Chapter 396: Border Invasion
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The news from Dongxuan was relayed home.
Yutang’s emperor and everyone else felt like they had been slapped across the face simultaneously when they heard the sudden news.
The murmurings about Dongxuan’s emperor and officials having a conflict, Han Sanhe’s merits being so high that it intimidated the king, Han Sanhe’s approaching doom… Every rumor they had heard prior to this was shattered to pieces by this latest development.
The truth was evident; everything was a smokescreen set up by Dongxuan.
Their emperor was not at all a self-sabotaging idiot, and had no plans of killing his own loyal official!
"Maybe it’s true that the emperor and his official may not be getting along well. However, when faced with the task of building a millennial empire now, Dongxuan’s emperor would still put aside all things to make sure Han Sanhe’s current war is the first priority!"
Qiu Jianhan heaved a long sigh and felt the mounting pressure.
When Han Sanhe had first set off, the scouts from both sides had already begun a vicious battle. Amidst the long stretches of mountains and rivers, the battle among the scouts was no less fierce than the savage slaughter of the entire army.
They fought in the dense forests, within thick bushes, on top of the mountain, among strewn rocks – to obtain information from the other side and to keep their own confidential. They put life and death aside; they had no regrets as they dispensed their duty.
Yutang’s scouts would damage even the slight change of a hill’s structure or the geography of a forest, right after a Dongxuan spy had passed by. The tens of thousands of miles were filled with streaming blood and overwhelming damage.
Before the crushing war officially erupted between two empires, the aura that swept across the world was already enough to shatter the entire continent!
Notably, practitioners of the martial world from both Dongxuan and Yutang had participated in this enmity. Those who were still concerned about their home countries were never just limited to the experts and recluses that had formidable cultivation base and stayed far from the secular world.
Plenty of these passionate men, usually fast and furious, debonair amidst the mountains and waters, had all stepped into the battlefield without hesitation – a step faster than the army, even.
Dongxuan was simmering with fighting spirit, all its people immersed in the beginning of a truly domineering empire, confident that only Dongxuan would dictate the whole world!
On the other side, Yutang was well aware of the critical juncture that they were at; the survival of a nation and its people would be tied to this war!
This was a war of survival between two nation’s people, a war of pride between two empires!
"Which man doesn’t bear the saber to face the enemy at the border fort? Guard the nation, blood must be spilled first; the martial world hero comes afterward!"
This was the promise a Yutang saberman had made with his enemy.
In a martial world altercation back in the day, all nineteen family members of this saberman had been killed by the enemy. Their grudge was irreconcilable. Truthfully, the resentment had gone on for three generations and there was already an uncountable number of people killed along the way. The grudge only grew deeper; there was no longer any room for reconciliation.
In spite of this, upon hearing that the war was tied to the fate of his nation and what could befall it, this white-haired saberman went to his enemy’s residence alone to talk.
"Let us put down our personal resentments before the nation’s grudge. If you’re ballsy, we shall go to the frontline and count the heads of soldiers after the war. Whoever loses beheads himself and thus ends the resentment between us. How about that?"
The saberman was white-haired, so was his enemy. Listening to the promise, he agreed without hesitation.
"After this war, we drink to the heads; one goblet to each head. When there's no more wine left to be drunk, let us behead ourselves with ease."
"If you die in the war, so ends the hundred years of resentment! If I die in the war, similarly shall we forget all the enmity between us!"
"Great!"
Countless martial world practitioners gathered at the blacksmith during this time.
"Give me a long spear. It doesn’t have to be made of rare steel, as long as it’s sharp and sturdy!"
"Give me a long-handled saber, the most lasting one!"
"Give me a pair of large hammers. They must be heavy enough!"
"It’s difficult to use a short sword in the war; one needs to defend himself in the critical moments. To kill the enemy and contribute to victory, it’s better to use a long saber or long spear!"
The Empire of Yutang’s roads were filled with galloping horses. Mounted on them were martial practitioners who dressed up like soldiers, wearing helmets and armor while gripping long spears or glaives. All of them were heading towards the same direction – the Fortress of Resilience!
Each one of them wore a grim expression, their eyes ablaze with bloodlust.
Roaming the secular world did not dampen their spirits as patriotism was still held dear to them. Their responsibilities as men were fulfilled in this lifetime by joining the war at the eastern defense line
War was about to erupt.
However, it was at this time that the circumstances changed again but it had developed in the direction that put Yutang at a further disadvantage.
Military intelligence came from two directions unexpectedly; the contents were devastating.
The first news – the Empire of Dayuan had deployed an army of five hundred thousand men towards Yutang's southern border!
His Majesty of Yutang assembled his officials to discuss countermeasures immediately, but even as they were running to the assembly, another dire piece of news arrived – the Empire of Tianci had sent seven hundred thousand men straight to the northern border!
The jade piece in His Majesty’s hand snapped with a crack. His face was upset and stoic, like water that lay stagnant in a pond.
Under such circumstances, he could no longer attempt to put on a false front and pretend to be calm and collected.
