“Yes!” Wang Xiping’s eyes lit up as he loudly accepted the command, removing his armor and leaping onto a horse with a shout: “Jin army soldiers! Those who dare follow this general to Fire God Mountain to protect Princess Zhenguo and rescue people, immediately remove your armor and mount up!”
“Yes!”
The Jin army soldiers who had just galloped back from Fire God Mountain, all who heard Wang Xiping’s words, responded in unison and removed their armor, their voices shaking the nine heavens.
Time was urgent, and Bai Qingyan had already departed one step ahead. Wang Xiping had no time to select troops. Moreover, most of those brought today were personal soldiers under Lin Kangle’s command, and Wang Xiping’s troops were not present. Selecting and assembling troops would waste time, and Wang Xiping worried about Bai Qingyan, so he could only rely on volunteers.
“Anping Camp’s Liu Pinggao is willing to lead his battalion to follow Princess Zhenguo and General Wang Xiping to rescue people!” A general from Anping Camp leaped onto his horse and led his team galloping out of the city.
“Flying Bear Camp’s Wang Jin is willing to lead his battalion to follow Princess Zhenguo and General Wang Xiping to rescue people!” The personal guard battalion commander under Zhang Duanrui also mounted his horse and shouted, leading his men racing toward the city outskirts.
The generals and soldiers mounted their horses, their numbers far exceeding two thousand, leaving Liu Hong shocked.
With such a general willing to live and die with her soldiers, never abandoning any blood-fighting comrade, how could the soldiers not pledge loyalty unto death?
No wonder… the Bai family army was all loyal to the Bai family, steadfast until death.
·
Bai Qingyan rode alone at the front, charging ahead. She should have rushed to Fire God Mountain the moment she learned news of Xiao Si to rescue her!
She knew she shouldn’t place hope in others, clearly knew she shouldn’t entrust the safety of her important people to others’ hands, yet she had still placed Xiao Si’s safety in Fu Ruoxi’s hands.
Foolish! Foolish! Simply infuriatingly foolish!
Those people were the Jin army, not the Bai family army! They would only weigh pros and cons to calculate gains and losses, not hesitating in the slightest when it came time to abandon Xiao Si.
If Xiao Si suffered even the slightest accident, she would never forgive her stupidity for the rest of her life.
Wind and sand continuously scraped across Bai Qingyan’s face. She seemed unaware of the pain. As she drew closer and closer to Fire God Mountain, Bai Qingyan could even smell the burnt odor drifting from Fire God Mountain’s direction, her heart rolling like boiling oil.
She only prayed that Shen Qingzhu could hold out with Bai Jinzhi a little longer. Even if it meant mountains of knives and seas of fire, being shattered to pieces, she would wade through to rescue them!
The sky had gradually darkened. Bai Qingyan took an extremely treacherous shortcut, riding at full speed. The mountain cliffs were steep, with wind howling in the bottomless abyss beside the precipice. Horse hooves slipped as they passed over, broken stones immediately tumbling down with rustling sounds, dangers lurking everywhere along the way.
Lu Ping led twenty Bai family guards following closely behind Bai Qingyan, not daring to slow down in the slightest, gambling their lives against time.
No matter how difficult, they had to reach Fire God Mountain as quickly as possible to save the Bai family’s Fourth Miss Bai Jinzhi! Even if… rushing there over long distances might offer slim hope, every moment faster meant a little more hope.
·
Fire God Mountain.
Bai Jinzhi supported Shen Qingzhu, who had been severely injured while protecting her and had fainted. Holding a sword in one hand to support herself on the ground, her figure was already unsteady and swaying as if about to fall. Du Sanbao and the others protected Bai Jinzhi and Shen Qingzhu behind them, watching the Liang army blocking their path with full vigilance, already showing signs of utter exhaustion.
Bai Jinzhi was both hungry and tired, her physical strength at its limit, her entire body weak and unable to summon energy. She retreated almost imperceptibly, but behind her flames soared skyward, fire tongues of varying heights leaping chaotically with scorching heat waves, even beginning to tentatively touch Bai Jinzhi’s back. Though her clothing hadn’t ignited, the burning heat waves still roasted her skin painfully.
