Chapter 396

After entering the pass, there will naturally be great scholars to argue the classics for us.

The logic of bandits remains extremely practical even in such a small scene.

Li Run merely opened his mouth, and someone eagerly helped him dispose of those brigade commanders who had opinions about him.

Everyone was delighted.

Carrying the corpses of those few brigade commanders, the great army mightily arrived at the cliff's edge.

At this moment, the stubborn Xue Yi had already launched a chaotic attack on Chen Wuji's position across the way.

The Xue family's troops had no main attack direction at all, merely climbing up the cliff with knives in hand.

As the saying goes, if the soldiers are obstinate, the commander's whole nest is obstinate.

The troops Xue Yi brought out were just like him, carrying a strong bandit demeanor, both reckless and stubborn.

Under Chen Wuji's command, the provincial troops attacked fiercely; they immediately switched positions and continued climbing.

Although they had not yet even caught a glimpse of Chen Wuji's soldiers, they suddenly fell into utter chaos.

This vigor even earned an extremely positive appraisal from the observing Xu Zengyi.

In the two armies' campaign, morale comes first, and such vigor is rare.

Coincidentally, the troops under Chen Wuji's command possessed this advantage, and Xue Yi's ability to field such troops made Xu Zengyi involuntarily look up to this reckless man twice.

Such a disordered, lawless attack shows at a glance that Xue Yi hasn't read many books.

Yet the troops he leads are surprisingly full of vigor, possessing a fearless, death-defying demeanor.

One can only say that some aspects of leading troops in battle are truly innate.

"Lao Yang, have the soldiers practice archery; such a great opportunity, it would be a shame not to practice." Chen Wuji ordered.

Yang Tiejiang advised: "We brought few arrows; we should conserve them."

"Any skill is forged through repeated hammering; without practice, their abilities won't improve. If they don't acquire a certain skill, even conserving these arrows is pointless—let them practice freely." Chen Wuji said.

"... Alright."

Yang Tiejiang, convinced by Chen Wuji, immediately ordered the soldiers to fetch arrows from the camp.

Then, on this cliff battlefield, an extremely bizarre scene appeared.

On Chen Wuji's side, arrows flew wildly, but their aim was ridiculously off.

Dozens of arrows might not even hit a person; they were all just glancing blows.

Meanwhile, Xue Yi's troops, heedless of danger, simply climbed up the cliff in a frenzy.

Then...

As soon as they climbed up, they were knocked flying by one strange sword after another.

After nearly two hours, casualties were countless, yet not a single person managed to charge into Chen Wuji's position.

Chen Wuji gazed for a while, then sighed from the heart, "I suspect this Xue bears a grudge against his own men—and a great one at that!"

Xu Zengyi and the others couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Looking at them, it really seemed that way.

Knowing it's futile, yet still urging the soldiers to throw away their lives desperately—what else could this be but hatred?

"He seems less like an enemy and more like an ally." Chen Wuji laughed, "If we can capture him, I ought to have a good talk with him."

After another fierce battle lasting about half an hour, Xue Yi withdrew while cursing.

After fighting to the death for so long, he too could see that his filial devotion could no longer be upheld.

Chen Wuji smiled and ordered his aides, "Pass the order: let the soldiers keep shouting."

"Yes!"

The loud shouts and curses soon echoed again across the gorge.

"The Xue family disregards human relations; they are beasts afterward!"

Xue Yi, having just brought his troops to the center of the valley, instantly turned ashen-faced.

He gritted his teeth, glaring at Chen Wuji and the others on the opposite slope, brandishing his knife and pointing fiercely, "You Chen brat, you'd better wait for us laborers; from now on, it's a fight to the death—I will surely tear you apart ten thousand times and use your head as a urinal!"

He shouted hoarsely with vicious curses, but his voice didn't carry even a bit.

The voices of over a thousand people on the opposite slope were so loud that they completely drowned out his harsh words.

On this slope, Li Run couldn't help but laugh, "As the saying goes, when scolding someone you don't expose their shortcomings—but Deputy Commander Chen's move is truly vicious; it's like digging up the Xue family's ancestral graves and whipping each corpse. These matters are precisely what the Xue family cares about most, a secret they'd rather not have spoken of, even though they've done it."

"People are people; there's nothing they particularly care about." Qian Fugui echoed, urging, "Hurry up and get ready—we're going to beat the drowning dog badly. You fight on the slope, I'll take people downstream to intercept them, so this brat doesn't escape along the river valley."

Li Run nodded, "Deputy Commander Qian has thought this through very thoroughly."

Xue Yi led his men, grimy and dust-covered, up the craggy, undulating slope, occasionally throwing a few harsh words at Chen Wuji.

Suddenly, huge blocks of stone rolled down from above, instantly taking the lives of dozens.

Xue Yi hastily hid behind a boulder and roared angrily, "Li Run, what the hell are you trying to do?"

"Please, Xue Ershu, go die—I despise the scum who patricide while constantly mouthing filial piety; you're not worthy to be with me!" Li Run shouted.

Xue Yi, nearly bursting his eye sockets from rage, snarled, "You little thief, don't give me bull—my father didn't die by my hand."

"You hypocritical scum, you've done the deed yet refuse to admit it—don't treat everyone under heaven as fools." Li Run pressed his advantage, heaping ridicule.

"I didn't! I didn't!!!" Xue Yi, as if his mindset had shattered, bellowed wildly.

But what greeted him was more rolling stones.

Li Run had prepared no other defensive weapons on this position; he simply made use of local materials to gather many stones.

"Everyone in Yunan City knows this—what's the point of shouting at me? Better go down and properly explain things to your father! Perhaps the old father you killed with your own hands could understand your hardships." Li Run shouted.

The mocking skill was maxed out.

Several of Xue Yi's aides, seeing the situation was wrong, hurried forward and hauled him up.

Family Head, retreat quickly, the Li family has betrayed us—we're no match for them!

Family Head, suppress your anger for now; wait till we regain our strength, then we'll lead the troops back and slaughter them!

Several people, in a panic, dragged Xue Yi away and then ran with him toward the valley's downstream.

Little did they know that ahead lay a butcher's knife, already sharpened to a bright edge, waiting for them.

Qian Fugui, boredly trimming his nails with a knife, saw Xue Yi and several dozen others fleeing in panic, and instantly broke into a wide grin.

You all have really made me wait a good long time!

Qian Fugui gave a sinister laugh, didn't say a single unnecessary word, and directly ordered the attack.

Xue Yi's few subordinates instantly panicked.

Their troops had scattered; they had only a few dozen left—there's no way they could possibly be a match for Qian Fugui's several hundred men, who eyed them like a tiger eyeing its prey.

A few people exchanged glances, and several knives simultaneously struck Xue Yi.

"Master, sorry!"

They seized Xue Yi, raised their hands and shouted loudly: "Don't fight, don't fight—we surrender!"

Xue Yi flew into a rage: "Damn it, you lot of traitorous dog‑scum, let me go!"

"Family Head, endure a moment; don't make things too ugly—we also want to live," a subordinate urged harshly.

Qian Fugui sneered: "In my hands there's never been a surrender—cut them down!"