Chapter 582: Defile! Blood and Flesh Great Wall

The remnant veins of Commoners Mountain, a black stone defile.

This place is the throat of the route from Yancheng northwest to the interior of Commoners Mountain.

The mountains on both sides suddenly closed in, forming a narrow passage about a hundred steps long and wide enough for only four or five horses to ride abreast.

At the end of the passage, the terrain widens slightly, but then immediately becomes a steep upward slope.

At this moment, before dawn, it is the darkest time before daybreak.

On the slopes on both sides of the defile, jagged rocks are scattered and dry grass sways.

Lin Chong lay hidden behind a huge blue stone, his breathing extremely slow, his eyes fixed on the entrance of the passage below.

Although his left arm wound had been bandaged, after a night of ambush by the guest soldiers it began to ache faintly.

However, at this moment, any pain was suppressed by the high tension and focus.

Beside him, Yue Yun tightly gripped a pair of iron awls, his young face tense, his lips pressed into a straight line.

He would occasionally glance at Lin Chong's profile, then quickly look away, gazing toward the dark approach.

Behind them, more than four hundred warriors lay hidden in silence.

The soldiers of the Northward Aspiration Army and the Beiwei Army mingled together, leaning against the cold rocks, gripping their weapons.

No one spoke.

Only the wind's moan through the defile and a distant, thunder-like rumble could be heard.

That was the direction of Yancheng.

The battle had already begun.

"They're here."

Lin Chong's ears twitched slightly, and he almost squeezed out two words from between his teeth.

Yue Yun immediately focused his attention.

At first, nothing could be heard.

But soon, the ground transmitted an extremely faint yet continuous vibration.

It was not the sound of hooves, but rather… a dull echo of countless running footsteps mixed with the dragging of wheels and equipment.

Moreover, the sound grew nearer and louder.

Finally, the halo of the first torch appeared at the far end of the defile passage.

Then came the second, the third… linking together into a writhing fire dragon.

Figures moved to and fro, the glint of armor sparkling here and there in the firelight.

The Jin army's pursuers had arrived.

Their numbers far exceeded expectations.

Judging by the scale of the torches and the dust kicked up by their advance, the vanguard alone numbered at least two or three thousand, with more troops seemingly following behind.

"Ready."

Lin Chong's voice was low and steady.

He lightly raised his hand.

On the slope, every soldier's fingers caught the crossbow trigger, gripped the bowstring tight, or seized the stacked stones beside them.

The Jin army's vanguard was clearly in a hurry.

They did not bother to scout the slopes on either side, merely sending a few scouts to dash through the passage and glance at the two slopes.

In the dim light before dawn, they did not detect the carefully concealed ambush troops.

The large force began to pour into the narrow passage.

Footsteps, hoofbeats, metallic clangs, and heavy breathing echoed between the stone walls, creating an especially noisy din.

Lin Chong's hand suddenly swept down.

"Release!"

Swish! Swish swish swish!

On the slopes on both sides, the crossbow bolts that had been lying in wait were the first to strike.

At such close range, with such a dense target.

The Jin cavalry and infantry at the very front, as if hitting an invisible wall, screamed and fell in swaths.

"An ambush!"

"Song troops! There are Song troops on the slopes!"

The Jin army's ranks instantly fell into chaos.

But soon, the roar of a Jin army captain of a thousand drowned out the confusion.

"Don't panic!"

"The passage is narrow; retreating will only trample ourselves!"

"Archers, shoot upward at both sides!"

"Infantry, raise your shields and charge forward for me!"

"Charge through this stretch of the defile, and ahead it opens up!"

The quality of the Jin army showed itself at this moment.

After the initial panic, they quickly organized a counterattack under the officers' rebukes.

Shields were raised, protecting heads and the front.

Sparks of arrows began to rebound toward the slopes.

More infantry lowered their heads, bore their shields, gritted their teeth, and surged fiercely toward the far end of the passage.

They knew well that to remain in this narrow spot was to become a living target.

Smash!

Lin Chong issued the order again.

The prepared rolling logs and stones were shoved down by the soldiers with great effort.

Heavy logs and boulder-sized stones rolled down the steep slope with a thunderous roar, carrying an overwhelming force, smashing into the crowded passage below.

Shields were as flimsy as paper before the rolling stones.

The sound of shattering bones and shrill screams instantly drowned out everything else.

The passage was instantly blocked by corpses and wounded soldiers wailing in agony.

The Jin army's charge momentum stalled.

Good!

Yue Yun couldn't help but let out a low shout, excitement flashing in his eyes.

But Lin Chong's face grew even more solemn.

He knew this was only the beginning.

The Jin army had suffered a great loss and would not let it rest.

As expected, the main force of the Jin army in the rear came to a halt.

The torchlight gathered into a sheet in the distance.

After a brief silence, the bugle sounded.

This time, the Jin army changed its tactics.

They no longer blindly charged the passage.

Instead, they split into several units, attempting to climb the gentler parts of the slopes on both sides, hoping to clear the ambush troops on the mountain.

At the passage entrance, the Jin army brought in more archers and crossbowmen, beginning a continuous suppressive fire on the slopes.

Arrows fell like a swarm of locusts onto the slope, embedding in the rocks with a clattering sound.

From time to time, a soldier was struck by an arrow and collapsed with a groan.

Lower your heads! Dodge the arrows!

Spearmen, hold the gentle slope!

Crossbowmen, aim at the climbing enemies and fire freely!

Lin Chong moved crouched in the arrow rain, continually issuing orders.

The battle entered a more brutal stalemate.

The soldiers of the Northward Aspiration Army and the Defiant Army, using the terrain, stubbornly resisted the Jin army that outnumbered them severalfold.

