Chapter 353: A Foolish Act

When Jiang Jiang Mingyu left the main camp, it was the third watch; the silent night sky held no omen. At that very same moment, Eight-Character Beard led a group of Southern Border death warriors, fighting with their backs to the water, quietly slipping toward the commander's tent in the camp's center.

Eight-Character Beard gripped the cold dagger at his waist, checking every sentry post with meticulous care, until finally arriving before the commander's tent door.

"There are still two dead men left; you two split up and deal with them immediately," he whispered.

Two guards responded and set off; moments later came the dull sound of a wooden club piercing a throat. Eight-Character Beard thought, Heaven aids me, and was just about to lift the curtain and enter when a startled cry exploded in the distant night sky:

"Your Majesty has returned to camp!"

Eight-Character Beard stood frozen before the tent, not yet having reacted, when he heard a stern, thunderous shout from behind: "Who goes there, daring to trespass the commander's tent!" The tone was filled with furious rage.

"No good, it's actually Tu Tu Kesiluo!" Eight-Character Beard's heart sank; he knew too well this fierce general's deadly prowess.

The scar-faced man beside him was so terrified his face went bloodless: "It's all over! We must leave at once!"

Eight-Character Beard quickly turned and signaled: "Shut up! It's too late; our only chance is to burst into the commander's tent and go all out to die together!"

The scar-faced man gritted his teeth and finally nodded heavily. They all knew clearly that tonight there would be no tomorrow's sun.

"Brothers, farewell!" Eight-Character Beard said tragically. "We shall not meet in this life; let us meet again in the next!"

No sooner had his words fallen than he tore open the tent curtain and rushed in. At that very instant, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's figure appeared before him!

Both were stunned by the sudden turn of events! Fortunately, Eight-Character Beard forced a reaction, swinging his dagger by pure reflex.

"Swish—"

A streak of silver flashed; Jiang Jiang Mingyu, quick-eyed and quick-handed, dodged this fatal strike.

"Assassin!" he roared.

"Men! Seize the assassin!"

Immediately, dozens of guards responded and surged out, quickly surrounding the commander's tent. Eight-Character Beard and his death warriors exchanged a desperate glance, knowing their time had come...

After Jiang Jiang Mingyu escaped danger, his face was as dark and gloomy as iron, a complex mixture of fear, anger, and regret churning in his heart.

"If not for Tu Tu Kesiluo's quick eyes and hands, Laozi would almost have been killed by those fools!" He seemed about to overturn the table before him. "I was actually negligent, allowing spies to infiltrate the camp!"

Tu Tu Kesiluo's face was equally grim; he snorted heavily and said in a deep voice: "Big Brother, both of us were careless. I told you long ago not to let that batch of surrendered soldiers go; sooner or later they would cause harm!"

Only then did Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly understand; he slammed his fist hard on the table: "I see! Men, immediately execute all the surrendered soldiers! Not one is to be spared!"

Li Goudan hurriedly took the order and left.

Only when the vast camp held no more cries of agony did Jiang Jiang Mingyu feel slightly relieved. He exhaled a heavy breath, his face finally softening a bit, then turned to Tu Tu Kesiluo:

"Speaking of which, if not for your timely discovery of those spies and pulling me aside from that blade, Laozi would have been eight-tenths certain to have returned my soul to the Yellow Springs! How exactly did you detect them?"

Tu Tu Kesiluo said in a deep voice: "While patrolling outside the camp, I vaguely sensed something amiss and immediately rushed back to the main tent, only then discovering those dog-thieves! Fortunately, I pulled you aside in time, thus preventing a great disaster!"

After hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's rage flared again; he wished he could summon the souls of the dead and cast them into the Eighteen Levels of Hell.

"Big Brother, do not blame yourself," Li Goudan comforted from the side. "We are all responsible; those spies have been skulking right under our noses for so long!"

Only then did Jiang Jiang Mingyu sigh deeply and say gloomily: "Enough, the dead are dead. It is just that the Southern Border is indeed fraught with dangers; we must be extremely cautious!"

