novelSusiti Chapter 89 Amidst the Chaos, Jian Yuan Achieves Merit
Chapter 89 Amidst the Chaos, Jian Yuan Achieves Merit
Just as Tian Heng was commanding the Zhaowu Guard, Huangfu Gong's elite troops, and Wanyan's forces to complete the encirclement of Helan Cangfeng's central army camp and were about to launch the final general attack, a chaotic moment occurred.
The core area of the camp was a scene of devastation, with firelight turning half the sky dark red and thick smoke billowing, obscuring the view.
The deafening shouts of battle, the clashing of weapons, the dying cries, and the crackling of burning wood mingled together, creating a brutal symphony of war.
The various Dongyi troops completely lost unified command. Some knelt down and begged for surrender, while others scattered and fled like headless flies. A small group of die-hards stubbornly resisted by relying on the dilapidated tents and supply wagons. The entire camp's structure had collapsed, plunging into utter disorder and chaos.
Beneath the cover of this apocalyptic clamor, in a secluded camp behind the commander's tent, originally used to store spare arrows and damaged military equipment, several figures were moving swiftly and furtively.
A moment later, a middle-aged man appeared, wearing a rough sheepskin coat stained with oil and ash, which he had apparently taken from somewhere. His face was smeared with cigarette ash and mud, and his hair was disheveled, obscuring most of his face.
With his head down, shoulders hunched, and steps slightly unsteady, he mingled into a small group of wounded soldiers who were supporting each other and crying out for their parents as they fled towards the rear of the camp.
The team's target was a section of wooden fence in the distance that had collapsed due to bombardment by catapults and the spread of fire.
This man is none other than Helan Cangfeng, the Marshal of the Eastern Barbarians!
Seeing that his personal guard's circular formation was on the verge of collapse and that reinforcements from all directions were out of reach, he ruthlessly abandoned the last loyal and brave men who were still fighting to the death for him, taking only two of his most trusted confidants with him, and ordering them to quickly find the clothing of the lowest-ranking auxiliary soldiers.
They attempted to take advantage of this extreme chaos to escape undetected and disguise themselves.
At this moment, all he felt was the fear of death and the desire to escape. His dignity as a marshal and the honor of his family had long been forgotten.
However, the wheel of fortune often turns gently in the most unexpected places.
Just then, a group of Great Xia Imperial Guards soldiers, their eyes bloodshot and as if they had been pulled from a pool of blood, led by a young squad leader, stormed into this relatively remote area filled with routed soldiers, like a pack of wolves that had smelled blood.
They weren't carrying out any specific tactical mission; they were purely motivated by revenge!
The squad leader in charge was none other than Li Jianyuan, who was heartbroken and indignant after losing his mentor and friend Wang Zhong in the bloody battle at the left ferry crossing!
At this moment, Li Jianyuan was like a mad tiger. His old wounds had burst open, and several new wounds had been added. Blood kept seeping out from the simple bandages, staining the originally black Imperial Guard armor dark brown. Many of the armor plates were broken and curled up.
But he seemed to feel no pain. He wielded a fine iron spear, which he had seized from the fallen Dongyi cavalry, with great force and deadly skill. His moves were ruthless and deadly, seemingly without any strategy, yet filled with a murderous intent to perish together with his opponent.
The unwilling look in Wang Zhong's eyes when he fell, and his barely audible "Hold on...hold on...", burned his heart day and night like a red-hot iron.
The burning flame of revenge in his chest nearly extinguished his reason, leaving only a bloodshot look in his eyes. He would thrust his spear at any figure dressed in Dongyi clothing, holding a weapon, or even if they were just not fast enough.
"Avenge Brother Wang! Kill! Slaughter all these barbaric dogs!"
A beast-like growl erupted from Li Jianyuan's hoarse throat as he stabbed a wounded Dongyi soldier, dragging his injured leg, who was still trying to raise his scimitar to resist, right through him.
His bloodshot eyes swept over the messy tents, burning piles of debris, and panicked figures fleeing in terror, searching for his next target.
Coincidentally.
