roccoschili Chapter 168 Wang Bodang in a Dire Situation
Chapter 168 Wang Bodang in a Dire Situation
The entire Wagang Village was in chaos, with wails, vomiting, and cries rising and falling.
In the Hall of Gathering Righteousness, Wang Bodang, Li Mi, and others were not spared either.
Although they hadn't drunk much, the poison had already taken effect; they were all pale, clutching their stomachs, and their foreheads were covered in cold sweat.
"This...this is..." Li Mi couldn't even finish his sentence when another wave of severe abdominal pain hit him, and he almost slid off the chair.
Wang Bodang, enduring the pain, his eyes practically spitting fire: "The court officials actually poisoned the water!"
He still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that Qin Qiong's restoration of the water source was a secret act of assistance.
Only now do I realize that it wasn't help at all, but a deeper trap.
First give you hope, then let you despair.
This method is a hundred times more ruthless than simply cutting off the water supply.
……
Outside the village, Yuwen Chenglong was holding a letter and waving it in front of Pei Yuanqing.
"Yuanqing, shoot this letter at the pillar on the city wall."
He carefully threaded the letter onto an arrow and handed it to Pei Yuanqing.
"Me?" Pei Yuanqing looked at the bow and arrows handed to him, looking troubled. "I don't know how to shoot arrows."
"As a military general, how can you only know how to charge into battle?" Yuwen Chenglong glared. "Look at the prince, skilled in archery and horsemanship, proficient in all eighteen martial arts! And look at you, what can you do besides wield a hammer?"
After a few words, Pei Yuanqing nodded repeatedly.
That makes sense, absolutely makes sense.
Haven't eaten pork, haven't seen a pig run yet?
What's so difficult about drawing a bow and shooting an arrow?
"Watch me!"
Pei Yuanqing, brimming with heroic spirit, drew his bow and aimed at a thick wooden pillar on the city wall.
He took a deep breath, his arm muscles bulging, and the bowstring was drawn to its fullest extent.
"Whoosh!"
The arrow left the bowstring and soared into the sky.
Then, a piercing scream came from the city wall.
It wasn't the sound of an arrow hitting a pillar, but a person's scream.
Yuwen Chenglong stared wide-eyed as a Wagang soldier on the city wall collapsed, clutching his shoulder, an arrow lodged in his shoulder.
"You fucking missed!" Yuwen Chenglong slapped Pei Yuanqing on the back of the head.
"I already told you I don't know how to do it." Pei Yuanqing put down the bow with a wronged expression. "No wonder the prince doesn't usually play with this thing. It's definitely not as comfortable as a hammer."
"You call that not knowing how? You call that being inaccurate!"
Yuwen Chenglong corrected him.
"But aren't I pretty accurate at shooting?"
Pei Yuanqing, on the contrary, became smug and pointed at the soldier on the city wall who had been shot by an arrow.
Yuwen Chenglong was so angry that he couldn't speak.
The two were arguing down below, while chaos reigned on the city wall.
The soldier who was hit by the arrow was carried away for treatment, and the arrow was removed.
Someone noticed that the arrow still had a letter attached to it, and quickly opened it.
Although stained with blood, the writing was still clearly legible.
"Open the gate... and you'll live?"
"Capture Wang Bodang...and receive a reward of one hundred taels of silver?"
"Let bygones be bygones... Really?"
After reading the letter, the already anxious Wagang soldiers began to have a strange glint in their eyes.
Staying in Wagang Village will only lead to certain death.
But this letter gave them a way out.
"Rebellion! Damn it!" A burly man with a full beard suddenly stood up. "Rather than wait to die here, we'd rather fight for our lives!"
"Yes! It's backwards!"
"Open the gates! Welcome the imperial army!"
Once emotions are ignited, they become uncontrollable.
Zhai Rang's former subordinates took the lead, setting fire to the granaries, stables, and armories within the village.
In an instant, flames soared into the sky, and thick smoke billowed.
