Chapter 1414: Seizing the Bridge, Blowing Up the Waterway (Part 5) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Damn, that guy surnamed Chu isn't dead yet!

As the enemy general's spear nearly grazed his face, Su Shiyilu took in the enemy's resentful expression and thoughtfully added narration. This wasn't just the enemy general's sentiment, but also his: "Three against one, and we still got turned around by that guy surnamed Chu. Living is pathetic, dying is pointless!"

Beneath the mask, his old face was flushed, filled with anger and rage.

Based on Su Shiyilu's understanding of Chu Jie, he would likely face considerable disdain from the latter after the battle. Chu Jie fought three for one, all of them formidable strength, while he himself was fighting two. The two engaged in combat simultaneously, yet Chu Jie finished his fight first, taking three heads in one go. Su Shiyilu, on the other hand, made no progress whatsoever, being forced to jump around by the enemy's long spears and broadswords. What else could this be but incompetence?

Turning back, Chu Jie wouldn't need to say anything; a single meaningful glance or two would be enough to deliver maximum sarcasm. For the next few years, he wouldn't be able to stand tall in Chu Jie's presence. Just imagining that scene made Su Shiyilu wake up in the middle of the night, furious!

Neither of the two enemy generals had anticipated this situation.

A sense of fear suddenly arose in my heart.

Not all brave warriors take pride in dying on the battlefield.

Given that many countries cannot reliably provide a large amount of military fortune, the cultivation speed of joining the military is not much faster than living in seclusion. Many generals who fight for their country are either born in that country, attracted by wealth and glory, or want to repay the emperor's great favor... the reasons are varied. Once their power is destroyed, some seek profit and change their allegiance, while others choose to live in seclusion in the city. The latter may have been exposed to many storms in their youth, become disillusioned, or focus on martial arts and longevity.

Therefore, when the two watched helplessly as Chu Jie killed three people, they felt a pang of regret, regretting that they shouldn't have been swayed by the Central Branch's words. Now, they were truly in a predicament.

When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave one will prevail.

When military generals clash, it all comes down to morale.

A little bit of timidity is enough to break the balance on both sides of the scale.

Chu Jie's face was ashen, and the sight of blood flowing from his seven orifices only added to his wretched state. Blood gushed from his gums, and he pressed his tongue against his cheek, spitting out several mouthfuls of bloody foam to barely suppress the nausea. His left arm was reduced to a shredded fragment, the muscle torn and exposed, blood gushing out. Several conspicuous, small, blood-red snakes snaked down his five fingers, pooling on the ground.

The medical team was already on high alert.

No sooner had Kang Shi rescued Chu Jie using the "Transplantation" technique than the medical team rushed over with their medical kits. With lightning speed, she used more than a dozen semi-transparent needles to seal the bleeding acupoints. The wounds, which had been stretched open, began to shrink at a visible rate. Even the martial gall bladder, which had been stretched open with fine cracks, gradually began to show new vitality. It was as if a warm current was flowing from the meridians back to the dantian, and the complexion improved considerably.

"Fortunately, I had a prisoner on hand just now."

Kang Shi withdrew his hand from Chu Jie's shoulder. He had exchanged the unfortunate prisoner for Chu Jie. There was another prisoner who was tied up and left at his feet, obviously prepared for Su Shiyilu.

Despite Su Shiyilu's disloyalty towards Kangguo and his lingering rebellious intentions, if this old man were to die on the battlefield so easily, Kangguo would face a salary reduction and demotion upon his return. The reason is simple: Su Shiyilu's life contributes to the stability of the Wuzhou region. If he dies, Kangguo will struggle to find a suitable replacement in the short term, and a newcomer might not be as as sensible and understanding as this old man.

Both morally and logically, Kang Shi should have been punished.

For the sake of his future, he naturally had to make thorough preparations.

Chu Jie clasped his hands in a fist salute, following the direction of the faint sound.

