Chapter 215: Father and Son
Qin Yi fiercely spurred his warhorse, swinging his lance once more toward Xiao Li: "You little brat from the Huyan tribe! You treacherous rebel, how dare you come assault Luodu again today!"
Hearing Qin Yi address him this way, Xiao Li grew increasingly suspicious. He raised his halberd to parry the lance, and as Qin Yi pressed down on the lance's long shaft to sweep toward him, he leaned back on his horse to evade it. Returning the halberd's hilt, he blocked the lance's blade again and demanded: "For whom are you defending Luodu?"
Qin Yi's lion-like beard and hair floated in the biting wind, his muddled eyes now sharp as a lion's: "For His Majesty Liang Chengzhu of Great Liang!"
With a great shout, he suddenly twisted free, retrieved his lance, and continued attacking Xiao Li with both arms, thrusting left and right like a swimming dragon.
Upon hearing his words, Xiao Li's brow furrowed even deeper. He now only evaded without fighting back. When Qin Yi roared "Don't you dare dodge, you brat!", Xiao Li struck the forelegs of Qin Yi's warhorse with his halberd.
The startled horse immediately reared up with a whinny, forcing Qin Yi to free a hand to control it, temporarily halting his assault.
After creating distance, Xiao Li turned his horse's head, raised his halberd, and looked up toward the city tower.
Pei Song, who had been watching the battle below with both hands on the parapet, happened to meet Xiao Li's gaze.
How to describe that look in the other's eyes?
Cold, indifferent, yet fiercely sharp. Though positioned below, he regarded those above as mere ants.
Pei Song had originally been concerned for Qin Yi's safety, but during that brief moment of eye contact with Xiao Li, he suddenly felt a surge of humiliation and rage that burned throughout his chest, causing a searing pain.
Torn between these two emotions, Pei Song had never wished for Xiao Li's immediate death as intensely as he did at this moment.
Who did he think he was!
How dare he look at me with such eyes?
A whore's son whom Qin Yi had madly mistaken for his own, teaching him military tactics and martial arts—a lowly rogue, the basest of scoundrels—was actually scrutinizing me?
Pei Song almost curled his lips into a laugh, wanting to mockingly ask what qualifications he had.
Because he had been a substitute for over a decade, did he now think he was also Qin Yi's son?
Xiao Li saw the mocking curl of Pei Song's lips. Scenes from years ago flashed before his eyes: Qin Yi teaching him martial arts in the prison, Xiao Huiniang smoothing her hair with an embroidery needle while squinting by the door doing needlework, coughing as she rolled up her sleeves to wash clothes in the courtyard, setting the table and calling him to eat... all appeared vividly in his mind.
The repeated calls of "Huan'er" and "Huan'er" now seemed to echo in his ears.
Finally, the image of Xiao Huiniang collapsing in the sea of flames surfaced in his mind.
His lips pressed into a tight line.
As Qin Yi raised his lance again with a great roar and charged at him, Xiao Li forcibly suppressed the flicker of reluctance in his heart, raised his halberd, and clashed heavily with him. The impact was so powerful that both men and their horses were forced back several steps.
After steadying himself by planting his lance on the ground, Qin Yi exclaimed cheerfully: "Huyan brat! That's more like it! Again!"
Xiao Li swung his halberd horizontally toward him. Qin Yi raised his lance to block, but as the halberd's shaft struck the lance's pole, the force of the blow unrelenting, Xiao Li swung it again fiercely. Qin Yi, along with his horse, staggered backward, struggling to defend himself.
With a surge of crimson fury in his eyes, Xiao Li roared: "How much longer will you remain mad?"
"How many years has Liang Chengzhu been dead? Great Liang has already fallen once. For whom are you defending Luodu?"Qin Yi's dazed eyes seemed to freeze for a moment before he immediately pointed his lance directly at Xiao Li and shouted, "Nonsense! How could our Great Liang perish!"
Xiao Li deflected the opponent's spearhead with his halberd, using the crescent blade of the halberd to lock the spear's edge, pressing it firmly to the ground with brute force. "Why not ask your dear son how Great Liang fell! And how he slaughtered the Wen clan and half the court!"
