Chapter 31 (1/2)

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Suddenly Surrounded Under The Starry Night

Drums of war like thunder, sounding horns urging on.

Wild roars deafens the ears as the sound wave hits, Lin Rui En’s stretched straight body, towering like a mountain as he stands before the mountain slope, after seeing the enemy situation, sword-like brows deeply locks together, lips thin like blade. A burst of rustling trees sounds behind him, he turns around, to see the soldiers use heavily thick wood to solidly repair the horse stables as ordered, their actions lacking in their usual neatness, such low morale practically close to panic.

Lin Rui En takes big strides forward, removing his armour, rolling up his sleeves, as he helps himself to the wooden planks on the ground.

“General, such matters are better left for the rest of the brothers to do it.” The lieutenant who has followed Lin Rui En for many years, hurries forward to advise him in slight alarm.

Lin Ru En’s one hand secures the wooden plank to the water feeder area of the stable, his remaining hand occupied with a hammer, strongly beating the nails into place, answering without even turning his head: “Time is running out, everyone come repair the stables.”

The lieutenant is dumbstruck for a moment, before immediately sprinting off to relay orders. The soldiers have only been trained for just over two months, facing such parade of a mighty force surrounding them, they are all absolutely terrified inside, but seeing General Lin so concentrated in repairing the stable, although they don’t understand the reason for this, their hearts still eases down a little, learning from others to ignore the roars completely surrounding them on this mountain, they busy themselves with the task at hand.

“Have everyone gathered here, act swiftly.” Seeing the soldiers complete their work, the stables already fortified with two additional layers, Lin Rui En puts on his armour, whilst loudly giving out orders, another round of thunderous howls sounds from below the slope, one wave louder than the other.

Eight thousand soldiers very quickly forms a square unit in rows, thick s.h.i.+elds held in their hands, looking nervous. Lin Rui En’s eyes slowly drifts across their faces, amongst them, there are even those in their teenage years, soldiers that can even be considered children, armours new and bright, as they stand in centre of the team, the rising of snow amongst the northern wind like ice blades slas.h.i.+ng past their faces, causing their noses to be frozen red.

Above the mountain slope, the atmosphere is so solemn it leaves people terrified, only the cries rumbling like thunder are ringing in their eyes.

The armoury sound of tidal waves slowly eases up, Lin Rui En walks up towards the edge of the slope, looking at the mobilisation of the Nu Army below, a chilly air diffusing, he turns around, walking back into the square unit, holding up the iron s.h.i.+eld, a raise of his hand, such blade-like posture bringing upon a breeze: “Raise the s.h.i.+elds.”

The thick s.h.i.+elds sways the light of snow into hiding the black gloss, neat lines forming a protective layer above the heads of eight thousand soldiers, and upon Lin Rui En’s gestured command, everyone stoops into squatting positions, looking like the face of a black wall of s.h.i.+elds standing in the middle of the mountain slope.

With no light of sun nor moon, heaven and earth in dejection, shooting arrows falling more densely than that of rain showers, hitting the top of the s.h.i.+elds, issuing the struggling sounds of heavy metal clas.h.i.+ng, sharp, abrupt, like that of the devil dancing on top.

The soldiers hidden under the s.h.i.+eld sounds grieving moans, but no one can hear it, under such attack like raging storm, everyone could only pray for survival. Arrows pierces through the gaps, and soldiers falling under the arrows, their blood splattering all over, yet those surrounding them can only adjust their positions immediately, completely filling up the gaps, the sound of raining arrows swallowing everything else up.

Time grows even more absently blank than that of the snow itself, the arrows coming wave after wave, hidden away from the light all day, the soldiers grits their teeth, persistent in holding up the iron s.h.i.+eld in hand, occasionally making a switch of hand, what’s more difficult than bearing with the numb pain in their body, is the splattered blood of their fallen comrades, with not even the time to wipe away the bloodstains nor mourn their deaths, they can only wait for the next round of attack, slowly haunted by the shadows of death.

