Firmament Sword

The one who struck was none other than the severely injured Mo Yun!

She couldn’t bear it—her own soldiers, who had survived the battlefield, were now dying at the hands of their own side.

After killing the man with a single slap, the motion aggravated her internal injuries. Mo Yun let out a choked gasp and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

At this, all of Mo Yun’s remaining troops saw red. Someone roared, ”Kill these bastards! If anything happens to our General, we’ll make sure every last one of you dies with her!”

”Kill!”

”Kill!”

”Kill!”

A group of veterans, radiating killing intent, roared like demons. They drew their blades and charged at the other party.

Mo Yun snapped back to her senses. ”Don’t kill them!” she cried, trying to stop them.

But it was too late. The soldiers’ eyes were bloodshot, and her voice was incredibly weak. Had she been the uninjured ”Yun the Madman” of before, a single roar would have surely been enough to bring them to heel.

But she was far too weak, and her men were already simmering with rage. Seeing their commander vomit blood, it was no wonder they went berserk.

’It’s over...’ Her vision went black, and she nearly fainted.

A female soldier beside her caught her. By then, the grain convoy had also realized things had spiraled out of control. They wanted to regain control, but it was already impossible.

The Grain and Grass Officer roared desperately, trying to stop the chaos, but with the other side charging at them with drawn blades, how could his own soldiers possibly not fight back?

Run? They couldn’t escape.

Mo Yun’s remnant troops were like madmen, hunting them down everywhere.

They couldn’t run, and they couldn’t just wait to be killed. The only option left... was to fight back!

On one side were the battle-hardened old vets, filled with pent-up rage. On the other were supply soldiers who had barely seen a battlefield, let alone suffered a wound. The outcome of such a fight was a foregone conclusion.

Not to mention, Mo Yun’s remnant force had eight or nine thousand combat-ready soldiers!

And the supply convoy only had three thousand men in total!

How could they be a match?

How could they possibly win?

The Grain and Grass Officer was almost in tears. He knew that this time, he wouldn’t be able to keep the head on his shoulders, no matter what.

His eyes bloodshot as he watched Mo Yun’s troops charge, he threw caution to the wind, gritting his teeth. ”Since I’m dead either way, I might as well go down fighting!”

The full power of a Great Sword Master erupted from him. Any of Mo Yun’s charging men who got near him were cut down instantly.

Soon, he was targeted by several of Mo Yun’s subordinate commanders. Among them, a furious Zhou Bo intercepted him, and the two began a fierce battle.

The supply road was instantly filled with earth-shattering battle cries. Two units from the same side were now killing each other, staining the ground in a river of blood.

No one noticed that the first veteran who had charged out had quietly disappeared into the crowd during the chaos, vanishing without a trace.

...

”Damn, they’re really fighting! This is awesome!” Little Fatty Liu Feng was ecstatic, clapping his hands raw. He lay on a large boulder on the mountaintop, watching intently.

The others were also hidden there, their eyes fixed on the battlefield below.

”I can’t believe they actually started fighting. Boss, Li Hong... I’m truly in awe of you guys!” Liang Ziyi said with admiration, his mouth twitching.

Xu Luo looked at Li Hong beside him, and the two exchanged a smile. ”It might seem bizarre,” Xu Luo said, ”but it’s actually perfectly logical. Even though both sides belong to the same nation, they aren’t in the same faction. That alone creates prejudice. They would never trust each other unconditionally. On top of that, Mo Yun’s remnant troops were already seething with anger. With our careful provocation, a clash between them was inevitable.”

As he spoke, Xu Luo narrowed his eyes at the scene below the mountain. ”I just didn’t expect the conflict to be this intense. They’re in an all-out battle now. I wonder how much effort Second Brother put in... I hope he gets back safely.”

At this, the others grew serious. No one was stupid; to provoke both sides into such a reckless slaughter, Xu Jie must have played a crucial role.

”Second Brother will definitely make it back!” Liu Feng said.

”Look...” Xu Luo was the first to spot a figure at the foot of the mountain, rushing toward them at high speed.

”It’s Second Brother!” Liu Feng was overjoyed.

The others’ faces also lit up with joy. Having been together for so long and gone through life and death together, they had long since come to see each other as brothers.

Nothing made them happier than seeing a brother return safely.

Xu Jie’s voice arrived before he did. ”Haha, brothers, I’m back! How was it? Was the show entertaining enough for you?”

As he spoke, Xu Jie climbed the steep cliff and appeared before them.

Liu Feng and the others immediately grinned and went up to him, showering him with compliments.

But then, Liu Feng’s nose twitched. ”Second Brother,” he said, ”are you hurt?”

Xu Luo also walked over with a serious expression. ”What happened?” he asked, looking at Xu Jie.

”It’s nothing, it’s nothing, just a small wound. Dammit, without this, how could I have tricked Mo Yun’s troops into drawing their blades?” As he spoke, Xu Jie lifted his shirt, and everyone gasped.

A large gash was cut across Xu Jie’s stomach. From the exertion, fresh blood was still seeping out.

