Chapter 320
Listening to the escalating sounds of battle, Zhu Xiao, seeing Zhu Zhengrong’s growing impatience, spoke in a deep voice, "Zhengrong, you must remember, no matter what happens, no matter how the Zhenbian Marquisate's Zhu family and the Yang family engage in covert struggles and slander, the land you stand on is that of the Great Qing Dynasty. It cannot be trespassed upon by barbarians!"
"Father?" Zhu Zhengrong was momentarily stunned, then straightened his body, his face resolute as he replied, "I remember."
Satisfied that Zhu Zhengrong was not being perfunctory, Zhu Xiao nodded, "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Wait a moment longer."
Meanwhile, at Aozi Pass, the fierce sounds of combat stirred the blood. The carnage and slaughter made them forget the cold, forget their fear. Their minds held but one thought: kill all enemies and survive!
Lin Jiang ended the enemy before him with a sword strike. Glancing sideways, he roared hoarsely, "Young Master, be careful!"
Originally, Lin Jiang and his seven companions had formed a pincer formation, advancing towards Aozi Pass to rendezvous with Qiu Jinyu, while keeping Yang Xu protected in the safest position in the center of the formation.
However, as the enemies multiplied, their original formation was disrupted. Enemies ambushing from the rear also discovered the anomaly ahead and pursued them ferociously from behind. This led to Yang Xu's current peril.
Lin Jiang's roar caused Old Fifth and the others to turn their heads. Their eyes blazing with fury, they disregarded the danger before them and turned to rescue him. Unfortunately, they were too far away. They watched as an enemy stepped on Yang Xu, raising a sharp sword high, about to thrust it into Yang Xu's chest.
In the nick of time! From the darkness, a short arrow suddenly shot through the air.
The enemy, with his sword raised high, sneered menacingly. He thought he could finish Yang Xu with one blow, but unexpectedly, his neck was pierced by the arrow. His body swayed twice, and with a thud, he fell to the ground.
"Young Master Xu!" Lin Jiang, who had rushed over, slashed his long sword, completely finishing off the fallen enemy. He then quickly pulled Yang Xu up from the ground.
Old Fifth and the others also let out long sighs of relief. Their hearts, which had been hanging precariously, finally settled. It was so close, so close to Yang Xu losing his life before their eyes. If anything had happened to Young Master Xu, how could they face the General!
Yang Xu was stunned for a moment. He no longer cared about the pain of being stepped on his chest. His gaze was blank as he looked at the enemy lying on the ground, blood gushing from his neck. He had almost died just now.
Never having been so close to death, Yang Xu's limbs felt stiff, and his mind was a complete blank.
"Young Master Xu!" Lin Jiang's hand, gripping Yang Xu's arm, tightened its grip. Seeing Yang Xu snap back to attention due to the pain, Lin Jiang cautioned again, "Now is not the time to be in a daze. Young Master Xu, stay close to me!"
The sounds of battle still echoed in his ears. Yang Xu nodded, wanting to pick up the sword that had fallen to the ground, but found that his wrist had no strength at all.
A quarter of an hour later.
"Xiao Xu, are you alright?" Qiu Jinyu blocked an enemy's attack with his sword in one hand, looking back at Yang Xu, who was being protected by Lin Jiang and Old Fifth. It was difficult to see clearly in the darkness, but seeing that Yang Xu's movements were not hindered, he assumed he was not seriously injured.
"Brother Qiu?" As they drew closer, Yang Xu saw Qiu Jinyu at a glance. He could no longer bother with anything else and quickly asked, "Brother, what is the situation in Xiangwu County?"
Qiu Jinyu was accompanied by only ten guards, all of whom were wounded. Fortunately, they had ambushed the enemy from Aozi Pass, so their injuries were not severe.
The group temporarily retreated to the mountainside. Qiu Jinyu then had time to reply, "Old Mr. Qiu and Old Man Tie from the blacksmith shop are leading people to defend the city walls. The common people have also voluntarily gone to the city walls. Although the situation is critical, they are holding the city walls and the barbarians will not be able to breach the city for the time being. Once reinforcements arrive at dawn, it will be safe."
Yang Xu and Lin Jiang were naturally familiar with Old Man Tie. He had been the leader of General Yang's personal guards. Later, due to injuries, he had to leave the army and opened a blacksmith shop in Xiangwu County. This was also a stronghold of the Yang family.
