Chapter 1201 – Cutting Down Xu Pei, First Kill of the Lords (Seventy-One)
“With a clear conscience?” Cheng Xun sneered, pressing him hard, “How do you have the face to say that?”
Han Yu responded coldly.
Just as he once told his mentor, Mr. Yuanjing, his path was about “law” and “justice,” not tied to any one person.
He wanted to put his ideals into practice, truly helping the common people create a fair and just era.
Even if he couldn’t achieve it, he hoped to pass on his “way,” believing his descendants would surely see it.
Ultimately, it didn’t matter who brought about this prosperous era.
If it were Xu Pei, that would be great, but if not, it would only be a regret.
Han Yu declared, “I’m not like you; you wouldn’t understand.”
“I don’t understand. May you have the gall to bring down Liu Xi, and may she forgive you for your night raid on the main camp.” Cheng Xun, not wanting to comprehend, coldly mocked, “Han Wenbin, may your future be bright, next year dressed in fine clothes on a spirited horse, holding the rank of Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, finally sitting at the top of the court.”
Cheng Xun had previously looked up to Han Yu, unaware of his true nature!
Even if the lord refused to leave, he should still advise him, or if necessary, accompany him to face death—how could one merely seek to survive?
Little did he know, Han Yu understood Xu Pei all too well.
Xu Fei was trapped in Shanweng City, failing to escape when the city fell, ultimately despondent and hanging himself in a peasant’s courtyard.
Xu Pei would never accept losing even a bit, and he certainly wouldn’t follow the old path of the other side; allowing him to escape was impossible.
Trying to persuade him was futile.
Han Yu stared down coldly.
“Thank you for your kind words.”
For Han Yu, death was not terrifying; what was terrifying was dying without any meaning.
Everyone has their choices; Cheng Xun was loyal to the lord, not afraid of life and death, but he was loyal to his own heart and “way,” and he could not die just yet.
Cheng Xun’s fury ignited, his right hand swiftly grasping the hilt of his waist sword, drawing it and stabbing toward Han Yu.
Han Yu failed to dodge in time, getting stabbed right in the left arm, blood quickly soaking the entire limb.
If Cheng Xun had aimed just a little differently, he might’ve struck Han Yu’s heart and taken him out in one blow.
Cheng Xun pulled out the sword, wanting to stab again, but unexpectedly, Han Yu reacted swiftly, also drawing his sword to defend.
Cheng Xun’s sword hovered in the air, unable to stab a second time, and in the end, he angrily threw down the sword and left.
“Hmph—”
He looked down on Han Yu, a man void of spirit; killing him would only dirty his hands.
Yet Han Yu could only sheath his sword, holding his right hand against the wound on his left arm, chuckling bitterly.
Different paths lead to different endeavors; this was what that meant.
Although Shanweng City had its own geographical advantages, when Xu Fei was stationed here, Xu Pei had forcefully demolished buildings. Now, with him trapped in Shanweng City, those unremediated buildings became the largest burden. Jiang Pengji, on the other hand, had a bellyful of anger, launching a fierce assault on the city, with soldiers attacking since dawn, only pausing a few times to regroup.
Jiang Pengji even tore the city gates apart with her bare hands, leading the troops to breach Shanweng City’s main gate, leaving Bai Ning, the main force commander, dumbfounded.
Was this how wars were fought?
No way—
Wasn’t that their lord? Why was she personally rushing to the battlefield?
Ordinary generals wouldn’t easily descend into battle; why was their lord so excited?
With keen eyesight, Bai Ning confirmed—his lord was not only excited; she was shaking with excitement!
“Oh no oh no—will my daughter still be able to get married?”
Blame it on their lord being too charming; she arrived on the battlefield like a god of slaughter, perfectly showcasing the beauty of power.
What young boy or girl could resist?
Whether man or woman, deep down, people revered the strong.
Otherwise, how would the saying “beautiful women love heroes” exist?
Not only was their lord beautiful, but she also overshadowed countless heroes.
Such a talent, how could their Yuexia not be completely captivated by her?
As Bai Ning contemplated this, he saw the scruffy enemies and became even angrier.
His archery was excellent, and his formations were not bad either. Recommended by Wei Ci, Jiang Pengji appointed Bai Ning as the commander of the army camp, equivalent to a chief. However, Bai Ning was in frontline combat, with many opportunities to earn merit, and thanks to his own skills, he could be promoted quickly.
Otherwise, giving Bai Ning a high position at the start would be unlikely to win the soldiers’ hearts.
Bai Ning also did not let Jiang Pengji down; his performance in several small battles was outstanding, and his contributions in this assault on the city were especially noticeable.
If Jiang Pengji could tear down the city gates, without Bai Ning leading the soldiers in cover, capturing Shanweng City wouldn’t be so easy.
The war drums roared, and bloody cries shook the heavens.
Countless severed limbs and remains piled up at the city gates, bright red blood seeping into the mud, mingling with the earthy scent and spreading around.
Though the city gates were broken, the remaining soldiers did not scatter; some stayed behind to resist, ultimately being killed or captured.
“There are indeed a few capable ones—”
Jiang Pengji spat, flicking the long knife in her hand, blood staining it flung away, revealing a snow-white blade once more.
If it were ordinary soldiers, faced with such a disadvantage, they would lose all thoughts of resistance, either surrendering or fleeing.
The remaining soldiers in Shanweng City were quite stubborn. This revealed they were indeed Xu Pei’s final elite forces.
Jiang Pengji did not order their complete slaughter but rather commanded that those who could be captured should be, while those who couldn’t should be killed.
The three armies charged straight into Shanweng City, before the sun fully sank below the horizon, the last line of defense was breached.
As night descended, the fires in Shanweng City grew brighter, illuminating the sky with an orange glow.
Jiang Pengji glanced over, the orange light reflecting in her eyes, suddenly realizing something.
“Xu Xinzhao—why bother?”
She murmured, sighing, her killing intent completely reined in, looking not only less enthusiastic than before but now somewhat regretful.
The audience continued chatting casually, their lightheartedness made Jiang Pengji’s mood grow inexplicably heavier.
Though she hadn’t formed a deep friendship with Xu Pei, they had once called each other brothers and sisters—half a friend.
Elsewhere, Cheng Xun, tears streaming down his face, held a barrel, scooping water from a vat, trying to extinguish the raging fire.
However, the main buildings in Shanweng City were all made of wood, and with the dry weather, the flames spread ferociously, far beyond his capabilities to extinguish.
Nearby were only a few servants and soldiers trying to put out the fire, merely a drop in the bucket.
Finally, Cheng Xun steeled himself, lifting the water-filled barrel high above his head and pouring it over himself.
He then wrapped himself in a wet thick blanket brought by the servants and charged into the sea of flames.
Inside, the fire was intense, choking him as he coughed.
He vaguely saw a charred corpse on fire; he covered it with the thick blanket and miraculously dragged it out with little trouble.
“Lord—Lord—why must you abandon Gong Luo—”
The burned body was unrecognizable, yet Cheng Xun still recognized it at first glance.
In an instant, sorrow overwhelmed him, ignoring the burns on his arm and back, he collapsed on the thick blanket, weeping uncontrollably.