Qin Yi tried to lift the halberd pressing down on his lance, but he was, after all, advanced in years. The disparity in strength between them was evident, and he found himself momentarily restrained. For some reason, his heart raced uncontrollably upon hearing these words.
He roared, "You traitor! What rubbish are you spouting! My Huan'er is only ten years old, burning with fever and lying ill in prison!"
"Once I behead you, the Emperor will surely recognize the unwavering loyalty of my Qin family, clear our name, and release my entire clan from prison!"
These words seemed to grant him immense resolve. He mustered strength in his arms once more to push aside the halberd blade pinning him down. Just then, Pei Yuan and a group of Hawk Hounds fought their way against the crowd from the city gate. Seeing Qin Yi restrained, Pei Yuan immediately flung a grappling hook toward Xiao Li's arms.
Zheng Hu and Xiao Li's personal guards were too far away to intervene in time.
Xiao Li had no choice but to release the halberd pressing on the spear's edge. With a sweeping motion, he deflected the grappling hook hurled at him. Qin Yi, who had been exerting all his strength to lift the halberd, was caught off guard by Xiao Li's sudden release of force. He lost his balance and stumbled backward, only steadying himself by quickly planting his lance on the ground.
After smashing aside a Pei soldier blocking his path with a swing of his hammer, Zheng Hu noticed the Hawk Hounds swarming Xiao Li. He urgently turned his warhorse and charged toward them, cursing loudly, "You damned bastards! Sneak attacks from behind are cowardly! Face your Grandpa Zheng in a real fight!"
Pei Yuan cast a cold glance at Zheng Hu pursuing from behind and ordered the Hawk Hounds who had fought their way out of the city with him, "Take the old general away!"
He himself flung the grappling hook again, this time snagging the neck of a young officer charging toward him on horseback. Yanking the officer off his steed, Pei Yuan leaped onto the horse, dug his heels into its flanks, and charged straight at Xiao Li.
Xiao Li had just deflected several more grappling hooks aimed at him. A strand of hair had come loose during the struggle and now fell across his forehead. Gripping his halberd, he stared coldly at Pei Yuan charging toward him, his gaze fierce and sharp.
When Pei Yuan closed within less than ten feet, Xiao Li swung his halberd horizontally at the other's waist. Pei Yuan, having trained as a Hawk Hound, was far more agile and flexible than an ordinary martial general. He leaned back entirely, his back nearly flush against the horse's spine, dodging the halberd strike. In the same motion, he flung the grappling hook, its thin steel chain wrapping several times around Xiao Li's halberd before the claw firmly latched onto the crescent blade.
He looped the other end of the grappling hook's chain around the saddle pommel and then twice around his left arm, attempting to use the horse's momentum to wrench the halberd from Xiao Li's grasp. Simultaneously, he swung a long blade horizontally with his right arm, aiming a slash at Xiao Li on horseback.
Xiao Li, still gripping the halberd handle tightly with one hand, pushed off the saddle with his other hand, leaping almost entirely into the air to evade the blade. By the time he landed, the two warhorses had already passed each other.Pei Yuan's warhorse continued charging forward as Xiao Li landed back in the saddle. Though the armored right arm showed no visible muscle definition, his jaw tightened. With one hand controlling the reins, he violently jerked the halberd shaft with the other. Instantly, his warhorse was dragged backward, its hooves scraping through the sand for over two inches before both horse and rider strained to resist the pulling force.
The already taut steel cable immediately dug into both the saddle and Pei Yuan's arm wraps, yanking him violently forward over his mount's neck. The warhorse beneath him reared with a pained whinny.
Pei Yuan's face contorted in agony as the tremendous force pressed his left hand and the saddle pommel tightly together. The outer iron plating of his arm wraps had already deformed under the pressure. Were it not for the buffering layer of tanned dogskin inside, the steel cable would have severed his entire hand.
To make matters worse, the handle-end of the cable had become tightly entangled with the upper strands under the immense force. Even if he released his grip, he couldn't free his arm from the deeply embedded cable.
Making a swift decision, he drew his dagger and repeatedly hacked at the cable. But the specially crafted retractable steel cord from the grappling hook merely sparked under the dagger's strikes, showing no signs of breaking.
When Xiao Li swung the halberd back again, the combined weight of man and horse caused the cable to tighten further, digging deeper into flesh. Pei Yuan cried out in pain and quickly cut the leather straps securing the saddle. Now only he and the saddle were being dragged across the ground by the tremendous force.
