Dozens of miles away, withered yellow grass bent like needles beneath the wind.
Xiao Yuan reined in his horse atop a high ridge, his dark cloak snapping violently in the gale.
A scout galloped toward him and dismounted in one swift motion.
“Your Highness! Two thousand five hundred elite enemy cavalry have crossed the boundary marker. They are all lightly equipped and moving extremely fast. They are now less than twenty miles from our forces. In addition, Observation Post No. 4 in the rear failed to respond to our mirror signal at the scheduled time. There may be something wrong!”
“Helyan Cang has indeed come in person.”
The commander of Xiao Yuan’s personal guard standing beside him changed expression slightly.
“Your Highness, Observation Post No. 9 has also lost contact. Could the Northern Di riders have destroyed the post? If the light network relay is obstructed, then the situation at Baishui Pass…”
“There is no need to panic.” Xiao Yuan’s tone was exceptionally calm. “If one section of the light network is blocked, the signal will automatically be relayed along the backup route. It will only cause a slight delay.”
In the past, Xiao Yuan had been accustomed to controlling every detail during battle, calculating the enemy’s reactions and every possible terrain trap to the utmost degree.
But ever since he had begun reassessing military history and tactical thinking, he had come to understand that there was never a perfectly flawless game of chess on the battlefield.
Intelligence could be delayed, observation posts could be cut off, and the enemy could react based on experience.
The true deciding factor in victory or defeat was not whether one could predict the enemy’s every move, but whether one had enough flexibility and contingency plans when things deviated from the original plan.
Xiao Yuan remained composed as he took out the military map.
He and Pei Yi had already selected three possible rendezvous points in advance, each with its corresponding marching route and contingency arrangements.
What he was calculating now was time and changing conditions.
The rate at which Helyan Cang’s 2,500 cavalry horses would tire, the intelligence delay caused by the damaged light network, and the maximum time Pei Yi would need to receive the signal, muster his troops, and leave camp…
Countless variables spun rapidly through his mind like rolling beads.
“Valley A has narrow, treacherous terrain. Helyan Cang is familiar with my previous methods, so he will certainly grow suspicious and send scouts to investigate repeatedly. That would only delay our deployment.” Xiao Yuan’s finger finally stopped at a place name. “Give the order. We will not go to Point A. The entire army will head straight for Iron Gate Gorge—that is Point B!”
“Iron Gate Gorge?” The guard commander was taken aback. “Your Highness, although the high ground on both sides of Iron Gate Gorge restricts cavalry deployment, it is not a sheer cliff or a dead end. If General Pei’s reinforcements arrive late, our army may have to withstand the enemy’s full frontal assault there!”
“That is precisely why I chose it. It restricts cavalry deployment without becoming a place of no return.”
Xiao Yuan put away the map and issued his orders in a deep voice. “Send two scout teams with my command token. Have them take the side trail to Observation Post No. 5 and use the light network to transmit this message to Baishui Pass: ‘Point B.’ At the same time, arrange the planned obstacles along the route. We do not need to kill the enemy. We only need to prevent Helyan Cang’s cavalry from galloping at full speed.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The messenger rode off at a gallop.
Xiao Yuan drew his sword, Hanzhao, and pointed it northeast.
“All troops, heed my command! Maintain formation and proceed to Iron Gate Gorge!”
◆◇◆◇◆
Half an hour later, in a narrow depression in the wilderness.
Helyan Cang reined in his warhorse and coldly surveyed the road ahead. Abandoned grain carts had been piled across it, while iron caltrops lay scattered in every direction. He did not recklessly charge forward.
The scout from the Cangyuan Khanate turned around and reported, “Great Khan, the road has been deliberately damaged. Several sections have been filled with rubble and slanted logs. If we force our way through, the horses’ legs could easily be broken. We will have to send men to clear the road or detour around the low hills on either side.”
The deputy general gritted his teeth.
“Great Khan, Xiao Yuan must have set a trap here, hoping to lure us into it!”
“A trap?” Helyan Cang’s eyes were cold, and the corner of his mouth curled into a mocking smile. “If it were a trap, there should be archers and crossbowmen lying in ambush here. Look at those low hills on either side. The wind has flattened the grass, and there isn’t a single ambushing soldier in sight. Xiao Yuan never intended to fight us here. He is merely using these little tricks to force us to slow down, split up, and take detours, buying himself time to reach his rendezvous point.”
He raised his saber and made an immediate decision.
“There is no need to clear the road! Have five hundred cavalry from the left wing detour around the low hills on the right to scout the route. The rest will follow me through at reduced speed. Maintain formation. Absolutely no disorder!”
