Chapter 734: Unequal Matters in the World, There Are Always Sword-Wielding Heroes

Before Xu Fengnian met Wei Jingtang, the commander of Hengshui City, Yu Luandao's Youzhou cavalry had already engaged in a confrontation with the twenty thousand Northern Mang cavalry. These Mang cavalry were light troops temporarily drawn from Gu Jiantang's eastern front. Their original intention was to launch a lightning-fast raid, swiftly "devouring" the two isolated and mutually dependent empty cities of Hengshui and Yinyuan beyond the pass. This would allow them to naturally push the Youzhou ten thousand cavalry back into the Jibei area. Once the Youzhou cavalry ran out of supplies, this isolated Northern Liang left-flank surprise force would naturally retreat without achieving anything. However, the presence of Wei Jingtang and Hengshui City forced the hesitant Northern Mang cavalry to think twice before advancing south. When their scouts discovered that Yinyuan, located further west, had "as agreed" withdrawn its troops, unlike Hengshui, the two previously furious Northern Mang commanders calmed down and discussed. They thought it would not be a big deal to abandon Hengshui and occupy Yinyuan, as it could still cause a certain degree of deterrence to the Youzhou cavalry. However, opportunities on the battlefield are fleeting. After halting north of Hengshui City for a day, their twenty-thousand-strong exhausted army surged towards Yinyuan. About a hundred *li* from the border city, the army's flank was suddenly attacked by five thousand Youzhou cavalry. Both Northern Mang commanders and Yu Luandao, the Youzhou cavalry commander, knew well that both forces were exhausted, and the key was to see whose taut string would snap first.

After Yu's cavalry unambiguously learned of Yinyuan's abandonment, the deputy general proposed a swift return. At this moment, Yu Luandao's stubbornness was fully revealed; he insisted on fighting a decisive battle before the Northern Mang acquired the two border cities, even at the great cost of exhausting his warhorses and many cavalry falling behind. The two prudent deputy generals disagreed, but the Northern Liang soldiers' absolute adherence to military orders prevented them from defying their commander Yu Luandao's bold actions. Consequently, Yu's Ghost Cavalry, during their forced march of five hundred *li* in three days, gradually split into three contingents. Yu Luandao, leading the vanguard of five thousand cavalry—whose horses were superior in endurance and soldiers strongest in combat—finally arrived on the battlefield just in time. Like a sharp arrow, they unexpectedly pierced the flank of the Northern Mang army, achieving the strategic objective of fighting outside the Jibei cities.

The sudden insertion of the Youzhou cavalry thoroughly pierced the formation of the unprepared Northern Mang cavalry. Two subsequent charges, executed with overwhelming momentum, further fragmented the Mang cavalry, severing their communication. The two exasperated commanders, having been dispatched to Jizhou, were undoubtedly valorous and experienced generals from the Northern Mang's easternmost frontier. Although the battle was unfavorable, they absolutely would not surrender to fate. It is known that in cavalry battles involving a considerable number of troops, a few thousand casualties are not uncommon. However, once a battle turns into a chase, losses of tens of thousands are minimal. Therefore, the two commanders, each leading over ten thousand cavalry, simultaneously decided to encircle these five thousand Ghost Cavalry. Although victory would inevitably be costly, it would certainly be far better than allowing this Youzhou detached force to achieve a result similar to five thousand cavalry beheading over ten thousand enemy troops. However, the penetrating power and lethality unleashed by the five thousand Youzhou cavalry terrified all the Northern Mang commanders of a thousand. In three "clashes," although the Youzhou cavalry leveraged their surprise attack to gain a numerical advantage in frontal charges, the fact that over two thousand Northern Mang cavalry died on the spot still astonished the Northern Mang army. Even the most seasoned elite cavalry units on Liyang's Two Liaos border could, at best, only achieve such a feat.

