Magical Water Margin: They all call me brother

Page 96

Yes, Dengzhou is so corrupt that the prefect can no longer rely on the strength of Dengzhou to defeat Liangshan.

However, given the strong defenses of Penglai, it shouldn't be a problem to resist the arrival of reinforcements from nearby prefectures and counties.

However, Liu Hong gave him no chance at all. The artillery offensive launched on the first day took only three hours to bombard the western city wall, leaving it riddled with holes.

Before the echoes of the cannon fire had faded from the trembling earth, before the heavy smell of burning and blood had been blown away by the wind, another sound wave, loud enough to tear eardrums, exploded from the ground—it was not the roar of cannons from hell, but a raging tide of flesh and violence from the human world!

"Listen carefully: Once you enter the city, you are not allowed to harass the people! But the prefectural capital and manors are yours to loot!"

Liu Hong raised his arm and called out, and a large number of people responded.

"Fame, fortune, and glory are within reach! Brothers and sisters, follow me into Penglai!!!"

"The city walls have fallen! Charge—into the city!!!"

"Gold and silver! Beauties! Charge!"

In an instant, countless roars, howls, and distorted cries of excitement erupted, like millions of bloodthirsty beasts breaking free from their infernal cages. Their scale and frenzy far surpassed the previous artillery fire, sweeping across the entire battlefield in a more primal and brutal manner! They hurtled straight toward the massive wound inflicted on Penglai City!

The breach in the city wall, torn open by heavy artillery fire, became a hellish slope. There was no need for ladders here; blasted stone slabs, broken beams, collapsed rammed earth mixed with charred wood, shattered armor, and countless severed limbs and mangled flesh and blood formed a massive slope built of destruction and death, constantly emitting the stench of blood.

The Liangshan warriors, their eyes bloodshot, no longer cared what lay beneath their feet! They only saw a golden road leading to the city's prosperity.

Some stepped into the warm, sticky pile of entrails, the thick blood reaching their ankles with a sickeningly loud "plop"; others trod on a splintered log, beneath which lay a twitching severed hand; still others collapsed onto the mangled pile of corpses, scrambling upwards on all fours, their bodies smeared with dark red blood and mud, like demons crawling out of a blood-soaked hell. Each time their boots and straw sandals were lifted, they stirred up pieces of blood-stained flesh, broken bone fragments, and a nauseating stench of decay. This mountain of flesh, a mixture of human bodies and construction debris, became the most brutal and effective siege ladder.

The Liangshan soldiers, rushing forward in a frenzy, collided at the top of the breach with the remaining defenders who had managed to escape the artillery fire and were coming to intercept them!

The fighting here is devoid of any skill; it's nothing but the purest, most brutal meat grinder!

The Liangshan soldiers first used a terrifying volley of musket fire to shatter the enemy's formation and morale, and then charged in like tigers descending the mountain.

Long spears thrust out with the momentum of the downward charge, knocking down the resisting defenders like a string of gourds; swordsmen and axemen rushed to the front, hacking and slashing at any standing figure in their field of vision wearing armor of different colors, and when their blades chipped, they used their fists and teeth.

The blood mist never ceased here! Every swing of a weapon, every death, spilled out scalding liquid. The ruins beneath our feet were repeatedly washed and soaked by blood, the muddy ground, saturated with blood, becoming treacherous and slippery with every step. Shouts of battle, the clash of metal, the cracking of bones, the dying screams, the dull thud of blades piercing flesh… these sounds echoed and amplified within the narrow opening, converging into a heart-wrenching symphony of death.

When the resistance at the breach was crushed by the utterly frenzied crowd, the surging black torrent finally poured into Penglai City. The six hundred soldiers who were receiving salaries without working, along with the hundreds of temporarily conscripted militiamen, were no match for this killing tide and were instantly overwhelmed and swallowed up by the crowd.

Penglai City has fallen.

The prefect of Dengzhou sighed, silently donned his iron armor, held a sword in his right hand and raised the Song flag in his left, and personally joined the battlefield, becoming a bright yet insignificant yellow figure moving against the tide of scarlet frenzy.

Then, the small yellow dot was completely swallowed up by the bloodthirsty Liangshan soldiers. The last Song banner also crashed down.

