Chapter 894: North Liang Standard Bearer

Before his death, Wei Musheng, the Colonel of the Beiliang White Horse Scouts, did not live to see Yuan Nanting's ten thousand White Feather Light Cavalry arrive like thunder. However, his selfless charge through the enemy lines gained Yuan Nanting's cavalry an unimaginable advantage, as two cavalry forces of comparable strength often find that the first to seize the initiative wins.

For nearly twenty years, Liang and Mang have fought fiercely along the border, knowing each other intimately. The grassland cavalry's tactics, most notably their guerrilla warfare and feigned retreats, once led to the complete annihilation of the Central Plains' twenty thousand elite border cavalry in two battles during the late Da Feng Dynasty. But now, facing the Beiliang Iron Cavalry—whose warhorses, weapon configurations, and formation proficiency are unrivaled in Li Yang—the Beimang cavalry dared not risk loosening their own formation. They would not attempt to break the enemy's main formation, successfully divide the battlefield, create overwhelming local advantages, and then relentlessly chip away at the enemy. This was no ordinary struggle between nomads and farmers, where Central Plains armies could only rely on towering city walls or heavily armored infantry formations to resist the swift grassland cavalry. This was a real cavalry-on-cavalry battle. That is why Beimang had considered Beiliang a mortal threat for twenty years, to the extent that Taiping Ling insisted on conquering Beiliang first before taking the Central Plains. A widely circulated saying from this Beimang Imperial Tutor was: "Conquer Beiliang's four states with gritted teeth, and the thirty states of the Central Plains will be as easy as turning over one's hand!"

Yuan Nanting's ten thousand White Feather Light Cavalry appeared abruptly on the flank of Dong Zhuo's private cavalry, deploying a remarkably long battle line. The Beiliang cavalry generally favored crossbows over feathered arrows, but this White Feather Guard was a notable exception. Every man carried a quiver of white-feathered arrows and was adept with the horse bow. Years ago, when the old Emperor of Li Yang made his only imperial tour to the Beiliang border, the White Feather Guard was the cavalry unit led by Xu Xiao, the Human Butcher, that participated in the martial review. It is said that when the old Emperor looked up and saw the sky full of white-feathered arrows pouring northwards, he exclaimed, "I never thought I could witness a blizzard in midsummer; how magnificent!"

Agudamu, the commander of the Dong family's private cavalry, galloped furiously, roaring command after command. Over time, especially after the Spring and Autumn remnants brought numerous military texts north following Hongjia's flight, grassland cavalry tactics for battlefield command had evolved beyond crude daytime flags and nighttime torches. Generals now had a significant number of specialized flag-bearing riders for communication, aiming for the entire army to act as one, ensuring every centurion in every minor skirmish understood the commander's intent, rather than just knowing where to charge or where to reinforce. However, only a handful of Beimang cavalry forces truly achieved this level of coordination. Liu Gui's deep respect from the Beimang Empress and his reputation as "half a Xu Xiao" stemmed from his cavalry's meticulous and remarkably Beiliang-like tactics, ensuring victory in battles that could be won and avoiding utter defeat even in losses.

Besides Liu Gui, Dong Zhuo's infantry and Helian Wuwei's Xihe Army were also notable forces. As for Dong Zhuo's cavalry, it was a cause for regret among discerning Beimang strategists. Initially, their outstanding military achievements led to severe constraints from the Beimang royal court, forcing them to deliberately suppress their cavalry numbers to around ten thousand. Huang Songpu's gloomy departure, seemingly due to a series of unfavorable battles around Wazhu Gentleman's Pavilion, might have been connected to his sweeping reforms for the Southern Dynasty cavalry. These reforms were widely seen by the northern grassland's powerful and the Southern Dynasty's aristocratic elders as treacherous attempts to tamper with ancestral foundations, deserving of death.

