Iron hooves thundered, mountains and rivers changed color, and countless fire arrows shot out covering the sky and moon, as if bringing the roaring flames of hell to the mortal world.
In less than a quarter-hour, the dark mass of Black Cavalry army broke through the frontier pass and burst into the city, their trampling making the very earth tremble. The Xiao family army and Yan Province army were still in confrontation when they were caught completely off-guard by fire arrows falling from the sky, their formations thrown into complete chaos. Accompanied by flying sand and soaring flames, the orderly Black Cavalry army suddenly charged in. The scattered forces had no time to defend and were immediately routed. When Luo Yuan, Zheng Long and others in the distance heard news of the Black Cavalry entering the city, they were greatly alarmed. Zheng Long spurred his horse forward to lead troops into battle, but Luo Yuan urgently pursued from behind, shouting: “Pingdu Pass has fallen – this battle is surely lost! Please, General, quickly withdraw the Xiao family army to Qing Province city, or there will be no one left to stop the Black Cavalry!”
Though Zheng Long was frantic with worry, he understood Luo Yuan spoke the wisest strategy. Thinking of his soldiers suffering slaughter at the front, he gritted his teeth hatefully and spurred his horse with the other generals, desperately rushing forward.
At this time, flames soared by the camp with corpses piled like mountains. The bloody stench shot straight to the heavens, making even the moonlight grow dim. The Black Cavalry were like vicious wolves, wielding gleaming long blades as they cut down everything in their path. The ground was covered with severed limbs and broken bodies, blood mixed with entrails covering the earth. Though the Xiao family army was scattered and broken, not a single person retreated, relying only on their passionate blood to fight the enemy to the death. But ultimately they could not withstand the prepared Black Cavalry and fell piece by piece under the enemy’s brutal blades.
Just when everyone felt despair, they suddenly heard familiar horn and drum sounds. In the distance, banners bearing the character “Xiao” flew high as Zheng Long and others carried the flags into battle, wielding curved blades to break left and right, instantly felling several Black Cavalry vanguards. The Xiao family army’s morale surged as they slowly gathered into formation following the drum beats. Shield bearers charged to the front, using their flesh and blood to rush into the Black Cavalry ranks while covering the archers behind them who continuously shot arrows, finally causing the Black Cavalry offensive to temporarily slow.
At this moment the drums suddenly changed – the Xiao family army could tell this was the sound for retreat. Though the soldiers were unwilling, they understood that continuing this battle would only result in total annihilation, so they immediately turned their front wing into their rear wing and retreated toward the city while fighting.
But under the Black Cavalry’s relentless pressure, this retreat became extremely difficult. By the time dawn was breaking, Zheng Long and others led the remaining forty thousand Xiao family soldiers and twenty thousand Yan Province troops in a desperate battle against the Black Cavalry by the Wei River. All fought with the determination and will of a last stand, using the terrain around the Wei River to hold off the fierce assault of over one hundred thousand Black Cavalry with just sixty thousand men, defending this final line at Qing Province city.
Seeing that the most difficult Pingdu Pass was already in hand and the remaining forces before them too stubborn, the Black Cavalry had no heart for prolonged battle. In their view, Qing Province city had no natural defenses and would sooner or later fall into their hands. How could a mere sixty thousand remnants without Marquis Xuanyuan leading them contend with over one hundred thousand Black Cavalry elite? So the Black Cavalry commander gave the order to withdraw troops back to the city to rest, waiting for the right moment to take Qing Province in one stroke.
Luo Yuan, Yuanxi and others waited anxiously outside Qing Province city for a long time, finally receiving news of the Great Mu army’s heavy casualties and Pingdu Pass’s fall. In one night, the Great Mu army lost many brothers who had fought side by side and also lost their most important fortress city. A thick atmosphere of depression permeated the army as soldiers numbly wiped blood stains of unknown origin from their faces, staring blankly at the bottomless dark night before them. When the army finally withdrew into Qing Province city, Yuanxi settled Xiao Yunjing and others before diving into the medical tent. The medical tent was full of wounded soldiers covered in blood, some who had lost both legs or arms wailing in despair, their painful moans filling the air. Seeing the military physicians overwhelmed, Yuanxi stepped forward to help bandage and apply medicine to the wounded. Fortunately she had practiced many times in the capital. Initially seeing those scenes of flying flesh and blood made her hands tremble, but with the physicians’ help she quickly became skilled at treatment. Many physicians in the medical tent didn’t recognize this wife of Marquis Xuanyuan, thinking she was just a civilian from the city who had come to help, not even having time for words of thanks. Yuanxi worked until midday, her body unable to support her any longer, before returning to the main tent completely exhausted.
