Chapter 496.2: The Ultimate Counterattack
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S T E L L A R C L O U D
[Azurixa] [Celeste S.] [Christine G.-L.]
O R A N G E S T A R
[Caitlin] [Fazzienaz] [K.Rom] [Mo] [Reece P.] [Sarah C.] [Tori D.] [Ziana K.-P.]
Y E L L O W S T A R
[Chlaudette P.] [Gwyneth T.] [Manon] [Passerby] [Xena]
G O L D S T A R
[Lord_Wolve] [Nanashi D. Y.] [Nevy] [Nicole]
R A I N B O W S T A R
[Allie] [Debra W] [Kiiayame] [Peggy F.]
T H E S U N
[Ava C.] [Christigale M.] [Haruka N.] [John C.] [kuroneko_chan] [Lily J.] [Malinkat]
[Michelle K.] [onepiece] [Scorpion Princess] [Smurfinbatik] [Sophia W.]
Also, many thanks to everyone who bought me coffee (*≧∀≦*)
Gu Jiao's boldness with her arrows was unmatched, even by many skilled archers.
When facing a Supreme Commander like Tang Yueshan, most archers would worry that their skills might not be sufficient and that they might accidentally injure him, so they would inevitably be a little bound when shooting arrows.
Gu Jiao, on the other hand, showed no such hesitation.
Her unwavering decisiveness impressed Tang Yueshan.
How many people in this world could match her in this regard?
Tang Yueshan suddenly felt a surge of heat in his chest. He couldn't quite describe the sensation, but it only fueled his determination to press forward and fear nothing.
It was as if someone in this world truly understood him.
And he also understood that person.
In this moment, he forgot that she was his family’s sworn enemy.
Under the valiant fighting of Tang Yueshan and his army, the 5,000 cavalry of the enemy were ultimately routed and dispersed, fleeing with the wounded to regroup with the 15,000 State of Chen’s army located a dozen miles away.
Exhausted, Tang Yueshan sat down on the ground, panting heavily.
"How many did we kill?" He asked out of breath.
"One hundred and sixty-seven."
A voice replied from above him.
Tang Yueshan looked up and saw Gu Jiao and a soldier from Ye City descending the mountainside using a rope, and it was the soldier who had spoken.
"Supreme Commander Tang." The soldier, Hu Dongqiang, greeted with a salute.
He carried Gu Jiao's basket on his back. Tang Yueshan knew that this back basket was very important to Gu Jiao, and Hu Dongqiang being the one to carry it showed that he had been chosen by Gu Jiao.
It was true he had keen observation skills.
Tang Yueshan secretly nodded in acknowledgment.
Gu Jiao was without her mask, and her face was fully exposed to the sunlight, leaving everyone in awe and surprise.
The soldiers who had just fought valiantly showed little interest in her birthmark. Rather, they couldn't help but wonder about her age.
She looked even younger than they were.
The crowd looked behind Gu Jiao and up at the mountainside from which Gu Jiao had descended, but after a while, they still didn't see a third person coming down.
Did they… truly believe that reinforcements from the imperial court had arrived?
Was all that chaos the work of this young lad in green?
His red-tasseled spear looked ugly!
Gu Jiao asked Tang Yueshan, "Is anyone injured?"
Tang Yueshan and Gu Jiao counted the casualties in the team. There were several hundred with minor injuries, fifty with severe injuries, including twenty-three who required on-site treatment, and three critically injured soldiers.
Gu Jiao said to Tang Yueshan, "Let those who are uninjured or have minor injuries return first. Leave behind fifty people to take back the severely injured and critically wounded later."
Tang Yueshan nodded, reserving one spot for himself among the fifty.
One of the archers spoke up, "General, we're not leaving!"
Tang Yueshan spoke firmly, "This is an order!"
The archer clenched his teeth and said, "...Yes!"
Tang Yueshan had lost two of his deputy generals in line of duty. He appointed Deputy General Li from the archers and Deputy General Cen from the infantry to lead the army ahead.
Of course, they didn't forget to scavenge the battlefield, collecting the remaining rations, weapons, and horses from the State of Chen soldiers.
