Chapter 147: Deciding the Battle

Seeing the blazing fire on the Chengdu side, Li Kang, who was leading the army to retreat, thought that Wei Gao did not chase after him, but chose to attack the city. He quickly implemented the second contingency plan and led his army to make a swift turn, heading straight for Wei Gao's main camp in the east of the city.
As Li Kang's army was about two or three miles away from the camp of Wei Gao, he suddenly felt that something was wrong with the city of Chengdu.
However, before he could think further, a sudden change occurred.
Gao Chongwen and Bai Liangqi led their respective unstoppable and fierce forces, charging out from both the left and right wings, cutting Li Kang's army into two.
In the darkness, terrified cries, angry shouts, and the clashing of metal and iron mixed together.
The chaotic crowd had no trace of order.
The original raiders, however, fell into an ambush!
Without almost any psychological preparation, being suddenly ambushed can lead to confusion even for the most experienced elite troops. If the commander responds improperly, it may even result in the army being frightened and defeated.
But the ten thousand soldiers under Li Kang's command were not elite troops to begin with, with more than half of them being newly recruited soldiers who had joined the army only three or four months ago.
After several days of continuous fighting, the soldiers, under the double pressure, were already on the verge of collapse.
From the moment the attack began, terrified soldiers of the Sichuan Army threw down their weapons and fled.
Although Li Kang shouted sternly, trying to regain control of the chaotic situation, the entire army was quickly divided into two parts by the unpredictable and unstoppable enemy cavalry, and Li Kang, who was in the front, was unable to reach the separated rear army in time.
After losing control, Li Kang's army had no fighting spirit. Despite the occasional shouting and restraint from several captains, a part of the soldiers started to panic and flee, triggering a chain reaction that led to a complete and utter collapse.
Gao Chongwen and Bai Liangqi concentrated their forces to launch a fierce attack on Li Kang's rear army, disregarding their front army, just like two sharp sickles constantly harvesting the lives of enemy soldiers and squeezing the space for their survival.
The soldiers of the Sichuan Army were terrified and in a state of chaos, with no formation and minimal resistance.
"Do not panic! Do not panic!"
"Blow the trumpet. Let everyone gather towards me..."
Li Kang is still working hard to gather soldiers and try to get out of the predicament. But in this chaotic battlefield, individual strength is truly insignificant.
Moreover, his relentless scolding and shouting have attracted the attention of his opponents.
"Ah!" With a piercing scream, countless warm liquid and fragments of flesh sprayed onto Li Kang's face and body.
Immediately, Li Kang dismounted from his horse and stood upright amidst the sound of mournful neighs, throwing his surprised owner off his back.
Feeling a sense of peril, Li Kang, with a dusty and disheveled appearance, disregarded the pain in his body and hurriedly got up.
Just at that moment, the fierce strike came again, as if it was following closely like a shadow.
"Ding~!" The blades clashed fiercely, creating dazzling starlights.
With the fleeting starlights, Li Kang was able to see a large, antique-looking machete coming at him. However, the tremendous force from the machete made him retreat several steps before he managed to steady himself.
"Gao Chongwen!" Li Kang had already guessed the identity of his opponent from this huge sword.
During the battles of Chengdu over these days, he had encountered Gao Chongwen more than once.
The opponent still relentlessly pursued, and a strong sense of crisis once again enveloped Li Kang.
Enduring the faint pain coming from his fingertips, although knowing that he was not a match, Li Kang could only resist until the end.
At this moment, he also understood why he fell off the horse. Obviously, it was because of Gao Chongwen's attack.
Because it was still dark, Gao Chongwen made the first slash based on sound. However, a unlucky Sichuan soldier happened to block the danger for Li Kang.
But even so. Li Kang's war horse was still affected by the residual force of the chop and only went crazy and threw off its master after suffering from the pain.
"Clang clang clang..." Sharp and piercing sounds of metal quickly rang out.
With almost solely relying on hearing to discern the attacks, Gao Chongwen's attacks still stayed close to Li Kang's side, not leaving even half a step.
