Daqin Zhentiansi

Chapter 3: Finishing off, not just for the enemy, but also for your own people

The young man who was speaking was wearing a suit of armor with only a few iron pieces left. His hair was neatly tied up, and he was holding a burnt wooden stick in one hand and a roll of yellowed linen was spread out in front of him.

There were lines of charcoal black handwriting on the linen.

"Me?" Zhang Yuan's eyes were a little confused, and he said softly, "My father's death is my son's inheritance. I should be a black-robed guard of Luyang Prefecture..."

The sudden change in his cultivation and perception made it difficult for Zhang Yuan to adapt for a while.

The appearance of chaos made him unable to determine his own identity.

"Zhayiwei?" The armored young man frowned and looked at Zhang Yuan, "Didn't you say you wanted to be a knight-errant?"

"After this battle is over, I'll accumulate merits and rewards, and maybe even get a chance to practice martial arts."

"Should we change—"

"Woo——"

The long blast of the horn interrupted the young man's words and made the other people's faces change and stand up.

"The swallow dogs are attacking again."

"Damn it, do you want people to live? Even if I die, I'll drag a few more people down with me."

Several people cursed as they straightened their clothes and armor, wrapped the linen around the hilts of their swords tighter, and checked their homemade spears and arrows.

"Mr. Tao, you'd better stay with Zhang Yuan, cover the rear and finish off the enemy." The big man who spoke was about forty years old, with the word "prisoner" tattooed on his forehead.

His name was Duan Hong. He was a condemned prisoner sent from Luyang Prefecture to serve as a soldier. Now he was the leader of Zhang Yuan's battalion.

Zhang Yuan's battalion was composed of veterans of the Red Scale Army, conscripted guards, and condemned prisoners.

According to the military law of the Qin Dynasty, one battalion consists of one hundred people.

After three months, Zhang Yuan and the twelve or thirteen people in front of him were the only ones left in their camp.

The situation of other camps in the city was similar. After three months without reinforcements, the defenders of Toyota County were almost wiped out.

Zhang Yuan nodded, put on his armor silently, drew out his sword, tucked it between his sleeves and wiped off the remaining blood stains.

The armored young man called Master Tao also nodded, wrapped up the linen cloth covered with words in front of him, put it in his arms, and held a wooden spear with a short dagger tied to the front of a long pole.

When the battle was about to begin, the educated Master Tao and the youngest Zhang Yuan stayed behind, arranged by the first battalion commander.

In the past three months, eleven battalion commanders have been replaced, and the same arrangement has been made for all of them.

Zhang Yuan held a knife in his hand and ran quickly along the wall. The rough hemp rope wrapped around the handle of the knife in his palm gave him a sense of peace.

As the arm directs.

It is this feeling.

Master Tao, holding the wooden spear, did not move quickly, but just used half of his body to slightly protect Zhang Yuan.

A group of people spread out so that they could avoid the stones thrown by the catapults and the crossbow arrows shot from the top of the city wall.

After three months of bloody fighting, even new recruits like Zhang Yuan and Master Tao have learned how to save their lives on the battlefield.

"Duan Hong, Yan Gou has entered the city. Follow me to the west city to block the opening."

Turning the corner, they came across a team of seventeen or eighteen soldiers. The leading man was wearing scarlet armor and holding a blue-gray spear. When he saw Duan Hong and the others coming, he let out a low shout.

Only the Red Scale Army has this crimson armor.

Block the hole.

Duan Hong frowned and nodded. Everyone behind him also had heavy expressions.

Zhang Yuan knew what it meant to plug a hole.

It was a close-quarters street fight in the city, the kind of battle they were most reluctant to face.

There are few soldiers in the city and their armor is in tatters. To block the hole means to risk their lives.

The two teams gathered thirty people and ran quickly along the streets. A dark murderous aura rose, making everyone's blood surge.

There was also a surge of energy and blood in Zhang Yuan's body.

"Formation——"

The big man in red armor in front shouted loudly, and the originally scattered soldiers straightened up their formation. The blood and energy of all the soldiers were connected, as if they were one person.

The evil spirit condensed into the shadow of a gray wolf, floating above the military formation and rushing through the alley.

Veterans who have fought in hundreds of battles form an army formation, their blood, qi and evil spirits are condensed, and their combat power can be increased exponentially.

