Chapter 978 Annihilation!

"Pfft!"

Qu Peiluo's chest was pierced by a Chu soldier's spear in front of him, the tip already penetrating his armor.

However, this former young master of the Qu clan now exuded an extremely rugged aura. He swung his saber, severing the spear, and without bothering to pull the spearhead from his chest, he immediately lunged forward. With one stroke, he stabbed the Chu soldier in the abdomen, stirring before kicking him away.

Then,

Qu Peiluo had to use his saber as a crutch, supporting himself as he gasped for breath.

The Chu Character Camp had been holding this encampment for many days, facing Chu troops several times their number.

The casualties were extremely heavy.

However, Qu Peiluo had no time to lament the fact that Chu people were fighting Chu people here. He couldn't help but curse:

"Zheng, where's your backup!"

The person who understands you best might be your opponent, or to add a prefix… your former opponent.

As the young master of the Qu clan, who had been defeated by the Regent both on the battlefield and in matters of the heart, he could see through that person more clearly than most.

Although at first, he also thought it was a wrong move, that the opposing Chu army had seized an opportunity and pushed back,

the longer he held out here, the more certain he became,

that all of this

was arranged by that Zheng!

No other basis, just intuition!

And now, that intuition had become even more firm. In another sense, perhaps only this intuition could allow him to continue holding out in this encampment, which was like a meat grinder.

Outside the encampment, Zhao Han was wielding his saber and supervising the battle.

His original mission was to lead his troops to take this Yan army encampment east of Zhennanguan Pass, and then coordinate with the main force to complete the comprehensive encirclement of Zhennanguan Pass.

But what he didn't expect was that this encampment was so difficult to crack.

What he didn't expect even more was that the commander defending this encampment was actually Qu Peiluo, who once had the same noble status as him!

As a nobleman of Great Chu, he naturally had a kind of pride, and a greater hatred for Chu traitors. Qu Peiluo's betrayal could be said to be a disgrace to the Chu nobility.

Moreover, Qu Peiluo had led his troops to resist him for so long, preventing him from joining the main force to attack Zhennanguan Pass, which further increased the anger in Zhao Han's heart several times!

"Qu Peiluo, even if you're going to be a Chu traitor, do you have to work so hard!"

"Bang!"

In the most central area of the encampment, the Shuilong (Water Dragon) stockade finally fell.

The Chu army let out a cheer. They had finally taken the killing field that had blocked them for two days. Now, the remaining enemy troops in the encampment had no defenses left!

Zhao Han drew his saber

and issued an order:

"Capture Qu Peiluo alive for this general! This general will personally flay him alive!"

Seeing the fall of the Shuilong stockade,

and that his own soldiers were unable to resist and were being completely suppressed and defeated by the Chu army, Qu Peiluo simply let out a long sigh and sat down on the ground.

At this moment, the image of that little girl appeared in his mind;

She called him "Uncle Qu" affectionately,

she smiled at him, a radiant smile;

At this thought,

Qu Peiluo gritted his teeth and stood up again.

Yes,

he didn't want to die, he still wanted to live, even if… the hope was slim.

However,

at this moment,

the earth began to tremble, like a sudden clap of thunder. From the east, black-armored cavalry, boundless cavalry, were charging towards them.

Among the Chu army,

Zhao Han looked towards the east in a daze. His face was instantly filled with despair.

He knew,

that since a Yan army had appeared here, it was impossible for only one Yan army to appear on the entire Zhennanguan Pass battlefield.

To appear at this time, it meant that the Yan people felt the time was right.

Being able to be so composed, to seize the opportunity, clearly meant that the Yan people… had made arrangements long ago.

So,

the Yan people's main force…

Zhao Han let out an angry roar:

"Form ranks facing east! Form ranks! Stop the Yan people! Stop the Yan people!!!"

Qu Peiluo also saw the scene coming from the east.

He smiled,

a smile with a hint of tears.

He knew that he wasn't qualified to cry, and he didn't have the face to cry, but tears were something that sometimes couldn't be controlled.

Qu Peiluo staggered twice and finally fell to the ground again. Fortunately, the Chu army at this time had no intention of continuing to penetrate deeper into the encampment to clear out the remaining enemies. Almost all of them were running frantically towards the outside of the encampment.

