Xu Fengnian suddenly stood up, let out a light whistle, and his warhorse, drinking by the riverside, galloped over in an instant. Mounting the horse in one swift motion, he gripped the reins with one hand and clenched his other fist, pounding it heavily against his shoulder with a wide grin.
Far to the south, an old man continued walking, tears streaming down his face as he murmured inaudibly to himself.
“What are your thoughts at this moment?”
The old man finally halted, surveying his surroundings, where the vast desert sands dominated his vision.
Li Yishan, the strategist of the Listening Tide Pavilion, had no burial place after his death—his ashes were scattered beyond the pass.
The old man laughed freely and said, “Yishan! In life and death, I have never matched you.”
※※※
At the southern gate of Jubei City, Xu Fengnian abruptly reined in his horse and turned his head. The faint anomaly he sensed with his celestial physique vanished in an instant, leaving no trace behind.
Like an autumn leaf falling into a pond, barely causing a ripple, the moment was serene and tranquil.
※※※
Earlier, in the unnamed corridor of Liuzhou, the Liuzhou infantry formation stood firm, blocking the advance of 50,000 Southern Dynasty cavalry from the Northern Wilderness!
As stated in the military dispatch previously submitted to the Prince of Jubei City, the Liangzhou General Shi Fu did not lead the 6,000 elite cavalry of the Qingyuan Army Garrison to swiftly reinforce the corridor battlefield. Instead, he held his ground in the plains south of the corridor, patiently awaiting the hasty northern retreat of Huang Songpu’s main forces while simultaneously preventing the Southern Dynasty cavalry reinforcements from moving south to regroup with Huang Songpu’s remnants. The Liangzhou General merely sent a token scouting party to survey the corridor’s military situation. Shi Fu halted his horse and gazed southward, his back turned to the battlefield destined to be piled high with corpses, his expression calm—truly a heart of stone.
On the southernmost battlefield of Laoyu Mountain, the third charge of the Liang-Mang forces resulted in the most devastating casualties. Kou Jianghuai committed the cavalry under the Liuzhou Governor’s residence, while Huang Songpu deployed over 600 genuine heavy cavalry, both men and horses clad in armor. Each exceptionally tall and robust Northern Wilderness warhorse was equipped with face guards, neck armor, chest plates, body armor, rear protection, and additional attachments—collectively known as the Six Armors of the Iron Cavalry, impervious to spears and arrows. The young general Qifu Longguan, temporarily commanding the Liuzhou cavalry under Kou Jianghuai, once again led the remaining Zhizhuang Battalion cavalry straight toward the 600 heavy cavalry. However, as Qifu Longguan charged ahead, Xu Longxiang personally led 300 elite Longxiang cavalry, gradually catching up to the Zhizhuang Battalion’s iron hooves on the battlefield, eventually riding side by side to breach the enemy formation together!
After three charges, the Liuzhou cavalry was nearly annihilated, and the Longxiang Army also suffered heavy losses.
In contrast, although Huang Songpu’s elite cavalry suffered similarly grievous losses, the numerically superior Yi-character cavalry miraculously maintained a highly intact formation of 30,000 riders. Given the situation on the Laoyu Mountain battlefield, even without the 50,000 garrison reinforcements, Commander Huang Songpu was fully confident of annihilating Liuzhou’s main field forces.
But at that very moment, a mighty cavalry force appeared on the eastern plains of Laoyu Mountain! The sight was like the sun rising over the Eastern Sea!
This elite cavalry, arriving without warning to reinforce Laoyu Mountain, spread out in a single line, advancing swiftly from east to west like the tidal bore of the Guangling River.
This suddenly appearing cavalry was undoubtedly the most recognizable among the Northern Liang border forces, second only to the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry, for each rider’s helmet bore a single snow-white eagle feather fluttering in the wind! Each saddle had arrow quivers protruding from both sides, resembling two clusters of snow-white reeds!
The iron cavalry charged forth like a blizzard sweeping across the land.
Huang Songpu, the Northern Wilderness commander, his armor already bloodied and having replaced two iron spears, turned his blood-streaked face eastward, his eyes wide with fury.
On the Laoyu Mountain battlefield, after three relentless charges from both sides, the Northern Wilderness cavalry now occupied the position initially held by the Liuzhou cavalry. This had been the scheme of the former Southern Dynasty’s foremost strategist—to position the Northern Wilderness cavalry south of the battlefield, creating an invisible barrier to prevent the Liuzhou cavalry from retreating south to Qingcang City once their morale and numbers were depleted. But as it turned out, while the old commander’s plan succeeded, Kou Jianghuai’s scheme also came to fruition. The young Liuzhou commander had never intended to withdraw from Laoyu Mountain, clearly aiming to encircle the Northern Wilderness forces instead!
