114

"You scoundrel, yield your life!"

Zhang Xun let out a thunderous roar. His war blade had already reached the rear of Zhang San’s horse. Aiming precisely at his back, Zhang Xun brought the blade down in a clean strike. Ignoring the blade Zhang San carried on his back, Zhang Xun’s weapon pierced straight through, erupting from the front of Zhang San’s chest—the strike had run him through completely.

With a fluid motion, Zhang Xun snatched Zhang San’s blade from his hand.

With a heavy thud, the corpse of Zhang San tumbled from his horse, his face still frozen in a grimace of the malicious smile he had worn moments ago, confident that the three of them could work together to slay Zhang Xun.

"Hah!"

A wave of shock rippled through the ranks. The combined force of over ten thousand soldiers from both armies stood frozen, unable to believe their eyes. Even Lei Bu, Chen Lan, and Qin Huai were deeply astonished. They had not expected Zhang Xun’s movements to be so swift, nor that his control over his steed had been refined to such a degree—it was truly a masterful maneuver!

The warhorse had been forced to turn its body mid-stride, turning the center of the engagement into a total counter-ambush!

"Victory to the General! Victory to Jiangting! Magnificent! The General is truly a heavenly warrior!" The soldiers of the Jiangting army, witnessing Zhang Xun dispatch one of his three attackers in an instant, broke into a unified cheer. This was far more exhilarating than watching him fight Lei Bu alone. Many realized for the first time just how formidable their commander’s martial arts truly were.

Chen Lan felt a jolt of alarm, his heart filled with a mixture of complicated emotions.

"Is this Zhang Xun really so powerful?"

As for Lei Bu and Li Si, they had been pursuing Zhang Xun, but when Zhang Xun spun his horse around, he had left his back exposed to them. They hadn't reacted at first, but using the moment Zhang San blocked the strike, the two had lunged—one with a broad axe, the other with a long sword—both weapons slashing toward Zhang Xun’s back, intending to cut him down.

"Zhang Xun..." Li Miao watched from atop the city walls, his heart tightening. He feared that if Zhang Xun were killed on the field, Jiangting would be finished, and his own life would be forfeit.

But Zhang Xun remained unperturbed. Seeing the maneuver, he whispered to himself, "Well struck!"

Then, Zhang Xun stood up, leaping directly from his own mount toward the horse Zhang San had been riding. He swung Zhang San’s blade with lightning speed, casting it backward.

The weapons of Lei Bu and Li Si failed to touch Zhang Xun in the slightest. After his leap, Zhang Xun landed firmly in the saddle of Zhang San’s horse.

Zhang Xun’s original horse staggered, foaming at the mouth, before collapsing to the ground with a crash, blood flowing from its nose and mouth. Zhang Xun had literally crushed his own horse to death with the strength of his grip.

Lei Bu, seeing the danger, deflected the blade Zhang Xun had thrown back. As the metal clashed, a notch appeared on Lei Bu’s sword, and the blade he had deflected was snapped in two by the force. Lei Bu hastily reined in his horse.

Li Si lacked Lei Bu’s speed. Seeing the incoming blade, he scrambled to dodge, fearing it would strike him, but his horse was still charging forward. Just as his mount stumbled over the fallen carcass of Zhang Xun’s horse, Li Si gripped the reins, barely managing to steady himself.

Terrified by the stumble, Li Si sat frozen, his sword in hand, momentarily at a loss.

Zhang Xun was fighting to establish his authority and boost morale; he would never grant them a moment to breathe. No sooner had Li Si stabilized himself than Zhang Xun charged forward. At the very moment Li Si was dazed, Zhang Xun leaped, soaring through the air in front of Li Si’s horse and sweeping his blade in a cold arc toward Li Si’s neck.

After the flash of cold light, Zhang Xun landed firmly on his feet. He cast a disdainful glance at Lei Bu, his eyes flashing with intensity, before sheathing his blade and mounting his horse. He turned back to face Lei Bu.

Lei Bu looked at Zhang Xun, finding him utterly terrifying. As he contemplated this, Zhang Xun charged toward him once more.

Li Si remained seated on his horse, motionless and bewildered. Just then, the ground beneath Zhang Xun’s horse shook with great force. Perhaps out of fear or sheer agitation, Li Si’s horse took a single step forward.

With the vibration of the hooves, Li Si’s head tumbled to the ground, and his body slumped backward.

An instant kill! Another instant kill!

"Oh!" A gasp of astonishment rose simultaneously from both armies. Three against one, and in the blink of an eye, two were dead. It was clear that if Zhang Xun and Lei Bu fought one-on-one, Lei Bu would be no match!

