“I’ll lead a rescue party!” Cold Haoyu said anxiously.
Ye Li turned her head, looking at him calmly. “Rescue? Sacrifice fifty thousand to save five hundred?”
Cold Haoyu fell silent, feeling a chill in his heart, but even more so shame and guilt. The Qilin unit was personally established and trained by Ye Li. Although the Princess Consort could command the entire Mo Family Army, Ye Li had always been very measured and rarely interfered with the affairs of the Mo Family Army and Black Cloud Cavalry. The Qilin unit could be said to be personally created by the Princess Consort and most loyal to her. If it wasn’t necessary, how could someone of the Princess’s character knowingly send these men to certain deaths?
In war, those who serve as commanders are destined to bear burdens that ordinary people cannot. Her every word and action could determine the life and death of thousands of soldiers. At such times, decisions become crucial. The choices made could affect the outcome of a battle or even a nation’s fate. Hence the saying: “The merciful cannot command armies, the righteous cannot manage finances.” Ye Li had already become a qualified commander. Such choices might seem cruel, but there was no alternative.
“The Princess shows great righteousness,” Elder General Yuan Pei said softly, watching the dark shadows in the distance being engulfed by the Western Ling army.
A faint smile curved Ye Li’s lips as she sighed quietly, “One general’s success is built upon ten thousand bones…” A clear teardrop silently fell from her beautiful eyes, disappearing in an instant.
“One general’s success is built upon ten thousand bones…” Cold Haoyu murmured, then suddenly let out a long cry and leaped down from the city wall, charging into the chaotic battlefield. “Kill! Defend Flying Swan Pass to the death!” Several more figures quickly dropped from the city wall, joining the fray. Only Yuan Pei, Ye Li, and Zhuo Jing remained on the wall.
The five hundred Qilin warriors were submerged within moments among the hundreds of thousands of Western Ling troops, vanishing without a trace. A sharp whistling sound came from the black-clad Qilin warriors who were engaged in close combat with the Golden Guards. After the last Golden Guard fell to their blades, all the Qilin warriors simultaneously saluted Ye Li with their right hands at chest level—a salute unique to the Qilin unit—then charged as one toward where their five hundred comrades had disappeared. The mission their comrades couldn’t complete would be continued by them.
On the battlefield, an even larger black arrow of troops shot toward the rear of the Western Ling army with lightning speed. Seeing their movement, someone among the Mo Family Army and Black Cloud Cavalry below the city wall suddenly shouted, “Black Cloud Cavalry! Clear a path for our Qilin brothers!”
“Mo Family Army! Charge!”
Countless white-clad cavalry and infantry began charging into the Western Ling army with one mind. The Black Cloud Cavalry’s iron riders swept through like a white tornado, opening a path for the Qilin unit following behind. The Mo Family infantry immediately followed, engaging in fierce combat with the scattered Western Ling soldiers. At this moment, it was no longer simply about defending the city. Originally, the attack was the best defense. But the Mo Family Army and Western Ling forces had too great a difference in numbers, so they could only defend stubbornly. But when everyone fought with blood-red eyes, no one cared about defense or attack anymore. In their eyes was only one thought—death to the enemy! If I cannot live, you must die with me!
At this time, those watching from afar would see a strange sight. The all-white Mo Family Army and Black Cloud Cavalry protected a small group of black-clad Qilin warriors as they charged through the Western Ling army, pressing straight toward where the commander’s banner and royal flag stood at the rear, unstoppable in their advance. No one paid attention to the increasing numbers of Western Ling troops behind them, nor the increasingly difficult path forward. As long as they had breath remaining, they would continue forward.
“These people have gone mad!” At the rear of the Western Ling army, Lei Tengfeng watched the now-chaotic battlefield with shock and fury. Who could have imagined that in such face-to-face combat, the Western Ling army of several hundred thousand would be suppressed in morale by the Mo Family Army of less than two hundred thousand? No matter what, Western Ling had already lost this battle today. Morale was such a thing—when strong they were weak, when weak they were strong. Once suppressed in spirit, the Western Ling army would likely be unable to break through Flying Swan Pass in this battle no matter what.