Having spoken, a cold, murderous gleam flashed again in his eyes: "When the time comes, we will send troops south, straight to Shangshan Jian City! This grudge, I will repay a thousandfold!"

When the two hundred thousand-strong army appeared at the border, Li Si Ning, the Southern Border Commandant in charge of surveillance, was leading over five hundred subordinates on patrol. The sound of mountains roaring and seas surging from afar startled Li Si Ning; he looked up to see dust flying, brocade banners reflecting the sun, and a swarm of iron cavalry racing swiftly toward the border line.

"Rebels!" Li Si Ning's face changed; he realized the soldiers before him were not his own, but invading enemies.

The iron cavalry soon reached the border; a young man in black armor stood before his horse, his eyes gleaming with sharp light, while tens of thousands of mighty iron cavalry behind him held long spears, ready for battle. Li Si Ning hurried forward to question: "This is the border between two nations; does your great army intend to provoke war?"

That young man sneered once and did not answer. He waved his hand, and dozens of sharp arrows broke through the air; before Li Si Ning's subordinates could react, they lay dead in their own blood.

"Loose arrows!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu gave the order again, and the remaining Southern Border soldiers were all killed. Jiang Jiang Mingyu's expression did not change; he turned to Tu Tu Kesiluo and Li Goudan: "Cross the border, seize Hanshang Town directly!"

At this very moment, Feng Feng Xiwei lay in a sedan chair, his empty right arm making him extremely uncomfortable. If not for the torture that day which left him disabled, he could have fought alongside the two others and earned merit. Thinking of this, he could not help but sigh.

Li Goudan looked at Feng Feng Xiwei, feeling a vague unease in his heart. He stepped forward, patted Feng Feng Xiwei's shoulder, and encouraged: "Brother, once we finish this battle, I will treat you to wine!" Having spoken, he swung himself onto his horse and rode shoulder-to-shoulder with Tu Tu Kesiluo.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu gazed at the two figures receding into the distance, silently praying for their triumphant return. The outcome of this battle determined the success or failure of the great cause. He knew Tu Tu Kesiluo and Li Goudan would surely defeat Hanshang Town for him, opening the gate to the Southern Border.

The thirty thousand-strong army soon arrived outside Hanshang Town. As the surrendered soldiers who had fled back in the previous days had said, this place indeed had a Southern Border army of fifty thousand stationed there. Li Si Ning led his subordinates to look from afar atop the city tower, feeling uncertain.

"The enemy is so vast; how can our thirty thousand men defeat them?" someone raised the question.

"We stand or fall together, living and dying together! This battle has no retreat; we must win!" Tu Tu Kesiluo shouted with Master Jiang's impassioned tone.

"Exactly!" Li Goudan also shouted in agreement. "We have already penetrated deep into enemy territory; we can only emerge victorious!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu frowned tightly, his face solemn as he stared at the map before him. The One Da Jiang army had marched all night; now they had entered the border region, with only the last few dozen li remaining to Hanshang Town.

"Your Majesty, with half a day more of marching, we will enter Hanshang Town," Feng Feng Xiwei said, pointing at the map with his single remaining arm.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said in a deep voice: "Very well; starting from Hanshang Town, I will make the Southern Border's lackeys pay blood for blood!"

Ever since the Empress Dowager was killed by Southern Border warlords, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's hatred for them had never waned. Now finally the great opportunity for revenge had arrived; he would surely flay these beasts with ten thousand knives to avenge his parents' spirits in heaven.

Just as the two lowered their heads to discuss the next plan, a roar that shook heaven and earth suddenly exploded in the valley.

"Jiang Jiang Mingyu, you wolf whelp, where do you think you can escape to? Today, even if I must tear you apart with five horses, I will capture you and bring you to justice!"

No sooner had his words fallen than an arrow rain, almost blocking out the sky and sun, whistled down toward the One Da Jiang army. Jiang Jiang Mingyu barely dodged the first wave of attacks, only to see his mount immediately convulse, die, and collapse.

