Chapter 248: Severing Adunla

Adunla's goal was clear; he charged straight for Jiang Jinshi. Adunla's principle being to capture the ringleader first, Jiang Jinshi gripped his halberd with both hands and slashed toward Adunla.

Meanwhile, Xiexiezi, Luo Feng, and the other squad leaders sought out the leaders of the various Xiongnu tribal divisions. A great battle was on the verge of breaking out!

Adunla's fighting spirit did not wane. His scimitar met the long halberd head-on, sparks flying!

The long halberd seemed to carry the force of a thousand jun. After meeting the scimitar, it did not pause for an instant, continuing to press downward.

In just a single moment, Adunla made a judgment.

This halberd cannot be met with brute force!

Sitting on his horse, he leaned forward to dodge the halberd, and his scimitar followed the momentum, changing direction to strike at Jiang Jinshi's arm.

Jiang Jinshi flipped the halberd, using the shaft to block the scimitar, while the crescent blade at the front pointed straight at Adunla's head.

The pressure on Adunla surged. He leaned to the right, barely dodging the strike, but did not expect Jiang Jinshi to sweep the halberd horizontally, nearly knocking Adunla off his horse.

Unable to steady himself, Adunla freed a hand to pull the reins, making his horse back up two steps to escape Jiang Jinshi's attack range.

After just one exchange, Adunla knew that this person's martial prowess was likely not below that of the Prince of the North, and perhaps even stronger!

"Who are you? I have never heard of such a figure in Beijiang!" Adunla felt a palpitation and used the gap in conversation to steady his body.

"I am the one who will kill you!" Jiang Jinshi had no intention of wasting breath on the opponent and continued to charge at Adunla.

Adunla bit the bullet and continued to tangle with Jiang Jinshi. Calling it a struggle was more like a one-sided crushing; every move Jiang Jinshi made was efficient and lethal, leaving Adunla forced into defense.

"Someone, help me!"

Adunla could not withstand the pressure and shouted to those behind him.

"Protect the Great King!"

The Xiongnu personal guard captain charged forward fearlessly, brandishing his scimitar to hack at the legs of Jiang Jinshi's horse.

Jiang Jinshi did not even look. The halberd slashed downward, striking after but arriving first; the shaft accurately smashed into the opponent's wrist. With a crisp 'Crack!', the scimitar fell to the ground.

Before the opponent could scream, the tip of the halberd swept back, already slicing across their neck.

Adunla watched in terror. The guard captain was a warrior in his tribe, whose ferocity was unmatched by ordinary men. Yet, he was killed in a single exchange, and the opponent's demeanor was as effortless as slaughtering a sheep.

He finally realized the horror of his opponent and dared not be arrogant any longer. He pulled his horse around, wanting to retreat and merge into the chaotic army.

"Want to run?"

Jiang Jinshi's eyes turned sharp. The halberd went straight for Adunla, attempting to keep him there.

Adunla had no heart for battle, yet he could not ignore Jiang Jinshi's fierce offensive, so he could only hastily raise his scimitar to block.

The halberd landed on the scimitar. Jiang Jinshi gripped it tightly with both hands, slashing with force toward Adunla's neck.

"Swoosh!"

Adunla leaned forward to dodge, but the arm holding the scimitar was severed by the momentum.

Jiang Jinshi wanted to pursue, but Adunla's personal guards had already arrived, throwing themselves at Jiang Jinshi one after another.

They were using their lives to block Jiang Jinshi's path so that Adunla could escape successfully!

Jiang Jinshi killed several guards in succession. When he looked up again, Adunla had already hidden within the chaotic army!

"Retreat! Everyone retreat!"

Adunla covered the stump of his arm and gritted his teeth as he gave the order!

Luo Feng had already killed the leader of some unknown tribal division. Seeing this, he immediately took his heavy bow from the side of his saddle, nocked an arrow, and drew the string—the movements were fluid and completed in one go!

The bow opened like a full moon!