Yu Luandao did not lead the five thousand cavalry to fight to the bitter end. After successfully launching several charges, he intentionally or unintentionally drew the battlefield further west. The two Northern Mang commanders assessed the stamina of their respective cavalry, and a subtle tactical divergence emerged between their two armies, which had been torn apart. The Northern Mang rear cavalry wanted to have their riders switch horses before re-engaging, while the cavalry closer to Yinyuan directly pursued them. This divergence, given the initial disparity in forces on the battlefield, was not even a significant error for the Northern Mang cavalry, let alone fatal. The heavily damaged Northern Mang vanguard still had over eight thousand cavalry; their decisive pursuit could not only pin down the Youzhou cavalry but also merge with the rear cavalry to close the gap, forming an absolute numerical advantage on that cavalry front line. However, the arrival of the Youzhou army's second contingent of over three thousand cavalry disrupted all the Mang cavalry's plans. All Youzhou cavalry were light cavalry, but this particular contingent clearly sacrificed time for relatively superior equipment. The over eight thousand Northern Mang cavalry, who had been pursuing Yu Luandao's contingent along the Jibei border, suddenly had their flank crushed by this Youzhou cavalry unit. Like wild horses charging into a wheat field, they instantly mowed down over a thousand Mang cavalry. Coupled with Yu Luandao's main cavalry launching a perfectly timed charge, how could the high-spirited seven thousand-plus Ghost Cavalry fight against the scarred and fear-stricken seven thousand Mang cavalry? The over ten thousand Mang cavalry in the rear were also fierce. They quickly turned their horses, intending to retaliate by cutting off the Youzhou cavalry's retreat.

But at this very moment, two fresh forces appeared on the flanks of the battlefield. Their numbers were small, but their blow to the morale and fighting spirit of the Northern Mang cavalry was immeasurable. One was two thousand Ghost Cavalry raising a large banner with the character "Xu," and the other was the banner of Liyang's Hengshui City, with even fewer numbers—only six hundred cavalry from Hengshui City's Wei Jingtang. The Northern Mang commander in the rear was already overwhelmed with fear and naturally decided to retreat. He had planned to come to Jizhou with his troops and gain great merit without losing a single soldier. Now, however, they hadn't even touched the walls of the two cities and had been beaten so badly. It wasn't that he couldn't save those few thousand cavalry, but if he did, he would be reduced to a mere commander of a thousand when he returned. Thus, Commander Huililu, who was still fighting desperately to break out on the battlefield, felt a chill to his core: the commander with whom he had been drinking and laughing in the tent just yesterday had simply fled! Fortunately, Huililu and his six hundred personal cavalry finally managed to tear open a gap by charging north, and subsequently, Mang cavalry continued to follow them, fleeing north. Yu Luandao, who had orchestrated this, did not even glance at Huililu and his fewer than three thousand Mang cavalry behind him. Instead, he looked intently into the distance, fixing his gaze on Lang Sien, the other Northern Mang commander who had begun to retreat slowly. He had intentionally left that opening. If Lang Sien and his ten thousand cavalry had resolved to fight to the death, Yu Luandao's Youzhou cavalry would likely have been reduced to only two or three thousand. This was not because Yu Luandao feared a desperate fight; otherwise, he wouldn't have come to fight this battle north of Yinyuan-Hengshui. But fighting his Youzhou cavalry to the death against the twenty thousand troops that should have been Gu Jiantang's responsibility would have been meaningless for Northern Liang. However, trading one life for two or three was meaningless, but trading one life for ten lives was not. Therefore, Yu Luandao deliberately allowed Huililu to lead his disorganized three thousand remaining cavalry to wreak havoc and disrupt Lang Sien's over ten thousand cavalry.

Yu Luandao, hailed as another "Western Chu Prodigy" after Cao Changqing, had audaciously traveled alone to the northwest of the dynasty. After entering Northern Liang, he deeply understood the meaning of "border iron cavalry" and had a sufficiently comprehensive understanding of the Northern Mang cavalry. He knew that it would be difficult to make the Northern Mang elites collapse and then freely pursue them. However, if he could employ the tactic of "diverting the disaster north," there would be an opportunity! Yu Luandao didn't even need to make overly specific troop deployments. When he and eight hundred cavalry around him took the lead in pursuing Huililu's three thousand cavalry, over two thousand other cavalry, with no immediate targets, quickly followed. Together with the six hundred cavalry from Hengshui City and the two thousand Youzhou cavalry who had finally entered the left flank of the battlefield, they all simultaneously began to charge north.

