Tiger Guards

Chapter 362 The Wonders of a Duel
Two days later, when Zhao Ji's army slowly marched to Wugong, Yang Qiu and Wang Chengxin arrived together, bringing with them Guo Si's head.

Even so, Zhao Ji still halted his advance ahead of schedule and spent the night in Wugong.

Out of vigilance against Guo Si's former subordinates, Yang Qiu, and Wang Cheng, they also took strict precautions at night.

The entire march was monotonous and tedious. Zhao Ji himself managed all affairs, and the new and old military officers under him were forced to keep spinning like tops.

There was no more scattered looting by the various armies of Guanzhong and Longxi, and even the young seedlings on the north bank of the Wei River were not allowed to be trampled or fed to horses.

Everything was strictly controlled, and more than a dozen soldiers who violated the rules were executed every day.

Those who violated the law and resisted with weapons or fled were also hunted down and killed by the Hedong Knights or the Righteous Knights.

Finally, on the ninth day after Zhao Ji entered Guanzhong, he led Duan Wei, Zhang Xiu, Pei Mao, Liang Xing, and Zhang Heng to Meiwu.

At this time, Yang Qiu and Wang Cheng recruited small groups of soldiers and civilians from the surrounding area to join them, and established their own strongholds, with more than 5,000 infantry and cavalry.

The allied forces brought by Zhao Ji numbered 12,000.

As long as the side with the advantage has the upper hand, the number of its troops will continue to expand throughout the war... but the actual number of troops that can fight desperately is always only two or three.

The vast majority of people... cannot be blamed for the fact that the various Hu Yi Cong troops liked to fight when the wind was blowing in their favor, and the various armies in the Han region were similar.

We are all human; the instinct to choose between life and death and to pursue profit is natural when making behavioral choices.

Outside Meiwu City, there were more than 3,000 surrendered soldiers, with their officers in the front row.

Except for those who died in battle, all the male members of Guo Si's family were bound and escorted forward.

Also being escorted were a large number of women and children.

The commander of this surrendered army was Wu Xi, who led the assassination of Guo Si. He wore gilded armor of excellent quality.

I am over eight feet tall and have a robust physique, so I stood at the front of the line waiting for Zhao Ji.

Zhao Ji spurred his horse forward, followed by eight cavalry generals. Ranked by their combined influence, they were: Duan Wei, Prefect of Hongnong; Zhang Xiu, Marquis of Xuanwei of Zuo Fengyi; Pei Mao, Prefect of Jingzhao and Marquis of Yangjiting; and Jia Tong, Right Sima Xing of the Grand Marshal's Office and Right Fufeng. The other four were General Wang Cheng, General Yang Qiu, Liang Xing, and Colonel Zhang Heng.

Wu Xi bowed respectfully: "This humble general, Wu Xi, pays his respects to the Grand Marshal!"

"You're quick on the uptake."

Zhao Ji observed Wu Xi, who looked up and replied, "The traitors Guo Si and Li Jue are in cahoots, their ferocity intimidating the Three Auxiliary Regions. Only after the Grand Marshal eliminated Li Jue and Guo Si lost his external support did we dare to rise up in righteousness to eliminate the villains."

Observing Zhao Ji's appearance and demeanor, Wu Xi immediately added, "Without the Grand Marshal, how could we have accomplished this?"

"You're smart to know what's good for you."

Zhao Ji turned to look at Pei Mao: "Is this the one who set fire to the palace that day, disturbing the emperor, and who led troops to attempt to hijack the imperial carriage?"

Pei Mao squinted at Wu Xi, whose expression had changed drastically: "It is indeed this person."

Wu Xi turned around in a panic to look at his colleagues and partners behind him, but they seemed not to see him, as if they had forgotten their vows to each other.

Wu Xi immediately explained, "Grand Marshal, I was merely following orders. At that time, His Majesty had only a dozen or so guards around him. If I had dared to disobey, would I have returned empty-handed?"

How do you know they returned empty-handed?

Zhao Ji asked in return, then turned to look to the side and found that Han Shu was not there, only Gao Yanglong's square and rugged face.

