Chapter 156: The Arrival of the Wind
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The sounds of killing resounded on the Grand Canal as ships collided with each other.
The Wutuo people were like vicious wolves, fiercely surrounding the Jiyang army. They had a large number of people, and there were archers prepared on the ships. Arrows flew like meteors, instantly turning the Jiyang army’s small boats into sieves, preventing them from continuing to sail. Although the Jiyang soldiers who fell into the water could swim, they couldn’t exert their full strength in the water. The Wutuo people had also prepared many iron forks, tools that resembled those used by fishermen to catch fish, but with sharp and pointed tips. They thrust them down towards the fallen Jiyang soldiers.
The waters of the Grand Canal quickly turned red with blood.
A young Jiyang soldier dodged the arrows shot from the Wutuo ships and jumped into the water. Dozens of Wutuo people laughed heartily and threw their iron forks at him. The Wutuo people were already strong, and the young man was only about sixteen or seventeen years old. He couldn’t evade them and was pierced in the arm. Subsequently, a series of iron forks came at him from all sides, piercing his body through and through.
The iron forks were quickly withdrawn, leaving a bloody cavity in front of him. He struggled for a moment and then sank below the surface, leaving only a continuous flow of blood, evidence of his past existence.
The deputy soldier turned to look and shouted to the young man who was fighting in the midst of the chaos, “Commander, it’s no good, there are too many of them!”
There were too many of them.
Two fists couldn’t fight four hands, and the few couldn’t contend with the many. This was not like the days of Guocheng, and the only tactic that could turn the tide was a fire attack, but they lacked the necessary east wind.
“It’s not impossible,” Xiao Jue held his long sword and his gaze was as sharp as a blade. He said coldly, “Fight!”
As the leader, he had been entangled in the melee all along. Maka was not a fool, and though he was arrogant, he had heard of Xiao Jue’s reputation. Earlier, using the Western Qiang people as bait and attempting to launch a surprise attack on Liangzhou’s defense was thwarted by Xiao Jue’s sudden return. Maka vividly remembered that the Western Qiang leader, Ridamuzi, was incredibly strong and fierce, but in the end, he died at the hands of Xiao Jue.
Maka wanted to win, to capture Jiyang City and gain favor with the King, but he didn’t want to lose his life for nothing. He pushed backward while shouting loudly to the Wutuo soldiers at his side, “The King said that whoever takes Xiao Huaijin’s head will be the greatest hero of this battle and receive a noble title!”
“Brave warriors, kill him!”
Incentives for achievements were always useful in times like this. The Wutuo soldiers, upon hearing this, were filled with enthusiasm and rushed towards Xiao Jue in waves.
When He Yan’s boat approached, this was the scene she witnessed.
The young commander’s cloak left dark traces on the water’s surface as he moved, and his long sword was as cold as ice, making his handsome face seem like that of a ferocious deity. As the waves of enemies kept surging, he was already surrounded by a pile of bodies. The young man showed no signs of fatigue, remaining as valiant as ever.
“This can’t go on,” He Yan frowned. There were too many Wutuo people, and while Xiao Jue could handle one or ten, what about a thousand? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? He could certainly fight his way out of the encirclement, but as long as the Wutuo people hadn’t landed, he would be forever standing in front of the common people. The remaining Jiyang City soldiers were insufficient to coordinate effectively with him.
Chiwu and Fei Nu were both arranged by Xiao Jue on Cui Yuezhi’s side, so he had to hold the line alone.
He Yan thought for a moment and said to the people on the other boats, “Follow my previous instructions. Bring the boats to the positions I marked on the map and wait there. Do not go far. Mu Yi,” she said to Mu Yi, “take this boat and come with me.”
With that, she put on the robe provided by Chu Zhao and Mu Hongjin.
“You…” Mu Yi was taken aback.”
“I’m pretending to be the Princess to lure away some of them,” He Yan replied, “Otherwise, the commander can’t hold on for so long alone. We need to scatter the Wutuo troops to prolong our resistance.”
“Even if you pretend to be Her Highness,” Mu Yi couldn’t help but ask, “how do you know they will definitely come after us?”
