Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

"Master, why hasn't the Tang army general on the other side come out yet? Is he really here?"

"Strange, why would they choose to station themselves here? They've already taken Otae Prefecture..."

"It's moving! It's moving! Patriarch, the Tang army generals are about to come out!"

The three powerful clans of Izumo Province—the Iyokawa, Kichizuki, and Susa clans—listened to their subordinates' hushed conversations, their faces grave, their minds preoccupied with the purpose of the Tang army's arrival.

They were well aware that the Tang army had apparently colluded with the shameless Soga clan to destroy Tsukushi Province on Kyushu Island, renaming it Fukuoka, and was now constructing harbors and cities on a large scale, capturing many Japanese people as slaves.

But after all, we are still a long way from them.

Furthermore, Izumo Province had never had any conflicts with the Tang Dynasty...

As they were thinking, they realized that there must have been some misunderstanding between the Tang Dynasty and them that they didn't know about. They believed that if they could explain things to the other party in a while, they could turn hostility into friendship.

While I was deep in thought, I heard my men calling out.

The heads of the three families, Iyukawa Shika, Kizuki Yoro, and Susanoo, stepped out, appearing ready to negotiate with the Tang generals opposite them.

however.

The changes that followed in the Tang army's formation instantly froze the three men's carefully crafted humble and respectful expressions.

Suddenly, archers clad in armor and wielding crossbows appeared at the front of the battle.

Then, under their watchful eyes, without uttering a word, he nocked the arrow and drew the bow...

then......

"Enemy attack! (Enemy attack)"

"Moses is not safe! (Protect the master of the house!)"

His body was pulled and protected by the retainer standing beside him, and he quickly flew into the forest behind him.

Before their very eyes, and to the disbelief of Yi Yuchuanlu and the others, the Tang army opposite them had already completed their firing preparations in the blink of an eye.

With a series of teeth-grinding bowstring humming sounds, they came from the opposite side, and a whistling sound followed by sharp black shadows, arriving in the blink of an eye.

"Pfft pfft pfft..."

"Do do do..."

The crossbow bolts either struck tree trunks or hit Japanese samurai attempting to retreat.

In the blink of an eye, a whole group of warriors lay dead in the forest full of withered yellow leaves. Their wails, desperate cries for help, and angry curses against the Tang army had not yet reached them on the autumn wind.

With his face still smeared with the blood of his retainers and samurai, Ikawa Shika heard the sound of a bowstring that made his nerves tense up once again.

"Black Nan Ba ​​Xiao Mi Zi Ke Lao! (Quickly find a place to hide!)"

Yi Yuchuanlu let out a hysterical roar of resentment and anger.

"Tada-ga-junbi-yo! (Battle preparation)"

"Kunyun Keda! Kunyun Kexiu Fortress Road! (Military flag! Flag bearer, come to my side!)"

He roared out the order he least wanted to give, but the long-standing infighting in Japan meant that the leaders, including Iyu Kawai, had no hope of "clearing up the misunderstanding" at this moment.

Despite being clearly outmatched, they had no choice but to reluctantly issue the order to prepare for battle.

On the other side, not far away, Susanoo, the head of the Susanoo clan, was hiding behind a tree, with an arrow stuck in his shoulder and blood staining his jaw.

"Yi Yuchuanlu! You guys hold on, I'll lead the men to flank from the right!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the head of the Kizuki clan, Kizuki Yoro, also shouted in response amidst the sound of crossbow bolts hitting tree trunks.

"We, the Kichizuki clan, will conquer the left flank!"

They were very familiar with the terrain. Although they were immediately humiliated and bloodied by the "Tang Dynasty etiquette," the Japanese samurai, whose ruthlessness was aroused, were also filled with passion.

He immediately came up with a way to retaliate.

However......

If it were anywhere else, the Tang army might have to worry about being unfamiliar with the terrain, but after being stationed at the foot of Iwami Silver Mountain for so many days, the Tang scouts and officers had long since figured out the terrain.

Just as the two tribes were trying to launch a counterattack from both sides, taking advantage of the mountainous terrain.

The Tang army made no move, but... the Susanoo warriors led by Susanoo and the Kizuki warriors led by Kizuki Yoro were all stunned by the warriors who seemed to have been waiting for them.

“Damn it…Kurewa ichi dai nan da…”

Susanoo muttered to himself, his hand holding the long sword trembling slightly.

These people in front of me, judging from their physique and demeanor, are unmistakably Japanese, but...

"Saint Kathy Bika! Banzai!!! (Long live the Holy Crown Prince!)"

Then, the leader of the samurai, who was wearing armor that could be described as luxurious, shouted out in Japanese.

