Chapter 889: Collecting the Bodies

Sun Ji's white-horse light cavalry, invincible for over a decade in their campaigns beyond the border, were reduced to a mere sixty-odd riders by early summer.

Blocking their path ahead were two hundred battle-ready Black Fox light cavalry under Lin Fu, along with another two hundred Black Fox light cavalry who, for unknown reasons, remained hidden further away, moving only stealthily.

Trailing closely in pursuit were three hundred Raven light cavalry and four hundred first-class Long Pass light cavalry.

This force actually represented the entirety of the Northern Mang border light cavalry.

Including Northern Mang's second and third-tier light cavalry, their total strength could double.

Two weeks earlier, the Northern Liang border army's light cavalry totaled over 2,600 riders. If Sun Ji's unit were annihilated today, only a little over a thousand riders would remain under the command of Lieutenants Li Hanlin and Wei Musheng.

Suddenly, as Lin Fu's Black Fox light cavalry unknowingly reached the edge of Dragon's Eye Plain, the sixty-odd white-horse light cavalry all turned their horses. Instead of continuing their attempt to break through, they faced away from Tiger Head City, away from Liang Province, and away from Northern Liang.

When the Northern Liang light cavalry collectively made this incomprehensible move, Yelü Chucai, though sensing something was amiss, did not hesitate in his assault. He charged forward first, believing that even if an unforeseen event occurred beyond this battlefield, eliminating this remnant force would undoubtedly be the right move.

His brother-in-law, Dong Zhuo, had a favorite saying: the only truly good things in the world are those that have actually fallen into your pocket and become your own possession. Otherwise, no matter how appealing something is within reach, it's useless if you don't get your hands on it.

In close-quarters cavalry combat, both Liang and Mang cavalry soldiers tacitly drew their swords and faced each other.

Just then, two mournful bugle calls, grand and tragic, echoed from different directions. They seemed to be mourning the fallen, those comrades whose bodies lay headless.

In a scout battle, bugle calls were not supposed to be used.

Lin Fu and Yelü Chucai, the two light cavalry commanders, followed the sudden bugle calls, their gazes sweeping in different directions.

Lin Fu looked towards the far right flank, where a blood-soaked cavalry unit was charging.

A burly Northern Liang cavalry general held high the severed head of a Northern Mang light cavalryman and roared, "Northern Liang Light Cavalryman Wei Musheng is here! All two hundred Black Fox light cavalry are dead!"

Yelü Chucai's gaze, meanwhile, fell upon a solemn cavalry force of around five hundred riders, galloping swiftly through the swirling sand and dust.

A young cavalry general silently vowed, "Lieutenant Sun, as per our agreement, I, Li Hanlin, will eliminate all the Raven light cavalry for you."

Several riders beside him were comrades from years past: Double-Pupil Liu Dou, Li Shiyue, and Fang Hutou. They had together stormed the Gentleman's Hall military town in the Southern Dynasty and dismantled countless Northern Mang signal fires along the way.

Lin Fu and Yelü Chucai understood clearly at this moment that, even disregarding the Long Pass scouts, their Raven and Black Fox light cavalry units could retreat safely even if they encountered other large Northern Liang iron cavalry forces, or even tens of thousands of Northern Liang light cavalry border troops.

Unfortunately, having encountered these two white-horse light cavalry units, they now found themselves unable to escape or retreat.

Yelü Chucai turned his head to look at a strange unit of light cavalry mixed within his own forces. They carried no bows or sabers, wore no armor, and had not participated in the pursuit of Sun Ji's light cavalry.

These were martial artists from Mount Ti Bing, one of Northern Mang's five great sects, serving as private retainers dispatched by Dong Zhuo, Yelü Chucai's brother-in-law and Mount Ti Bing's son-in-law.

These hidden martial arts masters were also why he dared to lead his army so close to Tiger Head City.

Yelü Chucai had originally intended for these martial artists not to interfere in the battlefield, but now it seemed that without their involvement, his brother-in-law's Raven light cavalry would suffer devastating losses.

Without exchanging a word, Lin Fu led two hundred Black Fox light cavalry to confront Wei Musheng's white-horse light cavalry, while Yelü Chucai led his forces towards Li Hanlin's five hundred light cavalry from beyond the pass.

Four hundred Long Pass scouts were tasked with eliminating Sun Ji's remaining sixty riders, then reinforcing the Black Fox light cavalry, who were temporarily at a disadvantage.