“You must understand,” He Yan shook her head, “break their will, seize their leader, and dismantle their formation. In a dragon’s battle in the wilderness, their path will be exhausted.”
Moreover, the Wutuo people would likely think that capturing Mu Hongjin, a woman with no significant abilities, was an endeavor they were more confident in compared to catching Xiao Huaijin.
She looked into the distance. It was noon, and the sun was high in the sky, radiating a mild heat. There was no breeze.
Still, no wind.
He Yan ordered the other boats to row further away, leaving only Mu Yi and her on this small boat. They paddled toward Xiao Jue’s direction but kept their distance, just within sight of the Wutuo boats surrounding Xiao Jue. They moved anxiously, almost like they were lost.
“Where did that boat come from?” Maka saw a lone boat, far away at the other end of the battlefield, where Xiao Jue led the soldiers. This boat seemed no different from other Jiyang City boats, with flags attached to it, but it had an odd appearance.
The boat didn’t approach their side, but instead seemed to want to escape. Deserters?
Maka had a hunch that something was amiss and ordered a small boat to investigate. The scout boat only went a short distance before returning with a report, “General, the person on that boat appears to be Princess Mengji. She seems to be planning to abandon the city and escape.”
Maka’s spirits rose, “Princess Mengji? Did you get a clear look?”
The scout replied, “I saw a woman wearing a royal robe on the boat, and there was someone dressed as her guard, but I’m not sure if it’s genuine.”
Maka pondered for a moment and said, “So far, Princess Mengji hasn’t shown her face. It’s just for maintaining the morale in the palace. It’s highly likely she’s planning to escape. It makes sense; she’s just a woman without any power, and she’s probably already terrified.”
He grinned, “In that case, capture her!”
“But…” one of his trusted aides said, “General, our boat is currently engaged in battle with Xiao Huaijin, so we can’t capture Mu Hongjin.”
After all, Wutuo was not a water city, and the Wutuo soldiers were not as skilled in naval warfare as the Jiyang City soldiers. The ships were interconnected with iron hooks, making it impossible to untangle them at this moment. If they went to pursue Mu Hongjin, they would have to give up the fight against Xiao Jue.
“You fool!” Maka cursed, “To capture a thief, catch the leader. What’s the use of capturing Xiao Huaijin? He’s not the master of Jiyang City. If we capture Mu Hongjin, the Jiyang City soldiers will surely be in chaos. By then, we can achieve victory without fighting.”
And he didn’t say it explicitly, but compared to Xiao Huaijin, a woman like Mu Hongjin was much easier to capture.
“When we capture Mu Hongjin, I’ll use her to open the gates of Jiyang City. Xiao Huaijin will have to surrender, or I’ll kill this woman in front of the Jiyang City soldiers.” Maka’s smile held a cruel malice, “Guess how Xiao Huaijin will choose?”
With the reputation of being a ruthless and cold-blooded commander, Xiao Jue had shown that he could remain indifferent even to his biological parents. A woman like Mu Hongjin was not even worth considering, so he would naturally not surrender for her. In the end, Mu Hongjin would die, and due to Xiao Jue’s refusal to lower his weapons, the Jiyang City soldiers would harbor even more resentment.
At that time, internal strife would plague them, and with disrupted morale, Jiyang City was just a loose sandcastle, on the verge of collapse, a matter of time.
“Turn the bow around and follow me!” Maka laughed.
The Wutuo soldiers by their side didn’t continue surging forward in waves. The frontmost large boat changed direction and sailed in another direction. The Jiyang City soldiers stopped their actions and asked, “What’s going on all of a sudden?”
“Why did they suddenly stop attacking?”
Even though the Jiyang City soldiers had undergone several days of training under Xiao Jue, they hadn’t been in actual combat for many years, and their formations were somewhat outdated. Xiao Jue had only brought around 15,000 troops, and at this point, they had already lost almost half.
If the Wutuo people pursued the advantage, the situation would be even less favorable for the Jiyang City soldiers.
But precisely at this crucial moment, they withdrew.
Xiao Jue looked in the direction where the Wutuo boats were sailing away. On the vast river, there was a small boat with a flag. There was a figure in red on the boat, a bright signal on the water, enticing pursuit.
