"Quick, move quickly." Man Cang shouted loudly. Arrows filled the sky, and many soldiers were struck down. Man Cang was anxious, but there was nothing he could do. Some of the injured brothers were not killed but lost mobility. Soldiers nearby helped them up, while others who fell were pinned to the ground by more arrows before they could rise.

"The rebels are there, kill them."

A squad of Qin Army rushed in front of them, blocking their way. Man Cang shouted and rushed forward, drawing his sword and slashing at their necks. He grabbed a shield and held it in front of him, forcibly breaking through a path. Luckily, it was only a small squad of Qin Army, a mere few hundred men, and combined with everyone’s desperate urge to escape, they quickly broke through.

"General, more and more Qin Army soldiers are coming up."

Man Cang’s Iron Armor Army had fought fiercely all night and had been sleepless, already exhausted when facing the Qin Army, which outnumbered them by several times. They struggled to defend.

"Damn it, leave a squad with me to cover the retreat of our injured brothers." Man Cang ordered, and hundreds of soldiers turned around. Their countercharge caught the Qin Army off guard.

"Quick, injured brothers, hurry up and leave." Man Cang instructed the soldiers to form a shield formation, leaving a gap in the middle to protect the others.

"Yes."

"Rebels, surrender quickly, and you will be spared your lives." The Qin Army’s voice for surrender came from a distance. Man Cang snorted coldly. Having previously been with the Wei Army and witnessed how the Qin Army destroyed nations, he understood their situation clearly. If they surrendered, they wouldn’t escape death, merely finding a quicker way to die.

"Brothers, many of you have fought numerous battles with me. Are you willing to surrender?" Man Cang shouted.

"Die before surrendering."

"Die before surrendering."

"Die before surrendering."

The shout of hundreds of soldiers was thunderous. Despite being a remnant force, their spirit remained, and with such willpower, they were ready to fight.

"Good, the wicked Qin slaughter the people. Today, we’ll fight them." Man Cang picked up a spear from the ground and forcefully threw it, hitting a Qin Army commander on horseback.

"Go, kill them for me." Thousands of Qin Army soldiers attacked. From a distance, it looked like a dense mass, overwhelming and oppressive.

Man Cang ordered the soldiers to hold up their shields, using the narrow terrain to block the Qin Army’s charge.

"Brothers, hold on." A strong charge pushed back hundreds of Iron Armor soldiers several steps. Man Cang used all his strength to finally stop the deadly impact.

"Spear out."

Upon the command, the shield formation’s soldiers opened their shields, and the Iron Armor soldiers behind them thrust their long spears several meters forward, piercing through the front row of Qin Army soldiers and even injuring those behind them.

After retracting the spears, the front row of Qin Army soldiers fell, and the Iron Armor soldiers immediately raised their shields to block the Qin Army behind.

"Just like that, again, spear out."

"Release arrows."

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

"Not good, the Qin Army is releasing arrows, quickly raise the shields." Man Cang shouted, and just as he finished speaking, the arrows rained down. If they were a second late, they would have been struck.

"I am here." Suddenly, a shout came from the rear. Shangguan Jian led the cavalry team over.

"Great, brothers, our cavalry team is here." Upon hearing Shangguan Jian’s voice, Man Cang was so excited he almost cried. Without reinforcements, they would have likely died.

"Man Cang, take the remaining brothers and retreat quickly, I’ll cover you with the cavalry team."

"Alright."

...........................

Nanyang County.

"Report to Commander Xue, we’ve found an armed group ahead, with about five to six hundred people." A guard inquired.

"Armed personnel, who are they?"

"Their armor is inconsistent, and their weapons are quite worn out, not resembling a Qin Army unit. They should be local rebels or bandits."

"What, bandits." Upon hearing this, Xue San finally breathed a sigh of relief. If they were rebels or bandits, perhaps they wouldn’t dare do much to them, but encountering the Qin Army would have been certain death.

"Yes."

"Xue San, what’s happening outside?" He Linghan opened the carriage window and asked softly.

"Madam, don’t worry. A group of mountain bandits has been spotted ahead. I’ll deal with them so we can continue on our way."

"Xue San, look, those people are coming toward us." Hehua pointed into the distance and shouted loudly. Sure enough, a group’s shadow emerged from afar, heading their way.

"Madam, wait here while I handle it." Xue San was not overly alarmed. He still had two thousand elite guards, Ye Shikai’s "trump card." Ordinary robbers would stand no chance against them.

Xue San approached with his men. As expected, most of the coming group wore civilian clothes, with leather and wooden armor on the outside. Their weapons were mostly chopping knives and axes typical of civilians, alongside a few bronze daggers and spears — indeed, a group of bandit robbers.

"Who goes there?"

"This path is mine. Anyone wishing to pass must leave a toll."

"Haha, a group of robbers dares to ask for our money?" Xue San snorted, waved his hand, and the hundreds of soldiers behind him immediately raised their crossbows, poised for action. The equipment of Ye Shikai’s guards was meticulously crafted by blacksmiths, with crossbows capable of reaching several hundred meters, much further than the average Qin Army’s bows.

"So, still dare to ask for money?"

Once they revealed their "gear," the robbers indeed felt intimidated. They were outnumbered and poorly equipped in comparison.

Xue San didn’t mind dealing with the robbers, but to be honest, he preferred avoiding unnecessary trouble. After all, they were on the run, and speed was crucial, not wasting time on robbers.

"So it turns out to be the Qin Army, a stroke of fate."

"My friend, I don’t wish to trouble you much, for I am on official business today. If you’re looking for money, I do have some. Take it and clear the road. Otherwise, the army behind me can easily annihilate you." Xue San pulled out a pouch containing gold bars and some silver, tossing it over.

"Well, this military man seems to have a certain roguish presence. If I’m not mistaken, you were once a hero of the Jianghu." The bandit leader seemed surprised by Xue San’s decision. If it were another general, they might have slaughtered them straight away. Xue San’s demeanor was more like a bandit leader than a general.