With the Seven Lodges Division joining the battle, the scales that had been tipping shifted back.
Then, a desolate rallying call rose from the distance. The Chaoli tribespeople, after a brief pause in their assault, began flowing backward like water in retreat.
Trying to run? Gu Yanxi gave a cold snort, cracking his long whip faster than before, coiling person after person and flinging them back. The other Seven Lodges Division members likewise put away their twin hooks and swords, switching to whip and bow, trying to cut off as many of the enemy’s retreating force as possible.
Without any prior signal, those flung back by the whip — even those barely clinging to life — were cut down with furious finishing blows by the Qinglius Camp soldiers. Few were left with whole corpses. Half a day of fierce battle had ignited the fire in their blood — each blow was for a fallen comrade, and for themselves, for the fortune of still being alive.
Yet a handful still managed to escape. The frightening quality of the Chaoli tribespeople lay in their absolute cold-bloodedness: in retreat, even if a companion was being cut down at their side, they would not extend a hand to help. Unshackled by emotional bonds, they fled without the slightest burden of conscience, and those left behind harbored not a trace of resentment.
In the armies of the Great Qing dynasty, people like this would never be tolerated — one could die together, but one must never flee alone. That was the unspoken creed of every soldier.
This was the difference between nations.
Gu Yanxi raised his arm and signaled — half the force gave chase.
Lu Peiyu frowned in disagreement. “Do not pursue a desperate enemy.”
Gu Yanxi offered no explanation, and looked out over the fallen around him. “I ask that General Lu immediately submit a memorial reporting the number of casualties and detailing what has occurred.”
“Regarding the Chaoli tribe’s return?”
Gu Yanxi shook his head. “The critical point is the disparity in combat strength between our dynasty and the Chaoli. The specific figures must be carefully documented, General — this is extremely important.”
Lu Peiyu was no fool, and immediately grasped his meaning. He smiled bitterly and nodded. “I have never underestimated the Chaoli, but facing them directly, I realized I had still underestimated them. An ordinary soldier is simply no match — it takes a formation of eight men to contain even one of them. And even then we cannot overpower them, merely keep from being cut apart like vegetables. My Lord, I am stationed far out here in Yuzhou, and my words carry little weight. Yet the ambitions of the Chaoli are undoubtedly vast. I can only hope that you, my Lord, can make those in the capital understand the gravity of this matter. If no strategy is devised to counter them, our dynasty… is in peril.”
“General Lu may rest assured — no one will take this lightly.”
Lu Peiyu looked at the soldiers around him wiping their eyes in grief, and his own heart grew heavy with sorrow. He had never allowed himself to grow lax — not a single training session had been skipped. Yet the men of the Qinglius Camp had been so unable to withstand the onslaught. He dared not imagine how many would survive a single sweep through those garrison troops far more relaxed than the Qinglius Camp.
“I ask General Lu to prepare some rations. We must set out at once. Until a new appointment arrives, I ask that General Lu temporarily oversee Yuzhou.”
“This subordinate obeys.” Lu Peiyu looked up at the sky. “It is nearly dark, however, and the Chaoli will certainly not rest content after this. Setting out now — is it not too dangerous?”
“If they launch another night attack on the Qinglius Camp, the camp cannot bear the consequences.” Gu Yanxi was blunt. He turned and gave the order: “Have everyone prepare. We depart in half an hour.”
“Yes.”
Lu Peiyu immediately called someone over and issued the instructions. A deputy general was standing to one side, waiting to report — he excused himself to Gu Yanxi and returned to the command tent.
Chen Qing said quietly, “Master, that Hao Yue…”
“No need to concern yourself. Tell the Third Division to press on with interrogating Yuan Shifang. We don’t have much time — make the most of it.”
“Yes.”
Under ordinary circumstances, traveling at night carried many inconveniences and dangers. Yet for the Seven Lodges Division at this juncture, it was precisely the most advantageous course. Their numbers were small — only by moving hidden in the darkness could they maximize their combat effectiveness, and they could also confound the enemy. As long as the Chaoli tribe was kept uncertain and cautious, they could buy more time for reinforcements to arrive.
