Chapter 28: The Two Factions Engage in Combat, and It Becomes a Martial Arts Competition
“Should we not advance into the mountain earlier?” Yang Zhengshan’s old face, wrinkled with fatigue and anxiety, looked like it was hiding something.
Yang Zhengshan wiped his gun, shaking his head slightly. “It’s not time yet.”
He already knew that the Hu cavalry entering the Da Rong territory consisted of small groups. If it were a large army, they would have no choice but to retreat into the mountains. However, since it was only a small group of Hu cavalry, Yang Zhengshan felt they could try to resist.
It wasn’t that he wanted to put the villagers of Yang Family Village at risk, but the villagers were reluctant to leave their homes. If they were to leave, and the Hu cavalry attacked, the village would be burned to the ground. Even if the Hu cavalry retreated in the future, the villagers would struggle to survive.
Moreover, the mountain paths were treacherous, and although the village had prepared in advance, the amount of food transported to the mountains was limited. Most of the food was still stored in individual households, and if they lost these supplies, they wouldn’t be able to survive.
Therefore, Yang Zhengshan was determined to defend Yang Family Village.
Yang Zhengshan’s father, Yang Zhengxiang, was of the same mind, but his emotions were slightly anxious, fearing that his decision might be wrong. He couldn’t help but worry about the consequences.
“If I’m unfortunate enough to die this time, the Yang clan’s responsibilities will fall on you!” Yang Zhengxiang said solemnly.
Yang Zhengshan suddenly raised his head, his eyes sparkling with determination. “Clan head, the village needs you to sit firmly!”
Yang Zhengxiang whispered, “I’ve already grown old, and for the Yang clan, you’re more important than I am!”
Yang Zhengshan remained silent, pondering the question: who was more important?
This wasn’t a pleasant topic to discuss. He wasn’t a selfless person, and his heart was filled with selfish emotions. To be honest, he couldn’t bring himself to sacrifice his life for the Yang clan. Let alone the Yang clan, he doubted he could even protect his own family.
In the end, he wasn’t the original Yang Zhengshan, and although he had feelings for the Yang family and the Yang clan, his emotions hadn’t reached the point where he would sacrifice his life for them.
However, at that moment, he had a sudden surge of courage. Perhaps it was due to Yang Zhengxiang’s influence or the sense of bravery in his heart.
Yang Zhengshan held his gun, slowly standing up. With a sudden movement, the iron gun pierced the nearby earth wall, entering it as if it were a sandy beach.
“I’ll do my best in this battle, no matter the outcome.” Yang Zhengshan said calmly.
Yang Zhengxiang stared at the gunhead stuck in the earth wall, his eyes widest in shock. “Incredible!”
“Is this the power of the tempered body or the after-heaven realm?”
He twisted his neck to look at Yang Zhengshan, his voice trembling.
Yang Zhengshan smiled faintly. “There’s still a distance to reach the after-heaven realm.”
Yang Zhengxiang’s face lit up with excitement, and he exclaimed, “My Yang clan is about to produce an after-heaven martial artist?”
Yang Zhengshan smiled shallowly.
However, Yang Zhengxiang’s smile quickly faded, replaced by concern. “You’re not alive yet, and you haven’t become an after-heaven martial artist!”
He hoped the Yang clan would produce an after-heaven martial artist, as the after-heaven realm was far superior to the tempered body realm. Tempered body martial artists were only the lowest level of martial artists, while after-heaven martial artists could enter the Imperial Court as officials.
In the military, an after-heaven martial artist would start at a minimum rank of battalion commander, a sixth-rank military officer.
If Yang Zhengshan could truly become an after-heaven martial artist, it would be a tremendous boon for the entire Yang clan.
Yang Zhengxiang didn’t want Yang Zhengshan to take risks, hoping he would become an after-heaven martial artist safely and protect the Yang clan in the future.
To be honest, Yang Zhengxiang was extremely devoted to the Yang clan, but Yang Zhengshan didn’t share his views.
“What is martial arts? It’s about contending with others. The cultivation of martial arts lies in disputing the heavens, the earth, and people. It’s a never-ending struggle, and I won’t be able to progress if I prioritize stability!”
“You want me to become an after-heaven martial artist, but I want to become a martial artist with boundless potential in the future!”
Yang Zhengxiang stared at Yang Zhengshan, his emotions in turmoil.
After a long while, he let out a deep sigh and said, “I was wrong. I’ve lost the competitive spirit of a martial artist!”
“You’re right, but I still hope you can protect yourself.”
“The future of the Yang clan depends on you!”
Yang Zhengshan smiled faintly. “Don’t worry, I was born into the Yang clan, and I will always be part of the Yang clan!”
This wasn’t an empty promise, as the original body was born into the Yang clan, and he was also born into the Yang clan, with different meanings attached to the two “born into.”
In the future, no matter what happened, he wouldn’t be able to separate himself from the Yang clan.
At this moment, a figure suddenly rushed into the courtyard, shouting, “Grandpa Yang, something’s wrong! There are Hu cavalry appearing in the mountains behind!”
The two men were startled, and Yang Zhengshan’s heart skipped a beat.
The inevitable had finally arrived.
They exchanged a glance, and Yang Zhengshan said coldly, “Let’s go and take a look.”
He shouldered his gun, carrying a short gun in his cloth bag, and strode out of the broken courtyard door. Yang Zhengxiang hastily rushed towards the old locust tree in the center of the village.
A moment later, the sound of clanging metal echoed throughout the village, and the villagers were thrown into chaos and panic.
Several middle-aged men quickly ran to the village entrance, carrying the previously prepared gate to block the road.
Yang Minghui led the trained young men to prepare for defense, while the patrolling young men also returned to join the defensive line. Only Yang Mingzhi and his group hadn’t returned from the mountains.
“What’s the situation?” Yang Zhengshan asked, standing at the mountain’s peak.
“There, you see!” Yang Mingzhi pointed northwards, speaking in a low voice.
Yang Zhengshan looked towards the north, and his eyes flashed with an unusual color.
Indeed, there were Hu cavalry entering the mountains, but they weren’t heading towards Yang Family Village. They were fleeing from a battle.
From the top of the mountain, he could clearly see two armies engaged in combat.
The scale was small, with around two to three hundred Hu cavalry and only over a hundred soldiers from the border army. However, the situation didn’t look good for the border army, as they were retreating while fighting, and the Hu cavalry had been chased to the mountains behind Yang Family Village.
(None of the text above has been translated before.)
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