Chapter 177: Kill the Left Wise King
The fish oil firearms, with just one shot, were a complete annihilation against the Northern Frontier soldiers using bows and arrows!
This small squad either died or fled, and our side didn’t lose a single soldier.
The Black Feather Camp soldiers were used to it, but the Northern Frontier people were stunned, including Batel.
His gaze towards Jinsui completely changed; he felt that if Jinsui slapped him ten times, he wouldn’t dare get angry.
“Is this… the work of gods?”
The Northern Frontier people believed in gods, unlike Han Chinese who only prayed when in trouble and kept a respectful distance from spirits otherwise.
In the Northern Frontier, from the royal family down to the smallest herdsmen, they worshipped gods daily and performed divination for everything.
Earlier, Jinsui had joked with Grandpa Ling that with Grandpa’s divination skills, he could definitely become a charlatan in the Northern Frontier.
Grandpa chuckled and said it wouldn’t work, as the gods worshipped in the Northern Frontier were different from those of the Han Chinese.
Uh, hearing Batel ask if it was the work of gods at this moment, Jinsui’s eyes flickered, and she said with a serious expression:
“Precisely! But don’t worry, we don’t have much of this. By the time we finish fighting, your uncle will have used up most of it too.”
What if Batel thought they brought fish oil to attack the Northern Frontier and wouldn’t let them leave? Many partnerships disintegrated immediately after defeating an enemy and forming an alliance.
Batel might be a bit naive, but he wasn’t stupid and immediately asked, “Does the Great Xia Imperial Court have such divine thunder?”
Jinsui shook her head seriously, “Of course not! Think about it, if the Imperial Court had it, the border army would have used it to fight the Tubo people long ago!”
“I specifically made this to fight the Japanese. I’m only using it now to help you.”
Gu Changxiao chuckled softly from the side. Sui Sui’s use of euphemisms was truly masterful. If Great Xia had possessed fish oil firearms earlier, they wouldn’t have been used against the Tubo people, but against the Northern Frontier!
Batel believed her words, placed a hand on his chest, and said, “Thank you, Miss Ji! When I ascend the throne, I will definitely build a Divine Palace to worship the gods you serve.”
Jinsui laughed it off, “We’ll talk about it then. Let’s resolve the current trouble first.”
In the time it took to say a few words, Tuolei had already led his men to pursue the remaining soldiers. Gu Changxiao said urgently, “Quickly follow him. Our forces are too few to be dispersed!”
He turned to look at Jinsui and, in a few swift movements, removed his chest armor and handed it over. “Sui Sui, put this on.”
Jinsui refused, “How can that be? I’m not going to the front lines to fight. I’ll be in the rear. You put it on quickly.”
Gu Changxiao opened his collar to show her, “I’m wearing inner armor. It was my oversight; I should have brought the armor for you.”
Jinsui then took the chest armor and put it on. She was still dressed as a woman, and wearing only a silver-white chest armor was, well, quite ugly.
But for safety, being ugly was better than nothing!
A horn sounded from the Batu Tribe. Batel said anxiously, “Quick, Lei Zan has found us!”
He asked Jinsui anxiously, “How much of your divine thunder do you have left? Use it all.”
Jinsui had been refining fish oil in her space all along, so she had as much as she needed! But to reassure Batel, she said with difficulty,
“Only a few dozen pieces left. We have to use them sparingly.”
She couldn’t let him know she had too much fish oil and firearms. What if he saw her as a threat and killed her after Lei Zan died?
One must always be on guard.
Gu Changxiao brandished his saber and said to the Black Feather Camp soldiers, “Face the enemy!”
Hei Hu, with over a dozen archers, spread out in a wing formation, using fish oil firearms to lead the way.
Eunuch Zhou, held by two Black Feather Camp soldiers, was terrified beyond measure. He had castrated himself and entered the palace to become an eunuch just to have enough to eat and live peacefully.
Who would have thought that after becoming an eunuch, he would have to go to war!
“Kill!” The Northern Frontier soldiers charging out from the Batu Tribe numbered at least ten thousand, while our entire force was less than a thousand.
The impulsive Tuolei, with his Personal Guards, had already charged into the enemy encirclement. He shouted “Father” and “Mother,” swinging his long saber recklessly, trying to cut his way towards the largest felt tent.
Batel was very nervous, as the disparity in numbers was too great.
Jinsui comforted him, “Don’t worry, as long as we kill the Left Wise King, these Northern Frontier soldiers will naturally submit to you, the Crown Prince.
We don’t intend to kill all of them.”
Batel immediately straightened his back, but soon became agitated again, “What if we can’t kill the Left Wise King?”
Jinsui thought seriously and replied, “Then your Northern Frontier will leave a deep mark in our Xia history; you will soon have a Queen!”
Batel: …
Won’t your gods find you too sharp-tongued?
At this moment, Tuolei’s neck was held by a saber, and he was brought to the front of both armies. The Left Wise King, Lei Zan, whose name was known but who had never been seen, also appeared.