After parrying for more than ten strikes in a row, Li Kang's arm became sore and he was internally complaining bitterly. To make matters worse, he didn't even have the chance to beg for mercy or surrender.
The surrounding air suddenly froze in an instant, and then strangely converged towards a certain point.
"Die!" in the chilling roar. Like a strike of thunder from the nine heavens, it swept towards Li Kang with an overwhelming force, as if the mountains were collapsing and the seas were overturning.
A strange light appeared in the dark night, growing larger and larger, as if something was intensely rubbing against the air.
Li Kang's body was covered in sweat, all his hair standing on end, his teeth clenched tightly. He gathered all his strength into his arms and with a desperate roar, he swung his sword towards that extraordinary light.
After a loud roar, dust filled the air.
In their full-strength attacks, both of them stepped back, but Gao Chongwen only took two or three steps back before immediately thrusting his sword forward, while Li Kang stepped back more than ten steps, and finally even fell backwards to the ground.
However, his reaction was extraordinarily quick. He sat up straight and forcefully suppressed the surging blood in his chest, without hesitation, he shouted loudly, "I am willing to surrender, spare my life!"
As soon as the words fell, the unstoppable broadsword stopped just inches from Li Kang's nose, and the sharp gust of wind even cut his skin, causing blood to flow from the wound.
In no time at all, the terrifying big knife was put away by Yuemo Tingzun, and then Gao Chongwen shouted coldly, "Order your men to disarm!"
Inside Chengdu City, the soldiers and horses loyal to Liu Bi were being suppressed by the uprising forces led by Wei Gaojun and Yang Sheng, and their resistance was becoming increasingly weak. Moreover, there were large numbers of defected soldiers.
Recognizing the overall situation, Liu Bi, Duan Zizhang, and the others wanted to leave the city temporarily in order to seek a comeback. However, they found that the opportunity for retreat had already been lost.
If they had made up their minds to escape from the beginning, perhaps there would still be a 70% or 80% chance. But as time went on, the opportunity became increasingly slim.
The enemy army is surrounding Liu Bi, Duan Zizhang, and others, and their space is gradually being squeezed.
The remaining few hundred loyal soldiers also have fearful expressions on their faces, without any fighting spirit.
Under the firelight, Liu Bi's plump and fair complexion showed a pale and lifeless look. In his eyes, apart from resentment and regret, there is only immense despair. Whether he fights or surrenders, he ultimately cannot escape death - as the culprit who killed Gao Shi, even if the court can spare him, Yang Cuo will never let him go.
When Liu Pi thought about the cruel punishments he might face when he fell into the hands of Yang Cuo, he felt a chill.
The right hand holding the paired sword suddenly trembled rapidly. Liu Pi glanced at the people and objects around him, gritted his teeth and pulled the sword horizontally towards his neck.
Hot fresh blood spurted out like arrows from the throat, splashing all over the body and the ground...
Duan Zizhang and others noticed the anomaly around them and quickly turned around. What they saw was this astonishing scene. A civil official fainted on the spot and fell off his horse.
*Snap!*
The sword, stained with countless bloodstains, fell from Liu Bi's hand. His vision quickly blurred, and his body swayed a few times before silently slipping off the horse. His eyes, devoid of their former brilliance, stared at the boundless night sky, unsure whether he was pondering his failed grand ambitions.
Liu Bi's death completely shattered the will of people like Duan Zizhang.
However, not everyone has the courage to commit suicide with a sword, and some even secretly mock Liu Bi's conservatism.
Therefore, the rest chose to surrender.
"I am Duan Zizhang, and I am willing to surrender..."
"I am Duan Zizhang. I am willing to use my limited power to help General Wei Gao quickly pacify Xichuan!" After being brought in front of Wei Gao, Duan Zizhang said sincerely.
After sizing up Du Zizhang for a moment, Wei Gao smiled and said, "General Du is so thoughtful, I can't refuse. Someone, take General Du downstairs to rest. Don't be neglectful!"

