Chapter 173: Warfare
General Lu’s face was grim, he remained silent, continuing to strike the military drum forcefully, directing all officers and soldiers of the Fanyang Army to fight to the death forward.
In a battle between two armies, the most taboo thing is to leak morale early. The Pei Family Army was far more powerful than he had anticipated. Unfortunately, there is no regret medicine in the world. He had led troops here, and it was impossible to retreat unscathed.
The victor is king, the vanquished is bandit! Only fight to the death!
The personal soldiers behind General Lu lacked such strong composure: “G-General! Our men seem unable to beat the Pei Family Army.”
Another personal soldier’s voice was also trembling: “Otherwise, let’s sound the gong to withdraw troops…”
General Lu had no time to turn back, cursing viciously from his mouth: “All of you shut your bird mouths. If you dare disrupt morale again, this general will deal with you under military law.”
The personal soldiers dared not make another sound, watching wide-eyed as the soldiers of the Fanyang Army surged into Pei Family Village and were slaughtered like pigs and dogs.
Sixth Sister Pei waved her long saber, fierce and unmatched, no one could block her at all. They went forward one after another to become souls under her blade.
The intense military drum sound from their own general seemed instead to be cheering for Sixth Sister Pei.
Under Sixth Sister Pei’s lead, the Pei Family Army gradually gained the upper hand.
The soldiers of the Fanyang Army in the back couldn’t see the battlefield ahead clearly, continuously surging forward under the urging of the military drum. Those in front did notice something wrong but couldn’t react in time, pushed forward by those behind. Then, cries of agony rose one after another, blood splashing everywhere.
The soldiers of the Fanyang Army fell one by one. On the Pei Family Army’s side, they ultimately had shallow experience in battle, and quite a few died under the blades of the Fanyang Army.
The battlefield was bloody slaughter, not beautiful at all. One moment fighting for life and death, the next perhaps both perishing together.
Pei Qinghe gazed coldly, expressionless, her long saber waving nonstop in her hand.
She had given strict orders that everyone must stay behind her. Before she left the village, no one was allowed to charge out of the wall.
General Lu could serve as commander of an army, so he had some capability. The Fanyang Army’s combat power wasn’t high, but when fighting, they did so methodically and hadn’t collapsed in defeat due to temporary setbacks in battle. No one turned to flee. General Lu was still personally beating the military drum to boost the Fanyang Army’s morale.
Although the Fanyang Army suffered heavy casualties, the Pei Family Army also endured unprecedented heavy losses.
This was a true bitter battle.
True elite soldiers are those who continuously experience fighting to the death on the battlefield; those who survive naturally become elite soldiers.
Suddenly, a saber swept over from the side.
Pei Qinghe slashed down with her saber, breaking the opponent’s blade, then her right foot flew up, kicking the sneak attacker to the ground. Pei Yan swiftly stabbed down with her saber beside her, ending this person’s life.
This soldier clearly had some status in the Fanyang Army. Dying so cleanly and neatly immediately caused a not-small commotion.
Finally, someone in the Fanyang Army retreated in fear.
This terrified deserter had just turned and run a few steps when he was coldly laughed at and hacked by someone overseeing battle behind the wall: “Amid the military drum, one can only advance, not retreat. Whoever acts as a deserter dies.”
The black-faced military general overseeing battle was General Lu’s confidant, successively hacking down three deserters, forcing the soldiers to continue advancing.
The black-faced military general’s shouting drew Pei Qinghe’s attention.
Pei Yan was covered in blood, her face also splattered with blood, unknown if it was the enemy’s or her own: “I’ll go kill him.”
Pei Qinghe had no time to turn back: “Wait a moment.”
Now was not the time.
Once the Fanyang Army fled in disorder, the Pei Family Army, lacking warhorses, would be unable to pursue them all. The bandits fleeing in all directions would cause untold innocent common people to suffer. Therefore, what she wanted was to kill as many enemies as possible.
Pei Yan was not stupid at all, just didn’t like using her brain, and obeyed Pei Qinghe completely. At Pei Qinghe’s command, Pei Yan acknowledged and decisively gave up the idea of rushing out to kill the black-faced military general, continuing to wave her saber and fight fiercely.
Mao Hongling’s spear in hand was like a spiritual snake, Captain Sun’s thick-backed long saber swung wide and open, Tao Feng, who had taken a saber wound to his left arm, grunted but did not retreat, continuing to wield his saber and kill enemies.
The most outstanding performers in this battle were not them, but Pei Xuan and Pei Feng.
Pei Xuan smiled sweetly, but struck viciously. She was not tall, and most of her saber swings targeted the lower bodies of the Fanyang Army soldiers, the enemies dying by her hand letting out especially shrill screams.
Pei Feng was no less, his blade techniques fierce and face cold, though young, he had a bit of Pei Qinghe’s demeanor when killing.
The wall continued to collapse, another large batch of Fanyang Army surging in.
Pei Qinghe fought fiercely to the death, not forgetting to oversee the overall situation. When her right hand grew tired from killing, she swiftly switched to her left. Her left-hand saber was even more tricky and fierce.
The black-faced military general overseeing battle was about a hundred paces from Pei Qinghe. He personally watched the Fanyang Army soldiers go forward one after another to die under Pei Qinghe’s blade; at first furious, later his heart chilled.
He had heard of Pei Qinghe’s fearsome reputation but never witnessed it firsthand. Today he finally saw it with his own eyes, yet he was already not far from death.
Pei Qinghe, who had always stayed within the wall, suddenly began moving forward. Everyone behind her followed forward. The advance speed was not fast, just one step in the time of a cup of tea. Roughly calculating, to kill out of the wall and charge to this overseeing military general, it would take at least an hour.
The black-faced military general silently calculated his own death hour in his heart, shouting loudly from his mouth: “Charge forward! No retreating!”
“The general has fed and wined you well, now is the time for you to fight to the death for the general! Kill Pei Qinghe! The general will reward a thousand taels of gold!”
These were words General Lu had said before the battle. General Lu had a pile of various flaws, but he had merits too, and keeping his word was one of them.
The soldiers who had originally grown fearful once again had their morale boosted, waving sabers and spears as they howled and charged forward. Then, hacked to death by Pei Qinghe with one saber, or having their heads chopped off by Pei Yan, or dying under Mao Hongling’s spear.
Pei Xuan and Pei Feng lagged a few steps, but they always followed behind Pei Qinghe. Pei Xuan’s little face was dyed red with blood, Pei Feng’s collar full of bloodstains.
Not even an hour, after most of an hour, Pei Qinghe arrived before the black-faced military general.
The black-faced military general’s throat was already hoarse from shouting, no nonsense, he gripped his long saber and pounced to fight Pei Qinghe to the death. Pei Qinghe slashed a few times, stabbing through the black-faced military general’s chest.
The black-faced military general was tough, did not beg for mercy before dying, and when he fell with eyes closed, he looked toward his own general’s direction.
General, run! If you don’t run now, it’ll be too late!
The final thought floated through his mind.
General Lu’s right arm was sore and weak, unable to strike the military drum anymore.
The personal soldiers around him were shocked: “General, run fast! That God of Slaughter Pei Qinghe is charging over!”
“If we don’t go now, it’ll be too late! As long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn! Our Fanyang Army has already lost, let’s run!”
General Lu’s lips moved, wanting to say something, but suddenly turned, leaped from the war chariot onto a fast horse, wheeled the horse around, and fled.
The personal soldiers all mounted horses one after another and followed in flight.
