Xie Ming

They dared to take the lead, even at the cost of their lives.

Master Liu, Zhecheng, relied on his courage and loyalty to trick the North Gate of Hangzhou into opening, and then fought a desperate battle in the gate.

Squeezed and jostled, the moon's shadow flickered in the dark cave.

After the imperial guards in the city were terrified and turned into a madman, they rushed out of the city at the command of the centurion on the city tower.

The gunners and shieldmen charged outwards in a fierce, reckless attack.

Amidst the clash of metal, the thrusting and churning of spears, and the collision of blood and flesh, a fierce battle ensued.

Warhorses neighed mournfully, swords dulled and spears snapped, and shouts and roars of battle echoed from both sides of the cave entrance, creating a shockwave.

Armor shattered, blood and flesh splattered everywhere, and on the blood-soaked ground, Master Liu and a group of guards gave their lives in exhaustion.

With hooks and sickles below, they severed men's feet, while spears thrust upwards and downwards, gradually nailing each brave warrior to death in a pool of blood.

However, after a brief exchange, the intense fighting gradually subsided.

Liu Er was repeatedly wounded in the left abdomen and right shoulder, his jaw clenched so tightly that it broke. He fought and retreated, his whole body beginning to tremble uncontrollably.

He knew that this was the final moment.

Without time to think further, with only two remaining warriors protecting him, he managed to take a few steps back and quickly approach the white horse that Xiao Lang had given him.

Covered in blood, Liu Zhecheng looked like a blood gourd with its skin peeled off. His face was contorted with rage. He gritted his teeth and endured the excruciating pain from his severe injuries. With his last bit of strength, he raised his hand and ripped off the cotton padding covering the saddle, revealing rows of black fire thunderbolts underneath.

Then, he used his sword to stab and poke at the gaps in his armor on both sides.

Finally, he yanked hard and pulled off the breastplate, revealing two rows of densely packed, clanging explosives around the waist.

Liu Zhecheng, his face covered in blood and no longer recognizable as human, faced the Hangzhou city inside the cave, watching the waves of panicked guards rushing in. Suddenly, a forced smile appeared on his lips.

Immediately, he lit the tinderbox in his hand, and simultaneously lit the fuses at his waist and on his horse's back.

"Hahaha--"

"Hahahaha"

A chilling, eerie laugh was followed by several loud bangs!
Suddenly, flames shot into the sky from the North Gate of Hangzhou.

With the force of a cataclysmic explosion, in an instant, all those engaged in close combat and their comrades would perish in the inferno and the explosion.

Both doors were smashed when knocked on.

The scene inside and outside was a mess. Even the guards on the top of the gate tower were thrown off balance by the huge explosion, and they all looked terrified.

At the same time, the moment the door was opened, the scouts who had been hiding a hundred paces behind Liu Er and his group realized that the plan had succeeded and decisively turned back to the north.

Just as Liu Zhecheng and his guards were engaged in a fierce battle at the city gate, a scout galloped up and reported that Xiao's army was stationed at Shili Slope.

"Report——"

"Report! Report!"

Upon hearing the call, the scout, knowing the situation was urgent and life was at stake, jumped off his horse in a panic.

At that moment, no fires were lit in any direction to seek concealment.

The scout rode up alone in haste, and when he reached the foot of the slope, he accidentally fell hard.

Despite his leg injury, he slid down the slope.

By this time, the soldiers who had been waiting on the slope for so long were already impatient.

Among them, Xiao Jingchuan, Gu Changting, the "Death Star," and Yuan Ping, the leaders, looked the most anxious and worried.

Upon hearing the news, Xiao Lang was impatient, and his generals followed. They could not care about anything else and rushed forward to meet him.

"what?!"

"What exactly happened?"

"Quick, tell me!" Xiao took the lead, rushed over to the sentry who had fallen from his horse, grabbed him whole, and urgently inquired about what had happened.

