[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army":3,"chapter-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-64":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","A Little Soldier of the Late Ming Border Army",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1205353,1561,"Chapter 64: Chapter Sixty-Four: Ruthless and Merciless","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-64",64,"\u003Cp>Chapter Sixty-Four: Ruthless and Merciless\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Swoosh, swoosh!\" The sound rang out as powerful arrows flew in unceasingly, and miserable screams rose one after another. Several more retainers were shot off their horses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Gong let out an earth-shattering cry: \"Bandits!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone panicked, shouting in a chorus: \"Bandits, it's bandits...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Zhen bellowed: \"Defend!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swung his blade to parry several sharp arrows flying toward him, then nimbly leaped down from his warhorse. The retainers around him also came to their senses, dismounting one after another and clustering around him. These men were indeed well-trained retainers; they rushed together into a tight group, and several of them raised shields to block the sharp arrows shooting down from the hill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cacophony of shouting rose up. Looking from the hillside, the official road was filled with the cries of men and the neighing of horses, everyone merely shouting and calling out in alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the hill, Han Chao was directing several night scouts to shoot down at the road below, where the panicked and terrified expressions of the men were clearly visible. Just moments ago, Han Chao's arrow had shot Wu Shan off his horse. It was a pity that from his angle, he could only hit Wu Shan; otherwise, that single arrow could have taken Du Zhen's wretched life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that Xiao Daxin also seemed to have been struck by his arrow, though it also looked as if he had rolled off his horse with the momentum, using the horse to conceal his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shouting continued unceasingly. Wang Dou turned his head; before him, Zhong Diaoyang, Han Zhong, and Gao Shiyin stood solemnly, awaiting orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said in a deep voice: \"Leave no one alive. Kill them all!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three men clasped their fists in unison, their armor plates clanking crisply: \"We obey your command!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill the traitor Du!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Zhong spurred his horse, charging down from the hillside. One hand controlled the reins while the other held his gun-staff level, pointing straight ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His horsemanship was superb, and he took the lead, charging at the very front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dust billowed. To his left and right, Zhong Diaoyang and Gao Shiyin also spurred their horses down the hill. Gao Shiyin wielded a trident-like fork, while Zhong Diaoyang held a long spear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the three men, the three squads of Jingbian Fort soldiers — sword-and-shield men and spearmen — also charged down the hill together. They shouted war cries at the top of their lungs, every face flushed red, their eyes filled with hatred. The old traitor Du Zhen wanted to seize Jingbian Fort's property and send everyone back to the bitter days of cold and hunger. Lord Wang Dou was right: whoever dares to stop us from living a good life, we kill him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Jingbian Fort men charging down the hill, screaming themselves hoarse, panicked cries rose from the official road: \"It's the military households of Jingbian Fort... Wang Dou has rebelled, Wang Dou has rebelled...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Zhen's whole body jolted, and in an instant, he turned ice-cold all over. The thing he least wanted to see had happened. Earlier he had wondered where such fierce bandits could have come from; so it was Wang Dou and his men from Jingbian Fort. For a moment, regret flooded his heart, but at the same time, a raging fury blazed up. How dare Wang Dou, with such audacity, kill officials and rebel?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His subordinates cried out in alarm: \"My lord, what do we do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Zhen spotted a small patch of open ground to the left and suddenly roared: \"Fall back over there! Form a defensive line!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dozen or so of them clustered together and retreated rapidly. Xiao Daxin darted out from behind a horse and rushed to Du Zhen's side. As for Du Gong and Xie Cihao, they were already paralyzed with fear, utterly incapable of moving. The two of them merely cowered each under a horse, faces ashen as death, their whole bodies trembling uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Du Zhen and his men could form their battle line, Han Zhong, Zhong Diaoyang, and Gao Shiyin had already swept past them like a gust of wind. The three men's horses charged through, and each drove his weapon into the chest of one of Du Zhen's retainers. Amid their agonized screams, the retainers were carried far away by the impact and fell to the ground, already dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had the three riders passed than the three squads of armored Jingbian Fort soldiers charged up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whoosh, whoosh!