The next day, Xiao Li led the Wolf Cavalry toward Heng Lake, passing through an oasis to let the horses drink water and rest temporarily.
As the soldiers fetched water at the water source, they noticed the sand and stones on the shore trembling slightly.
Xiao Li’s eyes changed slightly as he raised them toward the high slope.
A scout on alert duty rushed back urgently to report: “Lord Marquis, a Chen army unit is heading this way. It looks like they’re pursuing someone.”
Xiao Li made a gesture, and the elite among the Wolf Cavalry followed him to lie low on the high slope above the oasis.
The terrain there was elevated, perfect for observing the distant situation in the desert.
Before long, they saw several riders dressed as tribespeople galloping urgently in this direction. Behind them, a cavalry unit in armor flew the “Chen” character banner, chasing while shooting arrows at those riders.
Among those riders, a man who could still shoot arrows in return soon took a stray arrow and fell from his horse.
The few riders running ahead were all women and children. Seeing this, they couldn’t help but turn back and call out urgently in grief. They should have been speaking their local tribal language—Xiao Li couldn’t understand.
But the man who had fallen from his horse, as if enraged to the extreme, roared at the pursuing cavalry behind in somewhat halting official speech: “Your Chen Kingdom’s Princess Zhenguo doesn’t keep her word! Just half a month ago, she sent an envoy to form an alliance with our Bashye tribe!”
The cavalry lieutenant on horseback wore a mocking, playful expression. Without answering, he merely drew three fingers to the bowstring and released another arrow at the man.
The man who had fallen from his horse knew that today he could not escape death. Seeing the arrow already flying toward him, he was too angry to even close his eyes and accept his fate.
So when the sound of wind breaking came to his ears, he watched as the sharp arrow meant to take his life was struck and broken by an arrow shot from behind. That arrow continued with undiminished force, embedding deeply into the sand.
This sudden turn of events made both the man and the cavalry unit flying the “Chen” character banner look toward the rear high slope.
Under the blazing sun, they could only see a group of silhouettes on horseback standing at the slope’s peak like dark rocks and tall trees. The leader held a black iron great bow, larger than an ordinary bow—clearly the previous arrow had been shot by him.
The man below and his family members, as if seeing saviors, hurriedly called out for help to those above.
The man’s wife and children, having fallen from their horses in their urgency, didn’t care about that. They knelt directly on the sand and continuously bowed to Xiao Li’s group, begging for something through tears in their tribal language.
Xiao Li put away his bow. His cold, heavy voice carried through the wind: “Go back and tell your princess that I’m protecting these people.”
The cavalry lieutenant squinted as he assessed Xiao Li and his group appearing on the high slope. Seeing they numbered only a dozen or so riders, he pointed his weapon at Xiao Li: “What petty scoundrels dare obstruct us from executing military duties!”
Most people within Chen Kingdom territory were also commoners who had migrated from the Central Plains in earlier years. Chen Kingdom’s official speech was no different from Liang territory’s official speech.
But the official speech that lieutenant spoke was clearly quite halting and awkward. Xiao Li couldn’t help frowning.
Seeing Xiao Li remain silent, the lieutenant assumed that his side’s superior numbers had already intimidated Xiao Li. He quietly issued some order, and the cavalry following him split into two groups—one continued pursuing the man to kill him, while the other charged toward Xiao Li’s group on the high slope.
When the cavalry below spurred their horses forward with shouts, the sounds they made were also rather strange. Zhao Youcai, mounted beside Xiao Li, said oddly: “That Chen army unit in Liang territory looks no different from us Great Liang people. Why does this Chen army unit make such strange yells when riding horses?”
The cavalry charging at the forefront were already shooting arrows at them from horseback. Getting closer, Xiao Li saw clearly that all these people drew their bows with three fingers to the string.
He rubbed the black iron thumb ring used for drawing his bow, his eyes growing somber as he said: “They’re a pack of rats in disguise. Take them down!”
Both Zhao Youcai and Zheng Hu’s expressions changed.