At first, the Liangshan soldiers faithfully carried out Liu Hong's orders, refraining from looting or harassing the people, and instead focusing on plundering the local government's property.

However, when they discovered that Nima's state warehouse had been burned to the ground and that their brothers had fought desperately into Dengzhou but failed to steal anything, they immediately flew into a rage.

Luan Tingyu and Hu Sanniang's men were somewhat better behaved, but Li Jun's men were all river pirates. Faced with something that offered no benefit, they couldn't tolerate it and immediately began looting and harassing the people. They went down the street, breaking down doors and robbing people one by one.

A skilled river pirate even managed to kill someone and then dump the body into the river, throwing the relatively orderly Dengzhou into chaos!

When Liu Hong heard about this, the bandits had already burned, killed, and looted half the street. He rushed over and saw a bandit grab a fleeing little girl in the street, pinning her down as she cried, preparing to commit a crime in the street. Several other bandits nearby were also eager to try and began to line up.

Upon seeing this, Liu Hong was furious. His eyes burst forth with a ghostly blue spiritual energy, and the nine pirates under Li Jun's command immediately emitted silver spiritual energy. They were lifted into the sky by Liu Hong's psychic power and then, like cannonballs, were thrown one after another onto the city wall dozens of meters away!

They weren't as resilient as Li Kui; they were smashed into a pulp!

"You bastards! What did I tell you before you entered the city? You were not allowed to harass the common people! There are so many wealthy families and such a large prefecture waiting for you to rob, and you insist on robbing the poor people?"

Liu Hong said angrily that he planned to occupy Penglai and Dengzhou.

However, our strength is far too weak compared to that of the Song Dynasty. To defend Dengzhou, we must rely on the strength of the people. That's why I have repeatedly ordered that no one be allowed to harass the people. I never expected that you would still do this!

After killing nine people, Liu Hong quickly brought the situation under control. This reassured the nearby people and terrified Li Jun's bandits.

But at that moment, some of the pirates, seeing that things were not going well, immediately slipped away to find their leader and explain the situation.

Chapter 254: The Seven Killing Star Descends, the Serpent Subdues the Mirage

Just as Liu Hong was reprimanding the newly joined Liangshan bandits, the Tong sisters, Tong Wei and Tong Meng, had already been summoned by the other bandits.

These twins looked almost identical. Their red ponytails, bound tightly with copper rings, billowed like flames, and their wheat-colored skin gleamed healthily under the blazing sun. Their amber eyes stared intently at their elder brother, whose full lower lip had been inadvertently bitten red by a mouthful of shark teeth, exuding a wild and scorching aura.

They wore only a black sharkskin belt wrapped diagonally across their upper bodies, roughly pressing down on their full breasts and exposing half of their round and muscular sides. Sweat rolled down their honey-colored skin, revealing sun tan lines that disappeared into the indentation below the belt.

The meteorite iron wrist guards were tight around her strong forearms, and her bulging muscles bulged as she lifted the rough ship's mallet, which was wrapped with sea serpent tendons. With each step she took, the firm lines of her full inner thighs trembled as she exerted force. The primal physical power mixed with the smell of the sea rushed over her, and an untamed desire permeated the oppressive feeling.

"Why did my brother kill our people? And nine of them at once?!"

Tong Wei held a three-pronged fork covered with aquatic plants and looked at Liu Hong with dissatisfaction.

"Exactly! Even if they made a mistake, we sisters should be the ones to judge them! Not have our brother just throw them around and kill them! How are we supposed to manage our online army like this?!"

Tong Meng held a mirage-like shield and echoed his sister's words.

"Before the siege, I made the rules very clear: no killing or abusing civilians! Military law is as solid as a mountain; once it is enacted, even I cannot violate it!"

I can make you rich and powerful. I can also make you lose your heads!

Liu Hong glanced at the two sisters and reiterated the rules. Tong Wei and Tong Meng, however, still looked defiant, brandishing their spears and shields, ready to fight.

Tong Wei was somewhat unconvinced. It seemed that only strength could earn respect. He had just arrived at Liangshan and hadn't accomplished anything yet; his brothers and sisters didn't know his abilities!

