Chapter 263: Seizing Life

On the east flank of the Seventh Company of the Ferry Crossing's position, weapons of every kind flailed wildly. Amid frenzied howls, a group of Horse Soldiers broke and fled from the Government Troops' battle line, leaving another patch of dead and wounded behind. A few Government Troops chased after them several paces, stabbing and slapping wildly with their Long Spears. Only when an officer bellowed did those soldiers return to the ranks.

The Horse Soldiers stumbled and staggered, fleeing in utter disarray back to their own lines. Many bore wounds, collapsing to the ground before they even reached the rear of the formation.

Under the direction of a Great Banner, the other Horse Soldiers raised their bows and loosed. A swarm of arrows, thick as locusts, hurtled toward that tiny formation. The Government Troops had no cover whatsoever. The infantry clad in Iron Armor stood in the front rank, heads buried as they endured the pounding of the arrow storm, their bodies bristling like hedgehogs. Only the soldiers in Cotton Armor huddled into a ball, sheltering behind those Iron Armor Soldiers. A few surviving Sword-and-Shield Soldiers shielded the front rank, doing their utmost to cover the comrades behind them.

Some Roving Bandits carrying Step Bows gradually closed in and loosed heavy arrows. From time to time, an Iron Armor infantryman could bear it no longer. That infantry unit had suffered over half casualties; the miserable screams from the ranks never ceased, yet still they did not collapse.

"Brother Luo, we can't keep fighting. These Government Troops all have armor — you can't slash them, you can't stab them to death. Just now, when we charged into that formation, in the span of a breath we lost over twenty men."

You Lihua's eyes were somewhat red. They had over four hundred Horse Soldiers who had crossed the river, and nearly every man carried a bow. They held the complete advantage in ranged strikes; the Government Troops were in a position of simply taking a beating. But the arrows had little effect against the Government Troops' Iron Armor, and the killing was far too slow. In his impatience, Luo Rucai had ordered the Post Commander to oversee the battle and sent the Horse Soldiers into foot combat. This was their third direct assault, and all three times they had been beaten back. The wounded left before the formation had all been killed as well. They had already lost fifty or sixty men.

The Sword-and-Shield men among those Government Troops were once again finishing off the fallen one by one in front of the formation. Anyone lying on the ground was uniformly slashed a few more times. Half of those were You Lihua's men. His standing among the various Roving Bandit camps was determined precisely by the number of Horse Soldiers he had, and recruiting them was not easy. This pained him deeply.

By now, Luo Rucai had already calmed from the fury he felt when the Government Troops escaped across the river. These Government Troops clad in Iron Armor were not the sort he would normally fight, much less send Horse Soldiers into foot combat to storm a formation. One only needed to use cavalry to harass them relentlessly; at most, half a day and these infantry would scatter and flee for their lives. Once they lost their formation, the Horse Soldiers could easily slaughter them. But right now, he simply did not have enough time.

A faint wave of noise came from the direction of Physics Bridge. You Lihua urged anxiously, "Brother Luo, that Government Troops force has been gone a long while. Even if we went to Physics Bridge now, it would be too late. If Chuang Wang wins, we can naturally trap these dog officials to death. If Lu Yanwang wins, slaughtering these dog officials will be useless. We can't go throw more lives away."

Luo Rucai turned toward You Lihua, his gaze shifting and uncertain. He had always cared deeply about his reputation among the various camps. Letting that Government Troops force slip the encirclement and cross the river — if that truly led to the defeat of all the camps, it would be a devastating blow to his name. But what You Lihua said also made sense. Going back now to fight a desperate battle against this Iron Armor unit left behind held no practical benefit.

Thinking back now to You Lihua's very first suggestion, it had been to besiege the Government Troops at this ferry crossing. If, at that time, he had sent all the Horse Soldiers who crossed the river to pursue the main Government Troops force, then even if the Horse Soldiers had been somewhat disordered and insufficient to win, they could at least have pinned them down, preventing the main Government Troops force from attacking Physics Bridge directly. Now that he thought about it, You Lihua's goal all along had been to avoid going to Physics Bridge.

