Chapter 705: Reinforcements From Afar
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Such a crazed attack that treated human life like dirt greatly exhausted the men and horses of the Divine Prefecture Empire. Originally, their stock of arrows would have been able to last half a month but they had spent almost half of their arrows in just a short day and a half! These were the arrows that they had stolen from the 30,000 strong Yu Family army!
Originally, Feng Mo only arranged for 2,000 men to guard the mountain, but after seeing the situation turning against them he quickly added another thousand soldiers. The 300 archers were also increased to 500! However, they were only able to barely hold on and the number of casualties had far exceeded their expectations!
Despite the mountain road being narrow and them having the high point, they still weren't able to stop the ferocious attack of the Yu Family. In just a day and a half, the entire army had already gone through a full round of rotation! If not for the geography being to the advantage of the Divine Prefecture Empire, their defenses would have been broken many times over!
Just like this, the Divine Prefecture Empire suffered from heavy casualties and the entire mountain was filled with injured soldiers. The experts that were hidden among the Yu Family soldiers had created a large amount of trouble for the Divine Prefecture Empire. Ling Feng, Ling Yun, and Feng Mo had split the 20 Blood Iron Warriors into two groups and almost had no chance to take a break.
Feng Mo was extremely thankful that he did not choose to set up his defenses at the original location of the Yu Family's camp. If he had chosen to do so, the ferocious assault of the Yu Family troops would have overrun his defenses in a single day!
They were truly too crazy! Feng Mo was angered to the point he cursed out loud. "This daddy here did not kill your father or snatch your wife, is there a need for all of you to be so full of hatred?"
While Feng Mo didn't kill their father or snatch their wives, his previous operation had killed off all of their descendants! Killing off all their descendants was even more hateful than snatching their wife or killing their father!
Of the three unfilial acts, not having descendants ranked first.
The entire hill was already filled with corpses. Hot blood soaked the ground and the thick layer of snow had been melted down into a large puddle of bloody water before being frozen into a blood-colored road.
This mountain entrance and this mountain face had truly been turned into a mountain of blood and corpse!
As the night deepened, Feng Mo, Ling Feng, and Ling Yun were seated around a camp stove in the middle of the tent. Regardless of how pure their inner qi was, it would be impossible for them to resist the bitter cold, especially after being exhausted by the consecutive battles.
Around them, a series of suppressed groans could be heard and it was obvious that the owners of these groans were in great pain.
On Ling Feng there were seven or eight places that were wrapped up in bandages with blood seeping out from the edges. On the side, both Feng Mo and Ling Yun didn't look like they were in a better state. In the glow of the fire, their faces were solemn and a look of hopelessness could be seen on their faces!
Such an expression should not have appeared on any of their faces. They were all elites who had been personally nurtured by Ling Tian over the years. If anyone were to tell them that there would be a day where they would face being without hope, they would definitely unsheath their weapons and place their lives on the line. However, they actually felt a trace of hopelessness in their hearts at this very moment!
The battle was truly too intense and miserable to the point they were on the verge of collapse!
They weren't afraid of death. It might come tomorrow or the day after and it wasn't anything to be afraid of.
However, dying together with their 15,000 brothers was truly…
The flaps to the tent were flipped open and a cold gust of wind blew in. A figure then stepped into the tent and called out, "Big brother." He was a Blood Iron Warrior.
"How are the casualties of our brothers?" Feng Mo lifted his head and looked over anxiously with fatigue in his eyes. He truly wished to hear some good news!
The eyes of the burly man dimmed as he said, "Up until now, 3,317 men have died, 70 are severely injured, and 9,400 have light injuries. There are less than 3,000 who are completely unharmed…"
Silence enveloped the tent.
Anyone who frequented the battlefield would understand what these numbers represented! All of them understood how cruel these numbers were! Apart from the number of fatalities and light injuries, those who were severely injured were almost negligible!
This meant that both armies were placing their lives on the line! All those who were severely injured would not even have the chance to make a retreat! They would all end up dead on the battlefield.
"Of our 2,000 archers, only 1,300 are left. As for our inventory of arrows… it is enough for us to deal with three more waves of attacks. After three waves…"
Feng Mo let out a heavy sigh. They were trapped in a desolate situation without the slightest trace of hope! Without the suppressive fire of the archers, it would be impossible for them to defend the place by relying solely on a head-on battle. After all, the opposing army had ten times the number of soldiers and were death warriors who did not fear death!
If they were on an ordinary battlefield, three waves of attack would happen over two or more days. However, the three of them knew that three waves of attack weren't considered much under such circumstances.
In just this day alone, they suffered from nine waves of attacks! In the past four days, the Yu Family had attacked an average of seven times in a single day! There were dozens of archers who suffered from severe abrasions because they had pulled the bow far too many times!
In other words, the remaining arrows from the archers would only be able to last for a single afternoon. After a single afternoon, they would have to engage in a head-on brawl!
The moment they engaged in a head-on brawl, there wouldn't be any hope left for their army. The Yu Family would be able to constantly send fresh batches of reinforcements but their army had limited manpower without any reinforcements. How were they supposed to fight such a battle?
The intense reaction of the Yu Family was truly out of Feng Mo expectations. Ever since they ambushed the Yu Family's camp, Feng Mo knew that the Yu Family would definitely take their revenge but they never expected the revenge to be so swift and crazy!
Originally, Feng Mo was certain that he would have been able to defend the region for half a month with the resources that they obtained but never imagined to be at their wits end after four days! As compared to their loses, the losses of the Yu Family were many times more. However, the Yu Family had completely ignored all of their loses and poured in all of their reinforcements to launch waves after waves of attacks. After all, they were in the Yu Family's territory and the Yu Family would be able to continuously send reinforcements.
"Boss Feng, we are truly in an extremely precarious situation and it isn't a solution for us to continue defending. As such, I want to…" Ling Feng clenched his teeth and looked at Feng Mo before saying slowly, "Why don't Ling Yun and I sneak into the enemy camp and assassinate the commander of the enemy army? Even if we are unable to achieve a victory amid the chaos, we would be able to obtain a certain about of time." Hearing that, Ling Yun nodded in agreement.
"No! Definitely not!" Feng Mo rejected it without even thinking. From the battles that they had over the past few days, Feng Mo could tell that the commanders of the Yu Family army were all top-notch martial arts experts. Just the few experts who hid among the ordinary soldiers to launch sneak attacks had given Ling Feng and Ling Yun a great deal of trouble. Despite suffering pretty severe injuries, they weren't able to capture a single person. How would Feng Mo be willing to let Ling Feng and Ling Yun take such a risk? This couldn't be considered a gamble any longer but was akin to sending them to their deaths!
"Why not? This isn't the first or second time that we performed such an assassination. Don't you trust our abilities?"
"It isn't that I don't trust you but the times are different!" Feng Mo worriedly said, "All of you were hidden in the dark in the previous assassination missions. With the element of surprise on your side, you were naturally able to take down your enemy with a single strike. However, the two of you have taken action more than once in this battle and have already exposed yourselves. The enemy will have their guard up against the two of you. Furthermore, there are plenty of experts in the enemy camp with a couple of them being superior to both of you. For the two of you to go in now would be akin to sending you to your deaths!"
"We definitely have to go and everyone is extremely clear about this. Even if we don't go, will the Yu Family let go of us? This is already our final chance!" Ling Yun said coldly, "The moment we succeed, we would be able to let our remaining brothers retreat safely! We have to give it a try!"
"But if the two of you die in the Yu Family camp, it would shake the morale of our soldiers. At that time, we would be defeated without the enemy even attacking! Have the two of you considered such a possibility? I would never allow the two of you to take such a risk!"
The three of them began arguing incessantly.
In the still darkness, more than twenty figures flashed past the thick snowy ground in the mountain. Barely a trace of their presence was left behind and even if a slight footprint was left behind, it would be quickly swallowed up by the falling snow.
Stepping onto the snow without leaving a trace! This was the skill of a XianTian expert!
All of them were actually XianTian level experts!
While there were only twenty or so of them, the killing intent that they emanated was as though the death reaper had descended to the mortal realm. Furthermore, there wasn't only a single death reaper! Being suppressed by this immense killing intent, all of the animals in the mountain did not dare to let out a single sound. Even the ferocious beasts like tigers and wolves weren't an exception! They were all afraid that the slightest bit of movement would attract a fatal calamity. After all, the instinct of animals was far superior to that of humans.
At the very front, Ling Jian's face was cold with his long sword held in his hand. Every time he had traveled a short distance or made a turn, he would slash out at the tree beside him and leave a white mark. In the dark forest, this white mark was extremely eye-catching.