My demon messenger is incredibly powerful; it can transform my trident into a three-headed serpent. Its attacks are unpredictable, ever-changing, and endless! If one head is cut off, two new heads will grow back!

What's even more amazing is that this venomous snake can secrete a deadly neurotoxin. A single bite can poison even an ogre, and even my brother couldn't escape it.

I didn't want to hurt my brother, I just wanted to show the Great Sage Evil that we sisters are not to be trifled with in Liangshan, and we won't let anyone slaughter us!

Moreover, I, Tong Wei, possess the strongest spear, while my sister, Tong Meng, possesses the strongest shield. Her demon messenger is equally powerful; it is a mirage.

This thing's shell is not only incredibly sturdy, providing Tong Meng with an indestructible defense, but it also possesses illusionary abilities, capable of distorting and altering the enemy's vision, causing them to miss their attacks.

Tong Wei and Tong Meng were determined to prove their strength to their older brother.

Seeing these two troublemakers, Liu Hong was speechless and decided to prove his authority in front of his two subordinates.

"Brother! We have a rule in Jiangzhou: if you encounter something that can't be explained with words, then resort to force! Whoever has the bigger fist is right! Be careful, brother!"

As the dragon emerged from the cave, Tong Wei roared with fury, and the trident in his hand suddenly burst forth with a blinding green light! In the distorted light and shadow, the steel trident transformed into the head of three ferocious venomous snakes, with gleaming white fangs and a foul stench, accompanied by a chilling hissing sound that tore through the air, viciously devouring Liu Hong's face!

At the same time, the Mirage Child also stood in front of his sister and suddenly summoned a mirage the size of a shield. Between the two shells was a huge, writhing mass of white flesh, its sinister mouth spewing out white mist that distorted the entire space with illusion.

Liu Hong snorted coldly. He used a teleportation technique to switch places with Tong Meng before Tong Meng's illusion was complete. The three-headed python's target was not Liu Hong at all, but Tong Meng's Mirage Shield.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

With three teeth-grinding sounds, the three-headed python bit down hard on the mirage's shell, its three pairs of venomous fangs leaving six scratches, but it did not damage Tong Meng's shield at all.

Not only that, the mirage was about to complete its illusion, and Tong Meng himself had begun to disappear into a distorted illusion.

At this critical moment, Liu Hong suddenly looked at the mirage and instantly unleashed a spiritual energy attack!

In an instant, the huge, writhing mass of white flesh trembled and its mind went blank, as if it had been hit on the forehead by a battering ram!

Just then, the mirage's illusion abruptly stopped, its mind went blank, and it was completely unable to use its spiritual energy. It was Liu Hong's [Mind Suppression] that temporarily restricted the mirage's spellcasting ability.

After unleashing a burst of psionic energy, Liu Hong whirled around, his right arm trapping Tong Wei's already thrusting venomous trident and her hands holding it. His left fist slammed into Tong Wei's head, leaving her dizzy and disoriented!

Before the two women could react, Liu Hong had already disarmed Tong Wei, grabbed her with his left hand, and hurled her at Tong Meng. Even though Tong Meng raised his shield to block his sister, he was no match for Liu Hong's terrifying strength, and the two sisters were knocked to the ground together!

These are opponents on a completely different level!

As soon as they clashed, Tong Wei and Tong Meng immediately developed genuine awe for the leader of Liangshan, and dared not utter a single word about the nine of their men being killed.

But at that moment, the truly troublesome person appeared: Li Jun, the River Dragon, carrying a fishing rod, strode over from afar.

His short, dark brown hair was tousled by the sea breeze, with a few strands of sweat-dampened hair clinging to his wheat-colored cheekbones—his skin was a mark sculpted by the blazing sun and salty waves, exuding a scorching, wild glow.

A short, indigo-blue blouse, soaked with waves and sweat, clung tightly to the graceful curves of her body: her collarbones were sunken like treacherous rapids, the fabric at her chest stretched into a full and resilient arc, tightening abruptly at her waist. There, a single, sturdy thorn rope bound her tightly, further emphasizing the flatness and firmness of her waist and abdomen.

The texture of the skin is faintly visible beneath, accumulating the power of a wild leopard.

"Mixed-River Dragon, do you also want to use the rules of Jiangzhou to spar with me?"

