Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

Chapter 131 The Mysterious Illusionary Realm Tests the True Dragon, Thunder and Fire Shatter the Yel

Poetry:

The clouds over Taihang Mountain conceal profound mysteries; paper figures and yellow talismans transform into demons.

Only through three trials can a hero's courage be revealed; within the Nine Palaces Formation, the dragon's emblem is displayed.

After leaving Daming Prefecture, Li Hanxiao and his party headed towards the Taihang Mountains, intending to travel from there to the Shanxi region.

The Taihang Mountains stretch for over 400 kilometers, from Wangwu Mountain in the south to Yanshan Mountain in the north. Its highest peak reaches an altitude of over 3000 meters. It is known as the "backbone of the world" and there is a saying that "whoever has Taihang will rule the world," which shows its importance.

The Taihang Mountains are a natural barrier, geographically separating Shanxi from Henan and Hebei. The Taihang Mountains stretch for 800 li, and the detours are too long, so long ago the ancients searched for passages in the mountains and named them "Xing".

"Xing" means a place where a mountain range breaks. There are many Xing in the Taihang Mountains, the most famous of which are eight, known as the "Eight Xing of Taihang". These Xing have been in use since the pre-Qin period and are truly strategic locations fought over by military strategists.

However, in later generations, without engaging in large-scale domestic ground wars, their function has been replaced by mountain roads and viaducts...

The Taihang Mountains still play an almost irreplaceable role in the Song Dynasty's strategic layout for dealing with the Khitan in the north. However, due to the historical prevalence of bandits in the Taihang Mountains region and its location on the border between the Song and Liao dynasties, the Song Dynasty's control over the area was not very good. Various forces were intertwined, including those of the Song Dynasty, the Liao Dynasty, and bandits.

For example, Hu Yanzan, the ancestor of the Hu family generals, once became an outlaw in the Taihang Mountains. Later, in "The Complete Story of Yue Fei", Jin Dao Wang Shan gathered 100,000 bandits in the Taihang Mountains. Niu Gao, a scoundrel, also once lived in the Taihang Mountains and was known as the "King of Justice".

Of course, there were also heroic figures. Later, Wang Yan led the "Eight-Character Army" to resist the Jin in the Taihang Mountains, and his fame shook Hebei!

Li Hanxiao and his group took the "Fengyue Pass" route.

Fengyue Pass, formerly known as "Fukou Pass", is the fourth of the "Eight Passes of Taihang" and has always been a strategic military pass. Fukou Pass is the pass with the gentlest terrain among the Eight Passes of Taihang. It starts from the Fuyang River in the east and is named after the mountain pass where the ancient "Fushui" River originates.

After reaching the Qingzhang River Valley, it travels upstream to Shexian County, then westward, passing through Licheng, and finally arriving at Lucheng in Shanxi Province, which is the ancient "Shangdang" region, the place that sparked the Battle of Changping between Qin and Zhao.

Among the "Eight Paths of Taihang", Taihang Pass, Bai Pass, and Fukou Pass all eventually lead to Shangdang County. Therefore, they can be connected within Shangdang County, which also provides several alternative routes. If one path is blocked, one can simply take another route.

This area is an ancient battlefield. Standing there, you can hear the sounds of clashing swords and galloping horses. Back then, Cao Cao, a military strategist at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, used this natural barrier to defeat Yuan Shang's army. Dou Jiande, a peasant army leader at the end of the Sui Dynasty, also annihilated the troops of Dou Zong, the governor of the Sui Dynasty, in this area. The Battle of Changping during the Warring States period and Cao Cao's campaign against Gao Gan during the Eastern Han Dynasty were all fought here.

After bidding farewell to Yue Fei, Li Hanxiao led his leaders northwestward. On this day, they arrived at Fengyue Pass and saw the Taihang Mountains lying horizontally like a blue dragon, with mist swirling among the overlapping peaks. The setting sun was like blood, staining the Taihang peaks as if they were painted with vermilion.

