Sacrificing for Victory.

The Qing province was broken into 4 counties, and then further into a few thousand villages. The four counties are Zhou County, Yang County, Xin County, and Han County. Zhou County was relatively small, and sustained the borders between the Empires capital and the Province, while the Han County was the biggest and severed the foreign nations influence sharply with the strong military positioned there. Xin and Yang acted as supply points for these two locations respectively.

The Han county was very powerful with winding columns of mountains, and heavy and wild rivers acting as a natural impasse.

It was hard to lead an army towards Han, and even more difficult to win a position considering the location made supplies and resources any army needed lacking. It was just an unbreakable point to many.

Currently the General in charge of leading the soldiers to guard the borders, Hu Yinyi, was talking impatiently towards the Han county lord, Han Guanyi.

"What do you mean the resources have yet to arrive! You have been delaying day after day! Do you wish for me to report to his majesty of the provinces actions to revolt?"

Han Guanyi showed a casual expression, a slight smile on his chubby face, "Ay, General you don't really think I am so foolish. Not providing your soldiers properly is akin to shooting myself in the foot! I live here, my father lived here, and so did my grandfather. Without you guarding who knows whether those Zhuge bastards would come invading! They would pillage my home, claw at my hung corpse, and rape my people! I may not be much, but I am the father to my people!"

Hu Yinyi slapped his fist down, "Then what do you mean to say?! It's been five days since we were supposed to get our supplies, my soldiers are suffering now! I will give you three days Old Han! If I do not see a piece of grain, nor the shine of the blade, my army will become the Invaders you are so wary off!"

"How can you say such dirty things General, we are all the citizens you've sworn to protect, how can you actually dare harm us!"

"Hmph! If I am given what is mine at the right time, such a thought wouldn't exist, yet it seems you obey the wills of the Zhuge clan falling as they wish and giving as they please, then perhaps I ought to share some of their natures for my own safety!"

He then turned around, he walked out with heavy steps.

Han Guanyi looked at Hu Yinyis retreating back, and showed a cold look.

He then turned around, and knocked on the bookshelf from the side twice.

Slowly the bookshelf opened, and led downwards with the glow of orange warily peeking forth through the shadows.

The damp air that filled the room was truly uncomfortable, and with each breath one would feel weaker and weaker.

Eventually arriving at the bottom, bated breaths with large gulps of air echoed. Han Guanyi was swallowing air like a whale, it seemed he lacked oxygen.

He bowed deeply, "Young master what do you say?"

Laying down on a couch, a young man silently remarked, "Ignore him, send someone to again remind the Zhuge Empires troops outside of the plan. Furthermore prepare your personal guards and slaves. Hopefully their training will not let me down."

Han Guanyi nodded and said, "Of course young master."

...

The morning had become to erupt out, yet beyond the winding mountains, as if spat from the sun itself, a horde of men climbed the skies and charged at them. Their beasts recklessly roaming the steep edges of the mountain.

Before the hungry guards could do anything, the army of men had already gotten close enough to fire a string of arrows!

The men lying at the front of the army base suffered immediately as a thousand arrows rained down on them.

Immediately the bells of the camp began to sing the symphony of war, and hundreds of men dove from their peaceful rests into a vague fugue.

"Take 100 archers to Gongmeng mountain to launch an ambush, and you take Thirty swordsmen to take their attention!"

General Hu Yinyi while still in a shocked paranoia led diligently, without a breath to relax, the years of war having made him a borne ready combatant.

He arrived in front of a few wounded soldiers, he pulled him up angrily, "Why didn't you alarm the camp?!"

Of course he himself knew why, they had been too lax. The Zhuge Empire hadn't attacked for nearly twenty years, this part of the Empire was different from the Mo Province where The Qi Empire is constantly attacking.

They had gotten lazy with peace!

So after letting out a brief exchange to loosen his boiling heart, he rushed towards the guard posts that now resembled porcupines.

He observed the enemies forces directly this time without his subordinates report, and couldn't help gasp.

Nearly 200,000 soldiers were racing forth!

Hu Yinyi slapped, and said loudly, "First cavalry, and third Vanguard approach, First to Seventh Archer battalion join together with the Second Vanguard forces, and support the Ballistas!"

He hurriedly commanded his armies.

Very quickly the long distance battle turned into a close combat one, as both sides clashed and blood spilled forth like rainwater turning the ground to a muddy wasteland.

"Fire Ballistas! Fire Ballistas!"

