Chapter 144: A Staggering Achievement

But for Zhu Di,

at this moment, his heart was complex and hard to fathom.

Zhu Di stared intently at the distant gate, where battle raged fiercely.

His gaze seemed to pierce through layers of troops, locking onto the fearless figure within the city.

Zhu Di’s face bore a grave expression; he murmured inwardly: “Zhu Ying is no ordinary man!”

“Such valor—even compared to the Western Chu Overlord, who once lifted mountains and overshadowed the world—would not fall short, perhaps even surpass it.”

“That gate is solid, those walls thick—impossible to breach by human strength alone!”

“Yet he shattered it effortlessly.”

“Is he truly human?”

As he thought this, Zhu Di’s brows tightened involuntarily, and unease sprouted wildly within him.

Unconsciously, he clenched his fists; an image flashed unbidden in his mind: on some future battlefield, he and Zhu Ying face each other in war, Zhu Ying’s demonic form charging unchecked, while his own troops fall one by one, unable to withstand his blade.

…

At this thought, Zhu Di felt a chill surge from his soles up his spine, sending a cold dread through his heart.

For him, Zhu Di knew clearly: Zhu Ying’s performance on this battlefield was nothing short of astonishing, his combat prowess unmatched—he was truly a peerless war general.

For the Great Ming Empire, possessing a warrior like Zhu Ying was an unbreakable bulwark, capable of striking terror into foreign enemies, a mighty deterrent that could shake all directions.

Had Zhu Di not harbored that hidden, unspeakable ambition, he might have simply admired Zhu Ying’s bravery like any ordinary general, without further thought.

But reality was this!

For years, Yao Guangxiao’s demonic whispers had sown the seed of ambition deep in Zhu Di’s heart.

As time passed, that seed took root, sprouted, and grew strong, planting in Zhu Di a desire he ought never to have—coveting the supreme throne.

And so, when he imagined Zhu Ying becoming an obstacle on his path to the throne, a suffocating dread surged within him.

He knew well: Zhu Ying’s might was no foe to be taken lightly.

“No matter what,”

Zhu Di’s eyes flickered with ruthlessness; he thought inwardly: “If Zhu Ying cannot serve me, he must never rise to the highest rank.”

“Otherwise, in time, he will become my fiercest enemy, capable of destroying everything I’ve painstakingly built.”

“Even if I must destroy him, I cannot let him continue.”

As he thought this, the ruthlessness in his eyes deepened into an almost imperceptible killing intent.

…

At this moment, the battlefield grew even more tense.

A biting wind, mixed with endless shouts of battle, raged across heaven and earth, whipping up sand and dust, adding further grimness to this brutal war.

The Danning frontier troops pressed forward in orderly fashion.

Under Zhang Wu’s command, thirty thousand Danning infantry surged like a black flood toward Zhenxiacheng.

Clad in heavy armor, they advanced step by step.

Soon,

tens of thousands of archers closed in on the city gate like a tidal wave.

On the city walls,

within the city,

they had entered the archers’ range.

“Brothers!”

Commander Zhuang Wei, commander of the archery corps, bellowed with all his strength: “Loose your arrows! Kill these damned barbarians!”

“Kill, kill, kill!”

Tens of thousands of archers roared in unison, their voices merging into a mighty wave that surged toward the heavens.

They drew their bows with practiced speed, strings pulled taut as full moons, arrowheads glinting coldly in the sunlight.

Then, as one, they released—arrows flew like birds escaping cages, blotting out the sky, raining indiscriminately upon the walls and within the city.

For a moment, the air filled with the relentless “whistling” of arrows, as if an endless storm of steel descended.

Of course,

amid this hail of arrows,

the archers skillfully avoided targeting the gate itself.

After all,

cavalry had already breached the city and were locked in fierce combat with Yuan troops; they knew they could not afford to harm their own comrades through carelessness.

The assault had only just begun; though cavalry had broken through, they were still fighting desperately and had not yet penetrated deep into enemy lines.

These archers had long followed Zhu Ying; through countless battles, they knew his tactics intimately, precisely when to fire and when to hold back.

Outside the city, the volley of arrows spread death, revealing unmistakable killing intent.

Many Yuan soldiers on the walls had no time to react before arrows pierced them through.

“Ah… ah…”

“The Ming archers are here!”

