CALID Chapter 85

Seriously Injured

After Jingzhou and Qizhou were settled, the territories occupied by Daliang formed an encirclement around Youzhou. In Duan Xu’s camp, the generals gathered around the map. Duan Xu traced a path on the map with his hand and said, “Qingsheng, the sea conditions at Yanhai Port in Qizhou are favourable for the next few days. Lead the Chengjie Army to set sail from here and attack Fengzhou from the north by water. In half a month, press towards Jixian to Nan Yicheng, applying pressure to the northeast of Youzhou.”

Xia Qingsheng accepted the order.

As Duan Xu turned around, he saw the excited eyes of Shi Biao. Shi Biao rubbed his hands together eagerly and said, “General Duan, another batch of feathered chariots has arrived. Apart from the Guihe army, they can also be used by fifty thousand troops. Now that we’ve reached this point, should we showcase our extraordinary skills?”

Bandits usually had bad tempers, and Shi Biao was no exception. Duan Xu had casually mentioned his plans to subjugate Danzhi and the model of the Feathered chariots when persuading him. At that time, Shi Biao, who was just a bandit in the mountain caves, immediately felt that being a mountain king was nothing compared to being a real hero following Duan Xu to fight the Huqi people.

Later, he obediently accepted the amnesty and joined the Guihe army, witnessing the first batch of Feathered chariots designed by Duan Xu. He began to secretly select soldiers and train them in chariot warfare under Duan Xu’s command, increasingly admiring Duan Xu’s genius in devising such tactics. He admired him so much that he not only called him General Duan but also referred to him as Grandfather Duan.

In response to Shi Biao’s enthusiastic praise, Duan Xu at the time just smiled and said that there were mentors guiding him, and it wasn’t solely his credit. He had merely combined the Eight Formation Diagrams of ancient times with the tactics of the Danzhi cavalry to create the Feathered chariots.

What he didn’t tell Shi Biao was that while researching ancient texts, he found that many descriptions of chariot designs were obscure, almost lost. It was then that He Simu, who had lived for hundreds of years, lay on his back looking at those ancient texts with him. Upon hearing his lament about these lost treasures, He Simu laughed and said, “Just take good care of me, and these things won’t be lost.”

This sage who had lived for hundreds of years loved to stroll around battlefields and had personally seen those things.

Duan Xu smiled and said to Shi Biao, “It’s time to surprise them.”

In October of the 14th year of the Tianyuan era, Duan Xu divided his forces into three routes, led by Xia Qingsheng, Wu Shengliu, and himself, to attack Youzhou, initiating the most famous battle of Youzhou in Daliang’s history.

The Guihe Army, led by Duan Xu, deployed unique chariots called feathered chariots. These chariots were lightweight and had a flat compartment, suitable for navigating narrow and treacherous terrain. The compartments had openings on all sides, allowing soldiers to stay inside and defend themselves with sharp wooden spikes. When reaching open terrain, the chariots could link together to form a phalanx, with up to thirty chariots connecting to create a mobile fortress.

The Hu Qi had suffered great losses from city walls and fortresses during their invasion of the previous dynasty. Now, Duan Xu turned field battles into siege warfare. The sight of the feathered chariots stretching like a city wall shocked the Danzhi defenders. The Guihe Army, well-practiced with the chariots, used elite soldiers who could draw bows of at least four jun, turning the battlefield into a rain of arrows, rendering the Danzhi cavalry helpless.

The main drawback of the feathered chariots was their speed. Unable to penetrate the defenses, the Danzhi forces would retreat, prompting Duan Xu to send in cavalry for swift pursuit. Ding Jin led the light cavalry, trained personally by Duan Xu in archery, to chase and engage while the chariots followed.

Thus, the supposedly impregnable city of Jiwang, targeted by the Guihe Army, fell within five days, forcing the Danzhi to retreat in disarray, pursued relentlessly by the Guihe Army.