Should any main Liang Province border army arrive and enter the battlefield, the three Northern Mang light cavalry units would, of course, withdraw swiftly, even at great cost.

However, in this close-quarters engagement where forces were relatively matched, Lin Fu and Yelü Chucai were unwilling to retreat, even though they now understood that the three white-horse light cavalry units had collaboratively set a perilous counter-ambush.

Lin Fu led two hundred Black Fox light cavalry to clash directly with Wei Musheng's unit, glancing back at Tiger Head City during their charge.

Lin Fu waited expectantly.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, yet below that, a slingshot waits.

Now, it remained to be seen who would have the last laugh.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, one side's border scouts would surely be annihilated at the frontier in today's battle.

Liu Gui, Lin Fu's patron and one of the four frontline commanders in the second Liang-Mang War, was garrisoned outside Hulukou in You Province, far from the Liang Province battlefield, to prevent a repeat of past mistakes. This meant he was too distant to provide immediate relief for the situation beyond Liang Province Pass. Lin Fu had several reasons for involving Yelü Chucai's Raven light cavalry in this major operation. Firstly, encircling and eliminating Sun Ji's light cavalry solely with the Black Fox light cavalry and Long Pass scouts was a pipe dream. Secondly, Lin Fu, being ambitious, deliberately ceded military achievements to Yelü Chucai, primarily to cultivate a good relationship with Dong Zhuo, the former Southern Court Grand King. His aim was to persuade the shrewd Dong Zhuo, who would not act without clear benefits, to deploy his 8,000 personal Dong family cavalry to follow discreetly behind the light cavalry units. This force was intended to counter any rapid deployment of light cavalry from beyond Liang Province Pass into Dragon's Eye Plain, such as the garrison cavalry from Willow Bud and Poria on the flanks behind Tiger Head City. Lin Fu hoped to secure significant military merits before the main war even began, to report to the Emperor. This strategy explained why Lin Fu had to stand by in a previous engagement, watching Sun Ji's head being presented to him, his Black Fox light cavalry appearing to be mere spectators throughout. Dong Zhuo had once laughingly asked Lin Fu if he feared his elaborate plans would come to naught, with all the painstaking efforts ultimately benefiting only his brother-in-law. Lin Fu was forthright in his response: since both Liang and Mang sought to completely blind their opponent by annihilating enemy scouts along the border, he trusted his intuition. He believed the Liang Province border army, whose resources were not as abundant as their own, would never allow hundreds of their light cavalry to die under their very noses. Once Northern Liang's main cavalry was drawn into the field, the resulting military merits would be monumental.

Lin Fu, however, regretted that only Dong Zhuo was willing to join him in this gamble. When he met with Murong Baoding, the Seal Bearer, and Hong Jingyan, co-lord of the Rouran Iron Cavalry, attempting to persuade them to join this grand hunt—an event highly likely to prematurely trigger the Liang-Mang War—Murong Baoding, who, like Dong Zhuo, was a primary commander for the Liang Province defense line, scoffed at the idea. Hong Jingyan, meanwhile, hesitated. Ultimately, it was decided that the Rouran Iron Cavalry would temporarily remain under Murong Baoding's jurisdiction. Since Murong Baoding had not issued a military order, it was deemed inappropriate for the Rouran Iron Cavalry to move without authorization or initiate hostilities, so as not to jeopardize the Pacification Commissioner's grand strategy for the southern campaign.

As the Black Fox and white-horse light cavalry drew closer, Lin Fu suddenly witnessed a peculiar sight: Lieutenant Wei Musheng's horse was accompanied by a child, barely a youth, riding a large horse, appearing like a small piece of charcoal atop a massive steed. The child was not wearing the standard Northern Liang light armor for light cavalry; instead of a saber hanging from his waist, it was strapped to his back, an absurd sight. Lin Fu naturally didn't believe the Northern Liang Iron Cavalry had become so desperate for manpower. He recalled the rumor from the first Liang-Mang War of a young cavalryman who followed Northern Liang King Xu Fengnian, fighting outside Hulukou in You Province, slaughtering countless enemies and even punching a hundred to death with his bare fists. Lin Fu suddenly understood: no wonder that Black Fox light cavalry unit had no survivors to report; it was highly probable this child had intercepted and annihilated them. Lin Fu dared not show any carelessness, immediately feeling as if facing a formidable adversary, and his charge route subtly shifted to avoid the child carrying the saber on his back.