Lei Zhenting let out a soft breath and said gravely, “Mo Family Army… Black Cloud Cavalry… Qilin… truly worthy of their reputation as elite troops renowned throughout the world…”
“Father King, you should retreat first,” Lei Tengfeng said worriedly.
Lei Zhenting shook his head, “No, this time we must eliminate the Qilin unit and Black Cloud Cavalry! Beat the drums!”
Lei Tengfeng had no choice but to order the drums beaten. Earth-shaking drum beats rose over the battlefield. The Western Ling soldiers all stirred—the Mo Family Army’s sudden frenzied assault had caused momentary panic and disrupted their formation. Only now did they come to their senses, immediately charging forward again to engage the Mo Family Army.
On the city wall of Flying Swan Pass, Ye Li stood before massive war drums that were taller than a person. Taking up the two drumsticks placed beside them, she struck down heavily.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!” The drumbeats grew increasingly dense, quickly drowning out the Western Ling army’s war drums. Many people hurriedly looked back to see a slender white-clad woman on the high city wall, wielding drumsticks to beat the massive drums. Each strike seemed to land on everyone’s hearts, with echoes of clashing weapons hidden within the drumbeats.
“Thank you, brothers! Qilin unit, move!” In the chaos, Qin Feng at the very front called out. Beside him, Lin Han and Wei Lin leaped up simultaneously. The Qilin unit, originally sandwiched between the Black Cloud Cavalry and Mo Family Army, split into three groups, advancing toward the rear of the Western Ling army at an even faster pace than before. The Black Cloud Cavalry and Mo Family soldiers had already completed their mission—going any further would truly mean no return.
The Black Cloud Cavalry commander cut down a Western Ling soldier attempting to ambush them, then silently wished the departing Qilin warriors safety. Raising his long sword, he shouted, “Return to defend Flying Swan Pass!”
Once again the Black Cloud Cavalry cleared the way as the remaining troops charged back toward the outer edges of the Western Ling army.
Qin Feng, Lin Han, and Wei Lin each led a group of Qilin warriors toward Lei Zhenting’s position. People kept falling in battle along the way, but no one had time to tend to them. Everyone’s black clothes were almost completely soaked in blood. They resembled a group of demons from hell, causing many Western Ling soldiers to instinctively want to retreat before even facing them, though they quickly became spirits under the blade.
The Qilin unit, originally over a thousand strong, had less than three hundred men by the time they approached the rear of the Western Ling army. But these remaining three hundred had struck terror into all the Western Ling soldiers’ hearts. Qin Feng made a hand signal to Lin Han and Wei Lin, who both nodded. Just as the Western Ling forces thought these three hundred men would fight to the death to assassinate the Southern Marquis and began to tighten their defenses, Qin Feng continued leading his men forward toward where the Southern Marquis and Lei Tengfeng were, while Lin Han and Wei Lin charged left and right toward the positions of the two commanding generals holding those flanks.
“Not good!” Lei Tengfeng cried out, “Quick, loose arrows! Show no mercy!”
But his realization came too late—before the arrows could be fired, the black-clad Qilin warriors had already charged into their ranks. From afar, Lei Tengfeng saw Lin Han flash him a mocking smile, while simultaneously Lin Han’s sword took the head of the left flank general.
Lei Zhenting’s face turned ashen. Several hundred thousand men couldn’t stop just over a thousand… “Sound the gongs for retreat!” Even though Lei Zhenting was extremely unwilling to admit it, Western Ling had lost this battle. They lost not just the tactical advantage and military achievement, but also the Western Ling soldiers’ fighting spirit. From now on, unless Western Ling could achieve equally or more impressive victories against the Mo Family Army, the Mo Family Army would become a nightmare in the hearts of all Western Ling soldiers.
In this battle, no one won.
Lei Zhenting’s plan to take Flying Swan Pass as quickly as possible was shattered. The Western Ling soldiers’ morale had plummeted, the Golden Guards were destroyed, two Western Ling generals were killed in battle, and five deputy generals were slain. The Mo Family Army had once again defended Flying Swan Pass, but their army of less than two hundred thousand had lost half its numbers. Of the Qilin unit, claimed to be the Mo Family Army’s strongest fighting force, less than a hundred returned—five of six squad leaders died in battle and one was severely wounded. Qin Feng and Wei Lin were lightly wounded, and Lin Han was severely wounded.
