Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 374: Bloodied Mountains and Rivers

Maitreya’s army arrived before the city of Xiangyang, an endless sea of troops as far as the eye could see.

At this moment, Lu Shiheng, standing on the walls of the city, could not help but feel some admiration for Maitreya.

On the surface, it was as if he was already under Maitreya’s control, and they had even teamed up inside the city to ambush Tang Wanzhuang... Theoretically speaking, there would not have been any need to attack Xiangyang, but Maitreya had still made thorough preparations. He took advantage of their apparent alliance and the lack of reconnaissance to stealthily bring an army this close to the city, allowing him to be ready to unleash a thunderous attack at any moment.

Now, regardless of whether Lu Shiheng was truly under their control, or how many men the Wang and Yang Clans had brought, the presence of this large army made it so that Xiangyang was as good as taken.

Moreover, Maitreya even had forces deployed along the Han River, preemptively allying with the Blood God Cult to block any reinforcements from the north. When Lu Shiheng received word of the defeat of his military camp by the riverside, he thought Maitreya had crushed Wang Daozhong to dust.

Those who believed they could use Maitreya as a pawn to kill Tang Wanzhuang were gravely mistaken. It was only because Maitreya genuinely wanted to capture Tang Wanzhuang that he was even willing to be used, but during that time, he had also quietly moved his army closer. Who was using whom was not clear, but for now, it seemed that Maitreya had the upper hand.

Lu Shiheng considered symbolically defending for a while, observing the Yang Clan’s crossing. If they were truly blocked by the Blood God Cult and could not cross, he would open the gates and welcome Maitreya, truly joining their side. It would not be his fault for failing to defend; it was simply that it was impossible to defend against such a massive force.

That was not even a lie; it really was indefensible.

In the clash of tens of thousands of troops, a single formidable general may not necessarily decide the tides of war. But in a situation where the enemy already had superior numbers, especially in a siege, such a general could make a huge difference.

The concept of the “first to scale” meant that if a formidable general gained a foothold on the wall, subsequent soldiers could follow, causing the wall’s defense to collapse. In this case, it just so happened that Maitreya was one of the most formidable generals, unmatched by all except a few in the entire world.

As Maitreya leaped onto the walls, Lu Shiheng felt he could retreat while fighting, eventually withdrawing to the city gates, where he would then allow Maitreya to slash open the gate’s chains. Once the gates were open, that would be the end of it, especially since the Yang Clan’s forces could not cross the river.

Maitreya understood his intention and would not kill him. Just as he was about to head to the gate, a clear voice rang out from the sky, “Maitreya, your might is truly unparalleled.”

Maitreya looked up, frowning, as a sword light sped toward him under the moonlight, reaching his face in an instant.

It was the Mountain-Splitting Sword of the Yang Clan of Hongnong!

They’ve already managed to cross the river? What’s Xue Canghai doing? They had such an advantageous position to block the crossing, yet they couldn’t even hold them back for a moment?

Even more frustrating for Maitreya was that another sword light followed closely behind Yang Jingxiu’s

It was the Sea-Dividing Sword of the Wang Clan of Langya!

In an instant, it turned into a situation where Maitreya was being ganged up on by two masters on the Ranking of Earth, with Tang Wanzhuang possibly hiding nearby, waiting to strike!

Maitreya swung his jiedao as he fought off two opponents at once, his expression extremely grim, “Does the Yang Clan truly intend to join the fray? Have you really become the Wang Clan’s lapdogs?”

Yang Jingxiu smiled slightly, not even bothering to respond.

The true high-born disdained even speaking to Maitreya, even if he ranked above them on the Ranking of Troubled Times. To them, he was a mere ruffian.

Though Yang Jingxiu was ranked lower, tenth on the Ranking of Earth, it did not signify a vast difference in their power. They were basically on the same level, and it would take a fierce battle to determine a victor between them. And with Wang Daozhong attacking alongside him, Maitreya was likely to suffer defeat.

Lu Shiheng, watching this unfold, was even more shocked. He could not just simply walk Maitreya into taking over the city now. In front of Yang Jingxiu, he could not afford to be seen slacking or betraying the empire, he had to put on a show of loyal and determined defense, or else he would be held accountable!

