Chapter 208: Chaotic Battle (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Gong Xiqiu held a uniquely shaped double-crescent-shaped halberd in one hand. The halberd was dark green all over, with a snake-head-like tip and a red tassel. The handle was decorated with delicate snake scale patterns. At first glance, it looked like a giant dark green python.
He slammed the handle of his halberd heavily to the ground.
The seemingly effortless movement sank several inches into the soil, and spiderweb-like cracks spread outwards from its center in all directions.
The young man had a youthful face, and his raised eyebrows exuded confidence and vigor. His aura was powerful and pervasive; in that instant, even the soldiers atop the city walls felt a chill to the bone, as if a venomous snake with its head held high had its eyes fixed on their vulnerable necks!
"Since you refuse to surrender, then let's fight!"
Beneath the city wall, Gongxi Chou rode on his warhorse.
The towering structure stood silently bathed in the slanting, brilliant sunlight, enveloped in a hazy glow. On and below the city walls, more than 20,000 people remained completely silent, not uttering a single sound, save for the biting wind and the fluttering banners.
He confidently raised his head, his eyes blazing, his serpent halberd pointing at the leading warrior on the city wall, his movements brimming with provocation.
The leading martial artist had a solemn expression on his face.
It wasn't that he didn't want to leap down and fight the youth to the death, but that he couldn't. Even with just a simple exchange of glances, an invisible battle of auras had already begun. Unlike Gong Xichou's nonchalant attitude, he felt a vast, tidal wave of pressure pressing down on him!
At this moment, Gong Xichou was no longer a person in his eyes!
It was a thousand-strong army beating drums and shouting battle cries!
It's like ten thousand horses galloping and kicking up dust!
In a daze, Gong Xichou's figure rapidly enlarged before his eyes, growing as tall as a mountain in just a few breaths! He even saw the phantom of countless venomous snakes writhing behind Gong Xichou, each flicking its tongue, its snake eyes cold and sinister!
He thought the whole process had taken a long time, but in reality, only a few breaths had passed. When he came to his senses, he realized his forehead was already drenched in sweat, cold sweat soaking his black hair beneath his helmet. He hardened his heart, bit his tongue, and forced himself to muster his strength to fight back!
Gong Xichou's eyes lit up, and he became somewhat interested.
Fighting wasn't his favorite thing, but he loved to fight!
"This humble general requests to fight!"
Upon seeing this, one of his subordinates clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and volunteered to fight.
The acting commander was about to reprimand him and order him to step back.
He couldn't see through the young man's strength and aura below!
This was something that even Commandant Yang had never done.
If Commander Yang was a hill within sight—even if it was a distant dream, at least it was visible—the young general challenging him below was not. In his eyes, Gongxi Chou was a hazy island shrouded in sea fog.
At first glance, it seems like you can see it, but is the island really there?
Even more terrifying is—
Commandant Yang is a tenth-rank Left Vice-Chief!
He was promoted to the ninth rank of fifth-grade official at the age of thirty, and it took him another fifteen years to break through to the tenth rank of left vice-chief. How old is the young man below him?
My chances of winning against this person in battle are almost zero!
Who knew that this simpleton with his thick legs would step on the wall and jump!
They didn't even bother going through the city gate.
"Finally, they've come down!" Gong Xichou's eyes lit up as he watched the brown-haired warrior leap down from the city wall with a loud thud. He didn't care who it was. Seeing that the enemy showed no intention of remounting, he jumped off his horse and laughed loudly.
However, what she said was incredibly infuriating!
He actually said to the newcomer, "Come on! Let's have a good fight, and I'll grant you the most glorious death in the martial arts arena!"
"You brat, don't be so arrogant!" Although he had lost in terms of momentum, the subordinate official was not about to swallow his anger at Gong Xi Chou's provocation. He conjured a pair of heavy double axes and roared, "My axe does not kill nameless nobodies. State your name!"
The young man was not angry and said, "I am Gongxi Chou!"
Gongxi Chou?
I've never heard of that name before!
"Good! Remember this! The one who killed you was your father!"
He immediately roared in fury, stomped his foot hard, and seemed to transform into a ball of earth-brown energy, charging towards Gong Xichou with a murderous roar! He left a series of deep and clear footprints in his path!
Gongxi Chou had been waiting for a long time, and instead of retreating, he advanced!
boom!
A loud bang!
Accompanied by a piercing, ear-splitting metallic clang, the two martial energies clashed. The martial artist from Xiaocheng was also quite skilled; those heavy double axes, weighing over a hundred pounds, were as light as feathers in his hands.
His strength was almost comparable to that of a tenth-rank Left Vice Minister.
Even Commander Yang wouldn't dare to confront them head-on!
But this time they've run into a tough opponent!
Gong Xichou was a bit taller than him, but not as burly. He initially thought Gong Xichou wasn't a martial artist who relied on strength, but the moment the double axes clashed with the halberd, he knew he was wrong, terribly wrong! Gong Xichou's strength was clearly astonishing!
