Zhang Lu did not expect Liu Qi to come so quickly. He had no time to take care of the affairs of the sect and was busy discussing strategies against the enemy with Yan Pu and Yang Ren.
Yan Pu said: "Liu Qi is coming with a light force and will not have weapons to attack the city. It is better to hold on and wait for reinforcements."
Yang Ren said: "Liu Qi has established a strong foothold and is a great threat to the counties. If we don't get rid of him soon, the surrounding areas will fall and Nanzheng will become an isolated city. Defending and waiting for help is nothing more than waiting for death."
Zhang Lu asked, "My brother is away at the battle site, and Hanzhong depends on General Yang for protection. What good advice do you have?"
“This…” Yang Ren knew that Zhang Lu wanted him to go to meet the enemy, but he was worried about meeting Zhao Yun.
At this moment, drums sounded loudly on the city wall, and the defenders came to report that a troop of soldiers had arrived outside the city and were challenging them to a duel.
They rushed to the top of the city wall and saw a red-faced general standing on his horse with a sword in hand, shouting at the defenders to open the city and surrender, otherwise they would charge into the city and Zhang Lu would be killed.
Yang Ren was secretly surprised: "The red-faced general, could it be Guan Yu?"
Yan Pu shook his head and said, "That Guan Yu has a two-foot-long beard, and he is stationed in Nanyang to guard against Cao's army. This man has a full beard, and he is not Guan Yu!"
Yang Ren's confidence suddenly increased, and he clasped his fists and said, "Master, I would like to ask for an army to challenge him. We will kill the general and give him a warning, so that Liu Qi will retreat."
Zhang Lu also wanted to see how strong the Jingzhou army was, so he warned, "General Yang, be careful!"
Yang Ren mounted his horse and led three thousand elite soldiers out of the city. He and his men were lined up in a row, pointed his spear and shouted, "Hanzhong Lieutenant General Yang Ren, I have no choice but to let you know your name!"
Wei Yan shouted: "I am Wei Yan from Jingzhou!"
Yang Ren laughed loudly and said, "So it's not Guan Yu. I went out of the city for nothing! You are no match for me. Go back quickly. Only Guan Yu can be my opponent."
"How dare you underestimate me?" Wei Yan was furious. He drew his spear and jumped on his horse, heading straight for Yang Ren.
Yang Ren also came out with his spear in hand, and the two fought under the city. The two spears were like a fight between dragons, and the fight was spectacular. The sound of drums on the city wall was deafening, and Zhang Lu and others watched the battle nervously.
The two sides fought for more than twenty rounds, and Yang Ren could no longer hold out. His spear skills became increasingly disordered, and he was forced to retreat step by step by Wei Yan. He made a feint with his spear and retreated to his camp.
"Where are you going, you bastard?" Wei Yan chased after him.
When General Chang Qi saw Yang Ren retreating in defeat, he rushed forward to take him, and the defenders behind him fired arrows at him and forced him to retreat.
Wei Yan pointed his gun at the top of the city wall and laughed, "There is no one who can fight, thief Zhang Lumi, why don't you surrender quickly?"
Zhang Lu was furious when he saw Yang Ren returning in defeat, saying, "How can you, a mere general, lead the army without even being defeated and bringing disgrace to our army?"
Yang Ren's face flushed red and he was embarrassed and couldn't answer. Who knew that people with red faces were so powerful
Yan Pu hurriedly advised: "There are many talented people in the Central Plains, and Liu Qi is good at using people. He must have some ability to use Wei Yan as the vanguard. Victory and defeat are common in the military. General Yang just needs to defend the city. Even if Guan Yu comes in person, he can't do anything!"
Zhang Lu's face was gloomy. He knew that the defense of the city now depended on Yang Ren, and it was not easy to punish him. He ordered the soldiers to defend the city and not to fight again.
Wei Yan showed off his power on horseback, shouted and cursed for a while, then retreated three miles and set up camp on the road east of Nanzheng to support Liu Qi's army.
When Zhang Lu returned to the city, he saw several chief priests surrounding him. They all recommended people to go to the altar to perform rituals. They were arguing with the two chief priests Nanzheng and Baozhong.
Zhang Lu realized that everyone was in Nanzheng at this time. He was shocked and asked, "The enemy has invaded. Why don't you all go back to your bases to defend and protect the believers? Why are you all here in Nanzheng?"
Nanzheng Jijiu replied: "The chief priest has performed a ritual to ask the Heavenly Master to descend to the world to help in the battle, so we should come and lend a hand."
