Chapter 1 The Martial World is Shaken

As the martial arts tournament came to an end, the Jianghu (martial world) participants dispersed. Chen Feng's feat of challenging the Eight Great Sects on Yunxia Mountain with his spear spread like wildfire throughout the Jianghu, shocking all directions.

After this battle, whether in the Jianghu or the Green Forest (outlaw world), Chen Feng was finally recognized as the "Number One Expert Under Heaven," his fame unmatched for a time.

However, Chen Feng's actions of capturing members of various sects and seizing their secret manuals were clearly the actions of the evil path. Seeing him become the number one expert, few Jianghu veterans could be happy.

Generally speaking, becoming the recognized number one expert would bring praise and adulation from the Jianghu. Chen Feng was an exception. He was neither virtuous nor respected, but more like an untreatable Jianghu demon.

Countless Jianghu elders lamented and denounced it as a martial arts catastrophe, praying for a hero to descend from the heavens and subdue this fiend.

But in any case, Chen Feng's martial arts dominated the current era and he was the number one person in hundreds of years. This was now the consensus of the world, and no one questioned it anymore… Even if someone did, the major sects would not agree.

Not long after Chen Feng established his position in the martial world, the situation in the Huyang region once again became turbulent, with the other two Green Forest great bandits joining forces to attack, and the imperial court also dispatching troops.

For a time, Chen Feng became the target of public criticism, facing a three-pronged attack.

The change in the situation energized countless Jianghu wanderers, who understood the situation.

Chen Feng was in a disadvantageous position. If he could not survive this battle, even the number one Jianghu demon under heaven would see his forces dissipate and become insignificant.

If he could survive, he would become the Green Forest overlord of Huyang, his position becoming more and more stable, and for a long time, probably no one could do anything about him.

Most people had no intention or qualification to intervene, and only planned to watch the show. But there were also some self-proclaimed righteous Jianghu people who called on heroes to take advantage of Chen Feng's predicament and rescue the captured members of the various sects from his clutches.

Most Jianghu wanderers who had participated in the martial arts tournament had only one reaction to this statement: if I even acknowledge you, I'll lose!

However, there were indeed some naive newcomers, or people with vested interests, who were tempted, feeling that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

For a time, various rumors spread throughout the Jianghu, the situation treacherous and unpredictable.

On the other side, Zhou Jing and the leaders in the stronghold had no time to worry about the Jianghu's reaction and devoted all their energy to fighting the Two Dragons and the imperial court's bandit suppression troops.

…

The camp tents stretched as far as the eye could see, banners fluttered, and the vast lake shimmered. Countless warships were practicing on the lake, the scene lively.

Now, Zhou Jing's stronghold had completed its war mobilization, and many soldiers were waiting in readiness, ready to move out at any moment.

In the main camp, many leaders were seated in order, listening to Du Ying report on the current military situation.

"Chieftain, scouts have confirmed that 'River-Swimming Dragon King' Wan Chunyang is attacking from the east with 40,000 soldiers, while 'Copper-Head Dragon King' Tan Peng has sent over 10,000 soldiers to constantly harass our various lake territories from the north. And the prefectural governments of Huyang have mustered 30,000 elite troops, converging on Fanzhou, and are launching a large-scale invasion from the west…"

Du Ying carefully reported the intelligence.

Although he used to be a subordinate of Fan Zong, people's hearts change easily. Now he was sincerely devoted to Zhou Jing, which made Fan Zong feel very uncomfortable, but he could do nothing about it.

After a few contacts, Zhou Jing appointed Du Ying as the mountain stronghold's strategist, after all, there were too few literate people in the stronghold, and this was at least someone who could be used.

"A three-pronged attack, besieged on all sides, does the strategist have any good plans?"

Zhou Jing sat in the main seat and asked.

Du Ying thought for a moment and said, "Let's not talk about the imperial court's bandit suppression, there is no room for maneuver. But looking at the current situation, Wan Chunyang dares to send troops on such a large scale, mostly because he has cooperated with the imperial court in private and may have accepted amnesty. And although Tan Peng has also sent troops to attack us, he has only sent over 10,000 people to harass us, while the rest of his troops are still stationed in their territory, obviously with vigilance in mind. It is estimated that he is not so determined and not completely of one mind."

"There's some truth to that."

The leaders nodded.

Du Ying paused and continued:

"Last year, Tan Peng and Wan Chunyang joined forces to confront us out of mutual dependence. Now, Wan Chunyang is probably connected with the imperial court. If we are eliminated, Tan Peng will not have a good end either. So we and Tan Peng are now also in a mutually dependent relationship, perhaps we can find a way to win this person over."

Duan Yunfeng heard the words and said in a deep voice: "What the strategist said is correct, but we must also be careful that this is a trick. It is possible that Tan Peng has also submitted to the imperial court, deliberately pretending not to be of one mind, luring us to form an alliance with them, and waiting to stab us in the back at the crucial moment."

"It's not impossible, but we have to contact him to make a judgment."

