Chapter 00277: Present Hatred, Present Revenge
# Present Hatred, Present Revenge
Chapter 277
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 277: Present Hatred, Present Revenge
At that moment, Tao Ze feigned a thrust with his spear and pulled the reins to flee.
He Lingchuan raised his wrist and shot out a sleeve arrow.
Tao Ze heard the sound of wind rushing behind his head and quickly turned, raising his spear to knock it away.
However, he was soon met with a glint of cold light – the Floating Life Blade was spinning through the air.
Tao Ze ducked his head and barely managed to avoid it.
Just as He Lingchuan released the sleeve arrow, he hurled the knife.
One of them was bound to hit.
Indeed, the treasured blade abruptly reversed in mid-air, circling back from the most tricky angle.
Tao Ze’s face changed in shock; he could no longer evade it.
He forced himself to bend down and inhale, but only felt a sharp pain in his abdomen – the Floating Life Blade swept across his belly, leaving a deep gash!
Fortunately, his protective armor had absorbed some of the impact.
His organs were damaged, and his intestines were about to spill out.
Tao Ze cried out in agony.
In the meantime, He Lingchuan had dashed to the side of the Rising Dragon Spear, yanked it free from the tree trunk, and turned back to stab at Tao Ze.
At that moment, Tao Ze was so distraught with pain that he barely managed to block the blade of Shan Youjun's long knife; he had no strength left to defend himself.
He Lingchuan lunged forward, driving the spear straight into Tao Ze's gaping mouth.
The sharp tip of the spear pierced through the back of his head.
Without hesitation, He Lingchuan speared the corpse onto the tip of his lance and, riding forward, shouted, “Anyone who stands in my way shall die!”
In less than two exchanges, the leader had been slain.
The soldiers of Xunzhou were nearly terrified out of their wits and dared not block the road any longer.
They threw themselves to the side of the path, fearing that any delay would lead to them ending up as spirits beneath the lance.
Shan Youjun acted swiftly, seizing the fallen red tiger spear and following closely behind He Lingchuan.
After running out over ten zhang, He Lingchuan finally let the spear tip fall, causing Tao Ze’s corpse to thud to the ground.
When the soldiers of Xunzhou rushed to retrieve their leader's body, all they saw was the trail of dust kicked up by the two riders disappearing into the distance.
Only a few breaths later, the main force of the Xunzhou cavalry returned.
The series of shrill whistles earlier had indicated the situation was dire, so Hong Chengluo personally backtracked as well.
Upon seeing Tao Ze's corpse and the brutality of that spear thrust, he fell silent, before finally asking what had transpired.
Tao Ze's subordinates hurriedly reported the incident.
“There were spies trailing behind us, and one of them even managed to injure General Bai Li?” Hong Chengluo furrowed his brows.
"According to intelligence sent over from Xinhuang, this individual is He Chunhua's son."
This meant that He Chunhua had sent his own son to Bailu Town to gather military intelligence?
Xunzhou’s general Xu Yingshan had a deep bond of brotherhood with Tao Ze, and he immediately reddened his eyes to plead, “General Hong, lend me twenty men, and I will make sure to turn that boy’s bones into dust!”
“He's riding a hybrid beast; you won't catch up,” Hong Chengluo stated calmly. “What was our mission? Do you remember?”
Xu Yingshan opened his mouth to argue but was pulled back by Wu Qing beside him, swallowing his words.
“I remember.” Their task was to assassinate behind enemy lines and intercept supplies.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Hong Chengluo tilted his head slightly. “Time is of the essence.”
The Xunzhou cavalry collectively headed east, advancing swiftly.
Half an hour later, the cavalry supporting the rear galloped forward to report that there were no enemies following behind anymore.
Had those two lowered their flags and ceased their pursuit?
Hong Chengluo’s expression grew even graver, and he ordered the cavalry to quicken their pace again.
It was his overconfidence that allowed these two spies from Xiazhou to escape.
