Chapter 19: Anger Swallows Fear (4)
Il-gwang and Cheong-hae spear-headed the breakthrough at the center of the enemy lines. Their performance was the definition of matchless. Not a single soldier in the Hui ranks could withstand even one exchange against them. Wherever they passed, enemy soldiers fell like autumn leaves in a cold wind. Behind them, the recruits of Group 16 followed in a tight formation, fighting like men possessed.
Compared to the elite strike force that had raided Hanzhong Fortress not long ago, the soldiers Muka led were not even close to their level. Most of these enemy soldiers had never cultivated martial arts. It was impossible for common soldiers to halt the advance of men who had undergone special training under the Sword Saint.
Occasionally, enemy officers rushed forward to stop them, but they were no match for the combined might of Il-gwang and Cheong-hae. Following the path cleared by Group 16, a massive fissure began to rip through the Hui army’s formation.
While not as dominant as Group 16, the recruits from the other groups were also fighting valiantly. Their spirits were ablaze, and all fear had vanished from their hearts. After all, they were soldiers who had cultivated the internal energy manual of the imperial military, the Vajra Sutra.
Even if their cultivation was still shallow, the difference between having internal energy and not having it was like heaven and earth. Their movements and the weight of their strikes completely overwhelmed the Hui foot soldiers. Previously, they had only struggled because their lack of experience had made them succumb to fear.
Seeing the enemy fall helplessly before their blades, the recruits grew increasingly confident.
“Hey, these bastards are nothing special!” One soldier shouted, his face splattered with enemy blood.
A nearby companion laughed in agreement. “To think we were trembling in fear of these weaklings!”
“Crush them all!”
Once they gained confidence, the soldiers grew bolder. Small squads gathered to sweep across the battlefield, shaking the enemy ranks. Despite being outnumbered four to one, General Jang-yang’s army did not retreat an inch.
The greatest enemy on a battlefield is fear. While the Song soldiers had conquered their fear, Muka’s army was rapidly being consumed by it. Despite their overwhelming numbers, they could not secure any advantage, and soldiers began to shrink back one by one to save their own skins.
At this point, the outcome of the battle was clear, but the final blow was delivered when the army’s finest warrior appeared.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from the rear of the Hui lines.
“Charge!”
“Kill them!”
The eyes of everyone engaged in the melee turned toward the noise. Adjutant Yang Yeon-jeong was charging furiously, holding a long spear diagonally. Behind her, fifteen hundred spearmen surged forward.
The faces of the Hui soldiers turned pale. Facing an imminent defeat, they were now being struck from the rear.
The momentum of the spearmen was unstoppable. Their eyes were red with fury ever since they saw Commander Wi Jin-cheol fall.
Running at the very front of the charge, Yang Yeon-jeong leaped into the air. Her spear point radiated a cold, sharp spear qi. Descending, her thrust pierced through three enemy soldiers simultaneously.
Squelch!
As she yanked her spear back, the three bodies collapsed to the ground. Before they even touched the dirt, Yang Yeon-jeong unleashed her next strike. Advancing through the enemy ranks, her spear spun like a top, shredding every foe who drew near.
In an instant, about thirty soldiers fell to her blade. Moving forward while executing a seamless chain of techniques, she looked like Zhao Zilong reborn on the battlefield. Inspired by her peerless martial prowess, the spearmen fought with fiery determination.
“Wipe them all out!”
“Don’t let the sword infantry claim all the glory!”
They had been forced to hide on Mount Jeonggun and watch the sword infantry fight. The spearmen had been burning with impatience. Now that they had struck the enemy’s rear, the Hui formation began to disintegrate rapidly.
It was no longer a question of numbers. The demoralized Hui soldiers were more interested in finding an escape route than fighting to the death. To make matters worse, Commander Han Baek chose this moment to lead his hundred cavalry in a devastating flank charge. Han Baek had marched out prepared to die, but because the enemy had already lost their will to fight, his cavalry had not suffered a single casualty.
***
Observing the battlefield from the midst of the enemy lines, So-mu was certain that the Song army had secured victory. Around him, the cold corpses of hundreds of Hui soldiers lay scattered.
Recognizing that the battle was won, So-mu felt there was no further need for him to act. His original intention had been to remain a silent observer of this conflict. However, his heart had already pulled him in a different direction.
His sharp eyes scanned the field, locating Group 16. There was no need to worry about them. Although two enemy officers were charging their position, they lacked the ability to project sword qi. They were well within the capacity of Il-gwang and Cheong-hae to handle.
At the rear of the field, Yang Yeon-jeong was sweeping through the enemy like a god of war. Surprised by her impressive display, So-mu raised his eyebrows in admiration.
‘The Yang Family Spear Technique is indeed considered a superior style in the martial world. They say its power is doubled on the battlefield, and it seems the rumors are true.’
So-mu then located General Jang-yang. The general was on horseback, brandishing his sword to rally the troops. With his red cloak fluttering in the wind, he galloped across the field, heedless of his own safety.
Suddenly, So-mu’s eyes narrowed. About a hundred yards behind General Jang-yang, five riders were galloping furiously on their warhorses. They were Muka’s personal officers. It was easy to guess their intention.
