Chapter 768: Truly a Woman's Benevolence

The army quickly assembled and formed battle ranks.

Seventy thousand soldiers spread out in a dark mass, spears like a forest, banners fluttering.

The Goryeo rebel soldiers all had bloodshot eyes, staring fixedly at the figures bound to the posts on the city wall.

The commanders sat on their horses, except Lu Qi and Xiao Er, who stood outside Chu Yuan's tent, gazing toward the city wall from half a camp away.

Tuan Tuan shouted, 'Second Uncle, Seventh Uncle, come in!'

Xiao Er's expression was grave; Lu Qi glanced at him and replied with a smile, 'Miss, you play; Xiao Er and I will get some fresh air outside.'

'Oh.' Tuan Tuan took Wang Jingning's hand, 'Shall we play this?'

Chu Yuan looked at the worried Wang Jingning; if fighting really broke out, Tuan Tuan's recklessness would be nothing, but this Goryeo princess would likely be frightened to tears.

At the front of the battle formation, Wang Jingzhao's horse rode beside Xiao Yuanhang, with Wang Cheng'an and Zheng Wucheng following closely.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the city wall.

Fujiwara Yoshinobu looked down at the Lie Kingdom's army below, secretly admiring: 'This Prince Ning truly lives up to his reputation—strict discipline, swift response, indeed a formidable opponent.'

He raised his hand.

The drumming and gonging ceased.

Xiao Yuanhang frowned slightly, glancing toward the North City Gate, wondering if the Japanese were about to charge out for a fight to the death.

All three gates were blocked by the Ten Thousand Pits; the only way out was the North Gate.

But why have the war drums stopped, yet no one or horse emerges?

On the city wall, Kuroda Shigenobu stepped forward to the crenel, without a word raised his great sword and cut down a Goryeo civilian bound to the nearest post.

The blade flashed a blinding white in the sunlight.

'Ah—' the man let out a piercing wail; blood gushed out, his head slowly drooped, leaning on his shoulder, and blood trickled down the post.

'Stop!' Zheng Wucheng's eyes nearly burst; he roared, reining his horse so hard its forehooves shot up.

Kuroda Shigenobu's expression showed no change, as if he had just chopped a piece of wood, not a living person.

He stepped a few paces to the second post and raised his slaughter knife again.

The blade flashed, and another head dropped.

Xiao Ningxun closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them.

'Beast!' Xiao Ran's eyes instantly reddened, the veins bulging in his hand gripping the reins.

Chen Hao clung tightly to his warhorse, both hands trembling slightly.

Lu Qi's knuckles cracked as he clenched them.

Xiao Er's face was stern; his grip on the hilt tightened, fine sweat seeping between his fingers.

Kuroda Shigenobu walked slowly; each time he raised his slaughter knife, an innocent life was taken.

He killed them one by one, neither hurried nor delayed.

With each blade that fell, a roar erupted from the troops below.

The Goryeo rebel troops seethed; some drew their blades to charge forward, only to be held back by comrades.

The Lie Kingdom's soldiers were also faces full of hatred, loudly cursing.

Wang Jingzhao's eyes were full of tears; each blade that fell made his body sway.

As the King of Goryeo, to see the Japanese leisurely slaughter his people before his eyes felt no less than suffering death by a thousand cuts.

Wang Cheng'an reached out to steady his arm, his eyes nearly blazing with fury.

Xiao Ningchen narrowed his eyes at the city wall; this man was so bloodthirsty, treating human life as nothing—worse than a beast!

He squeezed his horse's belly, the steed stepped forward several feet, and he raised his sword tip to point at the city wall: 'Who is on the wall? Report your name!'

Kuroda Shigenobu's blade paused slightly, he turned slowly, and looked down at the young commander below.

'Kuroda Shigenobu.'

Xiao Ningchen's sword tip hovered before his face, the blade flashing a cold light in the sun: 'Were the people in those three Ten Thousand Pits also killed by you?'

Kuroda Shigenobu coldly replied, 'Exactly!'

'The pits were dug by my order; the people were killed by my men.'

Xiao Ningchen's gaze locked with his in midair, the sword tip unmoving: 'When the city falls, I will cut you to a thousand pieces!'

Kuroda Shigenobu's face remained expressionless as he raised his blood‑stained great sword once more.

Fujiwara Yoshinobu watched the troops below shift from stillness to agitation, from anger to near loss of control, and nodded in satisfaction.

He waved his hand again lightly.