However, regardless of the action he made, his figure would not be delayed for the slightest bit of time.
Chapter 706: Moment of Life and Death
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Far behind Ling Jian and his group were seven to eight others proceeding forward in a fan shape. While their speed was praiseworthy, compared to Ling Jian and company, the group could be considered like tortoises crawling.
But their work was more important.
They were tasked to scrutinize the area, finding possible routes that would allow the army, horses, and logistics to pass by easily. With precipitous cliffs along the journey, as well as accumulated snow almost half the height of a person and the snow flurries that blocked out most of their vision, such work was incredibly dangerous. Thus their responsibility was all the greater! A slight miscalculation and this would cause irreparable damage to the thousands of troops when they fell into the abyss…
Every one of them had on a long rope in their hands, such that if they misstepped and fell into a ravine, then their teammates would be able to use the rope to pull them back to safety…
Of the seven to eight people, at the head was Ling Chi. One could only see him continuously sigh, as he occasionally raised his head to gaze at the front where faint sounds of killing could be heard while grumbling about his bad luck. However, this was only his imagination, as they were separated by a good five kilometers or so. To be able to hear noises from that far was not something anyone could do, not even Ling Tian!
He was completely relying on his feet to test out the route in front of them. Even with his abilities, Ling Chi did not dare to be careless. With the snowfall already lasting several days, the entire mountain and forest had been leveled by the snow, and no one could tell apart the roads from the cliff sides. A misstep would only result in broken bones!
With his current responsibility, he could not behave like those brothers of his ahead and rely on his movement techniques to skim the surface of the snow…. as he mused, the snow beneath his feet suddenly gave way. Ling Chi shouted out loudly as he felt his body plummet.
"Sou!" A long rope flew over and wrapped across the waist of Ling Chi in a moment. Borrowing this force, Ling Chi shot back up to where his last steps were. Brandishing his sword, he hacked off four to five yards of snow in front of him, revealing a deep crevice beneath his feet. Seeing this yawning gap, even Ling Chi who had a stable temperament could not help but feel a little fear. He seriously marked down this spot on the map, before the group continued their sweep.
Behind them, at a distance of around 1,000 feet, the main force tagged closely to the route they had opened up, plowing with difficulty through the snow.
…
The sounds of killing and scream resounded in the sky, as the Yu Family attacked once more, pouncing forward ferociously.
Right now, it was currently twilight.
Ling Feng and Ling Yun stood at a vantage point, their bodies covered with blood as ten or so experts of the Yu Family that were dressed like ordinary soldiers carried out a vicious attack while encircling them!
The consecutive attacks made the last few days by the Yu Family experts allowed them to know that the unrestrained killing by these two youths was the reason that the Yu Family Generals had all perished without justice in this war! The methods employed by the duo were ruthless and vicious, and those who had seen them act before felt their hearts turn cold. The swords in their hands were akin to the scythe of the grim reaper, Every time it shot out, there would definitely be a life reaped!
If they were unable to get rid of the duo, the troops of the Yu Family would suffer huge losses! As such, the objective of their attacks this time was just the two of them! The Yu Family even employed 20 experts of the XianTian realm, just to counter the two youths!
Feng Mo angrily roared, gathering reinforcements to rush towards Ling Feng and Ling Yun as though he cared not for his life any longer. He had long seen through the enemy's ruse, and even if he had to sacrifice his own life, he had to bring Ling Feng and Ling Yun back!
But facing the densely packed enemy troops in front of him, no matter how much he staked forth, the enemy was willing to sacrifice the attack on the mountain pass just to prevent Feng Mo from assisting the duo. This group even included more than ten White Jade Experts from the Yu Family, and both sides traded lives repeatedly, causing the battlefield to become more tragic and even bloodier!
Seeing that his vision was getting blurry, Ling Feng instinctively realized that it was because he had already lost too much blood along with an over-exertion of his inner qi. By his side, Ling Yun had also begun to stagger in his footsteps. Most likely, he was also on his last legs. However, both of them still had the same steely expression on their faces, determinedly stabbing out their swords each time. They had decided to trade every inch of their flesh and blood with the lives of the Yu Family experts, making them accompany them to their graves!
On the hill far away, a group of people had their eyes fixed on the tragic battle that was unfolding, their expressions ever-changing. The grit and perseverance that Ling Feng and Ling Yun had displayed were totally beyond everyone's expectations. Based on the injuries they had suffered, if it was another person, even if they were a White Jade ranked expert, they would have long ago fallen unconscious and maybe even died! However, these two youths were still akin to lively dragons and animated tigers, without showing the least bit of fatigue!
If it was any other fighter in the martial world, under such circumstances they would have long ago lost the will to fight on. However, the expressions of the two youths were still serene, as though it was them that were the masters of death, not the other way round!
Out of the 20 odd White Jade experts that were sent to encircle them, they were all led by an expert at the Gold Jade rank. However, more than half had already perished at this point to reach such a result!
That's right, death!
Only death, nothing else!
The actions of the two youths left none alive! The moment the sword shot out, it was an absolute kill!
Even so, there was a limit to the strength of a single person. At this point, they were already unable to turn around their undesirable scenarios. While a fierce tiger might be the King of the Beasts, it could maybe kill off a wolf, 10 wolves, but it would, in the end, find it hard to fend off 100, maybe even 1,000!
The battle on the hill was becoming more desperate, and the situation of Ling Feng and Ling Yun was becoming more dangerous by the second. They could be in mortal danger at the slightest misstep. Feng Mo who was barricaded by a human wall screamed out to the heavens, the rims of his eyes turning bloodshot in anger. But even he had no idea how to break this scenario.
On the side of the Yu Family, a middle-aged male stood far away on one of the hills with his eyes twinkling in undisguised coldness as he gave the command, "The entire Northern army of 30,000 is to go all out, pressure the line, and break through the mountain pass in one go! Slaughter the remnants of the enemy, there's no need to take prisoners! Leave no one alive, kill them all!" Beside him, a pitch-black flag rose up, fluttering in the wind.
From the camp, the low beats of a war drum could be heard, the vibrations causing the hearts of everyone to shake. The army surged forward like a tsunami, and the warhorses were unleashed. On this field of white, their momentum pressuring the Ling Family's forces.
The corner of Feng Mo's eyes cracked due to his agitation as he screamed himself hoarse, "Brothers, let's stake it all!"
"We'll risk it all!" Amid the furious screams, the multitude of soldiers from the Divine Prefecture Empire poured out from the bunkers. Everyone had varying degrees of injuries, such as bandaged legs or arms. All their bodies were stained with blood, and those that could still stand all raised their weapons, densely packing themselves at the mountain pass.
This was already the final moments! Facing an enemy whose strength vastly outnumbered theirs, even though there was no hope of survival, there was still the instinct to struggle and put up a last stand!
"These two youths are definitely part of the First Pavilion! Possibly even important figures within the First Pavilion!" Within the Yu Family, the same square-faced middle-aged man exclaimed as he sighed, watching Ling Feng and Ling Yun in the battle. "In just a few days, the number our people who died under the hands of these two numbered close to 2,000!
On average, each one of them had killed a thousand each! Within those targeted, there were no injuries, only deaths! They were all killed in a single blow, without even the ability to shout for help before they died! Other than the First Pavilion, I believe there's nobody else capable of such merciless slaughter!"
"Even if they are from the First Pavilion, they will still have to die!" A shrunken elder by the side viciously stared at Ling Feng and Ling Yun who were embroiled in the battle. "Since they have already chosen the route of slaughter, then they are definitely prepared to be killed one day!"
"This is not what I meant!" The square-faced man was a little worked up, and he furrowed his brow as he spoke, "Our attack this time was because they had killed many of the third generation disciples from our Yu Family, which incited our revenge! But have you ever thought, if we were to kill an important person from the First Pavilion, then what will happen to us in return?"
"Especially that number one assassin, how will he react? Don't forget, the danger of the First Pavilion's Master is above that of the Martial Order Medallion Owner, Heavenly Justice! While Justice might be the world's number one, but he doesn't make a move easily. So long as we do not provoke him, then he will not care about us! But what about the Master of the First Pavilion?"
"That guy is a pure asura! So long as he wishes to take revenge, our endings will be tragic!"
A couple of people standing on the slope had their expressions change. The fear brought about by the First Pavilion's Master was naturally something they knew and were clear about. They knew that these were not just empty words of the square-faced guy.