Facing Luo Rucai's gaze, You Lihua felt a bit guilty. Just as he was at a loss, two Horse Soldiers came racing from the north. You Lihua hurriedly turned his head away.

The lead Horse Soldier, before his horse had even stopped, shouted in panic, "Report to the Chief Steward, Physics Bridge is lost! Lost!"

Luo Rucai looked at the Horse Soldier and said, "What manner of defeat?"

"The old camps of every family have all fled."

You Lihua's expression changed drastically. He said urgently to Luo Rucai, "Chuang Wang must have been defeated. Brother Luo, we must leave at once."

Luo Rucai, however, did not move. Ignoring the frantic You Lihua, he looked calmly at the Horse Soldier and said, "Does Lu Xiangsheng still have guards beneath his banner?"

You Lihua's mouth hung open. Even at a time like this, Luo Rucai was still thinking of launching a surprise attack on Lu Xiangsheng. If he could succeed, it might indeed turn the tide of battle.

The Horse Soldier thought back briefly, then said, "He still has two to three thousand foot and horse."

Without the slightest hesitation, Luo Rucai turned his head and said to You Lihua, "Chuang Wang said yesterday that if things go badly, we are to flee west along the Official Road. That road crosses over Guan Mountain. Lu Yanwang will surely pursue him. We won't take the same road as him; we'll still head south."

You Lihua let out an enormous breath of relief. Heading south was something they had long prepared for. The family dependents of the old camp were already near White Armor Bridge. If they abandoned the other Servants, the old camp, even bringing their family dependents, could cover one hundred and fifty li in a day and quickly escape Lu Xiangsheng's threat.

The only difficulty lay in this Pure Stream River. Now the situation had reversed; it was their turn to ford the river under the enemy's threat. Fortunately, no other Government Troops were pursuing them yet, and they only had to deal with this shattered remnant of infantry.

By now, the first wave of fleeing foot soldiers had already appeared in the distance. Luo Rucai pulled his horse's head around. "You bring up the rear."

The soldiers of the Eighth Company ran along the riverbank, surrounded by countless Roving Bandit foot soldiers. The bandits fled south in blind panic, with a few Government Troops skirmishers driving them from behind.

Pang Yu rode his horse on the left flank of the unit. Several Roving Bandits who weren't watching where they were going ran to within a dozen paces. None of them had weapons. Looking up and seeing Government Troops, they cried out in alarm and changed direction.

Without thinking, Pang Yu squeezed his horse's belly. His mount accelerated and charged toward those men, quickly catching up. The horse's body jolted; one foot soldier on the left was sent flying several paces and sprawled to the ground. The wind scraped against his face. Pang Yu felt only his blood boiling. The Waist Saber in his right hand slashed toward the back of another foot soldier.

With a ripping sound, the Waist Saber struck the foot soldier squarely in the middle of the back. Pang Yu dragged the blade with force, using the horse's momentum to tear the wound even longer. The foot soldier tumbled to the ground, letting out a piercing shriek. Pang Yu paid no heed and continued his charge, the pressure of the past several days all released in this brief burst. His mind went blank; he felt only that he was an unstoppable fierce general.

By the time he came to his senses, he was already a full fifty paces away from the Eighth Company. Six or seven Roving Bandit foot soldiers lay on the path behind him. The other Roving Bandits in the vicinity were all fleeing in every direction.

Guo Fengyou and a few Personal Soldiers were chasing after him. Pang Yu felt some dampness on his face. He had Chain Mail on his arms; he couldn't use his sleeve to wipe his face. Suppressing the impulse, he wheeled his horse and returned to the Eighth Company.

No more foot soldiers came near. The Eighth Company rapidly advanced south in support. The four-li distance seemed even longer than it had coming the other way. Pang Yu spurred his horse and rode at the front. At last, he saw the position of the Seventh Company on the riverbank.

The Recognition Banner of the Third Division's Company Commander was still there. The ground around the formation was thick with embedded arrow shafts, a vast expanse of white. The ferry crossing was strewn with dead and wounded soldiers. Luo Rucai's Horse Soldiers had already disengaged from the Seventh Company and were now fording westward through the river channel from the south.

