In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 993 The Warrior's Courage
Bian Ruijie's face immediately turned gloomy.

The scars on his face slowly writhed, making him look particularly ferocious.

He gripped the long knife in his hand, his face showing resentment, and he gritted his teeth:

"Shut up, I'm not a rebel."

"Oh?"

Lu Yunyi looked surprised, pointed around, and said in a slightly teasing tone:

"What is this if not a rebel? They mobilized troops from the camp without orders, and even donned armor and weapons. This is treason!"

Bian Ruijie's breathing suddenly became rapid, and a flash of panic crossed his eyes, but it was quickly suppressed by anger.

He glared fiercely at the young general before him and shouted:
"The victor is king and the loser is a bandit. So what if you rebel?"

"Someone like you, who has risen through the ranks thanks to the Crown Prince's protection, how could you possibly understand the feelings of insignificant people like us?"

Lu Yunyi was stunned for a moment, then laughed:
"You're so young, yet you're already a commander of the Left Guard of the Imperial Guard, responsible for guarding the Crown Prince's residence. Is that considered a nobody?"

If you're just a nobody, what would you call those laborers in the capital who carry heavy loads every day? Livestock?

"Stop spouting nonsense!"

Bian Ruijie let out a loud shout, a glint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes as he looked at the soldiers surrounded in the center:
"I quelled several rebellions and became the commander of the Left Guard of the Golden Guard at the age of twenty-four. What a glorious moment!"

I believe I am second to none in military combat.
Just because he lost a duel, he has to be relegated to the position of a goalkeeper. Why?
Why do you have the opportunity to fight in all directions?

But I'm stuck in the capital, guarding the gates for the rebels!

Lu Yunyi thought carefully for a moment, then his face lit up with realization, and he suddenly smiled:
“I remember now, last year when the Marquis of Yan’an was confined to his quarters, you were assigned to guard him, right?”

Later, you secretly let Marquis Ji'an into your residence; were you punished for that?

"enough!!"

Bian Ruijie's face grew increasingly grim at the mention of this matter; it was a taboo subject for him.

He initially thought that the Marquis of Yan'an's confinement was just a temporary measure and would be lifted soon.

Therefore, when faced with the Marquis of Yan'an's attempts to win him over, he was tempted and even chose to comply.

But while he was still fantasizing about currying favor with a powerful figure and one day leading troops into battle,
The bad news came suddenly.
Marquis of Yan'an, Marquis of Ji'an, and other nobles are suspected of treason and are to have their families confiscated and be exterminated.

During those days, he was constantly anxious, fearing that he would be implicated.

Fortunately, all those involved have been brought to justice, which allowed him to escape punishment.

However, the Embroidered Uniform Guard discovered that the Marquis of Ji'an had been released without permission.

In the end, he was stripped of his position as a chiliarch, demoted to a centurion, and transferred out of the capital to Shangyuan County to cultivate land.

Last year he was a rising star, but this year he has fallen to such a state. Bian Ruijie felt that there was no greater sorrow than the despair of losing his heart.

Just when he thought he would be trapped in farming for the rest of his life,
Someone approached him, and the person not only knew that he had been courted by the Marquis of Yan'an, but also told him to wait for orders.

This made him even more apprehensive, fearing that he would be punished later.

But what awaited him was not reckoning, but endless silence, as if he had been forgotten by everyone.

Until today, he suddenly received an order,

Intercept and kill Lu Yunyi.

After much deliberation, Bian Ruijie still came.

He wanted to prove that he was no less capable than others, he just lacked an opportunity!
Thinking of this, Bian Ruijie felt a surge of anger that almost burst from his head.
He looked at Lu Yunyi and shouted:
"If I had the opportunity to go to war many times, I would surely be able to defeat countless enemies just like you!"

Looking at the fervor in his eyes, Lu Yunyi felt a headache coming on.
Such arrogant and ignorant young soldiers would be excellent in the army, but if they were rebels, they would be a laughing stock.

"So you're plotting a rebellion? Are you aware that I'm investigating a major treason case involving the assassination of the Crown Prince?"

"Your Majesty also rose up against the Yuan Dynasty back then, and now you've become the emperor."

If I kill you, who will know that I was the one who did it today?

Bian Ruijie suddenly raised his long sword and pointed it at Lu Yunyi:
"Everyone in the army says you have the courage of a tyrant. Today I'll see if you're really as amazing as the rumors say!"