Every gentle slope and behind every boulder, fierce fighting was underway.

Yue Yun could no longer hold back, leading a unit of Defiant Army sword-and-axe soldiers, he actively charged toward a slope about to be breached by the Jin army.

The iron awl swung, massive and heavy.

He was young and vigorous, unmatched in bravery, repeatedly smashing several Jin soldiers, temporarily stabilizing the line.

But the Jin army was simply too numerous.

For every ten that fell, twenty more stepped forward to replace them.

They surged like a tide, continually assaulting the fragile defenses on both sides of the pass.

Time, in the ordeal of blood and fire, trickled away bit by bit.

Lin Chong had lost count of how many thrusts he had made and how many arrows he had blocked.

The wound on his left arm split completely, blood soaking through the bandage and trickling down his arm.

But he was oblivious to it.

His eyes held only the battle situation.

Two hours.

They needed to at least delay the Jin army for two hours to buy time for the marshal's main breakout force to enter Commoner Mountain and escape pursuit.

Now it seemed each breath lasted as long as a year.

Instructor Lin! The western third slope can't hold much longer!

A Northward Aspiration soldier, his face covered in blood, stumbled over to report.

Lin Chong's heart tightened.

The western third slope is a relatively open incline; if lost, the Jin army could pour in great numbers onto the ridge, at which point the entire ambush position would collapse.

Yue Yun!

He shouted hoarsely.

This is yours to hold! You must defend the central route!

I'm going to the west side!

Having said that, he didn't wait for Yue Yun's response, grabbed his spear, took the remaining dozen or so personal guards, and rushed toward the west side.

Yue Yun watched Lin Chong's blood-streaked back, gritted his teeth and nodded firmly, then turned and poured his fury into the Jin soldiers surging forward again.

On the western third slope, the situation had become extremely dire.

Dozens of fierce Jin soldiers had already stormed the summit, mingling in melee with the defenders.

Over half of the defenders were casualties, and the line was on the verge of collapse.

Brothers of the Northward Aspiration Army!

Lin Chong's voice arrived before he did.

Follow me—

Kill!

He charged into the battle like a wounded tiger.

His spear thrust forth like a dragon, specks of cold light bursting open, instantly stabbing three Gold soldiers to the ground.

The personal guards behind him also joined the fray fiercely.

The arrival of fresh troops slightly steadied the footing.

But the Gold Army's reserve units kept surging upward.

Lin Chong fought blood-soaked, his spear skill superb, but the toll of his stamina and wounds grew ever more apparent.

A moment's inattention, a Gold Army swordsman lunged from his right, his battle sword fiercely hacking at his neck.

Lin Chong hastily twisted aside, avoiding the vital point.

But the blade still struck his right shoulder, cutting a deep gash down to the bone.

Intense pain shot through him; Lin Chong's vision blackened, and he staggered half a step.

"Instructor!"

The personal guards beside him, eyes bursting with rage, gave their lives to shield him.

"Don't mind me!"

Lin Chong growled low, planting his spear in the ground to barely stay upright.

Blood welled from the wounds in his right shoulder and left arm, quickly staining his battle robe red.

His vision began to blur, the shouts of killing sounding as if muffled by water.

But he knew he could not fall.

If he fell, this line of defense would be over.

The main force behind him would then be in danger.

He clenched his tongue tight, using the sharp pain to stir his fading consciousness.

Raise the spear.

Fight again.

Who knows how long passed after that.

It felt like merely an instant, yet also like an eternity.

A familiar roar, choked with tears, jolted him from his near‑numb slaughter.

"Instructor Lin!"

Yue Yun, drenched in blood like a blood‑filled gourd, rushed forward and smashed with a thrust, sending the Gold Army centurion who was about to chop Lin Chong flying.

He supported the swaying Lin Chong, tears mixing with blood streaming down.

"Has the time… come?"

Lin Chong asked weakly, his voice hoarse to the point of being barely audible.

"It has! More than an hour!"

Yue Yun answered, choking up.

The Gold Army's main force down the mountain seems to have… split! Part of it has pursued northeast! The assault here… has eased!

Hearing this, the taut string in Lin Chong suddenly slackened.

His body went limp; had Yue Yun not held him fast, he would have collapsed to the ground.

He painfully turned his head, gazing down at the mountain pass.

Sure enough, the torches of the Gold Army's main force were moving northeast.

The Gold Army remnants left in the passage also seemed to have received orders, beginning to fight while retreating.

They… succeeded?

Really… they delayed the pursuing troops by a crucial hour?

"Pass the order…"

Lin Chong expended his last strength to speak to Yue Yun.

"Alternate covering… retreat…"

"Follow the planned route… to the depths of Commoner Mountain… rendezvous point…"

"You… you take command…"

Having said that, his head lolled and he fainted completely.

"Instructor Lin! Instructor Lin!"

Yue Yun embraced the unconscious Lin Chong, hoarsely calling out.

In reply, only the gradually dying battle cries and the thick, inseparable scent of blood in the mountain wind.

He lifted his head.

The sky was already dimly bright.

In the faint light, corpses lay strewn inside and outside the mountain pass, broken weapons and tattered flags plunged into the bloody mud.

Of the over four hundred brave warriors, fewer than a hundred could still stand.

And each of them bore wounds.

Yue Yun wiped a handful of blood‑tears from his face, then carefully handed Lin Chong to the nearby soldier.

He straightened his blood‑stained spine, gazing toward the direction of Mallard City to the northeast, and then toward the depths of Commoner Mountain to the southwest.

On his youthful face appeared for the first time a gravity and resolve beyond his years.

"Clear the battlefield, bring along every brother who can walk."

"We… withdraw."