Chapter 11

"Ha ha ha! What a refreshing battle! I've been on the battlefield for so many years, and this is the first time I've encountered such a thrilling fight! Brothers, follow me! Annihilate the enemy and capture the Wolf King alive!" Zhao Zheng, mounted on his horse, was in high spirits as he loudly rallied the soldiers around him. The soldiers were also highly motivated, following Zhao Zheng and shouting the slogan "Capture the Wolf King" as they charged forward. With the naturally powerful Silver Wolf Chris dead and He Ping leading the charge, the victory of the Tianhua side was no longer in doubt.

On the other side, the situation for the Auckland side was bleak. The death of his second son left Wolf King Wolfgang in deep sorrow, and even more painful was the fact that he could not avenge his son. Not only did he have to endure the grief of a father burying his son, but he also had to lead his troops to retreat with the enemy right before his eyes. Fortunately, Wolfgang still retained a shred of rationality, understanding that there was no possibility of turning the tide of this battle. He looked deeply at He Ping, who was pointed out by the scouts as leading the charge, and prepared to issue the order to retreat.

"Hmm?"

He Ping, who was charging forward, suddenly felt a strong aura of killing intent lock onto him. Turning his head, he saw a robust old man, clad in ornate armor and wearing a gilded helmet, riding a tall, heavily armored warhorse, staring at him intently. The killing intent was emanating from him. Although He Ping was a bit puzzled as to why the old man was staring at him, he merely bared his teeth in a cruel smile, unaffected.

"Old man! What are you looking at? Did I kill your son or something?" He Ping had no idea that the silver-haired handsome man he had just beaten to death was the Wolf King's son. After letting go of his inhibitions, He Ping became even more relaxed, even cracking jokes on the battlefield. However, what was a joke to He Ping was a blatant insult to Wolfgang. In Wolfgang's view, He Ping could not possibly be unaware of his relationship with Chris; this was definitely intentional.

Wolfgang's eyes turned red, his breathing became heavy, and his body began to tremble, signs of extreme anger: "You... you... you little brat, you killed Chris and now you dare to humiliate me! I'll kill you, you little brat! Orderly!"

"General! Don't be impulsive!" The orderly had not yet reacted when a middle-aged general who looked like a deputy commander quickly spurred his horse forward and held back Wolfgang. "General! Now is not the time to be impulsive. We have already lost. We should retreat quickly. If we delay, you will be in danger. As long as you are alive, you can avenge General Chris. But if you fall into their hands, the Lance Province and the Lance family will be finished!"

Hearing the deputy commander's words, Wolfgang finally calmed down from his rage. The deputy commander was right, and Wolfgang was not stupid. He quickly assessed the situation. Although this was a small-scale battle, both sides' main commanders were personally involved. If he fell into Zhao Zheng's hands, it would be difficult for the Lance family to find another capable and direct relative to lead the troops. Wolfgang, proud of being the Lance family's top general, understood this.

Wolfgang panted heavily, his eyes bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead bulged. His hand gripping the whip turned white. After giving He Ping, who was strutting around, a fierce look, he called over the orderly waiting nearby and issued the order for a full retreat. The deputy commander, relieved, quickly joined the other guards to escort Wolfgang, turning their horses and heading towards the main camp, fearing that Wolfgang might be further provoked into making a rash decision.

With the retreat of the main commander, the Auckland side lost all resistance. The soldiers who had not yet engaged turned and ran, and those still fighting on the battlefield lost their will to continue. Some fled, while others surrendered. He Ping wanted to continue fighting but found no enemies around him. He had to stop, plant his halberd in the ground, and lean on it, catching his breath.

"Ha ha ha! Young brother, you are so skilled at such a young age! I admire you, Zhao Zheng!"

Hearing the voice from behind, He Ping turned around and saw the middle-aged general he had seen earlier, who appeared to be the main commander of the Tianhua side. He was no longer on horseback but was walking with some of his attendants toward He Ping. At this moment, He Ping had the time to carefully observe the general. After a thorough look, He Ping reluctantly concluded that Zhao Zheng, with his thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a few strands of beard, was a handsome man. Unlike the silver-haired effeminate man, Zhao Zheng exuded a more masculine aura. Even at over thirty, he was a handsome uncle, much more pleasing to the eye than He Ping himself at that age.

While He Ping was observing Zhao Zheng, Zhao Zheng and his attendants were also scrutinizing He Ping. At the age of ten or so, with a typical Tianhua appearance, He Ping did not look particularly strong, making it hard to imagine where the power to directly suppress Chris came from. He Ping's clothing and weapons were also the focus of attention. The halberd was not surprising, as they had seen similar weapons before, but the style of his clothing was unfamiliar to them.

As Zhao Zheng and He Ping approached each other, the personal guards around Zhao Zheng became tense, their muscles taut, and their hands on the hilts of their swords, ready to act at the slightest sign of trouble. This was not an overreaction, as He Ping was still an unknown entity to them, and with such formidable combat skills, no one was confident they could protect Zhao Zheng if He Ping suddenly decided to attack.

However, Zhao Zheng appeared calm, showing no signs of tension or fear, which earned him a bit of respect from He Ping. Seeing the guards' expressions as they approached, He Ping smiled lightly and casually put away his halberd. When the halberd suddenly disappeared from He Ping's hand, everyone was initially startled but quickly realized that this was not as surprising as the other strange things He Ping had demonstrated.

"I am Zhao Zheng, the commander of this army. May I know your name, young brother?" Zhao Zheng spoke first, and this surprised the others around him. Although he called He Ping "young brother," his tone clearly indicated that he regarded the young man as an equal, not treating him as a junior due to his age. This made He Ping feel good and also realized that Zhao Zheng was not easy to fool.

"My name is He Ping!"