Chapter 6 Section VI

People around him surrounded him.Ye Feihu's fighting so hard is really frightening, and it is even more frightening to think of when he attacked Chu Xiuhong just now.Chu Xiuhong sighed, and said, "It's a pity to bury him properly." As he spoke, he put the Baipi knife into its sheath. Only he himself knew that the Baipi knife had been broken into more than a dozen small pieces. At this time, the little prince and Shao Fengguan had brought the horse back. The little prince seemed to be seriously ill, and the horse seemed to be crumbling.Chu Xiuhong stepped forward, bowed to the little prince, and said, "Your Highness, how is the matter?"

The little prince looked at Chu Xiuhong, and the circles of his eyes were also red.Although he is not much younger than Chu Xiuhong, he has treated him like an elder since the day he met Chu Xiuhong.He choked up and said, "Teacher Wu Zhao...he..." His voice was intermittent, speechless.Chu Xiuhong knew that although the little prince was already the commander-in-chief of an army, and his spear skills were faintly surpassing his own, he was still a pampered child in his heart, and had not been tempered like iron by the flames of war.He bowed deeply again and said: "Your Highness, everything is predestined, please don't think too much. Come, please return to the tent and rest."

The little prince fell into the trick of diverting the tiger away from the mountain, and Zhen Lizhi took advantage of his concern for Wu Zhao, and Chu Xiuhong couldn't bear to blame him.After the little prince had left, he whispered to Shao Feng: "Brother Shao, an important place in the Chinese army, how could you be so careless and let His Highness come out?" If the little prince and Shao Fengguan were in the central army, Ye Feihu's snail boat would not be able to use it no matter how magical it was, and all those thunderbolts would never be blown up.Shao Feng looked at the soldiers who were tidying up the gunpowder depot, his face also turned pale, and said: "Chu Shuai, the general is convicted, please punish Chu Shuai. However, the little prince fell off the horse because he stabbed Teacher Wu Zhao, and he felt extremely sad. Chu Shuai, please don't blame him."

The little prince has always admired Chu Xiuhong. Although he is actually the highest-ranking officer in the Northern Expeditionary Army, he knows that the strategy of leading the army cannot be compared with Chu Xiuhong, so he obeys Chu Xiuhong in every detail. See Chu Xiuhong Xiu Hong was also in awe.Chu Xiuhong sighed and said: "Military law is not unreasonable at all. I was also at fault. I didn't take care of you carefully, so that I fell into the trap. Let's forget about it. However, Brother Shao, your Thunderbolt is over. If not, then the tactics we discussed won’t work.”

Shao Feng looked to the north.In the dark night, there is a vast expanse, and there is no light in the darkness. Looking around, there are only high and low sand dunes. I know that Zhen Lizhi is ahead, but I just don’t know where it is.The map on the desert is very different from the usual ones, and the marked location is only a rough idea. If you want to find the oasis, you still have to rely on the whole army to search on the ground.But with Zhen Lizhi watching over him, who knows what will happen again.Shao Feng said: "Oh, if Marquis Wen dies and doesn't fight, but just hides, then he has the water source, and we can't support it for long."

Chu Xiuhong looked into the distance and said softly, "Brother Shao, don't worry, Zhen Lizhi will definitely come to us for a decisive battle soon." Shao Fengguan raised his eyebrows and said, "Shuai Chu, why do you know this?" "General Shao, have you ever noticed that Zhen Lizhi's night attack did not destroy the fresh water in the army, but detonated all of our Thunderbolts?" Shao Feng said: "Yes, what do you say?" "That is to say, Zhen Lizhi has Di Wang's cavalry to help him, so he is not afraid of a decisive battle with us. I am afraid that his whole heart is to defeat our entire army, and he may even have the heart to subdue us for his use. What he is afraid of is only We attack with thunderbolts, so the first thing is to blow up our thunderbolts."

