Chapter 229: Formidable Enemy
The two long sabers clashed, the piercing sound almost rupturing eardrums.
Pei Qinghe’s expression remained unchanged, while Wu Yan, who relied on his immense strength, felt his right hand tremble slightly, his face changing abruptly.
After just one clash, the confident and arrogant Wu Yan had a bucket of ice water dumped on his head.
The Pei Qinghe before his eyes was a true master!
Pei Qinghe remained expressionless, her long saber continuously slashing out, one saber after another, each strike aimed straight at Wu Yan’s vital points. Wu Yan was inwardly alarmed, continuously wielding his saber to block.
The two long sabers clashed endlessly in midair.
The more Wu Yan fought, the colder he felt inside.
Pei Yan, Pei Xuan, Captain Sun, Tao Feng, and others watching from the city gate shouted loudly to cheer on their own general. Pei Qinghe kept pressing Wu Yan, and his defeat was only a matter of time.
The Xiongnu cavalry below the city were far away at three li; watching nearby were only two men. One was a messenger soldier, the other a Han man who spoke Han language.
The messenger soldier’s face grew increasingly grim.
Even the Han man, not well-versed in martial arts, could see that Wu Yan was at a disadvantage.
Pei Qinghe slashed out with a saber; Wu Yan barely evaded, blood appearing at his waist and abdomen. Wu Yan roared in anger, his saber strikes becoming wide and sweeping, switching to a fight-to-the-death style.
Pei Qinghe firmly held the upper hand and naturally did not want to fight to mutual destruction with the desperate Wu Yan; her figure moved like the wind, nimbly evading.
The messenger soldier did not relax, his face gloomy and uncertain, not knowing what he was thinking.
The Han man swallowed, lowering his voice: “Should we two go up to help?”
The messenger soldier glared fiercely at him: “So many watching from the city gate; if we two move, they will jump down. Our brave soldiers are three li away; by the time they arrive, our corpses will be cold.”
The Han man immediately fell silent.
Slash! Another saber strike!
Blood sprayed from Wu Yan’s left arm.
All minor wounds, yet they thoroughly ignited Wu Yan’s ferocity. He let out a furious roar, raising his saber into midair and slashing down like lightning.
Pei Qinghe had nowhere to evade; she quickly raised her long saber, clashing squarely with Wu Yan’s, producing an extremely piercing sound.
Wu Yan grinned ferociously and kicked out. Tall with long legs, he held the advantage in reach. Pei Qinghe’s right leg was swept, forcing her back a step at last.
Pei Xuan watching from the city gate cried out in alarm.
Pei Yan grabbed the rope to jump down the city wall, but was stopped by Captain Sun: “Miss Yan, don’t rush. This Xiongnu commander is already fighting to the death; our general is handling it with ease, completely dominating. The final victory will surely be ours!”
Pei Yan looked closely and indeed, after taking a kick, Pei Qinghe once again suppressed Wu Yan with fierce blade techniques. Blood also appeared on Wu Yan’s back.
Wait! What did that messenger soldier take out?
Pei Yan narrowed her eyes and sneered: “I’ll go down and kill that messenger soldier.”
Captain Sun had excellent eyesight and also saw the signal flare-like object in the messenger soldier’s hand; his face darkened: “Too late now. Have the archers prepare! Also, be ready to cover the general’s return to the city at any moment!”
Bang!
A dark object flew into midair, then exploded, flashing red light. The Xiongnu cavalry three li away could clearly see it.
This was the signal for an emergency assault.
The Xiongnu barbarians poised to strike howled as they spurred their warhorses forward. Three li was just a cup of tea’s time for galloping warhorses.
As long as Wu Yan held on for a moment and kept Pei Qinghe pinned below the city, the battle situation would reverse, with the advantage on the Xiongnu side.
After firing the signal flare, the messenger soldier immediately drew his long saber. The alert and clever Han man also drew his long saber.
The rope at the city gate swung, and a sturdy young woman leaped down from the city wall, charging over like a tiger.
As she rushed past Pei Qinghe, Pei Yan shouted: “Hurry back to the city! I’ll cover you!”
Pei Yan casually slashed at Wu Yan. Wu Yan dodged and evaded, allowing Pei Qinghe to seize the opening and stab his waist and abdomen.
Wu Yan cried out in pain and staggered back.
By now, Pei Yan had charged up to the messenger soldier; with a few slashes, she turned him into a bloody gourd. The Han man fled in horror; Pei Yan hurled her long saber, which pierced through his back and out his chest. The Han man let out an earth-shattering scream and fell straight down.
The signal flare exploded in midair, its red light glaring; Wu Yan naturally saw it too. He had initiated the challenge, and Pei Qinghe had boldly accepted. Breaking faith now was truly shameful.
But now, having taken successive saber wounds, without reinforcements, he would die here.
No, he wouldn’t even last until reinforcements arrived.
Pei Qinghe advanced like the king of hell come to claim his life, coldly slashing down. Wu Yan, slowed by the intense pain in his waist, failed to evade in time; he raised his saber to block, his tiger mouth shaking violently, and his long saber fell to the ground.
Not good!
This was the last thought in Wu Yan’s mind. The next moment, Pei Qinghe’s long saber pierced his chest.
A muffled sound came from Wu Yan’s throat, his eyes bulging like copper bells, dying with eyes wide open.
The ground trembled unceasingly.
The Xiongnu barbarians were charging over on horseback!
Pei Qinghe shouted: “Pei Yan, back to the city!”
Pei Yan turned and ran like mad. Pei Qinghe also rushed back swiftly. She had never run so fast in her life. When she grabbed the rope, the Xiongnu barbarians were getting closer.
Captain Sun shouted: “Loose arrows!”
Arrows rained down from the city gate, slightly holding back the Xiongnu barbarians.
Using the rope, Pei Qinghe climbed up swiftly like a gecko. Pei Yan was equally nimble. Just as they were about to reach the city wall, the Xiongnu barbarians, maddened by Wu Yan’s corpse, raised their bows and shot. One arrow hit Pei Yan squarely in the back.
Another arrow grazed Pei Qinghe’s right arm, drawing a spray of blood.
Enduring the pain, Pei Qinghe exerted force and flipped onto the city wall.
Pei Yan fared worse, taking another arrow in the leg and unable to climb further; Captain Sun, Tao Feng, and others pulled her up together onto the city wall.
Pei Xuan held back tears and first helped Pei Qinghe.
Pei Qinghe said sternly: “I can hold on; quickly carry Pei Yan to the military tent for treatment.”
Pei Xuan could only acknowledge and call over two sturdy and strong soldiers. Pei Yan, wounded in the back and rear leg, lay prone on a simple wooden frame and was carried away. The arrow was still in place; Pei Yan still had strength to lift her head and speak: “Don’t worry, I’m tough; I won’t die.”
Pei Qinghe glared at Pei Yan and instructed those carrying the frame to move steadily. The two soldiers hastily agreed and carried Pei Yan away.
Pei Qinghe quickly took out medicine and sprinkled it on her right arm wound, then wrapped it with bandage.
With no time to check if the wound had stopped bleeding or to care for her still-paining right leg, Pei Qinghe wiped the sweat from her forehead and once again stood on the city wall, calmly commanding the warfare.
All the Pei Family Army on the city wall today had personally witnessed their own general display her divine might, wielding her saber to kill the Xiongnu barbarians’ commander. At this time, morale was high and fervent.
The Xiongnu barbarians, with their commander slain, had also fallen into a half-mad state.
