I practiced magic in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 65: Look down on life and death, do it if you don’t accept it

The western part of the outer city is the main market of Luoyang.

A group of ferocious soldiers suddenly broke into the originally bustling street. They looked at the dazzling array of goods and the delicate and charming beauties in the market, and their eyes were glowing green.

The leading general was none other than the stout Dong Min, wearing precious armor. He was seen riding on an extremely majestic warhorse, and grinned fiercely: "Go in and search. Anyone who is related to the traitor will be arrested and interrogated. Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!"

"Order!"

The soldiers of the Xiliang Army were originally a group of plundering ruffians. When they heard this, they immediately rushed into the market with shouts.

Seeing a shop full of valuables such as jewelry and jade, he rushed in and arrested the man without saying a word: "I see that you have evil intentions and must be related to the traitor. Take you away!"

"Master, I am innocent!"

"Hehe, you have evil intentions, yet you still dare to cry out for injustice? These are all stolen goods, take them all back!"

In addition to looting property, many soldiers of the Xiliang Army also set their sights on beautiful women on the roadside.

Luoyang is located at the foot of the emperor and there are many wealthy families. Even among the common people, there are many well-off families. Therefore, the daughters raised here are fair-skinned, beautiful, and graceful. Just a little makeup makes these evil wolves from the northwest salivate.

Dong Zhuo had repeatedly warned them that they were bound by military regulations and did not dare to act recklessly.

But this assassination attempt touched Dong Zhuo's sore spot. Although it is still unknown who is behind it, it is obvious that it must be someone from aristocratic family!

Therefore, Dong Zhuo was so angry that he simply stopped pretending. How could the people's support and reputation be as important as the support of his soldiers?
His so-called order to capture the rebels soon turned into a large-scale legal robbery when it came to implementation. Any people who disobeyed were hacked to death by the brutal Xiliang soldiers.

"Please be kind, all officers, and let my granddaughter go. She is only thirteen years old."

An old man with gray hair cried and begged,
However, what he got in return was the Xiliang soldiers' unbridled laughter: "Humph, you can't cooperate with the enemy at the age of thirteen? I think you are clearly guilty!"

"Old man, we are only taking your granddaughter back for interrogation. Once we are done and confirm that she has nothing to do with the rebels, we will release her. Don't be ungrateful."

"That's right. We'll release the person after the interrogation. If you dare to stop me again, I'll kill you with my sword."

When the little girl was dragged away, she cried bitterly: "Aunt, save me, save me."

The old man loved his granddaughter so much that he was unwilling to give up. He stopped the Xiliang soldiers and angrily cursed: "You bunch of beasts, let my Ying'er go!"

"You old man is looking for death!"

He swung his knife impatiently, chopping the old man in the chest. The old man soon fell in a pool of blood, dying with his eyes open.

The same scene was being played out everywhere on this ten-mile-long street. Some wives were forcibly abducted in front of their husbands, and some girls were arrested for treason just because they had made an appointment with their friends to buy some rouge and powder.

The innocent people had no power to resist a group of wolves, tigers and leopards armed to the teeth.

Their property was looted at will, their wives and daughters were abducted by force, and even their lives were treated as worthless as grass and executed at random as accomplices of thieves.

Countless people wailed and cried under the iron hooves of the Xiliang soldiers, but they did not receive even the slightest bit of mercy.

The entire Luoyang city was surrounded by Dong Min's men in the four directions of east, south, west and north. The merchants and residents there had nowhere to escape and were all in a panic.

Afterwards, many people hid in Zuiyue Tower, trying to seek refuge. After all, this was the property of Wang Jing, the General of the North.

"Captain!"

"Why stop?"

"This... the property ahead is owned by the Northern General. Should we..."

"Humph, would I be afraid of him? Go in and search!"

It was said to be a search, but in reality it was looting and smashing. Even the head manager Lu Fang was beaten up and then tied up and taken prisoner.

Dong Min was already unhappy with Wang Jing, and now he was taking advantage of the situation to teach Wang Jing a lesson and take the opportunity to blackmail him.

The news that Dong Min's troops surrounded the Luoyang market and allowed them to plunder the people soon reached Wang Jing's ears.

The Dashi and Xiyuan were both located in the western suburbs of the outer city, only a few miles apart. So when Wang Jing got the news, he immediately became angry, and immediately assembled his troops and charged forward.

