Chapter 143

plain outside the capital

Yellow Turban Army, allied forces

In the air, a thick, unbreakable stench of blood, sweat, and rotting corpses lingered. Everywhere lay tattered flags, broken Weapons, and uncontained corpses.

Dozens to hundreds of crows spread their jet‑black wings, circling in the air and emitting hoarse, grating cries.

Songpu Longxin, main camp, high platform

Wang Family, Nine Provinces, firearms, armor

This naturally provoked the fierce displeasure of the other great lords in the allied army. We fight here to the death, and your elite unit hides in the rear—does that make any sense?

Lord Songpu, Head of the Zhitian Family, Zhitian Family

In this era, the Oda family was far from the world‑renowned behemoth it would later become; it was merely a mid‑strength daimyō in Owari Province. Responding to Matsura Takashi's "Loyalist" summons, they almost entirely poured out, hoping to gamble for a better future for the clan.

Yellow Turban Army, Songpu Army

Matsura Takashi didn't even raise an eyelid, but said calmly, "Lord Oda, keep your composure. War cannot be won by brute force alone; you must know how to wait for the right moment."

"The moment? Which moment?!" the Oda family head trembled with anger, "If we keep waiting, we'll be worn to death by those lunatics! They aren't even human!"

Matsura Takashi's gaze passed over the trembling shoulders of the Oda family head and fell on the rolling yellow sea in the distance.

The wind hurled sand, stitching countless yellow‑turbaned figures into a single mass that spread densely across the horizon, surging toward the battlefield like a turbid tide.

Yellow Turban Army

He squinted, watching those yellow‑turban soldiers. Their armor was irregular, and the Weapons they wielded were mostly rust‑stained swords and axes or sharpened wooden spears, yet each face bore an almost mad resolve, roaring as they charged forward.

Even when struck by an arrow and felled, they would claw at an enemy's leg, dragging the foe into death together. The Oda elite warriors, just moments ago, instantly shattered under this torrent‑like onslaught; the clatter of broken armor, screams, and Weapon clashes mingled, audible clearly from far away.

Yellow Turban Army, allied forces

Loyalist King Allied Army, feudal domains

In just a few days, the so‑called 50,000‑strong allied army had already lost nearly 20,000 men. Across the field, the yellow‑turban army suffered even heavier casualties, yet their numbers seemed endless. Farmers driven to desperation by the war streamed in from all directions, swelling their ranks.

The battlefield rang with roars and Weapon clashes; gaps began to appear in the allied line, the yellow tide still surged wildly, and the front‑line allied soldiers' hands gripping their Weapons started to tremble.

Some fell back, others stared with pallid faces at the ever‑advancing yellow‑turban troops; at this rate, the hastily cobbled Loyalist allied army would truly collapse.

At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded from behind. A Matsura family guard bowed his body, sprinted onto the platform, and the faint clank of armor made Matsura Takashi look up. The guard leaned to his ear, speaking in a barely audible whisper that only the two could hear, his words rushed and urgent.

Matsura Takashi's tense body gave an almost imperceptible shiver the instant he heard those words; he snapped his head sideways, a flash of cold ruthlessness crossing his eyes.

Songpu Longxin, Head of the Zhitian Family

Lord Zhitian

The Oda family head was startled, briefly thinking his own words had taken effect, and a hint of joy appeared on his face: "You… you finally see reason? Are you ready to order the full assault?"

The cracks in the allied front grew wider, and the distant yellow‑turban war cries could be heard clearly on the platform; if this continues, not only will the allies collapse, but those in command will likely share the fate of being trampled to pieces!

Songpu Longxin

He slowly walked to the edge of the platform and, from his bosom, produced a small red cylinder.

General Wang Meng, Songpu Longxin

signal for general attack

Head of the Zhitian Family, other daimyo who came up to the high platform

Songpu Longxin, General Wang Meng, Guard East City

"Takashi, remember. You, and everything of the Matsura family, belong to the Wang Family. Your mission is not to become a hero of the Wa nation, but to be a fierce warrior of the Wang Family. Whoever you are ordered to cut, you must cut— even if that person is your ally, your brother, or even your father."

red signal

Songpu Longxin

Songpu Longxin, Wa, military families

Songpu Longxin

He recalled the massive warships he had seen at Zhendong City, ships as tall as mountains, and the cannons that could level a hill in an instant. He also remembered the classmates from the Wang Family Academy, whose bright eyes constantly echoed, "The Wang Family's interests above all else."

Guard East City, son

rebellion

Songpu Longxin

Songpu Longxin

bushido, righteousness

victor becomes king, loser becomes bandit

"Lord Oda," he gave one last glance at the "ally" beside him, now on the brink of death, and said calmly, "Thank you for shedding so much blood for my Matsura family."

Head of the Zhitian Family

Songpu Longxin

Whoosh—

red light, tail flame, twilight sky, bang, blood-red fireworks

signal for general attack, Lord Songpu, victory

daimyo

Kyushu Army

(none)

Songpu Army, Songpu Family formation

firearms soldiers, officers, black hollow firearms

allies, Loyalist King Allied Army, soldiers

Head of the Zhitian Family

"Lord Songpu… you… what does this mean? Your troops, why… why are they pointing their gun muzzles at us?" he asked in a trembling voice, a bone‑chilling cold surged from the soles of his feet straight up to his Heavenly Spirit Cover.

Songpu Longxin gave him no answer.

He simply raised his right hand and then swung it down heavily.

"Let go!"

A cold, emotionless word slipped from his mouth.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Thousands of firearms simultaneously spewed flames.

The allied soldiers locked in fierce battle with the Yellow Turban Army could not even dream that a lethal strike from behind would be so sudden and so fierce.

Whole groups of soldiers fell into pools of blood like wheat cut by a scythe. Their faces still bore the joy of imminent victory and absolute trust in the allies behind them.

The Oda clan head stared dumbfounded at the hellish scene before him, his mouth agape yet no sound came out.

He finally understood the meaning of Songpu Longxin's earlier words.

"Why…" he finally forced out hoarse words, his voice as weak as a dying candle in the wind; the former ally had become a dagger‑wielding enemy behind his back, a fact he could not comprehend nor accept.

He turned his head, staring at Songpu Longxin with a gaze like that of looking at a devil.

The answer was not Songpu Longxin's brief words but the sound of a blade being drawn. A guard behind Songpu Longxin stepped forward half a pace, and the katana at his waist was already sheathed.

The snow‑bright blade flashed a chilling gleam under the setting sun, fresh blood droplets still clinging to the edge, slowly sliding down the tip, striking the ground and splashing a small dark‑red bloom of blood.