Chapter 19 Attack and counter-attack!
As he listened, Xu Xing began to analyze.
Zhu Tiandu sat in Xiangshan and did not take any action, and only ordered Zhu Polong to pursue Qi Jiguang. There are probably two reasons.
First, although Zhu Tiandu killed Lu Bing, he was also injured and needed time to recover.
Secondly, although Zhu Polong and others succeeded in the surprise attack on Xiangshan, they did not have enough troops after all. They still had to wait for the 36 ship owners to land before they could continue their plot in Taizhou.
The defeat at Xiangshan was not only due to Zhu Tiandu's boxing skills, but also due to the heavy rain.
After the rain stopped, even though Zhu Polong was a master, it was almost impossible to imitate his adoptive father and carry out another beheading operation against the more heavily guarded Taizhou City.
That's why he personally led a team to hunt down Qi Jiguang, using his strengths as a boxing master.
Zhu Polong's calculations were very loud. He divided his men into about ten small teams led by big boxers and searched lightly.
On the other hand, he spread the news that Qi Jiguang had escaped into the mountains, and induced the defenders from all walks of life to send troops deep into the mountains and forests to help.
As long as the Ming army enters the mountainous forest area, the numerical advantage will be reduced to the extreme, and it will be difficult to defeat the elusive big boxers.
There is no shortage of masters of the Grand Boxer level in the southeast, but the situation here is really a mixed bag, and the undercurrent is surging. The Grand Boxer is also a human being, and he has a background, so he will naturally be affected.
The wealthy merchants along the coast often colluded with pirates due to the "sea ban". Even among the thirty-six ship owners, several were from maritime business backgrounds and came to invest with their entire families.
The boxing sect headed by Southern Shaolin has an ambiguous attitude due to the "Wuzhilu" incident of Emperor Jiajing's investigation of the world.
After much calculation, in the end, the only people who could work together with the army and the army to fight against the Japanese pirates were some civilian masters with righteous thoughts.
But the officers and soldiers also have their own problems, that is, no money.
In recent years, the imperial court has also been fighting successive battles with the Mongols in the north. Due to the tragedy of the Gengxu Revolution, the military expenditures of the capital and the Great Wall have increased sharply.
The national treasury is already empty, and after such a large amount of expenditure is added, the military expenditure that can be used in the southeast to eliminate Japanese pirates is naturally not sufficient, and there is even less that can be used to support the masters.
You must know that the medicinal materials, supplies, and even daily food required for a great boxer's practice are a large expense.
This is why, when Xu Xing returned to Chun'an and took over the tide building, he often went to sea alone to rob pirates.
——He really doesn’t have that much money.
These complex interest entanglements form a large web that restricts each other. Even figures such as Hu Zongxian and Qi Jiguang are inevitably trapped in it and find it difficult to let go.
But it's different at sea. Zhu Tiandu has been in the southeast for decades and has always controlled the maritime trade routes. He has countless wealth, his boxing skills are so high that they are almost the best in the world, and he has a group of great boxers who have been trained by himself.
With a lot of money, strong fists, and strong power, the combination of the three means that among the pirates, he naturally sticks to his word and cannot disobey it.
Even if the great boxers on the mainland offend Hu Zongxian and Qi Jiguang, as long as they have decent connections and power behind them, and their actions are not too excessive, they will basically not be punished.
Because these two people are officials, they have to consider various factors.
But if the great boxer in One Piece offends Zhu Tiandu, he will be beaten to death by Zhu Polong on the spot, without exception.
Therefore, it would be difficult for the Southeast masters with their own identities and powers to be uniformly dispatched like the "Ten Shark Generals" in a short period of time.
This is why Zhu Polong plans to make a surprise attack on Xiangshan. Although this plan is risky, the expected benefits are also very considerable.
Once successful, they can firmly grasp the rhythm of this war and rely on the time difference to always create opportunities for more to defeat fewer.
