si-mexico Chapter 2278 The Battle Begins Directly
Chapter 2278 The Battle Begins Directly
Chu Xuan trembled with rage, pointing his finger at Ma Chao: "You...you're just a mere border general from Xiliang, how dare you insult me like this?"
"Insult you?"
Ma Chao impatiently interrupted him, his eyes like knives, piercing the most vulnerable corner of Chu Xuan's heart.
"I have no time for your verbal sparring! Chu Xuan, listen up: hand over Mr. Su Tingmei safely at once!"
"Perhaps, when His Majesty makes his judgment, he might grant your body a somewhat dignified end! Otherwise..."
He surveyed the surrounding iron cavalry, his voice icy and chilling: "This Luoyan Gorge, with its beautiful mountains and clear waters, is indeed an excellent burial place for a traitor like you!"
"This day next year will be the anniversary of your death!"
The blatant threat of death, coupled with the chilling movements of the Xiliang soldiers around him who suddenly stepped forward, brandishing their swords and spears, sent a shiver down Chu Xuan's spine and his personal guards' spines.
Chu Xuan's eyes twitched violently. He realized that this barbarian from Xiliang was completely unmoved by his status as a member of the royal family, and verbal threats were utterly ineffective.
Despair often breeds madness.
Chu Xuan suddenly threw his head back and burst into wild laughter. His laughter was hoarse and shrill, filled with the madness of someone at the end of their rope. It echoed in the canyon and sent chills down everyone's spine.
"Hahaha... a burial ground? Ma Chao! You have quite the nerve!"
His laughter abruptly stopped, and he glared menacingly at Ma Chao, his voice distorted with agitation: "So what if I am a traitor?"
"The blood flowing in my veins is still that of the Chu royal family! The blood of the founding emperor!"
"Even if I have made a thousand mistakes, it is not up to you, a border general from another clan, a brute from Xiliang, to decide my life or death, or to tarnish this noble bloodline!"
He abruptly pointed to the silent carriage behind him, his tone turning sinister and threatening:
"Su Tingmei is in the car! He is my talisman, and also my... burial offering!"
“Ma Chao, listen carefully! If you dare to order the arrows to be fired, if you dare to charge into the enemy lines, the first person to die will be Su Tingmei! If you kill me…”
He gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "These hands of yours are the hands that murdered your own clan! How will the world view you? How will history record you?"
"Even if Chu Ning secretly wishes he could tear me to pieces, he would never allow a general who killed his own brother to enjoy honor on the surface!"
"If you kill me today, you will be cutting yourself off from the Great Chu court and from the annals of history!"
He was breathing heavily, his eyes gleaming with a crazed and calculating light, making his final attempt at coercion and enticement:
“Ma Chao, a wise man knows when to yield! If you let me go, I will ensure Su Tingmei’s safety, and perhaps I will remember your kindness in the future.”
"If you insist on stopping me, you will be forcing me to fight to the death! If Su Tingmei dies, you will not be able to explain it to Chu Ning."
"If I die, you will be implicated as well! Get out of the way! Otherwise, we will all perish together!"
Chu Xuan's arrogant words were both a threat and a struggle of twisted logic under his desperate situation.
He attempted to use the sanctity of kinship to bind Ma Chao, using the infamy of patricide and the safety of Su Tingmei to create a double shackle, thus restricting the hands and feet of this general known for his bravery.
He bet that Ma Chao wouldn't dare to bear the consequences of forcing his relatives to their deaths, and that Ma Chao would have some concerns about his so-called "posthumous reputation" and "placement in the imperial court."
The flickering firelight illuminated Ma Chao's expressionless, cold face.
Chu Xuan's words coiled around him like a venomous snake, attempting to drag him into a quagmire where he had no way out.
Ma Chao slowly, extremely slowly, gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Ma Chao's silence did not last long.
Chu Xuan's wild words, a mixture of threats, inducements, and insane logic, spread like a poisonous fog across the front lines, attempting to corrupt the will of the Xiliang army and bind Ma Chao's hands and feet.
However, this fierce general from the Western Liang region, who fought his way out of the frontier amidst blood and fire, had the wildness of a steppe wolf flowing in his veins, and what he detested most was such hypocrisy, affectation, and moral blackmail.
Royal lineage? A name etched in history?
How pale and laughable it is in the face of the facts of betrayal, inviting wolves into the country, and the devastation of the land!
"Noisy!"
Ma Chao suddenly shouted, his voice booming like thunder, instantly drowning out Chu Xuan's hoarse echo.
His eyes were wide open, but what burned in them was not the flame of anger, but a sharp, almost ruthless killing intent that saw through the essence of things.
"Chu Xuan!"
The whip was raised again, pointing straight at the rebellious king who was still putting on a brave front. Ma Chao's voice was like the friction of glaciers, exuding a chilling aura.
"Stop with your ridiculous rhetoric! Do you think you can fool me with your tainted bloodline and a few vague historical infamy? Do you think you can let this traitor escape alive?"
His sneer deepened, and his gaze, sharp as a knife, swept over Chu Xuan's guards and remaining soldiers, who, though exhausted and fearful, still gripped their weapons tightly.
"The reason you still dare to spout nonsense here and threaten Mr. Su's safety is simply because you still have hundreds or thousands of foolish lives around you who are either working for you or being manipulated by you!"
Ma Chao's voice suddenly rose, carrying a knowing contempt:
"Do you think that with them holding up a shield for you, taking the arrows for you, and creating the illusion that you still have a fighting chance, you can continue to hold onto your shattered princely airs and bargain with me?"
He paused, his eyes suddenly turning incredibly cold, each word he uttered like a heavy hammer blow:
"Then I will show you today—that is, by eliminating all these henchmen and barriers around you, one by one."
"I'll kill you until you're truly all alone, then let's see if you still dare to be so arrogant! And if you still dare to mention mutual destruction!"
"what?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Xuan's pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
He had anticipated that Ma Chao might be tough and resistant to threats, but he never expected that the other party would be so ruthless and so...unpredictable!
They actually want to directly target his guard force, fundamentally destroying his bargaining power or even his willingness to fight to the death!
"Ma Chao! You dare?"
Chu Xuan was both shocked and furious, his voice trembling: "Su Tingmei is still in my hands! Aren't you afraid..."
"Fire arrows!"
His response was Ma Chao's two resolute and unwavering words. There were no superfluous warnings, no ultimatums, only the most concise and deadly command.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!"
The Xiliang archers, who had been waiting in ambush, moved out upon receiving the order.
They were well-trained and obeyed orders without question.
In an instant, a dense rain of arrows tore through the darkness, accompanied by a chilling whistling sound, and swarmed towards the front of Chu Xuan's army like locusts—the area where the shield bearers and Chu Xuan's personal guards were most concentrated!
Ma Chao's orders were precise and ruthless: remove the barriers, strike at their vital forces, especially those directly protecting Chu Xuan.
The arrows were clearly positioned with deliberate care, avoiding the area where the carriage was located in the center of the group, but covering almost all of Chu Xuan's protective perimeter.