"Could it be that we still have to let them go, even though the matters have reached such a point?" At the side, one of the Yu Family's people stared with anger at Ling Feng and Ling Yun. He hatefully spat out, "So what if it's the First Pavilion? So what, even if we take revenge? Just because they're from the First Pavilion, does that mean that my grandsons and disciples have to die for nothing?!"
He coldly barked with laughter, looking at the square-faced guy with sarcasm, "Don't tell me Second Brother that you are afraid of revenge from the First Pavilion? Don't forget, the First Pavilion has completely pledged their allegiance to the Divine Prefecture Empire, and showing mercy to our enemies is as good as being cruel to our own people! You're lucky only we are around to hear your words. If the Emperor hears of this, I'm afraid that Second Brother will be in big trouble!"
"What bull are you spouting!" The square-faced male panicked immediately, feeling a little powerless under the stupidity of his fellow teammates. He fiercely lectured, "You didn't even bother to properly clarify what I meant! Do you think I'm unaware that the First Pavilion and our Yu Family are at odds?"
"The two kids there have killed off so many of our Yu Family disciples, to kill them just like this would be too cheap for them. Since we've already confirmed that they're from the First Pavilion, then why not use this to our advantage? Since the First Pavilion will definitely take revenge, then we'll plan on how to deal with the repercussions so we can breathe easier afterward! If we capture them alive and cripple their cultivations, then wouldn't we be able to use these two as a death trap? Even if we can't capture them alive, their bodies can still be used to tempt the enemy!"
"All of you can't even think of such a simple plan, and only know how to kill people to take revenge. Do you think the matter would end after you guys took your revenge? What about your future plans?!"
Everyone fell into silence.
"Brilliant plan!" The shriveled elder's eyes lit up as he raised his head to speak, "This is indeed an ingenious plan! After the First Pavilion pledged their allegiance to Ling Tian, they hid so deeply that we couldn't find any traces of them or their headquarters! While the Master of the First Pavilion might be the top assassin in the world, vicious and ruthless with martial skills at the pinnacle, he has a shortcoming which is that he deeply treasures his subordinates."
"So long as we can get both of them in our hands, then I can vent my frustration by inflicting a hundred different tortures on them. At that time, be it alive or dead, they will become the best weapon we have against the First Pavilion!"
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, thinking to themselves about the completeness of this plan. Not only would they be able to rid themselves of their anger and frustrations, but also could stage a huge scheme to wipe out their enemy, this was killing two birds with one stone!
At this point, a cold voice rang out, carrying with it obvious sarcasm, pressure, and anger, not to mention an unadulterated killing intent, "Brilliant plan? Is it really THAT ingenious?"
The voice appeared out of nowhere, and even if the multitude of experts present here, no one could detect when the owner of the voice had arrived! All of them lost color in their faces as they turned to face their back.
About 70 to 80 feet behind the group, a figure dressed completely in black was standing in front of a shrub that was completely buried by snow, with his back towards them. His black winter cape fluttered along with the wind, and within the field of white snow, he was akin to a black specter. If anyone were to look directly at him, they would be able to feel as though there was a chill seeping out from their hearts, akin to the coldest air from the underworld!
Death, Damnation, Deathly aura. Everything about him spelled death!
From first glance, it could be seen that the black-robed male had a skinny figure, and his height was not tall as well. But standing there, he seemed to tower over even the tallest person from the Yu Family. It seemed possible that he could decide their life and death with just a single palm strike!
As though feeling their gazes on him, the man in black slowly turned around and walked a few steps towards them. His piercing gaze punched through them one after another, indifferently and coldly remarking, "It's just you guys?"
"Traceless steps on the snow!" The shriveled elder exclaimed, a rarely seen look of cautiousness appearing on his face, even as his body started to prepare for battle. When everyone else heard his statement, they immediately trembled before staring incredulously at the newcomer's feet. A pair of black shoes was clearly seen floating on the snow, with the yellowing upper area of the shoe appearing extremely clear as well.
The black-robed man probably weighed over 50 kilograms, yet he was able to tread so lightly on the snow, to the point that he left no traces where he walked! It was as though his weight was lighter than that of a feather! Because even a feather would leave traces when dropped on the snow!
The pupils of all the Yu Family experts present shrunk at this sight!
The so-called traceless steps on the snow was just a term given to a realm which one has achieved for their movement techniques. Everyone present had naturally heard of this term, but no one had ever managed to see it with their eyes!
Even those experts who claimed that they had achieved this fabled level were only able to make their bodies slightly lighter, reducing the weight and thus the imprint where they stepped on the snow. However, no one was able to achieve the level of not leaving any footprints. This was the same as the fabled 'traveling a thousand miles in a blink' and the famed 'shrinking meters into inches'. They were merely terminologies, no one had ever managed to walk a thousand miles in an instant…
But the man in black had lightly taken a few steps forward, and everyone could see that behind him there was no trace of the footsteps he had taken! This was a true traceless steps on the snow!
Such movement techniques were simply that of a monster! Just what sort of inner qi was required to bring forth so a divine level of footwork? Let alone them, even their own peerless master, the Yu Family Head Yu ManLou was probably unable to achieve that!
Chapter 707: Death Reaper's Divine Might
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Not far from them, ten or so black shadows flickered into existence. While their numbers were not overwhelming, all of them were akin to death reapers! They each infiltrated into a part of the Yu Family's camp and were akin to cornerstones as they forcibly resisted the tsunami-like attacks of the Yu Family troops. In the next moment, intense sword glows could be seen! If the sun was present in the sky, it would most likely be overshadowed by the brilliance let out by these ten odd radiant glows!
At this moment, the intense and penetrating killing intent slammed down akin to the force of ten thousand troops bearing down!
A few hundred pillars of blood shot up towards the sky, as hundreds of heads flew up and rolled in midair! The color of fresh blood added a touch of festivity to the bleak white land (LOL).
A loud cheer exploded in the area of the Divine Prefecture Empire, whereas the Yu Family felt a sense of lingering fear!
With only a single strike from a few people, more than 700 men were decapitated and lost their lives! The impact of this strike caused the tens of thousands of soldiers and warhorses to stop in their tracks! A few of the people from the Yu Family could not even control their muscles any longer, taking a few more steps forward before feeling their legs soften and collapsing to the ground in their fear!
Silence! If the battlefield before was just like the roaring ocean, then right now it could be described as the dead sea! Two men in black robes rushed up to the top of the mountain, borrowing the force from their ability of Sword and Body as One to push back the Yu Family experts that were surrounding Ling Feng and Ling Yun, before rescuing the duo. The experts in question did not even dare to obstruct them, and instead watched them get rescued, as though their legs were rooted to the ground! Facing such a frightening sword aura, to move at this time was equivalent to suicide!
"You guys… are finally here! I just knew that you guys would definitely arrive!" Ling Feng squeezed out a smile on his bloodstained face before peacefully sinking into oblivion.
This devastating sight on the battlefield gave everyone on the hilltop a chill down their spine. However, they could not even secure their own safety and were powerless to stop the process. In front of them, that demon-like shadow, with his heaven shaking movement techniques, had already taken all of their attention. At this moment, everyone concluded that they might not leave with their lives!
Gazing at the silent shadow that was almost void of existence, everyone had the same word in their hearts: Frightening!
The shriveled elder suddenly felt as though his throat was dry, and he hoarsely sounded out, "Master of… the First Pavilion?"
The black-robed person coldly smiled, causing everyone's hearts to palpitate. This smile was akin to a ten-thousand-year-old glacier suddenly shifting, giving out an unspeakable coldness. Everyone heard him say, "Your eyesight is pretty good! As a reward, I'll give you the privilege of being the first to be sent to the yellow springs!"
A violent gale suddenly rose up, and the snowflakes in the heavens, earth, trees, and even on their bodies began to crazily spin around. It was as though the skies had changed, turning into an expanse of white around them, obstructing their eyesight. However, that black shadow seemed to have blended into the snowstorm, drifting about within the flurry of snow… The Yu Family experts could only resort to closing their eyes and pulling out their weapons. Protecting themselves was the most important!
The Master of the First Pavilion had somehow turned into a dream demon, their greatest nightmare!
A dull groan was heard, followed by a thud sound of something heavy hitting the ground. The winds suddenly stopped!
When everyone opened their eyes, the black-robed man still stood quietly at the same spot fifty feet away. Even his posture was unchanged, as though he had not moved, but at their feet, the shriveled elder who was still talking a few moments ago had already quietly slumped to the ground, without a single movement within him. A thin red line decorated his neck, with rivulets of blood seeping out from the wound akin to a water balloon being pierced a few times by a needle, slowly leaking out its contents.