“Quick… fire back…”

Countless Yuan soldiers screamed in agony, some tumbling from the high walls like kites with severed strings.

Many Yuan soldiers within the city, equally unprepared, were pierced by arrows falling like rain.

Many Yuan soldiers widened their eyes, filled with terror and despair, unable to resist before collapsing into cold pools of blood, which rapidly spread across the ground, staining it a horrifying crimson.

With the Danning archers joining the fray, combined with the cavalry already inside, the Ming assault grew even fiercer, unstoppable, descending into a frenzy of slaughter.

“Kill, kill!”

“Slaughter every barbarian.”

“Restore our land.”

“Kill…” Danning cavalry charged through the city on horseback, their long blades flashing as they cut down Yuan soldiers, who screamed in death.

The shouts of Danning troops, the clash of weapons, intertwined across the battlefield like a fierce, bloody war song.

The arrival of the Danning archers, unleashing relentless volleys, successfully suppressed the Yuan archers who had previously held the upper hand on the walls.

Both sides exchanged arrows continuously.

Though the Danning archers lacked the natural advantage of height, and suffered mounting casualties under the Yuan arrows, they showed no fear.

They pulled and loosed their bows with wild fury, each shot fueled by all their strength, as if pouring every ounce of hatred for the Yuan into each arrow, vowing to slay every last enemy.

Meanwhile, the vanguard of twenty thousand infantry charged forward, shouldering heavy scaling ladders like a torrent toward the walls.

Since ancient times, siege warfare had always begun with infantry, cavalry following behind.

Yet,

under Zhu Ying’s command, the Danning frontier troops had overturned all rules—the tactics were reversed.

“Scale the walls!”

“Kill!”

As ladder after ladder thudded firmly against the walls, Ming soldiers clenched their swords between their teeth, faces set with resolve and fearlessness, and under full archer cover, climbed the walls with grim determination.

They scrambled upward with hands and feet, moving swiftly, determined to fight to the death with the Yuan.

Within the city,

the fiercest hand-to-hand combat raged on brutally.

As Zhu Ying’s personal guard surged forward, the gate area instantly became a hell on earth.

Yuan corpses piled high, blood gushed in streams, forming rivers of crimson, reeking of foul stench.

Zhu Ying, leading the charge, now resembled a demon risen from hell, radiating a chilling aura.

In his hands, his battle blade swung wildly—each strike carried the force of a thousand catties; each flash of cold steel claimed the lives of several Yuan soldiers.

Amid the chaos, conventional tactics meant nothing; Zhu Ying relied solely on his astonishing strength, slashing and hacking without restraint, his blade cutting through all who stood before him.

“Slain Northern Yuan soldier: +1 Strength, +10 days lifespan.”

“Slain Northern Yuan soldier: +1 Inner Qi, +10 days lifespan.”

“Slain Northern Yuan soldier: +1 Speed…”

“Congratulations, Host: Total kills reached 6,000. Reward: [Tier One Chest] granted.”

Zhu Ying’s mental interface continuously flashed prompts.

“Kills have already exceeded six thousand.”

Zhu Ying thought inwardly, a cold smile forming on his face: “Good.”

“Today, I will break seven thousand.”

“The Yuan within this city—today, I, Zhu Ying, will slaughter without end!”

As he thought this, Zhu Ying shook his blood-soaked blade violently, spraying a rain of crimson, then swung again.

“Brothers!”

Zhu Ying roared, his Inner Qi amplifying his voice into thunder, shaking the air around him, radiating boundless killing intent.

“Slaughter every barbarian! Leave none alive—kill!”

His blade slashed and hacked wildly, every motion brimming with power and death.

Wu Feng seemed to share his will; without Zhu Ying’s command, it surged forward on its own.

Wherever Zhu Ying moved, it was as if the Reaper’s scythe had swept through—leaving behind a landscape of corpses and blood.

He became a pure killing machine, ruthlessly slaughtering the Yuan troops.

Every Yuan soldier who came within a zhang of Zhu Ying met certain death.

Before Zhu Ying’s overwhelming power, they were as fragile as ants, utterly defenseless.

“Monster!”

“He’s a monster!”

“He’s impervious to blades and spears—we can’t hurt him!”

“He’s not even human…”

Surrounding Yuan troops were forced forward by overseers wielding sharp blades, desperate to block the Ming army’s entry into the city.