He said in a hoarse voice, "Thank you so much, strategist, for saving my life!"

"No need to thank me. That's too polite."

Kang Shi is also under immense pressure.

With Su Shiyilu dead, Kang Shi had to deal with the mess in Wuzhou, and demotion and salary reduction were the norm. If Chu Jie died, he would fare even worse. Not to mention Chu Jie's old subordinates, Chu Jie's childhood friend surnamed Chu would be the first to turn against him.

These two precious babies, neither of them can afford to get hurt.

As his wildly beating heart gradually returned to normal, Chu Jie finally felt a sense of relief, as if he had escaped death. He blinked rapidly, adjusting to the near-total darkness. The medical team noticed his movement and asked softly, "Is the General unable to see?"

The whites of his eyes were stained with murky blood, which looked horrifying.

Chu Jie tilted his head towards the source of the sound and said, "I can't see it for now."

Not only his eyesight, but also his hearing, smell and taste were almost completely lost.

The medical team raised their hands and placed their fingertips on his eyelids. As the cool sensation seeped into his veins, the burning pain in his eyes eased slightly: "The situation isn't good. Right now, I'm afraid..."

Chu Jie's skill had already reached the level of limb regeneration. As long as the interval wasn't too long, theoretically he wouldn't be disabled. However, the eyeball was different from the limbs and organs, and there was a considerable probability of failure. Just as he was about to say that everything was fine, the medical team's muffled voices reached his ears.

The latter's voice seemed to carry a hint of excitement.

"...But it doesn't matter, we can get the general a new pair."

As long as you have enough prisoners, you can always find a suitable pair of eyes.

The larger the severed limb, the more important its location, and the more complex its structure, the longer the surgery will take, and the new limb will need considerable time to adapt. The medical professionals at the Imperial Medical Bureau are focused on limb regeneration, which she considers too inefficient. Inducing regeneration is nowhere near as fast as harvesting limbs fresh. With so many captives, each one a walking limb repository, whatever is needed can be harvested from them.

It saves time and effort while being highly efficient.

This was the medical team's research topic at the medical office, but several applications were rejected by the superior. They couldn't even get their hands on death row inmates, so they could only use chickens, ducks, sheep, and rabbits to realize their hypotheses. The materials and reports from various successful cases piled up so high they could touch the roof beams.

If only the general could have a pair of new eyes...

Her method will surely be taken seriously by the medical authorities.

Chu Jie remained silent for a while, without answering.

He finds it psychologically difficult to accept having someone else's eyeballs inside his own eye sockets—his body and skin are gifts from his parents, his flesh and blood were given to him by his parents while he was in the womb, and his bloodline is pure. Adding an extra part changes that purity.

To put it bluntly, it means going from a purebred to a hybrid, no longer pure.

I felt quite awkward.

Why take the risk if you have the opportunity to use your own flesh and blood to create life?

Chu Jie shook his head and refused.

The medical team immediately realized that a golden opportunity had slipped away, and they were furious. They even tightened their grip when tying the bow on Chu Jie's head.

This isn't Chu Jie shaking his head at all!

It's clear that her future has been ruined!

Chu Jie asked her, "When will the military be able to transplant eyeballs?"

Medical team: "There isn't any in the military yet, but I'm somewhat confident."

Chu Jie's first reaction was "This method is good," but his second thought was "It may be difficult to implement." He had never heard of such good news before—if healthy prisoners could be used to replace wounded soldiers, and it was highly efficient, Chu Jie couldn't have been unaware of it.

A casual question confirmed my suspicions.

He sensed a hint of helplessness and disappointment in the medical team's tone, so he asked, "Has His Majesty responded to the memorial?"

"No." Just two words.

No matter how hard she pleaded with the Imperial Physician, it was to no avail.