When the Wolf Cavalry leaped from the high slope with Xiao Li, they were truly like a pack of hunting wolves.
The arrows hastily shot from horseback by the fake Chen army below were all deflected beneath the horses by Xiao Li and the Wolf Cavalry. Getting close, bows and arrows were no longer useful.
The two groups of riders collided like two torrents. The Miao saber in Xiao Li’s hand dripped blood. Wherever he passed, the fake Chen soldiers trying to charge up the slope were all thrown from their horses. He finally even used the Miao saber to press against countless hooked spears, forcing the opposing cavalry to retreat, both riders and horses.
The Wolf Cavalry still drinking water and resting at the oasis heard the sounds of battle and rode over from the other side of the high slope.
The lieutenant who had originally tried to take the tribal man’s life saw the situation turning unfavorable. No longer bothering with halting Chen Kingdom official speech, he urgently shouted something and retreated.
For a moment, cavalry wearing Chen army armor fled across the sandy road. The Wolf Cavalry, like wolves hunting in this wasteland, rode from the sandy high slopes in pursuit, shooting arrows and encircling them to death.
After fleeing for some distance, the lieutenant saw two more Wolf Cavalry charge down from the high slope ahead to block him. He quickly drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and shot one Wolf Cavalry member from his horse before viciously digging his heels into his horse’s belly and charging toward that gap.
But sharp arrows came whistling through the wind from behind again.
The lieutenant crouched as low as possible on his horse. Looking back over his shoulder from horseback, an arrow nearly grazed his scalp. Before he could recover from the eerie feeling of having hair seemingly shaved off, his war horse neighed and collapsed to the ground.
—The horse’s leg had also been hit by an arrow.
After falling to the ground and rolling several times, the lieutenant heard horse hooves converging from all directions. Desperately, he scrambled up and continued fleeing.
Another arrow flew from behind, striking his calf directly.
The lieutenant cried out in pain and fell. He still tried to crawl across the sand using his hands, but Wolf Cavalry from front and back had completely surrounded him.
His face showed terror and unwillingness.
Surveying his surroundings, he saw the Wolf Cavalry behind part to make a path wide enough for two to pass. The man who had shot arrows at him earlier slowly rode closer.
From his superior position, the man surveyed him—deep features, unexpectedly handsome appearance, but that commanding presence throughout his body was enough to make people overlook whatever face he had.
“Who are you? Why are you impersonating Chen army?” The man spoke coldly.
The lieutenant only clutched his leg and moaned in pain, making sounds no one could understand.
Xiao Li called: “Old Tiger.”
Zheng Hu directly stepped forward. He signaled two Wolf Cavalry to hold the man down, then drew his dagger and stabbed another wound into the lieutenant’s thigh.
The lieutenant instantly let out another scream. His eyes nearly bloodshot from struggling, yet he still couldn’t break free from the Wolf Cavalry’s grip. Blood gushed from his thigh like a fountain, staining a large area of sand below red. He gasped heavily for breath.
Vultures cried out as they flew across the sky.
On horseback, Xiao Li’s index finger tapped and rotated the black iron thumb ring, saying indifferently: “If you still refuse to speak, after stabbing a few more holes, we’ll bind you and hang you from a tree. After the blood drains, we’ll feed you to the vultures.”
Zheng Hu readily responded: “Alright!”
He raised his dagger to continue stabbing the lieutenant. The man clearly determined that Xiao Li’s words weren’t merely threatening him. Finally, in halting official speech, he spoke: “I’ll talk… I’ll talk…”
—
When Xiao Li returned to the shade of trees by the oasis, his expression was especially cold and murderous.
The lieutenant’s confession still echoed in his ears.
“We are… are Xiling army. Massacring the Bashye tribe—the higher-ups received intelligence from a plant in the Chen royal court that Hanyang wanted to unite with surrounding tribes to jointly resist Xiling. We were specially ordered to disguise ourselves as Chen army to slaughter these tribes and dissolve their alliance.”
