Chapter 800
Loyalty and bravery often meet the spring
"Chang Yuchun, you get back here right now!"
Seeing that Chang Yuchun had acted on his own, Xu Da was furious and roared.
"This is a military order, get back here!"
Xu Da roared, and the generals on the ship all shouted Chang Yuchun's name in unison.
Chang Yuchun heard the roar behind him, but he didn't turn around, nor could he. If he turned around, he could only move forward and pretend he hadn't heard the sound behind him.
As a soldier, he should obey military orders, but as a man with blood in his veins, he wanted to reclaim his position, and no one could stop him!
At this moment, he stood at the bow of the "Breaking Waves" ship, his hand on the mainmast, staring intently at Luoxingdun, ten miles away.
His old wounds hadn't healed yet, but he didn't care; at that moment, his eyes were only on the Falling Star Mound in front of him!
And the man who fell on the mountaintop!
"Take over, and your fourth brother will take you home!" he murmured, his voice so hoarse he could barely hear himself.
Last night, Zhu Yuanzhang summoned him for the last time, and what he said was different from what Xu Da said: "Fourth brother, you have a quick temper. If I am defeated tomorrow, you are not allowed to act recklessly. Take your men and go with Xu Da. The world can do without Zhu Chongba, but the sons of Huaixi... must live."
He patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, boss! We'll never do anything reckless!"
Looking back now, even those who came to power probably didn't believe what they said.
The main force of the Wu King's army had begun to move. The vanguard became the rearguard and slowly retreated. Chang Yuchun's vanguard, however, had moved away from the main force of the Wu King's army.
He chose not to run away, but to charge forward!
At this moment, Chang Yuchun stepped onto the gunwale, his whole body standing straight like a javelin.
He took a deep breath, so deep that it tore open the old wound on his abdomen, and blood instantly soaked through the cloth.
But he was completely unaware, and simply forced all his strength, the murderous aura accumulated over twenty years of battle, and the flames burning through his heart and lungs into his throat, and then...
"You traitor Chen! Chang Yuchun of Huaixi is here! Who dares to fight me?!"
A loud shout, like a thunderclap from the heavens, exploded on the lake's surface.
It wasn't a shout, it was a roar, a mournful howl like a wild beast losing its cubs, a long howl of a lone wolf facing a desperate situation.
The sound waves rolled across the lake, making the sails of the nearest ships flutter, causing the soldiers on deck to suffer ear pain, and causing the fleet that was turning around to freeze in mid-air.
Xu Da turned around abruptly on the Dingyuan, his face changing drastically: "Chang Yuchun, you bastard! Get back here right now, this is a military order!"
Chang Yuchun did not respond to him. He drew the long spear that had been with him for twelve years from his waist, pointed the tip diagonally to the sky, and continued to roar:
"Brothers of the Vanguard—the rise to power is just ahead! That traitor Chen wants to desecrate his corpse! What do you say—what should we do?!"
A brief silence.
Then, from the vanguard, on over a hundred warships, a response as powerful as a landslide and a tsunami erupted:
"Kill! Kill! Kill—!"
That was Chang Yuchun's main force, three thousand veterans from Huaixi, who had followed him since Haozhou, battle-hardened elites who had survived countless bloodshed. They too had bloodshot eyes, staring at the corpse on Luoxingdun, and were all seething with rage.
"Good!" Chang Yuchun pointed his long spear forward, aiming straight at the densely packed Han army ship formation ten miles away. "Follow me—reclaim the top position! Take him home!"
"Go home! Go home! Go home—!"
The "Breaking Waves" was the first to rush out.
Without waiting for orders or regards of formation, Chang Yuchun personally took the helm, raising the sails to their fullest extent, and the oarsmen rowed with all their might.
The battered warship shot towards the Han army formation like an arrow released from a bow. Behind it, more than a hundred warships followed without hesitation, like a swarm of moths drawn to a flame, rushing straight into the death net composed of 240,000 troops and 900 warships.
