Chapter 2 The Fierce Battle
The second day's battle was exceptionally fierce. Zhao Jingyun's side sent many experts to surround Erlang. Even with the considerable amount of energy Jiang Wan had transferred to him, Erlang still sustained injuries, though fortunately not severe ones.
The little pony also became a target. Now, whenever it flew onto the battlefield, countless arrows would be shot at it. This frightened Jiang Wan so much that she no longer dared to let it scout the situation.
After the second day's battle concluded, Jiang Wan first tended to Erlang's injuries, then went to the military doctors to replenish blood for the wounded. More people were injured today, and their wounds were more severe. Jiang Wan could only prioritize treating soldiers whose lives were in immediate danger. By the time Jiang Wan emerged, her energy was almost depleted again.
As soon as she stepped out, she saw Gu Chenzhou waiting.
"Follow me."
Gu Chenzhou dropped these two words, turned, and left. Jiang Wan followed without a word. The two arrived at an open space, one after the other, and sat down. Jiang Wan reached out and tugged at his clothes, quietly absorbing energy. Gu Chenzhou closed his eyes, lost in thought.
After more than an hour, Jiang Wan stopped. Seeing that she was fine, Gu Chenzhou got up to leave. Jiang Wan quickly stopped him. "Gu Chenzhou, after the war is over, I'll help you with your illness."
Gu Chenzhou paused, then strode away, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
In the following days, the war intensified with each passing day. Nearly all soldiers from both armies were deployed. Jiang Wan, with the remaining nearly a thousand men, stayed by General Han's side, sitting on a high platform. She watched the battlefield, where the fighting had become a chaotic melee, and the atmosphere was extremely heavy. Zhao Jingyun's situation on the opposing side was similar.
The battle raged for a full day, and gradually, General Han's army gained the upper hand. Gu Chenzhou and Erlang led their troops towards Zhao Jingyun's command post. Zhao Jingyun's personal guards desperately attacked the two, aiming to buy enough time for Zhao Jingyun to retreat. Gu Chenzhou fought ferociously with the experts, driven by a singular desire: to get closer to his enemy. His only thought was that he must personally kill Zhao Jingyun and avenge the more than three hundred lives of his Gu family! He had waited for this day for over ten years, and now, everything hinged on this moment!
Gu Chenzhou fought with bloodshot eyes, like a tireless, pain-immune killing machine, charging towards his objective. Wounds appeared on his body one after another, but they did not impede his progress. Erlang, knowing his eagerness for revenge and seeing his reckless fighting style, feared he might die there and quickly rushed to help. The two fought side by side, forcing Zhao Jingyun's men to retreat steadily.
Jiang Wan, watching everything through the little pony's eyes from afar, felt her heart clench. The two men who had been guarding Zhao Jingyun were exceptionally skilled. Gu Chenzhou and her second brother had been fighting all day and were almost exhausted. Could they still defeat those two? After careful consideration, Jiang Wan turned to General Han. "General, I'll go assist my second brother and Deputy General Gu."
General Han, knowing her skill, nodded. "You may, but be careful."
Jiang Wan cupped her fists in acknowledgment, mounted her warhorse, and spurred it into the battlefield. On the battlefield, the two armies were still locked in a fierce struggle. Many rebels, seeing Jiang Wan charge in, raised their swords and attacked her. Jiang Wan sneered, her blade flashing, unblinkingly reaping the lives of the rebels. The rebels, witnessing her ferocity, dared not block her path and quickly moved aside, fearing a swift death.
The little pony, seeing her leave the battlefield, quickly flew to guide her. Jiang Wan, using her abilities to control her horse, rapidly traversed the entire battlefield and arrived near Gu Chenzhou and Erlang. They were surrounded by rebels, with Gu Chenzhou and Erlang desperately fighting their way forward. Jiang Wan, holding her saber, leaped into the air, clearing the encirclement, and landed beside them.
"Second brother, brother Chenzhou, I'm here."
The two were truly exhausted. Erlang, worried he couldn't protect her, urged, "What are you doing here! Go back quickly!"
Jiang Wan smiled. "I can't go back, second brother. Don't speak, just recuperate for a moment." She extended her hands, holding Erlang's and Gu Chenzhou's, rapidly replenishing their energy. Erlang, experiencing such a miraculous event for the first time, widened his eyes in astonishment. Gu Chenzhou remained calm. Sensing his strength had largely recovered, he resumed his onslaught.
Jiang Wan withdrew her hands, gestured with her saber, and said to Erlang, "Second brother, what are you waiting for? Let's go! Fight the enemy together!" With that, Jiang Wan raised her saber and plunged into the fray with the rebels.
Erlang roared, "I'm with you!" The three turned their backs to each other, wielding their sabers and desperately cutting down the enemies before them. Finally, one by one, the enemies fell. There was no one left standing in their path.
Gu Chenzhou tightened his grip on his saber and called out to Zhao Jingyun in the distance, "Zhao villain, give me justice for the more than three hundred lives of my Gu family!"
Zhao Jingyun laughed maniacally. "So, it's a Gu family remnant! I didn't expect you to still be alive! Very well, today, this old man will root out your family completely!" As he spoke, he clapped his hands, and the two experts who had been guarding him lunged at Gu Chenzhou. At the same moment, Zhao Jingyun, escorted by others, prepared to flee.
Jiang Wan said to Gu Chenzhou, "You go kill the Zhao villain. My second brother and I will hold them here!" Gu Chenzhou glanced back at her, then, saber in hand, charged towards Zhao Jingyun. Seeing this, the two experts immediately moved to intercept Gu Chenzhou. Jiang Wan and Erlang quickly moved to block their path.
The two formidable experts scoffed. "You court death!" Their martial prowess far surpassed Gu Chenzhou's. Since Gu Chenzhou couldn't defeat either of them, what hope did Jiang Wan and Erlang have? Honestly, Erlang felt a pang of apprehension.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Wan smiled brightly, flicked her wrist, and a swarm of poisonous insects surged from beneath the feet of the two experts. The insects crawled up their clothes, burrowed inside, and began to gnaw at their flesh. The two had never encountered such a situation and frantically tried to brush them off.
Jiang Wan shouted to the stunned Erlang, "What are you waiting for? Attack!" The siblings charged forward, sabers in hand. The two experts, seeing this, quickly drew their sabers to defend themselves. However, the power of Jiang Wan's poisonous insects was immense. After only a few exchanges, they felt their meridians obstructed throughout their bodies. With any further exertion, they felt an unbearable pain explode within them.