Chapter 34: The First Victory
“Report! General, the Cao army is approaching, only a mile away from our main force.”
In front of the Jingzhou army, a swift horse galloped to Deng Xian’s side to deliver the news.
“They’ve finally arrived.”
Deng Xian sat astride his steed, gripping a long halberd. Behind him, five thousand soldiers stood in dozens of square formations, banners fluttering, warhorses neighing in the wind, swords and spears clashing against armor with a metallic clang.
“General, the Northern Pacification General orders us to retreat immediately after engaging the enemy. We must not linger in battle.”
A deputy general rode over and spoke.
“I understand!” Deng Xian nodded and turned to a young, valiant officer beside him. “Wen Chang, your spear skills are impressive. Soon, you’ll have the chance to test yourself against Cao Xin. If you defeat him, I’ll recommend you as a divisional commander.”
“Yes, General!” The young officer gripped his spear and replied loudly.
“The Cao army is coming! The Cao army is coming!” someone shouted.
Deng Xian craned his neck, gazing toward the distant hills. Red-and-yellow banners appeared atop the ridge, followed by squadrons of cavalry on tall horses, and ranks of foot soldiers clad in red armor, sweeping over the hill like a tide.
The two armies drew closer. Deng Xian could see Cao Xin in the central command—a nightmare figure whose mere presence made Deng Xian’s chest ache with dread.
Swish, swish.
Archers from both sides released arrows, which landed at the front lines of the opposing formations, marking the boundary between the armies.
Deng Xian nudged his horse forward, preparing to shout an order. Suddenly, a burly man rushed out from the Cao army camp, holding a cone-shaped tube. Deng Xian suspected it was a new secret weapon and quickly pulled his horse back.
“Jingzhou soldiers, listen up!” Niu Jin shouted through his loudspeaker.
Boom! The voice echoed thunderously through the valley, shaking the eardrums of every Jingzhou soldier.
“Jingzhou soldiers, listen! Are you animals? Why did you burn others’ wheat fields, destroy their homes, and steal their food and money? We’re all neighbors living by the Yu and Dan rivers, raised by the same waters. Why do you follow Deng’s orders and bully your own kin? That Deng comes from a wealthy Jingzhou family, never starved, ignorant of the hardships of farming, and indifferent to the suffering of peasants. He squanders grain and oppresses farmers, but are you rich men’s sons? No, you’re all sons of peasants—barefoot, destined to hardship! How can you help a heartless noble oppress your own relatives and parents? Do you have any conscience?!”
“Silence!!”
At first, Deng Xian found the speech amusing, but as it went on, it became intolerable. Furious, he raised his halberd, about to order an attack, but the deputy general quickly restrained him.
“General, we mustn’t initiate a charge. If we attack first, we’ll be forced into a bitter fight and won’t be able to feign defeat and retreat.”
Deng Xian gripped his spear tightly and commanded the messenger to send archers to shoot the loudmouth.
Swish, swish, swish.
A volley of arrows flew; Niu Jin nimbly retreated, and several Langya infantry rushed forward, shields raised to form a makeshift fort.
Niu Jin continued shouting into the loudspeaker, “Brothers across, are there any from Nanyang? The Governor of Nanyang, General Cao, is here. He was in Wancheng capturing bandits, reclaiming land, building irrigation and mountain roads, striving to bring prosperity to Nanyang—ensuring everyone has food, fields, and homes. But he heard of your burning, killing, and looting, and was heartbroken. He set aside his work to personally lead troops to Jinyang to quell the rebellion. The Governor says Nanyang people are one family; Nanyang does not fight Nanyang. Knowing you followed the traitor’s orders, he forgives all past wrongs. If, in battle, you lay down your arms and shout ‘Nanyang does not fight Nanyang,’ you will be spared, and the Governor will pardon your crimes…”
“Silence! Attack!!” Deng Xian could no longer bear it. He charged forward, halberd raised, followed by the entire army as his deputies waved their command flags.
The Jingzhou soldiers, still buzzing moments before, were thrown into confusion at the order to charge. Unprepared, they rushed forward, swept along by the crowd.