Hu Yinyi shouted loudly, as as soon as his words hung in the air the long sound of thick iron tightening and turning echoed, and a heavy explosion could be heard.

"Reload! Archers move forward, Vanguards raise shields!"

Hurriedly a wall of steel shields took front of the Ballistas, as archers shoot arrows from the cracks.

Suddenly a loud explosion echoed loudly, and broke the powerful force of an army apart. Hu Yinyi frowned, as cold sweat danced on his back. He had a horrible premonition.

"General! General! The enemy has a Martial artists!"

Hu Yinyi showed a bitter smile, and could only feel regret.

While him and his soldiers had practiced night and day military strategies, and combat, compared to the erudite styled learnings of a martial artist they suffered. They had to constantly wage or defend wars, how could they calmly follow the Martial Dao like sects and martial houses. They basically suffered with quality and favored quantity. With only twelve Battalions of martial artists protecting the Empire.

Hu Yinyi shouted loudly, not allowing death to retrieve him just yet!

"Eight to twentieth archers cease assisting fire on field and move to concentrate on approaching martial artists! All Vanguard's are to retreat and accompany the archers! Cavalry and Heavy man troops are to form defensive line! Send ten cavalry men to request for backup, and the Ten blades help from Sun Yi Capital city, and inform Han Guanyi to call all army camps within the Han Province, especially close to the capital city and send them here! The rest of the cavalry is to act between the cavalry and Heavy men!"

A thick cloud of arrows fell down onto a lonely figure who seemed to dance in the battlefield. With a sweep of that figures heavy leg, a thick wind shot out and destroyed the arrows aiming at him.

His martial art uniform sounding as it twitched in the wind.

His feet slipped forward, like a fish skipping on the river. Dodging incoming enemies, and within a few breaths had broken their bones.

He appeared in front of a large soldier wearing heavy armor.

The martial artist swept his leg out, slamming into the shin of the huge man, and he crouched down pouching onto the huge man's legs soon after. Sending him to the ground. He mounted his chest, and with a few slaps the heavy Man's chest caved in and blood flooded forth from his mouth.

This continued as the figure got closer and closer, yet his progress became slower and slower. Every few minutes a Ballista bolt flew through the air at breakneck speeds, aiming alone for his life.

Suddenly a whistle carried forth, and the martial artist moved backwards with a few heavy steps disappearing with the rest of the army into the bosom of the mountain.

...

Hu Yinyi looked at the retreat of the enemy soldiers, and to the back the reinforcements who had arrived after only half a day. The distance from the encampment to the County's capital was a decent distance, even with some help it should have at least taken one day to arrive. So he couldn't help feel a bit nervous, and didn't issue a command to rest.

He walked down and greeted the City guard sent over, and glanced at the boxes the guards retinue brought.

"This is...?"

The city guard bowed slightly, "His Lordship Han Guanyi has taken your complaints very seriously and has sent you your resources at the expense of a substantial cost to his own funds."

Hu Yinyi frowned, and raised his right hand. A deep impression of Han Guanyi, and the entire situation ran through his mind a few times like a cycle roaring, scraping the concrete.

At his command, the various relaxed soldiers although confused hurriedly became tensed. Archers drew their bows, and Heavy men stomped with their thick iron armor, and large axes and hammers. Their nerves were taut like strings to an arrow, anxiously waiting for something anything.

Han Guanyi took out his sword, and with a heavy roar slashed down at the box, causing it to split apart and collapse.

A spear sped through the air, and pierced into Han Guanyi's throat.

The remaining boxes exploded, and a group of nine young men wearing martial art uniforms came forth. They coldly scanned the area around, their weapons clearing the surroundings. Their hands sweeping forth with harsh winds throwing away arrows, and their kicks destroying the heavy men's body as it distorted the steel plates!

Han Guanyi glared at the youth in front of him, and through his shattered throat he said, "You treasonous scum! How dare you fellows trained by the Empire defy the Emperors rule?! How dare you!"

The young man just smiled softly, and twisted his hand causing Han Guanyi's head to go flying.

The young man then threw his hands into his pocket, his spear laying on his shoulder, and then sighed.

"Damn Qing bastards you better know what your doing letting the Zhuge clan into the Empire. Cheh, damn even I'm disgusted with myself, some ten blades, I'm just a bastard who'll do anything for money. Fucking thing!"

He then pulled out the blade of his sphere, where was actually now the opening of a smoking pipe, and light the other end, and took a puff.