Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 262 Xin Tan
Meng Kai wielded his Bagua Xuanhua axe with great force, charging into the Lingnan West Road army formation. The axe blade shone with a brilliant light, exuding an awe-inspiring presence.

The government troops and soldiers retreated in all directions, scattering in the dust and mist, as hurried as deer being chased by hunters.

The army of Xin Dang, the military governor of Lingnan West Circuit, has completely collapsed.

Originally, Xin Dang had two thousand elite soldiers under his command, sent by Qi Kerang, the military governor of Taining, and led by Deng Jiyun and Xiao Ling, two of the "Six Stars of the Southern Dipper." However, in the battle of Guangzhou, Deng Jiyun was shot by an arrow and fell from his horse, and was captured by Shang Rang's troops. Xiao Ling lacked the ability to control the soldiers and could not maintain morale. The two thousand soldiers then scattered and headed north of the Five Ridges.

The Jiaozhou troops mutinied again, leaving Xin Dang with only two or three thousand soldiers from Yongguan and Rongguan, their morale low. Meng Kai, being exceptionally brave, led two thousand elite soldiers in pursuit of Xin Dang, and there was no way they could fail.

With his army in disarray and his soldiers about to be slaughtered like weeds, Xin Dang steeled his heart, picked up his weapon, the Golden Nail Zao Yang Spear, and turned his horse around.

"I marched east this time intending to annihilate their leader and gain fame and glory. I never expected my army to return in such a sorry state. Even if I survive by chance, how can I face the families of my fallen soldiers?"

Xin Dang shouted at the servant, and the two of them turned their horses around and galloped back towards Meng Kai's troops.

They happened to encounter the rebel army, which was advancing in a scattered formation.

Seeing that there were only two of them and no one following behind, the rebel soldiers drew their swords and spears and surrounded them.

Xin Dang wore a full suit of iron chainmail with very fine holes, making it difficult for arrows to penetrate. He also wore a layer of cowhide arrow-proof waist armor called a "belly protector," which was semi-circular and wrapped around his waist to prevent the weapons he wore from damaging the armor due to impact or friction.

He carried a two-stone bow on his back, and a satchel hung on his saddle. In his left hand he held a long spear, and a short axe and a waist knife were tucked into his belt.

Xin Dang spotted a cavalry general approaching first, spurred his mount, and charged towards him on horseback.

The cavalry general also charged forward, and the two clashed on a gentle, grassy slope. Xin Dang charged downhill, while the grass-clad cavalry charged uphill. Xin Dang, determined to die, disregarded his own safety and used the momentum of his horse to thrust his long spear forward. The general, already uphill and lacking momentum, was intimidated by Xin Dang's desperate attack. Unable to dodge, he was thrust diagonally and fell from his horse. Fortunately, his armor was thick, and he was not fatally wounded.

Just as the general was about to stand up despite the excruciating pain, Xin Dang's servant caught up with him, quickly dismounted, and drew his sword, only to find it missing. The servant, quick-witted, grabbed the general's robe from the back, flipped it forward to cover his head, pulled the two corners back, and tightly covered his head, preventing him from escaping. Xin Dang had already turned his horse around, casually drew a short axe from his waist and handed it to the servant, then rode off. The servant, axe in hand, hacked wildly at the rebel general's shoulders and neck, killing him and neatly severing his head.

Xin Dang charged forward again, only to be surrounded by several foot soldiers. He brandished his long spear, thrusting left and right, hitting three men in succession, and broke through the encirclement. Looking back, he saw his servant intercepted by the enemy, carrying a bloody head in his hand, with an arrow stuck in his back, swaying and already exhausted.

Xin Dang flew into a rage and roared to the sky, "I'm not afraid to die! I'll just kill a few more bandits!" He spotted a lone bandit general and charged at him on horseback. This man was also a brave warrior, wearing an iron helmet, a mountain-patterned armor, and deerskin boots, which were covered with mud and bloodstains.

