Chapter 31: Root and Branch!

In the span of a dozen breaths, Zhao Ergou had already cut down more than ten men, his ferocity unmatched. "How about that, brothers? Is my swordsmanship decent? Do I look cool?" he shouted excitedly to the soldiers around him.

The other Qin soldiers were like wolves descending upon their prey, hacking wildly at the crumbling Rongdi forces.

Zhao Ergou led the charge, his momentum unstoppable; any Rongdi soldier who dared to block his path was mercilessly slaughtered. "Come on! Who dares to face me? Let me show you what a real warrior looks like!"

The Rongdi army had completely lost the ability to resist and could only wait to be butchered.

"Damn Qin dog! I will have you all dead!" Shilieba Hulindu’s eyes turned crimson, locking onto Zhao Ergou, who was charging at the forefront. He instantly recognized that Zhao Ergou was the leader of this Qin contingent.

Shilieba Hulindu let out a roar, drew his saber, and charged straight at Zhao Ergou.

Facing the heavy, powerful strike of Shilieba Hulindu, Zhao Ergou remained unperturbed, raising his blade to parry. "Oh ho, finally someone worth fighting! Let me see what you’ve got!"

"Clang!" A deafening sound rang out, and Shilieba Hulindu was forced back two steps, his eyes filled with shock. The lad was only at the Great Perfection stage of a martial artist, with a single-arm strength of three thousand catties, yet he had managed to push back someone of his own caliber! "Haha! This kid is interesting! But if you think you can beat me, you're still far off!" Zhao Ergou’s fighting spirit soared, his eyes flashing with excitement.

Looking at the exasperated Shilieba Hulindu, Zhao Ergou grinned, showing his white teeth. "Come on, keep going! My hands are itching!" He had instantly identified the man’s cultivation as the Great Perfection of a martial artist, the very leader Sun Liu had mentioned earlier.

"Qin dog! Die!" Shilieba Hulindu bellowed, his curved blade sweeping through the air as he hacked directly at Zhao Ergou’s face.

"I know you’re in a hurry to die," Zhao Ergou said, parrying the attack with nonchalance, his tone arrogant, "but there’s no need to rush! I haven't even warmed up yet!"

Shilieba Hulindu understood the Qin language; filled with shame, rage, and burning hatred, he wished he could tear Zhao Ergou limb from limb. He swung his blade even more frantically, like a raging storm.

"Is that it? It’s as soft as a massage!" Zhao Ergou taunted loudly while blocking with ease. "Didn't you eat? You fight like a girl! Use some strength!"

"No way, really? You dare to come and bark before me with just this little bit of skill?"

Just then, the ground began to tremble as the thunderous sound of hooves approached from afar. The cavalry led by Sun Liu and Tu Dakang surged into the enemy ranks like a black torrent, irresistible and overwhelming.

The Rongdi army, already low in morale, was caught completely off guard by this sudden cavalry charge, collapsing instantly like a sandcastle hit by a giant wave. Wherever the cavalry passed, the Rongdi soldiers fell like harvested wheat.

Watching his army being slaughtered, Shilieba Hulindu was frantic with anxiety, yet unable to turn the tide. Consumed by rage and having lost his sanity, he could only hack away in a blind frenzy.

"Alright, I’ve played with you long enough!" A sharp glint flashed in Zhao Ergou's eyes. "Let me show you my real skill!"

"Three Sabers of the Mad Wolf! Night Battle in All Directions!"

The fierce blade light, like lightning streaking across the night sky, instantly enveloped Shilieba Hulindu. He retreated step by step, his eyes filled with fear and despair.

A flash of blood-red light passed; Shilieba Hulindu’s gaze froze as his body slowly collapsed, gasping his last breath. Zhao Ergou had ended his life with a clean and efficient throat-slitting strike.

"Who else dares to challenge me?!" Zhao Ergou looked around, his voice booming like a bell, stunning the entire field. He was like a tiger descending the mountain, his long blade turning into a grim reaper’s scythe, harvesting one living soul after another.

Encouraged by Zhao Ergou, the morale of the soldiers surged; they fought with the ferocity of men possessed, hacking at the enemy relentlessly. Having lost their leader and their strongest fighter, the Rongdi army collapsed completely and fled in all directions.

"Brothers, leave no one alive! Pursue them!" Zhao Ergou waved his hand and commanded heroically.

Sun Liu and Tu Dakang immediately led the cavalry in pursuit of the fleeing Rongdi, like falcons hunting panicked rabbits, sparing no one.

"We won! We won! I knew we would win!" Zhao Ergou looked up and laughed, his voice echoing across the wilderness, filled with an unbridled arrogance. "Six hundred Rongdi pups, all slaughtered by our team of seventy!"

Luo Datong looked at the corpses of the Rongdi soldiers covering the ground, rubbing his hands in excitement. "The Commander is mighty! The Commander is domineering! We’ve made a fortune today!"

"A fortune? This is only the beginning!" Zhao Ergou slapped Luo Datong on the shoulder with enough force to make him stagger. "Follow me, and you’ll enjoy endless wealth and glory! This small victory is just the start!" He paused, scanned his brothers, and said loudly, "Brothers! Did you hear that? Follow me, Zhao Ergou, and you’ll eat well and live well, and every one of you will be able to marry a beautiful wife!"

The soldiers erupted into thunderous cheers, their admiration for Zhao Ergou flowing like an endless river.

"Alright, alright, don't just focus on being happy!" Zhao Ergou waved his hand to stop the cheering. "Clean up the battlefield! Take whatever you can carry, and burn whatever you can't. Don't leave a single thing for these Rongdi dogs!"

"Yes!" Luo Datong immediately organized the soldiers to clear the field.

"What are our casualties?" Zhao Ergou asked with concern. Despite his extreme self-confidence, he still valued the lives of his brothers.

The smile on Luo Datong’s face faded, his tone turning somber. "Eight brothers died in battle, and over a dozen are wounded."

Zhao Ergou’s expression darkened. He walked to the fallen brothers and let out a heavy sigh. "Brothers, rest in peace! I, Zhao Ergou, will take care of your families! I will also avenge you! I will not let a single Rongdi escape!"

He stood up abruptly, his eyes burning with intense rage. "Brothers, for our fallen comrades, for the glory of Great Qin, kill every last Rongdi dog!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" the soldiers roared in unison, their morale reaching a fever pitch.

During the cleanup, Luo Datong suddenly shouted in excitement, "Commander! Commander! A huge discovery! Precious medicine! So much precious medicine!"

"Precious medicine?!" Zhao Ergou’s eyes lit up. He ran over, snatched the medicine bottle from Luo Datong’s hand, pulled the stopper, and sniffed it, then burst into laughter. "Heaven helps me! Now we’re even more formidable! Brothers, put in some effort and bring all these treasures back!"

On the other side, Sun Liu and Tu Dakang returned in triumph with the cavalry. "Report, Commander! Not a single Rongdi pup got away; they’ve all been slaughtered!" Sun Liu reported excitedly.

"Well done!" Zhao Ergou patted Sun Liu on the shoulder in approval. "You truly are the soldiers I raised! Simply fierce!" He scanned his surroundings, his eyes piercing. "To ensure no word leaks out, cut the weeds and dig up the roots! Don't leave a single living soul!"