Chapter 102: Fierce Slaying of Abatai

No matter how valiantly Li Chengdong fought this time, against the even fiercer Ajige and the battle-hardened White Armor soldiers, the Ming troops around him were rapidly collapsing, and his household retainers were falling one by one.

Seeing that he could no longer hold out, Li Chengdong immediately switched to a life-for-life fighting style—as Abatai's blade struck his right shoulder, he desperately drove his long spear deep into the man's belly.

Seeing this, Gao Jie burned with anxiety. Knowing he could no longer stand on the city wall and watch the outcome from afar, he led his household retainers down to intercept the routed soldiers.

Just then, a Company Commander ran back and reported that they had discovered a quantity of sealed wine in a cellar, likely left behind by the Ming troops who had once been stationed here.

Gao Jie did not hesitate. With a wave of his hand, he ordered his retainers to bring up all the wine, and before everyone's eyes he drank a large cup with gusto, then shouted:

"What are you running for? Where can you run to anyway?"

As he spoke, Gao Jie poured himself another large cup. After downing two full cups, he grew somewhat spirited and bold, swinging his iron staff with a fierce whoosh as he sneered:

"For years, this commander has roamed the world with this staff in hand. I do not boast—beneath this staff, countless souls have already perished! This Abatai cannot trap me, the Mountain-Crossing Falcon!"

By now, the retainers had gone down to distribute the wine to the fleeing soldiers. The amount was not great, but it was barely enough for one bowl per man. Gao Jie then hurled his own wine bowl violently to the ground and roared:

"The Tartars each have several sturdy horses! Since we cannot outrun them, why not follow this general into bloody battle and win ourselves a name of dying for the country in war! Those who died in the great victory at military pay and provisions—what treatment they received afterward, have you all forgotten?"

The wine was not much, but its taste was sharp and fiery. After drinking a full cup, the men felt that the Qing soldiers before them no longer seemed so terrifying. Remembering the blessings their descendants might receive after their deaths, they smashed their wine bowls one after another and roared wildly.

With just a few short sentences, Gao Jie had lifted the morale that was on the verge of collapse—there was no fault to find in that.

Li Chengdong had always been a sinister and ruthless man, and after Gao Jie's death in later years, he had flip-flopped between Ming and Qing, his true intentions impossible to discern.

This man bowed to no one, yet he alone held Gao Jie in awe and reverence—and there was a reason for that.

Just then, a household retainer covered in blood stumbled back and reported with clasped fists:

"Bad news, Great Commander! General Li has been killed by that Abatai!"

"What did you say?"

Gao Jie was shaken by the news. Looking out, he indeed saw the laughing Abatai holding up the head of Li Chengdong—his most trusted subordinate—as a trophy. He flew into a thunderous rage.

Abatai had also endured a bitter struggle. He had assumed Li Chengdong was the commander of this Ming force and was still muttering to himself, thinking that this unknown Ming general was truly tenacious, with no small fighting ability—even he himself had been gravely wounded by the man's spear when he let his guard down.

In the Ming army of today, Abatai rarely encountered such fierce generals anymore. Still, fortunately, he, the Prince of Raoyu, was even more ferocious—it seemed this battle was already decided.

While he was still showing off, Abatai suddenly sensed a bloody killing intent rushing straight toward him from the northeast. Lifting his gaze, he saw a rough man in iron armor brandishing an iron staff, sharpening his blade for the kill.

Abatai sensed an even heavier aura from this Ming general than from the previous one. At this moment, blood was continuously flowing from his lower abdomen—clearly he could hardly fight on.

Glancing back at the Eight Banner soldiers cheering for him, Abatai hesitated for a moment, then refused to show weakness and personally charged forward to meet the enemy. The iron staff weighing several hundred jin clashed against the tiger-head broadsword, sending sparks flying.

The Qing soldiers were stunned—the first to give way was actually the invincible Abatai.

