Beneath his helmet, Kim Jung-hee looked gaunt, even his lips had lost their color. Although this position was safe, with no artillery shells or rockets, he seemed to feel the scorching heat in the air as the evening wind blew.
The air was warm, but his body felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave.
An hour and a half passed, and it was sunset again. The flames burning on the battlefield to the left front made the crimson sunset seem dim.
Kim Jeong-hee stood frozen, staring unblinkingly at the battlefield before him.
The Shenji Battalion, which was on the front, should be almost completely wiped out by now. The archers and crossbowmen following behind were still enduring artillery fire, and countless weapons had been destroyed. These archers and crossbowmen were no longer able to organize an offensive; they were simply passively enduring the bombardment.
The cavalry charging on the left flank were facing wave after wave of rockets; the area was already engulfed in flames. Although they were still charging through the flames, it was clear that reaching the enemy camp under these conditions would mean certain death or serious injury.
The right-wing cavalry lagged behind, but because they were slower, they had not yet been hit by the rockets. However, the enemy had already aimed their artillery at them, since the Shenji Battalion and archers directly in front no longer posed a threat.
Since the start of the battle, the enemy has hardly moved their positions. Their location is like a military fortress, with various weapons set up outside, constantly spewing out firepower.
The tactics they devised, which involved sacrificing lives to bridge the gap, now seem to have had no effect on the enemy. They remain unbreakable and are sweeping across the battlefield in a terrifying manner!
Kim Jung-hee exhaled a breath of stale air from his trembling lips, his temples throbbing slightly. At that moment, he seemed to have aged ten years, and his body became hunched over.
Just then, a loud shout interrupted Kim Jeong-hee's thoughts.
"father!"
"What are you waiting for! Withdraw your troops now!"
"The enemy's fighting strength is too strong. We have no way to fight them. We must withdraw immediately!"
Jin Zhou, his face pale, called out urgently to Jin Zhengxi. Jin Zhengxi shuddered, turned to look at him, his eyes bloodshot.
"You shouldn't be here."
Jin Zhou raised an eyebrow, seemingly unsure of what he had just heard.
"Father! What are you saying?!"
"Withdraw immediately! Retreat! We need to get back right away!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Kim Jeong-hee suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Kim Joo-hyun by the collar, and roared:
"You bastard! How could you flee in the face of battle? How could you abandon them? I'm ordering you to lead the right-wing cavalry alongside your elder brother and break through the enemy lines together!"
Kim Jong-hee grabbed Kim Jong-hee's hand, his face flushed, and shouted:
"But do you see? It's no use!"
"This is completely useless. They have artillery and rockets. We can't break through!"
"In this situation, you want me to..."
Before he could finish speaking, with a loud "slap," the enraged Kim Jeong-hee slapped Kim Joo-won across the face, followed by a roar:
"You bastard! If you hadn't missed the opportunity, this wouldn't have happened!"
"The Divine Machine Battalion and the archers on the front were already counterattacking. If you lead the right-wing cavalry and advance at the same time as your elder brother, the rebels will face attacks from multiple directions, and their firepower will inevitably be dispersed. This will give us a chance to break through!"
"You fool! Because you were too cowardly to go into battle, the left-wing cavalry were the first to be attacked by the rebels, and we lost our only chance!"
Kim Jung-hee was like a raging lion, his bloodshot eyes filled with endless anger and grief. This piercing gaze made Kim Joo-wook even more flustered, and he could only use a louder voice to cover up his inner shame:
"impossible!"
"Whether I'm there or not makes no difference. Even if we go together, there's only one outcome: death!"
"Father, look! Look!" Kim Jong-hee grabbed Kim Jung-hee's hand and pointed to the battlefield ahead.
There, on the left side of the battlefield, flames were everywhere. As far as the eye could see, countless soldiers, their bodies ablaze, were writhing and screaming, while warhorses, their bodies engulfed in flames, were galloping wildly in disarray.
Although Jintan had maintained a long charging formation for the cavalry, it had now been completely disrupted, and everyone could only flee by instinct under the flames.
Thick smoke billowed straight into the sky, and the acrid smell in the air was nauseating. Jin Zhou even vomited as he spoke, completely terrified by the shocking scene.
Only now did he truly understand how cruel a war could be.
At this moment, Kim Jeong-hee felt as if a piece of iron had been stuffed into his throat. Looking at the scene before him, his hands finally began to tremble violently uncontrollably.
With a "thud," Jin Zhou fell to the ground as he released his grip. He tried to stand up, trembling, but his legs seemed to be out of his control, just shaking uncontrollably.
"Father...Quick! Retreat the troops! Retreat the troops! We can't fight anymore..."
"There's no way to fight, there's absolutely no way to fight..." Jin Zhou spat out filth as he scrambled to his feet and ran toward his warhorse.
Kim Jung-hee had his back to him, his back was too stiff to straighten up. He stared blankly at the horrific battlefield, his face stiff and uncontrollable, and he began to twitch uncontrollably.
A wave of weakness washed over him, but he suddenly placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
With a "whoosh," he suddenly drew his knife.
But when he turned around, he found Jin Zhou already mounted on his horse, and even had a bronze gong in his hand. He was striking the gong while shouting:
"Retreat! Retreat!"
"Retreat immediately!"
Kim Jong-un chose to ignore his father and unilaterally issued an order to withdraw troops.
The clanging of bronze gongs rang out, throwing the army into chaos. The central army, which was originally reserved for launching the final battle, was now in disarray.
Kim Jong-hee drew his sword and looked around in bewilderment. The distant artillery fire had not yet stopped, and the flames crackled as the corpses burned, mixed with countless wails and roars.
With a "thud," he took off his helmet and threw it on the ground, muttering, "Let's withdraw."
The whisper was not actually audible to anyone else, but Kim Jeong-hee was too weak, and the soldiers didn't need him to shout it out anymore.
Everyone had witnessed the situation on the battlefield, and the clanging of the bronze bell was like a key that unlocked their shackles, causing them to completely collapse from the inside out.
A military defeat is like a landslide, and fleeing is more like a plague; once it spreads, it plunges more and more people into immense fear.
Jin Zhou no longer cared about his father; at this moment, he was already riding his warhorse at the forefront of the fleeing soldiers.
Kim Jung-hee, left behind here, had his white hair blown about by the wind. He looked up at the battlefield, then raised his gaze to the setting sun.
"My all-out effort still couldn't escape annihilation..."
Kim Jin-hee slowly picked up the knife, and with a murmur, she desperately slit her neck.
Bright red blood spurted out and splattered onto the messy ground.
With a "bang".
Kim Jeong-hee collapsed to the ground, his misty eyes staring blankly at the last rays of the setting sun in the sky.
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