The Fallen Nation System, Turning the Tide - Chapter 62: An Incident

Chapter 62: An Incident

He Chongguang led his troops and escaped!

The men sent out by Aguhun returned empty-handed, still unable to find the Jin soldiers, as if they had vanished from the Western Rong territory. Aguhun held a map in his hand, but his gaze drifted aimlessly.

His attendant Gedeng speculated, “Could there be a traitor in the Western Rong secretly sheltering them?”

Aguhun’s pupils abruptly contracted. His fingers tightened around the map, crumpling its edges into his palm. He leaned back slowly and raised his head.

“Hushili appeared out of nowhere. In just a few months, he gained the Khan’s trust and repeatedly urged for military action…” Aguhun narrowed his eyes. “Investigate what he’s been doing recently and where he’s been. If he’s truly hiding Jin people and plotting against the Khan, you may behead him on the spot to deter anyone with treacherous intentions!”

Gedeng showed a troubled expression. “Daghan, the Khan is quite fond of this Hushili and often takes him hunting. If we kill him directly, I fear the Khan will be furious.”

Aguhun said, “I will take the blame before the Khan.”

Hesitantly, Gedeng clasped his fists and quickly jogged out of the tent.

With no trace found in the Western Rong and no news from inside Jiayu Pass, everyone began to suspect that Niu Pengnan and Wang Qiu might have met with misfortune. If they had been captured alive by the Western Rong, the enemy would surely use them as leverage.

The soldiers prayed for Wang Qiu and his men’s safe return, yet understood how slim this hope was. Many climbed onto high rocks in fury, glaring toward the Western Rong direction and shouting vehemently: “We swear to wipe out the Western Rong completely!”

The troops roared in unison.

Meanwhile, He Chongguang arrived at Jade Gate Pass only to find Aguhun absent. Realizing he had been tricked, he consulted with Yang Tong. Yang Tong led a surprise attack, scattering the troops Aguhun had left at Jade Gate Pass and capturing a large portion of the Western Rong soldiers.

He Chongguang intentionally allowed some fleeing soldiers to escape, sending them back to deliver a message to Aguhun: withdraw within ten days or he would execute one prisoner daily until none remained. To redeem these Western Rong soldiers, Aguhun must sign a treaty and return the lands previously ceded by Great Jin.

Seeing himself as a man without morals, He Chongguang listed every demandfeasible or notto leave Aguhun in a dilemma.

He Chongguang ordered Yang Tong to guard Jade Gate Pass, then confidently marched the prisoners toward Jiayu Pass to confront Aguhun. If Aguhun insisted on advancing, He Chongguang was prepared to use the captives as human shields.

When the troops reunited at Jiayu Pass, He Chongguang first went to see Qing Wang Xu Ge.

The fleeing Western Rong soldiers rushed in panic to Aguhun’s command tent, where they were seized by his guards. After learning the reason, the guards brought one before Aguhun.

Upon hearing the message from He Chongguang, Aguhun suddenly drew his blade and stabbed the escapee through the chest. Pulling the sword out, its edge dripped with fresh blood. The Western Rong soldier widened his eyes and collapsed dead.

“Execute all who fled back. They died at the hands of the Jin,” Aguhun tossed his blade aside and said calmly.

The soldier was dragged away, leaving a long trail of blood.

Aguhun walked to a basin and immersed his hands in clear water. Bloodstains on his knuckles dissolved into crimson threads.

The tent flap suddenly lifted as Gedengwhom Aguhun had sent to investigate Hushilireturned. His relaxed expression and eased features indicated he brought good news for Aguhun.

Gedeng caught sight of the marks on the ground, quickly averted his eyes, and spotted Aguhun’s figure in the corner. He strode toward him, saying, “Daghan, just as you predicted, Hushili is indeed suspicious. He’s been acting furtively, seemingly contacting someone in secret. Unfortunately, we haven’t uncovered any concrete evidence yet.”

