Facing the many soldiers charging toward them, Xu Lin also shouted fiercely: "Xu Family, escort the head of the family back to the hilltop! Zhang Gan, stay with me to hold the rear!"
Zhang Gan was an orphan raised by the Xu Family since childhood. One year older than Xu Lin, they had grown up together and practiced martial arts together since they were young. Although his martial arts skills were not quite on par with Xu Lin's, they were still far beyond ordinary people. Among the Xu Family members who had come, besides Xu Lin, Zhang Gan possessed the highest martial prowess. Hearing Xu Lin's shout, Zhang Gan leaped out from the crowd and stood shoulder to shoulder with Xu Lin. Xu Lin wielded a spear, while Zhang Gan carried a sword.
"Brother Gan, once they charge up, we'll take the left and right flanks respectively. Be sure to conserve your stamina, or we won't stand a chance of escaping if this drags on," Xu Lin said to Zhang Gan with a solemn expression.
Zhang Gan nodded to show he understood. He was well aware of how arduous this battle would be, and that it might even cost him his life, but he felt no regret and would not back down in the least. He wanted to protect the Xu Family, protect Xu Lin, and repay the kindness of the Xu Family that had raised him.
As the enemy drew closer and closer, Xu Lin and Zhang Gan braced themselves. When the enemy rushed right before them, the two struck simultaneously, one on the left and one on the right, blocking the surging torrent of soldiers. Xu Lin's spear technique was fierce and decisive, every thrust carrying boundless killing intent; Zhang Gan's swordsmanship was sharp and lethal, every strike precisely hitting the enemy's vital points. For a moment, blood splattered everywhere and screams echoed continuously.
However, the enemy poured in like a relentless tide, seemingly endless. After a quarter of an hour, Zhang Gan's body grew increasingly exhausted, and every swing of his sword required a greater expenditure of strength. Yet he gritted his teeth and held his ground at the rear. Meanwhile, Xu Lin remained at ease, handling the situation with composure.
Throughout this fierce combat, Zhang Gan displayed a tenacious fighting spirit and an indomitable will. With his own flesh and blood, he defended the dignity and glory of the Xu Family. Every fallen enemy stood as proof of his steadfast conviction.
As time passed, they began to fight while retreating step by step, and the situation grew increasingly perilous. The enemy's attacks became more ferocious, making it hard for them to parry. Zhang Gan's body was covered in wounds, his clothes dyed red with fresh blood. His stamina was constantly draining, making every step exceptionally difficult.
Even so, Zhang Gan still fought with all his might, facing the enemy's assaults without a shred of fear. He knew that as long as he had a single breath left, he had to hold on to the end. Because standing behind him was the entire Xu Family, the faith for which he fought.
Yet fate seemed to enjoy toying with people. Just as these thoughts crossed Zhang Gan's mind, a feathered arrow suddenly struck his shoulder. Zhang Gan's face instantly turned grave, and a sharp pain spread rapidly through his entire body. Under normal circumstances, without such prolonged exhaustion, he might not have paid much mind to this arrow, nor would it have posed any significant trouble. But at this very moment, his stamina was nearly depleted, and this intense pain completely paralyzed his right arm, causing the sword he had been gripping tightly in his right hand to drop limply.
He tried to use his left hand to grab the sword, only to find that his left hand had lost its strength as well. At that moment, he felt as though all his energy had been drained away, leaving him to watch helplessly as the enemy closed in step by step.
Xu Lin also noticed Zhang Gan's condition, a look of deep concern washing over his face. He shouted loudly to the other: "Brother Gan, get behind me! Go find my father and have him send someone to treat your wound! Leave this place to me, I will hold the line!"
Zhang Gan raised his head with difficulty and glanced at Xu Lin, his eyes filled with despair and gratitude. He understood that he could not become a burden to them and needed to recover his combat strength as quickly as possible. Yet he also knew that with just a few members of the Xu Family, it was impossible to fight off the hundreds of opposing soldiers. Although they had already slain close to two hundred enemies by now, there were still over five hundred left, and no matter how courageous someone might be, there came a time when strength failed. He knew he could not help Xu Lin now and would only become a drag on him. In the end, he gritted his teeth, mustered his very last ounce of strength, and retreated toward the rear.
Because the path up the mountain was rather narrow and could only accommodate a single person at a time, Xu Lin's long spear could precisely block all enemy advances, denying them any room to rush up the mountain.
The enemy ahead charged forward frantically once more, and Xu Lin whirled the long spear in his hands into a roaring, impenetrable blur, perfectly blocking every single attack from the foe.
Suddenly, Xu Lin seized an opportunity and delivered a fierce, piercing thrust, instantly striking a soldier's vital spot. The soldier let out a miserable cry and collapsed to the ground, never to rise again. Immediately following that, Xu Lin executed a flurry of sweeping and stabbing motions, and in the blink of an eye, a dozen more men fell into pools of blood.
By this time, as Xu Lin continuously retreated while keeping up the fight, he had fallen back to less than fifty meters from the hilltop. He knew very well that he could not retreat any further; if he moved back any more, the terrain atop the mountain would open up, and he would no longer be able to hold back the enemy's ferocious charges. Thus, he halted his steps, standing there heavily while catching his breath, ready to meet the challenges ahead.