A wave of panic spread through the Tianzhu Mountain bandit army. They could not believe it. General Lei Bu was the strongest fighter in Tianzhu Mountain—there was no one else. Chen Lan might be their leader, but in terms of sheer martial prowess, he was a cut below Lei Bu. Seeing Zhang Xun’s skill, they realized there was simply no one who could withstand him!

***

"This!? This is too powerful!"

Whether commanders or foot soldiers, the ranks of Chen Lan’s army wore expressions of bitterness. Zhang Xun had not spoken many words upon entering the field, unlike others who shouted threats, but his near-silent intensity felt more like a wild beast to them—or something even more ferocious.

"That was a warhorse, and he killed it just by squeezing it!" They did not realize Zhang Xun had used his legs to crush the horse; they assumed he had simply struck the horse’s neck while turning.

"Is he even human?"

"Generals Zhang San and Li Si were so prestigious and skilled, yet he killed them in the blink of an eye. This Zhang Xun is too terrifying!"

The soldiers of Chen Lan’s army whispered among themselves. If they were forced to fight now, a large portion would likely be waiting for the chance to flee.

Morale had a massive impact on the battlefield. Zhang Xun’s near-silent execution of two men instilled a sense of primal fear in the soldiers toward both Zhang Xun and his Jiangting army. Once this fear was brought onto the battlefield, it would inevitably result in casualties ten or even dozens of times higher.

Chen Lan’s brow furrowed deeply. He knew he had lost this gamble today. A full-scale engagement was no longer viable; if he lost his second-in-command as well, the price would be too high. Thinking this, Chen Lan rode forward to cover Lei Bu’s retreat and ordered the gongs to sound for a withdrawal.

"Awoo!"

The Jiangting soldiers roared as they watched Chen Lan’s bandits flee in disarray.

"The General is truly a heavenly warrior!"

Under Zhang Xun’s leadership, two thousand troops, led by Zhang Xun and Qin Huai, pursued the fleeing enemy for several miles. Chen Lan and Lei Bu abandoned many horses and pieces of armor, all of which were confiscated by Zhang Xun. Fearing for the safety of Jiangting, he quickly returned to the city.

On the city walls, Li Miao’s heart had been racing. Seeing Zhang Xun unharmed, having slain two enemy commanders and even wounding Lei Bu, he was filled with immense joy. He rushed down from the walls, took Zhang Xun’s hand, and led him into the city.

The rewards and praises bestowed upon Zhang Xun went without saying.

In Chen Lan’s camp, his face was ashen.

He had never been in favor of attacking Jiangting, but now that the arrow was on the string, it had to be fired. He hadn't expected Jiangting to be such a tough nut to crack. The city was small and the walls were crumbling, but with Zhang Xun blocking the way, they couldn't even make a move. To retreat in disgrace would be too humiliating.

Chen Lan struggled to find a countermeasure. If Zhang Xun wasn't eliminated, Jiangting would be impossible to take.

"Big Brother, what shall we do?"

Chen Lan looked at the generals in his tent, his brows locked. Zhang Xun’s instant kills today had shocked everyone, including Chen Lan himself. That level of presence was simply incomparable.

But with no great warriors under his command, Chen Lan was helpless. After a moment of thought, he devised a plan.

"Tomorrow, we must use a relay strategy to exhaust Zhang Xun’s stamina. Otherwise, our forces will never be able to finish off the Jiangting army, let alone capture the city!"

"A relay strategy?!" The generals exchanged glances. The plan seemed sound. No matter how many moves he could hold out for, they would wear him down until he died!

The generals accepted the order with determination.

The next day, the drums beat three times, and the armies lined up once more. This time, Li Miao had descended from the walls to stand with Zhang Xun. Seeing Zhang Xun’s desperate efforts for Jiangting the day before had set his blood boiling. If a lord could not live and die with his subordinates, how could he expect them to risk their lives for the city?

In Li Miao’s mind, to protect Jiangting and his own life, he would be a fool not to boost morale while ensuring his own safety.

Standing before the main formation, Li Miao felt the arrogant, bloodthirsty atmosphere and shouted, "You scoundrels, who dares come to meet their death!"

Zhang Xun accepted the order, bowed to Li Miao from his horse, gripped his blade, and galloped to the center of the field, hair fluttering in the wind.

Chen Lan’s group shamelessly employed their relay strategy. Lei Bu, having been defeated the day before, was the first to charge out and engage Zhang Xun. They fought in a stalemate for less than forty rounds before Lei Bu began to struggle. Remembering his leader’s plan, Lei Bu knew that today was only about tiring Zhang Xun out. He didn't dare fight to the death; as soon as he felt himself faltering, he turned his horse to retreat.

After forty-odd rounds, Lei Bu felt he could no longer hold on. Seeing Zhang Xun’s blade descend, Lei Bu thrust his sword upward to parry. Immediately following, he used all his strength to sweep, slash, and retreat, each move flowing into the next without a gap.

