The surrounding soldiers threw down their weapons and drew bamboo poles from their backs.
They swung them fiercely at the retreating soldiers in the distance, instantly knocking them to the ground.
"Ah..." screams erupted one after another as the soldiers were struck down by the bamboo poles, severely wounded and rendered unable to fight.
Any soldier hit by a bamboo pole met a tragic end, with one even having their head smashed open in a brutal and bloody fashion.
Witnessing this, Chu Chen's heart leaped, and he secretly rejoiced at his decisive order to retreat.
"Retreat, retreat quickly!" Chu Chen roared, his mind in a complete panic.
Swish, swish, swish! Countless arrows rained down, engulfing Chu Chen in a dense, inescapable barrage.
Escape was impossible. Many soldiers were pierced through by arrows and met their demise.
"It's over, everything is over..." Chu Chen murmured, his face ashen. Though he had anticipated this,
the moment he personally experienced such devastating destructive power, he felt utterly dejected, like a frost-bitten eggplant.
"General, you must flee! If you survive, there will be more opportunities," the副将 (fùjiàng - second-in-command) urged him.
"Hmph, do you think I can escape?" Chu Chen scoffed.
"I..." The副将 faltered, then lowered his head in silence. Indeed, their surprise attack had failed.
With so many men lost here, escaping was easier said than done. Their only option was to flee immediately.
"Hahaha, Chu Chen, you're afraid too? I thought you were made of iron," a voice laced with mockery and hatred echoed.
Hearing this, Chu Chen's eyebrows twitched. He glanced with his peripheral vision and saw a small group of about a dozen soldiers approaching him.
Leading them was a tall, burly man, clad in silver armor, a treasured sword at his waist, exuding an imposing aura.
"Zhao Long!" Chu Chen's pupils contracted sharply, and he gritted his teeth. This man was none other than the Crown Prince, Zhao Long, who was vying with him for the throne.
It turned out he had been lurking in the military camp, waiting for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Chu Chen. This group was his elite force.
Zhao Long rode his horse closer to Chu Chen, looking down at him from his elevated position, a sneer of ridicule and contempt on his lips. "Chu Chen, I didn't expect us to meet here, did I?"
Chu Chen's eyes widened in fury, his body trembling violently. He knew he was doomed today, so he roared, "Zhao Long, you are truly despicable, to have plotted and framed me!"
"Despicable? Heh, I admit you are intelligent, but don't forget this is a battlefield. The victor is king, the strong prey on the weak.
Only the strong are worthy of living," Zhao Long said mockingly, as if victory was already assured.
"You're right, this is a battlefield, and only the victor lives. Unfortunately, you are destined to be the loser!"
Chu Chen roared in anger, his eyes bloodshot, like a wild beast ready to devour.
"The loser? Heh, Chu Chen, don't dream. I'm telling you, you've already lost. You must die here today!" Zhao Long sneered.
"You're talking nonsense!" Chu Chen cursed. "How could I, a dignified third-rank general, lose to a mere whelp like you!"
"A mere whelp?" Zhao Long let out a cold laugh, a glint of coldness flashing in his eyes. "Chu Chen, do you think I'll give you any chance to breathe?
Heh, tonight I will make you experience the most excruciating torture in the world. I will imprison your soul in the abyss of hell for eternal damnation!"
Hearing this, Chu Chen shuddered, his face instantly turning pale. Was he truly going to die here today?
"Kill him, avenge the General!"
"Kill this scoundrel, avenge the General!"
"Kill!" Roars echoed as the soldiers charged madly, brandishing spears and crossbows at Chu Chen.
Chu Chen could not evade, and his shoulder was cut, blood flowing out.
"Damn it!" A ferocious expression appeared on Chu Chen's face. He had never imagined Zhao Long would resort to such despicable means against him; it was utterly inhuman.
Just then, Chu Chen's ears twitched. He keenly sensed an extremely dangerous aura approaching from the right.
It was an aura of intense killing intent! Chu Chen abruptly turned, but saw nothing.
Whoosh! Suddenly, a sharp gust of wind howled, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek, moving too fast to evade.
Chu Chen felt a cold sensation on his neck, and then the world fell silent. His eyes widened, his face frozen.
"Thump!" Chu Chen's corpse fell to the ground, a spear lodged in his throat. Crimson blood dripped from the end of the spear, staining the grass.
"Haha, the General is finally dead! This scoundrel caused us so much suffering!"
"Kill him!"
The soldiers were ecstatic, raising their weapons to hack at Chu Chen. With Chu Chen dead, they had no more reservations. They would die anyway, so why not take an enemy general down with them.
"Commander!" Chu Chen's副将 was stunned, watching Chu Chen being dismembered by a flurry of blades, helpless.
Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. He knew he could no longer save Chu Chen's life.
Rumble! Just then, the ground began to shake violently, and an overwhelming, malevolent aura spread, suffocating everyone.
"Not good! It's the Demon Wolf Legion!"
Chu Chen's副将's face changed drastically. He suddenly turned and looked behind him, his face draining of color in terror.
A black-armored army of several hundred men was galloping towards them, their momentum surging like a tidal wave.
Wherever they passed, thick dust clouds rose, obscuring vision.
Where this force passed, trees toppled, and the ground cracked, as if a pack of wolves were chasing their prey!
"The Demon Wolf Legion, they've actually appeared! Run, or none of us will survive!"
The副将 was terrified, his face pale. He led the remaining soldiers in a desperate flight, not daring to stop for a moment.
"Haha, trying to run?"
A wild laugh echoed through the night sky. A young man clad in heavy armor, astride a fine horse, wearing a black robe and a plumed helmet.
He exuded a dense aura of blood and malevolence, like a Shura returning from purgatory.
"This fellow has such powerful deterrence!" Chu Chen exclaimed inwardly. This aura made him feel suffocated.
Based on this deterrence alone, he could tell this young man was no ordinary individual.
"Bold bandits, daring to trespass on border defenses, you court death!" a furious roar sounded, and a burly man on horseback, wielding a giant hammer, charged forward with overwhelming power.
"General Zhao?" Chu Chen's expression shifted slightly. He recognized this man as Zhao Long's personal guard, Zhao Hu.
"Zhao Hu?" Chu Chen frowned. He had not fought these generals before, so he was unfamiliar with their martial arts styles.