What the heck is with the Blood God Cult? Did they get wiped out?

As he pondered this, loud battle cries erupted from the flanks of Maitreya’s army.

Nearly ten thousand ferocious cult members of the Blood God Cult, dressed in uniform blood-red robes, surged forward like a sea of blood under the moonlight, surging toward the right flank of Maitreya’s army.

Simultaneously, battle cries rose from the other direction. Yang Bugui, Yang Jingxiu’s son and seventh on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons, led the Yang Clan’s troops, who had just landed, to attack the left flank of Maitreya’s army.

It was as if Maitreya’s army had walked right into a trap.

Lu Shiheng could not fathom how Maitreya’s well-devised plan had turned into self-ensnarement.

How in the world did this happen?

His gaze fell on the front of the Blood God Cult.

Leading the charge of the cult members was not their cult leader, Xue Canghai, but a young man wielding a broad saber. With each swing of his saber, heads rolled and bodies were cleaved in half. He charged onward like a tiger among sheep; he was unstoppable.

His clothes were still stained with old blood from past battles, and now they were soaked again in fresh blood. This blood-soaked figure was unmistakable, and it was none other than the infamous Bloodthirsty Asura.

Zhao Changhe! Is it all because of him?

When people said Zhao Changhe single-handedly altered the battle at Yanmen, Lu Shiheng did not believe it. After all, how could one person decide the outcome of a war?

But now, he had no choice but to believe it. Whether it was the failure of the ambush on Tang Wanzhuang or the sudden shift in this battle, Zhao Changhe was at the center of it all.

Single-handedly, he had stirred the heavens and earth. Wherever his saber swung, the winds and clouds followed!

* * *

Unlike the Battle of Yanmen, where the sudden pincer attack had caused Timur’s army to collapse after a prolonged siege, this time, Yu Cixiu’s forces had barely begun their assault. They were still in the early stages of their attack, leaving time for adjustments. Their formation was still fresh, and they still had time to adjust.

Moreover, they outnumbered the enemy with tens of thousands of troops. The Blood God Cult had just over ten thousand men, with some left behind to guard their camp. Therefore, there was really only around seven to eight thousand of them in this surprise attack. On the other side, the Yang Clan’s private soldiers numbered less than five thousand.

There were two to three thousand soldiers within Xiangyang, but would they cooperate like Huangfu Yongxian’s forces had? If they did not, the attacking forces would be crashing against a solid wall.

Nevertheless, these two forces were not to be underestimated, each of their men being true elites. This was especially so for the Blood God Cult—they were like a pack of rabid dogs. Killing quite literally enhanced their strength while weakening the enemy, and facing a battlefield of tens of thousands only excited them more. They eagerly fought to kill, their desire for slaughter unmatched by any reward-driven troops.

Moreover, Zhao Changhe and Xue Canghai were even more extraordinary than any of the cult members.

On this battlefield, their power seemed to soar. The vicious blood qi around them was so intense that it looked like they were ablaze with blood-red flames, a faint smoke rising from their bodies.

The painstakingly-trained elite soldiers appeared like inexperienced recruits against them. While they could handle other enemies, the moment they faced either of these two, their courage shattered, and they fled in panic.

Their terrifying bloodlust made them natural-born warriors of the battlefield.

The right flank could not withstand these mad dogs, instantly being torn apart the moment they clashed.

Yu Cixiu watched coldly in Zhao Changhe’s direction.

Is he really planning to break through and head straight for my command flag?

Indeed, Zhao Changhe intended to pierce through the army, aiming directly for the commander.

Otherwise, with their numbers, dragging out the fight would result in heavy casualties for the Blood God Cult, and that was something that Zhao Changhe did not want to happen.

He had already tested Yu Cixiu’s combat prowess before. He was strong, a formidable opponent in one-on-one combat. But at this moment, Zhao Changhe had a way to kill him.

Beside him was Cult Leader Xue, and behind him were members of the Blood God Cult. Despite being in the midst of thousands, he felt perfectly at ease, only needing to cut down those in front of him to continue onward.

This was the key difference between battlefield tactics and individual combat.

Swoosh!

With a ferocious sweep of Dragon Bird, the members of the Maitreya Cult around him were cut down, blades and bodies alike slashed apart.

