Chapter 166: Completing the Main Mission
The cannonball was rammed into the chamber. As the shot rolled down the barrel, it produced a series of hollow, echoing sounds.
Although he hadn’t smelled the smoke yet, Wei Wanlan’s small face was already scrunching up.
Below the cliffs of the Sunit Outpost, a troop was galloping from the distance.
This army consisted of several hundred men. They paid no heed to formation and were approaching at breakneck speed!
Snow dust rose like white smoke behind the horses’ hooves, and the gleaming blades stabbed directly at one’s eyes.
“Khosrow, Akbar, Turkan!”
“Akbar, Turkan!”
“…”
It was a tidal wave of Turkic shouts.
Arrows began to shoot toward the sky.
Because the distance was too great, the Turkic cavalry couldn’t guarantee aim, so they utilized the gravity of the falling arrows to strike the Wei soldiers.
Aimless arrows were even harder to guard against. Some Wei soldiers were pierced in the shoulder while preparing munitions, while others, caught off guard, had their palms nailed through by arrows.
The soldiers adjusted the muzzle. In truth, they didn’t really understand the sights. With a bang, thick gray-white smoke erupted from the barrel, followed by an earth-shattering roar!
BOOM!
Rubble clattered around the Sunit Outpost.
Small stones jumped and popped all over the ground.
The first shot was fired. The range wasn’t very far; the cannonball landed not far below the vertical drop of the Sunit Outpost, smashing out a massive, deep crater. It was merely a show of force, shaking the surrounding snow-capped mountains.
“The cannon aimed too high!!!” a soldier at the outpost shouted.
The thick smoke triggered Wei Wanlan’s gag reflex. He covered his mouth, feeling his body react violently to the external stimulus.
A soldier hurriedly steadied him. “Your Majesty…”
“Don’t mind me. Again.”
The second cannonball flew out at a forty-five-degree angle!
The range was long, and the firepower was immense. As this shell was fired from high above, all the Wei soldiers looked down the cliff in unison: “Did it hit?” “Where is Ashina Shali?”
These were early versions of the Red Coat Cannon. The gunners responsible for firing them were not like the precision strikers in modern warfare; they hadn’t undergone strictly professional training.
The dense swarm of enemies galloping across the snowy plains had fought against Red Coat Cannons many times before this battle. Upon hearing the loud noise, the Turkic army relied on the mobility of their horses to scatter in tacit understanding.
Thus, the Wei soldiers discovered that the damage a single cannon could cause was limited and could not stop the rapid approach of the Turks.
The enemy troops appeared more and more distinct on the snowy field, like a colony of ants, exuding an oppressive pressure. Matched with the surrounding mountains and the dark clouds filling the sky, it gave a sense of crumbling destruction, like black clouds bearing down on a city!
The Wei soldiers loaded another cannonball: “Fire again—”
“Aim carefully! Smash it right onto Ashina Shali’s head!”
The cannon spewed thick smoke once more.
Wei Wanlan forced himself not to squat down and vomit, but the churning sensation in his stomach rushed straight up to his eyes. His eyes filled with tears again, stinging and swelling. He felt as if his whole body was about to be scattered by this force.
That third cannonball caused over a dozen casualties within the Turkic formation. Looking from afar, a patch of the Turkic army was smashed down, but the formation continued forward.
Ashina Shali was hidden within the crowd, and he was moving at high speed. Trying to capture the king to capture the bandits with the Red Coat Cannon was nearly impossible under the current conditions!
The Turks’ goal was clear—to storm the Sunit Outpost.
Hebo pounded the ground and laughed loudly. He had already been tied up like a zongzi by the Wei soldiers. Blood seeped from the corners of his mouth and eyes, his voice carrying a manic edge: “Release me now… surrender, and you might still have a way to live. Otherwise, you’re all dead…”
“Gag him!” roared a Wei soldier.
A piece of coarse cloth was stuffed forcefully into Hebo’s mouth, turning his voice into muffled whimpers that were gradually drowned out by the noise of the battlefield.
“Fire again!”
Boom! Another shot fired.
