Rainy Night Surprise Attack
The deafening roar of the collapsing stone dam, like a death knell tolling across the earth, echoed long afterward over the Luo River valley. A turbid mud dragon, carrying boulders and broken logs, swept down with the force of a stampede of horses, instantly engulfing a large area of the construction site camps near the downstream. The piercing screams, desperate cries, the shrill sounds of tearing tents, and the muffled thuds of bodies being crushed by heavy objects mingled with the raging floodwaters, weaving a horrific, hellish lament. After the turbid waves subsided, only ruins and a suffocating, desolate mud remained. Those who had managed to escape to higher ground trembled like frightened quails in the icy rain, their eyes filled with a numb emptiness and unfathomable fear as they gazed at their homes instantly transformed into a swamp.
In the chaos, Xiao Yuxuan struggled to push away the broken half of the sluice gate that was pressing down on him. His entire body felt as if he had been rolled in mud, and a flying rock had cut his forehead, blood mingling with the mud and water, blurring his vision. He coughed and struggled to his feet, his gaze urgently sweeping over the spot where Jing Zhi had just been—only a mess of rubble and a surging torrent remained. That dark figure seemed to have been completely wiped out by the merciless flood, leaving no trace. A huge torrent, mixed with grief and helplessness, crashed against his chest more violently than the mudslide behind him.
"General! General!" Sheng Guo's hoarse voice pierced through the wind and rain. Leading several equally disheveled personal guards, like beasts emerging from the mud, he finally broke through the chaos and arrived. Seeing the bloodstains on Xiao Yuxuan's face and the empty gate, Sheng Guo's eyes widened: "That Mo family woman..."
"Find him!" Xiao Yuxuan wiped the blood and mud from his face, his voice hoarse but resolute. "I want to see him alive or dead!" He couldn't accept that the soul, so persistent it bordered on obsession, that used destruction to fight destruction, had simply vanished into the raging torrents.
However, fate did not give him a chance to catch his breath and search for Jing Zhi's whereabouts.
"Xiao Yuxuan!!" A roar filled with rage and venom, like that of a wounded wild boar, came from above. Yan Song, the Water Conservancy Supervisor of Hexi, supported by several trusted officers, was covered in mud, his official hat askew, his fat face contorted and trembling with extreme anger. His small eyes were fixed on Xiao Yuxuan, as if he wanted to devour him alive. "It's you! It must be you who colluded with the Mo family witch, destroyed the dam and released the floodwaters, ruining the foundation of the country! Causing widespread suffering! You deserve to die! Men! Seize this traitor!" He roared hoarsely, trying to pin all the blame for this heinous crime and his own incompetence on Xiao Yuxuan! The several law officers who had been punished by Xiao Yuxuan before, their eyes gleaming with ferocity, drew their swords and, with a group of terrified soldiers, surrounded him menacingly.
Sheng Guo and his personal guards immediately drew their swords, shielding Xiao Yuxuan in the middle. The two sides confronted each other in the muddy ruins, the cold blades gleaming in the bitter wind and rain, the atmosphere tense and ready to explode at any moment. The cries of the refugees, the howling wind and rain, and the clashing of weapons formed a grim and chaotic backdrop.
At this critical moment, a swift horse, like an arrow released from a bow, broke through the rain, its hooves kicking up mud. The messenger on horseback was soaked to the bone, his face pale with urgency. He held aloft a bamboo intelligence tube adorned with a red feather signifying extreme urgency and shouted hoarsely, "Urgent report from Hexi! The enemy general, Huyan Zhuo, has personally led 20,000 elite cavalry, taking advantage of the collapse of the Luo River dam and the resulting panic, to breach the Xilingkou beacon tower! The vanguard is less than a hundred li from here! They boast... they boast they will massacre Hexi to avenge our previous defeat!"
Huyan Zhuo! This name, like a cold lightning bolt, cleaved through the chaotic rain and temporarily froze Yan Song's frantic framing. The Hexi region, already turbulent due to floods and displaced people, was now further devastated by the collapse of the Luo River dam, leaving the downstream area a vast swamp. The people's hearts were utterly broken. The estates and fortified villages occupied by the Legalist nobles were like open sheepfolds facing Huyan Zhuo's elite Di-Rong cavalry, renowned for their plundering and ferocity!