They only needed to hold through this one night. By morning, reinforcements should arrive.
But everyone knew this one night would be anything but easy. From the earlier situation, the Chaoli clearly understood the Great Qing dynasty’s movements far better than the dynasty understood theirs — with Yuan Shifang as an informant, they likely held copies of maps covering half the dynasty’s territory. They would certainly have calculated when reinforcements would arrive. Given how critical Yuan Shifang was, they would without doubt press their attack in full force through the night.
And yet even so, there was only one choice — fight!
In the darkness, the Seven Lodges Division rode at full gallop along the official road, the rapid beat of hooves striking the earth in rapid succession. Everyone who heard them pass felt their hearts seize with tension.
Yuan Shifang traveled with Gu Yanxi himself. Lin Ying, carrying both of them, still ran at the very front.
When the heavy drumming of hooves rose from behind, Gu Yanxi looked back, drew out a medicinal pill, pressed it into the unconscious Yuan Shiwen’s mouth, then flung the man into the arms of the nearest rider. “Keep riding forward. Do not stop. If anything changes, leave a marker.”
“Yes.”
After riding a little further, Gu Yanxi vaulted down from his horse. Once all Seven Lodges Division members had dismounted, he let out a whistle — Lin Ying reared up on its hind legs, gave a long cry, and led all the horses galloping away into the distance.
Gu Yanxi drew his slender long sword. The Seven Lodges Division members, in wordless understanding, drew sword or gripped long whip — half and half — and braced themselves.
The hoofbeats grew closer and closer. When the enemy came into sight, Gu Yanxi raised his sword toward the sky. “Fight!”
“Fight!” With that single resolute cry, the group moved like ghosts toward the oncoming horses. Gu Yanxi charged at the front — just as he was about to reach the horses, he launched himself into the air, one stroke of his sword toppling a rider. Chen Qing followed directly on his heels, coiling the whip around someone who was attacking the Shizi from the side and slamming them into the ground — skull shattered instantly. The others were a fraction of a second behind, but every single one of them had already claimed their target. In the moment before the enemy could react, they had already reaped a first harvest.
The Chaoli tribespeople were raised on horseback from birth and were rarely matched in equestrian skill. But this was not the open steppe — on the crowded official road, launching a cavalry charge was simply not possible. This very terrain became the thing that constrained them.
They reacted swiftly — immediately dismounting, drawing the long blades unique to their people, and surging forward into close-quarters struggle with the Seven Lodges Division.
From time to time someone fell — from the Seven Lodges Division, or from the Chaoli tribe.
The martial strength of the Seven Lodges Division was acknowledged throughout the Great Qing dynasty as its finest. But against the Chaoli, they held only a slight advantage — and this was the dynasty’s highest level of combat. The Chaoli were performing at their average standard. If not for the fact that the Chaoli, by their very nature, were incapable of forming coordinated battle formations, the Great Qing dynasty would not have had a single chance.
The more Gu Yanxi fought, the more clearly he perceived the gap between the two nations — and the more decisively lethal each strike became. Against enemies like these, every one left alive would cost the Great Qing dynasty more than ten of its own men!
The Chaoli’s ferocity met the Seven Lodges Division’s ruthlessness — and in the end, the Seven Lodges Division gained the upper hand. Realizing they could not prevail, the Chaoli chose to withdraw.
“Master — eight… dead.”
This was the greatest loss the Seven Lodges Division had sustained in years. Chen Qing was overcome with anguish. The Seven Lodges Division had always been one solid unit — training together, carrying out missions together for so many years, their bonds running no less deep than brothers by blood. And now, nine of those brothers were gone.
Gu Yanxi closed his eyes for a moment. “The Chaoli?”
“Seventeen.”
“Rest for a quarter of an hour.”
“Yes.” Chen Qing rubbed his face. In that quarter of an hour, their leader was giving them time to retrieve their brothers’ bodies. They could not take them now — only after Yuan Shifang had been delivered to the capital could they return for them.