stonecrandall Chapter 831: Enemies are extremely jealous when they meet!
Chapter 831: Enemies are extremely jealous when they meet!
Atop the city wall, Ma Chang watched Gao Yao's cavalry charge into the Chu army as if they were in no man's land. His heart, strained to the limit and nearly breaking, finally relaxed. A wave of exhaustion and exhaustion washed over him, and he felt as if his bones had been torn out. He collapsed heavily, relying only on the cold parapet behind him to keep himself from falling.
He gasped for breath as he gazed at the reversal of the battle situation below the city, his eyes filled with immense relief at having escaped death. However, as he gazed at Gao Yao's figure, a complex and indescribable emotion woven deep within his gaze—gratitude? Awe? Or perhaps a subtle tinge of fear?
At the foot of the pass, Xiang Yu witnessed this scene, and the lava-like anger in his pupils suddenly exploded!
He saw the glaring banner with the word "Gao" on it, and more clearly recognized the figure sitting upright on horseback with a sinister look in his eyes!
"Gao—Yao—!!!" Xiang Yu's roar was no longer just a chilling wind; it was a nine-dimensional gale, swathed in monstrous hatred and furious murderous intent, sweeping across the battlefield, even the deafening cries of killing were momentarily silenced! He instantly understood that this fleeting opportunity had been completely ruined by the sudden arrival of reinforcements! The defenders' morale was high, and the fresh troops were unstoppable. Their own formation was already in disarray. Further attacks would not only result in additional casualties, but could even lead to a rout!
"Ming—Jin—!!!" Xiang Yu roared with resentment, like a wounded prehistoric beast. The sound surged into the sky! With boundless rage, he fiercely swung the Overlord Halberd downwards. The sharp wind from the halberd actually cut a stray arrow in two!
"Dang-dang-dang-!"
The crisp, rapid sound of the golden gong, like a life-saving spell, yet also like a death knell of humiliation, suddenly rang out over the bloody battlefield. The Chu army, once surging forward, seemed to be blocked by an invisible dam and began to surge backward like a receding tide. However, under Xiang Yu's mountainous pressure and the hoarse roars of the lower-ranking officers, the retreat did not turn into a complete collapse.
They covered each other, dragging the wounded with great difficulty, and slowly retreated towards the main camp amidst the mess of corpses and broken weapons. Every step backward was like stepping on a hot iron, leaving a mark of humiliation.
Gao Yao reined in his warhorse and slowly climbed the walls of Yangping Pass, where a bloody battle had just taken place. Standing at the highest point, he looked down at the Chu army retreating like a tide, his lips curling up into a smile that was both icy and cruel.
He didn't order a pursuit, but instead locked his cold gaze on the mountain-like figure of the Overlord of Western Chu within the Chu army. With his unique voice, as sharp and piercing as a steel knife scraping bone, he spoke clearly, piercing the clamor of the battlefield and piercing Xiang Yu's eardrums:
"Xiang Yu! How are you? How dare you invade the fortified Yangping Pass? Do you think your life is too long and rush here to die?!"
This extremely humiliating provocation was like a poisoned dagger, stabbing Xiang Yu fiercely!
Xiang Yu reined in his black horse! His massive form created a whirlwind! He spun abruptly, his pupils, burning with the fires of hell, piercing through space and locking onto Gao Yao on the city wall! The murderous intent in his eyes was so intense it practically transformed into a physical blade, intent on slicing Gao Yao into pieces!
"Gaoyao--! I will eat your flesh alive and sleep on your skin!!" Xiang Yu's roar was like thunder exploding in the sky, carrying a vow to destroy the world, making the eardrums of the surrounding soldiers buzz.
Before the roar faded, he suddenly shoved his horse's belly. The black horse neighed loudly, carrying his furious body as if ready to explode, and galloped away with the retreating army. Yangping Pass was a steep and precipitous pass, easy to defend but difficult to attack. A strong attack was already difficult, and even more so when Gao Yao, the treacherous villain, intervened at the very moment the city was about to be breached, the effort was thwarted! The pile of their own corpses beneath the city was not only a huge obstacle, but also a heavy blow to morale. Further attacks would only result in more casualties.
Beneath the walls of Yangping Pass, thick smoke still lingered, the air thick with the sickening stench of burnt flesh and blood. Corpses lay scattered, broken spears and halberds shattered, the scene a shambles. This first, most brutal, bloody battle of attack and defense ultimately ended with the temporary retreat of Xiang Yu, the Overlord of Western Chu.
Everyone knew it. This was by no means the end, merely a brief moment of silence in the eye of the storm. Xiang Yu's retreat was the tiger's temporary dormancy. His pupils, burning with an undying flame of war and overwhelming hatred, were like the trigger of a precise crossbow, firmly locked onto this blood-stained pass and the ruthless, venomous opponent atop it—Gao Yao.
The next clash will surely pour out all of Xiang Yu's anger and strength, and its ferocity and cruelty will surely far exceed today's!
Watching Xiang Yu's mountain-like figure finally disappear in the smoke and dust of the retreating Chu army, Gao Yao's nerves, which had been as taut as a bowstring, finally relaxed.
Gao Yao calmly took a deep breath. The air, thick with the smell of blood and burnt food, rushed into his lungs, and he felt a sense of relief at having survived. In that critical moment, if he had been even a step later, Yangping Pass would have been breached! He held onto the cold battlements, his fingertips even feeling the subtle vibrations of the stone bricks from the continuous impact. Cold sweat had already soaked the lining of his back.
"Ma Chang, the commander of Yangping Pass, pays his respects to the king!" A hoarse, tired but extremely respectful voice sounded beside him.
Gao Yao turned, his gaze fixed on Ma Chang, a blood-soaked figure, his armor tattered. The defender's left arm was grievously wounded, flesh turned inside out, blood mixed with dust and congealed into a dark red scab. His face was stained with smoke and burns, his lips chapped. Only his eyes, after enduring the hellish battle, still held an unyielding spirit.
Seeing him almost unable to stand but forcing himself to salute, Gao Yao's sense of alienation towards the generals under Ying Bu's command turned into real recognition at this moment.
"Thank you for your hard work!" Gao Yao's voice still held that characteristic coldness, yet it carried a weight of profound significance. He stepped forward, even reaching out to lightly support Ma Chang's trembling arm. Needless to say, the tragic scene before him and the wounded general were sufficient evidence of his loyalty and dedication. "I will remember your heroic efforts in defending the city to the death."
Gao Yao's sigh faded, and then his eyes regained their usual sharpness and calculation. He no longer looked at Ma Chang, but instead scanned the devastated battlefield below the city like a hawk—the piles of Chu corpses, the broken ladders, the overturned rams, and the city gate, covered in giant, spiderweb-like cracks that threatened to collapse at any moment. The crisis was far from over!