Shao Fengguan lowered his head and thought for a while, "Chu Shuai, you are right. But now that we have no Thunderbolt, the Wind Legion is like a broken wing, and its power has been greatly reduced." Chu Xiuhong said: "Brother Shao, you have always been fearless, are you afraid now? When our Earth Wind Army was surrounded by tens of thousands of snake men, you were never afraid, not to mention the night attack of Zhen Li, even Ye Feihu and Wu Zhao The teacher is also broken, and we also captured two or three hundred Diren cavalry, which is not a small blow to them." At this time Jian Zhonglan came over and said, "Commander Chu, our army killed 33 people, wounded 19, captured 205 people in this battle. Ask those Di people about the whereabouts of Zhen Li, and they all say I don’t know. Excuse me, how should I deal with it?”

The captive was being escorted over, Shao Fengguan said: "What are you asking? Immediately torture them and ask them to tell where Marquis Wen is hiding. Chu Shuai, let me come, even if it is a piece of pig iron, I will let him speak." Chu Xiuhong said: "Marquis Zhen is extremely careful in his actions. You can see that he only uses a small number of soldiers, most of whom are Di people. They are probably rangers transferred from other places with the scepter of King Di. I am afraid that those Di people I don't know the whereabouts of Zhen Lizhi." Shao Fengguan said: "Then torture the government soldiers. It's a pity that Teacher Wu Zhao would rather die than surrender, otherwise he must know where Marquis Wen is hiding."

Chu Xiuhong looked at the prisoners.Among these captives, there were only a dozen or so government soldiers, and the rest were all Di people.He walked up to a mansion soldier and said, "Do you know where Zhen Lizhi is?" He spoke like an ordinary chatter, not like torture.The mansion soldier had a long knife mark on his face, and his beard was covered with blood.He raised his eyes to look at Chu Xiuhong, stood up abruptly and yelled, "Chu Shuai, please don't insult the wonders of the world! Brothers, we live for adults and die for adults, but that's the case?" The other soldiers of the government also squatted on the ground with their heads in their arms. Hearing what this man said, they all stood up and said, "That's right! I'm sorry for not being able to sacrifice my life on the battlefield. Commander Chu, please do it!" This group of people Although he was a prisoner, he spoke harshly, as if he was awe-inspiring and inviolable.

Chu Xiuhong was stunned, then looked at the dazed Di captives, and suddenly said: "Jian joins the army, after handing over their armor, armor and horses, let them escape for their lives." As soon as he spoke, Shao Fengguan said from the side: "Shuai Chu, you have to feel compassion again." In the entire Imperial Army, only General Shao Fengguan dared to speak to General Chu Xiuhong like this.In the era when the commanders of the Four-Phase Army were all generals of Marquis Wen, Shao Fengguan was older and more experienced than Chu Xiuhong, and the two had fought side by side for the longest time. It is one level higher than Shao Fengguan, but Shao Fengguan can still refute Chu Xiuhong's order face to face.

