Bloodstained Justice Clears the Way (Part 2)
The edict exonerating the grievances was like a red-hot iron, instantly smoothing out the deep-seated resentment in the hearts of the garrison at Longshouyuan and igniting their nearly exhausted fighting spirit. Shouts of "Stop the fighting! Stop the fighting! Stop the fighting!" surged forth, carrying vented grief and resolute determination, crashing against the howling north wind and briefly drowning out the low horns blaring from the Di Rong camp. The tattered banners fluttered in the gale, like a dying beast straightening its spine anew.
Xiao Yuxuan solemnly handed the imperial edict to his personal guard for safekeeping; the cold brocade seemed to contain immense power at that moment. His gaze swept over every face on the plateau, flushed with excitement, finally settling on Sheng Guo. This fierce general, with his missing arm, stood as firm as a rock, the bandage on his left arm soaked with pus and blood. His only remaining right hand gripped his sword tightly, his tiger eyes wide open, burning with an overwhelming fighting spirit to avenge the general and vindicate Commander Bai. Xiao Yuxuan nodded slightly to him, everything understood without words.
"Sun Qian!" Xiao Yuxuan's voice was deep and resonant, no longer hoarse, carrying the authority of a reinstated commander. "Proceed according to plan! Sheng Guo, oversee the defense of the main wall! Gu Yan, accompany me to command the central army and provide support from all sides!"
"Yes!" came the three resounding replies, firm and unwavering.
Almost at the same time the order was given, the Di Rong's offensive wave crashed heavily against the steep cliffs of Longshouyuan!
The icy water, though bone-chilling, could not deter the slaves and servants of the vassal tribes, driven forward like cannon fodder. Screaming, they swam desperately across, carrying makeshift rafts and leather bags, under a hail of arrows. The frigid water swallowed lives; corpses quickly clogged the riverbed. Those who followed, stepping over the floating carcasses of their comrades, continued their charge, howling. Upon reaching the shore, they were met with a deluge of rolling logs and boulders cascading down the cliff face! Huge logs, laden with frozen earth and rubble, crashed down with a deafening roar, crushing the Di Rong soldiers who had just climbed ashore, their screams drowned out by the deafening crash. Even more terrifying was the billowing yellow smoke and foul-smelling molten metal! The scalding hot metal poured down, igniting instantly upon contact, corroding flesh and bone, creating a living hell on the narrow riverbank. The air was thick with the stench of charred flesh and the desperate cries of agony.
"Loose the arrows! Suppress the plateau!" Huyan Zhuo's cold command came from the rear of Di Rong's ranks. Dense arrows soared into the air like locusts, carrying a shrill whistling sound as they rained down on the defenders on the plateau. The wooden shields were instantly covered with arrows, making a dull thud, and soldiers fell from the ground, their blood staining the frozen earth.
"Raise shields! Dodge the arrows!" Sheng Guo's roar was like thunder. His burly body, supported by several heavy shields, stood firm like a mobile fortress against the rain of arrows, commanding with unwavering resolve. The defenders, relying on wooden palisades and depressions in the mountainside, put up a tenacious resistance.
The first wave of attacks by the vassal army gradually weakened amidst fierce attrition, leaving corpses strewn across the riverbanks, turning the cold water crimson. But this was merely the prelude to a brutal symphony.
"Iron Falcon! Charge!" Huyan Zhuo's eyes flashed with ferocity as he slashed his curved blade forward fiercely!
A sudden, thunderous thud of hooves resounded! The main gate of the Di Rong camp swung open, and a force of elite cavalry, their riders and horses clad in heavy armor, surged forth like a black torrent of steel! These "Iron Falcons" were Huyan Zhuo's trump card; rider and horse linked together, only the riders' eyes visible, and the horses' hooves exposed, forming a mobile steel fortress. They did not charge directly at the steep plateau, but instead galloped along the banks of the Cold Water River, their target a relatively gentle opening on the eastern side of the plateau, heavily fortified by the defenders!
