Chapter Sixty: Reversal

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Not only that, but as the battle dragged on, Wang Can felt his heart grow colder and colder. He could not ascertain whether Hu San was truly a martial artist; all he knew was that, were this not a military conflict but a mortal duel on the rivers and lakes, he would have no confidence whatsoever in facing Hu San. The reason was simple: Hu San possessed extraordinary strength and his Fish Step was utterly unpredictable.

Were it not for his two trusted men, versed in joint attack techniques, holding Hu San in check, Wang Can believed that even with his cultivation at the second grand realm, he would already be seriously wounded by now.

“We cannot allow him to freely wield the Nine Ox Bow. Follow me and strike him down!”

Shaking the blood-red longsword in his hand, Wang Can slid his foot across the ground, instantly leaving several afterimages in his wake as his true form pursued Hu San relentlessly.

Hu San, with no time to concern himself with the skilled adversaries attacking from behind, hacked his way through the chaotic ranks and suddenly let out a piercing howl—the signal for retreat.

At this moment, if they did not withdraw, they would soon be utterly annihilated.

Upon hearing the call, the rear group of mountain bandits decisively pulled back, and the front group also retreated swiftly, though few had the opportunity; many were cut down, their dying cries echoing throughout the mountain forest.

Hu San paused not for a moment. With a twist, he leapt into the air, producing the Nine Ox Bow and unleashing three rapid arrows, each whizzing toward the approaching Wang Can.

Facing the Nine Ox Bow’s forceful shots at such close range, Wang Can dared not be careless and hurried to meet them with his sword.

Held at bay, the other martial artists in Wang Can’s ranks continued to advance, but none dared to close in on Hu San.

Even Wang Can’s two elite confidants slowed their steps, widening the distance between themselves and Hu San. Without Wang Can’s restraint, these martial artists were as helpless as rabbits before Hu San.

Such lessons were paid for in blood. Before Wang Can intercepted Hu San, six martial artists in Wang Can’s force had already fallen to him.

After a fierce skirmish, the bandit army was battered and breached several times by Mons’s forces, leaving fewer than six hundred men, while Wang Can’s casualties were just under four hundred.

Yet, the bandits, familiar with the terrain and swift in their movements, were further aided by the menace of Hu San’s Nine Ox Bow. Wang Can and his men dared not pursue too closely.

Regardless, Wang Can had achieved his strategic objective in this battle—he had locked onto the remnants led by Hu San.

Frequent raids and harassment had greatly slowed their pace, forcing them to retreat toward Wolf Fang Fortress like beaten dogs.

When Black Halberd received Wang Can’s message that Hu San’s force was engaged, he wasted no time and led his army in pursuit.

With Wang Can’s men guiding the way, their march doubled the speed of Hu San’s and Wang Can’s own forces.

Hu San, meanwhile, sent swift bandits ahead to deliver news to the fortress, ordering preparations for their arrival. Everything seemed to be unfolding as Black Halberd had anticipated.

When Hu San’s troops reached the base of Red Stone Cliff, the Wolf Fang Fortress’s reinforcements, led by Zhao Feng and comprising over three thousand men, had also arrived. Yet, to successfully support Hu San’s group would require another quarter of an hour. At the same time, Black Halberd’s forces were less than half an hour away from Red Stone Cliff.

Wang Can looked up at the sheer peaks beside him, then at the narrowing mountain path ahead. He summoned a scout and asked, frowning, “Has anyone reconnoitered the heights above? Are there enemy ambushes?”

The scout replied swiftly, “General, this place is called Red Stone Cliff. Locals say it is the mountain god’s backyard, infested with poisonous insects and strewn with rocks, riddled with cracks covered by dead grass and loose soil. Step carelessly and one can become trapped in the crevice, unable to live or die.”

“Our men have tried ascending, but after only a short distance, ten elite soldiers were lost. The higher we go, the harder it becomes—truly impassable. Unless one is a peerless master, no one can traverse it. What qualifications do the Wolf Fang bandits have? They couldn’t possibly climb it.”

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Hearing his subordinate’s firm words, Wang Can felt reassured and ordered, “It seems our prey is still some distance from their reinforcements. Now that our guides have fulfilled their task, let us take this final opportunity to properly entertain these good friends.”

“This terrain is flat—perfect for a charge. Let these country brutes witness the true power of Mons’s forces. Pass my command: the army will advance at full speed!”

With Wang Can’s order, his elite troops surged forward like the tip of an arrow, plunging fiercely into Hu San’s desperate, fleeing ranks.

Confronted with elite soldiers able to fully display their combat prowess on open ground, Hu San initially attempted resistance, but at the first clash, he abandoned all hope.

