Peng Yuancheng had barely escaped the battlefield. Looking back, he saw only a few hundred or so riders remaining, a pitiful sight. Recalling the overwhelming force of the over one hundred thousand troops that had besieged Kuanglan City, now reduced to such a pitiful rout in a single day, the desolation in his heart was indescribable. Looking back towards Kuanglan City, smoke still billowed into the sky, contrasting with the crimson sunset in the west, turning half the sky a blood-red hue.
"Where is this place?" Peng Yuancheng asked, feeling dejected. Seeing that his subordinates also looked lost and disoriented.
"This is Broken Heart Ridge, more than a hundred miles from Kuanglan City," a follower replied.
"Broken Heart Hill?" Peng Yuancheng looked around. It was a gentle hill with many burial mounds on both sides, hence the name Broken Heart Hill. He disliked the name intensely. If he had won a battle, he might not have cared, but after a crushing defeat, how could he not feel disgusted by this place? Therefore, he abandoned the idea of resting here and said, "Everyone, quicken your pace. After we get past this place, we'll rest a bit more and then head back to Thunder City first."
After passing Broken Heart Ridge, they encountered no further trouble. Peng Yuancheng's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, eased slightly. After traveling another thirty li, Peng Yuancheng finally ordered his soldiers to rest and cook a meal using the rice they carried. Because all the cooking utensils had become spoils of war for the Peace Army, and the pots, pans, and bowls were all looted from the homes of the people, the food was extremely rudimentary. But the hungry and exhausted soldiers didn't care about such things and still scrambled for the food.
Peng Yuancheng could only eat a small portion of a bowl before he could no longer swallow. One after another, his men retreated in defeat, and now there were more than five thousand soldiers around him. These newly arrived soldiers were also exhausted. Peng Yuancheng ordered them to plunder food from the homes of the people to cook. In no time, the nearby villages were in chaos. These defeated soldiers were all filled with resentment, and naturally, they committed many acts of rape and looting. In the time it takes to eat a meal, these once peaceful villages were reduced to ruins.
Peng Yuancheng's military discipline was generally strict, but after this recent defeat, the soldiers were filled with resentment. If he punished them severely, it might incite a mutiny. Moreover, every soldier was precious to him now, so he naturally pretended not to know about these misdeeds. Even when his subordinates, having satisfied their desires, brought him two rather attractive village girls, he did not refuse. He spent this uneasy night indulging his lust with these two village girls, while the soldiers surrendered their bodies and minds to the god of dreams, where they could forget their crushing defeat in their sleep.
The next morning, Cheng Yuancheng ordered his men to kill the two weeping village girls, and then counted the number of soldiers. Some soldiers had deserted during the night, but others who had retreated from Kuanglan City had joined them, so the total number of soldiers had not decreased but increased, still numbering over ten thousand. Peng Yuancheng's spirits finally lifted. Although he had suffered a crushing defeat, he only had eight or nine thousand soldiers when he occupied Dagu City, but now he had over ten thousand. In addition, he still had over ten thousand soldiers in Leiming City, Dagu City, and Yuyang City. Combined, he still had the strength to fight. Perhaps it was the venting he had given on the two village girls the night before that restored his confidence, or perhaps it was the fact that he still had three cities under his control that made him feel somewhat secure. Therefore, his expression had become much calmer.
The troops continued their retreat towards Thunder City, essentially looting along the way. After their crushing defeat, Peng Yuancheng's army had few well-trained and disciplined soldiers left; most were civilians hastily conscripted. These once kind-hearted men seemed to have had their personalities altered by the heavy blow and frenzied slaughter. The flames of war had ignited the bestiality within them, making them almost like bandits, committing countless atrocities. In the end, Peng Yuancheng had to personally kill more than ten men to make them realize that the most important thing now was to retreat to Thunder City as quickly as possible to avoid being pursued by the Peace Army from Kuanglan City.
