Thread: A step into the past - 寻秦记 - by Huang Yi

  1. #4401
    Senior Member Jean's Avatar
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    update....


    *********************************************

    Xiang Shaolong thought of the time when he left Handan to go to Daliang, he’d actually passed by this place and was shown around the city walls. He’s forgotten the name of the city guard in charge of showing him around but he did not expect that on this day so many years later, he’ll be the one in charge of attacking the same city walls.

    The uncertainty of life cannot be summed up more accurately than this.

    He then thought about his two beloved that he had once escorted, Zhao Qian and Zhao Ya, who has since died one after the other and can’t help but feel a his heart breaking. He almost felt like crying out loud to ease the pain in his heart.

    The night breeze blew at him, blowing away the tightness in his chest and only then did he feel slightly better.

    Looking at the city walls far ahead, he remembered the ancient city of Handan just a distance away from behind those walls and a mixture of feelings welled up in him.

    The scariest thing about wars is the unpredictable factor.

    Just like now, he has absolutely no idea what is happening right now behind those walls that spans hundreds of miles.

    He can only guess.

    Or do an evaluation.

    To know oneself and know one’s enemy, it’s indeed not so easily achieved.

    Where exactly is Li Mu right now? They were once bosom buddies but now they finally have to become mortal enemies on the battlefield and what exactly are they doing all these for? Only when the day started getting bright that Xiang Shaolong composed himself and went back to the tent to rest.

    That’s how the days were spent.

    A month later, the messenger came with the news that Pu Hu has finally abandoned Tunliu and was ambushed and captured by Huan Qi’s hidden troops when he was escaping towards the Zhao borders and escorted back to Xianyang.

    Strangely, there has been no activity from Li Mu up to this point in time.

    Xiang and Teng were not too alarmed, for if Li Mu has been ordered to protect Handan, naturally he won’t be coming to Fanwu.

    Since their goal has been accomplished, the two of them had a discussion and decided to retract their troops and they will do it that very night.

    As usual, they left behind empty camps but with lanterns burning. As soon as it got dark, they retreated back to Zhongmou in batches. Xiang Shaolong and Zhou Liang were the last to leave because with Eagle King’s sharp eyes, they’re not afraid that the enemy will come up behind them.

    Jing Jun left first with 2,000 Wu family warriors, followed by Teng Yi’s army.

    Xiang Shaolong waited until about 10pm before he led the remaining 20,000 men and snuck away.

    In a short while, the whole army has arrived on the official roads towards south, rapidly moving towards Zhongmou.

    The bright moon is hanging in the sky to the left of them, casting a dim shadow on their right.

    Xiang Shaolong rode alongside Zhou Liang in the middle of the army.

    Zhou Liang commented with a sigh, “We were able to take down Tunliu this time all thanks to the wondrous plan of Great General. Even Li Mu has been fallen for your plan.”

    Xiang Shaolong replied, “Li Mu did not fall for my plan, it’s the King of Zhao who fell for my plan.”

    Zhou Liang said with a smile, “In war, only success or failure matters, no one cares how the victory is achieved but everyone will talk about how one is defeated.”

    Xiang Shaolong nodded his head, “Your words sound very correct.”

    Zhou Liang looked up into the sky and said, “It’ll be dawn in another hour and by then we’ll be able to travel at full speed. Once we reach Zhongmou, we’ll be able to advance or retreat at will without any worries at all. Besides, even if our enemy surround the city, we still have Huan Qi’s army as reinforcements.”

    Xiang Shaolong immediately felt relaxed, feeling a little as if he has achieved the goals of this mission.

    Hopefully this will be the last battle and the only thing to look forward to in future will be the arrival of Xiao Pan’s coronation ceremony.

    The familiar sound of Eagle King flapping his wings was heard from the sky.

    All the soldiers lifted their heads to look.

    Looking at its behavior, they know that there’s no pursuing army.

    Zhou Liang pursed his lips and whistled, ordering him to come down to rest.

    However, Eagle King suddenly cried out and circled twice over their heads before soaring into the sky again, suddenly flying towards the woods on their right.

    ****************************************

  2. #4402
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    Thank you very much Jean

  3. #4403
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    Thanks Jean. Appreciate the updates even though u busy......

  4. #4404
    Senior Member szfong's Avatar
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    I guess Li Mu is gonna attack them when they are least expecting it... Eagle King & Zhou Liang will each deserve an arrow for their overconfidence. Thanks for the update Jean...

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    Thanks Jean

  6. #4406
    Member Jaran.Saga's Avatar
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    Thank you, Jean. short update is much much better than none.....
    I hope there's Li Mu army in the woods so that the battles between the great generals begin..........

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    Hi Jean. Thank you. Looking forward to the big fight.
    lawwoo
    Bonus. A new day.