After Huililu fled north with his remnants, Lang Sien, whose face was ashen, wished he could slaughter all those "bastards" who were recklessly charging towards his own forces. However, watching the Youzhou cavalry "leisurely" firing light crossbows at Huililu's retreating cavalry, or after accelerating, needing no deliberate effort to wield their sabers—simply lifting the blade with the warhorse's forward momentum was enough to open a wide gash in a Northern Mang cavalryman's neck, effortlessly and with little exertion, yet absolutely deadly. Lang Sien roared, ordering his subordinates to accelerate their retreat.

The Northern Mang's twenty thousand cavalry had rushed to the Jibei battlefield in haste. Although they, like the Youzhou cavalry, had two horses per rider, Lang Sien knew all too well the consequences of being pursued by cavalry. At that moment, he could only wish his warhorses had eight legs.

By the time Huililu and his personal guards caught up with the tail end of Lang Sien's army, over two thousand of the three thousand-plus "fortunate" remnants who had broken out had already been silently slaughtered. In the subsequent three-hour long chase and flight, Lang Sien also lost over two thousand cavalry to the tireless Youzhou cavalry. Like a cat playing with a mouse, Northern Mang cavalry were dying at every moment, and small groups of riders were constantly breaking away from the main army and scattering in disarray. Finally, before nightfall, the jade-faced Ghost Cavalry commander, after personally beheading Huililu, ceased the pursuit.

The six hundred cavalry from Hengshui City accompanied the Youzhou cavalry, accumulating battle merits along the way. Their primary role on the Liyang frontier had been city defense. Although they had not participated in a battle involving thirty thousand cavalry like today's, small-scale skirmishes had been constant over the years, occurring every few days. The Hengshui City cavalry scouts, considered first-rate elites in Jizhou, had never been at a disadvantage. But who could have imagined that killing Northern Mang barbarians would be as simple as harvesting wheat in June or July? As veteran soldiers of Jizhou, a crucial border region like Northern Liang, the Jibei officers and men possessed an inherent pride forged over years of battlefield experience. Therefore, when they heard, years ago, that Cai Nan, a general from Gu Jiantang's direct lineage, had appeared on the Northern Liang border with a massive army of sixty thousand, not a single person dared to speak of war after encountering the old Prince of Liang who had only brought ten thousand cavalry south! It was said that Cai Nan was the first to kneel, his knees buckling, as if he had brought sixty thousand troops to be inspected by Xu Xiao. This farce spread widely in Jizhou and the capital privately. What outsiders found incomprehensible was that Cai Nan, who earned the nickname "General Sixty Thousand Kneels," was neither reprimanded by the imperial Ministry of War, nor did Grand Pillar of the State Gu Jiantang, who commanded the military and political affairs of the northern regions, seem to express any dissatisfaction. Cai Nan's official position remained entirely unshaken. After this battle, Hengshui City in Jibei finally understood. The Xu family's three hundred thousand border troops were collectively known as the Xu family's three hundred thousand Iron Cavalry. The true cavalry numbered around one hundred twenty to one hundred thirty thousand, with their main forces stationed north of Liangzhou. Among them, Youzhou, primarily infantry, had fewer than twenty thousand cavalry. Yet, a previously "unknown" Northern Liang newcomer, Yu Luandao, effortlessly led out ten thousand cavalry and "casually" annihilated over twelve thousand Northern Mang cavalry with fewer than three thousand casualties on his side! On the return journey, the commander of Hengshui City's six hundred cavalry couldn't suppress his curiosity. He approached the young General Yu, who was covered in blood, and cautiously asked if all of Northern Liang's border cavalry were as incomparably sharp as Yu Luandao's Youzhou ten thousand cavalry. Yu Luandao first shook his head. The Hengshui City cavalry commander felt relieved. Then Yu Luandao smiled and said that Liangzhou cavalry were much stronger than Youzhou cavalry. The old Jizhou cavalryman, who considered all six hundred of his cavalry elite, instantly felt devastated. Finally, Yu Luandao added that among their Northern Liang border army, there was a saying: counting the Northern Mang, Northern Liang, and Liyang's Two Liaos, there might be over a million cavalry in the entire world, but ultimately, cavalry in the world were divided into only three types.

