Chapter 1342: The Final Halfway Abandonment

The soldiers of the Zhao Family Army and the able-bodied young men taken in from Pi Island, even the women and children inside the fortress, had all prepared themselves to face death with equanimity. Every nerve in their bodies was drawn taut, though some also felt a sense of release. They knew their supplies were running out, and the pressure from the Jianzhou Jurchens across the way was mounting by the day. These past few days had been unbearably despairing; in a few more, it would likely be hell itself.

No one paid any attention to that ship. Every pair of eyes was fixed on the enemy about to advance. A bitter fight was about to erupt. We cannot escape death, but before we die, we'll drag a few of them down with us. It turns out the Tartars aren't so invincible, not so unconquerable. As long as you find the right method, you can defeat them all the same. We can only hope that more people in Liaodong and inside the passes learn this method sooner.

At this final moment, some could no longer hold back their emotions and wept and sobbed continuously, yet their bodies stood firm and unwavering, their hands gripping their long spears utterly motionless. Those nearby wanted to shout curses at them, but after glancing at their comrades' faces, they found themselves with nothing to say.

The Jianzhou Jurchen army formation advanced slowly forward. Beyond the original outer perimeter of the fortress, the terrain had previously made it impossible for a large force to advance. But now, that area had been filled flat with corpses and earth, allowing the main force to advance continuously and deploy for battle as if on level ground. The Jurchen formation would pick up speed, first crashing against the fortress's defensive line. Moreover, the Jurchen elites charging at the very front were all wearing the iron armor of the Zhao Family Army.

Battle was about to be joined. Everyone waited for the Jianzhou Jurchen formation to erupt in shouts and roars, which would signal the start of the charge and slaughter. This moment, just before the fighting, was the hardest to endure each day. Once they were clashing face-to-face, they could actually let go and even feel a sense of release.

They moved faster and faster, the signal flags waving with increasing speed, the rhythm of the horns and drums beginning to change. The charge was about to begin. Just at that moment, the clanging of gongs rang out. The Jurchen ranks, which had been gathering momentum, immediately slowed, and the formation even stirred with some commotion. The fortress defenders were equally astonished. This was the signal to withdraw. In the daily fierce fighting, only when this sound rang out could everyone breathe a sigh of relief. Yet, they didn't even dare to relax when they heard it, afraid the enemy was using it to play some trick—they had already suffered heavy casualties because of such ploys.

But the Jurchen formation did indeed slow down. The Jurchen officers and soldiers within the ranks could be seen turning their heads to look back. Then the entire formation halted, and after that, began a slow retreat...

The fortress defenders dared not relax in the slightest. What if it was a delaying tactic? What if they were feigning retreat to draw them out? The fortress defenders could not afford any losses. The Jianzhou Jurchens' tactics were extremely flexible, and they could maintain order in their ranks even during such maneuvers and withdrawals—something only elite troops inside the passes could achieve. If not for the equally capable Zhao Family Army soldiers rushing everywhere to stem the tide, they would likely have collapsed long ago.

The advance had stopped, and the slow retreat was real, because everyone saw them return to the front of their camp, their flags returning to their units. Although the forward elements of the Jianzhou Jurchen formation remained on alert, it was to guard against a counterattack from this side, not to stage some maneuver.

Could it be that they really weren't attacking? What unforeseen event had occurred? Zhao Song stared wide-eyed at the opposite side, but could not make out any further details. Yet he still dared not relax and could only hold on like this.

No matter how cautious they were, the Zhao Family Army soldiers and the able-bodied young men could not help but ease up. The Jianzhou Jurchens had indeed stopped attacking. Though no one knew what had changed, they had genuinely returned to camp. The Jianzhou Jurchens very rarely launched attacks in the afternoon, so perhaps they could take it easy for the rest of the day.

Although everyone had already resolved to face death, living an extra day was always a good thing, and being able to rest and catch their breath was a stroke of luck. Zhao Song let out a breath and waved the long halberd in his hand to issue orders. Leaving behind the company on watch, the rest of the men began to rest and regroup. Inside the fortress, children finally began to wail loudly, bringing a trace of life back to the battlefield.

The fragrant yet nauseating fish soup began to simmer again. On this island, fresh water for several thousand people was a major problem. Fortunately, Pi Island had relatively abundant freshwater sources. The fortress had dug wells and, as a precaution, built hidden channels, which was how they had barely managed to hold on until now. Given Pi Island's terrain, cutting off the water supply was very difficult, and the Jianzhou Jurchens were helpless against this.

They had rested for less than two hours when the lookout sent a signal. The Jianzhou Jurchen troops were emerging from camp again; it seemed they still intended to fight. The fortress defenders, accustomed to this, gathered in response and prepared for battle. Unexpectedly, before they had even finished forming their ranks, a wave of noise erupted. No one could suppress their astonishment, because they saw that after the Jianzhou Jurchen army across the way had assembled outside their camp, they did not begin an attack. Instead, they marched north—towards the location of the Jianzhou Jurchens' main supply camp and the port connecting them to the coast.

Watching column after column of Jianzhou Jurchen soldiers march out, the fortress defenders were utterly dumbfounded. Given Pi Island's topography and the Jianzhou Jurchen troops' naval combat capabilities, they certainly wouldn't be crossing the sea by boat to attack. The wind was picking up now, and rafts that strayed even a little from the shore were easily capsized by the waves—a risk they would definitely not take. Then what exactly were they doing? Could it be a feint? It didn't look like one. For the same topographical reasons, the area around the fortress where battle could be joined offered no room at all for such deceptive maneuvers.

