Chapter 431 - 431 428 On Guard_1

Chapter 431: Chapter 428: On Guard_1 Chapter 431: Chapter 428: On Guard_1 “Yes!” Wang Xiping’s eyes lit up. He loudly accepted the order, leaped onto his horse, and shouted, “Jin Army soldiers! Those who dare to go with me to Huoshen Mountain to rescue the Princess of Zhen, dismount and mount up immediately!”

“Yes!”

The Jin Army soldiers who had just rushed back from Huoshen Mountain responded in unison, their voices shaking the skies as they removed their armor.

Time was pressing. Bai Qingyan had already set off ahead. Wang Xiping had no time to gather the troops. Most of the soldiers that day were Lin Kangle’s personal troops, and Wang Xiping’s own soldiers were not present. Gathering would take time, and Wang Xiping worried that Bai Qingyan could only resort to volunteers.

“Liu Pinggao from Anping Camp, willing to lead my camp to follow General Wang Xiping and the Princess of Zhen to rescue the people!” A commander from Anping Camp mounted his horse in one leap and led the troops out of the city.

“Wang Jin from the Flying Bear Camp, willing to lead my camp to follow General Wang Xiping and the Princess of Zhen to rescue the people!” The commander of Zhang Duanrui’s personal troops also mounted his horse, leading his men towards the city gates.

The soldiers mounted their horses. Their numbers far exceeded two thousand. Liu Hong was shocked.

With such generals who share life and death with their soldiers and never abandon any blood-stained comrades, how could the soldiers not pledge their loyalty?

No wonder… the Bai family army was loyal to the Bai family unto death.

·

Bai Qingyan charged at the forefront. She should have rushed to Huoshen Mountain the moment she heard the news about her younger sister.

She knew clearly that she shouldn’t rely on others. She knew it was a mistake to entrust the safety of those important to her to others, yet she had entrusted her younger sister’s safety to Fu Ruoxi.

Foolish! Foolish! So utterly foolish it was infuriating!

Those people were the Jin Army, not the Bai family army! They would weigh the pros and cons and abandon her sister without a second thought.

If her sister suffered even the slightest accident, she would never forgive herself for her stupidity.

The wind and sand whipped across Bai Qingyan’s face. She seemed indifferent to the pain. As she got closer to Huoshen Mountain, she could even smell the burning scent from that direction, her heart simmering like oil.

She could only hope that Shen Qingzhu could hold out a little longer with Bai Jinzhi. Even if it was walking through a mountain of knives or a pot of boiling oil, she would definitely save them!

The sky was getting dark. Bai Qingyan took a shortcut through treacherous paths at full gallop. The cliffs were steep, and the wind howled in the bottomless abyss beside the rocks. The horse’s hooves slipped, and the gravel rolled down in torrents, creating dangers every step of the way.

Lu Ping led twenty guards from the Bai family, following Bai Qingyan closely, not daring to slow down, gambling their lives against time.

No matter how tough it got, they had to reach Huoshen Mountain as soon as possible to save the fourth daughter of the Bai family, Bai Jinzhi. Even though… the chances seemed slim with such a long rush, any quicken pace brought a bit more hope.

·

Huoshen Mountain.

Bai Jinzhi propped up the severely injured and unconscious Shen Qingzhu. Holding a sword in one hand to support herself, her silhouette wavered unstably. Du Sanbao and others guarded Bai Jinzhi and Shen Qingzhu, looking warily at the Liang Army blocking their way, their exhaustion evident.

Bai Jinzhi was both hungry and tired. Her strength had reached its limit. She was so weak she couldn’t muster any energy. Almost imperceptibly, she retreated backward, but behind her were sky-high flames. The tongues of fire flickered with waves of heat, even starting to touch Bai Jinzhi’s back. Though her clothes hadn’t caught fire, the burning heat still seared her skin painfully.

Behind her was the fire that could swallow people whole. In front was the Liang Army. They seemed to have no escape.

Zhao Sheng, whose armor was stained with blood, stood at the forefront with a silver spear. “As long as you surrender, you can live! Our Liang Army is not like your Jin Kingdom, which slaughters the surrendered! I just need the Lord of Gaoyi you’re protecting… to exchange with the Princess of Zhen for my brother! Why fight to the death?”

Zhao Sheng’s gaze was stern as he pointed at the unconscious Shen Qingzhu carried by Bai Jinzhi. “The strongest among you has already fallen! Dragging on will only risk your lives! You could all live, yet you’re choosing death… I truly don’t understand why?”

Except for Du Sanbao, the Jin Army soldiers began to waver, looking towards Du Sanbao. “Corporal…”

“Nonsense! He’s from the Zhao family’s troops of Liang Kingdom. Haven’t you heard how the Zhao family troops treat those who surrender?! They won’t die, but they’ll wish they had!” Du Sanbao gritted his teeth.

Zhao Sheng smiled. “Instead of resisting, how about this! Hand over the Lord of Gaoyi to me! You can all leave! I have five hundred men here, and tens of thousands more at the foot of the mountain! All it takes is one step from each, and you’re crushed!”

“The Bai family army… would rather die than surrender!” Bai Jinzhi said through clenched teeth. She tried to turn back into the fire with Shen Qingzhu’s unconscious body.

Zhao Sheng’s eyes darkened, and he shouted, “Seize them!”

The Liang Army surged forward. The Jin soldiers, disheartened by Zhao Sheng’s earlier words, were subdued almost instantly.

Just as Bai Jinzhi entered the flames, with fire licking at her face and hands, she was grabbed by Zhao Sheng and pulled back by her collar.

Exhausted, Bai Jinzhi collapsed to the ground alongside the unconscious Shen Qingzhu.

“Qingzhu!” Bai Jinzhi struggled to her feet to help Shen Qingzhu, but Zhao Sheng pressed her to the ground with a foot on her back.

Zhao Sheng raised his malevolent eyes and shouted to his men, “What are you waiting for! Kill all except the one under my foot!”

The captured Jin soldiers cried out, “You said you wouldn’t kill us if we surrendered!”

Bai Jinzhi, now drained, could no longer hold herself up. The only thing she could see was the blurred image of Du Sanbao still fighting and the slightly moving fingers of Shen Qingzhu not far away.

Soon, Du Sanbao, out of strength, was subdued by the Liang Army, forced to kneel. His vision blurred with blood dripping down his eyelashes.

A Liang soldier raised a knife, its cold shine flickering.

As Du Sanbao’s consciousness faded, he lamented… Huoshen Mountain would be his burial ground. He had dreams of becoming a Great General, but it seems that could only happen in his next life.

Bai Jinzhi, struggling, gripped her longsword tightly, trying to lift herself up to save Du Sanbao. Zhao Sheng, with a cruel smile, pressed her down again with his foot.

Just as the Liang soldier raised his knife… an arrow whistled through the air, piercing the man’s neck and embedding in a fiery tree, its white fletching trembling. The soldier’s eyes widened as his throat spurted blood, and he fell straight to the ground.

Startled, Zhao Sheng drew his sword and shouted, “Prepare for battle!”

A white horse charged in, leaping forward with the force of a storm.

Bai Jinzhi’s eyes widened as she saw Bai Qingyan in silver armor reflecting the firelight. Tears welled up uncontrollably as she cried out in her hoarse voice, “Eldest Young Lady!”

Though besieged for half a month, with the Liang Army guarding their water source, surviving on raw meat and blood, she hadn’t shed a tear!