After listening to Wei Gao's first half of the speech, Duan Zizhang felt a glimmer of hope in his heart.
As long as Wei Gao agrees, there is a chance to save his life.
Duan Zizhang knows that although he cannot be favored by Yang Cuo, as long as the court is willing to show mercy, everything will not be a problem. At most, he will never return to West Sichuan, and there will be a place for him in the world.

But the latter part of Wei Gao's words struck Zhang Duanzi like a punch into thin air, with no effect at all. He looked at Wei Gao in astonishment, still wanting to say something more.
The soldiers on the side have come up.
Watching Duan Zizhang's receding figure, Wei Gao's mouth carried a playful smile.
At this moment, the clamor and killing sound inside Chengdu City gradually subsided.
By dawn, the chaotic city of Chengdu had finally regained some semblance of peace.
In the streets, squads of soldiers patrolled back and forth, maintaining law and order and preventing remnants of Liu Bei's faction and criminals from causing trouble.
The people of Chengdu couldn't sleep a wink the entire night, tightly shutting their doors and windows, fearing the possibility of marauding soldiers storming in to pillage and murder. Trembling with fear, they listened to the cries of violence outside their homes, yet not a single person dared to venture out to take a glimpse.
In these times, it is not uncommon for the soldiers who conquer cities to engage in plundering.
It is said that the reputation of the Longyou Army is good, after all, hearing is believing, and not many people have seen it with their own eyes.
After dawn, although the noise gradually subsided, no one dared to open the door and go outside to take a look.
Inside the discussion hall of the prefecture.
Yang Sheng, Zhang Lu, Niu Chang, and other civil and military officials from Sichuan came to pay their respects to Wei Gao.
After Yang Sheng took his seat, he thanked Wei Gao on behalf of the officials and people of Chuanzhong.
"Master Yang, there is no need to thank me. I am just following orders. If you all want to express gratitude, it would be better to thank the Emperor of the Great Tang." Wei Gao waved his hand, smiling modestly without considering himself a hero.
"May I ask General Wei, how are the traitors Liu Bi and Duan Zizhang?" Zhang Lu anxiously asked.
"Liu Bi has already taken his own life, and Duan Zizhang and his entourage have been captured alive!"
"The net of heaven is vast and expansive, leaving no loophole!" Zhang Lu exhaled a breath, excitedly stating, "Such rebellious villains without morals or allegiance deserve to die!"
After discussing the stability of Chengdu and the war situation in the region for nearly half an hour, the two sides suddenly became deadlocked on one issue.
About how to dispose of the temporarily composed army formed by palace soldiers and servants.
Niu Chang and others insist on retaining them, believing that the stability of Chengdu still requires the use of this army.
Weigao is equally resolute in his attitude. He smiled faintly and said confidently, "You can rest assured, as long as I'm here, Chengdu will not be in any danger. Gentlemen, please retrieve your own guards and servants."
Weigao is quite clear about the thoughts of Niu Chang and others.
To put it bluntly, it is to use others for one's own advantage.
After borrowing the Tang army to eliminate people like Liu Bi, he wanted to exclude the Tang army and take control of Xichuan by themselves.
By retaining this army composed of soldiers and servants from the Fu family, these officials from Sichuan can legitimately gather the troops that belong to Liu Bi. Once they have enough strength, they can naturally find a suitable excuse or opportunity to ask the Tang army to leave.
However, if the forces are disbanded, it will naturally be the Tang army that will accept surrender. At that time, actual control over the Western Sichuan region will only belong to the court.
When urged repeatedly and even subjected to veiled threats by Niu Chang and others, Wei Gao just smiled and did not make any further response.
Below the hall, Yang Sheng could only secretly sigh that Niu Chang and a few others' desire for power was excessive, to the extent of being somewhat ignorant of the current situation.
Yang Sheng, and even Zhang Lu and others, had already noticed the murderous intent in Wei Gao's smile.