In the light rain, arrows suddenly pierced through the air.
The Western soldiers, who were just stepping out of a grand mansion with their arms full of loot, screamed in terror and fell to the ground one after another.
The bundles they carried rolled onto the ground, revealing a corner of beautiful silk, which was soon stained red with blood.
Someone shouted and tried to rush back into the mansion, but unfortunately, people were pouring out of the courtyard, all of them jubilant and carrying several maids and women.
They collided in a chaotic mess.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!" The arrows came again, causing massive casualties among the densely packed crowd.
The Western soldiers were completely stunned and lost all will to resist.
Who the hell wears armor when they're busy looting and playing with women? This battle was unwinnable, so they decided to run for their lives.
The sound of rustling footsteps grew closer.
"Raise your spears!"
"Stab!"
The soldiers formed neat ranks and mechanically thrust their spears forward at the command.
At this moment, the results of their training showed.
Even though the enemy wasn't wearing armor, the soldiers instinctively aimed for the face, neck, and thighs.
Their movements were swift, powerful, and precise, instantly causing horrific damage.
Small groups of enemy soldiers fell into chaos.
Some tried to resist, calling on their comrades to form combat groups.
Some tried to flee, throwing away everything they could and running for their lives.
Others attempted to hide in the civilian houses on either side of the street, hoping to escape with their lives.
"Thud!" A red headband fluttered in the cold, rainy wind as a heavy sword slashed down from above.
With a sickening crunch, the neck of a Western officer was nearly severed, and blood gushed out.
Shao Xun kicked aside the limp corpse of his enemy and stepped forward.
Blood stained his armor, and the stench of it filled his nostrils, making him nauseous.
But after the initial shock, it was as if some gene within him had awakened, filling his body with boundless strength and—
A savage desire to kill.
"Crunch!" This time, a head rolled to the ground, spinning a few times before stopping in a muddy puddle.
The eyes, still open, were filled with fear and despair.
Huang Biao quickened his pace, leading the armored soldiers behind him to closely follow and protect Shao Xun.
The sound of "thud, thud" echoed everywhere—the death knell of spears piercing flesh.
Some enemies put up a desperate fight, but they were quickly skewered by the dense barrage of spears.
Some bandits tried to hide, but the civilians inside the houses desperately held the doors shut, refusing to let them in.
"Ah!" A scream rang out as a Westerner, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, was pinned to a door by a spear.
There was no suspense.
Hundreds of soldiers advanced steadily along the narrow street like a bulldozer.
Wherever they passed, corpses littered the ground, and blood flowed like a stream.
"In battle, courage is everything! If you're afraid, the enemy is afraid too. If you're ruthless, the enemy will flee."
Shao Xun laughed heartily, not forgetting to boost morale.
An enemy spear scraped against his iron armor, making a harsh screeching sound.
Without even looking, Shao Xun swung his heavy sword down, cleaving off half of the enemy's shoulder.
"Ah!" A blood-curdling scream echoed down the street as blood sprayed out like a fountain.
Shao Xun raised his heavy sword and continued forward.
His face was covered in blood, almost blinding him.
The gleaming blade of his sword was stained with blood, and the stench of it rose into the air.
There was no fear in him.
Every cell in his body was cheering, and a long-lost feeling was reawakening.
He even felt a slight tremble in his body—a thrill that came from the depths of his soul.
It was as if the scene before him wasn't a bloody hell but a sumptuous feast.
He must be a little sick!
But this feeling came at just the right time.
His skilled techniques, brave will, and cruel killing intent combined to turn him into a morbidly efficient killing machine.
He could predict the enemy's movements, making it seem as if they were foolishly walking right into his blade—this was killing with rhythm.
He always struck the enemy in the most vulnerable spots, leaving them flustered and ultimately falling to his sword—this was killing with experience.
Drenched in blood, roaring like thunder, he looked like a demon from hell, often striking fear into the enemy's heart and killing them before they could react—this was killing with courage.
He had too many ways to kill, almost as if he could do it effortlessly.
Facing different enemies, he could instantly use the most effective method, with the simplest movements, the fastest speed, and the least amount of energy to dispatch them.
A skilled novice might also kill the enemy in front of them, but they could never do it as effortlessly as Shao Xun, with minimal energy expenditure and no wasted movements.
Damn, killing had become an art form.
"Spare me..."
A young enemy soldier, his face tear-streaked, staggered backward.
Seeing Shao Xun quicken his pace, he desperately thrust his spear forward.
The spear shaft was caught under Shao Xun's arm, and Huang Biao, quick as lightning, thrust his own spear.
"Thud!" The enemy soldier, tears streaming down his face, clutched his stomach and collapsed to the ground.
Countless boots trampled over him as the army advanced relentlessly.
Huang Biao glanced at Commander Shao Xun out of the corner of his eye, his lips twitching.
He was scared.
Thankfully, the commander was on their side...
Yang Bao watched from afar, feeling a chill run down his spine.
All schemes and plots were a joke.
