Chapter 138: Sudden Rain (Part 8)

Zhong Tiebi came from a humble background. Much like Yuchi Gong, he started out as a blacksmith. In the borderlands, anyone plying this trade inevitably took on orders to forge weapons, which naturally brought them into contact with the realm of gallants and swordsmen. As long as one had some foundation in martial arts, a generous disposition, and daring courage, it was only natural to become one of the local gallants.

Ever since entering the jianghu of local gallants, Zhong Tiebi had remained in Shenwu County, primarily tasked with guarding merchant caravans traveling to the grasslands. Over the span of seven or eight years, he had established himself as a figure of considerable renown in Shenwu.

His band of sworn brothers had all settled down and made their homes in Shenwu. Presently, Prince of Mayi Wang Rengong and Liu Wuzhou were both frantically expanding their armies, yet Zhong Tiebi had not led his brothers to enlist with either side. First, he was tied down by family obligations, and second, the merchants they frequently guarded had fled to Shanyang while their goods remained behind in Shenwu, entirely entrusted to Zhong Tiebi. Having accepted a commission, he was bound to fulfill his duty to the end, leaving him no choice but to stay and hold the ground.

As for what the future held, in such chaotic times, Zhong Tiebi could only take things one step at a time, moving forward blindly.

Who could have foreseen that amidst this uncertain path, what awaited them was a sudden pillaging of the city by mutinous Mayi elite cavalry!

Dozens of infantry crossbows were aimed directly at them, and everyone was waiting for his decision.

Zhong Tiebi’s hands, which had previously been as steady as a rock, began to tremble slightly. This man, barely thirty years of age, was a head shorter than Han Yue, yet even more robustly built, his knotted muscles visible beneath his drenched linen tunic. Facing an enemy, he wielded a heavy iron rod, charging and fighting with brute, unstoppable strength. Originally nicknamed "Zhong the Iron Cudgel," he had changed it to his current moniker because the former sounded unrefined.

All along, Zhong Tiebi had been generous and valued righteousness above all else. When confronted with trouble, he would rather yield and accommodate others than engage in the reckless brawls characteristic of ordinary gallants, always hoping to quietly live out his simple life in peace.

Yet in these chaotic times, even this modest wish was beyond his power to preserve!

Zhong Tiebi’s hands trembled, as if he might drop the horn bow he held at any moment. Seeing this, Sun the Donkey and his rabble in front of the wooden palisade burst into loud laughter, eagerly waiting to rush in and thoroughly plunder the place.

The western lane was a commercial district. Although the merchants had fled to Shanyang or even Hedong, their goods could not be carried away, and many servants had likewise been left behind. The idlers who usually lingered only in the slums had merely looked on with burning envy; today, they finally felt they could hold their heads high, fully intending to follow the Mayi elite cavalry in wanton destruction and looting!

At last, Zhong Tiebi’s hands steadied. He turned his head slightly to look at his brothers, whose faces were pale with fear.

"If we drop our weapons and let them in, will these men stop? Will they spare our families?"

A young gallant, seemingly much older than Han Xiaoqi, was shivering all over, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. "How could they? Once we drop our weapons, won't we be completely at their mercy?"

Zhong Tiebi nodded. With a sudden surge of strength in both arms, he pulled the bowstring back a fraction further, aiming the arrowhead directly at Sun the Donkey.

"Borderland gallants! Our lives are still best kept in our own hands! Even if we die today, we'll drag a few of them down with us to hell!"

More than a dozen gallants let out a battle cry, raising their bows to aim at the vagrants and scoundrels.

Since the Mayi elite cavalry wore armor, and the rain weakened the bow draw, they might not pierce those iron tortoises, but shooting dead a few worthless vagrants would at least bring some satisfaction!

Once arrows were spent, they would resort to blades and spears. As long as they drew breath, they would fight to the bitter end right here before this wooden palisade. As borderland gallants, even in death, the spirit in their chests must never bow!

Such was the unyielding spirit of the Han people in the borderlands, who faced alien tribes directly. These gallants were all of this mold. Xu Le had grown up in these parts and was equally imbued with this deep-seated spirit. Beneath his gentle and handsome exterior lay a resilient nature that never bowed or surrendered.