It wasn't that Feng Jiutian didn't want to pursue them, but Peng Yuancheng's troops were simply too numerous. The number of prisoners they had captured was twice that of the Peace Army in Kuanglan City, and the wounded and dead needed to be dealt with. Feng Jiutian simply couldn't afford to send anyone else to chase them down. Moreover, in Feng Jiutian's mind, Yu Sheng should currently be leading the Rong cavalry, acting according to his plan.
Only a few dozen miles from Thunder City, Peng Yuancheng squinted, gazing towards the distant city. He then looked back at his soldiers, a thought stirring within him. These warriors had initially been temporary recruits, but after this great battle, through the cycle of killing and being killed, they would mature. Given time, he could still train them into a disciplined force. But judging from their eyes, they were clearly dejected, lacking any confidence in the future. He needed to encourage them.
"Hahahaha..." He laughed again, and sure enough, the entire army stared at him in astonishment. Peng Yuan pointed towards Leiming City and said with boundless pride, "This defeat does not mean I am at my wit's end. Back then, my city was only Dagu, and my army numbered only eight thousand, yet Li Jun was still helpless. Now, besides Dagu City, I still have Yuyang and Leiming City, two other large cities. In addition to the loyal generals, there are still tens of thousands of soldiers in these three cities. Li Jun's fate in Chen is unknown. What can Feng Jiutian do to me? Everyone, cheer up! My army will surely avenge the deep hatred of Kuanglan City one day!"
The soldiers' eyes lit up. Peng Yuancheng continued, "I anticipated that Feng Jiutian's army was small and weak, therefore unable to pursue us. Thus, our army is not afraid of their numbers. If he still had the strength to break through Leiming City with an army and cut off our retreat, then our army would have no choice but to admit defeat. It seems he has exhausted his strength!" Just then, a bugle sounded from the front, followed by the neighing of ten thousand horses and earth-shattering battle cries in the Rong language, turning the faces of Peng Yuancheng's soldiers, who had just regained some spirit, ashen. A graceful woman, wearing a ferocious headdress, rode a chestnut horse with swift hooves, her long spear gleaming coldly. The woman spotted Peng Yuancheng immediately and shouted, "Peng Yuancheng, you traitor, where do you think you're going!"
Seeing the large number of approaching troops, all of whom were Rong people mounted on horseback as if on flat ground, Peng Yuancheng was terrified, thinking to himself, "How could I have forgotten about these Rong people!" Knowing that there was no escape, he desperately charged towards the roadside. His soldiers around him also scattered in all directions. The Rong people on horseback drew their bows and nocked arrows, their horses galloping with undiminished momentum. Arrows relentlessly pursued the fleeing men, and close behind the arrows were the Rong people's gleaming sabers.
“Not a single one of them is truly ruthless.” Ji Su swung her sword and killed several people in quick succession, feeling utterly bored. But Peng Yuancheng had already escaped far away, and it seemed impossible to catch him. Suddenly, Ji Su remembered what Yu Sheng had taught her and shouted loudly, “Listen up, Peng Yuancheng’s men! Peng Yuancheng received great favors from Commander Li Jun, yet he still plotted rebellion and established his own power. You were all merely coerced into following him. Now that Leiming City, Dagu City, and Yuyang City have been liberated, as long as you bring Peng Yuancheng’s head to us, not only will your crime of collusion with the rebels be immediately forgiven, but you will also be credited with suppressing the rebellion!”
The voice, amplified by her War God helmet, took on a strange tone, but it struck Peng Yuancheng and his men like a heavy hammer, filling them with endless doubts.
Under Yu Sheng's leadership, the Rong people bypassed the besieged Silver Tiger City, abandoning the enemy forces, and went directly to Thunder City. Yu Sheng ordered the Rong people to disguise themselves as civilians and trick the city gates into opening. At this time, the garrison in Thunder City numbered less than four thousand, and was no match for the thirty thousand Rong people. In just half an hour, this strategically important city fell into the hands of the Peace Army. Immediately afterwards, the Rong people split into three routes, one to defend the city, and the other two to head towards Great Valley City and Yu Yang City respectively. At this moment, Peng Yuancheng was engaged in fierce fighting with Feng Jiutian at the front, completely unaware of the changes behind him. By the time Feng Jiutian destroyed Peng Yuancheng's elite troops with fire, Great Valley City had already been captured. Only Yu Yang City remained unconquered due to Guo Yunfei's strategy of holding it out. The Rong people were skilled in open field battles, and siege warfare was not their forte, so Yu Sheng was not in a hurry. He simply cut off the road from Yu Yang to Thunder City, thus separating them.
