Shenwu Sanlang didn’t dare to look back; he sprinted forward desperately, not caring how many people could keep up with his pace.
In fact, not many people managed to react and run with him, except for his Guard Commander and a few clever Goblins that followed behind him.
They kept running forward, non-stop, with one unlucky individual even losing his oversized shoes and not bothering to turn back to pick them up.
As for Shen Wenxi, he had already raised his hands by now. Standing there with trembling legs, he watched as the guards by his side were shot down one after another.
Soon, when only seven or eight people remained, the gunfire started to thin out. This was partly because the Shenwu guards had indeed run out of bullets and partly because the Tang Army had ceased firing.
A group of soldiers dressed in camouflage uniforms, armed with Thompson Submachine Guns unsuitable for urban alley fighting, emerged from all directions. The dark muzzles pointed at everyone, ready to shoot at the slightest provocation.
"Who is Shen Wenxi?" A Tang Army soldier holding his weapon cautiously called out. Then, those few unlucky Shenwu survivors who had lived through the ordeal all looked towards Shen Wenxi, who was raising his arms.
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This disheveled civil official was now covered in dust, lacking the usual air of arrogance, standing there like a destitute dwarf.
The Tang Army commander lowered his Thompson Submachine Gun and walked over to Shen Wenxi. He scrutinized him closely before asking, "Were those who just ran away Shenwu Sanlang?"
"I... I don’t know, I’ve never seen..." Shen Wenxi began with a lie, almost instinctively, a reflex response.
Unfortunately, before he could finish, he was struck hard across the face. The slap resounded crisply, leaving the high-ranking Shenwu official dazed and unable to react.
He had never been slapped so directly before, so he stood there in a moment of stunned silence, his eyes filled with bewilderment and blankness.
"Lie again, and I’ll knock the teeth out of your mouth." The leading Tang Army officer had no intention of treating the prisoner gently. He just wanted to know Shenwu Sanlang’s location because it was key to his merit.
As for Shen Wenxi, who was considered trash, once captured, he had no value. Capturing him was a merit in itself, one that he didn’t need to fight for.
So he didn’t mind missing a few trivial parts when turning in this reward, such as fingers, teeth, ears...
The inspectors wouldn’t make things difficult for him; at most, they would ask a couple of questions about the process, give him a warning not to make it a habit, and then proceed with the bonus and medals.
"I am an official of Shenwu... I surrender... I should..." Shen Wenxi finally came to his senses and began to assert his status, hoping for fair treatment.
Unexpectedly, or maybe he did expect it but didn’t believe it would happen, before he could finish his plea, the other man actually grabbed the butt of his Thompson Submachine Gun and struck Shen Wenxi fiercely.
This blow was no simple slap; Shen Wenxi clutched his cheek and screamed as he fell to the ground, blood and several yellowed teeth spilling onto the pavement.
"Damn, so much talking, you think you Shenwu officials are so precious?" The Tang Army commander felt a rush of cathartic relief after delivering a solid hit with the gunstock.
He kicked Shen Wenxi again and cursed as he looked towards the other Shenwu prisoners, "Is this bastard really Shen Wenxi?"
The group of Shenwu guards hastily nodded their heads, as if being too slow would lead to their own demise. Explore more adventures at freewebnovel
"Was Shenwu Sanlang among those who just ran?" The leading commander continued to question these guards, now completely terrified.
The Shenwu guards kept nodding, and a few, fearful that the Tang Army officer before them wouldn’t be satisfied, added, "Yes, and our Guard Commander, they both ran."
"See, these people are much smarter than you." The Tang Army commander spat at Shen Wenxi, who was curled up on the ground like a prawn, and grunted at his subordinates, "Let’s go! Take these people back!"
Then he surveyed the surroundings. "Count those bastards lucky for running fast. We’ll contact our allies later to tighten the encirclement! Let’s see where they can run!"
...
Where could Shenwu Sanlang run to? He did indeed find an escape route, leading his few men around in circles before sneaking to the ruins on the southern side of the city.
This area was already under the control of the Tang Army, but the search had become less stringent.
Shenwu Sanlang decided to find a place to hide. If they were careful, they might be able to avoid detection for a while. Once the war was over, he could disguise himself and even escape back to his country.
