Chapter 53 Attendant Twenty-One
The key to cavalry versus infantry lies in their warhorses.
Shinjuku thought to himself, "So what if they have more horses?"
He thought of the Ferghana horse of the King of Zhen, and even the birds and beasts of the West Horse Ranch, and couldn't help but come up with a plan regarding his own reaction.
Therefore, Shinju did not hesitate to let Xilu stay here to help the Nian army resist for a while, and told her not to be reckless. Then Shinju opened his divine sense, leaving a trace of his mind on her, and then quickly left to find an advantageous position.
"...This should be fine."
Shinju lightly touched the top of a spruce tree with his toes. After a moment of introspection, he channeled the refined toxins within his body to his palm. A tiny vortex then condensed on his palm, gradually changing from colorless to inky black as it swirled. Finally, the vortex dissipated, leaving a handful of black powder on his palm.
Shinjuku's canine tooth pierced the tip of his tongue, and a drop of golden, shimmering immortal blood dripped from the crimson tip, falling into the powder. Then, he clenched his fist, inhaled deeply as if swallowing a whale, and blew sharply into his knuckles—
In his mind, the wind on the battlefield was like a wide spring river, cascading down from beneath his feet. The waves carried specks of ink as fine as stardust, surging towards the enemy cavalry formations engaged in fierce combat below.
"Hahahaha! Accept your fate! You bunch of pigs, you only deserve to be sliced into pieces and boiled in soup!" A general from Yifeng Kingdom, riding a fierce horse, slashed down with his long-handled sword, finally shattering the battered shields of the Nian army. He pulled hard on the reins, and his warhorse's iron hooves rose high and slammed down, instantly turning Nian soldiers, shields and all, into mincemeat.
The general threw his head back and laughed, leading his soldiers through the breach in single file. More and more shields were shattered, more and more comrades were impaled by spears, and despair gradually appeared on the faces of the Nian Kingdom's soldiers.
However, just as the enemy's stronghold of spears and shields was about to be crushed, the enemy cavalry suddenly changed their expressions. In an instant, many of them screamed and fell from their horses, only to be swept under the merciless hooves of their warhorses.
Although the Nian army was unclear about the sudden turn of events, the sight of enemy cavalrymen falling from their horses one after another was undeniable. They swallowed hard, their eyes hardening with renewed ferocity.
At this moment, someone shouted, "The warhorses have gone mad! Everyone back off! Wait until the horses are far away before going in to finish them off! Don't let a single Maple bandit escape!!"
The soldiers responded enthusiastically and quickly adjusted their formation.
The warhorses abandoned the Maple Army soldiers without hesitation, and the Maple Army was helpless. These warhorses seemed to have never been trained with them at all; no matter how much they whipped or pulled the reins, they could not stop the warhorses from galloping wildly in a certain direction, as if some monster was chasing them.
A thousand horses galloped, and the earth trembled. They fled far away, and countless soldiers gave way along the way, none daring to step forward and rein in these ownerless horses.
Those were crucial warhorses, warhorses capable of influencing the course of the battle. Both the Feng and Nian armies coveted them, each determined not to let the warhorses fall into enemy hands.
So they fought fiercely while chasing after their warhorses.
However, a figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere, right in front of the herd of warhorses. The horses halted instantly, neighing loudly, but refusing to advance an inch.
The soldiers of both armies looked around in bewilderment, unable to understand what had happened. Most of them couldn't even notice the boy's figure, which was completely obscured by the tall horses; only a few soldiers from the Nian Kingdom on the outermost edge saw him.
His graceful figure was like a fairy descended to earth, but unfortunately, he was stranded on this cruel battlefield, and no one had the strength to save him.
Just as they were lamenting their loss, the masked boy suddenly raised his voice and uttered a horse-taming incantation, "Kukan."
Although the tone was neither high nor deep, it clearly reached everyone's ears, indicating that the voice had been amplified with internal force.
Then a strange scene unfolded: most of the warhorses suddenly raised their front legs, then pulled back their hind legs, and jumped in place.
Shinju's face immediately darkened, and his eyes filled with coldness.
He tore off the cloth armor of a warhorse that could understand Nianguo language commands and found a clear "梧" character printed on its rump.