  8. #4408
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    have a feeling HXL might lose cause in the series HSL lost bad to Li Mu but who knows. Got my fingers crossed.

  9. #4409
    Senior Member ChronoReverse's Avatar
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    Yeah, it's looking like XSL has walked into a trap. I guess this is how he'll lose his aura of mystique.

  10. #4410
    Senior Member szfong's Avatar
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    In the series (saw only pieces of it), he ran away to one of the other warring states and became a male gigolo in order to survive Just kidding....

    Though a friend told be in passing many years ago that XSL sold his "services" to Feng Fei when he lost to Li Mu & used her skirt to travel & as protection from his enemies.
    Last edited by szfong; 10-25-11 at 12:11 PM.

  11. #4411
    Senior Member yeongwee's Avatar
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    What happened to his legendary "sixth sense" for danger? The one that alerted him to the ambush with Lord Longyang in the Dong Kuang arc... and also the one that saved them when the first set out in pursuit of Tian Dan after the Royal Hunt...
    Man is glue. You are man. How then can you step away from glue?

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    Dang, I guess everybody must lose sometimes, XSL included.

  13. #4413
    Senior Member Jean's Avatar
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    short update to the end of the chapter, and book 20


    ****************************************

    Zhou Liang’s expression changed immediately as he focused on Eagle King’s actions.

    Xiang Shaolong felt that something is greatly amiss and looked over as well.

    Eagle King kept flying in circles under the bright moonlight, its flight pattern strange and indecipherable.

    Zhou Liang exclaimed in alarm, “That is impossible. It seems that there’s a huge troop of our enemy rushing here from the left at a very fast speed.”

    In an instant, Xiang Shaolong understood what is happening. Li Mu’s cavalry is coming.

    Maybe their horses have their hooves covered in cloths so there wasn’t any sound at all.

    This famous general who indeed lives up to his reputation has already deduced Xiang Shaolong’s strategy long ago.

    Although he was forced to give up Tunliu, he is unwilling to let them off. He has been staying put for the last two months to make Xiang Shaolong and the rest mistakenly think that he is stationed at Handan. In fact, he has been here long ago and have set up an ambush, just waiting for the moment of their retreat.

    Xiang Shaolong is now following the fatal footsteps of Cheng Qiao and Du Bi. The only advantage he has is that because of Eagle King, he is one step ahead in fining out the enemy’s approach.

    If he were to escape immediately, the result will be not much different from Cheng Qiao’s army’s defeat. This means to say that before the whole army can arrive at Zhongmou, they would have been eliminated by Li Mu.

    If he faces the battle head on, then at least Jing Jun and Teng Yi can reach Zhongmou safely.

    Xiang Shaolong hesitated no further and gave orders for the army to retreat to the dense forest towards the right and do their best to block the enemy.

    Before they could even complete their formation, tens of thousands of Zhao soldiers charged out towards the official path from the left of the dense forest, charging towards them.

    Arrows flew towards their enemies like locusts. The enemy’s cavalry fell down row by row but before they could notch the second arrow, suddenly the enemy is right in front of them.

    Xiang Shaolong roared his orders as he pulled out Hundred Battles Blade and led his men in the charge.

    In a short moment, the whole 10 miles stretch of the official path is filled with battle cries and screams.

    Just as the 20,000 Qin soldiers were fending off the enemy, there was a sudden chaos near the Zhao border. Another group of enemy seemed to charge out of nowhere and cut off Xiang Shaolong’s reinforcements into two parts.

    Xiang Shaolong, with Zhou Liang and 2,000 personal guards fought off the enemy’s wave after wave of attacks with their lives.

    Crackling sounds were suddenly heard from the woods behind them as the fire burned, cutting off the Qin army’s retreat route to the west. Xiang Shaolong knows that it’s unavoidable, so he put aside everything else and cut down 10 odd enemy soldiers and killed his way right into the depths of the enemy’s formation.

    ********************************************

  14. #4414
    Senior Member szfong's Avatar
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    Thanks for the update!

  15. #4415
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    Knew it was too easy. Li Mu really did live up to his reputation.

    Thanks for the update, Jean. You still remember your adoring fans

  16. #4416
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    Thanks Jean.
    lawwoo
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  17. #4417
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    The pain of not knowing is dangerous to someone's path. XLS should know the pain of defeat
    Thank you Jean..

  18. #4418
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    Thanks Jean

  19. #4419
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    I was 2nd but couldn't sign in yesterday. Thanks Jean - looks like Li Mu will get the upper hand! [bite nails]

  20. #4420
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    Default lol

    Quote Originally Posted by smurf120 View Post
    I was 2nd but couldn't sign in yesterday. Thanks Jean - looks like Li Mu will get the upper hand! [bite nails]
    dosent count if its not posted as second

    thanks jean.

    this is exciting
    Ali Derhamy

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