Chapter 60: Shattered Heads in the Yellow Dust, Blood Still Crimson

Chapter 60: Shattered Heads in Yellow Dust, Blood Still Crimson

Zhang Sanlu swung his weapon with all his might, each strike draining every ounce of strength he had. But the armored soldiers were too numerous, surging forward in relentless waves like the tide, leaving him gasping for breath. He knew in his heart this was a battle without hope. Even a god, faced with such numbers, would be worn down and perish. He recalled a saying: "If gods can bleed, enough soldiers can bring them down on the battlefield." Now, those words seemed a curse, plunging him into endless despair.

The fight grew ever more brutal. Zhang Sanlu's body was covered in wounds, his weapon stained red by fresh blood. Yet he refused to fall, still fighting desperately for survival. But nothing could change the inevitable. His fate seemed sealed—he would exhaust the last of his strength in this battle and then collapse.

The sound of hooves suddenly echoed down the street. The centurion, his face filled with terror, couldn't help but smile—at this hour, anyone arriving must be reinforcements from the camp outside the city.

The sudden clatter of hooves shattered the silence like the call of death itself. "Whoa—!" Abruptly, a green-canopied, soft-topped carriage barreled in from the side, knocking aside several weakened soldiers and screeching to a halt before Zhang Sanlu, raising a cloud of dust.

But this was no military war chariot.

The tarp was thrown back, and Zheng Ji's anxious, piercing voice rang out into the night, "Master, get in, quick!"

As the carriage stopped, Zhang Sanlu was already sprinting forward, bounding up the steps in a single leap. He clenched his blade between his teeth, scooped up Hui Niang, and vaulted onto the carriage in a few swift strides.

Zheng Ji cracked his whip, striking the horse's rump hard. The already restless animal let out a nervous whinny, reared, and bolted down the road.

All this transpired in the blink of an eye. As the armored soldiers realized what was happening, one leapt onto the rear axle, grabbing hold, but Zhang Sanlu's blade flashed, severing the man's arm. The soldier tumbled from the moving carriage, leaving only a severed hand clutching the axle.

"A favor like this cannot be repaid with words!" Zhang Sanlu, snatched from death, was deeply grateful to Zheng Ji for his timely arrival.

"Master, don't say such things! But I see a large number of soldiers heading this way—we have to take another route!" Zheng Ji shouted as he drove the carriage.

"We must get out of the city quickly!" Zhang Sanlu rasped.

He stabbed his blade into the horse's rump, and Zheng Ji's carriage shot forward like a wild beast, racing furiously toward the city gate.

As they neared the gate, several guards were busy removing heavy blocks to close the doors, but the carriage came barreling in from the side, scattering them in chaos.

The carriage knocked aside two guards and charged through the gate.

Thudding hooves followed—a squad of a dozen cavalry appeared from another street, their shouts and the clamor of horses and weapons creating a scene of heart-stopping intensity.

The carriage, having cleared the gate, sped onto the main road. Several startled townsfolk scrambled to the roadside, and the pursuing riders were close behind.

Seated in the carriage, Zhang Sanlu watched the cavalry closing in, anxiety gnawing at him. How could a carriage outrun mounted soldiers? If they caught up, the consequences would be disastrous.

He turned to Zheng Ji and shouted, "I'll jump out and hold them off—take Hui Niang and keep going! Don't worry about me!"

But Zheng Ji shook his head firmly, shouting back, "Master, if you get off the carriage, you may not die in the chaos. But if I have Hui Niang and even one soldier catches us, we won't survive!"

"Loose arrows—!"

Just then, the lead rider bellowed, and arrows flew over, soon followed by a rain of shafts that struck the canopy, some whizzing dangerously close to their heads, making both men tremble with fear.

"Horses! Zheng Ji, slow down!" Zhang Sanlu reacted instantly, ordering the carriage to reduce speed.

Zheng Ji obeyed without question, gently pulling the reins to slow the carriage.

The cavalry, seeing the carriage slow, assumed the horse was spent and rejoiced, stowing their bows and focusing on pursuit.

Thud, thud, thud!

As the riders drew closer, Zhang Sanlu quickly opened the rear canopy of the carriage.

In the midst of the cavalry's astonished gaze, Zhang Sanlu performed an unbelievable act. Clenching his jaw, his eyes burning with resolve, he raised his blade and, muttering under his breath, brought it down hard on his own left leg. In that instant, the air seemed to freeze, time itself stopped.

Blood sprayed, staining the carriage crimson.

A dozen shocked cavalrymen suddenly felt a searing pain in their left legs, as though sliced by a knife, unable to grip their mounts. They tumbled from their horses; those in front fell, bringing down their steeds. Those behind crashed into the pile, and even those who stayed mounted couldn't avoid the chaos. Horses and men collided, cries and whinnies filled the air, and the road was thrown into utter disorder.

Zheng Ji drove the carriage onward, racing toward the outskirts. It was nearing noon, and few travelers were about. Zhang Sanlu bent to check Hui Niang's breathing and felt a faint breath—safe, at least for now.

But soon, the carriage began to slow.

"Master, the horse can't carry all three of us much longer. Take Hui Niang and hide, I'll draw the pursuers away!" Zheng Ji shouted decisively.

Zhang Sanlu hesitated, realizing that staying together meant certain death, but splitting up might offer a chance. He nodded, performed a one-handed salute, and said, "If the situation turns dire, abandon the carriage and flee into the hills. Don't be reckless. If we escape, let's meet at the old graveyard."

A look of determination crossed Zheng Ji's face, and he suddenly asked,

"Master, I've never been so brave in my life. Do you think I'm a true man now?"

"You are! You are the most iron-willed man I've ever met!"

Zheng Ji laughed heartily, whipped the reins, and with a shout of "Go!" sped off without looking back.

Zhang Sanlu's eyes grew moist. Zheng Ji, though seen as a lowly weaver and cloth merchant by the world, had risked his life time and again to repay Zhang Sanlu for a single act of kindness.

This time, he faced death for nothing more than loyalty and honor. Compared to those in high positions, to those with great power...

He was more truly human.