I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1110 Leave no one behind

"Leave no Tsushima barbarians alive!"

With Su Yao's command, the fate of the natives of Tsushima Island was decided.

Soon, squads of Han iron guards clad in iron armor disembarked from the makeshift dock.

Shouldering long halberds and wearing ring-pommel swords, their armor plates gleamed coldly in the morning sun. Their steps were perfectly synchronized, and the wooden planks of the dock trembled slightly with each landing. This was the "Sea-Sweeping Camp," the most elite unit under Taishi Ci's command, stationed year-round on the Liaodong coast, specializing in naval warfare and amphibious operations. They had dealt with countless pirates and barbarians, and the killing intent in their eyes at this moment was more intense than when facing any other enemy.

"Remember this well!" Taishi Ci walked at the front, pointing his riding whip at the faintly visible cave complex deep in Tsushima Island, his voice like thunder, "His Highness the Tang King's order is to leave no one alive, and to make these savages pay a bloody price."

"Yes!" The three hundred elite soldiers of the Danghai Camp responded in unison, their voices even seeming to slow down the waves on the sea.

These men were all seasoned veterans. Years ago, when they followed Taishi Ci in battles across Liaodong against local pirates, they had witnessed countless acts of barbarian atrocities. Yet, upon hearing that the savages of Tsushima Island had imprisoned and tortured the Han envoys as "studs," they were still filled with rage. The Han envoys represented the majesty of the Celestial Empire; how could such humiliation not ignite their fury?
Immediately, these people marched in orderly steps toward the island.

At the same time, Jiang Qin was also helped by two guards to Su Yao's side. The bandage on his left arm had just been changed, and the dark red bloodstains that seeped through were particularly glaring against the white cloth. Over the past few months, the musty smell in the damp cave, the crude roars of the savages, and the humiliation of being forced to "mating" had been etched into his heart like knives.

At that moment, gazing at the orderly backs of the elite soldiers of the Danghai Camp and the corpses left behind by the savages, the veins on his clenched hands bulged, and his voice, hoarse yet resolute, pleaded for his orders:

"Your Highness, this humble general... this humble general is willing to lead the way! I could find that cave where I was imprisoned with my eyes closed! Please give me a chance, Your Highness, I will personally kill those beasts!"

Su Yao raised his hand and patted his shoulder, saying, "Alright, I approve."

Upon receiving permission, Jiang Qin was overjoyed. He solemnly kowtowed to Su Yao and Wan Nian, then borrowed a knife from his personal guard and quickly joined the siege of the islanders.

When had the savages of Tsushima Island ever seen such a spectacle? For generations, they had lived by fishing and hunting, and their best weapons were nothing more than sharpened stone spears and wooden clubs bound with animal bones. The few bronze weapons they possessed were treasures that only their leaders could own, obtained by exchanging large quantities of precious food with the Samhan tribes.

Therefore, when a savage warrior wielding a stone spear roared and charged towards the Han army, the elite soldiers of the Danghai Camp didn't even raise their eyelids. With a thrust of their halberds, they pierced through the savage, and his body fell heavily onto the muddy ground, which was covered with the smell of the sea. Blood instantly stained the grass red.

At this moment, the scattered tribesmen finally realized that something was wrong. This time, they dared not rashly turn against each other with weapons. Instead, they shouted and yelled, and stepped forward to make wild gestures, trying to negotiate a solution.

However, the Han soldiers couldn't understand it, nor did they need to.

"Fire arrows!"

shhhhh--

Arrows rained down, and soon those people were killed by the hail of arrows.

At this point, they finally realized they had kicked a hornet's nest, and one by one they wriggled their hips and tried to run back to their hometown.

"Kill!" the soldiers shouted in unison, and with each swing of their halberds, the savages fell like wheat being harvested.

Some savages tried to escape into the mountains and forests, but were intercepted by the squad that had already circled around to the west. The ring-pommel swords cleaved them down, and their heads rolled to the ground. Other savages hid in caves, trying to resist by using the narrow passages. The warriors then advanced with shields in hand, throwing torches into the caves, forcing the savages to rush out screaming, and then killing them one by one.

Jiang Qin charged ahead, heading straight for the cave where he had been imprisoned for three months. On the rock paintings at the cave entrance, there remained a "mating" image drawn by savages in charcoal ash—a short savage surrounding a tall Han man in a lewd posture. Jiang Qin's eyes widened in fury; he swung his knife and shattered the rock painting to pieces, then rushed into the cave: "You bastard! Come out and die!"

