Zhao Chenggong fled several miles with his men. The roaring sound behind him stopped for a while, then grew louder and louder. He knew in his heart that his first squad, which he had left behind, had been annihilated.
He waved the whip in his hand, striking the horse's hindquarters heavily. The horse, already exhausted from running for so long under the scorching sun, began to go berserk under the sudden, forceful pain.
It slowed down abruptly while traveling at high speed, then reared up, neighing. Its body swayed restlessly, as if determined to throw off the person on its back.
Zhao Chenggong's horse suddenly stopped. If he hadn't been tightly holding the reins and clamping his legs firmly around the horse's belly, he would have surely been thrown off.
However, the others behind him were not so lucky. Because Zhao Chenggong stopped so abruptly, many of them couldn't rein in their horses in time and were sent flying, or they crashed into each other in small groups.
Several people, after being thrown from their horses, were trampled multiple times by their mounts, spitting up blood uncontrollably on the spot.
"Quick, move!" Zhao Chenggong finally managed to subdue the raging horse. He shouted and, without even taking the time to look at his subordinates injured by the horses, pulled the reins and turned to flee forward.
The subordinates behind him who hadn't fallen followed him, trampling over their comrades' bodies in their haste to escape. Those who were only injured were now almost all trampled to death.
When Leng Si and his group caught up, only about a hundred of Zhao Chenggong's men remained. In addition to the thirty-odd men who had intercepted them midway, another dozen had suffered injuries or death later.
The motorcycle convoy surrounded Zhao Chenggong's group. Leng Si, sitting on his vehicle, looked at the man holding the reins, trying to find an opportunity to escape, and revealed a cruel smile.
"Why is General Zhao running so fast? Are you afraid of the innocent civilians you've harmed, who might haunt you at night? That's understandable! With so many broken limbs and bodies scattered everywhere, and a city full of corpses, General Zhao must indeed be frightened for a long time!"
"Traitor! If you're a man, fight me one-on-one. What kind of hero are you, just spewing insults?" Zhao Chenggong knew he couldn't escape today, but he couldn't help but feel something strange when he heard about the tragedy in Chehe City. So, he could only shout loudly to mask his inner fear.
"Heh! Shameless wretch, you dare to play the victim here! Although you're not worthy, this young master will mercifully indulge you!"
Leng Si glanced at him with contempt, then leaped into the air while letting out a "Swish" as he swung the long whip at his waist.
Zhao Chenggong didn't expect him to attack so suddenly. As he watched the approaching whip, he tried his best to dodge, but his face was still slashed by a deep bloody mark.
"General Zhao's skill is lacking!" Leng Si flicked his whip and said mockingly. Before Zhao Chenggong could reply or react, another whip lashed out!
Zhao Chenggong found himself overwhelmed by the continuous onslaught of whips, his defenses clumsy and frantic. In no time, several wounds appeared on his body.
He wondered what kind of whip this person was using. When it landed on his skin, it felt like being scorched by fire. It was also his own fault for taking off his armor for the sake of lightness on the journey. Now, his chest and back were covered in bloody whip marks.
Leng Si intended to humiliate him, carefully controlling the force of the whip to inflict the maximum amount of pain without breaking his bones.
Finally, Zhao Chenggong's entire body was a mess of whip marks. Leng Si then focused on his face, using the tip of the whip to turn him into a painted cat.
Zhao Chenggong was beaten down completely. His subordinates were subdued, cowering fearfully to the side, showing no intention of resisting.
In fact, after Zhao Chenggong had fled without looking back, disregarding the lives of his brothers, many had felt a profound sense of heartbreak. Yet, when faced with the fear of death, they had selectively followed him.
After playing with him enough, Leng Si had someone tie Zhao Chenggong onto a horse. Furthermore, each loop of the rope was tightly pressed against his wounds, so that as the horse moved, the rope and the man would sway, allowing Zhao Chenggong to experience double the pain!
Leng Si clapped his hands, looking at his masterpiece with satisfaction. He didn't trouble the others excessively. After confiscating their weapons, he merely bound their arms and reins.
After regrouping with the small squad left to guard the interceptors midway, Zhao Chenggong's men discovered that the people of the Hua Xia Dynasty had not only spared their colleagues but had also carefully lifted the injured who had been trampled by horses but were still alive onto their horses. They then led them grandly back to Chehe City.
The journey back was not as fast as the journey out; it took more than double the time to reach Chehe City. Zhao Chenggong, tied to the horse, had bloodstains all over his face and body.
He felt groggy from the pain the entire way, but the continuous agony prevented him from passing out. Upon hearing that they had returned to Chehe City, Zhao Chenggong struggled to lift his head and look.
He didn't know if it was because blood from his forehead dripped into his eyes, or if Chehe City was truly so desolate. All he saw was rubble, and everything else appeared blood-red!
Although a long time had passed, the cries of those who had lost loved ones still echoed in their ears. Seeing this tragic scene, Zhao Chenggong was somewhat stunned. Were all these things truly the sins he had committed?
At this moment, the impact was not only great on Zhao Chenggong but also quite significant for the others on horseback.
Seeing such a scene of devastation, everyone fell silent. The entire procession was unusually quiet. They had abandoned the city and fled shortly after the bombardment began, never imagining that Chehe City would become like this in such a short time.
As Leng Si and his group walked along the road, the procession would stop from time to time to help others clear large stones. For those who were heavily injured and had not yet been taken to the medical tents, they would carefully carry them over.
Even their own colleagues, injured by the horses on the road, were sent to the medical tents without any distinction.
In essence, the attitude of these generals from the Hua Xia Dynasty towards the common people was completely different from that of their counterparts in the Da Yu Dynasty.
It seemed that subconsciously, they did not possess the concept of their own lives being superior to others. They treated everyone equally, even their captives.