"Hmph, just as I thought. Horses from Wucheng have appeared in the enemy camp." Wucheng is one of the seven cities responsible for logistical support among the ten border cities. It has abundant grasslands, and its warhorses are renowned for their superior quality.
Shinju's whisper, amplified by his inner force, reverberated across the battlefield, shocking the Nian army. Considering everything that had just transpired, how could they not understand the true ownership of these warhorses? Their fury burned fiercely. Nian soldiers fend off enemy attacks, seizing opportunities to seize the horses and mount them. Feng soldiers, meanwhile, launched surprise attacks while hurling insults at the Nian army, calling them "horse thieves." However, this time, no one paid attention to their blatant lies, for they were quickly overwhelmed by the Nian army's swift and powerful offensive, their curses drowned out by the iron hooves of their horses.
Seeing that the situation was gradually turning around, Shinju mounted his horse and rushed back to where Sairo was.
Unexpectedly, before they had even reached the middle of their journey, a huge commotion suddenly erupted to the east. The ground trembled violently, and a hail of arrows rained down with a whooshing sound. Shinju rode against the enemy lines, only to be instantly enveloped in a rain of arrows, his ears filled with the panicked shouts and curses of the enemy soldiers.
Shinju casually deflected the flying arrow, doubled the range of his divine sense, and instantly locked onto the figure in front of the dark army formation to the east—
At this moment, the silver armor on the King of Zhen was stained with blood, making it blend seamlessly with the ochre-red outfit underneath. The murderous aura emanating from him made him look like a demon from the underworld. This terrifying power alone was enough to frighten many soldiers of the Maple Kingdom into immobility, and some even collapsed to the ground, crawling away in a sorry state.
However, the golden halberd in the hands of the Poison King suddenly flashed with a cold light, and before any cries of agony could rise, heads rolled into the yellow sand.
The image of the King of Poison fighting a bloody battle was now firmly imprinted in Shinju's bright golden eyes.
...Oh no, what's he admiring? He sneaked out! Oh no, I absolutely can't let the Poison King find out.
Shinju shook his head violently, decisively abandoned the horse, raised his hand and slapped the horse's rump, urging it to run in the opposite direction from the center of the battlefield.
Fortunately, the Maple Army had to turn back to resist the reinforcements of the Poison King, making his journey against the flow of traffic less conspicuous. However, his clean clothes still drew attention, so Shinju decided to roll on the ground to smear some blood on himself and his face, so he would look like a real soldier.
However, when he pulled off the cloth covering his face, the King of Poison in the distance seemed to sense something and suddenly looked towards Shinju from afar.
Masakatsu didn't notice, because he happened to be entangled by several soldiers from the Maple Kingdom. The soldiers saw that Masakatsu had fair skin and tender flesh, so they thought he was easy to deal with, and his appearance was completely different from that of the Maple Kingdom people. So they grabbed their sword hilts and charged at him.
Masakatsu was unwilling to linger here and planned to finish the battle quickly. However, after taking down several people in succession, he was spotted by a general who was as big as a small mountain not far away.
The general of Feng Kingdom grinned maliciously as he wielded his serpent spear, and with a swift thrust, attacked Zhen Su's back with overwhelming force.
Just as Shinju was about to turn around to defend, a metallic clang came from behind, as a golden halberd circled around the spear and then swung to the side, causing the spearhead to suddenly deflect.
A flash of golden light, and the next moment, the burly general of the Maple Kingdom clutched his suddenly empty neck, spitting out a sky full of blood, and collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"!!" Shinju suddenly turned around and what came into view was the King of the Poisonous King's sinister expression with eyes wide open, and his arm reaching out to him as he bent down and leaned over.
Shinju felt a tightening around his waist, and subconsciously felt the weight of his body disappear. The King of Zhen then lifted him onto the Ferghana horse and held him tightly in front of him and in his arms.
Iron hooves pounded, horses jolted, and amidst the flashing blades, the golden halberd fiercely carved a bloody path, advancing relentlessly. Shinju's back pressed against the breastplate of the King of Venom, feeling a powerful, thumping vibration. Gradually, he couldn't distinguish whether the pounding of the heart was coming from behind him or from within himself, and a rare look of bewilderment appeared on Shinju's face.
"Are you injured?" The question came from behind him, and upon closer listening, it sounded like he was gritting his teeth.
Shinjuku shook his head and remained silent.
