He wasn't wrong; most people's first reaction after committing murder is to run away. Even when facing pursuit by law enforcement, their first reaction is still to run.
When faced with pursuit by government officials, those who don't run away but instead turn around and kill are either rebels or seasoned thieves with dozens of lives on their hands.
Lin Yang was just a scholar before; by all accounts, he didn't seem like someone who aspired to rebellion, nor did he seem like a notorious bandit. He was said to be quite honest, but secretly possessing crossbows and murdering a patrol inspector—could an honest man really do that?
For the first time, Wang Hua felt a pang of regret. Not for his younger brother provoking this person, but for himself for not being adequately prepared. If only he had gotten a few large crossbows from the county magistrate.
Unlike the somewhat flustered Wang Hua, Zhang Hui immediately treated this place as a battlefield. She regarded Lin Yang as the enemy and began to carefully direct the operation.
"Don't be afraid, there is only one enemy. Judging from the angle and power of the arrow, the enemy is probably a hundred paces away, behind that big blue stone."
With Zhang Hui's loud command, everyone seemed to have found their anchor. They instinctively followed his orders.
Soon, a circular formation appeared. More than twenty wooden shields were tightly fitted together, defending against Lin Yang's arrows. However, by this time, four people had already died at Lin Yang's hands.
"All skilled archers, heed my command, form three ranks, aim at that large blue stone, and fire in three volleys. Keep firing continuously to suppress him. The rest of you, take up your shields and charge with me. The target is that large blue stone."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Hui led fifteen strong men, armed with shields, and launched a charge towards the large blue stone.
Meanwhile, Wang Hua led the remaining ten men, each holding a stone bow, and they stood in three rows. One of them gave the commands, while the other nine men stood in three rows. As for Wang Hua himself, relying on his superior martial arts skills, he kept shooting arrows without stopping.
As for the three-stage volley, it's not anything particularly sophisticated. The feudal lords had already learned it during the first cycle of reincarnation. Now, it's one of the basic training techniques for the Han army.
In the distance, Lin Yang couldn't help but smile. A mere stone bow, even leather armor and a paper frame might not be able to penetrate it from a hundred paces away. Moreover, Lin Yang was currently clad in armor from head to toe. Even his face was now covered in a layer of armor.
However, to avoid demoralizing them and causing them to flee, Lin Yang hid behind the large blue stone. At the same time, he whistled.
"Ah, it's Young Master's voice. Then I'll get to work." With that, Su Qing'er picked up the already cocked crossbow and began to aim. The crossbow, weighing over a hundred pounds, was lifted with ease, as if it were a toy.
ah
With a scream, a running inspector was struck by a specially made arrow from two hundred paces away. This arrow was three feet long, made of ironwood, and its head was forged from fine steel.
The powerful penetrating force pinned the inspector firmly to the ground. He wailed in agony, yet did not die immediately. The morale of the dozen or so inspectors around him plummeted considerably.
"Insane! Absolutely insane! To have such power at two hundred paces is beyond the capabilities of a crossbow. It's comparable to the military's large crossbows. What are they trying to do?" Zhang Hui said, looking at the arrows, which were as thick as a thumb.
"Brothers, this is a rebellion! If we charge in and capture these two, we'll earn military merit. And if we succeed, we might even be granted a title! Charge!"
After saying that, Zhang Hui took the lead and charged ahead. She was as if she had been injected with hormones, unable to contain her excitement. Normally, fully armed, a single leap would only cover seven or eight feet. But this time, it reached a full ten feet.
Not only him, but the remaining dozen or so inspectors were also like they were on steroids, rushing towards the large blue stone.
This is the Han Dynasty, not the weak Song or Ming Dynasties where scholars ruled. Here, military merit has always been paramount. However, achieving military merit is indeed extremely difficult.
Now, with a bright future within easy reach, who would be willing to give it up?
"Three, two, one, begin."
As soon as the count of three finished, Lin Yang leaped out from behind the large blue stone again and attacked the patrolmen whose formation had once again become scattered. With the sound of a bowstring twanging, another patrolman was sent to his death.
At the same time, Lin Yang himself was also hit by several arrows. However, these arrows were completely ineffective against the iron armor. Even if they hit, they only left white marks.
"Kill the traitors! Everyone, follow me and kill the traitors!" Zhang Hui shouted. Then, he raised a horizontal sword.
The entire sword was over two feet long and weighed more than twenty pounds. It was said to have been obtained from a dynasty called the Tang Dynasty. Anyway, Zhang Hui found it quite convenient to use.
"Kill the traitors."
With a loud shout, a murderous aura and a surge of hot blood followed. At this moment, Zhang Hui truly felt that Lin Yang was treacherous and ruthless. Whether it was secretly stockpiling crossbows or concealing armor, it all indicated that this person had long harbored rebellious intentions.
Looking at the passionate Zhang Hui, Lin Yang seemed to see in him the countless righteous people who rushed to stop the Black Lotus Prince when he descended upon the Three Kingdoms.
It's just a pity!
If sacrifice is useful, what's the point of having power?
In a flash, the sword flashed, and Zhang Hui stood motionless. The wound was on his chest and abdomen, and a trace of domineering longevity energy emanated from the sword. As soon as it entered his body, it immediately traveled along his meridians, heading straight for his heart.
The price he paid was merely being slashed by Zhang Hui. However, this slash, though striking the iron armor, was completely unharmed by the inner armor's defenses, failing to injure Lin Yang in the slightest.
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Chapter Seventeen: Ruthless and Depraved, Murdering Officials and Rebelling, Heartless and Cruel
"Kill...the thief!"
As she uttered the words "kill the traitor," mouthfuls of blood gushed from her body. Her entire mouth instantly turned crimson. Before dying, Zhang Hui stared wide-eyed at Lin Yang, as if she believed that this alone could kill this traitor with her gaze.
Unfortunately, it was of no use at all!
"Ah, Lord Zhang."
"Brother Zhang is dead."
"The boss is dead."
Zhang Hui's death suddenly brought the crowd, who had been blinded by military achievements, to their senses. A cold wind blew, and the previously excited crowd suddenly became startled.
There were originally sixteen men at the start of the charge. Two were shot dead by Lin Yang, and two were shot dead by Su Qing'er. With the death of Zhang Hui, only eleven remained—eleven men, trembling with fear!
"Form ranks, form ranks. Form a circle..." an old soldier suddenly said. There was no room for chaos now; if there was chaos, there would be even less chance of survival.
With a clang, before the old soldier could finish speaking, Lin Yang dodged and killed him with a single sword strike.
"Run! He's not human!"
Seeing the demoralized group, who only knew how to flee, Lin Yang couldn't help but smile. If the remaining ten were all elite soldiers with good coordination, even in formation of five, it would still take Lin Yang considerable effort to deal with them. But now, they dared to turn their backs on Lin Yang and run away—it was practically suicide!
As they charged forward, flashes of sword light appeared incessantly. In just a few breaths, ten inspectors lay dead on the ground. The price Lin Yang paid was merely a few more marks on his armor!