The sixteen-year-old young general Gao Zhen charged back alone toward the battlefield.

In the moment he turned south, he gave no thought to whether he feared death or not — only that he had to go and repay his debt of gratitude.

In his eyes, without Luo Jing there would be no version of himself that existed today. Luo Jing had given him a new identity and allowed his whole family to live well — even the entire village had come to live well because of this. That kind of grace was worth repaying with one’s life.

In the eyes of a young man like Gao Zhen, the world held no “should” or “shouldn’t.”

Only “dare” or “don’t dare,” and “do” or “don’t do.”

“Should and shouldn’t” was the kind of thing middle-aged people mulled over. The older you got, the more of that mulling you did.

It was precisely because he thought about it less that he had a chestful of reckless courage.

This battle would forge Gao Zhen’s name.

He charged back to the battlefield alone, on one horse. By then the Anyang army’s various camps in the north had already collapsed.

Gao Zhen rallied routed soldiers as he went, stopping to ask the whereabouts of the King of Ji wherever he could.

He started out alone — and after two shichen of fighting, he had rescued several thousand men.

Named generals in Prince Wu’s forces, from those of the fifth rank to those of the fourth rank — counting them up, he had single-handedly cut down over a dozen of them.

So much so that Prince Wu himself, busy directing the containment of Luo Jing, heard this name and was compelled to detach forces to block him.

Without Gao Zhen’s return strike, the scattered Anyang forces in the north would have fled, been captured, or been killed.

On his own strength alone, by midday he had gathered together a force of nearly ten thousand men.

On the northern part of the battlefield, Prince Wu’s forces could not hold the line wherever they encountered Gao Zhen.

For one thing, Gao Zhen’s martial skills were genuinely formidable, and moreover he had no fear of death. A young man like this, once his mind was set on dying if need be, stopped thinking of anything else — and in this way actually seemed to move with divine aid, entering formations as though there were no one there.

For another, Prince Wu’s main forces were almost entirely occupied with surrounding Luo Jing, so the forces left behind in the north to mop up the Anyang army were not numerous.

It was precisely because of Gao Zhen’s force that Luo Jing’s troops attempting a northern breakout had support waiting to receive them.

On the battlefield itself, Luo Jing was something close to an unstoppable force — yet he was still only one man, however brave. What could one man’s valor do against a situation completely lost?

He had no choice but to lead his elite Tiger-Leopard Cavalry in a northern breakout — only to be repeatedly blocked by Prince Wu, who commanded from an elevated position and kept redirecting forces wherever Luo Jing’s men advanced.

Prince Wu directed from the high ground: wherever he saw Luo Jing’s forces heading, he pointed the great banner in that direction. And so the Dachu forces closed in layer upon layer, and Luo Jing charged left and right, still unable to break free of the trap.

Just as the Dachu forces were on the verge of completing the encirclement, Gao Zhen arrived with his force.

Gao Zhen saw that the Dachu forces were densely packed in that area and all their movements pointed to the same location — he guessed the King of Ji must be there.

And so, after fighting through an entire night and half a day, he launched yet another charge.

Luo Jing at that moment was like a fierce tiger cornered by countless hunters — everywhere he charged was still an ocean of men, and though none could withstand him, he seemed mired in mud, unable to break free no matter how he fought.

Gao Zhen, on the other hand, had fixed on a single direction and cut through relentlessly — and since the Dachu forces had not specifically concentrated against him, he managed to carve out a path through.

Luo Jing saw the northern line cut open by someone breaking through, and his spirits surged. He led his forces to meet them.

After linking up with Luo Jing, Gao Zhen immediately turned back the way he came and fought his way through.

These two men — one with a lance, one with a spear — opened the way like two ferocious tigers charging side by side.

Watching helplessly as Luo Jing was pulled out to safety, Prince Wu, in a surge of fury, dashed his spyglass to the ground.

Prince Wu called out loudly: “If this battle does not kill Luo Jing, it will be far harder to kill him in the future!”

And so Prince Wu personally led his forces in pursuit.

The battlefield was a full hundred li from the Nanping River. Luo Jing and Gao Zhen, with their battered remnants, drove hard toward the north.

When they were nearly at the south bank of the Nanping River and still saw no relief forces, Luo Jing understood — the garrison left in Anyang had harbored treacherous intent.