On Yelü Chucai's side of the battlefield, a contingent of over fifty martial artists from Mount Ti Bing rode at the forefront, charging en masse towards Light Cavalry Lieutenant Li Hanlin.

Li Hanlin did not change his course, riding straight ahead.

That young man, once known as one of the "Four Evils of Northern Liang" alongside His Royal Highness, Yan Chiji, and Kong Wuchi; that pampered scion who once believed he would spend his life frolicking among flowers—his still-handsome face no longer held its former sickly pallor, now slightly tanned and sharply defined.

In three years, he rose from a low-ranking cavalryman beyond Liang Province Pass—from squad leader to standard-bearer, then deputy lieutenant and commandant—until today, he commands the world's most formidable eight hundred white-horse light cavalry as a lieutenant.

His comrades—his former squad leaders, standard-bearers, and commandants—all fell in battles, large and small, before the eyes of this young man, whose father served as the Commissioner of Northern Liang.

Of the familiar faces who had first joined the army with him, only Liu Dou, Li Shiyue, and Fang Hutou remained.

He remembered the first time he met Young Master Xu, who had returned to Qingliang Mountain Manor from the jianghu. Back then, Li Hanlin deeply longed for the jianghu, listening as Xu Fengnian recounted martial arts anecdotes, the spirit of great heroes, the grace of celestial maidens, and the bearing of grandmasters. Li Hanlin had considered never having experienced the jianghu his life's greatest regret.

Later, he traveled alone from Ling Province, the prosperous "Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall," to the unfamiliar territory beyond Liang Province Pass. As far as his eyes could see, there were only military towns and signal fires, vast expanses of yellow sand, scorching, waterless Gobi deserts, hardy vegetation with scarce green, and foul-smelling horse manure. His only constant companions were his horse, saber, and crossbow.

Li Hanlin exhaled heavily and called out, "Liu Dou!"

Double-Pupil Liu Dou nodded, his face impassive, and was the first to charge out of the cavalry formation.

Simultaneously, another rider swiftly galloped forward.

It was a young swordswoman, brimming with heroic spirit, who seemed out of place among the white-horse light cavalry. Though not exceptionally beautiful, she possessed a striking presence.

The young woman carried many swords on her back.

Since becoming Lieutenant Li Hanlin's personal retainer, she had naturally attracted much attention. However, once it was rumored that she was the King's eldest disciple, the white-horse light cavalry ceased their casual jokes. No one dared to call her "Sword-Selling Girl" anymore, and a few younger light cavalrymen even felt a touch disheartened.

The young swordswoman, Wang Sheng, turned her head and glanced at Li Hanlin.

Li Hanlin returned her gaze with a smile, his eyes signaling that he would not forget her master's instructions.

After the Northern Mang old woman threatened to annihilate the Northern Liang light cavalry—especially following rumors that she had specifically mentioned Li Hanlin by name in court before all officials—Xu Fengnian quickly assigned Wang Sheng to temporarily serve as a scout in the light cavalry and sent a message to Li Hanlin.

The message contained no grand pronouncements or stirring words.

"Don't die easily."

The implication was that while Li Hanlin could die when his time came, he must ensure his death was meaningful.

Li Hanlin found nothing amiss with this statement. On the contrary, as a light cavalry lieutenant accustomed to military life and frequent encounters with death, he felt these words truly honored their twenty years of brotherhood.

Sun Ji, today I, Li Hanlin, will collect your body.

If I die, Young Master Xu, there's no need for you to trouble yourself collecting my body.

One move could affect the entire situation.

Both Liang and Mang were using their respective scouts as bait.

Yuan Nanting led ten thousand White Feather Guards, and Qi Dangguo led six thousand Iron Buddha. According to the Huaiyang Pass Protectorate General's established strategy, they entered the Dragon's Eye battlefield one after the other.

Eight thousand of Dong Zhuo's elite personal cavalry, along with Hong Jingyan's six thousand Rouran Iron Cavalry (who had, for unknown reasons, changed their minds), also rushed to the battlefield one after the other.

This encounter, meticulously planned by both sides yet full of unforeseen variables, erupted suddenly, catching everyone by surprise.

Seal Bearer Murong Baoding's main army was unable to provide timely reinforcement, and similarly, the Northern Liang cavalry from the two military towns of Willow Bud and Poria could not assist.

In the dilapidated Tiger Head City, the brand new King Xu's banner fluttered vigorously atop the city walls.

Clumps of summer grass, having survived spring in the city's cracks, remained vibrantly green, not yet withered by the coming autumn winds.