Li Hanxiao and his group passed through Fengyue Pass, and saw a natural stone cave under the cliffs on the south side of the pass. The entrance of the cave was made of large stones, the cave walls were uneven, and the inside of the cave was winding and dark, like a dragon.

"What a magnificent cave! It's like the abode of a deity!"

Li Han couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Then Duan Jingzhu, the "Golden Retriever," explained, "Chief, this place is said to be the cave of the Black Dragon, who controls droughts and floods in the human world. It is called Black Dragon Cave. No one knows its bottom from ancient times to the present. It is said that the Black Dragon came out of the cave, and the cave is unfathomably deep."

Duan Jingzhu, nicknamed "Golden Retriever," often stole horses from the north, passing through the Taihang Mountains, and was very familiar with these geography areas.

"It really is a fairy cave, but judging from its appearance, it's probably deserted and dilapidated!"

"Little Marquis Wen," Lu Fang joked.

Upon hearing this, Guo Sheng, nicknamed "Sai Rengui," quickly stopped him, saying, "What nonsense are you spouting in front of the gods? If the gods find fault with you, they might send you to take the blame. Don't drag us down with you!"

Upon hearing this, "Little Marquis Wen" Lü Fang laughed loudly, "You coward! Afraid of such nonsense!"

"what!"

Li Hanxiao hadn't paid any attention to the two bickering and led the team forward. However, upon entering the canyon, a faint chill emanated from it. Li Hanxiao initially thought that the low temperature in the mountains was normal, but the chill gradually condensed into fog, seemingly becoming a solid entity. The fog ahead seemed to have solidified into a wall, obscuring the path and reducing visibility to extremely low levels.

Moreover, a strong wind seemed to be blowing through the fog, and the sound of clashing weapons could be faintly heard in the wind.

At this moment, Li Hanxiao's Beihai Saluzi suddenly reared up and neighed. Li Hanxiao pulled on the reins and looked over. Wang Yin's Zhuanshanfei was doing the same thing. In addition, the injured golden eagle was restless in its cage, and its golden eyes were even gleaming with blood.

Another eagle circling overhead suddenly flapped its wings and cried out, its feathers whipping up gusts of wind. The pack of dogs that had been following the group began to bark wildly, but Li Hanxiao's hunting dogs remained silent, searching for something in the mist.

"Brother, has this beast sensed some danger?"

After much effort, Wang Yin pressed down on the wildly bouncing Zhuan Shan Fei with both hands. His gaze swept over the ancient trees beside the cliff, where he saw seven or eight crows perched on withered branches, hanging upside down with red eyes like beans.

"It's weird!"

Li Han smiled to himself, thinking that the fog had appeared out of nowhere, and the animals around him were behaving strangely, especially the BMW and the hawk-dog. One of them was a BMW with a spiritual connection to the world, and the other was a hawk-dog with extremely keen eyesight and sense of smell. They must have discovered something to make them uneasy!

In this situation, human senses are actually not as strong as those of animals!

"Don't move forward, stay together!"

Li Hanxiao gripped his three-pointed, double-edged sword tightly and shouted, while "Flowery Monk" Lu Zhishen raised his water-polished monk's staff and sneered: "This monk's staff hasn't had any meat in a long time. I'll see what kind of demons and monsters dare to provoke me!"

Before the words were finished, a strange wind suddenly rose in the mountains, swirling withered leaves in the air and forming a huge "禁" (forbidden) character.

The horses beneath everyone neighed in alarm, but Li Hanxiao's Beihai Saluzi horse raised its head to the sky, its white fur gleaming with a faint golden light.

Li Hanxiao brandished his three-pointed, double-edged sword, the silver threads on it shimmering and illuminating the path ahead, dispelling the fog. Li Hanxiao, certain that the group had encountered some evil spirit, shouted, "They're probably possessed! Everyone, stay close!"

"what?"

"Sai Rengui" cried out in protest, blaming "Little Wenhou" Lü Fang, "It's all because you spoke without restraint! Now the gods are angry! They'll make you pay for your sins!"