While Xu Xing was thinking, Xiao Yu had already arrived with his sword in hand, followed closely by Qi Dazhu, the instructors of the four major nursing institutes, and more than thirty martial arts apprentices.
Everyone was familiar with the bloody scene beside Xu Xing. They were only surprised by one thing.
——The museum owner took action and only killed a dozen people?
Some sharp-eyed people looked around and found the corpses of the Ming soldiers who were killed by Inoue Thirteenth Lang and others, so they naturally put this debt on Xu Xing's head,
——No wonder, this is reasonable.
When Xu Xing saw that everyone had arrived, he told the whole story together with his own analysis and ideas.
Although Qi Dazhu and Qi Jiguang only met once, they were already impressed by the charisma of the commander-in-chief. When he heard the outcome of the Battle of Xiangshan, he couldn't help but worry:
"General Qi is the leader of the people in the southeast. Now he is suddenly attacked. I'm afraid..."
However, Xiaoyu noticed another detail in this passage, looked up at Xu Xing, and even his usually cold and calm tone became excited and high-spirited.
"Is he the one who rescued Qi Jiguang?"
Xu Xing looked nostalgic, nodded and said:
"It's not surprising that he is someone who can do such a thing."
Xiaoyu pursed her lips, was silent for a while, and suddenly said:
"I'm going to help him."
Five words, one by one, decisive, full of determination and vigor, making people suddenly realize that although this little girl is slender and seemingly weak, she is also an extremely outstanding swordsman.
Xu Xing had known about the entanglement between her and Lu Zhu, so he was not surprised. He just smiled and said:
"Qi Yuanjing is the pillar of the Southeast. The young monk also saved me in the past. I have no reason to stand by and watch, both in public and private matters."
Hearing what Xu Xing said, the apprentices were not afraid, but rather eager to try. They were gearing up. Li Dingyuan, Qi Dazhu's former prisoner, took the lead and shouted:
"Master, we also want to kill the enemy!"
"Yes, yes!"
"General Qi is a good man, we can't let him be harmed by Japanese pirates!"
Although these apprentices were extremely disgusted and even hated the superior officials because of their imprisonment, they were still full of respect for Qi Jiguang.
After all, everyone knows that over the years, Southeast has been able to survive mostly by relying on the civil and military talents of Hu Zongxian and Qi Jiguang.
Therefore, when it came to rescuing General Qi and fighting Japanese pirates, these apprentices became excited and high-spirited.
Xu Xing saw that these apprentices didn't show any fear even though they knew they were going to fight against the master. He couldn't help but nodded, knowing that they had made great progress in the training of "Stealing Heaven's Secret" and would not be easily moved by foreign objects.
But what Xu Xing didn't know was that at least half of the apprentices were thinking the same thing.
With the owner here, what does a Zhu Polong mean?
If the opponent is Zhu Tiandu, then no matter how confident these apprentices are in Xu Xing, they will inevitably feel uneasy.
After all, they had all witnessed the sea disaster six years ago, and their awe for this "Dragon King" was engraved in their bones.
But Zhu Polong...
Although the "Crocodile God of the Four Seas" is famous far and wide, is our owner's performance of being able to survive the thunder without getting hurt, is that bad?
Xu Xing raised his hands to the four coaches again and said sincerely:
"If a fight breaks out later, please ask the four of you to take extra care of these disciples. Xu thanked you here."
Among the four, the middle-aged man with the most seniority said openly:
"Boss Shen has given instructions that if any one of us dies in the battle, he will help take care of our family members.
We have no worries and can compete side by side with a master like Master Xu. Those of us who practice the style will die with no regrets! ”
The other three people also laughed, obviously they had the consciousness of risking their lives. Although these four people have not yet practiced their body, they are all martial arts masters who have mastered their own boxing skills.
The most rare thing is that each of them has superb fighting skills and tacit understanding. When they join hands, a big boxer who usually trains at once will have to spend a lot of effort to defeat them. On the battlefield, they are considered to be extremely powerful.
