172: Chapter 52 Meng Li: I want to fight three hundred of them!

Guo Jing was completely oblivious to the subtle changes occurring on the field.

Seeing that Huang Rong was willing to eat the noodles, he said happily, "Ronger, that's more like it. Once you've finished the noodles, we can focus on seeking our revenge."

Yang Tiexin, who was lost in thought, was startled and immediately asked, "Jinger, who are you going to seek revenge against?"

Huang Rong answered first, "Duan Tiande, of course."

Yang Tiexin stood up abruptly in surprise.

Duan Tiande?

After everything that had happened, he had almost forgotten about this enemy!

Now remembering, Yang Tiexin said without hesitation, "Good! That scoundrel Duan Tiande caused our two families so much misery; I'm going with you!"

Hearing this, Bao Xiruo's expression changed slightly.

She hated Duan Tiande too, but her family had only just managed to reunite with great difficulty.

Compared to seeking revenge, she preferred to live a peaceful and stable life.

But since Yang Tiexin had already spoken...

At this point, Guo Jing spoke up, "Uncle, there's no need. Your family has just reunited after so much hardship. Besides, I'm not entirely sure of that scoundrel Duan Tiande's whereabouts yet. Ronger and I only plan to investigate his location first."

"The matter of revenge will require careful planning."

Seeing him say this, Yang Tiexin glanced at Bao Xiruo beside him. A trace of conflict flashed across his face before he finally nodded in agreement, "Alright then."

And so, the matter was settled for the time being, and the night passed in silence.

The next day, the group continued their journey.

Midway through their journey, Meng Li suddenly heard something unusual. His ears twitched slightly, and after assessing the situation, he said to Guo Jing, who was driving the carriage, "Guo Jing, a large contingent of men and horses is heading this way from behind. Let's pull over to the side to avoid being run down."

Guo Jing was taken aback.

A large contingent approaching?

He hadn't heard a sound, but out of trust, he did as he was told.

Huang Rong muttered, "Where would a large contingent come from out of nowhere?"

As soon as she said it, a thought struck her. "Could it be that Wanyan Honglie has brought men to pursue us?"

Everyone else was startled by her words.

Bao Xiruo said fearfully, "That shouldn't be possible; we are within the borders of the Great Song."

By now, the commotion was close. Everyone instinctively looked over and, through the doors and windows, saw the banners of the approaching force, which clearly bore the character for 'Jin'.

Upon closer inspection, the man leading them was indeed Wanyan Honglie.

Meng Li couldn't help but frown.

Although he had seen this scene in the original story and knew that the Great Song was weak in foreign affairs—mocked by later generations as the 'Great Coward' or 'Great Giver'—and had learned since arriving in this world that the Song Dynasty was in a position of weakness, seeing Wanyan Honglie actually cross the border and enter the Song territory as if it were uninhabited still felt absurd to him.

The expressions of Guo Jing, Huang Rong, and the others were equally grim, and they all showed signs of worry.

At that moment, Wanyan Honglie also spotted them from a distance and immediately accelerated his approach.

Realizing it would be difficult to escape, Guo Jing, Yang Kang, and the others immediately grabbed their weapons and stepped out of the Dream Travel Residence to stand ready for battle.

Just as they finished preparing, Wanyan Honglie rode up with his subordinates, accompanied by experts like Ouyang Ke, Master Lingzhi, and Sha Tongtian.

Seeing their defensive posture, Wanyan Honglie didn't seem to care. He didn't even dismount, but instead looked directly at Bao Xiruo and Yang Kang. "Xiruo, Kanger, come back with me. As long as you are willing to return to the Jin Dynasty with me, I can let bygones be bygones."

"We will be a family just like before, how about it?"

Holding his Red-tasseled spear, Yang Kang said with righteous indignation, "I told you last time, my name is Yang Kang."

Bao Xiruo followed, "I am a person of Song, and I am Yang Tiexin's wife."

Wanyan Honglie's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth. "Are you truly going to be this heartless?"

Yang Kang and Bao Xiruo did not respond.

Huang Rong retorted directly, "You bit the hand that fed you for your own selfish desires and caused their family's ruin, yet you have the nerve to call them heartless? You truly are shameless."

