Huangfu Xingchen smiled and said nothing. There was nothing to say to these brutes. Let them suffer a little and see the world; only then would they be more vigilant next time.
Wang Wu, having received the Emperor's permission, excitedly went to gather his men.
The moment the city gates opened, the curses stopped. A general immediately stepped forward and laughed loudly, "Finally, you're not acting like a coward anymore. State your name quickly."
"Listen closely. I am Wang Wu, and I have no need to change my name or hide my surname. I'll beat you to a pulp later and make you beg for mercy." Wang Wu straightened his chest and said proudly.
"Who will beat whom is yet to be decided. Remember, your opponent is Li Xian." As he spoke, he picked up the long spear in his hand, mounted his tall horse, and charged towards Wang Wu.
On the city wall, Huangfu Xingchen watched the fight with the remaining generals. The moment the two clashed, he knew Wang Wu was destined to lose this time. He immediately said to An Yun, "Go and support him. Let him suffer a minor setback, but do not harm his life."
An Yun cupped his fists slightly and quickly descended the city wall.
At this moment, Wang Wu was also inwardly shocked. Only he knew that the moment the spear struck his sword, his palm went numb, and he almost dropped his sword. He immediately became fully alert. This was the first time he had encountered such a strong opponent. Although he felt no fear in his heart, he also knew that he might die here today.
The two exchanged blows energetically, fighting with great vigor. However, gradually, Wang Wu became exhausted and could barely hold on. He remembered the Emperor's words before his departure. After narrowly blocking the opponent's spear once more, he used all his strength to deflect it and then, with a surge of his horse, tried to escape.
Li Xian, seeing victory within his grasp, could not allow this. He directly swung his spear and knocked Wang Wu to the ground.
Although he was a defeated opponent, he was an exceptional general. Li Xian could not allow him to become a threat in the future and intended to slay him on the spot.
Wang Wu, without getting up, saw the opponent's spear thrusting towards him. He unconsciously closed his eyes, prepared to meet his death.
But the expected pain did not come. Instead, he heard the sound of weapons clashing. He opened his eyes to see the Emperor's personal guard fighting with Li Xian. Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover. He had initially thought the guard was frail and weak, but he didn't expect him to be so skilled in martial arts. Wasn't he pushing Li Xian back step by step?
Prince Jin was initially quite smug. Li Xian was a fierce general under his command, undefeated in battles and unstoppable in assaults. Seeing that he was about to kill the opposing general, he was showing off his might. Who would have thought another unknown challenger would appear, and clearly, this one was of a higher caliber. Li Xian was struggling to hold on.
Prince Jin immediately ordered the two fierce generals behind him to go to the rescue. Seeing two more opponents, An Yun did not wish to entangle with them further. He quickly picked up Wang Wu and turned to leave.
Both sides were amazed by the other's strength in their first encounter. From Huangfu Xingchen's perspective, Prince Jin indeed had the confidence to rebel. He wondered where he had recruited such three outstanding generals, each one a remarkable warrior.
Upon returning from the battlefield, Wang Wu was dejected. He bowed his head when he saw the Emperor, not daring to meet his gaze. Today had been a close call; he had almost not returned.
Huangfu Xingchen looked at the civil and military officials gathered in the hall and said earnestly, "Today, everyone has witnessed the opponent's strength. Some words need not be spoken; I believe everyone understands. One cannot underestimate anyone on the battlefield. Warfare is a matter of life and death. If not for An Yun's timely intervention today, the consequences are clear to all."
Upon hearing the Emperor's words, everyone lowered their heads. In truth, the reason they hadn't advised Wang Wu was that their views were similar to his. Now, it seemed there was a reason why Huangfu Xingchen had become Emperor; they were still too naive.
"However, there is no need for everyone to worry. Although they are formidable, we are not weak either. I already have a strategy for the war. I only hope that today's events serve as a lesson to everyone." Huangfu Xingchen's gaze swept over their faces, making them feel uneasy.
Prince Jin was even more alarmed at this moment. While the battles for the first two cities had taken some time, he had never encountered any truly strong opponents. When he heard that the Emperor was personally leading the expedition, he was quite pleased. Now, it seemed he had encountered a tough adversary. The two generals who fought today were no rabble. If they had not made strategic blunders, he would be facing utter annihilation.
For a moment, he felt a sense of fear, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
Huangfu Xingchen did not give him any extra time to ponder. That very night, he launched a surprise attack.
Prince Jin had anticipated this move and was prepared. He was sound asleep when he heard the sounds of shouting and killing. He was even somewhat pleased, thinking they had fallen into his trap.
However, when he donned his armor and stepped out of his tent, the scene that greeted him left him dumbfounded. His proud subordinates were struggling against the enemy, and his defenses were on the verge of being breached. He quickly grabbed his sword, mounted his warhorse, nodded briefly to his guards, and joined the fray.
Prince Jin believed he had not slacked off in his martial arts training over the years. Yet, when he clashed with these individuals, he felt as though his years of effort had been in vain.
He secretly watched Huangfu Xingchen. As if sensing his gaze, Huangfu Xingchen turned his head to look at him. Seeing his look of deep hatred, Huangfu Xingchen simply ignored him.
No matter how unwilling Prince Jin was, he could only be persuaded by his close confidants to retreat quickly. Huangfu Xingchen saw that he was trying to fight his way out and escape. How could such a thing happen under his watchful eye? He immediately mounted his horse to intercept him.
Prince Jin saw Huangfu Xingchen charging towards him recklessly. He exchanged a glance with his subordinates, and they all saw the eagerness in each other's eyes. If they could capture him tonight, everything could be turned around.
Their intentions were good, but the moment they clashed, they knew they were terribly mistaken. They had never imagined Huangfu Xingchen's martial arts were so formidable. Within a dozen moves, he had defeated them all.
Huangfu Xingchen hesitated for a moment, but then ultimately struck with his sword, killing Prince Jin on the spot. Of course, his accompanying guards also did not escape. After all, these men had shared life-and-death moments with Prince Jin, and letting them return would only create future trouble for himself.
Someone shouted, "Prince Jin is dead! Prince Jin is dead!" The battlefield, which had been raging fiercely, slowly saw some soldiers abandon their resistance. Soon, it fell silent.
With Prince Jin eliminated, Huangfu Xingchen felt he could finally get a good night's sleep, leaving the mess for others to clean up.
Although tonight was destined to be a sleepless night, the generals were incredibly excited. They had been watching Prince Jin's every move closely, as capturing the leader was paramount. Some had not seen clearly, but others had witnessed it distinctly: the Emperor had defeated those men in less than a dozen moves. Did this mean the Emperor's martial arts had reached an almost unreachable level? Their eyes immediately lit up, and admiration surged within them.