“Any proof?” Aguhun wiped the blood from his hands, flicking away the water droplets.

Gedeng shook his head. “Hushili is extremely cautious. We’ve monitored him for days without finding any flaws. It was only after Khatun pointed out some oddities about him that we noticed his covert activities.”

Aguhun’s body stiffened slightly like a wooden stake. After a moment, he pivoted on his heel, turning halfway with his head slightly lowered. “…You’re saying this was Khatun’s warning?”

Gedeng replied, “Khatun has suspected Hushili for a long time. She’s brought it up to the Khan multiple times, but he wouldn’t listen and even distanced himself from her for several days. When she saw me, she shared all her observations.”

“How is Khatun?” Aguhun clenched his fists.

Gedeng nodded. “Don’t worry, Daghan. Khatun asked me to tell you that she has fully recovered and can eat an entire lamb now. She also hopes you’ll take care of your health.”

Aguhun’s fingers relaxed, his gaze sharpening again. He turned fully to face Gedeng. “The Khan has been deeply deceived by Hushili. We must find evidence quickly and execute him.”

“Yes, Daghan!”

Ten days passed without Aguhun showing any reaction. The Jin army beat drums to assemble, and Western Rong soldiers were brought before the troops with bound hands. He Chongguang had somehow procured a rocking chair and was lounging comfortably with an air of ease.

Zhang Keqian, unable to bear it, went to Xu Ge and said, “Aguhun shows no concern for his own soldiers. Killing these prisoners is pointlessit will only deepen the Western Rong’s hatred toward us.”

Since He Chongguang’s arrival, Xu Ge had felt more settled. He glanced at Zhang Keqian’s naive expression and shook his head helplessly. This bookworm can’t think flexiblyno wonder he dropped from first to last in the Winter Examination.

Xu Ge responded, “You pity the Western Rong, but who pities our soldiers? Blame their Khan. Feeding these captives consumes our provisions. In my opinion, burying them directly is the most efficient solution!”

Cheers erupted from the soldiers outside. Zhang Keqian looked over and saw a defiant Western Rong warrior already beheaded, blood pooling on the ground as his head rolled away.

Zhang Keqian, who couldn’t even bring himself to kill a chicken, had never witnessed such a scene. His stomach churned, and he hurried away.

After the Jin executed the Western Rong soldiers, Aguhun immediately mobilized his troops for a counterattack. He Chongguang deployed gunpowder crossbows crafted by Tong Wan. The bolts whistled through the air, buzzing before exploding with a crack. One veered off course, embedding in the arm of a nearby Western Rong soldier holding a banner. The soldier’s arm seared with pain, and the flag abruptly fell.

“The Jin’s crossbow bolts can curve!”

Western Rong soldiers soon noticed the bizarre nature of this battle. The ability to redirect crossbow bolts was terrifying, plunging them into panic and disarray. Their carefully arranged formation collapsed.

Seeing the situation deteriorate, Aguhun swiftly ordered a retreat to preserve their strength and avoid further losses.

As the Western Rong withdrew, He Chongguang had already dispatched agile soldiers to track the trajectories of the gunpowder crossbows. The moment the enemy retreated, these soldiers rode out to retrieve the arrows.

These crossbow bolts are not easily madewe can’t let the Western Rong take them away. Retrieve them, wash them, and they can be reused.

“There are still a few crossbow bolts on the Western Rong soldiers, but they fled too quickly!” a soldier hurriedly reported.

“What?” He Chongguang abruptly leaped up, his chest feeling as if a great hole had been torn through it, with a fierce wind howling through.

He Chongguang swiftly snatched the reins, mounted his horse, and galloped off. “All troops, advance! Retrieve every last crossbow bolt for me!”

“General, only His Highness Qing Wang has the authority to command the entire army…” The colonel whose horse had been taken stared in astonishment, chasing after him a few steps and urgently speaking.

