Chapter 1149 – Assault on Xu Pei, The First Kill of the Lords (Part 19)
In a frenzy of urgency, Qin Gong disregarded his injuries and gathered the troops to charge toward Jiang Pengji.
Before he could reach her, a storm of arrows rained down like a tidal wave, all aimed at the vicinity of Jiang Pengji.
“Lord—”
Seeing this, Qin Gong shouted desperately, causing his wound to flare up.
If he got hit by those arrows, he wouldn’t just be wounded; he might not survive!
Jiang Pengji scoffed coldly and swiftly sheathed her sword, grabbing two enemy soldiers by their necks and using them as human shields.
Xiao Bai cleverly dashed into the crowd, causing chaos and turning them into target practice.
After tossing aside the two corpses, her sword was drawn again, and she cleared a wave of the encroaching enemies.
Xiao Bai returned, and Jiang Pengji grabbed its reins to mount once more.
Galloping, the blade sliced through several necks like cutting wheat.
With pounding hooves, Xiao Bai took Jiang Pengji out of the arrows’ range and maneuvered around to the other side.
This wave of maneuvers was precise, risky, and exhilarating, yet Jiang Pengji remained unfazed, cutting down whoever got in her way, whether they were men or horses.
Qin Gong: “…”
He couldn’t believe that was his Lord; it had to be a mistake by the Military Adviser.
Internally, Qin Gong was in turmoil but maintained a cold, composed face, looking remarkably steady.
Meanwhile, Xie Ze, seeing that the arrows were ineffective, asked Han Yu, “Military Adviser, that silver-armored general seems unharmed. Should we still—”
Han Yu decisively replied, “The opportunity has passed. There’s no need for useless efforts. Withdraw!”
Opportunities in battle are fleeting; Han Yu missed this chance, and that was his failing.
Xie Ze pursed his lips and had to follow orders, suppressing his rising curiosity.
Who exactly was that silver-armored general?
The change of heart from the Military Adviser indicated that the silver-armored general was of considerable importance, at least a core figure.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for the Military Adviser to take notice.
Xie Ze genuinely admired Han Yu, but the Vice General beside him was boiling with resentment.
Han Yu wasn’t the only one in command; he and Xie Ze equally shared military power.
In terms of position, Han Yu was merely an advisor, so why was he barking orders at Xie Ze and altering military commands on the battlefield?
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became, unable to hold back his grievances regarding the failure of this operation, which he laid entirely at Han Yu’s feet.
Han Yu made a grand show but garnered minimal results; just when he finally gained the upper hand, he called for a retreat. What was he trying to achieve?
As they pulled back, Xie Ze couldn’t help but voice his question.
“Military Adviser, who exactly is that silver-armored general?”
Xie Ze had studied Jiang Pengji’s military officers and initially suspected the silver-armored general was Li Yun. However, Li Yun primarily used a spear, said to master the art remarkably—nearly comparable to the Xie family’s secret techniques. Could it be that Li Yun was not just skilled with the spear but also a master swordsman?
Han Yu, still lamenting the missed opportunity, replied when Xie Ze pressed for clarity, “What do you think?”
Xie Ze said, “I personally think it’s Li Yun, but I’m not sure. Furthermore—”
If it were Li Yun, he didn’t seem significant enough to warrant Han Yu’s attention.
Li Yun was indeed a valuable officer under Jiang Pengji, but he wasn’t irreplaceable—Fu Wang was not even at that level.
No matter how hard Xie Ze racked his brain, he never considered Jiang Pengji as a possibility.
Han Yu stated, “That is Liu Xi.”
Xie Ze nodded in realization, “Oh, so it’s Liu Xi, Liu—”
He froze on the spot. Who did he just hear mentioned?
“The enemy lord Liu Lanting, what a pity.”
Han Yu spoke with immense regret.
