Ch.18 The Gods Are Not On My Side

A few hours have passed, and Wu Zhe Yan’s every strike might be just as deadly, but it was undeniable that his speed has slowed down considerably. He had been taking the front lead, bearing the full brunt of the attacks all this while.

There was a glint in the sky, and he noticed an arrow on its way down. It was an arrow that would clearly miss him, he knew, yet his brows furrowed. He quickly changed the arc of his sword which was in the middle of coming down on another unlucky soul and aimed for the arrow instead.

The arrow which would have taken the head of a Northern soldier busy fighting behind him was cut down by Wu Zhe Yan. However, at that very moment where he was the most vulnerable, a spear pierced through his left shoulder.

“General!”

Wu Zhe Yan slew the enemy who had made that attack instantly. He glanced down at the spear now a part of his body, determined that the wound shouldn’t be large enough to take his life just yet and pulled it out without a second of hesitation. He took in a sharp intake of breath, predicting that a piece of flesh must have been torn out along with that one pull. His left shoulder was burning, a pain that was making him feel alive, ironically. He wasn’t even able to relish in that pain before the rain of attacks continued unrelentingly.

“My Lord, are you alright?!” Qi appeared by his side, killing another enemy in one strike as he defended his master. He was still young but having stayed by Wu Zhe Yan’s side for so long, he was also a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

“It’s just a small wound.” Wu Zhe Yan carelessly waved off his worried subordinate.

Small wound… Qi glanced at the gaping hole that he could see through to the other side.

“Lord, if I may ask. What’s a big wound if that’s a small one?”

“When my heart is pierced, maybe?” came the thoughtless reply.

Qi mentally rolled his eyes. ‘That’s not a wound, that’s my cue to start preparing your funeral.’

~~

The Northern Army was slowly but surely weakening.

And yet, the Southern General couldn’t help but tapped his legs impatiently. Years of experience were ringing a warning bell in his mind. Something might go awry. No, something has already gone wrong.

A weight of doubt had entered his mind when he had seen the enemy’s troop. Wu Zhe Yan was leading too few soldiers. The surprise attack the day before shouldn’t have done much damage to their troops besides cutting off their resources. So, that meant Wu Zhe Yan had hidden another troop somewhere. The question was where? And more importantly why?

Doesn’t he understand that any further delay and he could very well lose his life on this battlefield?

The Southern General looked at the young man fighting below, trying to read his mind. Wu Zhe Yan happened to glance up and their gazes collided. Wu Zhe Yan’s lips curled into a smirk and the 2 words that he mouthed made the Southern General widen his eyes.

‘It’s time.’

A soldier ran up to the top of the gates, despair slathered on his face, “General! The enemies-! The enemies have invaded from the other side!”

“What do you mean invaded from the other side?! How have they invaded?!” The Southern General tore his eyes away from the battlefield and threw his fists down on the table angrily.

“It’s the Western walls… We also don't understand how, but they’ve managed to bring down the whole wall without anyone realising!”

“A fake wall?!” The tide has turned in the blink of an eye. “Go, hold them back! Leave some of the soldiers on the battlefield and call back the rest of our troops!”

“But General! What if the Northern General breaks into our gate?”

“I will go down personally and stall for time! I still have a backup plan.”

“Yes, General!”

The General gripped onto his spear and went down.

The gates opened as more than half of the soldiers fell back. The General came out of the gates and entered the battlefield. He stood face-to-face with Wu Zhe Yan, a fight to the death between the veteran from the previous era and a new blood. Truthfully, the odds did not seem to be in his favour. He had heard of the Mad Dog’s strength and all he can do is hope that he is able to stall for time.

The future looked bleak but there was still one last chance. As long as the enemy’s General was dead, this battle will be their victory.

And now, he knew he could only count on the assassins he had sent.

They, would be the light to shine on the Southern Army.

~~

{In the forest}

It was unfortunate but…

The ‘light’ of the Southern Army have drawn their last breath.

All except for one.

The man leaning heavily against a tree was in a condition no better than his fallen comrades. His silver armour was stained with blood and the place where one of his feet should have been was missing. Still, he held on for dear life, limping away as fast as he could with his sword.

“What makes you think you can run from me a second time?” Like a grim reaper, a figure walked out of the shadows, terrifying him so much that he stumbled a step back and fell down.

“L-Luo Yue! Please! I-I beg you! Just spare my life! I promise I’ll never return to the South. We’re both fighting for our countries so you should understand my action of injuring him that day, right? It was all for my country!” the Southern commander was grasping the hems of her robes as though he was clutching at his lifesaving straws.

She looked at him with half-lidded eyes before bending down to reach his level. “You seem to have made a very big understanding. Who told you I’ve been fighting for my country all along?”

“What?” he sputtered in disbelief. “You’re from the North, of course, you-!”

“I couldn’t care less what happens to the North.” There was not a hint of jesting on her face. Instead, the disdain so blatantly obvious in her furrowed brows made him all the more muddle-headed.

“What are you talking about?!” blood spurted from his gaping wounds along with his outburst. The God of War had always been an abyss-like existence on the battlefield. No one knew the extent of her ability. No one dared try to get near. And those who did were no longer alive. Her name had long covered the entirety of the 4 Kingdoms, just like how her existence loomed over the battlefield. And it was that feared existence that had given the Northern Kingdom a long era of peace. If not for her, how could the other 3 Kingdoms had given up their territories and decided to live quietly for so many years? And now, she was saying she had never once fought for her own Kingdom? That while everyone was staking their lives for their own countries, she had killed them all because-… because of what? “Then why did you appear at the frontlines?!”

“Because he cared,” Her answer came without any pause or hesitation.

That’s right. I have never cared what happens to this cursed country, but he did. He cared, and I… cared about him.

“The ‘he’ you’re talking about-… It can’t be-!” realisation drew on his pale face.

“The Emperor you stabbed.” Her blank eyes carried a wave of frostiness that left a despairing pit in his stomach. “You said your sins should be forgiven because you were fighting for your country, didn’t you? Then you should understand my action as well. The person you injured was the one I was fighting for.”

She picked up a sword on the ground and stood up again. The Southern commander quickly scurried a few steps back. However, there was already no escape for him. And he knew as well. The moment he heard her words, he had understood immediately. The God of War had never actually cared much about anything. She only had one limit, one bottom line and he, very unfortunately, had touched just that.

His eyes reddened as though desperation has finally clawed its way through his mind. Even cornered rats can make a final screech. “How do you think I escaped that day? Should I let you in on a secret, Luo Yue?”

She didn’t bother with him, knowing an enemy’s dying words never carry much weight. Yet, his next words still managed to stall her last strike.

“The LoneWolf is on my side! Hahaha! Do you really think that that monster will always follow your every word? Wake up, Luo Yue! You’ve already been betrayed!” His laughter suddenly rang throughout the forest, “mark my words, Luo Yue! Don’t be arrogant just because the Gods have been taking your side for too long. Even the God of War will fall out of grace one day! You will definitely get your retribution! Mark my words! You will suffer a thousand-…!”

His eyes widened as he glanced down. A sword was protruding from the place where his heart was supposed to be. And then, he never raised his head again.

Luo Yue stood up and watched him quietly.

“You’re wrong.” She turned her back, leaving only a few words spoken so quietly that they were instantly picked up by the winds and disappeared into the air.

‘The Gods have never been on my side.’