The Bayara Janggin followed the trail of blood with his eyes and saw only Abatai clutching his lower abdomen, his face pale. He immediately understood that Abatai had been gravely wounded in the earlier fight but had concealed it out of pride.

Without a moment's hesitation, the Janggin raised his long spear and charged at Gao Jie—but after only a few steps, he was intercepted by a Platoon Officer in iron armor who swung his blade to block the way.

"Heh heh, you dog of a Tartar! If you want to touch my Great Commander, you'll have to get through me first!"

This Platoon Officer had followed Gao Jie across the length and breadth of the land and was highly skilled in martial arts. The Bayara Janggin, who in truth had only a smattering of Chinese and had no heart for battle—nor any desire to understand what this southern barbarian was shouting—was focused solely on protecting his master. Instead, he found himself beaten back by Gao Jie's retainer-Platoon Officer, able only to parry and defend.

With Gao Jie and his retainers joining the fight personally, the tottering city wall suddenly gained a fresh wave of strength. Many of the fleeing soldiers had their morale lifted by this and turned back, brandishing their blades and spears to rejoin the slaughter.

With this turn of events, it was the Qing army that began to show signs of decline.

From the start of the assault to now, the two sides had traded blow for blow. The city gate had long since been breached, and the defenses were hanging by a thread—yet somehow, that final gap was one the Qing soldiers simply could not tear open.

Whenever victory seemed within reach, some unforeseen development would immediately arise. The Ming soldiers who had scattered in flight, for reasons unknown, would regroup and rejoin the fight.

This spirit truly baffled Abatai beyond all comprehension.

The battle raged on. The Bayara Janggin found this pest utterly irritating and knew he could not shake him off, so he gave full rein to his horse, determined to cut down this Ming dog who was tired of living.

This Bayara Janggin was reckoned the most ferocious warrior in the Plain Blue Banner after Abatai himself. Once he put his whole heart into it, the Platoon Officer was no match for him. After only a few exchanges, both of the officer's hands split open at the tiger's mouth, and he spat blood as he was driven back in defeat.

The Bayara Janggin disdained to pursue, and turned to go aid the steadily retreating Abatai. But he had only taken a few steps when the Platoon Officer, still refusing to give up, threw down his blade and spear and lunged forward, wrapping his arms around the Janggin's leg and refusing to let go no matter what.

"You dog of a Tartar! Your grandpa here will die together with you!"

After struggling to shake him off a few times, the Bayara Janggin flew into a rage, losing all composure like a mad dog out of control. He raised his other foot and stomped down violently.

"Puh..."

Immediately after, the Bayara Janggin lifted up the now-immobile Platoon Officer, laughed loudly a few times, and was about to hurl him off the wall in fury—when suddenly, an iron spear pierced straight through his chest and abdomen.

The moment the spear pierced through him, the Bayara Janggin seemed to lose all his strength. Struggling, he lowered his head to look—this iron spear was actually the very one that always stood behind the Prince of Raoyu.

The Bayara Janggin's face was full of confusion. Using the last of his strength, he turned his head to look and saw a sight he would never have believed in his life.

There stood Gao Jie, iron staff in his right hand, one foot planted on the lifeless corpse of Abatai, and in his hand he held—the head of the Great Qing's Prince of Raoyu, Abatai, the man he had believed invincible!

At this moment, Gao Jie appeared to the soldiers like a blood-soaked war god of the Great Ming. Everyone followed him in wild shouting and screaming—a hundred years of humiliation, finally washed clean on this very day!

"Brothers! For the Emperor! For the Great Ming! Drive these Jianzhou barbarians back to their Tungusic homeland!!"

"Don't let a single one escape!!"

Abatai's death shocked everyone still on the city wall. The Ming army's morale soared, and the soldiers all fought with reckless valor, while the Qing troops, in extreme terror, collapsed and scattered in an instant.

Even that Bayara Janggin was shot dead from afar by a spear Gao Jie hurled.