"The barbarians bypassed the Weizhou Camp and came to the county town. They must be lightly equipped, without siege engines or catapults. They definitely cannot break the city gate in a short time." Lin Jiang glanced at the dark sky. If they could hold on for another hour, they would be safe.
Yang Xu's tense little face finally relaxed. "Brother Qiu, thank you for coming to save me."
"You are my brother, so it is impolite to thank me," Qiu Jinyu said, reaching out to pat Yang Xu's head. As he extended his hand, not only Yang Xu, but also Lin Jiang and the others saw the crossbow on Qiu Jinyu's arm.
Earlier, Yang Xu had almost been killed. At the critical moment, a short arrow had killed the enemy. Now, it was clear that Qiu Jinyu was the one who had saved Yang Xu.
"Thank you, Young Master Qiu, for your assistance." Lin Jiang solemnly cupped his fists in thanks to Qiu Jinyu. If he had not acted, Young Master Xu would have met his end tonight.
Under the cover of night, Qiu Jinyu, even with his sword in his right hand and a wrist crossbow on his left, still exuded the aura of a scholar. At this moment, Qiu Jinyu smiled gently, "Brother, you are too polite. Xiao Xu is my brother. I also came here with my men after hearing Old Mr. Tie's concern for Xiao Xu's safety. Fortunately, we arrived in time."
Qiu Jinyu only had ten people with him. Even if they stayed in Xiangwu County to help defend the city, they would not make much of a difference. They were neither too many nor too few.
However, Qiu Jinyu's arrival at Aozi Pass was like timely rain for the precarious situation of Yang Xu.
Lin Jiang was not sure how many enemies were ambushed ahead at Aozi Pass, but after two rounds of fighting, Lin Jiang and his men had killed at least twenty to thirty people. Even if there were still many enemies left, they probably would not exceed fifty. With nearly twenty of them now, they had a chance of winning even in a head-on confrontation.
Moreover, Lin Jiang did not intend to fight head-on. They only needed to hold their ground and continue to delay, and they would surely be safe by dawn.
Just as the few were resting, a whistling sound suddenly came from the air. A white signal exploded in the night sky.
Lin Jiang's relaxed expression instantly turned serious. "Not good, the enemy is likely about to launch their final assault!"
To avoid casualties, the enemies ambushing before and behind Aozi Pass had not attacked fiercely, but were gradually shrinking the encirclement, intending to trap Yang Xu and his men like turtles in a jar.
However, with Qiu Jinyu's arrival, and the prolonged lack of success, the enemy likely did not want to wait any longer, so they sent the signal. Lin Jiang could imagine how difficult the upcoming battle would be.
"Young Master Qiu, please look after Young Master Xu." Lin Jiang temporarily entrusted Yang Xu to Qiu Jinyu. Despite his skills, he was still a scholar and could not compare to Lin Jiang and his men, who lived by the sword. Therefore, he asked Qiu Jinyu to protect Yang Xu, while Lin Jiang and his men would be the main fighting force.
"Don't worry, as long as I have a breath left, I will not let Xiao Xu be harmed." Qiu Jinyu agreed. There were no grand pronouncements, but his firm attitude was even more memorable.
...
Lin Jiang was only holding on by sheer will. Upon hearing footsteps, his expression changed abruptly. "Who's there?"
Not only Lin Jiang, but also Old Fifth and the others. They had only sustained minor injuries before, but now they were all severely wounded. However, enemies kept pouring in from the front and rear. If Qiu Jinyu and his men had not arrived, Lin Jiang and his men would not have lasted until now.
Not only was Yang Xu in danger, but Qiu Jinyu had also taken a sword blow. Blood flowed from his wrist onto his long sword, and then dripped onto the ground.
"Kill!" He Sheng said nothing, drawing his sword and charging towards the enemies surrounding Lin Jiang and the others.
Having fought their way from Aozi Pass, He Sheng and his ten men attacked with exceptional ferocity. They were typical of the "ruthless and few words" type. Before Lin Jiang and the others could react, more than twenty corpses lay scattered on the ground.
He Nuan and the carriage driver protected Zhan Feiyu on either side. Although there were only corpses and no survivors on the way, in the dark of night, who could guarantee that there were no enemies feigning death who would suddenly launch a sneak attack? Even though they had come to rescue Yang Xu, for He Nuan and the others, Zhan Feiyu's safety was the priority.