"Northern Liang Iron Cavalry is one type, and all other cavalry in the world are the second type."

The Hengshui cavalry commander was completely puzzled. "There's another type?"

Yu Luandao smiled and said, "It's the cavalry unit that scared Cai Nan's sixty thousand strong army into kneeling. Their numbers weren't large, just ten thousand."

The old Jibei cavalryman swallowed hard, not daring to respond.

At that moment, Yu Luandao softly sighed, "You Jizhou don't understand, and Liyang doesn't understand either, because the Zhao family's ancestors burned a lot of incense."

The Hengshui City cavalry commander dared not speak a word.

Surrounding the six hundred Hengshui cavalry were the Youzhou cavalry, who remained silent whether fighting fiercely on the battlefield or returning victorious.

After Xu Fengnian, wearing his lifelike mask, secretly met Wei Jingtang, Yu Luandao, who had been waiting outside Hengshui City, personally escorted Xu Fengnian back to Yinyuan. By this time, the Ghost Cavalry had openly entered the city, taking over all military and political affairs of Yinyuan.

The battlefield was indeed the best whetstone. Yu Luandao, who had previously been conspicuous only for his exceptionally handsome appearance, was still remarkably handsome, but now possessed a naturally born, resolute and stern demeanor.

Xu Fengnian said softly, "Things are not optimistic at Hulukou in Youzhou. With ten thousand against twenty thousand, killing twelve thousand enemies while suffering only three thousand casualties—your genuine great victory is truly a timely rainfall. You can now remove the 'Co-' from your 'Co-General' title. No one in Youzhou will question your leadership ability from now on. This skirmish, a surprise attack by two armies, might even be regarded as a classic battle by military strategists of later generations."

Yu Luandao calmly said, "But this kind of victory, which doesn't affect the overall situation..."

Xu Fengnian shook his head, "Although the Liyang imperial court will turn a blind eye, and even deliberately suppress all news of the Jibei campaign, it's good news for us in Northern Liang. The Youzhou defenders also need such victories."

Yu Luandao frowned, "We have no shortage of warhorses or provisions, but of the ten thousand cavalry, only six thousand are immediately capable of rushing to Hulukou after this battle, though they can use three horses per rider. The problem now is that Northern Mang not only knows our intentions but can also respond. What I fear is that Gu Jiantang will continue to turn a blind eye. Furthermore, Wei Jingtang will likely be dismissed soon. Yuan Tingshan, who holds ultimate authority in Jizhou, could even have the six or seven thousand private soldiers of the Li family from Yanbao take over Hengshui and Yinyuan. At that point, it would be difficult for Wei Jingtang to even hold Hengshui City to the death; neither the court nor Jizhou will give him that chance..."

Xu Fengnian, who had been patiently listening to Yu Luandao, suddenly tilted his head, looking at this youngest and least experienced general in the Youzhou army, and smiled without speaking.

Yu Luandao, whose lips were dry and cracked with blood, turned his head, thinking something was amiss, and instinctively touched his face.

Xu Fengnian averted his gaze and smiled, "Yu Luandao, Youzhou needs a general like you, one who can fight hard battles and win, and who also understands the rules of the imperial court."

Yu Luandao hesitated, then said very earnestly, "I am very pleased to see Your Highness in Jibei."

Xu Fengnian nodded and said, "Jizhou was never our Northern Liang territory to begin with. Let Liyang deal with its fate. It's a pity Wei Jingtang won't agree to return to Youzhou with us, otherwise I'd even want to tie him up and take him. Since that's the case, let's rest up, gather our strength, and head to Hulukou!"