"Split into two groups!" roared the bearded man. "One group goes to capture Wang Bodang! The other goes to open the gate! Hurry!"
The crowd quickly dispersed.
A group of men, armed with knives and guns, rushed toward Wang Bodang's residence with murderous intent.
Another group rushed to the village gate, hurriedly moving the sandbags and logs blocking the entrance.
Outside the village, Lü Xiao had already arrived on horseback.
"Your Highness, chaos is about to break out." Yuwen Chenglong rode forward, pointing to the towering flames within the stronghold. "Look, they've already started fighting amongst themselves."
Lu Xiao nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the gate of Wagang Village.
There were many figures there, and the sounds of shouting and screaming could be faintly heard.
"Soldiers!" Lü Xiao suddenly turned his horse around, facing the dark mass of troops behind him, his voice like thunder, piercing the night sky.
"Don't say I didn't give you a chance! Victory is within your grasp!"
Upon hearing this, the three armies were invigorated, their eyes blazing with fury as they gripped their swords and spears tightly.
Why join the army?
Isn't it all about making a name for yourself, getting rewarded, and standing out from the crowd?
The opportunity is right in front of us, who would want to fall behind?
"Your Highness! The gates of the stockade have opened!"
Pei Yuanqing, with his sharp eyes, pointed in the direction of the village gate and shouted.
Sure enough, the heavy gate slowly opened, and a group of people carrying torches rushed out, shouting as they ran, "Chief Lü! We are former subordinates of Chief Zhai Rang!"
"Wang Bodang is inside the stronghold! If the chief wishes to take revenge, go quickly!"
"We are willing to atone for our crimes through meritorious service!"
A group of people rushed to Lu Xiao's horse and knelt down.
In the firelight, you could see the mixture of fear, excitement, and determination on their faces.
Lu Xiao glanced at the group of people and recognized a few of them.
Back in Wagang, these people were just low-level lackeys.
"Take them away." Lü Xiao said calmly to Li Jing beside him, "Pharmacist, I'm leaving you with him."
"promise!"
Li Jing drew his sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the firelight.
He raised his longsword high, his voice booming: "Soldiers! The time to make a name for yourselves has come! Kill!"
"kill!"
A roar like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami erupted.
The Red Valiant Army surged toward the gate of Wagang Village like a tidal wave, their horses' hooves shaking the earth.
"Charge! Charge with me!"
Pei Yuanqing took the lead, wielding his double hammers like a tiger descending a mountain.
Not to be outdone, Yuwen Chenglong picked up his spear and followed.
As long as Lü Xiao doesn't make a move, they all have a chance to achieve great things.
Especially capturing and killing Wang Bodang, that was the greatest achievement!
Outside Wagang Village, the sounds of battle were deafening, while inside the village, chaos reigned.
Wang Bodang's residence was completely surrounded, with a dense crowd of people outside and torches illuminating the night sky as bright as day.
Among these people were Zhai Rang's former subordinates and the Wagang soldiers he had personally trained.
"You...you dare to defy me!"
Wang Bodang rushed out of the room with his sword in hand, and his eyes widened in horror at the sight before him.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was ashen, half anger and half the pain of the poison taking effect.
If Zhai Rang's former subordinates rebelled, he would accept it.
After all, he struck first, killing Zhai Rang to eliminate any potential threats.
But among these people were his trusted confidants whom he had personally recruited, trained, and promoted!
The feeling of being betrayed by one's own people is a hundred times more painful than being surrounded by enemies.
"Wang Bodang! You killed Chief Zhai and seized power for yourself; you should have died long ago!"
"Open the gate and you'll live! Capture you and you'll get the reward! Sorry, General Wang!"
"Put down your weapon! I'll spare your life!"
The crowd drew closer step by step, their knives and spears gleaming coldly in the firelight.
Wang Bodang looked up to the sky and laughed loudly, his laughter shrill and mournful.
"Fine! Fine! Come on! Kill me!"
"Let me see what kind of ungrateful wretches I, Wang Bodang, have raised!"