"Young Master."

A guard stepped forward, wanting to help Qu Peiluo up.

Qu Peiluo pushed him away,

the previous anticipation, after becoming a reality, had instead made him somewhat lost,

he murmured:

"This time, Great Chu really… is going to be gone."

…

The east great camp of Zhennanguan Pass was defended by the Chu Character Camp, while the west great camp was defended by a unit of Yan soldiers with all the savage auxiliary troops.

For the savage auxiliary troops, everything was very simple: they had no choice but to fight to the death.

Because in the previous few months, they had committed too many killings against the people of Chu. They knew in their hearts that once they were defeated, the Chu people would definitely not let them go, let alone accept their surrender.

At the same time, even if Zhennanguan Pass was lost, they would still have to pass through Xuehai Pass to get home, but the problem was that Xuehai Pass was still in the hands of the Yan people. Even if they ran away now, could they escape home?

Escaping to other places was also a dead end, because the Yan people would soon gather again and launch a new round of war. They, these deserters, would also be the first to be purged.

Therefore, for various reasons, the savage auxiliary troops in this great camp showed extremely tenacious fighting spirit, because they had no way to retreat.

But even so, this great camp, like the east great camp, was already in dire straits.

Manton had already been hit by two arrows, but fortunately, he had picked up the armor of a dead Yan soldier earlier and put it on himself, which saved his life. But even so, he had no less than five other wounds on his body. At this moment, he was leaning there, unable to fight anymore.

All he could see was a sea of corpses, piled up layer upon layer.

Manton thought of his woman, his two sons and a daughter;

His military merits were already enough, even… like pouring wine into a glass, it had long overflowed.

He was already qualified, as a savage, to become a registered household in Jin's East, and he could bring his woman and children to live in Jin's East.

He could join the Yan army as a regular soldier, and proudly wear the armor of the Prince's soldiers;

He could also climb up step by step, and eventually, he could put on that brocade uniform, like those few of his fellow tribesmen.

His woman didn't know how to farm, but she could go to the workshop to work, and the wages were very generous;

His children could go to the free school, learn the Xia language and the Xia script, and could avoid his father's old path. When they grew up, they would directly be the Prince's… subjects.

All the beauty was so close to him, yet suddenly, it was pulled so far away;

Because this was based on his ability to survive.

"Stars… no… Great Prince, please bless your loyal subjects…"

"Kill!!!"

"Kill!!!"

Suddenly, shouts of killing rang out.

Manton, who had been somewhat dazed due to excessive blood loss, didn't even sense the approach of a large cavalry force in advance. When he came back to his senses, he saw countless Yan cavalry charging into the Chu army's formation, beginning a large-scale slaughter.

Seeing this scene,

Manton bit his lip tightly, drawing blood, but he didn't care.

He opened his mouth wide,

and shouted in a hoarse voice:

"We're saved! We're saved! We're saved!"

…

The side battlefield was destined to be a side battlefield. The Chu army attacking Zhennanguan Pass was the main force of the central army led by Xiong Tingshan.

Similarly, the Yan army's offensive force was also the main force!

This force gathered the main force of the Jin's East army, as well as the original Jingnan army and Zhenbei army factions from other places in Jin.

At this moment,

the surging iron cavalry was launching a large-scale charge towards the Chu army's formation.

Standing on the central army's tent, Xiong Tingshan did not cry, nor did he shout until his voice was hoarse;

When immense despair came,

he even felt a little surprised by his own numbness at this moment…

The dream was too beautiful, so beautiful that he had actually foreseen that it might be a dream.

Now, it was just that the dream was shattered.

Xiong Tingshan calmly ordered his tent to advance forward, in order to call on the Chu soldiers around him to face the difficulties head-on.

If one were to take a global perspective of the main battlefield of the Zhennanguan Pass front, then in this area along the line, no less than ten local military conflicts between the Yan army and the Chu army were breaking out;

The main force's confrontation was in the area south of Zhennanguan Pass.

Xiong Tingshan couldn't retreat, even though he knew that he and the Chu army no longer had any hope of winning.

