Volume One, Chapter Thirty: Shan Xiongxin Rides at Full Gallop to Duel Luo

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Shan Xiongxin spurred his horse forward, halberd in hand, making straight for Chen Daogong.

Chen Daogong had crossed weapons before with several officers under Zhang Xutuo and recognized Shan Xiongxin. He knew the man was ferociously strong and that he himself was no match for him. Thus, instead of engaging, he resorted to his old trick: wheeling his horse around and fleeing toward his own formation.

Unfortunately for him, Shan Xiongxin’s mount was a fine steed, swift as the wind.

Chen had barely turned to flee when Shan had already caught up with him.

The halberd named Cold-Bone White flashed out, its thrust chilling to the marrow. Shan Xiongxin drove it forward with tremendous force. Chen Daogong was fortunate enough to dodge in time and avoid the blow.

Turning his head, Chen shouted back, “You filthy bandit! If you dare pursue me, then your honored father Chen—” He suddenly cried, “Ow!” His halberd fell from his hand. He swayed several times in the saddle and nearly tumbled to the ground.

Daring no further abuse, he whipped his horse desperately and began shouting instead, “Young Lord Luo! These bandits are vicious! Come save me!”

Shan Xiongxin’s great strength made both the thrusting and withdrawing of his halberd faster than any ordinary man could manage. Thus, while Chen Daogong was still cursing him, Shan had already launched a second thrust. This took Chen completely by surprise. With no defense at all, he was struck in the left shoulder blade.

Even as he cried for help, Chen Daogong did not forget to look back. Bearing the pain, he hurled two more insults at Shan Xiongxin. “You filthy cur! If you’ve got the nerve, keep chasing me!”

But by then Chen had reached the vicinity of Luo’s formation. Shan Xiongxin had no intention of pursuing him farther. With a cold laugh, he shouted, “You treacherous little cur! Trying to lure me into the range of your bows and crossbows? I’m not chasing you!”

Leaving Chen Daogong behind, Shan Xiongxin rode alone in black armor, wielding his black halberd, wheeling and racing across the open ground between the two armies. In an instant, he had scattered and slain all the Luo light cavalry some distance away. Then, with the force of a thousand-weight avalanche, he charged into the more than two hundred Luo infantrymen surrounding Wei Yaksha and the others.

Several dozen of those infantrymen formed a square formation, hoping to keep him outside the battle. How could they possibly withstand him? Wherever Cold-Bone White struck, shields shattered. Wherever his horse’s hooves landed, whole ranks scattered. The formation of more than two hundred Luo soldiers was thrown into chaos.

Another earth-shaking cheer erupted from the Wagang ranks.

Wave after wave of the underlings’ cries rolled forth like a surging tide:

“Second Lord Shan! Ten charges, ten breakthroughs—none can stand before him!”

Beneath the command banners of Shan Xiongxin and Xu Shiji, every Wagang general watching the battle was stirred to boiling enthusiasm. They too shouted:

“Second Lord Shan! Ten charges, ten breakthroughs—none can stand before him!”

Li Shandao’s eyes were wide. He did not want to miss a single detail of Shan Xiongxin’s slaughter. Unable to restrain himself, he joined the underlings in the Wagang ranks and the assembled generals, shouting with all his strength:

“Second Lord Shan! Ten charges, ten breakthroughs—none can stand before him!”

Now thoroughly exhilarated by the battle, Shan Xiongxin swept his halberd once more and knocked down two fleeing Luo infantrymen. Gripping the reins in his left hand, he wheeled his horse around and charged toward the Luo position a mile or two away.

Beneath him, his black steed, Black Dragon Colt, reared on its hind legs and gave a long, piercing neigh. Holding the halberd in one hand, Shan raised it high toward the heavens and thundered:

“The Flying General of Wagang Stronghold is here! I am Shan Tong of Jiyin! Luo Shixin, do you dare come fight me? Let us settle life and death with our bodies!”

Under the glaring sunlight, nearly a thousand Luo cavalrymen and infantrymen beneath the fluttering standards and colored banners in the opposing formation were all struck with terror.

Wei Yaksha, who had been barely holding on and had already fallen into grave danger, was overjoyed to see Shan Xiongxin arrive in person to rescue him. His fighting spirit flared anew.

“Brothers! Follow Second Lord and cut your way through! Slaughter that little dog Luo!”