The second ambush was originally a clever move, but now it seemed uncertain.
He was unsure if they could still catch up at this moment.
…
He Lingchuan and Shan Youjun rode several hundred zhang, seeing that no enemy was in pursuit behind them before they halted.
“Their urgency is evident; they aren’t even chasing us anymore.” He Lingchuan looked at the trembling arrow embedded in Shan Youjun’s back. “Let me pull out the arrow for you.”
“Thank you, Boss.”
He Lingchuan used his knife to sever the arrow shaft and then helped to remove Shan Youjun’s outer armor.
The action aggravated the wound, causing Shan Youjun to grimace in pain.
He Lingchuan then poured a bit of white powder into his hand and gave it to him. “Take this.”
This was Shituo Powder, which could be used externally or internally.
It generally had a mild blood-stopping effect, but after Shan Youjun swallowed it for a few moments, the pain in his shoulder subsided.
He Lingchuan pressed lightly around the wound first to stem the flow of qi before he took out a small knife to dig out the arrowhead.
Observing his deft movements, Shan Youjun felt a sense of admiration.
In the past, he had seen the efficiency of Li family's private soldiers, understanding that the old man Li was quite a character, yet his descendants seemed increasingly incompetent.
They had read many books and learned many lessons, yet they still failed to achieve anything.
In contrast, He Lingchuan’s eldest son was brave while the youngest was clever, each having their strengths - it made sense that their family could rise to power.
Earlier, when the ambush had struck, the medicinal monkey had scampered into its master’s arms, and now it emerged from the water pouch, pouring water for Shan Youjun to cleanse his wound before bandaging it.
With this healing master at his side, He Lingchuan was able to focus on keeping watch of their surroundings.
The sky had darkened, and evening winds began to stir, causing the grass to rustle, as if hidden enemies lurked everywhere.
He Lingchuan plucked a few fresh tender leaves and wiped the bloodied spear tip vigorously.
As for the Floating Life Blade, it only required the blade to be pointed downwards; soon, it would shine as good as new.
He Lingchuan, who was rarely so taciturn, appeared very calm, yet Shan Youjun sensed an undercurrent of restraint and fury beneath that calm surface.
“Boss," he spoke in a hoarse voice, “You have avenged Maotao on the spot.” It was indeed rare to settle scores and grievances so promptly.
Most enmities formed on the battlefield would never have the chance to be avenged over a lifetime.
He Lingchuan furrowed his brows tightly and nodded.
The archer who shot Maotao and the commander who led the ambush were now dead at his hands.
But the anger and sorrow in his heart scarcely diminished.
Maotao had followed him since the time of the Panlong Illusion, and though it was not a long period, he had proven to be loyal as could be.
After this battle, no one would ever address him cheerfully as “Eldest Young Master” again.
The monkey swiftly tended to Shan Youjun's wounds, and the latter cautiously put on his armor again, asking He Lingchuan, “Do we continue the pursuit?”
“Continue.” He Lingchuan had already regained his cool. “Our mission is not yet complete.”
The two turned their horses around and once more rode toward the Xunzhou cavalry.
Approaching the site of the earlier battle, both men heightened their guard, fearing the same fate might befall them again.
Here, although signs of the confrontation remained and blood still stained the ground and grass, no corpses could be found.
There were traces of dragging on the ground.
He Lingchuan followed the tracks, discovering not far off a cave where the corpses were all piled up inside.
The entrance had been doused with pungent medicine to keep scavengers at bay.
“They didn’t even have time to bury their own,” Shan Youjun murmured. “They must have been in a rush.”
“They might return, but not now,” He Lingchuan mounted his blue horse again. “Let’s go.”
With night having fallen, it would not be easy to find the movements of the frontline troops in the mountains and forests.
Fortunately, He Lingchuan had been a demon-hunting patrol for a long time and had learned numerous tracking skills.