Thousands of samurai, dressed in almost identical, luxurious armor, roared and charged toward them, brandishing their katana.

The upper part of the mountain has an extremely steep slope; it's easy to slide down by meandering, but climbing back up...

Susanoo's face trembled, but he had no choice but to let out a ferocious roar and charge towards the opposite side.

"Korose! Korose open the way! (Kill! Kill them all!)"

"what!!!"

The archers stopped firing, and as the chilling whistling ceased, Yi Yuchuan and the others, who were hiding behind the trees, were covered in cold sweat and still in shock.

Yi Yuchuanlu cautiously turned his head to check if any Tang soldiers had taken advantage of the moment to sneak over.

however.

The Tang army remained stationed at the foot of the mountain, in front of the military camp, unmoved by any other movement.

No one made any sudden movements.

Just as Yi Yuchuanlu was pondering whether the Tang Dynasty had run out of crossbow bolts, a series of shrill screams, accompanied by fierce yet fearful shouts of battle, came from both sides.

The samurai and ronin of the Iyukawa clan present all changed their expressions drastically.

After an unknown amount of time, the shouts of battle gradually subsided.

Subsequently.

"Master! Look! It's the Susanoo clan!"

The second-in-command, Yi Yuchuan Sanhe, stared blankly at the corpses being dragged to the front of the Tang army's formation, along with a few scattered survivors, his pupils filled with disbelief.

He unconsciously swallowed, and cold sweat soaked the blood that had just congealed on his forehead again.

Yi Yuchuanlu turned her body to the side and looked back, and then she saw the horrifying scene.

However, this is not the end.

Not long after, figures were dragged out from the forest on the other side. The one in the lead, who was tied up and still whimpering, was none other than the head of the Kizuki clan, Kizuki Yoro.

This guy's clothes were torn to shreds, and one of his legs was twisted in a grotesque shape.

It was clearly interrupted.

At this moment, the man in samurai armor ignored his painful whimpers and dragged him to the front of the army like a dead dog.

He kicked him to the ground again.

The knee slammed into the ground, pulling on the twisted, fractured lower leg, causing the latter's body to spasm.

"Who...who are these guys?"

"A samurai from the Soga Shogunate?!"

In the land of Izumo, the second-in-command of Izumo, Mikawa Izumo, who was known as "brave" by the many warriors of the Three Kingdoms, now had a noticeable tremor in his voice.

"Master, what do we do now? Should we... retreat?"

All eyes were fixed on Yi Yuchuanlu at this moment, but the latter felt only despair upon seeing this scene.

withdraw?

Where can it be moved to?

With their current strength, even if they retreat back to their main camp in Fubao, they will soon be caught up and captured by the Tang army.

The final outcome will likely be even more tragic than that of the Kichiku and Susanoo clans.

Just as he was caught in a dilemma and feeling anxious.

Behind them, halfway up the mountain in the forest, in the direction they had come from, hundreds of figures dressed like the samurai of the Killing Chizuki and Susanoo clans appeared indifferently.

When Yi Yuchuan Lu and Yi Yuchuan Sanhe, their faces bruised and covered in blood, were brought before Hou Junji, they were bound.

Hou Junji, a man who looked like a giant in front of the two, finally revealed a contemptuous and sinister sneer on his face.

"That's right... I thought you Japanese people didn't understand etiquette and hierarchy."

Yi Yuchuanlu, kneeling on the ground and trembling, looked around.

The fear and shock in my heart were magnified a hundredfold in an instant.

Seeing the Tang army from afar was one thing, but seeing their equipment and imposing presence up close made them realize just what kind of force they had just faced.

Those elite Japanese samurai who had been cutting them down were now bowing and scraping before these Tang infantrymen.

"I have been extremely rude, please forgive me, General!"

"But if there is a need... Yi Yuchuan can serve as a fierce soldier before the general..."

It's clear that this Iyu Chuanlu is quite a figure in Japan. Although his Chinese accent and intonation are rather unpleasant to listen to, at least you can understand the meaning.

He's very scholarly, and it seems he's learned quite a bit about the Tang Dynasty.

But it's a pity... he's still not smart enough.

The generals around him were making sarcastic remarks about the Japanese, and Hou Junji also gave a disdainful sneer.

"Patriarch Yi Yuchuan, you are indeed clever and quick-witted. That's right. This general does indeed have some matters that require your assistance..."

Upon hearing this, Yi Yuchuanlu was overjoyed. Despite being bound, he continued to kowtow repeatedly.

"I, Yi Yuchuan, am willing to serve the general with utmost loyalty!"

Hou Junji chuckled again.

He waved his hand.

With a playful expression, he said, "No need for such servitude... You are welcome to serve this general like an ox or a horse."