Chapter 544: Chapter 544. Who Is That Person?
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Xiao Zeyu’s spearhead pierced the gap in Wan Qingzhi’s shoulder armor and knocked him off his horse. The spearhead was pressed against Wan Qingzhi’s neck. If he dared to move, he would pierce through him and take his life.
“You… Just kill me!”
Wan Qingzhi’s eyes turned red. Did he lose to a young kid? The deep sense of humiliation made him glare at Xiao Zeyu with hatred. A warrior could be killed but not humiliated. He only wanted a quick death.
Wan Qingzhi knew how miserable he would be if he fell into Xiao Zeyu’s hands. He pulled out a dagger from his waist and wanted to commit suicide, but Su Qing shot him in the wrist with an arrow. The dagger fell to the ground, and blood flowed everywhere.
“You guys…”
Wan Qingzhi was in so much pain that his facial features were all scrunched up together, but he forced himself not to scream. He said to Xiao Zeyu in a trembling voice,
“Give me a quick death.”
“Back then, when your Wan Clan killed my father, why didn’t you say that a scholar could be killed but not humiliated?”
The spear in Xiao Zeyu’s hand pierced into the skin of Wan Qingzhi’s neck. He controlled his movements, letting him feel pain but not death. Blood flowed out from the tip of the spear. The pain of a sharp weapon piercing the neck caused a layer of cold sweat to appear on Wan Qingzhi’s forehead. He gritted his teeth and endured it. He could feel the blood flowing down his neck. This feeling of waiting for death was too terrifying.
Xiao Zeyu shouted at the Wan Family Army,
“All of you stop, or I’ll kill him.”
Seeing that their commander had been captured and that the ground was covered with dead and injured comrades, the Wan Family Army soldiers looked at Wan Qingzhi. What should they do? Should they surrender or resist to the end?
Wan Qingzhi ignored the spearhead on his neck and ordered loudly,
“According to the Wan Family Army’s rules, those who surrender will die.”
“I’ll give you a chance, anyone who puts down their weapons and surrenders; I welcome those who are willing to join the Xiao Family Army; if you don’t want to join, I’ll give you money to go home, as long as you surrender, I’ll let you live, those who resist will be killed without mercy.”
After Xiao Zeyu finished speaking, he pierced Wan Qingzhi’s left shoulder blade with his spear. Wan Qingzhi could no longer hold it in and screamed.
Xiao Zeyu wanted to torture Wan Qingzhi. He wanted the Wan family to taste what his father had suffered. He pulled out his sword and pierced Wan Qingzhi’s shoulder blade with a cold gaze. Wan Qingzhi’s eyes were about to pop out from the pain. He shouted at Xiao Zeyu,
“Give me a quick death.”
Xiao Zeyu raised his sword expressionlessly. Wan Qingzhi’s pupils shrank when he saw Xiao Zeyu. He wanted to get up and dodge, but he was too late. Xiao Zeyu had pierced twice in a row at his hamstring.
Wan Qingzhi fainted from the pain. A loyal Wan Family Army member wanted to save Wan Qingzhi, but they were all killed by Su Qing. The remaining Wan Family Army members could only watch as Wan Qingzhi was turned into trash by Xiao Zeyu.
“Those who surrender will live, while those who resist will die.”
Xiao Zeyu sat on his horse, his tall figure exuding an oppressive aura. His sharp gaze swept across the faces of the Wan Clan Army, his cold voice filled with killing intent.
Some of the soldiers in the Wan Family Army were tired of the war. When they heard that they could be allowed to return home and paid for their travel expenses, they put down the weapons in their hands.
When the loyal Wan Clan Army saw them put down their weapons, they came over to kill them, but Su Qing shot them to death.
“I will count to ten. Those who put down their weapons go to the right. Those who want to continue fighting with me, stay where you are.”
Xiao Zeyu didn’t give them the chance to hesitate. He said,
” If you want to live, then hurry to the right. If you stay, I will start a massacre.”
Su Qing ordered the Xiao Family’s Army to retreat and Zhang Jinglin to set up the mortars. The muzzles were aimed at the soldiers who wanted to pledge loyalty to the Wan Family.
She didn’t speak to the Wan Family Army, but her actions sent chills down their spines. She was preparing to blow them up.
The battlefield was littered with broken limbs. Death was certain after being blasted by this thing, but no one wanted to die without a complete corpse.
“Five, six…”
Xiao Zeyu was still unhurriedly counting. His voice was like a talisman urging for death, causing the Wan Family Army to be even more nervous.
Thinking about how Long Ling and his tens of thousands of elite soldiers were utterly wiped out, could they still survive? What if they were lying to him? Just to trick them into putting down their weapons. When they did, they would come and kill them all.
Among them, some soldiers who wanted to return to their homes shouted at Xiao Zeyu,
“We lay down our weapons and only hope to live.”
After years of war, they didn’t know what was happening at home. If they could live well, who would want to live a life of licking blood all day long?
“Alright, put down your weapons and go to the right.”
Xiao Zeyu nodded his head with a dignified expression. At this moment, the Xiao Family Army could see the domineering aura of a superior from him. It made people subconsciously listen to his orders and believe his words would count.
One by one, people from the Wan Family Army put down their weapons. The loyal Wan Family Army members were furious and ran over to kill the surrendered soldiers with their sabers. However, they were shot to death by Su Qing.
“Eight, nine, this is your last chance. I’ll count to ten before firing.”
Xiao Zeyu gave the remaining Wan Clan Army a final warning.
“We’ll fight it out with you.”
These people were determined not to surrender. They raised their weapons and charged towards Xiao Zeyu. Su Qing ordered them to open fire, and Xiao Zeyu sat steadily on his horse amidst the smoke, watching as the Wan Clan soldiers, determined not to surrender, were blasted into the sky.
After this battle, Xiao Zeyu kept his word and distributed clothes and travel expenses to the Wan Clan surrendered soldiers. However, if they were to see them on the battlefield again, they would be killed.
These soldiers had all changed into casual clothes and knelt to submit! One had to know that the Wan Family Army would not even spare their captives. There was once a group of uprising refugees who were scared by the Wan Family Army and surrendered. In the end, they still lost their lives even after surrendering.
“Do any of you know who brought this great killing weapon?”
Xiao Zeyu swept his gaze across the faces of the surrendered soldiers and asked in a deep voice.
“I don’t know. I only heard that the Imperial Court sent a capable person to help the Emperor create a great killing weapon.”
The surrendered soldiers shook their heads and couldn’t provide any helpful information, but they were afraid they wouldn’t be able to leave without saying anything and would tell Xiao Zeyu what they had heard.
“When did the capable person arrive?”
Xiao Zeyu and Su Qing looked at each other, their hearts filled with doubt. Although Xiao Zeyu had suspected Qiu Yongkang, he had overthrown it himself.
Qiu Yongkang only learned how to make a big weapon from Su Qing; he didn’t know how to make a mortar. Could it be Qin Tie?
Su Qing also suspected that it was Qin Tie. He had been cautious since he made the mortar. Other than Qin Tie, who had the blueprint of the mortar, no one else knew the process of making the mortar.
Even the blacksmith only knew how to make cannon barrels and shells, but a mortar did not only have cannon barrels and shells. Professionals could not make other details.
Therefore, they had to figure out the time first. Once they knew the time, they would know who had helped Wan Yulin create the big killing weapon.
“This little one doesn’t know.”
None of these soldiers could provide a specific time. They were only the lowest-ranking soldiers.. How could they know about the royal family?