“Again!!”
Another shell.
“Again!!!”
Cannonballs smashed down the mountain without pause.
The firing was dense, and smoke spread wildly through Sunit. The rumbling cannon fire nearly shattered Wei Wanlan’s nerves. He was supported by a soldier, his eyes half-open.
The [Sage Emperor Cultivation System] was also shaken by the cannon fire. In Wei Wanlan’s field of vision, it trembled and jumped.
…Are there any other items I can use?
His fingertips tried to drag another useful item over. Wei Wanlan’s trembling finger touched an icon of a tree. The item was called “Withered Tree Meets Spring, Heavenly Soldiers Descend.”
He clicked “Use,” but there was no movement on the interface.
“?”
This was the first time the Sage Emperor Cultivation System had malfunctioned like this. Wei Wanlan was caught off guard. Immediately after, he heard another rumble of cannon fire.
He steadied his mind—Drag another one!
At this moment, he saw an icon for “Fire Rain Falling Like Meteors.” Desperate times called for desperate measures; he didn’t care where the fire started. Even if it burned both the foot of the mountain and Sunit simultaneously, he had to stop Ashina Shali.
Use.
The Fire Rain didn’t work either!
It failed a second time.
The translucent layer of flowing light on the system interface flickered before Wei Wanlan’s eyes for a moment. Wei Wanlan realized he couldn’t drag anything out anymore. It was as if the system had locked up at the critical moment.
Wei Wanlan opened and closed it, trying to restart it many times. The interface still couldn’t be controlled. He tried to communicate with the bad system in his mind, but the only response was a continuous static noise.
【…Zzz… Zzzzz】
【Zzz—】
BOOM!
The static noise, now a continuous line, combined with the sound of cannons, detonated Wei Wanlan’s hearing again.
The stimulation was too intense, making him feel like a small animal with nowhere to escape. Wei Wanlan half-knelt on the snowy surface. A feathered arrow stuck into the ground diagonally in front of him.
“The arrow rain is coming again!”
“Protect His Majesty—”
As the distance closed, the lethality of the arrows grew stronger. Looking up, the sky was filled with dark dots of varying shades, some glinting with cold light. Wei Wanlan couldn’t help but curl his body into a small ball as an arrowhead aimed to pierce him.
He rolled away to dodge. But another arrow was aiming for the back of his neck.
A guarding soldier hurriedly used the tip of his blade to deflect it, but the soldier himself was ruthlessly pierced by the rain of arrows!
This was really going to be fatal…
Wei Wanlan panicked and wanted to help cover the wounded soldier. The soldier knew he had been hit; half his body was numb. He simply said, “Your Majesty, forgive me,” then pushed Wei Wanlan down. Using his saber to prop up his body as a barrier, he shielded Wei Wanlan from above.
Pat.
Drops of blood fell onto Wei Wanlan’s forehead. The smell of blood spread out in a large patch!
With red-rimmed eyes, Wei Wanlan heard the Wei soldier shout hoarsely:
“I am Chen Shiba. My family suffered an injustice. Because the grievance was settled by the Dengwen Drum, I joined the army from Luoyang to follow Your Majesty here. The front line must have received intelligence of the attack on Sunit. Your Majesty must not fall here!”
“They’re close! The Turkic army has started climbing the mountain…”
At the foot of the mountain, there was a slope leading to Sunit. The slope was steep. Some Turkic soldiers who charged fast on horseback arrived at the foot of the mountain first.
The outpost soldiers were already waiting with drawn blades. Melee broke out in two places. Blade light flew horizontally, arcs of blood splattered on the snow, and the heads of the Turkic vanguard rolled.
The fact that they could rush to the foot of the mountain already indicated extreme danger.
Killing these two meant there were many more behind!
The Red Coat Cannon, tireless, was loaded with another shell. The gunner was about to fire, but the soldier loading the ammunition clutched his hands, which were completely burned and ulcerated. “This cannon is extremely hot. What will happen if we keep firing?”
The tail of the Red Coat Cannon was almost burning a crimson red.
