Xue Qiming dragged Wangyue Pi forward, stopping only when he reached within a hundred paces of the Northern Qiang army. He raised both hands to shield his eyes from the harsh sun. Squinting at the fiery ball in the sky, murmured to himself, "Hmm... Looks like it's time to eat, huh..."
Wangyue Pi's entire body was so numb from pain that he felt as if most of his bones were broken. Even the slightest movement of his head was a struggle. He rolled his eyes toward Xue Qiming, staring at him, and tried his best to speak. All that came out was a faint, involuntary groan.
Hearing the noise, Xue Qiming turned his head and smiled at him before tossing Wangyue Pi at his feet like a dead dog. Wangyue Pi let out another muffled groan, gritting his teeth to endure the pain as his body trembled uncontrollably.
"Shh, don't fuss," Xue Qiming said softly, raising a finger toward Wangyue Pi. Then, he turned to face the Northern Qiang army ahead. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted loudly, "Hey! Friends from Northern Qiang! How are you?"
The Northern Qiang army remained deathly silent.
The recent celestial phenomena had thrown the Northern Qiang army into chaos. It had taken great effort for the commanders to restore morale, and now, the mysterious and terrifying man from the Ruen Dynasty was confronting them on his own.
At his feet lay the Black Bear General, whom the soldiers practically worshipped. No one dared to step forward and respond to the taunting from the man who had crushed their idol. Many soldiers instinctively lowered their heads, unwilling to cast even a glance at his figure.
Among the army, Northern Qiang generals such as Guarjia Aduo and Murong Buguan watched from horseback. Some appeared anxious, some fearful, and others looked on grimly.
Guarjia Aduo gritted his teeth and said, "Our army's morale has been diminished by eighty percent because of this one man. We can't let this continue..."
Murong Buguan, whom Wangyue Pi had personally promoted, was the most anxious of them all. Knowing that Guarjia Aduo was known for his quick thinking, Murong grabbed his clothes as if clutching a lifeline and shouted, "Forget the morale! Save Commander Bear first! Fix this now!"
Since Guarjia Aduo wasn't a warrior, he was naturally weaker than Murong Buguan and unable to resist being pulled. A malicious look flashed in his eyes as he suddenly snatched the crossbow from Murong Buguan's waist and aimed it at Xue Qiming in the distance.
"Fix this? I'll fix it once and for all!"
The bolt zipped through the crowd with a sharp whistle and reached its target in an instant. The moment Xue Qiming heard the sound, he turned toward the direction it was coming from.
Raising an eyebrow, he casually waved his hand, as if swatting away an annoying mosquito.
The bolt wobbled and lodged itself in the yellow dirt by Xue Qiming's feet.
Xue Qiming looked at Wangyue Pi with a smirk. "It seems... your subordinates don't care about your life anymore..."
"Mmph?" Wangyue Pi's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Xue Qiming. The next moment.
"Ahh!" The sharp pain shattered Wangyue Pi's pain tolerance. He could no longer suppress the pain he was in and let out a piercing scream that echoed across the battlefield. His previously uninjured arm was now grotesquely bent behind his back, with his elbow forcibly stomped into the ground by Xue Qiming.
"What are you doing!" Murong Buguan snapped out of it and pounced on Guarjia Aduo, knocking the weaker man off the horse. His fists rained down like a storm.
Unable to fight back, Guarjia Aduo could only use his arms to protect his head and face while shouting, "You don't understand! The Grand Commander didn't send me to save your general! He sent me to win this battle! He's just one man, we have two hundred thousand soldiers! If we kill him, we can still take the city! Stop! Stop this!"
The two were quickly separated by the others who helped Guarjia Aduo up. However, Murong Buguan, reluctant to let off, kicked Guarjia Aduo again. This time landing a blow squarely on his stomach, causing him to double over.
Murong Buguan spat out angrily, "So, so you're just going to leave Commander Bear for dead?!"
Clutching his stomach, Guarjia Aduo lay on the ground but retorted just as viciously, "In war, who doesn't die?! If ordinary soldiers can die, why can't Wangyue Pi?!"
"You damned swine!" Murong Buguan broke free from those holding him back and kicked Guarjia Aduo to the ground once more.
Murong was about to strike again when the voice of that Ruen Dynasty man rang out from beyond the army formation.
"Hey! Did you all hear me?"
Murong Buguan glared at Guarjia Aduo, spat harshly, and strode toward the front lines. The other generals exchanged silent glances, shot cold looks at Guarjia Aduo lying on the ground, and followed after Murong Buguan.
Xue Qiming had been shouting for a while without receiving any response and was starting to grow impatient.
He nudged Wangyue Pi on the ground with his toe and asked, "Take a look at yourself. Just how little loyalty do you command? You're in this sorry state, and no one even cares..."
Wangyue Pi's consciousness was already hazy. Hearing Xue Qiming's words, he could only let out incoherent groans.
Xue Qiming rubbed his chin in puzzlement. "Could it be that they aren't provoked enough...?" He then turned his gaze back to Wangyue Pi, pondering where he could inflict more damage.
Another sickening sound of bone breaking echoed.
"Ahh!" A fresh wave of pain jolted Wangyue Pi back to full consciousness. His body curled up, trembling violently as if electrified. This time, his left hand had been crushed under Xue Qiming's foot.
After stomping once, Xue Qiming glanced toward the army formation. "Still no reaction? Well, then, one more time." With that, he raised his foot again.
Wangyue Pi's face twitched violently as he glared at Xue Qiming, gritting out through his trembling voice, "You... Bodhi, Bodhisattva, if you're a man, give me a quick death!"
Xue Qiming's expression darkened. "I already told you my name isn't Bodhi!"
"Spare him!" A loud shout rang out from the Northern Qiang army just as Xue Qiming's foot was about to come down again.
Xue Qiming tilted his head at Wangyue Pi. "Hmm... so someone still cares about you." Then, a bright smile spread across his face as he turned toward the Northern Qiang army.
Murong Buguan and the others practically sprinted over, stopping only ten zhang away from Xue Qiming.
"Haha!" Xue Qiming clapped his hands in delight, his face brimming with enthusiasm. "I knew it, there's no way the Northern Qiang people could be so impolite. Finally, someone came."
Murong Buguan didn't even stop to catch his breath before hurriedly shouting, "Man from the Ruen Dynasty, what will it take for you to release him?!"
Murong wasn't a simple brute. He knew that Xue Qiming had yet to deliver the killing blow because he wanted something. So, he went straight to the point without delay, after all, with Wangyue Pi on the verge of dying, there was no room for idle chatter.
"What will it take?" Xue Qiming grinned, squinting as he looked at the group before him. "Not much. Just withdraw your troops!"