“Hahaha~” On the Cao side, Cao Xin raised his iron spear and laughed heartily. The others joined in laughter; after years of warfare, this was the first time encountering such a scene.
How novel!
“Brothers, follow me!”
Cao Xin spurred his black horse and led the charge. Two hundred Langya cavalry moved almost in unison, thundering ahead.
Cao Chun led the light cavalry on the flanks, ready to outflank the enemy.
In the center, a thousand Langya infantry surged forward, weapons raised, roaring. On foot, they ran faster than horses, like a pack of wolves.
Cao Chun grinned and whipped his horse, unwilling to fall behind.
Swish, swish, swish.
Jingzhou’s archers fired, but the arrows bounced off Langya cavalry’s iron armor with a clatter.
“Kill!”
Cao Xin, spear in hand, led the charge. Soon, he saw Deng Xian’s furious face. Deng Xian spotted him too, turned pale, recalled past horrors, and immediately wheeled his horse to retreat, shouting orders as he fled.
“Traitor Deng Xian, don’t run!!”
Cao Xin shouted, about to pursue, when two burly officers rushed from the side—New Ye’s second and third-ranked warriors. One wielded a broadsword, the other a bronze staff, both attacking him together.
“Excellent!”
“Overlord Sheds Armor!”
---
Cao Xin roared, swinging his nine-and-a-half-foot iron spear. With one blow, he sent the deputy general’s broadsword flying and knocked him from his horse.
The officer wielding the bronze staff swung it at Cao Xin’s head. If struck, Cao Xin would be doomed.
But in a flash, he blocked the staff with his spear, half a foot from his head.
Clang!
The bronze staff struck the iron spear, sparks flying, making Cao Xin squint.
Before the officer could withdraw his staff, Cao Xin swung the spear at him with force.
The officer responded quickly, parrying with a horizontal move.
Thunk—the iron spear struck the bronze staff, and with a crack, the man’s arms buckled. He cried out and tumbled from his horse, clearly his arms broken by the blow.
Cao Xin finished him off and turned to pursue Deng Xian. But amid the chaos, he noticed Liao Hua locked in a fierce fight with a Jingzhou officer, seemingly at a disadvantage.
Cao Xin was surprised. Among the seven Langya generals, Liao Hua was the youngest and least skilled, yet still a second-rate warrior. How could he be evenly matched with a Jingzhou officer?
Cao Xin knocked aside several Jingzhou cavalry commanders and rushed to Liao Hua’s side.
“You there, young officer! What’s your name?!”
“I am Wei Yan of Yiyang, greetings to Governor Cao!”
The young man shouted.
“Wei Yan? Haha, not bad. Yiyang is under my command. Will you surrender?”
Cao Xin asked, intrigued.
Wei Yan hesitated—who offers surrender terms in battle?
Bang!
As he faltered, Liao Hua seized the chance, delivering a not-so-polished “Phoenix Greeting” that knocked Wei Yan from his horse.
“Haha, Yuan Jian, you got lucky,” Cao Xin teased.
Liao Hua blushed, embarrassed. “General, I’ll train harder when we return.”
“Haha. Wei Yan, I’ll go fight now. Stay here—we’ll talk later.”
Cao Xin spurred his horse, iron spear in hand, charging ahead. To his frustration, Langya cavalry advanced too quickly, penetrating the Jingzhou central camp in less than the time for a cup of tea.
Even faster were the Langya infantry, slaughtering like wolves among the foot soldiers. Everywhere they passed, formations broke into chaos. Many Jingzhou soldiers retreated in terror.
“Kill!”
The fierce Wang Shuang raised his broadsword and hacked away.
“I’m from Nanyang!” Near death, a soldier threw down his weapon, fell to the ground, and shouted, “Nanyang does not fight Nanyang!”
Wang Shuang paused—is this still a fight?
“I’m from Nanyang too!”
“Nanyang does not fight Nanyang!”
Soon, all nearby soldiers dropped their weapons, fell to the ground, and shouted.
“Nanyang does not fight Nanyang!”
Hundreds, then thousands joined in, their cries echoing across the hills.
The Cao soldiers were stunned.
Is this still a fight?
