat.
Out of the corner of his eye, Wang Yanzhang caught a glimpse of the dust rising from the enemy lines and sensed the helplessness his former adversary was feeling. He couldn't help but smile bitterly.
What you fear most has come to pass; Shi Jingtang's three-pronged attack force has arrived on the battlefield.
On the battlefield, Wang Yanzhang and Gao Xingzhou were still locked in fierce combat.
After observing for a while and waiting for his soldiers to catch their breath, Shi Jingtang decisively said, "Let the whole army charge into the enemy lines."
Li Congke hesitated: "The duel between the generals has not yet been decided; it would be against the rules to start the battle now..."
"The victor is king, the loser is villain; what rules are there on the battlefield? By the time the enemy infantry crosses the river and forms ranks, it will be too late."
Shi Jingtang chuckled: "Besides, what if Gao Xingzhou loses?"
Seeing that Li Congke was still unable to make up his mind, Shi Jingtang emphasized, "The commander is still waiting; this battle cannot be lost."
Upon hearing the mention of Li Siyuan, Li Congke ceased his hesitation, and since he could no longer control Shi Jingtang's forces, he agreed to launch a decisive battle.
Thousands of iron hooves rose and fell, accelerating from a trot.
"Young people lack martial ethics."
Wang Yanzhang turned his horse around to return to command the troops. As the two horses passed each other, his broad back was exposed in front of Gao Xingzhou.
Almost instinctively, Gao Xingzhou drew his Tiger Claw Golden Hammer, turned around and swung it, striking Wang Yanzhang in the back.
Several cracks immediately appeared on the fine iron guards of the Mingguang Armor. Wang Yanzhang coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining his gray beard red. He swayed a couple of times, barely managing to steady himself, and then, clutching the saddle, whipped his horse and rode away. (Note 2)
Wang Yanzhang was defeated and wounded, and his soldiers lost all will to fight, abandoning their weapons and fleeing in panic.
Li Congke, Shi Jingtang, Gao Xingzhou, and others led elite cavalry in pursuit, capturing three hundred Liang generals, including Ren Zhao and Tian Zhang, and killing two hundred others.
Wang Yanzhang led his defeated troops to retreat and defend Zhongdu, and the time for a decisive battle had arrived.
-----------------
Place Name Comparison
Zhongdu: present-day Wenshang County, Jining City, Shandong Province