“That is… Princess?” one of the soldiers muttered.
“No, it’s He Yan,” Xiao Jue’s gaze dimmed slightly. After a moment, he said, “Follow them.”
…
“They’ve caught up!” Mu Yi said nervously.
“Don’t worry,” He Yan said, “there are only two of us on this boat to begin with, and they’re charging at people, not the boat. You’re good in the water, so hide in the water later and don’t show yourself.”
“What about you?” Mu Yi looked at her in astonishment.
“I’m giving them a gift,” He Yan said with a faint smile.
She took out an iron ball from her pocket. The iron ball had spikes on all sides, incredibly sharp. It looked like the claw of a beast. She pulled out her long whip from her waist, and the iron ball had a clasp that she fastened to the whip.
“This…”
He Yan suddenly made a move. She swung her long whip at a nearby reef. The iron ball struck the reef but didn’t shatter it. She quickly retracted it, revealing five empty holes in the rock. It was a chilling sight.
If this thing was aimed at a person’s chest, it could carve out a large piece of the chest. Mu Yi couldn’t help but shudder. He knew that He Yan was not an ordinary girl, and her strength was astonishing, but seeing it with his own eyes was more terrifying.
“Miss He, are you going to use this in battle against someone?”
This weapon was indeed deadly, but it wasn’t as flexible as a sword. With a whip, you could only kill one person at a time, and there wouldn’t be time to swing it for a second strike if the enemy closed in. Moreover, what if the whip got cut?
“No,” He Yan shook her head, “I’m dealing with their boats.”
Mu Yi was about to ask more, but He Yan pushed him into the water, saying, “Quick, get in the water!”
He instinctively jumped into the water and hid behind the reef, gripping a dagger in his hand. Swords were difficult to wield in the water, and a dagger was more practical, though still not as effective as on land.
The Wutuo boats were larger and more stable than the Jiyang City’s smaller boats. From a distance, He Yan seemed like a lamb being chased by a giant beast down an unfamiliar path.
“Princess,” Maka stood at the front of his boat and shouted loudly, “Surrender now and wait to be captured. If you’re sensible, maybe I, General Maka, can spare your life!”
He was certain about capturing Mu Hongjin. There was no one on this small boat, and even the only guard from earlier was nowhere to be seen. Had the guard seen the danger and abandoned Mu Hongjin to escape?
Tsk, people from Great Wei were always so weak!
The red-robed woman standing at the bow of the boat remained silent, not saying a word. The distance between the two boats closed in, and just as Maka was about to order her capture, the woman suddenly lifted her head and leaped from her boat.
The small boat was not as high as the larger boats, and she didn’t intend to jump onto the Wutuo boat. Instead, she leaped onto the side of the Wutuo boat, swiftly moving across it as if she were lightning.
“Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang—”
Her movements were incredibly fast. With each step she took, she vigorously swung the whip in her hand, causing the iron ball to strike the side of the boat.
The iron ball was then quickly pulled back by the whip, leaving five empty claw marks in its wake, with water flooding into the holes.
“What’s that sound?”
“What is she doing? Capture her!”
“Release the arrows! Quickly!”
Arrows rained down like a dark storm from all directions, but the woman effortlessly evaded them as if she were walking on level ground. In the midst of her actions, her clothing fluttered in the wind, revealing black armor underneath. Standing in the wind, she landed on her own boat, standing at the bow and looking at the large boat, which was gradually tilting due to the flooding. A mocking smile played on her lips.
“I’m illiterate and don’t know those words, ‘surrender now and wait to be captured,'” her gaze fell on the furious Maka, and her words were as arrogant as ever. “You be sensible and kneel down to kowtow to me, and perhaps this General will spare your life.”
Maka was left dumbfounded for a moment before he angrily said, “Aren’t you Mu Hongjin?”
“Someone like you, so useless, why would I trouble the Princess to take action?” He Yan smiled. “The Princess can stay in the palace. Someone like you, I can take on three by myself.”
Maka drew his long blade and said, “I see you’re looking for death!”