"Be careful!" Feng Feng Xiwei leaped forward in one stride and yanked Jiang Jiang Mingyu off his horse. At the same time, the second wave of attacks arrived; dense feathers of arrows "whoosh-whoosh" swept over the heads of the two, missing death by a hair's breadth.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu fell in a dizzying tumble; only when he raised his head did he clearly see who was over there. On the hillside stood a burly man in light armor, holding a long blade, his eyes blood-red, staring at this side with murderous intent.

"Zhang Zhang Hongzhe!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu called out softly, recognizing this as the famous Southern Border general who had recently repeatedly crushed the One Da Jiang army at the border. No wonder he knew the One Da Jiang army's marching routes so well; this beast had already set an ambush here!

"Damn! We've fallen into a trap!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu ground his teeth inwardly. At this moment, Zhang Zhang Hongzhe had also spotted Jiang Jiang Mingyu; he let out a furious roar and his figure shot down the mountain like an arrow leaving the bowstring.

"Die, Jiang Jiang Mingyu!"

Only the sound "clang" of a huge crash was heard; Jiang Jiang Mingyu barely drew the treasure sword at his waist and blocked Zhang Zhang Hongzhe's mountain-collapsing strike. The two blades clashed; both were equal in martial power, evenly matched.

"Jiang Jiang Mingyu! Today I will surely take your wolf whelp's head to sacrifice to my dozens of good brothers who gave their lives for the nation!" Zhang Zhang Hongzhe, his eyes blood-red, roared.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes also turned red; he angrily said: "You Southern Border lackeys, defiling my parents' spirits; I will surely make you pay blood for blood!"

The two fought fiercely halfway up the mountain, locked in a stalemate for a time. At the same time, Zhang Zhang Hongzhe's heavy armored cavalry, also blood-mad, surged into the midst of the One Da Jiang army. In an instant, the valley was filled with war fires; the two armies were engaged in a brutal decisive battle.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu felt secretly anxious; this One Da Jiang unit was the elite among elites; if this entire force were annihilated, it would be a heavy blow to One Da Jiang.

The iron cavalry and the Southern Border soldiers engaged in a brutal decisive battle on the hillside. Jiang Jiang Mingyu stared tightly ahead, his heart burning with anxiety.

"Tu Tu Kesiluo, the enemy holds the high ground while our forces are at a disadvantage; we must find a way to turn the tide!"

Tu Tu Kesiluo spurred his horse, killing one Southern Border soldier, and replied coldly, "Your Majesty, please remain behind the lines. Your subordinate will lead the charge immediately and break their battle formation!"

Having spoken, he tightened the reins and led a squad of iron cavalry deep into the enemy ranks. Soon, sounds of fighting and screams of agony came from behind the hillside.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's brows knitted tightly as he looked toward the rear camp not far away, seeing flames shooting into the sky and thick smoke rolling. Deputy General Feng Feng Xiwei ran over in a panic, panting heavily and saying:

"My lord, it is bad news! The grain convoy has been ambushed, and the supplies are on fire!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu was greatly alarmed, thinking silently that the situation was grave. Just as he was about to reorganize the army to respond, a sneer suddenly came from overhead:

"Jiang Jiang Mingyu, you have lived too long!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked up and saw that Zhang Zhang Hongzhe had arrived with men to attack. A Da Jiang soldier, quick-eyed and fast-handed, blocked in front of Jiang Jiang Mingyu. Only the sound of several bowstrings snapping behind him was heard; that border soldier had already become a target for arrows.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu was heartbroken as the troops scattered before his eyes. Severed limbs and broken arms flew everywhere, the smell of blood filled the air, and the scene was too gruesome to behold. At this moment, the sound of hooves rang out; Zheng You fought his way back to the camp, his body covered in arrows like hedgehog spines, yet unharmed.