Yang Ye wanted to dissuade him: "My Lord, don't be impulsive. If you anger Sikong at this time, it will be like inviting trouble upon yourself."

Wang Jing jumped on his horse, anger welling up in his eyebrows: "Bingshu, a real man has his own way of doing things. I don't care about the fight between Dong Zhuo and the noble families, but the people are innocent. If I let this happen and do nothing, how can I let my soldiers obey my orders in the future?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Ye looked around and saw that more than half of the soldiers from the eight battalions of the Northern Army had bloodshot eyes and were filled with indignation, with fire seeming to spit out of their eyes.

At this time, it was no longer a question of whether Wang Jing wanted to have a conflict with Dong Zhuo, but he had to show a tough attitude at this time. Because of the eight battalions of the Northern Army, except for the former soldiers of Ding Yuan who were recruited from Bingzhou, the other soldiers were either from good families in the six counties of Liangzhou or local people in Luoyang.

Some soldiers' families and relatives even made a living in the big market west of Luoyang City.

If Wang Jing doesn't care, will he still be able to maintain the basic morale of the army?

Soon, Wang Ling, Xun You, Zhang Liao, Yan Xing and others also rushed over.

Xun You, as a counselor, stepped forward and said, "My lord, Dong Zhuo has just been assassinated. It is not wise to conflict with him now. Perhaps we can resolve it through negotiation."

It has to be said that Xun You came from a noble family and there was nothing wrong with the suggestions he put forward.

However, Wang Jing's eyes were firm and his tone was resolute: "I know, but if I give in on some things, I will no longer be myself."

At this moment, Wang Jing was extremely angry.

He could not accept the fact that he was a soldier but he wielded a butcher's knife against innocent civilians.

Wang Jing absolutely did not want to live in a world where people were treated like pigs and dogs and had no dignity. He wanted to change all this.

He used to just want to live, because at that time he was unrestrained in this world and had not poured any emotions into it, so he could be content to be a salted fish. After all, the people and things around him were nothing worthy of his concern.

But now, he began to feel worried.

Not only did he have people he cherished, but he also had comrades-in-arms who shared the same aspirations as him, and countless Northern Army soldiers who trusted and supported him.

I am no longer alone.

I cannot let down the soldiers and followers under my command.

"set off!"

"Wan Sheng!"

When Wang Jing raised his arm and called out, the Northern Army soldiers under his command all responded enthusiastically and gathered together to follow him. They were willing to follow until death a commander who treated them as human beings rather than as bargaining chips. Although they were humble, they also desired to live with dignity from the bottom of their hearts.

When Xun You saw this, he was deeply moved for some reason. He originally thought that he would be a cold-blooded strategist who would always make only the most rational judgments.

But now, he suddenly felt that it would be nice to go crazy with such a humane lord.

Thousands of soldiers quickly headed straight for the Luoyang market.

In the rising dust, the famous horse disappeared, its four hooves running as fast as lightning.

Wang Jing, holding the famous sword Chunjun, took the lead and happened to meet Dong Min.

At this moment, Dong Minzheng was leading his soldiers back to the inner city in high spirits. They were loaded with treasures and women, laughing wildly, as if they were returning from hunting. Some soldiers from Xiliang were still surrounding the frightened women, criticizing them with wanton eyes and lewd laughter. Wang Jing immediately put on his armor and mounted his horse to meet the enemy in battle array.

Dong Min had already taken over the troops of General He Miao, and had more than 10,000 soldiers under his command. He thought he had a strong army, so he did not take Wang Jing seriously.

He even saw him coming angrily with his troops, and threatened in front of the battle: "Wang Yuanxu, as the saying goes, good birds choose trees to roost in, and good ministers choose masters to serve. My brother is now one of the Three Dukes, and we are eager to find talents. Why don't you lead the eight battalions of the Northern Army to join us? Then you will enjoy endless wealth and glory."

At this moment, what Wang Jing saw were human heads that had been cut off and hung on war horses as a sign of military merit. They were faces full of despair and pain. They were all innocent people who had done nothing wrong, but had suffered this misfortune for no reason.

There were also those women who were abducted. Before, they were either good wives and mothers who took care of their husbands and children at home, or virgin girls waiting to be married. They were living people who should have had happy and fulfilling lives. But now, they were like animals, with their hands tied with ropes and being dragged along.

