Chapter 5: Wuling (5)

Swinging their whips and riding swiftly, they bent down to throw torches. The copper-armored soldiers skillfully tossed their torches, sending flames licking at the burlap sacks and grain piles, erasing all evil from this world. With each sack of grain burned, the pressure on the men in Ningling City decreased slightly. At this moment, there was no room for hesitation—they had to keep burning and killing, denying the rebels even the slightest chance.

Only a phoenix could be reborn from a sea of fire; chicks clearly lacked such strength and luck.

Faced with the rising plumes of black smoke, Zheng Hanlin felt dizzy. If not for the bodyguards holding him up, the proud rebel leader would have collapsed to the ground long ago. It was only then that he understood the true purpose of these invincible cavalry—burning the grain, destroying every last sack in the camp. That’s why they ignored the soldiers who rushed forward to block them, only drawing their swords to block attacks when necessary. Instead, they unhesitatingly threw their torches to intensify the flames.

“Damn these thieves!”
Zheng Hanlin was furious, itching to tear these thieves to pieces. This was the military grain used to besiege Ningling City. If they continued burning it like this, the army’s supply would turn into nothing but ashes. He sent supplies to the front lines every three days. Calculating quickly, it was time to send more supplies again the next day. If General Linghu Chao found out that the grain under his custody had been burned by the Tang invaders, then…

“Hiss!”
Thinking of his own fate, Zheng Hanlin gasped in horror. Linghu Chao was a merciless killer, and he had always held a grudge against him. If Linghu Chao got hold of him, his vengeful nature meant he wouldn’t be spared.

“Stop them! Prevent them from burning more! Do whatever it takes to stop them!”
Zheng Hanlin paced back and forth, cursing loudly. These Tang people rushed out like demons, destroying all his hopes.

Groups of soldiers were forced toward the Tang army, toward death. They had no choice. If the Tang people burned the grain, General Zheng might escape punishment, but they would undoubtedly be sacrificed as scapegoats.

“Ignore those soldiers! Step over them and use fire arrows to burn the grain piles in the distance!”
Li Kuo watched the soldiers approaching from afar, unmoved. He nocked an arrow and aimed at a grain pile fifty steps away.

He gathered his strength and released the string!

With a loud explosion, the arrow dipped in fire oil shot out, flying straight toward the grain pile.

Since it had rained the night before, to prevent the grain from getting damp, Zheng Hanlin ordered that tarps be placed over the stacks. Yet he never imagined that his casual action would lead to a nightmare. The rockets ignited rapidly upon contact with the tarps, with flames spreading wildly in all directions, setting the nearby tarps on fire. “The general orders: launch the rockets!” Dou Qing shouted loudly, conveying his general’s instructions. At this distance, using rockets was indeed the best option. First, torches had a limited throwing range, and throwing them up close would inevitably encounter rebel soldiers trying to block them. Arrows, on the other hand, had a much greater range, and using rockets allowed them to avoid rebel interference and deliver a fatal strike. On the battlefield, it was most important to adopt the method that was most advantageous and convenient for one’s own army. “Charge forward, for the Tang Dynasty!” Xianyu Yu shot several arrows in quick succession, setting several tarps around him on fire. “Charge forward!” The rebel soldiers trying to block the Tang army stood frozen in shock. How could this be? Before they could even get close to the Tang army, the grain stacks had already caught fire. Were these Tang invaders that cunning? “Stop them, stop them! Charge forward and cut their horse hooves!” Zheng Hanlin was furious, snatching a bow and arrow from his guards and aiming at Li Kuo not far away. All orders came from this man, and all tactics revolved around him. If he could kill him, the Tang army would surely fall into chaos, and he would gain a chance. Although it seemed the grain stacks were lost, killing the Tang army’s commander would at least offset his faults, allowing him to keep his position. Realizing this, Zheng Hanlin’s lips curled slightly as he drew the bowstring taut. “Die!” He suddenly released the bowstring, and the arrow, carrying his fierce anger, spiraled toward Li Kuo. Dozens of steps away, Li Kuo had just knocked over a soldier trying to attack him from the side with his spear and then pierced another rebel soldier behind him. “General, be careful!” Dou Qing braced himself against a Hu soldier beside him, turned to see an arrow flying toward Li Kuo, and quickly shouted a warning. “Clang!” He blocked the arrow with his sword, changing its direction so it flew toward Dou Qing himself. Though prepared, Dou Qing couldn’t anticipate such a change, and despite quickly turning aside, he was still hit in the shoulder by the arrow. “Ugh!” The arrow sent Dou Qing reeling backward, almost falling off his horse. “Damn it!”

