Chapter 50: A Desperate Struggle on the Edge of Life and Death

"Kill them! Quickly!"

Among the rebels, some of the rebel leaders had not expected such a force to appear behind them. In their panic, they hurriedly gave orders.

Yet, rebels were rebels after all. They lacked any proper training or organization. Their best fighters were at the front lines, either storming the city or preparing to rush in and plunder once the gates were breached.

Now, with the main army ambushed from behind—despite the lack of discipline among the reinforcements under Fu Zihou—the rebels could form no effective defense. Instead, under the sudden attack and seeing their comrades behind them being cut down in swathes, many immediately retreated to the flanks or even turned and fled.

Their lives were their own.

No one wished to die standing in the way of those men.

"Don't run! Kill them, now!"

The rebel leader, panic written all over his face, drew his sword and cut down two of his own men, but it was useless. As the soldiers surged forward, the rear—the weakest part of the army—collapsed completely, beyond recovery.

Seeing this, the rebel leader could only wheel his horse and withdraw.

At the front of the rebel army, Zhang Jincheng and other rebel leaders also noticed the commotion at the rear. When they saw a contingent of Sui soldiers appear behind them, Zhang Jincheng's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Where did this force come from?" Zhang Jincheng asked in astonishment.

The main roads near the border of the commandery and Qinghe County were all guarded by his men. The nearest large city, Tiao County, had watchers from both Gao Shida and Wucheng keeping an eye on it. Before dawn, he had already received word from Wucheng and Gaojipo that Tiao County had dispatched two columns from Zhangnan and Zaoqiang, and he had sent men to ambush them.

So where had this force come from?

As Zhang Jincheng caught sight of the direction from which the soldiers had arrived, a realization dawned on him.

"The Yongji Canal..."

It hit him, and he cursed inwardly.

Which scoundrel would ignore the well-guarded roads of Wucheng and Zaoqiang, and instead choose to travel downriver by boat under the cover of night? Was that person mad?

"Jinpeng, Zhang Tai, Dai Ye—you three, take men and wipe out those Sui reinforcements!"

Zhang Jincheng cast a glance at Qinghe County, which was on the verge of falling, then looked back at the approaching troops, gritting his teeth as he gave the order.

Hearing his command, Xu Jinpeng—a fierce warrior whom Zhang Jincheng had lured with beauty, wealth, and rank—immediately accepted the task.

As he eyed the approaching Sui reinforcements, Xu Jinpeng, the foremost general under Zhang Jincheng, felt supremely confident. In his thirties, he considered himself peerless so long as the enemy did not vastly outnumber him.

"Follow me!"

Xu Jinpeng gave his orders, and together with Zhang Tai and Dai Ye, led his men to attack the Sui reinforcements at the rear.

Upon the city walls of Qinghe County, the Sui soldiers, locked in desperate combat with the rebels, gradually became aware of unusual sounds from outside the city as the thick morning fog began to dissipate. They could faintly hear the clamor of battle.

"Deputy Prefect! I think... reinforcements have arrived?"

Qiu Ziqian, having just killed a rebel who had scaled the walls, hurried to Yang Shanhui's side.

Nearby, commanders Cui Duxing and Fan Yichuan, who were leading the defense, also looked outside the city, astonished and barely daring to believe what they heard.

"It really sounds like reinforcements!"

"Yes!"

Having listened carefully to the noises outside, Cui Duxing and Fan Yichuan exchanged glances, finally convinced.

"Spread my orders!"

Yang Shanhui, sword in hand, though the fog still obscured the view, could not see the situation clearly. But from the sounds of battle, the old general judged that at least a thousand men had arrived.

This realization sent a jolt through Yang Shanhui. Though a thousand was not many, for the beleaguered defenders of Qinghe County, such a force was enough to give them hope.

"Tell all soldiers that reinforcements have arrived! Abandon the defense of the walls! Every last man, follow me—charge out and meet them!"

Yang Shanhui shouted. He did not know how effective the reinforcements would be, but he was not indecisive. Rather than sit atop the walls waiting for death as their rescuers were surrounded outside, Yang Shanhui resolved to lead his men out and coordinate with the reinforcements, fighting with all they had.

Even if it meant death, he would rather die outside the city, taking more rebels with him and sparing the people of Qinghe County further suffering.

"Charge!"

At Yang Shanhui's words, Qiu Ziqian, Cui Duxing, Fan Yichuan, and the other Sui soldiers atop the walls all raised their swords, turning from defense to offense, surging out the city gates.

Even if the rebels who had climbed the walls took the opportunity to enter, that was all the better for Yang Shanhui and his men. The rebel leaders were outside, so the more rebels who entered the city, the fewer men the leaders would have by their side.

"Reinforcements have arrived! Attack!"

"Attack!"

Within the city gates, the exhausted and near-despairing Sui soldiers were suddenly electrified by the news. At their officers' orders, they seized their swords, threw open the gates, and poured out to engage the enemy.

Outside the city, Zhang Jincheng had not yet seen his trusted lieutenant Xu Jinpeng clash with the Sui reinforcements when he heard the commotion from the city walls.

