【The Chronicles of Chaos ※ Part Two: Soldiers on the Battlefield】(4)

Chapter Four: Mountains of Corpses (Part 1)

Seeing the situation was dire, Lu Xiaoan leaped up, hurled his spear, drew his saber, and shouted, "Kill!"

The soldiers, upon hearing the order, rose up, each wielding swords and spears, and charged into the camp, engaging the Jin soldiers who had just awakened and were still bewildered

. Flames lit up the mountainsides on both sides of the road, transforming into shooting stars that rained down on the Jin camp, causing

widespread fires. Those struck by the fire arrows did not die immediately, collapsing in flames, groaning, or running around in disarray,

throwing the camp into chaos.

A rider dodged Lu Xiaoan's spear and, without hesitation, spurred his horse forward, intending to break through the encirclement. He

hadn't gone far in the back, killing him instantly. Seeing the rider dead, Tong Zhong, the archer

, changed direction, shooting down into the camp to claim the lives of the Jin soldiers. Twelve, positioned some distance along the road, led his men to light over

a thousand torches that had been prepared beforehand, illuminating the area as bright as day. From a distance, it looked as if a large army was lying in ambush.

The spot where the man on horseback fell was within the range of the torchlight. Seeing the man dead, Twelve felt a pang of sorrow,

knowing that several members of the Meng Clan were still in the Jin camp. His chest felt heavy, as if weighed

down

by a boulder. Looking up at the arrows raining down from the mountain, a plan formed in his mind. He ordered his men to block the road and then quickly ascended the ridge. The soldiers on the mountain all revered Tong Zhong as their leader and obeyed his commands. They wove their arrows into a large net and

launched them towards the farthest reaches of the Jin camp, blocking Lu Xiao'an and his men from charging and preventing anyone from escaping. Seeing the arrow net in place, Tong Zhong scanned

the area in the torchlight. Soon, he spotted several Song soldiers protecting a Jin general, charging at the forefront. The Song army was unable to withstand the

group and suffered heavy casualties. They then drew their bows and aimed their arrows at the group. Just as they were engrossed in watching, and were about to

release the bowstring, Twelve appeared behind them and whispered, "Brother Tong, spare their lives!"

Tong Zhong was taken aback and asked, bow down, "What?"

Twelve feigned seriousness and said, "Those men are from Zhuge Fortress! When the arrow corps went out to Yinping Road to scout the army,

General Zhe and my lord, Lord Wang, sent several groups of men out. I am of low rank and do not know what they were doing, but

it must be something important to resist the Jin. Seeing them with the Jin people today, I fear it is General Zhe's scheme, so I have come to tell

Brother not to kill them, lest we jeopardize the great cause."

Tong Zhong did not suspect anything, so he put away his bow and said to Twelve, "In that case, you and I will lead the troops ambushed on the mountain

down to assist in the battle, and we can take the opportunity to let them go." After Twelve nodded, he stood up, waved his hand, and shouted, "Stop

firing arrows! Charge down the mountain with me and slaughter all the Jin dogs!"

Although the Jin soldiers were outmatched and outnumbered the Song army, they were all fierce and valiant. Lu Xiaoan led his men, charging left and right through the camp

with considerable difficulty. Fortunately, they were aided by a rain of arrows from the mountain, allowing them to slay countless Jin soldiers as they advanced and retreated. Suddenly, the arrows stopped and the rain ceased,

and the pressure suddenly increased. Just as they were fighting fiercely, they heard shouts of battle rising from the two mountains, and the ambushing troops

pounced on the Jin camp like tigers descending the mountain. The Jin soldiers, already startled by the torches lit in the distance, could no

longer defeat.

Tong Zhong and Twelve, who had a clear view from the mountain, went straight for the Jin general Zhehe and the Mengmen members. Although Tong Zhong's martial arts

were slightly superior to those of the arrow-wielding soldiers, his close combat skills were still inferior to his archery skills. Therefore, he stopped at a distance, aimed at the Jin soldiers around

Zhehe , and fired arrows at them. The Mengmen members saw the Jin soldiers around them falling one after another, while they themselves remained unharmed. They looked up and saw

Twelve had already rushed up not far away, winking at them. They realized what was happening. He hurriedly dragged

Zhehe, who was still fighting desperately, back to safety, and then used Hu language to urgently persuade Zhehe. Seeing that defeat was inevitable and there was no way to reverse it,

Zhehe reluctantly ordered a retreat. The Jin soldiers, who had been struggling to hold on, were now treated as if granted a pardon and turned to flee.

Most of the horses in the camp had already escaped, with only a tenth remaining. The Jin soldiers who managed to seize the remaining horses fled, while the rest either

turned to fight to the death, fled on foot, disappeared into the mountains and forests, or committed suicide due to their injuries. Although their paths differed, they all went to the same end.