The two men drew closer, about to engage in combat. Suddenly, Xin Dang spotted a rider charging from his left flank. The rider was unarmored, wielding a long spear, and charged at him. The infantry general in front of him countered with a sharp axe, showing no sign of yielding. The two sides were now locked in a pincer attack.

Without pausing, as he spurred his horse, he roared like thunder and swiftly threw his lance. It flew out like a whirlwind, piercing the chest of the grass army infantryman with a soft thud, the tip of the lance protruding through his back.

Before the body even fell to the ground, Xin Dang had already galloped past on horseback. Looking back at the enemy on horseback, he drew his bow and arrow, and turned to shoot. The arrow flew and struck the pursuing rider in the forehead, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Another group of foot soldiers surrounded them. Xin Dang reined in his horse, dismounted, and stood behind it, firing arrows repeatedly, felling several men. He then remounted, drew his sword, and charged at them, shouting. The foot soldiers were terrified and retreated in panic.

Meng Kai was charging into the enemy ranks when he received a messenger report that the old traitor Xin Dang had single-handedly counterattacked his own lines, killing two generals in succession. The soldiers were terrified and retreated.

He immediately stopped charging and rushed towards where Xin Dang was.

The veteran opposite him was over sixty years old, with white hair and beard, but his eyes still gleamed with fierce light, like a tiger.

“Commander Xin is old, please make the first move,” Meng Kai said solemnly, his expression turning serious.

Xin Dang smiled slightly, then suddenly charged forward with his spear like a thunderbolt.

Meng Kai swung his axe to meet him, and the two charged back and forth on horseback. After ten rounds, Xin Dang, being old, was exhausted and Meng Kai cleaved him through the waist and abdomen with his axe, splitting his armor and causing blood to flow freely.

A hint of turbidity appeared in the old general's eyes as he squinted and murmured, "What a brave and strong young man! But he reminds me of an old friend."

Meng Kai was slightly taken aback, realizing that Xin Dang was referring to his maternal grandfather, Pang Xun.

Meng Kai never bothered to mention his relationship with Pang Xun, and very few people knew about it. However, Xin Dang had made great contributions in suppressing Pang Xun's rebellion and was quite familiar with Pang Xun. Moreover, being an experienced and shrewd man, he intuitively discovered that Meng Kai seemed to have Pang Xun's blood flowing through his veins.

Meng Kai's first feeling towards his ruthless maternal grandfather, who had stood by and watched his father and mother die, was disgust. He thought to himself, Pang Xun had schemed his entire life, even abandoning his own flesh and blood, plotting for so many years, only to end up with nothing but a mirage. What's the point of someone who studies scheming and becomes so cold-blooded that they don't even care about their own family?

In recent years, Meng Kai has discovered that the Ming Cult warriors who joined the bandit army truly revered Pang Xun as a god.

If Pang Xun were a completely ruthless villain, how could he have won the unwavering support of heroes like Yuan Chang and Ge Jian?

The grandfather in one's own eyes and the leader of the cult, Pang Xun, in the eyes of others are just two different sides of the same person.

The military governor Xin Dang before me must be just like that. Xin Dang came from the Xin clan of Longxi and was the grandson of the famous minister Xin Yunjing. In his youth, he was known for his chivalry, generosity, and keeping his promises. He was dedicated to helping those in need. Even at the age of fifty, he was unwilling to take up an official post, which was quite similar to the early style of the former Protector-General of Annam, Cai Xi.

However, Cai Xi came from a poor family, while Xin Dang was from a powerful clan, which determined their fundamental differences.

Xin Dang spent fifty years in seclusion, all to cultivate his reputation.

After Pang Xun raised his army, Xin Dang, a commoner and a chivalrous hero, took a small boat with his sword to Sikou and sought an audience with Du Tao, the garrison commander of Sizhou. At that time, Pang Xun's army had been besieging Sizhou for a long time. Xin Dang once again broke through the encirclement by boat, glaring and shouting, and then bursting into tears, begging for 300 reinforcements. They broke through the barricades at midnight and defended the city for seven months. The soldiers in the city had no time to sleep, their faces were covered in sores, and the army's supplies were running low. They shared thin porridge. It was only through Xin Dang's desperate fighting and encouragement of the soldiers that they were able to persevere.

