Chapter 903: First Volume, Chapter 903: Kill All the Way Through

First Volume, Chapter 903: Kill All the Way Through

"Aaaah!!!"

With a shrill scream, Zhang Feng was impaled clean through by a charging spear, blood spurting from his chest and instantly soaking his cloth armor red.

Zhang Zhenhai did not withdraw the spear—he simply lifted Zhang Feng's corpse and dragged it back and forth across the battlefield, roaring: "The enemy commander is dead! Anyone who resists will be slain on the spot!"

With Zhang Feng dead, the remaining soldiers lost all will to fight and fled in panic.

Everything happened too fast—from the Tianji Camp Guards' ambush to the enemy's collapse, less than one incense stick time had passed; the Tianji Camp Guards achieved zero casualties while killing or wounding over twenty enemies, causing more than two hundred foes to rout completely.

Do not pursue desperate foes—Zhang Zhenhai had no interest in the fleeing soldiers; his mission was to clear obstacles for Qin Feng's advance toward Wang Du. After smashing through the First Checkpoint, he did not hesitate—he immediately led the Tianji Camp Guards forward along the Official Road toward the next Guan Ka.

Speed is paramount; Zhang Zhenhai must strike before the fleeing soldiers reach the next Guan Ka.

On the other side, Qin Feng rode his horse, followed closely by the Anwu Guard and Beixi Soldiers.

Liu Ming glanced at the open, unobstructed wasteland and said gravely: "Lord Qin, the enemy will soon realize we are charging full speed along the Official Road. At that point, they will deploy endless ambushes along the road. If we change direction now, it might yield unexpected results."

Without hesitation, Qin Feng rejected it: "The enemy thinks the same thing!"

"The forward scouts wiped out earlier were members of the Anwu Guard—clearly, the enemy received help from the Night Owls. The Night Owls excel at assassination; they are likely surveilling us even now. If we leave the Official Road, we'll walk straight into their carefully laid traps."

"Only a direct breakthrough is the right path."

Hearing this, Liu Ming no longer raised any objections—he immediately ordered the Anwu Guard to protect Qin Feng and Li Xiaolan, then took personal charge as lead scout to reconnoiter ahead.

At the Last Checkpoint of Wang Du, Lü Li personally commanded the defense, flanked by eight hundred elite troops, the Deputy General of Capital Garrison, and the Night Owls.

More than one incense stick time ago, Lü Li had already received word—by now, Qin Feng must have engaged the troops at the First Checkpoint.

The Deputy General said gravely: "Pillar of the State, Qin Feng brought only two hundred men, yet we've deployed nearly five thousand along the route. Today, even if Qin Feng had wings, he cannot escape!"

"Rest assured, Pillar of the State—I will bring you Qin Feng's head!"

Though the words were stirring, Lü Li did not relax. His eyes were cold and deep: "Do not lose Jingzhou through carelessness. This Qin Feng is cunning by nature, and his men are elite warriors. Only by forcing him off the Official Road can our hidden forces encircle and annihilate him. If he refuses to leave the road, capturing him will be no easy feat."

Nearby, the Night Owl took a military dispatch handed to him, glanced at it, frowned slightly, then stepped closer to Lü Li and whispered his report.

"Pillar of the State, new intelligence: Zhang Feng is dead. His two hundred soldiers have scattered like birds and beasts."

Upon hearing this, the Deputy General stared in shock, disbelief flashing in his eyes.

Even two hundred pigs would take time to catch—how could they collapse in the blink of an eye?!

Was Zhang Feng's force that weak—or was Qin Feng's army that strong?

Compared to the Deputy General's astonishment, Lü Li remained composed. He never expected two hundred men to stop Qin Feng. Besides, this location was too close to Wang Du—he dared not mobilize large forces for a siege, nor could he deploy his best troops. The five thousand men he assembled were all drawn from the Hawk Faction's confidants.

To put it kindly, they were Capital Elite; to put it bluntly, they were Tuntian Soldiers with little combat experience. Taking down a hardened opponent like Qin Feng? Hardly possible.

That was precisely why Lü Li sought the Night Owls' aid—to lure Qin Feng into a trap.

But reality diverged sharply from Lü Li's expectations: the troops guarding the Guan Ka were too soft—they shattered like paper before Qin Feng's forces. This not only disrupted Lü Li's military deployment but also dealt a severe blow to other units' morale.

Lü Li immediately ordered: the news of Zhang Feng's death must be suppressed. Everyone must remain at their posts and attack Qin Feng on sight, per prior arrangements.

Lü Li spoke sternly to the Night Owl: "We must kill Qin Feng before he reaches Wang Du. He must not be allowed to meet His Majesty—otherwise, he will exploit this to crush the Hawk Faction utterly."

"This battle is not just for me—it's for every party member!"

The Night Owl nodded. Though only a small fraction of the Night Owls had defected to the Hawk Faction, today's strike against Qin Feng had nothing to do with Li Yu. But if they were going to do it, they would do it thoroughly—eliminate Qin Feng completely.

Meanwhile, over a hundred Night Owls, accompanied by thousands of soldiers, had already ambushed along both sides of the Official Road—should Qin Feng dare leave the road, he would be buried without a trace.

On the other side, Zhang Zhenhai had already led the Tianji Camp Guards to the Second Checkpoint.

Because Lü Li had strictly sealed the news, the defenders at the Second Checkpoint had no idea who they were facing. When the Tianji Camp Guards suddenly charged, the two hundred soldiers mounted an active defense, forming the traditional array: Shield Bearers in front, Infantry as Rear Guard.

Rows of step bows extended through gaps between the great shields, aimed at the thirty cavalry charging toward them.

Zhao Ling, the First General of the Second Checkpoint, watched the approaching cavalry and sneered inwardly—he thought the enemy must be insane. How could they dare launch a cavalry charge with such overwhelming odds? It was suicide.

Zhao Ling was so confident he didn't even prepare his Bow Infantry. He relied solely on great shields and step bows to swallow these thirty fearless cavalry whole.

Yet he did not know: under Heaven and Earth, no army type is invincible, no array is flawless.

The advantage or disadvantage of army types is always relative.

In other words, no army type's inherent strength can single-handedly turn the tide of battle. The only factor that truly determines the outcome is morale.

With sufficient morale, a sudden victory is possible—even against overwhelming odds. But if morale is low, even a force several times larger will be cut down like melons and vegetables.

And when infantry face cavalry, morale's impact is even more pronounced.