Chapter 370: The Mysterious Destination

The two armies faced each other...

Che Gang's eyes turned blood-red, his face iron-blue, and the corners of his mouth curled up into a cold, sinister smile. He gripped his long spear tightly, the spearhead pointing straight ahead, his body trembling slightly from excitement. "Listen to the order! Annihilate all enemy troops! Kill for me!" he shouted, and his thunderous slogan triggered a roar from the One Da Jiang border troops. Immediately, sixty thousand One Da Jiang reinforcements surged forward like a torrent, marching in neat, powerful steps toward the enemy army. Every step struck the ground with a heavy clanging sound. They wielded various weapons: long spears, curved blades, broad swords, steel whips, and more. The blades and spears reflected a cold, chilling light under the sun.

The sound of the One Da Jiang border troops' rapidly advancing footsteps thundered in the ears. They emitted beast-like roars, their faces twisted with murderous intent, their eyes blazing as if they intended to swallow the enemies alive. This killing intent, crashing down like a mountain and sea, made people's hearts tremble with fear.

Yet Tu Tu Kesiluo's expression remained normal, calm yet revealing a hint of coldness. He stood straight, holding his sword with both hands. Hearing Che Gang's roar, a faint cold smile merely lifted the corners of his lips. "Release the arrows!" he said indifferently, his tone devoid of any fear. Only the sharp whistling of the air being torn apart was heard as a hundred thousand feathered arrows swept through the long sky like a dark current, shooting straight down. Sunlight flickered on the arrowheads, casting thousands of glimmering points of light.

"Ah—" The One Da Jiang border troops were still shouting slogans when a sudden rain of arrows descended upon them. Caught off guard, several hundred fell instantly. Wails and screams rose and fell, piercingly loud. Some were shot through the heart, convulsed a few times, and died; others had arrows pierce both legs, falling to the ground and rolling in agony. Blood immediately flowed like a river on the ground, a gruesome sight. In the panic, many One Da Jiang border troops were tripped by fallen comrades, trampled in pools of blood, the crisp sound of bones breaking echoing.

After the arrow rain, the ranks of the One Da Jiang border troops instantly fell into chaos, with mournful cries everywhere. Hundreds of corpses lay scattered across the ground, seven or eight in every direction, their flesh and blood blurred. The air was thick with the sweet, fishy smell of blood. The surviving One Da Jiang border troops looked fearful, their bodies swaying slightly.

Che Gang, so angry his eyes turned blood-red, whipped his horse's back fiercely and roared hoarsely: "Cowards, charge for me! Can you not withstand a mere rain of arrows? Charge with me!" Spear in hand, he was the first to shoot forward like an arrow leaving the bowstring, piercing through the encirclement to attack the main army.

Tu Tu Kesiluo frowned slightly, gripping his long sword tightly with both hands, and also rushed into the enemy army first. A dull grunt was heard, and a One Da Jiang border troop fell from his horse, a flower of blood blooming on his chest. Tu Tu Kesiluo took the opportunity to spin around, his sword flashing, and beheaded two more unsuspecting enemies. The blood of the three sprayed onto his face, dyeing half of it red.

This minor incident seemed to ignite the fighting spirit in the hearts of the One Da Jiang border troops. They quickly regrouped and charged again, their eyes red with bloodlust. Jiang Jiang Mingyu's main army followed suit. The two armies clashed in a chaotic melee; the crisp sounds of weapons clashing, screams, and roars came from all four directions and eight corners. The battlefield was littered with severed limbs and blurred flesh and blood. The sweet, fishy smell of blood permeated the air; underfoot was nothing but bloodwater and severed limbs...

