Chapter 251: My Pig! [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Gong Xichou was considered one of the most outstanding martial artists of his time, and the moment the fog appeared, he realized where the problem lay.

at the same time--

His expression also became very subtle.

Yes, subtle.

If he weren't certain the Allied forces didn't have any spies of his own, he might have suspected that the charlatan (a double agent) using the "literary arts" were one of his own. He was already annoyed by the ants harassing him, and the previous duel had taken its toll; a prolonged battle was disadvantageous for him. But with the fog lifted, Gongxi Chou felt he was invincible again! He immediately took down another enemy!

"You guys have fun first, I'm going to go have some fun somewhere else!"

Gong Xichou kicked away the valiant general who was entangled with him.

With a light step, he leaped onto a helmet and flew to another location, only to be caught by a galloping warhorse just as he was about to land.

Although the thick fog did not affect the eyesight of the martial arts masters, it did affect the ordinary soldiers. Anyone who got close was attacked, and they could not distinguish between friend and foe. Gong Xichou was a shrewd and skillful maneuvering man, and he quickly created distance. He even deliberately charged into the group of Allied soldiers.

Would the Allied Forces' brave warriors do such a thing?

Of course not.

They were simply being too afraid to act rashly!

If they were to recklessly pursue and kill Gong Xi Chou, eliminating all the soldiers along the way, it might trigger internal conflicts within the allied forces. In that case, they might not have eliminated the rebel leader, but instead find themselves fighting amongst themselves. But this wasn't Gong Xi Chou's most outrageous move.

He went back and forth several times, his dark green warhorse dripping with the blood of the Allied soldiers. He then summoned the Martial Tiger Talisman, which transformed into hundreds of sets of armor for his elite troops.

Clad in armor, strange "figures" appeared on the pitch-black battlefield. They could distinguish friend from foe simply by the outlines of these figures' clothing.

The dense fog had very little effect on the soldiers.

"Gongxi Chou, prepare to die!"

A long sword blocked Gong Xichou's path.

He looked up and saw a completely unfamiliar face.

After a brief pause, the other brave warriors arrived again.

Gong Xichou sneered, "You people are really ungrateful. I kindly spared your lives, but you insist on sticking your necks out."

"Stop being so arrogant!"

They clashed again.

The Allied forces were very dissatisfied, smelling the blood in the air and enduring the fear of obstructed vision and ever-present danger.

Even Gu Ren had some complaints—only the troops under the command of Alliance Leader Wu Xian could calmly deal with this situation. For other forces, the disadvantages outweighed the advantages under the thick fog. Although the losses were not heavy, they were still much greater compared to those under Wu Xian's command. How could they sit still?

Wu Xian's troops, taking advantage of the thick fog, ambushed and killed many rebel soldiers, far surpassing the achievements of others.

Furthermore, Gong Xichou's nearly 1,000 elite troops were clearly unaffected by the dense fog, and even took advantage of it to charge back and forth, causing considerable damage to several forces other than Wu Xian.

With so many factors combined, who could feel comfortable?

"But if we stop now, it would be tantamount to letting a tiger return to the mountain!" Qin Li stated the facts calmly, his eyes undisturbed.

One of them, suppressing his dissatisfaction, said, "But if they don't stop, we can't help but suspect that the alliance leader is taking advantage of the situation to harm his allies..."

That's a complete lack of consideration.

In an instant, the crowd erupted in uproar.

Qin Li's expression darkened as he looked at Wu Xian, the alliance leader.

Wu Xian pondered for a moment.

He exchanged glances with Qin Li in secret.

Finally, he waved to Qin Li.

"Gongsu, let's stop here for today."

Qin Li bowed slightly: "Yes, my lord."

The elite troops who had surrounded and ambushed the rebel army of the King of Pigs were already on their way back. At this time, removing the thick fog would not put their own side in danger, so Qin Li did not make things difficult for them and did so.

The thick fog dissipated, but the battlefield was far from over.

The melee lasted for more than two hours before it ended.