Ignoring Nie Black Otter’s shouts from behind, he seized the momentum created by Shan’s disruption of the two hundred Luo infantrymen, led his men forward, and charged into the melee amid loud cries.

At this point in the battle, the two sides had been fighting across the open ground between their formations for some time. At last, for the first time, the Wagang army had begun to gain the upper hand.

Several riders galloped out from Luo Shixin’s formation.

The foremost rode a chestnut-red horse without barding. The beast was extraordinarily magnificent. Its rider wore bright-luster armor painted with multicolored lacquer designs and carried an eighteen-foot iron halberd. As he raced forward, he seemed like a mass of leaping flame, as though a fire were rolling across the earth.

Though the rider wore a helmet and his features could not be seen, the horse alone was enough to identify him. He could be none other than Luo Shixin. The horse had once belonged to Zhang Xutuo, who had given it to him. Its name was Red Dragon Pearl.

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It was indeed Luo Shixin.

As he galloped near the battle, he shouted, “Your horse wears no armor, so neither shall mine. Come! Let me test your Cold-Bone White!”

Shan Xiongxin spurred forward to meet him. Their long halberds crossed as their horses passed one another.

Red Dragon Pearl raced south, while Black Dragon Colt sped north.

Almost simultaneously, the two men hauled on their reins and wheeled their horses around, charging at each other once more.

Luo Shixin was on the west and Shan Xiongxin on the east. Amid clouds of swirling dust, the two horses crossed again. Luo clamped the shaft of his halberd beneath his arm and thrust toward Shan’s waist and abdomen. Shan raised his own shaft and blocked the strike. The two horses swept past each other.

They wheeled around once more. To gain speed over the shortest possible distance, each rider made a wide circle. When they crossed for the third time, Luo Shixin was on the east and Shan Xiongxin on the west.

Shan gathered all his strength and gave a muffled shout. The narrow, razor-sharp head of his halberd, more than two feet long, shot toward Luo Shixin’s chest.

The eighteen-foot iron halberd seemed no more than a child’s toy in Luo Shixin’s hands. With effortless grace, he extended it and knocked Shan’s weapon aside. The horses raced like lightning, and Red Dragon Pearl and Black Dragon Colt crossed for the third time.

Luo Shixin glanced back and called, “A fine fellow! To exchange three passes with me, you must have some ability after all.”

Shan Xiongxin shouted, “Why are you putting on airs like some old man, boy? Come fight again!”

The two horses turned once more, but this time the men did not meet. Cai Jiande had deliberately waited for the opportunity, hoping to kill Luo Shixin and claim an enormous military achievement for himself. Seeing an opening, he spurred his horse and lowered his halberd, suddenly attacking Luo from the side and rear.

The several riders who had accompanied Luo into battle could not reach him in time. As they hurried over, they shouted warnings.

Luo Shixin’s eyes took in everything. He had spotted Cai Jiande’s ambush long before. Without a word, he pretended not to notice. When Cai’s horse came close, Luo concealed his halberd beneath his arm and struck backward.

The iron butt at the end of his weapon reached Cai Jiande’s chest just before Cai’s halberd could reach him. The blow was immense and heavy. Cai spat out a mouthful of blood, abandoned his ambush, wheeled his horse around, and fled in panic.

Cai Jiande galloped south toward the Wagang position, while Luo Shixin’s several companions arrived from the north.

Those riders had failed to intercept Cai Jiande, but they happened to run straight into Shan Xiongxin.

Shan had not taken advantage of the moment when Luo struck Cai from behind to attack Luo himself. His halberd had already begun to thrust, but when Cai came rushing in to launch his ambush, Shan withdrew it. Now he found himself face-to-face with Luo’s several companions.

The riders cursed him furiously and thrust their long halberds at him from both sides.

Shan Xiongxin swung Cold-Bone White and swept all their weapons aside. Then he roared, “You miserable curs!” Raising Cold-Bone White, he brought it crashing down as the riders passed. The shaft struck one rider squarely on the shoulder.

Though the man wore armor, the impact shattered his shoulder bone. Crying out in pain, he fell from his horse.

The remaining riders hurriedly turned back, seized him by the legs, and dragged him away.

Shan Xiongxin and Luo Shixin each wheeled his horse around, once again facing one another.