Hearing the uproar among the defenders, a wave of dread swept through him.

Having fought Yang Shanhui hundreds of times, Zhang Jincheng knew the man would never squander such a morale boost. He would seize the opportunity for one last desperate push.

"Damn it!"

Zhang Jincheng cursed in fury. Qinghe County was nearly his, and now, at the pivotal moment, Sui reinforcements had appeared.

Watching his once-confident troops, their morale now shaken by the news of the reinforcements, their attack faltering, Zhang Jincheng could only grind his teeth in frustration.

Zhang Jincheng gazed at the lingering mists around him, nearly grinding his teeth to powder. The fog, once his greatest weapon in storming the city, now served as Yang Shanhui’s shield to rally his men.

"All of you, listen to me! The reinforcements are but a few hundred men—pay them no mind. Once General Xu wipes them out and we break into the city, you may plunder as you please!"

He could hardly afford to say more. Drawing his sword, he sought to rouse their spirits.

He knew the Sui reinforcements numbered around a thousand, but he said less rather than more, downplaying their strength.

"Pass the order! Attack!"

He shouted, commanding all to turn their fury on the Sui soldiers pouring out the gates.

"Attack!"

"Attack!"

At his command, the rebel leaders drew their swords. In an instant, the rebel army surged toward the city gate, weapons in hand, thundering in one great wave.

"Yang Shanhui! Even with reinforcements, I’ll take Qinghe County today!"

Zhang Jincheng, mounted atop his horse, watched as all his men charged the city. His face was dark as thunder. He realized now, with his forces drawn away toward Gaojipo and Wucheng, he had been outmaneuvered. But with the prize so close, how could he let go? Besides, the Sui reinforcements were only a thousand strong. With Xu Jinpeng’s peerless valor, he would surely destroy them, then return to encircle Yang Shanhui. Qinghe County would still be his.

Outside Qinghe City, the cries of battle filled the air. With the morning sun rising and fog drifting, dense shadows clashed in chaotic melee like two tides crashing against each other.

In the tumult outside the gates, amid flashes of steel, soldiers and rebels alike fell in droves. Though the Sui defenders were outnumbered, the taste of hope after despair turned them into men who fought with reckless abandon, matching the rebels blow for blow.

Meanwhile, at the rear of the rebel army, Fu Zihou cut down a rebel with a stroke, his sword slick with blood. Gasping for breath, he caught the sound of hooves, ready to lead his men onward.

A sudden premonition made his brow furrow. Instinctively, Fu Zihou twisted aside, lifting his sword in both hands.

A heartbeat later, a tremendous force crashed against his blade, sending up sparks. The sword not only took a nick, but Fu Zihou felt a sharp pain in his chest and staggered back several steps.

Xiong Ruixiang and Kong Yan, having just dispatched nearby rebels, hastened to flank him, eyes wary as they faced down the rebel leader who had reined in his horse.

"Boy!"

Xu Jinpeng, mounted and in his prime, was a hulking figure, neck and wrists thick as tree trunks. His enormous saber weighed at least thirty pounds.

As Zhang Jincheng’s right hand and second only to his master, Xu Jinpeng’s ferocity was infamous in the army. Yet now, seeing that his ambush had not killed this young Sui officer with a single blow, Xu Jinpeng was taken aback—especially since the youth had blocked most of the force with his two-handed grip.

Had the youth not intercepted the blow, Xu Jinpeng would have shattered his armor and split his chest.

The youth’s reaction made it clear: this Sui officer was no ordinary fighter. No wonder he had carved a bloody path here, slaying dozens along the way.

"Boy! Kneel and beg for mercy, and I may yet spare your life!"

Xu Jinpeng swung his massive blade onto his shoulder, signaling for Fu Zihou to submit.

By now, Zhang Tai and Dai Ye had arrived with their men. Seeing their routed forces, their faces burned with rage. Thousands they had led, now scattered by a mere thousand Sui soldiers.

"You are not worthy!"

Fu Zihou glanced at the nick in his armor, feeling its sting. He looked up, eyes cold as ice.

"This one is mine!"

He panted as he flexed his wrist, voice low.

Beside him, Xiong Ruixiang and Kong Yan, hearing his words, fixed their murderous gazes on Xu Jinpeng’s two companions.

"Arrogant whelp!"

Xu Jinpeng’s face twisted in a snarl as he spurred his horse toward Fu Zihou.

At that moment, Fu Zihou stopped massaging his hand, gripped his sword, and charged.

As Xu Jinpeng’s warhorse bore down, Fu Zihou took advantage of the slick ground, sliding under the beast with a sudden lunge. Dodging the sweeping blade, he slashed at the horse’s hind leg as he slid past.

Xu Jinpeng, a veteran, sensed the move. As Fu Zihou hugged the earth, he evaded the blow, but as his mount stumbled, Xu Jinpeng drove his blade into the ground, vaulting from the saddle to land upright.

Fu Zihou quickly rose, sword in hand, and advanced.

"Boy!"