Kuroda Shigenobu lowered his blood‑soaked great sword, stepped back a few paces, and stood straight beside him.

Everyone's heart involuntarily relaxed.

But Fujiwara Yoshinobu's hand rose again.

A middle‑aged man in Goryeo official robes walked from inside the wall onto the battlement.

Behind him followed a line of people also dressed in Goryeo official attire.

Each looked deathly pale, their steps stiff.

Wang Jingzhao's gaze fell on that middle‑aged man's face, and he started in surprise.

'Park Jeonghwan?' Wang Cheng'an's voice trembled: 'Your Majesty, it is Park Jeonghwan! I thought he was dead, never expecting him still alive!'

He scanned the other officials in robes: 'They are still alive too!'

Xiao Yuanhang turned sideways and asked, 'Your Majesty, who is this person?'

'Park Jeonghwan, appointed Minister of the Gate, was one of my father's most trusted ministers.' Seeing the old official, Wang Jingzhao could not help but show delight.

'Those behind him I also recognize.' Suddenly his expression changed: 'Could the Japanese intend to slaughter them as they did before?'

Park Jeonghwan walked trembling to the crenel.

He instinctively turned his head, glanced at the blood‑still‑dripping slaughter knife in Heitian Chongxin's hand, and his whole body stiffened instantly.

Tengyuan Liangxin said lightly, "Speak up, louder, so your king can hear clearly."

Pu Zhenghuan faced the city below, opened his mouth, and after a long while managed to squeeze out a sound from his throat.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Stop, stop fighting! The High and Beautiful State has fallen!"

Wang Jingzhao's body stiffened.

Pu Zhenghuan gritted his teeth: "You, every time you win, these innocent civilians will, just like before, suffer, suffer under their knives."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, if you are truly a benevolent ruler, you should withdraw the troops at once!"

"Only if you and the Fierce State People leave the High and Beautiful State will the common folk have a chance to survive, Your Majesty!"

Wang Jingzhao gripped the reins tightly with both hands, incredulously staring fixedly at the city wall at this subject whom his father the king had once valued most.

Pu Zhenghuan lowered his eyelids, pointed a finger at the mass grave below, and said, "These people are all die‑rather‑than‑submit rioters; only the Eastern Ocean people have slaughtered them."

"The city, the obedient civilians in it, the Eastern Ocean people have, have not harmed them!"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, go, return together with these Fierce State People to the Fierce State."

"Being here, you bring only catastrophe to the High and Beautiful State!"

He spoke haltingly, his voice growing weaker and weaker; obviously, even he himself didn't believe what he was saying.

"Pu Zhenghuan!" Wang Cheng'an shouted angrily, "How dare you be so rude to Your Majesty!"

"Do you still remember how the former king treated you? You surrendered to the Eastern Ocean, yet you still have the nerve to say such things?"

"I ask you, after you die, what face will you have to meet the former king?"

Pu Zhenghuan's face was a mix of black and red, his lips twitching a few times, but he offered no rebuttal, his head slowly drooping.

Heitian Chongxin coldly ordered, "Bring them up!"

Another batch of ragged commoners was pushed up onto the city wall, men and women, old and young alike.

A woman, stumbling, was shoved to the wooden post; seeing the corpse that had just been beheaded above it, she let out a piercing shriek and collapsed to the ground.

The Eastern Ocean soldiers quickly untied the corpses on the posts, threw them away like trash, and tightly bound the newly pushed‑up commoners to those posts whose blood had not yet dried.

The commoners kept struggling, shouting desperately toward the city below: "Save us! Please, save us!"

"Your Majesty! Save us!"

Wang Jingzhao trembled all over, barely able to stay seated on his saddle.

In the High and Beautiful Righteous Army, some wept bitterly, some plunged their swords into the ground and knelt on one knee, some simply turned away, unwilling to look at the city wall any longer.

Xiao Yuanhang watched all this in silence: "Issue the order! The entire army retreats thirty li!"

Everyone stared up in surprise.

"As you command!" Xiao Ningchen shouted, "Strike camp! Retreat thirty li!"

"Yes!"

Orders are as firm as mountains; the troops dispersed their formations, returned to their own tents, and prepared to strike camp and withdraw.

Tengyuan Liangxin nodded slightly, very pleased.

Last night you burned my warships and navy; today I'll let you taste the flavor of humiliation!

Central Plains People, you aren't the ones who most like to call yourselves an army of righteousness and benevolence, are you?

Hmph, truly the compassion of a woman!