Chapter 209: Chaotic Battle (Part Two) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Zhai Le was not to be outdone.
He immediately retorted, "Who will live and who will die is still unknown."
Gong Xichou sneered.
"Naturally—my life is your death!"
The long whip in his hand seemed to transform into a cunning and venomous dark green serpent, its tip shattering the sound barrier with a deafening crackling sound that made one's eardrums throb with irritation. The sharp barbs on the whip's body exploded, each gleaming with a chilling light, and if one got close, one could smell a decadent, cloying fragrance.
Zhai Le and Gong Xiqiu had a brief encounter.
Although he had some understanding of the latter, Zhai Le couldn't help but frown the moment the long whip appeared.
Completely different!
Gong Xichou at this moment was completely different from that night!
It's not that Gong Xichou from that night or this person today are fake, but the oppressive aura they exude is on a completely different level. Zhai Le had only felt the long whip was dangerous then, but this time he had a premonition—he was going to die!
Zhai Le had no choice but to grit his teeth and fight back.
He unleashed a jet of dark martial energy with all his might.
Gong Xichou's usually impassive expression finally cracked as he manipulated his whip, which was about to collide head-on with the martial energy, to dodge.
Without a target, the martial energy missed its mark and struck the ground, as smooth as a knife cutting tofu, leaving a mark half a palm wide and half a zhang deep!
"Unexpectedly, it's an improvement over last time."
He glanced at the footprints on the ground.
Martial energy, when condensed and not dispersed, possesses the power to cut through metal and jade. Ordinary martial artists, when using martial energy, at most use it to smash or overpower others, a crude and wasteful method with immense energy consumption and short-lived power. As one's level increases, the control over martial energy becomes increasingly refined.
If we compare the Danfu to a container.
So, if this container reaches a stage where it can no longer expand, then we need to find a way to compress and purify the contents of the container, freeing up more space to hold more things. Compressed martial energy is naturally more condensed and pure than uncompressed martial energy.
It may even undergo a qualitative change when a certain critical point is reached.
However, martial spirit is more violent than literary spirit and is not easy to tame.
It's like an extremely dangerous firecracker; once it fails to compress and condense, the first to suffer the consequences will not be the enemy, but itself.
Martial arts practitioners face increasing difficulty and slower progress in the later stages, requiring a long period of accumulation for every bit of advancement. This is related to the growing difficulty of compressing martial energy as one progresses. Furthermore, "compressing martial energy" is crucial for a ninth-rank, fifth-grade official to advance to the tenth-rank, left-hand chief!
Zhai Le is now a seventh-rank official.
Gong Xichou said seriously, "We really can't let you live!"
He charged towards Zhai Le like a cannonball, his long whip attacking at an extremely tricky angle, striking from both sides to cut off Zhai Le's retreat! However, the expected bloodshed did not begin to flow. Commander Yang angrily shouted, "I'm not dead yet—"
Although he was older, less talented, and far less attractive than Zhai Le, he was still a tenth-rank Left Vice Minister. There was no reason for him to let a young man kill Zhai Le in front of him. His arm muscles bulged, and he swung his hammer back.
Slap him in the face!
Another loud thud!
Commander Yang, his skills still sharp, faced off against Gongxi Chou head-on.
On the battlefield, few generals habitually use long whips, firstly because they are not very powerful, and secondly because they are difficult to control. However, this understanding was second only to that before meeting Gongxi Chou. Commander Yang felt the tremendous force of the recoil from the clash of weapons, and his tiger's mouth became slightly numb and red.
Such great power—
Only the thug who intercepted the tax silver that day could compare to him. If it weren't for the fact that his physique, appearance, and identity didn't match, Commander Yang would have even suspected that Gong Xichou was hiding behind a disguise to intercept the tax silver. Nevertheless, he still asked, "Boy, have you ever intercepted tax silver?"
After the attack separated them, Gong Xichou calmly retreated several steps, his breathing slightly labored, and asked, "Was your tax money intercepted?"
Commander Yang: "..."
It hit him right where it hurt!
Gong Xichou was also taken aback, not expecting that he had actually guessed correctly.
He laughed loudly, and Commandant Yang went up to slap him across the face.
"You little brat, what are you laughing at!"
Although Commandant Yang is forty-five or forty-six years old, his body is still at its peak for a martial artist. Commandant Yang is most skilled in swordsmanship, followed by hammer techniques. Although he is not born with superhuman strength, he can make up for it with skillful force, always catching his opponents off guard in battle.
After twenty or thirty moves, Gong Xichou became somewhat frustrated.
Captain Yang's hammer technique was quite deceptive.
It may seem like it follows a violent approach, striking with force and taking down opponents one by one, but in reality, the force of its strikes is far less powerful than it appears. It's also as sticky as candy, and if you're not careful, you can lose most of its strength. It truly understands the essence of "using four ounces to move a thousand pounds".
To put it simply, it's like hitting cotton with all your might!
It's okay once or twice, but it happens twenty or thirty times!