So, he and his subordinates moved cautiously through the ruins, hoping to find a relatively good hiding place.
The outcome was that just as they climbed over a half-collapsed low wall, they happened to see a Qi Country civilian standing there with a bucket, staring at them.
"Don’t make a sound! Or I’ll kill you!" Clutching a pistol, Shenwu Sanlang lowered his voice to warn the wrinkled-faced old woman.
"Ah! People from Shen Country! People from Shen Country!" Yet the woman paid no heed and started shouting loudly. Amidst the quiet ruins, her cries were deafening.
Shenwu Sanlang hurriedly fired his gun, shooting two bullets before the woman finally shut her mouth. But soon they heard footsteps around them, as if the whole ruin had come alive.
"Tang Army!" A guard who had just climbed the wall widened his eyes because he saw a row of Tang Country military vehicles not far off, with Tang Army soldiers already climbing obstacles to head their way, weapons in hand.
"Damn it!" Shenwu Sanlang gave the fallen old lady another kick and cursed again unsatisfiedly, then quickly took off running blindly in the other direction: "This way! Run fast!"
"General! I’ll cover your retreat!" The guard on the wall called back, then fired two shots at a distance.
Shenwu Sanlang had no time for anything else; he ran like a startled bird, being pushed in another direction, without even uttering a word of formality.
The Shen Country soldier, who had stayed behind and was shooting, got hit unexpectedly by a bullet from the opposite direction that pierced through his head.
He fell from the wall, collapsing in the courtyard. Within less than ten seconds, the boots of the invading Tang Army soldiers could be heard stepping next to his body, followed by a series of commanding shouts.
"Not just one person! These footprints are a mess!" someone yelled.
"They went that way! Chase them!" another voice followed.
"Check the courtyard! Don’t let anyone slip through!"
"Check on that old lady, medics! Medics! Go see if you can save her!"
Meanwhile, Shenwu Sanlang, desperately fleeing forward, could even hear the shouting behind him. He had never imagined they were so close to the Tang Army, nor had he thought the civilian from Qi Country would issue such a resolute scream despite the risk to her own life.
"General, you go on ahead!" The two remaining guards stopped running; their weapons were out of ammunition. By staying behind, they planned to sacrifice their lives to delay the pursuing enemy.
Shenwu Sanlang didn’t even look back; by now, his mind was only on his own survival, and he no longer cared for anyone else.
Soon after, intense gunfire erupted behind him; the distinct clatter of the Thompson Submachine Gun indicated that the two who stayed behind to cover for him likely faced grim odds.
"General! Run fast!" His Guard Commander halted, watching Shenwu Sanlang escape into the distance and instructing him.
He then turned around, aiming his gun towards the gap in the ruins, the same path they had taken earlier, believing the Tang Army would soon appear from there.
And indeed, a member of the pursuing Tang Army soon showed up, just poking his head out to look before swiftly dodging the Shen Country Guard Commander’s determined shot.
After that miss, the Guard Commander knew he was done for. He turned to run, trying to find another cover, but a bullet quickly caught up with him, boring a hole through his back.
He collapsed to the ground, exhaustedly closing his eyes. He could hear the sound of leather boots by his ears, gradually fading away.
Then, his breath ceased, and consciousness left him as he entered the deep darkness.
Shenwu Sanlang, now at a dead end, continued to weave through the ruins, knowing he was done for but still unable to face it, to stop struggling.
He kept running, but his strength was almost spent. He hadn’t eaten for hours and was now incredibly hungry.
The PPK pistol he was holding only had one bullet left. There was no way to reload; once fired, one less bullet remained. He had used two precious bullets just recently, and the remaining one was now all Shenwu Sanlang had to his name.
Finally, it seemed he could no longer hear the footsteps behind him, and the ruins ahead became harder to navigate. He felt a hint of regret, wondering why he had so ruthlessly destroyed Beiyuan City to this extent. If he had restrained himself, perhaps the path now would be easier.
The next second, just as he was lamenting, he climbed over a low wall, and the view suddenly opened up — a clean courtyard, with relatively intact houses beside it.
Shenwu Sanlang paused for a moment, then noticed the courtyard was filled with people of all sorts—children and the elderly, men and women.
These civilians, clad in Tang Army raincoats, holding various cans, also watched Shenwu Sanlang...