Chapter 138 - Massacre of the Rebellious Nobles
Translated by Bloodfalcon, Edited by Krayto
“I lost!!! I lost!!!!” Zhou Tai now collapsed to the ground in denial. His serpent spear is split into two, his hands are missing and his Achilles tendon was severed by Huang Zhong. A moment ago, he could still fight with his hands and serpent spear, but now, Zhou Tai's four appendages are no longer useful.
“Who, who the hell are you!!!! At least tell me your name!!!!” Zhou Tai yelled still in disbelief.
In Sun Ce army, only Taishi Ci and Sun Ce can be compared with Zhou Tai. Once Zhou Tai has gone berserk, Taishi Ci and Sun Ce are not a match for him
Now, that same person was easily defeated by a veteran. Although when fighting Lu Lingqi and Huang Xu, Zhou Tai had already been exhausted; a loss is still loss. When fighting in the forest, nobody will give you any opportunity to even take a breath. Once you show your weakness, you are done for.
“My name is Huang Zhong, Huang Hansheng!!!” Huang Zhou said while putting aside his longbow and his gold curved dao, continuing to dress his wound.
It seems that his earlier decision was quite wrong, letting Zhou Tai get a clean blow him, he thought “Hmm, maybe I should not have been too confident earlier, his blows really are painful and are able to make me wounded like this!”.
“Huang Zhong, Huang Hansheng? Huang Zhong, Huang Hansheng?!” Zhou Tai just repeated Huang Zhong's name.
“Cough, cough!!!” Liu Mang's body had many dislocations, he is suffering from a big ache.
“Little lord!!!” Huang Zhong did not attended his son, but instead hurriedly went to help Liu Mang. Huang Zhong saw that although Huang Xu is injured, it was not a serious injury. Presently, the Urban Army's casualties is more than 200 men including those 100 troops who were sent earlier to the Administration Office. Those who survived are only less than 30 people and these 30 people also lost their battle prowess.
Luckily Huang Zhong arrived on time, if not Liu Mang may be among Urban Army's corpses.
“Old man Huang, thank you very much!!!” Liu Mang was struggling to sit, his face was pale. He was considered very lucky this time. His other brothers-in-arms either died or were severely wounded. Although his bone is also injured, it was not severe at all.
“Old man Huang. Speak now, say that I am not cursed!!!” Suddenly Liu Mang asked this strange question while looking at his comrade’s corpses.
“Eh? Little lord, what do you mean?!” Huang Zhong really did not understand why Liu Mang asked that question.
“You see, this morning they were all still standing; still living. They called me general, they call me little lord. But now, now!!!” Liu Mang's eyes cannot hold his tears. His comrades, brothers-in-arms, all 200 troops died like trash. Even those 30 troops who managed to survive, are severely wounded and will not live through the day.
“After Battle of Mt. Bagong, I thought after I practiced martial arts and become strong, I can change their fate, but now? Nothing has changed, nothing!!!! I AM A GARBAGE BEYOND ANY RECOGNITION!!!” Liu Mang exclaimed loudly while sobbing. He no longer care about his dislocated bones his wounds.
“General, we would never blame you!!!” An Urban Army soldier opened his mouth. His chest already broken; his intestines spreading on the floor. His complexion is pale holding down a lot of pain. He knew that he would never see another morning.
“General, let me tell you this! You brought dignity to us, only you recognized us as humans!!! It is you who made us understand that being a soldier is not just to fill ones belly!!! You created many brothers for me, you created many family members for me. You made each one of us valuable in your division!!! That alone makes us very happy!!!!” Said that man while suppressing his pain.
That man is an ex-supply troop from Battle of Mt. Bagong. Afterwards he was drafted into Urban Army. In the supply troops, he only knows that being a soldier is to fill ones belly with warm food in order to survive. But after being in the Urban Army, he realized that there is more being a soldier than just filling one's belly.