No matter how Gong Xiqiu adjusted his strength, Yang Duwei could always change his strength in the next move, disrupting his rhythm. Although it wasn't fatal, and didn't cause Gong Xiqiu any real damage, the feeling of frustration was quite disgusting.
Not to mention that Commandant Yang also had Zhai Le assisting him in harassing him. The more Gong Xichou fought, the more annoyed he became, and the more annoyed he became, the more irritable he felt. He roared, "Enough! That's enough!"
The already dense whip shadows, resembling a sudden storm, instantly became several times, ten times, or even dozens of times denser!
These whip shadows, some real and some illusory, are difficult to distinguish.
Although Commander Yang noticed, he couldn't react in time, and the heavy hammer in his hand was knocked out by the sudden, nearly doubled force. As the excruciating pain shot through him, he also heard a faint cracking sound!
Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhai Le drew his dark longbow!
Potential is most unleashed during crises.
Draw the bow and shoot the arrow!
A hundred streaks of light clashed with the whip's shadow with the speed of chasing stars and the moon. Immediately following, a series of loud bangs echoed through the air as the martial energy condensed into the whip's shadow collided and exploded with the arrows, then burst forth like firecrackers. Compared to the whip's shadow, the accidental success of the "hundred arrows firing simultaneously" was clearly insignificant, but it partially neutralized the attack and bought Captain Yang a chance to escape, allowing him to retreat several dozen feet!
Gong Xiqiu looked at Zhai Le more and more, wanting to take his head off.
He said, "Your archery skills are quite good, kid."
If it weren't for innate talent in this field, being able to condense a hundred arrows at once at the seventh-rank Duke level would be extremely difficult, inseparable from both talent and diligent cultivation. However, even a single success still relied heavily on luck. Gong Xi Chou: "A mere hundred arrows—"
He then let out another cold snort.
He also drew his bow and shot an arrow, his brows cold as he said, "I will generously show you what true 'archery skills' are, so that your journey in this world will not have been in vain!" As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding天地气 (heaven and earth energy) surged wildly, gathering towards his bowstring and fingertips!
Commandant Yang and Zhai Le's expressions changed drastically!
Seeing their reactions, Gongxi Chou felt a wicked sense of amusement welling up inside him. Taking advantage of the swirling winds created by the surging energy of heaven and earth, he lightened his body and, right before everyone's eyes, stepped on the air currents in his black boots, leaping seven or eight zhang into the air.
He said, "Take this!"
Despite his words, Commandant Yang and Zhai Le believed his lies and focused their martial energy on their bodies. However, just as Gong Xi Chou's arrow was about to leave the bowstring, the target suddenly changed, moving towards the drumming soldiers on the city gate of Xiaocheng!
In that instant, hundreds or even thousands of dark green streaks of light shot through the air.
On the walls of Xiaocheng—
From generals to soldiers, everyone was dumbfounded!
I never expected that the battle would turn into a large-scale army!
Moreover, the dueling grounds were right beneath the city wall, and Gongxi Chou's archery position was extremely close to theirs. At such a short distance, even a moment's distraction could send him to his death. Gongxi Chou's target was the drums, meant to boost the morale of the soldiers!
Once the drumming stopped, the morale blow was no less than if an army's battle flag had been shot down! Unfortunately, although they wanted to stop it, it was too late in practice! As arrows pierced their bodies, several drummers were riddled with arrows!
But that's not the most infuriating thing.
As Yang Duwei stared at the corpse falling from the city wall, his eyelids twitched uncontrollably, veins bulging on his forehead. The rage of being fooled caused his blood pressure to spike. Why "fooled"? The commotion Gong Xichou had created and the final commotion were completely inconsistent.
The arrows, condensed from compressed martial energy, could not only kill a group of people, but also pierce through the walls of Xiaocheng! And this was not just one or two arrows, but hundreds or even thousands of arrows fired simultaneously, with enough power to destroy half of the Xiaocheng city wall!
It was pure indiscriminate slaughter!
And what was the result?
Despite such a grand display, only a few drummers fell.
The others weren't even scratched.
What else could it be but malicious deception?
However, he was also genuinely relieved that it was just a "fool".
This dramatic scene successfully silenced both armies for a moment, followed by the rebels' rising morale, the sound of drums soaring to the sky, and twelve thousand soldiers raising their arms and shouting praises such as "Young General is mighty" and "Invincible".
The drumbeats from Xiaocheng were almost completely suppressed.
Upon seeing this, the martial arts expert who was temporarily in command gritted his teeth and cursed loudly. He strode forward and seized the nearest drumstick.
Use all your strength and mobilize all your martial energy!
Boom boom boom boom—the drumbeats, more intense than a torrential downpour, were deep, heavy, and filled with a fierce fighting spirit. Each beat pounded against the listener's heart, each strike a burden. The drumbeats seemed to possess a powerful force that made one's blood surge and one's blood rush.
That effect—
It was like performing CPR.