Meanwhile, the heavy chariot, pushed by slaves and dragged by livestock, creaked and groaned, like a slow but determined giant tortoise, shielded and covered in wet cowhide, as it began to slowly approach the steepest part of the plateau, where the defenders' firepower was most concentrated! On the roof of the chariot, Di Rong archers frantically hurled a rain of arrows down onto the plateau.
The real test is coming!
"Slamming stones! Aim at the wagon! Smash them!" Sheng Guo shouted hoarsely from the front. Huge stones roared down, crashing against the wet cowhide and thick wood on the wagon's roof with dull thuds, sending wood chips flying, but they couldn't destroy it instantly. Inside the wagon, Di Rong engineers were frantically chiseling at the rammed earth of the plateau wall with giant axes and battering rams!
At the breach on the east side, the pressure suddenly increased! The Iron Falcon cavalry charged to the bottom of the breach, but instead of directly attacking the wooden fence, they quickly dismounted and took out specially made grappling hooks from their saddles! With incredible strength, they hurled the heavy grappling hooks upwards! The steel claws embedded themselves deeply into the gaps in the wooden fence or the rammed earth!
"Cut the ropes! Quickly!" Sun Qian, who was guarding the spot, shouted the order. The axemen desperately chopped at the tough cowhide ropes, but there were too many grappling hooks, and dozens of ropes remained firmly in place. Below, the Iron Falcon heavy infantry, with curved swords in their mouths, began to climb up the ropes like monkeys! Despite their heavy armor, their movements were unusually agile, clearly indicating they were well-trained!
"Boiling oil! Juicy broth! Pour it down!" Sun Qian's voice was resolute. Scalding oil and juicy broth poured down the ropes and the cliff face! A horrifying, inhuman scream erupted instantly! The heavily armored infantrymen climbing were scalded by the boiling oil, their armor corroded by the juicy broth, and they fell like dumplings, crashing onto their comrades below, leaving a scene of carnage. Yet, the Iron Falcons, stepping over the charred corpses of their fallen comrades, continued their relentless ascent! The wooden fence at the gap began to shake violently under the hacking of the giant axe and the pulling of the ropes!
The battle was fierce! Every inch of the plateau trembled, and every breath of air was filled with the stench of blood, burning flesh, and gunpowder smoke (from burning molten gold). The defenders were suffering heavy casualties, while the Di Rong's offensive surged like a relentless tide, wave after wave!
Just as the breach on the east side was on the verge of collapse, and the frontal wall where Sheng Guo was located was being smashed by the chariot, causing earth and rocks to fall in a flurry, a cold glint flashed in Xiao Yuxuan's eyes: "Gu Yan! Now!"
Gu Yan, who had been hiding in the central command and closely observing the battlefield situation, suddenly waved an inconspicuous small black flag in his hand!
On the plateau, in a seemingly abandoned corner piled with debris, the camouflage was quickly lifted! Several uniquely shaped catapults, resembling the raised tails of giant scorpions, were revealed—**one of the "conservative" legacies left by Jing Zhi: the Scorpion Tail Cannon**! These cannons were ingeniously constructed, using winches and ratchets to generate power. Instead of launching boulders, they fired baskets of woven vines filled with gravel, caltrops, and kerosene—"caltrop fire rain pots"!
"Release them!" Gu Yan commanded.
Buzz—!
A tooth-grinding release sound rang out! Several "caltrop fire rain canisters" traced low, flat arcs, accurately passing over the heads of friendly soldiers, and slamming into the densely packed Iron Falcons climbing the gap and the follow-up echelons gathering below!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earthenware jar shattered! Countless pebbles and caltrops shot out like a death storm! At the same time, the oil, ignited by the embers left inside, instantly turned into a sea of fire! The Iron Falcon heavy infantry, who were climbing, were the first to be hit. Pebbles and caltrops pierced through the gaps in their armor, flames licked at their bodies, and their screams were heart-wrenching! The echelon gathered below was also engulfed in the rain of fire and caltrops, and their formation was thrown into chaos!