Yu Luandao grunted, then said solemnly, "When the battle ended, I already dispatched all four hundred scout cavalry. On one hand, it was to prevent the scattered Northern Mang cavalry remnants from causing trouble, and on the other, to monitor Gu Jiantang's eastern front to the greatest extent possible. From the news received these past two days, Lang Sien's remnants have no will to fight again; they are only concerned with fleeing back to their main camp to explain this great rout to the Northern Mang eastern front general. Even if Northern Mang dares to draw troops again and commit them to Jibei, giving their warhorses two extra legs, these barbarians won't be able to catch up to us." Yu Luandao quickly added, "However, there are still a few renowned generals on Northern Mang's easternmost front. The Northern Mang Emperor conducts inspections throughout the four seasons, and the imperial tent is seasonally referred to as the four 'Nabo' of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Four young people from Northern Mang have been granted this honor. Tuoba Pusa's eldest son is the Spring Nabo among the four, having just become the leader of the Southern Dynasty's military advisors. Zhong Shentong's son is the Summer Nabo, currently serving as Youzhou's vanguard general. On Northern Mang's easternmost front are the Autumn and Winter Nabo, neither of whom can be compared to Huililu and Lang Sien. If one of these two were to arrive with elite cavalry, it would be considerably more difficult."

At this point, Yu Luandao, who usually gave the impression of a refined and scholarly general, couldn't help but curse, "Do Gu Jiantang's eastern armies only eat shit?!"

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "Enough. Liyang has always been like this. Don't expect them to add flowers to the brocade. For us, whatever we do, we should plan as if they'll always try to trip us up when we're down."

In the twilight, Yu Luandao nodded, his face grim with indignation.

Late that night, Xu Fengnian, whose identity remained undisclosed, received an urgent intelligence report delivered by a gyrfalcon. He then had Mi Fengjie find Yu Luandao, who had not yet disarmed and rested, and informed him that "Wogong City was breached by the Northern Mang vanguard army in one day."

Yu Luandao hurried to a side courtyard of the former Yinyuan General's Residence, where Xu Fengnian was temporarily staying. Xu Fengnian was sitting on a stone stool. As Yu Luandao approached, Xu Fengnian looked up and said, "Depart tomorrow morning, taking those six thousand cavalry. The remaining one thousand-plus more heavily wounded cavalry will temporarily stay in Yinyuan. Afterwards, whether Northern Mang's follow-up cavalry attack or Yuan Tingshan causes trouble, leave Yinyuan directly and return to Youzhou!"

Yu Luandao nodded, "This subordinate will go issue the orders immediately."

Suddenly, a voice came from behind, "I'll go with you to Hulukou."

Yu Luandao whirled around, his expression extremely complex—shock, worry, but most of all, delighted surprise!

Xu Fengnian waved his hand.

Mi Fengjie waited until Yu Luandao left the courtyard, then said worriedly, "Your Highness, is this truly appropriate?"

Xu Fengnian did not speak, but closed his eyes to rest, remaining still until dawn.

At dawn, Xu Fengnian opened his eyes. For some reason, Yu Luandao, looking extremely grave, arrived in the courtyard on time, implying an apology and saying that the army's departure might be delayed by an hour. Xu Fengnian asked him what was wrong, but Yu Luandao hesitated, unable to speak. Xu Fengnian frowned, gazing at this dazzling young general from the Jibei campaign. Whether it was the "reckless pursuit of glory" in leading an army to gallop hundreds of *li*, or the systematic order maintained during forced marches, whether it was the timing and angle of his breakthrough onto the battlefield, or the subsequent stretching of enemy lines and "allowing" enemy cavalry to flee, and finally the relentless pursuit to maximize battle results—the "Yu family's pride" had proven that even in Northern Liang, a region renowned for its generals, Yu Luandao had earned his place!

Yu Luandao stubbornly refused to state the reason, so Xu Fengnian, furious, decided to go with Yu Luandao to see for himself.