Du Ying replied, then looked at Zhou Jing and asked with cupped fists:

"Chieftain, in my opinion, we should send an envoy to persuade Tan Peng, explain the situation clearly, and make him turn against them…"

Zhou Jing tapped the chair, looked at Fan Zong, and asked: "Brother Fan, you have been enemies with Tan Peng for many years, how much do you know about him, what kind of person is he?"

Fan Zong thought for a few seconds and replied: "This person came from a poor background, once a fisherman on the river, oppressed by the government, angrily took to the grass (became an outlaw), has a fierce nature and a irritable temper, and has always regarded the imperial court as an enemy. The possibility of accepting amnesty is not great…"

After Zhou Jing listened, he pondered for a while and slowly said:

"In that case, no matter who wins or loses, Tan Peng's situation is awkward. This person seeks opportunities in the cracks, perhaps we can lure him with benefits. Strategist, this plan is feasible, just do it. Let the envoy send my conditions, I will fight Wan Chunyang and the imperial court troops in front, and then Wan Chunyang will not have time to take care of the rear. We can persuade Tan Peng to attack him, and I have no time to touch Wan Chunyang's territory and stronghold, that's all his. In this way, he will have benefits. No matter who wins between me and the imperial court, he can use this to grow stronger."

Hearing this, the leaders looked at each other, hesitating to speak.

Guo Hai frowned and said: "Second Brother, if we act like this, wouldn't we become fools, we are fighting desperately, but Tan Peng is taking advantage of it, making wedding clothes for others for nothing."

Zhou Jing shook his head and explained:

"Now we are attacked from three sides, although we have tens of thousands of soldiers, we are still weak. If we can make one side turn against us, the situation will be much easier. If we don't offer great benefits, how can Tan Peng agree? We have to let him take advantage of it, make him feel that he can compete with the winner after growing stronger, and have the power to protect himself, so he will temporarily join forces with us.

Moreover, if Tan Peng really hasn't submitted to the imperial court, even if I don't mention this condition, he may still want to take advantage of Wan Chunyang's misfortune. First stabilize him with this. When we have a result, he may come out to pick the peaches, but it is also a good thing to be able to stagger the response to the enemy…"

The three families must be wary of his tactics of defeating Fan Zong, and will no longer easily give him the opportunity to single-handedly kill generals and seize flags.

He is only one person after all, and cannot be in three places at once. If he forcibly confronts the three families, although he still has a chance of winning, the losses will definitely be significant.

He can rely on his martial power to open an unparalleled path on the battlefield, but strategically he does not necessarily have to fight alone. If conditions permit, he does not mind using some strategies of alliance to divide and conquer, and try to reduce some battlefield pressure.

"In addition, if we win on the front, we can get a lot of surrendered soldiers and armor. It is also using war to support war. It is hard to say who will benefit more." Zhou Jing added to the leaders.

Everyone nodded slightly.

Du Ying pondered and said: "Well, in this way, the envoy needs to choose a clever person who can speak well, in order to persuade Tan Peng."

Hearing these words, Zhou Jing's mind flashed with Li Chun's figure.

Unfortunately, this person is in Hongyun Mountain, not his own leader, otherwise it would be very suitable to let this guy be the envoy.

He scanned the crowd and quickly appointed a leader who had joined later as the envoy.

This person is called Zhu He, his martial arts are superficial, but he can barely speak well, and he is usually responsible for the reception business.

"Then it's settled, let Brother Zhu He be the envoy, meet with Tan Peng, and bring some elite soldiers as guards."

Zhou Jing made a decision, and then said in a deep voice:

"Even if Tan Peng agrees, he is mostly harboring the plan of being the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, we can't fully trust him, we must be on guard." (metaphor for being focused on immediate gains while being unaware of greater dangers)

"That's natural."

Everyone responded.

After a group of people discussed the strategy of resisting the enemy, under Zhou Jing's command, they each led their troops and set off with the army.

…

In the twelfth year of Xinghe, at the end of March, Wan Chunyang, Tan Peng, and the Huyang troops set out to encircle and suppress Chen Feng.

Chen Feng's navy divided into several routes, relying on the land to face the water, and strictly set up defenses on the shore.

In April, Chen Feng's troops met Wan Chunyang's army, and the two sides fought several battles on the water, each with injuries. Wan Chunyang was defeated and temporarily retreated.

During this period, Chen Feng took the lead, repeatedly acting as a vanguard to break through the enemy's formation. Wan Chunyang's failure was due to this.

On the other side, Guo Hai and others led another army to garrison Danhu River, set up a large stronghold, and defended the danger.

The government army ignored the changes in the rise and fall of the river, and attacked fiercely, fighting for several days, but they were caught in a trap. Guo Hai's troops had long ago ordered people to tamper with the upstream and the river, and many government ships were deeply mired in the mud, stranded on the shoals, and had to abandon some warships and flee.

However, this plan blocked the river, and Guo Hai was also difficult to pursue and kill, and only won a small victory, and did not severely damage the government army.

