Chapter 837: The Death of Huang Lie (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Huang Lie's knuckles cracked.
He stared at the scene at the front with a manic look in his eyes.
Only one voice kept echoing in my mind—
It's over! It's completely over!
He collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted, panting heavily, his forehead covered in beads of sweat.
"My lord—my lord—"
"Reporting, my lord—"
A series of panicked and worried voices entered his ears.
"My lord, something terrible has happened! The heavy shield warriors—"
The 15,000-16,000 heavy shield warriors put immense pressure on Chao Li Pass. The two sides fought a back-and-forth battle, and if it weren't for the 16th Grand Master's execution and the subsequent drop in morale, their chances of victory would have been much greater. When green particles of light drifted down from the sky, these bronze-skinned, iron-boned puppets instantly transformed into "living people," their mortal bodies trembling with fear at the sight of the bloodthirsty enemy soldiers at Chao Li Pass!
Some of the heavy shield warriors even fled, and morale collapsed!
The commanders of the various legions were completely unable to control the situation.
If this continues, the army is bound to be defeated!
"Does my lord have a plan?"
The Heavy Shield Warrior was made by Huang Lie himself.
Huang Lie should have a solution to the problem.
After a long while, Huang Lie slowly came back to his senses.
The High Priest of the Martial Spirit Totem's eyes were filled with venom!
Who was happiest about this dramatic turn of events?
It wasn't a guard, but Shen Tang.
She cupped her hands into a megaphone, her voice booming throughout the arena: "Huang Xiguang, your heavy shield warriors are completely finished. It's not too late to lay down your weapons and surrender now. The outcome is decided; continuing to resist is just a waste of lives. If you're willing to lay down your weapons, I won't kill anyone except you! Your soldiers will even be allocated land to cultivate and support their families!"
Huang Lie, she absolutely must kill him!
But if he surrenders, the others will survive.
Sacrifice one man for the happiness of millions of families.
Huang Lie was so angry that he clutched his chest, veins bulging on his forehead.
Shen Tang continued her verbal assault: "Your heavy shield warriors were recruited through crooked means. They traded their lifespans for their current abilities, risking their lives to serve you. Huang Xiguang, are you going to sit idly by and watch them die? Slaughter them all, leaving no survivors? Now, immediately, right now, you can save their lives by surrendering! Huang Xiguang!"
No one is better at twisting the facts than her.
As the Gu worms fell into slumber, the sluggish minds of these heavy-shield warriors returned to normal. Emerging from their dazed state, the immediate prospect of facing execution was unbearable. Panic and fear spread among them like a plague…
The spirit of facing death without fear was gone.
But that's not the worst of it!
The heavy shield warriors, without any training, could execute orders flawlessly under the control of the Gu worms; even the most elite troops couldn't match their uniformity. Therefore, when the Gu worms fell into a coma, they lost the combat qualities expected of a top-tier elite force.
He was just an ordinary person with a strong physique.
Disobeying military orders!
They cowered and dared not charge!
There were even cases of people who fell from the ladders due to their fear of heights...
Because they blocked the way in front, the trained ordinary troops in the rear could not advance, and chaos ensued at the foot of the city wall.
"I don't want to die! I don't want to die—"
"ah--"
Screams and wails erupted from the heavy shield warriors. Many of them had been forcibly given the drugs later and had no idea what price they would have to pay. When they heard Shen Tang say that it would consume their lifespan, they collapsed and went berserk on the spot, launching indiscriminate attacks.
Shen Tang further sowed discord: "Whoever can take Huang Xiguang's head will be richly rewarded! Past grievances will be forgiven!"
However, those around Huang Lie remained unmoved.
Until the very last moment, everyone wants to gamble on turning the tables!
But Huang Lie was already so enraged that his eyes were practically popping out of their sockets.
He created the Heavy Shield Warrior, and naturally he was aware of its connection to the Wu Kingdom's Gu scourge. He also knew that this killing machine would overdraw its lifespan and eventually collapse, and that it had a nemesis. However, Huang Lie was completely unable to resist its allure.
Overdrawing one's lifespan?
Which of the common people who fled with him wasn't facing certain death? Staying meant death, fleeing meant death; their lives were as worthless as weeds. Huang Lie thus gave them the choice. Take this pill, and they would either gain superhuman strength, no longer at the mercy of the powerful, and find a place for their families in the chaotic world, or they would die. Even though the success rate was low, eight or nine out of ten people still chose to take it.
Since they were going to die either way, they had no other choice.
With the number of heavy shield warriors increasing dramatically, Huang Lie, relying on this trump card, finally sat on equal footing with the likes of Wu Xian, possessing enough military power to threaten the tyrannical monarch Zheng Qiao. He rose from insignificant nobody to become a blade that takes the lives of the powerful and wealthy!
He set up a dragon-slaying team.
Huang Lie initially genuinely wanted to rescue the people from their dire straits. He wanted to lead those despised by the powerful and wealthy families and break their proud backbone. His call to action was met with overwhelming support from the common people, who had been driven to desperation.
But when did things start to change?
