Chapter 106: Shen Zhao Unleashes a Storm of Slaughter

Shen Zhao mounted her horse, while a man in black beside her, also on horseback, spoke against the wind.

"Reporting to the General, earlier today, Young General Xie informed all the soldiers of the Capital Army that you had secured one hundred and fifty mu of residential land for the Northwest Army. After Young General Xie and the Prince of Loyalty departed, many officers stood up in opposition. They claimed that the Northwest Army, being subordinates of the Shen family, were tainted by the same vices as the Shen father and son, and thus did not deserve to be treated as equals to the other soldiers of the Capital Army. They argued that the Northwest Army did not deserve such prime living quarters, and that they should simply use the sky as their blanket and the earth as their bed."

The more Shen Zhao heard, the colder her expression became. If the Northwest Army did not deserve it, did those bastards deserve it? Anyone with eyes knew her father and brother had been framed and wronged. How dare they, with such blackened consciences, continue to splash filth upon her father and brother? Her father and brother had never offended any of them. What vices were they talking about? Her father and brother were upright, heroic men; where could they have possibly harbored any vices? Were they all determined to trample her family and the Northwest Army into the mud until they were satisfied?

"Continue! What did they do to the Northwest Army to provoke such a fierce resistance?"

A flicker of shock crossed the man in black's eyes. How did the General know that it was Deputy General Liang and his cohorts who had provoked the Northwest Army first? He recounted the events in detail:

"The four thousand soldiers of the Northwest Army stood united to defend the land you had secured for them, which infuriated the other deputy generals of the Capital Army. The deputies joined forces, determined to force the Northwest Army to surrender the land. To coerce them into submission, Liang Yi, the second son of Deputy General Liang, led a group of soldiers to throw those in the Northwest Army who were suffering from chills and fever out of the camp, declaring them to be dying wretches who could not be allowed to spread disease to others. Not only that, but in the midst of the confrontation, to intimidate the Northwest Army, Liang Yi killed several of the elderly soldiers who were suffering from the chills..."

Hearing this, Shen Zhao felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her heart, and her eyes instantly welled with tears.

Animals! How dared he slaughter the soldiers of the Northwest Army? She felt such hatred—hatred for those beasts who acted so recklessly and treated human life as mere grass, hatred for her own helplessness, and hatred for her inability to protect them. She did not need to hear any more; she knew exactly what had happened. The men of the Northwest Army were loyal and righteous; how could they stand by and watch their brothers be slaughtered? Liang Yi deserved to die a thousand deaths. If she had been there, she would have shredded him into a thousand pieces!

"Giddy up..."

Shen Zhao accelerated again. If Lin Song were to suffer any harm, she would never be able to face the Northwest Army, her father, or her brother again.

***

When Shen Zhao whipped her horse and arrived at the military camp, she happened to witness Shen Tianci, disheveled and covered in blood, being besieged by a crowd.

"Damn it! I’ll fight you all to the death today! I never imagined that while I didn't die on the battlefield, I would end up dying at the hands of scum like you. Even if I die, I'm taking a few more of your heads with me!"

Shen Tianci hacked away at his attackers with a desperate, suicidal ferocity.

Shen Zhao roared, "Stop! All of you, cease this at once! I am here—let me see who dares to continue this chaos!"

While fending off enemies, Shen Tianci shouted, "Chu! If you still have a shred of conscience, go save Lin Song immediately! Those damn beasts, they are trying to carve him to pieces while he's still alive!"

Upon seeing Shen Zhao, the soldiers surrounding Shen Tianci hesitated and reined themselves in, though they still continued to strike at him with lethal intent. These men were under the command of other deputy generals, and they only obeyed the orders of their immediate superiors.

Seeing this, Shen Zhao suddenly drew the sword at her waist. She leaped from her horse and, mid-air, swung her longsword at the man who was thrusting his blade toward Shen Tianci’s heart.

