Chapter 54: Dusk (1)

Under the pitch-black sky, separated by a small training ground, two armies of hundreds of men stood face to face!
The long dusk promised no peace; to bring back the dawn, blood would have to be sacrificed. Neither the Arab warriors nor the Bronze Warriors had any chance of retreating—only one side would emerge victorious. And their only way to survive was to kill the other.

Li Kuo had never been as calm as he was now, nor had he ever faced death so closely. He could clearly see the patterns on the armor of the Arab soldiers, smell the acrid scent of burning corpses, and hear his own heartbeat.

“The path ahead is long and arduous, yet I shall not regret even a hundred deaths!”
Li Kuo gripped his black sword tightly, staring resolutely at his enemies. Though the enemy force far outnumbered him, he felt no fear. He was a Tang man, a soldier, and a man—he must fulfill his duty!

“Brothers, take up your swords and blades—for the Great Tang, for our elders and fellow villagers, for ourselves!”
“For ourselves, for ourselves!”

Most of the soldiers were loyal veterans who had fought alongside Li Kuo for years. Their bond with him was extraordinary. Seeing him ready for battle, they raised their swords in response. They could see fear in the eyes of the Arab warriors—a deep-seated dread that couldn’t be erased by sheer numbers. They feared his black crossbows, his unpredictable tactics, and the fact that he still had tricks up his sleeve!

All of this was thanks to their commander. Since following him, they had faced many fierce battles, and he had never disappointed them. That black sword and silver spear were their weapons of victory, the driving force behind the Bronze Warriors of Tang. As long as the commander was there, the spirit of the Bronze Warriors and Shule Army would endure!

“Change formation!”
Without looking away, Li Kuo made his final orders. This time, the formation was semi-circular, providing maximum protection for his comrades!

It was the Tang soldiers of the Bronze Warriors who launched the attack first—they had full confidence!

In an instant, under Li Kuo’s leadership, they charged into the training ground and engaged in close combat with the Arab warriors, who outnumbered them twice. Every strike was deadly, every move a fight for survival. Both sides attacked with the most primitive, simplest, and effective methods.

They were searching for an opportunity—a chance to win in one strike! The battlefield was no place for surrender; those who failed would have their heads cut off to advance others in rank!

Li Kuo moved nimbly through the storm of blades, knocking down countless Abbasid soldiers who tried to assassinate him. One strike, two strikes, three strikes… With each swing, the young man took a life, ending it coldly and mercilessly!
Swinging, chopping, thrusting, parrying—Li Kuo executed his sword techniques with mastery. Protected by his loyal guards, he fought hard to create a gap in the Abbasid ranks!
He had no choice—he had to buy enough time for the innocent! With time, they could seize the fortress gates! They couldn’t wait until dawn; they absolutely couldn’t!
“Charge forward! Follow Brother Kuo!”
Seeing Li Kuo break through the defenses, Zhang Yanji was overjoyed. Shouting commands, he led five bodyguards forward. He wasn’t originally part of this night attack, but worried about Brother Kuo’s safety, he volunteered and joined at the last moment.
To be honest, he had hesitated and struggled. After all, the Abbasid fortress was guarded by at least five hundred men. And due to the need for secrecy, he could only bring a hundred men—any more would attract the Abbasid sentries.
Fighting a hundred against five hundred? Even a battle-hardened general like Gao Xianzhi might not succeed. Yet now, Brother Kuo wanted to use just a hundred soldiers to open the path to Talas!
Of course, he was afraid—he feared death, feared losing everything he had, feared his grandfather in Chang’an would fall ill from his death. After all, he wasn’t just a border general; he was the eldest grandson of the Zhang family in Jingzhao and the heir to the family’s leadership!
He couldn’t focus only on his own survival—he had to consider the interests of the entire family!
He remembered back in Chang’an, Brother Kuo’s friends from the streets often mocked him as a privileged nobleman who relied on others and lacked ambition. He would get furious then, and if not for Brother Kuo’s advice, he would have rushed to fight those guys. But now, wasn’t he just what they said he was?
He had joined the army through his grandfather’s connections, and his promotions had also benefited from his family’s influence. Compared to Brother Kuo, who grew up on his own, he was nothing but a parasite!
There was a time when he avoided discussing his background with his comrades, frustrated by that invisible shield of protection.
But now, he had a chance to prove himself—why not seize it? He wanted to prove that Zhang Yanji could achieve great military feats without relying on his family’s influence!

“Charge! Follow Brother Kuo and charge!”
Zhang Yanji swung his sword, severing the head of a new Arab soldier holding a long spear. Seeing the blood spray from his neck, Zhang Yanji felt an indescribable thrill! One!
“Ignore me! Charge forward and break through the gap!”
Zhang Yanji pushed aside his bodyguards who were desperately protecting him, then swung his sword horizontally, cutting off the arm of an Arab man who stepped forward. Zhang Xiaolangjun hesitated not for a moment; taking advantage of the soldier’s cries of pain, he thrust his sword through the Arab soldier’s heart.
Two!
Like a demon set free, Zhang Yanji fully found his rhythm in killing at this moment. Killing was so simple, achieving fame was so simple! He was helping Brother Kuo drive the Arabs back inch by inch, forcing them toward the fortress gates!
He had done it! He had succeeded!
“Kill them! Kill those bastards!”
Zhang Yanji fought fiercely, barely caring about his own safety, exposing his lower body completely. He had just pulled his sword out of a new Arab soldier’s shoulder socket and was about to swing it again when he felt a sharp pain in his back leg.
“Ah!”
Zhang Yanji almost fell forward, but Li Kuo grabbed him tightly! On the battlefield, in the chaos, one must never fall—those who do, even if not killed by the enemy, will most likely be trampled to death by their own comrades! No matter what injury one suffers, one must not fall!
Li Kuo turned and swung his sword at the Arab who had attacked Zhang Yanji. The soldier reacted quickly, blocking the sword strike. Li Kuo used the momentum of his sword to twist it, lifting the soldier’s curved sword and flinging it away.
He struck again, and in the blink of an eye, the Arab soldier was dead!
Li Kuo had only one flaw: he was protective of his brothers. Anyone who tried to harm his comrades could not be spared!
Whoever you are, if you hurt my brothers, I will take your life!
“Brother Kuo, I… I…”
Zhang Yanji managed a faint smile, about to say something, but then fainted.