Both armies sounded the retreat, leaving behind countless corpses. A headcount revealed that 60% were from the rebel army of the Pig King, and 40% were from the allied forces.

Of the corpses belonging to the Allied Forces, 90% belonged to other forces, large and small, while only 10% were Wu Xian's troops.

They suffered the fewest losses while killing the most enemies.

Other factions harbored considerable resentment.

Ultimately, it's all the fault of this thick fog.

However, Qin Li did not think so.

He said calmly, "This is just an ordinary fog. There are countless similar mazes and fog formations. Can you, gentlemen, prevent the enemy from using these methods to interfere with visibility during battle? As long as the command is proper, that little impact can be almost negated..."

It's even less likely that our own people would kill each other.

The implication is that there are problems with their own command.

As the thick fog rolled in, the soldiers under their command became chaotic and disorganized, running around like headless flies, ignoring orders.

Should the losses caused by these problems be blamed on others?

Everyone blushed with embarrassment after Qin Li exposed their shortcomings.

Some felt ashamed, while others were enraged.

He was about to suddenly draw his sword.

This man's violence was so sudden that those around him couldn't stop him in time. Just as the knife was about to strike Chong Qinli, it stopped abruptly at the last moment. A trace of fear flashed in the man's eyes, his hands loosened, the long knife clattered to the ground, and his face turned ashen.

Alliance Leader Wu Xian knew that Qin Li would be safe.

But this person wanted to kill his confidant right in front of him. Did he think Wu Zhaode was made of clay and had no temper at all?

Wu Xian immediately let out a cold snort.

But to that person it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

It broke out in a cold sweat, and my hair stood on end.

He suppressed the beads of sweat on his forehead and the twitching in his eyes, barely managing to regain his composure. He glanced at the stares of those around him, then took two steps back in fear, saying, "Alliance Leader Wu, please forgive me. I acted rashly in a moment of panic..."

Wu Xian, the leader of the alliance, did not express his opinion immediately.

Instead, she watched him silently.

The atmosphere around us was so frozen it was suffocating.

finally--

His expression relaxed.

The atmosphere eased again.

Alliance Leader Wu Xian spoke sincerely and with deep sorrow: "I understand your feelings, everyone. However, we can sit down and discuss everything in detail, and I will give everyone a satisfactory explanation no matter what. But turning against one's own people is absolutely unacceptable! How is that any different from fratricide? We formed this alliance for the greater good, to punish the rebel army of the Pig King. Let's not let them laugh at us. If word gets out, how will the world and future generations view us?"

Everyone immediately fell silent.

The conflict was thus easily resolved.

If they keep making trouble, who can withstand being slapped with such a serious accusation?

After this battle, they realized the disparity in strength between themselves and the rebel army led by the King of Pigs—Gong Xichou only led 10,000 elite troops, and a portion of them were still stationed in Xiaocheng.

If the two sides were to actually fight, it would be hard to say who would win.

At the very least, our losses couldn't have been that small.

Wu Xian's force is the main force among the main forces of the Allied Army. If they are completely angered, they will go all out and no one will benefit.

The minor dispute came to an end just like that.

But the effects continue.

The Allied forces stopped to clean up the battlefield.

The soldiers set up camp, cooked their meals, and temporarily established a fortified camp.

Shen Tang also went out to help along the way, doing her best.

Although there were few people, Shen Tang had stolen the show during the day, so how could the Allied forces dare to underestimate him? On the contrary, they showed an indescribable enthusiasm. Chu Yao lifted the curtain of the makeshift tent and asked, "Is Wu Lang awake?"

Lin Feng, who was in charge of taking care of Shen Tang, stood up to answer.

"Teacher, the young master is still asleep."

Chu Yao looked worried and murmured, "Still not awake?"

Outside the tent, several of Shen Tang's most influential people gathered around, including the Zhai brothers, Zhai Le and Zhai Huan, who came to join in the fun after hearing the news.

They kept a close eye on Chu Yao as he emerged.