"My lord, your subordinate's attempt to break out failed, so I can only retreat to protect you!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's expression shook; he thought silently that he could not remain so passive. Immediately, he spoke sternly:

"Go quickly and notify Li Goudan to bring troops over to rescue us! Send others to extinguish the fire on the grain supplies! We must hold this camp firmly and wait for reinforcements!"

Hearing this, the various generals rallied their spirits, each attending to their duties. Jiang Jiang Mingyu stood side by side with Tu Tu Kesiluo, his sword out of its sheath, gazing at the charging Zhang Zhang Hongzhe.

"Zhang Zhang Hongzhe, do not think you can take my life!"

"Jiang Jiang Mingyu, I will let you live a little longer!"

The two pointed their swords at each other's faces, their killing intent surging. At this time, from halfway up the mountain, a large group of iron cavalry broke through the encirclement; it was Li Goudan leading his troops to arrive. Zhang Zhang Hongzhe's face changed slightly; he turned his horse's head, intending to leave.

"You want to leave? It is not that easy!"

At this moment, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from the horizon: "Big Brother, do not panic; Tu Tu Kesiluo has arrived!"

It was Tu Tu Kesiluo leading the iron cavalry to come to the rescue! While Jiang Jiang Mingyu was excited, he finally let out a sigh of relief, his heart finally settling. He saw Tu Tu Kesiluo's eyes bloodshot, his entire body radiating murderous energy; in those dim yellow eyes was nothing but killing intent: "You dog thief, this king will definitely wipe you out today!" The arrival of a wave of reinforcements immediately turned the tide of battle.

On this side, Zhang Zhang Hongzhe's face turned pale; he desperately urged the remaining Southern Border soldiers, "Why do you not retreat quickly? The situation is already decided!" That Southern Border leader was like a bear, clad in armor, hideous to behold. Realizing the tide of battle was lost, he could only signal his men to retreat quickly.

Who knew Tu Tu Kesiluo would sneer, raising his whip in hand: "You want to run now? It is too late!" He raised his sword, killing one Southern Border soldier on each side, then taking advantage of the moment shouted loudly, ordering everyone to defend their positions to the death, while he himself lightly leaped onto a warhorse and swiftly pursued that Southern Border leader.

"If I do not chop off your head today, I will write the name Tu Tu Kesiluo backwards!"

Following this, hundreds of thousands of troops surged forward like a tide; the Southern Border remnants had no power to fight back, dropping their armor and weapons and fleeing in panic. That bear felt a chilling cold; he looked back and saw Tu Tu Kesiluo already three zhang behind him, his snow-white clothes fluttering, truly like a dragon-slaying hero. Only the crisp sound "clink" was heard; a beam of white light sliced from top to bottom, and the bear's head flew off with a thud, blood splashing in all directions! As if the Grim Reaper had personally arrived to take his life.

The other Southern Border soldiers, seeing this, fled even faster in terror, but where could they escape the iron hooves covering a thousand li? In an instant, they were all captured alive by the iron cavalry. Li Goudan and Feng Feng Xiwei also completed the encirclement on the east and west wings; the Southern Border soldiers had no way to escape.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu swept his gaze over the chaotic corpses of the border soldiers around him, his heart burning with rage. His face showed a cold expression, his eyes were grim, and his voice was like a great bell: "Leave not one alive!"

At this order, fierce generals like Tu Tu Kesiluo drew their swords, their eyes red with killing intent, and quickly launched a massacre.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu stood on high, watching coldly from the side. The sky overhead was covered in dark clouds, gloomy and terrifying; all around were desperate screams, as if he had arrived at the deepest abyss of hell. In the pools of blood, severed limbs and broken arms were visible everywhere, scattered in all directions; swords and blades clashed, sending sparks flying in all directions; screams, wails, and neighs rose and fell one after another, in utter chaos...

After a long time, the sounds of killing gradually subsided. The martial generals who had endured a storm of blood and wind stood in the snow, faces cold as they looked at each other, their sword blades all dyed crimson.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face was gloomy; standing in the center of the battlefield covered in corpses, his weathered face seemed to have aged ten years in that moment.

