Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 79: Chapter 32 Charge!

The Black Mane Warhorse crouched low, the man with the shaven pate touched the horse’s neck with his fingers, before him lay a dark, raging torrent.

“Please do not forget the promise of your Lord Regent. Kyushu Island belongs to us now.”

Above the raging torrent, the black-haired woman ferrying people bowed low, pushing the long reed to move the raft. As the ferrywoman departed, the dark torrent gradually withered and dried up until it finally disappeared.

Behind the man, samurai clad in splendid feather cloaks and wearing deer antler helmets gripped their horse’s flank, speaking in a low voice to the man.

“To give up the whole of Kyushu Island in order to rush to the aid of Pyongyang, is this truly Lord Hideyoshi’s decision?”

The samurai’s face was full of reluctance.

“Give up? Are there any living people left on the whole of Kyushu Island? It has long been overrun.”

The man said expressionlessly, “Kogoro, our country is finished. Don’t you understand? This war is our last hope.”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The samurai fell silent.

The man gazed toward the southwest, a land of endless plenty, the Celestial Empire that for nearly a thousand years no one within the country dared covet.

“Besides, our goal is not to rush to the aid of Pyongyang, but to defeat the armies of the Ming Country.”

The warhorse tossed its head and whinnied as the wind and snow shook the forest; behind the samurai, a sea of heads moved, endless at first glance.

…

The Hook and Sickle Spear whirled into the crowd, slicing open the bellies of two samurai Japanese pirates, then piercing through the face of another. Li Yan twisted the spear, sending a spray of blood and flesh scattering.

The matchlock guns of the Japanese pirates fired in unison, their barrels spitting out countless bullets. The Niutou Chantanner paid no attention to the iron bullets and arrows, flicking them away as if swatting flies, and the wounds it sustained healed in no time. With a flick of its tongue, the Jin Yanwa snapped a Japanese soldier in two, its back full of gunshot marks.

Others like the Iron-Eating Fox and Wolfman did not fear the Japanese pirates’ matchlock guns much either. It was the slashing wounds from the pirates that caused more harm.

Still, a considerable number of iron bullets headed straight for Li Yan!

The Nine-Winged Sudu fluttered high behind Li Yan, and a storm of black feathers swept past. Two gun pellets brushed by Li Yan’s side and shoulder. Other ammunition was whisked away by the ferocious winds of the black feathers, its destination unknown, while by then, Li Yan and his men were less than ten steps away from the firearm squad.

Deng Tianxiong, Wang Sheng, and others charged into the firearm squad on horseback, tearing a big hole for their brothers behind them.

A Japanese man clad in black armor and donning a demon mask galloped toward Li Yan, shouting, “The Ming man on the horse, I am Liusheng’s Sakon Tayu, dare you fight a one-on-one duel with me?”

Li Yan didn’t even glance at him. The archer cavalry behind him immediately opened fire, turning the self-proclaimed Tayu into a porcupine.

In the heat of battle, the chief military officer Zu Chengxun shouted loudly, “Don’t cling to the fight, these men are trapped turtles in a jar. Charge across the river, capture and kill Konishi Yukinaga!”

As his voice fell, an assortment of local monsters and gods mixed with Green Mane Cavalry wielding bows and knives had already been engulfed by the Japanese pirates and burst forth, leaving only a handful of shadows behind.

“Whose troops were those again?”

Zu Chengxun’s eyes widened as he shouted to those beside him.

“Sir, it seems they were originally with our Chengwu Guard, a man called Li Yan.”

One of his men replied.

Zu Chengxun blinked, “Is that so? Do I have such a person under my command?”

He slapped his thigh, “Well done! Worthy of the soldiers I brought up!”

…

Konishi left a large number of troops to cover his rear while he led about three thousand men in an attempt to break out of the encirclement of the Ming Army.

Luo Shangzhi had initially planned to bombard the Datong River surface, intending to drown Konishi Yukinaga in the river, naturally meaning more guns than men.

Unexpectedly, because of Hidetada’s interference, Konishi managed to break through the Datong River with three thousand troops. Luo Shangzhi, with only seven or eight hundred men, made a decisive command, letting the dead-set Arrowhead Vanguard cut into Konishi’s troops in the middle, holding back the majority of the Japanese pirates.

Konishi Yukinaga did not dare linger, choosing to abandon nearly two thousand men behind him, taking slightly over a thousand surviving soldiers to flee desperately.

Suddenly, the sound of approaching horse hooves grew closer from behind. Konishi, revitalized, thought Endo Kenjiro had broken through. When he looked back, his soul almost fled in terror.

A wave of blue-armored cavalry closed in, the Bright Red Banner of the Right Army rolling vividly under the torchlight, led by Shen Heyan, still as fierce as ever. Wherever his Great Spear went, men and horses alike were sent tumbling.

“We can’t shake them off with our horses; if this continues, we’ll all die here.”

Hidetada at this moment was surrounded by seven orifices of dark qi dancing, gone was his usual irreverence, appearing solemn and cold.