With their commander dead and the battle lost, they sought to assassinate General Jang-yang to turn the tide.
‘General Jang-yang’s martial arts are not enough to survive their assault.’
Kicking a discarded spear into the air, So-mu caught the shaft and held it horizontally. Pulling his upper body back like a drawn bowstring, he took a deep breath.
“Huff.”
With a powerful snap, he threw the spear. The weapon shot forward, tearing through the air with a deafening shriek that shook the eardrums of nearby soldiers.
Swoosh!
Enveloped in a crimson glow of qi, the javelin pierced the chest of the rider at the very rear of the group.
Thud!
The spear point burst through his chest and, maintaining its terrifying momentum, impaled the officer riding directly in front of him.
Squelch!
Without ever knowing what had hit them, two of the officers were thrown dead from their saddles. Startled by the sudden deaths, the remaining three officers hurriedly looked back, only to witness an unbelievable sight.
Leaping over the heads of the fighting soldiers, a figure resembling a red hawk was soaring directly toward them. The speed was so immense that it was almost impossible to track with the naked eye. In a split second, the figure was before them.
Finally recognizing the attacker, the officers’ eyes widened in terror. It was the common soldier who had slain General Muka, wearing only a simple red uniform without armor. The blade he held was enveloped in a brilliant blue glow. The moment they saw it, their hearts sank. It was a perfect, solid manifestation of sword gang.
They had no time to wonder how a common soldier could project sword gang. These three were the strongest martial artists among Muka’s officers. Reflexively, they channeled their internal energy, projecting sword qi and spear qi from their weapons.
Relying on raw instinct rather than sight, they took defensive stances. In that exact instant, the red hawk swept past them like a bolt of lightning.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three metallic clashes echoed in rapid succession. Landing gracefully on the dirt, So-mu immediately dispersed his sword gang and looked around. With the chaotic melee raging all around them, none of the Song troops seemed to have noticed his martial display.
Behind him, the heavy thuds of riders falling from their saddles echoed.
Thud! Thud!
The sound echoed only twice. One of them was still breathing. So-mu turned his head and saw the final officer, clutching a gaping wound in his abdomen, barely clinging to his saddle.
“Who… who are you…” the officer gasped.
He could not finish his question. Several Song soldiers spotted him and swarmed the horse, cutting him down. A wounded enemy officer was too tempting a target to pass up.
As the officer fell, the soldiers began to argue.
“I took down the enemy officer!”
“Stop lying! I was the one who cut him!”
The recruits had grown relaxed enough to jest with one another. It was only natural. The enemy commander-in-chief was dead, and almost all of his officers had been slain. Even the two officers who had engaged Il-gwang and Cheong-hae were now cold corpses.
With their command structure completely shattered, the Hui soldiers began to flee. The panic spread like wildfire, growing exponentially. No one wanted to stand and fight when everyone around them was running. Although the Hui forces still numbered over ten thousand, their numbers were useless without the will to fight. The fleeing soldiers ran blindly in all directions.
However, escape was no simple task. The spearmen blocked their retreat, and General Jang-yang had no intention of showing mercy to the invaders.
“The enemy is retreating! Let no one escape alive!” Jang-yang roared.
“Charge!”
“Kill them!”
Inspired by the order to pursue, the Song soldiers pressed the attack with renewed vigor. They had to cut down as many of the enemy as possible to ensure the safety of Hanzhong.
The greatest slaughter on a battlefield always occurs when one side breaks and flees. Since the enemy had abandoned all resistance, it was a one-sided purge. The pursuit of the fleeing Hui soldiers began in earnest.
Galloping across the field, General Jang-yang continued to shout at the top of his lungs.
“Conscripted Song citizens! Throw down your weapons and surrender! We will not harm our own people!”
Jang-yang’s voice grew hoarse from shouting. He had no desire to slaughter his fellow countrymen who had been forced into the enemy’s ranks. Seeing his intent, several junior officers galloped across the field, repeating the call.
“Conscripts, lay down your weapons and surrender!”
As Jang-yang suspected, a large portion of the Hui army consisted of conscripts from the conquered Song territories. They had wanted nothing more than to return home. None of them wanted to fight alongside the tyrants who had destroyed their villages. If Jang-yang was willing to spare them, they had no reason to refuse.
“I am from Kaifeng!”
“I was conscripted from Zhejiang!”
“Thank you, General! Thank you!”
One by one, the conscripts threw down their weapons and knelt on the ground. However, Jang-yang showed no mercy to the professional soldiers and volunteers of the Hui army, who were the primary perpetrators of the pillaging and plundering.
“Execute all those who do not surrender!” He commanded.
The professional Hui soldiers knew they would face execution even if they surrendered, so they desperately tried to break through the spearmen’s line. Very few succeeded. Many tried to scramble up the slopes of Mount Jeonggun, but they became easy targets for the archers.
Some fled the plain and leaped into the river. However, the Han River, a major tributary of the Yangtze, had a ferocious current, and those who jumped were instantly swept away by the rapids.
The battle had lasted less than half a day, and it was now drawing to a swift close.