In contrast, the various reforms introduced by the new Xia Naibei, Zhong Tan, during the siege of Hulukou, faced little criticism from the royal court afterward. Besides the grassland's need for a hero, Zhong Tan's identity as a native Beimang military general served as his protective talisman.

The ten thousand White Feather Guard, having briefly rested before the charge, were the first to draw their bows and unleash a powerful volley. Arrows descended like a winter blizzard, covering the sky and earth. Hundreds of Dong Zhuo's private cavalry, hastily forming ranks to meet the enemy, were instantly struck and fell from their horses. Yet, the valor and ferocity of these eight thousand private cavalrymen were also fully displayed at this moment. Agudamu and his centurions executed their pre-established strategy flawlessly, gradually unfolding their formation to prevent the White Feather Guard from forming an arc that would be most advantageous for mass archery.

However, the Beiliang border cavalry, having seized the initiative, did not stop there. They began to shift their formation, demonstrating the exceptional mobility of the White Feather Light Cavalry to its fullest. A magnificent, invisible scene unfolded on the battlefield: the ten thousand White Feather Light Cavalry, instead of intentionally seeking a thick central formation, suddenly accelerated their left and right wings during their charge. Their previous unified crescent-shaped cavalry charge imperceptibly transformed into two parallel "flood dragons." Agudamu's cavalry, previously divided into left, center, and right, had its first two thousand riders, who initially encountered the White Feather Light Cavalry, instantly trapped between the two forces. Dong's main cavalry, which had been relatively well-connected to these embattled riders, did not hesitate under Agudamu's personal command. They did not continue to charge head-on, knowing that even if they managed to break through this "corridor," they would surely leave behind over a thousand corpses.

Agudamu, without hesitation, reined his horse, leading his central force to charge the enemy to the south. At the same time, he ordered the two thousand cavalry at the rear to tie down the northern Beiliang cavalry at all costs. Agudamu, slightly outnumbered, clearly intended to sacrifice his two thousand riders to gain time, allowing his six thousand intact Dong family private cavalry to destroy the five thousand White Feather Guard. This was a forced move due to losing the initiative. Furthermore, the White Feather Light Cavalry's formation had an inherent weakness: a long, slender front line and a thin formation, unable to withstand a brutal charge from six thousand cavalry. The advantage of six thousand cavalry against five thousand was far more significant than a mere thousand-man difference.

Once the two cavalry forces engaged, the essence of their fighting was "speed."

This speed was not just the charging speed of warhorses or the rate at which riders unleashed arrows from their bows, but also the speed of adaptation and response in the midst of battle.

The Central Plains region is rich in majestic border poems and has often seen divisions among feudal lords. However, since the founding of the Great Qin Dynasty, there have been very few scholar-generals along the border who were both learned and adept at warfare. Even those who existed were often praised for their defense but lacked the power to expand territory. Thus, throughout dynasties, from the Da Feng Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Northern Han, and to the current Li Yang, while there were occasionally famous officials posthumously honored as "Wenzheng" (meaning "cultured and upright"), none ever received the posthumous title of "Xiang." The character "Xiang" implies virtuous expansion of territory and arduous military service. One might argue that over eight hundred years of division and reunification in the Central Plains, there were plenty of military generals who achieved deeds of nation-destroying magnitude, so granting the "Xiang" title wouldn't seem excessive. However, the founding emperor of the Da Feng Dynasty, who initiated the practice of granting posthumous titles to officials, once declared that only those who "cracked the whip in the great desert" could be honored with the "Xiang" title. Since then, successive monarchs have shared this unspoken understanding. The "Xiang" title was hard-earned. The Da Feng Dynasty offered too many bloody lessons. At its peak, Da Feng reportedly reared eighty thousand horses across the land, and even in its decline, it still had two hundred thousand border cavalry. Yet, two successive commanders, one an old, battle-hardened general, the other a young man whose brilliance on paper was extraordinary, both suffered utter disgrace under the hooves of the grassland cavalry, ultimately bringing disaster to half the Central Plains. A large part of the reason was that in truly large-scale cavalry battles, opportunities are fleeting, and once a disadvantage appears, defeat is inevitable and overwhelming. Central Plains historical records about the grassland cavalry were always vague, merely repeating old clichés. It wasn't until Li Yang established its dominance over the Central Plains and suffered three consecutive major defeats at its borders, forcing it to switch from offense to defense, that serious detailed research into grassland cavalry tactics truly began under Gu Jiantang, who was in charge of the Ministry of War. Only after that did some court generals, intent on achieving border merits, begin to realize that the grassland cavalry's ability to plague them for centuries, to raid the southern passes as easily as drinking tea or eating a meal, was far more complex than simple innate skill with bow and horse.

