Chapter 11: The Merit of Slaying the Commander and Seizing the Flag Shook the Entire Army!
“Die!”
Seeing Zhu Ying charging toward him, Jin Guda spurred his horse forward and swung his battle axe down.
The momentum of the charging horse combined with the axe’s downward slash.
A powerful force slashed straight at Zhu Ying.
“Come then.”
Zhu Ying coldly shouted.
He gripped his blade and charged straight forward.
Clang.
The blades collided, sparks flying from the violent impact.
Zhu Ying held his blade firm, his body unmoving.
Jin Guda’s full-force strike, even with the horse’s charge, could not budge Zhu Ying.
“Fall!”
Zhu Ying gritted his teeth, channeling all his strength, and slammed his blade upward.
A force like a mountain collapsing and sea surging crushed toward Jin Guda.
“No!”
“Such immense strength!”
Jin Guda’s face turned pale—he felt as if a thousand catties pressed upon both hands; his entire body, even his horse’s four legs, trembled.
Thud.
Jin Guda and his horse crashed to the ground together.
“How much strength does he have?”
Chen Heng stood frozen, staring in shock.
But Zhu Ying showed no hesitation—he immediately advanced, seizing this once-in-a-lifetime chance, and swung his blade at the fallen Jin Guda.
“No…”
Before Jin Guda could rise, Zhu Ying’s blade came down—he screamed in despair.
Crunch.
The steel blade severed Jin Guda’s neck instantly; blood sprayed, head and body split apart.
“Slain Jianzhou Tartar Ten-Thousand Commander Jin Guda. Gained +100 to all attributes.”
“First kill of a Ten-Thousand Commander. Reward: One Common Chest.” The interface flashed a prompt.
Immediately after,
With the +100 to all attributes, Zhu Ying felt his entire body ascend and transform.
But Zhu Ying did not pause—he picked up Jin Guda’s head and hung it from his waist; this was the greatest merit of the battle.
“Take his battle flag.”
“Kill!”
Zhu Ying roared.
He saw the Tartar soldier holding the enemy battle flag ahead.
He charged toward the Tartar troops behind Jin Guda.
All attributes increased further; his strength grew stronger.
One slash, one Tartar soldier fell.
“Slain Tartar foot soldier. Gained +20 Strength.”
“Slain Tartar foot soldier. Gained +40 days of lifespan.”
“Slain Tartar foot soldier. Gained +20 Speed…”
The interface flashed prompt after prompt.
Under Zhu Ying’s ferocious slaughter, he quickly reached the Tartar soldier holding the battle flag and swung his blade down.
The man and the flag together.
Crunch.
Zhu Ying severed the Tartar battle flag’s pole.
“Your commander has been slain by me.”
“Surrender, and you live.”
Zhu Ying stood atop the broken flag and shouted.
His voice rang like thunder.
Seeing this,
Tartar soldiers across the battlefield panicked.
On the battlefield,
The battle flag leads.
Armies advance under the flag; as long as the flag stands, morale soars; if the flag falls, the army loses its heart and scatters in chaos.
“The Ten-Thousand Commander is dead.”
“The flag is broken.”
“We’re defeated.”
“Retreat… flee quickly…”
Tartar soldiers caught in the chaos screamed in terror.
Moments ago they held numerical superiority and fought fiercely against the Ming troops—but now, their defeat came like a collapsing mountain.
“That soldier is truly a fierce warrior.”
Chen Heng stared fixedly at Zhu Ying, stunned.
He had witnessed Zhu Ying’s ferocity firsthand.
And at this moment!
From the rear flank,
Two cavalry units and Ming soldiers suddenly emerged, surrounding the Tartar force—Liu Zhen had arrived with reinforcements, completing the encirclement.
Seeing the fleeing Tartars, Zhu Ying gave no thought—he raised his blade and gave chase.
Each kill granted random +20 attributes; Zhu Ying would not miss such a golden chance.
Such an opportunity demanded full force.
At this moment!
The battle neared its end.
An hour later,
The great battle ended.
Foot soldiers rested on the battlefield, clearing corpses and treating wounded; cavalry not injured rode north in pursuit.
And now!
The military inspectors gathered their subordinates to tally battle merits.
Each Company Commander unit had a dedicated Merit Clerk, directly under the Inspector, also a Company Commander.
“How many from the Hundredth Company are still alive?”
“Come here!”
Liu Lei shouted loudly, gathering his troops.
Not just him—
Many other Company Commanders were also calling out, assembling their men.
When all soldiers under Zhu Ying’s Hundredth Company had gathered,
The original hundred-plus had dwindled to less than seventy percent—heavy losses.
Seeing this, Liu Lei’s expression grew somber, yet he did not dwell—he immediately ordered: “Merit Clerk, tally our battle kills and record our fallen.”
“Your order is received.”
The Merit Clerk of the Hundredth Company stepped forward and shouted: “Arrows found on enemy corpses will be recorded by the Inspector’s unit. Our current tally is for direct kills in combat—these will be reported directly. Brothers, bring proof of kills: enemy heads, ears—anything you’ve taken.”
As the Merit Clerk finished speaking,
Dozens of soldiers stepped forward, presenting severed enemy ears and heads.
“Anyone else?” the Merit Clerk called out.
At this moment,
Zhu Ying slowly stepped forward.
The Merit Clerk and the Merit Clerk’s scribe, pen in hand, stared at Zhu Ying.
Zhu Ying said nothing.
He reached into his robe and pulled out—
Dozens of bloody ears tumbled to the ground.
And one head. And the Tartar battle flag.
Seeing this,
Liu Lei stood frozen in shock.
The officer in charge of recording battlefield merits was stunned, and the clerk recording the merits was stunned too.
“Was it… you who slew the Tartar commander? Cut down their battle standard?” the officer asked, dumbfounded.
“Here are the heads.”
“You may verify them yourself,” Zhu Ying said, smiling as he pointed to the severed head of Jin Guda on the ground.
Liu Lei stood beside him, utterly shocked, unable to speak.
“Reporting to the officer,”
“These ears number fifty-eight— he… he slew fifty-eight enemies, and this doesn’t even count those killed by arrows,” the clerk beside him counted the ears on the ground, his voice trembling.
The officer glanced, swallowed hard, then said: “Record it. Report immediately to the battalion commander— no, report directly to the garrison commander.”
This merit was too great.
So great the officer could hardly believe it, yet the proof was there, undeniable.
The merit of slaying enemies, of beheading the commander and cutting down the battle standard.
This was unquestionably the greatest merit of this battle.
“You… what’s your name?” the officer asked Zhu Ying.
“Your servant is Zhu Ying, squad leader of the hundred-man company,” Zhu Ying replied at once.
“Good.”
“Your battlefield merits are all recorded. They will be reported truthfully. You’ve done well in this battle— you’ve rendered great service to the Great Ming.”
“Once the garrison commander reports to the regional military commissioner, and the commissioner submits to Yingtian, you will be richly rewarded,” the officer said, his face flushed with excitement.
His gaze toward Zhu Ying had grown noticeably gentler.
Clearly,
after this battle,
Zhu Ying would surely be promoted and elevated in rank— possibly even leap three ranks.
After all, this merit was too great.
…
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[127] (End of Chapter)
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