One hundred thousand years ago, the Qin army swept across the world.

"Bang--" The red-armored man swept the spear in his hand, and the spear shaft whistled and hit the chests of the three black-armored soldiers who were rushing towards him, knocking the three men back a few feet, breaking their sternums and falling to the ground.

The battle formation's energy and blood empowered the red-armored man, who was already in the late stage of the acquired martial arts realm, to strike with the strength of a bull.

The strength of one ox is equal to two thousand pounds.

This is the limit of the acquired realm.

"kill--"

The long spear was thrust forward, piercing through the large shield held by the black-armored soldier in front, and the spear tip penetrated the opponent's chest and abdomen.

"rush--"

The big man in red armor roared, and pushed the big shield with his long spear, pressing the body of the black armored soldier hanging on the spear tip, and squeezed out of the alley.

"rush--"

Everyone roared, their blood, energy and murderous aura turned into a crimson red, pushing the team of black-armored soldiers who rushed into the city back.

The waving swords and guns, with drops of blood, splashed on the walls on both sides of the streets.

Layers of mottled bloodstains dyed the broken walls and windows red.

Beside the low wall, a soldier in black armor covered a foot-long bloody wound on his chest and abdomen with his hands, struggling to get up.

"Last hit!"

Duan Hong in front growled.

Master Tao took a step forward, holding the wooden spear against the soldier's neck, his face twitching and his arms shaking.

"I come."

Zhang Yuan grabbed Master Tao's arm, took a step forward with skillful movements, and pressed the knife in his hand against the neck of the black-armored soldier.

In the three months since joining the army, Master Tao, who had studied for ten years, had not killed a single person. Every time he made the final move, it was Zhang Yuan.

The coldness on the blade made the seriously injured and dying black-armored soldier freeze. He looked up at Zhang Yuan and raised his hand, trying to grab Zhang Yuan's arm.

"Thorn-"

Zhang Yuan knocked his knee against the chest of the black-armored soldier and pulled the knife in his hand.

The red, fiery blood sprayed onto Zhang Yuan's head and face, burning like fire.

In an instant, blood-red appeared in Zhang Yuan's mind, and the chaotic light curtain turned into rising flames.

Blood-red beads and blue-gray beads rolled down.

Zhang Yuan clenched his fists.

The blood beads turned into fifty kilograms of strength and poured into his body, increasing his strength to five hundred and fifty kilograms.

The blue-gray bead exploded, and a figure wielding a knife emerged from it.

In front, Duan Hong's voice sounded again.

"Xu Tuozi is dying. Let's kill him quickly."

Zhang Yuan raised his head and looked at the dark and thin middle-aged man who was sitting in a pool of blood with a half-meter-long crossbow arrow stuck in his chest.

Holding the long knife, Zhang Yuan stood up.

Finishing off is not just for the enemy, but for your own people as well.

Reaching out and dragging the thin, dark-skinned middle-aged man to the broken wall, Zhang Yuan bent down and pressed his palm on his chest.

The crossbow arrow pierced his heart and he died.

The dark and thin middle-aged man stared at Zhang Yuan, with blood foam gushing out from the corners of his mouth.

"Xu Huanshan, a native of Pingtian Township, Luyang Prefecture, has served in the army for three years and has accumulated seven levels of merit. He is willing to exchange his merits for his brothers' education. I have noted it all."

Master Tao, who was leaning on a wooden spear, recited loudly, reached out and grabbed the hand of the thin and dark middle-aged man, letting his fingers use force to scratch his fingers and leave bloody marks.

Every time Master Tao recited a sentence, the dark and thin middle-aged man's chest heaved heavily, blood gushed out from the corners of his mouth, and blood splattered from his chest, soaking Zhang Yuan's arm.

"Don't worry, Brother Xu, the money will be delivered, definitely delivered." Zhang Yuan stared into the eyes of the thin and dark middle-aged man and spoke solemnly.

Each merit was worth five taels of silver, and death in battle was worth thirty taels of silver.

This amount of money is enough for an ordinary family to spend for ten years.

The dark and thin middle-aged man looked at Zhang Yuan, nodded slightly, and smiled slightly. He said with difficulty: "Zhang, boy, give me one, it's so satisfying..."

(End of this chapter)