"Young Master Qiu is also here?" A clear, crisp voice rang out. Zhan Feiyu walked forward two steps, stepping over the corpses on the ground. She truly hadn't expected to see Qiu Jinyu here.
Qiu Jinyu, more than ten feet away, and Yang Xu turned their heads simultaneously.
"Xiao Yu, why are you here?" Yang Xu shouted, then excitedly asked, "Xiao Yu, is Xiangwu County safe?"
Walking quickly to Yang Xu's side, Zhan Feiyu looked at the somewhat disheveled Yang Xu and rolled her eyes. "What daydreaming are you doing in the middle of the night? Three thousand barbarians, even if you chop off their heads like tofu, it wouldn't be this fast."
Qiu Jinyu had arrived earlier. Yang Xu was more grateful. Although he was also worried about Xiangwu County, after hearing Lin Jiang's analysis, he was worried but not to that extent.
However, seeing Zhan Feiyu bring out He Sheng, He Nuan, and the others now, Yang Xu's heart sank. With the loss of more than twenty experts, wouldn't Grandpa Qiu be in danger?
"Don't worry. We had a fierce battle before we came. The three thousand barbarians are probably less than half left now. And they are all scared out of their wits. They are tired, hungry, and cold. They have none of the advantages of timing, terrain, or human relations. It's impossible for them to attack the city."
Zhan Feiyu said with a smile, her gaze drifting to Qiu Jinyu again. She hadn't noticed him leaving, so he must not have left through the city gate.
Lin Jiang and the others, like Yang Xu, felt more at ease upon hearing Zhan Feiyu's words.
But looking at Zhan Feiyu, who still had a bloodstain on her cheek, and standing close, seeing her rosy lips and fair complexion, Lin Jiang and the others, despite knowing Zhan Feiyu's identity, were somewhat stunned. Were scholars of this era so fierce?
They could write articles with their brushes and kill enemies with their swords. It was understandable for Young Master Qiu, who was not yet twenty, but he was tall and accomplished in both literary and martial arts. But this young girl, half a head shorter than Yang Xu, had three corpses at her feet, likely still warm. Yet she was not afraid.
As the cold wind blew, Zhan Feiyu shivered. She quickly said, "The enemies ahead have all been killed. Let's hurry."
This desolate place was even colder than the city walls. The whistling wind sounded like wailing ghosts. Zhan Feiyu quickly surveyed Lin Jiang and the others. "A Sheng, we'll cover the rear!"
"Yes!" He Sheng immediately responded. Even though everyone present knew that covering the rear was more dangerous, after all, the enemies ahead had all been killed. Even if there were still three or five who had miraculously survived, they probably wouldn't have much fighting strength left.
But there were still enemies behind Aozi Pass, though they didn't know how many.
Lin Jiang and the people brought by Qiu Jinyu led the way. Zhan Feiyu, Yang Xu, and Qiu Jinyu were in the safest middle position. He Nuan and the carriage driver still accompanied Zhan Feiyu.
He Sheng, with the remaining men, covered the rear. The group quickly moved towards the exit of Aozi Pass. Even though it was not yet dawn, exiting Aozi Pass was almost equivalent to escaping danger.
The enemies behind were still stubbornly pursuing them, but with masters like He Sheng, the last remaining enemies who charged forward were simply offering themselves up.
Two quarters of an hour later, the group finally emerged. But before they could breathe a sigh of relief, they saw a group of people holding torches standing not far away. Their relieved hearts suddenly soared back into their throats.
"Zhu Xiao!" Lin Jiang's expression changed abruptly. He tightened his grip on his blood-stained long sword, his eyes filled with undisguised murderous intent.
Yang Xu did not recognize the heir of the Zhenbian Marquisate, Zhu Xiao, nor the eldest son of the Zhenbian Marquisate, Zhu Zhengrong. But Lin Jiang had been on the battlefield; he had seen both of them.
He Sheng and the others, who had been covering the rear, immediately rushed to Zhan Feiyu's side, protecting her firmly in the center. Yang Xu, who was standing with Zhan Feiyu, was naturally included in the protective circle.
Upon hearing Lin Jiang's words, Yang Xu's body instantly tensed. These were people from the Zhenbian Marquisate. They were the ones who had framed his grandfather for treason!
"Yang Xu, calm down!" Zhan Feiyu, seeing Yang Xu, who was silent and seemed about to charge at the Zhu father and son to perish together, couldn't help but pull him back. "Nuan!"