The battlefield was shrouded in an stifling silence. Other than the relentless rain, no other sounds could be heard.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the blademaster with a bamboo hat. They watched as he calmly pulled his blade from Lin Zhongbao's skull, wiped the blood from its edge without a trace of emotion, and then turned to survey his surroundings as if what he had done was a trivial matter.
"Is the general is dead?" a cautious voice asked from the circle of stupefied soldiers. That question was like a stone tossed into a still pond, stirring waves of shock.
The silence shattered. The news spread like a wildfire.
"The general was assassinated!"
"How is that possible?!"
"Quick, report to Commander Bear!"
"Avenge the general!"
"He has an accomplice!"
Xue Qiming had been wary of the surrounding soldiers all along. Initially, these men had been too intimidated by Ye Beizhi to act, but now, after realizing what had happened, they raised their weapons against Xue Qiming once more.
Xue Qiming kicked a soldier who was blocking his way, sending the soldier flying backward and clearing a path through the crowd. Chaos erupted once more.
"Damn it!" Taking advantage of the moment, Xue Qiming rushed to Ye Beizhi’s side and hastily blurted out, "What do we do? What do we do? Don’t tell me this was the end of your plan!"
By now, the sky had turned completely dark. Ye Beizhi saw only shadowy figures all around him, any random swing of his blade could take down a swath of them. Glancing back toward the city walls, he uttered a single word.
"Wait for who?!" Xue Qiming shouted back, his gourd weapon swinging incessantly as he fought. "Are you waiting for the Heavenly King to save us?"
As soon as he spoke, the gates of the Liangzhou Prefecture city suddenly swung open. Countless defenders charged out, their war cries shaking the heavens.
Zhou Tong could hardly believe his eyes. After those two warriors charged into the Northern Qiang ranged formation, the pressure on the city walls nearly disappeared because the archers unit tasked with covering the siege fell into disarray after the sudden attack.
Zhou Tong was a man of his fists, not adept with the flowery words that scholars used, but if he were forced to make an analogy, he would liken the pair to two firecrackers stuffed into a pile of manure... that exploded in an instant.
Without the cover of the archery unit, the Arhat army below the city walls lost its momentum in the siege. Turning back, they saw their rear ranks being slaughtered.
Realizing the siege was hopeless, they had no choice but to retreat and provide reinforcements. Thus, what began as a grand and imposing siege fizzled out into a messy chase.
Zhou Tong saw that the walls seemed to have been successfully defended. He assumed the pair would seize the chance to retreat and was considering whether to dispatch troops to cover them. To his surprise, they ventured even deeper into the enemy lines. Zhou Tong frowned, wondering what were they trying to do. Were they suicidal after all?
Squinting, Zhou Tong peered toward the enemy's rear lines and suddenly widened his eyes in realization. The pair's goal was clear; they intended to kill the enemy general.
When Zhou Tong saw a squad of well-trained enemy cavalry encircle the pair, he could no longer bear to watch. He was convinced that the two were as good as dead. He had to admit that their martial prowess was exceptional, but in the slaughterhouse of war, individual strength was ultimately insignificant. Just as Zhou Tong prepared to leave the wall, he suddenly noticed the swordsman among the two glance back toward him.
Zhou Tong’s heart jolted, but he soon laughed bitterly to himself. Why look at me? Do you expect me to save you? The enemy’s morale is still soaring at its peak. How could I possibly risk the lives of thousands of soldiers to save the two of you?
At that very moment, as Zhou Tong's thoughts were in turmoil, he witnessed a scene that nearly made him scream out loud! The swordsman, using some unknown technique, leapt over the encircling troops, charging directly toward the enemy general with his blade.
Those on the battlefield, caught in the chaos, could not see clearly. But Zhou Tong, standing atop the tall city walls, had an unobstructed view. The enemy general, seated on his horse, appeared panicked.
Instinctively, he tried to raise his weapon to block, but before it could even reach halfway, the swordsman's blade was already upon him. The strike was simple and unadorned, a straightforward stab, yet the general could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything about it. In the next moment, both figures fell to the ground.
Zhou Tong stepped forward abruptly, gripping the wall tightly, his wide eyes staring unblinkingly at the scene.
Moments later, a lone figure slowly stood up, pulling his blade from the ground. He stood alone and upright as the battlefield fell into dead silence.
Zhou Tong gasped sharply, stumbling backward two steps. His personal guards quickly stepped forward to steady him.
Zhou Tong waved his hand, catching his breath before issuing orders.
"Send word! Have the Wu Wei, Wu Rui, and Wu Sheng battalions leave the city immediately. The cavalry battalion will cover the flanks... The enemy general is dead, their morale is shattered! Pursue them and secure victory!"
The gates of Liangzhou City swung wide open and waves of battle-ready soldiers poured out.
The soldiers at the front of the Northern Qiang army fell into uncontrollable disarray as soon as they clashed with the Liangzhou troops. Without space for their cavalry to build up a charge, they could only wait to be skewered by the incoming infantry.
Three gongs sounded, signaling for a retreat.
Standing atop the city wall, Zhou Tong trembled with excitement.
The Northern Qiang forces had retreated.
"General... General," one of the younger personal guards stammered, "Did we... win?"
Zhou Tong slapped himself in the face, the pain bringing him back to his senses.
"Damn it! Of course we won!"
Zhou Tong’s exurberance was genuine. This victory meant more than any order triumph. It meant Liangzhou would remain stable, the troops' morale would hold, and the city could endure the siege.
Ye Beizhi and Xue Qiming entered the city gates one after the other. Each and every Liangzhou soldier who passed by cast curious glances at the two of them. Many had witnessed how they performed deep within enemy ranks.
Zhou Tong, seeing the pair enter the gates from atop the walls, hurried down in person, jogging to greet them.
"Brave warriors!" Zhou Tong stepped forward, clasping his hands toward Ye Beizhi. "Please accept my bow..."
As Zhou Tong bent forward, he only heard footsteps passing by him, growing fainter and fainter.
"Uh?" Zhou Tong lifted his head in confusion and looked back, only to see the man wearing a straw hat and a Tang blade at his waist walking farther and farther away.
"Hey!" A hand suddenly landed on Zhou Tong’s shoulder.
Zhou Tong turned around hurriedly, only to see the other warrior. Though the muscular man seemed in decent spirits, his appearance was rather disheveled.
Without a straw hat, his hair was completely matted with blood, his clothes drenched and stained as well, which had spread into large patches after being soaked in rain. He exuded a strong, pungent smell of blood.
Half-leaning on Zhou Tong, Xue Qiming raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you the one in charge here?"
Zhou Tong paused for a moment, forcing a smile. "Yes... I am Zhou Tong, the commander of Liangzhou Prefecture—"
"Good, I found who's in charge!" Xue Qiming interrupted, grinning as he rubbed his fingers together. "Let’s settle today’s account, shall we..."
"What? Did you think we helped you out of such a big mess for free?"
"Trying to shirk your debts? Do you really think I'm some sort of saint?"