Almost simultaneously, several seemingly solid rammed earth walls above the front of the plateau suddenly collapsed inward! Revealing the hidden, downward-sloping iron "chiwen" (a type of roof ornament) churn behind it! The molten, foul-smelling liquid, which had been boiling for a long time, gushed out like a waterfall of lava, precisely pouring onto the chariot directly below, which was crashing headfirst against the plateau wall!
laugh--!
A chilling, violent corroding sound rang out! The scalding molten gold instantly seeped through the wet cowhide and thick wooden planks of the chariot roof, like boiling water splashed on snow! The Di Rong engineers and soldiers inside didn't even have time to scream before being reduced to charred remains by the terrifying heat and poison! The sturdy chariot rapidly crumbled and collapsed amidst the acrid yellow smoke! The Di Rong soldiers behind the chariot, caught in the spray of molten gold, screamed and rolled on the ground!
This precise and deadly counterattack instantly stunned the Di Rong's offensive momentum! The Iron Falcons suffered heavy losses amidst the rain of fire and caltrops, their climbing momentum halted. The chariots on the front were reduced to scrap metal, and the spearhead of the attack was broken! The defenders on the plateau erupted in thunderous cheers, their morale soaring!
"Excellent! What a brilliant defensive setup! What a masterful use of the golden elixir flood!" Gu Yan clapped his hands in admiration, his eyes gleaming with wonder. These defensive arrangements combined the ingenious machinery left behind by Jing Zhi with Xiao Yuxuan's accurate prediction of the battlefield situation, and even took advantage of the respite gained by Gong Xi at the cost of his life.
However, within the Di Rong formation, the Left Wise King Huyan Zhuo's face was so grim it could drip water. Beside him, the scarred assassin (Hanging Blade) flashed a cold excitement in his eyes, whispering, "Your Majesty, did you see that? That's no ordinary defensive tactic! It must be related to 'that thing'! Please use 'Thunderfire'!"
Huyan Zhuo's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he suddenly waved his hand: "Shaman! Beat the drums! Eternal Heaven, help me! Unleash 'Thunder and Fire'!"
Deep within the Di Rong camp, several shamans, draped in feathers and their faces painted with oil, danced a frenzied war dance, beating massive drums made of human skin! The drumbeats were deep and eerie, carrying a primal madness. Simultaneously, several enormous wagons, covered in thick, damp felt and cumbersomely shaped like houses, slowly moved forward, dragged and pushed by countless slaves. On their roofs, dark, imposing cannon muzzles were visible—things clearly not befitting the Di Rong! Beneath their rugged exteriors lay a cold, precise precision bestowed by a scathing blade!
"What is that?!" Sun Qian's expression changed drastically, and an ominous premonition enveloped his heart.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of muffled, earth-shaking explosions erupted! The giant chariot jolted backward, its cannons spewing forth crimson flames and billowing smoke that stretched for several meters! Several burning, long-tailed, giant wine jar-shaped "Thunderclap" missiles, accompanied by piercing shrieks, ripped through the sky and crashed heavily onto the top of the Dragon Head Plain!
"Avoid the cannon fire—!" Xiao Yuxuan's pupils constricted, and he roared sharply!
A violent explosion resounded across the plateau! The earth shook violently! A scorching blast wave, carrying shards of iron, pottery, and burning grease (gunpowder mixed with combustibles), swept across the area! The sturdy wooden palisades were torn apart like paper, and huge breaches were blasted into the rammed earth walls, sending rubble and soil raining down like a torrential downpour! The defending soldiers fell in droves amidst the terrifying shockwave and flying debris—a gruesome sight! Thick smoke and raging flames instantly engulfed several sections of the defensive line!