Liu Hong frowned slightly, but showed no fear.

"I'm sorry, brother, I really can't help it."

Li Jun said softly, feeling helpless at the moment. She was smarter and more perceptive than Tong Wei and Tong Meng. If she had arrived first, she would have handled things much more smoothly.

However, things have already escalated to this point. If Li Jun doesn't take action, she won't be able to lead her old comrades anymore! The entire online army, starting with Tong Wei and Tong Meng, will look down on her and disobey orders!

Your own brothers and sisters were bullied after joining other strongholds, and you, as the original leader, didn't step in? Do you think we'd still follow you in the future? How are you going to lead your second naval battalion? All the capital you built by joining Liangshan is gone.

Helpless, Li Jun swung his fishing rod, and the fishing line, so thin it was invisible to the naked eye, transformed into a phantom, transparent dragon that suddenly tore through the sky and attacked Liu Hong!

Chapter 255: The River Dragon Overturns the Sea

Liu Hong's gaze only skimmed over the swirling fishing line like a dragonfly skimming the water—although he didn't know what Li Jun's abilities were, the fishing line was quite fast, but compared to his own, it was far from fast enough!

Accompanied by a gust of wind, Liu Hong's gilded wings suddenly unfurled, tearing through the air with dazzling golden light! His figure moved like a blazing arrow forged by the sun, leaving only a blurry afterimage in its wake. Those golden streaks that pierced the air were unpredictable, not a dodge, but rather a playful act of riding the current upstream through the gaps in the opponent's attack, easily avoiding the fishing lines that danced wildly in the air like dragons.

In a fraction of a second, the Dragon Coil Staff, imbued with the aura of a hurricane and sparks, pressed down on Li Jun's nose as if it were a tangible force!

"Brother is really amazing!"

Li Jun's face was solemn, and sweat dripped from her forehead. Liu Hong's speed was too frightening. There was no other way but to use the fishing rod as a staff to fight back. The dark fishing rod wrapped in sharkskin instantly transformed into a long, black shadow that swung around and slammed into the dragon staff.

"clang!!!"

Liu Hong's attack was just a normal charge, but even so, the tremendous force transmitted from the fishing rod made Li Jun's finger bones go numb, and his entire arm felt sore and numb as if he had been electrocuted, causing him to lose control and fall behind in terms of strength.

She staggered back a step, her boots carving two deep furrows in the sand. Before she could regain her balance, Liu Hong's second and third blows came crashing down like a storm, forcing Li Jun to retreat steadily, leaving her only able to defend and unable to retaliate.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

Liu Hong continued his relentless attack. The dark fishing rod trembled and groaned, its shaft gradually covered with spiderweb-like white marks, the tough sharkskin snaking and scraping with a piercing sound. Liu Hong's attacks grew increasingly fierce and powerful, the golden wings whipping up a storm that made her vision blur. She could only rely on her hunter-gatherer instincts to dodge and parry. The dancing shadow of the dark fishing rod grew ever narrower, like a lone boat struggling in a storm, relentlessly pushed towards its doom by the towering golden waves.

Liu Hong was already stronger, and he had learned the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear Technique and the Flying Dragon in the Sky Staff Technique, which were personally taught by Zhou Tong. In an instant, he forced Li Jun, who knew nothing and was at a disadvantage in strength, to retreat.

You can't hit it head-on.

As Li Jun swung his fishing rod, struggling to stay afloat, he somehow managed to pull the fishing line back with each twist, causing it to weave a net that descended from the sky, trapping Liu Hong inside. The fishing line was so thin, thinner than a hair, yet so resilient that it was impossible to break free or cut.

The sharp fishhook, like a transparent ghost, burrowed into Liu Hong's body.

Liu Hong realized something was wrong and tried to use teleportation to switch his position and escape the inescapable net woven by the fishing line, but he found that his spiritual energy seemed to be hooked by something and could not be used, and his spiritual energy points were rapidly decreasing.

"Ha! They've taken the bait!"

Li Jun pulled hard on the fishing line, actually pulling out the spiritual energy from Liu Hong's body. This not only disrupted a spellcasting session but also caused Liu Hong to lose a significant amount of spiritual energy—something that would require a good night's sleep to fully replenish.

