Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 210 An Elder Brother as Solid as a Mountain
Human nature is to love life and hate death.

But Zhu Cun understood that if he didn't step forward at this moment, this small, untrained army would likely be wiped out.

The third brother was exceptionally intelligent, yet even he couldn't escape his downfall.

Firstly, there are favorable and unfavorable circumstances; secondly, heroes are as numerous as carp crossing a river, so who can remain undefeated indefinitely?
But this battle was too crucial for Zhu Wen. If he were to suffer a complete defeat, he would probably have no chance to make a comeback.

Zhu Cun drew his spear, his gaze sharp as iron, and stared at the swarming enemy soldiers. A flood of memories surged through his mind.

She stood guard by her mother's bedside, watching the blood-soaked creature removed by the midwife after cutting the umbilical cord: "Wow, this baby was born so ugly!"

Mother smiled slightly: "You'll know when I'm clean, Erlang."

The warm water washed away the blood and grime from his body. The baby touched Zhu Cun's cheek and giggled. His fair and rosy face was incredibly beautiful.

Zhu Cun, who was only a few years old, felt a sudden urge to protect the child.

As his younger brother grew up, he became much prettier and smarter than him, but he remained very attached to him.

Zhu Cun was originally a restless person, and in his youth he had some lofty dreams.

As his third brother grew up, he realized that the boy was so smart, what couldn't he do? He didn't need his older brother to protect him anymore.

Moreover, Zhu Cun encountered a woman who made his eyes sparkle with desire during that time.

After several years of wandering, he accomplished almost nothing. The only thing he could boast about was how he managed to coax that woman into coming home and having her bear him two sons.

Then the woman disliked Zhu Cun for being incompetent and ran off with a pretty boy. After being bored with him, the heartless man sold her into a brothel.

When Zhu Cun returned, he learned that his third brother had been bullied terribly over the years. He had been slandered by the carpenter he had apprenticed with and had his reputation ruined by the sluts who ran a tavern in the east of the village.

My third brother was only twelve years old, yet those people bullied and insulted him without restraint.

When his brother needed him most, Zhu Cun was unable to be by his side.

Zhu Cun slapped himself hard several times behind everyone's back.

"Zhu Cun! Don't you even know what you are? Do you look like someone who can do great things?" Zhu Cun pointed at his own nose in the mirror and cursed loudly.

After seeing through the vanity of worldly fame, fortune, and women, Zhu Cun found himself becoming more insightful than ever before.

He vowed that if his third brother wanted to do great things, he would support him like a pillar of a stone bridge. If there was anything his third brother couldn't see clearly, he would be his eyes.

Until the third brother grew up to surpass all the heroes in the world and became invincible.

That day, however, I could no longer see it.

"Sanlang, life is a long journey, and your second brother can't accompany you on this one."

"Youlun, Youning, forgive your father. I'm not a good father, and I haven't taken good care of you much while I'm alive. Although my eldest brother is old-fashioned, he has a good heart and has always treated you two as his own children. You will surely grow up to be upright and strong men."

"Mother, believe in Sanlang. He will achieve great things in the future and will definitely take good care of you and fulfill his filial duties as your disobedient son..."

Zhu Cun muttered to himself, but the spear in his hand throbbed like a venomous python.

With his spear pointed diagonally, Zhu Cunyi forced Tie Mole, the Kunlun sect leader who was riding on horseback, to dodge.

The Uyghur knights behind Temole charged and fired, unleashing a rain of arrows like shooting stars.

On the rugged mountain slopes, these mounted archers posed an even greater threat than the long-armed cavalry, who were specialized in charging.

After being released from the bow, the arrow's flight has three stages. In the first stage, the arrow shaft still stores the energy given by the bow, so it is curved. In the second stage, the arrow tip is aligned with the direction of motion and has the greatest power. In the third stage, the arrow completely loses its accuracy and becomes a "stray arrow".

However, accurate archery often requires close-range shooting. Elite mounted archers, with the speed of their warhorses, can quickly bring their arrows to the second, most powerful stage when shooting at close range.

Some of the soldiers were shot through their wooden shields, their hands pinned to the shields. Zhu Cun also felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder.