Yan Song's fat face twitched violently, his rage instantly replaced by immense fear. He looked around and saw that the remaining soldiers were all ashen-faced, and the refugees were like frightened birds. How could these remnants of the army and the terrified refugees possibly withstand Huyan Zhuo's iron hooves? He suddenly looked at Xiao Yuxuan, his eyes filled with struggle, resentment, and a hint of helplessness as he clung to a straw in his desperate situation.
Xiao Yuxuan met Yan Song's gaze, a mixture of fear and malice, his chest heaving violently. The raging flood had swallowed the innocent, Jing Zhi's fate unknown, Yan Song's framing hung like a knife at his throat, and now, the enemy's iron hooves had crushed his last chance to breathe! Anger, grief, the humiliation of being framed, the helplessness of protecting… all these emotions surged and roared within him like molten lava, threatening to tear him apart! He clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm, blood mingling with the raindrops dripping into the mud.
Just then, a calm voice pierced through the clamor of the wind and rain, sounding behind him with a strange power that soothed the raging storm: "General, though the time is in turmoil, the terrain still holds its advantage, and the hearts of the people are still within our grasp."
Xiao Yuxuan turned around abruptly. Sun Qian was already standing behind him, rain pouring down his straw raincoat and hat, his slender figure as steady as a mountain in the wind and rain. His cloudy eyes showed no panic, only an icy calm and a sharp, all-knowing insight. He slightly raised his hand, pointing to the rolling hills to the west, which appeared even more secluded and treacherous in the downpour—Black Stone Ridge.
“Huyan Zhuo is greedy for merit and reckless. He will surely travel swiftly along the official road through the river valley in order to plunder the wealthy fortified villages west of the river as quickly as possible.” Sun Qian’s voice was not loud, but every word was clear, like an invisible battle map unfolding in the mud. “On the western slope of Black Stone Ridge, there is a place called ‘Ghost’s Sorrow.’ The valley is narrow and winding, with steep cliffs on both sides and dense forests. With torrential rain, the mountain road is muddy, and his elite cavalry will lose all advantage in their charge. Our army can take advantage of the terrain and set up an ambush here.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the trembling refugees and remnants of the army, finally settling on Xiao Yuxuan's face: "The refugees from the collapsed dam have lost their homes and loved ones, their hearts filled with grief and resentment—these are 'sorrowful soldiers'! If the general can put 'stopping the war' in mind, not to protect the wealth of the powerful and wealthy, but to ensure the survival of the people, to protect their remaining homes from the slaughter by the barbarians… this heart and this will can inspire their courage to fight to the death! This is 'harmony among the people'!"
Sun Qian's words were like a beacon in the darkness, or a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the raging fire in Xiao Yuxuan's chest. His violently heaving chest gradually calmed, and the rage and grief in his eyes settled, replaced by a resilient and resolute coldness. He looked at Yan Song, his gaze like a blade forged from ice: "Commander Yan, Huyan Zhuo's iron hooves are approaching. Will you remain here and fight me to the death, waiting for the Di barbarians to bring their swords to your neck, or will you temporarily set aside your personal grudges and unite against the external aggression?"
Yan Song's face changed from pale to flushed, his lips trembling, and finally he squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "...The most important thing is to defend against the enemy! But I will definitely impeach him for what happened here!" He threw down this sentence with a fierce but weak expression, and then led his trusted officers to retreat hastily towards the relatively "safe" fortified village in the rear, clearly determined to stay out of the matter.
Xiao Yuxuan stopped looking at him. He took a sudden step forward, standing on a slightly higher mound of earth, rainwater streaming down his resolute features. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strange power, piercing through the wind and rain, clearly reaching the ears of every terrified refugee and surviving soldier:
"The Luo River has breached its banks, and our homes are destroyed! Is this a natural disaster or a man-made one? I, Xiao, will not argue! But now, the Di Rong Huyan Zhuo, taking advantage of our predicament, has already trampled through Xilingkou with his iron hooves! His army is a pack of wolves and tigers, leaving no survivors wherever they go! Men are slaughtered into mounds of corpses, and women and children are taken as slaves! Behind you are the remaining dwellings of your parents, wives, and children, and this land soaked with your blood and sweat, which, though ravaged by the flood, still has a breath left!"