He was tall and imposing, with a mustache like a tiger’s, and very sturdy, with the build of a true bear, capable of running horses with his flexed arms.
He stroked his mustache and laughed heartily, “Batel, you actually didn’t flee in terror. This is beyond my expectations.
As such, I shall use your heads and Tuolei’s as my congratulatory gift!”
Tuolei’s face was covered in blood, but he still charged at the Left Wise King like a ferocious wolf, “Give me back my parents’ lives!”
The Left Wise King’s five Bodyguards moved together and finally restrained him.
The Left Wise King roared, “You will meet your parents in the Yellow Springs soon! Hmph, I said that anyone who dares to harbor Batel and Tuoya is my enemy.
He knowingly violated this, and deserves to die!”
The Left Wise King then said to Batel, “Dismount and surrender yourself. Otherwise, I will throw Tuolei’s head at your horse’s feet right now!”
Batel took a deep breath, then dismounted and said to the Left Wise King, “Spare these Warriors, and I will publicly acknowledge and give the Throne to you.”
Lei Zan laughed to the sky, “No need. It’s more appropriate for you to die!”
Jinsui asked Gu Changxiao blankly, “Can’t he see us?”
Gu Changxiao nodded and said loudly, “He probably can’t. I heard the Left Wise King lost an eye, and it seems to be true.”
Lei Zan roared in anger and suddenly turned his head towards them, “Han Chinese, stop spouting nonsense! My eyes are perfectly fine!”
Jinsui handed another crossbow to Hei Hu. This time, she ignored Lei Zan and asked Tuolei loudly, “Hey, do you want your Crown Prince to surrender voluntarily to save you?”
Tuolei roared at Batel, “Tuolei is insignificant! Crown Prince, you must fight this Rebel to the end!”
As he spoke, he lunged at the guard’s saber. The guard knew he couldn’t die yet and quickly retracted his blade.
Jinsui said loudly, “Since that’s the case, your Crown Prince is unwilling to let you die, and you are currently a hostage, then I, a Han Chinese, will play the villain and send you on your way.”
“Hei Hu, aim carefully.”
Hei Hu responded loudly, “Leader Ji, don’t worry, I’ll make sure he goes without pain.”
Batel was shocked, “No!”
But it was too late. The crossbow in Hei Hu’s hand had already fired.
Batel roared in despair, “Tuolei!”
He thought Hei Hu had fired a fish oil firearm, and Tuolei would be blown to pieces. Lei Zan, on the other hand, didn’t believe Hei Hu could shoot Tuolei dead amidst the encirclement of guards.
The result surprised both sides. What Hei Hu shot was neither a fish oil firearm nor a short arrow, but a strange needle that hit Tuolei’s arm. Tuolei himself was bewildered.
What is this Han Chinese doing? Can this little thing kill me?
Within a few breaths, he suddenly fell to the ground with a thud.
Before anyone else could react, Gu Changxiao, who was prepared, swung his saber. Instantly, over a dozen crossbowmen advanced and fired fish oil firearms at Lei Zan’s army in a cutting formation.
Although Lei Zan had heard the sound of this thunder on dry land just now, he had easily captured Tuolei and found that these Han Chinese had no heavy weapons and their numbers were so few that they posed no threat.
Only then did he feel at ease bullying Batel, certain that these people could not escape his grasp.
Who would have thought that the thunder fire would be such a small thing? In fact, fish oil firearms were difficult to kill people with, but they had a great commotion and strong deterrence.
Especially for the Northern Frontier people, who had never seen such a thing. They saw delicate little bottles falling before them.
The result was a thunderous sound, erupting into flames that blotted out the sky and sun, and these flames were difficult to extinguish once they touched a person or horse, causing panic.
Instantly, Lei Zan’s army descended into chaos. Lei Zan’s guards promptly moved to shield Lei Zan’s retreat, but Gu Changxiao, who was prepared, was already blocking the way with the Black Feather Camp soldiers.
Jinsui commanded the crossbowmen from afar to fire fish oil firearms, mainly to scatter the Left Wise King’s army and delay their rescue efforts, giving Gu Changxiao more time to intercept the Left Wise King.
However, our manpower was too scarce, and the Left Wise King’s Personal Guards were fierce. While some fought Gu Changxiao, dozens were still able to cover the Left Wise King’s retreat.
Batel quickly recovered from the shock of Tuolei’s death. He didn’t have time to blame Jinsui for acting on her own; the most important thing now was to kill the Left Wise King.
He drew his saber and shouted, “Warriors of the Royal Court, follow your Crown Prince and annihilate the Rebel!”
His Personal Guards shouted in unison, “Kill the Rebel!”
Batel galloped his horse, weaving through the sea of fire, chasing after the Left Wise King.
Jinsui was so anxious, she wished she could rush over and kill the Left Wise King with a crossbow herself, but she had to assist Hei Hu and the others by providing fish oil firearms and using the telescope to survey the overall situation, directing Hei Hu where to shoot.
