Chapter 1307: Exploding Pulp

Zhao Guangzhi cried out, "No, no, I beg you..."

Not far down the street, dust billowed, and a large contingent of men and horses appeared. Over five hundred Zhao soldiers finally arrived, while the rest were still blocking Yang Meng and the garrison at the city gate.

The streets and alleys here were generally narrow; even a thousand people would struggle to maneuver effectively. But the sight before them stunned the Zhao army. On the long street, why was there a giant elephant? How was the incredibly powerful General Zhao crucified against the wall? What was that dark, monstrous figure on the elephant's head?

"Release General Zhao!" two lieutenants demanded, feigning courage while trembling internally. "Otherwise, we'll..." Before they could utter "tear you to pieces," rapid hoofbeats echoed, and a squad of elite black-armored soldiers rounded the corner.

The giant elephant suddenly let out a long, whistle-like trumpeting sound and charged towards the Zhao army. Its sheer weight alone was enough to make the ground tremble and dust fly for dozens of yards. The squad of black cavalry followed closely, roaring in unison. This main street was actually very narrow; when the giant elephant charged, its enormous body seemed to fill half the width. If the Zhao army engaged it at close quarters, some would undoubtedly be instantly trampled into a bloody pulp.

The Zhao soldiers' scalps tingled with terror. Facing the rampant charge of such a behemoth, avoiding its onslaught was instinctual; no one wanted to be the unfortunate one. The front ranks cried out and immediately scrambled into the back. Their formation instantly fell into chaos.

A lieutenant, squeezed in the crowd, roared, "Why are you hiding? Attack!" Before he finished speaking, the giant elephant charged directly at him. He immediately shut his mouth and turned to push his way back into the crowd. In an instant, the elephant corpse-puppet caught up to the crowd and began its crushing rampage. One by one, it trampled them underfoot, swiftly and mercilessly.

He Lingchuan stood on the elephant's head, seemingly relishing the joy of the elephant's gory trampling. Some Zhao soldiers raised their weapons in resistance, but the corpse-puppet felt no pain; it continued its advance as if nothing had happened, even with four or five spears embedded in its body. This sight filled the enemy with despair. As for the black-armored figure on the elephant's head, shadowy specters swirled erratically around him, making it difficult for the Zhao army to even aim.

"Myeh ha ha ha, glorious! So glorious!" Under the exultant command of the Soul-Devouring Mirror, the giant elephant made two charges, caught up to the lieutenant, and used its tusks to gore him through from back to front, splattering blood. The man let out only half a cry before he died. The giant elephant didn't stop at all, impaling the lieutenant on its tusk and charging forward with its head lowered.

Utilizing the advantageous terrain, the elephant corpse-puppet, by itself, drove four or five hundred Zhao soldiers into a frantic retreat towards the city gate. The black-armored riders behind them could only follow, eating dust, with no chance to demonstrate their skills.

A commotion erupted behind the Zhao army, and both factions vying for the city gate quickly felt it. The gate-blocking army was in bewildered suspense. Yang Meng seized the opportunity, cut down an officer with two slashes, and led his men a few steps further. Soon, shouts from inside the city rose one after another: "Zhao Guangzhi is dead!" "Zhao Guangzhi has been beheaded!" "Zhao Guangzhi's army has been scattered! Doom is upon you!"

The waves of sound continued, some even emanating from within the city. The Zhao army commanders at the city gate shouted, "Focus on the enemy! They're spouting nonsense!" "The General is perfectly fine!" If Zhao Guangzhi could be so easily gone, how could he have led them to capture cities and territories time and again? Therefore, although the army at the city gate was bewildered, they weren't overly panicked.

Until—hundreds of their comrades fled frantically from within the city, like sheep pursued by a tiger. Then they realized it wasn't a tiger at all, but an armored giant elephant, armed to its tusks! And it seemed there were some black-armored riders too. A man was impaled on the elephant's tusk, swaying with its movements like a grim decoration. Even so, the army at the gate instantly recognized the twisted face, its eyes wide open in death. It was Lieutenant Hu! General Zhao Guangzhi's trusted aide, Lieutenant Hu! Blood trickled down the tusk, scattering along its path. If Lieutenant Hu, who went to assist General Zhao, was dead, then what about General Zhao? The area was not far from the street, and some had just heard General Zhao's sky-shattering scream, unsettling their hearts.

The voice of the black-armored leader cut through all the chaos, reaching deep into their hearts: "Zhao Guangzhi is dead! Next!"

The Zhao army fell silent. At such a moment, of course, no one would dare shout back that General Zhao wasn't dead, or that he had been nailed to the wall... Another lieutenant, who had barely escaped the long street, saw this and shouted, "Don't panic! They're few in number! Let's slaughter this fiend and avenge General Zhao!" Who said soldiers could only serve one master? With General Zhao dead, this force might soon choose a new leader to turn the tide of defeat, win victory, and purge the entire city. Though these black-armored cavalry and the giant elephant looked formidable, they were too few in number. The terrain at the city gate was already open, and organizing their forces for another battle might just turn the tables. In his haste, he had thought everything through quite thoroughly.

But before the word "vengeance" could fully leave his lips, something suddenly shot through the gap in the city gate, piercing his heart. The man's eyes widened in shock. As he fell, a crunching, chewing sound emanated from his chest. Before he could even assume command, the man was gone.

Inside and outside the city gate, the air suddenly solidified. Still, the black-armored leader tilted his head and gave a command: "Kill!" This low roar was like a thunderclap in the air. The giant elephant trumpeted loudly and strode towards the city gate. The black-armored cavalry followed closely, spurring their horses forward and leveling their spears. They were few in number, but the Zhao army at the city gate was already terrified. Seeing their stance, no one dared to meet their charge. If even General Zhao Guangzhi couldn't stop them, what was the point of fighting? So, they let out a frantic cry, turned, and ran towards the city gate, none wanting to be left behind and stabbed.

Yang Meng roared, "Hold them! Hold them!" The Zhao army surged outward in a frenzy, pushing and shoving each other, and all the pressure ultimately fell on Yang Meng. Previously, Yang Meng had wanted to enter the city and the Zhao army resisted; now, the situation was completely reversed—the Zhao army wanted to escape, and Yang Meng and his men had to hold them back! Instantly, there were countless pushing, shoving, and trampling incidents. He Lingchuan couldn't be bothered to count how many the giant elephant had trampled; at that moment, three were wrapped up by its trunk and flung away, their destination unknown.

From behind, dozens more black-armored riders arrived in succession, pursuing the fleeing army. The resistance at the city gate was too great; Yang Meng and his men couldn't hold on, forced to retreat step by step. Understanding that adaptability was key, some fleeing soldiers, seeing the city gate hopelessly jammed, remembered that Liuping also had a North Gate. They could exit there too, so why struggle here?

"The North Gate! There's a North Gate!" With a sudden rush, hundreds of them scattered. The black-armored cavalry immediately split into several teams: one stayed to control the area, while the others pursued the fleeing soldiers heading towards the North Gate. Hearing the hoofbeats behind them, the Zhao army immediately dispersed like startled birds and beasts, deliberately choosing winding, narrow alleys. Humans generally couldn't outrun horses. The black-armored riders galloped in pursuit, and wherever they passed, weapons clashed and screams echoed.