Finally, Lei Bu delivered a fierce thrust, forcing Zhang Xun back half a step. He then yanked the reins, and his horse carved an arc as he fled like the wind.

Zhang Xun watched Lei Bu retreat and chased for two steps, but he could not catch him and had to watch him return to his own side.

Lei Bu galloped back to the front of the formation and hurriedly said to Chen Lan, "Big Brother, I can’t keep fighting him!"

"Good! Rest for a moment."

Chen Lan was prepared. As soon as Lei Bu returned, Chen Lan gave a final instruction, whipped his horse, and charged directly at Zhang Xun!

"Let me meet you myself!"

Chen Lan roared as his horse galloped toward Zhang Xun like a moving fortress.

As the two riders clashed, Chen Lan swung his blade in wide arcs, ignoring technique and simply hacking away as if it were a wooden club. It was unexpected that Chen Lan, who looked so refined, was so brutal at heart.

Zhang Xun saw the intent and did not hesitate, thrusting his blade upward to meet Chen Lan’s edge. With a loud "Boom," the two horses retreated two steps each. The shockwave from the hooves kicked up a cloud of dust that filled the air, obscuring the field in a hazy mist.

Chen Lan’s horse was fast and agile. Through the haze, he yanked the reins, tracked Zhang Xun’s silhouette, and swung his blade. Seeing the attack, Zhang Xun did not panic. Though he couldn't see Chen Lan clearly, the sound of hooves gave them both a sense of direction. Zhang Xun pressed his blade downward, pinning Chen Lan’s weapon, and while Chen Lan was momentarily stunned, he swung his right hand, bringing his blade down toward Chen Lan’s face.

Chen Lan swerved his horse, narrowly dodging the lethal strike, then withdrew his blade and countered with a strike toward Zhang Xun’s armpit.

Seeing the danger, Zhang Xun switched his strike from a chop to a sweep, catching the tip of Chen Lan’s blade. With a clang, Zhang Xun pushed off his shoulder, forcing Chen Lan’s blade aside, and with both hands, brought his weapon down on Chen Lan’s head with a roar.

This time, Chen Lan was stunned. Zhang Xun’s move was common and simple, but it felt different from anyone else’s—it was the sheer force behind it. Having traded blows for several rounds, Chen Lan had gauged Zhang Xun’s strength; it was truly heavy as a thousand pounds. He knew that if he couldn't block this fatal blow, he would be cut down in a bloody mess.

Chen Lan’s eyes widened as he held his blade horizontally and maneuvered his body outward. As expected, his blade was forced aside by Zhang Xun’s raw power, but because Chen Lan had acted first, Zhang Xun only managed to graze his left shoulder—it did not affect him at all.

Chen Lan seized the moment, gripping his blade with one hand and parrying upward. "Clang!" Another deafening sound echoed as the two horses were pushed back by the shock of the blades meeting.

Chen Lan and Zhang Xun separated instantly. The first few rounds were an even match; only Chen Lan’s left shoulder had suffered a shallow cut, which had no impact on his performance.

Though it had only been a few rounds, both armies were stunned. The speed of the fight was dazzling, making it impossible to tell who had the upper hand!

The Jiangting and Tianzhu Mountain soldiers stared, enthralled by the prowess of their commanders.

Zhang Xun and Chen Lan locked eyes, spurred their horses again, and fought as one. After fifty more rounds, the two grew more intense, neither showing any sign of retreat.

Just then, Zhang Xun leaped from his horse, his blade grazing Chen Lan’s abdomen and leaving a tear in his armor. Had it not been for the armor, Zhang Xun would have gutted him right there!

Chen Lan was horrified. Zhang Xun’s style was usually straightforward, yet he possessed such cunning techniques. Chen Lan didn't know that since Li Shu’s death, Zhang Xun had endured countless unequal wars; using devious moves was simply a way to increase his odds of survival. These moves were unpredictable and treacherous, difficult to fathom, yet capable of inflicting real damage.

And this was exactly what Li Miao and Zhang Xun needed—to survive, they had to injure the enemy, and annihilate them!

Chen Lan pulled his horse back, staring at the tear in his armor with narrowed eyes. Zhang Xun landed firmly, pressed his palm against his horse’s back, and leaped back into the saddle, leaving Chen Lan no chance to recover.

Watching from the side, Lei Bu saw that his brother’s armor had been shredded after less than fifty rounds. Fearing that if Chen Lan continued to fight so intensely, he would suffer a devastating blow, he hurriedly ordered the gongs to sound. He called another general over and whispered, "Go and replace him. Don't try to kill or injure Zhang Xun—you can't beat him! Just ensure he doesn't get a moment to rest. Remember to be careful."