Lu Yunyi shook his head and glanced at the rebel soldiers around him:

"You only brought five hundred men?"

"You only have a hundred men!"

Bian Ruijie's eyes were cold as he pulled on the reins and took a step forward.

"Hahahaha"

Lu Yunyi suddenly burst into laughter, his voice loud and clear, carrying far into the night.

He pointed his spear at Bian Ruijie:

"You, you want to enter the inner sanctum, but you only do foolish things."

"They can't win a duel, they can't defend the gate properly, and now they can't even figure out how to start a rebellion."

"Don't be so arrogant! I don't believe you can escape alive today!"

Lu Yunyi smiled and swept his spear across the surrounding rebel soldiers:

"How can you rebel so rashly?"
It's absurd for five hundred people to rebel.

Several hundred people came to assassinate me outside the capital back then.
Last year, when Zhongdu rebelled, five thousand elite troops were dispatched. Is this general dead?

He would have been living a good life.
On the contrary, I wiped out all the rebels.

You think you can kill me with these five hundred men?
In my opinion, someone doesn't want to completely break with me, but has to react in some way, so they've sent you here to die.

Upon hearing this, Bian Ruijie's expression changed drastically, becoming extremely grim.

The surrounding rebels heard it clearly, and their morale quietly waned.

Du Pingping was taken aback, then quietly straightened her back. What she said made sense!

Lu Yunyi continued:

"You five hundred men want to kill me?"
"At the very least, we need to have firearms and crossbows, and only elite border troops would we have a chance. Do you have those?"

Bian Ruijie noticed that morale was declining and hurriedly shouted:

"Stop talking nonsense! One hundred against five hundred, I don't believe you can win!"

Lu Yunyi lifted his spear and laughed:
"My greatest strength is winning against the odds. Haven't you read the military newspaper?"
Even against an enemy ten times stronger, I can still prevail. You dare dream of it!

Bian Ruijie gripped his long sword tightly, staring intently at Lu Yunyi. Just as he was about to order the entire army to charge, a sharp whooshing sound suddenly came from behind.

In the pitch-black night sky, a cold glint suddenly appeared.
"Whoosh-"

With the arrow's fletching still trembling, it pierced straight at Bian Ruijie!
"Sir, be careful!"

A young soldier next to Bian Ruijie's face changed drastically, his pupils suddenly contracting.

He lunged forward and stood in front of Bian Ruijie.

"Pfft!"

The long, narrow arrow pierced the guard's neck with tremendous force, the arrowhead smashing through bones and flesh, leaving most of the shaft exposed before finally coming to a stop.

Bian Ruijie froze on the spot, his breathing suddenly stopped.

He stared blankly at the scarlet arrow less than three inches from his cheek.
You can even see the black veins hanging from the arrow shaft.

"volley!"

Before Bian Ruijie could react, a loud shout came from behind, followed by the crackling sound of muskets firing in unison.

He turned around abruptly and saw more than ten soldiers holding muskets slowly moving forward, one step at a time. They were the scout team that had left earlier!
More than twenty brothers have been shot in the back and are lying in pools of blood.

"Meet the enemy!"

Bian Ruijie suddenly drew his long sword, his gaze locking onto Lu Yunyi, who was surrounded.
As long as this person is killed, the rest are no threat.

But Lu Yunyi reacted even faster.

The warhorse Beixiao reared up high, its iron hooves shattering the moonlight on the ground.
Gripping the reins tightly, lance raised high, a roar drowned out Bian Ruijie's voice:

"Brothers, break through the enemy! Leave no one alive!"

"kill!"

A furious roar erupted from beneath the mask, and Lu Yunyi clenched his legs tightly around the horse's flanks.
Bei Xiao understood, let out a long neigh, and charged into the enemy ranks like an arrow released from a bow.

The rebels at the front changed their expressions drastically upon seeing this.

He charged forward, long sword raised, the blade whistling as it slashed at the horse's neck.

The soldier was strong and muscular, with bulging veins on his arms, clearly having used all his strength.

But Lu Yunyi didn't even blink; his wrist sank slightly.
The long shaft of the spear swept past the horse's mane, and the tip of the spear precisely struck the rebel's wrist.

A crisp "crack" sound!
The soldier's wrist bone broke on the spot, and his long sword flew out of his hand.

Before he could even scream, Lu Yunyi swung his gun, the tip piercing his back and exiting through his chest.

Blood splattered on Bei Xiao's tail and mane, a glaring red.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers behind him instantly felt their tense morale soar.

