Chapter 94: Kill the Northern Yuan Commander Haralachang, Achieve Another Great Merit

As a general!

If you can’t even see this, you’re not fit to be a general.

“Brothers.”

“There’s been a change inside the Yuan city—their resistance has weakened.”

“Push harder—break into the city.”

“Kill these damned Yuan soldiers.”

Lan Yu swung his sword and roared.

“Kill, kill, kill!”

The Ming army outside the city roared with battle cries.

They intensified their assault.

For them, this was the moment to shatter the defenses as quickly as possible and storm the city to claim battle merit.

The battering ram slammed relentlessly against the city gate.

Boom, boom, boom!

One wave after another, unceasing.

Finally.

A series of snapping cracks.

The gate’s support beams finally gave way and shattered with a crash.

The gate burst open instantly; the Yuan soldiers inside were thrown back by the force, collapsing and writhing on the ground.

“The gate is broken!”

“The merit of breaching Yuan’s gate!”

Lan Yu’s eyes burned with fervor.

Though not as great as the merit of breaching Jincheng, capturing Kaiyuan was still merit enough to advance Lan Yu further on his path toward being enfeoffed as a Duke—if he reclaimed Liaodong, he might truly earn the title of Duke.

“Brothers.”

“Kill.”

“Slaughter every Yuan soldier.”

“Kill.”

Lan Yu roared, leading his troops into the city.

Meanwhile, the Ming soldiers on the scaling ladders grew even more ferocious, climbing the walls to fight the Yuan troops.

But.

After entering the city.

What met their eyes was not fierce Yuan resistance, but a crowd of unarmed laborers, armed with various weapons but forced forward by Yuan soldiers behind them.

“Did the Yuan troops flee?”

“That can’t be.”

“They held out so fiercely—if they were going to flee, they’d have fled already.” When Lan Yu entered the city and saw these laborers forced to fight, he could not help but feel confused.

Yet.

This was still the critical moment of battle; there was no time for Lan Yu to ponder.

“All troops, listen! Attack with full force.”

“Anyone holding a weapon is an enemy—kill without mercy.”

Lan Yu bellowed.

Countless Ming soldiers surged forward, one after another, into the city.

The clash of weapons, the clatter of steel and horses, the frenzied screams of battle.

Raged through Kaiyuan city.

But.

Though the battle at the West Gate was brutal, the fighting within the city grew even more cruel.

“Brothers, follow me and kill!”

“Slaughter every Yuan soldier.”

“Break into the Kaiyuan General’s Mansion!”

“Kill!”

Zhu Ying raised his battle knife, riding Wufeng, leading his troops forward.

Ahead were numerous fleeing Yuan soldiers.

Wufeng moved with great speed.

He quickly caught up to the fleeing Yuan troops.

His blade rose and fell.

Yuan soldiers’ heads, severed limbs, and spurting blood—utterly brutal.

It was a massacre.

“Slain a Northern Yuan soldier—gained 10 points of internal qi, gained 10 days of lifespan.”

“Slain a Northern Yuan soldier—gained 10 points of strength, gained 15 days of lifespan.”

“...”

Since entering the city.

The system prompts had been ringing constantly in Zhu Ying’s ears.

As he charged through the battle.

Without surprise.

Zhu Ying led his troops to a position just a few streets from the Kaiyuan General’s Mansion—the mansion’s halls were already visible in the distance.

“Brothers.”

“Ahead lies the Kaiyuan General’s Mansion—break it down, and claim the victory’s merit!”

Zhu Ying roared.

He accelerated his charge.

If the Huaixi faction had remained at peace with him, Zhu Ying would never have so openly competed for merit—but now that they were hostile, he would not yield to them. This chance to claim battle merit, this chance to kill enemies—he would not miss a single one.

“We swear to follow the General to death!”

“Kill!”

Zhang Wu, Wei Quan, and others roared.

They pushed their troops to follow Zhu Ying’s charge with all their strength.

Many soldiers behind raised their bows and shot arrows at the fleeing Yuan troops ahead.

Kill, kill!

Zhu Ying led his troops straight toward the General’s Mansion.

Along the way, the fleeing Yuan soldiers offered no resistance.

Just as they neared the mansion.

From several streets ahead.

Many Yuan soldiers were rapidly retreating eastward.

“Ming troops!”

“Break out in scattered groups!”

“Fight the Ming to the death!”

When they saw Zhu Ying and his Ming troops charging toward them, the gathered Yuan soldiers were stunned—but under their officers’ orders, they quickly organized to attack.

“It seems these Yuan troops are preparing to flee.”

Seeing the Yuan soldiers gathering on every street, Zhu Ying sneered.