Duan Xu also employed psychological tactics. Equipping some feathered chariots with magnets from the Tianluo mines, the soldiers wore rattan armour and wielded wooden staffs. When the Danzhi soldiers, in their iron armour and boots, encountered these chariots, they were rendered immobile as if bewitched. Duan Xu leveraged the “Cangyan Scripture” to claim these were divine acts, waging psychological warfare against the Danzhi.

The southern and eastern fronts advanced smoothly, but the western front, led by Wu Shengliu, faced stubborn resistance and slow progress. Duan Xu ordered the Guihe Army to continue their advance while he and Chenying led the light cavalry to support Wu Shengliu in breaking the Danzhi defenses.

Duan Xu’s exploits spread widely, naturally reaching He Simu’s ears.

In Yuzhou City, He Simu read the battle reports by lamplight. Jiang Ai assisted with the paperwork, while Bai Sanxing, bored, propped his chin on his hand by the lamp. Suddenly, he stood up and said, “This is too boring. I’m going back.”

Jiang Ai glanced at him with a smile, “No way. I haven’t rested yet, and you want to take a break?”

“I have nothing to do here!” Bai Sanxing exclaimed.

“Then I’ll give you some of these documents to look at, so you can see what your old subordinates are up to.”

“What’s interesting about these long-winded reports? It’s so boring.”

“Haha, when you were the Ghost Palace Master, didn’t you read the reports below?”

Bai Sanxing’s expression changed, and he gritted his teeth without speaking. Jiang Ai, understanding, said, “Did Yan Ke help you read them? It serves you right for not even knowing when you were betrayed.”

She then piled the documents in her hand in front of Bai Sanxing, smiling, “Take a good look. After you’re done, tell me your thoughts.”

Bai Sanxing’s eyes turned cold, and as Jiang Ai raised her hand, he reluctantly picked up the documents, looking at them with resentment, his gaze as if he wanted to poke two holes in the papers.

He Simu looked at these two mischievous ghosts, lost in thought. She had heard that Bai Sanxing had a fierce temper, but in front of Jiang Ai, he seemed to have a feeling of suppressed anger. If Jiang Ai wasn’t the one controlling him, but any other malicious spirit, given Bai Sanxing’s temper, he would probably rather die than submit.

Jiang Ai picked up the next document and exclaimed as she read, “I didn’t realize before, but Yan Zhang is quite capable.”

“She was originally the daughter of a military general, but later her father fell from grace, and she became a courtesan. Betrayed by her lover, she suffered greatly in her life, and her deep resentment transformed into strong magical abilities,” He Simu explained.

“She was promoted by you and is very loyal to you. Also, the new lords of Fiend Palace, Qiu Palace, and Miao Palace have all immediately expressed loyalty and are ready to assist in overthrowing Yan Ke.”

Flipping through the battle reports, He Simu said, “Yan Ke has his own supporters, and naturally, I have mine. I won’t make myself a lone wolf like he thinks. Even if these lords aren’t used against him now, they will be useful in the future.”

Pausing, she looked up at Jiang Ai and said, “In a while, Bai Sanxing can make an appearance. Right now, Yan Ke still thinks I’m unaware of Bai Sanxing’s affairs and believes this could cause friction between us. Has he been trying to win you over recently?”

“I’ve kept my distance, and he’s worried about getting caught by you. He sent people to relay a few messages, but that’s it. The lords Yan Ke leads now are mostly from the previous dynasty and have all been helped by Bai Sanxing in one way or another. If Bai Sanxing appears and accuses Yan Ke of betrayal, those lords will definitely feel uneasy,” Jiang Ai glanced at Bai Sanxing, who looked gloomy, and smiled at He Simu. “Simu, you originally said you planned to end this rebellion in six months, and I thought you were just boasting. But looking at it now, maybe it really will be over in six months. Are you eager to finish so you can go see your little friend?”

He Simu chuckled lightly.