The group of routed and wounded soldiers, including Helan Cangfeng, who were trying to escape through the gap in the fence, stumbled and ran right into the revenge squad led by Li Jianyuan!
"There are more over there! Stop them! Don't let any of them escape!"
Li Jianyuan acted almost without thinking, driven entirely by instinct. He raised his blood-stained spear, roared, and led seven or eight of his equally bloodthirsty brothers in a fierce charge.
Their principles are simple yet brutal:
Those who drop their weapons and kneel down to beg for mercy may escape temporarily, but those who remain gathered together, trying to escape or resist, are enemies who must be eliminated in their eyes.
The routed soldiers were already in shock, and when they saw another group of fierce-looking Xia soldiers charging in, they were so frightened that they were scared out of their wits. With a shout, they scattered and fled like sparrows whose nests had been disturbed, wishing they had two more legs.
Only the middle-aged auxiliary soldier, wearing a dirty fur coat and keeping his head down in an attempt to minimize his presence, was terrified. Having always been pampered, he had never fled in such a disheveled state; his steps were unsteady and frantic.
He was suddenly bumped by a wounded soldier fleeing in panic, and then tripped over a body whose condition was unclear—whether it was dead or alive.
With a "plop," he fell flat on his face, looking utterly pathetic.
The tattered leather hat that he used to cover his face had rolled off to one side, revealing skin that, although stained with dirt, was noticeably fairer and more delicate than that of ordinary soldiers, as well as neatly trimmed sideburns that contrasted sharply with his disheveled hair.
Li Jianyuan had already passed this man and was about to chase after another deserter when he noticed out of the corner of his eye that something rolled out of the man's arms when he fell!
Even amidst the firelight and smoke, the object still reflected an alluring golden light. Its shape was that of a lifelike tiger, poised to pounce, and the exquisite and intricate carving was something that no ordinary centurion or chiliarch could possess!
"Huh?" Li Jianyuan suddenly stopped in his tracks, a doubt arising in his mind.
Although he was just a junior squad leader, he was, after all, from the Imperial Guard and had seen some of the world.
He vaguely remembered seeing his own General Qin Lin's command seal from afar, which seemed to be of the same solemn form and gleaming gold.
The madness brought on by hatred subsided slightly, and a hunter's vigilance instantly took over.
He strode back, his spear gleaming as he pointed its sharp tip at the trembling figure on the ground, and shouted sternly, "Raise your head!"
The auxiliary soldier trembled violently, not daring to raise his head, but instead burying his face in the blood-stained mud, his hands shaking as he instinctively reached for the gold seal that had rolled to the side.
"court death!"
A seasoned veteran beside Li Jianyuan reacted swiftly, firmly stepping on the golden seal with one foot. At the same time, the back of his ring-pommel sword whistled as he slammed it hard into the auxiliary soldier's shoulder blade!
"Ouch!" A cry of pain escaped her lips, though the sound was distorted by the pain.
Yet it still couldn't hide his pampered upbringing and somewhat weak voice, which was completely different from the screams of ordinary, rough soldiers.
Li Jianyuan's suspicions deepened. Without further hesitation, he stepped forward, flicked the tip of his spear, and with a slightly rough but precise movement, pushed aside the other man's disheveled hair that was covering his face, forcing him to tilt his head back.
In the flickering firelight, it was a face covered in soot, mud, and fear.
His facial features were distorted by extreme panic, but the faint outline of his eyebrows and eyes revealed a sense of alienation from someone who had long been in a superior position, making him seem out of place in his surroundings.
Looking at his dirty fur coat, although it was worn out on the outside, the corner of the fabric peeking out from the lining was made of fine brocade, something that ordinary auxiliary soldiers could not afford.
An absurd yet incredibly powerful thought struck Li Jianyuan's mind like lightning!
"You...you are Helan Cangfeng?!" Li Jianyuan gasped, his voice trembling slightly with shock.
He had never seen this Eastern Barbarian Marshal up close, but the man's demeanor, his unusually panicked reaction, and especially that extraordinary golden seal...
All clues pointed sharply to the enemy chieftain who was high above and commanded an army of 300,000 to invade the south!