He had understood their intent.

They planned to break out through the East Gate.

If so.

“Brothers.”

“The Yuan troops are preparing to flee.”

“The city’s fate is sealed.”

“But we’ve blocked their escape—they’ll fight us to the death.”

“Yet the West Gate—our Great Ming forces have already breached it.”

“Will you follow me and fight these Yuan troops to the end?”

Zhu Ying raised his battle knife and roared with authority.

“We swear to follow the General to death!”

All soldiers behind Zhu Ying answered with roaring voices, their killing intent boundless.

“Good.”

“Follow me—pierce through the Yuan troops!”

Zhu Ying roared loudly.

Carrying a sword.

Spurred his horse violently.

Like an arrow released from a bow, Wu Feng surged forward in a black blur.

“All troops, listen!”

“Break through the encirclement!”

Behind them.

Harazhang had already mounted his warhorse, watching Zhu Ying and the Ming troops ahead, and immediately roared an order.

Instantly!

Outside the General’s Mansion.

Yuan cavalry spearmen, long-sword troops, and archers charged toward Zhu Ying.

The great battle erupted once more!

Zhu Ying led the charge.

“Furious Dance Sword Art.”

His warblade slashed fiercely toward the advancing Yuan troops.

Blade flowers spun, blades glinted in all directions.

Five or six Yuan soldiers directly ahead were swallowed by the sharp blade-light—heads fell, their battle armor unable to block the edge, bodies toppled backward, riddled with wounds.

“Slain Yuan soldier…”

System prompts kept flashing.

But Zhu Ying’s killing intent did not cease.

Wu Feng was equally fierce; despite the overwhelming Yuan forces ahead, it charged full speed, utterly trusting its master.

Zhu Ying swung his warblade without pause.

One man, facing tens of thousands of Yuan troops.

Where the warhorse charged through.

Where the blade cut.

Yuan weapons shattered.

Countless Yuan soldiers fell.

The power of cavalry charge was unstoppable.

Zhu Ying became a killing god, slaughtering wildly.

Behind Zhu Ying.

His cavalrymen followed close behind, forming a long dragon of riders, wildly swinging their swords, chasing after their general in slaughter.

Watching the tightly packed Yuan lines—spears thrust, arrows rained.

Yet their formation had been brutally carved open into a blood-soaked path.

Yuan soldiers and horses tumbled in chaos.

As the cavalry charged through, corpses littered the ground, blood staining the entire street red.

“How could this Ming cavalry be so strong?”

Harazhang watched his troops unable to resist Zhu Ying’s charge, his face turning pale.

“Grand General.”

“The west gate has fallen to the Ming.”

“If we delay any longer, we’ll be surrounded,” a Yuan soldier cried, galloping up to Harazhang in panic.

Watching the Ming cavalry charging ahead, Harazhang’s expression tightened—he knew further entanglement meant certain death.

“We cannot linger.”

“Issue my order.”

“Divide and break out.”

“Do not fight the Ming to the death.”

“Withdraw.”

Harazhang shouted.

“Yes!”

Many Yuan officers immediately obeyed.

The Yuan army began dispersing and breaking out through various streets.

No longer resisting Zhu Ying head-on.

Yet Zhu Ying clearly paid no mind—even as they scattered, the Yuan commander’s banner, fluttering in the wind, had already caught his eye.

Zhu Ying swung his blade wildly, charged furiously.

His target: the Yuan commander’s battle standard.

In an army, the banner is the soul; when the banner falls, the soul scatters. The entire force moves according to the banner’s position.

“Shield troops, form a wall! Protect the Grand General’s retreat—withdraw along the left street of the General’s Mansion.”

“Archers, hold them back!”

“Spearmen, advance and engage!”

Harazhang’s subordinate Yuan officers bellowed orders.

Instantly!

The surrounding Yuan troops rapidly reformed.

Archers lined both sides of the street and loosed arrows at Zhu Ying’s charging force.

Spearmen surged forward directly.

Meanwhile, Yuan shield-bearers enclosed Harazhang and his officers, slowly retreating toward the side of the General’s Mansion.

“Trying to flee?”

“Once the meat is in my hands, I won’t let it slip.”

“Liaodong was always Chinese land—today is the war of restoration.”

“If I don’t slaughter you all, how will you know the might of Huaxia?”

Zhu Ying watched the Yuan movements, his face cold and grim.

“Wu Feng.”

“Charge.”

Zhu Ying slapped his horse’s flank and raised his warblade.

Wu Feng neighed and accelerated forward.

Straight ahead.

Countless Yuan spearmen charged toward him.

“Furious Dance Sword Art.”