Xu Fengnian, Yu Dilong, Mi Fengjie, and Fan Xiaochai, a total of four riders, followed behind Yu Luandao and his two deputy generals, a group of twenty riders in total. Led by a Youzhou scout, they galloped northeast out of the city for half an hour.

Along the way were devastated villages and forts, filled with the aftermath of battle. Although this route was not on the Northern Mang's twenty thousand-strong army's direct path, nearly a thousand scattered remnants of Huililu and Lang Sien's forces remained after the major battle. These stragglers would flee at the sight of even forty or fifty Ghost Cavalry, but the small riverside villages north of Hengshui suffered greatly. The six hundred Hengshui cavalry had been continuously going out to hunt them down these past few days. However, groups of twenty to thirty Mang cavalry, after their initial panic, continuously regrouped. Among them, a contingent of two hundred Northern Mang cavalry had a tough encounter with the Hengshui cavalry, with both sides suffering heavy losses. Moreover, in the vast desert beyond the pass, let alone a few hundred or dozens of cavalry, even thousands or tens of thousands, once they moved away from cities and passes, it was truly like searching for a needle in a haystack. When Yu Luandao's four hundred elite scout cavalry encountered Northern Mang cavalry in the wilderness, they did not actively attack but only focused on intelligence gathering. While Mang cavalry dared to engage Hengshui cavalry, upon seeing the Youzhou cavalry, who carried Northern Liang sabers and light crossbows, they actively retreated and scattered, even if they held a numerical advantage. Generally, they maintained a policy of non-aggression. However, if Youzhou scouts encountered small groups of Mang cavalry and incidentally gained some battle merits, Yu Luandao and his deputy generals and captains had no objections. Why would there be a need for a reason to kill a few more Northern Mang barbarians?

But the reason Yu Luandao was so silent today was that of a five-man scout squad, besides the intelligence previously gathered, only one rider returned to Yinyuan City with the latest news. This news could not even be considered of any military significance. The scout said they encountered sixty Northern Mang barbarians in a village outside the city. According to Northern Liang scout regulations, for a squad of five against a numerically superior enemy, their side only needed to send back a report, and due to the vast numerical disparity, they would not be held accountable for the "crime of retreating without a fight." Furthermore, this squad of Youzhou scouts, who had just returned from further north, should not have engaged those Northern Mang cavalry at all. Instead, they should have immediately returned to the city to submit the gathered intelligence to the cavalry headquarters. Besides being angry that the squad leader had arbitrarily defied regulations, Yu Luandao felt more a sense of helplessness deep down. In Northern Liang, where military law was paramount, those four scout cavalrymen might not even be able to retain the meager battle merits they had previously earned. Yu Luandao further did not know how to report this to the Prince of Northern Liang, who was right there with the Youzhou cavalry. Among the Liang-You border army, retreating from battle formation, falsifying military intelligence, and killing civilians to claim merit were the three capital offenses, but various violations of regulations were also capital offenses that followed closely behind.

Ghost Cavalry Deputy General Shi Yulu glanced at the strange four riders at the back of the column and quietly said to Yu Luandao, "The four scouts must have died in battle. How should we report this afterwards?"

Yu Luandao revealed a rare expression of pain. "Report it as it is."

Fan Fen, as the leader of the Ghost Cavalry's four hundred scouts, if he had heard such cold-blooded nonsense before the Jibei campaign, he would have long ago cursed out his commander Yu Luandao. But after the battle, everyone in the Youzhou cavalry held Yu Luandao in the highest esteem. Fan Fen whispered, "General Yu, can't we make an exception? At worst, we don't count their previous battle merits, and just report 'encountered a large group of Mang cavalry, four died on the way south'?"

Yu Luandao remained silent.

The cavalry galloped into the riverside village. Villagers' corpses were everywhere. The village, which should have had forty or fifty households, was now devoid of life. Only a few willow trees with twisted branches outside the village were revealing their hints of green in early spring, a time when all things should be growing.

