Chapter 16: Crushing the Jing Kingdom, the Greatest in the World!
Not far away, the soldiers of the Jing Kingdom had already lost their voices.
They watched as Zhang Yang cut his way through a formation of over two thousand men, cold sweat dripping down their backs!
Such power — like a god or demon!
Could this be a shaman who had surpassed the Vitality Like a Galloping Horse realm?
With such a formidable shaman, who could possibly stand against him?
Meanwhile, the soldiers of the Shang Kingdom had gone wild with excitement.
They saw Zhang Yang fighting alone amidst the enemy ranks, and it felt as if they themselves were fighting side by side with him, slaying their foes with abandon, striking terror and dread into their enemies.
"Long live the Marquis of Victory!"
"Grand Marshal Marquis of Victory!"The soldiers of the Shang Kingdom shouted loudly, like rolling thunder, unleashing the excitement and passion within their hearts.
Amidst the thunderous cheers, Zhang Yang fell silent and came to a halt.
He raised his spear high.
The spear tip was shattered, the blade riddled with chips, and even the metal shaft was bent, yet none of this diminished Zhang Yang's godlike, almost demonic presence.
He shouted out loudly, "Full army, advance~"
At Zhang Yang's command, the signal soldiers who had been waiting impatiently hurriedly raised the banner signalling the full army to move forward.
The restrained soldiers of the Shang Kingdom surged forth like tigers released from their cage, shouting, roaring, their eyes blazing red as they charged towards the Jing Kingdom formation.
The five thousand-strong Xuan Bird Battalion spearheaded the attack, flanked on both sides by chariots for protection, with the infantry following behind.
Yang led the charge on horseback, heading straight for Prince Liao's position within the Jing Kingdom ranks.
From a distance, before Zhang Yang even reached close to the Jing Kingdom's formation, the advance shield soldiers were already showing signs of breaking.
“Bang~~~”
Zhang Yang dug his feet into the ground fiercely, launching himself forward like a cannonball towards the shield formation.
He swung his spear like a club, striking hard against the shields raised high.
“Boom~~~”
With a thunderous crash, three shield soldiers were sent flying as if hit by a speeding car.
The once-solid defensive line immediately showed a gap.
The surrounding shield soldiers paled at the sight.
They looked at the blood-covered Zhang Yang as if staring at a terrifying demon.
After a brief silence, the shield soldiers fell into chaotic disarray.
“Run~~~”
“Monster, monster!”“By Heaven above, how can such a monster exist?”
Some of the shield soldiers were so terrified they went weak at the knees and collapsed to the ground.
Others simply dropped their heavy shields and fled backwards.
The Jing Kingdom’s first defensive line disintegrated in an instant!
Meanwhile, the Shang Kingdom’s army had already closed in.
Heitu raised Zhang Yang’s commanding banner high and shouted loudly, “Grand Marshal, we have arrived.”
Zhang Yang laughed proudly, hoisting his spear aloft with boundless valour. “Lads, follow me to capture the enemy commander.”
“Charge!”
The Shang soldiers roared, each one fired up and inspired by Zhang Yang’s fearless courage.
From above, the Shang army looked like an unstoppable blade, effortlessly cleaving through the Jing Kingdom’s forces.
Wherever he passed, most of the Jing Kingdom soldiers didn’t even have the courage to resist; they fled in panic.
A rout!
An unstoppable rout!
Nearly a hundred thousand Jing Kingdom soldiers were frantically scattering in all directions.
However, Jia Pass was a valley nestled deep within Yao Mountain.
To the east lay the Shang Kingdom’s Jia Pass, while to the west was the Jing Kingdom’s Nanyang Pass.
On the north and south sides stretched mountain ranges and cliffs extending for hundreds of miles.
The routed Jing soldiers had almost no options left; their only hope was to head west towards Nanyang Pass.
This made Zhang Yang’s pursuit far easier.
He disregarded the usual military protocol of halting after chasing for fifty paces, and instead nearly encircled the fleeing Jing forces like a trap closing in.
Half a day later.
The Shang Kingdom soldiers were still tallying the captured prisoners and spoils of war.
Surrounding Zhang Yang were Shang generals and nobles.
“Ha ha ha, that was exhilarating, truly exhilarating. Following the Grand Marshal is an absolute thrill.”
“Had it not been for the Grand Marshal, the Jing Kingdom’s army would not have collapsed in a single blow.”
