Tang Dynasty: Starting with 3,000 elite cavalry, a bloody battle to retake the city.

"Sizzle—!"

Blood splattered and the formation collapsed!

In an instant, a gap was forcibly torn open in the encirclement!

boom--!

Han Ye led his men to break through the encirclement!

Amidst the billowing dust, the group landed and stood still, their eyes filled with crimson killing intent.

Huyan Zhuo was terrified and roared, "Quick! Chase after them! Don't let them get away—!"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stopped.

Because he saw—

These people did not escape.

They turned and charged straight at the Turkic cavalry who were still slaughtering civilians!

"die--!!"

Han Ye leaped into the air, his Azure Dragon Spear sweeping across the battlefield—

"Pfft! Snap!"

One by one, heads flew into the air, and pillars of blood shot into the sky!

The cavalrymen who had been attacking were caught off guard and scattered instantly.

But when the smoke cleared, Han Ye stood frozen in place.

There are no living people left in front of me.

Only corpses lay silently in pools of blood.

The old woman curled up to protect her child, and the mother held her baby tightly until her death... but it was all gone.

The wind whipped up the tattered flags, and a mist of blood filled the air.

Han Ye's hand holding the gun was trembling.

His eyes were burning.

His heart was breaking.

They tore through the encirclement and rushed out...

It wasn't about surviving.

It was so that I could see this hell one last time.

Then--

May all those who create hell go to hell.

The flames of war have reached the feet of the people of Dingzhou!

They never considered escaping—nor did they deign to.

They just want to come back, back to the land that gave them birth and nurtured them, back to their loved ones.

But when they finally set foot back on their homeland—

"Aaaaaah!!!"

"Kill! Kill all these beasts!!"

"Madam! Please open your eyes and look at me... I beg you..."

"father--!!!"

Too late.

It's too late!

Two thousand Turkic cavalrymen pressed in like a dark cloud, trampling through villages and crushing houses, leaving a trail of blood wherever they went.

The people of Dingzhou fell one by one into pools of blood, like wheat that had been cut down, silently.

The Master has fallen.

Rugen is gone.

Zhongfang's wife lay in the mud, her hair stained with blood, but her face was turned toward the door—as if waiting for him to return.

The soldiers' parents, children, brothers and sisters... all died.

Not a single one was left.

When the wind blew, the stench of blood filled the nostrils, making one's brain explode.

"despair."

"Tap, tap."

"Tap, tap, tap."

The sound of horses' hooves stopped.

Han Ye dismounted, his steps unsteady, as if he were walking on cotton.

He stared at everything before him, his eyes instantly bloodshot, his lips trembled, and a sweet taste rose in his throat—

"puff!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood onto the ground.

That blood was bitter.

It's even more bitter than Coptis chinensis.

It was colder than death.

"They're all...dead?"

"Hahahaha...They're all dead!!"

He laughed out loud, the laughter tearing through the night sky, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes bloodshot as if he were a madman.

That's right.

This is what Confucius meant before his death—the third line of defense.

It is not soldiers, not formations, not a city.

are people.

It was these unarmed people of Dingzhou who built the last barrier with their lives!

Han Ye and Zhong Fang are not all dead yet, but this third line of defense... has been completely wiped out.

Mountains of corpses and seas of blood lay scattered across the fields.

"Dad! Your son is back! Your son has come to pick you up!!"

A soldier knelt down and wailed, embracing his father's cold body and kowtowing repeatedly until his forehead bled and his face was covered in tears and mud.

Not just him.

Every Tang Dynasty soldier who returned alive was from Dingzhou.

Their home is here.

Their roots are here.

Now—it's all broken.

My heart broke too.

Zhong Fang stood beside his wife's body, looked down at her pale face, and suddenly smiled.

Her smile was gentle, yet also melancholic.

"You've been with me for half your life, I'm sorry you suffered."

He gently stroked her cheek, his voice as soft as a whisper:

"Don't be afraid, I'm coming to be with you... In our next life, let's live in a peaceful world and have a good life together."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly looked up, gripped his long sword tightly, the blade stained with blood, reflecting a pair of scarlet eyes.

He turned and looked at the Turkic army surging in from afar like a tide.

Laughed.

Looking up to the sky and laughing.

At the same time, Han Ye slowly stood up, his face streaked with blood and tears, the Azure Dragon Spear humming and trembling in his hand.

His eye split open, and blood slid down his cheek like a burning brand.

He got it.

At that moment, not only him, but also Zhong Fang, Xiahou Dun, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, and all the surviving soldiers—all understood.

There is no escape route.

No need to return it.

My loved ones are dead, my home is ashes, and I am nothing but an empty shell.

Why not—burn this body to ashes and transform into an Asura!

"Buzz—!"

In an instant, everyone turned around, their movements perfectly synchronized!

"Buzz—!"

Warhorses neighed, armor clanged, and eyes sharpened like knives, pointing directly at the enemy lines!

He leaped onto his horse, his spear flashing like a dragon!

"Clang—!!!"