However, this battle truly established the Qilin unit’s reputation. According to Western Ling’s later statistics, in this battle alone over twenty-seven thousand Western Ling troops died directly at the hands of the Qilin unit. This included five thousand elite Golden Guards and over seventy officers ranked colonel or higher. Western Ling’s officer corps could be said to have suffered massive casualties. Previously, the Qilin unit’s reputation centered more on ambush, assassination, intelligence gathering, and other covert operations. This battle truly showed the world that an army worth ten times its number was no legend. In face-to-face battlefield combat, the thousand-strong Qilin unit was capable of destroying twenty thousand Western Ling elite troops. From this point on, people called them the “Blood Qilin.”
After this battle, both sides suffered heavy losses and had to temporarily cease fighting. The battlefield outside Flying Swan Pass returned to its previous silence, but the thick smell of blood in the air lingered for a long time.
Outside a small courtyard within Flying Swan Pass, Ye Li stood before the main gate, hesitating to enter. Qin Feng stood beside her, quietly asking with concern, “Princess, should you return to rest first?” Everyone was exhausted in body and spirit after today’s battle, and the Princess hadn’t properly rested for days. Ye Li shook her head and asked, “Has Little Treasure been sent away?”
Qin Feng nodded, “He was sent this morning. This subordinate estimates the young master should reach Crystal City by tomorrow morning at the latest.”
Ye Li nodded, “That’s good. You stay here, I’ll go in to see them.” This was just an unremarkable small courtyard, originally quarters for soldiers guarding Flying Swan Pass. Now it housed the surviving Qilin warriors who had just returned from the battlefield.
Entering the courtyard, she saw many people lying scattered under the eaves. Many hadn’t even changed their clothes, having simply roughly bandaged their wounds before sitting down to sleep. Shen Yang was directing his subordinates to dress everyone’s wounds. The Mo Family Army had also suffered heavy casualties, and all the military doctors had gone to tend to them, so Shen Yang had come here personally.
Seeing Ye Li enter, Shen Yang hurriedly stood to bow. Ye Li shook her head, indicating no need for formalities. Shen Yang then turned back to continue applying medicine and bandaging the wounded soldier before him.
Not wanting to disturb the wounded soldiers’ rest, Ye Li and Shen Yang went to speak in the inner room. Ye Li asked, “Doctor Shen, their wounds aren’t serious?” Shen Yang shook his head, “Only a few are severely wounded and likely won’t fully recover, the others are fine and will heal with some rest.” Ye Li let out a relieved breath and nodded, “Then I’ll trouble Doctor Shen. If you need anything, just have someone tell Zhuo Jing directly.”
Shen Yang nodded solemnly, “Princess, please rest assured. This old man guarantees their wounds will not be life-threatening. These men… are all truly outstanding heroes.” Although Shen Yang hadn’t been on the battlefield himself, he still knew what had happened there. Even as a doctor, Shen Yang couldn’t help but admire these soldiers who had sacrificed themselves without regard for their lives.
“How are Lin Han and the others?” Ye Li asked again. When the troops had withdrawn, she had seen Lin Han being carried back—his injuries were certainly not minor. Shen Yang sighed, “Wei Lin and Qin Feng have light wounds, but Lin Han is severely injured. This subordinate suggests moving him to a quiet place to recuperate once he wakes up. There shouldn’t be any major lasting issues. But his martial arts… I’m afraid…”
Ye Li remained silent for a long while before nodding, “I understand. Please make the arrangements, Doctor Shen. Take good care of them. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.” Shen Yang watched Ye Li and sighed, “This subordinate notices the Princess’s complexion isn’t well either. Please take care of yourself. These things… are not the Princess’s fault.”
Ye Li smiled faintly, her smile carrying an indescribable bitterness. She nodded slightly, “Thank you, Doctor Shen.”