Zhu Ying swung his blade.

True qi surged.

His full strength of over three thousand liang erupted.

Blade-light dense as a net, the warhorse charged forward—blade edges fell like a storm.

Like a bone-cleaver, the spears of several Yuan soldiers ahead were severed; the blade pierced forward, unleashing a massacre.

Scores of Yuan soldiers were swallowed by the blade’s glow.

Mass casualties.

Wu Feng moved in perfect sync—only charging forward, while Zhu Ying slashed without mercy.

Like a meat grinder, like a killing god—no one could stand before them.

“General’s divine might!”

“Our General is the reincarnation of Xiang Yu—none can match him!”

“We swear to follow the General to death!”

“Kill!”

Zhang Wu and Wei Quan screamed in excitement.

Leading the cavalry in close pursuit, their morale soaring, they split and slashed enemies left and right.

The vanguard—their General—had broken through. Now their duty was to follow, charge, and slash without restraint.

Cavalry penetration.

The Yuan defense shattered easily.

Though the Yuan spearmen were meant to counter cavalry, their formation collapsed before Zhu Ying’s unstoppable fury.

Soon.

Zhu Ying reached the shield wall protecting Harazhang’s retreat.

“Protect the Grand General!”

The Yuan officer commanding the spearmen and archers outside the shield wall screamed in panic as Zhu Ying charged toward them.

Instantly.

Archers all around loosed a storm of arrows at Zhu Ying, now only a dozen steps away.

Zhu Ying wasn’t worried at all.

His battle blade slashed through the air, swift as lightning.

Every arrow fired at him was cleaved from the sky; Wu Feng surged forward, closing the distance to the archers in moments.

“Cut!”

Zhu Ying roared.

The blade swept through.

“Ahh… ahh…”

Dozens of Yuan soldiers screamed as their bodies and heads were severed by the blade, slaughtered in brutal fashion.

But Zhu Ying’s gaze locked onto the shield wall ahead, giving the Yuan archers no chance to re-form their defense.

Wu Feng charged forward.

“Die.”

One slash unleashed.

The Yuan commander frantically raised his sword to meet it.

But his blade hadn’t even lifted.

Crack.

His head fell to the ground.

“Slain: Yuan Wanfu Commander. Gained: +50 to all stats. Gained: 100 days of lifespan.” The panel notified.

“How could the Ming have such a ferocious warrior?”

Inside the shield wall.

Harla Zhang, retreating rapidly, turned and saw Zhu Ying’s brutality—his face paled instantly.

His ten-thousand-man army, charging full force, could not halt this Ming offensive.

Especially that Ming general on the black horse—unstoppable, invincible.

“That… that seems to be Yun’an Prince’s steed.”

“Could he be…?”

Looking at the ferocious Zhu Ying, Harla Zhang suddenly realized: “He’s the Ming general, Zhu Ying.”

After Manjier’s death,

the news had spread with the fleeing troops.

Yun’an Prince had been slain by the Ming general Zhu Ying.

“Retreat.”

“Retreat.”

Filled with dread, Harla Zhang spotted a side street and spurred his horse to flee.

His surrounding cavalry guards followed close behind.

The front-line shield troops held the line to shield him.

But now!

West of the General’s Mansion.

Lan Yu led a large Ming force into the city.

Seeing the fleeing Yuan troops ahead, Lan Yu’s eyes burned with excitement.

Especially the Yuan commander’s battle standard, surging eastward—his gaze intensified.

That meant Harla Zhang hadn’t escaped.

“Brothers!”

“Ahead lies the Kaiyuan City General’s Mansion. Seize it. Capture Harla Zhang. That’s the greatest merit.”

“Follow me—charge!”

Lan Yu roared, voice thick with fervor.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

Countless Ming soldiers screamed, swinging swords and thrusting spears forward.

And now—

Zhu Ying had reached the Yuan shield wall.

The wall was dense.

Spears jutted from its surface.

It seemed impregnable.

But Zhu Ying’s power built without pause—until the moment he drew near.

“Powerful slash!”

He gathered all his strength, infusing it with true qi.

In an instant as he closed the distance—

His battle blade crashed down.

The blade struck the tightly packed shield wall.

Boom!

Sparks flew!

“Aaaah!!”

A chorus of agonized screams.

The shield wall shattered instantly; shields cracked apart; qi exploded outward, hurling over a dozen Yuan soldiers backward—killed in an instant.

The shield wall was as fragile as tofu—offering zero defense.

The surrounding Yuan soldiers stared in shock, watching Zhu Ying’s invincible ferocity, filled with terror and dread.

“Is he even human?”