Regardless of whether the Li Yang court outwardly admitted it, the high-ranking officials in the imperial court undoubtedly secretly rejoiced that the Zhao family's national gate still guarded that cavalry force—a force that had almost drained the northwest's imperial resources, the three hundred thousand armored iron cavalry that intimidated the Beimang barbarians. It was this force that allowed the Central Plains to enjoy nearly twenty years of recuperation and gain the confidence to declare that they would, in the future, fight the grassland cavalry beyond their national borders.

As Agudamu's formation changed, the White Feather Light Cavalry also began to transform again. The five thousand northern light cavalry quietly split in the middle. Half of them turned to face the two thousand Dong family private cavalry at Beimang's rear, while the other half began to follow Beimang's main cavalry force southward. This completely denied the enemy the opportunity to create a numerical advantage on a primary battlefield, instead allowing Beiliang to maintain absolute suppression over the Dong family's main cavalry. If Agudamu could have fully witnessed this entire sequence, he would have been astonished by the terrifying unspoken coordination among the several colonels of the northern White Feather Light Cavalry. There was no communication between them, yet the cavalry formation formed silently, requiring instinct, courage, and trust, none of which could be lacking.

The White Feather Guard had once been the direct troops of Wei Fucheng, one of Beiliang's Four Fangs, and Wei Fucheng himself was one of Chen Zhibao's two most trusted generals. After Wei Fucheng and Dian Xiongchu went to Shu without a single soldier, Qi Dangguo continued to lead the Iron Buddhas, while Yuan Nanting, a veteran from the Lotus Seed Camp, took command of the White Feather Light Cavalry. Qi Dangguo, as Xu Xiao's adopted son, had unquestionable loyalty to the Xu family. Yuan Nanting, however, carried very little factional coloring. He had, in fact, been among the hundreds of Beiliang veterans, including Lin Doufang, who respectfully escorted the then-Crown Prince Xu Fengnian to the capital. With Xu Fengnian's hereditary succession, the Beiliang border army naturally underwent a change of leadership. To suggest that the Iron Buddhas and White Feather Guard, both with deep ties to Chen Zhibao, harbored no resentment or stifled frustration would be unbelievable. Therefore, when Yuan Nanting embarked on this expedition to Dragon Eye Plain, almost every one of the ten thousand White Feather Light Cavalrymen cheered with exhilaration. Fighting fiercely on the battlefield was far more satisfying than being cooped up outside Liangzhou Pass, enduring the scorn of other military units. After all, the first Liang-Mang War had been so brutal that even the Snow Dragon Cavalry and two heavy cavalry units, hidden for years, were deployed. Yet, the Iron Buddhas and White Feather Guard, both from Xu family's old camps, hadn't even seen a single Beimang barbarian. How could they not feel stifled? How could they not hear strange whispers?

This time, when Yuan Nanting went to the Huaiyang Pass Protectorate-General's office for a meeting, he practically slammed the table and glared at Chu Lushan, declaring that if the White Feather Light Cavalry wasn't given a turn in this battle, he would be too ashamed to return as their commander and would rather stay at the Protectorate-General's office as a worthless scribe.

