Distant Mountain Battle Song

Chapter 39 Having no stance is the greatest stance.
The pig-headed man jumped onto the roof and ran away, and the rebels once again engaged in a fierce battle with the people of the city lord's mansion. This time, without the vicious Zhang Yaliang, the rebels finally displayed the ferocious power they were meant to have.

As the people from the city lord's mansion retreated, Zhang Yaliang on the ground had been stripped naked, his limp face pressed against the ground, soaking a large area of ​​the earth.

When Yun Ce returned to the inn, it was already on fire. In the flames, E Ji was holding a crossbow and forcing the old man and the maid to help her move the jars containing meat.

At the entrance to the inn where they were staying, the young man lay on the ground, his chest riddled with crossbow bolts, utterly dead.

Just by looking at the scene, Yun Ce could guess what had happened. They had exchanged so much money during the day, and the shop assistant and the old man, seeing that the man was not there, wanted to make a quick buck. As a result, the main force of the robbery was shot dead by E Ji.

Sometimes, Yun Ce overlooked the fact that E Ji herself grew up in the wilderness. She was not some pampered young lady from a wealthy family, but a half-savage who would use any means necessary to survive.

Yun Ce chuckled and jumped down from the roof. E Ji's hand holding the crossbow remained steady, and her small face, which turned around at the sound of his voice, was already covered with tears.

"I thought you didn't want me anymore."

What will you do if I don't want you?

"I'll drive the horse-drawn carriage back to Hekou Village."

Yun Ce raised his hand to wipe away the tears on her face and joked, "What are you thinking? I'm just going out to take care of some business. All the money and supplies are with you. What will I eat without you?"

Eji burst into laughter through her tears, wiped her face with her sleeve, and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, yes." She didn't even care that the old man and the maid had run away.

Yun Ce loaded everything onto the sheep cart. Pingyuan City was no longer a safe place. From now on, it would be a living hell. Those refugees who had been living worse than animals outside were now coming into the city. Who knew what they would do?

The people in the rebel army either had blood feuds with the government or were people who had been suppressed by the government and had no hope of advancement. When a group of people vent their anger, they can do things that are more ferocious than wild beasts.

Before the city fell, Yun Ce was still somewhat useful. Now that the city has fallen, if he, who is outside the rebel organization, does not join them, he will almost certainly be purged.

It would be better to get away from this ruined city while the pig-headed men still have some deterrent power.

Yun Ce wanted to leave as soon as possible, but E Ji wanted to empty the inn, mainly because there were many things she didn't own, such as a low table, a screen, and so on...

After Yun Ce loaded the last bag of wheat from the kitchen onto the sheep cart, the cart was so full that there was nowhere for the two of them to sit. Yun Ce had no choice but to put E Ji on the roof of the cart and drive on foot.

Walking down the street, they weren't the only ones returning laden with spoils. It seemed the resistance forces in the city had been largely wiped out. The rebels they encountered had their spoils hanging from their bodies and shoulders, and they happily darted from one shop to another.

Eji seemed more accustomed to the commotion of crying and wailing in the city than Yun Ce. Even when she saw a woman being carried away, crying her heart out, Eji remained unmoved. Instead, she focused her attention on the woman's embroidered skirt, her eyes burning with intense passion.

This scene would be tragic for ordinary people, but for Eji, who lived in Hekou Village, the theft of her grain, the slaughter of her father, the humiliation of her mother, and the death of her children from starvation were just part of her daily life.

Savages would kill them, malicious caravans would kill them, random tourists would kill them, and even some passing armies couldn't resist bullying them.

Therefore, there's nothing heartbreaking about the woman in the embroidered dress's fate. According to her logic, it's already quite good that the woman survived after being bullied.

Yun Ce had never experienced such a tragic scene before, but now that he was experiencing it firsthand, he began to understand why Yun Linchuan's heart was so hard. Compared to his own experience, sending his descendants to carry out a mission that was bound to end in death was not an unacceptable thing.

When Yun Ce arrived at the pavilion in his sheep cart, it had already been burned into a giant torch. Flames spewed out from all four sides of the pavilion like flowing water, except that this water did not flow downwards, but instead swirled and surged upwards.

The bighorn sheep retreated repeatedly as it was scorched by the blazing flames. Yun Ce had no choice but to wet a cloth with water and drape it over the sheep, while also blindfolding it. He did the same to E Ji, and then led the sheep cart past the pavilion. Shortly after he passed, the pavilion collapsed.

Red Girl guarded the back gate, where corpses lay strewn everywhere. She stood atop the pile of bodies, exposed to the firelight, holding a four-meter-long wooden spear, pointing it at the people crowding at the city gate.

Pei Chuan was also there, standing right behind the girl in red. He was in a rather advantageous position, in the shadows, with only a few other people around him, who also seemed to be nearing their end.

With those few blocking the gate, the people in the city couldn't get out. Yun Ce had put away his pig-head mask at some point and was huddled together with a group of trembling rich people.