Tu Tu Kesiluo had already killed until his eyes were red. His eyes were bloodshot, his face covered in sweat, blood, and dust. The hot blood of killing enemies had completely seized his mind; any retreat or cowardice had been cast to the nine heavens. The long sword in his hand swept like a hurricane, one One Da Jiang border troop per slash. Whenever the blade edge passed, it was accompanied by splashing flowers of blood. Corpses lay everywhere on the ground, bloodwater flowing, yet none of this could stop Tu Tu Kesiluo's slaughter. He was no longer human, but more like a perfect killing machine.

However, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's main army was ultimately outnumbered. Beside Tu Tu Kesiluo, the One Da Jiang warriors fought desperately but gradually found it hard to sustain. Exhaustion slowly grew within them, and flaws began to appear. One One Da Jiang warrior, after blocking several strikes in succession, finally could not hold on and was pierced through the chest by a single blade. His eyes widened, blood foam sprayed from his mouth, and he crashed to the ground with a boom. Another warrior was about to rescue him, but an arrow struck his back, and he fell dead instantly.

The continuous screams of the One Da Jiang army, rising and falling, disturbed the minds of everyone. Tu Tu Kesiluo wiped a patch of bloodstain from his face, and worry also rose in his heart. He looked up into the distance and saw that the One Da Jiang warriors everywhere were struggling to hold on; the situation was gradually getting out of control. This sent a chill rising from the depths of Tu Tu Kesiluo's heart, and he secretly gripped his sword hilt tighter.

Just then, a burly general surged out from the ranks of the One Da Jiang border troops, holding a long blade in each of his two iron-claw-like hands, aiming directly for Tu Tu Kesiluo's vital points. This man's face was violent and fierce, his eyes bloodshot, clearly a veteran of many years on the battlefield, killing people like hemp.

"Seeking death!" he sneered. The two long blades, like two silver snakes, swiftly thrust toward Tu Tu Kesiluo's chest.

Seeing the two streaks of blade light shooting rapidly toward him, Tu Tu Kesiluo felt a chill in his heart. He could not attend to anything else and swung his sword to chop down at him quickly. A crisp sound was heard as the two weapons clashed, sending out a shower of sparks. That One Da Jiang blade-wielder was no ordinary fellow; his ferocity was immense, and he actually locked horns with Tu Tu Kesiluo, neither yielding.

After a loud "Boom," the battlefield behind suddenly fell silent. Tu Tu Kesiluo was startled and stole a glance. He saw Che Gang breaking through the encirclement all the way, looking down at the battlefield. A look of joy first appeared on his face, but it was quickly diluted by newly surging panic. A sinister smile squeezed out of the corners of Che Gang's mouth, yet he could not suppress his trembling.

"Brothers, they can no longer hold on! Slaughter them all! Glory, wealth, and Jiang Jiang Mingyu's head will all be ours!"

He raised his voice, hoping to boost morale with this cruel slogan. But the moment the words left his mouth, he sensed something was wrong. This cruel threat, due to the panic and unease within it, sounded more like self-suggestion. The surrounding One Da Jiang border troops also felt this strangeness. They were already at a disadvantage; hearing Che Gang say this, although their faces still maintained a bloodthirsty sneer, their hearts all skipped a beat.

Just then, the offensive of the One Da Jiang army intensified even further. The One Da Jiang soldiers, dense as an ant swarm, heavily trampled through the pools of blood, holding their sickle-spears and rushing wave after wave toward the One Da Jiang border troops. This caused the charging pace of the One Da Jiang border troops to slow down noticeably; the bloodlust on their faces faded, replaced by a bit of panic.

Che Gang frowned tightly, staring at the battlefield. His hands were clasped behind his back, his ten fingers constantly interlacing, digging into the flesh. His pale lips were bitten shut tightly, and the veins on his forehead pulsed. He tried hard to set an ambush on both banks of the river to gain the initiative, but the One Da Jiang army's formation was simply too dense; there was no gap to be found.

