Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
In Shan Dan City, a great fire erupted, and the Murong Clan's camp was engulfed in flames, resembling a giant dragon with its tail on fire, roaring and struggling against the dark night sky.
Just as they were about to break through the city gates, Murong Ge'erhe heard chaos behind him. Turning around, he saw their main camp completely ablaze from a barrage of rockets, as a formidable force of Tang cavalry charged forward like an iron tide!
"Not good! Fall back! Protect Mr. Han Zhu!"
Murong Ge'erhe suddenly realized that Murong Hanzhu was not skilled in martial arts and could not face the arrows directly. With the rear under attack, Murong Hanzhu was in immediate danger!
As the elite forces of the Murong Clan rushed to rescue, the Xu Zhen's two hundred elite cavalry had already carved a bloody path through the enemy lines!
The massive crossbows fired continuously, iron arrows sweeping in like a hurricane, crashing into the Murong Clan's rear formation and toppling it. Hundreds of Ah Chai were struck down before they could raise their weapons, the sickening sound of arrows piercing flesh sending chills down spines!
After a fierce volley, the enemy was already terrified. The Brothers retracted their crossbows and raised their spears and Zhanma swords, roaring like dragons and tigers, their momentum as terrifying as a collapsing mountain!
Gao He Shu lowered his elbow and held his spear horizontally, using the momentum of his charging horse to trample over the enemy's hastily formed shield wall. He easily pierced through the front enemy ranks with his spear, sending foes flying into their comrades and shattering their formation!
Zhou Cang followed closely behind, plunging into the chaotic enemy ranks. His broad and heavy broadsword swung with deadly precision; no one could withstand its edge. An enemy general charged at him but was met with Zhou Cang's blade that severed his spear shaft, taking both head and shoulder down from his horse!
The two hundred Brothers rode powerful steeds clad in sturdy armor, wielding sharp and formidable weapons. After breaking through the enemy lines, the situation turned overwhelmingly in their favor. The archers in the rear who hurriedly bent their bows could not aim at all amidst the melee and were trampled into a mess by galloping horses!
The Xu Zhen fought fiercely with her long knife, cutting down incoming enemy cavalry. However, one rider charged at her recklessly; as he swooped past, his curved blade seemed poised to cleave her in half!
Confident and elated, that Barbarian cavalryman heard a piercing beastly roar. A gray shadow emerged from the left side illuminated by flames, radiating deathly light. A towering silver wolf leaped from its rider's back and pounced on the cavalryman, tearing apart his neck and chest!
Many in the Murong Clan were descendants of Turkic tribes; upon seeing the silver wolf appear, they felt a chill run down their spines. This was a sacred beast of their clan, a totem of their ancestors. Even if they dared to offend it, who would be foolish enough to approach such a ferocious creature?!
"What kind of people are these?!" Although the Xu Zhen's forces bore Tang banners, their combat style was exceptionally brutal and ruthless—entirely reminiscent of slaughter on the grasslands. With the silver wolf rallying them on, members of the Murong Clan were already disheartened and began to flee forward. In their panic and haste to escape, many were unknowingly trampled to death!
Days prior, the Xu Zhen had arrived at Shandan's outskirts under Zhang Zhao's leadership but saw that there were thousands of enemies present with overwhelming numbers. If her two hundred troops recklessly charged in, it would be akin to striking a rock with an egg.
Thus she ordered Zhang Zhao to lead familiar local troops to find a hidden hilltop where Li Wushuang, Li Mingda, Moya, and others could be safely settled. She also commanded Caesar to provide close protection while sending scouts out to observe Murong Clan movements for several days. When they launched an all-out assault on the city and let down their defenses significantly, she executed a surprise attack from behind that proved effective!
She did not know about Murong Hanzhu's background but noticed that he commanded troops daily and had multiple personal guards—he must be an enemy strategist. In this moment of chaos, Xu Zhen took advantage of an opening to dismount from her horse and draw her Carved Bow. Illuminated by firelight, she nocked an arrow with precision; her Feathered Arrow shot straight into the air!