Wanyan Honglie's face was as dark as water, but seeing the anger on Bao Xiruo's and Yang Kang's faces, he still explained, "I already know I was wrong about what happened back then. Now, I am willing to spend the rest of my life making amends, guaranteeing them endless wealth and glory."

"What a joke!" Huang Rong sneered, then mocked him, "If I were to destroy your family today and promise you wealth and glory tomorrow, would that be acceptable?"

Wanyan Honglie was left speechless. Knowing that persuasion was useless, he steeled his heart. "Then don't blame me for being ruthless."

Meng Li gave a long sigh and said, "There are plenty of fish in the sea; why must you fixate on just one flower?"

"Wanyan Honglie, must you insist on pushing things this far?"

Wanyan Honglie looked at Bao Xiruo and said firmly, "Of all the water in the world, I only desire this one ladleful."

"Then there is no room for negotiation."

Meng Li rubbed his temples and glanced over the men Wanyan Honglie had brought.

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Honglie thought of Meng Li's strange methods of poisoning and mind control, as well as his Martial Arts which clearly surpassed Ouyang Ke's. A trace of wariness flashed in his eyes, and he immediately softened his tone to advise, "This is a grudge between myself and the Yang family. Your Excellency is a master of the Jianghu; there is really no need for you to get involved."

"If Your Excellency is willing to stand aside, not only will I allow you to leave freely, but I will also ensure you are handsomely rewarded afterward."

"And what if I insist on interfering?" Meng Li asked with a smile.

Wanyan Honglie replied with a forced smile, "Then I will have no choice but to be ruthless."

"Although Your Excellency has formidable means, I have come prepared for this trip."

"Not only do I have the help of experts like Young Master Ouyang and Master Lingzhi, but I have also brought three hundred men, all of whom are first-rate elite soldiers of the Jin Dynasty."

"I hope Your Excellency will consider this carefully."

Hearing about such a force, Yang Tiexin, Yang Kang, and the others felt despair alongside their shock.

"Three hundred elite soldiers, eh?" Meng Li muttered to himself, then smiled. "I'm a person who enjoys traveling and listening to stories. I've heard many legends of Jianghu masters facing off against armies, and the stories of two people in particular left the deepest impression on me."

"The first was a woman called 'A'qing'. She was from the State of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period, so she was also known as 'A'qing, the Lady of Yue'."

"She once learned a set of sword techniques from a spiritual white ape in the mountains, which came to be known as the 'Yue Maiden Sword'."

"According to legend, with these sword techniques, she alone with a single sword forced back two thousand armored soldiers."

Everyone present was stunned by what they heard.

One person, one sword, forcing back two thousand armored soldiers?

Is that something a human can actually do?

Guo Jing was even more bewildered. Were the Yue Maiden Sword techniques really that powerful?

His Seventh Master had never mentioned this to him!

Meng Li continued, "The second person was named 'Li Chungang', known as the 'Spring and Autumn Sword Deity'. Despite being one-armed and elderly, by the banks of the Guangling River, he alone with a single sword defeated over two thousand six hundred armored soldiers, turning the waters of the Guangling River completely red with blood. It took several days and nights of washing before the water ran clear again."

"I consider my own cultivation shallow and my Martial Arts mediocre, incomparable to these two legendary figures."

As he spoke, he looked toward Wanyan Honglie. "However, if you refuse to see reason, I don't mind trying to see if I can leave all three hundred of your so-called elite soldiers right here."

Wanyan Honglie was taken aback.

To be honest, the feats of A'qing the Lady of Yue and Li Chungang that Meng Li described had indeed startled him.

But he quickly realized that those were just legends, nothing to be feared.

Then, hearing Meng Li's words, he gave a low chuckle. "In that case, I will give Your Excellency a chance to show off."

With those words, Wanyan Honglie waved his hand.

The Jin soldiers immediately understood. The spearmen among them stepped forward, forming a formation and advancing toward Meng Li.

Meng Li likewise pushed aside Guo Jing and Mu Nianci, who tried to stop him, stepped forward a short distance, and then...

Transferring Flowers and Grafting Trees activated. Target—Wanyan Honglie!

Everyone else: "???"

...