Decapitating generals on the battlefield wasn’t what mattered; if they had taken out the enemy’s leader, the Wanzhou forces would surely be thrown into chaos, and their Lord wouldn’t have to worry.
“Liu, Liu—Liu Xi?” Xie Ze nearly bit his tongue. “That silver-armored general is actually Liu Xi?!”
Han Yu replied, “What else? It’s a shame we didn’t take her life; it’s unlikely we’ll have such an opportunity again.”
Xie Ze felt like his worldview had been turned upside down.
Who would have thought that an enemy lord, probably commanding from behind the lines, would personally draw her sword and fight?
“Such valor should not be wasted on just being a general.”
Xie Ze cracked a cold joke, but Han Yu had no time for laughter.
The effort was in vain, and anyone would feel down about that.
Xie Ze said, “This is entirely my fault. Military Adviser, there’s no need to blame yourself.”
Planning was the responsibility of the Military Adviser; fighting on the front lines was his job.
If Liu Xi wasn’t killed, it was definitely his fault.
Han Yu shook his head; his already thin face looked a little gloomy, his gaze cold.
Since Han Yu had ordered the withdrawal, their casualties hadn’t been high.
“Faster than a rabbit—”
Jiang Pengji chased after them, killing over a hundred individuals, and in the end, could only watch the dust they kicked up, gritting her teeth.
As the battle eased, Nong Qin arrived with the remaining troops.
She didn’t see Jiang Pengji first; instead, she spotted Yang Si, pale and losing blood, sitting despondently on a rock.
“Is the Military Adviser injured?” Nong Qin asked and then turned her focus back to Jiang Pengji, “Where is the Lord now?”
As she spoke, she had the medical female soldiers approach.
Two sturdy female soldiers carrying medical kits approached; if not for their size, others might not have realized they were women.
Yang Si attempted to lift his arm, only to pull at his arrow wound, wincing in pain.
The female soldiers examined the injury and said, “The arrow wound is quite deep; you’ll need to remove your clothing… Shall we assist you with a covering cloth?”
Yang Si twitched his lips, “No need—”
He felt that as a big man, it was embarrassing to fuss over a wound, especially since these female soldiers seemed to outshine him in masculine prowess.
The female soldiers took out large scissors and cut open his clothing to expose the wound.
Fortunately, the arrowhead bore no rust and had no poison on it; with proper care, the chance of infection was relatively low.
While the female soldiers treated the wound with anesthetic, they waited for the medicine to take effect before preparing to pull out the arrow.
“Never mind, I’ll do it.”
Though there was anesthetic, it still hurt, and the female soldiers were reluctant to exert too much force, making Yang Si feel even more pain.
Watching this, Nong Qin couldn’t bear it anymore and stepped forward to help.
Yang Si was about to humbly decline when he felt her grip firmly on his shoulder as she yanked out the arrow with all her strength.
There was no time for him to prepare, and agonizing pain shot through his shoulder.
Once again, Yang Si couldn’t hold back a curse in his heart.
Nong Qin addressed the female soldiers coldly, “Get the Military Adviser’s bleeding under control and apply medicine; don’t leave any hidden issues.”
After years of warfare, the medical soldiers’ surgical skills had improved significantly; they now could compile a rather rough surgical manual.
Yang Si was sweating profusely; had he not gritted his teeth and endured, he might have already fainted from the pain.
“Nong Cavalry Officer, at least be a bit gentle sometimes, will you?”
Yang Si couldn’t help but complain, but it only earned him a cold glare from Jiang Pengji.
“In the military and on the battlefield, there is no distinction between men and women; if there is, it’s in the brothel,” she said. “We female soldiers do not need such things as gentleness.”
Yang Si was left speechless, and he felt more spirited.
Nearby, Qin Gong felt a bit intimidated; he was somewhat familiar with Yang Si but hadn’t seen Nong Qin before and couldn’t find a moment to speak.
Just then, the sound of pounding hooves approached, and Jiang Pengji returned with over a hundred soldiers.
