Chapter 728
You can't hold on any longer, go, I won't kill you!
At this moment, on the Liao army's temporary camp, the cold wind whipped at the soldiers' armor, making it rustle, and the air was filled with the grim atmosphere of impending battle.
With his sword at his waist, Xu Kuan stood on a high slope, facing the Liao soldiers below, giving them a final pep talk before the battle.
His voice, booming like a bell, pierced through the howling wind and clearly reached the ears of every soldier:
"Soldiers, Huyang City is originally the territory of our Liao Kingdom. It was seized by the Han traitors who relied on their strength. Today, I ask you all to show the indomitable spirit of the Liao army and join me in taking back this land that belongs to Liao Kingdom and protecting our territory!"
Before he could finish speaking, Xu Kuan raised his arms and shouted:
"Drive the traitors of Han out of my Great Liao Kingdom!"
"Drive out the traitors!"
The soldiers' blood was instantly ignited, with scattered responses at first, which then coalesced into a deafening roar.
Xu Kuan's gaze swept over the roused soldiers below, and he raised his arm again:
"Defend our homeland! Drive out the traitors!"
"Defend our homeland! Drive out the traitors!"
Shouts rose and fell.
Xu Kuan slowly raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet. The camp fell silent instantly, and all eyes were on him.
"Set off."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Kuan mounted his horse, and the steed reared up and neighed softly.
The carriage was already prepared, and Gongsun Kang slowly stepped into it. The curtain fell, concealing everything inside.
Xu Kuan reined in his horse and led the way, with the carriage following closely behind.
Behind him, tens of thousands of Liao soldiers marched in formation, their imposing presence awe-inspiring.
The Liao army advanced like a long dragon towards Huyang City.
Gongsun Kang's carriage was surrounded by a dozen elite Liao soldiers, who held long swords and scanned their surroundings warily.
Unbeknownst to anyone, the seemingly heavily guarded carriage was already completely empty.
Taking advantage of the chaos in the pre-battle camp, when everyone's attention was focused on Xu Kuan's encouragement, Gongsun Kang disguised himself as an ordinary soldier, quietly slipped out of the camp, and disappeared into the vast wilderness.
Only Xu Kuan knew about this matter. He seemed focused on the road ahead, but in reality, he had already seen everything.
However, his expression remained unchanged, and he remained calm and composed, so no one could detect the slightest abnormality on his face.
At one quarter past the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), the sun gradually became stronger.
On the city walls of Huyang, Han soldiers stood ready, their eyes warily fixed on the distance.
Suddenly, a sentry shouted:
"The Liao army is here!"
The Han soldiers on the city wall immediately went on high alert, gripping their weapons tightly and looking in the direction the sentry was pointing.
On the distant horizon, a dark mass of figures appeared, gradually approaching with the sounds of hooves and wheels.
In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Liao army had already arrived outside Huyang City.
Without the slightest pause, the Liao army swiftly formed ranks, their spears like a forest, their swords like frost, their momentum like a rainbow.
Although the Liao army today is not as large as it was in yesterday's battle, and the lost soldiers have not yet been replenished, their morale is far higher than it was yesterday.
Yesterday's defeat did not break them; instead, it fueled their fighting spirit, and the flames of revenge burned on every face.
On the city wall.
Xiao He leaned against the city wall, looking down at the Liao army with high morale, an incredulous expression on his face.
He never expected that the Liao army, which had suffered a crushing defeat yesterday, would be able to regroup and possess such astonishing morale today.
Despite his surprise, Xiao He's eyes showed no fear, but rather a hint of disdain.
Even with high morale, what can be done?
In Xiao He's view, the Liao army was ultimately not a threat.
The walls of Huyang were high and thick, with a large number of catapults and heavy crossbows deployed on the walls, and tens of thousands of Han soldiers standing ready for battle.
Given the vast disparity in troop strength, the Liao army had virtually no chance of winning if they rashly launched an attack.
Today's battle is nothing but courting death.
Below the battlefield, Xu Kuan reined in his horse and stood at the front of the troops, his gaze passing over the army formation and looking towards the city wall of Huyang City. He quietly observed the Han army's deployment on the wall and pondered the strategy for attack.
Before long, a general arrived at him on horseback; it was none other than Xun Shi, a general from Liao.
"General, the entire army is ready and the soldiers are ready to launch an attack at any time."
After Xun Shi finished speaking, he did not get up and return to the ranks, but remained kneeling and looking at Xu Kuan.
"Ah."
Xu Kuan responded, his gaze remaining fixed on the city wall, his expression unchanged.
Noticing that Xun Shi had not retreated, Xu Kuan slowly withdrew his gaze, looked down at him, and raised an eyebrow slightly:
"Is there anything else?"
"This humble general humbly requests the general's permission to lead the vanguard and attack the city gates first, clearing the way for the main army!"
Xun Shi raised his head and said, word by word.
"Are you sure?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Xu Kuan's eyes as he stared at Xun Shi.