Agudamu, realizing the movements of the White Feather Light Cavalry behind him, felt his scalp tingle. He roared, "Break through the formation with me!"

Yuan Nanting, a third-rank military general, was like all other commanders of the Beiliang border army: he wore the same style of armor as his soldiers on the battlefield. Of course, Yuan Nanting's personal guards and close riders were numerous. This seasoned cavalry general, younger than veterans like He Zhonghu but older than rising stars like Yu Luandao, was a typical example of a core Beiliang commander. He had experienced the Spring and Autumn conflicts, or rather, emerged during their twilight, yet he wasn't an early standout. His career progression was gradual, step-by-step, built on accumulated small military achievements, after the Xu family was enfeoffed as kings in Beiliang. Similarly, many of the younger, promising commanders in the border army, such as Wei Fucheng, Dian Xiongchu, and Ning Emei, followed a similar path. However, their military prowess should absolutely not be underestimated. Xu Xiao's remark, "Any random colonel from my Beiliang Iron Cavalry can be sent to the Central Plains to serve as a provincial general," was not entirely a jest.

Yuan Nanting, shielded by numerous iron-clad guards, squinted, observing. The Dong family private cavalry commander's decisiveness was somewhat unexpected, but the responses of his northern colonels were entirely within reason.

Yuan Nanting raised his arm and made a gesture. The southern "flood dragon" cavalry formation, where he was located, began to curve, collectively riding further south. However, the cavalrymen at both ends accelerated with immense effort. While seemingly adopting a strategy of avoiding the direct impact of Dong's main cavalry's charge, their true tactical intent was swift and decisive: to make the six thousand Beimang cavalry's all-out charge fail. Their own five thousand cavalry, especially the central line, would fight and retreat, eventually forming a crescent-shaped opening. This would allow them to cooperate with the three thousand White Feather Light Cavalry pursuing the enemy from the north, effectively trapping the enemy like a turtle in a jar, slowly carving away at them, gradually exhausting the vitality of those six thousand cavalrymen. As for the two thousand against two thousand battle, regardless of who won or lost, it would not change the ultimate demise of Dong Zhuo's main cavalry force.

The White Feather Light Cavalry's cunning evasion infuriated Agudamu, who longed for a quick resolution, yet he was helpless. The feeling of exerting all his might but failing to strike his opponent was maddening.

The opponent wasn't weak or afraid of battle; they were simply too fast. Uniformly mounted on Beiliang B-grade warhorses, clad in light armor, abandoning spears and lances, carrying only sabers and bows, even if they made slight errors during hurried formation changes, Dong's cavalry, even if they saw them, couldn't seize the opportunity.

On the battlefield, it had always been the grassland cavalry that gave Central Plains infantry the illusion of being helplessly stuck in quicksand. To make the Beimang cavalry, especially elite border forces like Dong's private cavalry, feel as if they were in a swamp, only this top-tier light cavalry among Beiliang's many cavalry units could achieve such a feat.

However, Yuan Nanting, despite having victory in his grasp, showed no complacency. In fact, several White Horse Scouts had already galloped along the outer perimeter of the arc formation, informing him that six thousand Rouran Iron Cavalry reinforcements were approaching from the north, expected to arrive within half an hour at the latest, led personally by Grandmaster Hong Jingyan!

Yuan Nanting, who had not stopped his horse, looked at the young faces, especially the one in the center, whose armor was covered in blood. He smiled and asked, "You must be Li Hanlin, the White Horse Colonel?"

That rider nodded and said in a deep voice, "It is this humble officer!"

