Chapter 28

Habei took a few deep breaths, his complexion gradually recovering as he suppressed the surging blood within his body.

He could faintly sense the cold poison inside him about to wreak havoc again.

The feeling of all his strength being drained left him somewhat weak.

"To be able to unleash my full power even once is already a pleasant surprise, and it's worth it. My life is almost at its end, and if I can clear the southern sky for the Great Qin before I die, I will have no regrets in this life."

"In the conflict between two nations, where one dies and the other lives, there is no right or wrong, no enmity or grudge. Three of you, I will send your spirits home. If there is a next life, we can be enemies again."

He spread out a cloth bag, gathered the remains of the three enemies, and placed them all inside. He picked up the bag and ran into the forest, reaching the highest point, where he set it down.

After a few deep breaths, he gathered his strength and shouted, "Miaosen, I have placed the remains of your three brothers here. Do not forget to retrieve them and return them to their roots."

His voice thundered, shaking the pine needles in the forest, and the mountains echoed with the sound.

In the distance,

Miaosen, covered in blood and with a dark complexion, gritted his teeth as he watched the Rainbow Green Army retreating through the forest.

Behind him stood five thousand elite soldiers of the Great Yan, weapons in hand, ready for battle.

Facing them were the iron cavalry of the Great Qin, led by Ma Qiange, who sat on his horse, his eyes piercing, his long spear gleaming and pointing diagonally at the ground, standing before the two armies.

Without a word, his presence alone conveyed his message to all the enemies.

"I have pursued you this far."

"If you dare to resist, come and fight!"

The morale of the Great Qin iron cavalry, under the influence of Ma Qiange's fearless aura, had reached its peak.

Even the horses, infected by the fighting spirit, had their muscles tensed, ready to charge at any moment.

The general of the Great Yan, Jiang Junzhan, was no ordinary man. Sensing the overwhelming morale of the two armies, he immediately concluded that if the battle were to start, his side would surely lose.

With a bitter smile, he rode forward and said, "General Ma, the special forces battle has ended. Do you have any other intentions?"

Ma Qiange narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "Jiang Junzhan, I am just waiting for your declaration of war. If you do not wish to fight, quickly leave the territory of the Great Qin! If you want to fight, come on!"

Jiang Junzhan replied, "Let's end this today. General Ma, you were not here to fight us, but coincidentally encountered us. My mission is complete, and you still have to rush to the southern border. Let's part ways here."

As he spoke, he turned his horse to leave.

"Stop!"

Ma Qiange shouted fiercely, "As a soldier, can you ignore the diplomatic relations between our two nations? Your Great Yan cavalry entered our territory without permission. Can you just leave with a simple farewell? You can leave, but you must pay the toll!"

This was a military rule. When formal armies entered another country's territory without a declared war, if they were discovered and did not wish to fight, they had to pay the toll to leave.

This is our territory.

How can you come and go as you please?

Jiang Junzhan waved his hand, and a heavy package was thrown over, caught on Ma Qiange's spear.

He raised it high.

A heavy gold brick fell from the package, and there were clearly many more inside.

With a loud shout, he roared, "Great Qin!"

"Victory!"

All the Great Qin soldiers cheered in unison, like a mountainous roar.

The toll was not about the amount of money, but about the feeling of dominance and bullying.

This feeling was the most uplifting.

So the entire army was jubilant, as if they had won a great victory, filled with pride and satisfaction.

What about the elite soldiers of the Great Yan?

In front of me, they still had to leave the toll money, didn't they? — Everyone thought: a bunch of weaklings!

Ma Qiange's eyes gleamed. With this toll money, in future battles against Jiang Junzhan, his troops would naturally have a psychological advantage: they are a bunch of weaklings, not our match.

This would lay the foundation for a certain victory — in future battles, such a belief was crucial.

At the same time, Jiang Junzhan was thinking: In future battles, I must not encounter Ma Qiange. Otherwise, the psychological disadvantage would be fatal.

Both were renowned generals, fully aware of the consequences of this encounter.

Ma Qiange laughed loudly, arrogantly, "I am Ma Qiange! We are the Great Qin Jin Ge Army!"

All the Great Qin soldiers puffed out their chests and shouted wildly, "Great Qin Jin Ge Army!"

This was not just boasting, but to further deepen the impression of the "Great Qin Jin Ge Army" on the ordinary soldiers of the enemy, making them remember that they had been humiliated by us today and remember our names.

In future battles, hehe... Ma Qiange's mind was calculating.

In this brief encounter, he had already laid out his strategic plan for future encounters.

On the other side, Jiang Junzhan had returned to the front of his army and turned back, saying, "Brother Ma, there's no need to be so loud. Overconfidence is the cause of death. Victory and defeat are common in war. Take care, and we will meet again."

"Ha ha ha..."