Gao Yanglong took two steps forward and waved to the guards behind him. Immediately, several guards went forward to take Wu Xi.

Wu Xi, who was only wearing a sword, immediately stepped back and stood in front of the ranks of military officers. He placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword, glared at Zhao Ji, and shouted, "Grand Marshal, are you not afraid of chilling the hearts of the people of Xizhou by treating meritorious men like this?"

"Can the chill in people's hearts be as cold as the gleam of my sword?"

Zhao Ji spurred his horse forward a few steps, signaled the other guards to retreat, then leaped off his horse and slowly drew his sword: "I originally intended to fight Guo Si, but you are also a brave warrior from Xizhou. If you survive three of my sword strikes, this matter will be over."

"Since the Grand Marshal is pressing us so hard, please forgive my rudeness."

As Wu Xi spoke, he also drew his sword, bowed, and held the sword in both hands to protect himself.

Zhao Ji took a deep breath, attempting to enter the 'subtle' state of mind he would be in when charging on horseback, but he failed.

Perhaps the level of danger wasn't high enough to actively stimulate that physical potential.

Without thinking, he stepped forward and clashed swords with Wu Xi. Wu Xi parried with his sword while stepping to the right to dodge, attempting to quickly create distance and then strike a second time.

However, he underestimated Zhao Ji's speed and power in drawing his sword. It was just a difference of almost half a second and a force difference of about thirty pounds.

As a result, when the two were testing each other's swords, Zhao Ji's sword easily deflected Wu Xi's sword, and the tip of his sword thrust forward, easily and without any obstruction, piercing Wu Xi's chin.

In everyone's eyes, Zhao Ji casually stepped forward and stabbed the stunned Wu Xi to death with a single sword strike. After the swords clashed and made a clanging sound, Wu Xi's sword was broken and flew out of his hand.

Zhao Ji found it rather boring and had no interest in looking at the eyes and expression of the dying man.

He glanced sideways at the twenty-odd surrendered soldiers, including captains and lieutenant generals, clad in gilded and silver armor: "Come at me all! If you survive three of my sword strikes, you'll be reinstated and lead your troops as before!"

As he spoke, he drew his sword, flicked it, and a spray of blood flew from the tip of the sword to the ground beside him.

At this moment, Wu Xi tightly covered his bleeding jaw with both hands, rolled to the side and curled up like a shrimp.

Faced with Zhao Ji's unique duel request, the twenty-three high-ranking military officers looked at each other, not daring to refuse or agree rashly.

Many people turned to look at their fellow villagers and guards behind them, but these low- and mid-ranking military officers stood still.

Since Zhao Ji didn't send guards to execute them on the spot, he gave them a way out.

With so many people, how could they not stop this young Grand Marshal? To be killed in this duel... well, let him die.

The surrendered soldiers just stood there watching, and not a single one of them stood up, raised their arms, or did anything to rouse the troops.

On the contrary, they seemed to appreciate Zhao Ji's fighting spirit even more, and even pulled and drove away Guo Si's relatives and family members to make room for a larger duel.

Duan Wei stopped his horse to observe, not at all worried that Zhao Ji would fail.

Since Duan Jiong was so fierce in his youth and middle age, and could he really have won battle after battle with more than a thousand men, chasing and killing dozens of times more chaotic Qiang, was it because Duan Jiong had unique and advanced training techniques?
No, it was because Duan Jiong charged ahead, cutting down the Qiang tribesmen who retreated in panic, and the other subordinates followed suit, picking up the heads.

Having experienced such a magical scene, Duan Wei was no stranger to this kind of duel.

Because the Qiang people also revered this, sometimes when the two armies met, a decisive battle would determine the victor.

As for Pei Mao, he wasn't worried at all. He had watched with his own eyes how Zhao Ji led the Tiger Warriors and new recruits to defeat the generals of the White Wave Army and how they launched a military coup.

The other generals from Liangzhou all looked relaxed and focused... They didn't even care about victory or defeat; all they wanted to see was bloodshed.

Meanwhile, Gao Yanglong and other former Tiger Warriors remained standing still, showing no intention of intervening.

Only a dozen or so archers on chariots were responsible for observing the surrendered troops' formation and searching for any archers who might be hiding among them.