In the cold weapons era, casualties to an elite unit was divided into three parts. After suffering 30% casualties the elite unit must fight to the death. After suffering 40% - 50% casualties it can be considered a defeat. After suffering 60% casualties and beyond, it can be considered as the unit being annihilated. Those are the three classifications of elite casualties in the cold weapon era.
Regarding Liu Mang's Urban Army, the current Urban Army really cannot be compared against other elite units in regards to battle efficiency. They definitely cannot be compared with Danyang soldiers, the Bing Province Heavy Cavalry, the Formation Breaker, of the Ferocious Cavalry.
Even The Urban Army cannot be compared with the noble's private soldiers if they fought one-on-one. Every single troops of those elite squad are very strong in wushu and was also led by a general who was very strong in wushu too, therefore their battle efficiencies are very strong. The Urban Army currently are only able to fight together, no one-on-one bouts.
However, regarding morale. The Urban Army is unmatched by any of these elites. Although in the battlefield, the commander was always ordering them to protect each other, but usually soldiers just goes in their own pace. Ignoring comrades who had been mortally wounded and only wanted to watch out for their brothers, fathers and sons.
But in the Urban Army, Liu Mang always emphasized the importance of being a team, they are family. A team are people who work together as one, back-to-back with their fellow brothers. So, when one member is in distressful situation, they will quickly move to help them. That is how a family should be, there is trust in the team; they were truly brothers-in-arms.
They would complete their task no matter what. They were even satisfied on laying down their life for their General and elder brother, Liu Mang; they became his weapons and his shields.
These 200 troops, even if they are dying, they will stay strong for Liu Mang. Earlier they had resolved to die in order to stop Zhou Tai. Even if their body was destroyed in the process, even if their body was split into two, they will endure the pain in order to help Liu Mang. This is the embodiment of their motto, “Together we live or die; Together we share riches and honor” that Liu Mang taught them, the spirit of his division.
“General, I am sorry that I cannot be with you again! I will go to netherworld with my other brothers!!!” His face already pale and his body convulsing painfully, but on his dying face there was a smile of satisfaction.
“General, what he said is right. We would never blame you! Please go on living, for us!!!” Another Urban Army solder responded to Liu Mang’s question.
His hand is holding a sword to his neck. He is unable to bear the pain, so he might as well kill himself to ease the pain. With that, another brother disappeared from this world.
Seeing his brothers following to commit suicide, Liu Mang exclaimed out loud
“YOU!!!! WHAT ARE ALL OF YOU DOING? I FORBID YOU TO DIE!!!! YOU HEAR ME!!! THAT’S AN ORDER!!!!”
But they will not comply with Liu Mang’s order. They knew that they will not be able to live any longer. They just choose death in order to alleviate the pain, but all of them are smiling towards Liu Mang without any resentment, similar to Xu Cheng.
“General, farewell to you!!!” With those words of parting, all of them slashed their necks.
“NO, NO!!!!” Liu Mang struggled to stand up to stop them. But he cannot move because of his bones being dislocated, so after standing he just sat back down again.
“Old man Huang, go, stop them, stop them!!!”
“Little lord, let them go!!!”Huang Zhong refused to obey Liu Mang’s order. He also saw that these soldiers’ wounds are untreatable, so it is much better, for them to pass away quietly.
“AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!” Liu Mang held his head and screamed “MY TRAINING ONLY AMOUNTED TO NOTHING, NOTHING HAS CHANGED, NOTHING!!!!”
From 200 Urban Army troops who were dispatched to Administration Office only 3 were left! Those 27 troops chose to commit suicide. Before, they were still screaming the Urban Army’s slogan in order to protect their eldest brother, Liu Mang!!!
Now with enemy being defeated, their adrenaline also loosened their heightened concentration. After that they discovered that they are already un-savable, so they might as well bid their goodbyes to their general and to the remaining brothers who managed to survive this battle.
After that, more and more Urban Army soldiers that were split in order to quell the rebellion started gathering in Administration Office’s West Wing. They had pacified the rebellion in Wancheng city. The remaining prisoners were given to Liu Kai and Liu Neng to handle. No one beside them are the most appropriate to handle this matter.