Up to this very moment, did the troops come to understand the intention behind Lin Rui En’s previous orders to solidify the stables, only by protecting the horses, will they have the chance to bet their all on escaping alive, the stables are completely studded in arrows, very dense, not one spot was spared, practically unable to pin point the slightest little slit.

“General, how much longer will we be trapped for? Would Du Cheng send troops over?” Pulling through another round of arrows, the soldier squatted in the front row, pushes the corpses of their comrades to a vacant spot, unable to refrain from asking this, his voice unable to be suppressed.

Knowing the next round of attacks is instantly coming, Lin Rui En turns around, just about to snap at them, but in that very moment he turns, he finds all the soldiers looking towards him with a type of bright and sincere look in their eyes, some soldiers were hit with arrows on their arms and legs, his hands tightly clenches, mournful antic.i.p.ation to survive actually carried within their agony, blood endlessly oozing out from their wounds.

“Will come……reinforcements from Du Cheng will come when night falls……” That ice cold voice firmly says, Lin Rui En waves his hand in signal of having the soldiers take on defensive positions well. Under the iron s.h.i.+elds, several soldiers reveals a smile, just like the only light that can be seen within this darkness.

Face expressionless as he turns around, a look of pain emerges on Lin Rui En’s face. With the doubled weight of such psychological torture, the soldiers’ willpower is already tightened to the highest point……Du Cheng did not even send any news of reinforcement, these words he cannot possibly let out his mouth, no matter what, the defence troops in Du Cheng only adds up to over twenty thousand, Military Advisor will not take the risk in sending troops over, the current situation is everything they must face.

Waiting, only waiting can do, with the Nu army going all out right now, they are impossible to stop, as long as they wait once, once and again, again and again, till they have exhausted their strengths, would they gain the opportune moment to breakout, and before that, he must have the soldiers persevere under the attacks of the Nu army, and not be defeated.

The arm propping up the s.h.i.+eld is already slightly numb, Lin Rui En ignores this feeling, silently listening for any movements coming from the front, the palm of his hand oozing with flowing sweat, with full concentration, he prepares to face any unexpected situations.

This one battle, will definitely be the most menacing battle faced in his entire life.

Ear suddenly catching onto the sounds of quiet weeping, without even looking back, he can guess the youngsters has met with such dangers for the first time, thus venting out their fear of death. Heart shaken, his one hand clenches onto the handle of his sword, tightly gritting his teeth, such demeanour much more chilling than that of ice.

Waiting……

Night falls, everything falls into silence, the Nu Army ignites their torches, Lin Rui En overlooks the mountain plains, taking the sight of firelights tightly winding around like a giant python into his eyes, lasting for around more than six hours of attacks, the Nu army also enters a state of temporary rest.

The opportunity has finally come.

Eight thousands young soldiers quietly gets moving within the darkness, pulling the horses out from the stables, organising the weapons they will be armed with, and even pulled out the arrows from all over, adding it to their own arrow quivers, to them, at this very moment, arrows is the most abundant form of weapon they have. Their movements very orderly, despite being in the depths of darkness, they show not even a trace of panic.

Lin Rui En silently watches everyone’s movement, in such pitch black darkness where one cannot even trace the outline of their own hands, he sees every single person’s expressions, looking at those cheeks that still displayed innocence this past noon, already completely covered with the vicissitudes of life, experiencing a situation of life and death, has allowed them to mature into real soldiers, an air of murderous chills flowing in the darkness, spreading across the entire mountain slope.

“General.” The lieutenant runs up to Lin Rui En’s side, handing him a strong bow, a powerful crossbow, taking out a fire lighter from his waist side, a sound of “suo–– ”, lights the front end of the crossbow.

