Chapter 629: The Unbeatable Legend
Chapter 629: The Unbeatable Legend
After Hu Lie’s defeat at the Palace Gate, he led his rebel forces out through the West Gate and headed west.
Xu Zhongping, commanding the Black Armor Army, pursued them and engaged in a few skirmishes along the way.
Hu Lie, however, showed little interest in prolonged battles, even willing to sacrifice his troops to save himself, avoiding a decisive confrontation with the Black Armor Army.
"General, something’s not right", Song Yingzhong said, pulling on the reins to stop his horse.
They had just had a skirmish, and now, passing by a stream, Xu Zhongping ordered his troops to rest, drink water, and eat something.
Yun Chaomu asked, "Old Song, do you think Hu Lie is retreating too quickly?"
Song Yingzhong replied, "His forces outnumber ours by two to one, and their combat strength isn’t weak. Given Hu Lie’s nature, he shouldn’t be retreating so easily."
Yun Chaomu nodded. "True, without any fight in him, is this really Hu Lie? Could it be a decoy?"
Huo Ting spoke calmly, "Do you think everyone is like Luoyuan and Luo Shan?"
However, he also felt that Hu Lie’s behavior was suspicious, as if deliberately leading them into a trap.
Huo Ting suggested, "General, should I lead a detachment to track Hu Lie and see what he’s up to?"
Xu Zhongping, exuding a fierce and overbearing aura, said, "He’s just trying to lure us with rat poison. I’ll have to take the bait today!"
The three of them didn’t argue further.
Orders were orders.
If the General was leading them to their deaths, they would follow without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Hu Lie, seeing the Black Armor Army in pursuit, was also puzzled.
Are the Black Armor Army reckless or just stupid?
His original plan was supposed to be foolproof. The unexpected defeat at the Palace Gate threw him off, and he rushed the plan to lure the Black Armor Army.
He thought the Black Armor Army wouldn’t fall for it so easily, but they did.
"General, could it be a trap?" asked Qin Jiang, one of Hu Lie’s lieutenants.
With the Four Generals either dead or captured, Qin Jiang had become Hu Lie’s top aide.
Hu Lie’s first thought was that it was a trap.
But upon deeper consideration, he found it unlikely.
The Black Armor Army still had all ten thousand of their troops. What tricks could they have up their sleeves?
It’s not as if the Black Armor Army had predicted everything and set an ambush to encircle his forces.
Perhaps the Black Armor Army wasn’t as formidable as rumored, and the Great Zhou people were just boasting. The weakness of the Great Zhou and Beiliang forces made the Black Armor Army seem invincible.
His army wasn’t so easy to defeat!
With that in mind, Hu Lie decided to take a gamble. "Continue on!"
Qin Jiang bowed. "Yes, General!"
Hu Lie’s army fled into the western wilderness, a place called Yanluo Mountain, with its towering cliffs and rugged terrain, truly a desolate and wild region.
A few months ago, Hu Lie wouldn’t have dared to venture in so recklessly.
But now, his allies had already scouted the area.
Following the secret signals along the way, Hu Lie led his troops deep into the valley.
An hour later, Xu Zhongping’s forces caught up.
The evening was dark, the wind gentle, and the surroundings were eerily quiet.
"Lost them?" Yun Chaomu asked, scratching his chin suspiciously.
Xu Zhongping coldly surveyed the terrain. "No, we’re surrounded."
Yun Chaomu was taken aback.
Moments later, the four scouts returned with their report, confirming Xu Zhongping’s assessment. Hu Lie’s forces were indeed lying in wait on the surrounding hills, encircling them.
"How did they spread out like this?" Yun Chaomu muttered.
Huo Ting said, "They were already in position."
Song Yingzhong nodded. "Hu Lie has been luring us here, planning to wipe us out. Their numbers are likely much greater than we estimated."
He looked at Xu Zhongping. "General, what do we do now?"
Xu Zhongping delivered a single, chilling word. "Fight."
Yun Chaomu’s blood boiled. "Great! We haven’t had a proper fight since the Yumen Pass. It’s time to show these cowards the might of the Black Armor Army—once the Black Armor is unleashed, who can stand against us!"
He lowered his helmet’s visor.
Huo Ting and Song Yingzhong also lowered their visors, their eyes sharp and determined.
All the Black Armor soldiers raised their weapons in unison, the sound of metal clashing echoing through the air.
In an instant, the once-silent forest was filled with the sounds of battle.
"General! They’re attacking!" Qin Jiang reported.
"How many?" Hu Lie asked.
Qin Jiang replied, "...All of them."
Hu Lie was shocked. "What?"
He paused, frowning. "Don’t they know they’re surrounded? They can’t even figure out the situation?"
"Perhaps they’re trying to create a breach", Qin Jiang speculated.
