Chapter 260: Chapter 258 Xie Jue Comes_2
After the snow disaster, the Kyoto Capital Guard had been training under Xie Xun. Though not as battle-hardened as the Northern Iron Cavalry, when the Iron Cavalry fought to their last breath and their supplies ran dry, this guard brought in the freshest and most fervent blood.
Rain washed the blood from Xie Xun’s face, but blood and tears mixed with the rain streamed down uncontrollably. He never thought that one day, trapped in the Capital City, with no ammunition or supplies left, it would be the Kyoto Capital Guard—a force once condemned by everyone—that would risk their lives to rescue him.
When Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin wielded their blades against the Forbidden Army, there was a brief moment of hesitation. But when their eyes fell on the severed limbs and mountain of corpses within the encirclement, their gazes reddened instantly. Their blades rose and fell without further delay.
The Iron Cavalry and the Kyoto Capital Guard worked together, inside and out. Though the Forbidden Army and Jinyi Guard had vast numbers, the Kyoto Capital Guard fiercely carved a blood-soaked path through them.
"Lin Xiao, you idiot!" Lin Cheng’s scalp tingled as if he’d been slapped brutally. How dare Lin Xiao get himself involved in rebellion? Quickly regaining his senses, Lin Cheng swung his blade at Xie Xun.
Lin Xiao had brought the Kyoto Capital Guard to aid in the rescue. Rebellion meant extermination of nine generations; his only chance of survival was to kill Xie Xun, claiming the moral high ground of slaying one’s own kin for righteousness, or to flee with Feng Shu.
Hearing the sound of a blade slicing through rain near his ear, Xie Xun dodged sideways. Afraid of injuring Feng Shu, he reluctantly let her go and said in a deep voice, "Feiying, take Big Brother away!"
"Yes!" Feiying accepted the order, supporting Xie Zhang. Xu Zhou and two soldiers guarded Xie Zhang on either side, firing arrows while charging outward.
Xie Xun, having suffered multiple wounds, fought with a surging battle spirit. His longsword felt as heavy as a thousand catties, and the thunder overhead boomed like crashes striking his skull. All he wanted was to kill Lin Cheng. It had been Lin Cheng who had cut the rope and used a bride-clothed woman in a trap, killing his elder brother. Lin Cheng was a pawn of the Yuwen family.
Even with three thousand Kyoto Capital Guards risking their lives to fight, the Iron Cavalry, on the brink of collapse, struggled to break through the encirclement of the Forbidden Army and Jinyi Guard. Suddenly, a deep, resonant horn echoed from afar, growing closer in the stormy, thunder-filled night. The battle spirit rekindled alongside hot blood coursing through the Iron Cavalry soldiers. They shouted in excitement, "Brothers, reinforcements are here! Reinforcements are here..."
"Kill..."
"It’s the Second Young Master! The Second Young Master has returned!"
The horn reverberated through the camp, and the tiger banner of the Northern Iron Cavalry stood tall amidst the violent storm. Warhorses neighed and howled, their hooves smashing the stone streets of the long roads like a flood of fierce beasts breaking loose, baring their savage fangs in ruthless charge. The bright glint of blades and swords in combat illuminated the stormy, cloud-covered night—the only light to be seen. White streaks cut through flesh and bone, swiftly spilling blood that splattered amidst the rain.
A Forbidden Army soldier’s head rolled into the pooling rainwater. Xie Jue, clad in silver armor and riding his black warhorse, surveyed the chaotic battle with frosty eyes. He immediately spotted his elder brother, Xie Xun, fighting desperately within the encirclement. Xie Xun was heavily injured, coated in blood, hovering on the brink of collapse. He also noticed Feiying supporting Xie Zhang, his body pierced with countless arrows, dressed in crimson wedding robes that appeared bloodier than the corpses on Three Cross Street.
"Big Brother..." Xie Jue’s eyes stung with pain. With a flick of his wrist, his sword swept fluidly like flowing water, cutting down enemy after enemy as he charged towards his brothers.
"Second Brother!" Xie Xun was overwhelmed with mixed emotions of sorrow and joy as tears instantly poured down.
A sharp whistle pierced the night. Chen Mo dived down like a black eagle preying on its victim, his longsword deftly striking away two Northern Iron Cavalrymen near Feng Shu. Feng Shu raised her sword to meet his attack, but her blade was knocked aside. With one hand, Chen Mo knocked her unconscious, then swept her up by the waist and began retreating.
"Sister-in-law!" Xie Xun shouted urgently, but the Jinyi Guard stationed before the high tower blocked Xie Xun’s path.
