Chapter 125: On a Narrow Road, the Brave Prevail

When two tigers fight, one is bound to be injured; when two forces meet on a narrow path, the courageous one prevails.

Driven by the relentless leadership of Su Hu and Huang Feihu, three thousand light cavalry of the Great Shang galloped with such speed that, in a mere hour, they were hard on the heels of the 100,000-strong army of the Wusang Kingdom. At that very moment, the Wusang forces were passing through a narrow mountain valley.

Both Su Hu and Huang Feihu, being seasoned generals with vast combat experience, instantly recognized the opportunity. After a brief consultation, they reached a tacit agreement: they would simultaneously seal both the entrance and the exit of the valley. The method was simple—they would use the hand grenades carried by their soldiers to blast the rock formations, effectively blocking both ends of the pass. Everyone knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and time was of the essence; they could not afford to wait to regroup with the main army of King Zhou. Seizing the moment was imperative.

Su Hu and Huang Feihu immediately split their forces to execute the plan. Meanwhile, the Wusang soldiers, moving leisurely along the valley floor, had no inkling that the footsteps of death were closing in. They had just pillaged a village, stuffing their pockets with everything of value, including women. The fate of these captured women was tragic: after being ravaged to satisfy the soldiers' base desires, they were killed. In the parlance of their army—a band of heartless bandits and thieves—keeping a person alive was a waste of rations. Killing a few women from the Central Plains was, to them, nothing of consequence.

As the loose, undisciplined Wusang soldiers reveled in their spoils, a sudden, thunderous roar shook them to their cores. The first to react was a Wusang general named Abalu. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he quickly spurred his horse toward their commander, Jijiguba. "My Lord, the situation is dire! We have likely fallen into an enemy ambush."

Jijiguba’s face paled, his breathing becoming ragged. "What? An ambush? That... how is that possible?"

Before the words had even left his lips, another deafening explosion tore through the sky. Some of the more cowardly Wusang soldiers collapsed to the ground, some even wetting themselves in terror, filling the air with a pungent stench. Others began to vomit on the spot. Then, another massive blast followed.

Wails of agony rose from the Wusang ranks. They did not understand what was happening; they only saw dark, smoking objects that suddenly detonated with a blinding flash. They watched in horror as their comrades were torn to shreds, limbs scattering in all directions.

What were these terrifying things? How could they rip a living person apart, scattering their remains everywhere? It was a scene of utter devastation.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The Great Shang soldiers positioned above the valley ignited their grenades and hurled them down without mercy. The earth-shaking explosions were accompanied by the shrill, agonizing cries of the Wusang army. The valley floor was soon littered with corpses. The scene was apocalyptic, with thick smoke rising into towering black mushroom clouds—a visual impact rarely seen in a century.

"Slaughter these Wusang beasts! Avenge the innocent villagers who died!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Three thousand Great Shang soldiers each ignited a grenade and cast it down. With three thousand grenades raining down at once, the sheer scale of the destruction was incomprehensible. The entire valley was nearly leveled.

The 100,000-strong Wusang army faced total annihilation. Abalu fought desperately to protect Commander Jijiguba, both of them trampling over the bodies of their own men as they fled like stray dogs. Surrounded by thick smoke and the dismembered remains of their companions, they were plunged into a living nightmare.

"General Su, look! A small group is trying to break out of the valley," a sharp-eyed soldier reported through the swirling smoke.

Indeed, under the desperate cover of Abalu, Commander Jijiguba and a small squad of twenty or thirty men were scrambling over the piles of corpses, using the smoke to mask their flight. Unfortunately for them, they were spotted.

Su Hu, feeling the urgency, shouted to Huang Feihu, "General Huang, the enemy commander is fleeing toward your side! Do not let them escape the valley. We must intercept them here and avenge our innocent people—not a single one must get away!"

"Avenge them! Not one shall escape!"

The vow rang out, resolute and filled with righteous fury. Huang Feihu roared back, "General Su, rest assured, not one will survive."

They had slaughtered the people of Great Shang, violated their women, and plundered their wealth. These debts had to be paid in blood. This valley would be their grave. Huang Feihu ordered his men to unleash another barrage at the only remaining exit. Massive boulders cascaded down, sealing the path tight. Even if the Wusang dogs had wings, they would not escape.

"Soldiers! Let us slaughter the last of these Wusang dogs!"

The killing was relentless, carried out with the cold efficiency of butchering livestock. There was no room for mercy; to show any would be to betray the innocent souls who could never rest in peace.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The Great Shang soldiers ignited their grenades once more, continuing their grim work. Jijiguba, the commander of 100,000 men, never imagined that his pillaging of a small, peaceful town would lead to such a swift and catastrophic vengeance. The slaughter continued, shaking the very heavens.