Chapter 338 - 278, Lord of War’s Arrow
The raging fire in Guyuan City continued to spread toward the North.
The nighttime wind carried the scent of burning throughout the city, filling the streets with thick smoke, pungent and acrid.
On Kule Street, more than ten Heavenly Strategy Army Iron Cavalry wielding long spears surrounded Li Xuan and six civilians.
Li Xuan could only wield a sword with his right hand, holding a little girl under his left arm, constantly shifting his stance to shield the civilians behind him.
One Iron Cavalry raised a spear to attack the old man behind Li Xuan. With sharp reflexes, Li Xuan tapped the tip of the spear with his sword, emitting a sharp clang of metal.
The spear trembled under the impact, numbing the Iron Cavalry’s hand. He immediately withdrew the weapon and warned with a solemn tone, "Careful, he’s quite tricky."
Another Iron Cavalry held the reins and looked down at Li Xuan from atop his steed, sneering, "You’re barely able to protect yourself, yet still dream of being a hero?"
Li Xuan panted heavily, "Guyuan City is already yours. Why pursue annihilation? These civilians will soon be your people. Why not spare a path for them to live?"
The Iron Cavalry coldly laughed, "How would I know if these people aren’t hiding your Southern spies? Guyuan is one of the Nine Borders and critically important. We are not as foolish as the border army, leaving hidden threats behind. Purging the entire city is necessary—I would much rather it be filled with Northerners."
Li Xuan felt a mix of emotions. Even the Jing Dynasty understood this principle—why did the Ning Dynasty’s border army fail to grasp it? How could they be so short-sighted, to destroy their own Great Wall for a little tax silver by letting so many Northerners in!
Still, he retorted, "General Hu was only trying to sustain the border army..."