"Cover the flanks!" Lin Zhongbao bellowed from atop his horse, "Shoot down those defenders!"
Lin Zhongbao was positioned at the rear of the formation, safe from the rain of arrows shooting from the city walls. In front of him, twenty thousand cavalry had spread out their lines, charging toward the northern walls of Liangzhou.
At the forefront were two thousand Arhat troops equipped with grappling hooks. Cavalry armed with crossbows weaved through the ranks, providing cover for the Arhat troops, while shield-bearers interspersed among them deflected incoming arrows.
Squinting at the city walls, Lin Zhongbao remarked, "The general said we should use these twenty thousand troops for a preliminary assault to probe their strength. I thought Liangzhou’s defenders were more formidable than this.
"It seems like we've overestimated them. At this rate, twenty thousand men are more than enough to take Liangzhou with ease." Saying that, he waved his hand broadly and commanded, "The enemy's is falling apart! Send the order! As soon as the Arhats scale the walls, have the Flying Leopard Battalion follow up immediately."
"Yes, sir!" A nearby bodyguard immediately saluted and turned his horse to deliver the command.
Suddenly, Lin Zhongbao frowned. Narrowing his eyes, he stared intently at the city walls. "Wait... What’s that?"
The bodyguard followed his gaze and saw two figures overlooking the battlefield from the city walls.
"It looks like... two people."
"Of course, I can see it's two people!" Lin Zhongbao said irritably before muttering to himself, "What are they up to? Who’s so suicidal?"
As soon as the words left Lin Zhongbao's mouth, his expression changed drastically. He watched, dumbstruck, as the two figures leapt straight off the city walls!
The wind whistled through Ye Beizhi's robes as he hurtled through the air.
Below the city walls, the Arhats noticed the two falling figures, so they stood ready and waiting. Their steel blades gleamed coldly like the fangs of feral beasts, eager to tear the two apart the moment they landed.
Unconcerned, Ye Beizhi didn't bother to unsheath the Tang blade at his waist as he dove toward the maw of glinting fangs without hesitation.
When he was less than a zhang from the ground, a deafening blast suddenly sounded behind him. Something shot forward like a cannonball, blasting apart the ground ahead of him!
The impact was earth-shattering. The object struck the ground, creating a pit three zhang wide. None of the eager invaders in the vicinity were able to remain standing. At the center of the pit, a dusty, ugly gourd lay embedded in the earth.
Ye Beizhi landed softly, his gaze sweeping toward the rear of the battlefield. With one hand on his blade, he stood solemnly.
As Xue Qiming landed, he teased Ye Beizhi, "Hey, how do you like my moves?"
Ye Beizhi did not respond because he was focused on scanning the approaching enemy forces. He frowned slightly.
"These men... are no ordinary soldiers."
The men whom Xue Qiming had just knocked down were now struggling to their feet, their faces twisted in ferocity as they glared at the pair. More troops closed in from a distance.
These soldiers bore scars on their bodies, on their arms, faces, and other places. Marks that were both intimidating and familiar. Ye Beizhi recognized the stories behind those scars, as he bore the same himself. They had an aura that only veteran soldiers possessed, fearlessness in the face of death.
"A familiar scent..." Ye Beizhi murmured, gripping the hilt of his blade with his right hand.
Xue Qiming glanced around and grinned. "Speaking of which, I know these people... they are Arhats, right? I remember their warm hospitality back in Northern Qiang—"
Before Xue Qiming could finish his sentence, the surrounding Non-Returning Arhat troops charged at him, blades raised high and slashing down in unison!
A murderout outburst filled the air as Xue Qiming grabbed his gourd, preparing to swing it. Suddenly, a chill swept past his side. In a hurried glance, what he saw made his soul nearly flee. In desperation, he flipped over and ducked beneath a lowlying city wall.
The world fell into an abrupt silence. The shouts of killing vanished entirely, leaving only the crisp sound of a blade's hum ringing clearly.
Xue Qiming pressed himself tightly against the city wall, as the fierce blade aura swept past just inches from his nose. His vision was filled with a dazzling flash of blade light so intense it was hard to keep his eyes open. Ye Beizhi and the Arhat troops were entirely engulfed in its radiance.