"Hold on! Fill the gap!" Xiao Yuxuan's voice was hoarse in the aftershocks of the explosion. He swung his sword to deflect a flying shard of rock, drawing blood from his forehead. The power of this "Thunderclap" far exceeded expectations; the technology provided by the Suspended Blade was revealing its ferocious fangs on the front lines for the first time! The objective wasn't just to destroy the fortifications, but also to create chaos and seize the bronze box in his arms amidst the confusion!
Before the smoke and dust from the explosion had even cleared, the Di Rong's attack horns sounded once more, a desperate blast! This time, it was a general offensive! The remnants of the Iron Falcon Army, their vassal troops, and even Huyan Zhuo's personal guard, the "Wolf Fang Army," surged upwards like sharks smelling blood, taking advantage of the chaos on the plateau's summit through the blasted breaches and damaged walls! The shouts of battle shook the heavens.
##Chapter Twenty-Seven: Military Might Locks the Key, Blood Edict Clears the Name of Wrong (Final Chapter Continued)
The deafening roar of the falling steel gate, like a death sentence, ruthlessly severed the Di Rong vanguard and the surging tide following behind at the eastern breach! Dozens of elite Wolf Fang and Iron Falcon soldiers, isolated within the plateau, were like trapped beasts, instantly overwhelmed by Sun Qian's Flying Bear Camp. Halberds thrust, heavy axes cleaved, waves of blood surged! Desperate screams were mercilessly swallowed by the clash of steel and flesh. Outside the gate, the following Di Rong soldiers, their eyes bloodshot, frantically hacked and rammed against the cold iron spikes, but the massive gate, forged from fine steel and deeply embedded in rammed earth, remained unmoved, leaving only the ear-piercing scraping sounds and futile roars.
However, this hard-won victory came at the cost of the Flying Bear Battalion, their last strategic reserve. Pressure increased dramatically on other directions of the plateau!
"Thunderfire! Thunderfire again!" The western wing defenders cried out in a trembling voice filled with despair!
Within the Di Rong formation, the massive "Thunderfire" chariot, covered in wet felt and resembling a mobile fortress, roared once more under the frenzied drumbeats of the shaman! Boom! Boom! The burning thunderbolts, trailing crimson flames, traced deadly arcs, this time aiming directly at the core area of the plateau where Sheng Guo was located, and—the central command post on the plateau summit!
"Scatter!" Xiao Yuxuan roared, but his voice was instantly swallowed up by the loud explosion!
Explosions even more violent than before resounded across the plateau! The earth shook violently, as if the slumbering beast of Longshou Plateau had been utterly enraged! The section of the plateau where Sheng Guo stood bore the brunt of the impact! Scorching blasts of air, carrying deadly shrapnel and burning grease, swept everything in their path! Several fierce soldiers who had stood guard alongside Sheng Guo were instantly torn to shreds, leaving no trace of their bodies! The massive rammed earth wall groaned under the terrifying impact, large chunks of earth and stone collapsing with a deafening roar, revealing the supporting wooden frame behind it! Sheng Guo's burly body was violently thrown back like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto a pile of rolling logs behind him, blood gushing from his mouth! The already worn-out bandage on his left arm tore open completely, pus and blood mixed with dirt spurting out, a horrifying sight!
Near the central command post, a devastating bomb exploded less than twenty paces from Xiao Yuxuan! The scorching shockwave slammed him to the ground, sending dirt and debris raining down upon him! Two guards were instantly torn apart by shrapnel, their flesh mangled beyond recognition! Thick smoke and flames engulfed the command flag and part of the command equipment in an instant!
"General!" Gu Yan, covered in soot, rushed out of the smoke and dust and struggled to pull Xiao Yuxuan up. "The central army has been exposed! The target of the Hanging Blade is you and that box!" His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, sweeping across the chaotic battlefield and instantly catching sight of several gray figures taking advantage of the smoke and dust from the explosion, rushing forward like ghosts from the collapsed western wing—their movements were swift and silent, definitely not Di Rong barbarian soldiers!