Yang Duwei struggled to receive his full-force attack, his veins bulging, but Gong Xichou remained calm, except for his increasingly bright eyes!
"Perfect timing! Let's have another one!"
The two separated immediately upon contact. The subordinate officer used the momentum of the impact to leap several dozen feet into the air. As his center of gravity shifted, the muscles in his arms visibly bulged, pushing open his arm guards. He then used his martial energy from both axes to create a giant phantom of a brown bear, which he then attacked Gong Xichou from above.
The phantom of the brown bear was three zhang tall.
Clench both fists and bring down a powerful slam!
Gong Xichou flicked his right arm, and the double-crescent-shaped halberd shot out a burst of dark green martial energy, instantly condensing into a nearly materialized, dark green, net-patterned giant python. The moment this giant python appeared, the surrounding world seemed to freeze solid. It sprang upwards, opened its blood-red maw, its venomous fangs flashing out, and bit down on the phantom brown bear's paw. The python's body quickly coiled around it, its muscles contracting!
clang--
A deafening roar rang out.
Immediately following was a cracking sound that almost no one could hear.
The official's left-hand giant axe was pierced through by the serpent halberd in the blink of an eye. Before he could react, Gong Xichou's wild and arrogant face rapidly enlarged, followed by a splitting pain in his abdomen, and his body flew backward.
Bang!
The drumming fell silent for a moment.
The next instant, the rebels' drums roared so loudly they seemed to pierce the heavens, while the sound of Xiaocheng's drums seemed to falter. The official's body left a long, bloody trail on the ground. A sharp pain in his abdomen spread throughout his body; he vomited a mouthful of blood and struggled to his feet.
One of the two axes shattered.
The remaining radiance grew increasingly dim.
The giant axe, normally as light as a feather, was now so heavy he almost couldn't lift it. The subordinate struggled to his feet, Gongxi Chou becoming increasingly blurry in his vision. Although he couldn't see him clearly, he knew his opponent hadn't pressed his advantage, a fact that filled him with humiliation!
"You brat—"
Why did you stop?
Are you looking down on your father?
The official's face was mostly stained with the blood he vomited.
He thought he was letting out a furious roar, but it was actually a faint, intermittent whisper. Then he sensed something was wrong; his limbs felt increasingly cold. The giant axe he held in his hand grew heavier and heavier, more than a hundred times heavier than usual!
On the battlefield, a fierce wind howled.
The official felt a gust of wind penetrating his body.
Bow your head slightly—
His gaze passed through the armor at his waist and landed on the yellow earth and gravel behind him. The subordinate's eyes widened slightly. A steady stream of blood seeped from the gash in his abdomen, dripping and soaking the yellow earth beneath his feet, merging with the blood-red "groove" left on the ground. He opened his mouth, struggling to lift his head.
The metallic clanging of the armor amplified near my ears.
They approached together with Gong Xichou's figure.
As time and blood flowed, the sound grew increasingly faint and distant, as if coming from the far reaches of the heavens. He gripped his massive axe tightly; a flash of white light streaked across his neck, and his vision blurred as the world spun around him. After that, he knew nothing more.
Gong Xichou coldly stared at the head rolling at his feet and muttered something.
"Not just anyone can be my father. First of all—you have to be tough!" He casually flicked the blood off his hands.
The subordinate official thought a long time had passed, but from the moment he was hit, got up, to Gongxi Chou's finishing blow and beheading, it was only a few breaths.
Gong Xichou repeated that sentence once again.
"You may surrender now and have your lives spared!"
From his perspective, he spoke from the heart.
But for Xiaocheng, it was a further provocation and humiliation!
"You brat!"
The martial arts expert, who was temporarily in command, was so angry that he punched a pillar.
Unfortunately, they were completely defenseless against them.
Gong Xichou's martial energy could condense into a nearly tangible "martial courage," proving that his strength was at least at the thirteenth-rank middle level, which was far beyond their ability to deal with. Even if Captain Yang were present, in a one-on-one situation, the only outcome would be death.
Below the city walls, Gongxi Chou was still challenging them to battle.
"No way? He gave up after just one fight?"
Duels in battle are an old tradition.
In a one-on-one fight, a martial arts master with both literary and martial prowess completely overwhelms an ordinary person; the latter is nothing more than an ant compared to the former, and any damage they inflict is negligible. In a chaotic battle, the destructive power that a high-level martial arts master with martial prowess can cause is quite astonishing.
However, this does not mean that martial arts masters are truly invincible.
Even ordinary soldiers without martial prowess can utilize "qi," which is neither martial qi nor literary qi, but the mysterious and profound "morale." Morale can also mobilize the power of heaven and earth, even if a person's "morale" is only a drop of water, which is of little use.
