Chapter 413
Chapter 413
Shen Lang’s descent from the mountain with his ten-thousand-strong army was both remarkably smooth and incredibly arduous. It was smooth because Shen Lang, ever prepared, had fashioned skis from the broken wood of the Great Calamity Temple. With the paths blocked by snow, digging a way through in a short time by manpower alone was impossible, so he decided they would descend on skis. However, as none of them had ever skied before, they kept colliding and tumbling, resulting in injuries. Moreover, the snow from avalanches had piled up into a lumpy, uneven mess, making the descent a struggle.
Three days later, the entire ten-thousand-strong army had successfully descended the mountain. Without a moment's delay, each man leading two horses, they galloped relentlessly toward White Night County City. They flew the banners of the State of Qiang and were accompanied by several of its high-ranking generals, so they encountered no obstacles on their way. On the contrary, as they marched, they inexplicably received considerable amounts of gold, provisions, and fodder from unknown benefactors.
* * *
After a long moment, Su Jian, the commander of the Su Clan’s allied forces, finally came to his senses and bellowed.
“All troops, assemble and form ranks! Turn and face the enemy!”
But the Su Clan’s allied army of over ten thousand was already in the throes of a frenzied assault on the city. To ask them to assemble, form ranks, and face the enemy in such a short time—was that even possible? Furthermore, they were on a wide-open plain where horses could run free, with nothing that could serve as a defensive line. What good would it do to assemble and form ranks there? Could they possibly stop a cavalry charge? It was the nonsensical babbling of a fool.
“Kill them! Kill them!”
“Hoo-ah! Hoo-ah! Hoo-ah!”
Shen Lang and the ten thousand cavalry under Aruna’na were practically frenzied, especially the warriors of the State of Qiang. Charging and trampling enemy infantry was the act they loved most, the one that brought them the greatest joy. In endless lines, the ten thousand cavalrymen rode down and trampled the enemy. They didn't even need to swing their swords; they just charged, and charged again. Riding with scimitars held at an angle, they cut down enemy soldiers in droves, like harvesting ripe grain. It was a one-sided slaughter.
Even if the Su Clan’s allied forces were elite soldiers, the vast majority were infantry, leaving them helpless to the massacre. The Su Clan did have cavalry. Su Jian commanded two thousand, and Sanyan'ya had several thousand mounted bandits. However, to intimidate Zheng Tuo, they had sent half of their cavalry to the northern battlefield at Xueliang City. Thus, only a thousand or so cavalrymen remained on the battlefield of White Night County City.
Those thousand cavalrymen were scattered across the battlefield, serving as the mobile force for the entire army. As a result, they couldn't assemble in time to counter the Qiang army's surprise attack and were forced to fight in disarray.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
As ten thousand cavalrymen galloped, the ground shook violently. A thick cloud of dust rose over the battlefield, as if a sandstorm had descended. The Qiang soldiers relentlessly trampled the enemy, and the casualties among the Su Clan’s allied forces were innumerable.
* * *
Inside White Night County City, the defenders initially fell into despair upon seeing the tide of cavalry surging toward them, for they flew the banners of the State of Qiang. But when the Qiang cavalry charged madly toward the Su Clan’s allied forces, the defenders erupted in ecstatic joy. And when Shen Lang’s face came into view, they were practically leaping for joy. Shen Lang was so handsome that everyone recognized him with a single glance.
“It’s Lord Shen!”
“Reinforcements! Reinforcements are here!”
“Reinforcements are here, we’re saved! It’s Shen Lang, Lord Shen Lang has come!”
“Long live Lord Zhang Chong!”
“Long live Lord Zhang Chong!”
Huh? Shen Lang was clearly the one who had led the great army to rescue them, yet everyone was shouting, “Long live Lord Zhang Chong.” In this world, the cry of “Long live” was reserved solely for the Great Yan Empire. You people really shouldn't be shouting that for just anyone.
In any case, the morale of the defenders of White Night County soared to the heavens.
“Kill them! Kill all of those beasts from the Su Clan!”
Presently, the defenders on the city walls fought with a renewed passion, as if their health bars had been instantly refilled and they had been resurrected.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
The defenders fired their bows like madmen. They had long since exhausted their own supply of arrows; the ones they now fired were those they had collected after the Su Clan’s forces had shot at the city. When they ran out of arrows, they furiously hurled stones and wooden beams from dismantled houses at the enemy.
Grand Princess Yingjue was desperately pressing down on the wound on Zhang Chong’s neck, trying every means to apply medicine and stop the bleeding. Even someone as composed as her felt a feverish heat course through her body. The thunder of galloping horses and the war cries of the clashing armies outside sounded like beautiful, celestial music. For the past half-month, the number of soldiers lost each day had been staggering, and they had endured agonizing days in the depths of despair.
Every day had felt like an eternity in hell, and they had been sinking deeper into the mire, as if they had reached the eighteenth and final level of hell. It felt as if they could climb no higher, would never see the light again, and were on the verge of annihilation. But unexpectedly, they had ascended straight from hell to heaven. With no intermediate stage, they went from endless despair straight to a victory heralded by heavenly choirs.
*That piece of human trash, Shen Lang, he actually did it! With just a few hundred men, he annihilated the King of Qiang’s army of tens of thousands, and even returned with tens of thousands in reinforcements. This piece of trash is truly remarkable. No wonder Zhang Chong trusted him so much.*
Overcome with joy, Yingjue spoke, tears streaming down her face.