Perhaps it was when he stopped giving commoners the right to choose whether or not to become heavy shield warriors, perhaps it was when he truly took control of armed forces and began to eliminate dissidents, perhaps it was when the powerful warlords who had once oppressed him smiled and fawned over him, or perhaps it was when he began to deny his own status as a commoner... The beast in his heart called ambition grew bigger and bigger.
Huang Lie began to have other ideas.
He was no longer satisfied with the outcome of remaining in a remote corner.
The moment the Dragon-Slaying Game ends will be the moment he transforms into a true dragon and soars into the sky—the position of ruler can be held by noble families, powerful officials, commoners, thugs, beggars… why can’t he? As long as all his rivals submit and bow down, Huang Xiguang can also establish a country and become the founding emperor! This thought, like a venomous snake, tightly coiled around him!
Finally, Huang Lie succumbed to his ambition and greed.
The heavy shield warrior is no longer a desperate choice for the common people to survive; it is the sharpest blade in his hand!
One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers; how much more so for a ruler?
Huang Lie secretly allied with Zhang Yongqing, as Zhang was well aware of the scourge afflicting the Wu Kingdom. Although the alliance process involved a mix of persuasion and coercion, and was somewhat unpleasant, the outcome was positive, with Huang promising Zhang He a future division of the world. Everything progressed smoothly.
The entire process of the Dragon Slaying Campaign was under his control. Huang Lie deliberately delayed, using Zheng Qiao to wear down the other allies' forces and resources—although he had the support of heavy shield warriors, his physical strength was formidable, but his psychological defenses were weak. He could only seize the time to close the gap.
Huang Lie tasted the feeling of being in control of everything.
The nemesis of the heavy shield warrior?
Huang Lie has investigated; the Gongxi tribe is extinct!
Even though Gongxi Chou later appeared, his surname alone indicated he posed no threat and couldn't fundamentally counter his heavy shield warriors, a fact confirmed by Zhang He. However, all the arrangements fell apart from the very first appearance of the Martial Courage Totem High Priest!
There are actually high priests in the world...
Even though the opponent was only in the form of a martial arts totem, it belonged to Shen Youli, which made Huang Xiguang very uneasy. They wanted to kill Shen Tang, but at that time Shen Tang had just begun to show his talent. If Huang Lie and his companion used any underhanded tactics to force Shen Tang to defect to Zheng Qiao, it would be tantamount to digging their own grave. Then, Shen Tang took the initiative to divide his forces and circle around to the enemy's rear, which was exactly what Huang Lie and his companion wanted.
Shen Tang divided his forces and defeated them one by one, which made things much simpler.
Who knew that Gong Xichou would suddenly appear and take charge?
Huang Lie's plans were disrupted once again, as none of his pieces were willing to stay in their proper places! Even after he had eliminated Gu Ziyi and joined forces to surround Wu Zhaode, gradually eliminating his greatest threat, it was Shen Youli who ruined his plans again.
From the moment our home was robbed at Chaoli Pass, everything went against our wishes!
Huang Lie and Zhang He are both facing food shortages and are forced to fight a desperate battle against Shen Youli, where the outcome will determine the fate of all three families!
They thought they had an absolute advantage.
They were just waiting for Zhang He to lead his elite troops to flank them from behind, and to coordinate with him from the inside and outside, so that Shen Youli would surely be defeated here. However, unexpected things happened one after another.
Zhang He's premature exposure and the subsequent raid on Wu Xian's main camp have yet to yield any results. His elite heavy shield warrior legion, on which he placed his high hopes, should have been able to scatter the ashes of Chao Li Pass under normal circumstances. However, they have been held back by the defenders. The city walls, seemingly crumbling but constantly being repaired, have stubbornly remained standing, holding out until Shen Tang's return. Sixteen high-ranking officials have been beheaded, and the heavy shield warriors have been crippled by their natural enemy.
For a moment, Huang Lie's head was buzzing.
He didn't know which part of the process went wrong.
But the situation remains like a domino effect: as the first domino falls, the others follow in a chain reaction, until the entire structure collapses beyond repair!
On the battlefield, opportunities to fight are fleeting.
More than ten thousand shield-bearing warriors blocked the front line of the battle, directly causing chaos in Huang Lie's army formation and a sharp drop in morale. They also failed to stabilize the vanguard in time. At this moment, the initiative in this battle completely fell into Shen Tang's hands.
She raised her sickle high.
Now, another head has appeared on the scythe.
Zhang He and the sixteenth-rank Grand Master stood side by side.
She gathered her strength and shouted, "Zhang Yongqing's head is here! The head of Huang Xiguang's number one fierce general is here!"
Not knowing his real name, Shen Tang could only refer to him as "the fiercest general under Huang Xiguang," which was a fitting title, since there was indeed no general under Huang Lie who could fight better than him. She made her definitive judgment, even giving him credit.
These words plunged the battlefield into even greater chaos.
With a heavy creak, the tightly closed gates of Chaoli Pass swung open, and Lü Jue, leading over a thousand elite troops, charged out from within, their target the headless, shield-wielding warriors. Defense over; now it was time to attack.
There were other troops following him.