The shriveled elder's age was considered to be quite up there, along with being one of the most senior inside the Yu Family circle. While his achievements were limited, not managing to reach the position of the Gold Jade experts within the Yu Family, he could be considered one of the pinnacle experts at the White Jade level. To think that he, under the eyes of everyone and standing within the circle, would actually be killed in a single blow by the Master of the First Pavilion without any chance of retaliation!
The square-faced man had on a solemn and respectful expression, with a hint of a horrified look as he deeply took a breath. He spoke, "Master of the First Pavilion? Duke Ling?"
"It is I!" Ling Jian coldly looked at him. "Tens of thousands of troops, together with almost 100 first-rate experts, all to encircle two of my brothers. Heheh, Yu ManLou really has style!"
The square-faced man forcibly controlled his anger and fear. He knew that while he had ten thousand elite troops on hand, with the asura right in front of him, if he wasn't able to give a satisfactory answer then everyone present on the hill today would not be able to return alive!
The main force of the army was only about 100 feet away from them, but the huge cloud of troops could bring them no sense of reassurance!
With only this small distance separating them and that death god, their lives were no longer in their own hands!
At the same time, Ling Jian was also suppressing his anger and killing intent to the best of his ability. He had infiltrated here without sound or sight, and had absolute confidence to kill this group of people! However, his objective today was not to be an assassin! His true objective was to negotiate for the other few thousand of his brothers that were still on the battlefield!
He was going to use the lives of these people in front of him to exchange for those of his brothers! If he killed everyone here right now, the moment the enemy troops lost all reasoning to charge in, he might be able to retreat, but Feng Mo and the rest of his side would be buried here! This could even include Ling Feng and Ling Yun!
This danger was a risk Ling Jian could not afford to take. In his eyes, the million-strong troops of the Yu Family could not even be compared to that of a single one of his brothers!
Thus, he wracked his mind, making Ling Lei and company use their cruelest methods to halt the enemy in their tracks, before appearing to control the upper echelon of the Yu Family troops. He had only one objective, which was to ensure the safety of all his brothers today!
This sort of intention, to Ling Jian, was too painstaking. At least, he never had to put in so much effort previously!
"Since Duke Ling has come here, I believe your intention is not to kill us." The square-faced man, whose name was Yu XueGong, was not someone unaware of the situation. Seeing that Ling Jian did not make another move, he understood what he wanted. "Since that's the case, then shall we talk?"
The saying rang true that there is always a limit to a person's strength. In order to reach here at the fastest possible time to save his brothers, Ling Jian had displayed his movement techniques to the extreme, not resting for three consecutive days and nights before finally reaching this area!
Even though he might have used up a lot of this strength at this point, to properly showcase their ability, Ling Lei and company had ignored the price to unleash a great strike capable of reaping the lives of hundreds of people in one go. Right now, though the group were standing there mightily with their swords drawn, they were all half dead with fatigue! If the leading marshal of the Yu Family ever decided to destroy both jade and stone indiscriminately, then most likely even Ling Jian would have to retreat!
However, the act of mutual destruction would only incite this fearsome number one assassin Ling Jian to go all out to kill everyone on the hill! This sort of price would be detrimental to the Yu Family! The marshal present understood this point, and naturally decided to have a talk with him!
While he understood Ling Jian's intentions, the moment he thought about having to negotiate with that frightening killing demon, furthermore with his life in the other party's hands, he could not help but feel trepidation. His face might have looked calm, but in this chilly weather, his back was still full of sweat with mist slowly rising off the surface of his body.
"Consider yourself lucky. No one paid to have you killed." Ling Jian indifferently glanced at him. "However, I might choose to assassinate people pro-bono, especially towards those who dare to use my brothers to threaten me. Or perhaps, when my mood isn't too good, I'll also kill people for fun."
Yu XueGong's face started to bead with sweat, while he awkwardly attempted to laugh it off, saying, "Duke Ling is already high above the masses at such a young age. What could possibly make Duke Ling unhappy?"
"Enough with the nonsense! I can spare your lives, but you have to send down the order to have the army retreat at least 300 miles back! After my brothers have safely returned, you guys will naturally leave with your lives intact. Or else… hmph hmph…." Ling Jian cut in impatiently, putting down his own terms.
This was also because the current matter concerned the life and death of his brothers. Otherwise, based on Ling Jian's attitude, he would speak less and kill more!
"This…" Yu XueGong felt incredibly depressed. This was supposed to be a negotiation, and bartering was supposed to be involved! How could this Duke Ling just skip through all the formalities to reach an ultimatum? His meaning was simple: If it can be done, you had better do it, if it could not be done, you still had to do it! Was this not equivalent to asking them if they wanted to live or die?
"Since that's the case, may I know how Duke Ling can then guarantee our lives?" Yu XueGong was no fool as well. Having led the troops here for revenge, but falling into a trap causing them to be unable to advance or retreat and being led around by the enemy, even if they did not die here would they be spared if they left?
Thus, he had to pull the rest of his accomplices down with him, ensuring that they took a portion of responsibility when they returned! If he had to shoulder all responsibility, then most likely he as well as his entire family would be dragged off to die by a thousand cuts!
"But I can only let one of you return! As for the rest, do you still wish to survive?" Ling Jian's brow raised as he coldly continued. At this point, he definitely had to play along.
Hearing this sentence, all the others turned pale! Everyone present was an expert, but because they had gotten used to the rich treatment and prestige from around them, their heroic spirit had long waned. Facing this crisis of life and death, they instantly forgot about taking revenge for their descendants. All they wanted was to escape with their lives!
Chapter 708: Successful Rescue
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"If I give such an order, wouldn't I be giving up a great opportunity for my Yu Family's army and placing my clan in danger of extinction? Be it to my country or monarch, family or self, there isn't a single benefit! If I make such a decision, I, Yu XueGong, would become a disloyal, unfilial, heartless, and immoral person!" Yu XueGong said with righteous indignation, "Duke Ling is truly dreaming! May Duke Ling grant us your moves. It wouldn't be a disgrace for us to die under the hands of the number one assassin in the world, the First Pavilion Head! At the very most, we shall risk our lives to end the battle in mutual destruction. It would be far better than returning to the Yu Family and having our nine generations executed!"
Upon hearing these words, the other experts of the Yu Family also began to hesitate. Just like what Yu XueGong had said, if they truly gave the order as per Ling Jian's instructions, while they wouldn't have to die in the battlefield, they wouldn't be able to escape Yu ManLou's blame when they returned and might even implicate their family and friends.
"With things developing to such an extent, you still want to act like a hero? What a big joke!" Ling Jian snorted with impatience. It is so rare for me to act with such benevolence and all of you still want to put up an act over here? Killing intent instantly filled his heart and he said coldly, "If all of you follow my orders, there would still be a chance to survive. If all of you dare to say another 'no', I will immediately take all of your lives! Do you truly think that I wouldn't be able to accomplish that?!"
Yu XueGong's heart turned cold. All humans were afraid of death. While his words sounded to be full of righteousness, he wouldn't want to die if he had the chance. He truly didn't dare to agitate Ling Jian further and turned around, "What does everyone else think?"
Previously, everyone one of them were worried about their family members back home and thus their hesitation. If they had the chance to survive, it would naturally be the best and thus they quickly replied, "Second brother is the wisest among all of us and as long as we can return alive, we shall follow second brother's arrangement."
Yu XueGong frowned and said with difficulty, "How are we supposed to give an answer to the Emperor when we return? If we return in defeat after leading our army out in full force, what should we do if the Emperor flies into a rage?"
Someone replied, "We weren't able to defend against the might of the enemy and we chose to make a retreat to preserve our forces. I believe that the Emperor is an understanding individual and will not blame us. After returning, we just need to give an honest answer to the Emperor. After all, he can't possibly execute all of us right?!"
Yu XueGong also heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Alright then." At least half of their lives were saved and they just need to resolve the present situation before them. Yu XueGong then turned back and said to Ling Jian, "Duke Ling, we have come to an agreement and are willing to retreat with our forces. From now on, we will not have any more military activities and will not chase the retreating soldiers. Duke Ling's martial arts are unparalleled in the world and we are like little infants in Duke Ling's grasp. However, us brothers are willing to face life and death alone and not a single one of us will escape alone! May Duke Ling rest easy."
Ling Jian nodded his head and pondered for a moment, "If that's the case… alright then! It is rare for all of you to have such a strong brotherhood and I promise not to kill any of you!"
Yu XueGong let out a long breath, "Duke Ling is an unparalleled expert and your word is worth a thousand gold. Duke Ling is definitely someone who wouldn't go back on his word!"
