"Thank you for your hard work."

"Don't push forward all the way. Pick one group to attack every few small groups and make them panic. That way, you won't be so tired."

Yang Taozhi nodded, looked at Zhou Chuan, and said, "You guys over there, I'll be over here."

"Okay!" Zhou Chuan was already captivated by Yang Taozhi, and now that he knew Zhao Cheng was the son of his benefactor, he completely trusted Zhao Cheng and Yang Taozhi.

Seeing Yang Taozhi and Zhou Chuan and his sister descend the mountain, Zhao Wu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Master, I also..."

“Go ahead, I’m safe here and don’t need protection.” Zhao Cheng knew what Zhao Wu was thinking.

Nobody wants to be a guard forever. Although Zhao Cheng often scolded Zhao Wu for being brainless, he knew that Zhao Wu was actually very skilled in martial arts and usually showed envy for the guards.

Which man who enjoys wielding swords and spears wouldn't want to go into battle and kill the enemy?

Just as Zhao Wu was about to set off, Zhao Cheng instructed him, "Don't go too far."

Zhao Wu was deeply moved and nodded heavily, saying, "Don't worry, I will take good care of myself."

Zhao Cheng said, "I'm telling you not to go anywhere too far from me! Otherwise, if someone attacks, how will you come back in time to protect me? What do I care if you live or die?"

"Unrequited love."

"Pooh!"

Zhao Wu: "..."

It was past midnight.

Normally, Zhao Cheng could clearly hear the cries of wild beasts rising and falling in the camp.

But tonight, the wild beasts are all hiding, too frightened to utter a sound.

The local battle had reached its most brutal moment. After Yang Taozhi and Zhou Chuan joined the battle, the morale of the Southern Zhou army, which had just begun to recover, was dealt another blow.

If one of the "器" (equipment) formations collapses, the astute guards will seize the opportunity, causing the surrounding "器" formations to be affected.

Although Zhao Wu's destructive power was not as great as Yang Taozhi's, the effect he played was even greater than Zhou Chuan's.

Zhou Chuan simply destroyed the artifact array, then jumped up into a tree and searched for the next target with Zhou Nuo.

Zhao Wu is different.

He would often destroy a "器" (qi) formation and then kill all five members of it, only fleeing when another "器" formation attacked him. But if soldiers came to his aid, he would join them in cutting down the enemy.

While destroying the artifact array, Yang Taozhi was also searching for Yang Qingzhi's whereabouts, but Yang Qingzhi was well hidden and did not easily expose himself.

Yang Taozhi then 'casually' killed Zhu Weijiang and his deputy.

With their commander gone, the morale of the vanguard plummeted, and their formation was rapidly crumbling.

Yang Qingzhi hid behind a big tree, watching the battle situation change rapidly, but he couldn't figure out why.

Bao Sheng's lieutenant, with an arrow stuck in his left arm, ran over, panting heavily.

"Young Commander! The left and right armies have encountered obstacles on their way to join forces!"

How many people are on the other side?

"I don't know! But... our army suffered heavy casualties..."

Yang Qingzhi took a deep breath.

Before he could even process what was happening, the lieutenant said again, "General Zhu... he... he's sacrificed his life!"

"hateful!!!"

Yang Qingzhi slammed his fist on a tree trunk, glanced resentfully at the battlefield before him, and roared, "There are only a hundred Jing people? I bet there are more than five hundred!"

The lieutenant lowered his head, mustered his courage, and said, "Things have come to this point; it's time for the young commander to make a decision!"

With red eyes, Yang Qingzhi said, "What decision do you expect me to make?"

"The left and right wings are blocked! The front and rear wings have been severely damaged! We... have been defeated!"

The lieutenant cried out, "Only by cutting our losses in time can we avoid total annihilation!"

Yang Qingzhi snatched the deputy general's sword, held it to his neck, and roared, "You deserve to die!"

The lieutenant stared wide-eyed at Yang Qingzhi and said, "This humble general never intended to live!"

Ignoring the sword at his neck, he looked at Bao Sheng and said, "General Bao, take the young commander down the mountain! I'll cover the rear here. When you get back, please tell my family that I have done my duty to the country and have no regrets in dying!"

"Zuo Zhu, a fine man..." Bao Sheng solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I will certainly pass on the message!"

"General Bao, is there really no chance?"

Yang Qingzhi lowered his sword, knowing full well the answer, yet still stubbornly asking, "The Seven Generals of Yang Clan, with two thousand elite troops, how could they have come to this..."

Bao Sheng sighed and said, "The morale of the army is in chaos, and there is no way to reverse the situation."

With that, he grabbed Yang Qingzhi's hand and said sternly, "Don't let all our brothers be buried in a foreign land, let's retreat!"

Yang Qingzhi closed his eyes and finally nodded.

"withdraw!!!"

It seemed that Yang Qingzhi and Bao Sheng's retreat had caused a commotion, as Zhou Chuan and his sister, who were closest to them, were the first to spot them.

Zhou Chuan jumped down from the tree and thrust his sword forward.

Bao Sheng felt a chill run down his spine and quickly turned around to swing his broadsword.

Clang!

After a fierce clash of swords, Zhou Chuan and Bao Sheng attacked simultaneously, exchanging blows for several rounds in an instant.

Bao Sheng realized Zhou Chuan wasn't so easy to deal with, and shouted, "Zuo Zhu, take the young commander away!!!"

Without any hesitation, Zuo Zhu grabbed Yang Qingzhi and ran off.

Zhou Chuan searched for Yang Taozhi in the crowd. Although he couldn't see her, he predicted her location and shouted, "That person in front is their commander!!"

Bang!

As Bao Sheng slashed down with his sword, Zhou Chuan leaped backward, stomped on a tree trunk, and swung his sword at Bao Sheng again.

Whoosh!

Zhou Chuan's figure, which was attacking from the front, blocked Bao Sheng's view. He blocked Zhou Chuan's sword, but then saw Zhou Chuan suddenly turn to the side, and a hidden arrow shot from where Zhou Chuan had been, hitting him squarely in the abdomen.

Zhou Chuan and Zhou Nuo worked together seamlessly, making it impossible for Bao Sheng to defend against them!

The arrow was so powerful that it sent Bao Sheng flying, rolling down the mountainside.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!