Chapter 102

The sky was vast and wind-swept, while yellow sand filled the air.

The Chongzhou army, whose formation had been forcefully shattered by the Jizhou troops, had descended into complete chaos on the battlefield. The junior officers were still trying desperately to maintain formation, but the Jizhou soldiers pursuing from behind were pressing too hard. The gaps torn into their ranks grew larger and larger until the Chongzhou army was split into small isolated groups and surrounded by the Jizhou forces.

On the battlefield, victory depended on maintaining momentum. Once morale broke, they were beaten back step by step by the fiercely attacking Jizhou army.

The Jizhou soldiers charging at the front had gone red-eyed from killing, growing braver with every battle.

Meanwhile, among the Chongzhou forces, from generals down to ordinary soldiers, signs of panic had begun to appear. Even the young officers shouting commands and rallying charges sounded far less confident than before.

Some soldiers were even turning around and fleeing the battlefield.

The Chongzhou commander leading the army was so enraged that he drew his sword and personally beheaded several terrified soldiers who were retreating.

“Anyone who retreats will be executed without mercy—!”

His hoarse roar, however, was drowned out by the even greater noise of battle and clashing weapons, producing little effect.

Just as the commander was about to personally lead a charge, waves of war drums suddenly thundered from the walls of Chongzhou behind him.

The city walls of Chongzhou were built high and imposing. The horse-face bastions extended from the walls toward the mountain slopes on both sides. Dozens of war drums sounded in unison, and after the sound waves were blocked on three sides, they surged through the only opening like a collapsing mountain and a roaring sea.

The terrain resembled a giant funnel, causing the drumbeats to echo throughout the battlefield and shake people’s hearts.

Fan Changyu was leading the right-wing army at the forefront of the fighting. Upon hearing the drums, she instinctively looked toward Chongzhou’s city gates.

The massive gates, so thick that even a battering ram might need half a day to break them open, were now slowly opening amidst the flames, smoke, and fluttering banners covering the battlefield.

Dust filled the sky.

Long halberds and spears advanced side by side.

The defenders inside the city wore savage expressions as they raised their weapons and charged out roaring, like a flood bursting through a broken dam.

After two vanguard units emerged to stabilize the formation at the front, an elderly general finally appeared. His hair and beard were half black and half white, his build tall and powerful. Clad in golden mountain-pattern armor and mounted on a famous steed, he galloped out of the city, drew the sword at his waist, and roared:

“Kill—!”

Even more Chongzhou defenders poured from the gates behind him, charging toward the battlefield with thunderous battle cries.

Someone among the rebels suddenly shouted:

“The Prince himself has taken the field! Chongzhou will be victorious!”

The cry spread across the battlefield like a stone cast into a thousand waves.

With reinforcements arriving and the Prince of Changxin personally joining the battle, the Chongzhou troops, who had been completely demoralized and pushed back on all fronts, instantly regained their fighting spirit.

Earlier, while charging through the battlefield, Fan Changyu had seized a horse. She had wedged the vanguard banner into one stirrup and used one foot to pin down the pole, keeping the military flag upright.

After such prolonged fighting, however, the warhorse beneath her was already exhausted.

Though Fan Changyu’s strikes with the mo saber remained vicious, she was still only human. Her arms were growing weak and numb from overexertion.

Whenever she had a brief moment to pause, the hand gripping the saber trembled uncontrollably.

Not from fear.

Her muscles were simply so exhausted that they spasmed beyond her control.

When she saw the rebel reinforcements spreading across the battlefield, her elevated position on horseback gave her a clearer view. After comparing the troop numbers on both sides, she knew very well that if the rebels managed to encircle them from front and rear, none of them would be returning alive.

She stomped hard on the stirrup and yanked the reins, turning her horse toward another direction.

Sweat-soaked strands of hair clung to her face, which was smeared with dust, grime, and sweat. Her eyes were as sharp and fierce as a tiger’s.

“Infiltrate through the middle of this Chongzhou force that’s tying us down! Don’t let them trap us here!”

The vanguard banner fluttered violently behind her.

Though she wore only the battered armor of an ordinary foot soldier, no one saw her as merely a common soldier anymore.

The Jizhou troops behind her immediately followed as soon as she changed direction, swinging around like a dragon whipping its tail while continuing to stay close behind.