Just as he was filled with anxiety, a sound of horse hooves and footsteps suddenly came from both wings! It was a heavy, neat, and powerful pace, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression. Che Gang's heart skipped a beat. He looked in horror and saw a large group of One Da Jiang cavalry and infantry surging like a tide from both wings! Leading them were He Jing and Li Goudan, who held their long blades high and shouted hoarsely:

"Surround the One Da Jiang dogs! Annihilate them all! Kill for me! Let not one escape!"

Che Gang, who had originally been forcing a calm demeanor, now had his eyebrows knotted into a dead knot. Cold sweat flowed uncontrollably down his entire forehead. He clutched his fingers tightly, his fingernails about to dig into the flesh. At this moment, a sound of neat, powerful horse hooves and footsteps suddenly came from both wings again. That gloomy sense of oppression tightened Che Gang's heart. He widened his eyes and looked, seeing the One Da Jiang soldiers surging like a tide, their killing intent filling the sky.

"It's over... This is an ambush!" A thunderclap exploded in his mind, making him feel as if the world was spinning. Che Gang's blood froze throughout his body. He stumbled two steps, almost collapsing on the spot.

He shook his head vigorously, trying to stay awake. It was not yet the time of no way out; he must think of a way to let his subordinates survive! So he suddenly raised his spear, fired a shot into the sky, and shouted sternly: "Sound the gong to withdraw! The enemy forces are too strong! Retreat to the ships first, then fight!"

"Commandant! Look, our warships!" A One Da Jiang border troop's desperate roar pulled Che Gang back to reality. He looked up sharply and saw flames rising from more than ten One Da Jiang warships, thick smoke rolling straight up into the long sky. The shipboards emitted a booming roar. One Da Jiang sailors screamed and fled in the sea of fire, but could only flip into the river water, their sounds quickly drowned out.

"This is bad..." Che Gang widened his eyes, staring at the sea of fire, feeling as if the world was spinning, his vision going black as he almost fainted. He used all his strength to support his tottering body, panting heavily. His fists were clenched tightly, his fingernails almost digging into the flesh.

"Commandant! We are finished!" The One Da Jiang border troops wailed, looking at him, their eyes full of despair.

"Jiang Jiang Mingyu!" His eyes turned blood-red, his whole body trembled, his teeth chattered, and he roared out these two words. Jiang Jiang Mingyu had actually ambushed from the rear and burned the warships! Without the warships, they would be surrounded on this desolate riverbank and slaughtered to death!

"Commandant, we are about to be finished!" "My lord, what should we do?" Terrified screams rose from all directions. The soldiers, their faces pale, looked up at their commander in despair. At this moment, Che Gang forced himself to calm down. He put on an air of composure and said confidently:

"Calm down! We are not yet at the end of our rope! Listen to my order: retreat at full speed toward Qu Province immediately! As long as we reach the borders of Qu Province, there is still a chance to turn the tables!"

But just then, a solemn and cold voice cut through the river wind, clearly entering Che Gang's ears:

"You have nowhere left to escape."

Che Gang was startled, turned his head, and saw Ebu leading an army of twenty thousand blocking the rear path of the One Da Jiang border troops!

Now he finally could not hold on.

He let out a piercing, mournful wail to the sky, his knees went soft, and the whole man knelt on the ground. This strong and sturdy One Da Jiang Commandant finally let out a wail in desperation and collapsed in breakdown. His fingers spasmed, clutching his collar; his teeth chattered, biting down hard on his already bleeding lips. That pair of eyes, always firm, finally scattered, turning into a pool of dead water, empty and despairing.

Seeing this, the surrounding One Da Jiang soldiers were even more terrified, their weapons slipping from their hands. They fled in all directions, yet had nowhere to escape. The One Da Jiang soldiers had already flooded over like seawater; wherever they went, only wails and despair remained.

"Commandant! Save us!" A One Da Jiang soldier reached out to Che Gang in terror, but was beheaded by a One Da Jiang soldier with a single blade. A large shower of blood and bone from the severed head splashed out, landing exactly on Che Gang's pale face.