Those who could fight had already been killed, and now all that remained were the elderly, women, and children. Seeing that a large number of rebels were surging in from behind, these people who were used to a life of luxury began to weep in despair.

Yun Ce had no intention of befriending the rebel girl, Hong Guniang. He was now a high-ranking talent recommended to Yunzhou by Zhang Yaliang, the city lord of Pingyuan City, and he couldn't afford to get entangled with the rebel.

Originally, Yun Ce planned to drive the cart out himself, but after seeing the lambs to the slaughter at the city gate, he felt he needed to reconsider. Zhang Yaliang's recommendation alone was not enough; he needed these people to witness it for him. This was the safest approach.

Red Girl was already covered in blood from the fighting, and even though she looked imposing now, she was at her limit. So, Yun Ce picked up his crossbow, broke off the arrowhead, attached the wooden sticks, and pulled the trigger towards the dung gate of the foremost bighorn sheep. The docile bighorn sheep bleated pitifully and dragged the cart towards Red Girl. With Yun Ce pulling the trigger repeatedly, more bighorn sheep charged recklessly towards Red Girl, who stood guard against them.

The Red Maiden's spear pierced the Bighorn sheep's chest, and in that instant, the Bighorn sheep broke the shaft of the Red Maiden's spear. The Bighorn sheep still charged towards her with great momentum.

She leaped high into the air, jumped onto the carriage, reached out and pulled a fat old man from the galloping carriage, slamming him hard to the ground. However, she didn't notice that the already dead bighorn sheep was being carried by the carriage and crashed headfirst into the city wall.

Although Pei Chuan and his men bravely pressed forward and managed to intercept two carriages, the rest of the carriages took the opportunity to pass through the dilapidated city gate and head towards the open field.

Yun Ce's sheep cart naturally followed, and before leaving, Yun Ce threw a bright red fruit at the furious Red Girl.

He found the red berries in the attic office; they tasted very good, although they were still a bit sour, but they would become sweet after a few more bites.

In the firelight, Hong Guniang saw Yun Ce's face and E Ji, who was perched on top of the sheep cart, looking at her curiously. Both of their smiles were eerie. If she had to explain the meaning of their smiles, Hong Guniang felt that these two people must be laughing at her for being a fool.

The enraged Red Girl, with the fruit in her mouth, hurled her broken spearhead at Yun Ce, who had just left.

The spearhead fell onto the stone slab with a crisp sound, like the most helpless sigh.

Pei Chuan came over, panting, and said, "I'll gather some warhorses and go after them."

Hong Guniang shook her head. The scene that had just happened had clearly told her that these people were protected by Liu Chang'an. If she pursued them recklessly, she would definitely suffer a counterattack from Liu Chang'an.

He was a very mysterious person. At times, he seemed to be an ally of the rebels, actively offering them advice and strategies. At other times, he sympathized with those who had plundered the people's wealth and led them to escape. In short, he was an unpredictable person.

"No need. Those who escaped are just useless people. Quickly repair this city gate. We must completely take control of Pingyuan City before dawn."

Pei Chuan licked his parched lips, inwardly lamenting the loss. Among the carriages that had escaped was the youngest daughter of the city lord Zhang Yaliang, a beauty of unparalleled charm.

Once the sheep-drawn cart left the city, Yun Ce slowed down. He felt he had given Hong Guniang a clear enough message, and she shouldn't blindly chase after him.

Tonight was a night of murder and arson, yet the moon shone exceptionally brightly, even though the carnage was already in its later stages when it rose. Fortunately, it illuminated their path.

After walking for an hour, Pingyuan City had disappeared below the horizon. The rising smoke obscured the moonlight to some extent, as if draping the moon in a black veil, making it appear mysterious and beautiful.

“Awooo~~” Eji shouted at the wasteland from the roof of the carriage. She was so excited that her body could no longer contain it. If she didn’t let it out, she would suffocate.

Those who had left Pingyuan City earlier had long since driven their carriages away, leaving Yun Ce alone in his carriage, trudging along in the moonlight.

"A-Ce, where are we going next? Are we still going to the end of the road?"

"Yes, I've heard that Chang'an is at the end of all roads, so we're going to Chang'an."

What does Chang'an have? Does it have grass, grains, or bean pods to eat?

"Yes, you can find everything there. As long as you have money, you can eat the best food."

“I have a lot of money.”

"not enough!"

“Then let’s make more money. Just like what you made in Pingyuan City this time, I also need to make more money. Then we can eat all the delicious food in Chang’an together.”

"Okay, as you wish."

Yun Ce's bighorn sheep seemed to be very familiar with the road. Without much intervention, it could pull the cart by itself, and sometimes it could even automatically avoid some potholes.

So Yun Ce jumped onto the roof of the carriage and lay down with E Ji, watching the huge bright moon in the sky as the sheep-drawn carriage slowly moved along.

(End of this chapter)