In the main tent, Xiao Yunjing was discussing future plans with Zheng Long and others. The Black Cavalry had already occupied Pingdu Pass – as long as they held the fortress and continued attacking the Central Plains, the entire situation was extremely unfavorable for Great Mu. More dangerously, Xiao Du had taken thirty thousand Xiao family soldiers and still hadn’t returned to the city. If they encountered the Black Cavalry in the city, they could very well be completely annihilated. Now, separated by Pingdu Pass, they had no way to unite with Xiao Du’s forces.
The more they discussed, the more troublesome it became, unable to think of a solution. At this time, Luo Yuan frowned in thought: “Tell me, how exactly did the Black Cavalry break in?”
Zheng Long slammed his fist on the table and cursed: “Some bastard definitely collaborated with the enemy – otherwise why such perfect timing! Just as the Xiao family army and Yan Province army had internal strife, the Black Cavalry entered the city. Someone must have opened the city gates to let them in. If I find out who it was, I definitely won’t let them go!”
But Luo Yuan continued pondering, suddenly asking: “Did any of you see Lieutenant General Yue?”
Zheng Long hated Yue Ke Wei to the bone and said disdainfully: “He didn’t leave the city with us – don’t know if he fled or was captured.”
Luo Yuan said: “I always felt Yue Ke Wei’s sudden action was somewhat suspicious. Even if His Majesty issued secret orders for him to deal with us, with the Black Cavalry army still eyeing us from outside the city, why was he so impatient? And why did the Black Cavalry get let into the city right after he captured you?”
His words carried implications of suspicion, but Xiao Yunjing waved his hand: “Though Yue Ke Wei as lieutenant general of two provinces may be somewhat dull, he has always been loyal to Great Mu. He couldn’t possibly commit treason and collaborate with enemies.”
Luo Yuan lightly tapped his palm with his fist: “If it wasn’t him, then he was very likely being used by someone. But who could this person be?”
At the same time, the raging fires at Pingdu Pass had finally temporarily died down. The acrid smell and rolling black smoke spread everywhere as the city walls were piled high with blackened corpses, blood continuously seeping down through cracks in the walls. The city’s civilians, suddenly encountering this great disaster, had long since shut their doors tight and dared not show their faces, but another catastrophe awaited them.
The Black Cavalry commander quickly occupied the city’s Prefecture Governor’s office. The Wu nation army’s commander was Second Prince Dian Yun, who together with Mu Rong’s leader A Shi Na He Li commanded the entire Black Cavalry army. At this moment both sat high in the government office’s main seats, with a bound person before them – the former lieutenant general of two provinces, Yue Ke Wei. His entire body had no intact flesh remaining, the exposed bone joints barely holding onto flesh and blood, yet he still held his head high and chest out, glaring viciously at Zou Wu who stood beside those two men, almost wanting to devour him alive with his gaze.
Zou Wu turned his head somewhat uncomfortably: “Lord Yue, those who understand current affairs are outstanding men. As long as you’re willing to submit to the great king, when we control half the empire, we’ll grant you a first-rank military position – wouldn’t that be better than guarding a small province?”
Yue Ke Wei spat out a mouthful of blood and cursed loudly: “Bah! I blame myself for being blind and listening to your villainous slander! You eat Great Mu’s salary yet ignore the city’s people and brothers, letting barbarians into the pass. I will never join forces with a villain like you – even if I become a ghost today, I won’t let you go!”
Zou Wu snorted coldly and dusted his sleeve: “Since Lord Yue is so rigid and old-fashioned, I can’t protect you anymore. Great King, what do you say we should do with him?”
He turned toward A Shi Na He Li, who impatiently waved his hand and said to Yue Ke Wei in broken Chinese: “Will you surrender or not?”
Yue Ke Wei snorted coldly, straightened his back and raised his head: “Great Mu military officers can die but cannot surrender!”
A flash of cold cruelty passed through A Shi Na He Li’s eyes: “Good! Then this king will fulfill your wish. Men, flay his skin and hang him on the city tower – let everyone in the city see just how hard this Lieutenant General Yue’s bones really are!”
Yue Ke Wei’s face was full of hatred, then he tightly closed his eyes as two streams of hot tears flowed down: “I have wronged Great Mu, I have wronged the countless soldiers who died – my death is not enough!” Several Black Cavalry soldiers rushed in to drag him away. Yue Ke Wei suddenly turned his head and bit viciously at the hands pressing on his shoulders, actually biting off a chunk of flesh. The man beside him screamed in pain and kicked his back that was already beaten to exposed white bone, continuously striking him with a blade sheath. Though Yue Ke Wei’s mouth was full of blood, he laughed and cursed loudly: “Barbarian thieves, someone will come to collect the blood debt you’ve incurred at Pingdu Pass – just you wait, hahaha…” That voice grew more distant as he was dragged away, finally ending in a scream.