Lending this little lighting, Lin Rui En clearly gets a look of the eight thousand young soldiers standing before the mountain slope, they are already tired, but their current spirits remains high, there are still the corpses of their brothers on the ground, some whose blood not yet dried, they could even smell the faint b.l.o.o.d.y stench in the air. No one lowers their heads to look, just like how they have already stepped across this obstacle of life and death, lowering the head is a weakness, they are not permitted to live in this scene of the darkest night.

The biting chill weighs heavy, wind like ice blades. Every single soldier steadily looks towards their commander, the lights in their eyes like a torch, brightly s.h.i.+ning on.

These eyes are clearly the dark ruthlessness of wicked wolves……thinking this, Lin Rui En faintly raises the corner of his lips, carrying a confident smile, under the encouragement of this smile, the soldiers senses a type of excitement never known to them before, since earlier when Lin Rui En made all early arrangements, having predicted the enemy’s moves, he had already earned their respects like wors.h.i.+pping a heavenly deity, right now, they have even more discovered, that when this cold as iceberg general smiles, turns out he can also be this beautiful.

“Du Cheng still has your elderly fathers, kind-hearted mothers, has your wives and children whom you all dearly miss……want to see them?” Slowly speaking up, Lin Rui En pulls the bow, the string forming a full moon, seeing every solder’s face grow even brighter, he speaks more sharply, “Then live on for me……return to Du Cheng alive.”

Amongst the frosty chills of the “sa––” sounding wind, an additional spot of light enters the sky of black ink, piercing through half a mountain of heavy silence, just like a brilliant shooting star falling from the sky. Hitting onto the stable, which had already been piled with flammable straws, in an instant, red light rising everywhere, dying half the sky.

Everyone there knows there is no road they can retreat to, eight thousand people aligned into a team, in a knife-like form, those in the front row holding iron s.h.i.+elds, raised to chest level of those sat on horses, following behind were the foot soldiers, tightly arranged into a team, with long handled weapons in hand, even the dark night is filled with such biting chill of murderous intent. The entire team extremely tightly packed, accelerating in speed as they charge downhill. Wanting to take advantage of the enemy whilst they’re unprepared, like a sharp knife piercing into the heart of their camp, cutting off the dot to dots of firelights forming an encirclement, only then would they have the slightest chance of escaping south.

By the time the Nu Army discovers something’s not right, Lin Rui En’s team had already charged up to their faces, the Nu Army lights the torches, their objective obvious, yet the army of eight thousand were like wild wolves amidst the dark night, no trace no tracks, ready to bite with one pounce at any given time, brightly playing along with the darkness, completely unexpected.

The sounds echoing throughout the mountain plains.

This is a battle of the lesser attacking the greater, a rush to kill, not counting what means, not counting life and death, the front row of soldiers rapidly charges forward on horse, charging into the unprepared Nu Army ranks, hacking at anyone they see, the neck, the head, the rupture of muscles and bones, such pitiful cries like the grieving of wild beasts as they scream out, instantly spreads throughout the entire mountain plains, not one person cannot hear it.

This is the exacting of vengeance, a dispute whereby blood must be shed in order to resolve it, it is inevitable, and everyone is giving their all to rip the enemy into shreds, amongst the darkness there are battle flags, only the enemy exists in their eyes.

The eight thousand soldiers floods forward, Lin Rui En riding at the forefront, one hand raises, one blade cuts down, the s.h.i.+ne of the long handled sword flashes by, bringing with it a stream of blood, spraying out on the ground, one person throws himself forward, and immediately suffers a neat blow to the neck, head already rolling down with a sound of “gu-lu”, body still holding the posture of rus.h.i.+ng forward, the enemy troops thus steps on the bodies of their comrades as they advance forward, so he once again makes another swift swipe of his blade, arms flying out, shrill cries endlessly entering the ears, the entire way forward, they are constantly treading through blood and stepping on corpses as they advance.

The murderous air spreads, chaotically stirring together a brutal battlefield[1], blood splattering all over, staining clothes red, even more so dying the eyes red, everyone has practically lost their senses. Unconsciously waving around those weapons that are capable of killing, striking down the enemy. Sound after sound of unbearable pain and screaming, were a kind of auditory stimuli, arousing the soldiers’ inner cruelty and violence.