The Song army, seeing the Jin soldiers flee and achieving two victories in one day, were overjoyed and their morale soared. They wiped out the remaining Jin soldiers and,

without waiting for Lu Xiaoan's orders, went to clean up the battlefield. Lu Xiaoan, Tong Zhong, and Twelve Hui were also beaming with joy.

Seeing the corpses littered the ground behind the camp and arrows flying like reeds, Lu Xiaoan couldn't help but praise, "The Arrow Camp's divine arrows truly live up to their reputation!

Brother Tong's command is also first-rate! In my dozen or so battles, none of the hundred-plus archers in the team have ever been this formidable!" He paused, then

hesitated, adding, "But Brother Tong seems to have descended the mountain to charge a little too early..."

Twelve, hearing Lu Xiaoan's initial praise followed by doubt, was about to use the same excuse to deceive him again when Tong Zhong apologetically said, "

I'm just a lowly soldier in the Arrow Camp. I'm good at killing enemies with arrows, but I'm not skilled at observing the enemy's movements or commanding attacks. It was my fault that

the remnants were able to escape!"

Lu Xiaoan, who had initially been slightly suspicious, saw Tong Zhong's frankness and secretly blamed himself. After a few polite words, he remained silent.

Seeing that everything was alright, Twelve was also relieved and took the initiative to lead men to set up hidden stakes in the distance.

The entire army rested for the night by the embers of the Jin camp's fire, and set off again at dawn the next day. After two days of uninterrupted travel,

they encountered no more Jin soldiers. On the third day, before noon, the main force emerged from the valley and onto a small path.

Twelve, who had been waiting on a treetop, leaped down upon seeing Tong Zhong and Lu Xiao'an leading the way, exclaiming joyfully, "Captain Lu, Brother Tong,

this is the path we saw the people transporting grain on our way here

. A few dozen li further west through the mountains and forests is the entrance to the mountain fortress!"

Just then, a Song soldier rushed out of the forest, appearing before the three in a panic. He said anxiously, "Captain,

we followed the markings given by Brother Twelve to investigate, but when we reached the farthest point in the forest, we only found a sheer cliff, with no way to pass through!" "The road is treacherous.

The cliffs are incredibly high, with jagged rocks below, making it impossible to find a foothold!"

Upon hearing this, the three exclaimed in surprise, "What!" Twelve grabbed the shoulder of the Song soldier and asked urgently, "Are you on

the right track? Are you sure you're looking carefully?"

The Song soldier replied, "There are many trees in the mountains, not many large rocks, and the markings are clearly made. How could we be wrong? More than a dozen brothers have seen those

cliffs and strange rocks with their own eyes!"

Twelve cried out urgently, "Impossible! How could this be! Although the mountain is steep, it can be accessed from the ridge...

"

The Song soldier was about to retort when Tong Zhong, seeing Twelve's distraught state and the impending tears, quickly waved his hand,

suppressing his own anxiety, and comforted him, "Don't argue, hurry over there, you'll see for yourself!"

Lu Xiao'an frowned and also comforted him, "Brother Tong is right! Let's go and see first, then we'll decide."

With that , he waved his hand and ordered the entire army to set off. The army hadn't gone far into the forest when a Song soldier came running up from behind, shouting, "Commander Lu,

the Jin army is attacking on the path! Judging from the dust and smoke, they must number in the thousands!"

The soldiers were all alarmed. Lu Xiao'an was about to order his men to set up defenses when Shieryi tugged at his sleeve and pointed behind him...

"When I came here with Young Master An, we saw a cave not far from here. The mountain has cliffs on two sides, and behind it connects to a series

of majestic peaks. It can only be accessed from one side, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack..."

Tong Zhong interrupted Twelve, saying urgently, "Lead the way, quickly go to this mountain, and defend it from its strategic position!"

Twelve turned around, pulled Tong Zhong along, and the soldiers around them responded with a roar, hurrying after the two.

Lu Xiao'an was displeased. He frowned slightly as he watched Tong Zhong's retreating figure, waved his hand, and ordered the entire army to proceed quickly

. He also followed behind the two. The army reached the foot of the mountain and began to climb in order. As the rear army reached the top, dust rose from the forest, and the clanging of armor and

the clashing of footsteps grew louder as they approached. Lu Xiao'an arranged the defenses on the side leading up the mountain, and then went to the top of the cliff to look down alongside Tong Zhong and Twelve

. They saw that in the forest below, the Jin army filled the gaps in the trees like a flood. The vanguard had already reached the bottom of the mountain, while the rear was still several

miles away on the small path. The trees and foliage obscured the exact number of soldiers, but a rough estimate suggested no fewer than

three thousand.

Twelve, pale-faced, watched the endless stream of Jin troops approaching the mountain, while Lu and Tong also wore grave expressions. Tong

Zhong turned to Twelve and asked, "Are the mountains behind this one connected to the road you mentioned?"