Seeing everyone's attitude, Xu Xing recalled the happy time he had spent laughing and talking about drinking the blood of the Huns outside the Great Wall. He suddenly felt heroic and laughed loudly: "You four are so brave, let's go!"
Before setting out on the road, Xu Xing thought to himself that with him as a grandmaster leading the team, and Xiaoyu as a second-level boxer, he should not encounter too many troubles on the way to Taizhou.
Therefore, they did not bring weapons, but only brought some dry food and medicinal materials needed for practicing, and left the tide-raising hall.
Fortunately, on this battlefield, there are ready-made weapons to pick up. After wielding swords, guns, swords and halberds, the apprentices are even more excited.
As the saying goes, if you have a hammer in your hand, everything will look like a nail. They have just gone through the training of "stealing secrets", and now they are all full of energy. Naturally, they are eager to find a target to verify what they have learned.
Xu Xingbian was responsible for clearing the way in front, with his Skin Refining Realm fully activated. He could capture even the subtle touch of every ray of air passing over his skin. It would not be an exaggeration to say that his whole body was covered with eyes.
The information collected by all the senses is combined into a picture, which emerges in Xu Xing's sea of consciousness.
The reason why Zhu Polong wanted the great boxer to be the vanguard was because in the mountains and forests, these masters with keen senses could even detect the slightest movement a hundred steps away, and their search ability was far beyond that of ordinary people.
A dozen or so great boxers spread out like a thin net, trying to catch Qi Jiguang and others.
But compared to Xu Xing, a master who has achieved the ultimate level of skin refining and can feel the murderous intention within several miles, the perception of the great boxer is not worth mentioning at all.
Check out the 16-9 book bar and see the correct version!
Qi Dazhu and others had just walked two miles forward when they saw Xu Xing turning back gracefully, emerging from the treetops, and commanding below:
"There is another group ahead, seventeen in total. Wait for me to kill the big boxer who takes the lead first, and then you can follow up to eliminate the rest of the pirates.
There are three Tongjin fighters inside, one is Crane Fist, one is Tiger Shape Fist, and one is Plum Fist.
The Crane Fist, the muscles and bones in the hands have not been trained well, and the most afraid of horizontal exercises. The Tiger Shape Fist is more than fierce, but lacks finesse, and the frame has big flaws, and cannot cope with the siege.
The guy from Mei Quan has good leg skills, so Dazhu remembers to kick him to death with his leg kick first, and don't give him any room to maneuver. ”
After listening to Xu Xing's detailed instructions, everyone was confident of victory even though they had not yet seen the appearance of the enemy.
Xiaoyu and the four instructors also had their eyesight opened. Although they were experienced in many battles, they had never fought in this kind of battle where "people don't know me, but I only know others."
Xiao Yu even thought to herself that with this information, even if she was allowed to take action alone, as long as she had more time, she might be able to kill all these people.
After understanding this, the female swordsman experienced Xu Xing's power from another angle, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
Is this the point where the master's power reaches this point?
The battle was indeed as easy as everyone expected.
Although the big boxer who led this team was proficient in boxing techniques, he was only at the second level. His actual combat skills were not as good as those of Lei Bin and Xiao Yu. Naturally, he collapsed at the first touch under Xu Xing's hands.
Seeing Xu Xing's bravery, the pirates immediately burst into an uproar. Their hearts were shaken when they saw Qi Dazhu leading more than thirty people to swarm forward.
Although these pirates were a small group of elites who landed after the rain stopped, except for the three Tongjin masters, their skills were at best better than those of the apprentices who had experienced the "stealing secrets".
It is naturally impossible for the pirates to use this Weibo advantage to smooth out the more than twice the number difference, not to mention that their military morale has been shaken by witnessing Xu Xing's ferocious power.
After half a stick of incense, there was no longer a living pirate in the place.
After briefly cleaning the battlefield, everyone in the Chaochao Pavilion did not hide their route and continued to rush to the next target under the leadership of Xu Xing.
