Chapter 387: No Way Out

The ground was covered with the corpses of the Yuan Family Army.

Blood flowed like a river!

Many in the Yuan Family Army grew afraid, began to shrink back, and their offensive slowed down.

"Charge! Why aren't you charging?"

Protected by a few trusted aides, Yuan Zhi saw the soldiers ahead afraid to advance and immediately shouted frantically.

At this moment, a general covered in blood rushed forward and knelt on one knee.

"General Yuan, our Long Swords are simply no match for the weapons in their hands."

"The soldiers have suffered heavy casualties; we cannot advance any further."

Yuan Zhi's eyes were bloodshot, and he was blinded by hatred.

He had brought thirty thousand troops; how could he possibly be defeated by Xiao Moting's two thousand men?

He would never allow failure.

Gritting his teeth, Yuan Zhi shouted sternly, "So what? Charge, all of you! We have plenty of troops; if one batch dies, send in another! The Bullets in their hands will run out eventually."

The general was heartbroken, "General, letting the soldiers sacrifice themselves like this—those who die are all our own people from Yannan."

"Yannan is not short of people, especially low-class commoners!" Yuan Zhi roared, "They are just a bunch of ordinary soldiers, not capable generals. If soldiers die, we can just recruit more; there are plenty of people clamoring to join the army."

After hearing Yuan Zhi's words, the surrounding Yuan Family Army fell silent.

No one spoke; they just watched Yuan Zhi quietly.

Aside from their status as the "Yuan Family Army," they were all commoners of Yannan, the youngest only twelve or thirteen, the oldest barely over forty.

In Yuan Zhi's eyes, they were not people of Yannan, but merely cannon fodder on the battlefield.

Yuan Zhi picked up his Long Sword and roared, "Charge! Anyone who dares to disobey orders will be dealt with according to Military Order and beheaded on the spot."

He kicked the kneeling general who had tried to advise him to the side with a heavy blow.

At this moment, a trusted soldier behind him stepped forward and shouted loudly.

"Didn't you hear General Yuan's order? All soldiers, press forward! You must kill Xiao Moting!"

Military Order is like a mountain; disobeying it leads only to death.

The soldiers of the Yuan Clan looked at each other, despair flashing in some of their eyes.

They knew they would not survive, yet they had no way out.

To go forward was death, and to retreat was also death.

The cruelty of the battlefield was revealed in its entirety at this moment.

……

In the courtyard.

The air was filled with a thick, bloody stench.

On the ground lay all the Yuan Clan soldiers killed by Bullets, blood covering the floor.

Xiao Moting looked at the dense pile of corpses, a flicker of emotion passing through his cold eyes.

Qin Zhan also showed an expression of unbearable pity and said in a low voice.

"Those who died are all people of Daliang; if not for the Yuan Clan's stubbornness, how could we be slaughtering our own kin?"

Bai Wei also furrowed her brows tightly, her eyes flickering.

The soldiers lying on the ground were all vanguard troops ordered by Yuan Zhi to charge; though called vanguard troops, they were actually just cannon fodder sent to the front.

These soldiers were all very young, at most in their early twenties.

Yet their lives had ended right there.

Just for Yuan Zhi's competitiveness, they had to offer up their precious lives.

"Yuan Zhi is too competitive; it is impossible to make him retreat," Xiao Moting said in a deep voice, then suddenly turned to order Qin Zhan, "The Yuan Family Army's morale is low now. You come with me to break out, charge into the enemy formation, and kill their Chief Commander."

Qin Zhan's eyes lit up.

"Prince, you mean..."

When two armies clash, the Chief Commander is the core of the force.

If the Chief Commander dies, the troops will fall into chaos.

"But this is very dangerous!" Zhang Yu said in alarm, "Prince of Zhenbei, you must think this through."

Although the Yuan Family Army had suffered heavy casualties, they were numerous, and there were still at least twenty thousand troops outside.