Yuan Nanting smiled, a mix of emotions swirling within him. The eldest son of Li Gongde, the dignified Beiliang Dao Governor, had actually risen to the most prestigious rank of Scout Colonel through genuine combat on the border. These young people nowadays were truly remarkable; their锐气 (sharpness/vigor) was no less than that of his own generation when they were young, perhaps even exceeding it. He recalled that many of his old comrades, having started from nothing, feared nothing. Death was no loss, life was a gain. Unlike this current crop of young officers in the Beiliang border army—this Liangzhou White Horse Colonel Li Hanlin, as well as Liuzhou General Kou Jianghuai, and Yu Luandao, the Ghost Cavalry Commander from a prominent Central Plains family—who were, one might say, born with golden spoons in their mouths. In the Central Plains, they would likely be living lives of poetry, wine, and nightly revelry, with no desire to crawl and fight among corpses.

Yuan Nanting inadvertently glimpsed the heads near the saddles of these three riders. The old general, accustomed to seeing his comrades fall in battle, took a deep breath and said, "Colonel Li, I have received news that Qi Dangguo's six thousand cavalry are approaching; they will not enter the battlefield slower than Hong Jingyan's Rouran Iron Cavalry. You scouts can now withdraw from the battlefield. Don't push yourselves. You are the last seeds of my Beiliang scouts, and I cannot bear to lose you! So, you and Wei Musheng must clear the battlefield within two *kèchen* (approximately two quarters of an hour). If, after the Iron Buddhas and Rouran cavalry arrive, I still see any of you here, even if you are lucky enough not to die in battle, I will kick you out of the scouts afterward!"

Li Hanlin, clasping his fists in acceptance of the order, finally spoke hoarsely, "Wei Musheng has already fallen in battle."

Yuan Nanting froze for a moment, then fell silent.

Yuan Nanting looked at the retreating backs of the three young riders. At that moment, a thought surfaced in the old general's heart: On the thirty thousand gravestones behind Qingliang Mountain, how could they keep adding more young names?

Yuan Nanting turned to look at the six or seven riders among his retinue. Compared to ordinary valiant cavalrymen, there was a subtle difference in their demeanor—a composure that wasn't just due to exceptional martial prowess, making them stand out like cranes among chickens, but also carried a detached air of the martial world on the battlefield.

Yuan Nanting smiled and said, "Masters of Fushui House, you've heard the news. It's not good. Grandmaster Hong Jingyan is approaching."

A lightly armored elder, who had been calmly focusing his inner energy, touched the saber at his waist and said indifferently, "In any case, we won't let General Yuan die before us."

On this battlefield deep within Dragon Eye Plain, Dong Zhuo's main force of six thousand cavalry was in a desperate situation. Yuan Nanting's personally directed eight thousand White Feather Light Cavalry were becoming increasingly adept, relentlessly claiming enemy heads.

Yelu Chucai, the commander of the Crow's Nest, and his two thousand cavalry were locked in fierce combat with an equal number of White Feather Light Cavalry, with no signs of either side faltering.

Qi Dangguo's six thousand Iron Buddhas and Hong Jingyan's six thousand Rouran Iron Cavalry, who had left their station without authorization, arrived on the battlefield almost simultaneously, meeting unexpectedly.

Two torrents of iron armor collided head-on.

The Rouran Iron Cavalry sought to rescue Dong's main cavalry, now reduced to just over three thousand men, and charged directly towards Yuan Nanting's six thousand cavalry who were expanding their victory. The Iron Buddhas, meanwhile, bypassed the entangled light cavalry battle on their left flank.

Light cavalry against light cavalry, heavy cavalry against heavy cavalry!

Qi Dangguo, the commander of the six thousand Iron Buddhas, was at the very forefront, in the center of the battle line, a single man on a horse with an iron spear, leading the charge.

Among Old King Liang Xu Xiao's six adopted sons, Chen Zhibao was breathtakingly brilliant, accumulated numerous military achievements, and was renowned throughout the land. His reputation as the "White-Clad God of War" was earned by stepping on the corpse of Ye Baikui, the Spring and Autumn era's master of arms; it was truly deserved. Although he later rebelled against Beiliang and was enfeoffed in Xishu, his illustrious reputation remained untarnished.