Behind her was fire capable of devouring people; ahead was the Liang army. They seemed to have fallen into a desperate situation.
Zhao Sheng, wearing bloodstained armor and holding a silver spear, stood at the very front and spoke: “As long as you surrender, you can live! Our Liang army is not like your Jin’s Princess Zhenguo – we don’t kill those who surrender! I only want to use the County Princess Gaoyi you’re protecting… to exchange with Princess Zhenguo for my brother! Why fight to the death?”
Zhao Sheng’s gaze was cold and stern as he pointed at Shen Qingzhu being supported by Bai Jinzhi: “Among you, the most capable has already fallen! If this drags on, your lives are in danger! You could all clearly live, yet you insist on dying… I truly don’t understand why?”
The Jin army soldiers, except for Du Sanbao, had already begun to waver, looking toward Du Sanbao: “Squad Leader…”
“What bullshit! He’s from the Liang Zhao family army. Haven’t you heard how the Liang Zhao family army treats surrendered prisoners?! They won’t die, but they’ll all wish they were dead!” Du Sanbao gritted his teeth tightly.
Zhao Sheng’s lips curved in a smile: “How about this – you also stop resisting! Hand over County Princess Gaoyi to me! You can all leave! I have five hundred men here, and tens of thousands more below the mountain! One foot per person could trample you all to death!”
“The Bai family army… would rather die than surrender!” After Bai Jinzhi spoke, she gritted her teeth, supporting Shen Qingzhu as she turned to rush into the fire.
Zhao Sheng’s expression darkened as he shouted: “Take them!”
The Liang army rushed forward together. The Jin army, having already lost their will to fight due to Zhao Sheng’s words, were subdued almost instantly.
Bai Jinzhi had just rushed into the fire and had her face and hands singed by the fire’s tongues when Zhao Sheng grabbed her collar and yanked her back.
Bai Jinzhi was already exhausted. With Zhao Sheng’s pull, she and the unconscious Shen Qingzhu both fell to the ground.
“Sister Qingzhu!” Bai Jinzhi struggled to get up and lunge forward to help Shen Qingzhu, but Zhao Sheng stepped on her spine with one foot, trampling her back down.
Zhao Sheng raised his sinister eyes, looking toward Du Sanbao, who was still resisting with all his might, and shouted: “What are you dawdling for! Except for the one under my foot, kill all the rest!”
The captured Jin army cried out hoarsely: “You just said you wouldn’t kill those who surrender!”
Bai Jinzhi was already exhausted, unable to support her own body. Before her eyes was only the blurred figure of Du Sanbao still fighting and roaring, and Shen Qingzhu lying not far away whose fingers moved slightly.
Soon, Du Sanbao’s strength failed him. He was subdued by the Liang army and pressed down, kneeling on the ground. His vision was blurred, blood dripping down along his eyelashes.
A Liang soldier raised his blade, cold light flashing.
Du Sanbao’s consciousness gradually blurred, and he couldn’t help but sigh in his heart… Fire God Mountain was actually going to become his burial ground. He had originally wanted to become a great general – it seemed that would have to wait for the next life.
Bai Jinzhi roared and forcefully gripped her long sword, trying to support herself on the ground to get up and rescue Du Sanbao. Zhao Sheng’s lips held nothing but a cold, cruel smile as he pressed down harder with his foot, trampling Bai Jinzhi back down.
The Liang soldier raised his blade… The blade hadn’t yet fallen when the whistling sound of an arrow with a screaming tip was heard passing through that Liang soldier’s neck, piercing straight into a burning tree trunk. The arrow’s white feathers trembled incessantly. The Liang soldier’s eyes widened as blood immediately sprayed from his throat like a fountain, and he fell straight to the ground.
Zhao Sheng was startled and drew his sword, shouting: “Alert!”
A white steed leaped with raised hooves, charging forward with the force of wind and thunder.
Bai Jinzhi’s eyes widened as she watched Bai Qingyan in silver armor reflecting the firelight. For some reason, hot tears suddenly surged forth and she cried out loud, calling hoarsely: “Elder Sister!”
After being besieged for nearly half a month, with the Liang army sending people to guard the water sources so they could only eat raw meat and drink blood to survive, she hadn’t cried!