As blood surged and rushed through their bodies like waves, their gradually cooling hands and feet warmed up again, their faces flushed, and some even suffered nosebleeds.
As the energy of heaven and earth calmed down, Gong Xichou landed with a thud from high above. But before he could even regain his footing, two attacks arrived simultaneously.
Yang Duwei's sword, Zhai Le's spear.
They attacked from both the left and right.
The clash of swords and spears was so intense that it was impossible to see through them. Gong Xichou laughed heartily several times, then raised his arms and used his armored arm guards to forcefully withstand the blade of Yang Duwei and the tip of Zhai Le's spear.
His arms remained completely still, and he showed no signs of strain.
Zhai Le's facial muscles twitched violently!
The blade tip scraped against the metal of the arm guard, creating dazzling sparks. The ear-piercing sound penetrated the eardrums, making one's scalp tingle and feel as if it were about to explode!
After a fierce clash of forces, Gong Xichou single-handedly forced back the combined attack of Commandant Yang and Zhai Le!
Is this even human?!
Is this even human?
Even a thirteenth-rank mid-level soldier couldn't possibly withstand such a blow with armored arm guards! Gong Xichou raised his eyelids, glanced at the crack Yang Duwei had slashed into the arm guard, and clicked his tongue in displeasure. With a casual flick of his wrist, a thick, dark green mist surged from the shoulder armor, seeping into the arm guard along his arm, instantly smoothing out the small crack.
Gongxi Chou smiled and asked the two, "If you're going to 'go all out' now, what about the subsequent 'decline and exhaustion'?"
Using incantations to forcibly boost morale has a limited lifespan.
Once the time limit expires, the depleted energy will need time to recover. Soldiers are ordinary people; their bodies can only bear so much morale, and it's impossible to exploit them indefinitely. Using this incantation before the duel is even over is a recipe for defeat!
Commander Yang naturally understood this principle as well.
But the consequences of completely crushing morale are even clearer.
If the soldiers are not united, are afraid to fight, or are even driven to suicide by the enemy's morale, and end up scattered like sand, then defeat is inevitable! Between two evils, choose the lesser. If it were Commandant Yang standing on the city wall, he would also be willing to exhaust his strength and fight to the death!
At this moment, Commandant Yang said, "You may leave!"
Gong Xichou had withstood several attacks, and upon hearing this, he thought he had misheard, as if he had seen a ghost: "I'm going down?"
No one has died yet, and the duel is still undecided.
They actually let him go?
Was the old man stunned by the blow?
Commandant Yang ignored him: "Zhai Yishi, you may leave!"
Gong Xichou: "Let him go? Did you ask me?"
He even wanted to kill Zhai Le.
I don't believe I can't kill him!
"At this point, Zhai Yishi has done more than enough, and I am extremely grateful. There is really no need for him to risk his life further. I wish you continued success in your military career! I am willing to live and die with Xiaocheng—" After saying this, Yang Duwei's face became more somber and showed a kind of terrifying determination.
Gong Xichou frowned.
They even stopped what they were doing, wanting to see what Commandant Yang was going to do.
Zhai Lefu seemed to understand something deeply.
He opened his mouth, trying to stop him, but—
Zhai Ledao said, "I wish you great success in your military endeavors."
Captain Yang's straight spine bent slightly as if he were relaxing, and his muscles seemed to have lost their strength. He looked relaxed and leisurely, and his imposing aura was completely subdued. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary person wearing a rather imposing set of armor, posing no danger whatsoever.
but--
That's just at first glance.
Commandant Yang stepped forward.
He moved very slowly and his steps were heavy, unlike someone who practiced martial arts.
Strangely, its momentum suddenly surged by nearly double!
The second step is to raise it even higher!
Step three!
Step 4!
Step 5!
By the seventh step, his momentum was approaching that of Gong Xichou, and finally he was slightly ahead of him! Commander Yang stopped advancing, but his cheeks flushed an unusual red, his eyes were bloodshot, his Adam's apple bobbed unnaturally a few times, and his lips were tightly pressed together. He dared not open his mouth again.
It was as if a violent and restless martial aura would leak out of his mouth the moment he opened it. Seeing this, Gong Xichou finally looked him in the eye, because the instincts of a martial artist told him—the Commandant Yang before him could kill him, could threaten his life!
He said, "Since that's the case, I will grant you this favor—"
"To die here with dignity!"
Even if I don't die here, I'll be a useless person even if I live.
For a warrior who had once fought on the battlefield, this was more painful than being slowly sliced to death, and Gong Xichou decided to respect his opponent.
Show us your true skills!
"As expected—Gong Xichou went easy on me last time."
I thought they had released a pond, but it turned out to be a river!
Shen Tang felt extremely angry!
On the city wall, in a corner that no one notices.
She and Qi Shan rushed over only to witness this scene. They were about to fight their way out when Gong Shuwu grabbed their shoulders. Banbu said with utmost solemnity and seriousness, "Let this battle end."
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(End of this chapter)
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