Chapter 28: Slaughtering Through the Tartars!!

"Killed one Tatar sentry, gained 20 points of Strength."
"Killed one Tatar sentry, gained 20 points of Speed."
"Killed one Tatar..."

Four consecutive system prompts echoed. Zhu Ying’s archery skills had proven devastating. With his immense strength combined with the power of the Treasure Eagle Bow, he pierced their throats with ease. As Zhu Ying made his move, the Ming soldiers behind him did not hesitate.

"Charge!"
"Kill all the Tatars!"
"Attack!"

Roars instantly tore through the northern Tatar settlement. Following these commands, four thousand cavalrymen drew their bows, aimed high into the night, and unleashed a volley of arrows toward the tribal village ahead. Under the cover of darkness, thousands of lethal arrows rained down like a storm of death. Many Tatars, caught in their sleep, felt sharp, sudden agony before they could even react, their bodies pierced by arrows as they perished on the spot.

As the Ming cavalry charged, they drew and fired relentlessly. Arrows fell like rain. The Tatar soldiers stationed on guard towers and within the camp were baptized by this lethal downpour.

"Enemy attack!"
"Ming army attack!"
"Quick... report to the Ten-Thousand-Man Commander..."
"Fire! Shoot them back!"

On the guard towers, many Tatar sentries rang their small bells frantically. The sound quickly spread throughout the entire settlement, accompanied by their panicked screams. The Jianzhou Tatar tribe had long resided in the northeastern borderlands of the Ming Empire; though they were nominally subject to the Yuan court, they had never truly experienced open warfare—especially those living in the central tribal territories, where such an encounter was unheard of. The arrival of the Ming army caught them in a state of utter shock.

"This is bad."
"The Ming army didn't attack from the southern settlement; they circled around to our northern flank."
"Gather the troops! Report to General Agunu immediately!"

The Tatar commander left in charge of this settlement shouted desperately. In the ensuing chaos, soldiers were roused from their slumber and scrambled to assemble. The entire settlement fell into disarray. Many Tatar soldiers gathered in front of the camp, firing blind volleys into the darkness outside, unable to even see their attackers. Their defenses were crumbling.

"Soldiers, follow me! Charge!"

Zhu Ying led the vanguard, clutching a steel longsword in his right hand, his eyes locked on the front. As arrows flew toward him, he swung his steel blade, swatting them away with ease. Upon reaching the main gate of the Tatar settlement, he found it barred shut and reinforced with heavy wooden obstacles.

"Cut!"

Zhu Ying swung his blade. Even in the darkness, the light of his steel flashed with the force of his immense strength. With a series of shattering sounds, the blade sliced through the wooden barriers, clearing the way. As his warhorse surged forward, he reached the camp gate, where dozens of Tatar soldiers stood firm to block the Ming advance.

Zhu Ying’s gaze was sharp. As he closed in, he unleashed his "Wild Dance Saber Technique." He gripped his sword and struck at the gate with a sudden, ferocious motion. It appeared to be a single strike, yet the blade moved with such lethal speed that he delivered over a dozen slashes in the blink of an eye.

Boom!

The massive gate shattered into a dozen pieces.

"Argh!"

The Tatar soldiers behind it were thrown to the ground by the sheer force of the impact.

"Strike!"

Zhu Ying spurred his horse forward, his steel sword rising and falling. With each stroke, the heads of the Tatar soldiers were severed from their bodies.

"Killed one Tatar foot soldier, gained 20 points of Stamina."
"Killed one Tatar foot soldier, gained 20 points of Strength..."

A flurry of prompts followed. Zhu Ying continued his relentless slaughter. Backed by his strength of over six hundred pounds, every swing carried invincible power, whistling through the air with gale-force intensity. Where his blade passed, the Tatar soldiers were like ants, reduced to mangled remains. Even when the edge didn't connect, the sheer force of the sword's spine was enough to crush them to death. Each swing claimed several lives. He was fierce and unmatched.

"Ming soldiers!"
"Follow me and kill every enemy!"
"Charge!"

Zhu Ying raised his blood-stained blade and roared. His voice exploded like thunder in the night. At that moment, the fifty guards behind him ignited their torches, serving as beacons for the four thousand soldiers.

"Follow the Commander!"
"Kill!"

The battalion commanders Wei Quan and Zhuang Wei roared. Four thousand Ming soldiers shouted in unison, gripping their swords and spears. They converged from their scattered formation into a long, disciplined dragon, following their commander into the depths of the Tatar settlement. Once Zhu Ying breached the main gate, the Ming cavalry poured in like a flood.

"Kill! Kill!"
"Exterminate the Tatars..."

Countless Ming soldiers screamed, killing anyone they saw—whether they were combatants or civilians. This was Zhu Ying’s order: once inside the settlement, everyone was an enemy. In the darkness, how could one distinguish between them? If they were Tatars, they died. Such is the cruelty of the battlefield.

"Charge!"

Zhu Ying hacked and slashed, his attributes rising rapidly with every kill, making him only more vigorous in the fray. As they pushed deeper into the settlement, his soldiers felt a mysterious surge—their stamina, combat prowess, and morale reached new heights. Even deep within enemy territory, they felt no fear. This was the influence of the authority granted by Zhu Ying's official seal: command, enhanced combat power, morale, and stamina.

Inside the main Blue Banner settlement, a messenger rushed to the entrance of Agunu’s tent.

"Report! General, disaster has struck! Urgent news from the northern settlement—the Ming army is attacking! Please send reinforcements immediately!"

Inside, Agunu had been enjoying himself, but the sudden intrusion brought him to a halt. Though furious, he dared not ignore the news of a Ming attack. Suppressing his anger and desire, he grabbed his spear and stepped outside.

"What is happening?" Agunu asked coldly.

"General, the Ming army is raiding the northern settlement!" the messenger knelt and reported.

"How could they attack the northern settlement? That is the heart of our territory! Are they not afraid of being surrounded?" Agunu frowned, unable to grasp their intent. He had been certain that if the Ming were to attack, they would start from the southern settlement, where he had already deployed heavy reinforcements, with additional forces stationed to the east and west.

"What is the Ming army's true intent? Are they trying to divert our attention?" Agunu pondered, still unable to comprehend their strategy. "Men! Dispatch five thousand troops to reinforce the northern settlement immediately!"

But just then—

"Report! General, the Ming army is attacking the southern settlement as well!" another messenger sprinted in to report.