He paused, his gaze sharp as he swept over the faces, numb and terrified from the rain: "I, Xiao Yuxuan! A criminal, stripped of my title and power! The court treats me like dirt, cruel officials frame me with false accusations! Yet my heart is as clear as the sun and moon—I am not a dog guarding the wealth of the powerful! I am only here for this land in Hexi, for the last glimmer of life! Only for you, the people struggling to survive on this scorched earth! I stand here not for glory or rank, but to build a wall of flesh and blood, for my parents, wife, children, and the remaining homeland behind me, to fight for a sliver of life!"
"Huyan Zhuo intends to massacre the Hexi Corridor, regarding you as pigs and sheep awaiting slaughter! Will you offer your necks to be cut down, allowing him to slaughter your relatives and burn your ruined homes? Or will you follow me into Black Stone Ridge, using the natural defenses and terrain to your advantage, with the spirit of a desperate army, to fight blood for blood, to risk your lives, to carve out a path to survival for your relatives and your homeland?!"
Silence reigned. Only the howling of the wind and rain. In the vacant eyes of the refugees, the numb ice began to crack. The grief of destroyed homes, the despair of separated loved ones, the deep-seated fear of the Di Rong, and the complex emotions towards the general before them—framed and exiled yet still standing before them—ultimately coalesced into a faint flame, yet stubbornly burning in the wind and rain.
A middle-aged man, covered in mud and with whip marks on his face, suddenly picked up a broken, sharp wooden stake from the mud and roared, "Let's do it! We're going to die anyway! Follow the general! Kill the Di dogs! Let's earn a way for our wives and children to live!"
"Kill the Di dogs! Fight for our lives!"
"Let's fight them!"
Once the flames of despair are ignited, they spread like wildfire! Thousands of refugees, regardless of age or gender, anyone capable of wielding a weapon, scrambled through the mud for stones, sticks, and broken farm tools. The surviving soldiers, infected by this tragic spirit, gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes rekindling with fighting will.
Xiao Yuxuan said no more, and suddenly waved his hand: "Sheng Guo! Take men and collect all usable weapons and arrows! Mr. Sun, please lead the way to Guijianchou as soon as possible!"
The army—no, it could no longer be called an army. It was a force composed of despairing soldiers, refugees, and remnants, carrying despair and their last hope. Led by Sun Qian, they plunged headlong into the deep, dark valley of Black Stone Ridge, shrouded in torrential rain and like the throat of a giant beast—the Ghost's Sorrow.
The valley, a place of dread, lived up to its name. In its narrowest points, only three riders could pass side-by-side. The cliffs on either side, as if cleaved by a knife, towered into the clouds, their jagged forms even more menacing in the torrential rain. The branches of ancient trees swayed wildly in the gale, emitting a mournful wail. The "path" beneath their feet had long been soaked into a viscous mud pit, each step sinking deep into it, making escape a struggle. The icy rain relentlessly washed over everyone, stealing away their last vestiges of warmth. The group trudged through the mud and darkness, the sounds of panting, groans of those who stumbled, and the soft clinking of weapons mingling together.
Sun Qian knew the terrain like the back of his hand, guiding the team precisely through the treacherous mountain paths like a silent ghost in the darkness. He would occasionally stop, pointing to an inconspicuous protrusion or crack in the cliff face, and whisper instructions to Xiao Yuxuan and the few temporarily appointed leaders: "At this cliff top, we can ambush fifty strong archers, and prepare rolling logs and rocks." "Ahead at the bend, the terrain widens slightly; we can set up tripwires and traps to slow down their advance." "The narrowest part of the valley is called 'A Line of Sky,' a dead end, but also a decisive battleground! We must have our elite soldiers guard both ends, and once the majority of them pour in, we can use oil and rolling logs to block their retreat, then gather them and annihilate them!"
