Chapter 166: Never In Service Of War
The battle on Ghost King Mountain is romantic.
Especially when burning red coal chunks fall from high ground, in the narrow gorge below, there are always devils falling from their horses, or being burned alive by the piled-up coal.
Looking at the gorge that was about to turn into a stove, Yun Ce had no choice but to order a retreat. The carbon monoxide concentration on the mountain was too high. Although it hadn’t reached explosive levels, prolonged exposure would definitely cause brain oxygen deprivation.
Just as they returned to the upwind position, Qin Shu, his face covered in coal dust, hurried over and said to Yun Ce, “Ghosts have appeared on both the left and right flanks. They came over the mountains.”
“What about behind us? Are there devils coming from the direction of Iron Enclosure Pass too?”
Qin Shu took a breath and said with some grief and indignation, “Yes.”
Yun Ce laughed, “Since it’s something we anticipated, why are you so grief-stricken?”
Qin Shu said somewhat choking up, “I thought killing devils was the sacred duty of the Great Han people.”
Yun Ce nodded, “The Great Han and the devils are mortal enemies. Only by killing them can we live happily.”
“But over at Iron Enclosure Pass, not only are they watching us get surrounded by devils, they even turn a blind eye when devils borrow the path from Iron Enclosure Pass to cut off our rear.”
1 Yun Ce waved his hand, “Continue fighting according to the pre-set plan. Once more devils come, we’ll thoroughly ignite Ghost King Mountain, then run.”
1 “Run? General, where can we run to? Iron Enclosure Pass is unreliable. Where else is there a reliable place?”
1 “Enough nonsense. Go arrange the battle quickly. The devils are about to drag away the coal blocking the gorge entrance. We don’t have time for grief.”
1 Qin Shu left filled with grief and indignation. Yun Ce then said to He Qingfang who was by his side, “The devils are about to show their heads. Prepare the crossbow bolts.”
1 He Qingfang and the female warriors quickly moved forward, taking positions in the dug observation pits, exposing only their upper bodies, with crossbows laid flat on the ground. As soon as the Gui Fang people’s cavalrymen showed their heads, they pulled the triggers. Instead of phased shooting, they chose continuous shooting. The dense crossbow bolts instantly killed the emerging Gui Fang Cavalrymen, causing them to fall from their horses one after another.
1 Seeing this, Yun Ce glanced at Zuo Chong behind him, then urged his red date horse forward, past the observation pit where He Qingfang and the others were hiding, charging toward the somewhat chaotic devil cavalrymen.
1 The red date horse charged at the front. This time, Yun Ce did not choose to use his most familiar horse spear, but instead switched to a meteor hammer.
1 In a war that had lasted over a thousand years, all possible methods to counter the enemy had long been met with mature countermeasures. Even iron caltrops to delay enemy cavalry were ineffective against Gui Fang cavalrymen wearing iron shoes. Sometimes, misjudgment could even bring disaster upon oneself.
1 When all methods were exhausted, the effectiveness of cold weapons had reached its peak. Unless there was a major breakthrough in combat technology or human evolution, melee combat would remain the most effective way for both sides to fight.
1 When everyone was highly familiar with war, the role of generals became less important, because every soldier on the battlefield knew their position, their role, and their best way to kill the enemy.
2 The Gui Fang people were like this now. Although they couldn’t avoid enemy crossbow attacks during the charge, their vanguard soldiers tried their best to attract and expend the enemy’s crossbow bolts, creating better assault conditions for those charging behind.
2 This was why He Qingfang and the others attacked as soon as the enemy showed their heads. Once the enemy’s military formation appeared, the lethality of crossbow bolts would drop sharply.
2 Yun Ce chose a heavy weapon like the meteor hammer for the same reason. He was strong, the red date horse was strong and fast, and the meteor hammer covered the largest area when swung. Plus, two days ago, Yun Ce had killed a Hundred-man General and taken his extra-large meteor hammer, so he naturally treated the meteor hammer as a treasure.
2 “Woo woo woo”
2 The huge meteor hammer, carrying the wind, spun and smashed into the devils’ vanguard ranks. Instantly, blood and flesh flew everywhere. Shattered horse heads and armored bodies could not withstand the rotating heavy hammer. In its path, any obstruction was either smashed to pieces or broken apart, unable to slow the heavy hammer in the slightest.
2 Perhaps some nimble ones hid under their horses’ bellies or leaped high from their horses, avoiding the ferocious meteor hammer, but it was hard to escape the pursuit of Zuo Chong and the others following behind Yun Ce.
2 The red date horse carried Yun Ce charging and killing from the head of the enemy horse team all the way to the tail. Everywhere it passed, corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed like rivers.
2 Only after Yun Ce’s giant meteor hammer collided with a giant shield did it bounce high, stopping its rotational momentum.
2 The red date horse stopped, rearing its head to look at a giant ox even taller than itself.
2 The thing that had just stopped Yun Ce’s meteor hammer was the giant shield in the hands of an old general with graying beard on the giant ox’s back. Now, this thick iron shield inevitably had several cracks. The old general discarded the giant shield in his hand and raised a heavy battle axe, pointing at Yun Ce, “Hand over Jade Bamboo Young Master, and I’ll spare your life.”