The Azure Dragon Spear ripped through the sky, emitting a soul-shattering shriek!

Han Ye's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared as if his throat was being torn apart:

"A blood debt must be repaid in blood!!!"

"Blood debts! Blood must be paid for!!!"

"Blood debts—blood must be repaid!!!"

"kill--!!!"

At a single command, a thousand cavalrymen sprang into action!

The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, Zhong Fang, and the remaining soldiers charged into the enemy ranks like moths to a flame or tigers falling into an abyss!

No one had a backup plan; no one wanted to live!

Dingzhou has become a death trap, and they have no will to live!

Only a burning hatred within me can scorch the heavens and the earth!

"Pfft—!"

The spear pierced his chest, and blood splattered everywhere.

"Hahaha! Let's all go to hell together, you Turkic bastards!!"

"Father! Your unfilial son is coming to keep you company—ha, ha..."

"We, the men of Dingzhou—would rather die than kneel!!!"

A flash of sword light, a shadow falls.

Blood rained down, and corpses littered the streets.

The two sides were locked in a fierce battle, hand-to-hand combat, biting and tearing at each other, risking their lives for one another!

Are there many Turks? No problem.

One death is enough.

Two died, but we made a profit.

Even if I'm the last one to die, I'll drag you all down with me!

On the battlefield, every fallen corpse roared in fury.

Every spurt of blood is a cry for help.

But reality is cold.

The disparity in numbers is too great.

Han Ye saw this clearly—

His brothers are falling one by one.

But none of them retreated.

Even if you only have one breath left, you must deliver the final shot!

because--

This is Dingzhou.

This is home.

The blood was still warm, and the knife was still ringing.

They were never afraid of death—from the moment they stepped onto this battlefield, they knew that the chances of winning were extremely slim.

But so what?

Even if the odds of victory are slim, they will still draw their swords and charge forward, carving a bloody path through the enemy lines!

Dying on the battlefield is not the end, but the most heartfelt tribute to one's life!

"My son..."

"Live for me... and go to Chang'an..."

"I will personally deliver the suicide notes of the people of Dingzhou to His Majesty..."

As Zhong Fang swung his sword to slay his enemies, his vision began to darken.

His lips trembled slightly, and his voice was as low as ashes in the wind.

"Pfft—!"

A curved blade pierced deeply into his shoulder blade, sending a burst of excruciating pain through him. The Turkic cavalryman grinned and roared, "Kill him! Kill him now!"

"Die!!"

Zhong Fang glared angrily, then with a backhand thrust, pierced the man's throat with his sword, blood spurting like rain.

He staggered, blood dripping from his armor, leaving dark red craters in the scorched earth.

"Surround him! Charge at him together! Kill him!"

A dozen or so elite Turkic riders surrounded them on horseback, their blades flashing like a net, impenetrable.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

The sound of blades slicing through flesh rang out continuously. In an instant, Zhong Fang was covered in blood, his armor shattered, and he was barely clinging to life.

As he gazed in the direction of Chang'an, he suddenly smiled.

……

"Kill him! Kill him! Now! Now!!"

"Aaaaaah—Die!!"

Han Ye watched from afar, his eyes wide with fury. He wielded his Azure Dragon Spear wildly, forcing back several enemy cavalrymen as the spear shadows danced in the air.

But he couldn't get through.

We really can't get through.

They were too few in number, while on the other side was a vast, dark mass of Turkic cavalry, surging in like a tidal wave and completely engulfing Zhongfang.

This was an inevitable and irreversible siege.

They were giving it their all, and every inch of progress felt like crawling through hell.

Even in his bloodlust, he could only watch helplessly as that figure was torn apart bit by bit amidst the flashing blades.

"Pfft!"

A knife pierced his abdomen.

"Pfft!"

Another stab through the chest.

Zhong Fang shuddered violently, blood gushing from his mouth and nose, and his pupils began to dilate.

"Thump—"

His knees slammed heavily into the ground, and he collapsed to his knees in a pool of blood, his face ashen white, slowly falling backward.

"grown ups!!"

"Zhong Fang!!!"

"My lord, the governor—!!!"

All around, wails and cries of agony rose up.

Han Ye roared to the sky, blood vessels bursting from the corners of his eyes, and the Azure Dragon Spear in his hand almost transformed into a blood rainbow as he slashed wildly.

He's crazy.

That's insane.

Even though they fought fiercely, the nine-layered encirclement remained completely unmoved.

As Zhongfang lay dying, he looked towards Chang'an and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

That smile was like liberation, like relief.

"Madam... I've arrived..."

"Son...live on...for me, for the million people of Dingzhou...live with dignity..."

"Your Majesty... this is... our answer..."

With each word he spoke, bloody foam oozed from his lips, his breath as faint as a spider's thread.

Suddenly, he heard Han Ye's blood-curdling roar.

He knew that kid was going to fight to the death.

So, with his last ounce of strength, he roared hoarsely:

"Young man of the Han family—listen to me!!"

"Dingzhou is deserted!! I, Zhong Fang, and all the people of the city are going to our deaths—you are not from my hometown, you need not be buried with us!!"

