HEAVEN SWORD DRAGON SABRE Book 2 of 2

Lighting A Blazing Fire To Burn The Sky Part 3

The Mongolians' arrows came like rain. "Devil Cult rebels!" they shouted, "Quickly surrender!"

"Jiaozhu," Zhou Dian said, "Shall we?"

"All right!" Zhang Wuji said, "Kill the leaders first."

Yang Xiao, Yin Tianzheng, Yin Yewang, Tieguan Daoren, Zhou Dian, five people answered his call; breaking into the enemy formation. Long swords waved and two Mongolian 'bai fu zhang' [leader of 100 men unit] fell down their horses; followed by their 'qian fu zhang' [leader of 1000 men unit] fell under Yin Yewang's blade. The Yuan soldiers were thrown into confusion as soon as their leader fell down

The people defending the camp cheered as they saw help coming their way. The camp gate opened and a big burly man dressed in black came out with a lance in his hand. He charged into the Yuan soldiers and they were scattered away; nobody dared to block his lance. That big man swung his lance, quick as lightning, and a Yuan soldier was stabbed and fell from his horse. The soldiers around him cried out in alarm and fled to all directions.

Seeing this man's impressive, almost deity-like power, Yang Xiao and the others praised him highly, "Truly a heroic commander!"

Actually Zhang Wuji had seen that man's face clearly; he was none other than his big brother, Chang Yuchun, whom he missed dearly. Only the battle was raging wild, he did not have the opportunity to greet him. The Ming Cult people attacked left and right, killing about five, six hundreds Yuan soldiers. The rest of the enemy did not dare to prolong the battle, they scattered around and fled the battlefield.

Chang Yuchun lifted his lance horizontally and laughed. "Which brothers come to lend help? Old Chang is deeply grateful," he called out.

"Chang Dage," Zhang Wuji called out, "I miss you very much." Leaping toward him he grabbed Chang Yuchun's hands tightly.

Chang Yuchun bowed in respect and said, "Brother Jiaozhu, I am your Dage [big brother], but I also am your subordinate. My joy is unspeakable."

It turned out that Chang Yuchun was an officer under the Gigantic Wood Flag. He had learned Zhang Wuji's taking over the Cult Leader position and the circumstances surrounding it from the Flag Leader Wen Cangsong. He recently led a group of Cult brethrens to wait for Zhang Wuji. Unfortunately they were attacked by the Yuan army. Knowing his group was inferior in number, he originally was about to pretend defeat to lure the enemy into the camp, and then he would crush them. Unexpectedly Zhang Wuji and his entourage arrived and lent their assistance. Taking advantage of this favorable situation he went out of the camp and made some killing. His position in the Ming Cult was not high; therefore, he immediately paid his respects to Yang Xiao, Yin Tianzheng and the others. The leaders knew he was their Cult Leader's sworn brother, so they did not dare to act condescendingly. They held out their hands to greet him and treated him with utmost respect. Chang Yuchun invited the leaders to enter the camp. He butchered some sheep and prepared a banquet for his guests. And then they talked about what happened after they were separated.

The Huainan and Huaibei area experienced drought for the past several years in a row; the common people's suffering was beyond description. Chang Yuchun did not expect to live; he gathered a band of brothers and they lived as robbers ['lu lin' – lit. green forest], plundering food, gold and silver and storing them in the stronghold. After accumulating enough, they distributed the goods to the poor people. Several times the Yuan army tried to attack, but they always failed.

They all spent the night inside the camp. The next day they, along with Chang Yuchun, went north. They thought since the Yuan soldiers were defeated, they would not dare to attack within these two, three months. Several days later they arrived at the Butterfly Valley. As the Ming Cult people who had arrived earlier heard their Cult Leader's arrival, they went out the valley to welcome him. In the meantime the Gigantic Wood Flag had built many thatched huts and wooden cabins as temporary residence of the leaders. Wei Yixiao, Peng Yingyu, Shou Bude and the others had already arrived earlier; they reported their failure to find Miss Zhao's whereabouts.