Watching Ye Li’s retreating figure, Shen Yang sighed helplessly, shook his head, and turned back to his work. Such heavy pressure would be difficult for anyone to bear, let alone a woman. The Princess was just a woman in her twenties. If she hadn’t married into the Stable Prince’s household, she might have just been a gentle, elegant lady living a life of luxury. Now she bore the responsibility for the fate of tens of thousands of soldiers at Flying Swan Pass, even the entire Mo Family Army and the Stable Prince’s household. For a woman, was such a life truly good?
Ye Li returned to the general’s mansion and dismissed those following her, sitting alone in the study. She stared blankly at the book before her, closing her eyes slightly as a crystal tear fell from the corner of her eye, dropping onto the written pages and quickly spreading. Ye Li hurriedly wiped away the water mark, adding a new character next to her now-blurred writing. This was the roster of all Qilin unit soldiers, but now, most of the names in it were no longer among the living. And Ye Li would never forget that they didn’t truly die executing their mission. From the beginning… it was destined to be an impossible mission, from the beginning… those people were sacrificial pawns she had discarded. As a commander, she knew her actions were correct. But as a soldier, she could never forgive herself. Those she had abandoned didn’t even know they were destined to be sacrificial pawns from the start.
After a long silence, Ye Li took the blank paper from beside her and picked up her brush, beginning to carefully copy the names from the roster one by one. Only those marked with black symbols—the black marks representing death.
In the Western Ling army’s main tent, the atmosphere was heavy. The commanders looked at the empty spaces beside them, feeling waves of cold in their hearts. This morning, their comrades had still been excitedly discussing battle plans together, whether friends or rivals, but they had all been living people. Now, half the people in the tent were gone. And all of this… was caused by just over a thousand Qilin warriors.
“They’re not human! They’re demons!” a young officer muttered, his face pale.
The others weren’t any calmer, all sitting in a daze as if their souls had left them.
“Enough!” Lei Zhenting coldly regarded the group of commanders before him, letting out a deep sigh. Just over a thousand Qilin warriors… less than a third of the Western Ling army’s forces, had left several hundred thousand Western Ling troops dispirited. For some time to come, Western Ling forces would likely be overly cautious when facing the Mo Family Army.
“Your Highness…” a commander stood up, hesitating before saying, “Your Highness, we probably can’t break through Flying Swan Pass anymore. And Mo Xiuyao is leading several hundred thousand troops here. Should we… retreat first?”
Lei Zhenting gave a cold laugh and asked, “Retreat? Can we even retreat now?”
They had advanced too far north. Now it was already too late to retreat—they would only be caught off guard by Mo Xiuyao halfway. The commander who had spoken turned pale. Mo Xiuyao’s forces were right behind them. They had no other path except breaking through Flying Swan Pass to return to Western Ling territory via the northwest. But the Flying Swan Pass before them was no easy target to take.
Lei Zhenting sighed, saying, “Today the Mo Family Army also lost most of their forces. The Mo Family Army troops on Flying Swan Pass now can’t exceed a hundred thousand.”
“But if they still have Qilin warriors…” someone said softly. No one knew exactly how many troops the Mo Family Army’s Qilin unit had. Over the years, their shadow seemed to appear in many places, but no one had ever truly caught their trail. Many people were very curious about this force, and now they had finally truly witnessed them—but what they brought was endless nightmares.
“There are no more. At this point, neither side has any reserves left. In today’s battle, Ye Li must have committed all her forces,” Lei Zhenting said gravely.
Lei Tengfeng asked, “Father King, you mean… we just need one more major battle to take Flying Swan Pass? But our troops…” The Western Ling army hadn’t been defeated by the Mo Family Army, but the Western Ling soldiers’ morale and spirit had been crushed. For some time, they would likely only be able to perform at less than half their capability in battle. Lei Zhenting waved his hand, “The King has his plans for this.”
“Report! Urgent news from the front!” someone called hurriedly from outside the tent.
“Enter!” A man in military dress rushed in, presenting a sealed letter. Lei Zhenting opened it to look, his expression changing slightly. He quickly composed himself and said, “All of you go rest and reorganize the troops.”
“We take our leave!”