Xiao Yuxuan swiftly deployed his forces, mixing able-bodied soldiers with strong refugees and assigning them to various pre-planned ambush points. The refugees were organized, using rocks, broken logs, and vines to construct makeshift yet deadly traps in the mud. Time was of the essence; every moment was precious. As the last group of soldiers dragged heavy logs up the slippery cliff top, the distant, thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed from the valley entrance! The sound grew clearer and clearer as it approached, and the earth trembled slightly in the mud!
Huyan Zhuo's vanguard has arrived!
The rain poured down, and the night was as dark as ink. The figures of the Di Rong cavalry loomed indistinctly outside the valley entrance, like a herd of beasts surging in the darkness. Without hesitation, relying on their superior horsemanship and fierce spirit, they plunged headlong into the narrow, muddy Ghost Sorrow Valley. Their warhorses neighed and struggled, sinking deep into the mud, their speed drastically reduced. Mud splashed, shouts rang out, and the once orderly formation instantly crumbled.
"put!"
At the top of the cliff, with a suppressed roar, the pre-prepared logs and boulders crashed down with the force of thunder! The thick logs and sharp-edged boulders rolled and leaped faster on the steep cliff face, emitting a terrifying roar, and slammed into the narrow and crowded Di Rong cavalry below!
"Boom! Crack!"
"Hiss—!"
Screams, the cracking of bones, and the dying neighs of warhorses ripped through the rainy night! Rolling logs crushed men and horses, turning them into a bloody pulp; boulders rained down, shattering helmets and skulls together! The muddy ground was stained crimson with blood, quickly washed away by the torrential rain, forming scarlet streams. The advance of the Di Rong vanguard was abruptly halted by this sudden onslaught of death, plunging them into chaos.
"Ambush! Dismount! Form ranks! Archers!" The shouts of the Di Rong officers rang out amidst the chaos. The well-trained Di Rong cavalry reacted swiftly, leaping from their horses and attempting to form a shield formation in the mud, while the archers hastily and blindly hurled arrows into the darkness above the cliffs on either side.
However, the nightmare for Guijiancho had only just begun. Traps and sharpened wooden spikes lurking in the mud were constantly triggered in the chaos. A Di Rong soldier charging ahead would trip and fall into the mud, only to be stabbed viciously from the side or back by hidden refugees using sharpened wooden spears! Screams of agony rose and fell. Suddenly, countless shadowy heads emerged from the steep cliffs on both sides, and stones and crude javelins rained down like hail, accurately striking the chaotic Di Rong soldiers below. These attacks, though not as deadly as rolling logs and boulders, were like leeches, relentlessly causing casualties and panic.
"Hold your ground! Charge forward! Charge through this narrow passage!" The Di Rong officer brandished his scimitar, shouting hoarsely as he urged his soldiers on. They knew that only by quickly charging through this deadly zone and entering the relatively open area ahead could they take advantage of their cavalry.
After paying a heavy price, Di Rong's vanguard finally braved a hail of arrows and rolling stones, advancing with great difficulty to the narrowest and most treacherous section of the valley—the "One Line Sky"! Here, the cliffs on both sides almost closed in, leaving only a narrow gap wide enough for two or three people to walk side by side. Above, jagged rocks resembled the fangs of a giant beast. Beyond the gap, a relatively open valley could be vaguely seen.
"Charge!" A ferocious gleam of joy flashed in the eyes of the Di Rong officer, as if he had seen a way out. The remaining Di Rong soldiers also unleashed a fierce will to survive, howling as they launched a desperate charge towards the narrow gap!
Just as they were about to rush into the crevice!
"Block the road!"
A thunderous roar erupted from behind the gap! Xiao Yuxuan, who had been lying in ambush, was covered in blood (both his own and his enemies'), like a war god crawling out of hell, a stolen Di Rong scimitar gleaming with a chilling light in his hand. Behind him stood Sheng Guo and dozens of his most elite soldiers and refugee warriors! They used their bodies, hastily felled giant logs, and collected tattered shields to desperately block the narrow gap!
