Chapter 1439: Decisive Victory

Chapter 1439: Chapter 1439: Decisive Victory

"Ow ow ow ow!"

Bandits charged down from the slopes on both sides, letting out wolf-like howls, accompanied by the sound of galloping hooves and horse neighs, which made their approach quite intimidating.

Today’s leader of the troops was none other than Vice General Xue, leading half of the Yongtai Prefecture’s army.

Since General Fan fell, the soldiers brought out were divided by him and Vice General Fang.

In the past few days, Vice General Fang had been in the limelight, making Vice General Xue somewhat dissatisfied, so he said that he would lead the troops at the front today to scout the way for everyone.

Seeing the bandits charge down, Vice General Xue immediately shouted, "Shield Soldiers, form ranks, block them! Archers prepare, release arrows!"

The soldiers quickly moved, Shield Soldiers forming ranks, building two shield walls on both sides, while archers stood behind them, drawing their bows and aiming to shoot.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The sharp arrows flew through the air, hitting several mounted bandits.

The bandits screamed as they tumbled from their horses.

Seeing this, the soldiers were thrilled.

Vice General Xue shouted again, "Prepare, release arrows!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Arrows rained down again, shooting down over a dozen bandits.

"Quick! Shoot again!" Vice General Xue shouted at the bandits closing in.

The archers’ hands trembled slightly, as they hurriedly nocked arrows and shot another volley, bringing down a few more bandits. Suddenly, the bandits became chaotic, shouting, "Boss, it’s a tough one, can’t swallow? Retreat?!"

By now, some bandits had already attacked down the slopes, brandishing large knives towards the Shield Soldiers, and seeing that a fierce battle was about to erupt, the bandit leader shouted, "Too tough, retreat!"

After saying this, he knocked down a bandit and rode away himself.

When the other bandits saw this, they quickly said, "Retreat, quick retreat, soldiers are coming from behind!"

Upon hearing this, the remaining bandits panicked, scrambling for horses, while those without horses ran uphill on foot.

Vice General Xue was overjoyed, riding with the soldiers to pursue them: "Listen to my command, charge up, kill these bandits!"

"Yes!" The soldiers, their morale boosted, quickly chased up the hill, but the bandits were clearly more familiar with the terrain, and after thirty minutes of pursuit by Vice General Xue and his men, they lost track of the bandits completely, only killing a few stragglers.

With no choice, they returned with their troops.

Vice General Fang had already brought the rear army, cleaning up the "battlefield," acquiring three horses, over a dozen knives, bows, and axes, and thirteen bandit corpses, along with the eight corpses Vice General Xue brought back, totaling twenty-one bandits killed.

This achievement was quite impressive, everyone was overjoyed.

Vice General Fang said, "Vice General Xue is amazing, killing twenty-one bandits in just a few moments, securing three horses, really does our Westward Army proud."

Vice General Xue was inwardly delighted but outwardly said, "Hey, it’s just killing a few bandits, it’s nothing."

He sighed, "Originally, I wanted to chase them further and destroy their lair, but those bandits are familiar with the terrain and ran too fast; I couldn’t catch up, very irritating."

Vice General Fang said, "Killing twenty-one is already excellent, and we even got three horses, which are real treasures for us soldiers."

At these words, Vice General Xue felt the need to respond, immediately pointing to a batch of black horses: "Vice General Fang has been working hard recently, this batch of black horses is good, I’ll gift them to Vice General Fang, no need to stand on ceremony with me!"

The spoils were his to distribute.

Vice General Fang did not want any conflict with Vice General Xue, and accepted them: "Thank you, Brother Xue."

He changed the way he addressed him, suddenly becoming closer.

"Haha, what’s there to thank for? We’re brothers in the same camp." Vice General Xue laughed, also giving five large knives to Vice General Fang.

As for the other Company Commander, they received some feather arrows and axes; though not much, the accompanying soldiers were happy having fought a "victory."

"How should we handle these corpses?" A Company Commander asked Vice General Xue.

Vice General Xue thought for a moment and said, "There are many bandits along the way, let’s cut their heads off and pile them into a Corpse Pile."

"Corpse Pile?!" Vice General Fang was a little shocked, as a Corpse Pile involved cutting off the enemy’s heads and piling them into a small mountain by the roadside to intimidate adversaries.

However, that was a practice during the chaotic times at the end of the former dynasty. Since the creation of Great Chu, Corpse Piles have rarely been made, as, in non-war times, it was somewhat unethical.

Vice General Xue said, "These are bandits who have killed many innocent people; using them for a Corpse Pile is too lenient. Brother Fang need not feel it goes against heavenly principles."

Vice General Xue having said this, Vice General Fang naturally did not say more, just replied, "Do as Brother Xue says then."

Thus, Vice General Xue ordered his men to cut off the bandits’ heads and pile them into a Corpse Pile.

The soldiers from Yongtai Prefecture were fine, but the southern soldiers had never seen such a spectacle before, and were all terrified, some even vomiting.

Seeing this, Vice General Xue said, "You guys are too weak, this is nothing! You must quickly adapt, otherwise, when facing the Rong people, you won’t be their match at all! Those Rong people are far more brutal than us, they even feast on children!"

Vice General Fang also took the opportunity to tell the southern soldiers more about the viciousness of the Rong people, scaring several soldiers into fainting.

In Lu Chong’s troops, one soldier fainted, and Lu Chong felt embarrassed, punishing the soldier.

Mrs. Cen, sitting in the mule cart, silently sneered, thinking how Lu Chong, this coward, could criticize his soldiers when he himself turned pale with fear, less courageous than her.

It wasn’t boasting; Mrs. Cen indeed had courage, showing no change in expression while watching the soldiers cut off the bandits’ heads.

Ji Zhenniang was trembling with fright, sitting in the carriage, clutching Qing Hui’s arm, asking Gu Jinli: "Did, did they really cut off the bandits’ heads... and piled them up?!"

Gu Jinli nodded, "Yes, were you thinking they were joking?"

"Ow!" Ji Zhenniang exclaimed, rolled her eyes, and fainted.

Gu Jinli: "..."

You are too useless.

"Madam, madam, are you alright?" Xie Huaihua finally had the chance to accompany Ji Zhenniang today, wanting to make a good impression, and was very anxious when she fainted, hurriedly saying to Qing Hui: "Miss Qing Hui, please quickly save my lady."

Qing Hui looked at Gu Jinli, asking, "Madam?"

Gu Jinli nodded, "Wake her, she needs to see the brutality along the way."

"Yes." Qing Hui swiftly administered two needles to wake Ji Zhenniang.

Upon waking, Ji Zhenniang cried: "Boo hoo, I don’t want to go to the Northwest, I want to go home."

"Go home? You’ve arrived at Hundred Wolves County, who’s going to escort you home now? Even if someone did, there’s little chance you’d make it safely; these bandits dare even rob the army." Gu Jinli was scaring Ji Zhenniang: "Don’t cry, if those bandits hear a woman crying, they might come down at night and take you away."