Chapter 127: Let’s Go, Kill the Jiannu!
Chapter 127: Let’s Go, Kill the Jiannu!
Yang Xin, having passed the brown bear, quickly caught up to his next target.
And this tiger also noticed him.
The king of beasts, driven for a while, was filled with rage and just needed an outlet for its fury. It let out a furious roar and raised its front paws to strike at this creature who had slightly surpassed it.
But just as its sharp claws were about to descend, Yang Xin suddenly dove and rolled under its body. The next moment, the tiger’s massive form swept over his head, like a dark cloud blocking his vision. At the same time, Yang Xin let out a loud shout, and with both legs, he kicked upward with all his might. The rear half of the five-hundred-pound tiger was thrown upward by the force of his kick. The sprinting beast somersaulted forward and crashed heavily into the flowers and green grass by the riverbank, sending dirt flying everywhere.
But it immediately got back up.
The toughness of this creature’s physique was ultimately not something a warhorse or the like could match.
Yang Xin also stood up.
Man and tiger stared at each other.
But just then, all those watching his death-defying showoff gasped in shock, because the brown bear that had also been charging in this direction had already arrived behind him.
Yang Xin, as if unaware, continued to gaze at the tiger opposite him.
The tiger emitted a low growl.
Almost simultaneously, a similar roar came from behind Yang Xin. But amid this roar, he suddenly turned around. His right fist cut through the air with a whooshing sound, carrying the force of a blow exceeding a ton, and slammed hard into the brown bear’s head. The momentarily stunned bear, carried by its immense momentum, still collided with his body and tumbled forward. Yang Xin was sent flying upward from the impact, and below his feet was the tiger that had also pounced. The tiger, having missed its target, crashed right into the brown bear. However, the tiger was not stunned; as it landed, it turned its head, but Yang Xin had already landed behind it…
Wild roars erupted all around.
Yang Xin continued to lock eyes with the tiger. The latter seemed rather confused; this guy had brought it immense bewilderment.
Why couldn’t it catch him?
Yang Xin arrogantly bared his teeth at it.
Enraged, the tiger roared and pounced at him once more. Its massive form leaped directly into mid-air. Opposite it, Yang Xin also roared and jumped up. The figures of man and tiger met at the highest point each could reach. Then, still slightly higher, Yang Xin clasped both fists together mid-air and brought them down with all his might, smashing with tremendous force onto the “king” character mark on the tiger’s forehead. The tiger let out a mournful cry as it plummeted under the force of the blow.
Yang Xin also fell.
The tiger’s heavy body thudded onto the grass.
Yang Xin then landed in front of it.
The tiger writhed in pain, but it was not dead yet, still struggling to stand up again. Yang Xin, looking exasperated, bent down. He pressed his left hand onto the enormous tiger head, then his right fist came down hard. He then proceeded to punch it repeatedly and earnestly. With each blow of his fist, the poor tiger twitched.
Half a minute later.
The tiger stopped moving completely.
Only then did Yang Xin straighten up, wiping the blood from his fists like a lunatic who had just finished venting.
At this moment, the brown bear also woke up. However, the punch it had just received was too severe. It stood there, still somewhat dazed, and looked at the tiger on the ground bleeding from all its orifices.
Yang Xin walked straight toward it. The brown bear growled lowly as a warning.
Yang Xin growled back in a similar manner. Perhaps the sight of the tiger’s corpse behind him intimidated the bear. This brown bear, familiar with the fighting prowess of such a corpse in the forest, instinctively wanted to turn and flee. But Yang Xin immediately let out an even fiercer roar.
The brown bear looked at him with soft, timid eyes and actually stayed put.
Then Yang Xin walked right up to its side, grabbed its ear, leaped up, and landed on its back.
The brown bear growled unhappily and promptly stood up on its hind legs. But Yang Xin clamped his legs around its body, gripped its ear with his left hand, and clung firmly to its back like a general sitting tall in the saddle. At the same time, his right hand formed a fist and he gave it another merciless punch.
The brown bear instantly behaved.
Yang Xin tugged its ear, and the brown bear obediently turned around, carrying him toward the petrified warriors of various tribes.
“Skin that tiger!”
Yang Xin said.
Several Ming Army soldiers opposite him snapped to attention and hurried toward the dead tiger, while the rest continued to watch with awe as he rode the brown bear forward. Just then, a cavalryman anxiously whipped his horse past the soldiers blocking the way and rushed straight toward Zhao Shuaijiao…
“Regional Military Commander, the Jiannu have entered Guangshun Pass in large numbers!”
he shouted before even arriving.
The Noyans immediately became agitated. They had not come prepared for battle. However, Zhao Shuaijiao, who had been mentally prepared, remained calm…
“Under whose banner?”
he asked.
“The Bordered Blue Banner, likely led by Amin!”
the cavalryman said, saluting as he arrived.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go teach that coward who doesn’t even dare to avenge his father a lesson. For the spirit of his father, Shurhaci, let’s give him a few slaps!”
Boo Yanggu shouted, drawing his sword.