”You’re still talking? Lie down, now!” Huangfu Chongzhi immediately lost his temper. He pushed Xu Jie down, forcing him to lie flat on the ground.

”It’s really nothing. I did it myself, you think I don’t know my limits?” Xu Jie grumbled, but he obediently stopped moving. Wincing, he added, ”But seriously, it does hurt a bit!”

”Serves you right!” Huangfu Chongzhi snapped while applying medicine to the wound. ”Didn’t I tell you the mission was complete once you incited a conflict? Why’d you have to take such a huge risk? What if you hadn’t made it back?”

”Hehe, Big Brother, don’t lecture me. If you were there, you would have done the same. Dammit, an opportunity like this comes once in a lifetime. If I didn’t go all out, I’d have regretted it forever!” Xu Jie said nonchalantly.

Liang Ziyi and the others all looked at Xu Jie with admiration, as if they wished they had been the ones to carry out this mission.

Huangfu Chongzhi looked up, saw their expressions, and became exasperated. ”You bunch of lunatics! Next time any of you try something so reckless, I’ll let you die in agony!”

Everyone shivered. Having been together for so long, they all knew the Eldest Prince’s skills in medicine. ’If he said he’d make you die in agony, it definitely wouldn’t be any other kind of death...’

Li Hong chuckled from the side. ”Don’t be angry. Second Brother did a beautiful job this time!”

By now, Xu Jie’s wound was bandaged, and the others helped him lean against a large boulder to sit up.

Xu Jie’s voice, however, turned heavy. ”From our perspective, we did a beautiful job. The results might even exceed all our expectations. At least, for that girl Mo Yun, it will be... difficult for her to establish herself in Great Yan ever again!”

Li Hong nodded. ”No matter how you look at it, this is an extremely serious incident. Two units from the same faction fighting to the death. That supply convoy is done for, but Mo Yun... indeed can no longer have a place in Great Yan. If she’s lucky and bold enough, she could take her troops and become a warlord in the Cao Kingdom. If she’s unlucky and too rigid... I’m afraid...”

Xu Jie gave a bitter smile. ”If there was any other way, I would never have done this. That girl... she’s a fiercely protective woman, worthy of respect! Her soldiers are willing to die for her. Sigh... Unfortunately, this is goddamn war! This is war!”

As Xu Jie spoke, the image of Mo Yun rushing to his side and sending the soldier he had framed flying with a single slap appeared in his mind.

For some reason, this scene seemed to be engraved in his mind, impossible to erase.

Xu Luo gave Xu Jie a strange look and suddenly asked, ”Second Brother, you couldn’t have... fallen for that Mo Yun, could you?”

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then they all looked at Xu Jie. ’That’s right,’ they thought, ’Second Brother Xu is normally so carefree. He has no hobbies other than smithing and sharpening swords all day. He’s straightforward, sure, but most of the time he’s as quiet as a stone. Since when does he get so emotional?’

”If that’s really the case, this could get complicated...” Li Hong’s eyes flickered as he muttered softly, ”I was originally planning to find a chance to completely wipe out this remnant unit after their battle...”

GASP!

Everyone drew in a sharp breath, staring at Li Hong as if he were a monster.

Li Hong gave a bitter smile and raised his hands. ”Don’t look at me like that. This is war. They are the enemy. Don’t we go to the battlefield to eliminate the enemy? After this fight, they’ll be devastated. And will they be happy after killing their own people? Their morale will definitely hit rock bottom!”

”At that point, this group of soldiers will have made a terrible mistake and won’t be able to return home. They’ll wander the world like rootless drifters. Tell me, how much confidence and morale could they have left? Before, I wouldn’t have dared to make such a bold claim, but after today’s battle, heh... Wiping them out will be a piece of cake!”

”But now... if Second Brother has really fallen for the enemy commander, then this matter... will require careful consideration!”

After Li Hong finished, he looked at Xu Jie.

The others, including Xu Luo, also looked at Xu Jie.

”I... I...” Xu Jie’s face flushed beet red. Even stabbing himself would have been less agonizing than this moment. After stammering for what felt like an eternity, he finally squeezed out, ”This is war! How can personal feelings interfere with the plan? Besides, I admire that girl, but if she knew the truth, wouldn’t she hate my guts? So... Li Hong, don’t mind me. Do what needs to be done. If she dies... that’s just her fate!”

”Haha, hahaha!” Seeing Xu Jie’s flustered state, Li Hong couldn’t help but burst out laughing. ”Is this still our Second Brother who only knows how to forge iron and sharpen swords all day? This is killing me, hahaha! I never would have guessed, I never would have guessed that our Second Brother actually knows how to like a girl, hahahaha!”

Xu Luo and the others couldn’t help but laugh too. Little Fatty Liu Feng was laughing so hard he was practically rolling on the ground.

”You... you bunch of heartless jerks! Is it that funny that I’ve fallen for a girl for the first time?” Xu Jie was flustered by their laughter and glared at the group.