Twelve scratched his head, "I don't know! I've only followed the markings in my sect's secret code a few times; I

haven't explored any new paths myself." He paused, then resolutely said, "Wait for me here; I'll definitely find a way!"

Without waiting for Tong Zhong's reply, he leaped and disappeared behind the trees.

Tong Zhong turned back, looking at Lu Xiao'an without speaking. Lu Xiao'an relaxed his furrowed brow and pointed down the mountain, saying, "Such a large

army there must be something fishy going on!"

……………………………………………………

"Such a large army!"

Wang Jin stared, speechless, at the Jin army logging outside the fortress and the endless rows of tents. Li Yu, standing nearby, was also shocked

by the scene and echoed, "Overnight, they've cut down all the trees within ten miles of the fortress! Such

power is difficult to withstand!"

Wang Jin, displeased at this, was about to retort when he suddenly saw Zhe Ling leading Gao Song and Yan Hu down from the left peak, and his face lit up with

joy. When Zhe Ling approached, he bowed and said, "General Zhe, you're back! We were all worried about you

!"

Zhe Ling returned the bow and asked, "Have all those who went out to harass and block the enemy returned?"

Wang Jin replied, "Lu Da'an and Lao Keng, with a group of swordsmen and shield bearers, returned yesterday at noon as ordered by the general; Hao

Zhi and Chen Dan, with archers, returned this morning from the left peak by rope; Zhao Po sent four scouts out of the mountain and returned

an hour ago."

Zhe Ling nodded and asked, "How many soldiers were lost?"

Wang Jin shook his head and sighed, "Seven were killed and more than ten were wounded. Although..." " We have killed hundreds of Jin soldiers,

but the fortress is short-handed and we cannot afford to continue our efforts."

Zhe Ling patted his shoulder to comfort him, then turned to Li Yu and asked, "Brother Li, how are the preparations going?"

Li Yu pointed to several piles of items covered with waterproof tarpaulin in the fortress below the wall and said, "While the general was away these past few days, I ordered

the craftsmen in the fortress to renovate and repair the structures according to your drawings. We have also hastily made some of the necessary supplies. The

strong women and children are also training under Lao Keng. Although they cannot fight, they should be able to carry and move things without any problems. When..." As

Li Yu was reporting, there was a sudden movement in the Jin camp. Wang Jin stopped Li Yu from speaking and pointed to a spot where they could look

together . They saw a group of people walking out and heading straight for the fortress wall. There were three men, one Jin and two Song. Seeing

that they weren't far from the fortress wall, one of the Song men raised his voice and asked, "May I ask if the archer on the wall

is Commander ?"

Zhe Ling, hearing this, looked at the three approaching from below and replied, "It is indeed Zhe Ling! And you are...

Li Yanqi?"

(Chapter 4: Mountains of Corpses (Part 2))

The other Song man clasped his hands and smiled, "Before the Battle of Fuping, I, Li, had a very pleasant conversation with Commander Zhe in front of Zhang Shumi's tent.

Unexpectedly Commander Zhe..." "You still remember me."

Zhe Ling sneered, "The Li Yanqi in my heart is a brave and decisive

commander of the Western Army, who hates the Jin dogs like poison. He was once the best spearman in the Jingyuan Army! He is not now a traitor who has betrayed the Jin and become their lackey,

yet shamelessly comes to my fortress and shamelessly tries to reminisce about old times!"

Li Yanqi sighed deeply and said solemnly, "The defeat at Fuping was not a failure of the battle. If Zhang Jun had listened to

General loyal advice and held his troops in a strategic location..." By using a detachment to harass their farming, the Jin army would surely be trapped and defeated in one fell swoop. That scoundrel insisted on an

immediate decisive battle, yet he ignored General Qu's advice during troop deployment. Alas, tens of thousands of our Western Army soldiers perished

because of his stubbornness. After the battle, Zhang Jun, instead of reflecting on his own mistakes, framed General Qu, fabricated charges to execute several generals, and only cared about shifting

blame . In my life, I, Li, have fought in over a hundred battles, always striving to kill the enemy, and I have no regrets! How can I allow such

a shameless scoundrel to casually rub my head ? "What? He says I'm a traitor, so I'll betray him! Sooner or later, I'll cut off

that bastard's head to use as a stepping stone!"

Upon hearing this, Zhe Ling's anger flared, and he rebuked, "You are a general of the Great Song Dynasty, how can you neglect national affairs for personal grudges?

With this will surely become a dog for the Jin people. Have you thought about how your men will never see their hometown elders again? Have you thought about

how many Great Song people will lose their lives at the hands of your own soldiers?" Seeing a slight hint of shame on Li Yanqi's face, he paused and continued,

"Zhang Shumi is a scholar, but his actions are inappropriate. This is a long-standing problem of our Great Song Dynasty, and it is not something you or I can do about.

Many members of my Zhe family have also been humiliated by scholars. General Kecun was even robbed of his great merit in suppressing the bandits by that Zhang Shuye..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yanqi suddenly interrupted Zhe Ling, "Commander Zhe, do you know about the surrender of Fuzhou to the Jin?"