But as they gazed upon Zhu Ying, a demonic god of slaughter, their faces twisted with terror, eyes filled with deep dread.

Yet.

Even though they knew approaching Zhu Ying meant stepping onto the path to the underworld, under the overseers’ coercion, they had no choice—because they knew that if they did not charge, death awaited them too, and it would be far more gruesome.

“All troops, advance!”

The Yuan commander stationed below the city gate, face contorted with rage, screamed hoarsely: “Absolutely no letting the Ming break through! One man dead, replace him with ten!”

“Ten dead, replace them with a hundred!”

“If the city falls, all of you die! Move forward!”

As the commander roared, he swung his blood-smeared long blade, furiously driving his troops forward from behind.

Yet despite his deafening shouts, his own feet remained rooted, involuntarily retreating, always keeping his soldiers at the front to shield him from the Ming’s blade.

“Kill.”

“Face the Ming.”

“Kill…!”

Under his intimidation, Yuan soldiers, though trembling with fear, gritted their teeth and charged forward, rushing toward Zhu Ying and his personal guard.

They screamed in despair and agony, swinging their weapons wildly, desperate to find even a sliver of survival in this certain death.

The bloodshed intensified, growing fiercer.

Zhu Ying, as if tireless, swung his blade without pause, slaughtering relentlessly, maintaining a terrifying pace of killing.

His personal killing power alone rivaled, even surpassed, that of his entire personal guard combined.

Every slash drew blood; every strike claimed a life—precise, merciless.

With his strength alone, Zhu Ying drove back the seemingly endless tide of Yuan troops.

His personal guard, disciplined and trained, followed their general closely, expanding their killing zone outward from Zhu Ying as the center.

They moved in perfect harmony, like a single, tightly linked fighting unit—every motion, every attack, perfectly timed, a testament to their rigorous training.

The first street, the second street at the city gate, were being cleared step by step by the Ming army.

The ground was littered with Yuan corpses; blood pooled and spread like a crimson sea.

Whether living Yuan soldiers or dead bodies on the ground, none could halt the Ming army’s advance.

At the city gate, more and more Danning cavalry surged in like a tidal wave.

Their warhorses neighed, hooves kicking up clouds of dust, injecting fresh energy into the battle—they were the battlefield’s new reinforcements.

On the city walls.

More Danning infantry had successfully scaled the walls, engaging the Yuan troops in brutal close-quarters combat.

They grappled, slashed with blades, punched with fists, bit with teeth—unhindered, single-minded in their killing.

The scene was horrific beyond bearing.

“Don’t retreat!”

The Yuan commander, watching his troops nearly shattered and on the verge of collapse, panicked and screamed again, desperately trying to hold his army’s order.

“Fight to the death! No retreat!”

“Overseers, move forward!”

“Anyone who retreats—behead them on the spot!”

The commander’s voice had grown hoarse, nearly inaudible, yet he kept screaming, face twisted with desperation—as if shouting alone could turn the tide.

“You’re the loudest.”

Zhu Ying’s gaze sharpened, instantly locking onto the screaming Yuan commander.

Mounted on his steed, he saw far ahead—without hesitation, Zhu Ying raised his left hand, and a long spear instantly appeared in his grip, summoned from his storage space.

Within Zhu Ying’s storage panel, he hoarded vast supplies: abundant grain, wine, enough to sustain his ten-thousand-man army for weeks, even stockpiling weapons. Even if his army were trapped, he was confident they could survive half a month, buying time for reinforcements.

“Die!”

Zhu Ying thrust his left arm forward with full force, channeling his true qi, hurling the spear at the commander.

With a single powerful swing.

Shhh!

The spear tore through the air with a piercing shriek, like a bolt of lightning, exploding outward with annihilating force.

“Ahh… ahh…”

Pfft.

Pfft.

The spear, fueled by Zhu Ying’s mighty true qi and unstoppable power, pierced through several Yuan soldiers in succession.

Even their sturdy armor offered no more resistance than paper, utterly useless against the spear’s edge.

In the blink of an eye, the commander, who had been roaring moments before, had no chance to react.

Bam!

His entire body was impaled—the spear’s force hurled him backward, dragging along several soldiers behind him, all skewered like sugar-coated haws on a bamboo stick, a scene of gruesome horror.