King Zhen was still reeling from the shock, his palms sweating profusely as he gripped his halberd. Heaven knows that the moment he saw Shinju appear in the enemy ranks, his mind went blank, and for the second time, he truly understood what "fear" meant.
It wasn't that he was afraid the man would "defect," but rather that he was afraid the man would be harmed in the slightest, especially since he had just personally ordered the archers to launch an attack.
The madness in the eyes of the Poison King had not faded, and he could not calm down for a long time.
Looking at their route, Shinju suddenly remembered something and quickly pointed to a spot, saying, "Siri! I left her there!"
"...You've really got some nerve." King Zhen sighed angrily and rode his horse off in that direction.
.
After sending Zhen Su and Xi Luo back to their camp, the King of Zhen left without stopping.
Before leaving, he specifically told Masakatsu, "I can handle this. Don't let me catch you running around again."
Then, Xi Luo watched as her "master" nodded obediently, and she had no choice but to nod as well, since the King of Poison's gaze was truly terrifying.
Then King Zhen led dozens of soldiers to escort him and charged into the battlefield once again.
Mayuki rubbed his nose, regretting that he probably wouldn't be able to fool him this time.
.
The battle ended so quickly that it surprised everyone.
Within two hours, the main battlefield outside Langcheng had already decided the outcome. Despite being outnumbered, the Nian army achieved a crushing victory, wiping out the main force of the Feng army. Apart from those captured and those who escaped, the remaining thousands of soldiers retreated to the border.
"Those damned pigs are untrustworthy! They promised to take care of him on the way, so why is he still fighting? Could it be that they can't do anything about that madman?! They just watched him attack our army and slaughter so many of our brothers!!" The remnant generals of Feng Kingdom only dared to shout curses after crossing the border.
"General, the gates of Dawn City are opening. We can muster our troops and return to defend the city before the enemy catches up," the subordinate reported.
"It's been so long... and they haven't caught up yet?" The general sensed something was amiss, but the situation was urgent, and he had no time to ponder it. He only knew that if that killing god truly caught up, they might not see the next dawn. So he waved his hand, "Return to the city immediately!!"
After reorganizing their troops, they filed into Dawn City through its open east gate. However, as the east gate slammed shut, a hail of arrows rained down from the watchtower. A white-haired man appeared on the tower, his gaze calm and detached, as if he were looking down upon a group of dead men. Holding a sword, he leaped from the watchtower, shattering the blue bricks and stone slabs upon his landing.
“Xi Tongzhao…why, why are you here? You, weren’t you guarding Langcheng all along? —Could it be!!” After using his men to shield himself from the rain of arrows, the general stared incredulously at the man slowly walking toward him.
"The hatred for my Xi family, the hatred for my brothers in the army, and the hatred for those who invaded my borders—today, I can finally avenge them." Xi Tongzhao's hand holding the hilt of his sword trembled violently for a moment before he suddenly raised it.
"ah--"
.
Back to this side.
The army had won a great victory in its first battle, and everyone was resting in the camp. However, after returning, the King of Zhen did not rest for a while and kept listening to reports from all sides.
"Your Majesty, good news has arrived from Dawn City! After General Xi left Lang City through the secret passage, he led 8,000 reinforcements from the seven cities and captured Dawn City. Then, he trapped them like turtles in a jar and killed all the remaining soldiers and generals of Feng Kingdom in one fell swoop, leaving only a hundred logistics prisoners and 20,000 civilians of Dawn City."
"Escort the strategist into Dawn City to take command. Tonight, have Tongzhao on high alert; we must not allow the Feng Kingdom to launch a counterattack," said the Poison King.
"yes!"
As Zhen Su listened to the battle report beside Zhen Wang, he was deeply shaken. He had never dared to imagine that they could capture a city on the other side on the very first day, yet it had happened. This Dawn City was even the most difficult of the three border cities to conquer. Although it did not occupy a large area, it was surrounded by a moat and had the longest border line that met the frontier, making it the most heavily defended city.
"General Xi is truly remarkable," Zhen Su couldn't help but exclaim.
Upon hearing this, the King of Poison glanced at him sideways, and the still-unresolved anger intensified like fuel for a fire, burning ever brighter and stronger, confined within his dark eyes.
Mayu didn't know what she had done to offend him again. She clutched the cloth in her hand, pursed her lips, and chose to remain silent.
