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墨書 Inktalez
In this situation, Luo Yi was still furious, acting like a hot-headed and mindless general, and the circumstances were far from normal.
If it were a usual day, it would have definitely caught Lu Chen and others' attention, because he understood Luo Yi's tactics and had heard much about him. He knew that Luo Yi was not an idiot; on the contrary, Luo Yi was very shrewd and surely had a way to deal with Lu Chen.
Therefore, seeing the situation unfold, Lu Chen was not anxious at all; instead, he felt quite pleased, creating a false impression for Luo Yi.
Both sides were engaged in this back-and-forth of calculations, each believing that the other was slowly falling into their trap.
At the third hour, Old Mu continued to charge into battle alone, single-handedly taking down more than twenty warriors.
In such circumstances, Luo Yi remained unfazed, still pretending to be angry and scolding his subordinates. However, the news of the battle had already reached the capital, shocking even the Defender of the Realm.
The court immediately issued an order to strip Luo Yi of his title and execute him. However, when this imperial decree reached the Defender of the Realm, it was intercepted and delayed in being issued.
This was because Defender of the Realm Huangfu Xin understood his subordinates well; all sixteen Barons under him were individuals he had personally promoted and knew inside out.
Thus, Defender of the Realm intercepted this decree to protect his favored general, planning to absolve him of guilt after he achieved merit. After all, generals in the field could sometimes disregard imperial orders.
At the fourth hour, the Loyalty Army continued to challenge, but no one from Qinghe City came out to meet them.
Faced with this situation, Luo Yi felt somewhat triumphant and immediately sent people to the city gates to hurl insults and various slurs in an attempt to provoke the soldiers inside the city into anger and chaos.
However, as early as dawn, both the South Gate and East Gate had opened quietly, allowing a troop to stealthily slip out with remarkable speed—faster than their scouts could react.
As the sun rose, the gates of Qinghe City swung wide open, and wave after wave of soldiers charged out from within, brandishing large flags and shouting loudly enough for their voices to pierce the heavens.
At this moment, Luo Yi was among his troops, appearing as if he were orchestrating everything. This was precisely the effect he needed; surely Lu Chen could not hold back any longer upon realizing that he had split his forces to attack Naan Province or for some other reason that made him unable to restrain himself.
Lu Chen finally made his move, and Luo Yi immediately issued orders to launch a full-scale assault. After all, it was their own choice to open the city gates and come out to face him; they were asking for death.
However, soon after came news that made Luo Yi feel something was amiss: that the garrison at Qinghe City's North Gate had been ambushed and that his own army's flank had also been attacked by a mysterious force.
After the scouts returned with reports, it was confirmed that the soldiers were coming out from Qinghe City. This made Luo Yi feel that it was somewhat unnecessary, as it indicated that Lu Chen had some other schemes in mind.
However, there was no time to dwell on this; with the great battle imminent, Luo Yi immediately issued orders for resistance, and tens of thousands of troops began their full-scale assault.
Within Qinghe City, over a dozen ten-foot-tall Ape Demon Warriors charged out, wielding massive, custom-made spiked clubs. These Ape Demons were brought back by Lu Chen from the Wasteland Continent and had long been deployed to the front lines.
The Ape Demon Warriors could take on a thousand enemies each; they were not to be underestimated.
The battle finally commenced. The number of soldiers charging out from Qinghe City was also immense, indicating that Lu Chen was going all out this time for a final struggle. In response, Luo Yi smiled mysteriously, appearing confident of victory.
The battle continued until noon, with a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood outside the city. There were casualties on both sides, with bloodstains and broken weapons scattered everywhere, along with fallen warhorses.
However, neither Lu Chen nor Luo Yi showed any intention of retreating. Lu Chen was waiting for an opportunity.
Luo Yi was observing Lu Chen's intentions; if Lu Chen wanted to continue fighting, then Luo Yi would accompany him to the end. After all, there was a significant disparity in troop strength; it would come down to whose forces would run out first.
At that moment, a mysterious group of soldiers—around five thousand strong—emerged from the deep mountains. They included cavalry, infantry known as Machete Guards, and archers, launching an attack on Luo Yi's rear.
First, this mysterious group targeted the supply lines, mercilessly slaughtering all porters and logistics personnel under their hooves. Then they set fire to the Loyalty Army's provisions, incinerating tens of thousands of stones worth of military rations completely.
Afterward, this group charged into the rear of the Loyalty Army like a sharp arrow, heading straight for the General's Tent.
Among them was a young figure, around ten years old, vigorous and fierce-looking. He wielded a long spear over ten feet in length and fought like a tiger emerging from the mountains—unstoppable against gods or Buddhas. This person was Lian Dashuang.
