Chapter 28: He Lian's Tragic Death

Keen!

The Vermilion Bird streaked across the sky, the phoenix spread its wings, like poetry and painting.

Its agile posture gracefully soared across the vast horizon, as if composing a grand melody.

But in He Lian Yuejun's eyes at this moment, it was a prayer to the god of death, the mournful cry of the death-bird!

Swish!

Under the White Tiger's immense force that disregards cost, I watched helplessly as that Vermilion Bird pierced my own heart in an instant.

Ha‑ha!

I am not willing!

He slowly lowered his gaze, beholding the great hole in his chest and the complex expression on the White Tiger's face before him.

He Lian Yuejun's voice gradually faded, becoming inaudible, vanishing with the shrill wind howl on the battlefield.

Silence!

At this moment on the battlefield, it seemed as if the whole world had frozen, both sides holding a dreadful stillness.

All surrounding sounds vanished, leaving only the wind blowing dust and banners, which sounded especially piercing.

In this still, soundless moment, only the wind brushed the banners, making a rustling sound.

This sound rang out especially clear on the silent battlefield, evoking an inexplicable fear.

Ranked second on the foreign generals' list, having swept the battlefield for decades, He Lian Yuejun was regarded as the trump card by this steppe‑dwelling foreign tribe.

He just quietly collapsed onto the battlefield!

He fell at the hands of two nobodies who had never had any reputation before!

At this moment the Xiongnu army included several War Gods sent from allied tribes to the front, who had collectively turned to stone.

Blank‑staring, he watched the White Tiger bend down to pick up He Lian Yuejun's weapon and corpse, then lead He Lian Yuejun's horse slowly back toward Tai Pass.

Boom!

This silent, motionless scene lasted a long time until one side of the Xiongnu camp broke the deadlock, and the whole battlefield instantly descended into chaos.

Soldiers' cries and warhorses' neighs intertwined, forming a unique music of fear within the Xiongnu army.

A intense sense of fear spread wildly through the Xiongnu army.

Not a single Xiongnu leader tried to stop this trend; now even they were at a loss.

What's happening?

On the battlefield, the peak heavenly deity they regarded as their trump card is about to be killed in an instant?

Retreat!

A Xiongnu Supreme Ruler from the front spoke with a hoarse voice.

He broke the silence before the Xiongnu front, yet at this moment no one spoke up to oppose him.

The army slowly moved backward amid the shrill wind on the battlefield, retreating slowly across the vast plain.

The massive formation resembled a long dragon, winding and twisting, stretching for miles.

At this moment, every soldier in the Xiongnu army wore a lost‑and‑dazed expression, their faces etched with fear and helplessness.

Their steps were heavy and weary, each step filled with hardship.

Their armor was caked with mud and sweat, their weapons worn and broken.

On the retreat route, accompanied by heavy footsteps and horse hooves, there were occasional coughs and low murmurs of conversation.

We still have a chance!

As long as he succeeds!

In the low‑spirited atmosphere, a few of the Xiongnu Supreme Rulers trailing the army, one of them spoke up.

Exactly!

As long as he succeeds, Cangzhou will surely not have time to organize another elite reinforcement in the short term.

As long as the garrison inside Tai Pass becomes an isolated force in the short term, we still have a chance!

Hearing this Supreme Ruler's words, the other few Supreme Rulers also perked up, speaking up one after another to comfort themselves.

There's nothing to be done; our trump card debuted and immediately bowed out, the opening already over.

All we can do is hope the other side will pitch in a bit more.

Since so many tribes on the great prairie are coming to support the Xiongnu, we expect them to act as the vanguard to break Tai Pass.

Then the support naturally cannot be stingy; otherwise, if the support is too little, it will be useless and they would have wasted their effort.

So this time not only the second‑ranked foreign war general He Lian Yuejun came, but also the fourth‑ranked one came.

However, that fourth‑ranked individual is not currently in the Xiongnu army.

Instead, he led a small contingent of genuine Xiongnu elites, taking a side path to the rear of Tai Pass.

To harass the enemy's supply lines, or to see if there is a chance to intercept Cangzhou's reinforcements.

Although Tai Pass can block most of the foreign armies coming from the great prairie,

but there is no impassable road in the world.

As long as we disregard cost, find a perilous route, and transport even a tiny force, it is still possible.

The reason the earlier foreign forces that held the pass were ineffective is that, without a top‑tier War God leading them, even sending an elite unit

its effect was actually not great; at most it could damage the rear and cause a panic within Cangzhou's territory.

But most of the previous foreign forces were just a single tribe coming over, with their own tribe's War Gods engaged in the siege up front, leaving no spare War God to handle these matters.

Know that before Tai Pass is breached, that small detachment inside Cangzhou's territory would be an isolated force, and one slip could wipe them out entirely.

Who would be so generous as to treat a War God's life as disposable?

That is why, this time, all the tribes of the great prairie are supporting the Xiongnu and sending multiple War Gods over, freeing up the capacity to do these things.

Even this was proactively proposed by that fourth-ranked person.

Otherwise, who would take on a job that looks like a near-certain death?

At this moment, at the Tai Ping Gate, Su Ye saw the somewhat weak Vermilion Bird and hurriedly stepped forward to embrace her soft waist.

And the Vermilion Bird, who originally still had the strength to stand, went along and pretended to be unable to move, weakly collapsing into Su Ye's arms.

"Sir, the Xiongnu have retreated; presumably Inspector Chang at the rear will soon encounter them."

Su Ye, holding the Vermilion Bird with a slightly blushing cheek in his arms, turned and smiled at Yao Guangxiao beside him.

As a monk, Yao Guangxiao, who had inexplicably eaten a mouthful of dog food, turned his head away and refused to look at them.

"According to the speed of that small unit, given they are all cavalry, calculating the time, they will soon encounter them."

The small unit led by the fourth-ranked War God of the foreign race, when it first sneaked into Cangzhou, possibly the net had not yet discovered it.

But this group of Xiongnu people, greedy by nature, after entering Cangzhou, whenever they see something good, they want to pocket it and take it away.

And that fourth-ranked War God of the foreign race is not a Xiongnu tribe member; even if he wanted to stop it, the effect would not be good.

It is inevitable that some sneaky people will have unclean hands and feet.

Under these circumstances, naturally they were immediately caught by the net that is currently infiltrating Cangzhou with full force.

So, after Su Ye received the intelligence from the net, he and Yao Guangxiao seized this opportunity to devise a plan overnight.

A lethal scheme targeting the current Inspector of Cangzhou, Chang Ke!

Only fools wait for opportunities; the wise create them!

That foreign tribe unit will be guided all the way by the net along the route toward the reinforcement army led by Chang Ke.

Even to let the plan proceed more smoothly, Su Ye even gave up the opportunity to let Yuwen Chengdu seize all military authority in Cangzhou.

The Foundation Martial 109 War God, just came out and went offline!

In the author's view, three of the Four Spirits of Heaven are present; ahead, the White Tiger with full power, the Foundation Martial 110 ceiling, is leading; on one side, the Black Tortoise provides support; behind, there is a Vermilion Bird whose power has surged to 145, lying in ambush.

The author can't figure out how a Foundation Martial 109 War God could survive.

The author won't do those situations that are obviously deadly, but because they are the protagonist's enemy, after being heavily injured and near death they escape, and then, despite clearly looking like they're about to die, a few days later they appear before the protagonist, jumping around alive.

Deserving death, must die!

Today's minimum temperature dropped again, the lowest is 7 degrees, my goodness!

(End of chapter)