First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 244
Chapter 244: Extra 13: General Lian Has No Weak Soldiers
The leading Hu man looked down with disdain, his eyes filled with contempt. With a twist of his curved blade, a cold glint flashed as it left its sheath.
His horse was sturdy and agile, and behind him were twenty-some brothers who knew each other well and were nimble in combat. Coming and going in this border region, they moved as if unopposed, never having suffered defeat. Now facing a group of unknown Liang soldiers, how could there be any reason to retreat?
Those Liang soldiers were nothing more than two-legged lambs to be trampled underfoot and humiliated at will, so docile they had no temper at all. They wanted to see blood—otherwise, life would be too dull.
The Hu man sized them up and said, "Eight corpses are a bit few, but dragging them back will still make for good fun."
A burly man stepped out from the shadows. Over his shoulder was a large saber, its blade adorned with two iron rings that clanged with every step.
He stood beside Lian Sheng, making her seem especially petite—barely half his width.
The giant pointed his saber at them and sneered, "When your Grandpa Meng was dominating Shaoling Mountain, you lot were still suckling milk. If not for my friend here insisting on joining the army, you brats wouldn’t even have the chance to lay eyes on me. Calling yourselves 'grandpas' in front of me? You’ve got a death wish."
Lian Sheng glanced back and said, "You’ve put on quite a bit of weight. Be careful with your movements—don’t throw out your back."
The giant retorted, "Oh, piss off!"
Lian Sheng lifted her eyelids just as the enemy warhorse charged. With barely ten meters between them, she neither dodged nor advanced.
The horse was clearly a fine steed—its hooves pounded twice, and it was already upon her.
The Hu man carelessly leaned down, his saber sweeping horizontally.
They didn’t have much in the way of martial techniques, relying instead on brute strength, raw experience, and speed. If the strike was fast enough, the move would be fluid.
She won’t dodge this, he thought.
Yet just as the blade was about to graze the unremarkably short figure, a pair of hands clamped onto his wrist first. The fingers were icy cold, skeletal. Perhaps from the long exposure to the night wind, it felt as if a skeletal claw had seized him.
The Hu man tilted his head slightly, his pupils reflecting the short figure’s movements.
Even when he had suddenly struck, the other showed no trace of panic. Her expression was indifferent as she calmly watched him approach, her feet lightly adjusting with nimble hops before she pivoted, her waist barely skimming the blade’s edge. Then, with her left hand pressing his wrist, she used her body weight to pull back.
The short figure wasn’t heavy, but the Hu man was on horseback, his legs straining to control the mount. With his upper body unable to brace, he was still yanked slightly backward.
When he looked again, the figure had vanished from sight.
The Hu man felt the saddle behind him dip—someone had mounted—and his instincts screamed danger. He twisted to look.
At the same moment, an icy sensation touched his neck, and his vision spun as he was shoved off the horse.
The Hu man lay on the ground, eyes wide, blood gushing from his neck. To his dying breath, he couldn’t comprehend how he had died.
"Big Brother—!"
The remaining Hu men let out a heartrending cry, stunned that in the blink of an eye, one of their own had fallen. Their gazes toward Lian Sheng now burned with murderous intent.
Lian Sheng weighed the longsword in her hand and met their stares without fear. "Carelessness costs lives. Pity he realized it too late."
Every time she recalled this moment, Lian Sheng found it baffling.
In a narrow space like the city gate entrance, facing enemies as agile as they were, how had they dared to charge forward en masse?
And how had they assumed that Lian Sheng, sitting there all night, had been waiting for them openly and honorably?
Upon reflection, it was likely because they thought people here didn’t like using their brains—and because they were used to bullying others.
Ordinary people, seeing a horse taller and stronger than themselves charging, would instinctively turn and flee, their formation scattering.
These Hu men were nomads, skilled in horsemanship from childhood. Even in the tightest spaces and at the most erratic speeds, they could adapt effortlessly. Though Lian Sheng and her companions couldn’t match them, as seasoned wanderers of the martial world, they had their own tricks—unlike ordinary soldiers who would collapse at the first sign of trouble.