He clearly remembered that in yesterday's battle, Xun Shi was hit by several arrows and was seriously injured. Although he was treated by the army doctor and was temporarily out of danger, his injuries were far from healed.
At this moment, let alone leading troops into battle, even standing for a long time is quite difficult. If they were to force themselves into battle, they might not even be able to save their own lives.
"This subordinate is certain; I hope the general will approve!"
Xun Shi spoke firmly and once again loudly requested permission.
Xu Kuan remained silent.
His gaze lingered on Xun Shi for a long time, his heart filled with hesitation.
He valued talent. Xun Shi was brave and skilled in battle, a rare and fierce general in the Liao army. He was unwilling to watch Xun Shi die in vain.
After a moment, Xu Kuan slowly spoke:
"Do you know that with your current injuries, going there would be certain death?"
Xun Shi nodded slowly, without a trace of fear in his eyes:
"This humble general understands, but as a general of Liao, I am paid by the emperor and should bear his worries!"
"Today's battle concerns the fate of our nation and its territory. This humble general is willing to die to prove my loyalty and defeat the enemy in the first battle. I hope the general will grant my request!"
The surrounding soldiers all turned to look, sensing Xun Shi's sincerity.
Moments later, more and more soldiers shouted, pleading for Xun Shi's life:
"Please grant General Xun permission to fight the first battle!"
"We are willing to fight to the death with General Xun!"
The shouts rang out again, even more passionate than before.
Xu Kuan looked at Xun Shi, who was ready to die for his country, and then at the soldiers around him who were full of enthusiasm. His hesitation vanished instantly.
He raised his hand and patted Xun Shi's shoulder heavily:
"Go, as you wish, go and fight!"
With Xu Kuan's permission, Xun Shi's eyes instantly ignited with fighting spirit, and he no longer hesitated.
He grabbed the halberd beside him, mounted his horse, and galloped off towards Huyang City.
The shouts of the Liao soldiers behind them gradually faded into the distance.
In a short while, Xun Shi rode his horse to the gate of Huyang City and reined in his horse.
He plunged the tip of his halberd into the soil, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly towards the city:
"With Liao general Xun Shi here, who dares to fight?"
The three calls to arms were each more resounding than the last.
Not only could the Han soldiers standing guard on the city walls hear it clearly, but even the common people in the streets and alleys of the city could hear it clearly. This call to battle instantly caused a huge uproar throughout the entire city of Huyang.
The Han soldiers were abuzz with discussion, some marveling at Xun Shi's courage, others mocking his overestimation of his abilities.
Amidst the city-wide commotion, none could contain their excitement more than Zhang Liao.
Upon hearing that Xun Shi had volunteered to fight alone on the battlefield, he immediately burst into laughter:
"How dare he! I'll go and kill this bastard first, and let him know how powerful the Han army is!"
Before he finished speaking, Zhang Liao leaped onto his horse.
Seeing Zhang Liao take the initiative to fight, the Han soldiers on the city wall rushed to the top of the city tower, crowding around and vying to watch the battle.
Xiao He stood in the center of the city tower, a faint smile on his lips, his gaze calmly looking down at the city.
Beneath the city walls, Xun Shi stared intently at the tightly closed city gates.
Before long, the city gate slowly opened, and a dark figure rode out on horseback, heading straight for him.
The newcomer held a long, gleaming sword, exuding an imposing aura.
Xun Shi narrowed his eyes slightly and raised his voice to ask:
"Who is this person?"
"Zhang Liao!"
Zhang Liao reined in his horse and stopped a few feet away from Xun Shi.
The two locked eyes, their gazes sharp as knives, and the air instantly filled with the intense smell of gunpowder.
Without any further pleasantries, the war drums that had been prepared beforehand began to thunder in both camps.
The thunderous drumbeats echoed throughout the battlefield, boosting the morale of their respective commanders.
The drumbeats grew more rapid, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble slightly with each beat.
After a while.
The two men shouted at the same time and charged forward on their horses.
The thunderous sound of hooves kicked up clouds of dust.
Xun Shi was the first to attack, his halberd shooting straight at Zhang Liao's heart like an arrow, with unstoppable momentum.
Zhang Liao reacted extremely quickly, dodging to the side and narrowly avoiding the fatal blow, the halberd grazing past his silver armor.
Before Xun Shi could sheathe his halberd, Zhang Liao swung his long sword, sweeping it horizontally toward Xun Shi's waist.
The blade's wind was fierce and its force heavy.
Xun Shi felt a chill run down his spine and hurriedly withdrew his halberd to defend himself, holding it horizontally in front of his chest in an attempt to block the fierce attack.
"clang!"
A deafening roar and the ear-piercing sound of metal clashing echoed across the battlefield, sparks flying everywhere.
The immense impact traveled through the halberd into Xun Shi's body. He groaned and felt a sharp pain in his chest.