Earlier, Niu Jin had said with his loudspeaker that anyone shouting those words would be spared. It was the idea of the general and the chief secretary—should they take it seriously?
“The general commands: Nanyang does not fight Nanyang! Surrender and you shall not die!” Liao Hua shouted.
“The general commands: Nanyang does not fight Nanyang! Surrender and you shall not die!!” The two hundred Langya cavalry cried out.
“The general commands: Nanyang does not fight Nanyang! Surrender and you shall not die!!!” Three thousand Cao soldiers roared.
Clanging, more Jingzhou soldiers dropped their weapons in batches.
Whether Nanyang natives or not, thousands lay on the ground, shouting “Nanyang does not fight Nanyang,” their voices shaking the sky.
Three thousand Cao soldiers stood on the battlefield, laughing at the surrendered soldiers. They hadn’t expected to win so quickly, nor that Niu Jin’s loudspeaker would be so effective. What they thought was a joke turned out to reveal their general’s true prowess.
“Nanyang does not fight Nanyang!”
---
In the distant valley, Deng Xian, leading a dozen cavalry, fled at breakneck speed. Hearing the shouts from the hillside behind, he gripped the reins so tightly his hands bled, his teeth grinding audibly.
He had planned to feign defeat, but he had truly lost, and so miserably—only fourteen survivors out of five thousand.
How could he face his elder brother Deng Ji, the tens of thousands of Jingzhou troops, and the people of Jingzhou?
Suddenly, he stopped his horse, drew his sword, and held it to his throat, ready to end his life.
“General, don’t!” His men quickly grabbed his arm, took the sword away. If he died, who would take responsibility?
“Let me go! I brought disaster to the army, how can I live with myself?!”
Deng Xian struggled.
“General, don’t blame yourself. The defeat was because of the Nanyang men—they defected and surrendered to Governor Cao Xin. We were caught off guard; the fault is not ours!”
An officer argued.
“But…”
“General, the Cao troops are closing in!” someone shouted.
“Quick, escape!” Deng Xian and his men pushed their horses onward.
Clatter, clatter.
“General, wait for me! General, wait for me!” Suddenly, voices called from behind.
“Hold on, something’s happening!” Deng Xian and his men stopped on the hill and looked back. Following them up the mountain path was a group of Jingzhou soldiers—over three thousand, wearing only underclothes, no armor, no weapons, no horses.
To their astonishment, these were all Deng Xian’s own men, including many familiar squad captains and officers—Wei Yan of Yiyang among them.
“How have you returned?” Deng Xian called out in confusion.
“General, Governor Cao of Nanyang ordered our release. He said Nanyang does not fight Nanyang—he didn’t want to kill us and had no extra provisions for prisoners. He let us go, told us to return home and farm, not to fight anymore.”
Wei Yan shouted from below.
“General, be cautious—it could be a trick!”
“Yes, General, they’ve surrendered to Cao Xin, lost their loyalty, maybe they’re here for merit.”
“There could be Cao spies among them.”
The officers warned.
Deng Xian’s head spun. “Wei Wen Chang, Cao Xin is known for selling captives. Why did he let you go?”
“General, Cao Xin said we’re Nanyang men who became soldiers, our families must be poor. He released us to help with the wheat harvest. General, we’re not lying.”
Wei Yan called out.
“General, Wei Yan speaks the truth. We’re not deceiving you,” several Jingzhou officers echoed.
Deng Xian and his men, unsure, ordered Wei Yan and the three thousand surrendered troops to stay at a distance behind them.
The scene was strangely fascinating.
Cao Xin, leaning on his spear, stood atop the hill, smiling as he watched.
[Battle ended]
[With 3,000 troops defeated 5,000 enemies, captured 3,000, losses less than one-tenth. Rating: Excellent. Gained 1 free attribute point.]
[Cao Xin]
[Constitution: 100] (Top-tier warrior) (Super recovery)
[Strength: 90] (First-class warrior)
[Agility: 84] (Second-class warrior)
[Intelligence: 69] (Third-class strategist)
[Resistance: 65] (Against poison, cold, heat, corrosion, aging...)
[Remaining free attribute points: 1]