"Kill—!" Xiao Yuxuan charged forward first! His blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, carrying a death wish, slashing fiercely at the centurion Di Rong who was charging at the front! The centurion raised his sword to block, a loud clang rang out, sparks flew! The immense force left his arm numb. Xiao Yuxuan followed up with a kick to his stomach, sending him flying backward, crashing into several men behind him!
When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave prevail! Let alone a desperate army fighting to the death! The entrance to the narrow passage instantly transformed into a brutal meat grinder! The two sides engaged in hand-to-hand combat in a space so narrow that it was almost impossible to turn around! The dull thud of blades cutting into flesh, the screams of the dying, the frenzied roars, the ear-piercing clash of weapons, mixed with the roar of the torrential rain, echoed wildly in this hellish crevice! The muddy ground was already stained dark red with blood and bits of flesh, and every step was incredibly slippery.
The ferocity of the Di Rong soldiers met with an even more resolute resistance! The refugees, their eyes bloodshot with rage, bit with their teeth, hurled stones, and clung to their enemies, rolling into the mud to their deaths! One refugee, missing an arm, used his remaining hand to cling tightly to the leg of a Di Rong soldier, biting his calf fiercely, refusing to let go no matter how the soldier hacked at him, until he was hacked to death! This madness of mutual destruction sent a chill down the spines of even the battle-hardened Di Rong soldiers!
"Set it on fire! Block their retreat!" Xiao Yuxuan parried a slashing curved blade, then stabbed the opponent in the throat with a backhand strike, roaring hoarsely at the top of the cliff.
The prepared oil canisters were ignited and thrown from the cliff tops on both sides! The target wasn't the narrow crevice battlefield (that would harm their own men), but the valley beyond the crevice, where the main force of the Di Rong vanguard was crowded! The burning oil canisters crashed onto the muddy ground, the piled-up corpses, and the struggling warhorses. Although suppressed by the rain, preventing a raging fire, they exploded into blinding flames and thick black smoke! More importantly, they ignited the oil-soaked dead branches and leaves that had been piled up beforehand in the narrow part of the valley!
Thick smoke billowed, and flames leaped stubbornly in the torrential rain! Although they couldn't form a wall of fire, the pervasive smoke and scorching heat, along with the sight of their fallen comrades reflected in the firelight, instantly intensified the panic among the main Di Rong force at the rear! Horses neighed in terror, soldiers shoved and trampled, and the already chaotic formation, weakened by the terrain, completely collapsed! Those in front were trapped in a death trap, unable to advance or retreat, while those at the rear were forced to retreat by the thick smoke and flames!
"General! Huyan Zhuo's central army banner has moved! They are retreating!" The soldier on the lookout at the top of the cliff shouted with joy!
At the entrance to the narrow pass, the remaining Di Rong vanguard completely lost their fighting spirit and began to retreat desperately, colliding with the main force that was also trying to retreat, causing even greater chaos!
"Chase!" Xiao Yuxuan wiped the blood and water from his face, his eyes burning with a cold flame. He knew the time for a counterattack had come!
"Woo-woo-woo-woo-"
Just then, a deep, desolate, and extremely penetrating horn sound suddenly came from the stormy night sky outside the entrance to Ghost Sorrow Valley! This horn sound was definitely not from the Di Rong! Its sound was far-reaching, carrying an ancient and solemn aura, instantly suppressing all the noise of the battlefield!
Immediately afterwards, from the direction of the valley entrance, the rear of the Di Rong army erupted in roars far more chaotic and terrified than when they had been ambushed before! Flames, shouts of battle, and the clash of weapons swept in from behind like a boiling tide!
"What's going on?!" Xiao Yuxuan abruptly stopped his pursuit, looking towards the valley entrance in surprise. The rain was pouring down, the night was deep, and only shadowy figures could be seen at the valley entrance, amidst fierce fighting. Di Rong's rear guard was clearly in complete disarray!
Who was it that, in this desperate situation on a rainy night, stabbed Di Rong in the back with a fatal blow?
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