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Chapter 15: Fall of a Great General
Han Xuanzhi fell onto the ground. As he watched the soldiers running away past him, he finally started feeling actual fear.
“Young master, let’s run away!” Huang Sanyuan helped him up, “It’s all already over, but it’s still not too late to escape.”
Thunderclaps filled the ears. Gravel was flung every which way. The dead fell to the side. Blood filled the scene. All that gave rise to the scent of piss from below the waist.
“Yes, escape.” Han Xuanzhi stood up, “For the famed generals of ancient times, who didn’t grow from various failures on the battlefield. This minor setback won’t defeat me. Butler Huang, you will witness my journey in becoming a great general. This will be your honor.”
Huang Sanyuan blinked. He looked at Han Xuanzhi, utterly speechless. The light of the explosions lit up his face, revealing a determined expression.
“Go fuck yourself!”
Hang Sanyuan just kicked him before running away. Why did he have to follow an idiot like that. You’re on your own. This old Huang’s running away.
As the saying goes, an army’s rout is like an avalanche. That was indeed the truth. The moment the morale of the army was broken, every man will only think of their own survival, not the army’s victory or defeat.
Up above the valley, after Cheng Dalei finished throwing all the explosive chests down, he fell to the ground in exhaustion.
“Boss. We, we won!” Xu Shenji excitedly shouted.
“We won, huh?” Cheng Dalei was still somewhat disbelieving. In the past five days, he hadn’t rested for more than four hours each day. He worked until he was throwing up blood for just this moment, but now that it’s actually paid off, everything felt hard to believe.
“Boss, get up, quick.” Xu Shenji shouted.
“Didn’t we already win?” Cheng Dalei spoke exhaustedly, “Can’t you let me rest a bit?”
“What else… It’s looting time…” Xu Shenji shouted.
Cheng Dalei really had no way of comprehending the ways of thinking that Xu Shenji developed after years of being poor. Right now, the area down the mountain was basically a treasure trove. Swords, spears, the armor worn by the soldiers, the rations they carried on them… There’s also the horses too. After all, Qin Man was even practically drooling after he learned that Cheng Dalei was willing to give him one.
Cheng Dalei grabbed his axe and got on his horse before shouting, “Linger, start drumming!”
Xu Shenji hitched up the carriage. He drove the horse while Lin Shaoyu acted as the guard. Xu Linger was dressed all in red as she pounded on the war drum.
The sound of the drum was practically beating against Cheng Dalei’s heart. Boom, boom, boom. Courage rose from his chest and even the axe in his hands felt lighter. Thus, he roared out, “Get them!”
Thus, they charged down the slope. Qin Man’s own battle was near completion as well.
Although he was singlehandedly fighting against a hundred, those cavalry have already been traveling for a full day and night before this, so men and horses alike were already exhausted. Plus, their leader’s death was also a major blow to them, so Qin man far surpassed them in both the will and strength to fight. Plus, Qin Man himself was a rare elite bandit.
“Charge, get them!”
Cheng Dalei charged down alongside the pounding of the drum, axe in hand. Hen he saw that Qin Man was singlehandedly holding off a hundred without any sign of loosing, he even praised it in his mind, “Nice! 1 v 100!”
This became the final straw that broke the camel’s back. The cavalry’s morale was completely destroyed, and they all just tried to run away in a panic.
“Any who don’t want to die, get off our horse. Us bandits will only steal horses, not people.” Cheng Dalei loudly shouted. He was aiming for those people’s horses after all. If they could take all those horses, it will end up as a nicely sized fortune.
Xu Shenji’s eyes flashed. The boss really is an expert. Thus, he too started shouting as well, “Down the horse and you’ll live, down the horse and you’ll live.”
Those bunch of cavalry had already lost all will to fight back. Although they far outnumbered Cheng Dalei’s group, when they saw that Qin Man had stopped attacking anyone who got off their horses, they all immediately jumped off their horses before running away.