Even without Maotao, he could still follow, albeit at a slower pace.
Half an hour later, he sensed something was amiss.
From the traces, the Xunzhou soldiers had turned a corner.
They were heading east.
What was going on?
Could it be a feigned retreat? However, Shan Youjun had also inspected the area nearby and had not sensed anything unusual.
East?
Why east?
The two exchanged glances; even Shan Youjun, who had been a cavalryman for years, looked puzzled.
Finally, he said, “Could it be that they plan to launch a surprise attack on Xinhuang Town?”
“But…” The issue was that Bai Li Qing, Dong Rui, and many injured soldiers were housed here.
Would Hong Chengluo really abandon them?
As He Lingchuan contemplated this, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and blurted, “You’re right!”
This Hong fellow had such ruthless thoughts!
When it came to the will to win and the means to achieve it, he was indeed on par with He Chunhua.
But the problem was that he had already sent Jiao Tai to report back to Xinhuang.
Knowing He Chunhua as he did, it would be strange for him to refrain from sending troops to exterminate the enemy!
He had no idea where He Chunhua’s army had reached by now.
“Let’s not follow them!” He decisively stated, “Return to the main road; it would be best to intercept my father’s army!”
As they followed the Xunzhou soldiers heading east, He Chunhua was commanding his troops to march west.
This was a divergence for both parties; however, Hong Chengluo had chosen a longer route, and they would not cross paths.
What He Lingchuan needed to do now was to take shortcuts and pass on this crucial information to He Chunhua!
They urged their horses onward with all haste, speeding away.
Traveling through the unfamiliar mountains and forests at night was no easy feat; even local villagers often got lost.
At this moment, He Lingchuan was thankful for his increasingly powerful divine sense, which allowed him to remember the scenery they passed.
Otherwise, they might take a few wrong turns and miss the military matters at hand.
About half an hour later, they finally emerged from the mountains, racing along the official road.
Speed in warfare was paramount; the Xiazhou army would certainly choose the fastest and best paths.
He Lingchuan’s judgments were correct.
An hour later, the sound of thundering hooves echoed from the opposite valley, and as they got closer, clouds of dust swirled as a large force approached.
Leading the pack was He Chunhua, accompanied by Jiao Tai as the guide.
As both sides caught sight of one another, He Chunhua’s face shifted from joy to worry upon seeing his son: “Why are you here, Chuan? What happened?”
Shan Youjun thought, this truly is a family connection.
“Hong Chengluo set a trap in the mine to lure us here; he himself has taken the remaining Xunzhou cavalry to Xinhuang.”
This shocking revelation stunned all of the generals, and He Chunhua’s brows nearly knit into a tight knot. “Are you certain?”
“They took a detour, and the last traces show they headed east in a hurry, even leaving behind their dead unburied.”
“An east feint to strike west; I see now.” He Chunhua, being a clever man, quickly understood the implications.
Xinhuang’s defenses were thin, most of the elite had been led away by him, but the supplies remained in camp!
If Hong Chengluo executed a surprise attack from beneath, then his mission to transport supplies north would be a complete and utter failure!
Thinking of this, cold sweat broke out on his back.
However, under the gaze of so many eyes, he needed to maintain his composure!
He Chunhua bit his tongue forcefully, using the pain and taste of blood to stabilize his mind.
He suddenly asked about the information regarding the mine.
Upon learning that only the elderly, sick, and less than a hundred defenders remained, he decisively ordered Zeng Feixiong to split off a contingent of four hundred men: “Take the mine and capture Bai Li Qing, no matter the cost!”
Zeng Feixiong accepted his orders and was about to turn around when He Lingchuan took off the ring from his hand and handed it to him: “I’ll lend this to you for now. Inside are a few jars of potent gunpowder; I recall you know how to handle it.”
“I do.” Zeng Feixiong accepted the ring, confusion written all over his face. “What’s this for?”
(End of Chapter)