Chapter 243 |
Chapter 243 No One Can Humiliate My Brother
Hu Bugui's face turned ashen, ready to lash out. But he was stopped by a tug on his sleeve. Turning his head, he saw General Lin shaking his head expressionlessly and walking away without a word. Hu Bugui let out a disgruntled grunt and followed behind Lin Wanrong.
Seeing that the two men in front of him ignored him, Zhai Canghai shouted, "You two are audacious! How dare you disrespect this general. What are your names?"
Without turning his head, Lin Wanrong continued forward. One of Zhai Canghai's officers flew into a rage, spurred his horse, and raised his whip at the two men, "How audacious of you! Our general is speaking to you—"
"Shut your—!" Lin Wanrong turned around suddenly, pulled the captain off his horse, and slammed his fist into his face. The wind from his fury-laden punch sent the officer reeling backward, a cry of agony echoing through the air as a bloom of blood erupted from his face. Lin Wanrong then kicked him away, a cruel glint in his eyes. His action stunned everyone. The cavalry soldiers were immediately riled up, and Zhai Canghai bellowed, "You dare to assault my subordinate, you worthless officer. Seize him—"
Lin Wanrong had already returned to Li Sheng's side. Hu Bugui gritted his teeth, "This dog of mixed breed insulted my soldiers, I wish I could end him with one stroke."
Lin Wanrong's face was steely, and with a cold laugh, he said, "Brother Li, turn the cannons toward this cavalry, and let's have a couple of shots—"
At this order, not only Li Sheng but also the chattering Hu Bugui was taken aback. Li Sheng hurriedly said, "General Lin, we mustn't. If we start infighting, we'll be the ones to suffer."
Lin Wanrong chuckled coldly, "Brother Li, just fire when I tell you to. I'll bear all the responsibility."
Gao Qiu said, "This Zhai guy is just a petty cavalry general, nothing to be impressed with. Fire a few shots, let him have a taste." As an imperial guard, he had seen countless senior officials and naturally looked down on someone as insignificant as Zhai Canghai.
Li Sheng gritted his teeth, aimed the cannons at the cavalry, and carefully fired two shots. The shells exploded just in front of the cavalry, only a few yards away from Zhai Canghai. His horse, frightened by the noise, reared up and almost unseated him. The horses of the cavalry soldiers who were about to seize Lin Wanrong also began to neigh and prance, nearly throwing their riders off.
"You've got some nerve, firing at my cavalry—!" Zhai Canghai roared in rage, "If I don't teach you cowards a lesson today, I—"
Just as he was speaking, he saw several platoons of soldiers approaching from afar. Their uniforms were tattered, and their bodies were covered in wounds. In pairs, they carried the bodies of fallen soldiers, slowly placing them in front of the camp. The surviving soldiers, their faces grimy and blood-stained, couldn't even maintain formation, looking like the true remnants of a battered army.
Then they looked at the fallen soldiers, their bodies bearing no unscathed spot. Some had lost limbs, heads, their innards ripped apart, some even lay entwined with their foes, dead yet inseparable. Most of these fallen warriors were but adolescents, their faces still bearing youthful innocence. The pain and resentment in their eyes pierced everyone's hearts like sharp needles.
The troop that had been responsible for delivering the supplies only consisted of six to seven hundred men. Yet, within one night, half had perished. The horrific scene sent a shiver down the spine of every cavalry commander.
"Reporting to the general, we lost 303 soldiers in this battle, and another 75 are seriously injured," Du Xiuyuan reported, his face grave.
Lin Wanrong clenched his teeth so hard they could've shattered. He stared at Zhai Canghai and asked through gritted teeth, "Is your surname Zhai?"
Zhai Canghai, unsure of his intention, arrogantly replied, "Yes, I am General Zhai-"
"Kneel!" Lin Wanrong suddenly roared.
Zhai Canghai paused, not knowing who he was addressing. Lin Wanrong pulled out his musket and fired a shot into the ground, creating a cloud of dust in front of Zhai's horse. "I told you to kneel!" he growled. Fresh from battle, his body was covered in blood, his expression ferocious, he looked like a god of death descended from the heavens.
"Kneel!" The surviving soldiers from the three battalions, clutching their notched steel blades and spears, despite the blood flowing from their bodies, screamed together at the cavalry. The resounding roar even startled the cavalry. These men, mere novices yesterday, had now transformed into grim reapers. They had never retreated when faced with enemies outnumbering them, never showing fear. Their fervor made them oblivious to the pain of their wounds. Though they were battered and bruised, the potent aura of death they emitted after the bloody battle was unstoppable, stunning the cavalry.
Startled, Zhai Canghai quickly backed away, "What are you doing? I am the deputy general of the cavalry, commanding five thousand soldiers-"
Ignoring him, Lin Wanrong lunged forward and yanked Zhai Canghai from his horse, growling, "I told you to kneel!"
"Kneel!" Gao Qiu, standing beside Lin Wanrong, bellowed and kicked Zhai Canghai in the knee. Canghai let out a scream and fell to his knees.
