League of Legends

With a flick of the reins, the horse neighed and leaped into the air above the Eight Banners troops. The axe flashed like a mountain, faster than lightning, and screams erupted as the massive axe cleaved the heads of sixteen soldiers in quick succession! Their corpses fell like bundles of dry firewood. The spectacle was truly terrifying. Tornado was even more ferocious, riding like the wind, wielding his massive bronze mace, rampaging through the enemy ranks, killing demons and Buddhas alike, those who stood in his way died—truly as if he were in an empty field!

Seeing the Red Flower Society heroes fighting so fiercely, the six renowned boxers were greatly encouraged and couldn't wait to join the soldiers in their own fray! The Wing Chun rope dart wielded with the agility of a butterfly flitting among flowers, striking east and west, soaring and swirling, avoiding direct confrontation and finding openings to strike. Her rope dart was a unique skill in the Southern martial arts world; it seemed to have eyes. A Manchu bannerman leader raised his spear, only to be entangled by her rope dart. He tried to pull back his spear shaft using his strength and power, but the Wing Chun dart swung with the momentum, striking him squarely in the throat with a sharp crack. He fell from his horse and died instantly!

Hong Quan roared, raising his massive, hammer-like fist and unleashing a powerful horse stance punch that sent a Manchu bannerman leader flying a good ten feet off his horse before he landed dead! Only Liu Quan, injured and unable to exert himself fully, struck a Manchu bannerman's vital point with his halberd finger, pulling him off his horse. He then leaped back onto his horse, wielding a staff, and unleashed his unique acupoint-striking staff technique. He circled and galloped through the enemy ranks, wildly striking their vital points with the staff. Screams filled the air as several Manchu bannermen fell to the ground, their bodies lying on the spot!

Stinky Feet whirled her fan, unleashing a barrage of deadly moves—thrusts, sweeps, points, and flicks—targeting the enemy's seven vital points, killing several in an instant! Fragrant Fist aimed at the Eight Banners soldier's captain, leaping into the air with a series of aerial mandarin duck kicks aimed straight for his helmet! Unexpectedly, the captain was no pushover; with a clang, he drew his sword from his waist, unleashing a swift, serpentine attack to meet the onslaught of kicks! Fragrant Fist, in mid-air, executed a powerful overhead kick, quickly somersaulting to narrowly dodge the sword's flash! In that split second, she activated the secret switch on her ring, and a fine steel needle shot out, striking the captain squarely in the face! He screamed and fell dead from his horse! Fragrant Fist gracefully landed on the man's horse. Even amidst her busy schedule, she couldn't help but glance at him, only to see that the officer's face was ashen, blood was flowing from his seven orifices, and he died a gruesome death!

Bai Shandian, carrying Hong Yueliang, hid far away, seemingly oblivious to the war unfolding before him. Hong Yueliang said softly, "You're always holding me, aren't you afraid your wife will get jealous?" Bai Shandian retorted, "Aren't you my wife?" Hong Yueliang glared at him reproachfully, her voice tinged with worry, "The Emperor might be watching from the shadows right now! Aren't you afraid he'll hold you accountable for your indifference to the situation? Even though you and Xiang Quan are deeply in love, you have to put on an act in front of so many people!" Bai Shandian remained silent, his mind a turmoil of emotions, unable to control himself… Suddenly, his hands gripped Hong Yueliang's waist tightly, his breathing becoming heavy! She quickly followed his terrified gaze—

Outside the battlefield, another army had gathered in a dark mass on the street, its dark gun barrels and gleaming matchlock muskets forming the ranks of Zhang Kuang's Green Standard Army! This was an era of firearms, a time when cold weapons were no longer necessary. For a martial arts master seemingly invulnerable to blades and spears, each matchlock musket could instantly kill him! This was more lethal than any martial arts technique or secret skill! But that wasn't the most astonishing thing. What truly horrified Bai and Hong was the four massive red cannons rumbling closely behind the army! Zhang Kuang, fully armed and clad in gleaming armor, waved his hand from his horse, directing his troops to quickly disperse and occupy high ground in the four cardinal directions of the main street. He then deployed the four red cannons, assigning them to high points and maintaining distance from their targets. The cannons used during the Qianlong era were quite primitive, with a range of only about 2500 to 3000 meters (approximately 5 to 6 li). The "Red-Coated Cannons" were heavy muzzle-loading smoothbore cannons. These cannons were prone to erratic flight paths after firing, making them unsuitable for long ranges. The gunpowder quality was also inconsistent, resulting in a significant difference compared to the cannons used by Western countries in the late 19th century. During the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns, due to the policy of isolationism, relations with Western countries remained strained, leading to a complete lack of understanding of international developments. Furthermore, the strong promotion of archery and horsemanship domestically resulted in the stagnation of firearms technology development. This ultimately contributed to the complete defeat in the Opium Wars.

