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墨書 Inktalez
Gu Bei, disregarding his own injuries, was determined to confront Zhao Ren.
He could tolerate many things, but Zhao Ren's ruthless approach, clearly intent on leaving Left Wing with no chance of survival, crossed Gu Bei's bottom line.
"Zhao Second-in-Command, make your move!"
Even in his fury, Gu Bei maintained the demeanor of a general.
He aimed to win, and to win gloriously; otherwise, what would set him apart from those bandits?
Zhao Ren scoffed, "You're about to die, yet you still act like a great general! Prepare to meet your end!"
Before his words had even faded, Zhao Ren struck. Unlike before, he did not come empty-handed this time; as he charged forward, he drew a short knife.
If he killed Gu Bei, the Army would crumble into disarray and fall without a fight!
A surge of excitement welled up in Zhao Ren; he had been waiting for this moment.
The short knife lunged forward at an angle aimed directly at Gu Bei's liver. If it pierced through, given the lack of medical facilities in the wild, there would be no chance of survival.
However, Gu Bei was not one to be underestimated. Instead of using his own weapon, he picked up the Half-Length Spear that Left Wing had broken earlier. Of course, it was now shorter than before.
As Zhao Ren rushed in, Gu Bei entered a state of complete alertness.
In that instant, all pain was forgotten; all he could see was the enemy before him and the victory that awaited him after defeating him.
Just as the short knife was about to make contact with his armor, it was met by the gleaming tip of a spear, perfectly timed and positioned without a fraction of error.
In truth, this was a desperate move. With Gu Bei's current stamina, he was no match for Zhao Ren. If they faced off directly, the only one who would lose would be Gu Bei.
Thus, he had to rely on his wits, using skill to overcome brute force. Fortunately for Gu Bei, he had exceptional experience in real combat, something that most people would find difficult to achieve.
However, to outsiders, it appeared as if Gu Bei was completely dismissing Zhao Ren, showing no interest in fighting him at all. Instead, it seemed as though he was merely toying with him like one would with a cat or dog.
The cheers from the Army camp only fueled Zhao Ren's anger further. His subordinates were fierce and relentless, attacking with lethal intent, determined to bring Gu Bei down.
As Gu Bei defended himself, he calculated the timing of the movements from the other side. If he could just hold on a little longer, they would successfully encircle the Bandit's main force and annihilate them in one fell swoop.
For this purpose, he gritted his teeth and endured.
Amidst the intense activity, Gu Bei's wounds began to reopen, crimson blood seeping through his silver armor. It was easy to imagine the condition inside.
Yet his actions showed no signs of slowing down; instead, they gradually intensified. The once evenly matched confrontation began to tilt in Gu Bei's favor.
Zhao Ren's breathing became somewhat erratic. He hadn't expected Gu Bei to last this long. What he initially thought would be a decisive battle now seemed impossible.
What worried him even more was that according to their predetermined schedule, at this moment, the Second-in-Command should have emerged from the secret passage and launched an attack from behind against the Army.
But now, there was no sign of movement from that direction at all.
Zhao Ren felt an unsettling anxiety creeping in; it had been a long time since he had experienced such a feeling.
Once distracted, his combat effectiveness began to wane. Despite being physically strong, Zhao Ren found himself subtly losing ground.
At that moment, something occurred on the Army's side. Zhao Ren caught sight of soldiers rushing over to report something to their commander.
Intuitively sensing that this matter might be related to the Bandit Hideout, Zhao Ren's movements slowed for a moment.
Gu Bei, who had been on high alert, would never miss such an opportunity. He thrust his weapon upward, aiming for the vital spot of Zhao Ren's heart.
Zhao Ren was caught off guard and received a deep cut. Fortunately, his reflexes were sharp; at the last moment, he rolled to the ground. Although it looked somewhat clumsy, he managed to save his life.
Pressing down on the bleeding wound, Zhao Ren was preparing to charge again when he was interrupted by a shout from behind.
"Second-in-Command! It's bad! The Second-in-Command and the people from the Village have been captured!"
