One day, the Tang army held a council of war within the city. The Leader of the Beggars' Sect, the Four Great Elders, Lu Rou, Li Jian, and Tan Wei were all invited to attend.
General Chang Qian-guang spoke first.
"We have received intelligence that the Tibetan army will soon bring siege engines and catapults to the battlefield in preparation for another assault upon the city. Our army has defended Lingwu for a long time. Though we have held the city successfully, we have been unable to drive back the Tibetan army. If this continues for much longer, I fear it will not be a wise course.
"Therefore, I wish to hear the opinions of our generals. I would also like to hear the thoughts of the Leader of the Beggars' Sect."
One of the generals spoke with concern.
"Our defensive strategy is forced upon us by circumstances. The Tibetans are skilled horsemen and archers. If we were to meet them in open battle upon the great plains, their cavalry could gallop freely around us. It would be extremely difficult for our army to gain the advantage."
Another general pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Why not wait until nightfall and launch a surprise attack upon the enemy camp?"
General Youqi Xiang Yong thought the plan quite sound, yet he could not help sighing.
"A night attack is indeed a clever stratagem. But the Tibetan army is highly disciplined and well trained. Such an attack might inflict some casualties upon them, yet it would hardly be enough to force the entire Tibetan army to withdraw."
General Chang Qian-guang nodded.
"General Xiang speaks truly. We must strike the enemy a decisive blow. Otherwise, the Tibetans will never willingly withdraw. And if this war drags on into winter, the conditions may only become more favorable for a Tibetan offensive."
He paused and turned toward the Leader of the Beggars' Sect.
"Leader Fei, with the enemy surrounding our city, do you have any strategy by which we might drive them away?"
General Chang clearly wished to hear the advice of the martial heroes. Perhaps the wisdom of the Beggars' Sect Leader could provide the Tang army with a way to defeat this formidable enemy.
Leader Fei Jin thought long and hard.
"If we merely defend and never attack, I fear that will not be a lasting solution. Yet if we ride out and engage the enemy in open battle, we would be doing exactly what the Tibetans desire."
He paused for a long moment, deep in thought, before continuing.
"The only course I can see is to devise a stratagem to lure the enemy into a trap. At the proper moment, we send forth a courageous warrior to strike where the enemy is unprepared, delivering a sudden and thunderous blow.
"We might follow the example of Zhang Yide, who once rode into the midst of a million-man army and took the head of an enemy general.
"If the enemy commander is slain, their entire formation will surely fall into confusion. At that moment, the Tang forces behind us can seize the opportunity and charge forward to annihilate them."
General Chang nodded.
"Leader Fei speaks wisely. But what do the rest of you generals think?"
General Youqi Xiang Yong immediately stepped forward.
"I am willing to serve as the vanguard and lead the army into battle! Yet although our soldiers can charge into the enemy ranks, the Tibetan general Ma Chongying is protected by several deputy generals. It will be difficult to reach him.
"We shall therefore have to rely upon the martial masters of the Beggars' Sect for assistance."
General Chang nodded.
"General Xiang is courageous beyond compare. With you leading our forces into battle, what do we have to fear from the Tibetans?
"Leader Fei, might you recommend two martial masters to accompany our army?"
Leader Fei Jin answered,
"In my opinion, the two men best suited for this mission are Li Jian, Lord of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, and Lu Rou, Branch Master of the Beggars' Sect.
"Let them each take one of our finest warhorses. One shall wield the Wolong Saber, while the other shall wield a spear. With the two of them leading the charge, I believe they can slay the Tibetan general Ma Chongying."
In his heart, Leader Fei knew that Lu Rou's Dog-Beating Staff Technique was not ideally suited to the chaos of a battlefield. A spear would be far more effective in such a battle.
Li Jian and Lu Rou exchanged a glance.
At that instant, a deep feeling of patriotism arose within their hearts.
Neither man hesitated.
They clasped their fists and spoke together:
"Such is the duty of a true man!"
Both men understood the greater cause at stake. Their willingness to join hands in resisting a foreign invasion was an act of loyalty and righteousness. Before matters of right and wrong, they were prepared to advance together without fear.
