Chapter 419 - Capitulated
Chapter 419 – Capitulated
As per the plan, Huo Jin shifted the entire army to the Southern Part of the Castle of Tan Gengxin. "My master, look over that hill," Huo Jin pointed his finger towards the Southern hilltop where soldiers had stood in rows. In reality, those were the fake statues behind them, shooters had hidden, shooting the arrows.
Suddenly, a speeding arrow came in their direction. The General of Tan Gengxin came forward with a shield in his hand to protect his master. The arrow fell before them with a paper stick on it. A soldier moved forward and picked the paper attached to the arrow.
The general grabbed it and read, "Tan Gengxin, your end is near." Tan Gengxin took the paper from him and crumbled it. He threw it at the ground and pressed his shoe on it. "Get into the position. The hilltop they had chosen is still at a lower height than this castle. Their shooters could not be taken lightly, so use the best formation to overpower them," Tan Gengxin pronounced..
He asked for the bow and arrow. "Foolish, Crown Prince. Attacking me from the place which will make him lose this war," muttered Tan Gengxin. The soldiers started moving, taking their respective positions as the first line of soldiers.
Huo Jin sneaked out of their sight. He first went to the main entrance to check whether or not it was open. They had deployed there a few of the soldiers to whom he went and said, "I need to go out. Open the entrance."
The soldiers nodded and moved the pulley. The huge door moved up. Huo Jin went to the other side, slightly away from the sight of them, and took out the flute, which he had hidden inside the sash.
Oppositely, Sheng Li and others were waiting for the signal of Huo Jin to attack the castle. "Your highness, it is more than an hour," Xiao Zhan stated.
"He might be arranging the things," asserted Sheng Li. "We cannot move until the signal comes," he stated. They heard the sound of the flute and it delighted them. "Let's attack," Sheng Li said.
They came out of the underground base camp and, as per the plan, stormed the castle. Seeing the enemy forces, the few soldiers started shouting for help. Sheng Li stretched an arrow and pulled it out. He kept doing and killed a few. The Commanders separated with their respective pieces of armies and went to the told locations of the castle to capture it.
Ying Lili and Xiao Zhan went to the underground route made directly below the entrance and guarded it so that even if Tan Gengxin tried to run away, they would capture him first.
Huo Jin smiled upon seeing that the entire Han army had entered the castle. He pulled out the dagger and went back to Tan Gengxin.
In the Southern Part of the castle, Tan Gengxin's army was getting heavier on the soldiers on the hilltop. "He is a fool to attack from behind," murmured Tan Gengxin and smirked.
"Master," he heard a shout and turned back when his eyes fell on an injured soldier, whose back had an arrow. "Master, Master, they have invaded us. They… they have entered the castle!" shouted the soldier. Tan Gengxin and his Generals widened their eyes.
"Where is Huo Jin?" Tan Gengxin looked around. However, he did not find him there.
"Master, I think, he betrayed us," one of the Generals said.
"Everyone stop. Generals, take your soldiers and fight with them," Tan Gengxin commanded while tightening his grip on the hilt of the sword. "Huo Jin, you traitor!" He muttered while gritting his teeth.
Sheng Li proceeded straight to the middle of the castle, where he had to catch Tan Gengxin. He killed the soldiers coming on his way. The enemies had panicked because of the sudden attack on them.
Tan Gengxin checked the situation in the castle and found that his soldiers were getting killed at a faster rate. "At this rate, I will be caught," Tan Gengxin murmured and ran towards the secret route to run away.
He stopped when he saw Huo Jin in front of him. "You traitor!" He shouted at him. "I brought you up; gave you food and shelter, yet you betrayed your own master!" Tan Gengxin's anger burst at him.
"I was never loyal to you, Tan Gengxin. Because of you, Xinyue is unhesitant to be hanged, yet you did not care for her life. How could a father do this to his own daughter?" Huo Jin questioned him while scowling at him. Tan Gengxin stepped towards him, so Huo Jin extended his hand out in which he had held a dagger.
"Surrender if you want your daughter to"
"Shut up and be ready to die. You filthy traitor!" Tan Gengxin attacked him while Huo Jin dodged him easily.
'I have to keep him busy till the Crown Prince finds us,' Huo Jin thought. But his strength was not enough to defeat Tan Gengxin in a duet. Tan Gengxin kicked Huo Jin's hand, and the dagger fell from his hand.
Tan Gengxin pointed the sword at Huo Jin's neck. "Now, die!" Tan Gengxin almost slashed his throat when a speeding arrow came in his direction. Tan Gengxin's reflex acted, and he quickly stepped back. The arrow hit the pillar behind them. Both Tan Gengxin and Huo Jin watched from where the arrow came from. It did not surprise them to see Sheng Li, who directed another arrow towards Tan Gengxin.
The arrow released from the bow and was going to pierce the right eye of Tan Gengxin when he swiftly dodged it. Alas, the arrow touched his right ear, and it got cut. "Ahh," he screamed in pain when Sheng Li threw the bow. He pulled out the sword from the sheath and ran towards Tan Gengxin. They both started fighting. Their swords kept clanking against each other.
"Tan Gengxin, finally we met," Sheng Li said as he pushed him behind and he lost his balance. Quickly stabilizing himself, Tan Gengxin fiercely attacked Sheng Li.
"You did not get your lesson even after losing two close people to you," Tan Gengxin said as the blades of their swords hit against each other. Both were in proximity, moving at their place while keeping the pressure on the sword to dominate the other.
"It never rains when the clouds thunder. Keep speaking because your end is near." Sheng Li punched Tan Gengxin's stomach and pushed him back. He stumbled when Sheng Li pointed the sword at his neck. "Drop your weapon," Sheng Li ordered him.
Tan Gengxin's chest was rising and falling after this fierce fight. He threw the sword, and it fell on the ground. "Get on your knees," Sheng Li said, "and put your hands behind your head." Tan Gengxin could do nothing except accepting the command of Sheng Li.
Huo Jin smiled, and it relieved him to see that finally, Sheng Li made Tan Gengxin captured. Commander Yang had come thereafter clearing the way out outside. "Your highness," he murmured and ran to him.
"Announce that Tan Gengxin has capitulated," pronounced Sheng Li. Tan Gengxin glared at the Crown Prince. "Lower them before I pull them out," asserted Sheng Li.