Yue Qingtian estimated the distance, shocked and enraged: "If we don't catch up now, he'll surely escape back to Mian Zhu! I'll go ahead!"
As soon as he spoke, Yue Qingtian spurred his horse, his prized steed galloping towards Helian Heng's five hundred men.
Though this warhorse was not as top-tier as the Ten Thousand Li Cloud Smoke or Mad Sand, it was a rare heavy warhorse in the Great Qian kingdom, weighing eleven hundred jin. It ran like the wind, armored from head to tail, yet it carried Yue Qingtian to catch up with Helian Heng's troops.
"I am Yue Qingtian, a great general under the Marquis of Anguo! Helian Heng, dismount and surrender!"
Yue Qingtian's thunderous roar startled the five hundred men, causing them to turn their heads.
Five personal guards immediately led a squad towards Yue Qingtian, showering him with arrows.
Yue Qingtian, protected by his armor and helmet, wielded his shield to block the arrows and rapidly charged into Helian Heng's formation, cutting left and right.
The five personal guards were successively cut down by Yue Qingtian's blade, throwing the surrounding guards into disarray!
"This man's martial prowess is no less than Yue Yun's!"
When Helian Heng saw that the Great Qian cavalry was closing in from behind, his blood ran cold. He sent men to block Yue Qingtian, while he, along with his two sons, and three personal guards, made a desperate escape.
Blocked by Helian Heng's personal guards, Yue Qingtian watched helplessly as Helian Heng fled towards the distant river. Enraged, he fought valiantly but could not break through in his haste.
After abandoning his guards, Helian Heng finally reached the riverbank and frantically shouted towards a boat in the middle of the river, "I am Helian Heng, Lord of Xichuan! I request passage across the river!"
Hearing the shout, the boat actually sailed towards Helian Heng.
Helian Heng rejoiced. Upon boarding, he saw three white-clad swordsmen inside. The leader, with a calm demeanor, held a wine pot in his left hand and rested his right hand on his sword hilt.
"Are you perhaps a Xichuan侠客? If you ferry me across, I can guarantee you a lifetime of wealth and glory!"
As he spoke, Helian Heng's subordinates reached for the swords at their waists, waiting for his command to kill the boatmen and seize the vessel.
The boat suddenly stopped. The leading swordsman chuckled lightly, "Lord Helian, you are at your wit's end. How dare you promise wealth and glory?"
Helian Heng was startled and replied with a smile, "Once I return to Jincheng, I can rise again. I have countless escape routes!"
"Even with thousands of escape routes, Lord Helian, have you ever considered that heaven's justice is swift and retribution is certain?" the white-clad swordsman chuckled.
Helian Heng asked in confusion, "Why do you say that, sir?"
"Years ago, the Ren family reported the whereabouts of the Returning Spring Cult to the court, but your Helian family leaked the information. Their entire clan was reduced to slavery, and the women were brutally violated and murdered. Only one young man escaped by chance, planting the seed for the Ren family's revenge."
As the white-clad swordsman spoke as if to himself, Helian Heng's expression changed drastically.
At that very moment, the white-clad swordsman moved with supernatural speed. With a clash of eyes, he drew his sword and slew all of Helian Heng's retainers.
Faced with such divine swordsmanship, Helian Heng was utterly terrified.
"Who are you?!"
"Heavenly Mountain Swordsman, disciple of the Sword Saint, supporter of the Marquis of Anguo, Ren Changfeng."
Looking at the swordsman before him, Helian Heng suddenly recalled the young man who had escaped that year. Tears of hatred welled up, and he turned to glare in fury.
A bloodcurdling scream echoed from the middle of the river.
Ren Changfeng severed Helian Heng's left leg. After hastily staunching the bleeding, he bound the unconscious Helian Heng securely and delivered him to the shore.
Yue Qingtian's troops had already subdued Helian Heng's personal guards and arrived at the riverbank. Upon learning the situation, they were overjoyed!
Ren Changfeng had avenged his family and, after days of travel, finally returned to Fucheng to rest.
When Liang Xiao's troops arrived at Fucheng and learned of the victory, they were ecstatic.
Of the fifteen thousand men brought by Helian Heng, over ten thousand had surrendered!