Although Helyan Cang had seen through Xiao Yuan’s attempt to delay him, he had no choice but to adjust his marching pace according to the options Xiao Yuan had forced upon him.
An ominous feeling slowly arose in his heart.
The Xiao Yuan of the past had been accustomed to using overt and hidden traps to force his enemies into dead ends. But the Xiao Yuan of today seemed to be controlling the rhythm of the entire front line with a seemingly gentle yet tenacious approach, like something sticky that could not be shaken off.
“Xiao Yuan… Where exactly have you chosen as your battlefield?”
Helyan Cang stared ahead, a murderous glint rising in his eyes.
◆◇◆◇◆
The right-wing military camp of Great Sheng.
Inside the command tent, the heavy atmosphere was broken by hurried footsteps.
A messenger, covered in dust from the road, rushed into the tent and raised his command token as he shouted, “Report, General! Observation Post No. 5 has transmitted a standard signal through the light network. His Highness Prince Su has confirmed the rendezvous point as—Point B!”
Pei Yi stood in the center of the tent, clad in heavy armor, his eyes as cold as ice.
He had already mustered three thousand elite cavalry. The horses and weapons were fully prepared, and they were only waiting for Xiao Yuan to transmit the final rendezvous code.
Although the light network had been delayed slightly beyond expectations due to an abnormality at the relay post, it had not disrupted his deployment.
“Point B… Iron Gate Gorge! The terrain narrows there, making it advantageous for defense, but also easy to surround. His Highness has only a little over a thousand men at his disposal.”
Pei Yi abruptly turned around.
“How long was the light network delayed?”
“Reporting to the General! The Northern Di destroyed three relay nodes, forcing the message to travel through the observation posts. It was delayed by approximately half an hour!”
This meant that by the time they received the message, Helyan Cang’s 2,500 elite light cavalry might already have reached the rear of Prince Su’s forces.
Xiao Yuan might currently be using little more than a thousand personal guards to hold off the Northern Di elites, engaging Helyan Cang in a desperate battle.
Pei Yi’s voice rang like a thunderclap as he issued his command.
“Three thousand elite cavalry, depart immediately! Take the predetermined Route No. 2 at full speed and cut off the Northern Di army’s retreat!”
“Yes, General!”
The gates of the military camp swung open with a thunderous crash. Three thousand elite Great Sheng cavalry surged out like floodwaters bursting through a dam, charging toward Iron Gate Gorge beneath a billowing cloud of dust.
◆◇◆◇◆
At Iron Gate Gorge, the wind howled like an enraged beast.
It was a broad gorge with high earthen terraces on both sides. The terrain gradually narrowed from the outside inward, while the valley floor was uneven and littered with rocks and withered shrubs.
After leading a little over a thousand Great Sheng personal guards to the gorge, Xiao Yuan did not pin his troops down in the narrowest section. Instead, he took advantage of the terrain and arranged them in a Tortoise-Scale Formation in the middle of the valley.
Heavy shields were planted firmly in the front ranks, with a forest of spears behind them. Archers and crossbowmen were positioned along the elevated slopes, their weapons drawn and ready. More than a hundred mobile cavalrymen guarded both flanks to prevent the enemy from launching a surprise attack down the sloping low hills.
More than a thousand Great Sheng cavalry guards stood ready for battle.
“Your Highness! The enemy vanguard is less than three miles away!” A scout on the high ground reported loudly through his telescope.
Xiao Yuan reined in his horse. With Hanzhao in hand, he calmly surveyed the entrance to the gorge.
He knew very well that the light network delay meant Pei Yi’s three thousand elite cavalry were still on their way.
Before Pei Yi arrived, he had to use his little more than a thousand men to withstand the first violent assault from Helyan Cang’s 2,500 elite cavalry.
Rolling yellow sand blotted out the sky. The 2,500 elite cavalry of the Cangyuan Khanate surged into Iron Gate Gorge like a black tide, advancing with an overwhelming force.
Helyan Cang reined in his warhorse at the foot of the slope and looked toward the dark-clad figure atop the hill in the distance.
After two years, these two sworn enemies, who had spent half their lives fighting each other in the Northern Borderlands, once again faced one another directly at the center of a storm of blood and fire.
Helyan Cang immediately noticed something unusual about the terrain and saw through Xiao Yuan’s formation at a glance.
Although the ground here was somewhat elevated, it was by no means a sheer cliff that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. If Xiao Yuan deployed his troops here and was surrounded, he would have no way to retreat.
“Xiao Yuan, have you run out of options?”
Helyan Cang drew his Shattered Fang. The blade reflected a bone-chilling, sinister gleam beneath the sunlight.