Chu Yao shook his head.

Qi Shan said, "How is that possible?"

Gu Chi also said, "That's true, Qi Yuanliang is still awake..."

Shen Tang's injuries should be shared with Qi Shan's. It makes no sense that someone as strong and healthy as her, who has repeatedly escaped death from Gong Xi Chou's hands, would be unconscious.

He received a glare from Qi Shan as soon as he finished speaking.

Gu Chi countered, "Did I misspoke?"

Qi Shan was too lazy to argue with him.

Chu Yao ignored the two men and continued speaking: "...Fortunately, Wu Lang's pulse is very stable, strong, and his blood and energy are abundant, so he should be fine... Lin Feng, have someone slaughter a piglet and make a soup for Wu Lang to nourish him..."

Oh, those can't be called piglets anymore.

After more than two months of raising, its size is already quite impressive.

Their existence makes Shentang's logistics a peculiar sight in the Allied Army—everyone else carries supplies and provisions when they go to war, and if they have meat, it's mainly dried meat that's easy to preserve, with only a very small number of live livestock. Shentang's side is different.

There are a whole bunch of pigs, big and small.

They even had to herd pigs while marching.

The pig was frightened and ran away, so you had to chase after it.

The key thing is that they are all fat.

The meat was jiggling; who wouldn't be tempted by it?

Although pork is considered smelly and even wealthy families with a bit of money would disdain eating it, believing it unfit for the dinner table, for ordinary people who rarely eat meat throughout the year, smelly pork is still a rare delicacy...

As for the unpalatable taste?

We're lucky to have meat to eat, why are we being picky about the taste?

Therefore, they even looked at the pigs with a bit of envy.

This caused the soldiers on Shentang's side to work in shifts several times a night, fearing that if no one was watching, the pigs would be stolen by others.

For Shen Tang's sake, Chu Yao decided to kill one!

Lin Feng said, "Yes, I'll go right away."

Chu Yao looked up at Qi Shan: "I'll give you a little something to eat too—you really are reckless, you're really not afraid of death at all."

Qi Shan was somewhat flattered.

Good heavens, he got a share of this piglet too?

Although he disliked pork, it was pork that the stingy Chu Yao had served him as a gesture of goodwill, so he decided to give him face and take a couple of bites. Hearing the last sentence, Qi Shan added, "What's there to be afraid of? Can I control the ways of the scholar?"

The fact that he could get hurt meant that Shen Tang always trusted him; if Shen Tang got hurt and he didn't react, it meant that the trust was gone.

This is not something he can control.

On the bright side, at least it shows he didn't make the wrong choice.

Chu Yao asked, "Then what's there to hide?"

He remembered.

On the day of the interception of the tax silver being escorted by Commander Yang, Qi Shan was injured even though he was far from the center of the battle. At the time, he thought it was because he had overlooked it, but now he realizes that there were signs of trouble all along.

Qi Shan said, "Given Young Master Shen's... my lord's temperament, if he knew, he would be constrained and it would be very disadvantageous for him—"

Whether it's a duel between generals or anything else, as long as it involves risking one's life, too much restraint will only limit oneself and lead to the loss of precious life at the critical moment. Now, Shen Tang needs to take charge personally, so it's impossible to prevent him from participating. Therefore, we cannot restrict him too much.

Chu Yao is different from him.

If Shen Tang dies, Chu Yao will also die, but injuries sustained in ordinary times won't affect Chu Yao. Qi Shan is different—any injury Shen Tang suffers will be shared equally with him. But how can one avoid injury in a life-or-death struggle? How can we let this hold us back?

Therefore, Qi Shan chose to keep it a secret.

Even though he knew that with Shen Tang's penchant for fighting on the battlefield, getting injured was commonplace, he couldn't hide it for long even if he wanted to.

Chu Yao: "...Can you untie it?"

Qi Shan countered, "Can you control your scholarly ways?"

Chu Yao: "..."

Qi Shan said, "That will do."