The other Yu Family experts let out a collective sigh of relief and quickly pestered Yu XueGong to release the signal to release all of the Divine Prefecture Empire's captives before retreating. Every one of them felt as though they had taken a trip to the gates of hell and were extremely thankful that Yu XueGong managed to protect their lives.
Seeing that the battle had come to an end and the Yu Family army was retreating, Ling Jian heaved a sigh of relief. After finally escaping from danger, the soldiers of the Divine Prefecture Empire immediately collapsed on the ground in fatigue and could no longer even sit up straight. There were even some who had passed away on the spot the moment the enemy retreated. It was obvious to tell just how miserable the battle was.
Feng Mo endured his fatigue and gave out a series of orders to clean up the battlefield, bandage the wounds of the injured, gather the corpses of the dead and wait for reinforcements to arrive. Thankfully, they had previously plundered a large amount of medicine from the Yu Family army!
In their current situation, the remaining 4,000 of them were either crippled or injured. Not to mention traversing through the mountain in the snow, even standing up was a chore for them in their current state!
The cold winds blew and there wasn't the slightest bit of cover on the mountain slopes. As the various heads of the Yu Family faced Ling Jian, they were both cold and afraid with many of them trembling.
Ling Jian watched silently by the side and felt a wave of disgust. He was truly afraid that he wouldn't be able to hold himself back from killing them all and turned his face away. Right at this moment, a danger alarm went off in his heart!
Two figures shot out from the bushes by the side and two gleaming swords shot towards Ling Jian's back!
They were the two gold jade experts who followed the Yu Family troops! Ever since their arrival, they did not make a move because of their status. They had only watched by the side to offer pointers but did not personally make a move against Ling Feng and Ling Yun. Otherwise, the two of them would have probably disappeared from the face of the earth already. Furthermore, these two experts were full of arrogance and did not think much about the commanders of the army. As such, they did not follow the army today either.
Only when they received the order to retreat did the two of them realize that something was wrong! Thus, they hurriedly rushed over to take a look and saw Ling Jian ferociously glaring at the commanders from their family. They immediately flew into a rage and took action without hesitation.
While the attack was sudden, Ling Jian's body drifted forward slowly as though he was fully prepared. Unsheathing his sword, he stabbed it out without turning around and with two clanging sounds, the two incoming attacks were blocked.
The two of them snorted in anger and launched a flurry of attacks.
Ling Jian still did not turn around and fixed his gaze on the people in front of him coldly. His gaze was filled with killing intent to warn them not to try anything funny when he was facing an attack from the back!
As though his sword had eyes, his sword was easily able to deal with the incoming attacks with his back facing his opponents. Furthermore, the speed of the attacks became faster and faster and the sound of metal ringing sounded without any gaps like the sound of rain in a thunderstorm!
The two gold jade experts became more and more shocked as the battle continued. Ling Jian's martial arts were far too stunning! Despite the two of them launching a sneak attack, their opponent was still able to defend against them without breaking a sweat! However, what they didn't know was that the opponent before them was a grandmaster in launching sneak attacks and would naturally keep his guard up against sneak attacks at all times. How would the two of them with their lousy standards be able to kill this First Pavilion Head?
Upon witnessing Ling Jian's strength, the two gold jade experts knew that they weren't a match for him and their attacks slowed down slightly.
Right at this moment, Ling Jian suddenly turned around swiftly and let out a roar. His eyes glowed and killing intent exploded forth. With his left palm slapping out, a powerful shockwave was sent out and the gold jade expert on the left was forced to take two steps back. At the same time, the sword in Ling Jian's right arm shot out like a venomous dragon.
This sword was extremely sudden and the distance between seemed nonexistent at this moment!
Previously, he was on the defense and seemed to be on the losing end. No one could have expected that his attack would so sharp and ferocious the moment he turned around! This change was truly too sudden and out of everyone's expectations!
The sword of the expert on the right was currently stabbing towards Ling Jian's left arm and it was already too late for him to retract his attack. But if he was forced back by Ling Jian's attack at this moment, his advantage would also be eroded! With the martial arts that Ling Jian had displayed, if the two of them lost their advantage, they wouldn't be a match for Ling Jian and might even lose their lives! Clenching his teeth, he decided to increase the strength of his attack even further. Since you have the resolution to place your life on the line, do you think that I wouldn't have the guts to place my life on the line? I truly don't believe that you are truly indifferent towards death! The speed of both our swords are equal and since I launched my attack first, my attack will definitely land first!
With his sword speeding up, it did indeed land on Ling Jian's left shoulder first. Just when he was elated that his gamble paid off, he realized that his sword was stopped by something and unable to stab in any further!
No wonder this brat dares to place his life on the line in such a manner! It turns out that he has an impenetrable treasured armor! He immediately felt regret in his heart.
However, it was too late for him to have any regrets!
Ling Jian's sword stabbed up and he felt a cold feeling in his throat. A single sword to seal his throat!
With disbelief and regret in his eyes, his body collapsed slowly.
He truly made a wrong bet this time. If Ling Jian did not have absolute confidence, why would he dare to risk his life during this moment when his brothers needed him the most? The flood dragon armor which Ling Jian had was the biggest reason why Ling Jian dared to place his life on the line! However, such a method was truly being too much of a bully…
During any ordinary time, Ling Jian would naturally disdain to do so. However, after rushing over for a few days and nights without rest, while Ling Jian still seemed to be full of energy on the surface, his inner qi was truly greatly exhausted. Facing two XianTian level experts at the same time, Ling Jian could only choose to end the battle quickly!
Any method that was capable of killing the enemy while keeping him alive was a good method! There wasn't such a thing as a despicable method! With regards to Ling Tian's teachings, Ling Jian had a new understanding! Looking and Feng Mo and the rest who were riddled with injuries, Ling Jian truly couldn't imagine the consequences of him collapsing at this moment.
The lives of thousands of my brothers are on my shoulders! A trace of cruelty could be seen on Ling Jian's lips. Thus, he could only kill!
When Ling Jian turned around and seemed to have been struck by the sword, Yu XueGong and the others exchanged looks and prepared to take action. As long as they could kill the First Pavilion Head, they would be able to atone for their crimes with merit and even wipe out all of the remaining soldiers. Just when this thought surfaced in their heads, they witnessed this unbelievable sight before their very eyes. Their hearts all froze up and they felt as though a bucket of water was splashed over them!
In just a single exchange! In just a single exchange, despite facing the combined attacks of two gold jade experts, he was able to force one into retreat and kill the other! Just what kind of strength was required?!
Ling Jian snorted coldly. Amid the furious roar of the other gold jade expert, Ling Jian shot up towards the sky together with his long sword and then descended like a divine dragon with a brilliant splendor of white light that no one could look at directly!
Knowing that he couldn't escape, the remaining gold jade expert brandished his sword and also unleashed his man and sword as one killing blow. He charged straight at Ling Jian's sword and intended to drag Ling Jian down to hell with him!
With a loud bang, sword qi shot out in all directions. In the surrounding thirty feet, the thick layer of snow on the ground had been blown away completely and revealed the black soil on the ground. That gold jade expert from the Yu Family could no longer be seen and the only thing left was a thick fog of blood. Under Ling Jian's man and sword as one, the gold jade expert had suffered from hundreds and thousands of slashes.
All the spectators by the side turned pale and with the bloody rain falling down, they all bent down and began vomiting like mad.
"I am still unable to reach Shui WuBo's realm after his breakthrough! If I truly attained that realm, the snow on the ground and vegetation in the surrounding area would not have been affected. Young noble is right, I have wasted at least half the force of this attack!" Ling Jian floated down slowly with a couple of wounds on his legs. At the same time, his entire top was reduced to shreds and his glimmering flood dragon armor was revealed.
A commotion sounded from afar and seven to eight figures suddenly appeared. They were Ling Chi and the others. Behind them, flags fluttered in the winds and the army of the Divine Prefecture Empire marched forward neatly.
As the soldiers under Feng Mo's charge witnessed the majestic appearance of their comrades, they were all filled with complicated emotions. Some of them grabbed onto the corpses of their comrades, while others burst out into tears.
Ling Jian let out a long sigh and with his gaze sweeping past Yu XueGong and the others coldly, he waved his hands and said, "Retreat! Return to Sky Bearing!"
Yu XueGong and the others hurriedly gave thanks and they all heaved sighs of relief. For them to escape from the hands of the First Pavilion Head, they truly needed to offer incense to their ancestors. After a period of intense anxiousness, a couple of them collapsed onto the ground weakly without any strength in their bodies left.
Yu XueGong lowered his head, thought about Ling Jian's final order, and his eyes lit up!