"Strip the armor as well. We can melt it down to make new ones." Gu Jiao added.
Tang Yueshan looked at Gu Jiao intently but hesitated to speak.
Little Hu was stationed atop the mountain, keeping an eye on the movements of the State of Chen’s army.
"I need stretchers." Gu Jiao said to Tang Yueshan.
"How many?" Tang Yueshan asked.
"Ten." Gu Jiao replied, "And we also need some cloth strips. Take off the waist bands of those State of Chen soldiers."
Tang Yueshan and his men began searching for wooden boards and sticks as per Gu Jiao's instructions.
Gu Jiao started first aid for the three critically wounded patients.
One wounded soldier's heart had already stopped beating. Gu Jiao administered two injections of epinephrine, and his heart started beating again.
Tang Yueshan watched her administering these strange injections and found himself astounded.
Not all soldiers who died on the battlefield were killed in action. Many of them succumbed to severe injuries that couldn't be treated.
The State of Chen's medical expertise was superior to the State of Zhao's, and their soldiers' mortality rates were significantly lower.
If they also possessed exceptional medical skills, the mortality rate among their wounded soldiers would significantly decrease.
Did this girl just bring someone back to life?
State of Chen's physicians couldn't do the same, could they?
Tang Yueshan's excitement continued to surge.
He was never this excited even on his wedding night.
From the mountain, Little Hu shouted down, "My Lord, you need to hurry! The State of Chen’s army is approaching! Just one more mountain to cross, and they'll be here!"
Gu Jiao asked, "How long does it take to reach the mountaintop?"
Hu Dongqiang replied, "For the faster cavalry, half an hour; for infantry, an hour."
Gu Jiao nodded and made an incision in the opponent's thigh without a pause, saying, "They’ll come at the pace of infantry."
The cavalry had been momentarily frightened and lacked the morale to take the lead.
"Third pair of pliers on the right." Gu Jiao said, unable to free up her hands.
Tang Yueshan was stunned for a moment before he realized that she was talking to him. He skillfully found the third... pliers, which looked like scissors when turned upside down.
"Pinch here." Gu Jiao gestured to Tang Yueshan with her eyes.
"Are you cutting his tendon?" Tang Yueshan furrowed his brow.
"This is a hemostatic forceps." Gu Jiao explained. "Hurry up."
Tang Yueshan skeptically "cut" as instructed, only to find that the tendon wasn’t severed, and the bleeding at the rupture point had indeed been stopped.
Tang Yueshan didn't feel squeamish about blood or wounds. He watched the entire procedure and became more convinced that this girl was no ordinary person.
Gu Jiao stopped the bleeding of the final critical patient, removed her gloves, and said, "Alright, onto the stretchers. These three will leave first."
Tang Yueshan had ten soldiers take turns carrying the three stretchers.
Among the remaining 23 severely wounded, only seven needed stretchers, while the rest could ride on horses.
Gu Jiao rushed to tend to the injured, making simple treatments due to time constraints, but every second counted.
Hu Dongqiang shouted, "My Lord, they're coming down the mountain! They're less than six miles away now. We must hurry!"
Gu Jiao directed, "These two soldiers, on the stretchers."
"Also put this soldier on the stretcher."
"This one, on the stretcher!"
The wounded soldiers departed one after another, and the State of Chen’s army continued to approach.
Only two injured soldiers remained.
As Gu Jiao began treating one of them, he suddenly grabbed her hand. Having heard Hu Dongqiang calling her "My Lord", he addressed her the same way. "My Lord, you and Supreme Commander Tang should go ahead!"
"Shut up." Gu Jiao snapped, pulling her hand away.
Tang Yueshan didn't rush Gu Jiao. He just silently tightened his grip on his bow and the quiver full of arrows on his back.
"Archers, prepare." Tang Yueshan said in a deep voice.
The remaining archers took their positions, drew their longbows, and used their bodies as shields to protect Gu Jiao and the wounded soldier.
"Little Hu, come down!" Gu Jiao finished treating the last wounded soldier.
Hu Dongqiang quickly slid down the rope.
Everyone mounted their horses, and as the State of Chen’s army closed in, they spurred their horses out of the gorge!
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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