Lu Fang looked helpless. "How was I supposed to know that the gods were so narrow-minded..."

"Stop talking, stay close!"

Li Hanxiao interrupted the two men and led the group forward, whereupon a beam of light flashed before them.

Where the halo of light passed, an ancient blue stone path appeared in the mist, with the four seal characters "Mysterious Illusionary Realm" engraved on a stone tablet beside it.

"This is……"

The others looked at the stone tablet, exchanging bewildered glances, unsure of what to do. Only Li Hanxiao seemed to have figured something out...

"Duan Jingzhu, are there any villages or towns nearby?"

"Villages and towns... I don't know where we are now, but we shouldn't have gone far... There should be a Shuanglin Town about forty miles up in the mountains nearby..."

Duan Jingzhu said, "Golden Retriever."

"Shuanglin Town?! I see..."

Upon hearing the words "Shuanglin Town," Li Hanxiao roughly understood what was going on...

Just then, a clear whistle came from the clouds, and a white crane flew by, scattering pieces of talisman paper wherever its wings passed.

"Howl!"

Upon seeing this, Li Hanxiao's eagle immediately swooped down, but before its sharp talons could touch the white crane, Li Hanxiao reacted swiftly, sending a silver bullet flying through the air. The bullet passed through the crane's body without leaving a trace of blood—it was actually a paper crane painted with cinnabar!

"Excellent technique!"

Li Hanxiao laughed loudly, "Since you've already laid an ambush here, do you intend to take my life? Why not show yourself?"

After Li Han finished speaking, a loud rumbling sound was heard, and the ancient cypress trees that were originally on both sides of the cliff began to move!

Where the bark had peeled away, yellow talismans and vermilion characters were revealed, clearly indicating that it was a tree demon created by the Taoist technique of "turning beans into soldiers".

"Mom!"

"Iron Whistle" Le He was startled. His loud tenor voice was a real menace, startling the mounts of "Little Marquis Wen" Lü Fang, "Surpassing Ren Gui" Guo Sheng, and "Golden Retriever" Duan Jingzhu. Lü Fang and Guo Sheng were both thrown to the ground, while only "Golden Retriever" Duan Jingzhu, with his superior horsemanship, was not thrown to the ground.

"Hey! You son of a bitch! I don't care what kind of demon you are, I'll subdue you!"

If we were to ask who among the crowd was fearless, it would undoubtedly be "Flowery Monk" Lu Zhishen. This reckless monk jumped off his white horse, strode forward, roared angrily, and swept his staff across the battlefield. Although his attack was fierce, golden Buddhist light faintly shone from his staff. With one strike, he snapped the two nearest ancient cypress trees in half.

Black blood gushed from the broken end of the ancient cypress tree, and seven or eight three-inch-tall wooden puppets fell out of the trunk, each with a ferocious face.

"what!"

Yang Zhi, nicknamed "Blue-Faced Beast," was quite surprised to find that this thing could actually move. He wanted to take action, but his horse was too weak and frightened to move!

Fortunately, Wang Yin was riding a fine horse that could fly around the mountain, and he dared to go forward. With lightning speed, Wang Yin fired seven or eight shots in quick succession, piercing the puppet's chest and throwing it onto a rock.

Li Hanxiao looked closely and was startled to see that these puppets had sulfur saltpeter hidden inside their chests, which would explode immediately if exposed to an open flame.

"What a vicious trap! Retreat quickly!"

Yang Zhi, nicknamed "Blue-Faced Beast," broke out in a cold sweat, while Li Hanxiao remained calm and ordered everyone to retreat quickly. He then called for Ling Zhen, nicknamed "Thunderbolt."

"Order!"

Ling Zhen, nicknamed "Thunderbolt," took out a spray can with a leather bag from his horse. The can was filled with kerosene, and it was the "flamethrower" that Ling Zhen had improved upon from the "fierce fire oil tank" to make it a portable weapon for individual soldiers.

