Call of the Heroes of Chaos in Another World

Chapter 2181 A Glimmer of Hope Appears: Li Jing Remains Unyielding in His Family's Honor

Zhang Guiba set an example by taking the initiative to lead several hundred men to separate themselves as the first flank of the harassment force.

After that, Pan Feng, Wu Anguo, Nan Jian, Bei Qi, and Fei Dan each led several hundred men and left.

Pan Feng, Wu Anguo, Nan Jian, and Bei Qi all volunteered to help Xuan Yuan Changyi draw away the pursuers behind them.

Fei Dan initially wanted to stay by Xuan Yuan Chang Yi's side, partly to repay a debt of gratitude.

After all, he was seriously injured and fled after that great battle. He had almost no chance to recover along the way and nearly died from his injuries.

If it weren't for Bai Ze leading him to Qi Bo at that time, he probably wouldn't have survived, even though he escaped back then.

Qi Bo was one of Xuan Yuanhuang's men, and Xuan Yuanhuang had done him a favor, which is why he spared the Great Yan.

Even after Xuanyuan Huang returned to the capital in triumph, he did not know that Qi Bo had left him such a fierce general.

However, at this moment, Zhang Guiba reminded Fei Dan that if such a powerful general as him were to show his face, most of the enemy troops would probably assume that Xuanyuan Changyi was on their side.

Therefore, it might be best for Xuanyuan Changyi for Fei Dan to also come out, as it would attract more troops.

If he insists on traveling with Xuanyuan Changyi, and if he accidentally exposes his whereabouts, Shi Yongkai will probably have to chase after him personally.

Changyi, on the other hand, only left Fang Guozhen, a master, as his last bodyguard.

As the second strongest among those present after Fei Dan, he is currently the only one qualified to serve as Xuan Yuan Chang Yi's final guard, protecting his safety along the way.

Moreover, Zhang Guiba had clearly learned the true secrets of how to escape from Zhang Churang. After they separated and left with their troops, Xuan Yuan Changyi was truly left with no one except Fang Guozhen.

Clearly, in Zhang Guiba's view, no matter how many men he left around Xuanyuan Changyi, once they were caught, they would definitely not be as many as the Han army.

Therefore, they simply went all out and transferred all the people around him away to minimize the target as much as possible.

As expected, Shi Yongkai fell for the trap and pursued the main force following the trail of their departure. In other words, Zhang Guiba had sent out several hundred men in various groups to mislead the enemy, leaving only Fang Guozhen and Xuan Yuanchangyi, who were hidden in the middle, making it impossible for them to be seen.

Although he discovered that the other party's trail had split into several groups during the pursuit, Shi Yongkai still couldn't determine which group was where Xuan Yuanchangyi was.

However, even with their forces divided, the number of pursuers was still more than enough.

Especially during the pursuit, Fei Dan made a move and exchanged arrows with the old general Jing Jian, who was about to catch up.

The old general only possessed top-tier skills; how could he possibly match archery against a god-level archer like Fei Dan?

Both sides fired three arrows at each other, and the old general finally fell to the ground in regret!

And in doing so, Fei Dan was "forced" to reveal his whereabouts.

After Fei Dan, this expert, revealed his whereabouts, Shi Yongkai instinctively assumed that Xuan Yuan Changyi was among the fleeing soldiers. After all, among the enemy generals, he was the strongest.

As a result, Shi Yongkai ultimately deviated completely from the direction of the pursuit.

As for Fang Guozhen and Xuan Yuanchangyi, they quickly headed towards the mountainous area dozens of miles away.

Only by escaping into the mountains and forests can they temporarily escape the Flying Feather Legion.

A distance of several dozen miles would be an insurmountable distance if traveled on foot. However, they were both riding horses.

Moreover, the warhorses they rode were not ordinary warhorses. If they were to travel with ordinary soldiers, they would need to consider the speed of the other side.

If it were just the two of them on two horses, they could travel at the fastest speed.

For them, who could ride horses at full speed, several dozen miles was not a long distance.

"Your Highness, we're almost there!"

"Once we enter this dense forest, we'll have temporarily shaken off the enemy!"

"Next, let's change our appearance and we'll find a way back to Chengyuan County!"

Forgetting the nearby mountains and forests, Fang Guozhen's originally serious mood improved considerably.

At this moment, Xuanyuan Changyi was clearly in a good mood, after all, he finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel and escaped the clutches of the Han army.