Zhe Ling's face darkened, and he remained silent. Observing his expression, Li Yanqi probed, "Commander Zhe is now

caught between a dilemma of family and country! Since the Song Dynasty treats us warriors like servants, and your family is all employed by the Jin, why not abandon the Song and return to the Jin, so that your family and country

can be united? That would be better than being trapped in this isolated fortress..."

Zhe Ling suddenly drew his bow, pointed the arrow at the wall, and said sternly, "Li Yanqi, didn't you

hear ? For the sake of our past camaraderie, I won't shoot you today, but don't come here to make a fuss again. If you dare to come again, don't blame

me for showing no mercy to those who betray their ancestors and have no conscience!"

Knowing how formidable Zhe Ling was, Li Yanqi felt ashamed and silently retreated. Seeing Zhe Ling raise his bow and halberd,

shouting in a foreign language at the wall, the Jin general, after the Song man who had first questioned him stopped, raised his voice to Zhe Ling and the others: "

This Jin general is named Wulu, the commander of the northern route army in this campaign against Shu. Our army is invincible wherever it goes

; how dare this small mountain fortress resist us? You are defying fate, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; you will surely be crushed into dust by our army. If

you surrender , General Wulu may spare your lives; if not…"

The Song man, spittle flying from his lips, was speaking with great fervor when suddenly his vision blurred, his jaw tightened, and

the word "surrender" choked in his throat, turning into a hoarse groan, unable to escape. A few breaths later, he collapsed to the ground. The accompanying Jin soldiers, seeing

the featherless arrow kill with lightning speed, fearing for Uru's safety, quickly rushed forward to form a shield wall. Zhe Ling, standing proudly on the wall, declared, "

Li Yanqi, tell the Jin dogs Uru, this arrow is the answer!" He then nocked another arrow, saying, "This arrow

is the return gift!" With that, the bowstring was released, and the featherless arrow shot forth, piercing a large hole in the shield wall. Uru, behind the formation, drew his sword to deflect

the arrow that had pierced the shield, but was still forced back several steps. Looking at the wounded soldiers and shattered shields before him, he snorted angrily and said to Li Yanqi, "You,

attack!" With that, he turned and left. Li Yanqi gave Zhe Ling a deep look before following him into the distance.

In the time it takes to eat a meal, the Song rebels in the Jin camp had finished their reorganization. With swords and shields in front and bows and arrows behind, there were about two thousand men,

appearing quite orderly from a distance. On the fortress walls, everyone was already in full battle array. The oilcloth-covered items had also been moved

to , two on each side, arranged in rows. Zhe Ling looked into the distance and saw Wu Lu personally leading several thousand Jin soldiers

to supervise the battle behind the rebels, but he couldn't see Li Yanqi anywhere. Just as he was wondering, Wei Qinglai whispered to him, "As per

the general 's orders, these past few days, those people on the peak that day have been organized into a team, and we've been monitoring them day and night without letting our guard down. The servants are just

carrying food and cooking; we haven't found anyone suspicious yet."

Zhe Ling nodded and said, "You don't need to come and fight. Just keep watch. Don't let your guard down. Nana

must be among them! Even if we can't find her, preventing her from causing trouble in the fortress is a great achievement." Wei Qinglai

glanced at the Jin camp and reluctantly bowed and withdrew. War drums sounded in the Jin camp, and the soldiers moved in unison. The rebels, shields raised,

advanced step by step towards the fortress wall. The slope in front of the fortress was already steep, and in the past few days, the fortress soldiers had stripped the stone slabs from the slope, turning it

into mud and making it even more difficult to traverse. When the rebels were about an arrow's length from the fortress wall, their pace slowed, and their ranks gradually became disordered. When they were

an arrow's length away, some stumbled and fell, further disrupting the ranks. Several officers shouted and cursed from behind, but they could not

stop them .

On the fortress wall, dozens of archers had already drawn their bows and nocked their arrows, waiting only for the order to fire and kill the enemy. Zhe Ling

slowly raised his right hand and proclaimed, "Han soldiers before the fortress, listen! I am Zhe Ling,

commander . I have been ordered to lead the Divine Arrow Battalion to defend this fortress and block the Jurchens' path into Sichuan. You are all soldiers of the Western Army of the Great Song Dynasty, and you have

witnessed the Jurchens' brutality and calamities against our people in Shaanxi. Why should you aid and abet the wicked, leaving behind an eternal infamy and becoming a disgrace to your descendants?

If any of you surrender to the Jurchens against your will, then put your weapons behind your backs, and I will send men to escort you into the fortress, back to the Song

camp, and together we will fight the Jurchens. If you remain obstinate after this, do not blame me for showing no mercy to my comrades!"