The assassin with the sword hanging in the air has finally revealed his deadly fangs! His target is Xiao Yuxuan, who possesses the "Records of Gongzheng"!
"Sheng Guo!" Xiao Yuxuan disregarded his own safety, his gaze sweeping rapidly across the scene. Seeing Sheng Guo struggling to rise from the pile of logs, his heart sank. Nearly half of the western flank had collapsed, and the Di Rong's vassal army, like hyenas smelling blood, howled as they climbed the collapsed earth and rocks! The defending forces had suffered heavy casualties, and the defensive line was on the verge of collapse! Sheng Guo was severely wounded, and the front line was on the verge of collapse!
In a split second! Xiao Yuxuan's eyes were bloodshot as he made a decisive move! He shoved the bronze box he was clutching into Gu Yan's hands, the cold touch carrying the weight of a thousand burdens: "Gu Yan! The box is yours! Take a team, protect it, and retreat to the stone base of the beacon tower on the plateau! The stone walls there are thick and easy to defend, difficult to attack! We must not let Xuan Dao succeed!"
“General! You…” Gu Yan grasped the heavy bronze box, feeling the ancient “工” character on it, and instantly understood the weight of this entrustment.
"Execute the order!" Xiao Yuxuan roared without room for argument, then turned to the few remaining guards beside him, his voice like unsheathed iron, "Follow me to the west wing! Seal the breach! Save Sheng Guo!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already grabbed a blood-stained halberd from the ground and, like an arrow released from a bow, charged towards the collapsed western wing, where smoke and fire filled the air and the sounds of battle shook the heavens! His personal guards followed closely behind, without hesitation!
The western wing had become a living hell. On the rammed earth slope, the Di Rong soldiers swarmed upwards like ants. The remaining defenders, clinging to the broken walls and burning logs, put up a last stand with spears, stones, and even their teeth. Sheng Guo leaned against a pile of logs, his only remaining right hand gripping his battle axe tightly. Each swing aggravated his wound, spurting out large amounts of blood, yet he still managed to cut down the approaching Di Rong soldiers. His face was ashen, but his eyes still burned with an indomitable flame.
"Sheng Guo! Hold on!" Xiao Yuxuan's voice pierced through the noise! His halberd swept across the hill like a venomous dragon emerging from the sea, knocking two Di Rong soldiers who had just climbed to the top of the hill away! He stepped forward and stood back to back with Sheng Guo, his halberd flying, instantly clearing a small area!
"General...I...can still hold on!" Sheng Guo grinned, revealing his bloodied teeth, his voice hoarse but filled with laughter.
"Good brother!" Xiao Yuxuan's heart warmed, and he pointed his halberd at the surging enemy tide below. "Then follow me and slaughter them all!"
The commander-in-chief personally led the charge in the face of death! This scene was like a spark thrown into a pot of boiling oil! The remaining defenders on the western flank saw that familiar figure standing tall amidst the blood and fire, fighting side by side with the one-armed General Sheng Guo, and their will, which was on the verge of collapse, was instantly ignited!
"The general is here! Kill!"
"For the general! For our fallen brothers! Slaughter all the Di dogs!"
The fervent shouts drowned out the howls of the Di Rong! The defenders unleashed incredible power, like tigers in their final moments, and forcefully pushed back the Di Rong soldiers who had surged up the hill! Swords flashed, blood and flesh flew everywhere! Every inch of land was fought over repeatedly, and people fell every moment!
Meanwhile, at the center of the plateau, Gu Yan, carrying a bronze box and guarded by more than ten elite soldiers, fought and retreated rapidly towards the beacon tower base, a massive ancient stone structure standing at the highest point of the plateau. The base, weathered by a thousand years of wind and rain, had walls several feet thick and only one narrow arched entrance, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
"Stop them! Seize that box!" A deliberately lowered command, delivered with a Di Rong accent yet exceptionally clear, rang out amidst the chaotic battlefield! The several gray-shadow assassins, like a leech, finally shed their disguises, their speed increasing dramatically! Their movements were unpredictable, traversing the chaotic battlefield as if on flat ground. Their poisoned daggers and flying stones, like the forked tongues of venomous snakes, ruthlessly and viciously attacked Gu Yan and his group! The guards fell one after another!