"Nonsense!" Zhang Lu was furious, pointing at everyone and shouting, "Go back to your cities immediately! Do you dare to resist my order?"
Baozhong Jijiu had just secretly promised several Jijiu benefits and had received their support. Seeing that he was about to win the position, he was not willing to back down and said with great righteousness:
"Master, rest assured. There are captains and ghosts guarding each place. As long as we call in the gods, there is nothing to fear from Liu Qi. I am willing to accompany you and protect you!"
The priests all bowed and said, "We are willing to protect the law!"
Zhang Lu was shocked and furious. He never thought that in just a few months, these people dared to disobey his orders and seemed to be led by Yang Song.
At this time, the scout came to report again that Liu Qi had sent the main force of the army to attack Baozhong and sent people to ask for help.
Zhang Lu was shocked and said, "Liu Qi is a cunning boy. He is trying to make a feint to the east and attack in the west."
Upon hearing this, the chief priest of Baozhong was horrified and said anxiously, "Master, please send troops quickly. I will return to Baozhong immediately."
The other chief priests also changed their expressions, suddenly realizing that their territories might also be attacked, and they all changed their attitudes and decided to return to their various places to garrison.
Only Cheng Gu, the chief priest, advised: "Fellow Taoists, don't worry. Everything will be guided by the gods. Now that we have realized the Tao, we should let go of everything and not let external affairs break our Tao hearts. As long as Master and the chief priest are here, we will work together to protect the Dharma and guard the altar, and everything will be fine!"
Everyone looked at each other angrily. Baozhong Jijiu looked embarrassed and said anxiously: "The matter of protecting the law can be handled by Brother Li. We are willing to return to our base to guard the charity house and protect the believers."
Nanzheng Jijiu was overjoyed when he heard this: "I will do my best to fulfill the trust entrusted by fellow Taoists. Please rest assured, Master."
Zhang Lu did not dare to delay and immediately called Yang Ren to discuss the matter: "Liu Qi's attack on Nanzheng is just a cover. He really wants to take Baozhong. The attack on the city is very urgent. How should we rescue it?"
Yang Ren didn't know who had taken the reward, so he hesitated for a moment and replied, "Liu Qi is about to attack the city, and I cannot leave easily. General Zhang has not returned with his troops yet, so I have no choice but to send my deputy general Chang Qi. He has led troops for many years and is capable of helping us."
Zhang Lu was overjoyed and immediately ordered Yang Ren to divide 3,000 troops and go to support with Baozhong Jijiu. The Jijiu from other counties also said goodbye one after another and rushed back to their bases overnight.
The two places were only fifty or sixty miles apart. Chang Qi led his troops out of the city, crossed the Han River and headed straight for Baozhong to provide support.
The chief priest of Baozhong was so anxious that he was sweating profusely. Baozhong, Nanzheng and Mianyang were the richest places in Hanzhong, but in terms of followers, Baozhong had the most. The status of the chief priest was mainly measured by the number of his followers.
Although Nanzheng was the seat of Hanzhong, Baozhong was an important road to the Guanzhong Baoxiadao. At that time, hundreds of thousands of people from the three prefectures poured into Hanzhong. Baozhong was the first to bear the brunt and accepted countless young men. This was also the reason why he could compete with the chief priest of Nanzheng.
The money and grain stored in the treasury of Baozhong Prefecture is four or five times more than that of Chenggu. What would happen if it were taken away by the enemy
Baozhong Jijiu was extremely anxious along the way and secretly prayed to the gods for protection. If he could keep the base this time, he would offer three sacrifices to the gods.
When they were about to reach Baozhong, the troops and horses suddenly stopped to rest and water their horses by the Bao River. The soldiers readjusted their armor and swords and guns.
Baozhong Jijiu said anxiously: "Reinforcing troops is like putting out a fire, why is the general so careless?"
Chang Qi said: "The soldiers of Jingzhou arrived in Baozhong first, and they are well rested. If we rush to the city, our men and horses will be exhausted, how can we fight? We should conserve our energy and send out the troops, and cooperate with the defenders from inside and outside, so that we can defeat the enemy in one fell swoop."
Baozhong Jijiu was worried: "What if we are discovered by the enemy scouts?"
Chang Qi laughed and said, "Don't worry, Master. I have led the army for many years, so I am prepared. I have already sent out scouts to patrol the surroundings. If the enemy comes..."
Before he could finish his words, he heard shouts and screams from upstream, the sound of horse hooves, and a large cloud of dust rolling in.