Since the Jiannu had entered Guangshun Pass in force, once they defeated the Ming Army under Zhao Shuaijiao here, their next step would surely be to attack Yehe City again. They and Zhao Shuaijiao had to rely on and assist each other; neither side could survive a Jiannu attack alone. So it was the perfect opportunity, with Yang Xin still here and the various Mongolian tribes present, to strike Amin head-on and drive him back. As long as they could inflict heavy losses on Amin, then at least for this year, Wild Boar Skin would hardly have the courage to organize a second attack.
Even as long as this alliance held, Wild Boar Skin might never dare to attack in the future.
Yehe City and Kaiyuan supported each other, enough to withstand any attack for a short time. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Inner Khalkha Mongolian cavalry on the vast grasslands would assemble during this period and quickly join the battlefield.
This could be said to be a perfect defense system.
And behind this system, the Liao River could continuously transport all necessary supplies.
“Bring me my blade! Then let’s go teach Shurhaci’s son, who treats his enemy as a father, a lesson!”
Yang Xin shouted.
Immediately, roars erupted all around.
Exactly! With him here, what was there to fear? He was riding a brown bear! With this monster who could beat a tiger to death bare-handed and make a brown bear obediently serve as his mount, what Jiannu needed to be feared?
It was just Amin, wasn’t it?
Just that coward who didn’t dare to avenge his own father after Wild Boar Skin killed him?
Pound him!
“Kill, kill that coward!”
Aobadaiqing raised his sword and roared.
The Noyans drew their swords and roared excitedly.
At this moment, Yang Xin’s Green Dragon Crescent Blade was also brought over by a dedicated horse. Yang Xin directly grabbed this exaggerated weapon. Now he didn’t need to worry about his mount being unable to bear the weight; the brown bear beneath him, though not extremely large, still weighed seven or eight hundred pounds, enough to carry him and the blade. Although riding it into actual battle would be exaggerated—it truly couldn’t be ridden into real warfare—riding it for showoff was no problem at all. Seated on the bear, Yang Xin lifted the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, swung it in a circle above his head, then pointed east…
“Let’s go, kill the Jiannu!”
he bellowed.
Then he urged the brown bear forward.
All the cavalry around him adjusted their armor and weapons. Then, led by their respective leaders, like streams merging into the sea, they converged into a torrent of thousands of troops and horses, charging along the valley toward the northeast, straight for Guangshun Pass.
Half an hour later.
Two large armies faced off north of Zhonggu Fortress.
Guangshun Pass was located east of modern-day Kaiyuan city center, though now submerged under the Qinghe Reservoir. This was the trading pass between the northern tribes of Jianzhou Jurchens and the Great Ming, also known as the South Pass of Kaiyuan. Amin entered from Guangshun Pass; to the south was Zhonggu Fortress, to the north was Qinghe, and north of Qinghe was Kaiyuan City. Yang Xin’s hunt had taken place southwest of Zhonggu Fortress, right along the main road from Zhonggu Fortress to Tieling. So Amin’s cavalry, having just emerged from the mountainous area, was caught between them and Qinghe to the north.
Meanwhile, Ming infantry that had also set out from the Qingyun Fort area to the north had already reached Kaiyuan.
They formed ranks on the north bank of Qinghe, establishing a defense line relying on the river. These infantrymen were also in high spirits, especially since Chen Yujie had equipped them with many firearms. Any Jiannu attempting to charge across the half-mile-wide riverbank and the river in between would face their relentless firepower. Thus, Amin, unaware of Yang Xin’s showoff to the south and unaware of his alliance with the Mongolian tribes, suddenly found himself caught between two fronts. He had no choice but to face a hastily arranged decisive battle as soon as he entered Guangshun Pass.
“Amin!”
Yang Xin rode the brown bear, flaunting his might.
His mount was utterly arrogant; every Jiannu opposite stared in astonishment.
“Has your father’s wronged spirit come to visit you at midnight? Has the spirit of Shurhaci in heaven asked you, his unfilial son, why you haven’t avenged him? My son, I died so miserably! Wild Boar Skin strangled me to death! Why haven’t you avenged me? I cannot rest in peace!”
He wailed there, crazed and heartbroken.
Laughter erupted from behind him.
“Amin, do you still have the face to show yourself? Your own father was killed, yet you crawl at your enemy’s feet like a dog. You are a disgrace to us Jurchens! Don’t even say you’re not a man; you’re worse than a woman. Even our Jurchen women know that the murder of one’s father is an unforgivable enmity! You’re just a eunuch slave, Wild Boar Skin’s eunuch slave. Later, have Brother Yang get you a set of palace clothes. From now on, wear them and serve Wild Boar Skin. Maybe he’ll even reward you with a few bones!”
Boo Yanggu also shouted happily.
“Shurhaci must be turning in his grave to have a son like you!”
Aobadaiqing also shouted.
Then the assembled Great Ming, Mongolian, and Jurchen cavalry let out a unified chorus of jeers.
And opposite them, among the ranks of the Jiannu, Wild Boar Skin’s nephew, the son of Shurhaci—who had been imprisoned and died, some said strangled—one of the current Four Great Beile, and the Bordered Blue Banner’s banner lord, Amin, watched silently with a dark expression as these brutes insulted him brazenly. Yet…
He had no retort.
Because everything they said was true.
He was indeed serving as a dog to his father’s murderer, even though this murderer was actually his uncle.