Chapter 408 – Moving the Capital to Chenzhou (Part 14)
“Pick up the pace!”
With a flick of Meng Hunyun’s hand, the massive caravan sped up a notch.
They were well-rested, while the pursuing Green Garment Army was worn out from their relentless chase, their horses and men exhausted.
Under the scorching sun, their energy was being drained much more than the large group ahead.
“Deputy General, it seems like they’ve spotted us!”
The pursuing Green Garment Army had caught onto their trail, and the bandit leading them, a confidant of the Ninth General, cursed under his breath.
“We mustn’t let them cross the Longhu Path! Chase them down and catch them in a jar!”
“Yes!”
The Longhu Path connected Fengyi County and Chengde County, and trade caravans usually took this route to save time. The road had been repaired several times, but its narrowness only allowed two loaded carts to pass side by side.
With around a hundred loaded carts moving one by one, it took a considerable amount of time, and the Green Garment Army was getting closer to Meng Hunyun and his men.
Meng Hunyun scoffed, “Troops, form ranks, step forward fifty paces, archers ready! Let the common people pass first.”
Two hundred soldiers stepped forward to block the narrow pass, fifty men in each row, taking down their bows and placing arrows in the slots.
After the common folks and the loaded carts passed, they waited for a moment as the Green Garment Army was now less than two hundred paces away.
“First row, fire! Second row, advance!”
With a buzzing sound, fifty arrows shot forth with a powerful force towards the Green Garment Army.
The leading Green Garment Army spotted the movement of Meng Hunyun’s men but didn’t take it seriously and continued their pursuit.
At this distance, even an expert marksman would struggle to make a hit.
Thud—Thud—Thud—
In the next instant, the sound of arrows piercing flesh echoed, blooming bright red blood as the struck soldiers fell forward, some arrows even managing double kills.
“Second row, fire! Third row, advance!”
Following Meng Hunyun’s orders, the fourth row of upgraded crossbows flawlessly coordinated their shots, and after one volley, a small area of the Green Garment Army was already laying down, blocking further advances. At this point, the distance between both parties was less than one hundred fifty paces.
As the fourth row released their arrows, one row had already loaded their arrows again and returned to the front.
“First row, advance, fire!” Meng Hunyun calmly commanded, easing the troops’ nerves, allowing even the hands gripping the crossbows to steady.
These soldiers had seen blood; accompanied by Meng Hunyun, they had slaughtered bandits across the mountains. Yet, how many were there in a bandit camp?
Before them was a Green Garment Army of three thousand. Not to mention their combat ability, even the very sight made their legs wobbly.
Fortunately, Meng Hunyun had seen his fair share of battles. As a former officer of the Meng Clan, nothing had escaped his eyes.
Under his leadership, the two volleys were executed perfectly.
To bait the enemy, each soldier only carried two or three arrows in their quivers.
During the second volley, the four rows of soldiers retreated in an orderly fashion, leaving behind hundreds of corpses of the Green Garment Army.
Caught off guard, the confidant of the Ninth General’s face turned ashen, his chest burning with fury.
“They’re out of arrows; continue the pursuit!”
Once they caught up, not a single living soul would be left!
His words revived the spirits of the timid Green Garment Army, and they swarmed towards the narrow pass.
Three hundred meters ahead, the team handling the loaded carts and the fleeing common people were in complete disarray, and seeing this brought him immense joy.
“Wait a bit longer—wait for everyone to come in—”
Jiang Pengji, with a blade of grass in her mouth and a cold smirk on her lips, lay satisfied on the hillside, pleased with her troops’ performance.
Luo Yue watched the whole scene, feeling chills run down his spine.
He knew Jiang Pengji’s troop quality was good; they followed orders without fail, showing a hint of elite soldier demeanor.
He also knew that each of her troops almost always carried a uniquely designed crossbow, treating them like beloved possessions.
But he never expected that the seemingly average-looking troops could unleash such immense combat prowess when working together.
At that distance, even the trained Imperial Guards wouldn’t guarantee complete calmness.
“The Young Master has a serious gambling instinct; this isn’t a good habit.”
Feng Jin observed the situation down below, noting that the foremost Green Garment Army was now less than a hundred meters away.
If they messed up, the two hundred soldiers down there would be wiped out.
“Can’t catch a wolf without letting go of the cubs; I’m not letting this Green Garment Army leave alive,” Jiang Pengji replied coldly.
Daring to invade her Xiangyang County, she didn’t care about the members within the Green Garment Army.
Whoever they were, they all deserved to die!
“Troops ready your crossbows!” Meng Hunyun issued another command, “Fight while retreating!”
Originally lacking arrows, the troops efficiently retrieved arrows from beneath the loaded carts, skillfully loading and forming ranks.
Buzz—Buzz—Buzz—
Arrows flew out, turning the advancing Green Garment Army into a porcupine.
The narrow gorge narrowed further as they went deeper, but the Green Garment Army could only stand in rows of ten or so.
To lure all these Green Garment soldiers into the gorge, the troops shot in an orderly manner while retreating, creating even more space.
However, the Green Garment Army was no fool; they quickly lifted the bodies of the fallen as shields and closed the distance rapidly.
“Rockslide!” Jiang Pengji sneered, unleashing a torrent of stones down the hill. “Block the exit!”
After the barrage of rocks ended, the Green Garment Army was left stunned; screams filled the narrow gorge.
Realizing they had fallen into an ambush, many attempted to retreat.
Unfortunately, the narrow pass was blocked by falling boulders, sealing off their escape route.
“Troops, ready your crossbows! Fire!”
Jiang Pengji commanded as the eight hundred troops hidden on the hillside complied, executing a volley that cleaned up the remaining Green Garment soldiers below.
Crimson blood and chunks of flesh littered the narrow gorge, the once-ear-splitting screams gradually faded away.
Jiang Pengji had kept her livestream going, and the audience, watching through ultra-high-definition cameras, could clearly see the scene unfolding in the gorge.
Many in the Green Garment Army still bore terrified expressions at the moment of their death, their eyes wide open.
Some had been turned into pulp, while others were mangled beyond recognition, dismembered bodies scattered around.
Blood dyed the rubble red, with some soaking into the mud and others forming a serpentine stream, like a slithering red snake.
The valley was thick with the choking smell of blood, silently condemning the prior brutal slaughter.
【Tomato Fried Eggs】: Just now… I threw up big time at the toilet.
【Old Driver Alliance】: Fighting over land, men killing each other in the fields; fighting over cities, men killing each other in the cities… and this is just a meager three thousand people. For those who can’t bear it, better log off this livestream sooner rather than later to avoid psychological scars…
【Clear Water Out of Lotus】: Is there really a need for such a bloody and cruel livestream to exist? Won’t this incite a whole batch of criminals? Why hasn’t it been shut down yet? This host is killing people, and you viewers are also executioners!
Jiang Pengji lowered her gaze, a trace of coldness still lingering at the corner of her mouth.
【Host V】: @Clear Water Out of Lotus, if you can’t stand it, roll out!
After a long time without a retort, did they really think she was a nice and gentle streamer?
They were mere spectators, and while she generally got along well with certain viewers on non-principle matters, it didn’t mean she liked every spectator in the livestream.
Don’t use a condescending attitude to point fingers at her!
She needed to survive in this world and couldn’t sacrifice her life for their saintly compassion.