Since obtaining the Carved Bow, in order to honor Caesar's efforts, he practiced archery diligently every day alongside Gao He Shu. His strength and accuracy improved significantly. As he shot in anger, Murong Hanzhu was protected by the morale of the troops. A personal guard raised a rattan shield but was pierced by the Feathered Arrow, which shot through his throat, with half of the arrowhead protruding from the back of his neck.
The Xu Zhen, eager for victory and unable to contain her impatience, failed to achieve success with her first arrow, instead alerting the enemy. Murong Hanzhu remained calm and composed, showing no signs of panic. Instead, he continuously called out to rally the soldiers and form a defensive formation. At that moment, he turned his head just in time to see the Xu Zhen draw her bow again. He quickly lowered himself onto his horse's back to evade her shot as she fired another Feathered Arrow at his guards.
Murong Geerhe was furious; seeing the city gate breached but unable to charge inside meant that forcing entry would only lead to their demise. He immediately ordered the soldiers to retreat while fighting, fleeing northward.
Xie Anting and Yang Wen led dozens of Death Warriors, already mentally prepared for martyrdom. However, reinforcements suddenly arrived, allowing them to burst out from the city gate and pursue Murong Geerhe's rear guard. A fierce battle ensued, leaving corpses scattered everywhere.
Murong Hanzhu had already calculated the movements of the Tang army in other states. Even though he received news of Ganzhou being ambushed, it was impossible for the main forces to arrive so quickly. Thus, he understood that the Xu Zhen's contingent was merely a small cavalry force. However, with the Murong Clan facing an ambush from the same fire arrows, it indicated that their enemies had been watching them for a long time. Now with morale shaken, they could not organize an effective counterattack.
As nearly a thousand Brothers were suddenly reduced by several hundred due to the onslaught, Murong Geerhe felt a pang of grief but could only protect Murong Hanzhu as they made their way northward to join forces attacking Zhangye.
The Xu Zhen took advantage of her momentum and pursued fiercely. The Brothers were all valiant and invigorated; aside from a few dozen injured members from the Salar Tribe, casualties were surprisingly kept to single digits!
Such results were almost unbelievable! Although Murong Geerhe's forces were not as well-equipped as those of the Xu Zhen's main troops and faced an ambush, such a vast disparity should not have occurred.
However, upon reflection, the Xu Zhen felt reassured. First, as the enemy concentrated on besieging the city, her Brothers charged out from behind. With one hundred Yuanrong Crossbows firing ten arrows each, that amounted to a thousand powerful iron arrows. The precision of crossbows surpassed that of longbows; given how densely packed the enemy was, there was no need for aiming—sufficient casualties were already inflicted!
Moreover, since her brothers wielded either Spears or sabers—whereby every inch counts—the advantage in weaponry combined with tactics from the steppe tribes further exacerbated their suffering.
The Murong Clan focused their attention on breaching Shan Dan City’s gates and were caught off guard by the ambush; by the time they began retaliating with bows and arrows, the Brothers from Xu Zhen ’s main force had already scattered into chaos and were embroiled in melee combat while trying to protect Guard Master Murong Hanzhu.
As a result, Xu Zhen achieved a resounding victory; during this pursuit, the Murong Clan was left in disarray with countless corpses and horses along their path. To ensure a successful escape, Murong Hanzhu had no choice but to adopt a strategy of severing ties—leaving behind small forces to block while leading most troops towards Zhangye.
Xie Anting and Yang Wen had not anticipated reinforcements arriving because they had also heard that Li Daozong and Hou Junji planned to exploit vulnerabilities and sweep through Tuguhun Wang City. The arrival of Xu Zhen was undoubtedly like divine intervention!