Jiang Ai continued, “I’ve heard he’s quite famous in the mortal realm lately, fighting brilliantly. Why don’t you invite him to help you in our ghost world? That way, you won’t be separated by distance anymore.”

He Simu waved her hand dismissively and said casually, “He has his battles to fight, and I have mine. Aunt Jiang Ai, stop always bringing him up.”

“Oh, feeling nostalgic for him?”

He Simu looked at Jiang Ai and then at Bai Sanxing, who was frowning beside her. After a moment of silence, she leisurely closed the battle report and smiled, “Then I’ll leave the rest of the battle reports to Aunt Jiang Ai.”

Jiang Ai was momentarily stunned, and before she could react, she saw a burst of green smoke drifting by, and the Ghost King disappeared without a trace.

The Ghost King temporarily left her duties to go find her lover.

He Simu occasionally recalled this moment, wondering if she too had some kind of impulse that led her to seek out Duan Xu suddenly. For instance, earthly people might feel chest tightness, palpitations, or eye twitching, although she would never experience such sensations.

Her only impulse was the intense longing she felt for him in that moment.

Perhaps, in the depths of her being, she felt that if she didn’t go to him this time, it would be like letting go in the vast sea of time, and she would never see him again.

Just as He Simu’s feet touched the ground, she was passed through by a soldier covered in blood stains, her ethereal form allowing him to pass through her soul. In the midst of the chaotic and crowded unfamiliar bedroom, she momentarily questioned whether she had ended up in the wrong place. However, the next moment, she saw Duan Xu lying on the bed through the gaps in the crowd.

For a long time afterward, she constantly replayed this scene in her mind.

Amidst the flickering candlelight, Duan Xu’s upper body was exposed, his hair dishevelled and stained with blood and sweat, with thick bandages wrapped around his left chest, but the entire bandage had been soaked through with a dark hue. His face was pale as paper, with dark stains of blood around his mouth, and his eyes were peacefully closed.

He Simu was familiar with the battlefield, familiar with death, and even more familiar with people on the brink of death.

“Doctor, quickly, call the doctor! General Duan has been shot! The bleeding won’t stop!”

“It’s been two hours… Will it be too late…”

“Nonsense!”

“The blood is black, the arrow is poisoned!”

People came and went, constantly passing through He Simu’s ethereal form. She stood still in place for who knows how long, seemingly not knowing how to control her body. When she tried to move forward, she saw the doctor examining Duan Xu’s body. Duan Xu’s left hand hung weakly by the bed, swaying gently.

In the flickering light of the candle, his pale fingertips swayed back and forth between the shadows and the light on the bed. The movement gradually slowed down and then stopped altogether. Dark liquid dripped down from his fingertips onto the floor.

He Simu’s steps halted, and she called out softly, almost helplessly, “Duan Xu.”

“Duan Fox, Duan Shunxi, Duan Xu!”

She began to walk forward, her voice growing louder with each step, calling out his name, a name only he could hear. No matter what had happened before, calling his name like this always woke him up. She knelt by his bedside, reaching out to touch his face, but her fingers passed straight through his cheek.

Her hand started to tremble, a deep fear of losing him taking hold of her heart. She had always thought of Duan Xu as a steadily burning flame. Leaning against his chest, she could hear the crackling of sparks, always burning brightly and fearlessly.

But in that instant, as she blinked, she saw the flame weakening, the sound diminishing.

It seemed as if he was about to be extinguished.

When Duan Xu led his army back to the Guihe Army from the western front, they were ambushed by the Danzhi forces. Shi Biao’s reinforcement was delayed. Duan Xu and his five thousand cavalrymen were trapped for three days until Zhao Xing from Qizhou led his troops to their aid. During the breakout, Duan Xu was struck in the chest by a Danzhi Divine Crossbow bolt, gravely injured and fell into a coma.

The arrow was poisoned, the bleeding wouldn’t stop, and his condition was critical.