That was precisely why Xu Le had been able to battle in Yunzhong, charge through an army camp of over a thousand elite cavalry, and clash head-on with the Mayi elite cavalry beneath Stopping Horse Mountain!

Sun the Donkey lost all of his previous fierce bluster. Being mere good-for-nothing idlers, these scoundrels lacked the backbone of true gallants; moments ago, they had simply been borrowing the might of the Mayi elite cavalry like foxes exploiting a tiger's prestige. Now that they genuinely felt the threat to their lives, Sun the Donkey retreated without a word. Realizing the danger, the other idlers scrambled back in chaotic disorder.

The veteran leader of the Mayi elite cavalry also darkened his expression, spitting out a mouthful of rain.

"This place called Mayi is truly cursed; everyone here has a death wish. Very well, I'll grant you your wish today!"

One of the Mayi elite cavalrymen shouted at the top of his lungs: "Shoot them down!"

Dozens of crossbow triggers were pulled, and the gallants atop the palisade released their bowstrings. Instantly, amidst the curtain of rain, came the piercing, air-tearing sound of flying arrowheads and bolts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Through the curtain of rain, a troop of riders galloped fiercely toward Shenwu.

This troop was none other than Xu Le and his company.

Nearly all of the retainers of the Xu Family Estate had replaced their gear with the equipment of the Mayi elite cavalry and rode upon the fine steeds of the Mayi cavalry. Their armor and weapons cast a chilling, austere gleam as the rain washed over them.

Aside from these retainers, the troop had been augmented by quite a few able-bodied young men from other rural estates, as well as Chen Fengpo and a few other local Shenwu Yingyang soldiers. These men followed Xu Le directly toward Shenwu with intensely complicated emotions.

In the heavy rain, Xu Le’s troop had suddenly altered their northward course, rescuing one or two villages that had similarly been plundered by scattered remnants of the Mayi elite cavalry, selecting able-bodied youth along the way, and pointing straight toward Shenwu!

As for Chen Fengpo, his task was to guide Xu Le and his men directly into Shenwu County city.

Chen Fengpo truly had no inkling of what Xu Le was scheming. Could he possibly intend to take this handful of men and carve out an independent domain in Shenwu?

Even though Xu Le had utilized wall-formation cavalry charges to shatter an entire battalion of Mayi elite cavalry, attempting to carve out an independent territory in Shenwu remained far too fantastical. It would undoubtedly enrage Wang Rengong; once the main army arrived, no matter how formidable Xu Le might be, he would not be able to hold out!

Yet what could he do? His own life had been saved by Xu Le, and his fate rested firmly in Xu Le’s hands. For now, he could only take things one step at a time.

Previously, in these chaotic times, Chen Fengpo had believed that with his network of connections, interpersonal savvy, and flexible handling of affairs, he could still maintain his safety.

Now, it seemed that once chaos erupted, small figures like himself had no hope whatsoever of mastering their own destinies!

Shenwu grew closer and closer, and Chen Fengpo’s thoughts became increasingly chaotic. In the end, he simply stopped thinking altogether, numbly following along in the cold rain.

Suddenly, the troop came to an abrupt halt, and an order rang out from the front: "Chen Fengpo, come forward!"

Chen Fengpo finally rallied his spirits and spurred his horse forward.

In the cold rain, atop the steed Swallowing Dragon, Xu Le’s posture remained as straight as a sword. His eyebrows were wet with rain, making his gaze appear all the more razor-sharp.

Chen Fengpo’s heart skipped a beat, and he cautiously saluted. "Does Young Master Le have any instructions for this subordinate?"

Xu Le pointed ahead toward the grayish-black walls of Shenwu County, vaguely visible through the curtain of rain, and said calmly, "Do you see the smoke?"

Chen Fengpo turned his head, straining his neck to look.

Through the heavy rain, several columns of smoke could be faintly discerned. With such a torrential downpour still managing to reveal plumes of smoke, one could only imagine how ferocious the fires must be!

Chen Fengpo was a clever man, and his heart instantly plummeted to the bottom.

The defeated remnants of the Mayi elite cavalry had entered Shenwu County and begun widespread plundering and slaughter within the city! And his own family members were all still inside the city!

Chen Fengpo abruptly tumbled down from his horse, prostrating himself in the mud. "I beg Young Master Le to save the people of Shenwu City!"