Ma Qiange, with his arrogant aura, still held the package on his spear, riding in circles in front of his army, showing off, not even glancing at Jiang Junzhan, showing utter disdain.

To pay the toll money so easily, I, Ma Qiange, look down on you, you coward.

Not to mention meeting again on the battlefield, you have already lost the right to speak to me as an equal!

I am the victor!

Soldiers are like this. If you dare to challenge me, I will beat you to death!

But if you don't even dare to challenge?... Are you even a soldier?

To be honest, if Jiang Junzhan had not paid the toll, Ma Qiange would have attacked immediately, leading his men into battle!

I have other missions in the south, but so what? If you don't pay, we fight!

If I didn't have the mission in the south, do you think I would be here for your toll money? I would have already crushed you!

So Jiang Junzhan's decision to pay the toll was wise.

But in the military, things are not so logical.

There is no such thing as wise or unwise. If you don't dare to fight, you are a coward, a weakling! There is no second opinion!

All talk of deep strategy and preserving strength is nonsense.

If you are afraid to die, what kind of soldier are you? — From ancient times to the present, the military has always been this simple.

The horn sounded, and the rear of the Great Yan army became the front, the front remained to hold the line, and the flanks quickly formed a pocket formation to prevent Ma Qiange from attacking.

They withdrew section by section.

Although they were not truly defeated, the Great Yan soldiers all felt a bit dejected, as if they had really lost, their faces losing their luster.

Miaosen led the remaining Flying Wing Hall warriors at the rear.

"Miaosen!"

Ma Qiange shouted.

Miaosen turned, sneering, "What do you want?"

Ma Qiange's spear tip pointed diagonally at Miaosen's neck, his eyes under the helmet filled with cold killing intent.

"Remember, don't let me see you again!"

Miaosen took a deep breath, "Ma Qiange, remember this: take care of your head. One day, it might end up on my desk, as my urinal."

Ma Qiange laughed loudly, not responding, not even looking at Miaosen again.

It seemed that this spy leader was no longer worth his attention!

He turned his horse and shouted, "Brothers! Let's go back, drink, and claim our rewards! We have money now, and I will personally drink with you all until we are drunk!"

"Ura!"

Strange cheers rose, and the Great Qin soldiers were jubilant.

Behind them, Miaosen's teeth ground together, about to speak.

At that moment, Habei's voice echoed from afar, "Don't forget to retrieve your brothers."

Ma Qiange laughed and led his troops away.

Not a single Great Qin soldier looked back.

To say that the general shapes the soldiers, under Ma Qiange, these proud and fierce soldiers were almost all like him: no matter what, I am the biggest!

No arguments.

Watching the army leave, the dust and cheers slowly fading.

The scene returned to silence.

The dust still lingered, as if the souls of the fallen were still floating, unwilling to leave.

Miaosen leaped onto a tree, through the branches, he confirmed Habei's position, and firmly remembered it.

He stood there, his neck stiff, looking at that direction.

For a long time, he lowered his head, two tears quietly falling.

"Brothers..."

"I will avenge you!"

"Habei, Wu Tiejun, Ma Qiange, the Three Stars of the Southern Sky... and, I must find out who... had the incredible ability to heal Habei's injuries in just three days!"

Miaosen's face was fierce.

He knew very well.

This time, even if Habei's plan was deeper, it was not the key to victory.

If Habei's injuries had not suddenly recovered, catching them off guard and completely tilting the balance of power, even with casualties, he could have minimized the losses.

A full retreat was not impossible.

The biggest variable was Habei's old injury, which had not shown any signs of recovery for over thirty years, suddenly healing.

Three days ago, it was confirmed that his injuries had not healed!

This was not a gift from heaven... it was a disaster from heaven.

Miaosen's chest heaved more and more violently.

His voice was hoarse, muttering.

"Who? Who is it?"

"Only three days, just three days! Three crucial days!!"

Miaosen roared lowly, crouching down, his hands grabbing his hair, tears streaming down his face.

Suddenly, he froze.

He stood up abruptly.

Muttering, "In just two days... Habei arrived at the Jianghu Town two days ago; and when he set out two days ago, his injuries were still confirmed to be unhealed."

"That means, in these two days, in this place called Jianghu Town, something happened."

"That's why this unexpected event occurred."

"So, is it this small town?"

Miaosen's eyes turned cold, muttering, "Those warriors who rushed into the battle, some of them, weren't they from that small town?"

Suddenly, he took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and shouted, "Someone!"

...

In the medical hall, Feng Yin suddenly felt an itch in his nose.

"Achoo! Achoo!"

He sneezed hard.

Spit flew onto Little Feng Ying's face, and he muttered, "Who is cursing me?"

The little creature was startled by the loud sneeze, shuddering, its big eyes bright and confused, looking at Feng Yin with an innocent and helpless expression.

Suddenly, its little nose wrinkled, and it also sneezed weakly.

"Achoo~!"

...