The gunner paused, unable to answer. Since they had the Red Coat Cannons, the Wei army’s battles had been purely one-sided domination; there had never been a time when the two cannons had to be used to their absolute limit.
The gunner’s hand paused slightly over the fuse. He gritted his teeth and lit the fuse with force, the barrel aiming straight at the direction where the Turkic army was charging up the mountain: “Who cares! Blast the bastards!”
It was obvious that this time the cannon seemed to be holding back a force. Although the shell was fired, the barrel hummed. The sound was alarming; it felt like the cannon would explode if used again.
The Red Coat Cannons were half-crippled.
Several gunners shouted frantically:
“Regent King, come quickly! If you don’t come, something terrible is going to happen…”
Another soldier grabbed Hebo by the back of his collar, kicked him hard in the ass twice, and dragged him up with a blade: “Skin this bastard alive in front of his old man! If Ashina dares to take another step, I’ll stab this kid. Move!”
Hebo whimpered loudly, but with the cloth stuffed in his mouth, it was unclear what sounds he was making.
At the foot of the mountain, Ashina Shali’s heart beat like a war drum. He was still on horseback, galloping ceaselessly, a layer of sweat appearing on his forehead and upper lip.
“Wei. Wan. Lan.”
The Emperor of Great Wei. The appearance of the Little Emperor floated before his eyes—innocent on the outside, unfathomable in strength. He squeezed the horse’s belly tighter and gripped his scimitar.
The Ashina clan would not willingly submit to a wet-behind-the-ears child!
In this battle, he would take back the honor, status, and territory Wei Wanlan had stolen from him… everything.
Dada shouted while riding: “Khan, the Second Prince is still in the hands of the Wei people. What if they use the Second Prince to threaten us to retreat?”
Hebo was astute and majestic, Ashina Shali’s proudest son. It was also Hebo who had brought about the turning point in the war.
But Ashina Shali did not reply. Killing Wei Wanlan had to happen now; no delay could be tolerated. The light in his eyes dimmed for an instant, and he pressed his lips together heavily. The ruthless resolve in his expression was the same as when Hebo murdered his siblings.
“—That is his glory!!!”
Ashina Shali’s roar exploded across the snowy field.
Dada was shaken to the core, tears in his eyes. The falcon in the sky arrived first, circling above Hebo’s corpse, which had been hacked countless times by white and red blades in the chaotic army.
“Kill Wei Wanlan!”
“Kill Wei Wanlan!!!”
Wei Wanlan vomited up another mouthful of unknown fluid, sour and bitter, causing him to lie back flat. Above his head was the dark sky, the surrounding snow mountains, Chen Shiba’s bloody chest…
Little Wan.
Wanwan.
This time, the Regent King wasn’t by his side, and neither was the system. He wanted to go back to the Regent King’s tent so, so much. He missed the Regent King so much.
Wei Wanlan was almost ground down to a breakdown by the harsh environment.
But he didn’t want to be killed, and he didn’t want to be captured. He had promised not to be a burden.
He wanted to see the Regent King!
The snow mountains were reflected in Wei Wanlan’s large, clear doe eyes—thick snow, thick clouds, and enemy soldiers surging up from below, getting closer and closer.
Wei Wanlan’s eyes suddenly flickered. Seeing the snow mountains, he thought of a turning point. He got up, wiped his blood-stained cheek, and supporting each other by the shoulder with Chen Shiba, they moved cautiously towards the Red Coat Cannon step by step.
Wei Wanlan leaned Chen Shiba against the rock slab.
He didn’t dare show his head. His fingertip pointed at the snow mountains on both sides, which surrounded the Sunit Outpost like walls. Wei Wanlan ordered:
“Bombard the snow mountains!”
Several artillerymen were stunned, vaguely sensing the Emperor had a profound intention. The gunner endured the searing heat to turn the muzzle, repeatedly loading powder and shells.
Wei Wanlan could already hear more Turkic soldiers rushing up the Sunit Outpost mountain…
His voice carried anxiety: “Don’t save it! Stuff it in with all your might!”
Gunpowder was stuffed into half the barrel as if it cost nothing.