Gao Zhen had earlier sent men back to fetch reinforcements. By any reckoning, there had been more than enough time.

Yet now they were already almost at the Nanping River, and there was not a single soldier or horse to be seen from Anyang’s direction.

Luo Jing erupted in fury. He told Gao Zhen that if he could cross the river and get back, he would make sure those treacherous small men understood what price they would pay.

But just as they were approaching the Nanping River, less than twenty li from the bank, Prince Wu personally led his great army to overtake them.

Prince Wu’s most fearsome troops — his cavalry — had by now caught up. And the Left Imperial Guard’s cavalry, among all the Dachu garrison cavalry forces, had to rank first.

With less than twenty li left to the river, their forces were caught again from behind. Luo Jing understood how dire this was.

If they didn’t turn and fight, the Left Imperial Guard cavalry would cling to the rear of his formation and cut them down from behind. Every soldier who had ever served knew what it meant to completely expose your back to the enemy.

But if they turned to fight, they would quickly be surrounded by Prince Wu’s forces.

On one side: death. On the other side: also death.

Left with no other option, Luo Jing could only send men back again to call for reinforcements — he had tens of thousands of troops in garrison at Anyang, and if they could be brought in time, there was still a chance.

Gao Zhen offered to hold back Prince Wu’s pursuing forces, asking Luo Jing to go back personally — but by this point Gao Zhen was nearly spent and could barely hold on.

Luo Jing’s most trusted man, Luo Zhijie, immediately volunteered, leading the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry as the rearguard.

Luo Zhijie said to Luo Jing: “Young general, only if you go back personally will the men in Anyang be afraid. Seeing you return will shake their nerve and they won’t dare defy you. If you send someone else, I’m afraid they’ll be like the men General Gao sent back earlier — unable to bring any reinforcements at all.”

Luo Jing shook his head: “You go instead. You are entirely capable of speaking for me — bring the reinforcements back and then come for me.”

Luo Zhijie shook his head: “Young general, please stop arguing. Go quickly and come back quickly — I’ll hold the pursuit. It would be the better plan for you to come back and retrieve me.”

He turned and called out: “Tiger-Leopard Cavalry — follow me back to stop the pursuing forces and buy time for the young general!”

The Tiger-Leopard Cavalry immediately wheeled their horses around and rode back with Luo Zhijie to engage.

With no other choice, Luo Jing and Gao Zhen led their small remaining force in a push back north.

But they had barely covered two or three li when, from a forest ahead, ambushing troops burst out.

As it turned out, Prince Wu had long since stationed a force in ambush here. They had been lying in wait for more than a month.

This unit had been in place before Luo Jing’s army ever forced the crossing of the Nanping River.

Per Prince Wu’s instructions, this unit was not to move no matter what happened in the battle. Whenever they saw Luo Jing fleeing in defeat, they were to intercept at this very spot.

Unless they saw Luo Jing broken and in retreat — or unless new orders came from Prince Wu — they were absolutely not to stir. This was a standing order.

This unit had long been unable to contain themselves. For over a month they had remained concealed here. The impatience they felt can only be imagined.

Now, seeing Luo Jing truly in retreat, their morale surged. Over ten thousand men came bursting out and completely sealed off Luo Jing’s escape route.

With no alternative, Luo Jing could only fight while retreating alongside Gao Zhen, falling back to link up with Luo Zhijie again.

—

Among the Dachu forces.

Prince Wu raised his spyglass and studied the battle ahead, his expression still stern.

“The Tiger-Leopard Cavalry that Luo Jing trained is truly remarkable.”

He spoke as he watched: “It must be said — there are few men in the present age who can rival Luo Jing. As a martial artist, he has virtually no equal; across the battlefield, there is not a man who can blunt his edge. As a trainer of soldiers, he produced the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry — the sharpest light cavalry in the land — and there are few who can match that either. A man like this, if he does not die today, the threat he poses in the future will far surpass whatever trouble he causes today.”

One of his subordinate generals said: “From the flags, Luo Jing is still among the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry. It seems he sent others north to seek reinforcements.”

Prince Wu shook his head: “The Tiger-Leopard Cavalry is still the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry — but in my eyes, their fighting edge is far diminished.”

He spurred his horse forward: “Let’s get closer.”