"Since you refuse to obey my orders, then go to hell."

The man was caught off guard, and the tip of Shen Zhao’s sword sliced directly across his throat. The others retreated in panic; they dared to kill Shen Tianci, but they dared not kill General Chu. The man whose throat had been slit collapsed with a thud, his hands clutching his neck, twitching for a moment before his eyes widened and he died in frustration.

"Who else wants to die? I will grant you your wish."

Shen Zhao stood in front of Shen Tianci, her longsword still dripping with blood. Her eyes were filled with murderous intent as she glared at the soldiers.

"Get out of my way, all of you! Anyone who blocks me dies."

At that moment, a troop of men rushed toward Shen Zhao. They were fierce, all armed with sharp weapons. The leader reported to Shen Zhao:

"Reporting to the General, the camp is in chaos. Shall we intervene?"

This man was Zhang Liang, a deputy general under Chu Mu, who took orders only from him.

Shen Zhao issued the command: "Assist the Northwest Army with all your might. As for the others causing chaos in the camp, show no mercy—kill them."

Zhang Liang was stunned for a moment, then acknowledged the order and commanded his men: "Men, hear my order! Assist the Northwest Army with all your might. As for those causing chaos, show no mercy—kill them!"

Shen Zhao’s eyes were bloodshot. She saw soldiers lying on the ground nearby, gasping their last breaths, and others who had already bled out. They were all wearing the uniform of the Northwest Army—these were her men! Damn them all to hell!

Shen Tianci clutched his wound and thanked Shen Zhao, albeit awkwardly.

***

"Chu, this time, I, on behalf of the four thousand men of the Northwest Army, thank you." He said, his eyes filled with sorrow. "After tonight, how many of the four thousand will be left..."

Shen Zhao’s heart tightened painfully. "Rest assured, as long as I am here, I will not let the Northwest Army suffer any more harm."

She rushed toward the training grounds. Why should she care about the consequences? Today, she would wash her hands in the blood of this scum.

The training ground was already in utter chaos, but with Zhang Liang’s men joining the fray, the situation was quickly brought under control. The chaotic battlefield was now divided into two sides: one protected by Zhang Liang’s men, and the other consisting of the troops gathered by the various deputy generals.

"Zhang Liang, we are both deputy generals of the Capital Army. I do not wish to be your enemy. Get your men out of here immediately! I am going to carve that man to pieces to avenge my son!"

"Avenge your mother! Let's see who dares to touch the Northwest Army today!" Shen Zhao bellowed, her sword lunging directly at Deputy General Liang.

"Damn it! Your beast of a son deserved to die! I am still the commander-in-chief of this Capital Army; how dare he take it upon himself to slaughter soldiers of the Northwest Army? As a deputy general of the Capital Army, you have incited a mutiny in the camp. Do you even have enough lives to pay for this?"

Shen Zhao’s sword strikes were relentless, forcing Deputy General Liang into a defensive panic. Liang was old and had only attained his rank through nepotism; he lacked true skill. Facing the soul-reborn Shen Zhao, he was unable to defend himself and retreated steadily.

"General Chu, the Northwest Army started the conflict! My son was killed by them, and I am merely seeking justice. Is that a crime?"

"Ah!" Deputy General Liang let out a wail. Shen Zhao had thrust her sword through his shoulder. She yanked it back, saying, "Do you take me for blind and ignorant? I know perfectly well how the Northwest Army has been treated in this camp. How could they have started the conflict? It is clearly you beasts who have been oppressing them. Nothing in this camp escapes my notice. That one hundred and fifty mu of land was secured by me for the four thousand men of the Northwest Army—what does it have to do with you, you money-grubbing trash?"

"Ah... ah... someone save me..." Deputy General Liang’s screams echoed, each one more miserable than the last. Shen Zhao pierced his body repeatedly but avoided hitting anything fatal. Finally, she pressed the tip of her sword against his throat.