On the threshing ground in front of a farmhouse north of the village, they saw the tragic corpses of a family of five—elders and young. Two old people were hacked to death at the doorstep by Northern Mang sabers. The middle-aged farmer, who should have been sowing spring wheat in the fields, still clutched his hoe in death. His son's head lay before him, and the small, headless body was closer to his mother. The woman had been stripped, defiled by the Northern Mang cavalry, and then her limbs were severed.

The young scout sobbed, "The squad leader couldn't stand it. He told me to take the military intelligence back to Yinyuan City and said he had died further north, telling me not to worry about whether the other three lived or died. I refused to leave, so the squad leader kicked me hard and said, 'If all five of us die here, what about the intelligence?!'"

On the threshing ground, the four Youzhou scouts' Northern Liang sabers and light crossbows had been taken, and their armor removed. Only four bodies remained.

One man lay dead beneath the mud-house wall, his sword-wielding arm severed by Northern Mang cavalry and deliberately placed on his head. Two lay dead on the threshing ground; the squad leader's body was tied to a long bench, used as an archery target, riddled with bloody holes from arrows.

Yu Luandao, Shi Yulu, Fan Fen, and everyone else remained silent.

It wasn't that they hadn't seen crueler scenes. North of their Northern Liang, which year passed without a fight to the death until one side was completely annihilated? Who among them hadn't collected the bodies of countless Northern Liang comrades?

But this wasn't Northern Liang; this was Jizhou!

Fan Fen, the old scout who could clearly call out the names of the four, said softly with reddened eyes, "It wasn't worth it, your deaths weren't worth it..."

Then Fan Fen saw the young nobleman in the thick fur approaching the squad leader's body. Fan Fen strode forward, wanting to shove away the utterly objectionable young man. "We never saw you when we were fighting the enemy on the battlefield, and now that the great battle is over, you're wearing a fur coat that these four fallen men probably couldn't afford in their entire lives, pretending to be a good person?! I don't care which noble family from Jibei you're from?!" As Fan Fen reached out, he roared, "Get lost! As long as we Northern Liang aren't completely dead, it's not for outsiders like you to collect the bodies!"

But Fan Fen suddenly found that he couldn't push the young man at all.

The person, with his back to everyone, knelt down, slowly untied the cold ropes binding the corpse, then took off his own fur coat and wrapped it around the body.

In a fit of rage, Fan Fen suddenly drew the Northern Liang saber from his waist. At the same time, even Shi Yulu began to draw his saber.

An old man quietly walked to the young man's side, and instantly, the entire threshing ground was filled with a formidable and piercing sword energy.

Yu Luandao said in a deep voice, "Fan Fen, stop! Don't be insolent!"

Fan Fen was stunned. Yu Luandao's unwarranted obstruction further enraged and despaired the man who had spent twenty years in military service. Just as he raised his saber to charge, he saw the young man, after putting the fur coat on the corpse, grasp his own face with hooked fingers and slowly peel off a "mask."

Only then did he hear the person muttering to himself, "Yes, your deaths were not worth it, dying here in Jizhou, dying in a foreign land."

"The common folk that Liyang couldn't even protect, why did you Youzhou cavalry still choose to intervene, knowing it meant death? Why did you still intervene, knowing it violated Northern Liang scout regulations?"

The person gently closed the eyes of the scout squad leader, who had died with his eyes open, and smiled sadly, "Three years ago, I wouldn't have understood either. Back then, I thought only martial arts heroes would draw their blades to aid those in distress. But after truly stepping into the *jianghu*, after traveling through both Liyang's and Northern Mang's martial worlds, I realized it's not like that at all. Not even the heroes of the *jianghu* would be as foolish as you."

The young man looked up at the sole survivor of the five-man scout squad, the young Youzhou scout, and asked, "What are your names?"

The young scout instinctively blurted out, "Fan Liao, Hu Zonghan, Zhao Dian. I only know the squad leader's surname was Lu. He never showed us his military identification tag."

Fan Fen said, "Lu Chengqing, served for twelve years, originally an archer-scout from Liangzhou. He should have been a captain long ago. For years, any minor merit he earned, he passed on to his subordinates... And this kid, Liu Tao, he's never been a coward either."

