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墨書 Inktalez
Seeing the remaining sixteen cavalry charge out, Luzi didn't even have a chance to stop them. By the time he realized the battle was one-sided, it was already too late for him to spur his horse into action. Zhao Kuo, who suddenly rushed forward, didn't say a word; he deflected the incoming Short Spear and knocked Luzi off his horse.
"Your armor is quite good, General!"
Thinking that a single spear could fix someone's heartbeat, Zhao Kuo retracted his weapon and looked at the tip with a cold smile. "What if you have armor? You will stay here with your brothers today!"
Luzi was no match for Zhao Kuo because he was relatively weaker. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he quickly regained his composure. He raised his hand to block the long spear and sliced through the strap on Zhao Kuo's horse's belly with his sword. Then, he spun around to dodge a fatal blow and cut the second strap securing the saddle.
As an unsteady Zhao Kuo fell from his horse, Luzi almost simultaneously darted underneath the horse's belly. With his sword in hand, he created a flourish of blade light, and by the time the cold gleam stopped, it was already positioned against Zhao Kuo's throat. The entire movement flowed seamlessly; by the time the surrounding Zhao Army realized their Grand Commander was in trouble, it was too late for them to raise their Crossbows.
After all, having fought against this Qin General before had caused Zhao Kuo to let his guard down momentarily. Looking down at the blade resting on his neck, he shouted, "Everyone stop!"
Luzi pivoted to Zhao Kuo's back, holding his sword horizontally to restrain the Zhao Army's Commander. Seeing that only four of the sixteen cavalry who had charged out remained made him feel a pang of regret. If it weren't for needing to propose conditions next, he would have loved to end Zhao Kuo swiftly with a single strike.
Luzi glanced down at the glinting crossbow bolts among the Zhao Army troops on the hillside and said solemnly, "Zhao Kuo! Is our previous agreement still valid?"
Hearing that his opponent still held hope, Zhao Kuo snorted coldly. "Meng Tian! Even in this situation, we can negotiate regardless of any agreement! Tell me, do I have any choices left?!"
Luzi shook his head to signal the four approaching cavalry not to come closer because he knew Zhao Kuo would never let him leave. Faced with a situation where they were out of ammunition and supplies, even if they descended the hill, they wouldn't get far. Against another pursuit from the Zhao Army, no one could successfully escape the range of Zhao Crossbows.
"You let them go! I will let you go!"
Zhao Kuo had no intention of breaking his word because he had every reason to believe that none of them would escape. Moreover, the previous agreement only allowed for the Qin Army to descend; it did not promise that they wouldn't be pursued afterward. If they still had Qin State Crossbows in their hands, it might have been more complicated. But as things stood now, there wasn't even a single arrow left in the hands of Qin Soldiers!
If Zhao Kuo had aimed to collect more enemy heads, he would have split his forces to ambush the Qin Army. His purpose, like his character, was to avoid wasting effort. If he could take the enemy general's head with a thousand troops and horses, he would not engage in a large-scale positional battle that would turn the battlefield chaotic.
At this moment, Zhao Kuo heard the fake Meng Tian say he would voluntarily stay behind, so he no longer cared about the remaining Qin Army soldiers. To him, the soldiers held no value. He waved his hand to let the approaching Zhao Army clear the path down the mountain and smiled, "I, Zhao Kuo, am also a man of honor and will naturally keep my word. Let them go!"
Luzi smiled and nodded at the four brave warriors who did not want to abandon their general, then watched as they rode slowly down the mountain until they were no longer visible. Only then did he turn to glance at the cliff behind him.
The Seven Star Black Steed seemed to sense its master's intentions and nuzzled Luzi's shoulder with a couple of snorts. It was both a farewell and a promise that it would remain loyal and face whatever came together.
Zhao Kuo was now most concerned about Luzi behind him. Seeing that Luzi was reluctant to abandon his sword and surrender, he laughed, "General Meng, rest assured! I will not pursue those soldiers you sent away out of respect for the mercy of heaven. Since I promised not to kill these cavalrymen, I will keep my word." After saying this, he reached for the sword hilt across his neck.
"Don't move!" Luzi warned in a low voice. "Since I have promised to spare you, I will do so later. But right now, you need to help me with something; I apologize for this!"
Under Luzi's coercion, Zhao Kuo passively moved toward the cliff behind him and soon understood Luzi's plan. Falling down would mean death, not to mention intentionally jumping off. "Wait! Meng Tian! As long as you lay down your weapons and surrender, I swear I won't kill you!"
Luzi completely ignored the slowly surrounding Zhao Army and looked up at the blue sky above. A pure white cloud lazily stretched its body and drifted toward the northeast with the wind, making him feel as if his heart was floating far away.
The sky is truly beautiful!
Zhao Kuo's conditions pulled the daydreaming Luzi back to reality. Squinting at the ready crossbow, a smile appeared on his lips. "In all the books I've read as a Qin General, there is no word for surrender, so you might as well save your breath! Since you spared my brothers, I will spare you."
Hearing that Zhao Kuo would not pull him down with him if he jumped off the cliff finally made Luzi acknowledge him with a hum. In his books, there was also his philosophy. For the Qin Army, killing many held little meaning. But for a Qin General, it was certainly about killing one whenever possible.
"Alright then! Since you've made your decision, I won't make things difficult for you anymore. When I see your army, I will tell them that General Meng did not surrender but chose to commit suicide for his country!"
Upon receiving this answer, Luzi nodded at the edge of the cliff. As he sheathed his Sword, he pushed Zhao Kuo forward with his right hand.
To fulfill Luzi's noble cause, Zhao Kuo raised his hand to stop the soldiers from preparing to shoot arrows. It was too easy to shoot through a person with a rain of arrows; he wanted to see what this Qin General would do to end his own life.
The Zhao Soldiers surrounding the Qin Army all came from the Charioteer Camp, and naturally, they recognized what a Superior Steed was. At that moment, seeing the Seven Star Black Steed follow its master to the edge of the cliff, some wanted to rush over and seize the horse.
Zhao Kuo recognized that this was a rare and excellent steed, but he also knew the ancient legend that good horses do not serve two masters. A warhorse with such intelligence and understanding, even if it did not die alongside its master, would starve itself to death shortly after.
Rather than separating this man and horse, it would be better to fulfill the horse's loyalty at this moment!
Having made up his mind, Zhao Kuo turned and glared at a few eager Soldiers, stopping their next move. He then quietly watched as Luzi, having completed three bows towards the direction of Qin State, stood up and shouted loudly: “General Meng! If you die here, where will your horse go!?”
Without turning back, Luzi gently stroked the seven white spots above the head of the Seven Star Black Steed. Was Chuchu waiting for its lost master to return home? He sighed: “If it wishes to stay, then let it stay. I hope the Horse Armor General will treat it well. If not... well! Let it go!” After speaking, he rearranged his general's armor and pulled out the Sword that had been sheathed during his bowing.
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