After a prolonged and intense battle, Xu Lin felt somewhat exhausted. Although he had not suffered any severe injuries, the minor blade cuts on his body still throbbed with a dull ache. Just as he was slightly distracted in thought, a harsh whistling of wind pierced his ears. Xu Lin reacted instantly, kicking his foot up to lift the long spear while flicking his wrist to expertly swat aside the sneak-attacking feathered arrow. He glared angrily at Li Xin, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.
Seeing the heavy casualties among his troops, Li Xin showed no fear whatsoever as he shouted loudly: "Such a young age, yet you possess such formidable martial arts! If you are willing to loyally pledge allegiance to His Majesty, a boundless future surely awaits you. But now, you have chosen to betray His Majesty—what a foolish course of action! Just how much longer do you think you can hold out? All soldiers, continue the charge! Recover the Elixir of Immortality—this is our mission and duty! Once we return to Xianyang, I will personally petition the Qin Emperor for rewards so that everyone receives their due compensation. High office and generous stipends are right before your eyes; as long as you bravely charge forward, everything will belong to us!"
Li Xin's voice echoed across the battlefield like a bewitching spell. His words were full of encouragement and incitement, stirring the soldiers to a fever pitch. Raising their weapons, they launched another assault.
A fiery glint seemed to spark in Xu Lin's eyes. His emotions reached an extreme pitch, veins bulging on his face as he shouted at the top of his lungs: "Fools! You are all being deceived by Li Xin! It is Li Xin who wants to hoard the Elixir of Immortality for himself, not us..."
Yet before he could finish speaking, the soldiers closest to him impatiently launched their charge. It was not that these soldiers had never doubted Li Xin's words, but deep down in their hearts, they preferred to choose to believe him. After all, they were brothers-in-arms, comrades who had once weathered life-or-death tests together. To them, the bond of comradeship was as close as that of siblings, causing them to trust one another unconditionally. Among them, a large portion of the soldiers had not even thought things through deeply; seeing their comrades charge, they simply followed along blindly, never considering whether the matter was right or wrong.
Their minds held only a single thought—rush forward and kill the enemy! Retake the Immortal Pill and enjoy high office and lavish stipends. This simple and direct way of thinking left them incapable of calmly analyzing the situation or discerning the flaws in Li Xin's words. At that moment, they knew only that they must follow the footsteps of their comrades and charge toward the front together.
Gazing at the enemy soldiers surging forward like a tide, Xu Lin flashed a look of grim determination. Gripping his long spear tightly, he once more charged bravely into the enemy ranks. As time ticked away, lasting about an hour, he steadfastly guarded his position and fought valiantly, but by now, his arms trembled incessantly from the prolonged combat, his wounds multiplied, and fresh blood dyed his battle robe. Yet the results he achieved were remarkable—before him, the number of remaining enemies had dropped to fewer than a hundred, with corpses piled like mountains on both sides of the path. Even so, Xu Lin's stamina was utterly spent, and he could no longer fend off the enemy's assaults. He dropped weakly to his knees less than ten meters from the hilltop, his heart filled with helplessness and sorrow, and murmured a soft sigh: "Is it truly impossible? Yurou, I am sorry, I cannot return to your side to marry you! Father, I am sorry, I failed to protect you and our family!" At this very moment, Xu Lin's face was as pale as paper, and the dried blood caked on his body belonged partly to the enemy and partly to himself. His eyes gradually lost their luster, growing dim and lifeless, whether from sheer exhaustion or excessive blood loss, he could no longer tell. But regardless, none of that mattered anymore, for he had given his all—having nothing to be ashamed of before heaven above, nor before men below.
Li Xin's footsteps were slow and steady, each step seeming to carry a heavy, formidable weight as he closed in on Xu Lin. His gaze gradually grew focused and serious, the playful expression he wore earlier long since vanished, replaced by a grave and solemn air. A surge of respect welled up in his heart, making him deeply admire the indomitable youth before him. However, this respect could not alter his original intention and resolve.
As time passed by, Li Xin's face gradually twisted, a flash of ruthless light crossing his eyes. Without a shred of mercy, he stepped forward to grab Xu Lin by the collar, dragging the youth's resistance-deprived body step by step toward the hilltop. At that moment, the people on the hilltop were panic-stricken, retreating in disarray into a corner of the peak; some wore faces painted with despair, while others silently prayed for a miracle to descend.
Watching his son being dragged up the slope, seeing him covered in countless wounds, Xu Fu felt as though his heart were being torn to shreds. Burning with anxiety, he wanted to rush forward and rescue his son, but he was held back tightly by the attendants beside him. The attendants urged anxiously in a panic: "Head of the family, please calm down! Do not act rashly, or you will merely be throwing your life away in vain!" Xu Fu struggled fiercely for a moment, the inner agony making it almost impossible for him to breathe. But in the end, he gradually regained his senses and stopped his steps.
Suppressing his grief, Xu Fu shouted to Li Xin with a trembling voice: "What on earth are you trying to do? How is my son right now?"