When the rebels saw that the imperial vanguard force that had torn their formation to pieces earlier was trying to leave, they naturally threw caution to the wind. After being beaten down for so long, and now with reinforcements at their backs, they fought desperately to block the retreat.

The enemy commander even withdrew all rear defenses and committed every available soldier to flank from both sides, determined to trap and annihilate the imperial vanguard that had penetrated their ranks.


—

Standing on high ground, He Jingyuan and his subordinate generals had a complete view of the battlefield below.

Tang Peiyi slammed his fist against a nearby pine tree in frustration and cupped his hands toward He Jingyuan.

“General, I request permission to lead troops and relieve the right-wing army!”

After a moment of thought, He Jingyuan replied,

“Sui Tuo once earned his title of prince through military achievements. Though he is old, the Lion-Head Spear in his hands remains formidable. Prepare three thousand soldiers. I will personally go meet him. General Tang, lead another two thousand men and reinforce the right wing.”

Tang Peiyi’s expression immediately brightened.

“This subordinate accepts the order!”


—

Figures blurred before Fan Changyu’s eyes.

She swung her blade almost mechanically.

Something warm, salty, and stinging slid from her brow into her eyes. She couldn’t tell whether it was sweat or blood.

Her back teeth were clenched so tightly they ached.

As her blade sliced through rebel soldiers blocking her path, she could no longer tell whether their expressions were more ferocious, or her own.

There had once been a time when she could not bring herself to strike down ordinary rebel soldiers.

But now, the men following behind her were comrades who had entrusted their lives to her.

If she showed mercy to these enemies, the next blade might fall upon those brothers who followed her without hesitation.

When she had been an outsider, she could pity the common soldiers on both sides.

But now she herself had become part of the game.

Just as she had once drawn her blade against bandits to protect her neighbors, protecting her comrades had now become her duty.

Fan Changyu was like a crazed leopard.

Every swing of her mo saber sent another spray of blood bursting into the air.

The rebels seemed to realize she was a hard target.

When ordinary soldiers were forced toward her horse again, hesitation and fear were clearly visible on their faces.

As a result, her unit managed to retreat slowly, though with great difficulty.

Soon, however, another squad stepped forward.

These soldiers carried hooked sickle-spears.

Their weapons differed from ordinary spears. Besides the spearhead, each shaft also bore a crescent-shaped hook blade, allowing them not only to stab but also to slash from a distance.

The moment Xie Wu saw these soldiers, his face changed dramatically.

“Be careful!”

The hooked-spear troops worked in coordination.

One group stood upright and thrust their spearheads toward Fan Changyu atop her horse.

As she used her saber to knock aside the incoming weapons, another group knelt on one knee and swept their hooked blades at the horse’s legs.

Although Xie Wu and the others desperately tried to kill those soldiers, Fan Changyu’s horse still had its legs severed.

With a terrified neigh, the horse crashed to the ground.

The instant Fan Changyu was thrown into the air, countless rebels swarmed toward her like hyenas smelling blood on the grasslands, thrusting their spears at her.

Using the banner pole as support against the ground, she launched herself back upward.

She kicked in a sweeping circle, stomping across the breastplates of several rebel soldiers before landing steadily.

Her hands were covered in blood, so slick that she could barely grip the black iron handle of her mo saber.

The banner pole was nearly ten feet long, with a spearhead mounted at its tip.

Fan Changyu simply rolled up the banner tightly around the pole and wielded it as a weapon.

Any soldier who came within five paces of her was swept flying by the pole before he could get close.

At that moment, Xie Wu finally fought his way over.

As the spearhead of the vanguard formation, Fan Changyu was like the lead goose of a migrating flock—the one carrying the greatest burden.

Her stamina was nearly exhausted.

Xie Wu snatched the banner from her hands.

His once handsome face was so smeared with blood that it was impossible to tell whose blood it was anymore.

Panting heavily, he said,

“Squad Leader, let me guide the army’s retreat!”

The banner unfurled once more in his hands and flew proudly in the wind, guiding the Jizhou troops behind them to gather toward their position.

Fan Changyu leaned on her mo saber, breathing hard.

A rebel attempted to sneak up behind her.

Before he could strike, however, Guo Baihu roared.

His great saber nearly split the man’s back in two.