The young man, who looked like he came from a noble family, not only helped the squad leader's body stand up but also used the rope to tie the corpse to himself. He then lifted it onto a horse, with the living and the dead riding together on one horse.

He said, "Yu Luandao, you and the others take these three bodies back to Yinyuan City first, then lead the six thousand cavalry to Hulukou. I'll catch up with your army in half a day at most. Remember to bring an extra set of armor when you leave the city. Scout Liu Tao, you need to wait here. I'll help you retrieve the crossbows, sabers, and iron armor. When I return, you'll have to take the squad leader and those items back with you."

As he spoke, the strange trio of old man, young boy, and young woman also mounted their horses.

Yu Luandao looked at him, carrying the squad leader's body on his back.

Xu Fengnian said softly, "I will see Lu Chengqing off."

The four riders galloped away into the distance.

The killing aura of those four riders was so intense that even Ghost Cavalry Deputy General Shi Yulu and Scout Captain Fan Fen felt their scalps tingle.

Shi Yulu, who had no idea what was happening, could not help but ask after heaving a body onto his horse, "General, this is?"

Yu Luandao was lost in thought.

He was born in the rich Jiangnan region of the Central Plains, and during his travels, he had visited many places. Throughout the year, there were the sounds of scholarly discussions, the music of guqin in the forests, laughter from brothels, and the clinking of wine cups.

But only in Northern Liang was there silent, desperate battle, and silent sorrow.

Yu Luandao drew his famous saber, "Da Luan," pointed south, and said, "Open your eyes wide, and look at my Northern Liang!"

The cavalry quickly left the village. Fan Fen, somewhat depressed, quietly asked, "General Yu, who exactly was that person? Some immensely important figure from the Liyang Dynasty?"

Yu Luandao shook his head. "Who outside of Northern Liang would be worthy?!"

Yu Luandao burst into laughter. "He? His name is Xu Fengnian!"

All the Ghost Cavalry generals, including Shi Yulu and Fan Fen, froze, then suddenly felt as if sand had blown into their eyes.

Fan Fen suddenly wheeled his horse around and shouted, "General Yu, I'll go quickly tell that brat Liu Tao! He always said the person he admired most in this life was the one who single-handedly defeated Wang Xianzhi! Liu Tao always said he'd never get to meet him in this life! Now, let's see if that kid dares to believe it!"

A young captain suddenly said timidly, "General Yu, I also admire him greatly! Why don't you let me stay in the village and wait for half a day? I guarantee I'll catch up with the army. If I don't, I'll chop off my own head!"

Yu Luandao glared, "Are you out of your mind? The Prince is going to charge towards Hulukou with us! You can look at His Highness as much as you want, however you want! As long as you have the ability to follow right behind His Highness, I won't stop you!"

The young captain realized he was right and gave an embarrassed laugh.

In less than half a day, the four abandoned their horses and rode swiftly across the yellow desert, catching up with the six thousand Youzhou cavalry.

When the six thousand cavalry saw the young man leading the way, they simultaneously drew their Northern Liang sabers in a gesture of respect.

The four mounted their horses. Xu Fengnian took the armor tossed to him by a young captain and put it on.

No one knew who first shouted those three words, but everyone, including Yu Luandao, cheered repeatedly.

"Grand General!"

At the military training ground in Hulukou, Northern Liang, it was Xu Fengnian's first appearance among the border army, but at that time, he was only wearing a python robe.

So, this was Xu Fengnian's first time donning armor and entering battle.

He turned his head, as if he saw an old man riding alongside him.

Xu Fengnian bit his lip, took a deep breath, and looked again, only to see endless yellow sand.

He drew his Northern Liang saber, galloped his horse, and roared, "Northern Liang! Fight to the death!"

"Northern Liang!"

"Fight to the death!"

The six thousand cavalry, with a determination to die fighting, hastened to Hulukou.

They not only had to sever the vast supply line between the Northern Mang Southern Dynasty and Hulukou, but also utterly destroy it!