Chapter 1238: First Volume, Chapter 1238: Comrades Together to the Yellow Springs

First Volume, Chapter 1238: Comrades Together to the Yellow Springs

"Qin Feng is finished!"

"Hahaha, we've finally worn him down!"

"Comrades, our chance to earn glory has come! The General's order: whoever cuts off Qin Feng's head shall be rewarded with ten thousand taels of White Silver and granted the title of Marquis of a Battalion Commander!"

Ten thousand taels of White Silver, Marquis of a Battalion Commander…

For an ordinary soldier, this was nothing short of ascending to heaven in a single step.

They went utterly mad; even though they knew the sick tiger could still kill, they no longer cared—the brocade robes, the fine food, the wealth piled high—lay right before their eyes.

"Kill Qin Feng!"

"Qin Feng is mine!"

Too bad, no matter how fiercely they shouted, none could get near Qin Feng, for too many enemies crowded the front.

The Black Riders around Qin Feng huddled together, all raising their Great Shields, more solid than a tortoise's shell.

How easy would it be to break through such a Tortoise Shell Formation?

Moreover, because the Black Riders' defensive perimeter was so small, only a few enemies could reach them at once.

Altogether, no more than a hundred soldiers from Nan Jing could directly attack the Black Riders, and even they wore only Light Armor or half-armor.

To avoid being counterattacked, they could only keep stabbing and slashing with Long Weapons—but such assaults could hardly break the Great Shields.

Finally, with no other option, a group of Dead Soldiers braved the constantly thrusting Chang Mao spears protruding from the Tortoise Shell Formation, rushed forward, tied Sheng Mao ropes around the Great Shields, and together pulled with all their strength to wrench them open.

Without shield protection, the Black Riders were fully exposed; in an instant, dozens of Chang Mao spears stabbed wildly at them.

Even with the finest Armor, the Black Riders fell instantly under such overwhelming assault.

More and more shields were torn away, more and more Black Riders were killed.

In the end, only thirteen Black Riders remained alive; all faced away from the enemy, arms locked around each other, forming a circular human wall around Qin Feng, determined to use their flesh and blood to buy him a little more precious time.

"My Lord, we die without regret!"

"To serve at your side—this life has been worth it."

"We don't need your Lordship to promise us anything; we trust your character. Even if I die, as long as Liang doesn't collapse and the Northern Border remains peaceful, my wife and children will still live well."

"Comrades, buy our Lord one more moment."

"Hahaha, since the first day I stepped onto this battlefield, I knew I'd die with blood on the soil. To speak blasphemy—I wouldn't die for Liang, but for Qin Feng, I would!"

Knowing death was certain, the usually silent Black Riders gradually opened their hearts.

They began laughing wildly, without restraint.

"That emperor? Ever since I came to Beixi County, I've never once respected the Liang Emperor."

"Exactly! Qin Feng has fought his battles for him, defended the realm and pacified the interior—yet what? Even now, that emperor still harbors ill intent, forcing Qin Feng to always watch his back!"

"Ungrateful dog-emperor! We die, but not for you—our deaths are for Beixi County, for Qin Feng, for our families—not for you, the aloof, scheming emperor!"

Xu Mo heard the Black Riders' shouts and clenched his fists—not from anger, but because the deepest secret buried in his heart had been spoken aloud by them.

Since joining Qin Feng, Xu Mo had witnessed too much of the struggle between Qin Feng and the Liang Emperor.

In Xu Mo's heart, loyalty to the Liang Emperor had long vanished.

His entire life was devoted to Qin Feng and Beixi County.

Now, with the Eastern Front in chaos and enemy Dead Soldiers launching a stealth attack on him, Qin Feng—despite his exalted status—came personally to rescue him; this alone cemented Xu Mo's inner conviction.

He would serve only Qin Feng in this life!

"That's right! Brothers, we live as people of Beixi County, we die as ghosts of Beixi County!"

"If this campaign in Nan Jing were for the people of Liang, it might be worth it—but we will never die for the Liang Emperor!"

As Xu Mo shouted, Qin Feng silently sighed.

His struggle with the Liang Emperor had long become routine; after all, Qin Feng's momentum was too fierce—throughout history, no emperor could coexist peacefully with Qin Feng.

The scheming in Jingdu was not the Liang Emperor's fault alone—it had always been this way since ancient times.

But now, what did it matter to dwell on this?

Qin Feng watched as the thirteen Black Riders around him fell one by one.

Their arms remained locked together, never loosening until death.

Only after all thirteen had sacrificed themselves did the enemy attempt to move their bodies to reach Qin Feng—only to find, to their shock, that the dead Black Riders still clung with force, their arms unyielding no matter how hard they pulled.

Finally, seven or eight men together strained to pry open one Black Rider's arm.

Now, within the circular formation built by the thirteen Black Riders, only Qin Feng and Xu Mo remained.

Thanks to the time bought by the Black Riders' lives, Qin Feng and Xu Mo caught their breath; before the astonished eyes of the Nan Jing soldiers, the two slowly rose to their feet, leaning on their weapons.

A chorus of shocked cries erupted.

"What's going on?!"

"How is Qin Feng still standing?!"

"How much strength does this man have?!"

"What's there to fear?! Only he and Xu Mo remain! The big fish are last—once we swarm, we'll cut them down in an instant!"

"Right! A King of the Northern Border and a County Commander of Beixi—these two big fish are enough to earn us promotions, titles, and endless wealth!"

"Hahaha, I'll go first!"

A Nan Jing soldier rushed forward with his Chang Mao, eager to strike down Qin Feng and claim the first kill.

Qin Feng, barely recovered, swung his Great Sword decisively and cut the charging soldier down.

Then, planting his sword's hilt into the ground, he drew a deep breath and roared like a beast.

"Who's next?!"

That roar froze the surrounding enemies; for a moment, the entire battlefield fell silent.

No one knew where Qin Feng's aura came from, but one thing everyone clearly understood.

That was…

Even if one faced him alone, killing Qin Feng would still demand a tremendous cost.

The Supervisor of the Army arriving from the Rear was startled by the killing intent radiating from Qin Feng, but quickly regained composure and barked an order.

"Stop standing there like fools—charge together and finish Qin Feng!"

Under the Supervisor's urging, a vast wave of enemies attacked once more.

Qin Feng and Xu Mo exchanged a glance and nodded in unison; they said nothing, but their eyes conveyed everything.

In our next life, we'll be comrades again!

Qin Feng gripped a great blade, Xu Mo held a long spear; back to back, they faced the endless tide of enemies and began their final resistance.

Even in death, they would never surrender—they would die in Battle!