Chapter Thirty-Three: The Bloody Battle at Tianyuan (Part 1)

The Tianyuan Chess Formation could still bear the weight when facing the first wave of fifty thousand Jurchen soldiers, but now, with another fifty thousand strong foes surging in, the formation was strained to its limits. The immense pressure caused Fang Guohuan to grow exceedingly tense. This was not a leisurely game played beneath clear winds and bright moon, but a deadly clash of armies, steel against steel, life and death hanging in the balance. Though such a scene had been envisioned, the brutal, tragic intensity unfolding before him far exceeded Fang Guohuan’s expectations.

For a moment, his mind went blank, unable to cope with the chaos beneath the Tianyuan platform. He stood stupefied, lost in confusion. Fortunately, the earth-shaking cries of battle jolted him, and seeing Sun Qi beside him, calm and unafraid, commanding with composed ease, as well as the various formations shifting unpredictably and cooperating with nimble ingenuity, displaying tremendous lethal force, and the heroes fighting valiantly, one against a hundred, managed, despite overwhelming odds, to entangle and trap the Jurchen army within the formation. Fang Guohuan’s confidence surged anew, understanding that at this crucial moment of life and death, he must not be distracted, for the movement of the entire formation—and even the lives of these ten thousand heroes—depended on the “paths” he devised and responded to as if playing chess.

Fang Guohuan’s chess mastery had indeed reached the realm of transformation. As he stilled his heart, his entire being was mobilized. The men deployed from the Hall of Six Harmonies were all elite, chosen one in a hundred, and the heroes of Eastern Frontier fought to the death. Coupled with the infinitely shifting, immensely lethal formations, the opposing forces within the Tianyuan formation had reached a momentary equilibrium, locked in deadlock, unable to break free. The shouting of men and neighing of horses, the clamor of battle, soared to the heavens, shaking the earth, reverberating for miles around.

Apart from the Tianyuan position, the formations at the other eight star points, led by their commanders, each held their ground fiercely, fortifying their positions. The Jurchen army could not break through after prolonged assault. The main force consuming the enemy was the Tianlong Formation, composed of fifteen formations, bearing the heaviest pressure. The Jurchen troops, relying on their numbers and force, attacked blindly and managed to break through at two points. With the Tianlong Formation breached, its overall power diminished, and the situation grew extremely perilous.

Fang Guohuan was alarmed and quickly said to Sun Qi, “Master Sun, connect head and tail, use the energy of the break to widen.” Sun Qi understood, waved his command flag, and directed Han Mengchao to connect with the tail of the formation. Han Mengchao shook his golden spear, leading the four-element formation to circle the Tianyuan position and attack toward Luo Kun’s direction at the tail. The Jurchen horse and foot soldiers nearly filled the Tianyuan formation; everywhere were enemy troops. The heroes fought bravely amidst the sea of foes, and thanks to the formation’s group structure, their collective power was greatly enhanced. Had they fought scattered, disaster would have been certain, and the entire force might have been annihilated.

Sun Qi saw that the break in the Tianlong Formation was still being held by Gu Sicen, who commanded several formations to battle the enemy, broken but not routed. Gu Sicen’s swordsmanship was sublime; with each sweep, cold light flashed and flesh flew. Even before head and tail could reinforce, he had already widened the “life path” with his own formation. Fang Guohuan and Sun Qi watched from the Tianyuan platform, secretly amazed. Sun Qi could not help but praise, “Master Medicine King is not only miraculous in medicine, but his martial arts are as profound and unfathomable as the legends say. Today I see it with my own eyes, truly not exaggerated!”

With the Tianlong Formation linking head and tail like a coiled serpent, they swiftly reconnected the broken segments, easing the crisis. Though the Jurchen army was fierce and bold, they could not fathom the unpredictable formation and focused only on fighting, unable to break apart the formations, which held hundreds at a time. The Jurchen officers and soldiers grew impatient. These hundred thousand troops were the elite of Nurhaci’s tribe, undefeated until now, but within the endlessly shifting Tianyuan formation, they were checked at every turn, unable to advance or retreat, their blind rush only benefiting the heroes inside.

By now, the formation had consumed nearly thirty thousand enemy troops, but the numbers of the Jurchen army seemed undiminished, and the situation only grew more dire. The right central star was especially dangerous; five to six thousand Jurchen soldiers swarmed to attack the five hundred-man formation led by Zhao Sishuo. Zhao Sishuo’s martial prowess was formidable; he led his men fiercely, repelling several enemy assaults.