Xiao Moting's expression was calm, "The Bullets are about to run out, and the Yuan Clan has more than just these thirty thousand troops; their main army hasn't arrived yet! If Yuan Canghai arrives with reinforcements, we will have no way out."

As he spoke, he glanced at the corpses on the ground, a trace of compassion flashing in his eyes.

"Furthermore, those who died are all people of Daliang. Only our enemies would be happy to see us slaughter our own kin."

After he finished speaking, the people around him also fell silent.

Zhang Yu opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.

It was true!

He was a man of Yannan, and those who died on the ground were also men of Yannan. They were of the same root, yet just for the selfish desires of the powerful, blood had to flow like a river.

The powerful only needed to say a word, while it was the sons of commoners who suffered and died.

After every war, who knows how many ordinary families are shattered—children lose their fathers, wives lose their husbands, parents lose their sons...

And the nobles sitting high in the imperial court celebrate victory with fine wine and meat, never giving them a thought.

"Leader Zhang, you cover us," Xiao Moting said solemnly.

"This..." Zhang Yu hesitated for a moment, then turned and roared, "A few of you sharp ones, learn to use the guns! The rest of you, use the Repeating Crossbows and large bows to cover the Prince of Zhenbei!"

Immediately, several young farmers stepped forward.

"Let me try!"

"I see the Beijiang Army using guns; it doesn't seem that difficult."

"It's simple, I've learned just by watching."

Bai Wei immediately picked up several guns and handed them into their hands, "Qin Zhan, explain the usage of the guns to them."

"This is the trigger; just pull it while aiming." Qin Zhan knew he could not waste time and immediately explained it in brief.

Very quickly, several members of the Peasant Army learned how to use the guns.

Xiao Moting put on his armor, held a gun in his hand, had a Long Blade slung across his back, and shouted an order in a deep voice.

"Lu Jing, Qin Zhan... follow me and charge out."

"Yes!"

The few Beijiang Army soldiers who were named immediately stepped forward.

Zhang Yu also selected over a dozen agile members of the Peasant Army.

"You are to charge out with the Prince of Northern Pacification; take care to protect the Prince of Northern Pacification, we will provide cover from the rear."

"Yes!"

Xiao Moting raised his hand.

"Let's go!"

After speaking, he leaped out and rushed toward the door.

The Peasant Army followed closely behind, picking up guns and Bow and Arrow to provide cover.

"They are charging out!"

A cry of alarm rang out among the Yuan Family Army.

"Meet them! Don't let Xiao Moting escape!" Yuan Zhi ordered sternly.

Xiao Moting led dozens of soldiers, charged out of the enemy formation, and rushed toward the tide-like Yuan Family Army.

Zhang Yu led the rest of the men, continuously firing arrows and shooting Bullet.

Amidst a hail of bullets, Xiao Moting swung his Long Blade, like a dragon entering a school of fish; the blade light in his hand was cold and sharp, cutting down countless enemy soldiers.

Behind him, Xiao Lujing and Qin Zhan were also agile, following closely behind to protect him.

Zhang Yu directed several members of the Peasant Army to stand by the Red Barbarian Cannon, pretending to prepare to fire, and shouted loudly as a feint.

"Hurry and load the Cannonball, prepare to fire."

This shout of his truly scared off many of the Yuan Family Army, who threw down their Long Sword and Long Blade and ran.

Bai Wei did not go into battle; she held her gun with both hands, watching Xiao Moting with full concentration through the scope.

Xiao Moting was locked in a fierce struggle with a great general of the enemy army, fighting intensely.

Suddenly, an enemy soldier rushed out from the rear and slashed fiercely at Xiao Moting.

In the blink of an eye, Bai Wei did not hesitate and immediately fired a shot.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out!

The enemy soldier fell to the ground.

At this moment, Xiao Moting also slashed the enemy general off his horse with one blade; he turned his head, looked at Bai Wei from afar, smiled at her, and then immediately charged back into the enemy formation without looking back.