Several Hawk Hounds tasked with capturing Qin Yi were also struggling. Qin Yi had mistaken them for deserters and traitors, preventing their approach while nearly decapitating them with furious swings of his horse lance.
Seeing Pei Yuan being dragged, they hurried back to rescue him.
Facing the returning Hawk Hounds swarming like flies with their grappling hooks, Xiao Li slammed his halberd downward, finally severing the cable wrapped around the crescent blade.
After being dragged several yards, Pei Yuan lay half-conscious, clutching his nearly numb left arm. Before he could rise, Zheng Hu came galloping over and without warning leaned down to swing his hammer.
Pei Yuan hastily rolled aside, narrowly avoiding both the trampling hooves and the fatal blow. Fortunately, two Hawk Hounds arrived to help him up, urgently addressing him as "Commander Ten."
Having missed his strike, Zheng Hu wheeled his horse around for another charge. Two additional Hawk Hounds who had just arrived quickly threw their grappling hooks to restrain him.
Coughing and wheezing, Pei Yuan wiped blood from his lips with the back of his hand. Watching Qin Yi—now unimpeded by Hawk Hounds—advance toward Xiao Li with horse lance in hand, he suddenly recognized the perfect opportunity to eliminate Xiao Li. "Kill that Xiao bastard!" he immediately ordered.
The two Hawk Hounds supporting him, seeing he had recovered, quickly joined the fray against Xiao Li.
Despite facing Qin Yi and over a dozen Hawk Hounds, Xiao Li's familiarity with their siege tactics and his own ferocious courage kept him from being overwhelmed.
Instead, after exchanging several blows with Xiao Li amid the chaos, Qin Yi suddenly retracted his horse lance and shouted, "Ganging up on one man is no act of valor! Stand down!"
But none of the Hawk Hounds heeded his command.Pei Yuan seized the opportunity to shout, "General Qin! Kill this man, and Luodu will be defended! His Majesty will surely reward you generously. Think of your wife and child still imprisoned!"
Qin Yi's dazed eyes fixed on Xiao Li, who was locked in combat with the Hawk Hounds. His cheekbones protruded slightly as his jaw tightened, as if he had finally made some decision after a brief struggle. He fiercely spurred his horse and charged toward Xiao Li once more.
Faced with Qin Yi's life-or-death assault and the unpredictable sneak attacks from the Hawk Hounds, Xiao Li found himself hard-pressed to respond effectively, especially since he couldn't bring himself to deal a heavy blow to Qin Yi.
Noticing that Xiao Li was holding back during their exchange, Qin Yi roared, "You little brat! Today, only one of us will walk away alive! Show me all you've got!While dodging the Hawk Hounds' siege, Xiao Li's face was grazed by a thrown grappling hook. Breathing heavily, he met Qin Yi's eyes deeply as the latter swung his lance toward him. With his long halberd, he deflected the lance and pressed it against Qin Yi's waist. When Qin Yi blocked again, Xiao Li switched hands and swept the halberd toward his opponent's neck.
He had incorporated the fist techniques Qin Yi had once taught him into these moves.
After reining his horse back to avoid the neck strike, Qin Yi indeed froze for a moment, then pointed his lance at Xiao Li and demanded, "How do you know the Qin family fist techniques?"
Xiao Li parried the Hawk Hounds' attacks while reciting, "When supply carts and cavalry invaders break through solid formations and defeat infantry and cavalry invaders approaching by night, the art of war calls it a lightning strike."
"When chariots with spears and halberds, carrying mantis warriors, break through solid formations and defeat infantry and cavalry, it is called a thunderous strike!"
Qin Yi raised a hand to his head. A memory surfaced in his mind: in a dark prison cell, a boy in filthy prisoner's clothes, stained with whip marks and blood, stood before him reciting this passage from the art of war. The recollection threw him into greater confusion.
The boy's face gradually overlapped with that of the fierce young general before him.
His head throbbed with pain as he gripped his horse lance, staring at Xiao Li in shock and doubt. "Huan'er? Are you my Huan'er? You've grown so much?Xiao Li swept his halberd, sending one of the besieging Hawk Hounds flying. Seeing that Qin Yi had recognized him, a tumult of emotions surged in his heart, turning his eyes crimson. But he clenched his jaw and coldly stated, "The General has mistaken me for someone else."