Fearing the gun would explode, the soldiers covered Wei Wanlan and retreated. The flame burned the fuse, making a hissing sound, followed by the humming of the barrel and the spread of smoke. The Red Coat Cannon erupted with the loudest roar since its birth.
Rumble—
After the roar, the snow mountains shook!
The giant cannon destroyed the unstable balance of the snow surface, which was several feet thick. From a distance, it looked like a spectacular slice of a giant cream cake being cut off by a knife.
It was an avalanche.
Wei Wanlan said again: “Blast the mountain, blast the mountain opposite!”
Rumble—
The snow slopes on the left and right sides slid down crazily after the shock.
More and more snow rolled down. From a distance, thick white snow smoke was everywhere. The area below the rock slab of the Sunit Outpost happened to be a narrow zone. The Turkic cavalry was hit from both sides. It was too late to turn around. In an extremely short time, their offensive was forced to stop, buried in snow piles…
The crashing sound continued endlessly.
The snow mountains triggered a chain reaction. Mountain after mountain roared, and layers of thick snow continued to collapse, causing Ashina Shali and his men to rush towards the outpost as if their lives depended on it—this was high ground, and the snow here had been cleared!
Ashina Shali charged up with his blade.
Stepping over Hebo’s corpse, this man, with messy hair at his temples, was like a wild beast out of control. His body was fast becoming a bloody blur; anyone who got close was pierced by his blade.
“The enemy is a spent force! Protect the Emperor!”
“Protect the Emperor…”
The remaining dozen or so men stood in front of Wei Wanlan. Behind the human wall, Wei Wanlan’s throat choked up. He clearly hadn’t summoned the system, but the bad system seemed to have repaired itself. Suddenly, at this moment, the locked state was lifted. A brilliant golden screen popped up. It was a sword.
Only this single icon appeared before his eyes:
【Sword of the Son of Heaven.】
Dada set his whole body on fire, turning into a huge fireball and throwing himself at the Wei army, screaming to open a path for the Turkic soldiers.
The Turkic soldiers’ target was entirely the Emperor. Linking arms, they slammed into the human wall together, breaking through the Wei army’s last line of defense with sheer ferocity.
The defense in front of Wei Wanlan was wide open!
The Little Emperor sat paralyzed on the ground. Ashina Shali approached, his blade slamming down violently from above. Ashina Shali’s blade fell.
“Your Majesty!!!”
Wei Wanlan’s Sword of the Son of Heaven was also gripped tightly in both hands and thrust upward with all his might. The timing of the strike was identical. Brilliant golden light flickered.
The sword was long, a three-foot green edge, the sovereign of all weapons.
The scimitar was short.
The blade edge was still some distance from Wei Wanlan.
And the sword blade, channeling hot blood down the fuller, scalded Wei Wanlan’s hands until they trembled.
He had never even killed a chicken.
But today, he used the sword edge to pierce Ashina Shali’s throat. He looked up to see the other’s unwilling and hideous face.
Ashina Shali rasped his name ferociously: “…Little Emperor, Wei Wanlan. You. Hate…”
【Congratulations Host, significantly advanced Mission Three!】
【Congratulations Host, completed Mission Three: Eliminate External Threats.】
【System Reward Obtained: Crown of Ten Thousand Nations Coming to Pay Tribute.】
【Congratulations Host for passing the test. Consecutive achievements unlocked: Stand on One’s Own, Quick Wits in Emergency, Master of the World.】
【Congratulations Host, completed all Main Missions.】
【This System’s service to you ends here. May Your Majesty’s reign be eternal, long live the King!!!】
So, so scary QAQ.
There was too much noise in his mind. Too many distracting thoughts, too massive a wave of emotion. Wei Wanlan had been scared silly the moment he realized he had personally stabbed Ashina Shali to death.
So much so that he didn’t hear any of the system’s prompts.
The Sunit Outpost fell silent for a moment. After a long while, a soldier reacted and said blankly:
“Your Majesty, did we… win?”
“His Majesty killed Ashina Shali!!!”
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