With this, the Great Qian army had accepted the surrender of over one hundred and ten thousand men in total, pacifying the people of Xichuan and attracting more rebel forces to defect!
Upon entering Fucheng, Liang Xiao convened his generals and praised Nan Jiyun and Liu Fan profusely.
"The two of you deserve the greatest credit!"
"We dare not! It is all thanks to the Marshal's name that we succeeded. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!" Nan Jiyun sighed.
Liu Fan echoed his sentiments, saying earnestly, "Your subordinate still used the Marquis's name to bluff Jiangyou and Fucheng into surrendering..."
Liang Xiao deliberately put on a stern face and said, "You will accept the merits being recorded for you. The rest of you will be rewarded accordingly after Xichuan is pacified!"
As the Grand Marshal and commander for the pacification of Xichuan, Xiao Qing had allocated thirty thousand taels of gold to Liang Xiao. He was authorized to grant early rewards to the soldiers based on their military achievements and to appoint and dismiss military officers of the seventh rank and below. Upon returning to the capital, he only needed to report to the court for accounting.
Everyone was delighted.
Helian Heng was brought before Liang Xiao and awakened by a basin of cold water.
"You are the Marquis of Anguo, Liang Xiao? I am utterly convinced and willing to lead all the prominent families of Xichuan to surrender!"
The current Helian Heng no longer possessed the airs of a local emperor, merely kowtowing and begging Liang Xiao for mercy.
Beside them, Liu Fan frowned and said, "I heard that Helian Heng, as the head of the Helian family, was a man of great ambition and a rare talent for the Helian family in a century. How has he become so pathetic now?"
Helian Heng muttered to himself, "If you were to face the Marquis of Anguo, you would become this pathetic too..."
"What he said seems to have some merit..." The others were speechless.
Liang Xiao said gravely, "For over a century, the Helian family has controlled the regions of Chuanzhong, Chuannan, and Baxi, and has poisoned countless people with the Returning Spring Cult. After Xichuan is pacified, I will publicly try you, Helian Heng, and the entire Helian family!"
Helian Heng's pupils contracted, and he roared, "Do you intend to fight the Helian family of Jincheng to the death?!"
A light chuckle from Liang Xiao echoed through the military camp, "You overestimate yourself. As long as my army has what you possess, we can still use it to persuade Jincheng to surrender. We do not need a letter from a prisoner like you! You are not qualified to negotiate with me now!"
With that, Liang Xiao ordered Helian Heng, who was filled with despair, to be taken away and closely guarded.
Regardless, Fucheng and Jiange had been taken without incident, and there was no need to use the gunpowder kegs.
Liang Xiao still hoped to reserve the gunpowder kegs for use against foreign tribes, especially the Tianri tribe.
Furthermore, many among these rebels had been coerced into service and still had hope of abandoning the darkness for light.
It was now dusk, and the army was resting in Fucheng, preparing to advance to Mian Zhu the next day.
However, Liang Xiao also dispatched a cavalry force of three thousand men, led by Yue Yun and Yue Qingtian, to Mian Zhu first to persuade them to surrender.
Helian Heng's nephew, Helian Jun, the commander of Mian Zhu, received Helian Heng's intelligence on the following morning. Just as he was preparing to dispatch troops to meet him, scouts reported from outside the city.
"A cavalry force bearing the banner of the Great Qian's Marquis of Anguo is approaching!!"
Upon hearing this, Helian Jun was terrified. After weighing the pros and cons, he immediately decided, "This place is indefensible! Rather than losing our troops here, it is better to withdraw. We will still have twenty thousand men to defend Jincheng..."
"My lord, why not plunder the people of Mian Zhu? It would be better than them supporting Liang Xiao with their provisions!" a strategist reminded him.
Helian Jun raged, "Do you think I don't want to? But what if there's a mutiny in Mian Zhu too! Besides, we might be caught by Liang Xiao even as we flee back to Jincheng. Why waste time on these ants?"
Helian Jun, the commander of Mian Zhu, abandoned the pass with his troops that very day and rushed back to Chengdu under the cover of night.
During the night, Liang Xiao's army in Fucheng suddenly received an urgent report.
"A force has appeared in the southeast!"