“How could the Ming have such a brutal warrior?”

“Has our Great Yuan truly lost to Ming?”

“…”

Many Yuan soldiers stared at Zhu Ying, their will to fight gone—only fear remained.

But Zhu Ying cared nothing for their fear; his gaze remained locked on the fleeing Harla Zhang.

At this moment—

Harla Zhang was over a hundred paces away, with countless Yuan troops blocking Zhu Ying’s path—catching him would be difficult.

“Let him escape, and the great merit flies away.”

Zhu Ying stared at Harla Zhang galloping beneath his battle standard, yanked Wu Feng to a halt, laid his blade across his saddle, and drew the Bao Diao Bow from his back. His right hand swept behind him—arrow nocked.

With Zhu Ying’s immense strength, the bowstring drew fully taut, true qi infused into the arrowhead.

“Retreat! Quick retreat!”

“Withdraw to the East Gate!”

“Spear troops lead the way!”

Harla Zhang shouted orders.

He kept glancing back.

But now—

As Harla Zhang turned his head, through the gaps in the chaos, he saw Zhu Ying—the ferocious, ruthless warrior—raising his bow, his cold, killing gaze fixed on him.

That gaze sent ice through Harla Zhang’s body.

On the other side—

Lan Yu led his army in a full assault toward Harla Zhang’s direction, with countless Ming soldiers chasing after him.

At this moment—

Lan Yu’s command was nearly aligned with Zhu Ying’s on the same street, left and right, while Harla Zhang fled down the central road.

“Brothers!”

“Charge!”

“Harla Zhang is right ahead!”

Lan Yu roared—he’d spotted Harla Zhang’s panicked figure, but the thick Yuan defenses hid the other Ming force attacking from the opposite side.

“Slay Harla Zhang, and this is the great merit of breaking Kaiyuan City.”

“I will claim this battle merit,” Lan Yu’s heart burned with ambition.

Because of Zhu Ying’s presence,

the glory of capturing Jincheng was no longer his—it belonged to Fu Youde, since Zhu Ying served under him, and had broken Jincheng under his command.

To forge new merit, to advance toward Dukehood, he must seize this one.

But now—

“Die!”

Zhu Ying silently snarled in his heart.

Bang!

The bowstring snapped taut.

Shh!

The arrow shot through the air, instantly streaking toward Harlachang.

The arrow flew over the heads of countless Yuan soldiers.

It also pierced through the gaps between many Yuan troops.

“Danger!”

“Protect the Grand General!”

One of Harlachang’s personal guards spotted the speeding arrow and rushed forward to block it.

Several other personal guards immediately ran over to Harlachang’s side.

Pfft!!

A sound of armor piercing through.

The arrow pierced straight through the guard who tried to block it, yet its force remained unspent.

Following closely behind.

It pierced through three or four more guards in succession.

Harlachang watched in horror as the arrow shot through the body of his guard, straight toward him.

“No.”

Harlachang cried out in despair.

Pfft!

The arrow instantly pierced through Harlachang’s chest.

“How… how could an arrow have such… such force…”

Harlachang looked down at the arrow piercing his chest, face twisted in pain, eyes clouded with confusion.

His body fell straight off his warhorse.

It seemed.

Even in his final moment, he could not fathom how this arrow possessed such power—piercing four of his guards, passing through their bodies, and shattering their armor.

What kind of strength, what kind of divine bow could achieve this?

And to the west.

“Harlachang has been hit and fallen from his horse!”

Lan Yu had been fixed on Harlachang’s position, sprinting forward.

When he saw Harlachang fall, his face lit up with wild joy.

“Who shot Harlachang?”

“Record as major merit!”

Lan Yu shouted excitedly.

But he did not know.

That arrow was not fired by any of his men.

Hearing Lan Yu’s cry, his soldiers and officers all stared in confusion.

“Slain the Northern Yuan commander [Harlachang]. Gained +150 points to all attributes. Reward: One Tier-I Treasure Chest.” The system prompt said.

The next moment.

“Cavalry unit, listen to my order!”

“Follow me and kill!”

“Slaughter every last Yuan soldier—kill as many as you can!”

After Zhu Ying shot down Harlachang, he immediately stowed the Bao-Diao Bow and lifted his Tiger-Head Great Knife once more.

He spurred his horse forward.

And charged again.

“We swear to follow the General to death!”

“Kill!!”

Thousands of cavalry soldiers roared, their killing aura shaking the city.

And at this moment!

Lan Yu froze in shock.

……

PS: Five thousand characters delivered. Thank you, brothers, for your support. Please don’t skip ahead—it affects recommendations. I beg you, I beg you.

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(End of Chapter)