Deep within the cave, several savages, clutching the stolen clothing of the Han envoy, grinned maliciously. Seeing Jiang Qin lead the Han army in, they were terrified and tried to flee deeper into the cave. But Jiang Qin knew the terrain intimately. He lunged forward, his ring-pommel sword slashing at the leader of the savages—the very same chieftain who had beaten him daily with stone axes and forced him to "serve" the tribe's women. The blade fell, and the savage's head rolled to the ground, his eyes still wide open, as if he couldn't believe he had died so easily. "Who else?!" Jiang Qin, holding his blood-dripping sword, surveyed the savages in the cave, his voice filled with overwhelming hatred. "When you treated me like livestock, did you never think of this day?!"

The remaining savages were so frightened that they knelt down and begged for mercy, some even kowtowing until their heads bled, babbling incomprehensible gibberish. But Jiang Qin showed no pity. He clearly remembered that these were the same savages who had burned his arms with red-hot charcoal when he resisted, and who had forced him to drink foul-smelling fish soup when he went on a hunger strike.
Such humiliation cannot be offset by a simple "begging for mercy".

The blood kept flowing.

The Han Dynasty unleashed its thunderous wrath upon these savages who had offended the Emperor's majesty.

Tent after tent was burned through, cave after cave was destroyed, and blood flowed like a river on Tsushima Island.

Meanwhile, Su Yao merely hovered coldly above the island on his Griffin, observing without taking action. He saw no need for these savages, who lacked even bronze weapons, to display the power of his golden pestle.

Although Tsushima Island is the largest island between Kyushu, Japan and the Korean Peninsula, its area is limited, with a total coastline of just over 900 kilometers and only one-tenth of the island being flat land.

Even in modern society, this island could only accommodate a maximum of about 30,000 people. Let alone in this uncivilized era.

So, after a whole afternoon of clearing out the savages, the Han army could not find a single savage still standing.

The afterglow of the setting sun stained the island with a blood-red hue, and the sea breeze carried a heavy smell of burnt blood, blowing against the soldiers' blood-stained robes.

The Tsushima savages were thus completely wiped out.

Taishi Ci strode to the dock and bowed to Su Yao in the air, reporting: "Your Highness, Tsushima Island has been cleared! A total of 671 people were beheaded, 27 settlements were burned, and no survivors were left. Some animal hides and dried fish were seized, but nothing of great value."

Su Yao piloted the Griffin down slowly, its golden wings folding back. He glanced at the ravaged island and nodded: "Clean it up. Let the soldiers rest for the night, and we'll break camp and set sail at dawn tomorrow."

After saying that, Su Yao turned his gaze to Jiang Qin, who was standing silently to the side.

At this moment, Jiang Qin was covered in blood, and the ring-pommel sword he was leaning on was still dripping blood. His eyes were empty and weary. The joy of avenging his great enemy did not seem to last long before it was replaced by a deeper sense of bewilderment and trauma. The inhuman torture of the past few months could not be easily washed away by a single killing.

“Gongyi,” Su Yao said.

Jiang Qin trembled, as if waking from a nightmare, and immediately knelt on one knee: "Your subordinate is here!"

"Have you vented your anger?"

Jiang Qin remained silent for a moment, his voice hoarse: "Your Highness, having personally slain the enemy, this humble general... feels somewhat at ease. However... however..." He didn't know how to describe the gloom that lingered in his heart.

Su Yao nodded understandingly: "Some wounds need time to heal. You are a warrior of my Great Han, and I believe you can overcome the shadows here. This matter is over, but the matter of the Japanese islands is not yet finished. The Dog Slave Kingdom is the mastermind and must be severely punished. I grant you the honor of redeeming yourself through meritorious service by joining the army in the campaign. Are you up to the task?"

Upon hearing the words "Kingdom of Dog Slaves," a flame reignited in Jiang Qin's eyes, instantly filling the emptiness with a powerful sense of mission. He clasped his hands tightly, his voice choked with emotion:
"This humble general is willing to go! This humble general will surely offer the blood of the dog-slave king as a sacrifice for our fallen comrades! If we cannot avenge this national humiliation, this humble general is willing to offer his head in return!"

(End of this chapter)