Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

These men were all seasoned veterans of the battlefield. Those wielding knives could find vital points without a second glance, while those wielding spears aimed straight for the throat and face with every thrust.

They didn't follow any formations or ranks; they simply formed small groups of two or three, covering each other and advancing in alternating shifts.

Although the Tang soldiers were brave and fierce, they were ultimately no match for these seasoned and desperate men who had fought for many years.

Moreover, the newly recruited defeated soldiers in the front row were already starting to panic when they saw this formation.

The Tang army's lines finally began to show obvious signs of weakening.

The formation gradually shifted backward. Although the soldiers were still fighting desperately, the overall formation was showing signs of retreating.

From both sides of Longweipi, more and more rebels are climbing up the steep slopes and lake shores, numbering over a thousand, and they are fiercely attacking the Tang infantry guarding the flanks from both sides.

On the front of the high ground, the veteran soldiers, led by Shi Meng, drove into the formation like an iron wedge, charging forward and sweeping all before them.

With reinforcements several times larger than the Tang army constantly pouring in, the Tang army's originally well-organized lines began to bend backward, and were about to be compressed into an irregular semicircle.

At this moment, Infantry Commander Zhao Shun was leading his infantry in a fierce battle near the front line.

Today he is wielding a thick-backed, broad-bladed sword. Having served in the army for many years, he is highly skilled in swordsmanship and is considered one of the best in the army.

During the clash between the two armies, he had cut down four or five rebel swordsmen and shieldmen in succession, his body covered in blood, and he was in the midst of a fierce battle.

Suddenly, a scream came from ahead, followed by a chaotic scene of his own troops, with several soldiers scrambling and crawling as they fled.

Zhao Shun forced back the rebel soldiers in front of him with a single blow, and roared angrily:

"Anyone who dares to back down! Push them all back!"

Before he could finish speaking, he saw that towering figure.

Shi Meng wielded his double hammers as if they were nothing, knocking the Tang soldiers who stood in his way to the ground.

Those infantrymen, who were usually quite brave, were as vulnerable as scarecrows under his hammer.

In an instant, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and screams of agony filled the air. The Tang army's previously relatively stable right front line was completely disrupted by him alone.

Zhao Shun was both anxious and angry.

Since the formation of the new army, he had followed Li Cenji through thick and thin for two months, training from a group of defeated soldiers to now being able to confront the rebel army head-on. He had endured so much hardship and shed so much sweat. How could he let this brute ruin it?

He was a reckless man, and without thinking twice, he brandished his sword and shouted sharply:

"I, the chief, am here! Brothers, kill them all!"

When his personal guards saw their captain personally step forward, their eyes turned red, and they shouted and rushed forward as well.

Zhao Shun rushed to the front of the formation, stomped his feet, and leaped into the air. The horizontal blade in his hand transformed into a silver arc, slashing fiercely down at Shi Meng's shoulder and neck.

Shi Meng heard the sound of wind behind him, but he remained calm and simply shrugged his left shoulder, using his shoulder armor to take the blow.

Clang——

A piercing clang of metal clashing.

Zhao Shun felt a numbness in his hand. Looking down, he saw that the blade of his sword was chipped, but it had only cut through one or two layers of armor, without penetrating his flesh at all.

Shi Meng grunted, turned halfway around, and swung his right hand, the Golden Gourd Hammer, upwards, aiming straight for Zhao Shun's chest and abdomen.

The hammer blow wasn't particularly fast, but it was incredibly heavy.

Before the hammer even hit, the force of the wind it carried already stung Zhao Shun's face.

Zhao Shun didn't have time to sheathe his sword and parry, so he could only leap backward to barely avoid the hammer.

Unexpectedly, Shi Meng's left hammer arrived immediately, sweeping across Zhao Shun's horizontal blade.

clang--

Zhao Shun felt a tremendous force coming from the blade, which made half of his right arm go numb. His fingers involuntarily loosened, and the blade flew several feet away from his hand, landing on the ground with a clatter.

He staggered back four or five steps, and before he could regain his footing, Shi Meng's third hammer came crashing down on his face.

Zhao Shun felt a chill in his heart.

The blow came too fast for him to avoid.

At the critical moment, a foot shield came crashing in from the side and slammed hard into Shi Meng's right elbow guard.

The impact caused the golden mace to miss its mark slightly, grazing past Zhao Shun's helmet and knocking off the red tassel on its top.

Zhao Shun felt a gust of wind sweep over his head, and then he was pulled back two steps by a hand.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that the person who had saved him was Li Changfu.

This fellow had been holding the line for a long time, and his body was covered in wounds. There was a deep knife wound on his left arm that exposed the bone, and his face was covered in blood.

Seeing that Zhao Shun was in danger, he attacked from the side without hesitation.

He has accomplished nothing in recent years, and people call him "Li Changyan's younger brother." He has been working under Li Cenji for the past two months, and today is the day he proves that he is not just living off his brother.

"Chief Zhao, are you still able to fight?"

Zhao Shun gritted his teeth and picked up the knife with his left hand, his right hand still trembling at his side, but he still nodded stubbornly.