Xu Da's eyes widened in fury: "Damn it, Chang Yuchun, you bastard!"
Lan Yumu and the other impulsive young officers immediately shouted, "Commander, Commander Chang has already charged! The enemy is overwhelming! Let's hurry and go to his aid!"
Xu Da gritted his teeth, his eyes were red, and his hands were clenched into fists. Chang Yuchun was his sworn brother. His relationship with Chang Yuchun was even deeper than that between Zhu Chongba and Chang Yuchun. Now, seeing Chang Yuchun die, his heart felt like it was being torn apart.
But he couldn't order a rescue. If he did, he would be throwing away the remaining tens of thousands of people as bargaining chips. These were the foundation of Huaixi. If they were really lost here, wouldn't he be a sinner?
He couldn't risk the lives of hundreds of thousands of people to save the life of Chang Yuchun alone!
He was the commander-in-chief of this army, and he was responsible for bringing these hundreds of thousands of people back. He was also responsible for protecting his wife and Biao'er, as entrusted by the King of Wu. He could not act impulsively like Chang Yuchun!
He can't gamble with the lives of hundreds of thousands of people!
"withdraw!"
Xu Da said in a deep voice.
Upon hearing this, Feng Sheng stepped forward and said, "Commander Xu, Yu Chun is still our old brother, we can't just abandon him!"
"I said let's go! Are you all deaf?!"
Xu Da then completely erupted, roaring, "Chang Yuchun disobeyed military orders! His life or death is none of our concern! The entire army retreats! No lingering! Retreat!"
"Xu Shuai!"
Feng Sheng and the others still wanted to persuade them.
Do you want to disobey orders?
Xu Da's eyes were bloodshot, his gaze filled with murderous intent. Seeing this look, Feng Sheng and the others were startled, and then they all lowered their heads and said, "Yes, sir!"
The army retreated towards Hongdu without stopping.
Chang Yuchun became the most beautiful lone hero. At this moment, someone on the ship said, "Marshal Chang, Marshal Xu has retreated!"
The sound is the fear of being isolated and helpless.
Chang Yuchun then spoke up: "Good riddance. If he hadn't withdrawn, I would have felt guilty. Now that the shackles are off, let's have a big fight. Go down and tell the brothers."
"Anyone who's afraid of dying, get out of the group right now, I won't stop you. But if you're a real man, come with me. Killing one is enough, killing two is a bonus."
"Yes!"
"Don't worry, Commander Chang, we're not cowards. So what if we die? We're not afraid."
"Yes, following Commander Chang, I have no regrets even if I die."
"Alright, we're all men, we're all men, then let's show those Han army bastards what their grandpa is all about, charge with me!"
kill!
Chang Yuchun's vanguard troops thrust forward like a knife!
At that moment, Zhang Dingbian spotted the advancing fleet immediately from within the Han army ranks.
Upon recognizing that it was Chang Yuchun charging forward, he coldly uttered four words: "Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot."
He then waved his hand and said, "The vanguard will divide into two hundred men to encircle and annihilate them. There is no need to leave any survivors."
"Order!"
Two hundred Han warships broke out of the formation, forming a giant net to meet Chang Yuchun.
The iron-clad ram at the bow gleamed coldly in the morning light, and the side booms resembled the fangs of a giant beast. The deck was filled with archers, their arrows already nocked.
Chang Yuchun saw it.
But instead of slowing down, he roared, "Speed up! Crash through me!"
"boom--!"
The "Breaking Waves" slammed violently into the side of the first Han warship. The impact sent splinters flying, and both ships shook violently. Chang Yuchun, gripping the mainmast, stood as still as an iron tower, without even swaying. Before the ship had come to a complete stop, he grabbed his long spear, leaped, and single-handedly boarded the enemy vessel!
"You traitor Chen! Anyone who stands in my way shall die!"
