Chapter 18: This is the very reason I strive! Add points!-Grande Qin: O Deus da Morte do Império, Criando a Cavalaria Dragão da Neve(Fuyao sobe aos céus.)

The tide of tens of thousands of Rongdi troops surged forward, yet Zhao Ergou showed no sign of fear. Instead, he let out a hearty laugh. "Exhilarating! Now this is what I call a battle! Brothers, the time to earn our glory has come. Give me everything you’ve got—let’s leave none of them standing!"

Moving with agility, he cut through the enemy ranks as if wandering through an empty field. Wherever his blade passed, blood and flesh flew. Soon, he was surrounded by over twenty Rongdi soldiers.

"Hah! Do you scoundrels really think you can stop me? What a joke!" Zhao Ergou roared, his steel blade dancing faster, the light of the steel pouring out like a torrential downpour.

A Rongdi centurion led a squad of elites to encircle him.

"Early-stage martial artist? Today, I’ll show you what true strength is!" A glimmer of excitement flashed in Zhao Ergou’s eyes. Stepping in a seven-star pattern, he moved like lightning, instantly appearing before the centurion.

"Rising Blade Strikes the Sparrow!" With a thunderous roar, his blade descended like a bolt of lightning. The centurion did not even have time to scream before being cleaved in two.

"Who else?!" Drenched in blood, Zhao Ergou stood atop the city wall like a god of war, his voice shaking the heavens. The remaining Rongdi soldiers, cowed by his ferocity, retreated in terror. Zhao Ergou seized the moment, his blade flashing as he cut down the rest of the enemy squad.

The battle raged until dusk, when the Rongdi army finally sounded the retreat. Looking at the corpses strewn across the ground, Zhao Ergou smiled with satisfaction. "Hmph, a bunch of trash, daring to invade the borders of Great Qin? Come back again, and I’ll ensure none of you return!"

Though his wounds were still bleeding, he paid them no mind. He stood tall, like a spear thrust into the earth atop the ramparts, basking in the admiration and praise of his comrades.

"Brothers, we won! We held Yanmen Pass!" Zhao Ergou shouted, his voice filled with pride. He looked around at the survivors, his eyes burning with concern and warmth. "Brothers, you are all magnificent! Though we suffered heavy losses today, with our own flesh and blood, we have defended the dignity of Great Qin! You are all heroes, the pride of the Empire!"

He walked over to Sun Liu, patted his shoulder, and said boldly, "Old Six, as long as we live, we shall fight as brothers. Stay with me, and I will ensure you win honors and bring glory to your ancestors!"

Zhao Ergou puffed out his chest, looking around with a fanatical glint in his eyes. He began to sing: "Who says you have no clothes? I share my robes with you. The King raises his army, I ready my spear and shield; I share your hatred!"

The soldiers raised their heads, looking at Zhao Ergou, and instinctively joined in the chorus.

"Who says you have no clothes? I share my undergarments with you. The King raises his army, I sharpen my spears and halberds; I fight by your side!"

"Who says you have no clothes? I share my armor with you. The King raises his army, I repair my armor and weapons; I march with you!"

Every soldier of Great Qin rose to their feet, singing along, each finding the strength to stand tall once more through the song.

Just then, General Sima Xin, the Slayer of Slaves, appeared on the wall. He sang a verse himself, then paused to catch his breath before shouting, "Listen well, all of you! You have done well! Tend to your wounds today! We resume the slaughter tomorrow! Ten thousand victories!"

"Ten thousand victories!"
"Ten thousand victories!"

The Qin soldiers cheered. Only then did they begin to retreat to their barracks.

Back in the quarters, Qian Dashan frowned as he saw Zhao Ergou covered in wounds. "Ergou, take it easy. Don't be so reckless; watch out for the elite Rongdi warriors."

"To hell with that!" Zhao Ergou waved him off carelessly. "A soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier! Those Rongdi trash—I'll kill one if one comes, and a pair if two come! If they dare to show their faces, I’ll show them what true strength is!"

He patted his chest and glanced at the severely wounded Wu Bu'er. His brow furrowed for a moment, but he quickly smiled again. "Wu Bu'er, you kid are tough as nails; you won't die! When you're healed, we’ll all go out and kill the enemy together!"

He looked around to find his brothers silent, and complained indignantly, "Cheer up, all of you! Who are you mourning for? We won the battle!"

He snatched a reed flute from Sun Liu’s hand and slammed it to the ground. "Come, let’s sing the war song!"

"Valiant are the men of Old Qin, reclaiming our rivers and mountains. Until our blood runs dry, we shall never cease the fight!"

"The world is in chaos, where is peace to be found? Qin has its sharp warriors, who dares to contend for supremacy!"

"In the West, Great Qin rises like the morning sun; a century of national hatred, hard to wash away even by the vast seas!"

"The world is in chaos, where is peace to be found? Qin has its sharp warriors, who dares to contend for supremacy!?"

"Qin has its sharp warriors, who dares to contend for supremacy!"

With that, he sang the war song of the Qin army at the top of his lungs. The powerful melody echoed through the barracks, dispelling the gloom and igniting the fighting spirit in the hearts of the soldiers.

***

Inside the tent of General Wang Li, the Slayer of Rebels, several defenders of Yanmen Pass stood in solemn silence. The atmosphere was suffocating.

"General, is there truly no hope for reinforcements from Shibei Pass?" Sima Xin broke the silence, his voice anxious.

"The Meng army has two hundred thousand men. Is it really so difficult to spare even ten or twenty thousand?" another lieutenant followed, unable to hide his resentment.

Wang Li sighed deeply, rubbing his temples in exhaustion. "The Great Chanyu of the Rongdi personally leads three hundred thousand troops to besiege Shibei Pass, and the Right Wise King has one hundred thousand fierce troops pressing down on Yinshan Fortress. General Meng himself is overwhelmed—how could he possibly spare troops to support us?"

At these words, the generals fell silent, and a sense of despair spread through the tent. Without reinforcements, Yanmen Pass stood isolated; how long could it possibly hold?

"What about the King’s main army?" one lieutenant asked, still clinging to a sliver of hope.

Wang Li did not answer, merely staring into the distance, his eyes deep and inscrutable. The other generals fell silent, the tension in the tent growing heavier.

After a long while, Wang Li finally spoke, his voice low and raspy. "Order the commanderies and counties within the pass to mobilize their troops and march with all haste. Tell them: if Yanmen Pass falls, the lips will be gone and the teeth will be cold—they will not escape their own doom!" His tone was one of grim determination and helplessness.

"As you command!" Sima Xin rose, responding heavily. He walked out of the tent with a stumbling gait, as if carrying the weight of a mountain on his shoulders.

Zhao Ergou returned to his quarters, his spirits soaring as he summoned the light screen in his mind.

Name: Zhao Ergou
Race: Human
Realm: Martial Disciple Limit ( + )
Techniques: "Crouching Dog Vitality" (Minor Accomplishment), "Mad Wolf’s Three Blades" (Minor Accomplishment)
Strength: Two Thousand Jin
Talent: Bronze Archer ( + )
Killing Intent: 95

"Hahaha, ninety-five points of killing intent! I’m going to be rich!" Zhao Ergou laughed toward the heavens, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"This is the meaning of all my hard work!"