Chapter 709: XiMen's Defeat
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Yu XueGong initially thought that since the reinforcements of the Divine Prefecture Empire had arrived, they would definitely be stronger compared to the Yu Family troops. However, the first thing they did was actually to retreat to Sky Bearing! It seemed like the Divine Prefecture Empire was not willing to wage war in this midwinter season!
This news should be reported immediately to the Emperor. Maybe it could be considered as atonement for his crimes?
However, since he personally led his troops and caused such great damage to the Divine Prefecture Empire, would Ling Jian the asura still let him off? If Ling Jian was willing to let him go now, would he not prepare some countermeasures?
The troops of the Divine Prefecture Empire had already entered the forest and were untraceable at this point. The present battlefield was a complete mess, but if one looked closely they would see that not a single one of the bodies from the Divine Prefecture Empire remained! Even the swords that were broken through fighting the war were all collected without any remaining… The owner's name was carved on the surface of each sword,. They would be buried together with their owners!
The vast heavens groaned as the wind started to blow. The snow had stopped at this point, but the entire mountain pass was filled with a fog of tragedy. Within this fog, if one listened closely, they might still be able to hear the screams and shouts of the two armies, each bent on eliminating the other party…
While the battle here had temporarily stopped, in the other areas it was as though a kettle had been placed on a roaring fire, bubbling and steaming up…
Ling Tian personally took the helm back in the imperial palace at Sky Bearing, sending out commands and orders like a stream of water. Some of them were delivered by messengers, some by horses, and some through messenger falcons. For the elites under the intelligence system in the four directions which reported directly to Ling Tian, all of them congregated towards the North.
As for the Head Military Advisor, Meng LiGe, he sat within a tent, devising countless strategies and shifting the arrangement of troops. As usual, he was extremely busy with work.
Under the strategy of the Ling and Meng duo, the North would be formed with the armies of Yu YanHai, DongFang JingLei, and Shen RuHu as the core, proceeding along as per the tactics. The moment they merged, it would no longer be a 1,000,000 strong troop in name only but in reality! That was a force on the level of a human tsunami, and personal skills no longer held sway when faced with such a huge flood of soldiers! Even a killing god like Ling Jian would have no way to fight through everyone!
The joining of the three forces gave the Yu Family a clear indication that this was a decisive war! The deciding battle was imminent!
If one just looked at the intentions of the Divine Prefecture Empire, then it would seem like they have brought forward the battle that would decide the fate of all mankind! If that was not the case, then why would they bother wasting so much military grain just to move all their troops? If there was no huge event taking place, then were all their efforts just used to make ducks and drakes of it? [1. To make ducks and drakes is a metaphor used to describe something pouring all their efforts and time into something useless.] While the current Divine Prefecture Empire was more prosperous than it ever had been, and could afford to waste some rations, it was not to the point where they could throw out such a huge expenditure without any form of return!
When the Yu Family and Yu ManLou received word of the news, they indeed did not dare to take it lightly. Yu ManLou similarly personally took the helm at his imperial palace to control the situation, and commanded the four generals of the Yu Family, as well as millions of troops, to rush onward to Yan County. Only through preparation can one avoid any misfortune. The opponent had sent over a million troops to pressure the front lines, and if there was any carelessness, it would only result in the Yu Family having their territories invaded! At that point, it could snowball and end in the annihilation of the entire empire!
Other than their four armies, the Yu Family also started to provide reinforcements to all the other areas. Be it replenishing soldiers, grain, medicines, or warhorses, they shipped everything toward the Yan County. At this point, Yu ManLou received the missive of forgiveness from Yu XueGong. The contents of the missive made Yu ManLou grieve and lament, but the information regarding the retreat of the Divine Prefecture Empire soldiers that Ling Jian 'accidentally' leaked out created suspicions in his mind.
Even with Yu ManLou's bearings, he almost fainted the moment he saw the news coming from Yu XueGong! The losses stated within it were far too frightening, to the point that even with the Yu Family's robust foundations, they might not be able to withstand this loss! When he first received news of the routing of their front line troops, Yu ManLou had already deduced that for such a silent operation to be carried out, their troop count would not be huge, and should contain some special characters! From the strangeness of the battlefield, it was definite that the First Pavilion had employed a few of their men to tag along this time.
While he did not know the reason for them being trapped within the snow, Yu ManLou was well aware that this was a heaven-sent opportunity. If he was able to kill or capture these special characters, then be it Ling Tian or the First Pavilion, it would be a heavy blow to them! Furthermore, it might even result in the collapse of the First Pavilion!
As such, Yu ManLou even treated the initial loss with some hidden glee. The hidden experts in his family usually only went down to the battlefield when commanded, but in this case, they took the initiative to request to join the battle. Naturally, he did not put harsh requirements on those that volunteered and merely put on a show before allowing them to depart.
Yu ManLou's thinking was that to use such a huge force to go against the enemy that numbered at most 20,000 strong was akin to using a boulder to crack an egg, a simple matter! With so many experts of the martial world, and with the heavy snowfall in the mountains trapping them, there was no possible option of retreat for the enemy. For such conditions, if they were to allow the enemy to escape or if they were defeated, then it would be akin to seeing a ghost in broad daylight!
From start till the end, the only objective Yu ManLou was concerned about was the capture of the people, who were they, where they came from, what were their identities and what impact would they have on Ling Tian and the First Pavilion. It would be good if they could treat these people as bait to fish for more benefits, but he never expected their battle to end in defeat!
But the missive sent by Yu XueGong clearly explained this detail. The death of two Gold Jade experts and close to 50 White Jade experts gave an unbearable heartache to Yu ManLou. This was an unacceptable fact! How could Yu ManLou not be enraged? As for the latest developments of the Divine Prefecture Empire, Yu ManLou was excessively shocked, but still maintained his attitude of suspicion. For such a secretive operation, how could it be so easily revealed? For all they knew, it could have been a ruse by the enemy.
Under his anger, Yu XueGong and his men were all thrown into the heavenly prison under Yu ManLou's order! None of them were allowed to be pardoned.
To have the Master of the First Pavilion personally set out to rescue them, and to retreat after that without any signs of their army moving, it was as though they had simply vanished. This led Yu ManLou to believe that the enemy was most likely treating the wounded at some hidden location. This cemented his belief that the surrounded army had special people who were important to the Divine Prefecture Empire!
However, it was too late to think about such matters now. The more he thought, the more he would drown in regret.
At this point, Yu ManLou suddenly received the request for reinforcements from Ximen Sa. XiMen Sa mentioned that the Western Han was clashing with the 700,000 strong troops of Xiao FengYang, and due to this thinly stretched forces, they were being fully suppressed by Xiao FengYang. Each encounter had always ended in their loss. Because the enemy had an abundance of grain and soldiers, each far exceeding the number of the Yu Family soldiers, their condition now could be said to be approaching a crisis! They requested for immediate assistance from the emperor.
This could be said to be akin to meeting a thunderstorm when one's roof is leaky!
In the direction of Yan County, the million strong troops from the Divine Prefecture Empire were guarding the area, glaring like tigers watching their prey as they prepared for battle. Yu ManLou's attention the last few days was all placed in this area and he hadn't expected XiMen Sa's area to come up with a problem! Furthermore, XiMen Sa was facing off against a peak general of his generation, Xiao FengYang, with an elite army of 700,000!
It was no wonder that XiMen Sa fell into a disadvantage. After all, inside Yu ManLou's heart, while XiMen Sa was intelligent and intuitive, he was lacking a whetstone to grind him. However, Xiao FengYang was someone who had been fighting all his life, a seasoned veteran. It was not unjust for XiMen Sa to experience defeat under Xiao FengYang!
Furthermore, both the parties' strengths differed too much. While there was a possibility to turn the tides and use a smaller number to overcome the larger number, the prerequisite was that the enemy commander had to reveal a fatal flaw that could be exploited. With such an experienced schemer such as Xiao FengYang at the helm, it was unlikely for him to reveal such a flaw!
Since there was no chance to hope for a fatal flaw to be revealed in the opposing side, then one could only resort in pitting the strength of the troops against each other. However, the crucial point in this was that too few reinforcements were sent, it would merely serve as an appetizer for Xiao FengYang. But if they were to send more… where on earth could they dig out tens of thousands of soldiers for reinforcements at this time?
Helpless to change the situation, Yu ManLou could only send down an order to XiMen Sa, strictly commanding him to hold fast and prevent the line from being broken by Xiao FengYang. At the same time, he quickly sent out another order, to hastily recruit soldiers from the territory of the former Wu County, before sending them as reinforcements for XiMen Sa. As for the ten thousand or so troops that were obstructing Feng Mo and Ling Feng, they were commanded to not return to their original formations, but to form up into another army and rush towards XiMen Sa to assist him!