3 Yun Ce looked at the thick iron shield that cracked upon hitting the ground and shook his head, “Can’t hand him over.”
3 The old general angrily said, “You killed him?”
3 Yun Ce said somewhat dejectedly, “I originally wanted to keep him to exchange for benefits, so I placed him in the camp tent, feeding him well and treating him nicely. I didn’t expect him to try to escape in the middle of the night.
3 The soldiers caught him. Originally, it was no big deal—just lock him up again. But Jade Young Master wouldn’t behave and struggled hard. In the struggling, his clothes inevitably became disheveled… You know, the military is full of rough men, and Jade Young Master was quite alluring. Then… things went wrong.
3 By the time I inquired at dawn, Jade Young Master had already perished. So I can’t hand him over.”
3 Zuo Chong, who had just arrived at Yun Ce’s side, happened to hear Yun Ce’s explanation to the enemy. His eyes widened in shock. He really couldn’t imagine that the general would frame his own deed on them.
3 Feeling the hot air exhaled by the giant ox opposite, Yun Ce whispered to Zuo Chong, “Run quickly. Can you beat this giant ox knight?”
3 Zuo Chong couldn’t help but shiver. The giant ox opposite wasn’t just one, but three!
3 Each ox had an armored soldier on its back: one with a great axe, one with a great club, and one with a saber whose blade was a full two feet long.
3 Zuo Chong turned his horse around and ran. Yun Ce urged his horse forward a step, blocking the charge path of the ox cavalrymen.
4 Zuo Chong ran, and all the cavalrymen who had charged and killed behind Yun Ce also ran. Only Yun Ce remained, alone with his horse, standing at the gorge entrance, blocking the thousands of troops behind.
4 “So, Jade Young Master is already dead?”
4 Yun Ce nodded, “Fortunately, the head is still intact. It’s already been sent to Iron Enclosure Pass for reward.”
4 The giant ox knight turned back to a man riding a great horned horse, “Go back and tell Jade Mountain Master that Jade Bamboo Young Master has fallen on Ghost King Mountain.”
4 The mounted man shrieked, “No one would bear to harm Jade Bamboo Young Master.”
4 The giant ox knight said gravely, “The Han lad opposite isn’t lying. Jade Bamboo Young Master is really dead.”
4 The mounted man was about to shriek again but was scared into silence by a sharp rebuke from another giant ox knight. He quickly rode back.
4 The lead giant ox knight turned to Yun Ce, “Letting your man run earlier wasn’t out of pity, but because you have nowhere left to escape.
4 I couldn’t figure out earlier why Iron Enclosure Pass didn’t send troops to save you. Now I understand—they want to contend for the glory of killing Jade Bamboo Young Master. You can only die.”
4 Hearing this, Yun Ce’s red date horse neighed, reared up on its hind legs, kicked its front legs twice in the air, and in the meantime, its hind legs had quietly shifted position. When its body landed, its head was facing backward, and it sprang forward from a standstill. By the time the giant ox knight, who had just been guarding against Yun Ce’s sudden attack, was ready to defend, he saw the red date horse carrying Yun Ce had already darted into the gorge.
5 Zuo Chong and the others, who had long climbed the cliffs on both sides, quickly pushed glowing red coal down from the cliffs. In moments, the narrow gorge turned once again into a fiercely burning coal furnace.
5 After passing the gorge, Yun Ce led Zuo Chong and the others hurriedly toward the main peak of Ghost King Mountain. On the way, they encountered He Qingfang and the female warriors, pulling them onto the horse backs to continue rushing.
5 He Qingfang, sitting on the red date horse’s buttocks, said, “General, we’re surrounded on all sides. Are we going to fall in battle here?”
5 Yun Ce said impatiently, “Yesterday at dinner, Qin Shu told me you want to bear his child. Let me tell you, you won’t die until you give that guy ten or eight kids.”
5 He Qingfang perked up at this and quickly said, “Are we going to use big bombs to clear a path and kill our way out with a bloody road?”
5 “Get lost. Big bombs are made with money. With Coal Mountain here, why use bombs? When we get back, quickly mount your horse. After the ground starts burning, follow Qin Shu and run outward. If you get out, you’ll live.”
5 In an instant, Yun Ce’s force of less than two hundred had retreated to the foot of Ghost King Mountain.
5 His troops were still somewhat orderly, but the ones led by Qin Shu were much more miserable. Yun Ce glanced over and said to the ashen-faced Qin Shu, “How did you lose so many men? Doesn’t the reserve team have bombs? Why didn’t I hear them explode?”
5 Qin Shu gritted his teeth, “Using bombs to clear a path is our last resort. We can’t use them now—only using them last will catch the enemy off guard and kill them effectively.”
5 Yun Ce couldn’t criticize Qin Shu at this point. He waved his hand, “Did you memorize the route map I gave you?”
6 Qin Shu nodded, “Perfectly.”
6 Yun Ce said, “Good. Assemble the troops. After one incense stick, abandon all baggage, follow Qin Shu closely. Remember, when the ground erupts in flames later, only by following Qin Shu will you survive.”
6 After speaking, Yun Ce patted the red date horse, which immediately began climbing the mountain.
6 He Qingfang looked at Yun Ce’s back and asked Qin Shu, “What is the general going to do?”
6 Qin Shu frowned, “I heard he’s going to ignite Ghost King Mountain.”
6 He Qingfang asked again, “Why can we survive by following you?”
6 “The general said the path I take has no coal underneath.”
6 There’s more behind