The Crown Prince’s expression grew dark. Xie Jue had returned!
What a persistent life!
Even two assassination attempts hadn’t managed to end him.
"Sister-in-law!" Xie Xun wanted to pursue, but Chen Mo had already pressed a blade to Feng Shu’s neck, forcing Xie Xun to halt in his tracks. Soon, Chen Mo disappeared into the curtain of rain with Feng Shu.
Xie Jue broke through the encirclement and held onto Xie Zhang’s cold hand. His reddened eyes glistened, as unbearable pain consumed him, drilling into his heart like poison. "Big Brother, I was still a step too late..."
He steadied himself, suppressing the anguish in his heart. "Follow me! Break out of the city; we can’t stay here any longer."
"Second Brother, how many men did you bring?"
"Sixteen thousand!"
"I want to storm the Imperial Palace! The Yuwen family must pay with their lives!"
"The signal towers in the Capital have been lit. The nearest reinforcements will arrive in two hours. Any further delay, and the Iron Cavalry will fall into bitter combat, leading to total annihilation."
Xie Jue said firmly, "Only if we live will we have the chance for revenge!"
Xie Xun was filled with bitterness but knew he had to heed Xie Jue’s advice. With the signal towers ablaze, the armies across Yanyang’s borders would converge. They had to leave the city and return to Ningzhou as soon as possible.
The Crown Prince’s figure had vanished from the high tower. Meanwhile, under the leadership of Lin Cheng and Zhang Bolan, the Forbidden Army and Jinyi Guard pursued relentlessly. "The Emperor has ordered the execution of Xie Jue and Xie Xun! Annihilate the Northern Iron Cavalry; they must not return to Ningzhou! If they live, it will be our deaths instead!"
"Understood!"
When Zhang Da and his troops arrived at Three Cross Street, they witnessed the final moments of Xie Zhang’s tragic death, but they were ultimately a step too late. Frustrated, Zhang Da could only remain hidden on a rooftop, observing the brutal slaughter and gathering intel. He also saw Feng Shu being taken away by Chen Mo. The timely arrival of Xie Jue’s reinforcements allowed Xie Xun to escape, while the Forbidden Army and Jinyi Guard pursued the Northern Iron Cavalry towards the North City Gate.
Zhang Da wanted to track down Feng Shu’s whereabouts but noticed her being carried onto a royal carriage. Strangely, the carriage wasn’t heading towards the Imperial Palace but towards the North City Gate. What was the Crown Prince planning?
He dared not linger and rushed back to the Feng Mansion!
Fengyu learned that Xie Zhang had died from being pierced by a thousand arrows and was momentarily stunned. His red wedding robes, burning like fire at his wedding procession, and his gallant demeanor flashed across her mind as she recalled how she had watched him, full of spirit and charm, parading the streets on horseback.
He was dead!
What would her sister do now?
"Elder Sister..."
Su Yuejiao had just regained consciousness and almost fainted again upon hearing the tragic news. She struggled to get up. "Shu’er... Why would Shu’er be taken by the Crown Prince?"
The Crown Prince’s long-standing desire for her elder sister was something their mother had yet to learn, and Fengyu dared not reveal it.
Feng Changqing gradually awoke too, but one of his legs was nearly immobile. Upon hearing the news, his anger boiled over, almost causing him to spit blood. Grabbing Fengyu’s hand tightly, he said, "Ayu, pack your things and leave with the Young Marquis. Staying in the Capital will only bring us ruin."
"It’s too late!" Fengyu lowered her gaze. Zhang Da had just returned, reporting that the Crown Prince had already sent Jinyi Guard to completely surround the Feng Mansion. No one could leave. Feng Changqing grew both enraged and desperate. "That foolish, cruel tyrant! What exactly does he intend to do?"
At the North City Gate!
Xie Jue and Xie Xun led the Northern Iron Cavalry and Fang Chuning’s Jiangnan Vanguard Team into a fierce clash at the city gate. The ancient city that had stood for a thousand years was trampled underfoot as Xie Jue’s army stormed through. The Yanyang banners on the walls were chopped down, draping the corpses of the Jinyi Guard below, stained with blood and rain. The mangled bodies rolled down to the ground, blood splattering the city walls before being washed away by the torrential rain.
Fang Chuning, clad in light armor and wielding a longsword, rode his dark steed across the snowy terrain. Behind him, an endless line of Jiangnan troops stretched out beyond the city walls in a dark procession. Once the signal towers were lit, apart from Lian City, reinforcements from the nearest four cities had also dispatched troops to address the crisis.