Chapter 681: Do Not Chase the Cornered Bandit, but the Bandit Leader Must Be Executed!

Fear, like an ice spear of the waning moon, drove hard into Gao Xiaoyu's nape, coursed along his spine through his limbs and bones, making him feel a thorough chill from head to toe.

Gao Xiaoyu stared intently at the mountain‑sized figure ahead; the opponent, astride a horse, was half a head taller than an ordinary man standing, blood on the Xuan Armor dripped down the armor plates, those eyes glowing red swept over the layers of fleeing soldiers and fixed straight on Gao Xiaoyu.

The two‑yard‑long Refined Iron Horse Spear, its tip still laced with half a fragment of Liu Zaizhou's armor, dripped scorching blood; each drop that hit the ground struck Gao Xiaoyu's heart.

All pride, all dignity, all the arrogance of being the Crown Prince of Qi, were at that moment ground into dust, leaving not a speck.

In his mind only one thought remained—escape!

He would die!

If he didn't flee, he would surely end up like Liu Zaizhou, pierced clean through the chest by that terrifying spear, hung in mid‑air like a dead dog for the vile Zhou Army to mock!

"Run!"

A hoarse, warbling scream burst from Gao Xiaoyu's throat; the Gilded Horse Whip he had been gripping for ages slipped with a "clack" onto the ground and rolled into the pool of blood at his feet.

He could no longer maintain any trace of Crown Prince bearing; he yanked the Horse Rein hard, his knuckles whitening, horsehair wedged between his fingers, his legs clamped the horse's belly fiercely, even driving the Horse Spur in his boot deep into the horse's soft flesh.

The priceless Sweat‑Blood Treasure Horse beneath him winced, letting out a mournful, long whinny; its front hooves sprang up as if on two legs, flinging sweat foam off Gao Xiaoyu, then its four hooves leapt and it bolted northward, toward the rear of the Qi army camp, recklessly.

"North! Hurry! Protect me!" Gao Xiaoyu's voice trembled with sobbing; wind forced into his throat made him cough, and he dared not look back, fearing to see that Demon God‑like figure catching up.

He gave no order for a full retreat, made no attempt to organize any effective resistance, and did not even think of avenging his longtime confidant Liu Zaizhou.

To run faster, he raised his hand, swung a blade, and cut down a personal guard who lagged and blocked his horse, without blinking an eye.

Faced with the threat of death, this Dark Hawk‑cold‑blooded Crown Prince of Qi chose the most disgraceful, most humiliating path—fleeing alone!

The dozens of personal guards left beside him, seeing the Crown Prince had fled and that he had slain his own men, dared not hesitate a moment.

Already terrified to the core, they now felt as if pardoned, immediately spurring their warhorses, staying close behind Gao Xiaoyu, forming a loose small formation to guard his northward escape.

The flag‑bearing guard clutching the Prince's Banner trembled; the great flag embroidered with a soaring phoenix in gold thread, symbolizing the Crown Prince's glory, was ripped by the gale, flapping loudly, its surface torn open by a huge gash, half a phoenix wing shredded by the wind, tracing a frantic arc as it sped northward.

The commander's flight was the final straw that broke the camel.

The Qi soldiers, whose morale had already collapsed and were scattering, saw the Crown Prince's Banner turn, and the last sliver of hope and resistance was utterly shattered.

"The Crown Prince fled!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince has fled! What are we even fighting for!"

"Run! The Demon God of the Zhou Army is coming!"

Panic turned into a full avalanche.

The previously orderly retreat instantly became a chaotic total collapse.

Soldiers went berserk, discarding helmets and armor; heavy armor, sharp weapons, even pilfered gold and silver they carried, were thrown to the ground just to run faster, cursing that their parents had not given them two more legs.

They no longer knew direction, instinctively following the banner, fleeing northward madly.

On the cramped battlefield, people pressed people, stepped on people; countless soldiers were knocked down by comrades in the chaos, then trampled to death by the surging feet behind, unable even to scream.

A bearded veteran, who earlier shouted for a reward to behead a Zhou commander, now barefoot, having lost a boot, his soles shredded by shattered stones into bloodied flesh, dared not pause a moment.

A teenage recruit, shoved and fallen to the ground, clutching his head and crying, hadn't even gotten up when a dozen pairs of feet stepped over him, silencing him completely.

Weapons, armor, and banners lay discarded everywhere; the wails of the wounded, the death cries, the desperate shouts, intertwined with the hooves of the Zhou Army's Iron Cavalry in pursuit, forming the most tragic dirge of defeat.

The Qi army was utterly defeated.

Defeated in a complete mess, with no doubt of the outcome.

Chen Yan mounted at the front of the formation, his Xuan Armor splattered with fine blood foam; morning light fell on the armor plates, casting a cold, hard gleam. He stared with icy eyes at the farcical total collapse before him, his gaze showing no mercy, only frigid murderous intent.

Pang Chong, who was beside him, had been gripping his Great Sword so anxiously he was stamping his foot; watching Gao Xiaoyu's banner recede, he couldn't help shouting, "Prime Minister! If we don't chase that dog Crown Prince he'll disappear!"

Dong Xuqing, standing nearby, frowned and said in a deep voice, "Prime Minister, though the Qi army is defeated, there are still over ten thousand scattered soldiers; shall we regroup before pursuing?"

Chen Yan ignored them, simply lifted his gaze, precisely spotting the hastily fleeing torn banner and the wolf‑like figure crouched on the horseback under the guard of personal soldiers, a cold, grim smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Want to run?

Since you dared to lead a great army into enemy lands, to order Three Days No Sealing Blades to slaughter the Great Zhou populace, how could you be allowed to slip away so easily!

He abruptly raised his horse spear, the tip pointing straight toward Gao Xiaoyu's flight path; his voice thundered like a crash of lightning, echoing across the battlefield, clearly reaching Lu Ming, who was pursuing ahead.

"Lu Ming!"

Lu Ming was riding hard in pursuit, about to catch Gao Xiaoyu's tail, when a group of reckless Qi personal guards clung to him, making him restless.

He swung his spear, sweeping three Qi guards—both rider and horse—away, muttering, "What kind of dog dares to block your grandfather's path!"

Hearing Chen Yan's shout, Lu Ming immediately thrust his spear through another charging guard, yanked his horse rein sharply to look back, his face still smeared with blood foam, his dazzling eyes fixed on Chen Yan, and he shouted, "Prime Minister!"

Chen Yan squeezed his legs against the horse's belly; the jet‑black warhorse beneath him shot forward like an arrow, galloping toward Lu Ming's direction, its resonant voice echoing in the wind, each word clear.

"Do not chase a cornered bandit, but the bandit leader must be executed!"

"Follow this Duke in the chase! Today, we shall bring the Crown Prince of Qi's head, leave it under Gancao City, and offer it to the dead of Great Zhou!"

Lu Ming heard this, grinned, showing blood‑stained white teeth, slung the horse spear onto his shoulder, and shouted loudly, "Understood! Today we'll bring that dog Crown Prince's head back to the Prime Minister!"

Pang Chong, his face flushed with excitement, brandished his Great Sword, turned and roared, "Brothers! Charge with me! Take Gao Xiaoyu's head as a reward!"

A thousand elite Zhou soldiers let out a thunderous shout, spurring their warhorses, forming a black torrent that surged fiercely toward Gao Xiaoyu's fleeing direction.

Iron hooves pounded the ground, shaking earth and mountain; battle cries shattered the sky, and the entire Wilderness echoed with Great Zhou soldiers' roars, a blood‑for‑blood vengeance, pressing down on the fleeing Qi army.