Peng Yuancheng was oblivious to these matters, but Feng Jiutian knew everything perfectly well, because he had originally drafted these plans and simply instructed Yu Sheng to carry them out. Peng Yuancheng fled the battlefield, his retinue dwindling to only two or three hundred men. He looked up at the heavens, overwhelmed with sorrow. Since raising his army, he had fought dozens of battles, large and small, in Yuzhou, almost undefeated, but this time he had suffered an unprecedented and utter defeat, a defeat at the hands of Feng Jiutian, not Li Jun. This filled him with extreme resentment. He was unaware that when Li Jun went to war against Chen, he had intentionally or unintentionally mentioned to Feng Jiutian that there was trouble in Yuzhou and that they could seek Ji Su's assistance. He also didn't know that the oil attack method was originally devised by Lei Hun; his defeat was not solely at the hands of Feng Jiutian.
In the silence, these defeated soldiers, flags drooping and guns dragging, looked terrified, their steps heavy as if their feet were filled with mercury. They no longer dared to plunder along the way; if two or three hundred men were to plunder in larger villages now, they would surely be slaughtered by the locals with hoes and sickles. Moreover, they felt that while Yuzhou existed, there was nowhere safe to be found; their only thought was how to evade the pursuit of the Peace Army.
Ji Su just said that Leiming City, Dagu City, and Yuyang City have all fallen into the hands of the Rong people. If this is true, it means they have lost their means of livelihood and have become a band of outright bandits. Peng Yuancheng scratched his head, only to realize that he had even lost his helmet in his haste. He blankly let his horse carry him towards the unknown future, while the hundred or so soldiers followed behind him in confusion, unsure whether to leave or continue forward.
"Lord, where should we go?" Finally, an old soldier who had followed him since the time of Otani City couldn't help but ask.
Peng Yuancheng's only response was silence. At that moment, he himself didn't know where to go. The group continued on in silence until they were exhausted and realized it was time for a meal.
Peng Yuancheng glanced westward; another whole day had passed, and the sun was already high above the western mountains. He sighed, finally regaining his composure, and began to slowly form a plan in his mind.
"There's a village ahead. Go in and slaughter them all, leaving no one alive. Under no circumstances should we reveal that our army has passed through this area," he said coldly, determined to make a final stand. Along the way, they had passed through the most desolate places, avoiding any signs of human habitation, lest they leave traces for the Peace Army to pursue. Now, without food, they would be too weak to continue, so Peng Yuancheng was determined to make this isolated little village their target.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but mock himself, asking, "Why don't you command thousands of troops to attack a city, but instead command these remnants of a defeated army to attack a village with less than a hundred households?"
The soldiers silently obeyed his orders, and the village of only sixty or seventy households was soon littered with corpses. The villagers were ultimately no match for the armed soldiers. Although they tried to fight back, they were killed one by one. The few villagers who hid or tried to escape were also found and killed by Peng Yuancheng's men.
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone fell into a deep sleep. Peng Yuancheng, too, was exhausted and fell into a deep nightmare. When he woke up from his dream, drenched in sweat, it was already broad daylight.
He instinctively reached out to push the person next to him, but there was no one there. His beautiful and virtuous wife was nowhere to be seen, nor was his charming and alluring concubine. He felt a sense of loss, remembering the tears his wife had shed when she advised him against raising an army.
"Lord, please have some food." A soldier brought over the food, including a jar of homemade wine. Peng Yuancheng poured himself a drink, and the wine only intensified his sorrow.
"Lord, our brothers have asked us to come and ask you what we should do?" Several officers entered his temporary residence and asked.