He spoke in a deep voice: "Tu Tu Kesiluo, quickly count our casualties and the number of prisoners."

Tu Tu Kesiluo's face was equally grim; he responded and led men to search through the formation. On the ground were countless corpses with their entrails bursting; from the iron cavalry's clothing, it could be discerned that most were Southern Border soldiers, with occasionally a few wearing Da Jiang uniforms, who were already missing hands and feet. Jiang Jiang Mingyu's heart ached; these were the brave ministers who had followed him on campaigns north and south, yet now unfortunately lay buried in a foreign land.

After a long time, Tu Tu Kesiluo walked unsteadily to Jiang Jiang Mingyu's side and sighed repeatedly: "My lord, after counting, our army has lost a total of twenty thousand men, while the Southern Border corpses total eleven thousand..."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's brows knitted tightly; he turned around and looked up at the sky, the time already nearing dusk. This fierce battle was exceptionally brutal; Han Shang Town had gone to such great lengths to set an ambush and crush them with a single blow. It must be that they saw him using troops to the south and were extremely wary of him.

"It seems Wei Wei Yangyao is determined this time to put me to death! First, the siege of Da Jiang, then the art of assassinating Jiang Mou, and now this move... Wei Wei Yangyao, do you know what foolish act you have committed!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu clenched his fists, speaking softly to himself.

Suddenly, he seemed to realize something, looked up sharply, his eyes bright: "Right... when we besieged Da Jiang before, our army did not clear the battlefield. These Southern Border soldiers must have seized the opportunity to escape then and returned to Han Shang Town to report! Truly overestimating their own strength, daring to provoke Tu Tu Kesiluo..."

The killing intent in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes not only surged.

"Reorganize the troops, bury the dead, let the lightly wounded accompany us, and order Zhang Tao to send the severely injured soldiers back to Guizhou."

"Load the Southern Border soldiers' corpses onto large carts and go to Han Shang Town."

Tu Tu Kesiluo smiled bitterly.

"Originally, I brought the heads of several Southern Border soldiers, intending to provoke the garrison commander of Han Shang Town to come out; now it seems they are useless."

This was the good idea he had confidently mentioned to Li Goudan before.

Hearing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's military orders, Feng Feng Xiwei, who had been organizing the rear army, hurriedly came to Jiang Jiang Mingyu's side.

"Your Majesty, most of our army's grain supplies were lost in the fire just now."

"If we use troops against Han Shang Town at this time, once the supplies run out midway, the situation will be very dire."

He spoke these words very euphemistically, but everyone understood that if the army went without food for several consecutive days, the soldiers under command would surely mutiny.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked into his eyes and spoke in a deep voice.

"Then what is your opinion?"

Feng Feng Xiwei's voice was equally very heavy.

"In this subordinate's opinion, it would be better to return to Guizhou first, replenish the grain supplies, and then come to campaign."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked at the corpses being buried, his voice becoming even colder.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu sneered once, and his murderous energy immediately appeared: "Since that is the case, today I will cut down all the enemy troops of Han Shang Town beneath my horse!" He suddenly turned around, raised his sword, and shouted loudly: "Soldiers, Han Shang Town is a major threat to the heart of our Da Jiang; going there to cut off the source of the trouble, we must kill that group of dog thieves until not a single piece of armor remains!"

Hearing this, the various generals were filled with righteous indignation, drawing their swords and shouting. The iron cavalry spurred their horses and neighed together, morale surging, with the entire army eager to fight a decisive battle. Jiang Jiang Mingyu sat on his horse, scanning the crowd; his heroic spirit was even greater. He strode across the battlefield covered in pools of blood, his eyes showing not a shred of pity, yet a cold smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Seeing that Feng Feng Xiwei still wanted to say something, he directly waved his hand to cut him off.

"My will is decided; do not speak more. Prepare to set out."

Shortly after, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's one hundred and seventy thousand men, carrying endless fiery anger, headed straight for Han Shang Town.