When the rest of Urban Army entered West Wing, the vision was truly tragic, that some of Urban Army troops unable were unable to hold their tears. 200 brother-in-arms, only left 3 people!!! 3 PEOPLE FROM 200 TROOPS!!!
“AAAAHHHHHH!!!!” Several Urban Army soldiers were screaming in rage and wanted to strangle the mastermind of this massacre, Zhou Tai. But they were prevented by other people. Although they are angry and sad, without Liu Mang’s order, nobody dared to make a move on Zhou Tai.
"Huang Zhong? Huang Hansheng? Huang Zhong? Huang Hansheng!" Zhou Tai had been repeating this name for a while and suddenly he chuckled "Ha-ha, Milord Sun Ce, this general failed to complete the mission! Please forgive me!" Blood dropped from Zhou Tai’s mouth. Zhou Tai’s eyes started to lose its light, he bite his tongue to commit suicide.
“You want to die peacefully huh? I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU DIE PEACEFULLY!!!!” Liu Mang exclaimed.
He then yelled “SOMEONE, BEHEAD ZHOU TAI NOW!!!! COOK HIS BODY INTO MEATLOAF AND SEND IT TO SUN CE!!!” Liu Mang’s eyes are red, his body was emitting a thick aura of killing intent.
He thought “Ooohhh, Sun Ce, your blood debt is now no longer just my Honorable Father-In-Laws!!!! I will be your opponent now!!! I WANT EVERY DROP OF YOUR BLOOD SPILLED FOR MY BROTHERS WHO DIED HERE!!!!”
“Reporting to the general, Wancheng city’s rebellion has been quelled!!! 32 nobles who participated in this rebellion was surrounded in their own mansion with their private soldiers!!! Liu Neng is awaiting for yours instruction on how to deal with them. In addition, the head of the He clan and the head of the Lin clan are outside of the Administration Office” Cheng Yu reported to Liu Mang.
Cheng Yu did not know how to comfort Liu Mang, so he can only report the current situation and hoped that it will easy his emotions.
Deal with them? They will need to wait for Lu Bu to come back to deal with them. That is his right as lord. Other people cannot make this decision for themselves, because it will be a breach on his authority and at the same time, it is questioning Lu Bu’s authority as lord.
However Liu Mang had decided to make the decision himself and glared at Cheng Yu “DO I NEED TO TELL YOU HOW TO HANDLE THEM, CHENG YU?!” Liu Mang’s eyes are bloodshot, Cheng Yu noticed the killing intent he was emitting making him really afraid. If Cheng Yu was not on the same side, perhaps he would have been swallowed alive by Liu Mang.
Liu Mang exclaimed his order “KILL THEM ALL!!! SPARE NO ONE!!!!”
“SPARE NO ONE?!” Although their heads and private soldiers are involved but their families are not involved in this rebellion. Even some branch families did not know that main family was plotting rebellion let alone those servants in noble’s mansion. Their connection at most was just serving the nobles!
“ARE YOU DEAF? DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY IT AGAIN?!” Liu Mang said coldly.
“What about those servants in nobles’ mansion!!!” Cheng Yu asked
“KILL THEM ALL, SPARE NO ONE, I WANT THEIR SURNAME TO BE LOST IN THIS WORLD!!! KILL THEM ALL, INCLUDING THE SERVANTS AND PRIVATE SOLDIERS!!!!” Liu Mang said with determination and anger.
There is no good in sparing those nobles. He truly discovered that by sparing them, he only invited more trouble for himself. If it were not for these nobles, would the rebellion have occurred until Wancheng city become ruined like this? Would the Administration Office become a place of massacre?
If he had taken a few steps of precaution before!!! But now, since they dared to rebel, they must suffer the consequences.