The cloth in his hand was originally meant for wiping the face of the Poison King. Since the Poison King returned to the camp, his bloodthirsty aura was truly terrifying, so Shinju quickly took the cloth and raised his hand to wipe his face, but the Poison King turned his head away to avoid it.
After that, he stood aside, listening to the battle report, and didn't wipe his face anymore, but he didn't leave either.
Shinju thought that King Zhen was too angry to pay attention to him, but to his surprise, King Zhen brought his face closer, glanced at the cloth in his hand with his deep eyes, and then looked at him from the side.
Mayuki muttered, "Want to wipe my face?"
The King of Poison's eyes darkened, and he remained silent, but his gaze on Shinju grew increasingly intense.
Shinju had no choice but to pick up a cloth and press it against the face of the King of Hell, which was bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun. The bloodstains were wiped away, becoming lighter and fainter, and then disappeared, gradually revealing the King of Hell's sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and heroic and dignified appearance once again.
The King of Poison's nostrils flared, as if his anger hadn't subsided, and he was indeed still furious. Even though Shinjuku's face was right in front of him, and he could feel Shinjuku's rough touch as his face was being wiped, he still didn't feel it as real.
The King of Zhen thought to himself, this young man seems approachable, but there's always a lingering sense of distance about him; he seems unable to hide his emotions, but he harbors many secrets, making him difficult to understand. What he finds most unbearable is the feeling of helplessness he always feels when he's with him, a feeling of being unable to grasp the other person. And today, this deep-seated fear resurfaced once again.
"All cleaned up." Shinjuku looked at the clean face of the King of Blades with satisfaction and said.
The King of Zhen snapped out of his thoughts, his thin lips parted slightly, and he was about to say something when someone else came up beside him, saying that there was something important to report.
The King of Zhen turned back and summoned him to report.
"Your Majesty, according to the soldiers, a considerable number of the enemy's mounts found on the battlefield were horses from Wucheng. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that they were all from the batch that Wucheng had sent to support Yuncheng."
"Ah, so that's where the problem lies. I was wondering why the encirclement tactic failed so quickly." The Prince of Zhen pondered for a moment, then asked, "And how did these warhorses get back into our hands?"
Shinju's ears twitched slightly, and he took a few steps away guiltily, looking up at the purple and red clouds floating in the sky.
The subordinate paused for a moment, then replied, "The soldiers said they didn't know either. They only knew that the warhorses suddenly went out of control, and our soldiers saw this opportunity and rushed up to seize the warhorses from the enemy."
"Very good." A look of appreciation flashed in the eyes of the King of Zhen. Although he rushed to the outside of Yun City to provide support after noticing the unusual situation on the battlefield, if he had not retrieved those warhorses, this battle, even if won, would have been a Pyrrhic victory.
Being tricked like this has already cost them thousands of soldiers who were wholeheartedly devoted to their country and people.
“That batch was warhorses to support Yuncheng.” After a moment of thought, the Poison King suddenly laughed in anger, “It was Chen Ruoxin.”
It seems that Chen Ruoxin's son-in-law's rebellion is inextricably linked to him. He was injured halfway back to the city… no, even if it was a feigned injury, he was using it as an excuse to escape—
The King of Zhen's eyes narrowed, and he immediately stood up, ordering, "Bring my horse here; I will go and fetch him myself!"
In just a few words, Shinju understood and realized that General Chen was likely behind this. He couldn't help but recall the soldiers who were mercilessly trampled on the battlefield, and he became furious.
Shinjuku seemed eager to follow, trailing behind the King of the Abyss as he prepared to mount his horse. However, the King of the Abyss turned and gave him a warning look, causing Shinjuku to stop in his tracks. The King of the Abyss simply raised his hand and pinched Shinjuku's cheek hard, then flicked his cloak and mounted his Ferghana horse.
"Wait until I get back to deal with you."
"..." Shinju rubbed the spot where he had been pinched with his fist, pouted aggrievedly, and went back to his tent.
The King of Zhen looked down again and found that the person was gone. He spurred his horse and led his troops away, finding it slightly amusing.
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Author's note: Haha, this is so disappointing. I regret starting such a long novel. What kind of ability do I have to dare to write such a long novel?
[Revisions] Primarily, the final part has been polished. A bug where the character nodded when asked if they were injured has been fixed.
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