“Lord Zhang, Lord Zhang, we are going to win. You must open your eyes and see this.”
* * *
Battles can sometimes drag on for years, unfolding at a glacial pace. But at other times, they can end in a flash. Now, for instance, a mere couple of hours had passed, yet the battle for White Night County City was already drawing to a close. When cavalry launched a high-speed assault from the rear, infantry stood no chance of resisting, much less when caught in a pincer attack from both front and back.
The first among the Su Clan’s allied forces to break were the several thousand mercenaries from the Western Regions. Attacked by the cavalry, they fled like mad. They were followed by the monk soldiers of the Great Calamity Temple, and then Sanyan'ya’s band of mounted bandits. Finally, even the Su Clan’s own private soldiers completely collapsed. In an instant, the battlefield descended into chaos, and countless soldiers were soon fleeing in every direction.
Just as Su Jian had been unable to catch all the fleeing looters and rioters a short while ago, Shen Lang’s cavalry now couldn't catch all the routed soldiers fleeing in a mad panic. But they didn't need to. They only had to surround Su Jian. When the entire front collapsed, about two thousand soldiers of the central army desperately fled, protecting Su Jian. However, most of this central army consisted not of cavalry but of heavily armored infantry, leaving Su Jian to flee with only a few hundred light cavalrymen.
Of course, escape was impossible. Shen Lang had already sent Big Dummy, Wu Lie, Ying Yang, and a thousand cavalry to block his escape route. And just as expected, Su Jian and Su Jianyan were already tightly encircled, with fewer than five hundred Su Clan soldiers left to protect them. But Su Jianyan had a hostage. He shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Shen Lang, stay back! Come any closer, and I’ll kill Zhang Chong’s son and grandson! Let me go! If you don’t, I’ll kill them!”
Su Jianyan, the adopted son of Marquis Su Nan, looked like a madman as he brandished his sword wildly around the neck of five-year-old Zhang Jun. Shen Lang said urgently.
“Su Jianyan, calm down. I’ll let you go. I will let you go.”
Startled, Su Jianyan asked.
“Really?”
“You are just one general. In exchange, release Lord Zhang Chong’s son and grandson.”
Su Jianyan shouted again.
“No, no! What if you don’t keep your promise? Let us go first!”
“Su Jian cannot leave. I can only let you go. The choice is yours!”
Su Jianyan pressed his sharp sword to Zhang Jun’s neck and yelled furiously.
“Everyone, clear a path! Tell Sword King Li Qianqiu to stay at least a few hundred meters away! Otherwise, I’ll kill Zhang Chong’s grandson this instant!”
Shen Lang nodded, and Sword King Li Qianqiu quickly retreated three or four hundred meters. Shen Lang said to him.
“Isn’t Lord Zhang Chong’s grandson enough of a hostage for you? Zhang Xun is an adult; he’ll only weigh you down. Let him go.”
Su Jianyan said in a furious voice.
“That’s not happening! Clear the path immediately, or I’ll really kill this brat!”
As Su Jianyan moved frantically, his blade sliced into Zhang Jun’s skin, drawing a line of bright red blood. But the five-year-old boy made no sound, his eyes wide as he stared intently at his unconscious father. Shen Lang spoke to Su Jianyan again.
“If you don’t release Zhang Xun, I won’t let you go. Think carefully.”
Su Jianyan gritted his teeth and tossed the unconscious Zhang Xun aside. In truth, one hostage was enough. Zhang Jun was only five, light enough not to burden a warhorse. Several warriors moved forward to retrieve Zhang Xun and protect him.
“Let me go.”
Su Jianyan’s dagger aimed for the artery in Zhang Jun’s neck.
Shen Lang gestured for the surrounding soldiers to fall back, creating an opening. Tucking Zhang Jun under his arm, Su Jianyan quickly broke through the encirclement, not sparing a thought for Su Jian. *As long as I survive, that's all that matters.* As he broke through, he spotted a woman standing beside Shen Lang. It was Su Xiao.
“Jianyan, save me, save me!”
The peerlessly beautiful widow of the Su Clan was Su Jianyan’s lover, three years his senior. This woman had lived as a widow in the Su Clan since the age of nineteen. She was his first woman, the one who had awakened him to such relationships. Though Su Jianyan later took a wife and had a son, his wife paled in comparison to Su Xiao; she was the woman he loved most. When Su Nan sent Su Xiao as a gift to King Arot'ai of Qiang, Su Jianyan had wept tears of blood in his heart but could not defy Su Nan’s command.
Spotting her, Su Jianyan shouted.
“Shen Lang, release Su Xiao!”
Shen Lang was taken aback.
“If you don’t release Su Xiao, I’ll cut off one of this little brat’s arms!”
Shen Lang grimaced and gestured for her to be released. The peerlessly beautiful widow of the Su Clan was immediately freed. She glanced back at Shen Lang in disbelief. Su Jianyan called to her.
“Sister Su Xiao, this way! Come here!”
Su Xiao mounted a horse, spurred it hard, and broke through the encirclement to join Su Jianyan. He gazed at her with ardent eyes and said.
“I will never let you leave my side again, sister.”
Then, Su Jianyan and Su Xiao rode off, fleeing in the direction of the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s estate. As expected, Shen Lang sent no one in pursuit. Only after his horse was on the verge of collapse did Su Jianyan gradually slow his pace. He glanced back and saw that no one was following.