Chapter 25: The Brute Force of a Warrior

"Quick! The grasslanders are attacking the pass! To arms!"

"Brothers, charge! Drive these Central Plains people out of Hulao Pass!"

As He Zhe led another contingent of grassland cavalry in an early assault, the entire Hulao Pass was plunged into flames. The booming of war drums and the desperate roars of those facing life and death intertwined. The eastern and western gates were under immense pressure.

"Organize men to plug the gaps at the East Gate!"

Fang Ping stood upon the ramparts with a grim expression. Although Chen An had initially weakened He Zhe's forces, the departure of Chen An and his men had left Hulao Pass at a complete disadvantage. He Zhe, acting like a madman, led his bodyguard battalion in a relentless charge. For a moment, it seemed no one could stop them.

"Commander, the enemy outnumbers us several times over! If this continues, we won't be able to hold!" his confidants shouted, gathering around him.

"We cannot retreat!" Fang Ping refused sternly. "Anyone who takes a step back shall die!"

No sooner had he spoken than a massive, thundering crash echoed.

"Reporting to the Commander! The city gate has been breached!"

The entire scene fell into a deathly silence. The breach of the gate meant that the few advantages they held had been completely exhausted.

"Hahaha, charge!"

"Clatter, clatter, clatter!"

The grasslanders' warhorses began to gallop through the streets and alleys of Hulao Pass. Fortunately, before the fighting began, Fang Ping had arranged for all civilians to gradually withdraw. A massive stronghold like Hulao Pass was lost in the blink of an eye. With the gate breached, house-to-house fighting ensued. Many garrison soldiers were cut down at the entrance, their miserable wails echoing incessantly.

Fang Ping stood somewhat dazed; he was now at a dead end. As a commanding officer, losing a pass meant certain death. As a defeated general, the shame of failure called for suicide as an act of atonement. No matter which path he took, only a dead end awaited him.

"Is Heaven truly determined to destroy me?"

In this moment of life and death, Fang Ping struggled to lift the long sword in his hand. The sharp blade that had followed him since he first joined the army now felt incredibly heavy.

"Fang Ping has failed Heaven and Earth; now, there is only death..."

The rain grew heavier, and the sounds of slaughter within Hulao Pass continued to shake the heavens. The grasslanders' blades reaped the heads of the garrison soldiers like wheat.

"Haha! I have finally captured this pass! From this moment on, there is nothing to stop my Jiuli tribe from stepping into the Central Plains!"

He Zhe, mounted on his towering steed, laughed wildly. Just as he was about to order the total annihilation of all the soldiers in Hulao Pass, a messenger hurried over.

"General, a unit of a hundred men has charged in from the West Gate!"

"The West Gate? Isn't that where Wa'er is in charge? Tell him to send his own men to wipe them out." He Zhe dismissed the report.

"Centurion Wa'er has been beheaded!"

"What!" He Zhe was stunned. "How is that possible? The garrison at Hulao Pass is only a thousand strong; how could they swallow Wa'er in one bite?" He Zhe refused to believe it. "You must have scouted incorrectly. Report again!"

However, the scout did not leave, a sign that filled He Zhe with a bad premonition.

"General Wa'er's head has been severed!"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" He Zhe insisted. "Who has the skill to kill Wa'er?"

"It is the same opponent who defeated our army the other day," the scout explained. "This unit is small, but they possess a murderous aura. Our men crumble at the slightest contact!"

At the West Gate of Hulao Pass, raindrops pattered against Chen An's face, turning the bloodstains into gore.

"Soldiers, listen to me!"

"Ready!"

"Follow me and let us wipe them out completely!"

"Kill!" The roar echoed through the clouds. A hundred men charging into the enemy formation, vowing not to return unless victorious.

"Boom!" As a thunderbolt split the sky, the rain intensified. The ox-hide war drums were beaten again, emitting a booming sound. This was Chen An signaling for the soldiers to rally and fight to the death.

It was nearly the hour of the tiger, and the world was cloaked in darkness. The "Tiger" battalion flag was raised high, bringing with it a chilling, murderous intent.

"Chen An, commander of the Tiger Battalion from Huyang Pass, is here! If you have the guts, come and fight!"

Chen An spurred his horse forward, shouting after felling two enemy officers in quick succession.

"That is Chen An? He Zhe has ordered a reward of one hundred taels of silver for anyone who takes his head!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Kill him!"

A grassland cavalryman, his eyes reddened with blood, roared and charged at Chen An with his spear leveled. Chen An remained calm, grabbing the spear shaft with one hand and pulling it downward. What seemed like a light movement contained immense, surging power.

The force was so great that it sent the horse tumbling.

"Haha! Impressive! Watch this!"

Zhang Xiaojing followed up, his spear technique skilled and fluid. With a swift thrust, he pierced the back of an enemy scout and knocked him from his mount. What began as a hopeless situation was turned into a contest of skill by Chen An and Zhang Xiaojing.

With Chen An leading, the nearly one hundred men of the Tiger Battalion rampaged through the battlefield. This surprise tactic unexpectedly revitalized the entire situation!

"Capture the leader to break the army!" He Zhe, watching from afar, roared in anger.

Just as the enemy began to close in on Chen An, a violent shout erupted.

"Damn you, let go of my big brother!"

Amidst the flying dust, a hulking man charged into the enemy formation like a rhinoceros. The sheer force of his charge knocked over two or three horses before he came to a halt.

"Wu the Fool!"

"Big Brother, I just returned and heard from Commander Qiao that you were here, so I chased after you without even taking a drink of water." Wu the Fool smiled innocently, a stark contrast to his previous demonic appearance.

"A mere brute, how dare you be so arrogant!"

"Charge! Kill him!"

Faced with the endless stream of enemies, Wu the Fool cursed, "Arrogant your mother's head!"

With that, he disregarded whether the attackers were tall, short, fat, or thin. He swung his modified mace like a demonic god descending. Every blow carried immense weight.

The enemy officer who had been provoking them muttered in shock, "Where did this monster come from?"

"Monster? I am your Grandfather Wu!"

"Kid! Don't run! Taste my mace!"

Wu the Fool closed in, exerting all his strength in a downward smash. The enemy officer's expression shifted drastically; in his panic, he raised his spear to block. But the force of the blow was too great! The officer's head exploded like a ripe watermelon with a loud "bang."

The arrival of Chen An and his reinforcements left He Zhe feeling dizzy.

"Lord He Zhe, dawn is approaching. We have ventured deep into enemy territory. If the Central Plains reinforcements arrive to surround us, I fear... I fear we won't be able to escape!"

"Yes, we must retreat!"

He Zhe looked at the sky, filled with reluctance. The rain was still increasing, and the mist was so thick one could barely open their eyes. Under the counterattack of Wu the Fool and the others, the situation had seen a massive reversal!

"He Zhe! Stand right there! I am coming to take your head!"

Chen An's voice echoed through the rainy night like a thunderclap, leaving the grasslanders dazed and disoriented. The roles of hunter and prey had been inverted in an instant!