diskusbooks Chapter 114 Victory and Sacrifice
Chapter 114 Victory and Sacrifice
How did Shen Qing disappear and reappear in mid-air in full view of everyone?
Rewind to one day ago—
After deciding to carve out the formation, Shen Qing closed the door and had a friendly exchange with the system.
"System, can I borrow a teleportation item?"
【Okay~ Please proceed with the binding process, host (*^▽^*)】
"No, I won't tie you up."
No lending
Pshaw~ Lending it to this scoundrel, what's the difference between that and throwing a meat bun to a dog?
“You’re too narrow-minded,” Shen Qing coaxed patiently. “Don’t you know how to cast a long line to catch a big fish?”
【But you're a living turtle (?_? )】
"..." The swear words rolled around in my throat and I swallowed them back down, and my heart became tainted.
"Tongtong~" Shen Qing forced a fawning smile, "Do you still remember Article 666 of the binding agreement?"
【…】
"Once the system selects a host, all strategy points generated within the timeframe until the host agrees to the binding belong to the system," Shen Qing recalled, something Bai Lu had told him before her death.
"So what?"
"Would you be interested in being an angel investor and investing in my project?"
Investing involves risk; please invest with caution.
"..." This system has been upgraded; it's not so easy to fool anymore.
"Fine, who can be more cautious than you? Anyway, I'm definitely going to go and break through the formation tomorrow, so we might as well both die!"
Faced with Shen Qing's threat of giving up entirely, the system ignored him, betting that he would be cowardly and back down at the last minute.
However, Shen Qing's reaction was unexpected. The system was shocked. "Wait, where did your caution regarding binding go?!"
It's specifically targeting that, isn't it?!
The moment the gun tips were pointed at Shen Qing, time seemed to stand still, and 9527 made the most important decision in the entire system.
I'll trust you one more time! Instantly teleport 50 meters!
"call out--"
Shen Qing, who appeared in mid-air, aimed Bai Lu's crossbow at Ji Yun and shot him in the throat.
Ji Yun's eyes widened, and she fell straight down, dying without ever knowing what had happened.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. The guards protecting Ji Yun were all in disbelief. They didn't even have a chance to stop it. The commander-in-chief of the army was dead just like that.
"Commander! Pass this message on to the other generals!"
【Dear, my balance is low, please help yourself (￣▽￣)】
"..."
Let's just shut it up! Bai Lu can dodge a hundred meters away, but he only manages fifty meters, and he won't spend a penny more!
It's better to rely on yourself than on others. Before the guards could react, Shen Qing quickly climbed onto the command platform, cut off the command flag, carried it, and ran away, shouting with the power of his inner strength.
"Grand Marshal Ji Yun of Anguo is dead!"
"Grand Marshal Ji Yun is dead!"
Ji Yun is dead!
"Dead!"
"die!"
The sound waves spread outwards, and the An and enemy allied forces, who were fighting fiercely with the Xuan Kingdom army at the forefront, turned around upon hearing the sound, only to see their own commander's flag being carried around and jumped about.
"Outrageous! This is outrageous!" General Li Yi of Anguo was furious to see his own commander's flag being manipulated like this. He shouted, "Kill this scoundrel and reward him with a hundred gold pieces!"
The Anguo army had already been inflamed by Lu Zhen's insults, which stirred up hatred in their blood and created a rift between them and their allies, making it difficult for them to cooperate closely. With Ji Yun's death, the already demoralized army's morale became even more unstable.
Due to the distance, no one in the Xuan Kingdom army saw the details of Shen Qing's beheading. They only heard his booming shout and the banners fluttering all over the field, and they knew that he had succeeded.
"Hahahaha~" Lu Zhen laughed loudly, "My men! Charge with me!"
"kill!"
With the morale of the Xuanguo army soaring, the battlefield took an unexpected turn, and the An and Di allied forces, which had initially held the upper hand, suffered a series of defeats.
During this period, Shen Qing also beheaded many low-ranking officers, such as platoon leaders, captains, and sergeant commanders, because they tied different colored scarves around their necks for easier command.
The collapse of the army's cohesion and coordination at the grassroots level reversed the situation, and the An-Di allied forces suffered a crushing defeat.
An hour later, the ground in the open field east of Yucheng was so wet that it was soaked with blood. Fallen banners, destroyed siege weapons, and wisps of black smoke from burning oil were everywhere. Vultures circled in the air.
The Xuan Kingdom soldiers, who had fought valiantly through a hail of swords and spears, now stood disheveled amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, the bodies of enemy soldiers and their comrades.
The joy of victory did not last long before the painful reality was that the victory against overwhelming odds was achieved at the cost of the lives of millions of soldiers.
