The sound of battle echoed at the front camp, the snow dyed red with blood. There were fewer and fewer people around Luo Qi, and he himself was covered in blood.
The archers had already drawn their bows and nocked arrows, aiming at the Zhou soldiers who were surrounded by the Yan-Shang army. However, due to Sima Qingsha’s order not to take Luo Qi’s life, they had refrained from shooting arrows until now.
“Capture Luo Qi alive.” Sima Qingsha gave another order after arriving at the front camp. At this time, Yang Yuansu was still on his way to the front camp.
Wei Lan saw the corpses piled up one after another within the encirclement, all dressed in the white uniforms of the Zhou army. Gritting his teeth, he gradually made his way towards Luo Qi. Clad in the uniform of Eastern Shang, Wei Lan managed to sneak closer to the center while the attention of the Yan-Shang coalition forces was focused on Luo Qi and his soldiers.
The spear in Luo Qi’s hand felt heavy, the most direct manifestation of his physical exhaustion.
“Luo Shiyi is exhausted!” someone in the Yan-Shang alliance shouted.
The coalition forces, which had taken a few steps back, immediately swarmed towards Luo Qi again.
“Commander!” A soldier leaped in front of Luo Qi.
Luo Qi only saw a red blur before his eyes. This personal guard who had been by his side since he joined the army was pierced in the abdomen by several long spears at the same time. As the spears were withdrawn, the soldier’s internal organs spilled out of his body.
Luo Qi let out a roar and swept his long spear forward, killing all the Eastern Shang soldiers who had attacked him. He wanted to take a look at the condition of his guard, but before he could, several long spears with barbed hooks were thrust towards him. Luo Qi could only dodge, watching helplessly as the body of his guard was trampled underfoot by Eastern Shang soldiers.
Watching another round of fighting unfold before him, Wei Lan patiently waited in the crowd. He was waiting for an opportunity to make a decisive strike, a chance for him and the others still alive to rush out of the camp.
When Yang Yuansu arrived at the front camp and saw the archers not releasing their arrows, he became furious and asked loudly, “Why aren’t you shooting arrows?”
“It’s…” The Eastern Shang soldier pointed to Sima Qingsha standing there.
“This is unacceptable.” Yang Yuansu stamped his foot and walked quickly towards Sima Qingsha. He knew that Luo Qi had personally led the attack this time, and Sima Qingsha refused to let anyone shoot arrows to kill Luo Qi. Yang Yuansu could roughly guess why. It was most likely for that person, Luo Wei. Yang Yuansu thought to himself that this time, he couldn’t give Sima Qingsha face. He wanted to ask him if he really thought this was the time for romance, the time for him to play the lover?!
Wei Lan saw Yang Yuansu’s figure in the crowd. Compared with Sima Qingsha’s position, this person made it easier for him to make a move. After taking a deep breath, Wei Lan suddenly jumped high from the crowd and threw a long spear directly at Yang Yuansu.
A Eastern Shang general reacted quickly, immediately cutting the long spear in half with his sword.
But Wei Lan didn’t stop there. Like a swallow, he flew up and down above the heads of the Yan-Shang coalition forces, throwing four or five long spears with great force towards Yang Yuansu.
“Your Majesty!” Eastern Shang soldiers quickly shielded Yang Yuansu, realizing that Wei Lan was targeting their Emperor.
“Brother!” Wei Lan shouted to Luo Qi as he charged towards Yang Yuansu. “Zizhou is safe, let’s rush out!”
Hearing Wei Lan say Zizhou was safe, Luo Qi knew that Ning Fei had already broke out of the Yan-Shang siege. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly told his men who were still fighting desperately, “We’re rushing out!”
“Stop them!” Sima Qingsha ordered urgently.
Another chaotic battle ensued.
Wei Lan continued to charge towards Yang Yuansu. Unlike Sima Qingsha, who stood in a corner, Yang Yuansu’s position was open, making it easier for him to advance. Killing was Wei Lan’s specialty, and at this moment, he focused solely on it. With each swing of his sword, countless lives were lost.
As Luo Qi and his men fought their way out of the camp, they heard the sound of battle outside the front camp’s gate, where reinforcements had been sent by Long Xuan.
“Lan!” When Luo Qi stopped to rest, he shouted towards Wei Lan without looking back, ignoring the additional dead souls beneath the gleam of his silver spear.
“Wei Lan?” Upon hearing Luo Qi’s shout, Sima Qingsha’s mind buzzed. He glanced towards Yang Yuansu. The man who killed people as if he was possessed by a demon was the Lan that Luo Wei had always been thinking about? Pointing towards Wei Lan, Sima Qingsha ordered angrily, “Capture Wei Lan alive! Whoever capture him will be rewarded with ten thousand households!”
With such a generous reward, there must be brave men. The people surrounding Luo Qi suddenly decreased as the soldiers all charged towards Wei Lan.
“Sima Qingsha!” Yang Yuansu’s furious roar echoed through the crowd
“Capture Wei Lan alive!” Sima Qingsha turned a deaf ear to him and loudly shouted at his soldiers of Northern Yan.
“Release the arrows!” Yang Yuansu also ordered. “Fire the arrows for me!”
Wei Lan once again leaped high from the crowd, holding the corpse of a Eastern Shang soldier in his hand.
The Eastern Shang archers released their arrows.
The corpse in Wei Lan’s hand became his shield against the arrows. His extraordinary lightness technique became his lifesaver as he effortlessly glided over the heads of the Yan-Shang coalition forces, arrows raining down around him.
“Chase after him!” This time, both Yang Yuansu and Sima Qingsha gave the same command.
Luo Qi and his remaining men had already broken through the front lines of the Yan-Shang forces.
The two sides resumed their battle on the snowy plains.
“The rear camp is on fire!” Amidst the frenzy of battle, cries rang out from the Yan-Shang coalition camp, which was knee-deep in snow.
Standing side by side, Luo Qi and Wei Lan saw the blazing fire in the rear camp, the signal they had agreed upon with Ning Fei. The fire in the rear camp indicated that Ning Fei had successfully exited the camp.
“Let’s go!” Wei Lan pulled Luo Qi, taking advantage of the distraction caused to the Yan-Shang army, and hurried back to their camp.
“Don’t pursue them anymore.” Yang Yuansu watched the fire illuminate half the sky in the rear camp and stopped his subordinates from chasing Luo Qi and the others.
“You!” However, Sima Qingsha was unwilling to let Wei Lan escape.
“Don’t pursue a desperate enemy,” Yang Yuansu said impatiently to Sima Qingsha, “Extinguishing the fire is more important. We can’t afford to mess up our own position.”
Sima Qingsha stubbornly stared at the Zhou army retreating in the distance.
“Some Zhou generals must have escaped,” Yang Yuansu whispered to Sima Qingsha, “Do you think the fire was started by them?”
Sima Qingsha’s face remained filled with resentment.
Yang Yuansu continued, “Still not getting it? Long Xuan is trapped here by us. The one who can act on behalf of the Great Zhou must be Prince Jin. Your Majesty, you are about to face Luo Wei again! Can you focus now?”
In the midst of the raging storm, Sima Qingsha stood stunned. Was he about to become enemies with Luo Wei once again?
Boundless Dao 
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