Chapter 3: Heroes of the North
The crescent moon hung low in the west, while the morning star rose in the east, painting the sky with a hint of dawn. A series of footsteps broke the silence of the mountain path. A group of warriors, clad in tattered night-robes, hurried around a bend. Tall and short, thin and stout, they shared a common feature: bloodstains on their clothes, some dried, some fresh. They ignored their wounds and limped forward, supporting each other.
A thunderous sound of hooves and shouts echoed from afar, along with the indistinct roars of barbarians. The noise grew closer with each passing moment.
The leader of the night-robed warriors glanced back, his hand tightening on his sword. He turned back resolutely, “Elder Xu, you take Vice-Leader Ma and the brothers. The Gang Leader will come to meet us. I’ll hold them off.”
A man supporting a wounded comrade was about to object when a baby’s cry pierced the air. Their faces contorted in alarm. Before they could speak, a chilling voice hissed in their ears, “Don’t bother. You’re not going anywhere with me, the Four Evildoers, here.”
Before the words finished, an iron claw flew from the sky. Elder Chen raised his sword, slashing at it. A figure darted through the air, caught the claw, and stood still, no longer attacking.
Elder Chen and his men surrounded the injured, ready for battle. They knew Cloud Four had arrived, and the “Full of Evil” must be nearby. Indeed, a raspy, strange voice echoed, “What are you dawdling about? I’ve heard the Begging Gang’s Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms are legendary. But now, they’re just average.” As he spoke, a wave of cavalry charged forward from the distance.
Elder Chen and his companions’ hearts sank. Escape seemed impossible. They exchanged glances, ready to fight to the death. Suddenly, the sound of hooves came from behind them. Before the rider appeared, his voice boomed, “Who said the Begging Gang’s Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms are just average?!”
Elder Chen and his men cheered, “Gang Leader!!!”
A figure leaped from his horse and stood before them. He raised his hand, silencing Elder Chen’s attempt to speak, and said in a deep voice, “Elder Chen, take your men and go. I’ll hold them back! Hurry! Every moment counts!!” Without waiting for an answer, he struck out with both palms, sending men and horses flying. Duan Yanqing’s face hardened as he was forced to engage in combat.
Elder Chen looked at the injured, clenched his jaw, and said, “Let’s go!” He led his men towards the distance at top speed.
…
Hua Wu Que sat on a nearby hillside, watching Qiao Feng fight the Four Evildoers. He was holding his own, and Hua Wu Que hummed a familiar tune, recalling the Qiao Feng video compilation from his previous life. He thought to himself, “The Gang Leader who fights with a recorder, truly invincible!”
He glanced at a burly monk wielding a large bow, aiming at Qiao Feng. Seeing Qiao Feng was unaware, he drew his bow and shot an arrow. Hua Wu Que thought, “It’s my turn to join the fun,” and disappeared in a flash, reappearing with the arrow in his hand.
The combatants stopped fighting, surprised by this sudden turn of events. Qiao Feng saw the arrow in Hua Wu Que’s hand and figured he was an ally. He clasped his fists and said, “I haven’t repaid your kindness for the wine the other day, and now you’ve saved us. Qiao Feng is truly grateful.”
Hua Wu Que looked at the arrow in his hand and nodded at Qiao Feng, saying softly, “At the tavern, I heard about the Gang Leader’s plan to rescue people. The Begging Gang’s heroes have risked their lives for the people of the Central Plains. I would have ignored it if I hadn’t known, but now that I do, how can I stand by and do nothing?” He quickly waved his right hand, the arrow whistled through the air. The monk raised his bow to block, but stumbled and fell from his horse. Surrounding soldiers, seeing the opponent’s skill, began to back away.
“Amazing skill!” Qiao Feng exclaimed, impressed by Hua Wu Que’s prowess.
Hua Wu Que put away his folding fan and thought of the exciting scenes from the TV series in his previous life. He was delighted, “I’ve been envious for so long, and now it’s finally my turn to show off!” He took out a prepared pouch of wine, tossed one to Qiao Feng, raised it in a toast, and said, “We’re bound to face a tough fight today, but I admire the Gang Leader for a long time. Even if I die on the battlefield, I have no regrets!” He drank it down and tossed the pouch high into the air.
Qiao Feng’s admiration grew. He said heartily, “Good. Today, I can fight alongside the Southern Murong! Qiao Feng will die without regrets!”
Duan Yanqing seethed with hatred. These two were masters of martial arts. He couldn’t handle one alone, and now there were two. They were making it impossible for him to survive, and they were both saying “die without regrets” as if they had the upper hand. It was just too unfair!
He didn’t have time to dwell on it. Qiao Feng roared and charged. Duan Yanqing hastily blocked him. Ye Er Niang tried to assist, but was intercepted by a flying folding fan. Hua Wu Que threw the fan and moved in a flash to stand before Yue Lao San. He used a move called "Shifting Flowers and Connecting Jade" to redirect the Crocodile Jaw Scissors towards Cloud Crane, who was coming to help. Cloud Crane was startled, “Dou Zhuan Xing Yi?!” He quickly dodged out of the way.
Hua Wu Que wanted to test the skills of these masters in this world. He deliberately held back, but even so, the Three Evildoers were struggling to defend themselves. They were constantly injured, their confidence shaken. They began to think about retreating.
The battle raged on. On the mountaintop, Helian Tie Shu saw his men were losing ground. He stroked his chin, about to order an attack, when he heard a report, “Sir, an unknown force has been discovered below. Their numbers are unknown, and they have blocked several of our escape routes.”
Helian Tie Shu was alarmed. They were not far from Yanmen Pass. This was probably a Song Army tactic to lure them into a trap. Regardless of what happened to the four, he hurriedly ordered his troops to retreat. He led the charge, leaving the battle behind.
Yue Lao San was again attacked by Cloud Crane’s claw. He threw down his Crocodile Jaw Scissors and complained, “No more! No more! What kind of magic are you using? You keep hitting your own people!”
Duan Yanqing and his companions took the opportunity to withdraw from the fight and gathered together, saying to the two, “We’ve heard for a long time about the legendary Northern Qiao Feng and Southern Murong of the Central Plains martial arts world. Today, we see they live up to their reputation!”
Qiao Feng was about to retort, but Hua Wu Que stepped in, wanting to show off. He turned around and said, “Thank you, Prince Yanqing, for the praise, but I’m not the Murong公子. I’m Hua Wu Que, a disciple of the Shifting Flowers Palace.”
Duan Yanqing, exposed, was thrown into turmoil. He didn’t want to say anything more. He turned and left. The remaining three exchanged glances and retreated, keeping their guard up.
Qiao Feng turned around and laughed, “So I was mistaken. But I’ve met a young hero like you, Hua公子. That’s enough for me to drink three hundred bowls of fine wine!”
Hua Wu Que found his love for alcohol amusing. He was about to respond when a silver bell-like voice came from below, “Hee hee hee, Big Brother Qiao is finding another excuse to get people drunk. You’re so shameless!”
Hua Wu Que followed the sound, his eyes widening. A group of young women came from the mountain, all in martial arts attire with swords at their waists. They were in two formations, with four in the back and two flanking a beautiful girl like a celestial maiden. She was wearing a yellow dress with a white sash at her waist. Her eyes were like pools of water, and her long eyebrows reached her temples. She walked towards them with a smile.