Chapter 709
Chapter 709
Yingqi swiftly mounted his horse. Behind him were ten thousand cavalrymen, all that remained of his personal warriors. He had spent immense wealth and effort to cultivate these elite cavalry. At his side was Nan Pu, the Reaper of War, a remnant of the Jiang Li bloodline. Nan Pu had been an adopted son of the Zhong Clan, but his ferocity was so great that he was sent to study under Grandmaster Nando. Even there, he remained exceedingly savage, leading Grandmaster Nando to expel him from the sect. If there was one invincible warrior in the State of Yue who most resembled Big Dummy, it would be Nan Pu.
Right now, Nan Pu was like a beast starved for days, desperate for slaughter. But the King of Chu also had such battlefield monsters by his side: Duo Da and Duo Er, the two giants who had once fought Big Dummy for thousands of rounds in a battle on the border. At that time, the three of them had strayed dozens of miles from the battlefield in their fight, and Big Dummy had even been at a disadvantage in the beginning. These two were also remnants of Jiang Li, possessing a special bloodline.
For this war, the King of Chu had mobilized all his forces, leaving only thirty thousand troops by his side and sending seventy thousand of his original hundred-thousand-strong central army to attack Jinxi Fortress. Yingqi had originally intended to create a heroic scene of ten thousand charging into the King of Chu’s hundred thousand, but the plan had changed, and now it was ten thousand charging into thirty thousand. However, Yingqi was not a prince raised by scholars like Ying Yi; he was a warrior. At a time like this, he had to take decisive action—kill the King of Chu, save Jinxi Fortress, and achieve a peerless victory.
"Soldiers, we ride to save Jinxi Fortress and kill the King of Chu!"
With Yingqi leading the charge, they galloped toward the King of Chu's central army. A fierce battle was raging on the field, with the King of Chu's two hundred thousand troops assaulting the fortress, leaving only thirty thousand by his side. Yingqi's ten thousand men charged madly toward the thirty thousand. From a high platform, the King of Chu looked down at Yingqi's cavalry from afar.
'Yingqi, you are quite brave, charging my thirty thousand with a mere ten thousand.'
"Form ranks and protect His Majesty!"
Hearing this, the King of Chu grew furious.
"Why protect me?"
The King of Chu ripped off his royal robes, revealing the armor he wore underneath.
"Do I need your protection?"
the King of Chu roared, drawing his treasured sword with a flourish.
"Go! Go and destroy that upstart Yingqi's cavalry!"
The grand marshal of Chu's Imperial Guard shouted loudly.
"Your Majesty's safety is paramount."
The King of Chu said coldly.
"If you will not go, then I will!"
True to his word, the King of Chu began to descend the platform, intending to lead the army against Yingqi himself. The grand marshal of Chu's Imperial Guard, greatly flustered, said.
"This general will go!"
Soon, the grand marshal of Chu's Imperial Guard mounted his warhorse and led over ten thousand cavalry to charge at Yingqi. Though thousands of meters apart, the killing intent from both armies pierced the heavens.
"Charge, charge!"
After another quarter of an hour, Yingqi's ten thousand cavalry clashed violently with the ten thousand cavalry of Chu. A great slaughter unfolded, the roars of battle deafening. Yingqi swung his battle saber, madly cutting down enemy soldiers. The two forces of heavily armored cavalry collided in an unprecedentedly brutal battle, the blood they shed seeming to reach the sky as countless soldiers fell in unison. In that instant of impact, warhorses suffered broken bones, and their riders were thrown off, only to be trampled into pulp. In terms of pure combat strength, the two cavalry forces were evenly matched; soldiers' lives vanished in an instant, like snow melting under a scorching sun.
As the battle began, Nan Pu, the remnant of Jiang Li, could finally kill his enemies to his heart's content. He unleashed his terrifying combat prowess without restraint. He was like a reaper on the battlefield; no one in Chu could withstand a single blow from him. Even the sturdiest warhorse could not bear his weight, so he fought on foot. He stood over two meters tall, wielding a solid wolf-fang mace that was more than two meters long and weighed four to five hundred pounds. He swung it down, again and again. Whether it was a Chu cavalryman or a warhorse, anything struck by his mace was sent flying. His enemies died instantly or were turned to pulp, without even a chance to let out a wretched scream.
Furthermore, while it was widely known that Yingqi's martial arts were formidable, no one knew just how powerful he truly was. As the esteemed third prince, he naturally had few opportunities to go to battle. Now, on this crucial battlefield, Yingqi unleashed his full combat potential. In terms of personal martial skill, he was not inferior to Gao Douhuan; he was even greater. Just as no one could withstand a single blow from Nan Pu, the same was true for Yingqi.
These two men were like sharp blades at the forefront of the cavalry formation, shattering even the toughest enemies. Although the Chu cavalry had greater numbers, they unexpectedly found themselves at a growing disadvantage. But the battle could not continue in this tangled mess. At this rate, even if they won, Yingqi's cavalry would be nearly wiped out, and the King of Chu would still be protected by nearly twenty thousand troops.
"Nan Pu, cover me!"
Yingqi shouted as he broke away from the clashing cavalry forces. The invincible warrior Nan Pu followed close behind, clearing away every enemy in sight for Yingqi even as he charged. Yingqi, the third prince of Yue, rode alone, charging toward the King of Chu. Countless Chu warriors tried to block his path, but all were slain by Yingqi and Nan Pu. As Yingqi drew closer and closer to the King of Chu, the king could not help but be astonished.
