knife

Chapter 78 The final blow

Yan Shenglao was overcome with tears.

Before him stood a towering mound of thousands of human heads, the blood that had congealed into a purplish-black color, drawing winding and twisting patterns on the ground, creating a stark contrast with the surrounding white.

At the highest point of the Jingguan (a mound of skulls), the severe winter's head stands out prominently.

Anger, resentment, and regret converged on the face of the late winter.

"Ah!" Yan Sheng cried out to the heavens. "Why? Why?"

why?
Why are there so many "whys"?

One flower blooms, another withers.

The rise of the Yan family was also the process of the fall of other families and forces.

The Yan family's centuries of glory and achievements
It is also the blood and tears of others.

The way of Heaven is clear and unchanging, and its cycles repeat themselves endlessly.

Just like when the Qin Dynasty led an army of 100,000 to pursue and defeat the barbarian tribes, leaving them with nowhere to go but heaven and earth, how could the Qin emperor at that time have imagined that the Northern Yuan was now plotting to occupy the area beyond the Great Wall and then covet the Central Plains?

More than a thousand of Yan's elite cavalry knelt before the mound of corpses.

The shouts of "revenge!" were deafening.

However, not all desperate armies are guaranteed to win.

Sometimes, a desperate army can only end up dead.

Just like now, horns are sounding in the distance, and countless cavalrymen are slowly riding in.

Xiao Dongwei led the Qin cavalry.

The Tianzi Battalion led by Fang Xiaomao
There was also the "人" (human) battalion led by Gu Xiaoman.

After defeating Yan Dong, Xiao Dongwei and Fang Xiaomao led their troops straight to Mao'er Mountain. Yan Chun's infantry, who were still frantically attacking the mountain, were instantly slaughtered by the cavalry.

Now, after a brief rest, this united army has launched a surprise attack.

Yan Sheng was their ultimate target.

"Mount up! Break through!" Yan Sheng took the head of the top son of the Jingguan, wrapped it in a cloth and carried it on his back. He then mounted his horse, drew his sword, and shouted sharply.

"Kill!" shouted over a thousand knights in unison.

In the distance, Xiao Dongwei looked around and said, "Commander Fang, Commander Gu, these thousand-plus cavalrymen should not be defeated, but completely annihilated."

"I'll leave the old scoundrel Yan to you!" Gu Xiaoman said with a smile.

"I'll lead the Tianzi Battalion in the first wave of attacks!" Fang Xiaomao raised his twin swords. "General Xiao, you'll be in charge of the final cleanup. We're used to killing, but not to chopping off heads and piling them up!"

Xiao Dongwei laughed: "It was a pleasure to work with you two. I hope that after this, we will have the opportunity to kill the Yuan bandits together again. That would be even more exciting!"

"There will be plenty of opportunities!" Gu Xiaoman spurred his horse forward and laughed loudly, "Who knows, we might even become family in the future!"

Xiao Dongwei nodded repeatedly: "That's right, that's right!"

In his view, if Li Dachui were to stop being a bandit and instead join the General of Chariots and Cavalry, even if his position were higher than his own, he would be willing and wholeheartedly devoted to him.

Guan Gu Xiaoman, Fang Xiaomao, and Li Dachui, their leader, are all quite good.

And Xia Zhi, the commander of the Earth Battalion whom I haven't met yet, should be quite good as well.

People gather in kind, and things are divided into groups.

But why is Xia Zhi a woman?

When they chatted with Fang Xiaomao and Gu Xiaoman, they learned that they were both very afraid of Commander Xia, and their tone was full of respect and a desire to keep their distance.

Judging from their tone, this Commander Xia is extremely powerful. However, the two people in front of him are both high-ranking Xuan Yuan level 8 figures. If Xia Zhi is even more powerful than them, wouldn't he be close to level 9?

Xiao Dongwei immediately felt that something was wrong.

He had just climbed to the seventh rank.

If we all become colleagues in the future, when we get together, someone can shout: "Let's have a match, and the loser treats us!"

Then I'm afraid I won't even be able to keep my monthly salary.

Because I'm definitely going to lose!

Besides, in the military, force still reigns supreme, and the soldiers below have the utmost respect for those with exceptional combat skills.

It's alright if I end up ranking below Li Dachui; being third is acceptable.

But to suddenly drop to sixth place would be incredibly embarrassing.

Moreover, it would be even more embarrassing to lose to that Xia Zhi girl.

No, I need to pay more attention to martial arts in the future.

Although he wouldn't be able to reach the eighth rank in a short time, the difference between the seventh and eighth ranks wasn't too great. He was a veteran of countless battles, and his fighting skills were by no means lacking.

With a little more effort and more cultivation, he could be just as formidable. Xiao Dongwei was multitasking, thinking about these random thoughts while simultaneously issuing orders to make targeted arrangements for Yan Sheng's final counterattack.

There couldn't be a simpler battle.

In terms of individual combat prowess, Gu Xiaoman, Fang Xiaomao, and their men could easily overwhelm their opponents. In terms of troop strength, the enemy only had about a thousand men, while their side had several times that number. In terms of group combat ability, their men could easily crush the enemy even with their eyes closed. As for command ability, well, that old man Yan Sheng has wasted his life; he has no strategy or tactics whatsoever and is practically committing suicide.

Fine, I'll grant your wish!