Their eyes were red and swollen from crying, with deep tear marks at the corners, as if telling of the sadness and despair in their hearts.

It’s not that I haven’t been to the battlefield, and it’s also that I haven’t seen blood and death.

However, this was the first time that Wang Jing had witnessed such atrocities committed by the army against civilians. In terms of military discipline, the Xiliang soldiers were definitely worse than the Yellow Turban Army.

At this moment, Wang Jing suddenly understood why Wang Yun in history had thought of executing such a group of jackals, tigers and leopards.

Although not all the people in the Xiliang army are bad, for example, the military discipline of Duan Wei's troops is good, and he can be described as loyal and brave, and is a soldier worthy of admiration.

But for people like Dong Zhuo, Dong Min, Li Jue and Guo Si, all the Xiliang soldiers under their command were dragged out and beheaded, and it is guaranteed that few of them were innocent.

An army that is plundering by nature can no longer even be called human beings. To the people, they are just a group of rational but more cruel and brutal beasts.

No matter how spineless Wang Jing was, he would not follow such a tyrant. He immediately angrily sneered: "Who does Dong Zhuo think he is? How dare I follow him?"

Dong Min was furious: "Wang Jing, don't refuse my toast and drink the penalty wine!"

"I'll eat you!"

After Wang Jing cursed, he drew his sword and said, "All soldiers, listen up, kill these turtle bastards in front of you!"

"You don't know how to live or die, catch him!"

Relying on his military advantage and the support of Dong Zhuo, Dong Min intended to settle both old and new scores with Wang Jing today. He confidently ordered his men to launch an attack, intending to defeat the Eight Battalions of the Northern Army under Wang Jing in one fell swoop.

Wang Jing had already prepared for an all-out war, so he directly urged the White Ape Sword Evil to launch an attack first: "Form a formation, today I will seek justice for the dead people!"

"kill!"

Two hundred heavily armored cavalry were the first to charge out of the camp. Their formation was neat and dense, and their morale was high. They were the cavalry of the Tunqiying Camp reorganized by Yan Xing.

Each of these cavalrymen was brave and resolute. They were all from good families in the six counties of Xiliang. They had clean family backgrounds, honest characters, and traditional morals and views on good and evil in their hearts, which formed a sharp contrast with the Xiliang soldiers under Dong Zhuo.

The Xiliang soldiers under Dong Zhuo were brave and good at fighting, but they had no faith and fought only for desire, and everything they did was for money and women. So even though they were powerful, they were just a group of tyrannical and cruel beasts without faith and belief.

However, Wang Jing knew very well that a true king's army could never be composed of a group of jackals, tigers and leopards. Only good people could build a truly indomitable and invincible iron army.

That is why this time, Wang Jing was willing to stand up even if it meant a full-scale conflict with Dong Zhuo.

It’s just because Wang Jing wanted to tell his soldiers that they should fight for the people and for the morality in their hearts!

"Gather the cavalry and attack!"

Yan Xing was furious. The 200 heavily armored cavalrymen under his command were best at frontal assaults. With their surging iron hooves, they would break through the enemy's formation, kill the generals and seize the flags.

The soldiers and horses of the Tunqi Camp were all wearing heavy armor, and even had double-sided stirrups equipped by Wang Jing, which greatly increased their combat power.

There were only more than two hundred cavalrymen, but they formed a torrent of steel, as unstoppable as a mountain torrent, and they slammed directly into the enemy's formation.

The powerful inertia of the impact directly crushed the soldiers in the front row of Dong Min’s army.

Under the iron hoofs, flesh and blood turned to mud.

The cavalry captain Yan Xing held a golden spear with a running tiger inlaid in his hand. After roaring three times like a tiger on horseback, he killed three young generals of the Western Liang army in succession and led his men to break through the enemy's front line. For the first time, he showed the world the sharp claws and fangs of the Northern Army's heavy cavalry. His momentum was like a tiger descending from the mountain, and he was unstoppable.

Yan Xing is about to enter middle age. At this moment, both his combat experience and solid foundation have already reached the highest level. In a few years, he will reach his peak period.

On the other hand, the troops that Dong Min brought out today seemed to be numerous and powerful, but except for the direct Xiliang soldiers, in fact more than half of them were ragtag troops that were hastily assembled. Their old master He Miao had just passed away, and they joined Dong Zhuo for money. They screamed during the robbery, but immediately wilted when it came to a tough battle.

