Section 135: Falling Victim to a Villain’s Scheme

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Li Dong fell straight back into the moat, the water splashing several meters high as his waist struck the surface, sending a sharp pain through his body. The moat’s water was stagnant, a pool of dead water that never flowed, filled with all manner of discarded refuse from the city’s residents, its stench unbearable.

Surfacing, Li Dong was nearly overcome by the overwhelming foul odor, gagging as he fought to stay afloat. With great effort, he swam to the edge and crawled out, drenched in the foul water.

Once ashore, he noticed his longsword still firmly gripped in his hand, not sunk to the bottom. Not a scratch marked his body. Relief flooded his heart: his body was intact, and he could still fight the enemy! That alone was enough.

His clothes drenched and dripping foul water, Li Dong promptly shed his outer garments. Leaving a trail of wet footprints, he sprinted toward the cloud chariot where Qin Qiong stood—the very place he had just leapt onto the city wall.

Li Dong’s speed was like that of a monkey as he swiftly climbed to the chariot’s top platform. The soldiers stationed there, catching a whiff of the unbearable stench, hastily covered their noses and cleared a path. Unbothered, Li Dong pushed through the crowd, leapt onto the roof, and climbed the flagpole once more, ascending to a higher vantage point.

The Goguryeo soldiers atop the wall looked up and saw the “little tiger” return, their faces filled with disbelief: “Oh! He’s still alive! This man is ferocious!” They both admired and feared Li Dong’s fierce spirit.

“I’m coming!” Li Dong shouted, leaping down from the flagpole into the crowd and charging through the enemy, slashing wildly left and right. In moments, he unleashed a second storm of blood and fury atop the battlements.

This time, Li Dong changed tactics. No longer merely severing enemies’ weapons, he struck fiercely and directly at their bodies with relentless thrusts and cuts.

After a brutal spree of slaughter, the enemy soldiers, terrified of Li Dong’s ferocity—like a tiger descending a mountain, a dragon emerging from the sea, or an enraged elephant—retreated far away. They blocked his path on both sides of the wall, unwilling to let him break through to aid other soldiers.

At this moment, Li Dong’s fallen-iron longsword, soaked in enemy blood, exhibited an extraordinary phenomenon: its blade gradually shifted from black to red, shining with a dazzling crimson light under the sun, as if forged not from iron but from the very sun itself! The sword’s glow enveloped Li Dong, making him appear like a reincarnated Vajra or a descending Bodhisattva, radiating divine might that brooked no violation.

The enemy soldiers were dumbfounded. How had the sword in his hand changed color in an instant? Could this be the legendary treasured sword? To face such a weapon was to court death. Yet retreat meant execution by their general for cowardice—a deadlock that left them unsure of what to do.

Goguryeo’s soldiers were held in check by Li Dong, and the situation stalled. The Sui soldiers on the cloud chariot seized the opportunity, leaping en masse onto the wall and launching a swift attack from behind, throwing the enemy’s flank into chaos.

Qin Qiong, standing on the cloud chariot, saw Li Dong’s reappearance and rejoiced: Li Dong was not dead! He shouted loudly, leapt from the flagpole onto the wall, and charged into the fray, fighting back-to-back with Li Dong. The two brothers fought side by side.

Qin Qiong wielded a pair of heavy double maces that whistled through the air. Strong and agile, his strikes were precise, smashing enemy skulls with a resounding “bang.” Blood and brains splattered across the wall, painting it gruesomely.

Together, these two mighty warriors stormed the enemy like tigers among sheep, their bloodlust evident as thick red mist rose around them, their eyes blazing with rage. Wherever Li Dong and Qin Qiong turned, the enemy troops shrank back in terror, trembling and unwilling to advance.

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In terms of martial prowess and rank, both Li and Qin were unmatched soldiers capable of beheading generals within enemy lines. The Goguryeo forces dispatched were mere city guards, vastly inferior in status and strength—how could they withstand such valor?

At this critical moment, two enemy generals joined the fray: the city commander Eulji Mundeok and Saeryu. Eulji Mundeok was incredibly cunning—both Mai Tiezhang and Yuwen Shu had fallen victim to his schemes.

Saeryu had narrow, sharp eyes and thin lips, revealing his malevolent nature. Though less renowned, his skills were formidable and his schemes even more vicious than Eulji’s.

They arrived with several hundred elite troops, forming a crescent-shaped encirclement around the two heroes. Each Goguryeo soldier wielded a powerful bow, their arrows tipped with deadly snake venom. A single hit or even a scratch could poison Li and Qin, causing their bodies to stiffen and rendering them helpless against attack.

The soldiers on the cloud chariot were alarmed, fearing for the fate of Li Dong and Qin Qiong.