No one stepped forward to mediate or dissuade them. These former subordinates of Guo Si were skilled in combat, fierce and warlike, and they all drew their swords.

Relying on their armor, each person led the charge, launching attacks almost simultaneously, shouting battle cries or letting out strange howls to boost morale.

Amidst the shouts of killing, Zhao Ji once again entered that peculiar state.

As he watched the senior officers slow down, all he could see were their moving legs, shifting torsos, and swinging arms... He completely ignored their swords.

He stepped forward, weaving through the flashing swords, gripping his sword with both hands. Each move either severed the opponent's wrist or pierced their face or neck.

Alternatively, you could disarm the opponent with your sword and then slit their neck with a backhand stroke.

His sword rarely clashed with the opponent's blade, as such a clash would be a waste of his precious explosive power.

He didn't need to defend himself; he could dodge and, if he couldn't dodge, it wouldn't matter if he relied on his armor to withstand a few sword strikes.

If you protect your face, weak joints, and legs, there won't be any problems.

It was impossible for all twenty-odd people to join the battle at once. Everyone saw Zhao Ji stab down three people at the duel site, wipe out one person with a backhand, and then move away in large strides, always moving around to widen the distance between himself and the majority of people.

Zhao Ji only faced six or seven enemies at a time. He could have faced more, but that would have hindered his attack efficiency.

Six or seven enemies were just right, the only downside being that their armor was equally excellent.

Attacking the opponent's internal organs and joints is unlikely to be effective; the only effective targets are the face and jaw.

Just four or five breaths later, Zhao Ji had fought his way through the enemy, his armor stained red with splattered blood, and even his cloak was torn apart by the enemy's chaotic swords.

Eleven people were lying on the ground, and they were not quite dead yet.

When Zhao Ji turned around to fight again, that state of mind quickly faded.

However, the remaining enemy soldiers had lost their courage and could only launch an attack against Zhao Ji.

If they fight hard, they might still have a chance to survive.

If they escape, even if Zhao Ji doesn't kill them, they will be abandoned by their subordinates.

This was a consistent problem for Guo Si's army; the army relied more on the bravery of its commander than on strict military discipline.

In the second round of combat, Zhao Ji could no longer dodge with ease, but the opponent's attacks had lost their coordination, so that Zhao Ji only needed to consider two or three people each time he made a sword strike.

In this round of combat, Zhao Ji only managed to kill five opponents, leaving seven of them standing intact.

These seven people could only stand side by side, but their minds were even more confused.

Zhao Ji grabbed his cloak and wiped the sticky blood off the sword: "The final round."

Upon hearing this, the seven men slowly stepped forward, each holding a sword in one hand and facing Zhao Ji with their right sides turned. They thrust their swords wildly, attempting to force Zhao Ji to back down.

"Unfortunately, it's too late."

Duan Wei couldn't help but sigh, "How much significance can a sword that's so short have?"
Only a spear formation could possibly force Zhao Ji to retreat.

Just as he had predicted, Zhao Ji neither dodged nor evaded, and confronted the other party head-on.

These seven men also unleashed their ferocity, fiercely wielding their swords. Zhao Ji cleaved the swords with both hands, slashing rapidly.

As the last person turned to run away, Zhao Ji's sword broke.

Without a second thought, Zhao Ji threw his broken sword, slamming it into the back of the opponent's neck.

There were still injured people on the ground, one of whom was about to stab Zhao Ji in the back of the knee with a sword. Zhao Ji turned around and easily dodged, then stepped forward and kicked the other person in the face, cracking it open.

At this moment, Zhao Ji's cloak had already been cut off by the chaotic swords, his armor had been slashed many times, and there were pools of blood of all sizes and struggling wounded people all around.

When Zhao Ji looked at the surrendered soldiers with his bloodied face, they knelt down one after another from front to back, as if a collapsing body of water was being slid over.

At this moment, Gao Yanglong led his men forward and began to execute the wounded on the ground.

Wu Xi wasn't even completely dead yet; he was clutching his neck and convulsing when he was stabbed again, and then his head was removed.

(End of this chapter)