Killing became the norm, became the necessity, became the greed……

Should the enemy not die, then the one to die will only be oneself, not one soul is able to stop here, one stop, and they shall forever remain on this land for eternity……

He is a butcher, this is h.e.l.l……

Executing those around him, Lin Rui En’s heart set on fire, spurring him forward, the blood splattering on his face, no longer holds the original warm and wet feeling, numbing senses grows brutally cruel. The people behind gradually decreases, comrades one by one swallowed up in the merciless h.e.l.lfire, corpse and bones non-existent, used as a stepping tool by other soldiers.

Corpses littered everywhere……whilst slas.h.i.+ng down the enemy, he closely watches the battle situation, Lin Rui En knows he himself is about to lose, even if the battle strategy this time is near perfect, even though he took to all means, even though all soldiers exerted their best of efforts, it is still unable to change the outcome of this battle, the difference in strength really is far too great……

Looking ahead, the area where the firelights forms a circle is already at a very short distance away, further charging across half this mountain valley, then they will be able to escape from the mountain path, heading straight to Du Cheng, with just only this little bit of distance, looking at it right now, it has already become a void dimension, impossible to cross, the end of the road, it seems like the dead end of heroes.

“Ah––––” Lin Rui En abruptly lets out a tragic cry, one strike of the long handled sword, the entire shoulder along with the arm, is hacked off the enemy before his horse, blood spraying onto his armour, and his battle mount crosses over the body of the dead person.

Up to this very moment, did he only just realised, he himself actually doesn’t want to lose, clearly aware there are no eternal victories on the battlefield, loudly laughing as he advances forth, killing all in his way. Those following him grows less and less, yet the Nu Army seems like a steadily running stream, tide after tide rus.h.i.+ng over……

Great…great…great…today, allow him to kill to his heart’s content then, only ceasing upon death.

In this moment of chaos amongst the firelights, he suddenly sees such occasion of fire dropping from the heavens, tumbling down from several nearby hills, the light reflecting across half the sky. And the commotion it caused in the Nu Army is even greater, burning fire falling from the heavens, falling in target of that one tent standing in centre of the Nu Army, the Nu soldiers in complete panic, yelling at the top of their lungs as they run towards that direction.

“General––” The lieutenant emits a quaking cry.

“It’s General, it’s General……”

Startled by that shrill scream, from his waist there comes an immensely stinging pain, Lin Rui En turns to look back, a Nu soldier grins at him, those eyes holding seeming satire, seeming ridicule, his long handled sword makes a turn, neatly swiping across the Nu soldier’s neck, that moment happened so fast, that Nu soldier practically didn’t even have the chance to show an expression of shock before falling along with that bloodstained sword.

His waist burning hot like fire, Lin Rui En smiles towards the front, all colours brightly reflected within his pupils, hastily sweeping his eyes across the entire area, he can already make out, the reinforcements are not at all many, that sky-of-fire surprise attack is only able to be used to confuse the enemy, as to why the Nu soldiers are so worried for the area the sky fire fell towards, he needs not to think it over, the current confusion caused by the sky fire can only hold on like a flash in the pan, and they, have actually gotten an additional chance of survival, only by seizing this opportunity, can they hope to charge out of this heavy encirclement.

“Kill––charge out.”

Hearing this sound of command, with not the slightest of hesitation, the soldiers rapidly gathers, legs clamping the horses’ body, they leap forward.

Due to the sudden appearance of sky fire throwing the Nu Army into chaos, this gave Lin Rui En the perfect opportunity. Long handled sword plunging into the chest of the Nu soldier who was blocking his path, the moment the blood sprayed like a blooming flower, he takes on the posture of clearing the way, courageously advancing forward.

