Xie Ming

The brave wins when we meet on a narrow road.

General Xiao was full of courage and boldness. The chief commander led the troops in a desperate fight against the enemy, and the guards behind him were all fearless.

In a fierce battle southwest of Yuhang, Xiao Yi fought with his life on the line.

Because he was so concerned about Yuzhen, he had no time to think about any sound strategies or plans.

He was only focused on speed, sweeping across the land with his sword, giving it his all, hoping to defeat the enemy as soon as possible so he could escape westward and find his way back.

Therefore, it is only natural that the tactics are straightforward and disregard the cost.

Then, in this way, a bloody battle ensued.

Despite the inherent advantage of the barbarian cavalry's iron hooves, they couldn't withstand the reckless fighting style of Xiao's cavalry.

Frightened and terrified, the enemy cavalry finally fled in panic under the pressure of our killing intent.

During this time, the enemy's leader, Niru Commander, had his right hand severed by Xiao Jingchuan. Blood gushed out, and he fled in terror.

Of his troops, only about twenty riders managed to escape, having been decimated and able to retreat.

They fled in panic, heading straight for Yuhang in the northeast.

After a minor victory, Xiao's cavalry remained in their original positions, panting heavily as they cleaned up the battlefield.

Looking at the whole picture, although it was a victory, it was a pyrrhic one.

After charging and hacking away, of the original five hundred-plus heads, only eighty-three riders remain who can still fight on horseback.

Even worse, Xiao always led from the front in battles against the enemy.

In the end, his left arm was also slashed off, leaving him injured.

As the enemy cavalry fled, Xiao felt a sharp pain. Looking through his armor, he saw that the wound had penetrated deep into his flesh and was bleeding profusely, staining most of his shirt crimson.

"Ah! Your Excellency, the Duke, the military doctor, quick, quick, the military doctor!"

"My goodness, my left shoulder, my left shoulder is bleeding!"

"Quick, quick, remove the armor and bandage it, ouch!"

Xiao Chunzi, despite her usual walks within the palace, rarely witnessed such a fierce battle.

But this child, once born, didn't hold the team back.

He somehow managed to snag a waist knife from someone along the way, and during the cavalry charge, he didn't hesitate, joining the fight with several riders behind him.

Luckily, he was unharmed. After the enemy fled, he hurriedly rode his white horse closer. Upon seeing the Duke injured, he suddenly turned pale with shock and cried out.

Upon hearing this, Xiao gave a bitter laugh, adopting an indifferent posture.

"Heh, alright, alright, you little brat, stop yelling."

"They came in a hurry, how could they have brought any military doctors?"

"It's alright, just wrap it up."

"Fortunately, the bone wasn't cut; it was just a superficial wound."

"They're used to making a fuss over nothing."

Despite his words, it was clear that Xiao was still in deep pain as he spoke and removed his armor, and his face inevitably paled.

Seeing the situation, Xiaochunzi knew that the hero was stubborn and refused to argue.

As soon as Dan saw Xiao dismount, he rushed up from behind, took the bandage from the soldier who was handing him the medicine, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to temporarily bandage the Duke's wound.

"hiss--"

A moment later, the wound medicine was applied, and Xiao's forehead was covered in sweat. Unable to bear the pain, he groaned.

"My Lord, you absolutely cannot be harmed."

"Otherwise, I would truly deserve to die a thousand deaths."

"Please, please bear with it."

"Let's just leave it as a bandage for now, and we'll get proper treatment once we find a doctor."

"Oh dear, this... we absolutely cannot be careless."

"This huge gash, with the flesh turned inside out, is terrifying to look at."

Xiao Chunzi hurriedly and carefully served him, and it was not hard to see that he himself felt guilty.

After all, this trip was at his request.

But who exactly is Xiao Jingchuan?
Fighting the enemy was commonplace for them; gunshot wounds and knife wounds left their bodies covered in scars.

He was complacent and indifferent to the current situation.