Swoosh!

The arrow pierced through the chaotic battlefield, aimed straight at Adunla's heart!

Adunla only discovered it when the arrow was close. He jerked to the side but still failed to dodge. Looking down at the arrowhead protruding from his shoulder, he fell from his horse.

"What a pity! Didn't hit the heart!" Luo Feng sighed, though his hands were not slow; he drew his bow to shoot another arrow, but Adunla had disappeared from sight.

Woo—woo—

A heavy horn sounded, and the Xiongnu army began to retreat, abandoning Lin City, which they had taken with such difficulty.

Jiang Jinshi would naturally not miss the chance to beat a drowning dog. He ordered the Ming Army: "The whole army, press forward!"

The Vice General and Wei Xikang leaned against the city wall, exchanging a look, both seeing what the other was thinking.

Is Boss Jiang really this fierce?

Wei Xikang had crossed paths with Jiang Jinshi, but he had never had a clear concept of Jiang Jinshi's martial prowess, assuming he was no stronger than the Vice General. Now, it seemed he had underestimated him.

Even the Prince of the North could not have suppressed Adunla for the entire fight, let alone severed one of his arms.

Comparing the two, the difference was immediately clear!

The Ming Army began a full-scale offensive, constantly surrounding and blocking the Xiongnu, driving them completely out of Lin City.

Luo Feng even wanted to pursue, but Jiang Jinshi ordered: "Do not leave the city! Do not pursue a desperate enemy!"

They had just arrived and held the geographical advantage for surprise attacks and urban warfare; if they were to leave the city and head out onto the grasslands, it would instead be the Xiongnu's home turf.

They did not know much about the Xiongnu yet; it was better to be steady!

"We won! Close the city gates!" Jiang Jinshi carried his halberd on his shoulder, his expression becoming relaxed.

"Wind! Wind! Great Wind!"

The Ming Army shouted in unison, the excitement on their faces unable to fade!

Jiang Jinshi turned to look at Luo Feng: "Immediately count our casualties, prioritize treating the wounded, and properly settle the remains of the fallen soldiers. Reinforce the city defenses, send out scouts, and track the movements of the retreating Xiongnu."

"Understood!" Luo Feng cupped his hands to accept the order and immediately went to make arrangements.

Efficient orders were issued one after another, and the chaotic Lin City quickly began to restore order.

The Ming Army displayed not only powerful combat strength but also strict discipline and efficient execution, which made the Zhenbei Army see the current gap between the two sides.

Many were dazed. When the Prince of the North was still here, they seemed to be like this too, but why had it become like this now?

The Ming Army began to take over the city defenses in an orderly manner, counting casualties and extinguishing remaining fires.

The fleeing Zhenbei Army soldiers also turned back and stood at the city gate, not knowing what they should do now!

Jiang Jinshi also realized that now that he was the commander of the Ming Army, what should he do?

Even with the flags on the city wall, should he plant his own or not?

The Zhenbei Army's flags had already been pulled down by the Xiongnu. Logically, since his Ming Army had occupied Lin City, he should naturally plant his flags.

But...

The Zhenbei Army was still here! They were even watching from inside the city. If he planted his flag, he feared another battle would break out.

After thinking it over, Jiang Jinshi decided not to plant the flags yet and see the Zhenbei Army's reaction first.

If possible, he still did not want to have a conflict with the Zhenbei Army, as it would affect the Ming Army's reputation.

After all, they were all people of Beijiang. If a civil war really broke out, it would be 'their own people' who got hurt.

The Zhenbei Army soldiers supported each other, their faces showing the relief of surviving a disaster, and the eyes that occasionally looked at the Ming Army still held awe.

They admired the combat strength displayed by the Ming Army, but they were ultimately not soldiers under the same banner, so they could only wait by the Vice General's side for orders.

The Vice General stood beside Wei Xikang, waiting for Wei Xikang to make a decision; after all, he had no idea what to do either.