Chu Yao snapped out of his daze standing on the city wall, his hands now sweaty. He looked up at his lord's back and the barely noticeable young man in wide robes beside her, and a slight smile finally appeared on his usually serious lips.
See? This is his destiny!
A glimmer of hope appears in the face of adversity, and a new lease on life emerges from the darkness.
His principles of the scholar's way were indeed not deceiving him.
Jiang Xiandeng shared similar thoughts.
He secretly wiped away the sweat, and took the time to hydrate himself with his water pouch, moisturizing his dry, burning throat—fighting really takes a toll on a scholar's voice. He felt a little relieved.
With Huang Lie's army at the city gates, Jiang Sheng was worried upon seeing the strength of both his own and the enemy's forces. Could he hold out? Had the divination he had received earlier been a deception? After all, his scholarly approach could only provide temporary relief, while human effort could overcome fate, and divination did not represent the final outcome.
Seeing the battle situation completely tilted, Jiang Sheng couldn't help but mutter, "I told you Huang Xiguang didn't have the makings of a leader..."
In his earlier years in Luxia County, Jiang Sheng did not choose Huang Lie.
Now that the results are in, he is indeed not the final winner.
As the military classics say, "The way to be invincible is to defend; the way to be vulnerable is to attack. Defending is insufficient, while attacking is more than enough."
Offense is for the sake of defense, and it is also the best form of defense.
While holding Chaoli Pass at this point could force Huang Lie to retreat and minimize our own losses, it wouldn't expand our gains. Without gains, there's no merit. Letting Huang Lie go back to reorganize would only lead to greater losses later; it would be better to take the initiative and send troops.
Huang Liebing and his men never expected Shen Tang to be so daring.
Emmm...
It wasn't that Shen Tang dared to do it, but rather that her makeshift team was incredibly daring. While Chu Yao and the others appeared composed, they were actually all radical and adventurous, acting decisively and swiftly. Shen Tang's contribution to this battle was saving Wu Xian, killing Zhang He, defeating the sixteenth-rank Grand Master, and rescuing Wei Shou and Chu Jie. Furthermore, the High Priest was her martial prowess totem, so defeating the Heavy Shield Warrior also counted as part of her contribution.
Counting on her fingers, she had accumulated a great deal of military merit. Out of a desire to save money, she even put away the great hero's totem. Holding the long handle of the sickle, a hint of pride lingered between her brows.
Little did she know that joy would turn to sorrow, and the smile would not disappear, but would only transfer from her face to the faces of others—as the bloodshed on the battlefield spread, it attracted many birds of prey!
These birds of prey can fly even higher than Shen Tang.
Shen Tang: "..."
More and more birds were approaching from the Chaoliguan Mountains, and she immediately became irritated, saying, "Are these birds sick?"
Why do we have to target her for pooping when there are no other places to poop?
"Kang Jishou, you've cursed me again—"
In his anger, he choked on a mouthful of water.
Shen Tang opened her almond-shaped eyes wide, coughing until her face turned red.
"Cough cough cough cough—"
The coughs got worse with each cough, and he couldn't breathe properly.
Seeing this, Gong Xichou slapped her vest. If she hadn't steadied herself halfway, the slap would have been enough to knock Shen Tang into the pit: "Gong Xichou, you did this on purpose!"
“Mama, what are you saying? I clearly saved you.”
Shen Tang: "..."
She somewhat regretted putting away the Martial Spirit Totem ahead of time.
Gongxi Chou deserves another whack on the head with a wooden stick; he's asking for it!
Shen Tang glanced at Huang Lie's central position and weighed the pros and cons in her mind—she had taken the heads of Zhang He and the Sixteenth Grand Master, and taking Huang Lie's head would be a triple kill.
If they can't get it, those with obsessive-compulsive disorder always feel like something is missing.
Shen Tang turned to look at Kang Shi, assessing her own luck. She couldn't give up on this kill just because Kang Shi had died; she wasn't comfortable with the others ganging up on Huang Lie.
Decisively, I took matters into my own hands!
She carried a large scythe: "Huang Xiguang, I'm here!"
For the perfect triple kill!
Sibao County, the seat of government and government office.
Qi Shan had just recovered from a deadly cough when his back was brutally beaten again, nearly causing him to collapse unconscious onto the table. After a long while, rubbing his aching back, he frowned and muttered to his troublesome lord, "You never stop causing trouble all day long..."
Having such a lord—
It is truly a blessing bestowed upon us by our seven former lords from beyond the grave.
"Registrar, a letter has arrived!"
Qi Shan rubbed the bruises on her back and casually pointed.
"Put it on the table."
The clerk neatly stacked the letters on the table as instructed.
Two letters stood out in particular.
One of them was sent from the front lines to Qishan.
One was a letter with yellow lettering on a black background.
Waaaaah, it's almost the end of the month, do I still have any monthly passes left?
Whispering: Huang Lie is about to die, and Tang Mei's journey to establish the country and govern Zhou You is not far off.
_(:з」∠)_ My darling Thorn's monthly votes are really strong this month, I feel like my chrysanthemum is in some danger.
(End of this chapter)
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