Upon hearing Zhe Ling and the name of the Divine Arrow Battalion, the rebel soldiers before the fortress were all terrified and hesitated to advance. After Zhe Ling finished speaking, most of

the officers who had been shouting and issuing orders fell silent, no longer displaying their previous ferocity. Seeing Zhe Ling shouting orders and the rebels hesitating, Wu Lu, from the rear,

loudly gave the command in the Hu language. Thousands of Jin soldiers, upon hearing the order, roared and charged forward, their weapons flashing. They pressed

their spears against the backs of the last rank of rebels before halting. The rebels behind, terrified, surged forward, while those in front

, bewildered, struggled to maintain their footing and were gradually pushed towards the fortress wall.

The archers on the wall, seeing the rebels in disarray and receiving no orders, were filled with suspicion. Gao Song, beside Zhe Ling,

leaned close and asked, "General, what should we do?" Zhe Ling, seeing the rebels' lack of will to fight and

hearing the cries of agony, felt a pang of pity. He gritted his teeth and decisively ordered, "Order Hao Zhi and Chen Dan to take half the archers to the

left peak and launch a barrage of arrows at the rear of the rebel army. Order Lu Da'an and Lao Keng to bring all their swords and shields and prepare to come out of the fortress to provide support."

Gao Song agreed and was about to run to relay the orders. Wang Jin grabbed him from the side and urgently advised, "General, you mustn't! There are nearly ten thousand soldiers

outside the fortress The rebels are hesitant in front, and the Jurchens are eyeing us covetously from behind. Opening the fortress gates now is like opening

a pens for cattle and sheep to wolves—a path to certain death!"

By this time, the rebels outside the fortress had reached the moat, and a dozen or so men fell into the swift current and disappeared in an instant. Cries and screams filled the slope

, like pigs and dogs being driven away; there was no trace of a military formation left. Near the moat, a military officer carrying

a sword shouted, "Commander Zhe, our troops wish to surrender to the Song! We beg you to open the gates and rescue us!" His voice was followed by cries of despair.

Zhe Ling felt an even greater pity and, channeling his inner energy, roared, "Lu Da'an and Lao Keng, listen to my command! Take your swords and tokens to the fortress gate and prepare

to open it to surrender!" Lu Da'an and Lao Keng inside the wall responded with a thunderous roar. Outside the wall, a military officer in the crowd suddenly swung his sword, felling two men beside him,

and cried out, "Absolutely not! There are Jin spies lurking in the army!" Before he could finish speaking, a sharp blade was pressed to his throat, and he fell

dead .

The Jin soldiers hidden among the rebels, seeing their scheme could no longer be concealed, began to slaughter the nearby crowd. The rebel army was already

in chaos power, and countless men fell into the moat. The moat was originally a mountain stream. Although

the people of the fortress had dug and maintained it for many years, and the water volume was quite large due to the end of the snowmelt and the beginning of the rainy season, it was still only a little over ten feet wide.

Downstream, at a bend, corpses piled up, blocking the flow and preventing those who came after. The lucky ones managed to climb ashore,

struggling to survive; the unfortunate ones either struck their heads on rocks or choked on water, all dying tragically. The river's water level rose higher and higher,

threatening to overflow and change course.

Ulu, initially laughing at the rebels' trampling into the water, then, seeing his trick exposed, his face turned cold,

and he ordered the Jin soldiers behind him to slaughter the rebels. The rebels, focused on pushing forward, were caught off guard by the Jin soldiers' sudden attack from behind. The rear guard, mostly

archers, were unskilled in close combat and were quickly cut down. The remaining soldiers, seeing themselves attacked from both sides and with no way out,

fought back fiercely. However, their weapons were all broken, snapping in the clash with the Jin soldiers.

Zhe

Ling, hearing the military officer's words, felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, extinguishing his sympathy and restoring his reason.

Just as he was about to order his men to remain still and defend themselves, he saw Wulu issue the order to annihilate them, and a surge of anger rose in his chest. He ordered the men of the Arrow Battalion and

all the archers to shoot at the vanguard of the Jin soldiers on the left flank, leaving Wang Jin, Zhao Po, and the newly trained crossbowmen on the fortress wall. He then

seized the fortress wall, selected twenty fierce swordsmen, opened the fortress gate, built wooden ladders, and charged across the moat. Wang Jin could not stop Zhe Ling, and turning around

, he saw chaos on the slope in front of the fortress. He could only urge the crossbowmen on the wall to take their positions and prepare for battle, while Zhao Po led the remaining swordsmen

to guard the fortress gate.

Zhe Ling ordered Lu Da'an to the left and Lao Keng to the right, each leading a few men to guard the wooden ladders across the river. He himself leaped into the fray,

using close-range thrusts and long-range shots to kill the Jin soldiers hiding among the rebels, and shouted for the rebels to cross the river and enter the fortress. Most of the rebel vanguard

died in the moat, and the rest were slaughtered by the Jin soldiers. Fewer than two hundred men retreated into the fortress, all wounded. With the advantage of

the terrain , having retrieved the weapons left behind by the fallen Jin soldiers, had already fought their way deep into the Jin army's ranks.