As the Governor-General of Zhejiang, Zhang Kuang was well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the Red-Coated Cannons. Because they were so close to the enemy, improper use could not only fail to inflict significant casualties but also allow the enemy to rush forward and destroy these sacred artifacts! Therefore, he set up the cannons at close range, positioned the arquebusiers in front of them, and so on, with the remaining troops standing at the forefront, ready to charge at any moment. Of course, they also bore the responsibility of protecting the Red-Coated Cannons!

Just as Zhang Kuang finished his preparations, dust suddenly rose in the distance, and hooves thundered as five riders galloped towards them. When the horses came to a halt, it was revealed that four burly men in brocade robes were escorting a richly dressed middle-aged scholar. Upon recognizing the newcomer, Zhang Kuang suddenly knelt down in the street! He kowtowed three times, then looked up respectfully and asked, "Your Majesty, what brings you here? I am late in welcoming you; please forgive me." Upon hearing that the Emperor had arrived, all the soldiers hurriedly knelt down, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" Emperor Qianlong waved to the Green Standard Army soldiers around him, issuing a stern address: "Rise, soldiers! These are extraordinary times; let's set aside such formalities. Return to your posts and prepare for battle!" After they left, Qianlong said to Zhang Kuang, "Minister Zhang, do you have any knowledge of military formations?" Zhang Kuang smiled slightly, confidently replying, "Your Majesty, I have some knowledge in this area." Qianlong smiled pleasedly, "I just observed your defensive deployment and found that this crossroads is very suitable for a certain formation. Can you guess what it is?"

Zhang Kuang lowered his head and pondered for a while, then said uncertainly, "The Ambush Formation from Ten Sides?" Qianlong shook his head and said, "The Ambush Formation from Ten Sides is also known as the Extinction Formation. It was the famous formation used by Han Xin, a general of the Han Dynasty, to defeat Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, with fewer troops during the Chu-Han Contention. However, it relied on the treacherous terrain and varied geographical features to achieve its unexpected victory! Zhang Aiqing, look at this empty crossroads, how can we hide a surprise attack? How can we achieve a surprise victory?" Zhang Kuang suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Your Majesty, we can use the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Formation of Zhuge Liang, the famous prime minister of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period!" Qianlong smiled slightly and said approvingly, "The Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Formation originates from Zhuge Liang's Eight Trigrams Formation, and it shares similarities with the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams Formation of the Tang Clan of Sichuan. Because the four cardinal directions are collectively called the Four Symbols, the directions of the Four Symbols..." The concept of "position" (位) originates from the Four Symbols (四神) of ancient China, derived from ancient Chinese astrology. These refer to the Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Vermilion Bird of the South, and the Black Tortoise of the North. In ancient times, people divided the celestial constellations into twenty-eight mansions. For easier memorization, these were divided into four parts, represented by animal images, hence the name "Four Symbols" (四象). Furthermore, because the twenty-eight mansions possess primordial energy (元气) and represent the essence of all things, the seven mansions of the East (角, 亢, 氏, 房, 心, 尾, 箕) resemble a dragon and are called the "Left Azure Dragon" (左青龙); the seven mansions of the South (井, 鬼, 柳, 星, 张, 翼, 轸) resemble a quail and are called the "Front Vermilion Bird" (前朱雀); the seven mansions of the West (奎, 娄, 胃, 昂, 毕, 觜, 参) resemble a tiger and are called the "Right White Tiger" (右白虎); and the seven mansions of the North (斗, 牛, 女, 虚, 危, 室, 壁) resemble a tortoise and snake combined and are called the "Back Black Tortoise" (后玄武)...