It was not the end though. Soon, the third piece of news was relayed – the Empire of Ziyou was recruiting and organizing its troops to prepare their army to head towards the western border!
Right now, the army in Ziyou had already gathered while three hundred thousand men were concentrated on the front line on the western side. The following troops were being deployed from all over the country as they were moving speedily to assemble.
The blazing flames of war had filled the entire sky of Yutang. Four empires had besieged them together in a border invasion!
Yutang was once again met with a terrible situation.
In the depths of winter, where snow fell in flurries, everyone felt a bone-piercing sense of cold. It was not an iciness that came from the body, but it seemed like even the heart was frozen.
At the frontline of Dongxuan, Fu Baoguo had gathered two hundred and fifty thousand soldiers for a pre-war briefing. He had only spoken a few lines throughout the entire procession.
"I, Fu Baoguo, am resolute to repay my nation with death – I would rather die than to take a step back! I swear to live and die alongside Yutang’s territory; may I not find rest until I die!"
"I shall stand right here on this battlefield! Whoever sees me take a step back can kill me, no matter who you are!"
"I’d rather die than to be the slave of a subjugated country. Even if I die, I shall be Yutang’s ghost!"
Fu Baoguo’s voice thundered in the air.
"We would rather die than be the slave of a subjugated country! We shall be Yutang’s ghosts, even when we die! We shall follow the marshal through life and death, share the destiny without backing down!" two hundred and fifty thousand men roared their defiance with flushed faces.
An army of two hundred and fifty thousand men could feel the boiling passion within them that was threatening to charge out. The grandeur was loud, and pierced through the sky, shaking the nine heavens.
At the northern border, Tie Zheng’s imposing build stood towering before the hundreds of thousands of warriors.
As long as they saw this physique of a tower, all the soldiers seemed to suddenly be filled with immense confidence.
"I shall only say four words!" Tie Zheng roared with his arms spread out wide.
"F*cking, f*ck all of them!"
A loud cry came from beneath, "Marshal, that was five words!"
Tie Zheng bellowed, "Who? Who was it? Come out now!"
A burly man was pushed out amidst laughter. He was a platoon leader who was muscular and huge and was now chuckling in embarrassment.
Tie Zheng said aloud, "You said I didn’t speak well. You should speak, instead!"
The platoon leader was twitching while beneath them, cheers and wolf whistles erupted.
The leader seemed to not be able to take it anymore. Without any awkward shuffling, he sprung up to the stage and howled at the sky, "Speak I shall! Marshal said he will only say four words but he actually uttered five! Your father will say a few words as well. There’s nothing to be said actually, it’s just a battle of life and death! As long as a single breath remains, f*cking f*ck them all!"
Below him, the hundreds of thousands of soldiers roared together, "F*cking f*ck them all!"
The military morale of the north troop soared. If the outsiders were to hear them, they would not have thought that they were making vows before the war. It seemed more like the merriment of some sort of party. No traces of pre-war tension could be seen.
A similar fighting spirit boiled in the Empire of Yutang’s west and south; there was simply no trace of fear.
How different it was from the woe-ridden civil and military officials in the imperial court! The warriors at the border were not discouraged by the approaching enemies but were instead high in morale. Everyone was a male lion that had been challenged!
Various letters were written in blood, various vows made before troops, various activities were carried out in the icy winter. They trained hard in the day until not one drop of energy was left but when night came, they racked their brain to write letters or wills home.
Those who were barely literate carried paper and brushes, pleading to the others everywhere else; they nodded and bowed, shamelessly flattering however they could. Those who did not know might have thought that there was some sort of unthinkable activities going on!
The fresh soldiers who had yet to go through their orientation war gathered around each other into groups that were making a lot of noise.
"Have you written your will?"
"Yeah, you?"
"Me too."
"Let me see."
"Let’s exchange ours, let's learn from each other."
"Okay."
"Yours can’t do, the flair isn’t there. Look at mine, this is what you should be learning from."
"Yours is really good. Why don’t you just write one for me? I don’t know what I should be learning anyway..."
"Come see, quick. This is hilarious! Zhang Ergou’s will states how much should be taken and left when he dies and his wife marries someone else. It’s so detailed. How kind…"
A bunch of people cramped together to look at the document in question.
"Let me see, let me see! Let me enjoy it! Let me learn something…"
They passed it around, one after another, with occasional bouts of laughter. Zhang Ergou, who was outside the circle was hopping and ducking to snatch it back, utterly flustered.
"Give it back to me! Can’t you all be occupied with something else? Shoo! Go do what you should…"
The men avoided him intentionally, disallowing him from approaching; when he forced himself close, the will was passed on to someone else. Thus began the cycle again.
"F*ck, Li Siniu’s rather flirtatious. His will says that if he returns in victory, he’s gonna marry his sister-in-law too… Wow! What’s that called again? The classic Erhuang and Nvying…"
"Let me see, let me see…"
They were a bunch of young men, filled with boundless energy. Writing their will should be something very formal and grim, but it was tainted with mischief and laughter.
The seasoned soldiers, who had gone through too many a war and survived, watched the squealing young men with deep eyes that held stoic gazes.