He Chongguang’s personal guard, having served him the longest, was well-acquainted with his temperament. Once on campaign, no one could restrain himhe acted recklessly, following his own whims.

The guard quickly stepped in to cover for He Chongguang: “The divine arrows bestowed upon us by His Majesty must not fall into the hands of the Western Rong. The situation is criticalwe must act as circumstances demand. Everyone, pursue!”

Hearing that the divine arrows were lost, and seeing He Chongguang so frantic that he personally charged into battle, the rest of the troops mounted their horses and gave chase.

“Do not pursue a desperate enemy”

The colonel reached out to stop them, but the soldiers had already spurred their horses away, hooves kicking up clouds of dust. The colonel coughed, bending over from the irritation, then immediately went to find Xu Ge.

This was truly a disasterHe Chongguang had led the troops away!

The colonel ran headlong into Zhang Keqian, who grunted in pain, clutching his chest, and grabbed the fleeing colonel to ask, “What’s the emergency?”

The colonel, frantic with worry, replied quickly, “General He has led the entire army in pursuit of the Western Rong!”

With that, he broke free from Zhang Keqian’s grip and sprinted toward Xu Ge’s tent.

Zhang Keqian stared wide-eyed in shock. Hurrying to the stables, he found all the warhorses gonethe stables were completely empty. He promptly joined the tail end of the infantry to chase after He Chongguang.

Aguhun’s forces were retreating in disarray. He had intended to quickly find a place to regroup, but none of the locations were suitable, forcing them to fall back further. As Aguhun pondered where to retreat, a soldier galloped up to report: “Daghan, the Jin army is about to catch up!”

Hearing this, Aguhun couldn’t hide his astonishment. The Jin army rarely gave chase, wary of ambushes.

Aguhun glanced back at his chaotic ranks. The Western Rong soldiers were still panicked; even if they set an ambush, it would be ineffective, and there wasn’t enough time.

“How many are pursuing?” Aguhun asked.

“It seems to be their entire force…”

Aguhun drew a sharp breath. Why were the Jin acting so unusually this time, adopting a stance of relentless pursuit?

“Pick up the pace!”

Their only option now was to flee quickly, find a safe place to regroup, and then counterattack. Otherwise, he feared the troops he had brought out would all fall into Jin hands.

Carrying the wounded was too slow, and the Jin army was hot on their heels. The Western Rong soldiers had no choice but to help the wounded onto horses, whip the mounts, and flee on horseback.

The Western Rong soldiers fled incessantly; He Chongguang, obsessed with retrieving the crossbow bolts, pursued relentlessly. By nightfall, the Western Rong troops were exhausted, both men and horses worn out. Aguhun had led the Jin army in circles all day but still couldn’t shake them offhe truly believed the Jin had gone mad.

As a last resort, they fled into Yun Mountain, barely managing to evade capture. Yet, faced with the Jin army’s thorough search of the hills, Aguhun couldn’t relax for a moment.

During this brief respite, Aguhun went to check on the wounded. The medics were extracting arrows, both the injured and the healers drenched in sweat. The wounded bit down on cloth, the veins on their foreheads bulging terrifyingly.

The field surgeon immediately released his grip upon seeing Aguhun. “Daghan, their arrows have barbs. They’re difficult to extract. What should we do?”

Aguhun furrowed his brow tightly and said, “Knock the person unconscious first, then pull the arrow. Give it a try.”

The field surgeon widened his eyeswas this a joke?

Author’s Note:

Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solutions between 2023-05-20 21:17:39~2023-05-21 20:55:30~

Special thanks to these nutrient solution providers: Qingqing 10 bottles; Icepoint Cream2 2 bottles; Restless Thread, Samoyed, Tardy Bell, 53170355, Arrogance, Lord of the Jianghu 1 bottle each.

I’m deeply grateful for everyone’s support. I’ll keep working hard!