“Seeing that the hero is also not allied with Chen Kingdom, why not spare us?”
He had asked: “Chen Kingdom has Great Liang as a thick shield behind it. Even if you Xiling sow discord between Chen Kingdom and these tribes, what chance do you have of conquering Chen Kingdom?”
“Hero doesn’t know—although that Princess Hanyang currently controls Chen Kingdom’s government, as soon as she gives birth to a Crown Prince, the royal court ministers will join forces to eliminate her and enthrone the Crown Prince. Then both Chen Kingdom and Great Liang will be in great chaos—the perfect opportunity for our Xiling to invade. By controlling the Crown Prince, we can command both Liang and Chen Kingdoms. Right now, the royal court ministers are busy pressuring Princess Hanyang, making her conceive an heir again as soon as possible!”
His voice had turned ice-cold: “You have people among the royal court ministers?”
The lieutenant had shrunk back and nodded.
He had asked: “Who?”
The lieutenant wore a troubled expression: “This… our military ranks are lowly. We truly don’t know.”
He had spoken coldly: “It sounds like you also had no need to massacre these tribes that established relations with Chen Kingdom.”
Afraid he’d think he was lying, the other party hastily explained: “The higher-ups fear that if the fighting continues, Princess Hanyang will first retreat to Great Liang. That’s why they want to clear the route directly to Hundred Blade Pass. When Princess Hanyang sets out to return to Liang territory, our Xiling army can march through these tribal territories around Chen Kingdom and abduct her.”
“They all say Princess Hanyang is Great Liang’s foremost beauty. Without a Crown Prince to command both kingdoms, after conquering Chen Kingdom, if Princess Hanyang enters our Xiling as an Imperial Consort, when our Xiling Majesty attacks Great Liang, won’t there be less resistance?”
That lieutenant had ended up as a corpse hanging upside down from a tree.
Footsteps approached from the side. Xiao Li gathered all his thoughts and looked sideways. Those murderous eyes not yet calmed frightened the tribal chieftain limping toward him, making him instinctively retreat a step.
Remembering his purpose for coming, he endured that terror approaching an enraged wild beast and knelt before Xiao Li. Using halting official speech while gesturing, he said: “Princess Hanyang is our tribe’s benefactor. Wolves have appeared around her. We must help the Princess.”
He spoke with some difficulty. After gesturing, he kowtowed to Xiao Li: “I beseech our benefactor to send someone to the royal court with a message to warn the Princess.”
“I will rush to other tribes with the message, telling them to be vigilant against Xiling wolves disguised as Chen army.”
The not-so-lush branches cast shadows under the sun that concealed Xiao Li’s brow and eyes. His voice revealed no emotion: “You’re all so devoted to her?”
The man said: “Yes. The Princess gave our tribe new life and hope.”
Formerly, their tribe had always suffered Xiling’s oppression. Even the few oases suitable for habitation were frequently seized by Xiling, who even forced them to periodically invade Chen Kingdom.
Chen Kingdom had always sent troops to counterattack them. This stalemate continued for years until after Wen Yu came to power. Setting aside past grievances, she opened trade with them, allowing them to barter, making survival no longer as difficult as before. No longer forced by Xiling to plunder Chen Kingdom’s border resources, they gradually broke free from Xiling’s control.
So half a month ago when Chen Kingdom’s envoy visited asking them to submit to Chen Kingdom, he agreed without thinking.
This massacre by Xiling army was because they had disguised themselves as Chen army. His people initially had no defenses, even preparing fine wine and food to entertain them. Who could have expected it would result in the slaughter of their entire tribe?
Not knowing the truth, he had been extremely angry. Now knowing that Wen Yu was also deeply trapped in a predicament, they would certainly do everything possible to help this Great Liang princess who had shown their tribe kindness.
Xiao Li’s long eyes lowered slightly. Though the pressure around him made breathing somewhat difficult, he seemed to smile, saying: “Didn’t she invite your tribe to attend her daughter’s hundred-day celebration? How about I take you into the royal court to protect her safety?”