As one of Xuanyuan Huang's only two legitimate sons, if he were to fall into the hands of the Han army, it would be a huge blow to the Great Yan.

"You two, aren't you celebrating too soon!"

"General Li Yaoshi of the Great Han Dynasty has been waiting for Your Highness for a long time!"

Just as the two were having a good time, a voice suddenly came from the dense forest.

Just then, as this voice rang out, swarms of dark figures began to emerge from the dense forest.

As the torches were lit, they illuminated Xuan Yuan Changyi's terrified expression in the night.

"Your Highness Changyi, are you willing to surrender?"

Under the protection of Alcyoneus, Li Jing, dressed in military attire, emerged from the ranks of the Han army.

"Li Jing, what are you doing here?"

Just when he thought things were about to take a turn for the better, someone suddenly gambled away all his hopes. After such a dramatic turn of events, Xuan Yuan Changyi's mindset was starting to falter.

"If Your Highness wishes to leave Linshui County, where else can you go besides Chengyuan County?"

"If we take the main road, we won't be able to shake off General Ziyi's cavalry!"

"Even if we take some remote path, we can't escape General Ziyi's scouts!"

"After much thought, this mountain forest is Your Highness's last chance!" Li Jing explained frankly and directly.

Li Jing and Guo Ziyi were both generals of a main field army.

In terms of official rank, under normal circumstances, these two people are considered to be of the same rank and have no subordinate relationship.

However, it is wartime now, and Li Jing is the commander of this army, while Guo Ziyi's Flying Feather Legion has been placed under the command of this army.

Therefore, the two, who should have been of equal rank, were naturally subject to Li Jing's command for the time being.

Such a momentous matter could be explained away by the urgency of the situation, as Guo Ziyi initially opted to "get on the train first and buy the ticket later." However, as the primary commander of this army, Li Jing could not possibly remain completely indifferent to the matter afterward.

Therefore, while Guo Ziyi was planning to besiege the city and attack reinforcements, Li Jing had already made preparations and even came in person.

After all, a prince of the Great Yan Dynasty, especially a legitimate son, is far more important than a prefecture.

Guo Ziyi knew that Li Jing had already arrived with a troop of soldiers, so his men were mainly responsible for the main roads and side roads, and did not come to manage this mountain forest.

After defeating Li Mu, when he heard that Xuan Yuan Changyi had joined forces with Zhang Guiba, he was not in a hurry, and for the same reason.

Zhang Liao, Di Qing, and others have completely blocked the roads to the north, and they have also imposed a temporary martial law.

His scouts were everywhere along the main roads and alleys to the east. Li Jing had also made an extra arrangement. Under such a tight net, how could he leave so easily!

"Li Jing, today, your Han Dynasty has proven superior!"

"But do you think I am the kind of person who would surrender without a fight!" As he spoke, Xuanyuan Changyi had already drawn the sword from his waist.

Xuanyuan Huang's sons were all accomplished in both literature and martial arts. In order to temper their will, Xuanyuan Huang placed them in the military camp for many years, letting them eat and live with ordinary soldiers.

Each of his sons possessed considerable martial arts skills.

However, the brilliance of Xuanyuan Huang and his daughter Xuanyuan Ba ​​overshadowed their own achievements in this area, which is why the world did not notice that Xuanyuan Huang's other sons were equally brave and skilled in battle.

"Your Highness, I have deployed five thousand soldiers here, all of whom I personally selected as brave warriors!"

"Let alone Your Highness, even if your princess or Your Majesty were to come in person, could they possibly escape?" Li Jing retorted.

Xuanyuan Changyi looked at the soldiers behind Li Jing, a dark mass, clearly elite at a glance.

The reason is simple: all five thousand men were wearing iron armor. They were not the most elite troops in the army, so how could they be qualified to be equipped with this gear?

Among the main forces of each dynasty, of course, this does not include local troops like the former Da Cangfu Army, but anyone wearing iron armor is a member of the top 30% of the army.

Indeed, even if Xuanyuan Huang and Xuanyuan Ba ​​were to arrive in person, five thousand armored soldiers would only face certain death if they did not flee.

If he turns around and runs away now, he'll probably run into the Flying Feather Legion again after only a few miles.

With wolves in front and tigers behind, there was truly no way to escape. Even if they resisted forcefully, there was not a shred of hope for victory.