“Surely the Grand Marshal must be descended from a deity, to have advanced the Way of the Shaman to a level beyond Vitality Like a Galloping Horse.”
“That’s mistaken—the Way of the Shaman is not what this is; it is the Grand Marshal’s own creation of martial arts.”
“Martial arts and the Way of the Shaman are not the same.”
“Yes, indeed, it is the martial arts created by the Grand Marshal.”
Zhang Yang sighed wistfully: “What I have achieved is not yet the ultimate limit of martial arts.”
“This method is not yet perfected; if it were, there would be further possibilities.”
Hearing this, the crowd fell completely silent.
There could be further progress!
He was already like a god or a demon, moving freely among a thousand troops.
If he advanced even more!
Gasp!
“If he could advance further, wouldn’t that mean one man could command an army, controlling thousands of horses and soldiers at will?”
“My goodness, if it ever came to that, wouldn’t the Grand Marshal be a demigod among mortals?”
“To call him a demigod doesn’t seem far off.”
“The Grand Marshal truly is a divine being.”
Amidst the praise, Heitu hurried over.
He approached Zhang Yang and cupped his hands respectfully. “Reporting to the Grand Marshal, the tally is complete.”
“Except for a handful who fled into the remote mountains and forests, our army has captured over sixty thousand soldiers from the Jing Kingdom.”
“Five hundred war chariots!”
“The only regret is that Prince Liao escaped.”
“At the moment the Jing Kingdom’s army fell apart, Prince Liao’s trusted aide took off the prince’s clothes, wore them himself, and then drove the chariot to divert our pursuing troops.”
“When we caught up, we realised the chariot held an impostor. By then, Prince Liao’s whereabouts were unknown and he could not be tracked.”
Heitu’s face was full of frustration as he spoke.
If only they had captured Prince Liao, it would have been a tremendous bargaining chip in negotiations with the Jing Kingdom.
Though the Jing forces were decisively defeated, losing Prince Liao was like leaving a flaw in what should have been a perfect painting — genuinely irksome.Zhang Yang was quite unfazed.
Losing Prince Liao wasn’t such a big deal.
Someday, he would conquer the capital city of the Jing Kingdom!
And when that day came~~~
But that was a matter for the future. For now, the most important thing was something else entirely!
To reclaim lost territory!
Zhang Yang’s gaze grew cold as he issued the order, “The Jing Kingdom’s interior is currently vulnerable. The Xuan Bird Battalion will set off with me immediately to take back the Nanyang Plain.”
The Nanyang Plain had originally been Shang Kingdom land west of Yao Mountain and was their most vital granary, but it had gradually been swallowed by the Jing Kingdom over the past dozen years.
Upon hearing they were to reclaim the Nanyang Plain, the generals, whose spirits had not yet fully recovered, instantly felt their blood stir with excitement.
To reclaim lost territory — what a magnificent feat!
They straightened their backs and clasped their hands, replying, "Yes."
Shortly after, the chariots and infantry returned to Jia Pass with over sixty thousand Jing Kingdom soldiers who had been disarmed, while Zhang Yang led the entire Xuan Bird Battalion westward.
Nanyang Pass had originally been a crucial stronghold of the Jing Kingdom, typically garrisoned by more than five thousand troops.
However, with Prince Liao heading east, almost all the soldiers within the pass had been taken away, leaving only five hundred to maintain the pass's operations.
When Zhang Yang’s army arrived, the soldiers guarding the pass saw the tattered Jing Kingdom banner displayed by Zhang’s forces and immediately understood that Prince Liao had suffered a crushing defeat—there was no will left to resist.
The commanding officers left to defend the pass surrendered outright.
With hardly any effort, Zhang Yang seized the most important gateway between the Shang and Jing Kingdoms!
After that, it was smooth and level terrain all across the Nanyang Plain!
On the twelfth day of the tenth month in the fourth year of Marquis Shang, Zhang Yang captured Xingfeng City.
By the sixteenth day of the same month, Zhang Yang had taken Hezhou City, Pingxi, and Yongquan.
On the twenty-fifth day of the tenth month in the fourth year of Marquis Shang, Zhang Yang seized Nanyang City on the Nanyang Plain.
By the fifteenth day of the eleventh month, all twenty-seven towns across the Nanyang Plain had fallen.
After twenty years, the Shang Kingdom had regained control of the Nanyang Plain!
When the news reached the Shang Kingdom, the entire nation was electrified!
0 Comments