She knew that physicians in Kangguo were to follow the principles of "The Great Physician's Sincerity" and cultivate virtue and character, but in the common understanding of the world, prisoners of war were not considered human. If this could benefit the soldiers of Kangguo, why shouldn't it be done?

Chu Jie: "In these chaotic times, we still have prisoners to use. But when peace comes, where will we get prisoners? If this method spreads among the common people, many will suffer. It is neither reasonable nor morally right for the emperor to approve it. Rather than considering it, we should train more medical practitioners."

The medical team shook their heads, not quite agreeing: "In a peaceful and stable future, how could there be any disabled soldiers?"

Chu Jie said, "Aging begins in the spleen and kidneys. Ordinary people cannot maintain their youth by relying on the energy of heaven and earth. If they have money and power, would they resort to unorthodox methods to help themselves live a long and prosperous life?"

Young organs are always more energetic than aging organs.

Those who are afraid of death cannot resist temptation.

Rather than dealing with problems later, it's better to nip them in the bud from the start. Chu Jie has been following Shen Tang for eleven or twelve years; if it were truly a good thing for the country and its people, she couldn't possibly refuse. A firm refusal would mean potentially crossing a line.

What is the Lord's bottom line?

Without a doubt.

Chu Jie: "Do not mistake the Lord's painstaking efforts for stubbornness."

Upon hearing this, the medical team felt as if a blockage had suddenly been cleared, experiencing an indescribable, profound feeling of lightness and clarity: "Medicine is a benevolent art; without virtue, it cannot stand, and without virtue, it cannot be mastered. I am ashamed; I was misled and almost went astray."

Chu Jie comforted them, saying, "The medical team doesn't need to blame themselves."

At least her original intention was good.

Politicians just need to consider more aspects.

After some emergency treatment, Chu Jie finally regained some strength.

Riding a horse and holding the line is no problem—how impressive is the fact that he single-handedly killed three important enemy generals and returned alive? So impressive that he doesn't need to charge into battle anymore; he can simply sit safely on horseback and boost his own morale to a huge degree!

The bare minimum requirement is to stay alive!

Su Shiyilu is not having an easy time.

At this moment, Su Shiyilu's explosive roar came from high in the sky. The armor-piercing spear swept out, creating a shockwave that went straight for the two men's lower body. More than a dozen iron-gray dragons rode the wind and thrust at the enemy general at tricky angles.

"That trick again!"

The enemy general was quite impatient with Su Shiyi's underhanded tactics. Just as he was about to use his old tricks to cut them off, the two iron-gray dragons suddenly opened their mouths, spewing out a fine, thick mist from deep within their throats: "Ah—"

A burning sensation spread before my eyes, and a piercing pain shot through my eyeballs.

Upon closer inspection, it wasn't fog at all.

They were clearly countless tiny metal needles, as fine as cow's hair!

Each one was poisonous; once it pierced the skin, it would cause unbearable pain and itching. Su Shiyi Lu took advantage of his weakness to kill him.

The spear missed its target.

Both military officers were rescued by enemy strategists.

He survived, but he lost all his fighting spirit.

The battlefield's shockwaves whipped the scholar's turban and soaked his sleeves, but they couldn't cool the burning rage in his heart. What enraged the two even more was Kang Shi's provocation, his arrogant and confident tone: "In my gambling, only the house wins!"

"The fortunes of heaven and earth are all in my hands."

A magnificent gold ivory plaque flipped over with a snap.

Above, a phantom of a woman in magnificent robes, holding a zither in her arms, appeared. The woman lightly plucked the bowstring with her slender fingers, and invisible sound waves rippled from the strings, ringing out and resounding. The thunderous drums and gongs seemed to draw the energy of heaven and earth from the battlefield towards her as if swallowing the sea.

Before long, a mournful melody flowed from his fingertips.

Kang Shi prayed fervently, "Heaven, help me!"

The enemy strategist noticed something amiss and berated him, "With your lowly tricks, you dare to try and disrupt the morale of our army?"