Ling Zhen sprayed kerosene directly onto the puppets, which Wang Yin and Si Xingfang had already pinned to the stone wall with short swords and arrows, rendering them immobile.

Yang Zhi, nicknamed "Blue-Faced Beast," lit a rocket. The oil on the rocket caught fire and ignited the objects. Luckily, Li Hanxiao and the others had already retreated, otherwise they would have been either killed or seriously injured in the explosion!

"What kind of sorcerer is doing this to harm people?!"

"Iron Whistle" Le He stared at the firelight, dumbfounded. Even a fool could see that some mysterious figure was plotting against them; ordinary people wouldn't have such abilities!

"I've learned so much!"

Even Shi Xiu, known as the "workaholic," couldn't help but sigh.

"Why don't we two brothers climb up the cliff and see if we can make our way out!"

The two brothers picked up the grappling hook and said...

"No, who knows if there are any flying demons? Even eagles can't fly away, let alone you two brothers who don't even have wings!"

At this moment, Lu Zhishen, the "Flowery Monk," displayed a wisdom quite different from his appearance, and directly stopped the two reckless men.

At that moment, Li Hanxiao suddenly felt the three-pointed double-edged sword in his arms trembling. He looked up and saw a cold wind sweeping across the mountain path, causing the ground to shake.

"Could there be something underground...?"

Before Li Hanxiao could finish expressing his opinion, eight yellow talismans flew up from the ground, and then eight golden-armored generals, each twelve feet tall, burst out of the ground and merged with the talismans.

These golden-armored generals were clad in talismanic armor, their eyes blazing with green fire. The swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, and forks in their hands were all gleaming with gold. These generals were about twelve feet tall and were arranged in the Bagua formation. The weapons in their hands were gleaming with gold, but it was hard to tell if they were real gold. If they were, they would be worth a fortune if one of them were taken away.

"What is this!"

Lu Zhishen was a little surprised to see these things suddenly appear, while Erjie exclaimed, "Hey! They look so much like the Yellow Turban Warriors in the temple!"

"Who cares! I've already smashed two statues of gods on Mount Wutai!"

At this moment, Lu Zhishen roared and transformed into an "atheist," smashing his staff with the force of wind and thunder towards the Kan position deity.

The divine general raised his crescent-shaped broadsword to meet the monk's staff, and the two forces clashed with a sharp cracking sound, showing that they were evenly matched.

Seeing this, Wang Yin brandished his steel spear like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, assisting Lu Zhishen by stabbing the divine general's eyes repeatedly. But two "clanging" sounds were heard, and the spear tip only left two white marks on the golden-armored divine man's eyelids.

"Invulnerable to swords and spears? This can't be a real invincible body!"

Seeing this, Wang Yin was dumbfounded. His two blows could have pierced even a foot soldier. These weren't eyes, they were golden daggers!

Si Xingfang, Shi Xiu, and Er Jie, who had just raised their weapons and were ready to fight, were at a loss as to whether they should fight or not. If they fought, they felt that they would definitely not be able to break through the defense, but they could not just throw their lives away if they did not fight!

"Everyone, lie down and watch me!"

At this moment, Ling Zhen, nicknamed "Thunderbolt," roared and jumped off his horse, uncovering a large bundle covered with cowhide.

When everyone looked, they saw that he had installed a small cannon on the horse's rump!

This was the idea Li Hanxiao provided him: cavalry-artillery coordination tactics. The most important breakthrough in firearms in history was Gustav's invention of field artillery and cavalry artillerymen. In the past, artillery was slow to move and difficult to use in field battles, so hand-to-hand combat was still the main method in field battles. Firearms were only used to weaken the enemy's formation, and the final victory still depended on infantry hand-to-hand combat.

When Gustavus Adolphus invented field artillery pulled by packhorses and fully mounted artillerymen, the flexibility of artillery was greatly increased, enabling it to participate in field battles. This led to the evolution of tactics for coordinated infantry, cavalry, and artillery operations. Sweden was able to wreak havoc on North Germany in the Thirty Years' War thanks to these tactical and weapon innovations.