"Form ranks! Form a circular formation!" Gu Yan shouted sharply, his eyes as calm as ice. He clutched the bronze box tightly in one hand and drew his sword from his waist with the other. The guards quickly tightened their grip, forming a tight defensive circle back to back, their spears pointing outwards, fiercely protecting Gu Yan and the ancient box!
Clang! Clang! The assassins' poisoned daggers and flying stones were deflected by a barrage of spear tips, producing a piercing clang. One assassin, closing in too close, was pierced by several spears simultaneously, letting out a bloodcurdling scream! But another assassin, like a ghost, darted in from a blind spot on the flank, his poisoned dagger aimed straight for Gu Yan's ribs!
"Watch out!" A guard shoved Gu Yan aside, but was stabbed in the shoulder by a dagger. His face turned pale instantly, and he collapsed to the ground, paralyzed!
Gu Yan staggered, nearly dropping the bronze box from his grasp! A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and his longsword, moving like lightning, aimed straight for the assassin's throat! The assassin retreated hastily, narrowly avoiding the attack, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. In that instant of hesitation, the protective circle closed again, tightly shielding Gu Yan at its core!
"Charge in! Quickly!" the assassin leader (Scarface's voice?) roared in exasperation. They were being held back by this stubborn circular formation, and Gu Yan and his group had already retreated to the entrance of the beacon tower's stone base!
"Fire arrows! Suppress Shi Ji!" In the Di Rong formation, Hu Yanzhuo also saw this scene. Although he didn't know what the box was, he knew that Xuan Dao was determined to obtain it, and it must be priceless! He immediately ordered the archers to fire a barrage!
A dense rain of arrows, like locusts, hurtled towards the stone base of the beacon tower! Gu Yan and the others, shields raised, braved the arrow storm and quickly retreated into the narrow, dark stone archway! The heavy, iron-clad wooden door slammed shut behind them, bolted shut with a thick bolt! The arrows thudded against the heavy stone and wooden doors, their efforts futile!
"Hold the gate!" Gu Yan leaned against the cold stone wall, panting heavily. The bronze box in his arms remained cold, the ancient character "工" (gong) on it seeming to gleam eerily in the dim light. The space within the stone base was small, with only a narrow, spiraling stone staircase leading to the beacon tower at the top. This would become the last bastion of the "Records of Craftsmanship"!
On the western slope, the battle had reached its most brutal and intense stage! Corpses piled up like mountains, and blood stained every inch of the frozen earth. Xiao Yuxuan's halberd was already broken; he snatched a Di Rong scimitar and, back to back with Sheng Guo, fought a bloody battle amidst the Di Rong soldiers' encirclement! Both men were covered in wounds, their battle robes stained with blood, yet they stood like two blood-soaked war gods, firmly nailed to the collapsed breach! Behind them, the remaining defenders, ignited by their commander's ferocity, erupted with their last ounce of bloodlust, forming a shaky yet unyielding dam of flesh and blood!
The cold wind howled across Longshou Plain, whipping up thick stench of blood and smoke, sweeping over every burning flame, every cold corpse, and every face contorted with despair or rage. The battle raged on, the balance of power shifting violently amidst the brutal attrition. Xiao Yuxuan and Sheng Guo held the western breach amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, while Gu Yan, clutching the ancient box, held the beacon tower's stone base. The venomous fangs of the hanging blades and the raging tide of the Di Rong relentlessly tore at this last line of defense. Could the bronze box, carrying ancient origins and a sliver of hope, like a lone boat in a storm, safely cross this raging sea of blood? The fate of Longshou Plain, and even the survival of the spark of "cessation of war," rested on this final thread!
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