At this point, retreating from the encirclement was virtually impossible. Seeing that the remaining troops were in dire need of defense, and fearing the gates would be wide open and the fortress vulnerable, Zhe Ling

reluctantly ordered his men to retreat back into the fortress. Looking towards the encirclement, which was gradually shrinking, he reached for his quiver and found it

empty. With a sigh, he turned and returned to the fortress. Just as he leaped up, he heard a great commotion among the rebel troops within the encirclement. Stopping and looking back, he saw

a tall pole erected beside Wulu in the Jin camp, with a man hanging upside down at the top, his hair disheveled and covered in blood—it was Li Yanqi.

The rebel troops, seeing Li Yanqi in this state, were filled with rage and fought fiercely, trying to recapture their commander. However, their numbers

were few, and their strength exhausted. They only managed to slightly sway the Jin troops' encirclement before being completely annihilated. Wulu laughed heartily,

speaking in a foreign tongue to Li Yanqi on the pole, then to Zhe Ling, his expression one of great joy.

The interpreter in Song Dynasty attire, standing beneath the pole, trembled and said in a trembling voice, "General Wulu said that Li Yanqi disobeyed military orders and refused to help the army

capture the fortress, while Zhe Ling was ignorant of the times and attempted to resist the army. Both of you deserve to die! Today, we will first set Li Yanqi

ablaze, and after I capture this place, we will tear Zhe Ling to pieces."

Chapter Four: Mountains of Corpses (Part Two)

After hearing the interpreter's report, Zhe Ling signaled Zhao Po to close the fortress gate. He straightened his clothes and hair, gathered his energy, and

floated forward. Although his footing was uncertain, there was always a corpse pierced by an arrow under his feet. He touched the ground, picked up the arrow,

rose lightly , and the arrow went into the quiver. He did this five times and was already in front of the golden formation. The people in the fortress looked at Zhe Ling's back and saw him

moving like a butterfly in a sea of blood, indescribably elegant and graceful. The Jin soldiers in the front ranks faced Zhe Ling, and felt his

imposing aura double with each landing, their own chill creeping in. As he drew nearer, he felt as if a

mountain instinctively flinched away.

Seeing the Jin soldiers evade, Uru was not angry but pleased. He walked to the pole, shouted a few words to Zhe Ling, and then

waved his hand. The soldiers obeyed, retreating to their left and right, clearing the high pole. The interpreter, hiding behind Uru and only showing

his head, hoarsely shouted, "General Uru says that if Zhe Ling kneels and begs for mercy, surrendering the fortress,

Li Yanqi's ; otherwise…" Before he could finish, Zhe Ling drew his bow to its fullest extent, arrow nocked, let out a howl,

and collapsed to the ground.

Uru, standing below the pole, was gesturing for his personal guards to fetch a torch when he suddenly felt a chill around him. The fear of death, which had

repeatedly gripped his heart. Though surrounded by a vast army, he felt as if he were standing alone in the wilderness,

exposed and vulnerable, facing only the divine arrow of Zhe Ling. Over a thousand Jin soldiers, carrying bows and arrows, saw Zhe Ling draw his bow and also nocked their own.

On the walls and below, both sides remained silent, not daring to utter a sound. Zhe Ling raised his voice leisurely, "

If you release him, I might spare your life!" Ulu dared not move an inch, showing no intention of compromise, only

glaring at Zhe Ling without replying. Suddenly, a man dressed in black with white hair swiftly darted out from the personal guards, kicking the base of a tall pole

. The thick wooden pole snapped in two, falling towards Zhe Ling. Zhe Ling's spirit and inner energy were already focused on the arrow in his hand, locking onto

Ulu. Now, drawn by the energy from the personal guard's movement, though he had lost the initiative, he knew that if he didn't fire, he would suffer a backlash

. He had no choice but to release the bowstring. Almost simultaneously, over a thousand Jin soldiers fired their arrows, creating a vast net in the air that enveloped Zhe Ling

.

The Jin soldiers assumed that Zhe Ling would retreat back into his fortress upon being hit by arrows, so they mostly hurled their arrows with extra force, aiming behind

him. Unexpectedly, after firing his arrow, Zhe Ling suddenly lunged forward, leaping off the ground and leaping forward at breakneck speed, his entire body parallel to the ground,

barely an inch off the earth. The remaining arrows fired by the Jin soldiers all flew past his back, missing their mark. When he caught his breath and stood up, he was already

not far from the top of the fallen pole. Seeing the pole about to crash to the ground, and fearing it would be too late to save him, Zhe Ling was about to risk

injuring his vital energy to leap forward again when the ropes binding Li Yanqi to the pole suddenly snapped. Li Yanqi pulled

a short blade from his sleeve and threw it at Zhe Ling's face.