There are many scholars in the world who possess the spirit of the scholar, but few can truly master it. Most suffer from the negative effects of an incomplete understanding of the scholar's way—typical examples being Gu Chi and Kang Shi. Qi Shan spoke with conviction, showing no shame.

Chu Yao: "..."

This guy should eat more pig brains instead of eating things that are supposed to be like them!

Gu Chi couldn't help but cover his mouth with his sleeve.

Kang Shi raised an eyebrow.

I don't understand why Gu Chi is laughing at these two.

Of all the people present, only Zhai Huan was concerned about the losses of both armies.

As for Zhai Le? ??

He was thinking about the piglets.

Suddenly, he remembered how Shen Tang used to boast to him about how delicious the castrated pigs tasted. He had been taking medicine every day to recover from his injuries, and his tongue was always bitter. Just thinking about the delicious food made his mouth water.

I wonder if I'm even capable of trying it...

Shen Tang awoke to the aroma of meat.

My stomach rumbled like an empty city rumbling.

She suddenly sat up straight, startling Lin Feng.

"My lord, you've finally woken up!"

Lin Feng was so happy that his eyes turned as red as a rabbit's.

Shen Tangsong, whose body was stiff from sleeping, accidentally aggravated her wound, wincing in pain: "You're awake, you're awake, why are you crying?"

“My lord, you have been asleep for two or three hours.”

When Shen Tang looked outside, he saw that it was indeed getting dark.

She asked, "Have the rebels retreated?"

Lin Feng nodded: "We retreated, but we lost more than 2,500 people."

More than 2,500 people?

That's almost a quarter of the losses.

Shen Tang shook his head inwardly—with such a huge loss, Gong Xi Chou, as the commander-in-chief, would inevitably suffer a severe beating.

Speaking of the front row—

She remembered the tempting aroma of meat wafting in the air.

My mood brightened: "What's grilling outside that smells so good?"

Lin Feng laughed and said, "They are pigs raised by my husband."

Her husband had indeed not lied to her.

Castrated pigs truly have no fishy or gamey smell. Whether stewed, stir-fried, or roasted, the meat has a rich aroma that is incredibly enticing.

Shen Tang yelled, "My pig!!!"

She thought it was her big wild boar that was being slaughtered.

She really enjoyed riding that wild boar.

Upon hearing this devastating news, Shen Tang kicked off the cumbersome blanket, hastily threw on her outer garment, put her shoes on backwards, and ran out, leaving Lin Feng dumbfounded. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought her husband's steed (referring specifically to his motorcycle) had been killed…

She hurriedly grabbed her cloak to keep warm and chased after them.

As she ran, she said, "My lord, put this on."

Shen Tang's mind was filled with nothing but her pig.

There were only two hundred people on her side, and the camp was small, so Chu Yao didn't have many fuss and simply set up Shen Tang's private kitchenette not far from Shen Tang's temporary tent. She arrived there in just a few steps.

For a moment, Qi Shan and the others stared at each other blankly.

They have excellent hearing and eyesight.

In other words—

I didn't miss Shen Tang's desperate cry of "My pig!"

Zhai Le awkwardly put down the skewered roasted pork.

(σ)σ:*☆

It's almost the end of the month again.

Hehe, double monthly passes are available on the 29th, 30th, and 31st!

(If any readers are willing to tip, you can do so after 8 PM. Tips will also be doubled.)

Sigh, this month is going to be another bloodbath, so difficult.

I'm begging for monthly votes after midnight!

P.S.: Today I had the pleasure of trying out a Dareu 100-key keyboard with gold-pink switches. Typing was indeed very light, but the sound was similar to AKKO's jelly blue switches, both very crisp. However, the jelly blue switches have a tactile bump and are heavier, while the gold-pink switches are very light, comfortable, and smooth – a godsend for typists.

P.S.: The large spacebar on the Dareu A100 Supreme Edition is absolutely terrible—loose and makes an unpleasant sound… I'll see if I can adjust it once the lubricant arrives…

(End of this chapter)