The force of a true military charge was not something his rabble could withstand. In mere moments, the remaining six hundred were scattered completely.

Among the bandits, some died, some fled, some surrendered. Hu San had no other thought but to employ his Fish Step with all his might, darting toward the opposite side of Red Stone Cliff.

After thoroughly annihilating the remnant bandits, Wang Can continued his relentless pursuit of the fleeing Hu San. He believed that once Black Halberd arrived, victory would be theirs.

No matter how formidable, Hu San could not escape death.

At that moment, Wang Can suddenly noticed that Hu San had stopped ahead, turned to face them, and stood alone.

Astonished, the troops, without waiting for Wang Can’s command, halted and watched curiously as a smile slowly appeared on Hu San’s face.

“Has Hu San lost his mind? Does he intend to face my thousand elites alone?”

“Is this a joke?” “Who does he think he is? The God of War incarnate? Ridiculous!”

“Perhaps he’s been frightened into madness. He’s young—he’s already accomplished a lot.”

“Ah! The situation is such that even if he were a peerless master, he couldn’t turn the tide. All he can do now is die.”

The soldiers chattered among themselves, but despite their bravado, not a single squad dared to approach.

For a moment, Hu San’s stillness managed to awe a thousand elite soldiers—an exceedingly bizarre scene.

At this juncture, Wang Can did not immediately order an attack. He certainly did not believe, as his subordinates did, that Hu San had gone mad; rather, he suspected Hu San had some scheme in mind.

With the reinforcement army behind him, Wang Can preferred not to take risks, allowing Hu San’s seemingly impossible feat of holding off a thousand troops alone to become reality.

This delay allowed Zhao Feng, leading the remaining three thousand bandits, to arrive. Their noise could almost be heard from afar.

But Wang Can was unconcerned; the location had only one road, easy to defend and hard to attack. With his thousand elite soldiers, he could hold the position for days if necessary.

Moreover, he did not need to hold it for days—only for a few quarter-hours.

Once Black Halberd arrived with the main force, the situation would be one of overwhelming destruction.

“This Black Halberd is truly cunning. I’ll have to be cautious dealing with him in the future, lest I end up counting money for him after being sold.”

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Everything had unfolded just as Black Halberd had predicted, and Wang Can could not help but sigh inwardly.

“The time has come!”

As he was pondering how to deal with Black Halberd in the future, he saw Hu San not far away smile faintly and place a strange iron arrow on the Nine Ox Bow.

“Be careful.”

Though he doubted a single arrow from Hu San could do much, Wang Can, ever cautious, promptly issued a warning. Squad leaders and above raised their shields, and the soldiers carefully brandished their weapons.

To their surprise, Hu San did not aim at them, but at the sky.

A shrill whistle exploded in the air, reverberating through the gorge with thunderous intensity.

Some unprepared soldiers were so startled they dropped their weapons, the clanging echoing endlessly.

As everyone stood in confusion, Wang Can suddenly saw countless dark shapes falling, followed by a howling wind.

By the time he realized what was descending from above, it was too late—massive stones, each the size of a mule or horse, crashed from the sky, smashing onto the narrow mountain path like the end of the world.

The troops hidden on the path could only cry out in agony before being crushed into pulp by the stones.

Wang Can’s detachment shuddered in horror. Fortunately, the path was narrow, so not many soldiers could be present, and the number of stones was not as overwhelming as feared.

Most of the troops managed to withdraw in time, but Wang Can felt no joy. Instead, his face turned deathly pale.

Now, the narrow path was completely blocked by jagged boulders, the highest reaching five or six meters, forming a giant gate that sealed the way.

Elsewhere, though not entirely blocked, passage was extremely difficult. Fast marching was out of the question; even ordinary travel now entailed endless peril.

These five- or six-meter stones might not hinder the martial artists, but without ordinary soldiers, what could even the strongest do?

At that moment, Wang Can’s despair deepened as countless figures suddenly appeared atop Red Stone Cliff, peering down. Immediately, a barrage of whistling iron arrows rained from above.

Though the distance and poor visibility caused many arrows to miss, their sheer number overwhelmed Wang Can’s concentrated troops, leaving scant room for escape.

After several volleys, Wang Can was devastated to find that his casualties had exceeded half. Worse still, several martial arts elites had been killed outright, and one of his trusted confidants was pinned to the ground—though only wounded in the leg, in such circumstances, this injury spelled utter hopelessness.

When the arrow storm finally ceased, a bloody gleam flickered in Hu San’s eyes. He had nearly suffered total defeat; had he not reserved this final stratagem, he would already be a corpse.