'It seems I underestimated the third prince of Yue. I thought he only possessed brilliant political skills, but to think his martial arts are so profound and his courage so great? Ning Yuanxian is truly blessed. It would be fine for either Ning Zheng or Yingqi to inherit the throne.'
"Don't even think of harming my lord."
The grand marshal of Chu's Imperial Guard charged toward Yingqi. He too was a supreme master of Chu, renowned throughout the world. The third prince, Yingqi, gathered all his internal energy but did not slow his horse, instead riding faster and faster.
"Die."
Yingqi's greatsword thrust toward the grand marshal of Chu's Imperial Guard, and the grand marshal also spurred his horse on madly. The two supreme masters were about to collide fiercely.
*Thwack!*
After a loud noise, both of their warhorses died instantly. The grand marshal of Chu's Imperial Guard was sent flying, spitting blood in mid-air. His body split in two the moment it hit the ground. Yingqi was also thrown from his warhorse, coughing up a mouthful of blood, but he managed to land on his feet. A duel between supreme masters is decided in a single move, and in this exchange, Yingqi was the victor. At that moment, he was about three hundred meters away from the King of Chu.
"Protect His Majesty!"
The ten thousand or so troops under the King of Chu formed a disciplined and seamless formation. Atop the platform, the King of Chu laughed heartily, raising his treasured sword high and shouting.
"Yingqi, you want to kill me? Come on, then, come!"
Yingqi turned and picked up a majestic bow from the ground. This was not part of his plan. The distance was too great, roughly four hundred paces. Even a powerful bow with a one-and-a-half-dan draw weight could not shoot that far. But he had no other choice.
"Give me an arrow!"
But where was the arrow? Unfortunately, in the fierce clash just now, as he delivered that tremendous blow to the grand marshal of Chu, all the special arrows he carried on his back had been lost.
"I will find an arrow."
Nan Pu shouted before turning back toward the battlefield to search for a fallen arrow. The Chu army was constantly charging at them, and nearly a thousand soldiers were targeting Yingqi. With his battle saber in hand, Yingqi madly slaughtered the enemy soldiers. Still, no opponent could withstand a single move from him. In the blink of an eye, a pile of Chu soldiers' corpses surrounded him. His combat prowess was truly extraordinary.
"I have an arrow."
Nan Pu shouted, returning with an arrow in his hand, and rejoined Yingqi a moment later. The third prince, Yingqi, said.
"Cover me!"
Nan Pu swung his giant wolf-fang mace, madly slaughtering the enemy and creating a five-meter-diameter circle around Yingqi that no one could enter. Yingqi took a deep breath, preparing to stage the performance of shooting the King of Chu dead with his bow. The Mount Fudao spy who had infiltrated the King of Chu's side must have already made all the preparations. For this performance to succeed, it would be difficult, but there could be no flaws. The arrow Yingqi shot had to explode above the King of Chu's head, and then the King of Chu had to die instantly. Only then could he create a miracle that would shake the world and achieve a peerless victory.
* * *
Beside the King of Chu, Grand Eunuch An Liang had completed all his preparations. He was a eunuch brought in by Consort An and a death spy from Mount Fudao—a spy given false information to be executed by the enemy—so he had to follow Mount Fudao's orders. When Yingqi's arrow exploded above the King of Chu's head, he would instantly detonate the special poison gas pellet in his hand. When the pellet burst, it would release a liquid with a dark fragrance, covering an area of three meters in all directions with its scent. It would be soundless and traceless, leaving only a special aroma. Then, the Gu worms inside the King of Chu's body would awaken, and he would die instantly. This bizarre attack method from Mount Fudao could not be stopped, even if there was a grandmaster-level expert by the King of Chu's side. The only thing required for this plan was to seize the right moment. Only then could Yingqi create the miracle of shooting the King of Chu dead from four hundred paces.
"I am ready."
Grand Eunuch An Liang, the spy from Mount Fudao, appeared perfectly calm, but he secretly clutched the poison gas pellet, ready to detonate it at any moment. But just then, a figure came rushing from a distance like a shot arrow.
"Royal Father, it is Chu Ren. It is Chu Ren! Royal Mother has sent a secret letter. It is extremely urgent news!"
Hearing this, the King of Chu gestured, and the army granted passage. The King of Chu's seventh prince, Chu Ren, leaped onto the platform. His heart was collapsing. Why hadn't they waited for him? Shen Lang had clearly told him to produce the first secret letter if the battle had not started, and the second if it had. Chu Ren truly wanted to take out the first letter, but he didn't dare. His life was already beginning to fester; if he disobeyed Shen Lang's command, he would face a gruesome death.
"A secret letter from Royal Mother!"
Chu Ren rushed up, knelt, and presented the secret letter. When the King of Chu opened it, an intoxicating fragrance wafted out, so strong it was dizzying. He recognized the familiar scent as the perfume used only by the queen. And as soon as the King of Chu read the contents of the letter, he was stunned.
'Consort An colluded with Yingqi to plot against me? And the grand eunuch by my side, An Liang, is the mastermind behind it?'
The King of Chu could not believe the contents of the letter, but he was an extremely suspicious man and would not take any risks.