“H-how…?”

The commander looked down at the spear piercing his chest—agony surged through him, twisting his face.

But as his life drained rapidly, the pain dulled into numbness. His eyes filled with terror and disbelief—he could not fathom, even in death, that Zhu Ying had slain him so easily.

Along with his few personal guards, he plunged into the endless abyss of hell.

“Slain a Northern Yuan soldier: +1 Constitution, +10 days lifespan.”

“Slain a Northern Yuan soldier: +1 Strength, +15 days lifespan.”

“Slain a Northern Yuan soldier…”

“Slain a Northern Yuan Myriad-Man Commander: +50 to all stats, +100 days lifespan, +1 Tier-1 Treasure Chest.” Panel prompts rang continuously.

Yet Zhu Ying’s killing motions never paused—he kept swinging his battle blade, slaughtering Yuan soldiers around him, as if determined to exterminate every last enemy.

Without the commander’s fierce oversight, his troops now collapsed into utter disarray.

They scattered in all directions, abandoning armor and weapons, littering the ground, eyes wide with fear and despair, like birds terrified by the sound of a bowstring.

“Don’t panic!”

The two officers under the commander, equivalent to Garrison Commanders, now frantic, shouted desperately, trying to restore order.

“Hold the line! Stop the Ming!”

“The Second Prince has ordered—reinforcements are on the way! Do not retreat!”

Yet their cries were feeble, drowned out by the chaos of battle.

Faced with Zhu Ying’s relentless, unstoppable assault, the growing tide of Danning cavalry pouring into the city, and the Danning infantry now atop the walls, the Yuan defense had shattered completely, retreating in disarray—this collapse, like a dam bursting, was irreversible.

“Brothers!”

Zhu Ying, slashing through enemies as he roared, voice thick with power: “Kill! Kill every Tartar!”

For the Danning frontier troops, Zhu Ying was their soul, their invincible war god.

Hearing his voice alone stirred their blood, filled them with vigor.

As long as they knew their general still fought on the battlefield, still lived, their morale would never wane, never fade.

“Follow the General! Kill every Tartar!”

“Kill!”

“Leave none alive!”

“Charge… kill…”

Danning soldiers already inside the city roared wildly, eyes blazing with fanaticism, like fearless warriors launching the fiercest assault against the Yuan.

Their battle cries merged into a single, overwhelming force—as if it could shake the entire city to its foundations.

At the gate of Zhenxiacheng, the Ming army had completely broken through.

The first street had been seized by Danning troops—they advanced forward, stepping over endless piles of Yuan corpses.

Then the second, then the third street fell under Ming control.

The Yuan troops were driven back step by step, utterly powerless to resist.

More and more Danning soldiers surged into the city like an unstoppable tide, charging, slaughtering, killing without mercy.

Expanding their victory, step by step.

Outside the city!

Mu Sheng’s gaze remained locked on Zhenxiacheng.

Now, he waited anxiously for the moment Danning frontier troops fully breached the city’s interior.

Mu Sheng knew: only when Danning troops broke through the inner defenses could his Huizhouwei have the chance to follow and join the battle.

Huizhouwei’s structure differed entirely from Danning frontier troops: Danning had twenty thousand cavalry, charging the battlefield with unstoppable force, while Huizhouwei consisted solely of infantry—mostly reorganized defectors from Liaodong, barred by their deserter status from ever forming cavalry units.

This first battle for Huizhouwei must end in victory.

“General.”

The deputy general, face flushed with excitement: “When will it be our turn?”

The deputy general gripped his long blade tightly, ready to rush onto the battlefield and slaughter without mercy.

Mu Sheng turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the deputy’s eager face. He took a deep breath and said calmly: “Wait until the entire Danning frontier army has stormed into the city—then we advance.”

“Wait for orders.”

Though Mu Sheng’s heart burned with the same urgency, desperate to charge into the city at once, the Danning frontier troops had not yet fully breached the walls—clearly, it was not yet their turn to shine.

At present, his expression remained calm; only his tightly clenched fists betrayed the urgency deep within.

“General Zhu Ying is truly a divine figure.”

Mu Sheng turned his gaze back to the city engulfed in flames, thinking silently: “Cavalry breaking a city—so fierce.”