Konishi let out a sigh, removed his peach-shaped helmet, and tossed it behind him, revealing his half-white hair and his bald forehead: “Let’s split up and run, whoever can make it out.”

Hidetada looked at him deeply, “Konishi Yukinaga, take care.”

Shen Heyan’s Profound Edge Great Spear was stained with blood froth, and the chaotic Japanese queue before him suddenly split into two groups, one to the left and one to the right.

“Sir, should we divide our forces?”

A general asked.

If only Song Translator were here, taking one side each, then the merits would be secured…

Shen Heyan thought with some annoyance.

Seeing more people on the left and fewer on the right, he shouted loudly, “Wang Liang, take fifteen hundred brothers and chase to the right. I’ll lead the others to the left.”

…

Li Yan and his group were crossing the Datong River when they happened upon the scene where Endo Kenjiro was entangled with Luo Shangzhi.

Seeing Li Yan with the Great Ming Dragon Flag behind him, Luo Shangzhi opened his mouth to shout but was startled by Li Yan’s expression.

“Lord Luo, where is Konishi Yukinaga?”

Li Yan asked first.

“He has already charged past, and Chief Military Officer Shen is leading people in pursuit. You come to my central army first, and kill the enemies before us.”

Among the Japanese, Li Yan immediately spotted Endo Kenjiro, with a black-lacquered helmet and iron armor, his face hidden behind a red demon mask, his face boiling with killing intent.

“They are nothing but chickens and dogs; why make such a fuss?”

He spurred his horse into a gallop, his Raw Iron Hook-Scythe Spear pointing straight at the enemy formation.

“Follow me in the charge!”

Niutou Chantan and Jin Yanwa were like two colossal guardian deities, smashing into the ranks of the Japanese pirates, impervious to sword and spear, unstoppable in momentum.

The banner-bearer of a Konishi troop felt a chill on his cheek; a slash appeared below his eye. As he instinctively looked up, he saw a grayish silver magpie with golden-red beak flapping its wings and looking down at him. The banner-bearer gripped his long spear as a numbness suddenly spread down his neck. Just as he was about to turn around, a flood of golden-red Ende Magpies engulfed him completely!

After the tide of magpies swept over, only scattered armor was left. Each tiny Ende Magpie was drenched in blood and flesh, their eyes gleaming red. This horrifying sight directly caused the Japanese pirates ahead to lose their will to fight and throw down their long spears and flee.

Endo Kenjiro wielded his snow-sharp Field Katana, thrusting it into a Wolfman’s chest and then kicking him away. The hefty gray wolf howled in agony as it fell to the ground, where shortly its fur dissipated, leaving behind a stark naked man with two copper coin-sized wounds on his chest, gushing with blood.

“You bunch of…”

Endo Kenjiro breathed heavily, his body enveloped in a thick aura of black mist that faintly took the shape of a scorpion and petals.

A small red furry ball rolled to Li Yan’s side, revealing wet eyes. It yelled at the Nine-Winged Sudu behind Li Yan:

“Boss, that armored Japanese hurts me a lot. I can’t beat him.”

Li Yan burst out angrily, “Sudu! Lead them to scatter the enemy camp, avoid the armored Japanese. Leave the rest to us!”

The Green Mane horses kicked their hooves high as Li Yan charged straight for Endo Kenjiro. In his hands, the ordinary-looking Hook and Sickle Spear glowed with bit by bit of red light,

Divine Blood: When applied to cold weapons, it can break the enhancements of National Destiny Dragon Tiger Qi to a certain extent, or the protection of Demonic Strength. It is ineffective against Great Ming officials of rank third class or above or against Daimyo.

Endo Kenjiro was shouting something as he slashed his long sword at Li Yan, who responded with a wrist-flick quick thrust of his spear. The Field Katana blocked the spearhead, and both men simultaneously pulled back their weapons, the hook of the spear blade firmly wedging in the blade of the sword.

As the horses spun past each other, Kenjiro lifted his katana to slash at Li Yan’s chin, but Li Yan pulled back his spear to dodge, prompting Kenjiro to turn his horse around and swing his katana down again – a cold sensation struck his forehead, sending shivers down his spine.

Triggering a passive skill, Killing Intent Attack!

Li Yan tilted his head, the katana grazing the red tassels on his helmet and striking his shoulder armor, while his spear thrust sharply upward, piercing straight through Kenjiro’s throat!

Blood trickled down the spear shaft, dripping like a curtain of red beads.

Li Yan summoned his energy from the Dantian and uttered the only proper Japanese phrase he had learned from Song Translator:

“The leader is dead; drop your weapons and spare your lives!”

…

The mountain road was rugged. Hidetada halted his horse, with a group of Japanese warriors behind him. They were surrounded by black Dragon Flags from left and right.

Shen Heyan, with the solitary look of a lone wolf, swept his gaze left and right, suddenly spat out a curse and muttered bitterly, “Damn thief, making it easy for Wang Liang that kid.”

The monk drew out a black katana, his wide sleeves billowing with the wind and snow. He stared at Shen Heyan on the horse, clad in Fish Scale armor, his smile stretching nearly to the back of his head, hideous and terrifying.