Shi Meng looked at the two Tang generals in front of him and suddenly grinned.

The smile looked particularly sinister behind the bloodstained cheek guard.

Without saying a word, he simply waved his hand, and the veteran soldiers who had rushed up behind him surrounded Li Changfu, Zhao Shun, and dozens of Tang infantrymen who hadn't had time to retreat, like a pack of wolves surrounding a few wounded leopards.

Shi Meng naturally didn't take the two Tang army officers seriously. He swung his double hammers left and right, hacking forward as he led the veteran soldiers behind him to continue charging deep into the Tang army's defensive line.

He was only responsible for clearing the way; the old soldiers behind him would take care of mopping up the remaining troops.

Under this fierce attack, the Tang army's lines, like a piece of cowhide being constantly crushed, gradually shrank towards the center of the hill.

It's obvious to anyone with eyes that if things continue like this, the battle line will be completely breached before long.

On the hilltop, Li Cenji stood with his hand on his sword, having a clear view of the battle below.

Zheng Tian, ​​standing beside him, remained calm, showing no sign of panic.

Ma Huaisu, who was protecting Zheng Tian, ​​couldn't hold back any longer.

He watched as Shi Meng stirred up the battle lines, filled with shock and anger. Just as he was about to spur his horse forward and lead the few soldiers of his own troops to fill the gap, he suddenly heard a calm voice beside him.

"General, it's time."

Li Cenji turned around and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zheng Tian, ​​saying:

"This humble general requests permission to personally lead the 'Swift Thunder General' up to fill this gap."

"When you're in a dead end, there's no way to retreat. Since there's no way to retreat, the only option is to fight to the death to break through."

Zheng Tian looked at the young man in front of him and said, word by word:

"Since you've volunteered, then go. Go and plug this gap for me."

Li Cenji felt a surge of warmth in his heart, bowed deeply, and without saying anything more, turned around and strode towards the front of the "Swift Thunder General" formation.

He took a bread-shaped iron shield from his personal guard, drew his sword, and the lance given to him by Zheng Tian was still carried by his personal guard.

Faced with such close combat, the ten-foot-long lance was not effective, and in today's battle, he could only use a horizontal sword.

He stood with his sword in hand, his gaze sweeping over the five hundred "Swift Thunder Generals" standing in formation before him.

These decent young men were just farmers who couldn't even draw a bow properly two months ago.

Now they are clad in lamellar armor, wielding swords and shields, and although their faces still show tension, not one of them has taken a single step back.

"Gentlemen, listen to me!"

You were originally kind and honest people in Guanzhong, farming and living peacefully in your homes! But the rebel army is like a wolf in sheep's clothing, as fierce as tigers and leopards. They raided your villages, burned houses, looted money and grain, killed relatives and friends, separated wives and children, and forced you to leave your homes and wander from place to place!

For the past two months, Lord Zheng has provided you with ample rice and grain, as well as plenty of meat and vegetables. He has also rigorously trained you every day, instructing you to wield spears and bows and to fight in battle. He has not allowed you to sit idly by!

Today, our two armies clash before our very eyes! On the opposite side stand the villains who harmed my neighbors and destroyed my Guanzhong region! Today's battle is not for court honors or high office! It is solely for avenging my family's grievances and wiping away the hatred for my homeland!

You are all men of courage and spirit; who among you does not have parents? Who does not have a wife and children? Who does not have a homeland and a family? How can you stand by and watch your homes be burned and your loved ones humiliated, swallowing your anger and cowering in fear of war?!

Li Cenji spoke, his voice not loud, but steadily suppressing the surrounding shouts of battle.

Upon hearing this, the five hundred "Swift Thunder Generals" recalled the tragic scenes of wives and children being torn apart and families being destroyed, and their eyes widened in horror:

"No man from Guanzhong is afraid of death!"

"Even if I die, I will take a traitor with me to the underworld, so that my family in the afterlife will know that I am not a coward!"

"We are willing to follow the Commander-in-Chief and fight to the death!"

Seeing that the army's morale was high, Li Cenji said no more. He hung the infantry shield on his left arm, held the knife in his right hand, and strode towards the gap.

He walked at the front, his armor gleaming with a faint iron light in the setting sun, the blades pointing to the ground.

In the past few months, Li Cenji has been eating and training with his soldiers every day, and his strength has been increasing day by day.

When he first arrived in this world, he was only skilled in archery and horsemanship after receiving the original owner's memories.

Later, for some reason, his strength gradually increased day by day. Although the increase was not large, he has not touched the limit of his physical strength for a long time.

He wasn't sure if this was a gift from time travel, or if the body's potential hadn't yet been fully explored.

In any case, this physique gave him the confidence to personally take to the field.

He led the "Swift Thunder General" and charged into the battle from the rear, his eyes fixed on the towering iron giant who was charging left and right through the Tang army's ranks as if they were empty.

He had already clearly seen the man's appearance and physique when he was watching the battle from the top of the hill.

Now that they were closer, Li Cenji felt even more how imposing the other person's body was and how fierce his aura was.