Zhe Ling was shocked, his mind racing. Fearing that he couldn't escape the second wave of arrows from the Jin soldiers no matter how he dodged or engaged in close combat, he

used the momentum of his rise to perform a backward bridge maneuver, bending and falling. Using his hands and feet to brace himself, he flew backward with incredible speed, faster than

the short blade Li Yanqi had thrown. He straightened up again, the short blade falling to the ground, and the arrow rained down once more, leaving him barely outside the arrow range.

He used his bow to deflect several limp arrows, channeled his energy into the bowstring, and fired two arrows simultaneously, one pointing upward and the other forward.

In the Jin camp, the man in black, who had been prepared, had broken the arrow shaft with his foot and then rushed back towards Wulu. Seeing

the arrows already upon him and unable to block them, he shouted and thrust out a palm strike from a distance. Although the palm strike was incredibly powerful, it only managed to

deflect the broken-feathered arrow. Wulu, unaware of the danger, neither dodged nor evaded, but instead drew his sword to strike. The sword was only half-drawn when the arrow had already

penetrated his shoulder blade, the concentrated energy within the arrowhead exploding and shattering his right shoulder. Seeing that Wulu was wounded but not

in mortal danger, the man in black didn't hesitate and leaped straight towards the fallen pole. As Li Yanqi's short blade landed, he was already following

the second wave , not far from Zhe Ling in mid-air. Flying through the air, his strength exhausted and new energy yet to be generated,

he was met with Zhe Ling's arrow. Caught off guard, he hastily pulled back his breath and plummeted, but the arrow still pierced his hair. As he fell, he

bumped into arrow heading towards Li Yanqi, and used his foot to deflect the arrow, using the force to swoop sideways and land safely.

Li Yanqi, terrified by Zhe Ling, fell to the ground in a disheveled state. Seeing that the arrow had been deflected by the man in black's toe, he felt relieved. He got up,

pointed at Zhe Ling, and laughed, "The Grand Elder personally set a trap to kill you, and you saw that your arrows were almost gone, your death was imminent, so..."

As Li Yanqi finished speaking, an arrow flew and pierced his left chest. Looking down in disbelief, he saw that all the arrows were gone,

only the white feather remained. Zhe Ling sneered, "Right before you! For your own selfish gain, you've become a lackey of the Jin, causing thousands

to die . One arrow is too good for you!"

Li Yanqi coughed up blood and sneered, "I am guided by the Pope, constantly bathed in joy and light. How

could you possibly know what I have done..." His voice weakened, and he collapsed, dead. Zhe Ling was startled by this, and the Grand Elder of the Meng Clan had already seized the opportunity to fly over

. Zhe Ling knew that the two were evenly matched in skill, and being in a dangerous situation, he did not want to get entangled with him. Therefore, he nocked his last

arrow and flew away. The Grand Elder was not entirely confident that he could withstand Zhe Ling's full-force arrow head-on, so he stopped and did not pursue.

In the Jin camp, Wu Lu, despite his injuries, gave the order, and the bugles sounded in the army. Only then did they retreat from the thousands of Jin soldiers, regroup, and launch another attack.

Zhe Ling crossed the moat, grabbed the rope hanging from the wall, and leaped up the wall in a few steps. Looking back, this wave of Jin army attacks was far more ferocious than the previous wave

of rebel forces just a few bugle calls, they had already reached halfway up the slope. The archers on the left peak hadn't returned; although

they rained down arrows from their high vantage point, they couldn't stop the Jin soldiers from approaching the fortress walls. Seeing the overwhelming force of the Jin army, Wang Jin and Zhao Po both looked at Zhe Ling and

shouted, "General!" Zhe Ling drew his bow and fired his last arrow, killing the leading Jin general. He nodded and said, "Use it!"

Wang and Zhao responded in unison, splitting up to direct the fortress men to uncover the tarpaulin, revealing the gruesome object inside.

The fortress men on the wall, having practiced for days, were skilled in their duties, each performing their tasks methodically and efficiently. In just a few breaths, preparations were complete. A few days ago...

Although the Jin army cleared the dense forest, they never dared to attack near the fortress. Therefore, although the Jin troops were numerous, they still had to crowd together

on the narrow slope, their formation extremely dense. Each soldier held a shield overhead, like a large umbrella, rendering the arrows ineffective.