The infantry of the Eighth Company immediately gave chase southward. The withdrawing Roving Bandit Horse Soldiers, who had still maintained some order, suddenly fell into chaos. The Horse Soldiers at the back surged toward the ferry crossing, cramming into a mass along the riverbank, fighting and scrambling to enter the river channel. Horses neighed and crashed into one another. From time to time, someone fell into the river, sending up great splashes of water.

The Eighth Company quickly neared the first fording point. The bandit cavalry scattered in a rush and fled further south. Once again, the scene of infantry chasing and beating cavalry unfolded. The archers of the Garrison Commander's Ying loosed arrows at the cavalry still in the river. The Horse Soldiers of Luo Rucai's force had no time to return fire; they urged their horses forward through the river water. Even comrades who fell into the river were left with no one to rescue them.

Pang Yu halted at the Seventh Company's position. The soldiers had suffered over fifty percent casualties. Nearly every man had arrows sticking from his body. The ground was covered with writhing, wailing wounded soldiers. The soldiers still standing were all looking at Pang Yu.

"Where is Zhuang Chaozheng?"

A voice behind him said, "Greetings, my lord."

Pang Yu turned his head. Zhuang Chaozheng's face was covered in blood. Six or seven arrows were embedded in his Chain Mail, but he did not appear to be seriously injured.

"It's good that you're all right. Take your unit and hold this position."

Zhuang Chaozheng was about to speak, but Pang Yu waved his hand. "The men who took the wounded away will be coming back. You wait here for them and take good care of the wounded."

Pang Yu patted him on the shoulder. The Third Division had never been an outstanding unit in normal times, and he had not paid it much attention. But today, Zhuang Chaozheng and the Seventh Company had left him with a different, profound impression. Originally, the Eighth Company, as the reserve force, should have been used to exploit the victory. Leading them back to the ferry crossing was not in the interest of the battle, yet he had done so anyway.

Pang Yu turned his horse's head. Zhuang Chaozheng said from behind, "My lord, where else are you going?"

"To hunt down the Roving Bandits."

"Master! Master!"

Amid the camp ground, already a scene of utter devastation, Xiao Wazi shouted as he struggled to control his mount. The cries and wails all around completely drowned out his shouts; even he could not hear himself clearly.

Countless Servants and family dependents fled in chaotic panic. No Road Passage could be discerned anymore. Behind him came the rumbling of hooves. The Liao Army cavalry followed at a distance, neither closing in nor falling far behind, herding those routed soldiers as they ran. Xiao Wazi had fought for several years. He knew the Government Troops were wearing down the foot soldiers' stamina. Once those foot soldiers were utterly exhausted from running, only then would they begin the slaughter in earnest. By then, the foot soldiers would not even have the strength to resist.

He had encountered major defeats many times before, but never one like this, with Two Hundred Thousand people all together. The camp ground was in complete chaos. All around, crowds of people ran in every direction. Many were snatching things from the ground. Some were carrying luggage and fleeing west. Not far away, there was a large banner. Beneath it, Liu Wenxiu, with a group of Horse Soldiers, was shouting something at the others. The Horse Soldiers had formed a tight group, hacking down and driving away any Servants who blundered toward them, preventing them from scattering their formation.

Some family dependents of the old camp had come out as well. Many of these people also had horses or mules. Some horses and mules carried two or three people. Others were laden with all sorts of valuables — all light, portable, and expensive items. Through years of fighting, the old camp of the Roving Bandits was richly experienced in defeat. They had sorted their supplies the previous night. Now, they carried only the most essential items. They would soon be packed and ready, beginning a frantic flight.

Based on past experience, the Horse Soldiers would abandon all the Servants. Fleeing for their lives came first. The foot soldiers behind would block the road, and the Government Troops' cavalry would be unable to catch up. Xiao Wazi was in Chuzhou for the first time. If he did not follow Liu Wenxiu, he would not even know which direction to go. So he had kept the corner of his eye fixed on Liu Wenxiu's great banner. That was what he had to follow.