Xu Xing just wanted to let Zhu Polong know where they were!
——
On a wild hillside.
Zhu Polong stands proudly and erect, with his chest and arms exposed. The muscles on his chest, abdomen, shoulders and back are clearly defined, like rocks that have been washed away by waves for a long time.
He glanced at the forest and said in a deep voice:
"It has been five days. Thirteen great boxers led the team, but no clues were found. Could it be that Qi Jiguang really flew into Taizhou with a winged tiger on his head?"
Behind Zhu Polong, four figures were kneeling. Even though they were all great boxers, when they heard these questions, cold sweat broke out on their backs. They lowered their heads and remained silent.
Next to Zhu Tiandu, Zhu Polong was always discreet, just like an attendant.
But once he left the "Dragon King", Zhu Polong's edge and courage as the "Crocodile God of the Four Seas" were completely revealed. Every word weighed more than a thousand pounds, and it was so overwhelming that people could not breathe.
Zhu Polong turned around, revealing the tattoo on his back. It was a ferocious beast with round eyes, an angry mouth, and the head of a crocodile and the body of a crocodile.
As its muscles squirm and its bones undulate, this evil beast will also show different forms, either angry, ferocious, or resentful, which is daunting and terrifying.
Suddenly, Zhu Polong frowned again:
"Why hasn't the blood shark sent a signal yet? Didn't I tell you that you must be on time and on time? Don't be greedy for credit. What has he done?!"
When Zhu Polong assigned the task before, he had ordered the thirteen great boxers not to be eager for quick success when searching, but to report the news from time to time to avoid being caught and killed by Qi Jiguang.
After all, a seriously injured Grandmaster is also a Grandmaster.
Compared with the great boxers on land, although these masters at sea can form a rope, they are not without flaws.
Because all they do is mind-blowing work, and they never know when they will lose their lives, these people have developed the habit of indulging in sex, amassing wealth, and venting all their desires in their limited lives.
This is especially true for the big pirates among the Thirty-six Captains who have their own wealth. They have long been accustomed to this style of behavior.
Fierce as a tiger, ruthless as a sheep, greedy as a wolf, this is what we call it.
Therefore, Zhu Polong's orders to these pirates were just like driving wild beasts to lure them to eat blood.
It is completely impossible to expect this group of people to be strictly disciplined and follow orders and prohibitions.
The desire of "Blood Shark General" Inoue Jusanro is to like Lingchi's opponents and appreciate the way these people gradually collapse when they are about to die.
Although Zhu Polong has emphasized many times that his subordinates should not indulge in any indulgence, but the great boxers will always be a little willful and violate it overtly or covertly.
Jusanro Inoue is one of them.
On weekdays, Zhu Polong didn't bother to pay attention.
However, today is different from the past. Hunting Qi Jiguang is closely related to his adoptive father's plan. Naturally, he has to adopt the most severe attitude and not get a grain of sand out of his eyes.
"Go and see what he is doing!"
At this moment, a figure flew from the forest. He shouted loudly as he ran:
"General Blood Shark, General Blood Shark is dead!"
Hearing that his general died in battle, Zhu Polong's eyes widened suddenly, but he was not sentimental at all. He was only shocked by one thing.
——Qi Jiguang, who was seriously injured, could still kill a peak boxer with all four skills?
This is why, when Zhu Bolong saw that Inoue Thirteenth Lang did not report the news earlier, Zhu Polong's first reaction was that he had neglected his duty again.
After all, even now, if he wants to take down Thirteenth Inoue, he is still within three moves. A dying tiger, can he really have such a method? !
Could it be that the imperial court sent experts to help the southeast again? !
Thinking of Lu Bing who suddenly appeared and almost ruined his plan, Zhu Polong raised the corners of his mouth, smiled extremely ferociously, and his eyes glowed with a fierce light.
——If so, that’s just what I want!
(End of chapter)