Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 173 War (Part Two)

General Lü's face was grim. He remained silent and continued to beat the war drum forcefully, guiding all the soldiers of Fanyang Army to fight with all their might.

In battle, the worst thing you can do is lose morale too early. The Pei family army was far more formidable than he had anticipated. Unfortunately, there's no going back. He had led his troops here; he couldn't possibly escape unscathed.

The victor is king, the loser is an outlaw! Only by fighting desperately can one survive!
General Lü's personal guards were less composed: "General! It seems our men can't defeat the Pei family's army."

Another guard's voice trembled as he said, "Or perhaps we should sound the retreat..."

General Lü had no time to turn around, and he cursed viciously, "Shut your mouths! If you dare to disrupt the morale of the army again, I will deal with you according to military law."

The guards dared not utter another word, watching helplessly as the soldiers of Fanyang Army poured into Peijia Village and were slaughtered like pigs and dogs.

Miss Pei wielded her long sword with unparalleled ferocity; no one could stop her. One after another, they became her victims.

The sound of their own general's fierce war drums seemed to be cheering on Miss Pei.

Under the leadership of Pei Liu Guniang, the Pei family army gradually gained the upper hand.

The soldiers of the Fanyang army, those at the back unable to see the battle unfolding ahead, surged forward at the urging of the war drums. Those at the front, however, sensed something was wrong but were too slow to react, pushed forward by those behind them. Then, screams of agony filled the air, and blood splattered everywhere.

The soldiers of Fanyang Army fell one by one. On Pei Family Army's side, their combat experience was rather shallow, and many of them also died under the swords of Fanyang Army.

The bloody carnage on the battlefield is anything but beautiful. One moment you're locked in a life-or-death struggle, the next you might both be dead.

Pei Qinghe's gaze was icy, her face expressionless, as she continuously brandished her long sword.

She had given a strict order: everyone had to stay behind her. No one was allowed to rush over the wall before she left the village.

General Lü was indeed capable to command an army. Although the Fanyang army wasn't particularly strong, they fought with discipline and didn't collapse due to temporary setbacks. No one turned to flee. General Lü was even personally beating the war drums to boost the morale of the Fanyang troops.

While the Fanyang army suffered heavy casualties, the Pei family army also suffered unprecedented damage.

This is a truly tough battle.

True elite soldiers are those who have survived constant battles on the battlefield.

Suddenly, a blade swept across from him.

Pei Qinghe slashed down with her sword, breaking the opponent's blade in two, and then kicked the attacker to the ground with her right foot. Pei Yan, standing beside her, swiftly stabbed down, ending the man's life.

This soldier clearly held some position within the Fanyang army. His swift and decisive death caused a minor commotion.

In the Fanyang army, some people finally retreated in fear.

The terrified deserter had barely turned and run a few steps when the person supervising from behind the wall sneered and slashed him with a knife: "At the sound of the war drums, you can only advance, not retreat. Anyone who deserts will die."

The stern-faced general supervising the battle was a confidant of General Lü. He beheaded three deserters in succession, forcing the soldiers to continue their march into the palace.

The black-faced general's shouts drew Pei Qinghe's attention.

Pei Yan was covered in blood, with blood on her face, it was hard to tell if it was from the enemy or herself: "I'm going to kill him."

Pei Qinghe didn't have time to turn around: "Wait a minute."

Now is not the time. If the Fanyang army collapses, the Pei family army, lacking warhorses, will be unable to pursue them all. The scattered bandits will cause countless innocent civilians to suffer. Therefore, what she needs is to kill as many enemies as possible.

Pei Yan wasn't stupid at all, she just didn't like to use her brain and obeyed Pei Qinghe's every word. At Pei Qinghe's command, Pei Yan gave an "oh," decisively abandoning her plan to rush out and kill the black-faced general, and continued fighting with her sword.

Mao Hongling's spear moved like a nimble snake, while Sun Cheng's thick-backed longsword swung wildly. Tao Feng, who had been slashed in the left arm, groaned but did not retreat, continuing to wield his sword to kill the enemy.

The most outstanding performers in this battle were not them, but Pei Xuan and Pei Feng.

Pei Xuan had a sweet smile, but her attacks were extremely ruthless. She was not tall, and she mostly aimed her sword at the lower body of the Fanyang soldiers. The screams of the enemies who died at her hands were particularly shrill.

Pei Feng was no less formidable; his swordsmanship was sharp and his face was cold. Although young, he possessed some of the flair Pei Qinghe displayed when killing.

The walls continued to collapse, and another large number of Fanyang soldiers poured in.

Pei Qinghe fought fiercely, never forgetting to keep an eye on the overall situation. When her right hand grew tired, she swiftly switched to her left. Her left-handed blade was even more cunning and ruthless.

The dark-faced military officer overseeing the battle stood about a hundred paces away from Pei Qinghe. He watched as the soldiers of the Fanyang army died one after another under Pei Qinghe's blade. At first, he was furious, but as he watched, a chill ran down his spine.

He had heard of Pei Qinghe's infamous reputation, but had never witnessed it firsthand. Today, he finally saw it with his own eyes, but he was already close to death.

Pei Qinghe, who had been guarding inside the walls, suddenly began to move forward. The others behind him followed suit. The pace was slow; they advanced only a step in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Roughly calculated, it would take at least an hour for them to break through the walls and reach him, the supervising general.

The dark-faced general silently calculated his own death, shouting, "Charge forward! No retreating!"

"The general has been feeding and caring for you well; now it's your time to fight for him! Kill Pei Qinghe! The general will reward you with a thousand taels of gold!"

These are the words General Lü said before the battle. General Lü has a lot of shortcomings, but he also has his merits, one of which is keeping his word.

The soldiers, who had initially been timid, rallied their spirits once more, brandishing their swords and spears and charging forward with a roar. Then, they were either killed by Pei Qinghe with a single blow, or had their heads chopped off by Pei Yan, or died under Mao Hongling's spear.

Pei Xuan and Pei Feng lagged a few steps behind, but they stayed close to Pei Qinghe. Pei Xuan's face was stained red with blood, and Pei Feng's clothes were covered in blood.

Less than an hour later, more than half an hour later, Pei Qinghe arrived in front of the dark-faced general.

The dark-faced general, his voice already hoarse from shouting, didn't waste any words. He grabbed his long sword and charged at Pei Qinghe, ready to fight her to the death. Pei Qinghe swiftly stabbed him in the chest with a few quick strokes.

The dark-faced general was quite tough; he didn't beg for mercy before he died, and when he fell to the ground and closed his eyes, he looked in the direction of his own general.

General, run! It'll be too late if you don't run now!

The last thought crossed my mind.

General Lü's right arm was sore and weak that he could no longer strike the war drum.

The guards around him were terrified: "General, run! Pei Qinghe, that killing machine, is charging over!"

"If we don't leave now, it will be too late! As long as we live, we can always rebuild! Our Fanyang army has already been defeated, let's run!"

General Lü's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but suddenly he turned around, leaped from the chariot onto a fast horse, and rode off.

The guards all rode off on horseback and ran alongside.

(End of this chapter)