Shen Qing could only stand by leaning on the flagpole. This was the second time he had fought to the point of exhaustion. Looking at the devastated battlefield, the joy of victory quickly turned into a silent resignation.
"Saburo."
Upon hearing Lu Zhen's voice, Shen Qing turned her head and instinctively clasped her hands in a salute, almost falling to her knees as her hands slipped.
Lu Zhen helped him up.
"Sanlang, we owe this victory to you. I will definitely submit a memorial to the emperor to recommend you for credit."
"It's mainly because the soldiers were fearless in the face of death." Shen Qing watched as the logistics soldiers carried stretchers to lift the wounded soldiers and the bodies of their comrades.
Although the system is extremely strict, it will never move a person two meters if it can move them one meter, but it will still try to save them in a life-or-death situation.
He has a cheat code that allows him to retreat unscathed, but fallen soldiers are permanently removed from the count.
"Sanlang, there's no need to be so modest..."
"Report—"
A messenger brought news: "The Cheongju army has come to our aid!"
"..."
Lu Zhen's face twitched; they had arrived just in time.
The Qingzhou garrison did not slack off and began preparations upon receiving the distress call. However, mobilizing troops is no trivial matter. Cross-prefecture troop movements require reporting, which is usually a complicated process and would not arrive by now.
However, the Crown Prince's order arrived within two days, instructing them to immediately accept command and dispatch troops once they received an urgent report from Pingshan Pass. The order was also stamped with the imperial seal.
After discussing matters at the Eastern Palace, Que Jin went to see Emperor Yongxi again. Both sides compromised and issued this preliminary decree.
The Qingzhou garrison commander, Gao Shun, rushed over and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the soldiers outside the city gate were still from Xuan State; the city had not yet fallen.
He then asked solemnly, "How is the war progressing?"
The soldier glanced around the city, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
"Forget it, what could a lowly soldier like you know?" Gao Shun was about to lead his troops into the city when he was stopped. "General, please allow me to inform you."
"It was my impatience that led me to this. You may go."
Gao Shun naturally knew the rules, and seeing the soldier so calm and composed, he figured the situation wasn't too bad.
That's how it is. Lu Zhen, who was still on the battlefield outside the city, heard the report. Although he was inwardly grumbling, he felt he had to personally go and greet them to express his gratitude since they had come to provide support.
Lu Zhen rode his horse toward the north gate; his voice preceded his arrival.
"Brother Gao!"
"Brother Lu!"
Lu Zhen led Gao Shun and reinforcements into the city. Gao Shun looked at the demolished rooftops on the street and knew that the city's defensive equipment was exhausted. Several offensive and defensive strategies flashed through his mind.
"Brother Lu, how is the battle going?"
"It's temporarily over."
"I see," Gao Shun nodded. "Then... what did you just say?"
Meanwhile, the battlefield cleanup was still underway. The wounded on our side needed to be treated, the corpses needed to be collected, and the enemy's bodies were piled up into a mound.
Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Lu Zhen speculated that the An-Di allied forces would most likely make a comeback after reorganizing.
"Sergeant, hang in there! The army doctor will definitely save you!"
“Xiao Wu…you’re the only one left in our platoon…from now on you’re the platoon leader…and make your brothers proud…”
"Squad leader!"
The path to promotion for junior officers is very simple: as long as you survive battles, you can accumulate military merits. If you can survive long enough, becoming a general is not a dream.
Therefore, as the old saying goes, "One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand."
So, Shen Qing said long ago that he didn't like being a hero; heroes are made of blood and bones.
As Shen Qing moved through the crowd, she saw a familiar figure lying on the ground, searching around. It was a guard from the delegation.
What's he doing here? Isn't he supposed to be a logistics soldier maintaining order in the city?
If we're talking about the most complete military system preserved in the defense of Yucheng, it has to be the mission's guard. At this critical moment when the whole nation was preparing for war, Shen Che sent them to serve as logistics soldiers to maintain order in the city. Lu Zhen couldn't conscript them to the battlefield anymore, perhaps because even if the guards, numbering less than 500, were thrown into the battlefield, they wouldn't be able to turn the tide of the war.
Although this behavior was cowardly, it did save the lives of most of the delegation. Shen Qing didn't want to see his acquaintances, who had been traveling with him for more than half a year, die. Otherwise, the best arrangement to cover his digging of the formation would have been the delegation's guards.
"Sun Yong." Shen Qing walked up to him and called out.
“Sanlang…” Sunzi looked up at the sound of the voice, and tears streamed down his face, making his already dusty face even more smudged. “I can’t find Abao.”
A Bao and Sun Yong were neighbors and were so close that they were practically inseparable. When they grew up, they even joined the Xuandu military camp together.
"Why are you here?"