The long spear was like a dragon; with a single sweep, three Han soldiers were cut in half at the waist.
Blood splattered all over his face, but he didn't wipe it away and continued charging forward.
Five more Han soldiers thrust their spears at him, but he twisted his long spear, causing all five spears to slip from his grasp at the same time. With a sweeping motion, he cut open the throats of all five men, drawing blood.
He was like a mad tiger, charging left and right across the enemy ship's deck, leaving a trail of blood and flesh in his wake. The veteran soldiers from Huaixi behind him also jumped aboard, joining him in the battle. But the ship was too big, and the Han army too numerous. One layer was killed, and another surged forward.
Chang Yuchun destroyed three ships in succession, his body covered in blood, unable to distinguish whether they were his own or the enemy's.
The fourth ship was a multi-story vessel, three stories high, with two hundred Han soldiers standing on its deck. He looked up, grinned, and his grin was ferocious.
Then, he did something that left everyone speechless—
He abandoned the idea of boarding the ship and rushed directly to the side of the ship. To the astonishment of the Han soldiers, he leaped from the ship to another Han warship five zhang away!
"Stop him!" the Han general roared.
Arrows flew like locusts. Chang Yuchun, finding no foothold in mid-air, was struck by three arrows. But he ignored them, his gaze fixed intently on the direction of Luoxingdun. Just as the arrows arrived, he suddenly unleashed his inner energy, repelling them!
Upon landing, he rolled over again, and with a swift sweep of his long spear, he severed the calves of three Han soldiers.
He stood up.
Keep pushing forward.
Chang Yuchun painstakingly pierced through seven Han warships, from the outer edge to the inner layer.
Eleven arrows were embedded in his body, making him look like a hedgehog. He deliberately left these openings to conserve his internal energy. The arrows were not deep or fatal, but the pain stimulated his potential, making him like a tiger descending a mountain, charging forward bravely.
Of the three thousand veterans who followed him to join the rebellion, most had died or been wounded. The lake was filled with the corpses of Huaixi youths, and the blood had completely stained the waters red.
But Chang Yuchun kept moving forward.
Finally, he broke through the last barrier, and a clear view opened up before him—three miles ahead lay Luoxingdun. On the island, Zhang Dingbian was directing his soldiers to move Zhu Yuanzhang's body, while Chen Jie leaned against a stone pillar, coldly watching their direction.
"To take over..." Chang Yuchun gasped for breath, a final glimmer of light burning in his eyes, "Fourth brother... has arrived."
He leaned on his long spear, stood up unsteadily, and tried to continue forward.
But behind them, the Han army's encirclement closed in.
Twenty warships surrounded him. The ships were filled with archers, arrows nocked and gleaming. Further away, the Han army's main force of 240,000 men pressed down like a dark cloud.
At this moment, the suppressive power of the formation also became apparent. Although a fierce general could break through the formation of ten thousand troops, such a large-scale army could greatly suppress the enemy's power, causing the enemy's strength to drop by several levels.
Chang Yuchun was not weak, and should be at the first level of the Fusion God realm. However, within the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Formation set up by Zhang Dingbian's 200,000-strong army, his power was suppressed to a level similar to that of a Dragon Realm expert. In large-scale battles, the suppression of the formation could be offset between legions.
However, even Chen Jiu Si and Zhu Chong Ba dared not attack when the formation had reached 240,000 men.
But Chang Yuchun was fearless. Looking at the Han soldiers surrounding him, Chang Yuchun was not afraid, but instead pressed forward.
Seeing his fierce appearance, the Han soldiers around him were filled with fear. How could such a fierce general not inspire fear?
Seeing this, one of them said, "I'll go, so that the soldiers won't continue to sacrifice themselves."
Upon hearing the voice, everyone looked over and saw Ni Wenjun, the deputy commander of the Han King's army!
"Commander Ni is about to make his move! Commander Ni is about to make his move!"