But as soon as he finished speaking, the boat beneath him began to sink. Earlier, He Yan’s whip had struck the large boat multiple times, creating a row of holes. With the riverwater rushing in, the boat had become unstable.
The Wutuo soldiers aboard the boat were thrown into chaos as the boat listed to the side.
“Quick, move to the neighboring boat!”
Amid the chaos, someone shouted, “No, the boats are all connected; we have to cut the iron hooks!”
The interconnected boats that had been linked for the convenience of water travel had now become a trap of their own making. One large boat was tilting and sinking, pulling all the other boats along with it, making it impossible to move forward or backward.
“Cut the iron hooks! Hurry!”
The iron hooks were heavy and sturdy and couldn’t be cut in just a few strikes. The Wutuo soldiers protected Maka and reached another large boat first, while the remaining people were dragged along by the boat that was about to sink, desperately trying to cut the iron hooks.
“Whoosh!” The iron hook was finally cut, falling into the water. With the sinking of that one boat, some of the Wutuo soldiers who hadn’t managed to escape were also plunged into the water. Not everyone knew how to swim, and for a moment, there was a chaotic scene of shouting and screaming on the water’s surface.
Maka was furious, and he looked at the mastermind behind all this. However, he saw that the woman had taken advantage of the earlier confusion and rowed her boat quite a distance away.
“Chase her!” Maka shouted, “Capture her, and I’ll skin her alive!”
Being played with like this by a woman in front of everyone was a great humiliation that he couldn’t accept.
He Yan rowed her boat over the water’s surface and reached out to help Mu Yi, who was hiding behind the rocks. She pulled him up onto the boat and said, “Quick, get on board!”
Mu Yi quickly climbed onto the boat, realizing they couldn’t afford to delay any longer. He immediately began rowing. However, he couldn’t help but glance at He Yan with a sense of awe.
He knew that He Yan possessed incredible strength, but to single-handedly capsize a boat, especially a large one, was truly astonishing. When He Yan had been stepping lightly on the side of the boat, expertly swinging her whip, those Wutuo people hadn’t had a chance to react, and they had been at her mercy. In Mu Yi’s heart, aside from admiration, he felt a surge of excitement. He asked He Yan, “Miss He, can we do the same to capsize all their boats like you did earlier?”
“Impossible,” He Yan replied quickly. “Given the current dire situation, how can we create iron tiger claws directly?”
“Why don’t you… make more of them then?” Mu Yi’s question might have sounded a bit too presumptuous.
He Yan didn’t get angry; she patiently explained, “Making more wouldn’t help. They don’t have the same strength as me.”
Indeed, her combat skills had been honed over an extended period of battles in the past. While weapons were important, it was the person wielding them that truly mattered.
“Even if they had great strength, it’s not guaranteed that they can strike accurately along the boats. Besides, this method can only be used once. The Wutuo people may have already prepared archers on their boats, and they might start shooting arrows before we even get close. The whip earlier was just to buy us some time. The longer we delay them, the greater our chances of success.”
“Continuing to delay them, can we really expect the wind to come?” Mu Yi looked at the sky. The clear sky filled his heart with gloom, making it hard to have any confidence.
“My master said there would be wind, so there will be wind,” He Yan said firmly. “If there’s no wind, then we’ll become the east wind ourselves. In any case, we shouldn’t stop fighting.” She added, “Row the boat towards the ambush point.”
…..
On the other side, the Jiyang city troops, who were pursuing the Wutuo boats, also witnessed the recent events. They were left stunned by He Yan’s prowess, her ability to smash the boat, and her quick thinking.
“He Yan… she’s so amazing,” someone murmured.
It wasn’t mere flattery. Even the most capable among the Jiyang city troops couldn’t achieve what He Yan had just done. The importance of weapons and strength paled in comparison to the judgment of time in each moment, especially in the face of the dense barrage of Wutuo arrows. He Yan’s actions had been unwavering.
The boat had been smashed, leading to a panic among the Wutuo soldiers, and even some who couldn’t swim had drowned. The previous frustration from their defeat had lessened, and the Jiyang city troops felt a sense of satisfaction.
Xiao Jue, however, had a different reaction. “I have thought of a way,” he said, then turned to his deputy and ordered, “Bring out the box.”