It's true that during battles, both sides would sometimes use arrhythmic drumbeats or emotionally charged funeral music to disrupt the enemy's actions, and he guessed that Kang Shi was using the same tactic. With three main generals dead and two military officers defeated, the morale of the soldiers was low, and they couldn't tolerate funeral music.

It's not impossible that they would scatter and flee.

Kang Shi simply misjudged the situation.

Ordinary soldiers would indeed suffer a collapse in morale and be routed in the face of such a dire situation, but these elite soldiers were different. They were all bound together by "puppet spider silk," their minds focused, unable to hear the outside noise, and naturally unaffected by the outcome of the battle.

Further detailed analysis—

Three of their own generals had died, and Chu Jie was also unable to fight. Su Shiyi and two others were wounded, their martial energy greatly depleted. The balance of power had not completely tipped in either direction. This was the main reason why the scholars could remain calm.

Once the Xuanwu Formation is broken on the battlefield, the outcome will be a foregone conclusion.

Kangshi's little scheme is likely to fail.

Just as the enemy strategist was about to gloat, his expression changed drastically the next second—he noticed that while the allied troops below appeared to be alternating attacks and defenses in an orderly fashion, showing no signs of chaos, the strategist keenly realized that their actions did not conform to his orders! Someone was interfering with the military command!

Looking up in disbelief, he caught a glimpse of mockery in Kang Shi's eyes.

He's the dealer and he's cheating, so how can anyone else beat him?

All the pieces are in place; it's time to finish!

"kill--"

The shouts of battle reached the sky.

Suddenly, the armor of the Xuanwu Formation opened, and thousands of elite soldiers clad in armor surged out like a tide, their banners fluttering. Su Shiyilu, desperate to save face, fought with all his might. A dozen iron-gray dragons pierced through the gap in the defenses, immediately turning back and transforming into a four-sided armor-piercing spear in Su Shiyilu's palm. His warhorse galloped like the wind, and he shouted hoarsely, "Wuzhou warriors!"

"Follow me! I'll chisel it open!"

The roar of the iron-gray dragon echoed throughout the battlefield.

Gunfire flashed, heads flew high, and brains splattered like rain.

What Kang Shi needs to do is very simple: infiltrate the enemy's chat software and send out incorrect troop movement orders to expose the enemy's weaknesses and move them elsewhere. Then, Kang Shi can switch from defense to offense and strike the enemy's vital organs! At this point, the roles of offense and defense will be reversed!

Hearing the intense drumbeats that tugged at his heartstrings, Chu Jie couldn't sit still. His injuries were mostly bandaged, and he had regained some strength and martial energy, enough to fight a few more rounds and take down a few more enemy heads. He touched the sword at his waist, his pale face unable to hide his excitement: "Good, good, good! How can we, these spirited men, let Wuzhou have all the glory?"

"Lieutenant, listen to my command, bring your men and follow!"

Some were worried about Chu Jie's half-crippled state, while others were so excited they trembled, their blood rushing to their heads: "Yes, sir!"

Kang Shi: "..."

He was currently vying for command with two enemy scholars and had no spare attention to stop Chu Jie's beast from breaking free. He had no choice but to trouble his lord again. He made a hand seal and revealed a second, extravagantly gold-plated ivory token. This token was primarily for defense, to protect his life.

"Charge out!"

"Kill his ancestors for eighteen generations!"

The two torrents of different colors collided and submerged each other between heaven and earth.

(▼ヘ▼#)

I checked, and the airfare from Wenzhou to Guiyang is just over 200 yuan, plus airport construction and fuel surcharge, it's still less than 300 yuan... I have a bold idea: should I go see how amazing GT is before Nezha's movie ends?

P.S.: The first volume of "Retreat the Emperor" will be available online tomorrow. You can check it out if you're interested.

P.S.: A reminder before the end of the month regarding the monthly pass/fund event for mushrooms...