"interesting."

Liu Hong was also very surprised. Could Li Jun's fishing rod really be used to steal other people's spiritual energy?

But it didn't matter. Taking advantage of the moment when the fishhook pulled away his spiritual energy and temporarily separated from his body, Liu Hong once again displayed his spiritual energy, swapped positions with a rock behind Li Jun, and then swung his stick back and struck Li Jun hard on the back.

Li Jun heard the whoosh behind her and knew she was in trouble, but it was too late to dodge. She was sent flying by the blow! Even in such an unfavorable situation, she still cast her fishing hook a second time.

This time, the fishing lines formed a vortex, layer upon layer, trapping Liu Hong inside, leaving him nowhere to hide. He was hit by the hook for the second time! And this time, what was pulled out by the hook was a pitch-black dragon scale, the reverse scale of the Ji River.

This kid even has a chance to lure out a demon messenger?!

Previously, Liu Hong only wanted to defeat Li Jun, not kill or seriously injure him, so he held back quite a bit.

Seeing the sheer power of Li Jun's demonic messenger, Liu Hong could no longer hold back. He grabbed the fishing hook, forcefully gripping the rebellious scale of the Jidu River, and his wings suddenly unfurled, stirring up storms. Li Jun, not to be outdone, gritted his teeth, his feet rooted to the depths of the sand, his waist twisting violently like a giant sail pulled taut by a storm! His strong arms bulged with muscles, his knuckles squeezing the sharkskin fishing rod so tightly it creaked, sending a viscous, immense force from the abyss flowing upstream along the rod!

At both ends of the fishing line, two violent and unparalleled forces collide and strangle each other around the fishing rod.

Liu Hong's golden wings danced wildly, his body wreathed in crimson-gold flames, attempting to crush the fishing rod from the abyss with overwhelming pressure. Meanwhile, around Li Jun, a dark, stagnant mist clung to her, the salty sea breeze carrying ancient dragon roars and wails, vaguely conjuring a phantom of a struggling, monstrous dragon with a hook behind her! Her crimson eyes were fixed on her opponent, each breath carrying the metallic scent of blood. The heavy, dark fishing rod, already stretched like a crescent moon by the two immense forces, groaned in agony.

At this moment, they were no longer just opponents, but transformed into an unprecedented pair of anglers and giant fish. Although Li Jun was slightly weaker in strength, he was more skilled at fishing and would shake the fishing rod to make the fishing line tremble, creating ripples on the water, which would disrupt Liu Hong's balance and weaken his stamina and strength.

For a moment, the two were locked in a stalemate, neither able to gain the upper hand. Liu Hong couldn't throw away his fishing hook, because that would mean his Achilles' heel would be caught.

Li Jun was also unable to lure Liu Hong out, and the two were stuck in a stalemate, neither able to break free from the other.

Chapter 256: Liu Xianzhong Restores Military Discipline

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, a golden light flashed in Liu Hong's eyes like lightning. Instead of retreating, he pressed his fingers even deeper, like branding irons, into the undulating scale. Suddenly, he used his demonic power, and the scale trembled violently! The mysterious patterns on its surface seemed to move, condense, and expand as if alive! In an instant, it was no longer a delicate scale the size of a palm, but transformed into a steel battering ram, covered with rivet-like protrusions, over a meter in diameter and more than ten zhang long!

Its texture was like solidified black iron, and its weight exceeded that of a ten-thousand-pound mountain. Just as Li Jun was still resonating with the fishing rod and desperately pulling back the shadow scale, Liu Hong suddenly withdrew his hand!

Just moments before, Li Jun was locked in a struggle with her, but now, like a bowstring snapping suddenly, the force of the imbalance surged back, causing her to slip violently. She staggered backward as if struck by an invisible giant hammer, her steps kicking up dust, but she couldn't stop her momentum until she completely lost her balance and fell backward onto the beach with a "plop."

At the same time, the fishing line, now free of its pull, tightened and retracted like a resurrected black snake at an astonishing speed! The pitch-black battering ram, firmly hooked by the fishhook, carried a heavy, piercing wind and, as the fishing line pulled, transformed into a terrifying shadow that crushed space, crashing down on the fallen Li Jun!

"boom!"