Fan Changyu glanced back.

Half of Guo Baihu’s face was hidden beneath his thick beard, while only his bloodshot eyes shone with savage ferocity.

“I said I wouldn’t care whether you lived or died once we got onto the battlefield, but you didn’t disgrace me! After this battle, even if I die here, it’ll be worth it!”

Without warning, Fan Changyu’s mo saber suddenly slashed toward him.

Guo Baihu broke into a cold sweat.

In the next instant, a spray of blood splashed across half his shoulder.

His expression froze.

Turning around, he saw a rebel who had silently crept up behind him, sword raised, only to be cut down by Fan Changyu before he could strike.

The thick beard around his mouth twitched.

Not daring to let himself become distracted again, he merely shouted:

“We’re even!”

Fan Changyu did not reply.

The blood on her hands had not dried.

The saber continued to slip in her grip, and her fingers were so weak that she could barely hold the weapon.

Her lips were cracked and dry as well.

She had no desire to waste breath speaking.

Tearing a long strip of cloth from her battle robe, she wrapped it around her hands again and again before gripping the saber once more.

Holding the military banner made Xie Wu an obvious target.

Countless blades and spears struck at him.

He avoided the fatal attacks whenever possible, but the accumulation of smaller wounds left half his battle robe stained red with blood.

A rebel officer suddenly charged over on horseback, spear aimed directly at Xie Wu’s life.

Xie Wu had just swung the banner to force back the soldiers surrounding him.

He had no time to defend himself.

Nor any chance to dodge.

Fan Changyu lunged forward.

Just as she had once saved him from Shi Hu’s warhammer at First-Line Gorge, she raised her mo saber and blocked the incoming spear.

The endless fighting had left Xie Wu dizzy and exhausted.

He had remained by Fan Changyu’s side the entire time.

If Fan Changyu bore the greatest burden in this army, then Xie Wu bore the second greatest.

Not only did he have to protect himself, but he also had to constantly watch over Fan Changyu.

Seeing her intercept the spear for him, he instinctively called out:

“Squad Leader…”

Fan Changyu shoved him backward into the ranks of the advancing Jizhou soldiers.

“Get behind me!”

As she spoke, the edge of her mo saber scraped violently against the enemy officer’s spearhead.

Sparks exploded into the air.

The tremendous force knocked the mounted officer backward, disrupting his attack.

Before the shock of her strength had even faded from his mind, Fan Changyu had already crouched low and swept her blade toward his horse’s legs.

The mo saber’s edge was long and incredibly sharp.

Combined with Fan Changyu’s immense strength, the horse’s front legs were severed almost cleanly.

Blood gushed forth.

The horse collapsed forward, and the officer was hurled from the saddle by the momentum.

Fan Changyu followed with another horizontal slash.

The officer’s head rolled across the ground.

Guo Baihu, who had been carrying his crescent-bladed saber and preparing to help, swallowed hard at the sight.

“My dear heavens… how is she this strong?”

Xie Wu ignored him completely.

Worried about Fan Changyu’s safety but unable to stay beside her while carrying the banner, he shoved the flag into Guo Baihu’s hands.

“The military banner is yours.”

Before Guo Baihu could reply, Xie Wu had already seized a long saber and charged forward again, joining Fan Changyu in carving a path for the army.

Guo Baihu glanced down at the banner in his hands, stained with the blood of countless men.

He cursed loudly.

“Do I look like the kind of man who’d hide in the back carrying a flag?”

Without hesitation, he stuffed the banner into the hands of a soldier behind him and barked fiercely:

“You lot protect the vanguard banner and stay close!”

Then he swung his great saber, cutting down a rebel soldier before taking several strides to catch up with Fan Changyu and Xie Wu.

As he fought, he cursed:

“I’m the Baihu here! Two little brats—what gives you the right to charge ahead of me?!”

The soldiers behind him were initially bewildered.

Some wounded officers, however, understood that the banner was a vital beacon amid the vast battlefield and could never be lost.

They immediately ordered roughly a hundred men to form a protective ring around it.

The remaining soldiers continued maintaining their wedge formation on the outside.

Like a colony of ants huddling together within a raging fire, they followed the bloody path carved out by Fan Changyu and the others, slowly forcing their way out of the rebels’ encirclement.