The wounds from yesterday's fierce battle instantly reopened, and a tearing pain swept through his entire body. His arm went slightly numb, and he almost dropped his halberd.
Zhang Liao instantly noticed that Xun Shi's movements hesitated for a moment. He understood immediately and pressed his advantage, wielding his long sword and launching one attack after another in a relentless barrage, giving Xun Shi no chance to catch his breath.
Faced with Zhang Liao's fierce offensive, Xun Shi had long since lost the power to retaliate and could only dodge and defend in a sorry state. With each block, the impact of the long sword would cause his wounds to tear open a little more.
The onlookers on the city wall were all puzzled by this scene.
Everyone could see that Zhang Liao was not using his full strength at this moment, and he was still holding back in his moves. However, Xun Shi was being beaten back step by step and could only passively defend, without even a shred of room to counterattack.
Logically speaking, a general who can volunteer to fight alone on the front lines is no ordinary person, so why was he so easily defeated?
Everyone was filled with confusion, their eyes fixed on the duel below the city.
And so, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the two exchanged blows for dozens of rounds.
In just a short while, blood began to seep from Xun Shi's wound, flowing slowly down his arm. His face grew paler, his breathing became more rapid, and his movements became increasingly sluggish.
Seeing this, Zhang Liao slowly reined in his horse, creating some distance between himself and Xun Shi, his brows furrowing slightly.
What's wrong with you?
Xun Shi took a deep breath, suppressing the excruciating pain within him, and waved his hand, showing no sign of weakness:
"Don't worry about it, let's fight again."
However, Zhang Liao, as a military general, always respected people with integrity and also had his own self-respect.
He could tell that Xun Shi was seriously injured and was no longer his match. Fighting him now would be an unfair victory, and his fighting spirit vanished instantly.
So he shook his head, turned his horse around, and prepared to retreat back into the city.
"You are seriously injured and no match for me. There is no need to fight anymore."
Seeing this, Xun Shi's eyes flashed with resentment, and he immediately swung his halberd, aiming for Zhang Liao's back.
Zhang Liao sensed a strong gust of wind coming from behind him. Enraged, he turned around abruptly and held his long sword horizontally in front of his chest, blocking the attack.
The blade and the halberd collided again, producing a loud bang.
"you wanna die!"
Zhang Liao roared angrily.
He intended to show mercy, but he never expected Xun Shi to launch a sneak attack from behind.
Xun Shi gripped his halberd, his body trembling slightly, yet his gaze remained resolute:
"To die for one's country is a great honor. As a general of Liao, how can I, Xun Shi, retreat without a fight?"
His words were filled with a resolute determination to die for his cause, without the slightest fear.
Upon hearing this, the anger in Zhang Liao's eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a hint of respect.
He reined in his warhorse, his expression gradually becoming serious, and his demeanor suddenly changed:
"Fine, since you insist on fighting, I will grant your wish and respect your integrity!"
As soon as they finished speaking, the two of them focused their minds and calmed their breath, continuously accumulating their inner strength.
The air on the battlefield instantly became still, and even the sound of war drums gradually slowed down.
Xun Shi gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain within his body;
Zhang Liao's aura surged, his silver armor gleamed, and the cold light on his long sword intensified.
Sudden.
Xun Shi shouted loudly, spurred his horse and charged straight out, gathering all his strength in his halberd as he thrust it towards Zhang Liao's heart once more.
This strike used up all his strength.
Zhang Liao's eyes narrowed, and he nimbly dodged to the side. At the same time, he swung his long sword horizontally with great force, carrying the momentum of destruction, straight at Xun Shi.
Xun Shi's heart tightened, and he hurriedly withdrew his halberd to block, but by this time he was already exhausted, and the intense pain from his wounds made him powerless.
"clang!"
Another loud bang rang out, and Xun Shi was forced back by the immense impact of the longsword, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
His wounds tore open again, and blood gushed out.
He groaned, swayed, and nearly fell off his horse.
Seeing that he was in pain and his movements were becoming increasingly sluggish, Zhang Liao felt a pang of pity in his eyes and immediately withdrew his attack.
"Again!"
Xun Shi's voice was hoarse.
He gritted his teeth, gripped his halberd tightly again, and, enduring the excruciating pain, spurred his horse and charged towards Zhang Liao once more.
Zhang Liao shook his head helplessly and could only raise his hand to block, easily stopping Xun Shi's attack.
Immediately, he lightly swung his long sword and launched a counterattack. Although the move was light, it carried considerable impact.
Xun Shi could only sheathe his halberd again to block in front of him. The longsword did not hit his body directly, but the impact still caused his wound to reopen.
After seven more rounds, Xun Shi was completely exhausted, covered in blood, and his arms were so heavy that he could hardly lift the halberd. He could only use both hands to tightly grip the halberd shaft to barely support his body and prevent himself from falling.
Zhang Liao reined in his horse, looked at Xun Shi with a complex expression, and said respectfully:
"Your body can't take it anymore. Go back. I won't kill you." (End of Chapter)