Chapter 52: Slaying Cao Yi! The Passionate Zhang Ping!

Although Han and Qin were not the same nation, the military systems of this era were essentially similar, differing only in their terminology.

Those protected by personal guards were inevitably officers of rank equal to or higher than a commanding general; thus, it was evident that Cao Yi held a high position.

This realization only served to excite Zhao Feng further.

"Kill!!"

With a low roar, Zhao Feng charged toward Cao Yi with clear intent.

Without needing further words from Zhao Feng, the elite soldiers behind him quickly dispersed to launch an attack.

"Kill him, quickly!"

Seeing Zhao Feng charging directly at him with an unstoppable momentum, Cao Yi shouted at the top of his lungs.

As soon as the command fell, the numerous personal guards surrounding Cao Yi brandished their swords and swarmed toward Zhao Feng.

"Kill!!"

The guards roared, their morale high.

Zhao Feng did not dodge; instead, he met them head-on, swinging his sword in a single stroke.

Instantly, the weapons of several guards in front of him shattered, bloodlines appeared on their necks, and they perished in an instant.

Having easily dealt with those few guards, Zhao Feng continued his slaughter.

The well-trained Han personal guards before him were no match for Zhao Feng; anyone who stood in his way was cut down.

"Is he a man or a ghost?"

Watching the ferocious Zhao Feng, Cao Yi was terrified.

He was a renowned general of Han and had been through many battlefields, but he had never witnessed combat prowess as fierce as Zhao Feng's.

Even with hundreds of guards surrounding him, Zhao Feng had fought his way through as if entering an uninhabited land.

"Protect the High General!"

The guard captain bellowed.

The surrounding guards quickly converged, locking their shields together to form a perimeter, completely shielding Cao Yi within.

"He is actually a High General of the State of Han!"

"Then your life is worth even more!"

Hearing the shouts of the Han guards, Zhao Feng grew even more manic. He charged directly at the dense shield wall.

Just as he drew near, Zhao Feng gripped the blood-stained shield in his hand and hurled it violently at the shield formation with nearly all his strength.

The power of this strike was immense.

*Boom!*

The sound of shattering wood and metal echoed, mingled with screams of agony.

The defensive shield wall formed by the dozen or so men was instantly shattered. The force of the shield sent them flying; several Han soldiers who bore the brunt of the impact were killed instantly by the shock.

"Monster... monster..."

The surrounding Han soldiers watched Zhao Feng with utter terror, their eyes filled with the despair one reserves for a monster.

"Form the formation!"

"Quickly!"

Cao Yi screamed hysterically.

But at that moment, the moment the shield wall was broken, Zhao Feng gave them no chance to react.

Pushing his speed to the limit, Zhao Feng lunged toward Cao Yi.

In the darkness, a figure moving many times faster than a normal human flashed past. In the blink of an eye, Zhao Feng reached Cao Yi just as the shield wall attempted to reform.

The Longquan Sword thrust out in an instant during this charge.

*Puchi!*

Cao Yi had no chance to react before a surge of intense pain swept over him.

He lowered his head tremulously; the Qin general, looking like a god of death, had impaled him.

"Mon...ster..."

Cao Yi struggled to look at Zhao Feng, trembling as he gasped out the three words.

[Killed the Han High General. Gained 10 points to all attributes. Obtained one Tier 1 Treasure Chest.] A notification appeared on the panel.

The surrounding Han guards stared at Zhao Feng in stunned silence.

Under their heavy protection, this Qin general had actually managed to kill their commander.

Ignoring their shock, Zhao Feng took the opportunity to pull out the Longquan Sword and swung downward. Cao Yi's head fell into Zhao Feng's hand.

This was military merit.

He wanted the treasure chest, and he wanted the merit.

Now that he had embarked on this path of killing enemies to build glory, Zhao Feng intended to see it through to the end.

"I have slain the Han High General!"

"The Han army has collapsed!"

"Brothers!"

"Achieving glory through battle is happening this very moment!"

"I will lead you to greatness!" Zhao Feng roared, thrusting the severed head high into the air.

At that moment, the enemy's morale instantly crumbled.

The Great Qin elite soldiers behind Zhao Feng were ecstatic.

"The Commandant's divine might!"

"Kill!"

"Kill them all..."

The Qin soldiers roared, their morale soaring to the heavens.

"Run! Run quickly!"

"The General is dead!"

"We've lost!"

"Run for your lives..."

Seeing Cao Yi's death, the previously stable defensive lines instantly disintegrated. The panic spread among the Han troops like wildfire—one man fleeing took ten with him, and ten took a hundred.

In an instant, the final line of defense outside the Han capital was broken.

Zhao Feng naturally led his troops in pursuit.

***

The Inner City!

"Report!"

"Reporting to the Chancellor!"

"The outer city has completely fallen! The Qin army has entered the inner city!"

A Han general rushed toward Zhang Ping, reporting loudly.

"Where is Cao Yi?" Zhang Ping asked, his brow furrowed in anger.

"Reporting to the Chancellor..." the general said with a trembling voice, "General Cao has fallen in battle."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping's expression shifted, finally settling into a look of grief. "General Cao, you were a worthy warrior of our Great Han. Go on ahead; I shall join you soon."

"Chancellor," the general said bitterly, "the Qin army has already fought their way into the city. Between the inner city and the palace guards, we have fewer than twenty thousand men. We cannot hold them."

"Even if we cannot hold, we must fight!"

"I am here to live or die with my country. The Zhang family has been loyal ministers of Han for generations; we shall never surrender to Qin!" Zhang Ping said coldly, filled with a resolve to die for his nation.

Having already sent his family to safety, he had no lingering concerns.

But just then!

"Chancellor!"

"An urgent decree from the King!"

A palace guard officer rushed in.

"What is the King's decree?" Zhang Ping asked immediately.

"An urgent decree! The capital has fallen and defense is futile. The King summons the Chancellor to lead the troops back to the palace immediately to guard the royal city, so that terms may be negotiated with the Qin army," the guard officer said with a bow.

Zhang Ping's face changed. First came shock, then a bitter smile. "Is the King preparing to surrender?"

"Reporting to the Chancellor," the guard commander said, "after the city fell, the officials advised against a desperate struggle. They wish to protect the palace to await peace negotiations with Qin."

"Sigh."

Zhang Ping let out a long sigh toward the heavens, then waved his hand. "Generals, return to the palace to stand guard."

Having said this, Zhang Ping drew his sword and remained standing where he was.

"Why is the Chancellor doing this?" The guard commander's expression changed as he watched the unmoving Zhang Ping.

"The Zhang family has been loyal to Han for generations. We will never surrender. You all return to the palace."

"I shall face the Qin army alone," Zhang Ping declared with grand passion.

Hearing this, the guard commander bowed to Zhang Ping with profound respect. "Chancellor, your virtue is immense!"

Zhang Ping's willingness to die moved many Han soldiers, who bowed in succession. "This general is willing to follow the Chancellor and protect the nation with his life!"

"Those who wish to stay, stay," Zhang Ping said with a sigh. "Those who do not, return to the palace to guard it; there may still be a way to survive."

...