Chapter 443
Chapter 443
At Zheng Tuo’s command, four thousand cavalrymen wheeled around, preparing to engage Shen Lang in battle. But just then, Shen Lang’s damnable cavalry halted once more.
*Swish, swish, swish, swish.*
Stopping their charge, they began firing arrows into the air.
“Archers, fire! We fire too!”
Zheng Tuo gave the order, but the archery skills of the Yue cavalry were considerably inferior to those of the Jiang forces. As a result, Shen Lang’s cavalry could hit Zheng Tuo’s men, while Zheng Tuo’s cavalry narrowly missed theirs. The few arrows that did reach Shen Lang’s side had lost all their momentum and packed no real power. So, even when they exchanged volleys, it was Zheng Tuo’s side that suffered heavy losses. Enraged, his cavalrymen instinctively tried to close the distance to fire more effectively. But Shen Lang’s cavalry simply retreated again. Mounted on fresh warhorses, they were brimming with energy, and Zheng Tuo’s riders couldn’t possibly catch them.
“Don’t chase! Let’s go back!”
As they tried to retreat on Zheng Tuo’s command, Shen Lang’s cavalry once again gave chase, firing wildly and raising a clamor to disrupt their withdrawal. Zheng Tuo felt like he was going to lose his mind. He had never in his life encountered such a despicable opponent. When he tried to fight, they fled; when he retreated, they pursued. They engaged in endless hit-and-run tactics, constantly harassing his forces. Zheng Tuo swore he had never hated anyone as much as he did in that moment.
After this cycle repeated three or four times, the warhorses of Zheng Tuo’s cavalry were utterly exhausted, struggling even to move. Zheng Tuo finally gave up on any counterattack. Besides, with the massive smallpox outbreak, his cavalry’s morale had completely collapsed.
“Don’t turn back to fight! Return to the fortress! Full speed ahead!”
The moment his order was given, the four thousand or so cavalrymen galloped madly toward the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s estate without a single glance back. At that, Shen Lang commanded forcefully.
“Kill them! Kill them all!”
His two thousand cavalrymen began to sprint with abandon. Their warhorses, full of stamina, galloped at full tilt, their speed astonishing. Shen Lang’s riders closed in on Zheng Tuo’s men and fired relentlessly. Big Dummy found a tree trunk, held it in his hands, and charged on foot into the midst of Zheng Tuo’s cavalry.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.*
The tree trunk swept through Zheng Tuo’s cavalry, leaving a wide path of destruction. Zheng Tuo no longer cared about his soldiers’ casualties; he focused solely on galloping away in a frenzy. The crumbling force of four thousand was ruthlessly pursued by Shen Lang’s Jiang cavalry, utterly and overwhelmingly crushed. Zheng Tuo’s cavalry suffered a catastrophic defeat, like a collapsing mountain, with countless casualties.
Only after he had fully returned to the barracks did Zheng Tuo discover that fewer than two thousand cavalrymen remained with him. More than half were either dead or had fallen behind. He felt as if he might vomit blood at any moment.
When the soldiers returned to the barracks, they found the situation had worsened. Zheng Tuo had mentally prepared himself, knowing that smallpox would break out in the army today, but he had never imagined so many would be infected. As far as the eye could see, countless faces were covered in pustules and rashes. They were all vomiting, suffering from diarrhea, and beginning to run high fevers. A chill ran down Zheng Tuo’s spine, and he hastily commanded.
“Everyone, back to the fortress!”
An army of over ten thousand formed an endless procession, returning within the walls of the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s estate. Not only had they failed to kill Shen Lang in today’s battle, but they had also lost several thousand men. Zheng Tuo’s entire army retreated into the fortress. Shen Lang’s cavalry returned to the pass they had been guarding and once again blocked the exit of the Marquis’s estate. It was as if everything had returned to how it was before, and Zheng Tuo was so consumed with rage that he nearly spat blood.
‘Shen Lang, you damn bastard!’
***
Over the next few days, the condition of Zheng Tuo’s army inside the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s estate deteriorated daily. Eventually, more than eighty or ninety percent of the soldiers had contracted smallpox, and they began to die ceaselessly. The inside of the fortress was like hell. The Marquis of Zhenyuan’s estate was a very well-maintained place, so the army physician had recently made a very optimistic prediction. With sufficient medicinal supplies and excellent sanitary conditions, he believed that half of those infected with smallpox could survive. But even that optimistic physician eventually died. The reason was that the traditional medicinal herbs within the estate were not clean. Shen Lang constantly shouted from outside the fortress walls.
“The food and water are all poisoned! It’s smallpox, smallpox!”
Hearing this, the soldiers inside dared not eat or drink. With no medicine for inflammation, not enough food to eat, and not enough water to drink, their immune systems rapidly weakened. In truth, the water would have been fine if they had boiled it, and since they were already infected with smallpox, they could have eaten the food without fear. But Zheng Tuo’s army was unaware of these facts, so the number of deaths only increased each day. Since most were infected, there was no one to move the bodies, and no one to guard the walls. Shen Lang’s army grew even more audacious, advancing right up to the fortress gates.
“Brothers inside the walls, Shen Lang is a divine healer who can cure smallpox! Shen Lang is a divine healer who can cure smallpox!”
Later, not content with just shouting slogans, they lined up dozens of large cauldrons and began to brew a so-called divine medicine.