By now, Li’s bravery and Qin’s reckless courage had captured the attention of tens of thousands of Sui soldiers on the battlefield, including their generals. Spirits soared; no one dared to lag behind or falter, even in death.

Emperor Yang of Sui, watching from the rear, saw their grim predicament. One order from Eulji Mundeok would unleash a volley of arrows that would trap the two—escape would be impossible even with wings.

The emperor rose in alarm, stepping out from under his ceremonial umbrella. Pointing toward Li Dong’s silhouette atop the wall, he commanded those nearby, “This man is a great warrior. Under no circumstances shall he fall into the enemy’s hands. Summon them back immediately! I will reward handsomely!”

All Sui soldiers wore pale yellow uniforms. After Li Dong shed his outer garments, his white shirt stood out clearly in the sunlight, making him instantly recognizable.

Those nearby were dumbfounded. Li Dong was surrounded with no way out; even his swift pace could not outpace an arrow. Yet the emperor’s command could not be ignored—disobedience meant death.

The imperial guards had no choice but to weave through the troops, running while grumbling: “Even a deity descending to earth might find it hard to save their lives now, unless a miracle happens.”

Meanwhile, cold sweat ran down Li Dong’s body as he quickly weighed his options. Should he leap from the wall again and plunge into the foul moat? If not, death was certain. His own death was one thing, but his brother Shu Bao, and the brothers Jian De and Hei Ta trapped behind enemy lines, would all suffer.

With this in mind, Li Dong quietly grabbed Qin Qiong’s arm and whispered, “When the time comes, jump with me into the river.” Qin Qiong nodded in agreement.

Eulji Mundeok, seeing Li and Qin standing still, realized they understood their peril. He smiled slyly: “Though you have slain many of my men, you are a lone hero. I respect courage in battle. On that basis, I will spare your life—on one condition. You must become a spy within the Sui ranks, reporting their movements to me. Agree, and I will release you unharmed.”

Qin Qiong was furious and cursed loudly, “Nonsense! How could I ever betray my country…”

Li Dong quickly tugged Qin Qiong’s arm, and Qin immediately understood, swallowing the rest of his words. He knew Li surely had a plan—one wiser than his own.

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Eulji Mundeok was unfazed by the insult, only slightly altering his expression as he continued to watch Li Dong’s reaction.

Li Dong asked, “Who are you? How can I trust your words and not suspect deceit?”

Eulji Mundeok proudly introduced himself, “I am the one who defeated Mai Tiezhang. A commander relies on honesty to lead troops; I would not lie to a mere soldier like you.”

Li Dong thought bitterly: after all your schemes and cunning that nearly cost me my life, and defeating Yuwen Shu, you still claim honesty? Shameless beyond measure! But to keep Eulji Mundeok calm, he feigned understanding and replied, “Oh, I see. My apologies. But how am I to send you secret reports? Please enlighten me.”

Seeing fear flicker in Li Dong’s eyes, Eulji Mundeok was pleased and said, “Your comrade, Fei Qingnu, the Sui warrior, recently killed the Goguryeo king’s brother at Sashui City. I captured him through a ruse. He secretly agreed to spy for me and was released. If you agree, I will release you as well.”

At that, Saeryu interrupted sharply, “You may go, but that yellow-faced mace wielder’s insult to the general cannot be forgiven. He must remain to atone!”

Li Dong’s mind was made up. Smiling slyly, he said, “You are too naive! With so many eyes watching, if I were released so easily, I would be suspected as a traitor upon return. Better to drop your petty schemes and not sow discord between me and Fei Qingnu.”

He patted Qin Qiong’s back and laughed, “This is my brother in life and death. How could I abandon him and selfishly escape? That would be laughable!”

Eulji Mundeok was baffled, but after Li’s words, he realized he had been duped. Worse, he had foolishly revealed the spy within their own ranks—a fatal mistake.

Still, Li Dong seemed skeptical and thought Eulji was trying to drive a wedge between him and Fei Qingnu. This meant the spy’s value remained.

Eulji Mundeok pondered quickly: kill or release this man? Killing a mere soldier was no great loss; releasing him might sow confusion in the Sui ranks, creating the illusion of a planted spy.

With that, Eulji ordered the archers behind him, “Shoot arrows into the sky!”

Hearing the command to shoot, Li Dong mistakenly thought the arrows were aimed at them and prepared to jump. Grabbing Qin Qiong’s arm, they leapt from the wall together. Suspended midair, Li suddenly realized the arrows were shooting skyward! Damn! He had fallen into Eulji Mundeok’s trap! No matter what, he had to charge the wall for a third time, or all their efforts would be wasted.

(To be continued…)