Shi Meng was two heads taller than ordinary soldiers, with broad shoulders and a wide back. Three layers of heavy armor covered his body, making him look like a bronze statue.

The pair of golden maces in his hands were covered with bits of flesh and blood; countless Tang soldiers had perished under their blows.

Shi Meng, caught up in the killing frenzy, swung his pair of golden maces left and right, smashing down two more Tang soldiers.

The brute was covered in blood, and his eyes, like copper bells, were filled with rage.

He was having a great time killing when suddenly he swung his hammer down, only to be firmly blocked by a shield.

Shi Meng felt a force coming from his arm. Although it was far less than his innate superhuman strength, it was still very solid and actually slowed down the momentum of the golden melon hammer.

He looked up and saw a Tang army officer standing in front of him, wearing bright armor. The officer was already slashing down with his sword, the blade swift and ruthless, aiming straight for the seam of the officer's wrist.

Shi Meng had no choice but to retract his right hammer, sidestep the blade, and take a half step back.

He shook his arms, thinking to himself that he had been fighting for a long time and was a little tired, which was why he was easily held back by this Tang general.

Although the person in front of him was also tall with broad shoulders and a thick back, compared to his own naturally robust physique, he was still a size smaller.

Shi Meng didn't take this man seriously. He grinned maliciously, swung his left hammer and right hammer, and was about to attack the banner again.

The tough opponents would naturally be dealt with by the veterans behind him. He was only responsible for clearing the way and could not stop for even a moment. Otherwise, if he were held back and his morale was dampened, he would be in grave danger.

On the other side, Li Cenji forced Shi Meng back with a single strike, which reassured him.

In that clash, he felt that although the force from the shield was heavy, it was not as powerful as he had imagined, "enough to split rocks and shatter monuments".

Since I transmigrated here, my strength has been increasing day by day, and now that I am truly facing the challenge, I am not afraid at all.

But when he glanced down at the round iron shield made of bread in his hand, his heart sank again.

With that hammer blow, the iron sheet of the shield was dented into a deep pit, and the wooden frame was faintly cracked. Although it could still be used for a short while, it would not last much longer.

Even the shield was damaged to this extent. If it were to clash head-on with the golden mace with a horizontal sword, it would probably break and chip in just a few blows.

This is tricky.

Just as he was pondering, the veteran soldiers behind Shi Meng surged forward like a tide, brandishing their swords and spears, their shouts of battle deafening.

Li Cenji didn't have time to think. He used his left shield to parry a horizontal blade that was coming at him.

The instincts that the original owner had honed since childhood surged forth at this moment.

He thrust his right hand across the sword, the blade plunging deep into the gap in the armor that revealed the opponent's waist and ribs as he raised his arm.

The knife tip pierced the flesh with a dull thud.

Li Cenji flicked his wrist, pulling out the knife. A gush of hot blood gushed from the wound, splattering half of his armor.

The rebel's eyes widened, he let out a muffled gurgling sound, clutched his waist and ribs and collapsed to the ground, struggling a couple of times before becoming still.

This was the first time in Li Cenji's two lifetimes that he had personally killed someone.

But he felt no discomfort whatsoever. On the contrary, he felt that something that had been suppressed in his chest for a long time had finally found an outlet, and he even felt a faint excitement.

Perhaps it was the sight of swords flashing and blood flying on the battlefield that stirred his adrenaline, or perhaps it was because the original owner's body was already accustomed to the fighting among soldiers, that he felt like a fish in water when he took over.

However, the rebels who surged up around him had no chance to engage him before they were stopped by the "Swift Thunder General" who followed closely behind and the Tang infantry who gathered from the left and right.

Those "Swift Thunder Generals" were already red-eyed after hearing Li Cenji's words. At this moment, they were like a pack of rabid wolves, relentlessly biting at the head of the rebel army's old camp, refusing to give an inch.

The two armies clashed at the breach, swords and spears flying, blood and flesh flying everywhere.

After Li Cenji cut down one of the men, his gaze returned to Shi Meng.

This reckless man continued his charge towards the commander's banner.

Among the veteran soldiers behind him, some had already been stopped by the "Swift Thunder General" and were gradually putting distance between them. Only a few dozen soldiers remained around him, but he was completely unaware and just kept swinging his hammer wildly.

With a few blows, the approaching "Thunder Generals" were knocked off their feet, their shields shattered and they were killed.

One of the "Swift Thunder Generals" was unable to dodge in time and was struck squarely in the chest by his hammer. His lamellar armor immediately caved in, and he coughed up blood. It was clear that he was going to die.

Shi Meng didn't care whether the man was alive or dead. He stepped over the corpse and was about to continue charging forward.

Li Cenji took a deep breath, threw the cracked shield in his left hand to the ground, picked up a new shield left behind by a fallen soldier, swung his sword horizontally in his right hand to shake off the blood on the blade, and strode forward.

Shi Meng seemed to sense something and turned around to look.

Just then, the Tang general in bright armor walked towards him again, shield in hand and sword in hand. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth stained with blood.

That idiot, he's got a death wish.