“This is the divine medicine to cure smallpox! Any brother who wants to live, hurry and escape!”
Zheng Tuo immediately ordered the very few soldiers who had not contracted smallpox to guard the fortress gates and kill anyone who tried to escape without mercy. But how could they possibly guard the entirety of such a massive estate? Many soldiers infected with smallpox used ropes to climb down the walls at night and rushed toward Shen Lang’s barracks.
“Give me the divine medicine. I want the divine medicine!”
They each received a bowl of the truly divine medicine. After drinking it, they indeed felt relief. The itching stopped completely, and they felt as comfortable as if they had become immortals. Shen Lang shouted loudly.
“Brothers, does the divine medicine seem real?”
They all shouted back in unison.
“It’s a real divine medicine!”
What nonsense. How could there be such a thing as a divine medicine? It was just a decoction of traditional medicinal herbs. After drinking the soup, one would first feel excited, then become anesthetized, which naturally stopped the itching. The soldiers on the fortress walls were utterly electrified when they saw this scene.
‘There really is a divine medicine! It can cure smallpox.’
In the face of survival, the soldiers’ loyalty vanished like smoke. Zheng Tuo’s men inside the fortress used every means possible to escape. At first, they used ropes to descend from the walls, but later they tried to rush straight for the gates. The personal troops under Zheng Tuo’s command refused to yield their position at the gates, and soon, infighting broke out among the soldiers. The conflict grew increasingly severe, eventually escalating to the point where they were fighting and killing each other. The situation devolved into complete, uncontrollable chaos.
Zheng Tuo watched the scene from the highest point of the fortress walls. He could no longer control this army at all. At first, the fighting was between those trying to leave and those loyal to him, but later, it became a massive free-for-all where it was unclear who was friend or foe, or which side anyone was on. The soldiers, consumed by the fear of death, killed anyone they saw, turning the magnificent and beautiful fortress into a veritable hell on earth.
***
“It’s all for nothing!”
A bone-deep chill spread through Zheng Tuo as he watched the entire scene, tears streaming endlessly down his face.
“I have so many regrets…”
Zheng Tuo was truly filled with regret. If he hadn’t been selfish before, if he had immediately led his twenty thousand troops out of White Night Pass to support Zhang Chong, he would have become a true hero by now. But in this world, who is without selfish desires?
Zheng Tuo spoke in a desolate voice.
“How I resent this! Shen Lang, you thief, I will tear you to pieces! Long’er, if I go to the capital now and beg the king for forgiveness, will he spare me?”
Zheng Long shook his head.
“Impossible. His Majesty is a petty and harsh man. He would never forgive you, Father.”
Zheng Tuo asked in a trembling voice.
“Then, in this vast world, is there no place for us to go? Where should we go?”
“We should go to the State of Chu! They are desperate for talent, and Chu will grant you a title, Father. Even if you don’t command troops, you will still be able to enjoy a life of wealth and splendor.”
Zheng Tuo said in a trembling voice.
“Yes, let’s go to Chu!”
“Father, we must leave at once. If we dress in the clothes of common soldiers and climb down the wall, Shen Lang won’t notice us!”
“Good. Let’s go now!”
Zheng Tuo and his son changed into the clothes of common soldiers and climbed down the rear wall of the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s estate. Fearing discovery, they didn’t dare to walk but crept down bit by bit along a fissure in the cliff face. Both were highly skilled in martial arts, so they were able to scale down the cliff in such a manner. A quarter of an hour later, the two landed on the ground.
“We’re finally safe.”
“Let’s go, to Chu!”
Zheng Tuo cast a look of deep reluctance at the chaotic Marquis of Zhenyuan’s estate. He had possessed this magnificent fortress for half a month and had come so close to replacing Su Nan, becoming a great noble and warlord with his own fiefdom and private army. And from that foundation, he had intended to rise and gain true power.
“Shen Lang, just you wait. From this day forward, you and I are mortal enemies! Shen Lang, one day I will tear you to pieces!”
After speaking, Zheng Tuo was about to sprint westward when he suddenly felt a gut-wrenching pain in his stomach and collapsed to the ground. A moment later, a black shadow appeared before him. It was Princess Ning Jue. Zheng Long knelt and said in a trembling voice.
“Your Highness, I was following His Majesty’s secret decree to atone for my crimes through meritorious service.”
Zheng Tuo stared at his son in disbelief and asked in a hoarse voice.
“You… you poisoned me?”
Zheng Long replied in a trembling voice.
“Father. I’m sorry. I had no choice. The king gave me a secret order. It is said that loyalty and filial piety cannot coexist. I had no choice but to choose the greater good and forsake my own kin.”
A moment later, Shen Lang appeared beside Princess Ning Jue. Zheng Long looked at Shen Lang, still kneeling, and said.
“Young Master Shen, didn’t you say my sister, Zheng Hongxian, is at the Count of Xuanwu’s estate? From now on, we will be family. I choose the greater good over my own kin, to atone for my crimes with meritorious service!”
Shen Lang stepped forward and lightly patted Zheng Long’s shoulder.
“Well done, well done!”
Zheng Tuo stared at his son in utter disbelief, then let out a wretched howl.
“You bastard… *Ptooey!*”
And he violently spat out a mouthful of crimson blood.