\" Several sounds rang out as the leading three squads of sword-and-shield men hurled several heavy javelins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Zhen and his men were clustered together. Six javelins came flying at them; even though they all wore armor, several men were immediately nailed to the ground, screaming as they died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After throwing their javelins, several sword-and-shield men immediately drew the waist knives braced against the inside of their shields and hacked their way forward. At the same time, the spearmen behind the sword-and-shield men also charged up, shouting their war cries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two sides collided, and a desperate, life-or-death melee erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miserable screams rang out unceasingly. The slaughter was utterly brutal. Du Zhen and his men knew that since the Jingbian Fort crowd dared to come, they must be intent on total extermination. Knowing there was no escape, each man fought with the resolve to die in battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet although Du Zhen's retainers were ordinarily outstanding in individual martial skill — man for man, each was superior to the soldiers of Jingbian Fort — they had never trained in any battle formations or ranks. Each fought relying solely on a surge of fierce, brute courage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers of Jingbian Fort, though each man's individual skill was ordinary and each practiced only one move daily, were all highly adept at coordinated combat techniques. That tacit understanding, forged through Jingbian Fort's brutal training, could be said to be ingrained into their very marrow. And though they practiced only one move daily, that move was the very essence of battlefield slaughter — the simplest, and the most effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hacked with their massed blades and thrust with their massed spears, pressing forward relentlessly, indifferent to their own life or death. Du Zhen's retainers, nearly all fighting in isolated single combat, could only die wretchedly under their blades and spears. Meanwhile, the Jingbian Fort soldiers coordinated seamlessly, and each man was protected by thick, solid iron armor. Through the brutal slaughter, they killed many opponents in succession, while only a few of their own were wounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This brutal exchange ratio chilled Du Zhen and his men to the bone. They had never imagined that the retainers they had painstakingly raised for so many years would be no match for these roughly trained Jingbian Fort soldiers. Why was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another earth-shattering scream rang out: Xiao Daxin had been impaled by several long spears. His long blade hacked down onto the shoulder of a Jingbian Fort spearman, splitting open his armor and biting deep into his flesh. That spearman could have dodged, but he paid it no heed. With a muffled grunt, he let Xiao Daxin's long blade cleave down, while at the same time driving his own spear deep into Xiao Daxin's body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously with him, three other Jingbian Fort spearmen thrust their weapons in. Their sharp spearheads pierced through the iron armor on Xiao Daxin's body and plunged deep into his flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Daxin's gloomy face showed emotion for the first time. With an astonished, incredulous expression, he looked at the several spear shafts embedded in his body, then looked up at Wang Dou on the slope. No one knew what thoughts passed through his mind. Finally, he slowly collapsed to his knees, his body convulsing as he died. Blood flowed unceasingly from his wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, only a few of Du Zhen's dozen-plus retainers remained, and every one of them was wounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou stood on the slope, calmly watching the brutal and bloody battle below on the official road. Han Chao also stood quietly at his side. Beside them, the squad of night scouts still held their horses, standing solemnly, awaiting the next order from their superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation below the hill was already decided. Now Han Zhong, Zhong Diaoyang, and Gao Shiyin merely sat on their horses outside the perimeter, directing their soldiers to surround and attack the remaining Du Zhen and his men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now only four retainers remained at Du Zhen's side — the fiercest soldiers around him, those with the closest ties to the Du family. They fought desperately to protect Du Zhen and break out, shouting battle cries all the while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, two retainers broke through the encirclement. They seized horses and fled for their lives with desperate speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said calmly: \"Brother Han!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao clasped his fist: \"I understand!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shouted a few orders, and immediately five or six night scouts stepped out, mounted up with him, and rode off in pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two more miserable screams rang out. The last two retainers beside Du Zhen were killed, leaving Du Zhen alone within the encirclement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Du Zhen's hair was disheveled, and he looked like a vengeful ghost. He had suffered several wounds, and his whole body was drenched in blood. Roaring in fury, he brandished his blade and fought desperately. Hatred seethed in his heart: \"Wang Dou, you whelp! If I can somehow escape with my life, I will never let you go. I will slaughter your entire family, old and young, and make you die after tasting every torture under heaven!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He screamed hoarsely toward the hill: \"Wang Dou! Wang Dou! Even if I become a vengeful ghost, I will not let you go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three more sword-and-shield men hacked at him from the front in unison. Although Du Zhen was ordinarily the agricultural officer of Shunxiang Fort, he was also a hereditary military officer of the Great Ming and had practiced martial skills extensively. With a roar, he desperately parried the blades of these sword-and-shield men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, three more sword-and-shield men beside him raised their blades in perfect unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three blades hacked down together onto his shoulder and body, the long knives biting deep into his flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Zhen screamed in agony. Under the pressure of the blades, he involuntarily dropped to his knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Summoning every ounce of strength in his body, he struggled to rise to his feet. Just as he turned around, he heard another unified, thunderous shout: \"Kill!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thuck, thuck, thuck!