Suddenly, a Jurchen general on a spotted horse burst forth, wielding a golden-ringed broadsword, charging at Zhao Sishuo. Zhao Sishuo parried with his iron spear, blade and spear clashing with sparks, the impact numbing his arms and splitting his palms, his spear flying from his grasp. Shocked, he retreated into the formation to evade, but it was too late. The Jurchen general caught up and with a single stroke, beheaded him, killing him instantly. Three hall masters within the formation cried out in alarm, rode forth to engage the Jurchen general in fierce battle, preventing the right central star formation from collapsing, though it remained in extreme peril.

Fang Guohuan was greatly alarmed, for the Tianyuan formation was arranged according to the nine stars of the board, denying the enemy any advantage of ground. Besides the Tianyuan position commanding the overall situation, the formations at the eight peripheral stars, though thin, were strong, controlling the corners and supporting the center, forming the strategic shape. The Jurchen army was numerous, but their formation was thick yet scattered, lacking cohesion and unable to control any area. If the Jurchen broke through a formation and occupied a star position, they would gain a “root,” expanding from there and threatening the center, severely impacting the Tianlong Formation’s flexibility and possibly causing the entire formation to collapse.

Fang Guohuan was instantly anxious and shouted, “Master Sun, the left central star is in danger!” Sun Qi had just stabilized the Tianlong Formation and was alarmed by Fang’s call. The Jurchen general had already slain another hall master and was charging into the formation, followed by thousands of Jurchen soldiers poised to flood in. If the formation at this star was broken, the remaining five hundred would lose resistance, and the star would be lost, affecting the entire Tianyuan formation’s movement and change. The situation was dire.

Sun Qi wanted to send Han Mengchao to rescue, but Han’s Tianlong Formation was too far from the right central star, and the enemy’s layers prevented timely reinforcement. He considered Bu Yuanfei for urgent support, but Bu was occupied with over a hundred experts shooting Jurchen leaders at the left central star, too far to help. Fang Guohuan suddenly pointed to the right upper star, “Send Hall Master Zhao Qingyang, circle back and strike!”

Zhao Qingyang, guarding the right upper star at the front, after allowing the main enemy force into the center, had already diminished the threat at his position. It was relatively relaxed, and he was closest to the right central star at the rear. Zhao Qingyang was valiant and wielded a fierce staff, which drew Fang Guohuan’s attention. Sun Qi was overjoyed, waved his command flag, and Zhao Qingyang, seeing the danger, rode alone to the rescue. All who blocked him were swept aside by his iron staff.

The Jurchen general wielding the golden-ringed broadsword, seeing himself about to break through, pressed hard, forcing two more hall masters back and charged into the formation. Hearing chaos behind him, he turned to see a lone rider approaching, robust and imposing, much like the fierce Zhang Fei. Wherever he went, his iron staff swept aside all resistance. The Jurchen general was startled, fearing he would be trapped between enemies, so he left the two hall masters and rode back to meet the challenger.

Zhao Qingyang saw the Jurchen general nearly breaking into the formation, shouted loudly, and charged on horseback, striking down with his staff. The general tried to dodge, but as their horses crossed, Zhao Qingyang flicked the tip of his iron staff swiftly across the general’s waist, knocking him from his horse. His waist was broken, and he could not rise; a hall master following finished him off with a blade. Zhao Qingyang then led his formation in a fierce assault, scattering the attacking enemy and relieving the imminent crisis. He then returned to his own position, leaving the right central star to another hall master. Fang Guohuan and Sun Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief on the Tianyuan platform.

The final defense of the Tianyuan formation was the Three Linked Stars, guarded by Gong Changjiu and the Eastern Frontier heroes. Gong Changjiu, with his massive bow, shot down more than ten Jurchen generals, leading his formation to intercept enemies passed by the Tianlong Formation. Most elite Jurchen forces were entangled in the formation’s center and other star positions, so the Eastern heroes faced less pressure. However, the enemy’s numbers were overwhelming, and a few hundred broke through the Three Linked Stars, escaping the formation. Fang Guohuan saw this from the platform and smiled wryly, “A few leaks are nothing to worry about,” and paid them no mind. Those Jurchen soldiers, realizing they had run past their opponents, looked at each other in confusion, unable to find anyone to fight, and returned to the formation. Gong Changjiu, relieved, led his formation to encircle them, sealing the final defense.

Gong Changjiu and the Eastern Frontier heroes, seeing the Hall of Six Harmonies fighting bravely, regarded them as brothers, sharing life and death, and felt immense gratitude. Observing Fang Guohuan and Sun Qi commanding the whole situation from the Tianyuan platform, trapping one hundred thousand Jurchen soldiers within the formation, and using flexible, powerful formations to consume the enemy, each marvelled at the extraordinary talents within the Hall of Six Harmonies. Their spirits soared, confidence doubled, and they fought desperately, holding the lines.