“Father King, what happened?” With only father and son left in the tent, Lei Tengfeng asked without restraint. When his father had seen the letter just now, Lei Tengfeng had seen his hand tremble—something major must have happened. Lei Zhenting collapsed back into his chair, his face pale, blood seeping through his clothes. The red stained his yellow battle robe. “Father King?!”
After a long while, Lei Zhenting looked up at Lei Tengfeng and said, “Tengfeng, take Feng Li, Zhang Yi, and Shangguan Qing and leave the north, return to Western Ling.”
“What?” Lei Tengfeng was stunned, unable to make sense of Lei Zhenting’s sudden order. Confused, he picked up the letter Lei Zhenting had left on the table and looked—Lei Tengfeng’s expression became even worse than Lei Zhenting’s. “Southern Chu deposed Mo Jingli and allied with the Stable Prince’s household. How is this possible?” Lei Zhenting smiled bitterly, “Why wouldn’t it be possible? There are no eternal enemies in this world. Moreover, for the Southern Chu people, compared to the Stable Prince’s household… we are their true enemies.” In this world, there weren’t many people who thought like the peculiar brothers Mo Jingqi and Mo Jingli. Lei Tengfeng looked at the contents of the letter, “Eight hundred thousand Chu troops pledging allegiance to the Stable Prince’s household, three hundred thousand Chu troops crossing the Yunlan River…”
“I could never figure out where Murong Shen and the Southern Marquis suddenly went when they left the battlefield. Now I understand… they went to Southern Chu.” Lei Zhenting sighed deeply, speaking somewhat dejectedly. Murong Shen and the Southern Marquis were themselves famous generals of Great Chu—naturally, there would be no problem with them commanding Southern Chu’s three hundred thousand troops. Only, who knew what benefits Mo Xiuyao had given the Southern Chu court to make them decide to so unexpectedly depose Mo Jingli and send troops to support the Stable Prince’s household.
“Father King, let’s leave together!” Lei Tengfeng said. He now understood the current situation clearly—once Mo Xiuyao’s million troops arrived, even if his father had heaven-defying abilities, he likely couldn’t escape.
Lei Zhenting shook his head slightly, “I won’t leave, and I can’t leave. Tengfeng, tonight you will take the three generals and leave. Don’t bring any troops except your guards. Generals Feng, Zhang, and Shangguan are Western Ling’s most promising commanders in both age and ability. As long as you can keep them in check, Western Ling won’t reach the end of its rope. After you return… you know what to do?” With his severe injuries, he couldn’t make a long journey, and at this point… what face did he have to see Western Ling’s officials and common people again? Rather than living in shame, better to die with dignity.
“No, Father King…” Lei Tengfeng said anxiously, “Father King, I beg you… your son’s abilities are insufficient, I absolutely cannot bear the rise and fall of Western Ling. Tengfeng is willing to stay behind to cover the retreat, I beg Father King to leave first with the generals.”
“Tengfeng!” Lei Zhenting said sternly, “Remember this—from now on, Western Ling is in your hands! Even Ye Li, a mere woman, can bear the responsibility for the entire Mo Family Army. Are you telling me you can’t even match a woman?”
“Father King…”
Lei Zhenting closed his eyes briefly, raising his hand to pat Lei Tengfeng’s shoulder, “It’s your father’s fault for restricting you too much before. From now on you must rely on yourself. Remember… don’t clash head-on with the Mo Family Army. Preserve Western Ling first, there will come a day to rise again.” Such words sounded more like final instructions in Lei Tengfeng’s ears. Lei Tengfeng understood that if he left today… this would likely be his father’s last lecture to him. Tears streamed down his face, “Father King… your son… your son understands!”
Lei Zhenting patted him heavily once more, turning away without looking at him again, “Go, take my command token and call those people to leave with you immediately. Don’t delay even a moment.”
“Your son obeys! Father King… take care!” Lei Tengfeng, red-eyed, knelt and knocked his head heavily three times on the ground. Rising, he took a final look at Lei Zhenting’s somewhat elderly and desolate back before resolutely departing.
“Tengfeng, if you meet Ling Tiehan on the road, tell him… I’ll wait for him at Flying Swan Pass!”
Lei Tengfeng nodded silently and lifted the tent flap to leave.