The Jin soldiers gradually approached the fortress wall, and seeing no movement on the wall, they were overjoyed. They shouted and searched for the corpses in the riverbank that

formed a bridge to cross. The vanguard had already crossed the river and reached the foot of the wall, while the rearguard was still crowded on the slope and unable to advance. Suddenly,

a : "Fire!" This was followed by the sound of wooden mallets striking iron and the clatter of crossbow strings. The sound was so loud that it was deafening,

silencing all other sounds in the world. Twelve enormous arrows, each about six feet long, with wooden shafts and iron fletchings, fell horizontally from the wall, piercing through

the rear ranks of the Jin army from a distance of a thousand paces, each piercing several soldiers and bringing with it a rain of blood. The arrows, carrying the pierced Jin soldiers

, continued their flight, transforming into heavy hammers that crushed another wave of troops. The Jin army, having never seen such a weapon since entering the Central Plains,

were all shocked and retreated hastily. The last of the Jin vanguard, still some distance from the moat, looked back and saw their rearguard in disarray, utterly

dumbfounded. A loud shout of "Fire!" came from the wall, and more than ten short crossbow bolts, each a foot and a half long, flew in a straight line

towards . They pierced armor and shields, killing instantly those who stood in their way; none could escape. Unfortunately, the two volleys were too far apart

to kill consecutively. Seeing their armor and shields ineffective and the dead piled high, the Jin soldiers were terrified and retreated even faster than they had come.

When they were a thousand paces from their fortress, a second volley of massive arrows claimed some lives, and they fled in panic.

The hundred or so Jin soldiers before and after the moat were now being pelted by rolling logs and stones from the wall, crying out in despair, with no way to advance or retreat.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they had been wiped out by arrows from the peak and stones from the wall. The corpses piled up like mountains before the fortress, blocking the river channel, turning the stream

crimson like blood, and diverting its flow downhill. Seeing the enemy had retreated, Wang Jin returned to Zhe Ling's side and exclaimed, "The Divine Arm Bow,

the Triple Bow Ballista—truly living up to its reputation!" Looking up, he saw that Zhe Ling's face was expressionless, but a hint of gravity lingered between his brows. He

asked suspiciously, "General Zhe, what's wrong?"

Zhe Ling didn't answer, turning to Zhao Po not far away and asking, "Brother Zhao, how are the supplies?"

Zhao Po sighed, "One spear and three sword arrows are only enough for four ballistae to fire once more, and the Divine Arm Bow has about a hundred arrows left.

Judging from the arrow rain on the peak just now, the arrows are probably nearly half used up."

Zhe Ling, gazing along the bloodied remains on the ground at the distant Jin camp, murmured, "Just the first battle! I hope

the Jin soldiers are terrified, and the Uru are without strategy, giving the craftsmen in my fortress more time to work!"

Wang Jin's heart skipped a beat, and he followed Zhe Ling into the distance. They saw dark clouds gathering in the northern sky, rolling in. 　　Shi Tianfei glanced at the dark clouds in the sky and said to An Hong, "Young Master An, the weather is bad; a heavy rain is likely on the way. Let's find a place to take shelter first, and continue our journey after the rain stops."

An 　　Hong laughed, "How many times have I told you? Just call me by my name. Brother Shi, we're both fast travelers; let's hurry on ! There are deserted villages everywhere along the road; we can find shelter when the rain starts." 　　Shi Tianfei laughed heartily and understood, "Brother An, you're always thinking about the battle; I'm ashamed. Our swordsmanship is evenly matched ; let's hurry before the rain starts and have a contest of lightness skills, shall we?" As soon as he finished speaking, he let out a long howl and lightly floated away. An Hong laughed heartily and followed closely behind. 　　The two chased each other, hurrying on their way. In less than an hour, a few large raindrops slid to the ground with a few soft claps of thunder, and in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they turned into a torrential downpour. Shi Tianfei, with his sharp eyes, spotted a section of stone wall quickly beckoned An Hong to head towards it. 　　Upon closer inspection, they discovered a local earth god temple behind the stone wall. Not far from the temple was a village. The village 's doors and windows were broken, and the walls were charred black, indicating recent war damage. The earth god temple itself wasn't particularly dilapidated; the roof tiles were mostly intact, but the statues and altar were overturned on the ground, a chaotic sight. 　　Seeing that night was approaching, the two chopped the altar into pieces and started a fire inside the temple. Shi Tianfei took out , and he and An Hong sat around the fire, discussing matters of the martial world and its secrets, until it was late at night. Shi Tianfei yawned, got up, stretched, and said, "Let's rest, so we can get up early tomorrow... " Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly collapsed. Although he tried to open his eyes and move his limbs, his hands, feet, and eyelids felt as heavy as mountains. He murmured "Be careful" and then lost consciousness. An Hong, seeing this, dared not be careless. He slowly rose, also feeling dizzy. He quickly circulated his internal energy to check himself and discovered that his true energy could not gather in his dantian, much like he had been poisoned by a dissipating poison. He tried not to circulate his true energy, but still felt weak in his limbs and unable to move. He silently listened to his surroundings, but there was no . In desperation, he tried to gather the remaining true energy in his meridians to expel the poison, but it all vanished into thin air as soon as it entered his dantian. Just as he was filled with doubt and uncertainty, he heard a woman's sweet, seductive voice say, "Young Master An, I've been looking for you for so long!"

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【The Chronicles of Chaos ※ Part Two: Soldiers on the Battlefield】(4)

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