The cavalry commanders came to their senses and quickly surrounded the two men, "Arrest them, arrest them all-"
"For General Lin, charge!" Hu Bugui and Du Xiuyuan yelled together. The remaining three hundred warriors, their eyes bloodshot, charged into the cavalry's encirclement, protecting Lin Wanrong. The bloody battle the night before had united these soldiers who previously had held some reservations about each other. No matter where they came from - Zhejiang, Shandong, or the Divine Machine Unit - they were comrades-in-arms, and General Lin was their war god.
Unfazed by the encirclement, Lin Wanrong kicked Zhai Canghai, who had fallen on the ground, stepping on his face. He smirked and coldly ordered, "Tell your cavalry to dismount."
"How audacious! Are you planning a mutiny?" Several officers from the Cavalry Regiment surrounded the three hundred ragtag soldiers, shouting loudly.
Gao Qiu flashed his golden token and bellowed, "Nonsense! I'm a first-class imperial guard given by the Emperor himself. I am here to protect General Lin. Who dares to cross swords with me? Anyone not afraid of having their family seized may come forth!"
Upon revealing his identity, the cavalrymen fell silent. Everyone knew the stature of a palace guard. If this General Lin had a first-class guard protecting him, his status must be significant indeed.
The trampled Zhai Canghai cried out, "You disrespect a superior officer, I will discipline you--"
"Your superior--" Lin Wanrong shouted, abruptly kicking out and yelling, "All cavalrymen, dismount at once!"
Upon witnessing this young general who appeared fearless, the cavalrymen were shocked. However, with their leader held captive, they had no choice but to follow the order. Five thousand men dismounted their horses.
Lin Wanrong roared, "Look carefully! Remember my face. I am Lin San, a military strategist under Xu Wei's command. Don't pretend not to recognize me in the future."
"This Zhai cur dared to insult my fallen brothers who gave their lives for the country. If I don't punish him today, I would be betraying the spirits of my countless brothers. My seven hundred brothers fought valiantly against thousands of White Lotus elites. We broke through enemy ranks, killed the bravest warrior of the White Lotus, Meng Du, and numerous brothers fell here. Many were just teenagers, just teenagers!" Lin Wanrong cried out loudly, his eyes blazing red like a stack of dynamite ready to explode, kicking fiercely at Zhai Canghai's face. "Which one of my brothers wasn't a hero? Who gave you, this Zhai cur, the right to insult them? Damn it, what right do you have? I'll chop you up!"
In his fury, Lin Wanrong snatched a long saber, preparing to slash at Zhai Canghai's face. Gao Qiu desperately held him back, pleading, "Brother Lin, calm yourself!"
Tears filled the eyes of the three hundred ragtag soldiers as they recalled the bloody battle of the previous night. They all held their heads high, gazing at this young general they revered with utmost admiration.
Upon hearing Lin Wanrong's claim of killing the bravest White Lotus warrior, Meng Du, the cavalrymen were taken aback. Meng Du and his elite forces were formidable fighters of the White Lotus Army. It was shocking that they were defeated by this group of weak and weary soldiers, and Meng Du himself had been killed. This revelation filled them with awe.
No wonder this young general was so brave. If he could kill Meng Du, how could he be weak? Even if he beheaded General Zhai, none would question his action. Soldiers had always revered the strong, and there was no longer any disdain for this battle-hardened regiment. The fallen soldiers on the ground represented the glory of the Great Hua Army in their eyes.
"Hu Bugui!" Lin Wanrong tossed his saber aside, calling out loudly.
"Present!" came the reply.
"Strike this Zhai cur in the mouth and break both his legs. Let him see who the hell is the real waste. No one can bully my brothers!" Lin Wanrong wiped away his tears, his voice laced with chilling menace that carried far into the distance. The remnants of the three camps cheered thunderously, while the Cavalry Regiment's soldiers remained as silent as cicadas in winter. None dared to respond.
"Understood!" Hu Bugui grabbed a plank and rushed forward, commencing a brutal assault on Zhai Canghai. Beating a superior officer was an indescribably satisfying experience.
Lin Wanrong pulled out the saber from Gao Qiu and, with a swift motion, beheaded Zhai Canghai's mount. Blood spurted out, "Insult my soldiers, I will behead your horse. Offend again, and I will take your dog life."
Despite their numbers, no one from the Cavalry Regiment dared to speak up. With this young general having killed Meng Du, his merit was unquestionable. Who could compare to him?
Lin Wanrong gazed at the fallen brothers and knelt down. Hu Bugui, Gao Chieftain, Du Xiuyuan, Li Sheng, and the remaining soldiers followed suit and knelt beside General Lin. The solemnity in the air was profound, even the warhorses didn't dare to neigh.
After completing the formal salute with utmost respect, Lin Wanrong rose to his feet, and bellowed, "Li Sheng, Hu Bugui, Du Xiuyuan--"
"Present!" the three answered loudly in unison.
"See our brothers off." Lin Wanrong said through gritted teeth.
The four men lifted the bodies of the fallen soldiers high above their heads and slowly proceeded forward. A line of ragtag soldiers followed behind, moving slowly. The well-disciplined five-thousand-strong Cavalry Regiment watched this tattered yet unified force, and they were struck by a strange sensation. This weak group seemed invincible.
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