Chu Xiuhong bit her lip and looked at the more than two hundred prisoners of war in front of her.These prisoners of war squatted in the sand with their heads in their hands, their eyes were blinded by the wind and sand, and their faces were also frightened. Most of them were Di people, and some were soldiers from the former Wenhou Mansion.After a while, Chu Xiuhong finally said, "General Shao, let them go." Shao Feng said: "Chu Shuai, please think twice. At this time, Marquis Wen and King Di have not yet been captured. Putting them back will increase their strength. Putting them back, will we let them attack our brothers again?" Chu Xiuhong looked at the sky.The night was dark, and in the desert in autumn, there was always a wind blowing. When the wind blows, the whole field is vast, and you can't see anything clearly.He sighed and said: "In the past when the great emperor won the kingdom, he ordered that no one should be killed, so the twelve generals opened up the territory and unified the universe. As I said, it is easy to get the land, but hard to win the hearts of the people. We went on an expedition to Mobei, and we were not familiar with the place, and the Di people only lived in the desert by chasing water and grass. After releasing them, even if a few people will return to King Di's command, the people of Di will definitely admire the king's righteous way and become tired of fighting, so on balance, it is still the best policy to let them go." Shao Fengguan remained silent.Although he knew that Chu Xiuhong said so much, he mainly hoped that he would not kill the surrender, but he also knew that what he said was very reasonable.He thought for a while, then heaved a long sigh, and said, "Chu Shuai, I can't say no to you, you are the king's righteous way when you open your mouth, so just do as you say." Chu Xiuhong smiled, turned around and said, "Jian Canjun, tell the captives that after confiscating their swords, guns and armor, release them all, and they are not allowed to return to King Di's army to fight us." Jian Zhonglan patted the horse indifferently, stepped forward, and spoke in Di Ren's language.After hearing what he said, the prisoners all showed expressions of surprise and joy. Some fell on the ground and kissed the sand while chanting loudly, making their eyebrows and beards full of sand.These Di soldiers probably also experienced the battle of Marquis Wen’s Northern Expedition ten years ago. At that time, they saw the imperial army killing people like grass. to express. The Di people's captives fled one after another, but one by one they went to the south, but the remaining dozen or so government soldiers still did not leave.Chu Xiuhong said: "Aren't you leaving?" The mansion soldier with the knife mark on his face said: "Chu Shuai, I know that you let us go to find the Lord by following our trail. Please don't think too much about it, Chu Shuai, we would rather die than escape." Chu Xiuhong showed a murderous look on his face, and said: "Okay, I will fulfill you. Come, someone will cut off the heads of these strong men one by one, and fulfill their names as wondermen in the world." The mansion soldier said with a smile, "Thank you, Shuai Chu. I, Marquis Wen, have three thousand swordsmen, and I will become famous through Shuai Chu." He strode forward, and the others followed him.One of them staggered, and after standing upright, he still didn't slow down, and followed. After they left, Chu Xiuhong whispered: "Jian Canjun, when you are beheading, pay attention to the person who stumbles last, and let him be beheaded at the end." Jian Zhonglan nodded, and led the soldiers of the Chinese army to walk.After they left, Shao Fengguan sighed and said: "Shuai Chu, I used to be somewhat dissatisfied with you, but now I am completely admired." Chu Xiuhong didn't look complacent at all, but there was a trace of pain on her face.The camp has become quiet, only the sound of the blade piercing the skin can be heard, when the government soldiers were beheaded, they didn't say a word, only at the end did someone scream.The scream dragged on for a long time, and the end was endless.After a while, Jian Zhonglan came back and said, "Shuai Chu, the last general has been beheaded, here are the twelve heads." All twelve heads were still stained with blood.Chu Xiuhong took a look, his eyes also showed confusion, and immediately said: "Give the order to the leader, let's bury the body." He patted his horse, climbed up a sand dune, and said loudly: "The whole army obeys the order. Zhen Lizhi and King Di are right in front of us. Tomorrow will dawn and the three armies will set off. We must sweep the caves and plow the courtyard to capture the traitor..." Although the imperial arsenal was bombed in this battle, the casualties were very small, and the morale of the army was high. Hearing Chu Xiuhong's general order, the whole army cheered. Although the soldiers of the Earth and Wind Legions were attacked, they were worthy of being the top elite soldiers of the empire, and they were still in order without any chaos.Chu Xiuhong watched all the soldiers disperse on the sand dunes, feeling dazed again. Shao Fengguan also went back to rest, now it is just a mess, the original flat sand is also uneven, and there are still bloodstains in many places, and the sand is also condensed into pieces. When people pass by, they only return these killings and blood to heaven and earth, and let heaven and earth turn these traces into invisible.Chu Xiuhong took out the statue and remained silent. At this time, there was a soft "pop" sound in the sheath. The Baipi knife finally broke. This