At this moment, a sliver of hope flashed through Che Gang's mind. He suddenly realized that if he could break through the encirclement, there might still be a chance for survival! He saw that his blue eyes, always calm and self-possessed, suddenly radiated light; his pupils, due to the excitement surging in an instant, suddenly dilated, and his Adam's apple slid up and down due to tension and the effort to suppress his excitement. His eyes turned blood-red; he forced his spirit up, breathing deeply again and again, trying to calm his racing heart. Then, using all his strength, he shouted to the sky: "Charge with me to break through the encirclement! We will definitely break out!"

"Ah!" Hearing the supreme commander's impassioned shout, the One Da Jiang soldiers seemed to have been injected with chicken blood; each of them shouted in response, their morale greatly boosted. These middle-aged men, worn down by years and war, usually silent or numb, now seemed to have regained their youthful vigor; their whole bodies were clamoring with the impulse to rush forward. Only the sound of Che Gang "clanging" as he drove his long spear heavily into the ground was heard. He gripped it tightly with both hands, then leaned his body forward, his calves tensed tightly, like a fierce beast poised to spring. In the blink of an eye, he shot forward like a carp, rushing straight toward the direction of Ebu's soldiers.

This charge was completely unexpected by everyone. Those Ebu soldiers, still immersed in their small victory just now and not yet recovered, saw Che Gang leading the One Da Jiang border troops rush into the enemy formation like a surging torrent. In an instant, they smashed one side and opened a gap. Then the One Da Jiang border troops, roaring, raised various sharp blades, their eyebrows furrowed tightly, their eyes bloodshot, and rushed into the gap at high speed. The remaining Ebu soldiers were moving slowly and could not stop this sudden counterattack.

At this moment, Che Gang finally saw the dawn of hope. He pinned all his dreams and strength on this last breakout, his gaze burning, his face devoid of any extra expression, leaving only the desire for life. The One Da Jiang soldiers also fought with all their might to defend this last tiny thread of survival. Each of them shot out terrible bloodlight from their eyes; their grotesque expressions were enough to make people feel the illusion of retreating three steps. "Kill for me!" they roared. Like evil wolves, their eyebrows twisted, their sudden pounce on the enemy did not resemble human behavior at all. These frenzied One Da Jiang border troops, trampling over countless enemy corpses, finally carved out a bloody path and successfully broke through the layers of Ebu's encirclement.

"Success!" Hearing the news of the breakout, Che Gang relaxed his brows, couldn't help but raise both arms and let out a long roar to the sky. His eyes shot out a light of wild joy. At this moment, he looked almost a bit crazy. The joy of the breakout, which had been on the verge of despair, had clouded his mind. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up, as if he had already seen the dawn of victory.

But just then, a noisy and chaotic sound of horse hooves suddenly came from far away among the towering mountains, mixed with the unique horn sounds of the Jiang Army. "Here they come again!" Hearing the horn sound, the excitement on Che Gang's face was instantly swept away, replaced by bone-chilling coldness and fierce killing intent. His eyes quickly narrowed, staring fixedly at the mountain path ahead, his gaze unblinking as he closely tracked the movements of the Jiang Army.

Yet he still resolved to break out and escape. He waved his arm fiercely and, with a hoarse voice and exhausted strength, gave the order to lead the remnants through the rugged and complex mountain paths. At this time, his face had changed from its initial pale white to iron-blue. His two thick eyebrows were knotted tightly together; the veins on his forehead, bulging due to excessive tension, pulsed. His lips, thin as a blade, had been bitten by himself until they bled, leaving only a circle of bloodless, dead white. Yet he still squeezed his horse's belly hard, ignoring the pain throughout his body, chasing the One Da Jiang border troops ahead relentlessly, not stopping for a moment, speeding through the treacherous and complex mountain paths, daring not to slacken even a hair.

