Chapter 30: The Massacre

Given the current trust the military officers have in Zhu Fu, the best approach would be for him to drug their wine, either killing them or rendering them unconscious, allowing the Yushan forces to launch a night raid.

The problem, however, is that these men from Yushan all suffer from night blindness. Even though they have been eating spinach every day, they still cannot see a thing once night falls; it would be impossible to tell who they were stabbing during an ambush. Therefore, rather than resorting to sneak attacks, it is better to engage in a full-scale frontal assault. If they cannot even overcome such a minor outpost, they might as well abandon any thoughts of rebellion.

Li Gui had Zhu Fu procure several donkey carts. All those wearing armor were hidden inside, while the infantry, fully armed, pretended to be an escort unit as they marched toward the army camp. Zhu Fu led the way at the front. Having traveled this road frequently in recent days, he was a familiar face, and no one paid him any mind. Even seeing a squad of spearmen behind him, they merely assumed they were soldiers from the camp ahead, never suspecting they were bandits from Yushan Stronghold.

When they arrived at the main gate of the camp, the sentries were still oblivious. Upon seeing Zhu Fu’s face, they didn’t even ask a question; they simply opened the gates and walked up with smiles.

"Commander Zhu, what good things have you brought today?"

Expecting to squeeze a little tip out of the commander, the guard was met with a blade to the face instead. Before he even had a chance to sound the alarm, he was cut down on the spot. Li Gui led his men as they leapt from the carts. With a wave of his hand, over a hundred men swarmed forward, automatically forming their battle ranks.

"Huang Silang and Zhu Fu, take fifty spearmen each to scatter the soldiers and prevent them from regrouping," Li Gui ordered. "Li Laoqi, take fifty swordsmen and start the fires. The rest, follow me to the rear camp—let's slaughter those wine-soaked sacks of rice! Remember, keep the formation tight!"

Li Gui, wielding a blade in each hand, strode toward the rear camp while the others went about their business of killing and arson. It was near sunset; the officers had ceased training and dismissed the troops to have the mess cooks prepare dinner. The idle soldiers, exhausted from the day, were lounging about, reluctant to move, waiting for a warm meal before catching some sleep to recover their strength. Caught completely off guard by the sudden appearance of the enemy, the government troops were thrown into immediate chaos. By the time Li Gui charged into the rear camp, screams were echoing everywhere, and the panicked soldiers were scurrying about like headless flies.

Liang Wanshen was gathered with a group of officers, waiting for Zhu Fu to bring more wine and food. Hearing the commotion outside, he rushed out of his tent to grab his weapon, not even stopping to don his armor in his haste. As soon as he emerged, he saw a flash of white light as a single blade descended toward his head. His legs turned to jelly, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud.

Li Gui had prepared several follow-up moves for that strike, ready to counter whatever dodge or block his opponent might attempt. He had not, however, expected this piece of trash to kneel immediately, which inadvertently saved his life. The officers behind Liang Wanshen reacted quickly; pulling Liang back, they drew their own blades and charged at Li Gui, hacking wildly.

Li Gui laughed, relying on his armor to ignore their strikes. He extended his arms, swung his dual blades in a wide, horizontal arc. The others, not daring to fight with such reckless abandon, pulled back to parry, only to feel a massive force impact their wrists. Their blades slipped from their grips, and amidst a deafening clatter of metal, seven or eight swords flew into the air. Before they could cry out or retreat, Li Gui stepped forward, his blades flashing in a rapid sequence of strikes. Heads flew, and blood sprayed from severed necks like a fountain, drenching the surroundings.

Streaks of white and dark gray "fortune" rose from the corpses like flowing clouds, seeping into Li Gui’s body. He felt his blood surge, his sinews hum, and his muscles swell. It was an indescribable sensation of comfort, far more satisfying than consuming the fabled ginseng fruit.

"Haha!" he roared, "A great tonic! You thieving birds! All of you, go to your deaths for your grandfather!"

Bathed in blood, Li Gui stood before the main tent of the rear camp, head tilted back in manic laughter. Not only were the officers trapped inside terrified, but even his own bandit subordinates behind him trembled, not daring to approach, fearing that their great chieftain might get addicted to the slaughter and accidentally cut them down as well.

Liang Wanshen was already paralyzed with fear. Seeing Li Gui in this state, he didn't even attempt to fight back. The few capable fighters among his men had been killed in the first wave, so he knelt again, burying his head in his knees with his rear held high like a quail, begging for mercy incessantly.

"Spare me, Great King! I surrender! I am willing to offer all my gold and silver to buy my life!"

With their inspector having surrendered, the remaining commanders and deputy generals found even less reason to fight. They immediately cast aside their weapons, knelt, and joined in the kowtowing.

"Surrender?" Li Gui, still in the throes of bloodlust, was about to enter the tent to finish the job. Seeing such a disappointing scene, he flew into a rage and cursed, waving his blade, "A bunch of trash! As military officers, you cannot die on the battlefield, yet you kneel in surrender—it is truly shameful! Weak and incompetent, you offer your necks to the slaughter without a shred of resistance! The Song Dynasty is overrun by losers like you, which is why a bunch of soft-headed scholars can ride on your backs! If the warriors of this world had any manhood—if they let those scholars know what a man’s fury truly means—the world would not be reeking of filth in the future!"

Yet, no matter how Li Gui cursed, the officers remained pressed to the ground, kowtowing like they were threshing grain, devoid of any dignity.

"Hah! Do you think you can live by surrendering? Naive!"

Li Gui let out a roar, and with a swing of his blade, he decapitated the nearest surrendered officer. "Pick up your swords! Fight me!"

Li Gui continued to roar, but it was useless. The blood from the wretched man's neck sprayed onto the backs of the kowtowing crowd, making them shiver and kowtow even harder.

"Surrender is a path to death; why not just die fighting?!" Li Gui killed another. Still, no one stood up.

"Whoever can wound me shall be spared!" He killed again.

"Whoever can take three of my moves shall be spared!" He killed yet again.

"Whoever can survive a single strike of mine shall live!" He killed a third time.

Li Gui had killed four or five men, and the number of people in the tent had been halved. The terms he offered became increasingly lenient, but the remaining men merely thought Li Gui was a cat playing with mice. Not believing his promises for a second, they continued to tremble and plead, "My mother is eighty and my child is three; I beg you, hero, spare my life! I am willing to offer all my wealth! I am willing to go up the mountain and follow you, Great King, please take me in!"

They said everything imaginable, except for rising to fight.

"Ah..." Li Gui was so angry he felt his lungs would burst. "Trash! A bunch of trash! If you're so afraid of death, why become military officers?!"

He planted his dual blades in the ground, a fierce glint in his eyes. "Go to your deaths in peace. Your families and kin will surely be picked clean by your relatives, and they will soon join you below! When you are all reunited before the gates of the Underworld, do not forget to report your grandfather's name! I am the Heaven-Killing Star, Li Gui!"

With that, he swung his blades, slaughtering the rest of them until not a soul remained.