The Slender Waist-Chapter 234 - 165 Oath of Life and Death_2

Feng Yun lifted her head to gaze at the red silk ribbon tied during her wedding, the red carpet underfoot, as she dragged along Xiao Rong, who was bound by the hands. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Go!"

The light from the fire flickered, accompanied by the glint of swords and shadows of blades in the fight.

The night was dense, filled with a formidable killing aura.

Wen Xingsu raised his sword, standing sternly, his icy eyes reflecting the firelight beneath the eaves.

"General Wen Xingsu, by orders of the Great General, is to apprehend the rebel general, Deng Guang. Those who follow me will join my ranks and serve the General with loyalty. Those who resist will be executed without exception."

Wen Xingsu’s reputation was no less than Deng Guang’s.

In the Beiyong Army, there was not a single man who didn’t know of General Ningyuan Wen Xingsu of the formidable Qi Army. His capture had once even sparked a wave of heated debate among the troops.

In this city, Deng Guang’s personal soldiers numbered less than three thousand.

The rest of the soldiers were, after all, Pei Jue’s men.

When Pei Jue was not present, lacking a leader, they didn’t know what to do and could only follow their direct commanding officer, Deng Guang.

Once they had more choices, there were those who would wait and see or change their minds.

Wen Xingsu raised his arm and called out.

Almost immediately, soldiers guarding the city rushed over.

Feng Yun saw this situation and her face showed delight.

It was only then that she realized how immense a Commander’s influence could be on soldiers.

The moment her elder brother stepped forward, it seemed as if the knot in her heart suddenly unraveled.

But for Wen Xingsu, to break out and notify Pei Jue as well as to protect the safety of Feng Yun and Xiao Rong, he simply had no choice but to do so...

The sounds of shouting and killing rose and fell, Feng Yun watched as these people bled and got wounded, her eyes red as if dripping with blood...

She didn’t want anyone to get hurt, yet she had to watch helplessly as casualties occurred.

"Deng Guang—"

A deep shout suddenly came from down the long street.

Feng Yun looked out to see Puyang Jiu and an old general in armor leading the way on horseback, followed by about twenty soldiers crying out loudly.

"Stop, all of you stop!"

Puyang Jiu was merely a medical officer in the camp, but nobody in the Beiyong Army was unaware of his relationship with Pei Jue.

His appearance exerted a strong deterrence.

"Why do brothers fight each other? Have you all gone mad?"

Deng Guang looked at Puyang Jiu, his dark face turned cold.

"Feng Ji misled the Great General, resulting in a delay in battle opportunities, causing the unnecessary casualties among innocent generals and soldiers. Wen Xingsu is a spy from Qi Country, attempting to lead a rebellion with his troops. Medical Officer Puyang, I am presently purging the treacherous for the Great General."

Puyang Jiu: "That’s utter nonsense."

He surveyed the fighting crowd, pointed at Feng Yun leaning against the main gate, and shouted loudly:

"All generals and soldiers, see clearly that this is the wife of the Great General, legally and formally married. Disrespect to the madam is disrespect to the Great General. Men of the Beiyong Army, will you not drop your weapons immediately?"

Deng Guang gripped the hilt of his sword, his eyes coldly smiling.

"Medical Officer Puyang is not diligently treating the wounded in the infirmary, but instead interferes with military affairs in the camp, acting like a dog who meddles in the business of mice,"

"What about me?" The old soldier beside Puyang Jiu, named Guo Zhongyou, a Lieutenant General in the Orange Crane Army, clenched his teeth in heart-wrenching pain at the scene.

"General Deng, please tell the brothers loudly, are you trying to rebel?"

Deng Guang narrowed his eyes, "Old Guo, we’re brothers, don’t you know me?"

"I don’t have a brother like you." Guo Zhongyou was livid, gritting his teeth. He was a veteran in the Orange Crane Army. Although his rank was not high, he had served for a long time and had seen too much deceit, with a clear understanding of the ways of the world.

"Deng Guang, have you forgotten the battle at Wanxiang Ridge back then? Was it not the Great General who dragged you out of a pile of corpses? The Great General saved your life, Deng Guang!"

Deng Guang: "Old Guo, I’ve taken a knife for you too."

Guo Zhongyou clenched his teeth, his voice loud.

"You ungrateful wretch! So what if you took a knife for me? I’ll give my life back to you today if it comes to that..."

Seeing him impulsively about to stab himself, Puyang Jiu hurriedly intervened, his forehead sweating profusely, completely exasperated by these warriors.

"General Guo must not. Saving the lady is what’s important."

Only then did Guo Zhongyou come to his senses, fixing his gaze on Deng Guang and pointing at the soldiers around him.

"Are you all going to be the tiger’s accomplices, to betray the Great General?"

No one responded to him.

Feng Yun pushed aside Xiaoman, who was blocking his path, and stepped forward to clap his hands twice.

"General Guo is right. Being an accomplice to a tiger is one thing; at least you get to gnaw on a few bones. But all you are doing is making a wedding gown for someone else. In the end, who will bear the sin of betraying the Great General?"

"Do not listen to her sow discord," Deng Guang said fiercely, seeing more and more people swayed by Feng Yun’s rhetoric and glaring at Puyang Jiu and Guo Zhongyou.

"Don’t blame me for not considering brotherly affection anymore. Kill!"

Puyang Jiu shook his head, "General Deng, you will regret this!"

Deng Guang raised his arm high, wielding his saber: "I am loyal to the Emperor of Dajin. Who dares to disobey?"

His personal soldiers shouted along.

"Loyal to His Majesty, follow General Deng!"

Seeing Deng Guang invoke the Emperor of Dajin, Wen Xingsu sensed trouble and signaled Shentu Jiong and Yang Qi to take Feng Yun and Xiao Rong into the Camp Villa, then turned back and shouted loudly.

"Fall back to the mansion gate!"

A group of people responded in chorus: "Yes!"

The Camp Villa, which Pei Jue used to accommodate Feng Yun and for the celebration, was originally the residence of the Military Governor of Bingzhou. It had high walls and sturdy iron gates, suitable for a desperate last stand.

The group fought while retreating, forming a standoff with the renegade troops.

Having entered the gate, Feng Yun climbed the ladder to the top of the wall. Looking at the tragic fighting outside, she climbed up the parapet with reddened eyes, swept her skirt behind her, hands on hips, and using a loudspeaker, she exclaimed:

"Fellow soldiers, today the world is divided and in chaos; the people suffer, disasters and calamities abound, wars occur incessantly. Look at the sky, look at the earth, look at the poor and suffering masses, ravaged and full of corpses... "

"How many of you were born into wealthy and influential families, and how many of you are high-ranking officers with rich livelihoods?"

"Which of you is not a child of the common people? Which of you did not come from poverty? Whom are you using your swords to kill, whom are you betraying, and whom are you really serving? The Great General’s actions in Andu were seen by all with your own eyes. Distributing land so that common folks could live well—that is the kind of leader worth supporting!"

"What will you gain by risking your lives for Deng Guang? The stigma of being a rebel, the scorn of the people. Throughout history, those who have betrayed their masters for glory, how many have met a good end? Your deaths may not matter, but your parents, your children, will suffer the consequences for your actions and will be unable to turn their lives around. Take a good look, your ancestors’ coffin boards can scarcely keep them contained... "

"The survival of us all hinges on this battle. Why not put down your weapons and join me in defending the honor of the Beiyong Army? If we must fight, we should do it for the people of the world, not for slaying our own comrades in arms, our own brothers!"