Moreover, Yuzhen's safety is of utmost importance, and even with her left arm injured, she remains completely vigilant.

"Alright, it's just a knife wound, it won't kill you."

"Xiao Chunzi, how far is this place from where you were attacked last night?" "You said Consort Hui and the others escaped roughly in the direction of Tianmu Mountain."

"It was pitch black last night, don't be mistaken."

"The safety of Consort Hui and Consort An rests entirely on your decision, doesn't it?!"

While Xiao Lang was bandaging and treating the knife wound, he still didn't forget to keep the conversation flowing, and he continued on this topic.

Upon hearing this, Xiaochunzi paused for a moment, then answered crisply.

"Grandpa, you can rest assured."

"They must be heading towards Tianmu Mountain, there's no mistake."

"If I lead you astray, I might as well lose my eyes."

"You don't need to lift a finger, I'll dig it out myself and use it as a cannonball," Xiaochunzi said confidently.

"Okay, okay, as long as it's accurate."

"Alright, let's not delay."

"It's been almost a day and a night since last night."

"We can't waste any more time here. Let's go, get on the horse."

Xiao was impatient and hurriedly had everyone ride on.

Once someone is determined to go their own way, it is difficult for others to persuade them otherwise.

Therefore, the soldiers had no choice but to follow orders and be assigned tasks.

After a short rest, the remaining team sped off again towards West Tianmu Mountain.

The steed gallops like the wind, whip cracking as it enters the mountains.
Before they knew it, they had been traveling at full speed for about half an hour.

The end of the day (around 3 PM) is approaching.

The ground was hot and humid, and the wind was weak.

As Xiao Xing's group approached the mountain pass, many of the riders on their warhorses were already showing signs of fatigue and exhaustion.

Looking ahead casually, I turned a corner on a rocky slope, and a village suddenly appeared a hundred paces away.

Xiao Jingchuan's eyes lit up, and he was eager to go ahead and investigate.

Perhaps Yuzhen and her entourage will temporarily seek refuge here.

However, upon closer inspection along the road, it became clear that, without knowing the details, several corpses lay haphazardly beneath the village entrance archway.

Startled and alarmed, Xiao Lang immediately became alert, turning his head to exchange glances with Xiao Chunzi.

There's no point in guessing.

In order to get a clear look as quickly as possible, Xiao didn't bother with any scouts or sentries. He whipped his horse and charged straight ahead.

As they approached, they peered into the village, and the further they went in, the more chaotic and disorganized the scene became.

Suddenly, another shrill scream could be faintly heard.

Xiao Lang bent down to examine the scene closely and noticed a chaotic commotion of horses' hooves at the entrance of the village.

From what I can vaguely make out, roughly a dozen or so riders had barged in.

The plan was swift and decisive, and the decision was indeed made by the Jurchens.

With a determined look, Xiao waved his hand and frowned as he issued the order.

"Damn it, it's another Jurchen bastard."

"Based on the hoofprints, there were at least ten riders."

"The guards obey orders and rushed forward with a scream."

"Keep an eye on the enemy, and make sure to kill every single one of them." Xiao Ming gritted his teeth.

Obey orders and proceed with the defense; the rear guard will not hesitate.

As soon as Xiao pointed his whip horizontally, the entire army charged into the village.

After ordering the cavalry to finish their work, Xiao saw that there was no further movement at the village entrance, so he wanted to take Xiao Chunzi with him and ride in.

If they happen to find any villagers who have survived, they can inquire about them.

But just as he was about to mount his horse, unexpectedly, a half-paralyzed old man lay on the ground under a stone pillar. He wasn't completely dead. He noticed the newcomer's attire and, with all his might, called out in his old voice.

"Soldiers, soldiers, the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty."

Hearing the sudden noise, Xiao was taken aback and froze, turning around to look.

Looking closely, he saw that there were indeed survivors. He quickly pulled his foot back from the stirrup, took three steps at a time, rushed to the side of the dying old man, and helped the old villager, who had suffered a knife wound, to his feet.

(End of this chapter)