The news struck him like a bolt from the blue; Zhao Ren momentarily failed to react. He recognized the messenger as one of the bandits assigned to relay information.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Zhao Ren snapped back without thinking, "How could something happen to the Second-in-Command? You must have heard wrong!"
The messenger looked frantic, almost on the verge of tears. "It's true! The Second-in-Command! We were tricked! Those court Dog Thieves found the secret passage long ago and were just waiting for us to walk right into their trap!"
"What? That's impossible!" Zhao Ren felt his mind whirl. The secret passage was their hidden knowledge; even not everyone in the Village knew about it. How could these soldiers uncover such a long-hidden secret in such a short time?
Gu Bei observed Zhao Ren's shock, retracted his Half-Length Spear, and stood firm. "He's not lying; it's all true. Your people have already been subdued by my army, and the Bandit Hideout is now under our control."
Now, only Zhao Ren's group of bandits remained outside the net. And soon enough, they would have nowhere left to escape.
"You dare!" Anger surged within Zhao Ren as he suddenly regained his composure. If what they said was true, then this delay on the battlefield was not only their objective but also that of the opposing Army.
Like a mantis stalking a cicada, he had failed to notice the lurking sparrow behind him.
Zhao Ren feigned an attack and then turned to retreat, urgently leading the remaining bandits back toward the Bandit Hideout. "Brothers, we've fallen into their trap! Hurry back and find the Second-in-Command!"
The Bandits were thrown into chaos by the news that spread among them, and it was only through Zhao Ren's authority that they managed to calm down, albeit barely. When the order to retreat was given, they fled faster than in any of their previous assaults.
"Chase them!"
On the Army's side, upon seeing the Bandits retreat, Gu Bei waved his hand and immediately pursued them relentlessly. As for the outcome between him and Zhao Ren, Gu Bei paid it no mind at all.
What mattered to him was the bigger picture; personal victories or defeats were merely trivial matters.
By the time Zhao Ren retreated back to the Bandit Hideout, he realized that the situation had turned dire.
On the way, he could still console himself, but upon seeing the countless corpses scattered on the ground, he could no longer deceive himself.
At that moment, while Zhao Ren attempted to send his Second-in-Command to ambush Gu Bei's Army, the Second-in-Command had already been trapped within a secret passage.
In front of him stood soldiers brandishing their weapons. Behind him, there was no escape route left.
This secret passage, which the Bandits had always taken pride in, had now become their death trap, leaving them unable to flee.
"What do we do now, Second-in-Command?"
The Bandits were in a state of panic; the narrow passage offered no room for movement, making it impossible to wield their weapons or engage in combat. In front of them lay an exit blocked by a multitude of soldiers wielding spears and halberds, waiting for them to march forward to their doom.
"Anyone not afraid of death, follow me!"
The Second-in-Command saw no other option; with death looming on both sides, perhaps a desperate charge would offer a chance of escape.
However, reality proved that such an opportunity did not exist.
Before the Bandits could escape through the secret passage, they were captured by the Soldiers, unable to resist at all.
Most of the Bandits were taken alive, while a few of the more ferocious and combative ones who did not enter the passage were slaughtered under the siege of the Army. Those willing to surrender were tied up and taken back to the Bandit Hideout, waiting for Gu Bei to unify them.
The Second-in-Command fought desperately but still could not escape the Army's pursuit and was captured alongside his comrades. He watched as his former allies were either caught, killed, or surrendered.
If it were just a matter of losing people, perhaps the Second-in-Command would not feel so hopeless. As long as there was a secret passage, he could recruit new members and restore the Bandit Hideout to its former glory.
But now, with the passage discovered, they had lost their trump card. It was impossible for them to act recklessly as they had before, launching successful ambushes time and again.
Seeing the defeated and despondent faces of his comrades filled the Second-in-Command with panic.
No, rather than being captured and spending a lifetime in prison or being paraded in public, dragged to a filthy market to be executed, despised and spat upon by a crowd of commoners he could easily crush in a fight...
The Second-in-Command knew well that his actions over the years had earned him deep hatred from everyone. If he were caught, there would be no good days ahead for him.
Moreover, every moment thereafter would become a nightmare.
He would rather die right now!
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