They raised their long swords high and shouted:

"kill!!"

A dozen or so cavalrymen followed closely behind Lu Yunyi, like a sharp knife piercing into the enemy ranks.

The rebels were already unsettled by Lu Yunyi's words.
Seeing him actually rushing over, they immediately lost their composure.

A soldier tried to launch a sneak attack from the side, but as soon as he raised his spear, Lu Yunyi struck his helmet with a backhand thrust.

The helmet dented instantly, and the soldier groaned as he fell from his horse, his fate unknown. Du Pingping, hiding at the back of the column, gripped the reins tightly, her eyes wide with shock.

All he knew was that Lu Yunyi was a master of firearms.

But I've never seen him actually fight with a sword or spear.

At this moment, Lu Yunyi was seen weaving through the enemy ranks; wherever his spear struck, the rebel soldiers were either killed or wounded.

No one could withstand a single blow from him; he truly possessed the might of a tyrant!

"Don't panic! Form the formation! Form the formation now!"

Bian Ruijie roared from behind, but his voice was drowned out by the sounds of clashing weapons and screams.

A junior officer wanted to organize people to hold up shields and block them.
Just as he raised his shield, Lu Yunyi pierced it with a single spear thrust, the tip going straight through his chest.

The junior officer, his eyes wide open and blood gushing from his mouth, slowly collapsed, his shield crashing to the ground with a thud, revealing the pale-faced soldiers behind him.

"Rush over!"

Lu Yunyi shouted, sweeping his spear across the ground and knocking two rebel soldiers off their horses.

Bei Xiao's speed increased, his horse's hooves pounding on the cement road.
It made a thumping sound, as if it were violently striking the heartstrings of the rebels.

A dozen or so cavalrymen followed closely behind him, brandishing their long swords, and soon tore a gap in the enemy ranks.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the rebels in front retreated to both sides.

In less than half an incense stick's time

Lu Yunyi actually led his men through the encirclement and arrived at the official road outside the depression.

When Du Pingping rushed out, she hadn't even had time to breathe a sigh of relief.
Lu Yunyi reined in his horse, turned it around, and tried to charge back!

"Lord Lu! Have you gone mad?!"

Du Pingping screamed in fright, her voice trembling:

"We've broken through! Run towards the capital!"

Lu Yunyi ignored him, his eyes beneath the visor sweeping over the cavalrymen behind him, his voice remaining calm and steady:
"Kill the enemy!"

"Kill the enemy!"

The guards responded in unison, without a single hesitation.

They fought alongside Lu Yunyi for many years.
I've long been used to his relentless, charging style of fighting.
Even the morale of these rebel soldiers is low.

They were easier to deal with than the last time they charged the Goryeo soldiers, and their numbers were much smaller.

Du Pingping watched Lu Yunyi's retreating figure as he charged back into the enemy ranks.

A chill ran up from the soles of my feet, and the hairs on my body stood on end.
"A madman. A real madman."

He had heard rumors that Lu Yunyi had climbed to his current position only because of the favor of the Crown Prince and the Grand General.

But only now did he realize that this man was able to establish himself in the army.
They relied on their real skills in killing enemies.
Despite being outnumbered, they attacked the stronger opponent without hesitation and even gained the upper hand.

He opened his mouth, as if to shout something else.
But they could only watch helplessly as Lu Yunyi's figure darted through the enemy ranks.

Every now and then, bursts of wild laughter could be heard, as if they were complaining that the enemy was too weak.

In the midst of the battle formation, Bian Ruijie saw Lu Yunyi return and his eyes turned red with rage.

He abruptly pulled a warhorse to his side, mounted it, grabbed a long-handled broadsword, and charged towards Lu Yunyi:
"Lu Yunyi! You're just a lucky one!"

His voice was filled with madness as he raised his long sword high and slashed it down towards Lu Yunyi's head.

This strike used all the strength he had in his life.
The wind howled, even the surrounding rice stalks were blown to one side.

Since his defeat in the last martial arts competition, he has been practicing his combat skills diligently every moment.

He firmly believes that he can easily defeat his former opponent now.

Lu Yunyi remained calm as he watched Bian Ruijie charge towards him, then suddenly grinned and burst into laughter:

"it is good!!!"

Instead of dodging, just as the long sword was about to strike his faceplate, he suddenly turned to the side, raising his left arm high, and his arm guard forcefully blocked the long sword.

