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At this critical moment, just as blood was about to be spilled, Must Be's warhorse suddenly reared up, causing the previously parallel Seven Star Black Steed to lurch forward half a horse length. This sudden change threw off Wang Jian's perfectly timed sword strike.
Seeing that the Qin General was facing away from him, Must Be could not miss such an opportunity. He quickly bent down and pulled the crossbow from his back, launching a bolt without any warning.
Generals rarely carry small weapons when leading their troops into battle; it is all about strategy and exceptional skills. Wang Jian did not expect this Zhao general to have hidden weapons, especially since his attire did not suggest he was a practitioner of Taoist arts.
As the crossbow bolt flashed towards him, Wang Jian barely had time to raise his sword for defense. In a moment of desperation, he grabbed the saddle and tried to dodge to the side. Even so, he could only watch helplessly as the sharp tip of the bolt flew toward the armor on his left side. A thought flashed through his mind: this is bad!
The Seven Star Black Steed had no regard for the Zhao horse that always ran alongside it. Realizing that its left side was suddenly empty, it instinctively knew something was amiss. Following its training, it halted immediately for safety. With a powerful push from its hind legs and a straightening of its front hooves, it came to a stop.
This action by the Qin State horse perfectly countered the enemy general's calculated advance. As all movement ceased, Must Be's bolt struck Wang Jian's chest plate with a deep scratch before losing momentum and flying into the crowd.
The force of the bolt was immense, but its range was limited. The surrounding spectators were armed soldiers who quickly raised their shields in defense as the weakening projectile approached. Fortunately, no one was injured when they heard the sound of impact.
Seeing that no one was hurt, Wang Jian lowered his head to inspect his chest plate. He noticed that the scratched armor had suddenly cracked and shattered, hanging uselessly from its connecting rings.
Must Be realized his attack had failed and decided not to linger any longer. He turned his horse around and returned to his unit. He caught a spear thrown by one of his soldiers and signaled for another while deftly spinning it to create two arcs of light. He had made up his mind: since your sword is fast, I will avoid direct confrontation.
Wang Jian saw that the Zhao General was ready and sheathed his Qin State Sword before grabbing a short spear and pointing it forward. The Seven Star Black Steed let out a whinny, and as soon as its front hooves hit the ground, it charged forward like lightning.
Must Be was equally prepared and shouted as he charged toward his target. As he approached the Qin General, he thrust with his left-hand spear to distract him. Wang Jian deflected the incoming spear with his weapon and then parried another deadly strike. He then aimed the tip of his short spear at Must Be's abdominal armor.
The Seven Star Black Steed clearly saw this; it kicked off powerfully, transferring all its strength into Wang Jian's short spear. Then it suddenly halted, ceasing all movement.
The coordination between a person and a horse produces a force that is more rapid than any penetrating power; an attack that seems devoid of strength can only be truly felt by the one experiencing it. Must Be looked down at the unmoving Short Spear, realizing that the situation was dire. He inhaled deeply and braced himself to withstand the powerful impact, yet he was still thrown off the horse.
As soon as Must Be's back hit the ground, he felt unable to control the force. He had no choice but to bend his knees and lift his head to avoid scraping himself, sliding straight out for seven or eight meters before finally coming to a stop. Just as he intended to push himself up with his hands, he felt a sharp blade tip pressed against his throat.
"Don't move!"
Riding on horseback, Wang Jian used the Short Spear to press against Zhao General's neck and laughed, "Still want to fight?!"
A true man should lose with dignity; if one cannot afford to lose, then they should not play! Must Be looked up at the glinting Cold Light of the blade tip illuminated by the fire, bitterly smiling and shaking his head in acknowledgment of his defeat. It wasn't that he didn't want to resist, but he understood that his opponent had chosen not to take two opportunities to kill him.
Wang Jian only cared about the outcome, not about taking lives. Upon hearing the acknowledgment, he withdrew his weapon and turned the spear around. He allowed Must Be to grasp the spear shaft and, with one arm's strength, pulled the fallen Zhao General up. Only then did he put away the Short Spear, casually hanging it on the saddle's rack.
Must Be stood up and grabbed the reins of the approaching warhorse, loudly declaring, "My Zhao Army has never had a practice of surrendering; let's not discuss anything else! If you Qin People adhere to our earlier agreement, then my army will immediately withdraw from Great King Village. As for any other conditions, you might as well kill me now!"
Wang Jian smiled slightly. "An agreement is an agreement! You Zhao People value promises; we Qin People do too! According to our agreement, you may leave!"
Must Be nodded and mounted his horse. He clasped his fists in salute towards Wang Jian and said, "The green mountains remain unchanged; the waters flow long! We shall meet again!"
"We won! We won! The Qin Army will surely win! The Qin Army will surely win!" The voices of the Qin People echoed around as spectators cheered. With their shouts rising and falling, a booming War Drum sound began to resonate in the surroundings.
Lu Zi, this Zhao General, headed westward and hurried over to ask Must Be to wait a moment. "General Xu! I believe you should avoid going west towards Dan Shui River. Heed my advice; heading northeast is your best option."
Must Be looked up at the dark western sky and nodded in gratitude for the warning. "I am a Zhao General; fighting for Zhao is my duty. Regardless of whether ahead lies a mountain of knives or a sea of flames or even hell itself, I must go through it!" After saying this, he clasped fists with both generals. "Since ancient times, war has never been personal; if we meet again on the battlefield in the future, it will only be a matter of friend or foe—there's no need to expect anyone to remember today's events. I shall take my leave now and hope we can meet again in peacetime. At that time, I will treat you all!"
Meng Wu watched as the Zhao Army began to retreat on a large scale. He turned to look at Luzi and Wang Jian. "General Lu is indeed a noble person, just as the legends say! I, along with General Wang, was prepared to sacrifice ourselves, never daring to think we would see the sun tomorrow."
Luzi nodded noncommittally, not making a speech on the matter. Hearing the Zhao Army's words about "Must Be" made him feel desolate. Zhuangzi once wrote: "When the spring dries up, fish find themselves on land, moistening each other and helping each other survive; it is better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes. Rather than praise Yao and blame Jie, it is better to forget both and follow the way." Even great sages like Zhuangzi have felt such helplessness; how much more so for us ordinary people who cannot escape mundane affairs!
"The bond between heroes has always been a beautiful legend. Hmm! Meng Wu, what crime do you deserve?"
As the Qin Army replaced the Zhao Army with reinforcements, Meng Wu finally confirmed that their main force had indeed arrived! Before he could celebrate, he heard Luzi's questioning voice. He hurriedly turned to General Lu and presented the General's Sword.
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