As for simply giving up resistance and becoming the enemy's prisoner?

The thought of this choice sent a shiver down Xuan Yuan Changyi's spine.

He gently stroked the Huaying Sword in his hand. When his son Zhuanxu was born, auspicious omens appeared in the sky. Xuanyuan Huang happened to receive two precious swords at that time. He bestowed the Tengkong Sword upon the newborn little guy, and the Huaying Sword was given to him as a reward.

The sword of Huaying remained as clear as autumn water, reflecting Xuan Yuanchangyi's pale yet still handsome face, as well as the chilling gleam of the surrounding iron armor.

"Your Highness, no!" Fang Guozhen seemed to realize something and cried out in alarm, instinctively lunging forward to snatch the sword!
"Step back!" Xuan Yuan Changyi shouted in a low voice, which was not loud but carried an undeniable authority.

"Your Highness Changyi, you should understand!"

“With Your Highness’s status, even if you fall into the hands of my Han army, you are not necessarily going to die!” Li Jing said with a slightly cold expression.

What he wanted was not a corpse; a living Great Yan prince was far more valuable than a dead one.

"I am Xuanyuan Changyi, the eldest son of the Emperor of Great Yan." His voice rang out clearly, piercing through the biting cold wind of the night.

"Because of my mistake, tens of thousands of my Great Yan soldiers died on the battlefield, and the three counties fell into the hands of your Great Han. You have committed a crime against the country."

Xuanyuan Changyi raised his head slightly, his jawline taut, revealing the proud spine of the Great Yan royal family.

"Moreover, as a prince, how can I allow myself to be bound by the enemy, bringing shame upon my sovereign and father, and threatening the nation?"

His gaze suddenly sharpened like lightning, piercing the fluttering "Han" banner amidst the armored army formation ahead. His voice rose sharply, carrying a resolute determination to perish together with the enemy.

"Today I die, leaving only this broken body! The backbone of my Great Yan remains unbroken, and the dynasty is not yet over! You petty villains, do not even think of using me as a hostage to dishonor my Xuanyuan family and disrupt the Great Yan's land!"

The moment the words left his mouth, without the slightest hesitation, he twisted his wrist sharply!
The sword, reflecting the cold iron armor, transformed into a resolute arc of light!
Without a tremor, without the slightest hesitation!

The cold blade, carrying the prince's last shred of integrity and dignity, kissed his long, delicate neck with perfect precision!

"puff!"

The sound of a sharp blade slicing through flesh and cutting through blood vessels was so clear and so terrifying in the deathly silence!
A spray of hot, bright red blood suddenly gushed out from the side of his neck!

"Your Highness!!!" Fang Guozhen knelt beside Xuan Yuan Changyi's fallen body and let out a grief-stricken wail.

"A man of unwavering integrity will not stoop to the level of his father!"

"But it's still a pity in the end!" Li Jing's already serious face became even more solemn.

The Xuanyuan clan is full of talented individuals. If they are not eliminated, they will indeed be a major threat to the Han Dynasty.

Fortunately, the Xuanyuan Clan ultimately did not have the time to develop.

"Shoot them!"

"Then gather them up and send them to the enemy camp. Do not humiliate them!"

Li Jing did not stay there any longer. After leaving behind a final order, he left under the protection of a group of soldiers.

He was here solely because of Xuanyuan Changyi. Since Xuanyuan Changyi was already dead, and only a minor character like Fang Guozhen remained, it was certainly not worth Li Jing staying here any longer.

Fang Guozhen, let alone the fact that he hasn't made any name for himself yet, even if he did, would still be a nobody in the eyes of a top general like Li Jing!

After all, let alone Fang Guozhen, how many people in the entire Great Yan could be found whose status and position were comparable to Li Jing in the Great Han?

It should be noted that Li Jing served as the garrison commander of Tianlang Pass in the early stages, and now he serves as the General of Manxiong, commanding the Manxiong Legion. He has always held more than 100,000 troops under his command.

"Ready!" Xu Huang didn't take Fang Guozhen seriously either. He raised his arm, ready to call on the archers behind him to fire a volley at him.

In this situation where there is no cover or shield, even most god-level warriors could solve the problem with a single volley of fire.

"Gongming!"

"This kid seems to have some skill. Why don't I loosen up his muscles a bit?" Arcyonius stopped Xu Huang, who was about to order the arrows to be fired, and said somewhat boredly.