Without hesitation, Huang Songpu ordered his army to break through northward at all costs. Even if ambushed during the retreat, they were to avoid entanglement and press northward! As long as they linked up with the reinforcements expected to arrive on the northern battlefield of Laoyu Mountain, victory would still belong to the Northern Wilderness!
Qifu Longguan, Xu Longxiang, and Li Mofan—the three battlefield commanders who had fought side by side on Laoyu Mountain—needed no communication to swiftly reorganize their formations. They shifted from a left-center-right goose-winged cone formation to a horizontal single-line serpent formation, stretching their front as long as possible. The tides had turned, and now it was the Liuzhou border army’s turn to charge in three waves: Li Mofan’s Longxiang cavalry in the first two rows, Xu Longxiang’s forces in the center, and Qifu Longguan’s remaining Liuzhou cavalry at the rear. Their goal was no longer to breach the enemy formation but to hinder the Northern Wilderness cavalry’s retreat as much as possible!
Yuan Nanting’s White Feather Light Cavalry unleashed three overwhelming volleys of arrows on the Northern Wilderness army’s flank before 6,000 riders seized the moment to draw their blades in unison and charge!
Like a blade slicing through the waist of the Northern Wilderness formation, they cleanly severed Huang Songpu’s elite cavalry and Wanyan’s private riders from the 30,000 Yi-character cavalry!
The remaining White Feather Light Cavalry began arcing northward, avoiding direct engagement with the Northern Wilderness forces. Leveraging their light cavalry’s agility, they swiftly curved their east-to-west charge into a northward-pointing arrowhead.
Had anyone stood atop Laoyu Mountain to observe the battlefield, they might have mistaken these brightly armored light cavalry for allies of the grassland riders, moving northward in tandem.
Desperate Northern Wilderness captains and centurions led their remnants in fearless charges against the White Feather Light Cavalry’s right flank.
Yet these valiant efforts were like stones thrown into a river, utterly failing to disrupt the White Feather Light Cavalry’s advance.
The skilled and well-rested White Feather Light Cavalry easily adjusted their formation to the right when faced with oblique charges from the Northern Wilderness riders. Their initially straight left flank developed pockets, allowing the grassland warriors to plunge into traps where they were met not with close combat but with deadly volleys of arrows. Two or three hundred Southern Dynasty riders fell like harvested grain, their deaths devoid of the glory of melee combat—only the helpless frustration of being struck down by precise arrows piercing skulls, necks, and chests, some even riding several paces further before collapsing.
At the northern edge of the Laoyu Mountain battlefield, only faint clouds of dust were visible.
It was Ning Emei’s 4,000 Iron Pagoda Cavalry cutting between the two battlefields!
Atop Laoyu Mountain, Kou Jianghuai said calmly, “The outcome is decided. Huang Songpu is finished.”
Chen Xiliang, having also assessed the battlefield, smiled faintly on his pale face and turned to say hoarsely, “General Kou, you truly live up to the title ‘Divine Strategist.'”
Kou Jianghuai looked eastward. “My only fear is winning the battle but losing the war.”
Chen Xiliang asked in confusion, “After Laoyu Mountain, marching east to reinforce Jubei City—what’s the issue?”
Kou Jianghuai shook his head. “Who said we’re going to Jubei City?”
Chen Xiliang was stunned.
At the foot of Laoyu Mountain, Li Hanlin gathered the White Horse Scouts, preparing to re-enter the battlefield.
Lou Huang, the secret retainer sent by the young Prince to protect this White Horse captain, was about to mount up when Li Hanlin said firmly, “Lou Huang, go straight to Jubei City! A grandmaster like you eating dust behind me is a waste!”
Lou Huang, unsurprised, sat on his horse and looked at the mostly young faces before nodding at Li Hanlin with a smile. “Kid, don’t get yourself killed chasing glory, or your King of Northern Liang will have my head.”
Li Hanlin grinned. “Tell Nian-ge for me—that childhood promise to piss together in the Northern Wilderness’s Western Capital court? I’ll handle his share!”
Lou Huang rolled his eyes. “Then drink plenty beforehand.”
Li Hanlin laughed. “I’d drink horse piss if I had to!”
Lou Huang gave a thumbs-up before riding off. “I’m impressed!”
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