Suddenly, several black ropes dropped from atop the gate, entangling the charging horses’ legs. One pulled two, two pulled three, and the horses toppled in succession, flinging their riders to the ground with heavy thuds.
For a moment, the air was filled with the pained whinnies of horses, and the yellow sand kicked up obscured everything. With every breath, the taste of grit filled their noses and mouths.
Before the Hu men could rise, a long saber pressed against their torsos.
The torches had fallen, barely flickering. One looked up to see a shadowy figure hidden behind the dust, spitting out, "Pah! Nothing but damn sand!"
Then his head was separated from his body.
Banxian sat at the rear with his fortune-telling banner, ignoring the slaughter. He lit a lamp for himself, quietly waiting for them to finish so he could return to rest.
There had been no need to come out—they just couldn’t let him sleep peacefully.
The Hu people were renowned for their ferocity in battle, yet at the city gate, in the blink of an eye, several had already fallen without even time to react.
The remaining dozen or so reined in their horses, halting their advance.
The night was dark, the wind howling.
The seven or eight figures stood ahead unhurriedly, as if waiting for them to make a decision.
After a moment’s thought, one shouted, "Retreat!"
"Uwei!"
"I said retreat! No need to tangle here! Retreat now!"
"Liang’s actions today mean war with our king! Just wait and see! Retreat!"
Whether war would come wasn’t decided by such trivial matters—it depended solely on whether both sides had the will.
If they didn’t want to fight, even the gravest offense could be brushed aside. If they did, even the pettiest dispute could spark an invasion.
Like the conflict of Beiliang in the Spring and Autumn period—was it really over a mulberry leaf? No grove could conceal the King of Wu’s burning ambition.
They hauled their surviving brothers onto their horses, leaving the fallen where they lay.
This group had arrived arrogantly and fled just as swiftly.
Lian Sheng watched their dust-choked figures vanish beyond sight, sheathed her sword, and dismounted.
From the long street came a child’s sob, quickly stifled.
Lian Sheng turned toward the sound. Some child, unable to sleep from the commotion, had sneaked out to watch and was now discovered by his mother.
The two hid in the courtyard, panicked.
Lian Sheng smiled at them, but the woman didn’t return it. Clamping a hand over the boy’s mouth, she dragged him back inside.
Lian Sheng wiped the blood from her face and said, "Tend to the horses. I’ll take them back. Deal with the rest here."
A scrawny man snorted. "Hmph, always ordering people around."
"Six horses left—not bad. Their steeds are always well-fed. See if the other two can still stand." Lian Sheng said. "As for the corpses, hang them on the city walls as a warning."
Lian Sheng went ahead to their lodgings, leaving the cleanup to them. Banxian blew out his lamp and followed.
She entered the inn, now empty save for a single oil lamp burning in the main hall. Taking it, she headed upstairs. In her room, she changed out of her bloodstained outer robe, then sat at the table, carefully wiping the blood from her sword with a white cloth.
Only when the others reported everything had been handled did she rise and return to the barracks.
Her roommates had been sleepless all night. Hearing movement, they looked up at Lian Sheng.
One soldier, wrapped in a thin blanket, asked hoarsely, "Where were you last night?"
Lian Sheng slid her sword under the bed. "Nowhere special."
They were skeptical but sensed nothing good would come of pressing further and let it drop.
Before dawn, the sound of gongs and drums erupted outside.
The platoon leader roared, "Get the hell out here! Everyone, out now!"
The recruits scrambled into their uniforms and rushed out, forming ranks in the open yard.
The platoon leader arrived in a fury, several grim-faced men at his back.
The light was dim, and the soldiers, unsure what had happened, stood in terrified silence.
The platoon leader bellowed, "Who went out last night? Who killed those people outside?"