Chu Lushan, though infamous in the Central Plains, was destined to be remembered in history for his "Thousand Riders Opening Shu." Later, in the heartland of Beimang, he halted Dong Zhuo's twelve-battle winning streak. Not only was he and the former Beimang Southern King known as "Southern Chu, Northern Dong," but he was also regarded as the bane of Dong Zhuo, a master of Beimang military strategy.

Yuan Zuozong's victory in the Princess's Tomb battle astonished even Western Chu. Military historians, in their post-battle analyses, praised him highly, asserting that had it not been for "Yuan White Bear," Xu Xiao's hastily assembled Li Yang army would have had no chance to fight the decisive Battle of West Leibi. Now, he was the rightful Grand Commander of Beiliang cavalry.

Yao Jian and Ye Xizhen, too, received much praise from the court during their lives. They possessed both the cultured grace of scholars and the ability to strategize. Had they not faltered in their later years, their friendship with the young feudal king would have easily secured them positions as provincial governors.

However, Qi Dangguo alone was consistently looked down upon by the Li Yang court and Central Plains officialdom, and rarely even mentioned within Beiliang. His prominence was even less than that of rising young generals like Ning Emei. Even his promotion to commander of the Iron Buddhas was seen merely as the new King Liang's nepotism, unrelated to Qi Dangguo's actual talent for commanding.

Even those in Qingliang Mountain who were intimately familiar with the Xu family's affairs mostly dismissed Qi Dangguo as a brave but reckless general who excelled at charging enemy lines. The thing he was best at his entire life was probably carrying the Xu family royal banner, following the Human Butcher closely. His greatest achievement in life was inexplicably becoming Xu Xiao's adopted son. Mediocre in talent, insignificant in reputation, and low in military achievements—this was Qi Dangguo. Before Yao Jian and Ye Xizhen died, Chu Lushan was unwilling to speak up for them, and Yuan Zuozong was reluctant to plead their case. Only Qi Dangguo, against all odds, voiced his dissent. When Chen Zhibao, then the Beiliang Protector-General, chose to leave Beiliang alone, Chu Lushan remained indifferent, and Yuan Zuozong watched coldly. Again, it was Qi Dangguo who secretly tried to persuade him to stay, though Chen Zhibao ultimately did not.

How could such a figure, who always tried to mediate when he least should, earn respect in Beiliang, a place that valued military merit above all else?

With one spear thrust, Qi Dangguo pierced a Rouran Iron Cavalry centurion's chest. With a furious roar, he continued to charge straight ahead, carrying the centurion's corpse from his horse's back. The blood-soaked iron spear then plunged into the chest of the next rider!

He was unstoppable.

The cavalry formation, with Commander Qi Dangguo as its spearhead, broke through the Rouran Iron Cavalry's formation like a hot knife through butter.

On the battle line flanking Qi Dangguo, almost in an instant, two hundred cavalry on each side lay dead. If someone was unlucky enough to be wounded and fall from their horse, they were not decapitated by the enemy as in light cavalry skirmishes. Instead, they were directly trampled to death by enemy warhorses, with no chance of survival.

In heavy cavalry battles, falling from your horse meant death.

Four thousand Rouran cavalry entered the fray, while the remaining two thousand stood observing from a distance, looking conspicuously out of place on the vast battlefield.

Upon seeing this scene, Yelu Chucai, having plucked a feathered arrow that a Beiliang light cavalry captain had shot at his face, rode swiftly and alone from the battlefield. He approached the two thousand unmoving iron cavalry and angrily confronted the indifferent man who watched from afar, "Hong Jingyan! Why aren't you helping?!"

The striking man with snow-white eyes stared at this noble royal relative and retorted, "Why am I not helping? Aren't four thousand Rouran Iron Cavalry saving people?"