“The Yuan court poured countless resources into building these mighty passes and fortified cities along the border, hoping to block my Great Ming’s iron cavalry. Yet this stronghold, painstakingly fortified by the Northern Yuan, has been shattered by General Zhu as if it were nothing.”

“Such bravery, such mastery of command—I, Mu Sheng, am truly humbled.”

Mu Sheng’s eyes brimmed with admiration and awe. To witness Zhu Ying’s divine prowess in this battle firsthand was, for him, an invaluable treasure.

And at the central command post!

Zhu Di and Li Jinglong stood side by side, their eyes fixed intently on every movement across the battlefield, shielded by the shield-bearers.

On the battlefield, more and more Danning cavalry surged into the city like a tidal wave, their figures flickering in and out of the smoke.

Meanwhile, Danning infantry climbed the scaling ladders one by one, struggling yet resolute, engaging the Yuan troops in mortal combat atop the city walls.

Seeing this scene,

Zhu Di and Li Jinglong locked eyes, both outwardly displaying excitement and exhilaration!

This… this is battlefield merit!

To breach this heavily defended Yuan city on the very first day of battle—this is undeniably a momentous victory.

Especially Li Jinglong: his tense nerves instantly relaxed, a relieved smile spreading across his face as he thought inwardly: “Thank heaven I placed the Danning frontier army under my command—otherwise, capturing this city would have been impossible.”

“This battle, it seems, I’ll gain some real merit.”

“With this, His Majesty will surely value my Li family even more.”

“After this battle, I must write a detailed memorial praising Zhu Ying—thoroughly recommend him for honors. This way, we both benefit.”

Thinking of this, Li Jinglong could barely contain his excitement; his face glowed brighter with triumph.

He already imagined his triumphant return to Yingtian, standing in court, lauded for this very victory.

“Zhu Ying’s combat prowess is extraordinary.”

Zhu Di narrowed his eyes, staring hard at the city, his thoughts tangled: “Under his command, this Danning frontier army is terrifyingly fierce.”

“Every soldier fears neither death nor hardship, their stamina immense, their morale overwhelming.”

“Though my Beiping army once stood among the finest of frontier forces—indeed, the very best.”

“Yet now, it seems the Danning frontier army has surpassed my Beiping army.”

“How, exactly, does he train his men? Is it truly as simple as having them train together?”

“No, it cannot be that easy.”

Zhu Di’s eyes flickered with unease and suspicion; his inner disquiet deepened.

If Zhu Ying were merely a lone warrior of brute strength, his individual valor would be no threat.

But now, the entire Danning frontier army under his command is so formidable—how could Zhu Di not fear him? His heart churned with mixed emotions.

“Your Highness.”

Li Jinglong, beaming, turned to Zhu Di, his voice thick with awe: “This Danning frontier army is truly fearsome!”

“I’ve spent years in Yingtian—I’ve seen the Imperial Guard and the Jinwu Guard. Those are elite troops, meticulously selected from across the Great Ming.”

“But today, I see that even the Imperial Guard and Jinwu Guard may not match the Danning frontier army.”

“General Zhu Ying is truly remarkable—not only is he personally invincible, worthy of comparison to a reborn overlord, but even his soldiers are equally fierce.”

“No.”

Li Jinglong shook his head slightly, continuing: “These Danning frontier soldiers aren’t merely brave—they fear no death, they embrace it.”

“This seems deeply tied to General Zhu Ying leading from the front.”

“With General Zhu charging ahead, every officer in the Danning army follows suit: the Assistant Commander leads ten thousand men by charging ahead of them; the Garrison Commander leads five thousand by charging ahead of them.”

“Thus, though danger is immense, the entire army’s combat power has been elevated tremendously.”

“I will write a detailed battlefield report—submit it to His Majesty, detailing the Danning frontier army’s heroic strength.”

As Li Jinglong spoke, he nodded repeatedly, his face radiant with excitement.

Hearing this,

Zhu Di’s mind churned with complex thoughts, yet his face immediately broke into a thoughtful, agreeing smile. He nodded slightly and replied: “You’re right. The Danning frontier army is so fierce, General Zhu Ying so divine—this must be recorded in a detailed memorial and presented to His Majesty, so the Emperor knows of our army’s valor.”

Zhu Di spoke these words aloud.

Yet deep in his eyes, a faint shadow passed—like a plan taking shape.

……

(End of Chapter)