"The Tartars are cunning! Do not relax! Maintain strict vigilance!" Zhao Song shouted hoarsely. In truth, he desperately wanted to lie down and rest, but right now, he was the one who could least afford to.

"The Tartars only have just over three thousand men left!" After nearly a month of bitter fighting, the fortress defenders had a very clear grasp of the Jianzhou Jurchens' troop strength. Having kept such a close watch, they naturally saw things very clearly.

Now, the fortress position had fewer than two thousand men. But relying on the advantageous terrain, the over three thousand men on the opposing side truly had no way to break in. Of course, the fortress defenders also had no way to charge out. Even if they did, it would be futile; they would only be trapped on Pi Island, unless they built rafts to go to the mainland and beg for food from Goryeo.

Seeing all this, the defenders of the fortress position all relaxed. Regardless of where the Jianzhou Jurchen troops leaving camp were heading, at the very least, no fighting would occur for the next couple of hours.

Not long after those troops marched north, the captives inside the Jianzhou Jurchen camp were pushed out. Most of the captives from Pi Island's Dongjiang Garrison had been expended in the assaults on the fortress. The ones remaining had not been used in combat, serving only as logistical support.

The familial affection, hometown sentiment, and pity they had felt at the beginning had long since vanished into thin air. The Pi Island able-bodied young men among the fortress defenders now gnashed their teeth in hatred for the other side. Those who could run over and dared to resist had all been killed off, leaving only those numb souls who worked for the Jurchens. Though they had not taken to the battlefield, they were still accomplices to murder.

When they saw them pushed out, the defenders instinctively went on alert, thinking a new wave of attacks was beginning. Unexpectedly, after the surviving captives were made to stand still, the Jianzhou Jurchens began to kill them—mercilessly hacking and stabbing. The captives wept, begged for mercy, and tried to flee, but there was no way to escape the encirclement. Unarmed, they had no way to contend against steel blades. Only agonized screams could be heard, as figures stumbled out one after another, only to be cut down or shot dead.

From the moment the slaughter began, the fortress defenders felt no satisfaction. At first, there was silence, then anger, and in the end, they could only watch all of this in wordless silence.

Someone over there broke into a run, pursued by cursing Jianzhou Jurchen soldiers. After just a few steps, he was about to be caught when he stumbled, tripped by something. He pushed himself up but did not continue fleeing. Instead, facing the direction of the fortress, he let out a heart-rending shout: "Avenge us!"

Before his words faded, the Jurchen soldier behind him had caught up. A blade rose and fell with a chop, and blood sprayed.

The fortress defenders remained very silent. Only Zheng Xiao'er, clad in his iron armor, could not hold back. He rushed forward a step and roared, "Rest in peace! We will surely slaughter every last one of these Tartars!"

The Zhao Family Army soldiers remained silent, as did the able-bodied Pi Island young men they had taken in. While they were certainly amazed by the Zhao Family Army's formidable strength, they still did not believe they could truly do anything to the Jianzhou Jurchens. In their minds, Xuzhou was still part of the Great Ming. As long as they were troops of the Ming realm, it was impossible for them to inflict any real damage on the Tartars.

Blood flowed in streams, heads rolled, and the sounds of weeping and agonized screams shook the heavens. However, everyone had experienced such brutal, hellish scenes so many times that it had no effect on them at all. After the Jianzhou Jurchens finished the slaughter, they returned to camp on their own. Since the killing was all done by the shore, the rising tide would carry the bodies away, saving them the trouble of disposal.

Without the captive laborers handling logistics, the Jianzhou Jurchens' combat effectiveness was actually being diminished. Transferring troops and massacring captives—no matter how you looked at it, they were not going to keep fighting.

Zhao Song and the others remained on alert, while Luo Chen could not help but sit down on the ground, tossing his long blade aside carelessly. He covered his face with both hands and fell silent. Zhao Song and the soldiers slowly relaxed, but the taken-in Pi Island young men were still somewhat bewildered.

"Master Jin didn't abandon us, Master Jin didn't abandon us..." Luo Chen muttered a couple of times, his voice low. As he spoke, he began to choke up.

Zhao Song dragged his long halberd over to him and said in a muffled voice, "Don't celebrate so soon."

The atmosphere sank into this silence. Until nightfall, the Jianzhou Jurchens made no unusual movements. In the morning, they had thought annihilation was imminent; by the time darkness fell in the afternoon, the situation had turned into a standoff. And the Jurchen troops that had marched north had not returned.

When campfires rose on the opposite side, Zhao Song selected a few men who were strong swimmers to go along the coast, clinging to planks, to scout for information and see what the enemy was actually doing on the northern shore.

This mission was extremely dangerous; they might not return. Moreover, swimming along the coast in strong winds and cold water meant that even if they were not discovered by the Jianzhou Jurchens, hunger and exhaustion could still cause them to drown.

They had left at night and were expected to return around dusk the next day, because the Jianzhou Jurchens' patrols along the coast, especially at several key points, were very strict. The Zhao Family Army had already lost quite a few men this way. But what they never expected was that, as the first light of dawn appeared the next day, the men they had sent out came back.

"Battalion Commander, the Tartars are gone! The Tartars have crossed the sea and left!"

Thank you all. The updates have been unstable recently. The daily chapter should be in the evening. I'll sort out other things once I'm settled.