She couldn’t let the Left Wise King’s men reach Gu Changxiao, nor could she let him escape.
She forced herself to calm down, trusting her companions and cooperating with them. She was certain that if she moved, Gu Changxiao would definitely be distracted.
If only reinforcements would arrive! Batel alone might not be able to kill the Left Wise King.
It was truly heaven-sent! Just as she was about to send Hei Hu to aid Batel, a troop appeared in the telescope.
They were galloping directly towards the Left Wise King. The Left Wise King was fully focused on defending against the pursuing Batel and the relentlessly advancing Gu Changxiao. Amidst the flames and smoke, he hadn’t noticed another enemy force approaching from the front.
Although this troop was not numerous, they played a crucial role.
This troop was Han Xing, whom Gu Changxiao had dispatched earlier to scout! He had returned at the most opportune moment!
At this moment, Batel caught up to the Left Wise King, and they fought on horseback, saber against saber. The Left Wise King was immensely strong and more skilled than the lean Batel.
After a few exchanges, the Left Wise King cut Batel off his horse but did not kill him.
Just as he was about to escape, his horse’s leg was severed by Batel, who had rolled on the ground. The Left Wise King fell off his horse, and they began fighting on the ground.
Soon, Batel was no match for him, his arm was cut, and he was kicked several yards away.
The Left Wise King was cursing something, but he was speaking in the Northern Frontier language, which Jinsui couldn’t understand.
She later learned that the Left Wise King was cursing Batel for colluding with the Han Chinese and causing the deaths of so many Northern Frontier Warriors. This was clearly an internal affair of the Northern Frontier, and how dare the Crown Prince collude with the Han Chinese!
Fortunately, Batel was not morally blackmailed and retorted, “Colluding with the Han Chinese? You’ve been doing that for a long time, what right do you have to mock me!
Don’t think we don’t know that Prince Yu of Great Xia and the Empress have long been in league with you!”
The Left Wise King, enraged, lunged forward, pinning Batel down, and swung his saber towards his neck. Batel raised his saber to meet it, and the blades clashed, turning into a test of strength.
But it was clear that Batel’s strength was no match for the Left Wise King’s.
Just as the saber tip was about to cut his throat, with a ‘whoosh,’ another saber struck the Left Wise King’s saber, instantly cutting the supposedly sharpest scimitar in the Northern Frontier in two.
Han Xing, who had arrived in time, used a Tang saber forged from refined iron from the border city. He cut through the Left Wise King’s scimitar, kicked him away, and held his saber forward, saying coldly, “Your opponent is me!”
The Left Wise King looked at his broken saber in his hand, his eyes filled with shock. What was going on with these Han Chinese? The Empress never told me that King Li had such powerful weapons!
That thing that was like thunder fire, and this long saber that could cut his dagger.
Weren’t they told that King Li had no personal guards, and the only ones he could bring to the Northern Frontier were a group of border soldiers, whom he could annihilate with a flick of his finger?
Now you’re telling me that thunder fire, long sabers, and these brave Xia soldiers are something border soldiers could possess?
The Left Wise King asked loudly, “Who are you?”
Han Xing also replied loudly, “A Seventh Rank Captain under King Li, from the border city of Great Xia, Han Xing!”
With that, he attacked the Left Wise King with his saber. The few guards around the Left Wise King rushed forward but were intercepted by Gu Changxiao, who had arrived.
Gu Changxiao didn’t intend to steal Han Xing’s credit but to clear the field for him so he could focus on killing the Left Wise King.
Han Xing did not disappoint. In just over ten moves, he defeated the weaponless Left Wise King and knocked him to the ground.
He first severed the Left Wise King’s tendons with two slashes. Amidst his pained cries, Han Xing brought Batel over and shouted simultaneously:
“The Crown Prince personally executes the Rebel!”
The Left Wise King glared at Batel, “How dare you! Han Chinese cannot be trusted. If you kill me, they will kill you! Batel, don’t be misled by the Han Chinese. Spare me, and I will make you King!”
Seeing Batel step forward with his saber, the Left Wise King lost all his previous arrogance, his voice filled with despair, “Batel, Uncle was wrong! Uncle was wrong! Spare Uncle’s life!”
Batel glanced at Tuolei lying on the ground in the distance, then at the Batu Tribe engulfed in flames, and looked at the Left Wise King with scrutiny.
Gu Changxiao said softly:
“He doesn’t know he was wrong; he only knows he’s about to die! You considered him your uncle, but he showed no mercy when he tried to kill you.”
Batel said coldly, “I have no soft heart. I just think it’s too easy for him!”
With that, he swung his saber and severed the Left Wise King’s head, raising it high and shouting to the soldiers of both armies:
“The Left Wise King, Lei Zan, has been executed! Warriors of the Northern Frontier, lay down your weapons, and I, the Crown Prince, will forgive you!”