Just as Yu ManLou was busy devising strategies the past few days, disputes started at the frontier. The general under Shen RuHu's army, Shen TieCheng, performed a sneak attack on the Yu Family's grain supplies. While they did not succeed, the marshal in charge was scared silly by their attack. From that day onward, minor skirmishes happened frequently along the border. Along with the numerous conflicts, one could see the trend of a growing full-fledged conflict.
The pressure given by the Divine Prefecture Empire on the Yu Family slowly but surely increased! There was even a hint of an imminent battle.
Initially, when the Yu Family's troops arrived, they were not at a disadvantage and could be said to even occupy the advantage. However, following the many skirmishes, their battle performance had evened out. This was because the Divine Prefecture Empire had their back covered by Yan County. Not only were they free of worries, their passage was stable, allowing reinforcements to arrive quicker than the Yu Family. As time passed, they gradually became the one that initiated the skirmishes against the Yu Family, and the latter were slowly forced into a state of constant defense.
The Divine Prefecture Empire had a strong desire for battle, but from start to end, they only focused on performing skirmishes. It seemed as though they had no intention to engage in a huge battle.
The marshal of the Yu Family took advantage of this chance to add numerous sentry posts. With over two million troops combined on both sides, all of them waited with bated breath. Looking out from Yan County, in the thousands of miles of grassland as far as the eye could see, countless war flags dotted the horizon!
While both parties were clashing in Yan County, XiMen Sa and Xiao FengYang finally engaged in a head-on fight, with both parties having various casualties. As a whole, XiMen Sa was at a disadvantage. Even with the reinforcements provided from various locations, his overall military strength was still far below that of Xiao FengYang. However, he was no longer a sitting duck to Xiao FengYang's attacks, and both sides were currently locked in a stalemate.
It was at this point that Ling Jian suddenly brought along a few of his brothers, using the cover of the night to infiltrate Xiao FengYang's army!
The second day, Xiao FengYang's 400,000 strong army suddenly launched a full-on assault!
That's right, Xiao FengYang only had a total of 400,000 troops. But in the report XiMen Sa sent to Yu ManLou, he had exaggerated it by one-fold!
When Xiao FengYang attacked, it was the exact day when XiMen Sa's army welcomed the troops from the former Wu County. The timing was impeccable, and it left people sighing at the fact that in this world, something called heaven's will really might exist!
If they had attacked earlier when XiMen Sa was preparing for the arrival of the reinforcements, then they would have had to face a strictly disciplined force. If they had attacked a day later, when the reinforcements had integrated into the army, then the Yu Family's strength would then have swelled, and it would not be easy to quickly determine a winner. If they made a mistake in the process, most likely it could end up with the Divine Prefecture Empire suffering a defeat instead!
Thus, choosing this time to attack was the most optimal, akin to striking a snake at the seven-inch mark! 1
The entire compound of the Yu Family was messy, as people constantly entered and exited. The problem of military rations caused the logistics officer to sweat profusely, and the two sides had just met and exchanged pleasantries. Before they could even hold a meeting, while they were still being shown around the camp, the attack of the Divine Prefecture Empire arrived!
The chaos experienced in this military battle was unprecedented in history!
If the army only consisted of troops from XiMen Sa's army or the former Wu County, it would likely not be so chaotic. However, it was at the time where the two parties had just met, causing the area to be as though the skies had been flipped. Everyone ran around like headless chickens, secretly blaming their parents for not giving them an extra pair of legs
This was especially so for the Wu Country troops, who had rushed over from far away and were all exhausted. Facing Xiao FengYang's relentless assault, they dissolved into a chaotic mess, trying to save their own lives by running away.
XiMen Sa's troops initially maintained their positions, but after being rushed over by their reinforcements, they too lost all semblance of an armed force.
The most surprising thing about this battle was that Xiao FengYang was unusually prudent. Not only did he attack with his full force from the get-go, he even brought all his troops over, including the cooks, pressuring the battlefield!
As such, the two armies of the Yu Family which had just met ended up being tragically routed.
There was no sign of possible resistance, and XiMen Sa immediately came to a decision, bringing his personal troops and escaping. The moment their marshal escaped, the 200,000 odd stragglers remaining lost their will to fight and scattered like birds and beasts.
Besides, the troops from the former Wu County had plowed through countless mountain ranges to reach their destination. This was when they were at their most exhausted and weakest state, to the point that many of the soldiers just collapsed and sat down the moment they reached the destination. They were so tired that they did not even have the mood to eat, but what followed closely was the chaos of an enemy attack. Thus, many of them turned into spirits under the blade. In the time taken to boil a cup of tea, the elites of the Divine Prefecture Empire had killed a bunch of them, with it being a one-sided massacre.
Angrily staring at the direction in which XiMen Sa had escaped, the marshal spat out while tears streamed down his face, "To think that I trudged for three days through the snow and mountains with 150,000 troops, all just to send myself to the slaughter! XiMen Sa, you can really god-d*mned run!"
The escaping XiMen Sa at this moment also had flames of fury smoldering in his eyes. In the end, those that escaped together with him numbered less than 10,000, the rest having been buried in the battlefield!
"There must be a spy within our camp! Otherwise, how could Xiao FengYang be able to choose such an opportune time to attack! This is no coincidence!" XiMen Sa screamed towards the sky, his anger unable to be concealed.
"Marshal's words are correct! For such a coincidental matter, how could it be by chance? There must indeed be a spy within the camp!" One of the generals beside him had escaped in a sorry state, his helm having fallen off in the escape. As he rode on the bare back of a warhorse, his eyes bulged in anger.
"That's right! Xiao FengYang has always been a cautious person. Without a 100% guarantee, how could he dare to bring forth his entire army? Even if you gave him twice his current guts, he still would not dare! Besides, the marshal's plans in the past were all seamless, but somehow we always managed to get trapped by Xiao FengYang unknowingly; there must be something wrong about this!" another general angrily interjected, while giving an excuse for the inability of XiMen Sa to perform previously. "If I find out which b*stard it was that betrayed us, I'll eat him alive!"
"That's right! We definitely have to look for that b*stard! That trash, cursed to give birth to a son without a butthole! We have to slice him to a thousand pieces, and use his remains to light up a sky lantern!" the rest hollered in fury.
To be defeated in such a silly manner, it was the humiliation of a lifetime! It was no wonder that they were livid. However, nobody noticed at this time, that on the horse their marshal was riding, a few barely noticeable shakes could be seen.
When they finally stopped, they gathered all the soldiers that had broken free from the encirclement by Ling Feng. Seeing the group of eighty to ninety thousand all looking as though their souls had been completely scared off, XiMen Sa could only arrange them to settle down as quickly as possible, before writing a missive of forgiveness to Yu ManLou. He also wrote about his fears of having a Ling Family spy among the troops, solemnly reporting the entire matter to Yu ManLou before requesting for advice. This was something that needed to be checked, for if the Divine Prefecture Empire knew their enemy's movements like the back of their palms, then what war did they still need to fight?
XiMen Sa's missive indeed attracted heavy attention from Yu ManLou!
It was no wonder that XiMen Sa had suffered so under the hands of Xiao FengYang! If the enemy was already aware of all their troop movements, it would instead be surprising if they did not suffer a defeat! Even if he were to be the one leading the troops personally, it would not be easy to prevent any defeats.
Under such a situation, the fact that XiMen Sa was able to resist Xiao FengYang's army for such a long time, and even bring ten thousand men out when being encircled showed his talent and potential!
As such, not only did Yu ManLou not give any punishment, he sent down a sacred decree of pardon. As for the excess troops of XiMen Sa, they were to return before being re-assigned roles.
However, at this point, Xiao FengYang and company were not satisfied with their loot even after settling their current battle. The main army immediately gave chase after the remaining soldiers! Their attitude was one of kicking a person while he was down.
Chapter 710: A Wave of Chaos
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In the following battles, XiMen Sa had truly lived up to his name of being a genius commander mentioned in the same breath as Ling Tian. After gathering all of the defeated troops, he was no longer the failure like before and while his attacks were ineffective, his defense was without the slightest gap.
While he wasn't able to turn his defeat around, his troops did not suffer too big of a loss.
He wasn't arrogant in victory and didn't become frantic in defeat. XiMen Sa was truly a talented military genius!
This was how Yu ManLou commended XiMen Sa after hearing the news about XiMen Sa.
