dognovel Chapter 277 Li Family Army's Big Move
Chapter 277 Li Family Army's Big Move
Seeing the enemy figure disappear, Ma Yongsheng instinctively raised his spear to give chase, but was stopped by Li Gang's shout, which carried an unquestionable authority.
"Don't rush, let it be for now. We'll split into two groups immediately. I'll lead a team to guard the key city gates, while you lead your troops to reinforce the west city wall. We must work together to mend the defenses that the Jin invaders have breached!"
After exchanging a resolute glance, the two understood each other perfectly; no further words were needed, their unspoken understanding was already deeply ingrained. Without hesitation, Ma Yongsheng shouldered his spear and led his warriors, rushing towards the west city wall like a whirlwind.
Soon, on the western city wall, the arrival of reinforcements was like a breath of fresh air, greatly boosting the morale of the rebel army, which immediately launched a fierce counterattack against the Jin army. The battle grew increasingly intense. On the city wall, the figures of soldiers from both sides clashed, and amidst the flashing swords, lives were as fragile as candle flames. Corpses piled up layer upon layer, covering every inch of foothold, and blood gathered into trickles that slowly slid down the steps of the city wall. Each step was heavy and tragic, making the footsteps of those who followed more determined in the sticky and cold air.
Just as the fierce battle between the Jin army and the rebel army was at its most intense and evenly matched, a rumbling sound suddenly echoed across the sky, like the low growl of an ancient beast, foreshadowing an unknown change. Soon after, two silver figures streaked across the sky, gracefully arriving from the north—two majestic military helicopters, piloted by Li Zhen and Yue Peng, who was just beginning to master flying.
The soldiers on both sides on the ground all looked up at the strange object that had suddenly appeared in the sky, their eyes filled with astonishment and bewilderment. To them, this giant steel bird that could soar freely in the vast blue sky was undoubtedly a miracle from another world.
As the helicopter gracefully swept past the western city wall, a deathly shadow instantly descended upon the Jin army. Then, as if divine punishment, gleaming black grenades rained down, striking with pinpoint accuracy within the densely packed Jin ranks, unleashing a series of deafening roars that instantly escalated the battlefield into an even more intense vortex.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!..."
A series of deafening explosions suddenly erupted, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing, instantly routing the attacking Jin army, who scattered and fled in all directions. This breathtaking scene enraged Wanyan Ping, who was overseeing the battle outside the city; his eyes practically spitting fire. Although he didn't know what the strange objects soaring in the sky were, he was certain in his heart that it must have been Li Zhen's doing!
Li Gang, mounted on his steed, pointed to the sky and laughed loudly: "Hahaha... Brothers, look! Those are the brothers of the Li Family Army! They've descended from the sky to lend us a hand! Join me and slaughter these Jin traitors who have stormed into the city!"
After saying this, he brandished his weapon and, like a tiger descending a mountain, led his soldiers, whose morale was soaring, in a fierce charge against the panicked Jin army.
On that battlefield ravaged by war, morale, like an invisible flame, ignited the fighting spirit in the hearts of warriors, enabling even the weak to create miracles of defeating the many. Witnessing the strange phenomenon appearing in the sky, as if divine reinforcements had been sent, the soldiers of the righteous army were filled with fervent passion, their eyes gleaming with fanaticism. Like a war god awakened from its slumber by a stirring battle song, they launched a relentless, tidal wave of attack on the Jin army's ranks.
Soon, at the western city wall of Dongping Prefecture, the Jin army's defenses began to crumble. Like frightened birds, they fled westward in an attempt to escape this battlefield shrouded in mysterious power. Outside the city, the Jin army was also demoralized; fear spread like a plague among them. The two unsolved mysteries suspended high in the sky became an inescapable shadow in their hearts, and every step backward was accompanied by a deep dread of the unknown.
The two helicopters did not land their steel wings on the ancient and heavy land of Dongping Prefecture. Instead, like two swift eagles, they swept across the city walls, leaving behind a trail of untamed shadows. Li Zhen, the resolute-looking general, ordered his men to gently toss down a letter carrying important information. Then, with the roar of the rotors, he and Yue Peng once again took flight, soaring through the clouds and returning to the war-torn battlefield on the north bank of the Yellow River.
The letter eventually ended up in Li Gang's hands. The handwriting on it was strong and vigorous, clearly written by Li Zhen himself. In the letter, Li Zhen concisely and powerfully outlined the fierce offensive launched by the Li family army against the Jin army on the north bank of the Yellow River. Every word and sentence revealed his deep expectations for his ally and demonstrated the wisdom of his strategic deployment. He earnestly instructed Li Gang to hold Dongping Prefecture firmly, transforming it into an impregnable fortress for the Jin army.
"As long as Dongping Prefecture can stand firm in your hands for a full ten days," Li Zhen wrote in his letter, "the Li family army will definitely be able to free up troops to rush to the aid of the righteous army like a spring breeze and rain, and face the national crisis together." This was not just an order, but also a deep friendship and a firm belief in fighting the enemy together between the two armies, which transcended thousands of mountains and rivers and were closely linked.
Li Gang gripped the letter tightly, a bitter smile playing on his lips. He muttered a curse, "Damn it, even if I had wings, I couldn't escape now. The Jurchens are all around us; we can only grit our teeth and defend this land to the death."
Today's battle was exceptionally perilous, as if even the heavens themselves were against them. Had it not been for Li Zhen's two helicopters arriving in time, like divine intervention, the city walls of Dongping Prefecture would likely already be under another's banner. A post-battle tally revealed that in just one day, the rebel army had lost 20,000 elite troops. This number was like a dull knife, slowly cutting into Li Gang's heart, each wound deep and painful. These soldiers were the foundation upon which he had fought his way through this chaotic world, the defense line they had forged with their blood and sweat.
Just as the main force of the Jin army was engaged in fierce fighting with the rebel army on the south bank of the Yellow River, the Li family army quietly took action, silently dispatching two elite divisions, each led by the brave and decisive division commander Yue Ying and the incredibly strong Qian Dazhuang. Like two sharp blades, they advanced rapidly eastward.
On this expedition, they not only recaptured Dong'e County, which had once fallen, but also swept through Liaocheng and Chiping counties in succession. The soldiers of the Li family army were in high spirits, unstoppable like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. Their battle flags fluttered in the wind, and their advance was aimed directly at the distant and fortified Gaotang County.
Throughout this campaign, Li's army was like the light of dawn, unstoppable and invincible. Wherever they went, they were invincible and conquered every city. They seemed to be the victors ordained by heaven, writing an immortal legend.
Faced with the unstoppable offensive of Li's army, the Jin court panicked and hastily ordered troops in Jinan, Jizhou and Dezhou to quickly assemble in an attempt to build an ironclad defense line to stop the unstoppable advance of Li's army.
However, this mobilization was like draining the already weak defenses of counties and towns, leaving those remote areas virtually undefended. This situation ignited the anger of countless patriotic citizens, who rose up in rebellion, spontaneously organizing anti-Jin resistance armies to echo the heroic deeds of the Li family army. In an instant, Hebei East Road and Shandong Road were engulfed in flames of war, the situation turbulent and unstable. Urgent messages seeking aid from all over the country poured into the heart of the Jin Kingdom like snowflakes in winter, telling of the chaos and unrest on this land.