In the height of summer, Zhu Cun wore only light leather armor. His shoulders lacked armor plates, and an arrow pierced his bone instantly.

The soldiers' expressions changed when they saw Zhu Cun hit by an arrow.

Zhu Cunhu roared, pulled out an arrow, and hurled it at the Uyghur knight who had no time to retreat.

This was a heavy arrow, which could be used as a spear when thrown. With a whoosh, it struck the Uyghur knight in the neck, causing him to fall from his horse instantly. He rolled down the earthen slope to the front of the grass army formation, where he was impaled by spears and turned into mincemeat.

Cheers erupted immediately from the ranks of the soldiers.

Zhu Cun smiled faintly as he watched Zhu Zhen, Tian Jun, and others leading the main force of their troops away into the distance, having already shaken off the enemy's pursuit.

Gao Yan's serious injury greatly impacted the morale of the Changwu Cavalry. Lacking a top-notch cavalry commander to lead from the front, their effectiveness was significantly reduced during the pursuit.

Zhu Cun and the others who stayed behind to cover the rear were surrounded by the barbarian tribesmen, who were like an iron barrel with no way to get through.

Gao Yan, his wounds bandaged, went out into battle and personally came to the front lines: "Zhu Cun, do you think your brother is still alive?"

"My third brother is lucky. Unlike some short-lived ghosts who have to wear ghostly shapes on their faces before even being taken away by the King of Hell!"

Zhu Cun's words were clearly a mockery of Gao Yan's Lanling King mask.

Gao Yanquan remained unperturbed and instead removed his mask, smiling slightly. "If Zhu San'er were still alive, that would be a good thing. Zhu Cun, if you surrender to my army and persuade your brother to serve me as well, the future of you two brothers would be limitless."

These words actually carried a lot of truth.

Gao Yan was ambitious and believed that Qian Liu was not enough to support his struggle for supremacy. If Zhu Wen were also put to use, what difficulty would it be to restore the Northern Qi dynasty of the Bohai Gao clan's ancestors!
Zhu Cunquan was unmoved: "Gao Yan, my Sanlang is a dragon among men, how could he work for a coward like you! If you want war, then let's fight, stop spouting this nonsense!"

Gao Yan's expression changed drastically: "Fine, fine, fine, you won't listen to reason, so I'll just have to send you to the afterlife as soon as possible, you rude and uncouth man!"

With a wave of the command flag, the barbarian tribes surged forward once again like a tidal wave.

The fierce battle raged from noon until dusk, and all the bandit soldiers who fought on foot around the perimeter were killed.

Even with shifts of soldiers taking turns to rest and recover, the barbarian warriors, after a day of fierce fighting, were nearly exhausted of their stamina and courage.

At Gao Yan's command, the Zhenhai naval guards, who were the last reserve force, put down their crossbows, took up their swords and spears, and charged desperately at the barricades and chariots set up by Zhu Cun.

The setting sun casts its light on the overgrown weeds, and the soldiers have long since dispersed.

Zhu Cun gazed at the piles of his comrades' corpses and the tattered flags scattered on all sides, leaned on his spear, and raised his head to face the enemy army surging like a tidal wave.

He was struck by seven arrows and stabbed ten times, his blood flowing freely, yet he exuded an even more awe-inspiring majesty.

Whether it was the barbarian tribes or the Zhenhai Army, they all looked at Zhu Cun with a hint of awe.

Such a tough guy would earn the respect of even his enemies.

As Zhu Cun brandished his spear, blood splattered everywhere as he fought and retreated. When he reached the edge of the cliff, there was not a single soldier left beside him; the enemy had formed a semicircle around him.

Fearing Zhu Cunru's imposing presence, like a wounded tiger, no one dared to step forward.

Gao Yan drew his bow and shot an arrow into Zhu Cun's chest.

Zhu Cun's tall body fell backward like a mountain, instantly plunging into the surging waves and being swallowed by the rapids.

My elder brother is like a mountain.

Today, the mountain that had silently sheltered Zhu Wen from the wind and rain has collapsed.

(End of this chapter)