No matter how clever you were, in the face of Shao Xun's brutal strength, it all seemed so hollow—yes, in Yang Bao's eyes, Shao Xun was that kind of cruel and violent warrior, capable of anything, daring to kill anyone, instilling fear in people's hearts.
Perhaps he and Zhang Fang were cut from the same cloth.
The rain grew heavier, and no one used bows anymore.
The battlefield had returned to the most primitive form of close combat.
Over three hundred soldiers set out from Piyong, heading north, passing through the Imperial Academy, Yuhua Temple, and the Ox Market, killing their way for several miles.
The bandit army was in complete disarray, leaving hundreds of corpses behind in their chaotic retreat.
Shao Xun was drenched, blood dripping from his sword, splashing onto the ground and forming small pools of blood.
From the west came the sound of fierce fighting—it was Pingchangmen Street.
The troops stationed there were part of the Yamen Army, though their exact numbers were unknown.
They had started later than Shao Xun's forces, but they had finally joined the fight.
Judging by the sounds, the Yamen Army was quite capable, their battle cries moving northward toward Pingchangmen.
It felt good to have allies.
It also showed that, for now, the defenders of Luoyang could still unite, and the orders of Grand Marshal Sima Yi still held some sway, at least partially.
Shao Xun looked back at the soldiers following him and noticed that many new faces had replaced the first row.
War always claimed lives, even in a resounding victory, many would still die.
Further back, Mi Huang's banner was still visible.
From the sound of the dense footsteps, it seemed more people had joined—perhaps civilians from the southern part of the city had spontaneously followed.
"Is winning a battle easy or not?" Shao Xun handed his heavy sword to Wang Que'er and picked up a new one, smiling as he asked.
"With the commander here, what enemy can't be defeated?" Huang Biao avoided Shao Xun's gaze and responded loudly.
To be honest, he was a little afraid of that look.
Fierce, bloodthirsty, and cruel, with a faint reddish hue in his eyes—it was completely different from his usual calm, gentle, and wise demeanor.
According to ghost stories, could it be that the commander was possessed by some ancient demon?
"The commander's bravery is truly admirable," said Li Zhong, who had abandoned his bow for a sword, his voice filled with reverence.
There was a time when, despite being appointed as a squad leader, he had always been stern and rarely smiled.
But after today's battle, watching Shao Xun lead the charge and cut down Western soldiers with such ferocity, a smile finally appeared on his face.
Such a brave warrior could easily be a battalion commander in the Imperial Guards or the Yamen Army.
Fighting alongside someone like this made it much easier to survive.
"In that case, what more is there to say!" Shao Xun laughed heartily, pointing his heavy sword forward.
"Follow me!"
"Follow me!" Huang Biao and Li Zhong, their blood boiling, turned and shouted to the soldiers behind them.
"Follow me!" The soldiers' voices broke through the sky, their morale soaring to unprecedented heights as they responded in unison.
"Follow me!" The wave of voices spread far and wide.
In battle, courage is everything.
The foundation of this battalion was solid, and they had volunteered to serve.
After more than a year of training under Shao Xun, their discipline was impeccable.
If there had been any tension or doubt before the battle, the recent charge had boosted their confidence and morale to a high level.
In a war where both sides were evenly matched in equipment, the side with higher morale had the greater chance of winning.
And so, in the cold autumn rain, hundreds of passionate men formed orderly ranks and, led by their officers, advanced along Kaiyangmen Street.
The rain couldn't wash away the blood on their blades.
The hastily assembled enemy forces were scattered by their charge.
The fleeing soldiers, wailing in terror, ran northward and collided with reinforcements coming from the opposite direction, plunging into even greater chaos.
No one gave them time to regroup.
The three hundred soldiers quickened their pace, advancing in formation, their war cries echoing as they drove the numerically superior Western soldiers into a panicked rout.
Shao Xun laughed heartily, holding his blood-dripping heavy sword, and swung it down with all his might at an enemy officer who was trying to turn his horse and flee: "Crush both man and horse!"
"Thud!" A fountain of blood erupted as the heavy sword struck the horse.
The horse let out a pained whinny and threw the enemy officer to the ground.
Shao Xun didn't bother pulling his sword free from the horse's body.
Instead, he drew his bow and looped it around the fallen officer's neck, tightening it with all his strength.
"Die!" His face twisted into a狰狞 expression, the muscles in his arms bulging as he exerted all his strength.
The officer's back was pressed firmly to the ground, unable to struggle.
After a moment, his face turned purple, and his tongue lolled out.
Shao Xun then drew a dagger and, without caring whether the officer was already dead, slowly sawed off his head.
"The commander is mighty!" The soldiers cheered as they watched.
At that moment, horse blood drenched Shao Xun from head to toe, and in the cold autumn rain, steam seemed to rise from his body.
Standing in a pool of blood, he held a bloody, mangled object in his hand, smiling as if admiring his trophy.
The remaining enemy soldiers, seeing this from a distance, let out a collective cry of terror and scattered.
This man must be a bit sick, just like Commander Zhang.
"After them!" Shao Xun tossed the head aside, picked up a spear, and strode forward.
(End of Chapter)