Upon hearing this, even the stunned scout dared not be negligent. He awkwardly clasped his hands in greeting and quickly reported the matter.

"Report, report!"

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, it's done! It's done!"

"General Liu led his men to deceive the garrison, and the gates of the North Gate of Hangzhou were already opened. I personally witnessed General Liu leading his team to explore the gate on horseback."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao, having received this news, disregarded everything else, abruptly leaving the sentry post and immediately finding a nearby horse to leap onto. Judging from his posture, he was unwilling to linger here for even a moment, and was about to lead his troops to break through the pass.

At the critical moment, Gu Changting, who was stubborn and inflexible, was horrified when he saw the general's expression. He quickly followed and grabbed the general's reins.

"General, general!"

"Wait a little longer, just wait a little longer."

"Master Liu said before he left that he should only raise his troops to charge the pass after hearing the explosion!" Changting pulled on his horse, refusing to let go.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchuan, unusually, was moved and rebuked him sternly.

"Let go!"

"Gu Changting, you've gone too far!"

"Let me go!" Xiao cursed.

Changting persisted, but Shiye was worried that the time was not yet ripe and that the trip might be dangerous.

"General, please wait a little longer!" Changting pleaded.

But at this point, how could Xiao possibly listen to his words?

Suddenly, he raised his foot and delivered a vicious kick.

"roll!"

The long courtyard was unbearable, and with a kick to the chest, he was thrown backwards to the ground.

Xiao Jingchuan snatched the reins back and gripped them tightly without hesitation, his impatience palpable. He then forcefully pulled on the reins, and the chestnut horse reared up on its front hooves.

"All troops, listen to my command! Charge through the pass!"

"kill!"

"kill--"

Drawing his sword, Xiao Jingchuan took the lead, his horse pounding with anxiety, a true vanguard general.

And the side, under the influence of the ominous star, hears the call to life, as if it had long harbored this intention.

Yu Hou was the quickest to leap off his horse and flank Xiao, then they went out together.

In fact, he understood perfectly well that the reason the general was so eager to send troops was because he wanted to use his own mobility to launch a quick attack and save Liu Er's life.

As the two generals rushed forward and then followed behind, Gu Changting and Yuan Ping gritted their teeth. At this moment, they could say nothing more. They urged the three thousand cavalry behind them to roar and charge out of Shili Slope, heading towards the northern gate of Hangzhou!

The murderous aura forms battle clouds at three times of the night, and the chilling sound of the bugle echoes throughout the night.

They faced each other, blades flashing and blood gushing forth; who would ever care about glory if they died for their principles?

Xiao Xing and his entourage traveled ten miles on horseback and arrived at the pass in no time.

But just as Xiao Jingchuan was about to rush to Liu Er's aid, a thunderous roar erupted!
A deafening sound came from the North Gate.
The aftershocks of the massive explosion instantly surged out from the doorway.

At that very moment, Xiao Lang's fast horse was less than fifty paces away.

With a sudden impact, Xiao's horse was startled and reared up in fear.

Seeing the flames soaring into the sky, Xiao Lang and the two jinxes were also immediately stunned.

Time flew by, and in a flash, Xiao Zi was still in shock when he finally came to his senses.

At this critical moment, Changting and Yuanping, who were lagging behind, also led their troops to catch up.

Overwhelmed with grief and anger, Xiao Jingchuan suddenly roared like thunder.

"kill!"

"All generals, follow me and charge into the city!"

With a long roar, and with his sword pointed at him, Xiao Lang no longer held back and led his troops to charge into the city.

The soldiers guarding the North Pass were still reeling from the shock of Liu Er's earth-shattering explosion. They were terrified and had little time to look back.

Suddenly, Xiao Jingchuan led his elite cavalry in!
With the fall of Beiguan, there was no way to salvage the situation.

This group of people, possessed by the god of slaughter, howled like wolves as they broke through the city gates, their target being the temporary palace in the city!
Unstoppable, they swept through the land, killing anyone who stood in their way. (End of Chapter)