At the word "killed," everyone’s expressions shifted. Those beside Lian Sheng instinctively glanced at her, but seeing her unperturbed, calm as ever, they felt somewhat reassured.
One soldier ventured nervously, "May I ask... who died?"
The platoon leader brandished a whip, teeth clenched. "Six Hu corpses are hanging at the city gate! Who disobeyed orders and acted without authorization last night?"
"All this fuss—I thought someone’s grandfather had died." Lian Sheng let out a cold laugh. "How perverse, and how puzzling."
Her words plunged the area into silence.
The soldier beside her tugged her sleeve, trying to pull her down to kneel. Lian Sheng gave him a sidelong glance, then gripped his collar and shoved him aside.
The platoon leader strode up to her and raised his whip to strike.
Unfortunately, his whip skills were clearly lacking. Lian Sheng caught the tip, yanked hard, and tore it from his grip. With a flick of her wrist, the whip lashed back like a serpent, striking his face and leaving a red welt that immediately swelled.
The platoon leader clutched his mouth, face twisting. "You—!"
Lian Sheng said, "If Hu men die in our borderlands, then they deserved it. Those who dare violate our nation’s dignity should be slaughtered without hesitation. No matter how you spin it, they were in the wrong. The Hu haven’t even come to demand answers, yet here you are, blaming us first. Tell me—whose pay do you take? What’s your name, and where are you from?"
The soldier beside her hissed, "Do you have a death wish?"
Just then—
"Centurion! Centurion!" A soldier, his hat askew, rushed in shouting. "The Hu are here! They’re demanding justice!"
The centurion paled. "So soon?!"
It was still so early—how had they arrived this fast?
Everyone’s attention snapped to the gate.
Several men on horseback had already charged in, meeting no resistance.
The platoon leader, seeing them, abandoned his interrogation and shoved Lian Sheng forward. "It was him! He’s the one who killed them! Take him and do as you will—this was never Liang’s intention to offend! Please convey our apologies to the Chanyu."
Lian Sheng crossed her arms and laughed. "First, clarify who offended whom. They’re the ones who came to Liang’s borders—at most, this was self-defense. How is it our offense?"
The platoon leader snapped, "Shut your mouth!"
Lian Sheng sneered. "You’re sending me to my death, and I can’t even leave last words?"
The leading Hu man bellowed, "Enough!"
"What was the agreement before? You people dare deceive me?" He stepped forward. "The Chanyu is beyond furious! Is this how Han people keep their word?"
The platoon leader broke into a cold sweat, forcing a smile. "A misunderstanding. Last night... it was the new recruits causing trouble."
The Hu man kicked him flat and roared, "Say that again!"
The platoon leader groaned, fingers clenching, Adam’s apple bobbing. He shut his eyes but kept smiling. "A misunderstanding."
The soldiers watched, fists clenched, unable to bear the sight. But recalling the army’s so-called discipline—that speaking out never ended well—none dared to be the first to step forward.
"Who are you fooling?" the Hu man spat. "When your Grandpa Meng dominated Shaoling Mountain—"
Before he could finish, a murmur rose from below: "Since when do Hu people... have the surname Meng?"
Another soldier wondered, "Where even is Shaoling Mountain?"
Lian Sheng: "..."
The legendary Grandpa Meng: "..."
Flushing with anger, he pointed his saber. "What are you muttering about? Believe me, I’ll chop you to pieces!"
Lian Sheng shook her head.
"You’d rather grovel like beasts than stand and fight. Look at their numbers, then look at yours. Have your spines truly crumbled so completely? If so, why even join the army?"
The soldiers wavered but still didn’t move.
Offending the Hu wasn’t something that could be easily resolved. Their enemies weren’t just these few before them.
They all had families—elders and children—who couldn’t bear the consequences of reckless defiance. Even if they acted on impulse, the court wouldn’t reward them. They’d just die for nothing and be scorned.
The lessons of the past were too bitter. Their hearts had long cooled. Who would dare step forward now?
Comments
Post a Comment