Hu Lie mused, "That would be the logical move if they’re surrounded, but this isn’t the best route. If they want to break out, they should head south to Xiaohuang Mountain. It’s less defended, with flat terrain, making it easier to attack and harder to defend."
Xiaohuang Mountain was a deliberate opening Hu Lie had left for Xu Zhongping.
He was worried that Xu Zhongping wouldn't take the bait so easily, so he chose to sacrifice part of his forces.
But Xu Zhongping's response was faster than he had imagined, and Hu Lie forgot to withdraw the troops from Xiaohuang Mountain.
"What the hell is Xu Zhongping up to?"
He couldn't fathom the other man's intentions.
Likewise, Xu Zhongping probably couldn't guess his plans either.
Yet, he had this strange feeling that Xu Zhongping simply didn't care to guess what he was planning.
Hu Lie had his plans, and Xu Zhongping had his own.
"No matter, let them come. This is the hardest path to break through. There are swamps, the Thunderfire Array, and a rigged suspension bridge..."
"Report—"
Before Hu Lie could finish, a scout rushed up, kneeling on one knee to report, "General, the Black Armor Army has already crossed the swamp!"
Hu Lie clenched his fist.
Qin Jiang, incredulous, asked, "How long has it been? They've already crossed the swamp? What about casualties?"
The scout hesitated, "No casualties."
Qin Jiang gasped, "How is that possible..."
The swamp was the forbidden zone of the entire mountain. For the entire army to pass through? That was almost impossible!
Could the Black Armor Army fly?!
The Black Armor Army's extensive combat experience was on full display at that moment.
Qin Jiang's back suddenly grew cold.
As the last Black Armor soldier crossed the swamp, Yun Chaomu clapped his hands indifferently, "A mere swamp, and you think it can stop me? With me around, not even a rat will get stuck in the swamp."
Hu Ting said seriously, "Don't get too complacent. I smell sulfur."
"Someone used Thunderfire?"
Yun Chaomu smiled and said to Song Yingzhong, "Old Song, it's your turn to show your skills."
Song Yingzhong said nonchalantly, "I'm just a blacksmith; you're overestimating me."
As he spoke, he took a quick step, leaped, and charged into the canyon.
Thunder roared, and the earth turned red for miles.
"A good formation, but it's old news for the Great Marshal!"
The rumbling continued, smoke filled the sky, and the mountains shook.
Yun Chaomu leisurely waved his folding fan, a carefree smile on his handsome face.
"Old Song, you still have it!"
Hu Ting frowned, "Where did you get that fan?"
Yun Chaomu put away the fan, "It was a gift from the Rooster Guard."
Hu Ting said coldly, "Why learn from that chicken?"
Yun Chaomu laughed, "You wouldn't understand. Besides, with your looks, you couldn't even if you tried."
Suddenly, an iron rod flew toward them.
Yun Chaomu blocked it with his fan.
Bang!
The iron rod exploded.
Yun Chaomu's fan was shredded into a broom.
He opened his mouth and spat out a puff of black smoke.
Song Yingzhong, now completely black, emerged from the smoke, blending almost seamlessly with the night.
Yun Chaomu asked, displeased, "Old Song, can you be more accurate next time?"
Song Yingzhong glanced at Yun Chaomu, "Did it hit you? I didn't mean to! But, are you that weak?"
Yun Chaomu was livid!
"General, the Thunderfire Array has been cleared, re—"
Song Yingzhong's eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
Yun Chaomu was shocked, "Old Song!"
Hu Ting squatted down, checked his breathing, and signaled to the shadows.
A medic, ready at a moment's notice, stepped forward with a medical kit, checked Song Yingzhong's pulse, and examined his injuries.
"General, Captain Song was poisoned by a sedative."
Yun Chaomu asked, suspicious, "Where did the sedative come from?"
"The Thunderfire Array", Hu Ting replied.
Xu Zhongping gazed at the smoky canyon, a glint in his eyes.
Following the general's gaze, Yun Chaomu pinched his chin, "This canyon is large, and the amount of sedative needed is substantial. Where did Hu Lie get so much sedative? No one in the capital has been buying it in bulk."
Xu Zhongping narrowed his eyes, "The only place that can produce such a large amount of sedative without notice is Yaowang Valley."
Yun Chaomu's eyes widened, "Hu Lie is in league with Yaowang Valley? What's going on with Yaowang Valley? One moment they're collaborating with the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, the next with Hu Lie—"
Hu Ting looked at Yun Chaomu.
Yun Chaomu asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
Hu Ting said straightforwardly, "Rabbit has been with you. Did she mention any plans of Yaowang Valley by chance?"
Yun Chaomu replied honestly, "She only said she wanted the Black Armor Army, but she didn't mention using sedatives. I have a feeling this is not as simple as it seems."
The medic administered acupuncture and medicine to Song Yingzhong.