After Pang Xun was defeated, Du Tao was promoted to military governor of Zhengzhou and Huazhou, and Xin Dang served as his advisor. After Du Tao's death, Xin Dang retired to Jiangdong and ceased to concern himself with worldly affairs.

If the story ended here, it would truly be a tale of a chivalrous hero who was selfless and indifferent to fame and fortune. However, just a few years later, the imperial court suddenly appointed the recluse Xin Dang as the military governor of Lingnan West Circuit. From a commoner in the morning to a military commander in the evening, such a rapid promotion shocked the world.

If Xin Dang had not been from a powerful family, no matter how much he cultivated his reputation, he could never have received such a promotion.

But now, Xin Dang is indeed risking his life for his soldiers!

Just as Xin Dang Yangwang not only relied on seclusion and giving away some money, but also fought a bloody battle in Sizhou City and almost lost his life.

Is such a person a hypocrite seeking fame and fortune?

Meng Kai recalled his maternal grandfather, Pang Xun, who, despite having a chance to escape, chose to commit suicide by sword after the defeat to avoid the court's relentless pursuit of his brothers.

A person who spends their entire life pretending is often bound by the image they create. Is that person real, or fake?

Xin Dang might actually have to thank the rebel army. As Li Tiao's sworn brother, if the rebel army hadn't eliminated Li Tiao, and Li Tiao had invited Xin Dang to join the rebellion, he would have faced a difficult choice between loyalty and righteousness.

After the veteran Xin Dang finished praising Meng Kai, he calmly closed his eyes and awaited his death.

“Xin Jiedushi is a hero of our time, how could I, Meng, possibly commit such a heinous act?”

Meng Kai cupped his hands and said, "Our army will now cease the pursuit. Please, Commander Xin, lead your troops back to this town."

Xin Dang opened his eyes and said in surprise, "General Meng, don't think that this will make me pay tribute to your army after I return to my town."

"No need," Meng Kai said calmly. "I, Meng Juehai, only seek to have a clear conscience."

In an instant, the rebel soldiers around Meng Kai all changed color.

However, once Meng Kai had spoken, no one dared to disobey, and they could only let Meng Kai release Xin Dang.

As the setting sun gradually sank into the mountains, the sky full of clouds, like scales, was dyed golden and red by the slanting rays. In the ranks of the government troops, a banner adorned with ivory fluttered in the wind. The original blood-red color of the banner had long been eroded by the wind and frost into a dark red that seemed to carry a bloody scent. The two lines of embroidered gold characters were even more eye-catching: Xin, the military governor of Lingnan West Circuit and the general of the Right Jinwu Guard.

As the sun sets and the winter wind howls, the scene is particularly desolate.

As the saying goes: "Beauties are like good generals, and they are not allowed to grow old in this world."

After Xin Dang led his defeated troops and disappeared into the mountains, Meng Kai said to his generals, "Xin Dang is old and has been severely injured by me. He has at most two months to live. After he dies, the newly elected governor of Lingnan West Circuit will not be able to win the hearts of the people. The soldiers will also be grateful for my righteousness in releasing Xin Dang and will surely surrender to our humble army."

"If that's the case, why commit so many killings?"

Upon hearing this, everyone felt enlightened and praised General Meng, who had never expected him to possess such wisdom.

Meng Kai gazed at the vast sky, recalling the past with a touch of melancholy.

Yes, after all, the blood of the once-powerful warlord Pang Xun flows in my veins.

However, his experiences made Meng Kai subconsciously averse to conspiracies and unwilling to make comprehensive plans like his master Huang Chao or his junior brother Zhu Wen.

He was afraid of becoming like his maternal grandfather, Pang Xun, who was ruthless and disregarded his own family.

But how easy is it to distinguish between a person's truth and falsehood?
It's just that everyone has their own biases.

(End of this chapter)