With the Yan people holding the strategic pass in their hands, and their main force still there, the Chu army had no chance at all against this Zhennanguan Pass.

But he couldn't turn back at this time,

Only by him staying here and holding off the Yan people's main force could he create an opportunity for the Chu army on the other wings to withdraw.

And once he collapsed here, the central army collapsed, the Yan people's main force would immediately be able to advance calmly, dividing, encircling, and swallowing any Chu army.

What he had been able to do before, fighting and retreating, was because the Yan people were almost all engaging with cavalry. If they couldn't win, the Yan people could run away.

But the Chu army…

Imagine,

in the almost flat Shanggu Commandery,

hundreds of thousands of Chu troops, mainly infantry supplemented by cavalry, once they retreated in all directions, then from Zhennanguan Pass to the Wei River, it would become a slaughterhouse for these hundreds of thousands of elite troops of Great Chu.

The Chu army would be chased and killed frantically by the Yan people like fleeing prey.

How many would be able to escape back?

Not to mention… whether the Wei River could stop the Yan people's pursuit. The Yan people could even take advantage of this great victory to completely break through the defense line of the Three Commanderies.

Then Great Chu would lose nearly 500,000 elite troops, and also lose the defense line of the Three Commanderies. At the same time, the Yan people's offensive would directly enter the capital area.

Or, the people at the foot of the emperor in the original capital area of Chu would become… border people.

Therefore, Xiong Tingshan had to persist, to create room for the Chu army to withdraw in an organized manner, just like how General Nian took the initiative to withdraw from Zhennanguan Pass and retreat south of the Wei River.

Since there was no hope of victory, as a descendant of the Xiong clan, he naturally had to start working to leave as much bloodline as possible for Great Chu.

However, this kind of upward trend against the tide was not something that could be easily achieved by relying on the commander's courage.

The Yan army's elite troops' charge was like sharp sabers, almost brutally cutting the Chu army's flesh and blood.

And that great standard symbolizing the Regent himself was constantly advancing southward, advancing, and advancing again!

It was pointing directly at the location of Xiong Tingshan's banner, without any avoidance.

Zheng Fan rode on his Pixiu, holding Wu Ya, surrounded by a group of brocade-clad guards, protecting their Prince as they charged.

To call it a charge was actually more like a simple advance. For a long distance, the brocade-clad guards had not encountered any organized Chu army.

Until…

The offensive momentum of the various Yan armies was finally forcibly stopped by the Chu people at the cost of huge casualties.

Only then did the Prince finally see the Chu army formation in front of him, and behind that formation… the Chu banner.

Similarly, Xiong Tingshan also saw that great standard.

He couldn't help but sigh. Although they were both Princes, the Prince on the opposite side was living a much more… tyrannical life.

That great standard was actually inlaid with gold edges, almost no different from the emperor's own golden standard.

However, Xiong Tingshan didn't have the face to say that his emperor brother didn't value him enough or trust him enough. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to command so many Chu troops, but would have been left in Yingdu that year, and burned alive with those brothers.

"Brother, blame me for not being capable."

Xiong Tingshan thought this in his heart, but still ordered the organization of the army formation without changing his expression, resisting the Yan army that was still constantly impacting from other directions.

The battlefield was very large. Even as the commander, when you were sitting in the rear, you could often only see the tip of the iceberg. And once the commander also went deep into the battlefield, then the perception of the entire battlefield could almost be said to be a drop in the ocean.

However, Zheng Fan knew that the situation on other battlefields was secondary;

Because with the sudden appearance of his main force, the situation would inevitably tilt to his side. The Chu army could no longer have any possibility of turning defeat into victory.

But what Zheng Fan wanted was not just a great victory, he wanted to swallow these 500,000 elite troops of Great Chu in one breath!

And as long as he could break through this army formation in front of him and bring down that banner, then all of this would become a reality that he could grasp!

"A very solid formation." Zheng Fan sighed.

"Yes, Master, it may really be impossible to take it down for a while." A'ming said.

Zheng Fan shook his head and said, "You seem to have forgotten something. It's a pity, A'cheng worked so hard to cultivate them, but I was the first to taste the sweetness.

Da Hu, order the armored cavalry to mount up!"