The army ambushed by Lu Chen in the deep mountains—the same force that had previously annihilated Luo Yi's left flank—was finally put to use.
When this news reached Luo Yi, he felt utterly defeated and collapsed into his chair, nearly spitting blood in despair. "It's over; we've fallen into their trap. I don't know how many soldiers we will lose this time. Our supplies have been burned; our army is completely finished."
If heavy casualties alone couldn't terrify Luo Yi, then having their supplies completely destroyed was more than enough to do so.
Not only Luo Yi, but also Lu Chen and the Defender of the Realm, these military strategists, could not help but feel fear in this situation.
Because supplies are the lifeblood of marching and fighting; one can do without soldiers or generals, but absolutely cannot do without provisions.
"General, let's retreat. A wise man does not suffer immediate losses. As long as we have the mountains, we will have opportunities to counterattack. Let's first retreat to Lin'an City to regroup. Once we gather supplies, we can launch a counteroffensive," one of the deputy generals said to Luo Yi.
Lin'an City is the closest provincial capital still under the control of the court and is also a major grain-producing province.
As long as they reach Lin'an, the Loyalty Army can rest and will naturally have opportunities for a counterattack in half a month or a month; there will be chances.
"It's useless; it's already too late. I can't afford to lose face. This time, it's truly over. Lu Chen is really formidable; I am no match for him. General Bao splitting forces to attack Nan'an City was a mistake. From that moment on, we have been stepping into his trap, even earlier, from the moment we arrived at Qinghe City, we have been walking into his snare step by step."
Luo Yi sat helplessly in his chair, staring blankly with an incredibly desperate tone; there has never been a time more painful than now.
"General, don't hesitate any longer. Give the order to retreat. You go first; I will cover your retreat. If I can break through later, we will meet in Lin'an City. What do you think?" one deputy general urged anxiously.
"No need. General Zhao, you give the order to withdraw. I have followed the Defender of the Realm for more than ten years—actually much longer than that. I cannot let his troops be wiped out. You go now; leave immediately. I will not leave," Luo Yi said slowly.
"General, what are you doing? You must listen to me. You are a capable general; no matter how defeated we become, there is always a chance for resurgence. We want to continue fighting alongside you in the future," General Zhao said earnestly.
"General, since you refuse to heed my words, then I have no choice but to offend you and forcibly take you away. Please do not blame me," General Zhao said as he quietly approached Luo Yi, preparing to subdue him and drag him away after knocking him out.
Unexpectedly, although Luo Yi appeared weak and dispirited, his reflexes were incredibly quick. He swiftly drew his sword from his waist and held it against the general's neck, forcing him to raise both hands immediately.
"General Zhao, please show some respect. At least I, Luo Yi, am still a general and have the authority to command you. You will immediately order a retreat and gather any remaining troops that can be salvaged. Then head north to regroup with the Defender of the Realm while I will not leave at this moment."
Luo Yi actually ordered General Zhao to gather any remaining troops and take them to the battlefield in Qi Kingdom to hand over to Defender of the Realm Huangfu Yi.
"Go now; leave immediately and don’t mind me. If you turn back again, I will chop off your heads," Luo Yi's tone was resolute as he issued a death order—if anyone dared to return, he would execute them.
At this moment, no one dared to stop Luo Yi any longer. General Zhao and the others retreated, backing away until they reached the entrance of the tent. They closed their eyes in sorrow, sighed, and left together.
Seeing that everyone had departed, the sound of the golden horn echoed outside, signaling that his army was beginning to retreat.
Luo Yi could imagine how furious the Defender of the Realm would be upon learning of his achievements. The way he punished people was chilling. His sixteen Barons felt no fear or dread, and no one wished to bear the wrath of the Defender of the Realm.
Part of the reason Luo Yi did not return was due to the Defender of the Realm; he did not dare go back because the Defender would not let him die but instead make his life worse than death, or perhaps dying would be more merciful.
Luo Yi drew his Sword once more, moving extremely slowly. Amidst the sound of horns and clashing weapons, he dragged the blade across his neck. With a flash of blood, Luo Yi committed suicide in apology, not making a sound, displaying the demeanor of a great general.
Just after Luo Yi's death, within less than a quarter of an hour, the General's Tent was pushed open from outside, and the first to rush in was Lu Chen.
When he saw Luo Yi sitting in a chair with a distinct blood mark on his neck, blood flowing onto his chest and everywhere else, Lu Chen took a deep breath. At that moment, he felt a solemn atmosphere filling the entire General's Tent.
He could even sense Luo Yi's Yin Spirit gradually fading away.
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