The entire army was excited. Ni Wenjun slowly stepped forward, pushed through the crowd, and said, "Let me have a go at him!"
Hearing the commotion, Chang Yuchun looked over and immediately spotted Ni Wenjun. He then said, "Ni Wenjun!"
Ni Wenjun nodded and said, "Chang Yuchun, surrender. You are no match for me, why make things difficult for yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Chang Yuchun roared, "There is only Chang Yuchun who dies in battle, not Chang Yuchun who surrenders! Ni Wenjun, I've heard you're incredibly strong, so let me see what you're capable of today!"
Chang Yuchun roared, and the blood-fiend aura on his body began to condense. He held his spear horizontally across his chest, and the fiendish aura behind him condensed, eventually forming a blood-red tiger behind him.
The next moment, he roared, "Die!"
Immediately afterwards, the long spear in his hand suddenly pointed at Ni Wenjun, and the next moment the blood-red tiger suddenly pounced on Ni Wenjun.
"Watch out, Ni Shuai!"
Ni Wenjun suddenly stomped his foot, and the surrounding islands trembled. He then roared, "Nine-Story Tower!" and with a boom, an eight-story giant tower rose from the ground.
Ni Wenjun looked at the blood-red tiger and raised his hand, saying, "Three punches!"
After saying that, he suddenly threw out his first punch, which was as loud as Mount Tai crashing down. It collided with the tiger that was pouncing on him. The next moment, with another loud bang, the tiger exploded on the spot.
He was actually blown apart by Ni Wenjun's punch.
Ni Wenjun then threw a second punch, which shattered Chang Yuchun's protective aura with a loud bang.
With a final, powerful punch, Chang Yuchun was struck squarely, his life hanging in the balance. Boom!
A giant fist descended from the sky and directly suppressed Chang Yuchun.
boom!
Chang Yuchun was so overwhelmed by the punch that his eyes turned bloodshot, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his bones creaked all over. He was about to be killed by the punch.
At that moment, Ni Wenjun stopped moving, his fist hovering above Chang Yuchun's head: "Surrender, or die?"
Upon hearing this, Chang Yuchun's eyes turned bloodshot. Looking at the fist hovering above his head, he suddenly laughed.
He ignored Ni Wenjun, simply dropped the long spear in his hand, slowly knelt on the deck, facing the direction of Luoxingdun, and kowtowed three times heavily.
"Big brother, your fourth brother is useless and can't take you home!"
Then, he looked up at Ni Wenjun, then at Zhang Dingbian, then at Chen Jie, and roared with his last ounce of strength:
"Chang Yuchun of Huaixi... died here today! Twenty years from now, I'll come back to kill you all!"
The roar echoed across the lake.
Zhang Dingbian glanced at Ni Wenjun, who sighed and dispelled the giant fist in mid-air: "A true man would not want him to die by my hand!"
Zhang Dingbian was silent for a moment, then said, "I'll be the bad guy!"
After saying that, Zhang Dingbian raised his hand!
"Fire arrows."
Arrows rained down, obscuring the sky and the sun.
Chang Yuchun spread his arms, ripped off his protective aura, laughed loudly, and let thousands of arrows pierce through his body.
He died standing up.
Facing Luoxingdun, facing his elder brother whom he could not bring back, facing the peaceful world he fought for his whole life for but ultimately could not see.
Blood gushed from the body riddled with wounds, staining the deck red and dripping into the lake.
Meanwhile, to the southeast, the remnants of the Wu army led by Xu Da had disappeared into the depths of the morning mist.
On Poyang Lake, only the cheers of the Han army and that corpse that stood upright until the very end remained.
"Give him a proper burial!"
Chen Jie watched everything without saying a word. This is how cruel it is to seize power; it's not child's play. A proper burial was probably the last bit of dignity Chen Jie could show Chang Yuchun.
"Yes!"
Zhang Dingbian and the others immediately bowed and agreed! (End of Chapter)