Seeing that Xie Anting and Yang Wen were unharmed and that Shan Dan City had ultimately been saved filled Zhang Zhao with deep gratitude towards Xu Zhen. After clearing up the battlefield along their path, all generals rode into the city just as dawn broke. The residents who could not evacuate rushed onto the streets to welcome them with cheers that echoed like thunder!
Zhang Zhao and others praised Xu Zhen for her noble act of providing military supplies to aid those in need; citizens wished they could build shrines in honor of Xu Zhenzhi’s kindness!
Xie Anting and Yang Wen comforted the surviving warriors; despite their own wounds being untreated, they hurriedly went to meet Xu Zhen. She had already been moved by their spirit of self-sacrifice for their country and hastily dismounted to return their greeting. She then instructed her Brothers to reinforce the city gates and sent people out two miles around for patrols as a precaution against another counterattack from the Murong Clan before finally settling her troops within the city.
Xu Zhen ordered Zhou Cang to bring Caesar and others into Shandan County City while ensuring that her Brothers donated gathered military resources to Shandan’s military and civilians for rebuilding their homes. Yang Wen felt deeply touched by Xu Zhen's noble actions; thus he wrote proclamations to soothe the people and recruit more citizens for unity between officials and civilians working together towards a new beginning for Shandan after the war.
Zhang Jiunian restrained his brothers, tending to his wounds and recuperating in the city streets. He did not harm the people, who spontaneously rewarded the troops, treating the soldiers of Xu Zhen as brothers, inviting them into their homes for hospitality. The Rouran and Salar Tribe fought valiantly, and seeing the border residents open and cheerful, akin to the pastoral people of the grasslands, he felt that his sacrifices were worthwhile.
Li Mingda and Li Wushuang, although not directly experiencing the war, witnessed the blood-soaked battlefields along the way, with corpses strewn everywhere. Their hearts were filled with solemnity. Observing the deep bond between the military and civilians in Shandan City, and hearing of Xie Anting and Yang Wen's heroic sacrifices for their country, they were greatly moved and shocked. Li Wushuang looked at Xu Zhen at that moment and couldn't help but change her perspective.
Moya, a Zoroastrian Yelbo, was skilled in Western medicine, particularly in treating bone injuries and soft tissue wounds. With a combination of acupuncture and medication, Moya's ability to set bones was remarkable. Many injured soldiers praised him as a divine healer, while numerous residents suffering from ailments flocked to him. Moya welcomed all visitors, and his reputation spread rapidly.
After properly treating his own injuries, Xie Anting hurried to see Xu Zhen, emphasizing the importance of pursuing the Murong Clan. He insisted that one must eliminate threats completely; otherwise, if they were allowed to recover, they would surely return.
Yang Wen may not have been skilled in martial arts, but he had an open heart and cared for the people as if they were his own children. He was well aware of the county's internal affairs and had no trouble recruiting citizens to strengthen the county's military or repairing the city walls.
Seeing Xie Anting embodying the spirit of a brave general, Xu Zhen felt it was a waste of talent for him to serve merely as a county official. She wished to gather more capable individuals; however, Zhang Jiunian raised objections.
At that time, Zhangye's situation was unclear. Although Xu Zhen's forces were elite, they numbered only around two hundred. Continuing to bring Li Mingda and Li Wushuang along would be overly ambitious. It would be better to settle them along with Moya in Shandan City. Yang Wen had already sent urgent reports indicating that reinforcements would soon arrive in Shandan, so Li Mingda's safety was not a concern.
After careful consideration of the pros and cons, Xu Zhen discussed this with Li Mingda. The young girl was reluctant to leave Xu Zhen but realized that if she stayed with her, it would distract her during battle, which could be perilous. Thus, she agreed to remain behind.
Xie Anting was a man of integrity; he accepted Xu Zhen's trust without hesitation. He settled Li Mingda and others in a large residence within the county, ensuring there were guards present. All servants remained intact. Only then did Xu Zhen feel reassured enough to lead her troops northward in pursuit of the enemy.
Comment 0 Comment Count