Blood gushed like a fountain from his shoulder, and Dou Qing couldn’t help but cover the wound in pain.
“Brother Dou!”
Seeing Dou Qing so enraged for his sake, Li Kuo glanced in the direction the arrow had come from and quickly spotted the dark red military flag.
It must be that man—definitely him!
“Brother Dou, retreat first! I’ll finish off these traitors and come back for you!”
With that, Li Kuo turned his horse and charged toward Zheng Hanlin.
He had intended to show mercy out of respect for these people and avoid fighting to the death, but they turned out to be ungrateful wretches who would never remember his kindness.
If so, then it was better to settle things once and for all!
“Charge! Leave none alive! No surrender accepted!”
Swinging his spear as he rode swiftly on the breeze, Li Kuo resembled a god descending to earth.
“Charge! Follow the commander!”
Li Sheng and Zhou Wucui followed closely behind, protecting Li Kuo’s flanks and denying the rebels any chance.
After Dou Qing was injured, the soldiers of the Tongwu Camp were furious. Even if Li Kuo hadn’t ordered it, they would have rushed forward to tear those beasts to pieces.
“Ah!”
One of the rebel soldiers swung his spear with all his strength at Li Kuo’s waist, thinking it would surely pierce him. But Li Kuo firmly grabbed the spear and lifted it upward.
“Puh!”
Without hesitation, Li Kuo grabbed his dagger and threw it at the rebel’s heart. The blade struck flesh with a dull thud. The soldier was stunned for a moment before spitting out blood and dying on the spot.
“Hmph!”
With a swift swing, Li Kuo threw the soldier’s corpse aside, snatched back his spear, and charged forward.
“Follow! Protect the commander! Protect the commander!”
Seeing their general in danger, Li Kuo’s personal guards shouted and spurred their horses forward. In a chaotic battle, it was crucial to protect the commander at all costs. These rebels were clearly no match for them, and lacking strength, they would surely resort to underhanded tactics. For them, the best opportunity was to assassinate their own general and cause chaos in their ranks.
He would never give them that chance!
“Form a shield wall!”
The guards shouted and quickly drew their leather shields, surrounding Li Kuo. Since Pu Da Chui died after falling for Ashina Baxie’s treachery, Li Kuo had promoted him to lead the guards. He was proud that, through countless battles, he had kept his general unharmed not once.
He lived up to the memory of the late General Da Chui and to his fellow soldiers of the Tongwu Camp and Jianghuai Army.

“Form a shield wall!”
A synchronized shout echoed through the night, and the men of the personal guard instantly formed a shield wall, blocking anyone attempting to ambush the general.
“Whoever stands in my way dies!”
Li Kuo swung his spear with force, driving it through the chests of five or six soldiers in front of him.
First it was the hammer, then Dou Qing—he had no idea who would be next! He had had enough of these oppressive and stifling days. Whether they were the barbarians themselves or the traitorous Tang soldiers who aided the enemy, anyone who dared to stop him would die!
This world was inherently cruel and unjust, especially on the battlefield—unless you killed your opponent, they would kill you.
Sometimes, one only gets one chance to draw a weapon!
The soldiers who tried to block him were intimidated by Li Kuo’s fierce aura and retreated.
But Li Kuo wasn’t affected by their attitude and continued to spur his horse forward.
He had only one goal: the man who had shot arrows at him.
At that moment, Zheng Hanlin seemed to sense the deadly aura emanating from Li Kuo as well. His neck felt icy, and instinctively he turned to run away. Now, fame, wealth, and luxury meant nothing.
All he wanted was to survive!
He mounted his horse, grabbed the reins, and whipped it forward. Just as Zheng Hanlin rejoiced in thinking he could escape alone, he felt a chill on his back.
In shock, he turned to look and saw Li Kuo staring at him with a fierce gaze, holding his spear.
Grudges lingered between them, unspoken and unresolved.