“Hanyang, most of them are innocent!!!”Lu Lingqi who just heard Liu Mang’s order suddenly protested. The crime committed by the clan heads cannot be burdened with their wives and daughters. If only exterminating the noble’s clan heads, Lu Lingqi will not object to Liu Mang’s order. But now Liu Mang’s order was to slay them all of them including the private soldiers and servants! They probably didn’t even know that their own family members was a part of Wancheng city’s rebellion.
“Huh, innocent? Do you want to argue with me about innocence Ling’er? The gate defenders and those 200 Urban Army troops protecting you, they were innocent people caught in this war! Have you see Wancheng city clearly? Those commoners who got swept in this chaos, they are also innocent!!! You still wanted to argue with me about innocence? Those who take up the knife, must know the consequences when they die!!! Those Urban Army soldiers died, those gate defenders died, those commoners died. Yes, they died, but their family suffers because of their death!!!! Now, those nobles are the ones who took their lives, KILL THEM ALL, SPARE NO ONE!!!!”
“Little lord, it is prudent to wait for Milord to come back!!!” Huang Zhong also warned Liu Mang. Although Liu Mang is Lu Bu’s son-in-law and Lu Bu’s army little lord, he is not Lu Bu’s son. Overstepping the lord’s authority is one of the heaviest sins in this day and age as they are still maintaining a feudal caste and can be considered as murdering the lord in order to get authority.
Usually in a warlord’s family, if the youngest child wanted to grasp authority then he must kill his father and brothers to obtain it. That is why in royalty, there is no brotherhood.
“I WILL BEAR ALL OF THE CONSEQUENCES!!!” Liu Mang also knew that rule, but he cannot make these soldiers and those commoners die in vain. He definitely cannot make them scream for revenge beneath hell.
“YES SIR!!!!” The entire Wancheng city that had just calmed down, was again plunged into terror, but this time, it was in the noble’s mansions.
After Liu Mang dispensed his orders and asked Cheng Yu to put his mother-in-laws and his wives-to-be in his mansion, he got out from Administration Office.
Liu Kai, Liu Neng and with prisoners He Shuo and Lin Feng, were all there. Liu Kai and Liu Neng were really frightened by the way Liu Mang looked, so they kept their mouths shut and asked him for orders later.
He Shuo and Lin Feng who were tied up, suddenly kowtowed toward Liu Mang and said “Please Your Highness Prince of Shu, spare us and our family. We swore to leave this Wancheng city and never to return again!!!”
Liu Mang retorted coldly “Oh, leaving Wancheng city, so you can provoke others like Cao Cao to attack me, huh? Keep dreaming!!!”
He Shuo burst out “Liu Mang, Liu Hanyang, you are not afraid of sins? Are you not afraid that all of the nobles will turn against you and your father-in-law?!”
Liu Mang took a glance at Liu Kai and Liu Neng and they nodded in turn. “Afraid? Did you really think that this nation only has the He clan and Lin clan as the noble’s spokesperson? I have the Liu clan who will tell the truth about this Wancheng city rebellion!!! They will serve as me and my Honorable father-in-law’s main supporters after all of you die!!!”
Lin Feng screamed because he did not see any other means to persuade the Prince of Shu to spare them “LIU MANG, LIU HANYANG. THINK ABOUT THE REPERCUSSIONS YOU WILL HAVE WHEN MILORD SUN CE ARRIVES IN WANCHING CITY!!! REMEMBER… PSSHT!!!!” Lin Feng had not yet finished his sentence when was stabbed by Liu Mang who said coldly “Your words mean nothing to me!!!!” and spat towards Lin Feng’s face in disbelief.
Soon enough, He Shuo joined Lin Feng in the underworld, he was beheaded by Liu Neng.
In Wancheng city, screams of helplessness still were heard inside the noble’s mansions. “Help!!!”, “SPARE US!!!”, “HAVE MERCY!!!!” However, no Urban Army soldiers paid heed to their plea, for they, themselves considered these nobles, servants, and these noble private soldiers as a punching bag and sacrifice to their banners.
Blood flowed endlessly on the city streets, blood flowed until the moat looked like the crimson sea.