After asking around, Shen Qing learned that most of the delegation's guards were following Shen Che's orders to serve as logistics personnel in the city, but there were also a few passionate young people who had the ambition to defend their country and volunteered to go to the battlefield.
Shen Che did not stop them, as they were soldiers after all.
Sun Yong said that the 57 of them were initially in the same army, but were later separated by the fighting.
"Don't worry, he might be looking for you too, or he might be carrying the wounded back to the city."
Sun Yong's hope was rekindled, and he jumped up and ran towards the city.
Watching his departing figure, Shen Qing frowned, feeling pessimistic. There were too many variables on the battlefield; stray arrows, catapults... people often died unexpectedly, without even having time to say their last words.
After Sun Yong left, Shen Qing began searching for the other members of the delegation. This was not too difficult, as their clothing styles were different.
They encountered several other guards from the mission who were also searching for their companions, and saw several guard corpses. Some were so mangled that their identities could not be identified, so they had to be carried back first and then buried together.
At dusk, the delegation returned to the post station to assemble. Of the fifty-seven people who participated in the battle, all of them were wounded. Six were slightly injured, nineteen were seriously injured, twenty-eight died, and four were missing. Ah Bao was one of them.
In every battle, many people went missing. They might have been scattered and deserted, or they might have died without a complete body, crushed by catapults or burned by oil barrels.
Sun Yong was lucky; he only suffered minor injuries and was now clenching his fists with bloodshot eyes.
The atmosphere in the inn was heavy. The guards who had not participated in the battle dared not even breathe, feeling guilty in the face of their returning comrades.
After settling the wounded, others were busy preparing medicine, chopping firewood, or helping the Lu family army. In short, no one was idle. Shen Qing sensed something was amiss and realized it was necessary to provide some post-war psychological counseling.
“Sanlang, we all know that people die in war, but knowing and experiencing are two different things. This morning, Abao told me that he would definitely bring glory to his ancestors and dream of becoming a general and becoming the first page of the family genealogy.”
As Sun Yong spoke, he choked up. When one's blood boils, one doesn't have many concerns; sadness is reserved for the living.
“We’ve been best friends for so many years, and he just left without even saying a word to me.”
On the battlefield, the sounds of clashing swords and thunderous battle cries were deafening, yet many died silently.
The other wounded in the room hung their heads. They had all lost important friends. Any words of comfort seemed pale and powerless at this moment. Indifferent remarks were disrespectful to both the living and the dead, and did not allow time to heal their grief.
As Shen Qing left the wounded soldiers' ward and passed by the backyard, he saw Han Qi, the guard captain, chopping wood.
"That's enough."
Upon hearing this, Han Qi paused in his actions, but did not look up, so his emotions were not visible.
"Does Sanlang look down on us?"
"will not."
"You're lying. You're charging into battle while we're hiding in the back, afraid of dying. You must think we're cowards."
No way, he must have cheat codes, that's why he dared to gamble.
It can be said that everyone was gambling in the final battle. He gambled that the system wouldn't dare to let him die, Lu Zhen gambled that he could successfully break through the formation, and Shen Che gambled that the front line could be held.
“Sun Yong and his comrades did it for their ideals and beliefs, the soldiers guarding Pingshan Pass did it for their families, and you also have people waiting for you to return home.”
Han Qi finally couldn't hold back his tears. Who wants to be a soldier? Most people just want to make a living and ease the burden on their families. They don't have any grand ambitions.
"Then why?"
"Because Lord Shaoqing and you are behind me, what's the point of me risking my life if you all die?"
Han Qi was moved to tears, and finally raised his head, "Sanlang..."
Shen Qing slapped him across the face, "Stop crying, I'm almost crying from exhaustion!"
The tough guy swallowed back his tears halfway through.
On the other side, Gao Shun finally figured out the whole story; it was truly thrilling and exciting.
"The Shen family truly lives up to its reputation as a powerful and influential clan; they are indeed full of hidden talents!"
Yu Lian, an official from the Eastern Palace who came along, listened from the side, praising on the surface but pondering in his heart, "When did the Shen family produce such a person?"
He had just arrived in Qingzhou when he heard that Yucheng was in dire need of help. He greatly admired the Crown Prince's prediction. If he had stayed in Xuandu and waited for the military report before taking action, it would have been too late.
I didn't expect anyone to be thinking the same thing as the Crown Prince. This is no simple matter; we need to investigate!
On the other side, Zeng Xiong and Li Yi rallied the scattered troops and reorganized them. Just as Lu Zhen had predicted, they did not give up attacking Yucheng.
"The most important thing is to guard against that suddenly appearing boy beheading again!"
"Indeed, this person is elusive and impossible to guard against."
Generals at all levels gathered in the main tent, expressing their opinions and beginning to discuss how to take preventative measures against Shen Qing.