Song Yingzhong was out of danger but couldn't continue fighting.
Xu Zhongping handed him over to two of his personal guards and, once the fog from the mist medicine in the gorge had cleared, led the army forward.
On the other side, Hu Lie heard the explosion from the Thunderfire Array.
He was confident that the Black Armor Army would be wiped out, but instead, he was informed that they were speeding toward the suspension bridge.
Hu Lie was stunned.
It was bad enough that the swamp couldn't stop them, but how did they get past the Thunderfire Array?
"No matter, the suspension bridge is the real trap!"
While they could find a way through the swamp and pass through the Thunderfire Array, they couldn't possibly fly over a thousand-foot cliff with a suspension bridge.
If they were lucky, they'd only lose a small part of their forces. Once they realized the bridge was a trap, they'd have to take a detour, falling right into the Yaowang Valley's trap.
He didn't care what the Yaowang Valley planned to do with the Black Armor Army.
He wanted them gone from the world.
From then on, his army would become the most invincible elite force in the world!
Two scouts were hiding at the other end of the suspension bridge, carefully observing the Black Armor Army's movements.
But the Black Armor Army seemed to have vanished into thin air. By midnight, not a single person had appeared.
The news was relayed back to the camp.
Hu Lie frowned. "Is there any news from the Yaowang Valley?"
Qin Jiang replied, "We haven't heard of the Black Armor Army attacking."
Hu Lie was puzzled. "Strange, they're not taking the bridge, and they're not going around the mountain. Could there be a third way?"
Qin Jiang thought for a moment. "Perhaps... they were actually affected by the mist medicine and have already been wiped out on the way?"
The mist medicine buried under the Thunderfire Array wasn't ordinary. Even a single breath could cause a three to five-day coma.
Hu Lie stood up and paced a few steps in the tent. "If that's true, it would be even better. With the help of the Yaowang Valley, Prince Jin's return to the throne is just around the corner."
Whoosh!
A murderous aura approached.
Hu Lie turned just in time to see a cold arrow mercilessly pierce Qin Jiang's head.
Qin Jiang didn't even have time to scream. His eyes wide open, he fell to the ground, stiff.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack—"
Outside the tent, a sentry shouted.
At the same time, on the mountain peaks in the dark night, someone beat the war drums.
Like thunder, like a dragon's roar, it soared to the heavens, commanding the world.
The Black Armor Army surged like a flood, relentlessly pouring into Hu Lie's camp.
There were no shouts of battle, everything was silent.
Blood spread through the camp, blooming along the roads like flowers guiding the souls of the dead.
Hu Lie watched as his soldiers fell one by one, while the Black Armor Army moved like uncatchable ghosts, their speed unbelievable.
This wasn't a battle.
It was a one-sided slaughter.
A phrase suddenly flashed through Hu Lie's mind, from somewhere he couldn't remember—
Ten Thousand Dead Warriors, Ten Thousand Black Armor.
Hu Lie finally panicked.
He truly understood the might of the Black Armor Army, but at the cost of his own hard-trained forces.
But... he had trained his army just like the Black Armor Army.
Where did he go wrong?
Was the Yaowang Valley deceiving him?
He took out the signal bamboo, slashed open the tent, and released the signal flare.
But before it could rise halfway, Xu Zhongping knocked it back to the ground with a single sword strike!
Hu Lie was shocked.
Xu Zhongping ripped open the tent with a single palm, his gaze cold as he stared at Hu Lie. "Hu Lie, it's your turn."
Hu Lie stared blankly at the man before him.
They had fought at the Palace Gate.
But the Xu Zhongping before him was a different person.
He was more like... a god of death.
"Who are you, really?"
Hu Lie clenched his fists and asked.
Xu Zhongping's fingers traced the blade, drawing a string of crystal blood droplets. "Blood Robe Marquis, Han Qi."
Hu Lie felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. "The Blood Robe Marquis... the great killer who massacred his own school and left three thousand bodies? It's you... but you weren't—didn't you join the Buddhist order?"
The story of the Blood Robe Marquis massacring his school was a notorious scandal, spreading through the martial world and the courts of various countries.
The righteous heroes of the world were outraged, wishing to kill him at any cost.
Later, he was enlightened by a master and became a disciple.
Han Qi caressed the blood droplets on the blade, his handsome and stern face reflected in the cold steel.
"The Buddha could not save me."
"Only the Great General can."
---
The Imperial Palace.
Meng Qianqian sat in the room, playing chess with herself.
Tan'er and Bao Zhuzhu were sprawled out on her bed, their breathing steady.
The door was open, and the moonlight flowed in, gently spilling across the floor.
A tall figure slowly appeared at the door.
Meng Qianqian placed a white chess piece. "You're back."
He placed the box containing the head on the ground. "Han Qi, mission accomplished!"
4000-word chapter, enjoy! (End of Chapter)
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