A Shi Na He Li stared somewhat dazed at the pool of blood on the ground. He had long heard that Central Plains people had iron bones difficult to tame, but witnessing it personally today still felt somewhat shocking. At this time, Zou Wu walked down to the hall, lifted his robes and knelt: “Congratulations to the Great King and Second Prince on today’s great victory! With Pingdu Pass taken, there are no more natural barriers to defend – half of Great Mu’s territory is within reach!”
Dian Yun, who had remained silent, looked down contemptuously at the person on the ground and said indifferently: “You contributed greatly to this battle – you will definitely be well rewarded in the future.”
Zou Wu rose joyfully to give thanks. This time he had secretly passed intelligence to the Black Cavalry, disguising fifty thousand conscripted miscellaneous troops as elite soldiers, then sacrificing Dian Liang to trick Xiao Du out of the pass, while instigating Yue Ke Wei to imprison the Xiao family army generals, then opening the city gates… After giving him some rewards and sending him away, A Shi Na He Li watched Zou Wu’s retreating figure with suspicious eyes and said to Dian Yun: “Tell me, can this person really be trusted?”
Dian Yun smiled contemptuously: “The Mu nation has unbreakable loyal bones, but also has such profit-seeking villains – why should the Great King worry?” He stood and walked to the door, gazing at the dense Black Cavalry camps within the pass, smiling: “Now it’s time to reward these brothers. Pass down the order – sack the city for three days. The brothers can take whatever they want.”
Once this order was passed down, cheers arose one after another from the camps. This sound startled the vultures feeding on corpses inside and outside the city walls – they cried shrilly as they flew over the Wei River and landed in Qing Province city.
Luo Yuan stood on the city wall with hands behind his back, looking worriedly at the black smoke swirling endlessly over Pingdu Pass, pondering something. Zheng Long finished settling all the soldiers and walked wearily to Luo Yuan’s side: “Scholar Luo should go rest first. We can’t think of a solution right now. I’ve already sent scouts to report to his lordship – once his lordship returns, he’ll definitely have a way to retake Pingdu Pass.”
But Luo Yuan still shook his head and sighed: “Even if Pingdu Pass can be recaptured, it won’t happen overnight. I worry whether the civilians in the city can survive.”
Thinking of the defenseless civilians in the city, Zheng Long’s heart felt like it was being cut with knives. They had once promised his lordship to defend Pingdu Pass to the death, to protect that city’s people. If not for the critical situation, how could they willingly abandon the city and flee? Thinking of those familiar faces about to face their fate, this iron-blooded man who had held on for a day finally couldn’t help but redden his eyes, roughly wiping his face.
After long contemplation, Luo Yuan finally seemed to make a decision and said to Zheng Long: “General Zheng, can you help me gather a battalion of short-blade fighters? I have something I want them to help me do.”
Luo Yuan stood before the city gate, his gaze sweeping over the armored soldiers before him. Strong winds whipped his faded blue robe as he drew the curved blade from its sheath and pointed toward Pingdu Pass, shouting loudly: “Barbarian thieves occupy our territory and oppress our people! I, Luo, want to lead a team of blade fighters to risk death infiltrating the city to rescue the civilians. Is anyone willing to go with me?”
Those soldiers looked at this seemingly frail scholar before them. His gaze was firm, his voice rang clear, and the blood-red setting sun cast a long shadow behind him like a sharp sword guarding the direction of Pingdu Pass. Many were moved by him and stepped forward one after another, shouting: “I’m willing! I’m willing!”
Luo Yuan gazed at these young and resolute faces before him, his eyes growing warm. They all understood this would be a group of men going to certain death. He forcefully thrust his sharp blade into the earth and shouted: “Good! We Great Mu men fear neither life nor death – let us enter the city together to fight for the people!”
“Wait… I want to go too!” A gentle voice came. Luo Yuan turned back in shock to see Yuanxi wearing coarse cloth clothing, holding a hastily packed bundle, urgently stepping forward: “Don’t worry, I won’t hold you back. I know a place that can hide some civilians – I’ll stay there and won’t interfere with your work. I also brought medical supplies to help treat your wounded.”
“But…” Luo Yuan frowned tightly, almost instinctively about to refuse, when Yuanxi showed a pleading expression, her eyes shining with light: “Young Master, let me go. Pingdu Pass is the place he has protected his entire life – when he’s not here, I’ll protect it for him! This is my responsibility!”