Luo Shixin laughed. “I had heard that although you, Shan Xiongxin, are a bandit, you possess a reputation for righteousness. So this is how you settle life and death? What a fine dog you are!”

Shan’s face flushed crimson. He cursed, “You filthy cur! He ambushed you—what has that to do with me? Why are you cursing me?”

The “filthy cur” he meant was Cai Jiande, not Luo Shixin.

After cursing, he raised his halberd and said, “Come! That was a satisfying exchange. Let us fight another ten passes!”

Luo Shixin thought to himself, “This cur has some courage and skill. I cannot kill him in haste. It would be better to first throw those infantry bandits into confusion and drive them back to their formation. Once their battle line is shaken, I can command my infantry and cavalry to sweep them away and win the battle.”

Having made his decision, he ignored Shan Xiongxin. He turned his horse, lowered his halberd, and led the several riders toward Wei Yaksha, Nie Black Otter, and the others, who were still locked in fierce combat with the hundred or two Luo infantrymen.

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When Shan Xiongxin gave chase, Chen Daogong and the other riders, having returned in force, entangled him in battle. For the moment, he could not get through.

…

Within the Wagang army formation, beneath the command banners, Xu Shiji said, “This is bad.” Stroking his thick beard, he wore a worried expression.

“Yaksha has not turned back and is still fighting fiercely. Once Luo Shixin drives him into retreat, those two or three hundred underlings of his will surely shake our formation. If that happens, we will lose this battle!”

The surrounding leaders had seen that Shan Xiongxin could not kill Luo Shixin, and the earlier cheers had already faded. Now, hearing Xu Shiji’s warning, they realized he was right. Panic began to appear on the faces of some among them.

One man said, “Elder Brother, that dog Luo has brought only a few companions. This is the perfect chance to kill him! Why not send out our cavalry and surround the dog, then slaughter him outright? Once he dies, the government troops will fall into disorder. Wouldn’t that win us the battle?”

Xu Shiji replied, “Have you not noticed that more than a hundred armored riders have remained motionless until now? If we send out our cavalry, his armored riders will move as well. Our cavalry are all light horsemen; they cannot stand against armored cavalry. Once those armored riders drive them back, they will disrupt our formation just the same. The cavalry must not be moved lightly!”

“Then what should we do?”

“There is only one option: hurry out and bring Second Lord, Yaksha, and Black Otter back to the formation.” Xu Shiji looked at the assembled leaders. “Who is willing to lead troops out to support them?”

None of the leaders answered.

Li Shandao cursed inwardly, “Damn it, damn it!”

He stepped forward and said firmly, “I’ll go!”

Xu Shiji glanced at him and, without saying much more, ordered, “Once you reach Yaksha, deliver my command. If he still refuses to return, I will punish him under the Ten Laws of the Stronghold for disobeying orders.”

Li Shandao answered loudly. Seeing that Xu Shiji had nothing further to say, he saluted and, beneath the watching eyes of the assembled leaders, ran back to his own company on the far right of the formation.

He drew his saber and looked toward Qin Jingsi, Wang Xuda, Chen Jinger, Luo Zhong, and the others.

“Damn it! Follow me and bring Lord Shan back to the formation!”

Wang Xuda’s expression changed dramatically.

“Young Lord, how can we—”

“Damn it, enough nonsense! Elder Brother Xu has issued an order. Anyone who disobeys will be executed under the Ten Laws of the Stronghold! Whoever brings Lord Shan back and earns merit in battle will be rewarded!”

To Li Shandao’s surprise, the first man to answer the order and lead his men out was not Qin Jingsi, but Chen Jinger.

Even the stalwart Gao Chounu could not help feeling uneasy at such a moment. He fumbled for words, clutching his two iron maces tightly. Chen Jinger, however, wore a smile. He grinned, baring a mouthful of white teeth.

“Bringing Lord Shan back will earn us an enormous achievement! It’s a sure thing!”

Qin Jingsi led out his own men as well—the people who had joined Wagang with Li Shandao.

Li Shandao waited no longer. He sheathed his saber, straightened his armor, and—although Liu Hu’er had once demanded the armor in jest, Li had put it on before entering battle that day—took up his spear.

Then he turned and led Chen Jinger, Qin Jingsi, and the others toward the battle raging between the two formations.

Wang Xuda and Luo Zhong led their own men after them, rushing toward the melee as well.

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