While Xiao Dongwei was lost in thought, Xia Zhi, whom he worried he might not be able to defeat in the future, was observing Bao Ping City not far away amidst the swirling snow.

The City of Aquarius is built in a triangular area where two rivers meet. In other seasons, the City of Aquarius is naturally protected by the Clear Water River and the Juma River, as well as by the naval forces. The only part of the City of Aquarius that needs protection is the southern side.

This is precisely why Aquarius City is not large; the further you go, the longer the southern city wall becomes, and the greater the pressure on defense.

But now it is winter, and both rivers are covered with thick ice. What was a natural barrier in other seasons has now become a thoroughfare. At this time, Xia Zhi is probably standing right in the middle of the Qingshui River.

Not far from her, several soldiers were drilling holes to measure the thickness of the ice in order to decide on their next move.

Looking at the panicked alarm bells and the frantically running and shouting guards on Baoping City in the distance, Xia Zhi sneered. If they had started chiseling ice to prevent freezing as soon as winter arrived, how could they have suffered such a calamity today? With such natural defenses, yet they didn't know how to make good use of them, the Yan clan has actually been able to exist for several hundred years. Heaven has truly been kind to you, but this is where it ends.

Do you really think that just because you've been here for hundreds of years, this place has become yours?
Do you really think no one dares to touch you?

Arrogant and presumptuous!

Chiseling ice to prevent freezing is a laborious task, but it is the most effective.

Even though the navy was still unusable, the existence of the two rivers made even the mighty land forces like Li Dachui and Xiao Changche sigh in despair at the sight of the city.

The cost of ice-breaking is merely a matter of manpower, which is insignificant compared to the annual revenue of Aquarius City, and to the wealth and population of Aquarius State.

Ultimately, they had been living in comfort for too long and underestimated the heroes of the world.

Xia Zhi clenched her fists, secretly warning herself that she should take Yan's fate as a warning and never let her guard down.

It is wise to be prepared for danger even in times of peace.

"Commander Xia, the ice is three feet thick, enough for us to launch any level of operation!" An old soldier with a white beard ran over excitedly, carrying a long rope ruler.

"Surround the city!" Xia Zhi shouted. "Send an arrow to tell them that the Yan family's army has been completely wiped out, and Yan Sheng and Yan Dong have been executed. This time, our army will only attack the Yan family and will not involve the others."

"Those who abandon darkness and embrace the light will be rewarded with ten taels of silver and ten acres of land!"

"Kill one member of the Yan family, and you will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver and one hundred acres of land!"

"Kill one member of the Yan family's direct lineage, and you will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver!"

On the top of Baoping City, Yan Xu gripped the crenellations tightly with both hands, watching the enemy in the distance unfolding their ranks in an orderly fashion.

A bright red banner embroidered with a large iron hammer in black silk thread was fluttering in the wind, and beneath the banner, a woman wearing a fiery red cloak, her face covered with a red scarf, and holding a huge horse-slaying sword was pointing at the city.

Zhu Yu!

This is the nickname given to this woman by the martial arts world outside the Great Wall.

Ten years ago, this woman started her career following Li Dachui. Her face was covered with a red scarf, and she wore a red dress. Her petite body was wielded by a huge horse-slaying sword that was much longer than her height. She moved like a burning flame of death.

As Li Dachui rose to fame, Zhuque's status also increased.

The cunning and shrewd Fang Xiaomao is the commander of the Tianzi Battalion.

Suzaku Summer Solstice, Earth-character Camp Commander
And then there is the most mysterious, unknown leader of the Human-shaped Battalion.

By now, Yan Xu had guessed that the wolf must be the commander of the "Human" battalion under Li Dachui.

Aquarius City is not large, but its resources are extremely abundant. The city has enough food to last a year, and all kinds of weapons are readily available. Although the natural barrier of the two rivers is gone, the fortified terrain of Aquarius City makes it relatively easy to hold out.

The problem is that there are no troops to help from outside, and where is there a city that must be defended from within?

Moreover, were the troops led out by the elder brother and nephew Yan Dong truly wiped out?
No, not possible!

It's just a lie the enemy used to demoralize our troops!

As long as I hold the line, reinforcements will arrive soon.

The enemy has besieged Aquarius City, something that has never happened in nearly a hundred years.

Yan Xu turned around and looked around. Besides the Yan clan members, there were also many wandering martial arts masters he had recruited. At this moment, the expressions of these people were quite different.

These people are only attracted by wealth and power; what they seek is nothing more than wine, women, money, and power. As for chivalry and righteousness, that's probably not something they're interested in. Expecting them to live and die with Aquarius City is just a pipe dream.

First, we must lure them with benefits, and then threaten them with harm. The fates of Yan Sheng and Yan Dong are currently unknown, and they must understand that if they betray the Yan family at this juncture, they will face a life-or-death dilemma once the Yan family overcomes this crisis.

Weighing the two options, these people will likely still try their best to help defend the city.

"Open the treasure vault!" Yan Xu shouted. "The heroes who help me defend Treasure Bottle City today may choose any ten treasures from the vault."

"Open the treasury and transport all the gold and silver inside to the city. Fifty taels for each man!"

"All members of the Yan family, regardless of gender, aged ten to sixty, shall don armor and go to the city!"

"Light the signal fires, warn others, and call for help!"

(End of this chapter)