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of spearheads piercing flesh was chilling. As many as six long spears broke through his iron armor and plunged deep into his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood gushed in great mouthfuls from Du Zhen's lips. He forced his body to stay upright, staring fixedly at his body for a long moment. Then, abruptly, he let out a loud, wretched, mirthless laugh. His laughter was piercingly shrill, but it cut off midway. With a crash, Du Zhen's corpse slammed to the ground, already dead. Yet his eyes remained wide open, as though he had died with a grievance unredressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou stood by the official road, quietly watching these harrowing scenes all along, his expression unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after the fighting did the Jingbian Fort soldiers who had taken part realize the lingering fear. The official road was strewn with corpses and blood everywhere. This brutal scene, combined with the immense psychological pressure of killing officials, left many faces pale, and some even vomited loudly. Zhong Diaoyang’s face was also grim; only Han Zhong and Gao Shiyin looked as if nothing had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of hoofbeats rang out — it was Han Chao returning with his men. He led two horses and tossed down two more heads, those of the two retainers who had fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao dismounted, clasped his fist, and said, “My lord, the two fleeing Du retainers have been slain. The countryside is quiet; no one knows.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said, “Have all of them been dealt with?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin laughed, “There might still be two more!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He went over to one of the horses and pulled two men out from underneath — it was Du Gong and Xie Cizhu. Both men were trembling all over and could only cry out repeatedly, “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin looked toward Wang Dou. Wang Dou gave a slight nod. A blade flashed, a spray of blood flew, and the screams abruptly ceased. Xie Cizhu’s head had already flown off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin then turned his dripping long blade toward Du Gong. Du Gong’s whole body shook violently. He suddenly threw himself to the ground and crawled forward on his knees, his face covered in tears and snot, and pleaded with Wang Dou, “Brother Wang, your brother knows he was wrong. I beg you, spare my life!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin grinned savagely, went over and hauled him up by the body, then thrust the blade into his heart. With a twist of the long knife, Du Gong’s whole body convulsed ceaselessly. He made gurgling sounds from his mouth, his eyes wide open, and tears suddenly streamed from the corners of his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin tossed Du Gong’s corpse to the ground like a tattered sack and laughed, “Now at last everything is clean!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sneered, “I thought that brat Du Zhen had some remarkable ability, daring to set his sights on our Jingbian Fort. Turns out that was all he had!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou said, “Sweep the battlefield and tidy up the site thoroughly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao and the others said, “Rest assured, my lord, we will make sure not a single trace is missed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone cleaned the site, rounded up the warhorses, and stripped the weapons and armor from Du Zhen’s group. They also did not overlook the silver and items in their pockets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a Jingbian Fort pikeman was searching the armor and belongings of a corpse on the ground when suddenly the corpse blinked its eyes open. It flipped up violently, knocked the soldier to the ground with one punch, vaulted onto a nearby horse, let out a great shout, and frantically spurred the horse away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was none other than Wu Shan, the first one Han Chao had shot. After taking an arrow in the chest, he had tumbled off his horse and lain still without a word. Now, seizing the moment when everyone had relaxed their guard, he stole a horse and fled — succeeding right under everyone’s noses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It happened so suddenly that everyone was startled; no one had expected a survivor. Han Chao was about to mount and give chase when suddenly a “whoosh!” rang out. A powerful arrow caught up with Wu Shan, the arrowhead piercing through his throat. Wu Shan crashed off his horse and lay motionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Diaoyang calmly lowered his bow — it was he who had loosed that arrow. Zhong Xian had always said his son was a renowned hunter far and wide in Weizhou. This was the first time Wang Dou had seen Zhong Diaoyang shoot, and indeed his archery was outstanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone hurried over to Wu Shan’s side. This time he was truly dead. Looking at his corpse, Han Zhong cursed, “This scoundrel was far too cunning — who can play dead for that long?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chao and the others were somewhat uneasy and begged Wang Dou for punishment. Wang Dou said flatly, “This matter is of grave consequence. Next time, we must be more cautious!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At once, everyone carefully swept the battlefield again, and every fallen man from Du Zhen’s side was given fresh thrusts from blade and spear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After repeated checks and once the battlefield was thoroughly cleaned, Wang Dou and his men departed without a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the surrounding area was still desolate and empty, leaving only the corpses of Du Zhen and his retainers on the ground, and a flock of crows circling overhead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twenty-seventh day of the eighth month in the eighth year of Chongzhen, Du Zhen, the acting Garrison Commander of Shunxiang Fort, encountered bandits on his way to Wujiagou. Du Zhen and his entire retinue of personal retainers were killed — not a single one survived!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the news spread, all of Shunxiang Fort, from top to bottom, was shocked!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>※※※\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Bai Niu: I have something on tonight and need to go out later, so just one update today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>。\u003C\u002Fp>",2749,"2026-06-03T14:05:19.908Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","497c8f58efbf32df53ff7965f910dae15a46a69db5dc33258ee5755bc906301e","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-65","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-63",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]