In the north, Tan Peng harassed many important lake areas under Chen Feng, and fought several times, with victories and defeats. He was temporarily blocked outside the main battlefield, entangled endlessly, and did not advance in a big way.

In May, the government troops reorganized their troops and transferred to Hongzhou, advancing from the downstream by water. Wan Chunyang transferred to the upstream by water, attempting to sandwich Chen Feng's water village on both sides, but was seen through by Du Ying.

Chen Feng's troops transferred the residents and livestock of the water village in advance, and part of the navy restrained Wan Chunyang upstream, secretly dispatching hundreds of people to ride on dilapidated warships and go downstream.

Downstream, Guo Hai led the army to feign defeat and retreated step by step. The government army advanced by water and land, and besieged the lakeside water villages one by one, but all they reached were empty villages. Seeing warships drifting by, they thought that Chen Feng's army had been defeated upstream, so they advanced directly to intercept the retreat.

When they reached the Yangping River estuary, the drums suddenly sounded, and Chen Feng's ambushes came out, and the government army sank ships and abandoned armor, and fled in all directions, and thousands of soldiers surrendered.

On the other side, Wan Chunyang attacked urgently for many days, but failed to overcome, and had to transfer, and joined the defeated soldiers of the government army in one place, and temporarily retreated to several key passes and places, and the military force threatened several territories of Chen Feng, but did not dare to advance rashly, and urgently urged Tan Peng to support.

In early June, a sudden change occurred, Tan Peng turned against them and attacked Wan Chunyang's territory, stealing his rear.

Wan Chunyang's army was in chaos when he heard the news.

Taking this opportunity, Chen Feng advanced in a big way, and the offensive and defensive positions were reversed.

In mid-June, Chen Feng, Wan Chunyang, and the government army launched a battle of tens of thousands of people on the lake. Warships collided, and the sailors fought, and the Yue Mountain Lake was stained with blood.

Chen Feng turned the river and sea upside down in the water, killing countless enemies, and his pupils were stained with blood. In the end, he established a winning position, led the army to defeat Wan Chunyang and the government troops, and captured tens of thousands of enemies.

The surviving enemy troops were badly injured and were pursued and killed, and were eaten away step by step. Those who died, those who escaped, and those who surrendered were all unable to recover.

During the period, there was an interlude. Dozens of masked Jianghu people had the whimsical idea of ​​taking the opportunity to sneak into Chen Feng's stronghold and rescue the imprisoned members of the various factions.

However, before they sneaked in, they were exposed, hung up and whipped for a day and a night, and then thrown into prison to transcribe secret manuals with the various factions.

On June 20, Wan Chunyang and many leaders had no way out and were all captured.

Their mighty expedition to conquer Chen Feng resulted in a complete defeat.

The "River-Swimming Dragon King" Wan Chunyang lost all his family property, a large number of soldiers were captured by Chen Feng, his territory was taken by Tan Peng, and he was directly beheaded by Chen Feng to sacrifice to the flag, and was directly removed from Huyang.

The bandit suppression officers and soldiers mobilized by the states of Huyang were almost completely wiped out, and most of them became surrendered soldiers in Chen Feng's hands.

On the other side, Tan Peng took over Wan Chunyang's forces, but he was not satisfied with the status quo, but immediately sent troops to attack Chen Feng.

At this critical moment, Chen Feng's navy was quite tired after several battles, and had not yet had time to transform the surrendered soldiers into combat power, which was an excellent opportunity to attack.

Tan Peng had planned this early on, and interacted with Chen Feng falsely, pretending to join forces, but in fact he was waiting for an opportunity to be the oriole behind, taking the opportunity to solve the last competitor and become the final winner in Huyang.

However, under Chen Feng's superhuman performance, Tan Peng could not attack for a long time. This battle lasted until August, with injuries and no victory or defeat.

Tan Peng knew that the opportunity had been lost, and his plan failed. After weighing the pros and cons, he temporarily withdrew his troops and deployed troops at various key passes, guarding strictly, with the intention of dividing the rule.

Chen Feng's army had been fighting for a long time and was tired, and also acquiesced to this situation, and temporarily withdrew his troops for rest.

The Huyang turmoil lasted from March to August, fighting for nearly half a year. In the end, Wan Chunyang and the government troops were all devoured, and there were only two overlords left in the Green Forest, confronting each other.

Although the two sides stopped fighting, they were sharpening their swords privately, holding back a force, preparing to completely solve their opponents and dominate Huyang.

The government army of Huyang was badly injured and had no power to intervene.

But for Tan Peng, the imperial court still did not give up, and still intended to recruit and win him over.

Now there are only two great bandits left in Huyang, and only Tan Peng can deal with Chen Feng. If Tan Peng can be recruited and used to kill Chen Feng, not only can the confidant's trouble be eliminated, but the banditry in Huyang can also be eliminated together, and this place will be stable.

With this "win-win" idea, the imperial court endured the unhappiness of the last time and once again sent an envoy to visit Tan Peng.