With a loud "bang," Bian Ruijie instantly woke up. What had happened?
Before he could react, the spear thrust forward with a sudden burst of speed, its tip like a bolt of lightning, piercing straight into his chest!

Bian Ruijie looked shocked; he hadn't expected Lu Yunyi to be so bold!

He tried to sheathe his sword to parry, but it was too late.

With a soft "thud," the spear tip pierced through his armor and into his heart.

Bian Ruijie froze, and the long sword slipped from his hand, "smashing to the ground."

He looked down at the tip of the gun in his chest, blood flowing down the shaft and staining his robes red.

He tried to speak, but could only spit out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with resentment.

Lu Yunyi twisted his wrist, the spear tip swirling inside his body, letting out a soft laugh:
"We need to practice more."

Bian Ruijie let out a muffled groan, his body limply sliding off the horse's back.

It fell to the ground and remained motionless.

The resentment and anger in his empty eyes gradually faded, as if he had finally come to terms with reality.

"The master is dead!"

Someone shouted, and the morale of the rebel army, which had been pressing forward, instantly collapsed.

Some managed to hold off the attack, while others turned and fled.

Lu Yunyi looked at them, shook his head, and the passion that had just surged in his heart quickly subsided; it was too weak.

"Pursue them! Leave no one alive!"

Lu Yunyi flicked his arm, sending Bian Ruijie's body flying a great distance.

He tightened the reins and raised his lance high:

"kill!!"

Half an hour later, the moonlight made the cement road appear white.

The smell of blood in the rice paddies was so strong it was pungent, mixed with the juice from the trampled rice ears, both fishy and astringent.

Lu Yunyi stood on the stirrups, the large bow drawn taut, then suddenly released the bowstring.

The arrow pierced the air and stabbed the last rebel in the back, passing right through his body!

The soldier was limping as he crawled into the rice paddies, the arrow shaft still trembling from the force of the impact.

He staggered two steps, then fell headfirst into the mud, and never moved again.

Bei Xiao snorted and pawed at the ground with his hooves.

The splashes of mud clung to Lu Yunyi's armor, mixing with the already dried scabs.

Lu Yunyi raised his hand and stroked the horse's neck, feeling the horse's rapid breathing in his palm.
There was also a lingering dissatisfaction within it; it hadn't had enough of a beating!

Lu Yunyi smiled and returned to the original battlefield.

The guards were scattered throughout the rice paddies counting the corpses. Blood dripped from their armor onto the rice leaves, sliding down the veins and into the mud.

"Lord Du, what are you daydreaming about?"

Lu Yunyi turned his horse around and walked towards Du Pingping by the roadside.

The fat man remained gripping the reins, his face pale.
His eyes were fixed on the corpse in the rice paddy, his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a word for a long time.

During the chase, he followed behind and witnessed Lu Yunyi kill them one by one with an arrow.
Killing rebels is as easy as killing rabbits; even killing chickens isn't this easy.

Du Pingping only snapped out of her daze when Lu Yunyi's horse came right up to her.

He swallowed hard, his voice still weak:

"Lord Lu, is that all?"

"if not?"

Lu Yunyi smiled, raised his hand and removed his face mask, revealing a face covered in sweat.

He casually wiped the blood from his forehead:
“These rebels are a rabble; they’re here to intimidate us.”

He looked down at the corpses lying haphazardly on the ground.
Their armor was worn out, their longswords were poorly made, and some even lacked proper boots and arm guards, clearly indicating they were not elite troops.

Lu Yun used his spear to nudge the armor of a nearby corpse.

The armor was so thin that you could see the lining underneath; it deformed with the slightest touch.

He sheathed his spear, a hint of amusement in his voice:
"They are all soldiers from the Tuntian Guard, and they don't even have proper weapons."

Upon hearing this, Du Pingping breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said:

"Lord Lu, let's go quickly! If the Duke of Song sends someone else, we'll be in trouble!"

Lu Yunyi thought about it carefully, then shook his head:
"If the Duke of Song can only mobilize these troops, he will not become the leader of the army."

"Not the Duke of Song?"

Du Pingping was stunned for a moment, then calmed down and suddenly understood.

If the Duke of Song really wanted to kill people, why did he let them leave the village?

We can just do it in the village; there's no need to go through all this trouble.

"Then who could it be?"

Lu Yunyi shook his head:
"Who knows? You're a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, this matter needs to be investigated by you."

(End of this chapter)