Before him, a sea of bobbing heads surged everywhere. Agitated, Xiao Wazi suddenly spurred his horse forward a few steps, knocking down several Servants in front of him. When his mount stopped, Xiao Wazi stood up in his stirrups, searching for the old man's figure.

Amid such chaos, how could he possibly find him? The sound of a horn came from Liu Wenxiu's direction. Xiao Wazi knew the old camp had finished packing and was about to withdraw immediately.

Anxiety gripped his heart. The spot where he had stopped was precisely where he had slept the day before, but the old man had run off to who knows where.

Just as he was peering around, he suddenly felt a tight grip on his waist. A great force yanked him to the left. Instinctively, Xiao Wazi grabbed the saddle with one hand. His body lurched sideways. In his panic, he turned his head back and saw a middle-aged Servant clinging desperately to his belt, a look of vicious desperation on his face.

The man shouted, "Third Brother, get on the horse and go!"

Xiao Wazi was not as strong as the man. Slumped sideways in the saddle, he could not bring his leg strength to bear. Someone on his right was prying at his hand with force — no doubt that so-called Third Brother. Xiao Wazi knew they were here to steal his horse. Losing his horse now meant certain death. He sprawled over the saddle, straining every ounce of strength to hold onto the saddle and not let go. The three of them struggled on the spot, the horse neighing and spinning in circles.

The middle-aged Servant howled loudly, freeing one hand to pummel Xiao Wazi's waist wildly. Two or three punches left Xiao Wazi in unbearable pain. On the other side, Third Brother was prying at his hand with ever-increasing force. At this rate, in just a few more moments, the two of them would take the horse from him.

Xiao Wazi gritted his teeth and let go. The middle-aged Servant, suddenly losing his opposing force, toppled backward in a fall, dragging Xiao Wazi down with him. Just before hitting the ground, Xiao Wazi swiftly shot out his left hand and grabbed the dangling reins. His mount veered to that side, its hooves nearly trampling him.

The middle-aged Servant, thinking he had succeeded in taking the horse, clung tightly to Xiao Wazi's waist and shouted, "Third Brother, go quickly! Our family's Incense Offerings all depend on..."

As he was speaking, a figure from the right had already mounted the horse. But the reins were still held in Xiao Wazi's left hand. Third Brother spurred the horse, but it would not move. Before he could figure out what was wrong, Xiao Wazi had already drawn his Waist Saber with his right hand — Shing! — and plunged it into the man's lower back.

The third brother screamed in agony and toppled off to the right. The middle-aged servant let out a despairing howl, released Xiao Wazi, rounded the horse, and threw himself onto the third brother, wailing loudly.

Xiao Wazi gasped for breath repeatedly, scrambled to his feet in panic, and held the sword out as he turned half a circle, forcing back several others who had come at the sound, intent on seizing the horse.

A moment later, having caught his breath, he looped the reins twice around his hand and stepped into the stirrup, just about to mount, when he heard the middle-aged servant still crying out over there. Xiao Wazi lowered his foot and led the horse around by the head.

Only now did he see clearly that the third brother was a half-grown youth, not yet dead, his face pale as he trembled, his eyes staring hollowly at the sky. The middle-aged servant, his back to Xiao Wazi, held the third brother, sobbing too brokenly to form words.

Behind them, the hoofbeats of the Liao Army drew near. Liu Wenxiu's Red Banner waved, and a conch horn sounded — the old camp was about to move out.

Xiao Wazi paused for a brief moment, then suddenly stabbed his sword into the middle-aged servant's back. Blood sprayed with a hiss from the gap between the blade's spine and the wound. Xiao Wazi yanked the sword out sharply. The servant gurgled a few grunts and then fell silent. His body did not collapse, his upper half remaining half-draped over the third brother.

Xiao Wazi cast a cold glance at them, turned, and mounted the horse. From his seat he scanned his surroundings. In the chaotic camp, there was no sign of the old man. The old camp had already begun its flight; Liu Wenxiu's great banner was also receding into the distance. Liao Army pursuers appeared around the perimeter of the camp.

Xiao Wazi finally struck his horse's rump. The mount raised all four hooves, bowled over several servants blocking the way, and galloped off in pursuit of Liu Wenxiu's great banner.