Any accomplished general would understand how difficult it was to raise the morale of defeated troops and reorganize them to defend against the crazed attack of a few hundred thousand soldiers! Unless one was an experienced general who had spent his life on the battlefield, it was impossible to do so! However, XiMen Sa had actually achieved such a feat! He didn't only achieve such a feat but had even done so perfectly! He was truly a military genius!
This gave Yu ManLou a wrong impression that XiMen Sa's previous defeats may have been because of spies hidden within the army. These spies must have revealed critical military intel. If not, it would be impossible for XiMen Sa to suffer such a miserable defeat! Thinking about that, Yu ManLou felt that it was all the more urgent for him to cleanse his troops of any spies!
Just how many spies has Ling Tian arranged? Currently, only XiMen Sa's army is facing such a problem. Since XiMen Sa's army isn't big, the presence of these spies didn't affect the big picture. But if such a thing were to happen in the million-man army by Swallow County… Yu ManLou sucked in a deep breath of cold air.
While XiMen Sa's lost was heart-wrenching, his loss had also served the purpose of warning the entire Yu Family and wasn't without any benefits!
Yu ManLou immediately decided to send out the most concealed spies of the Yu Family to secretly investigate all the upper echelons of the Yu Family army. The moment they found any suspicious characters, all military authority would be revoked and they would be sent back to the capital for punishment. Anyone who dared to resist would be executed without mercy! He would rather kill a thousand by mistake than let a single spy get away!
The sudden appearance of the enforcement squad created a small commotion in the Yu Family camp. With a couple of individuals being taken away and disappearing, the entire camp fell into panic.
Just when Yu ManLou began the cleansing of his army, the Divine Prefecture Empire seemed to have noticed Yu ManLou's intentions and the battle at Swallow County had also intensified. Shen RuHu, Yu YanHai, and DongFang JingLei sent out a series of attacks and tested the bottom line of the Yu Family time after time. It was as though they wanted to force the Yu Family army out into a large-scale battle.
You are probably afraid that you will lose your opportunity after I weed out all the spies right? How would I be fooled so easily? Before cleansing the army, I will not fight you in an all-out battle! Yu ManLou felt as though he saw through the scheme of the Divine Prefecture Empire and sneered in his heart. In his eyes, the action of the Divine Prefecture Empire was no different from a jumping clown!
On the other side, XiMen Sa continued to fight conservatively. While his forces were still far from being a match for Xiao FengYang, after joining up with the 100,000 man army, XiMen Sa had a full 200,000 men on his side. He retreated as he battled and slowly inched towards the main forces of the Yu Family without the slightest bit of chaos.
Xiao FengYang's attack came wave after wave and he was no longer wary like before. He led his 400,000 men army proudly as they marched majestically through the continent like a swarm of locusts.
Despite being defeated along the way, XiMen Sa's army was never thrown into chaos. Along the way, he absorbed all the defeated soldiers and had truly become a large mixed army. At the same time, he was also getting closer and closer to the Yu Family's main camp. The moment his forces met up with the Yu Family's main camp, he would be able to escape from Xiao FengYang's threat and could even turn around to launch a counter-attack!
They were only one day away from the Yu Family army located at Swallow County! Everyone in the army let out a heave of relief. After being chased for such a long time, they had a belly full of anger to be vented! Xiao FengYang was like a parasite who refused to leave their side and despite every one of them being filled with anger, they were completely helpless. Hmph hmph, our million man army is right in front of us, do you still dare to chase us? We will definitely welcome you to continue chasing us. At that time, we will be able to wash away our humiliation and it will be time for us to chase you!
However, right at this moment when they were at ease and looking forward to taking their revenge, an unexpected fire broke out in XiMen Sa's camp. This fire came extremely suddenly and strangely. It was almost as though someone from within the camp had intentionally set the camp on fire. In just a short while, the fire spread rapidly throughout the camp and had even spread to the tents where the grain was kept!
In the immense heat, the surrounding snow began to melt rapidly.
The main tent was nearby and all the generals who were sleeping peacefully were jolted awake. After putting on their clothes anxiously, they ran over to the edge of the fire with their faces ashen and fear in their eyes. In front of the fire, a figure stood ramrod without moving an inch!
He was XiMen Sa!
The generals walked over with their faces flushed with embarrassment and their heads lowered as though they were waiting for death. Sneaking a glance, they saw XiMen Sa's pale expression with a slight trace of blood at the corner of his lips! His eyes were filled with hopelessness and it was obvious to tell just how heavy a blow this fire was to their marshal.
Just when they were about to get to safety, such a miserable affair had happened! The heavens truly wanted their demise!
The soldiers in the surroundings were covered in tears and they used the snow, mud, and anything they could find in the surroundings to put out the fire. However, all of them understood that no matter how hard they tried, it was impossible to salvage the situation.
The military grain and strategic resources of their 200,000 man army were completely destroyed! What a hateful spy!
In the silence, marshal XiMen Sa suddenly let out a roar and spat out a mouthful of blood before collapsing on the ground!
"Marshal!"
"Marshal!"
"Men… the marshal has fainted! Send the military doctor!" All the generals immediately became anxious and began shouting out orders. In the past few days, XiMen Sa had become the sole backbone of the entire 200,000 men army. XiMen Sa had single-handedly led them through the most dangerous times and almost brought them to safety! However, at this crucial moment, their marshal was angered to the point that he fainted!
All the generals were at a loss and fell into chaos. Just what should they do next?
All of a sudden, the sound of galloping horses sounded like thunder and the entire ground began to tremble from battle cries. Xiao FengYang's army had killed their way over.
The Xiao Family army had grasped the best timing! However, this timing was an extremely destructive one to the Yu Family's defeated army.
"Since we don't have a way out, let us fight them to the death!" a general roared with rage!
"Yes! Let us fight it out with them!" everyone roared in unison!
Right at this moment, XiMen Sa who had fainted twitched slightly and his eyes opened slowly.
"Marshal, are you alright?" All the generals crowded forward with joy.
"Retreat! Retreat… with the fastest possible speed… return to the main camp… don't be reckless… there is only a single day left… if…" XiMen Sa's gaze was hazy as he said with clenched teeth. Before he could even finish his words, he fainted again.
Everyone understood his intentions! This wasn't the time for them to be reckless!
"Marshal!" They let out a heart-wrenching cry. Tears welled up in their eyes. Even when their marshal was in such a state with his life as risk, he was still concerned about the life and death of their brothers! How would they be able to find another marshal like him?
The dozens of generals knelt down on the ground in unison and kowtowed to XiMen Sa's unconscious figure with tears in their eyes.
We must protect the lives of our brothers! We must send our marshal to safety! Everyone looked at each other with the same thought in their minds.
"Listen to my orders, retreat at full speed!"
The order spread throughout the army quickly.
Xiao FengYang's army was already nearing the Yu Family's camp! Under the glow of the fire, the countless glowing blades of the cavalry could be seen charging towards them…
In this emergency retreat, the 200,000 man army of the Yu Family escaped in light dressing. They no longer had the burden of their grain carriages and some had even thrown away all of their armor. They ran as quickly as they could towards the camp of the Yu Family. With just a single day of journeying, they would be able to survive…
Right at this moment, the war drums of the Swallow County suddenly exploded and the three armies of Divine Prefecture Empire launched their most violent attack! This attack of theirs disregarded their lives and disregarded the price they had to pay! Regardless of their losses! They disregarded everything!
The war drums of the final battle sounded?!
Yu YanHai, Shen RuHu, and DongFang JingLei all received a blood-red letter from Ling Tian with the words 'accomplish the task with a single stroke!' written on it.
A battle to determine the ruler of the world!
A total of 100,000 arrow towers shot out in unison and the entire sky was covered in arrows. Following that, 150,000 cavalry charged into the Yu Family's army without a care for their lives. Finally, the remaining infantry troops launched their attacks like a swarm of locusts.
They swarmed over from all directions using a human wave tactic!
However, the battle was not one a one-sided one.
In just a single exchange, the attack of the Divine Prefecture Empire was obstructed. After the cavalry at the forefront fell into the traps and pitfalls of the enemy, the infantry at the back continued to charge forward with a loud battle cry and both armies broke out in an intense battle.
Blades were dancing all around with the warhorses sprinting and human heads rolling.
With two million soldiers clashing together, their furious roars and battle cries could be heard from ten miles away!
A commotion also sounded from the north-west and countless of defeated Yu Family soldiers appeared from the darkness sprinting frantically towards the Yu Family camp.
Xiao FengYang gave an order and the calvary sped up, brutally massacring all the soldiers in their way. This destroyed the morale of the Yu Family even further and the front line fell into chaos.