Xu Jinpeng cast a hateful look at his struggling steed, then turned on Fu Zihou, rage distorting his features as he hefted his saber in both hands.

Xu Jinpeng’s style relied on brute force. With a two-handed sweep, his blade was nearly unstoppable.

Fu Zihou knew his foe’s strength and would not meet power with power. In the face of life and death, he relied on his mastery of parry and cut, predicting the saber’s arc in the instant it was swung.

"So quick!" Xu Jinpeng thought, startled by Fu Zihou’s nimble dodge, and retreated.

Fu Zihou pressed the opening, refusing to give ground. He rained down sword strikes, one after another.

Xu Jinpeng fell back, parrying desperately. The youth’s blows were swift and surprisingly powerful, sparking off the saber. Worse still, his attack was relentless, leaving not a moment’s respite.

Suddenly, Xu Jinpeng backed into someone. Turning, he saw it was a Sui soldier locked in combat with his own men.

Without hesitation, Xu Jinpeng seized the Sui soldier by the throat, flinging him aside.

Fu Zihou, seeing the tossed Sui soldier block his view, quickly sidestepped.

But in that instant, as Fu Zihou regained his balance, he saw Xu Jinpeng’s saber arcing down at him in a powerful sweep.

Fu Zihou’s eyes widened. There was no time to dodge. He turned his head, lifted his sword, and set the blade against his shoulder.

Clang!

The jarring clash rang in his ears, the shrill sound stabbing into his skull. The force drove Fu Zihou to one knee, and his sword bent from the impact.

"What?!"

Xu Jinpeng’s fierce face shifted from excitement to utter disbelief. He could not fathom how the youth had survived such a blow—his strongest, nearly perfect strike, blocked in such a way!

How dare this Sui youth? Did he not fear that one miscalculation would see him cleaved in two?

"Damn!"

In Xu Jinpeng’s moment of shock, Fu Zihou, still on one knee, kicked off the ground, prying the saber from his shoulder.

Xu Jinpeng realized the youth’s swordsmanship was too sharp to risk a counter. Relying on his superior strength, he abandoned his saber, lunging at Fu Zihou to grapple. He seized the youth’s sword arm, seeking to wrestle him to the ground—a tactic that had killed many before.

But Fu Zihou was faster. As Xu Jinpeng lunged to seize the blade, Fu Zihou’s free hand darted to his quiver.

In the next instant, as Xu Jinpeng pinned him, one hand holding Fu Zihou’s arm and the other poised to deliver a crushing blow, Fu Zihou, beneath him, drew an arrow and plunged it into Xu Jinpeng’s head.

The muddy ground, trampled by countless feet and stained with blood, became the final resting place.

Fu Zihou lay gasping, bloodied hand still clutching the arrow embedded in Xu Jinpeng’s skull. Only when the rebel’s arm finally fell limp did he release his grip.

He looked up at the sky, exhaustion flooding his limbs—a survivor snatched from the jaws of death.

Knowing he could not linger, Fu Zihou got to his feet.

He picked up Xu Jinpeng’s saber. Standing over the corpse, he raised the blade and, without hesitation, brought it down on the rebel’s neck.

Xu Jinpeng’s head rolled from his shoulders, a torrent of blood gushing onto the ground. Fu Zihou, throat burning, bent to seize the severed head, then lifted it high for all to see.

"The rebel chief is dead! Any who resist will be shown no mercy!"

He roared, bloodied face fierce, his eyes sweeping over the rebels.

In that moment, the entire battlefield froze. Sui soldiers and rebels alike halted, all eyes turning to Fu Zihou and the grisly trophy in his hand.

When they saw the blood-soaked head raised high, the Sui soldiers erupted in triumphant cheers, their faces wild with excitement. They did not know Xu Jinpeng by sight, but they recognized the head of one of the rebel chiefs.

The youth who had led them to Qinghe County had, in the midst of battle, slain the enemy commander with his own hands!

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

With such a leader, what had they to fear? Exhilarated, the Sui soldiers pressed the attack with renewed vigor.

As for Zhang Jincheng’s men, every one of them recognized Xu Jinpeng. Seeing the invincible general’s head in the hands of a Sui youth, fear began to grip their hearts.

Even Zhang Tai and Dai Ye, locked in combat with Xiong Ruixiang and Kong Yan, stared in disbelief and terror at the sight of Xu Jinpeng’s severed head.

Xu Jinpeng... was dead!

How could it be?

Facing the youth who held their champion’s head aloft, Zhang Tai and Dai Ye exchanged glances, and fear welled up from deep within.

"Run!"

"Run away!"

Flight was nothing new to them. There was no need to die here. As long as they escaped, they could live. And who would choose death over life?

They had no will left to fight these Sui soldiers, whose ferocity bordered on madness. Even the invincible Xu Jinpeng had fallen to their leader.

They knew all too well how formidable Xu Jinpeng had been.

Now, this Sui force was beyond anything they could withstand.

"Go!"

With Xu Jinpeng dead and their ranks collapsing, Zhang Tai and Dai Ye turned and fled without a second thought.