Yelu Chucai laughed in fury, pointing his saber at the grandmaster who had once vied for the Southern King title with his brother-in-law. "At this point, you're still holding back?! What, were you scared witless by the Beiliang cavalry at Hulukou last time, now relying on these two thousand cavalry to save your life and flee?!"

Hong Jingyan twitched his lips. "I never thought you and Lin Fu would succeed in the first place. The reason I risked coming here was simply because I didn't want you, Yelu Chucai, to die in vain. Of course, hundreds of White Horse Scouts will return alive this time, but you all will be completely wiped out. When that happens, His Majesty the Emperor will certainly settle scores later. Murong Baoding, after all, is a Murong; he's not afraid of accountability. I, Hong Jingyan, am relatively weak. While standing by is a reasonable action, sometimes being sensible is more important than being reasonable. That's why I am here. Otherwise, do you think I'd come to join the fun for no reason?"

Hong Jingyan stared at the exasperated, burly general, scoffing, "Military achievements? Is there any here that you and Lin Fu supposedly had before?"

He shifted his gaze to the distant battlefield and sneered, "If your Crow's Nest and Black Fox's Nest died in vain, wouldn't my four thousand elite cavalry die even more in vain?"

Yelu Chucai was mortified with anger, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. He clapped a hand tightly over his mouth, glaring resentfully at the co-leader of the Rouran Iron Cavalry.

Hong Jingyan said flatly, "Yelu Chucai, remember this: there are terrestrial immortals in the martial world, but there are never divine beings who can overturn the cosmos on a battlefield. So your brother-in-law's eight thousand private cavalry dying here is the inevitable trend. My only job is to bring you back alive to the Southern Court. As for anything else, don't hope for it, and you're not qualified to hope for it."

Yelu Chucai did not turn, but pointed his saber at the battlefield behind him, "Don't you want to take the head of Qi Dangguo, the third-rank Iron Buddhas commander?! His head could make you, Hong Jingyan, a marquis instantly! And Qi Dangguo is Xu Xiao's adopted son, damn it!"

Hong Jingyan's smile was playful, as if disdaining to speak.

Yelu Chucai straightened his back, released his palm, which was covered in crimson blood, and looked at the exceptionally fierce Rouran Iron Cavalry behind Hong Jingyan. He laughed loudly, "You barbarians from the Rouran mountains, to have such a cowardly master, it's a blessing in disguise! Forget about future military merits, but at least you won't have to fear dying on the battlefield!"

Several Rouran Iron Cavalry centurions glared, eager to act.

Hong Jingyan raised his arm, stopping the centurions from drawing their swords. He gently held his warhorse's reins, gazed into the distance, and smiled, "Yelu Chucai, I must say, you're far inferior to your elusive brother-in-law. He's only one surname away from being as foolish as you, his dim-witted brother-in-law. What a pity."

For some unknown reason, Yelu Chucai suddenly became calm. He turned to look at the fierce fighting in the south, then at the comparatively peaceful north.

This young general, whom Hong Jingyan had described as naturally high-born, a rising star of Beimang who became a commander at a young age, calmly said to Hong Jingyan, "I don't need your help, but I ask one thing of you, Hong Jingyan: take as many Dong family cavalry as you can. If you agree, I apologize for the outrageous things I said earlier."

Hong Jingyan, not rushing to give a promise, asked curiously, "And you?"

Yelu Chucai's eyes were resolute, with the familiar stubbornness of a grassland man. "My brother-in-law used to say, to do business, you must be willing to invest capital. I will fight alongside your four thousand Rouran cavalry until the very end. My life will determine how many Dong family cavalry you can save, Hong Jingyan. How about it?"

Hong Jingyan narrowed his eyes, then finally nodded slowly.