Indeed—
The hearts of true sons burn with loyalty;
Their hearts beat fiercely for the nation.
General Chang Qian-guang had not expected the two men to possess such a profound sense of duty. They were truly heroes among men, and their reputations were clearly well deserved.
He praised them:
"This is how the sons of the Great Tang should be!"
Over the following days, Li Jian and Lu Rou learned how to put on armor and fight in full battle dress.
Lu Rou, in particular, studied the Fenyang Spear Technique.
The two men conducted repeated drills with the troops under General Youqi Xiang Yong. Five hundred elite Tang soldiers were selected and prepared for the coming assault.
Officers and soldiers were united in purpose, and every day they trained relentlessly.
Then came the day.
The northern wind howled across the land.
The Tibetan army gathered in force, preparing to launch a fierce attack upon Lingwu.
The Tang army, meanwhile, was ready to turn the enemy's own strategy against them.
Suddenly—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Tibetan catapults began their assault.
Great stones came hurtling through the air.
Several houses within the city were smashed to pieces.
The inhabitants cried out in terror, rushing through the streets and shouting warnings to one another. Cries of fear and grief echoed throughout the city.
Seizing the opportunity created by the chaos, the Tibetan army once again brought forth its siege towers and ladders.
The battle cries of thousands of Tibetan warriors shook the heavens.
Before long, the siege ladders were raised against the city walls.
The Tibetan soldiers scrambled upward, each one striving to be the first to reach the battlements.
Many were struck down and tumbled from the ladders to their deaths.
Yet many others succeeded in reaching the walls and forcing their way inside.
A fierce battle erupted upon the battlements as Tang soldiers and Tibetan warriors fought desperately for control.
Then, at that very moment—
The city gates suddenly swung wide open.
The Tibetan general Ma Chongying saw the open gates and was overjoyed.
He assumed that his own soldiers had succeeded in opening them.
In his heart, he thought:
So the catapults truly are a powerful weapon for besieging a city!
Seeing no reason to suspect a trap, he immediately gave the order:
"Every man—attack the city!"
The Tibetan army roared as one.
With deafening battle cries, the great mass of soldiers surged toward the open gates.
But just as the Tibetan army came rushing forward, a force of Tang soldiers suddenly burst out from the city.
At their head were none other than Li Jian and Lu Rou.
Li Jian held the Wolong Saber aloft.
Lu Rou gripped his spear tightly.
The two men charged straight into the Tibetan army.
The foremost Tibetan vanguard rushed forward to meet them. The warriors swung their great sabers and hacked fiercely at the two heroes.
But Li Jian and Lu Rou struck without hesitation.
Their blades flashed.
Their spear thrusts flew like lightning.
One after another, the Tibetan vanguard was cut down from their horses.
The Tang soldiers following close behind immediately surged forward and attacked the disordered enemy.
The Tibetan army began to collapse.
In the midst of the chaos, General Ma Chongying turned around and shouted:
"Who dares to face them?!"
Two warriors immediately rode forward.
They were the Tibetan deputy generals Duoji and Pacho.
The two generals spurred their horses forward, one on either side, and charged toward Li Jian and Lu Rou with their spears raised.
General Ma Chongying watched closely.
Duoji charged from the left flank, his long spear aimed straight at Li Jian.
Li Jian charged directly toward him.
At the very instant their horses were about to meet, Li Jian suddenly leapt high into the air.
His Wolong Saber flashed through the sky.
With a single stroke—
Duoji was struck from his horse.
At almost the same moment, Pacho charged from the right.
He too wielded a long spear and drove straight toward Lu Rou.
The two spears clashed.
Once.
Twice.
Before three exchanges had passed, Lu Rou's spear pierced through Pacho's defenses and sent him tumbling from his horse.
The Tibetan soldiers who witnessed this were utterly shaken.
Their morale collapsed.
They scattered in every direction, fleeing for their lives.
Li Jian and Lu Rou charged east and west through the battlefield, their weapons flashing as they cut through the enemy ranks.
Wherever they went, the Tibetan soldiers scattered before them.
The two heroes swept through the battlefield as though there were no enemy at all.