Who dared to stop such a demon? He truly did not even seem human at this point. He looked just like an asura that had crawled out of a sea of blood. His eyes were blood-red, an inhuman sight.

Maitreya’s army was thrown into chaos. From a high vantage point, it would look as though the army was being parted, with Zhao Changhe leading the members of the Blood God Cult like a sharp knife, thrusting straight into the center toward the command flag.

To Zhao Changhe’s delight, Yu Cixiu found himself unable to sit still and personally came to fight him. In his view, as long as he could hold off Zhao Changhe, the Blood God Cult’s advance would be halted.

“This time, there won’t be a Tang Wanzhuang to help you block my attack!” Yu Cixiu’s mourning staff flew over the army, heading straight for Zhao Changhe’s face.

He made a swift movement, and from the tip of the mourning staff suddenly sprouted a sharp blade.

This was Yu Cixiu’s weapon, a staff that could transform into a spear!

Zhao Changhe decapitated a nearby member of the Maitreya Cult with a single swing and turned to see the gleaming blade right before him.

He suddenly flashed a grin. “I didn’t expect you’d be so impatient. Thanks, that saves me a lot of trouble.”

As he spoke, he had already swung Dragon Bird, precisely meeting the spearhead.

They both believed that killing the other would solve their issues. Now, it all came down to whose skills were truly superior.

Clang!

A deafening clang resounded as the saber and spear clashed. Zhao Changhe’s unstoppable momentum was finally halted. The soldiers of Maitreya, who were on the verge of collapse, rallied and surrounded him, and the Blood God Cult’s advance was slowed.

For a moment, Zhao Changhe felt as if he had swapped roles from when he faced Vulture Beak. Back then, he had stalled Vulture Beak, trapping their forces in the quagmire of thousands of soldiers. Now, Yu Cixiu aimed to do the same.

However...

Zhao Changhe’s eyes grew increasingly red. What was once just a red tint in his pupils now turned his irises entirely crimson.

His arms visibly swelled, and his muscles expanded to the size of a human head.

No Man’s Land!

In the state of No Man’s Land, his mind could almost perceive the vicious blood qi permeating the entire battlefield. For the faint-hearted, merely being in this place would cause them to lose their courage.

Vicious blood qi held power.

As it gathered and condensed, it invaded the mind and spirit, overwhelming the body.

Zhao Changhe’s saber resonated with it. When he swung, the vicious blood qi surged forth, evoking a collective cry from thousands upon thousands of men.

Whoosh!

Yu Cixiu thrust his spear once more.

Zhao Changhe could sense that this spear was perfectly suited for the battlefield, embodying the anguished wails of vengeful spirits. It was a harbinger of death, its bone-chilling coldness piercing his soul, threatening to freeze, tear apart, and dissipate his spirit.

It was the spear of death, the Soul-Reaping Spear.

This was the absolute best strike that Yu Cixiu, forty-fourth on the Ranking of Man, could muster!

Zhao Changhe closed his eyes and swung his saber horizontally.

Boom!

It was as if one could hear the sound of vicious blood qi surging around him, waves crashing, and a volcano erupting.

Countless strands of vicious blood qi roared within a radius of three zhang, converging into tangible blades around Yu Cixiu.

Spear and saber clashed once again, and it felt as if the entire battlefield had frozen. Everyone watched this scene in shock.

The spear and the saber were locked together, yet chilling qi still emanated from the spear’s tip, piercing Zhao Changhe’s shoulder and causing blood to gush out.

Yu Cixiu, on the other hand, looked as if he had been subjected to a thousand cuts. His body was covered in countless wounds, blood gushing from every part. It was impossible to tell how many strikes he had suffered.

It was not just about the number of strikes, either.

The external vicious qi acted like blades, while the internal blood qi boiled.

A single strike—Bloodied Mountains and Rivers!

Yu Cixiu stared wide-eyed at Zhao Changhe, unable to believe that as the man ranked forty-fourth on the Ranking of Man, and as someone who had felt equally matched with Zhao Changhe during their rooftop duel, he could not even withstand a second strike from Zhao Changhe in this battlefield.

All thoughts of rebellion, wealth, and women vanished.

All of it came to rest with his death.