But water droplets can also converge to form rivers and oceans!
The stronger the momentum, the higher the morale, and even if the warriors leading them are not of high rank, they can still be invincible when combined with the military formation.
Fighting on the battlefield is not only to demoralize the enemy and weaken their strength, but also to boost our own morale.
Once morale is boosted, simply use the "One-Shot Kill" incantation, and you'll be as if divinely aided. There are many examples of the weak defeating the strong in the past, where the weaker side was forced into a desperate situation, unleashed a powerful surge of morale, fought with their backs to the wall, and wiped out the stronger side in one fell swoop.
The martial arts expert, who was temporarily in command, gritted his teeth.
Another subordinate officer volunteered.
We have no choice but to fight or not fight.
I'd rather die beneath the city walls than suffer this humiliation!
"I'll have a go at you!"
Just then, a loud shout came from afar.
The steed trod on four balls of burning martial energy, moving so fast that it seemed to be flying through the air, with a person straddling its back.
Upon seeing the familiar figure on horseback, the soldiers on the city wall regained their morale, the waning drumbeats rose again, and some even shouted. The acting commander, a valiant warrior, suddenly widened his eyes, his fists trembling slightly at his sides.
The person who arrived was none other than Commandant Yang, who had been missing for a long time.
It's not accurate to say it disappeared.
He was assigned a legitimate mission to escort tax silver but was reassigned, yet he unexpectedly appeared on the battlefield at a crucial moment.
Gong Xichou said, "You have become somewhat stronger."
However, seeing Yang Duwei's haggard face, Gong Xichou couldn't help but speak the truth: "You're not young anymore, and you look so haggard. It's not worth coming up here to die. I've always respected the elderly and cared for the young. If you go down, I'll spare your life."
Commandant Yang sneered: "So confident?"
Gong Xichou said, "The disparity in troop strength is too great. Anyone with eyes can see who is the one who is going to their death. Why are you doing this, old man?"
In today's world, forty-five or forty-six-year-old Commandant Yang would be considered "advanced age," certainly deserving to be called "old man," a typical age for enjoying the company of his grandchildren and the pleasures of family life. Gong Xichou's "truthful words" failed to anger Commandant Yang, who remained calm.
Commandant Yang said, "That won't do."
Gong Xichou sighed, "We still have to fight."
Even if you love fighting, you don't like killing people every day.
Commandant Yang asked him, "Are you sighing because you feel it's unfair?"
Gong Xiqiu spoke frankly: "There is indeed a suspicion of taking advantage of the elderly."
Commander Yang, with an air of self-righteousness, offered a suggestion: "Since that's the case, let's be fair. How about two against one? One old and one young against you, a young man, that's fair."
Gong Xichou: "..."
He thought his "naturally dark" personality was shameless enough, but he never expected that this Commander Yang would be even more outrageous, taking advantage of his age right in front of him and demonstrating what it meant to "abuse one's seniority"! He asked somewhat awkwardly, "Oh? Which 'younger' are you talking about?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a powerful killing intent swept through the air.
"Byakuya!"
The bowstring hummed, and a dark arrow flew toward his vitals.
The arrowheads gleamed coldly.
Gong Xichou's expression remained unchanged.
Without even glancing at the direction from which the arrows were coming, he transformed one hand into a bow and the other into an arrow, retaliating with equally exquisite archery skills.
There was a clanging sound from the arrowhead, followed by the arrow shaft splitting open.
Gong Xichou's arrow exploded with a loud bang, its shaft faintly shimmering with dark green snake shadows. With overwhelming force, it pierced through the dark-feathered arrow, its momentum undiminished as it flew towards the enemy. Gong Xichou felt this martial energy was somewhat familiar, but couldn't immediately recall where he had encountered it before.
Until the "young" in Yang Duwei's words remained unchanged, he fired two arrows at once, barely managing to neutralize Gong Xichou's counterattack.
"Oh, it's you."
Gong Xichou looked at Zhai Le, who was dressed in dark armor.
Before Zhai Le could answer, he said, "I spared your life last time, but instead of cherishing this hard-won life, why are you rushing to your death again? This time on the battlefield, out of respect for my opponent, I will not show any mercy. Anyone who fights me either kills me or is killed by me; there is no third way!"
Gong Xichou is alive now because his enemies are all dead.
Zhai Le said, "If I'm afraid to fight, then I'm finished."
Gong Xiqiu nodded in satisfaction.
He said, "Hey, it's fine if you come here to die."
The serpentine halberd in his hand transformed into the long whip he had seen before. The whip hung down like a dark green serpent, but the stench of blood was more than ten times stronger than before, along with a chilling, viscous, bloody killing intent!
Gong Xichou said coldly, "To avoid becoming a future problem while still alive!"
(`)
Sigh, numbered headings really save a lot of brain cells.
But since I don't really like it, I'll try to change it and make it shorter...
(End of this chapter)
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