Just as the Jiang Army was about to catch up with the remnants, Che Gang's vision suddenly locked onto a green, dense valley ahead. His mind raced; he suddenly slapped his thigh and squeezed a loud shout from his hoarse throat: "Quick! Everyone enter the valley to hide!" The moment his voice fell, he quickly turned his horse's head and, with a solemn expression, led his remaining subordinates like a flock of startled birds and beasts, rushing into the valley at high speed. They soon disappeared under the dense tree shadows. At this time, the sun was setting, and the sky had darkened. In this valley forest, full of lush branches and leaves, only desolation and depth remained. The Jiang Army outside searched around for a long time but found nothing. The forest was quiet, with only the sounds of birds and cicadas left, and they eventually returned without success.

At dusk, Tu Tu Kesiluo and his party, who had led the pursuit, returned to Jiang Jiang Mingyu's presence, covered in dust and dirt. "How was it?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu asked anxiously. Tu Tu Kesiluo's eyes were blood-red; he slammed his fist heavily on the table and roared angrily: "Lost! We chased him for two hours, yet he still escaped! Damn it!"

It turned out that after Che Gang entered the valley, they quickly arrived at the valley entrance. But they saw only ancient trees towering, thorns dense, and four-way paths, very complex and treacherous. Tu Tu Kesiluo hesitated three times but still dared not rashly go deep inside. He could only leave a few soldiers to guard the valley entrance while the others circled the perimeter.

However, at this time, Che Gang and the others had already escaped like ghosts from the other end of the valley. When the twilight gathered on all sides, Tu Tu Kesiluo finally stopped waiting. He led the main force of troops and horses around to the end of the valley, but there was already no trace of anyone.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's expression was severe, his brows tightly locked as he stared at the map in deep thought. He knew that as long as an enemy roamed outside, it was a potential huge threat. Thinking of this, he slammed his fist on the table, determined to remove this great trouble from his heart as soon as possible!

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face looked very bad; his brows were locked into a knot, his eyes revealing worry and irritability, and the corners of his mouth turned downward. He crossed his arms, the veins on his two thick arms jumping visibly, and paced back and forth in the tent with long strides. The sound of footsteps echoed in the empty tent. Every step was heavy and powerful, demonstrating the anxiety and unease of its master at this moment.

This state had continued for more than a quarter of an hour, yet Jiang Jiang Mingyu still had no clue. Large beads of sweat had already formed on his forehead, sliding down his cheeks, and finally dripping onto his broad chest. Jiang Jiang Mingyu reached out and wiped his face hard, but it was useless. His palms were soaked with sweat, and instead, he smeared streaks of water marks on his face.

At this moment, Tu Tu Kesiluo tentatively opened his mouth: "Big brother, how about we send more people and horses to search in the mountains?" His voice sounded especially grating in the silent tent. Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly raised his head, his eyes seeming to want to swallow him alive. Tu Tu Kesiluo was startled, instinctively stepping back half a step, almost stepping on the soft cushion behind him.

Seeing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu waved his hand and said, frowning heavily: "Don't rush. You go back and rest first; let me think carefully." At this time, his beard was trembling slightly; his expression was severe and gloomy, and he had already entered deep thought.

After Tu Tu Kesiluo left, Jiang Jiang Mingyu frowned tightly, suddenly collapsing into a seat before the table, staring blankly at the map and documents spread out on the table. He rubbed his temples hard, trying to sort out the current difficult situation in his mind. After Che Gang's defeat, the most likely scenario was that he would lead people to retreat northwest toward Qu Province and merge with the local garrison. In that case, he would surely accumulate strength and then launch a counterattack against Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

Thinking of this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly slapped the table, scattering the documents on it. He jumped up and paced back and forth in the tent again. This time, his movements were more intense; every step seemed as if he wanted to tread through the ground. Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly stopped, grabbed his hair hard, the force so great it seemed as if he wanted to pull them out by the roots. He muttered to himself, but his eyes were extremely vacant, as if he had completely entered his own world.