"The one on the city tower—the Party of Ao's lackey who destroyed Great Liang, slaughtered the Wen clan, and ignited the fires of war across the land—is the General's worthy son!"
It was as if a thunderbolt had struck Qin Yi's mind.
Memories slowly sharpened: Pei Song entering the Yongzhou prison to interrogate him, occasionally standing outside the gate of the Secluded Courtyard where he was later transferred, watching him coldly.
Over a decade of haze quickly pieced together in his mind.
Falsely accused and imprisoned years ago, his wife dying of illness during exile, followed by his son also "dying of illness"...
The shock had driven him mad, and he had remained insane for over ten years.
Now, in this moment of clarity, he found all his loved ones gone. The only son who had survived and escaped, fueled by the hatred of those years, had reduced the empire to this state!
Overwhelming agony crashed down upon him in this lucidity. Qin Yi let out a grief-stricken roar that startled the soldiers from both sides engaged in battle around him.
He himself slowly raised his eyes toward the city tower.
Beneath the flags fluttering fiercely in the cold wind, Pei Song stood supporting himself at the battlement, his eyes bloodshot as he gazed down. In them was only boundless hatred, and beneath that unyielding facade, the grievances he had suppressed for over a decade.
As if telling Qin Yi that he was not wrong!Qin Yi’s eyes were filled with sorrow as he gazed for a long time at the son he had not seen for over a decade. He opened his mouth and said slowly, “If the son is untaught, it is the father’s fault; if the son is guilty, the father must also atone for it.”
In the next moment, a splash of crimson blood splattered onto the sand beneath the horse.
Qin Yi had pierced his own throat with the spearhead of his horse lance.
It all happened too suddenly; no one had time to stop him.
For a brief moment, the world seemed to fall silent. Xiao Li stood frozen like a clay doll, only snapping into action when he saw Qin Yi’s body, devoid of support, topple sideways from the horse. He spurred his horse forward to catch him.
But he was still a step too late.
Qin Yi’s corpse crashed heavily to the ground, and the blood gushing from his neck quickly formed a small pool.
On the city tower, Pei Song gripped the brick parapet with white-knuckled force, his eyes tearing as he screamed hoarsely, “Qin Yi—”
If not for the Hawk Hounds behind him seizing his shoulders and restraining him in time, he would have leaped from the tower right then.
Below the city, Pei Yuan and the others, seeing Qin Yi’s death, no longer lingered in the fight. They immediately threw grappling hooks onto the city tower, intending to climb the steel ropes to the top.
Zheng Hu commanded the arriving Xiao Camp Soldiers to shoot arrows at them. A few were struck by the volley, but most of the Hawk Hounds successfully scaled the tower.
“The barbican is about to fall! Quickly, take the lord and go!” Gongsun Chou urgently ordered the Hawk Hounds on the tower.
Some of the Hawk Hounds seized Pei Song by the arms, while others pried his fingers from the parapet. Hot tears streamed down Pei Song’s face, and before he was completely dragged away, he finally let out a heart-wrenching cry toward the figure lying in the pool of blood: “Father!”
The barbican was completely breached, and the Xiao Army soldiers outside poured in like a flood.
Xiao Li did not immediately pursue Pei Song. He dismounted, crouched beside Qin Yi’s corpse, and reached out to close the eyes that, even in death, remained fixed on the city tower.
As he stood up, the wind rustled the banners fluttering above and below the city walls and stirred the stray locks of hair falling across Xiao Li’s forehead.
The crimson hue in his eyes deepened slowly in the wind.
His heart felt hollow and utterly desolate.
As if, in this vast world, only he remained.
He tilted his head back, closing his eyes with difficulty.
—He had never had a master, nor had he ever had a father.
It was all just a case of mistaken identity, a delusion. None of the past kindness or care had been meant for him.
So, when the other regained his senses, he would not remember him in the slightest.
Suddenly, he longed to see Wen Yu.
No matter whether her affection for him was feigned or genuine when they met again, he wanted to see her.
Like a stray dog with nowhere to call home, he desperately sought a place to belong.
OpenNovel