When they met tough opponents like Yan Xing and Tunqiying, they had no morale at all. More than ten thousand people were frightened by two hundred cavalrymen on the spot, and were killed, leaving their weapons and armors behind and fleeing in all directions.

Wang Jing handed the command to Xun You, who was well-versed in military strategies. He saw Xun You calmly deploy troops. After Yan Xing broke through the enemy's front line and created chaos, he immediately ordered Zhang Liao to lead the Hu Cavalry Battalion to encircle and cut off the enemy, making it impossible for the Xiliang soldiers in front of them to form a joint force.

Zhang Liao wielded the Dragon-Painted Halberd. Wherever he went, dragons roared and the halberd's shadow flew. In an instant, he killed Dong Min's personal soldiers and tied Dong Min himself up and brought him in front of Wang Jing.

At this moment, Dong Min completely lost his previous prestige, his helmet fell to the ground, and he looked utterly embarrassed: "Wang Yuanxu, how dare you humiliate me like this!"

"Insult you? If Dong Zhuo doesn't give me an explanation today, I'll chop off your dog head!"

The battle ended quickly. Wang Jing quickly ordered people to rescue the civilians and asked the survivors to identify the soldiers who participated in the crime on the spot, and then executed them on the spot by military law.

When Li Jue and the Flying Bear Army came to support after hearing the news, what they saw was Dong Min's fat head being stepped on by Wang Jing.

Li Jue naturally could not accept such a great humiliation, and immediately shouted to Wang Jing in anger: "Northern Army General, quickly release the Imperial Guard Commandant. Do you really want to be an enemy of the Minister of Works?"

"Haha, life and death are indifferent. If you don't agree, just fight. If you want to fight, we can fight now. At worst, both sides will die. Do you have the courage?"

Wang Jing put his hand on the sword, his eyes sharp, and he was ready to fight to the death.

When facing a man like Dong Zhuo, the more you give in, the more your opponent will become more aggressive. Only by taking a tough attitude can you force him to weigh the pros and cons.

Li Jue wanted to kill Wang Jing right now, but Dong Min was Dong Zhuo's only brother, so he had to go back and report to Dong Zhuo.

Dong Zhuo, who was still recovering from his injuries at the Sikong Mansion, heard that his brother had been captured and that many of his soldiers had been killed and wounded. He was immediately furious: "How dare Wang Jing do this! This is outrageous!"

"You are so arrogant, are you bullying me, the Xiliang Army, because they have no one?"

His generals Hua Xiong, Zhang Ji and others also spoke out in anger. They had led their troops to conquer all directions, from north to south, east to west, so when had they ever been bullied like this?

Wang Jing's behavior was simply a slap in our faces, so in anger, the main generals of Xiliang all clamored to go to war and fight Wang Jing.

Hua Xiong was so confident of his military prowess that he did not take Wang Jing seriously. He showed off his majestic figure and volunteered, "Everyone in Luoyang says that General Wang Jing of the North has inherited the Overlord Sword Intentions and has unparalleled martial arts talent, but I just don't believe it! We all have one head and two arms, so could he have three heads and six arms? I'm going to chop off his head and bring it back!"

"That's it!"

"We must make him see how powerful our Xiliang Army is!"

Guo Si and Fan Chou were also eager to use Wang Jing's head to build their own reputation, and at the same time, to gain popularity and promotion.

The Xiliang Army was originally a group of arrogant and brave generals. They looked down on the weak and timid people from Guandong and thought they were the best in the world in terms of martial arts. In their eyes, a young man from aristocratic family like Wang Jing was nothing special and killing him was as easy as killing a chicken.

Regardless of his injuries, Dong Zhuo brought Lu Bu with him, assembled his troops, and immediately went out from the upper west gate, heading straight for the west gate of the outer city, and surrounded the West Garden tightly.

The two armies were on the verge of a fight, looking like they were about to engage in a fight at any moment.

"Brother, save me!"

In front of the West Garden Gate, on an earthen platform, Dong Min cried for help immediately after seeing Dong Zhuo. He was pressed to the ground and rubbed by Wang Jing, his face was bleeding, and he looked extremely embarrassed.

(End of this chapter)