"Yes, sir!"

Liu Dahu immediately instructed the brocade-clad guard comrades around him to convey the Prince's order.

From behind, a team that had been following them appeared in everyone's sight.

This army only had three thousand people; but they were matched with three thousand auxiliary soldiers as servants.

And these three thousand knights were riding another horse, while their true mounts for fighting were running empty alongside them.

Now, with the Prince's order, the knights were changing back to their main battle heavy armored horses. Among them, a small half were not warhorses, but Pixiu!

This was the Jin's East heavy armored cavalry that Liang Cheng had spent three years carefully building!

When they put on the last layer of armor with the help of the auxiliary soldiers, and raised their horse spears, a true absolute beast of the battlefield finally showed its due ferocity and sharpness.

Zheng Fan faced them,

while the Pixiu under Zheng Fan's crotch showed a kind of… almost reddish desire in its eyes.

It wanted to lead this cavalry, to lead this group of Pixiu, to charge!

Although, it also clearly knew that this was almost impossible.

However,

at this moment,

Zheng Fan sheathed the Wu Ya saber,

and at the same time took the Black Dragon Flag held by Liu Dahu.

The flag was forward,

pressed under his arm,

which was the horse spear!

Seeming to sense what was about to happen, the Pixiu was extremely excited, constantly exhaling through its nostrils, and its hooves were also stamping the ground restlessly.

"Master, it's very dangerous."

"I know."

"Master, aren't you afraid?"

"I am afraid."

"Actually, the victory is already set, Master can…"

"But I'm more afraid that I'll regret not making this choice today."

Zheng Fan looked at A'ming,

and said:

"There are only two great nations left, Qian and Chu. I'm afraid there will only be two more wars of this scale left. I really don't want to miss it.

Anyway,

it's just playing,

let's play to our heart's content!

I'm afraid of death,

but I'm even more afraid of missing an opportunity like today."

"Master, please think twice."

"It's just playing, what's the point of playing if you're afraid of death? What, are you allowed to play so wildly, but I'm not allowed to join in the fun?

I know,

My luck on the battlefield is sometimes really bad, but today, at least for now, I really don't think there's anything to be afraid of.

The old man in the sky made my luck bad, the Taoist who was caught before said that I was a rootless person, not tolerated by heaven and earth;

Not only me,

Lin'er, Da Niu, they are too.

As their father, even if it's not for myself,

I have to

prove it once for them:

Don't be afraid of being intolerant to heaven and earth,

Let them know,

This sky, just like their old man, seems glorious and mighty, but in reality… it's just that, damn it!"

Zheng Fan urged the Pixiu under his crotch,

The Pixiu flew up,

The Prince, holding the Black Dragon Flag as a horse spear and wearing the Prince's clothing, inspected this heavy armored cavalry at the fastest speed.

Then,

Without saying a word,

Without inciting anything,

But turned sideways, facing the Chu army's formation in the south, returning to the center of the forefront.

The Black Dragon Flag was pressed down, held flat;

"Swish! Swish!

Behind him, the heavy armored knights pressed down their horse spears together, holding them flat forward.

The Pixiu,

began to run;

After that,

Three thousand heavy armored cavalry also began to run.

The Regent of Great Yan,

Charged in the first place,

The speed of the Pixiu's full-speed running was really too fast, the wind that was coming head-on made it difficult to open his eyes, and he had to turn his head slightly;

In the slightly blurred vision, it seemed that he saw a figure wearing gilded armor with white hair, also riding a Pixiu, running and advancing with him.

"Hahahaha………"

The Regent of Great Yan laughed out loud.

"Before,

You were in front of me;

Later,

You were by my side;

But maybe,

You prefer…"

"Drive!"

The Pixiu received the instructions from its master, almost squeezing out all its potential, and accelerated further, each time its hooves landed, it could smash a pit in the ground.

And in Zheng Fan's vision, the figure with the white hair and the same silhouette was gradually falling behind, gradually disappearing.

Zheng Fan also refocused his gaze on the increasingly closer Chu army formation in front of him.

Watch carefully,

The Chu kingdom that you couldn't destroy,

I will destroy it!

Brother,

Now,

You are behind me.