Chapter 134: A Shroud of Horsehide

In the blink of an eye, several days had passed.

The ramparts were littered with corpses. The wooden stockade had been dyed crimson, and the caltrops outside had long since been reduced to piles of smoldering ash. All around the camp, the Cao army launched desperate, relentless assaults.

Bang!

Ji Ling kicked a man over and followed up with a brutal downward slash. However, his blade became wedged in the man’s cervical vertebrae. As blood sprayed wildly, accompanied by the soldier’s agonizing screams, Ji Ling frowned. This was the third blade he had dulled to the point of uselessness!

Stepping on the man’s chest to wrench his weapon free, Ji Ling cast a worried glance around. His troops had come only as reinforcements; they were short on bows and crossbows, and their siege-defense supplies had been exhausted on the very first day. For these past few days, they had relied entirely on close-quarters combat, and in doing so, every man’s weapon had become notched and blunt.

At this moment, many soldiers from the Cao and Sun armies had once again breached the ramparts. The remaining defenders, their eyes bloodshot, fought with primal roars. To hold the camp and protect their wives and children—this mission was burned into their minds, and they were resolved to see it through.

"General! General Le Jiu has fallen in battle! The western camp has been breached, and the forces of Cao Hong and Cao Chun have broken through!" A blood-soaked officer rushed over, shouting the news.

Ji Ling’s thick eyebrows knit together sharply, and a surge of boundless killing intent erupted from him. Clutching his blade, he turned to the soldiers beside him and bellowed, "Follow me to retake the western camp!"

"Kill!!!" The surrounding hundred armored men roared in response.

Leaving a few to guard the current position, Ji Ling led the hundred-man unit toward the west. The camp could not be lost; it had to be reclaimed, or the entire position would fall.

After a short while, Ji Ling arrived on horseback. The western camp was already engulfed in the fires of war. The cacophony of slaughter continued, but with the Cao army inside, the various units of the camp were beginning to retreat step by step.

Ji Ling raised his three-pointed, double-edged spear and shouted, "Ji Ling is here! Follow me and drive back the Cao army!"

At these words, the panicked and anxious troops found a sense of purpose. With a collective roar, they prepared to counterattack. Ji Ling narrowed his eyes, scanning the enemy ranks until they locked onto several high-ranking officers. Most notably, hanging from Cao Hong’s saddle was a severed head—it was Le Jiu!

Instantly, Ji Ling was consumed by uncontrollable rage. He spurred his horse forward, brandishing his weapon, and shouted, "Thief, yield your life!"

At the sound of his voice, Cao Hong and Cao Chun looked over. The two exchanged a glance and chuckled. Cao Chun mocked, "Zi Lian, you have already slain one general; let me handle this Ji Ling!"

With that, Cao Chun charged forward, leading his troops. He reasoned that if he killed Ji Ling, the camp would surely fall, and the glory would be his. Cao Hong laughed heartily, shouting for each to rely on their own skill, and also charged into the fray. To charge into enemy lines and slay a general during the chaos of battle had always been the hallmark of a truly valiant warrior.

Watching them both, Ji Ling’s fighting spirit remained undiminished.

The western camp had been breached; he had to defeat these two men. Only then could he buy time to repair the defenses and await the return of Chu Feng.

"Break!" Ji Ling glared at Cao Chun, his voice a guttural roar as he brought his three-pointed, double-edged spear down with all his might.

Cao Chun frowned and raised his blade to parry.

Clang!

The sound of metal striking metal was piercing.

"You brute, you have incredible strength!" Cao Chun muttered.

Ji Ling ignored him, transitioning his spear from a downward slash to a lateral swipe, sliding it along the shaft of Cao Chun’s blade. Terrified, Cao Chun quickly released his grip, narrowly dodging the blow. Just as Ji Ling prepared to follow up with an upward strike, a voice bellowed from the side: "Thief, take this spear!"

Cao Hong’s shout distracted Ji Ling, forcing him to shift from offense to defense. He pulled back his spear and tilted his head just as the enemy lance whistled past his blade, sending sparks flying.

No sooner had Cao Hong passed than Cao Chun’s heavy blade swept toward him, aimed at cleaving him in two. "Die!"

Ji Ling’s heart leaped. He arched his back, laying flat against his horse’s spine. Almost simultaneously, he saw the flash of the blade pass before his eyes; had he been a second slower, he would have been butchered.

Righting himself, Ji Ling thrust his spear upward in a furious strike. Cao Chun’s momentum was spent. Seeing the spear coming, he pulled his reins, causing his horse to collapse to the side, narrowly avoiding the lethal thrust. He tumbled to the ground along with his mount.

Seeing this, Ji Ling reined in his horse, making it rear up, and thrust his spear downward with savage intent.

Cao Chun was paralyzed with terror. Pinned beneath his fallen horse, he could not move. This strike would surely be his end.

"You arrogant thief, take this!"

Anxious and desperate, Cao Hong wheeled his horse back around. Seeing Ji Ling about to take Cao Chun’s life, he spurred his mount frantically, hoping to draw Ji Ling’s attention. But the latter only caught him in his peripheral vision; his killing intent did not waver, and the spear plunged downward.

Squelch!

Cao Chun let out a cry of agony. The blade pierced his chest, and blood sprayed wildly. Cao Chun stared wide-eyed, his hands clutching the spear shaft, but try as he might, Ji Ling could not pull it free.

"Die!" Cao Hong’s face was twisted in a savage snarl. His own spear moved like a striking viper.

Ji Ling felt a jolt of terror and tried to twist his body, but after days of relentless combat, his body had reached its limit. The lance pierced his back, driving through his shoulder blade and exiting his chest. The blood on the tip of the spear was vivid and bright. The physical shock left Ji Ling momentarily dazed.

Is this what death feels like?

He felt a deep sense of resentment. He was not ready; he hadn't held out until Chu Feng’s return! But his life was ebbing away rapidly, and his arms began to tremble. Gritting his teeth until blood mixed with his saliva, he gripped the spearhead that had protruded from his chest.

"Die!"

A thunderous roar erupted. Ji Ling unleashed a final surge of fighting spirit, pulling the spear even further through his own body. With his other hand, he swung his double-edged spear back toward Cao Hong.

Cao Hong shuddered. He never imagined that a mortally wounded Ji Ling could still manifest such ferocity. Instinctively, he tried to pull his lance back to parry, but the weapon was held fast in Ji Ling’s death grip.

Squelch!

A piece of an arm fell to the ground.

"Ugh—aaah!!!"

Veins bulged on Cao Hong’s forehead, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back. The pain was unbearable, and he let out a harrowing wail.

"Die!" Cao Hong roared. With his one remaining arm, he exerted force and ripped his lance free, causing Ji Ling to fall from his horse.

As blood gushed from his chest, Ji Ling struggled to draw his sword. He propped himself up, standing firm, and scanned his surroundings. With a hoarse voice, he shouted, "Defend our capital! Protect our wives and children!"

Squelch!

Cao Hong’s lance thrust forward, pinning Ji Ling to the spot. He slumped forward, his head hanging low.

"General!!" countless soldiers cried out in agony.

"Hold... hold the... camp!!"

Ji Ling tried to raise his hand, but he had no strength left. He could only mumble the words before his head finally dropped, leaving him to bleed out in the silence of the battlefield.

Cao Hong gritted his teeth and stepped forward to sever Ji Ling’s head. He had to hurry back to dress his wounds, or he would surely perish! Thinking of this, he glanced at the battlefield one last time. Even though the remaining defenders were still struggling to resist, with Ji Ling dead, they were no longer a threat.