Peng Yuancheng glanced at them. Now, with their army defeated, these men no longer addressed him as "Commander Peng." These officers were all low-ranking, and even when his army was at its peak, they couldn't exchange a single word with him. Yet now they were questioning him.
But for now, these are all the troops I have under my command, and we must make good use of them. Peng Yuancheng's expression softened as he said, "Don't worry, everyone, I have a plan. I have always had a good relationship with Commander Liu. You have all heard that he sent Gongsun Ming to see me. Now, there is no place for me in Yuzhou, but as long as I go to Commander Liu and borrow tens of thousands of elite troops from him, when I take back Yuzhou, you will all be my meritorious generals and heroes."
"Does the city lord mean that we should flee to the State of Chen?" the officer interrupted Peng Yuancheng's thoughts on the future and asked.
"I'm not going to escape, but to ask Commander Liu for help. How could Li Jun be a match for Commander Liu? When that happens, I will grind Li Jun and Feng Jiutian, those two treacherous villains, to dust before I can vent my hatred! Hahahaha..." Peng Yuancheng laughed again as he spoke.
But the soldiers showed no excitement at all. One of them said resolutely, "My ancestors have been from Yuzhou for generations. My whole family is in Yuzhou and they are waiting for me to support them. How can I escape to Chen?"
“Yes, the brothers don’t want to escape to other places either. They’d rather go back to this place than live this kind of life!” another officer said.
Peng Yuancheng said coldly, "Do you think Li Jun will let you go if you go back to farming? If you follow me, you will have a chance to survive. If you abandon me, the day you return home will be the day you die."
"No problem, we have our own plans." The officers exchanged glances and smiled slightly.
"What are you scheming about?" Peng Yuancheng asked curiously, but then realized, "So you want to use my first achievement to ensure your safety?"
“Indeed, we have risked our lives countless times for Lord Peng. Now, Lord Peng, please do something for us as well.” The first person to speak said with a murderous look on his face.
Peng Yuancheng couldn't help but laugh in anger: "Haha, you think you can rely on just a few of you?"
"No," the man said, "it's because of this wine. We've already drugged it. Lord Peng, do you still have the strength to fight?"
Peng Yuancheng channeled his spiritual energy, feeling a sharp pain in his lower abdomen, as if being cut by a knife. He had been careless and fallen for the trick of these lowly soldiers! He made one last effort, saying, "I have never treated you badly. How can you betray me without a clear conscience?"
“Li Jun and you have treated each other well. You betrayed him and you still have a clear conscience. How much more so should we?” The soldier’s words filled Peng Yuancheng with utter despair. He suddenly felt a sense of “retribution”. Now, he had no power left to rely on.
"Let me handle this myself," he said slowly. He had lived a heroic life; he couldn't die at the hands of these lowly soldiers. If he were to die, it had to be an honorable death. He thought of Zhu Wenhai and his ministers who had set fire to Yujiang City and committed suicide, and a bitter smile rose in his heart. Fame, fortune, and glory were all fleeting clouds, like dirt. The ever-changing world, the ambitions and dreams of humanity—all would fade away from him.
"With my precious sword in hand, what is there to fear in this world? In the end, I cannot escape the cruel tricks of fate, the rain and spring flowers. I have exhausted my energy to roam the world, but in the end, I am nothing more than a handful of yellow earth and weeds on a mountain cliff..." He suddenly laughed wildly and sang loudly, drawing his sword.
Chapter Ten: The Righteous Path
The sound of the zither, "Immortal, Immortal," was as ethereal and otherworldly as the sandalwood fragrance that filled the room, making the entire study feel like a dream, half-hidden and half-revealed.
As Liu Guang strummed the strings of his zither, he seemed lost in thought. The southern route of Chen Kingdom had been pacified, and he controlled a quarter of the territory of Chen Kingdom. Within his own borders, there was nothing that warranted his attention. However, what he was thinking about was the battle between the Peace Army and the Lianfa Sect in front of Huai'en City.