“Strategist and Qin Man, round up the horses. Shaoyu, come with me, let’s see if we can find me a long sword…”
Everyone had their dreams. Lin Shaoyu dreamed of being a wandering hero. Han Xuanzhi dreamed of being a great general. Cheng Dalei also dreamed of striding across the realm on a horse in a white robe, long sword in hand…
…
The various bandits hidden in the woods were all extremely worried. Blackstone City had sent out an army of a thousand after all. This was something that none of the bandits of Blackbull Mountain could defend against. As for all of them working together, that’s completely unthinkable.
Just at that moment, booming sounds rang out. The bandits were all terrified into looking at each other, none of them having any idea what’s going on.
Not long after, they saw the soldiers of Blackstone all run away from the valley like mad. The bandits were even more puzzled then. None of them knew what was going on.
“Big bro, what do you think is happening? How did the Toad Bandits manage to defend against a thousand?” Gao Feibao asked.
“I don’t get it either.” Gao Feihu didn’t know any more than his little brother.
Gao Feibao shook his head before letting out a long sigh, “Reality truly is unpredictable.”
Slap!
Gao Feihu slapped him up the head, “What’s a bandit doing philosophizing now. Did you forget our basics? Time to rob the shit out of them!”
“Yeah. Right. Guys, come on! Time to rob the shit out of them!”
The various bandits hidden in the woods woke up then. How are they supposed to freaking call themselves bandits if they don’t rob people? The weapons in their hands, the rations carried on their bodies, and the armor they’re wearing… Those aren’t all even. The boots on their feet, the hair pins holding up their hair, the clothes on their back… Don’t you know how poor bandits are? It’s not uncommon for a family to have to share a single trouser even.
The Flying Tiger Bandits, Apricot Flower Peak, Doghead Peak, Bald Slope… Each of them didn’t bring all that many people today, only many something like 20-30 each. However, when all 40-50ish bandit groups were all gathered together, their numbers have no become quite terrifying.
The men from Blackstone City were already routing from the start, and now they had to contend with this swarm of bandits coming at them like flies to blood.
Swords, spears, spiked clubs. There were even hoes, sickle… Anyways, every kind of weapon were involved. With all those in hand, that group charged on forward.
“Hand over your weapons!”
“It’s been years since I’ve gotten new shoes, so gimme your boots…”
“Get down, take off your pants!”
The soldiers were crying to the point where they’re out of tears, “Boss, I don’t swing that way. I’ll give you anything you want, just leave me my purity.”
“Go fuck yourself, who wants your purity. I want your pants!”
Han Xuanzhi ran for his life, but the most terrifying thing is that there was a bandit with a huge axe behind him chasing after him.
Not only was he chasing after him, he was even loudly shouting something like “My sword… My Sword… My Sword…”
Han Xuanzhi was crying. I knew that you’re super unprincipled, but can you stop shouting? Plus, with all those people around, what are you only chasing me for.
The sound of horses came from the front. A hundred strong horses stood carrying a hundred elite men. Each and every one of them bore faces practically carved from stone.
Only the one person in the front wore plain clothes with a short saber on his waist. The dichotomy really did give it him a strange atmosphere. As the thousand men was chased by Cheng Dalei and company, but the moment he saw those hundred men, Cheng Dalei instantly leaped off his horse and hid in the bushes.
“Spears back. Sabers out.” The man in plain cloth coldly spoke.
Shink!
A hundred sabers were drawn in tandem. With those hundred blades in hand, none of the bandits dared to get close. Everyone could feel that those hundred sabers were enough to clear out any bandit group on Blackbull Mountain.
When Han Xuanzhi saw them, he acted like he’s been saved. He charged toward them completely uncaring of anything else as he shouted.
“Strategist Xue, save me, save me. They’re bullying me. They’re all bullying me.”
An iron saber rose slightly and drew a cold arc in midair, passing through where Han Xuanzhi’s neck was.
His body wavered a bit as he watched the man in plain cloth disbelievingly. In the end, he didn’t manage to say a word before he fell to the ground.
The path of a great general had thus fallen here.