knife

Chapter 602 The Last Chance
Jishun County is located at the border of Ruyin Commandery and Huai'an Commandery.

Although Jishun County is small, it is extremely important in strategic location as the gateway to Ruyin Prefecture.

In the past, when Chu and Qin were at odds, this place was always one of the key battlegrounds.

And this time, naturally, was no exception.

Ke Wuji and He Yiming led more than 10,000 troops, centered around Ji Shun, to meet the tens of thousands of troops of He Zudao from Huai'an County.

However, the one who truly commanded this army was not Ke Wuji, but Li Dachui.

The small town of Jishun has gathered a large number of martial arts masters.

Ke Wuji, He Yiming, and Zhan Zhao, all at the ninth rank of Xuan Yuan, Fang Xiaomao, Su Qi, and Cao Hui, and even Liu Chuang, Lu Xiong, and others at the seventh rank of Xuan Yuan, couldn't even squeeze into the council hall.

This time, Li Dachui focused his attacks on He Zudao.

Cao Hui led the White Tiger Brigade, and Fang Xiaomao brought hundreds of elite soldiers from Shu. Li Dachui organized them into a single unit, forming a spearhead similar to the Emperor's Camp in the past.

The Battle of Jishun was unavoidable for both sides, and there wasn't much to discuss in terms of strategy and tactics. In such a confined space, tens of thousands of troops gathered, making it a true case of the brave prevailing when paths cross.

He Zudao carried his greatsword and rode out of the camp alone. His hooves clattered as he walked towards the center line of the battle, where someone was already waiting for him.

That person is Li Dachui.

As the great battle was about to begin, Li Dachui sent a letter to He Zudao, inviting him to meet alone and have a talk.

Although He Zudao felt it was completely unnecessary, at this moment, the enemy had issued a challenge, and he was unwilling to weaken his momentum. Changing the battlefield and the way of fighting would seem like child's play before a major battle. But precisely before a face-to-face hand-to-hand combat like Ji Shun's, confidence, courage, and boldness were extremely important.

None of the soldiers wanted their commander to be a coward.

Looking back, troop after troop of cavalry and infantry were filing out, forming a standard offensive formation, and the enemy was not to be outdone.

This is a perfect example of a clash of titans.

If it were just He Yiming and Ke Wuji, they would never dare to confront He Zudao head-on. But now that the White Tiger Brigade and Fang Xiaomao's personal guards have joined in, the situation is quite different.

"What should I call you?" Looking at Li Dachui, He Zudao said calmly, "Protector Li, or Your Highness?"

"What you're called is irrelevant!" Li Dachui said. "He Zudao, you've already fallen to such a state, don't you realize your mistake?"

He Zudao laughed loudly: "What do I have to understand, Li Dachui? Is it only people like you from noble families who can compete for the world, but I can't? Are kings and generals born with special privileges? Who will win the battle is still unknown. How dare you be so arrogant as to try to teach me?"

"From Hedong to Hexi to Luoyang, and now, you have never escaped the fate of being manipulated by others!" Li Dachui sneered. "When your father held great power, he was manipulated by powerful families, and you, initially manipulated by Kou Zhong, are now manipulated by the Chu people. When have you ever had any long-term strategies or plans? He Zudao, fighting for the world and making moves in the world, that cannot be done with just words."

“Even if I can’t conquer the world, I can still leave my mark on history and shine brightly for all if I can be a sharp blade that can influence the world’s situation!” He Zudao forced down his anger. Li Dachui was telling the truth, and he had no way to refute him.

"You think you can control the world?" Li Dachui laughed loudly. "Even if you defeat us today, so what? Even if you occupy Yong'an and Ruyin, so what? Will it have a significant impact on the overall situation? It will only make me expend more effort later. Without Yong'an and Ruyin, the army from outside the pass will still sweep into the interior with unstoppable force. But perhaps you, He Zudao, won't live to see that day! When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked. Do you really think Xiang Ying or Linghu Ye can tolerate you occupying a region? When your usefulness is completely gone, that will be your death day!"

"Li Dachui, no matter how sweet your words are, they cannot shake my determination to defeat you!" He Zudao looked at Li Dachui and said, "Our feud is not only a matter of state, but also a family matter. My He family is inextricably linked to the deaths of your parents, and we can even be said to be one of the main perpetrators. So, what's the use of saying all this? Do you think you can give my He family a bright future?"

"The only thing I can promise you is to allow you to leave peacefully!" Li Dachui said. "This is the greatest kindness I can show you, and the last chance I can give you. After all, it was your father He Qiku who made the decision back then, and you were just following his orders." He Zudao laughed loudly, stretched out his hand, and the giant sword on the side of his horse was drawn with a clang and hovered in front of him.

"Why is it always you? It's always people like you coming and going? Why can't people like us endure this? He Zudao doesn't believe in fate and insists on fighting to the death, even if it means the extermination of his clan, it's better than living like a walking corpse in this world."

"He Zudao, won't you give your people a chance to choose?"

"The He clan prospered because of my father and me, so we should share life and death, honor and disgrace. Your Highness need not worry about it."

Reaching forward with both hands, He Zudao grasped the two-foot-long hilt of the sword and said coldly, "Li Dachui, come on. The outcome between us was predetermined from the very beginning. It's either you or me who will die. There will be no third way out."

Li Dachui drew his Minghong Blade from his waist. "Since you refuse to give up, let our duel serve as the prelude to our battle!"

Giant swords and sharp blades stood in formation, followed by tens of thousands of soldiers. The sound of drums and horns suddenly rose, accompanied by shouts that soared into the sky. Countless cavalrymen began their charge, while more infantrymen followed behind the cavalry, forming neat ranks and slowly advancing with spears and shields raised to the beat of the drums.

Cavalry are like the wind.

The infantrymen were as numerous as mountains.

Before the two of them, there was a duel between the two army commanders, two innate masters.

This marks the first time since the Qin dynasty replaced Yong and the Chu state established itself that two masters of innate talent have clashed on the battlefield.

The last time such a peak showdown occurred was back when Li Qing led his army to attack Chang'an, and fought a decisive battle against the Duanmu clan outside the city.

In that battle, dozens of innate masters from both sides fought one-on-one, while hundreds of thousands of troops engaged in a decisive battle around Chang'an City.

In the end, Li Qing won.

Qingfeng, the extraordinary woman who was once a formidable and invincible warrior on the battlefield, was the most fundamental guarantee of the Li family's victory. If Qingfeng hadn't defeated Duanmu Yi's top expert, who was rumored to have entered the Divine Realm, on the battlefield, it would have been truly difficult to say who would have won that battle.

The swords clashed silently, and even the warhorse beneath him seemed unaffected, but He Zudao's heart sank to the bottom.

He, who had been full of confidence, suddenly became frightened.

Even among those who are all innate masters, their cultivation levels will still vary, their understanding of martial arts will differ, and their application of true energy will naturally vary in strength.

He Zudao didn't believe that the young Li Dachui could be stronger than him.

But once you actually get into a fight, the difference in skill becomes immediately apparent.

The opponent is stronger than oneself.

It's not just about cultivation level, but also about the rules governing the use of power.

He Zudao never dreamed that Li Dachui possessed the combined cultivation levels of both himself and Jiang Qian.

(End of this chapter)