Chapter 351: Yùshí Jù Fén: Fight to the Death

“Hurry! All of you, move faster!” Mu Feihang, drenched in sweat, continually urged his troops to hasten their retreat westward.

At this moment, all he wanted was to escape the pursuit of Jiang Mingyu’s army by slipping away through the back roads of Jizhou; he dared not even think of the smoky ruins of Guizhou behind him.

“Commander! Ambush ahead!” A soldier suddenly cried out. Mu Feihang looked up to see Li Goudan, wielding a long blade, charging forth with a band of iron cavalry, blocking their path.

“What?! Li Goudan, how are you here?!” Mu Feihang was stunned—just moments ago, Li Goudan had been chasing them from behind; how had he suddenly appeared ahead?

Li Goudan smirked coldly: “Didn’t expect that, did you? The terrain around Guizhou is far better known to the Suizhou garrison than to either of us. Just now, Song An showed me a shortcut—I got here ahead of you rats!”

Mu Feihang forced himself to calm down. “Twelve men? What can you possibly do? Drop your weapons, kneel, and surrender—I’ll spare your lives!”

“You’re tired of living, are you? It’s you who should kneel and surrender!” Li Goudan roared. The iron cavalry instantly loosed a volley of arrows and crossbow bolts; Mu Feihang’s southern troops were thrown into chaos, littering the ground with dead and wounded.

Mu Feihang turned pale—he knew full well this place bordered Guizhou City, and Song An knew the terrain here far better than he did. He had indeed tricked him, deliberately guiding Li Goudan to circle around and cut them off!

“Hahaha...” A series of sharp, mocking laughs suddenly echoed from behind. Mu Feihang’s heart froze—he instantly realized: this was Tu Kesiluo, Jiang Mingyu’s fierce general, leading iron cavalry in hot pursuit.

“Commander, we’re defeated,” a staff officer stammered. “Let’s surrender quickly—we might still escape with our lives!”

“Surrender?” Mu Feihang narrowed his eyes and sneered. “When did Mu Feihang ever bow to the enemy? Better to die fighting than live as a prisoner! Transmit my order—launch a full counterattack!”

“Yes!” The officers responded in unison and turned to relay the command. At that moment, an old man stepped forward—it was Du Yi, Mu Feihang’s trusted deputy. His face was grim as he whispered, “Commander, this is too reckless. Fighting again will likely mean no survivors. Let me impersonate you with a small group to draw Jiang Mingyu’s forces away—you can break out while they’re distracted!”

Mu Feihang glared at him fiercely. “When did Mu Feihang ever run away? Du Yi, you’ve grown too timid!”

Du Yi sighed and stepped back into the crowd. He knew Mu Feihang’s stubborn nature—once he’d decided to hold the wall, no force could make him flee.

Just then, a southern soldier galloped up to report that Song An himself was leading eighty thousand troops and had joined forces with Jiang Mingyu’s iron cavalry three li away. Mu Feihang’s face turned ashen—he knew now, beyond doubt, that he had been trapped in a massive encirclement.

“Ha! Our Commander Mu is ready to go down with us!” Tu Kesiluo sneered, drawing his waist sword and pointing it sharply at Mu Feihang. “Listen up—all of you, charge! Leave not a single one alive!”

“Aaaah—” A deafening roar of battle cries erupted as the iron cavalry surged forward like a tide through an empty land. Soon, blood sprayed three feet high; the southern troops were slaughtered in droves.

“Commander, there’s no time left—we can’t hold much longer!” Du Yi sighed from his saddle, his eyes filled with pity. “If you still wish for even a sliver of hope, I beg you—leave now!”

Mu Feihang’s face flushed crimson. He clenched his teeth until they cracked, then shook his head fiercely: “I will never flee. As long as I draw breath, I will fight Jiang Mingyu to the death!”

Du Yi finally gave up hope—he knew Mu Feihang would die fighting to the end.

Mu Feihang let out a deafening roar to the heavens: “Jiang Mingyu! Remember this—I, Mu Feihang, will not fall to a brash boy like you! All troops, charge!”

Jiang Mingyu arrived with his main force. Mu Feihang realized escape was impossible—his fate was sealed. Yet his proud spirit refused to yield; he gripped his twin-bladed saber tightly, eyes blazing.

“Alright, brothers!” he shouted. “Today is the day we fight for life or death! Today, we die serving our country! Follow me—cut our way out!”

Li Goudan’s eyes narrowed at these bold words. “Arrogant fool! Let me show you how you’re finished!” He raised his hand and roared: “Iron cavalry, charge!”

Eighty thousand troops surged forward. Li Goudan led from the front, cutting through enemies like wheat. Soon, dark red blood splattered his face—but he only laughed harder and pressed on.

“Hahahaha...” Song An spurred his steed beside him, sweeping his blade through ranks of soldiers. Years of bitter defense had piled up his rage—and now he would vent it, one head at a time.

“Die, southern barbarians!” Song An roared, severing one skull after another.

Surrounded on three sides, the southern troops quickly broke. Mu Feihang charged left and right, but could not alter the tide. Then, a cold voice sounded behind him:

“What escape route are you expecting?”

Mu Feihang spun around in horror—Tu Kesiluo stood there, a gleaming longsword pressed against his throat, mere hairsbreadth away.

“You... when...” Mu Feihang stammered, stunned.

“Farewell, old friend,” Tu Kesiluo said calmly, flicking his blade. Mu Feihang’s head severed cleanly, rolling into the dust.

The sight of their commander’s death shattered the southern troops’ morale. They abandoned their armor and fled in panic. The battle was over.

Jiang Mingyu gazed coldly at Mu Feihang’s corpse. “A mere Tangbi , daring to block the might of Great Jiang? Utterly presumptuous.”

Li Goudan wiped the crimson from his blade and grinned. “Yeah, yeah—he thought he’d earn the first kill, but he didn’t even get to taste our breath before he was cut down!”

Tu Kesiluo sheathed his sword with indifference. “Pfft. Just scattered rabble. Couldn’t even hold out for a cup of tea. Not worth mentioning.”

Watching the panicked southern fugitives scatter, Jiang Mingyu raised his hand. “Stop. Cease all pursuit.”

Tu Kesiluo frowned in confusion. “Brother, these fools just tried to kill us. What good is surrender now? Better to cut them all down as an example!”

Li Goudan and Song An nodded silently—they agreed with Tu Kesiluo.

But Jiang Mingyu waved them off calmly. “Keep them alive—they’ll be useful. Bring them all back to the city alive.”

The officers exchanged glances, baffled, but obeyed, relaying the order to capture rather than kill.