knife was given to him by Marquis Wu back then.Over the years, Daoxia has cut off countless magical weapons and killed many generals and warriors.If a knife also has a heart, then today, the heart of this knife is also broken. Those who are not benevolent will be punished by heaven.Chu Xiuhong still remembered the words that Marquis Wu said before he decided to die for his country.He raised his head and looked at the sky, the wind and sand gradually subsided, and a waning moon hung in the sky, as cold as ice.He looked at the statue, and the pear-like face vaguely appeared in front of his eyes. Jian Zhonglan has not left since the soldiers left.He stood under the dune and looked at Chu Xiuhong's figure, gritted his teeth. He has let go of many opportunities, but this one is incomparably good.If he could flash by like a gust of wind with his invisible sword technique, Chu Xiuhong would definitely be killed by the sword without even humming. This opportunity cannot be missed.He seemed to see the grand master's face in the secret room again.Now Xiaoxian is also in the Grand Master's Mansion, if the matter cannot be done, I am afraid that Xiaoxian and I will only have the blessing of the same acupoint. He arched his hands, and with his right hand he touched the invisible knife in his sleeve.In the imperial army, probably only the grand master knew that Jian Zhonglan, apart from his deep knowledge of the art of war, had learned the invisible sword technique from a side branch of the Danding School of the Shangqing since he was a child. The fingertip touched the knife ring, and the invisible knife could be touched at any time.With a swing of the knife, the knife energy is hidden in the wind, no trace can be found, and no one can see it. He walked slowly up the dunes.At this time Chu Xiuhong was in a daze, and he never noticed that he was bullying, but as long as Chu Xiuhong was within ten steps, he would be aware and there would be no time to react. Jian Zhonglan walked very lightly.Now the soldiers are guarding the periphery of the Central Army to prevent the Di people from launching another attack. On the contrary, the area around the Central Army is so quiet that no one sees it. Every step Jian Zhonglan takes leaves only a very shallow footprint on the sand. I can't even tell. Fifteen steps away. Chu Xiuhong was still looking at the statue intently, and the sound of some soldiers walking not far away covered Jian Zhonglan's already light footsteps. Twelve steps. Chu Xiuhong remained motionless, but Jian Zhonglan couldn't help but hesitate, and he looked at Chu Xiuhong blankly. Chu Xiuhong blocked Ye Feihu's lightning attack, and he could see clearly.He knew that Chu Xiuhong's speed would not be slower than his own, and if he missed, he might not have another chance. For some reason, Xiaoxian's smile appeared in front of his eyes. It was just so slow, his feet sank, and one foot had already stepped deeply into the sand, with a "cha", the sand made a sound.Chu Xiuhong turned her head and saw Jian Zhonglan, said with a smile: "Jian Junjun, why don't you go to rest? There may be a big battle tomorrow." Jian Zhonglan's hands were still in his sleeves, and he didn't take them out. He just said, "Chu Shuai, I see that you haven't rested, so I'm a little worried." Chu Xiuhong smiled and said, "It's okay, it's just that I feel a little bored." Jian Zhonglan tentatively said: "Is it because of those government soldiers? If they don't say anything, they won't be able to save Zhen thief from losing." Chu Xiuhong said: "It's not because of this. It's just that, of course, I once made a vow, saying that in my lifetime, there will be no more wars in this world, so that everyone can live and work in peace and contentment. But," he shook his head, With a wry smile: "Over the years, I don't know how many wars I have launched, and how many families have been ruined." Jian Zhonglan's heart seemed to be hit hard by a giant hammer, and he almost screamed.He suppressed the pain in his heart, and said: "Chu Shuai, you don't have to blame yourself. In this era, if you can't control violence with violence, there will be more chaos in the world." Chu Xiuhong sighed, and said: "Sometimes I also think about this world. If there is no me, how many people will be called emperors and how many people will be called kings. But I can't be at ease after killing and breeding like this. Those who are not benevolent will be punished by heaven." , I am also a heartless person." Jian Zhonglan didn't know what to say, he murmured: "Chu Shuai, you are really a hero." Chu Xiuhong smiled lightly and said, "A hero? I don't want to be a hero. Heroes are just people who only make the people suffer. In this world, it would be better to have more artisans and doctors than fewer heroes. It would be better without them. " What Chu Xiuhong said made Jian Zhonglan startled.Who wouldn't want to be a hero?Holding a heavy army in hand, to conquer the world, this is the highest ambition in every man's heart.But Chu Xiuhong said that the fewer heroes, the better.He said, "Chu Shuai, what do you say?" "Every hero wants to achieve his own hegemony, and he is unwilling to let others rob him of his position. In the eyes of heroes, killing people and conquering cities is necessary to realize their ideals. However, the common people are innocent, for heroes ideals, should they become the cornerstone of heroic hegemony?" Chu Xiuhong raised her head and looked at the sky, her eyes were also full of confusion.Jian Zhonglan let out a long sigh, pulled out his sleeves, saluted with lowered hands and said, "Shuai Chu, let's go back."