His subordinates immediately cautioned him — the fighting ahead was fierce, and moving closer would be dangerous.

Prince Wu showed displeasure and demanded: “Should a commanding general be afraid of the battlefield?”

And so led his people forward.

From outside the battle lines, Prince Wu raised his spyglass once more and studied the scene, then said after a moment: “Just as I thought — the one leading the force is not Luo Jing.”

He turned to give orders: “Move my personal command force back ten li and set up ambushes on both sides of the main road. Leave only the personal guard battalion here, and raise my command banner high.”

Prince Wu’s expression was calm, but his eyes brimmed with absolute confidence: “First destroy Luo Jing’s Tiger-Leopard Cavalry, then destroy Luo Jing himself… a pity for these elites — after this, the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry will exist no more in this world.”

At his command, the main forces under his direct command withdrew, leaving only a thousand-odd personal guard troops behind him.

“Bring the war drums forward.”

Prince Wu said: “Beat them loud.”

Not long after, Luo Zhijie, who had been leading the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry in battle, suddenly heard the sound of war drums.

He looked toward it — and saw Prince Wu’s command banner at a glance.

“All officers, follow me! Strike at that old villain’s central command — he has few men with him and he’s directing from the rear. Shatter his central command and the Dachu forces’ direction will fall into chaos — it may be our chance to turn defeat into victory!”

The moment Luo Zhijie spotted Prince Wu with only about a thousand men around him, and saw the Dachu forces all around moving in response to the war drums — he made his judgment instantly.

“Tiger-Leopard Cavalry! Follow me through!”

Luo Zhijie took the lead.

Seeing the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry charging toward him, Prince Wu smiled faintly and said: “The men under Luo Jing are as reckless as Luo Jing himself. What a pity that this is not Luo Jing leading in person — or he too would have died at this very moment.”

He waved a hand: “Let’s go.”

He wheeled his horse and withdrew with the personal guard battalion.

Luo Zhijie saw Prince Wu in flight — how could he let him go?

An opportunity like this placed before one’s eyes — even Luo Jing himself, if he were here, would have made the same choice.

The Tiger-Leopard Cavalry pursued without relenting. After pursuing for a stretch, Prince Wu’s force was right ahead of them, and Luo Zhijie cried out: “Kill that old villain!”

But at that moment, ambushes rose on all sides — the forces Prince Wu had ordered to withdraw earlier had been positioned in ambush on the high slopes to both sides.

Arrows fell from the sky in a downpour, and the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry suffered heavy casualties on the spot. Light cavalry, in order to maximize speed, had to minimize load — which meant their armor was thin and offered little protection. The best way to counter a light cavalry charge was an arrow barrage.

Arrows pouring in from the high slopes on both sides — dense enough to make the scalp tingle.

The Dachu infantry following behind cut off the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry’s retreat, while Prince Wu himself led forces from the front to block them.

The Tiger-Leopard Cavalry was pinned in place — unable to advance, unable to retreat.

The Dachu forces loosed arrows in a relentless barrage. A peerless light cavalry that had dominated Jizhou without meeting a worthy opponent was slaughtered alive in that spot.

Luo Zhijie, with only a hundred-odd men around him, had no chance of breaking through.

“Tiger-Leopard Cavalry!”

Luo Zhijie’s eyes were almost bleeding. He stared at Prince Wu in the distance — separated by such a great span — yet it seemed he could even see the satisfied expression on Prince Wu’s face.

“Charge the formation!”

Luo Zhijie roared one final time and, with those last hundred-odd men, launched a final charge.

In the moment Luo Jing and Gao Zhen came fighting back, they saw Luo Zhijie leading the last remnant of the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry in their charge.

And Luo Jing watched with his own eyes as Luo Zhijie was speared through by Prince Wu.

That white-haired old commander — the valor of ten thousand men still in him.

Prince Wu hoisted Luo Zhijie aloft on his lance and held him high.

“Ahh!”

At the instant Luo Jing saw Luo Zhijie run through, he unleashed a howl that seemed capable of tearing the sky asunder.

Prince Wu, with Luo Zhijie’s body raised on the lance, slowly turned to face the direction where Luo Jing’s forces stood.

In that moment, Luo Jing felt his heart and guts splinter.

—