"Live on—"

"You better...live...on...this...you..."

Before he could finish speaking, his head lolled to the side and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Thump."

The world seemed to fall silent for a moment.

Zhongfang's eyes closed and never opened again.

His breathing stopped, his heartbeat ceased, and his soul returned to the heavens.

Thus, a great governor fell from grace.

And at the very moment he fell—

"Pfft!"

"Cough... How hateful... I failed to protect my master..."

"Hahaha... Lord Zhong, I'm here to join you!!"

"Ghost-faced General! Go—don't die for us dead!!"

"Let's go—!! Pfft…"

In the field of vision, figures fell one after another.

Han Ye's Tiger and Leopard Iron Cavalry, their armor stained with blood, died with their eyes wide open in disbelief.

But more often, they were the soldiers of Dingzhou, dressed in tattered Tang armor and wielding rusty blades.

They were not elite troops, yet they were more fearless and valiant than any iron army.

Now, they're all dead.

With Zhong Fang's death, all the loyal souls of the city perished.

Not a single person withdrew.

No one surrendered.

They all pledged their loyalty with their blood and perished here!

On the battlefield, only tattered flags were left in the wind, and blood mist filled the air.

Han Ye stood frozen in place, his Azure Dragon Spear hanging to the ground, his body covered in blood, his eyes vacant.

He lost.

We lost completely.

But he knew—

Some people, though defeated, are still honorable.

In this battle, no one fled.

In this battle, the entire city was covered in scorched earth.

His eyes were bloodshot, like two dying flames burning. Corpses piled up at his feet, the setting sun stained with blood, and the earth reeked.

This moment—

Han Ye finally saw it clearly.

lost.

They were utterly defeated.

Dingzhou... he couldn't hold it.

It's not as simple as just losing control.

At this moment, Dingzhou is a dead city.

Amidst the ruins, not a single person survived.

Where the blade flashes, not a blade of grass remains.

Massacre! Utter massacre!

"Hahaha……"

He let out a hoarse, maniacal laugh, like a demon howling from the depths of hell.

The demon mask on his face was cracked, half of it stained with blood, the other half reflecting the moonlight, making him look as ferocious as a demon.

But he knew that the expression beneath was as distorted as the mask.

Cry? Laugh?

I can't tell the difference anymore.

They're all dead... completely dead!

Only Han Ye remained standing.

Several hundred remaining Tiger and Leopard Iron Cavalrymen stood panting heavily in pools of blood.

But there are so few people...

Faced with the crushing hooves of tens of thousands of Turks, we are but a candle in the wind, to be extinguished in an instant!

"What's the use?!"

He roared to the sky, his voice tearing through the air, startling crows into flight, and his mournful cry could be heard for miles around.

That bitter laugh echoed not only on the battlefield—

It was as if the entire Dingzhou was reverberating, and even the distant mountains trembled!

……

Taiyuan, the official road.

Zhong An spurred his horse and galloped away, the hooves flying and dust billowing, heading straight for Chang'an.

Sudden--

My heart suddenly clenched!

It felt like a piece of flesh had been ripped out of him alive; the pain made his vision go black, and he felt a sweet taste in his throat.

"Ugh—!"

He screamed and fell off his horse, crashing heavily to the side of the road. Mud and rocks scraped his cheeks, and blood flowed freely.

In a state of blurred consciousness—

The light and shadow flickered before my eyes, and suddenly the courtyard of my home appeared.

His parents sat in the courtyard, their clothes neat and their faces kind, smiling at him.

"Father! Mother!"

Zhong An trembled, tears streaming down his face. "You're still here... That's wonderful... I'm back! Where were you? I've come to find you!"

He wanted to rush over, but his hand passed through their figures, like an elusive mist.

His parents simply watched him quietly, nodding slowly, their smiles warm yet distant.

Then he turned around and walked away step by step.

"Live well..."

A whisper, as ethereal as the wind, yet clearly piercing the eardrums.

It's Dad's voice!

Zhong An suddenly opened his eyes, his back soaked with cold sweat.

He lay unconscious by the deserted roadside, having been unconscious for a long time, and had just woken up.

Kexin is dead.

He raised his hand and wiped his face, tears mingling with blood as they streamed down his cheeks, but a cruel smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Dreams don't lie.

Dingzhou... is gone.

My parents... are gone too.

All... gone.

……

Fifty li outside Dingzhou City.

"drive--!"

Li Yingge took the lead, her silver armor reflecting the blood, her long spear piercing the cold stars.

Behind him, eight thousand elite troops surged like a tide, their hooves shattering the twilight.

She knew that Dingzhou was in imminent danger and dared not stop for a moment.

Even though—as Zhong An had said—the Ghost-Faced General had arrived.

But she was still afraid.

I fear that the masked, ghostly man will ultimately be no match for the overwhelming force of the Turkic cavalry.

She didn't want to believe he was dead.

Even more so, I do not wish that the last mysterious and passionate legend in this world would be extinguished.