The box had been brought onto the boat by Xiao Jue before they set sail, and it was quite heavy. One person opened the box, revealing a collection of tools that resembled the iron claws He Yan had used earlier, only without the whip, designed to be worn around the wrist.
“Twenty elite soldiers who can swim, step forward,” Xiao Jue commanded.
Twenty soldiers who had been informed of the order stepped forward.
Xiao Jue looked at them, his voice calm and indifferent. “Take the iron claws and enter the water.”
Farther away, the large Wutuo boat was in hot pursuit of He Yan’s smaller boat. With only two people rowing, they couldn’t compete with the larger vessel, and He Yan would soon be overtaken.
A battle of two thousand against fifteen thousand had already been a difficult endeavor. Xiao Jue knew it would be a tough fight, and they needed to prepare for all possibilities. The box of iron claws was his hidden card. However, he hadn’t anticipated that He Yan would think of a similar solution. The difference was that she was out in the open, and he was hidden.
“Smash the boats,” he ordered.
…
Amid the sounds of battle on the distant river, the melody of a zither contrasted with the chaos. Spring and the battlefield were two completely unrelated worlds.
Sunlight bathed the figure in white, making his clothes appear even purer. Looking at him from afar, it was as if he were still the young man in white robes from years ago.
A drop of blood fell onto the strings of the zither, causing them to vibrate ever so slightly and produce a mournful sound, altering the otherwise clear and melodious tune.
In the depths of the forest, the Wutuo soldiers grew more numerous, trampling and crushing the small flowers that had bloomed along the path. Eventually, they reached a point where they could no longer advance, as if they had been held back by an invisible force. The serene spring scenery that seemed so peaceful and pleasant had turned into a deadly weapon, filled with ambushes at every turn.
Blood stained the corner of Liu Buwang’s lips, and the urgency of the approaching Wutuo soldiers was growing.
They were near, and Liu Buwang knew he couldn’t hold out for much longer. But he had to remain here. Stalling for a few more moments allowed Cui Yuezhi’s troops to hold on for a bit longer, granting the citizens of Jiyang City more time to flee and find safety…She would be safe as well.
Peach blossoms bloom beautifully beyond the fence, smiling as if they are blooming yet not.
In his lifetime, he had only one peach blossom that seemed to be in bloom but not fully. He couldn’t watch this peach blossom bloom to the end, couldn’t protect it a little longer, but it is still good.
A ‘clang’ sound resonated as the strings of the zither in his hand seemed unable to withstand the pressure and suddenly snapped. The melody came to an abrupt halt as he spat out a mouthful of blood. The blood splattered onto the zither strings in front of him and some landed on the nearby grass.
Like peach blossoms in March, charming yet affectionate.
With no more zither music, the footsteps deep within the dense forest suddenly accelerated, drawing closer. The formation had been broken, and he slowly rose to his feet.
“Who is that?”
“What kind of person is it?”
“Why is there only one person? Could there be an ambush?”
The Wutuo soldiers who had breached the formation hesitated because of the earlier ambush in the forest and were now wary. They saw one person ahead, but they feared there might still be hidden traps around, so no one dared to approach.
Both sides stood in a brief standoff. The Wutuo soldiers, maybe due to their greater numbers, grew bolder with time. They laughed, “It’s just one person. Even if there’s an ambush, there are hardly any soldiers from Jiyang City left. Whatever ambush there may be, we will kill as many as there are! What’s there to fear!”
The man in white robes in front of them remained motionless, his clothing as immaculate as that of an otherworldly immortal. Once a youth with dark hair tied up with a white cloth, projecting a cold and aloof demeanor, now, with hair graying at the temples, he maintained that comforting and constant presence. He’d never changed.
Always protecting the one he wished to protect.
A gentle breeze blew, causing the hair tie on his head to sway slightly, his robe to flutter gently, and the water-like gaze of the man to ripple with layers. He first froze, then a smile slowly spread across his lips.
In this seemingly hopeless situation, a glimmer of hope had appeared.
Jiyang City’s hope had arrived.
The wind had come.
Slowly, Liu Buwang drew his longsword from his waist.
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