The soldiers receives encouragement, within the dark charms of night, only the Nu Army’s hundreds and thousands of torches scatters halos above their heads, these firelight are practically more terrifying than the darkness itself, blurring everyone’s sights and thus impacting everyone’s confidence, amongst the endless killings, they cannot see hope, hands numb, once again raising, blade after blade, striking at the enemy, until fresh blood dyes the entire ground red as it drips.

The enemy one by one falling, their accompanying comrades one by one falling, the soldiers waves their long handled swords like machines, blood trailing down the edge of the blade as it drips, very quickly disappearing into the darkness. A vast expanse of pains and sorrow spreading through the air, in this brutal battlefield[1], they have not even the time to feel the pain, following Lin Ru En as they desperately charge forward with their all. Only that leading figure on the horse, gives them their only hope, even if their beings are swallowed in the chaos, they can still see that figure open up a b.l.o.o.d.y path with a single blade, he is towering like a mountain, with unwavering firmness, blood splatters flying by his side, the light of blade, the shadow of sword, nothing able to shake him in the slightest, seeing such a scene, the soldiers stood amongst the killings suddenly understands one fact, this cold as ice young general, on battlefields like this, blade by blade, sword by sword, hovering between life and death, colder than that of ice, stronger than that of iron, inheriting the blood of the Lin Clan, guarding the greater half of this country.

The frosty wind biting cold, lifting wave after wave of b.l.o.o.d.y stench in the air.

The incomparably brutal killings continues on repeat, hearts gradually growing numb, the sound of rumblings endless, difficult to make out whether it is the enemies’ cries, or whether it is one’s own heartbeat, Lin Rui En looks towards that mountain trail, already at a closer distance, as long as they charge past that final round of encirclement, they will be able to escape from this siege, lending the dark night to escape far from danger……

It is but a small amount of distance left……

A sharp whistling sound pierces through the air, shattering the sound of wind, such sound caused by a lightning fast speed that follows behind, Lin Rui En s.h.i.+fts his body to the left with peerless agility, his body makes a sudden move on the horse, the spear that came flying towards him, practically skims past his scalp, a sort of wet warm fluid comes dripping down his face, his body abruptly oozing with cold sweat due to the fright, taking a little peek back, the lieutenant who is closely following behind was just about to call out something, when his body quakes, Lin Rui En sees himself, whole body covered in blood, all that is reflected in the lieutenant’s enlarged pupils, and just like that, the lieutenant’s stick straight body stiffens, overturning as he falls off the warhorse.

The corpse very quickly trampled into pieces by the battle mounts behind……

The Nu Army’s hundreds of thousands troops actually letting an army of a mere eight thousand breakout from their sieging, they are both angry and in panic, eyes personally witnessing Lin Rui En about to breakout from their encirclement, obeying the commander’s orders, they use all their might in throwing their spears towards the direction they are about to breakout the siege, unable to care for how many comrades they are also accidentally harming within the darkness.

Lin Rui En feels everything blur before his eyes, the sharp pain at his waist invading his body, all before his eyes appears to be so unexpected, so strange, the soldiers following behind falling one by one, very quickly disappearing amongst the inferno of all this killing, he raises his hand, sword dancing into a web of blades.

Before him is only this little amount of distance, how is he to possibly resign himself……?

In front, comes another burst of endlessly raining arrows, Lin Rui En is currently making a protective blade barrier, sound of howling cutting through the air, the rain of arrows pa.s.ses over the Lin Army ranks, shooting towards the Nu Army that are following behind them.

Lin Rui En is stunned, raising his head with difficulty, he looks towards the mountain trail in front.

In one corner of the mountain trail, several torches are lit up, fifty people aligned into a small squad, spread out in form of a crescent moon, hands endlessly shooting out arrows, blocking the pursuing soldiers behind the Lin Army. At the rear end of the troops is a pale figure sat high up on a horse, under the flickering firelight of the torches, long hair like black ink combed up into a bun, appearance like white porcelain, of extraordinary n.o.ble elegance.