Yelu Chucai turned his horse away from Hong Jingyan, his face impassive, and quietly said, "I am a dying man. I've said some things, but don't take it out on other Dong family members. Ultimately, you're unwilling to act personally today, afraid to kill Qi Dangguo, aren't you just afraid of being hunted down by that young feudal king on the battlefield later? But I think if it were Tuoba Pusa standing here, he would definitely act."

A fleeting, cold murderous intent flashed in Hong Jingyan's eyes.

But in the end, Hong Jingyan smiled, "Go die in peace. Perhaps I will personally avenge you."

Yelu Chucai bravely went to his death.

As he charged forward on horseback, he smiled. The young man remembered Taomanwu, the little girl by his brother-in-law's side, and a tune she often hummed. He had once tried to hum along with the little girl and his sister, but his brother-in-law had laughed and cursed his singing as being worse than a warhorse snorting, so he had resignedly stopped bothering himself after that.

*Green grass grows next year,**Wild geese leave and return.**Spring wind blows this year,**Will the young lord return?*

*Green stone slabs, green grass,**A youth in green on the green stone bridge, humming a Jinling tune.**Whose daughter bows her head and smiles?*

*Yellow leaves fall this year,**Year after year.**Autumn wind rises next year,**Is my lady still there?*

*Yellow River flows, yellow flowers are yellow,**A maiden in Yellow River City swatting yellow butterflies.**Whose son's saber is still sheathed?*

Yelu Chucai glanced at the saber in his hand, which had two cracks, then looked up and laughed loudly, "Wild geese leave and return, but I, this lord, will not return this year!"

Far behind him, Hong Jingyan's lone rider and the two thousand Rouran cavalry remained unmoving. Hong Jingyan did not care about a dying man's last words, but he cared immensely about that dead man's unintentional remark.

"If it were Tuoba Pusa, he would definitely kill Qi Dangguo today."

Earlier, when Xu Fengnian journeyed into Beimang, passing through the Rouran Mountains, Hong Jingyan had avoided battle in that golden wheat field.

At the time, Hong Jingyan firmly believed his choice was correct. He wanted both martial arts and control of the world as his own, neither dispensable. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too, to go further and higher than Tuoba Pusa, whether in the martial world or the imperial court. Therefore, there was no need to act impulsively and suffer mutual destruction with a doomed man.

However, Hong Jingyan had not anticipated that the knot in his heart, which should have automatically untangled with Xu Fengnian's death at Wang Xianzhi's hands, would instead increasingly hinder his martial arts realm after Wang Xianzhi, that old rascal from Martial Emperor City, failed to kill the man surnamed Xu.

Hong Jingyan exhaled softly. His naturally snow-white, eerie eyes stared blankly at the clear blue sky, utterly cloudless.

This grandmaster, once regarded by Beimang as having the greatest hope of surpassing Tuoba Pusa, told himself inwardly, "To hone my state of mind, I will start by killing you, Qi Dangguo."

Hong Jingyan averted his gaze and turned to give orders to his several centurions.

He commanded his two thousand cavalry to rescue the remaining thousand-plus Dong family cavalry from the smallest of the three battlefields, and then to immediately return to their garrison.

Though they did not understand, the Rouran Iron Cavalry, inherently obedient to military orders, still complied and began their charge.

Hong Jingyan, continuing to patiently observe the battlefield's movements, suddenly frowned, then muttered to himself, "Indeed, it's a heaven-man connection. My gamble paid off."

Hong Jingyan turned to look east, sneering, "Xu Fengnian, you constantly defy the heavenly dao. Destiny is with me, not with you."

Hong Jingyan gently reined his horse, moving slowly forward, a look of immense satisfaction on his face.

On the three battlefields:In the first, two thousand White Feather Light Cavalry faced two thousand Dong family private cavalry. Casualties were roughly similar, with only half the men remaining alive on both sides. The final two thousand Rouran Iron Cavalry were indeed headed to rescue this area.

On the second battlefield, Yuan Nanting's main force of White Feather Light Cavalry had already secured victory.