The sound of a blade being sheathed settled the chaos on their corner of the battlefield.
The blade light and blade aura gradually dissipated, as if they were never there.
The wind brushed past, lifting the hem of his robe. Ye Beizhi stood as before, one hand on his blade, unmoving as though nothing had happened. Within a radius of ten or more zhang before him, was a field of shattered men.
The fallen Arhat troops were covered in countless blade wounds, their bodies drenched in blood, and even their weapons were shattered into fragments.
Xue Qiming stared at Ye Beizhi in a daze, gulping nervously. "One slash to quell a storm. Since when... were you this strong?"
Ye Beizhi exhaled slowly and replied, "After the capital... I gained some insights."
"Was that really necessary..." Xue Qiming tugged at his sleeve, which now bore a fresh rip from his hasty escape. "And next time, at least give me a heads-up before you do something like that... You almost took me out along with them."
Ye Beizhi did not answer. He merely gazed ahead and calmly said, "Cover me as I break through."
Xue Qiming glared at him. "Hey, don't just change the subject!"
Ye Beizhi said nothing more and simply strode onward.
No matter how much commotion Ye Beizhi caused, it was only one portion of the larger siege. Elsewhere, the chaos of war raged on. However, the Northern Qiang troops near Ye Beizhi could not ignore what they were facing.
Someone who seemed to be in command shouted, and a group of Northern Qiang cavalry charged toward them, blocking their path.
Ye Beizhi calmly unsheathed his blade, his steps quickening as he broke into a sprint.
Xue Qiming swiftly followed, wrapping his wrist with the chain linked to the gourd. The gourd on the metal chain spun faster and faster, until the gourd became a blur, creating an accelerating whooshing sound of wind being sliced.
The hundred-meter gap disappeared in an instant. Xue Qiming suddenly surged forward, leaping over Ye Beizhi’s head. He laughed heartily.
"Stormqueller, you're too slow! Let me handle this!"
The massive man descended from the sky, landing in the midst of the charging cavalry. Although the waves of oncoming riders were forced to halt their advance, the leading horses still crashed directly into Xue Qiming.
Yet, Xue Qiming stood firm, his grounded stance as steady as a mountain. Each horse passing through his huge grinder showered him in a burst of blood and gore, but Xue Qiming did not retreat! Instead, he advanced with a sweep of his gourd, flipping over the rest of the riders who were rushing towards him!
Seeing that this human meat grinder could not be confronted head-on, the remaining cavalry drew their blades and tried to strike around at Xue Qiming's upper body.
Xue Qiming bent slightly, grinning broadly. "Haha! bring it on!"
He lifted his right foot as if to step forward, then shouted, "Dismount now!"
Another thunderous impact reverberated across the battlefield as his foot stomped down. The ground beneath him trembled and quaked, as if an earth dragon were awakening beneath the battlefield.
The charging cavalry could no longer control their mounts, and chaos ensued as horses and riders toppled over. Bodies hit the ground with bones broken and muscles torn. The air was quickly filled with pained screams.
Grabbing the face of an Arhat soldier in his hand, Xue Qiming grinned, his white teeth gleaming with an icy chill.
"I recognize you... Back in Northern Qiang, you seemed so reluctant to see me leave..."
Hearing his words, the Arhat soldier finally took a closer look at Xue Qiming. Upon recognizing him, his expression shifted to one of utter shock.
"So, you still remember me..." Xue Qiming tilted his head, smiling. His eyes gleamed with an unrestrained ferocity. "Why didn't you say hello?"
The Arhat soldier's survival instincts kicked in. He quickly drew a crossbow from his waist and aimed it at Xue Qiming, ready to squeeze the trigger.
"Is that how your mother taught you to say hello?!"
The soldier never managed to pull the trigger.
Xue Qiming slammed the soldier's head into the ground as he shouted, crushing it into a mess of blood and brain matter.
Xue Qiming stood up and exhaled slowly. He casually wiped his hands on himself and looked at the Northern Qiang troops hesitating to advance. Grinning once more, he said, "Ah, the warm-hearted people of Northern Qiang... how about we properly greet each other?"