He knew Pei Yi’s reinforcements might be on their way, but he also knew that as long as he completely tore apart the thousand-odd soldiers before him before Pei Yi arrived, Xiao Yuan would be doomed!
Amid the howling wind, Xiao Yuan’s central command banner—the largest of all the flags—fluttered in the air. A silver wolf raised its head and faced forward, while a bronze wolf’s head adorned the top of the flagpole.
As the son of the Wolf King, Helyan Cang came from the Golden Wolf Tribe. Yet his opponent’s banner also bore a wolf.
Today, he would break Xiao Yuan’s banner!
He did not recklessly order a full-scale charge. Instead, he raised his saber and commanded, “Five hundred cavalry from the vanguard, launch a probing assault! Three hundred from each wing, move along the sides of the low hills and search for an opening!”
The Cangyuan cavalry charged forward with a thunderous roar, their hooves crushing the rocks beneath them.
“Crossbows ready—fire!” Xiao Yuan calmly commanded.
The archers and crossbowmen on the high ground fired in unison. A dense rain of arrows swept down like locusts, instantly piercing dozens of Northern Di cavalrymen at the front. Men and horses tumbled to the ground, blood and flesh flying everywhere!
However, the ferocity of the Northern Di elite cavalry was fully revealed at that moment.
They trampled over the bodies of their fallen comrades, using the momentum of their charging horses to close in on Great Sheng’s shield wall. Their curved sabers whistled through the air as they hacked viciously at the Great Sheng defenses!
The clash of metal, the cracking of bones, the screams of men, and the anguished cries of warhorses instantly merged into a living hell.
The Great Sheng soldiers in the front ranks endured the tremendous impact. Several spat blood and collapsed, but soldiers from the ranks behind immediately stepped forward to replace them. Spears thrust through the gaps in the shields, knocking the enemy cavalrymen who had broken into the formation from their horses.
Helyan Cang watched the battle closely from the rear.
He discovered that Xiao Yuan’s formation was completely different from the one he had used in the past.
In the past, Xiao Yuan had maintained strict discipline in his army. If a gap appeared in the defensive line, he would have committed all his strength to holding it.
But today, when the Cangyuan cavalry on the right wing tried to tear through Great Sheng’s left flank, Xiao Yuan actually abandoned a section of the low hill on the left of his own accord. He pulled his forces toward the center while using the low walls and chevaux-de-frise prepared in advance to divert the Cangyuan cavalry’s charge into a depression filled with scattered rocks.
—He had abandoned the high ground on the left flank?
Helyan Cang was deeply shaken.
On the surface, this retreat appeared to be Great Sheng surrendering its advantageous terrain. But in reality, the Cangyuan cavalry that had charged up the high ground found their speed sharply reduced by the steep, rocky slope. They could no longer bring their cavalry’s charging advantage into play, and their formation was torn into disarray.
“Xiao Yuan… He no longer pursues perfect formations.”
Helyan Cang muttered through clenched teeth, a trace of doubt appearing in his eyes for the first time.
The Xiao Yuan he knew had been an opponent who applied tactical rules to their utmost limits. But the Xiao Yuan before him seemed to have cast off all restraints on the battlefield. He no longer rigidly defended every inch of ground, instead flowing and reshaping his formation like water in response to the enemy’s momentum.
The battle descended into a brutal stalemate.
As time passed, fallen horses and soldiers littered the gorge. Blood soaked into the yellow earth, while the sunlight was blinding and cold.
Xiao Yuan was also spattered with his enemies’ blood. He had personally cut down two Cangyuan cavalrymen who had broken through the defensive line, yet his gaze remained as cold as ice as he observed the battlefield.
He was waiting.
As time went on, subtle changes began to emerge on the battlefield.
Helyan Cang’s 2,500 elite cavalry had endured a long forced march, followed by half an hour of intense, life-and-death combat at Iron Gate Gorge. Their physical stamina was gradually beginning to differ from one another.
The Cangyuan Khanate had suffered years of famine in recent times, and its soldiers had recovered from the hardships to varying degrees. The elite cavalry charging at the front were certainly fierce, but after continuous high-intensity combat, the reserve troops in the rear had begun to show visible signs of disorder. Even the horses’ breathing had grown heavy and labored.
By contrast, the personal guards under Xiao Yuan had benefited greatly from improved food and medical care. They had also occupied advantageous terrain in advance and were well-rested when the battle began.
Although they were outnumbered and had suffered heavy casualties, their force of more than a thousand men had been reduced by nearly thirty percent, yet they still maintained the last remnants of their defensive formation.
Helyan Cang saw the fatigue in his troops, but he also saw the resilience of the Great Sheng army.
Every time he felt he was about to break through the enemy’s defenses, Xiao Yuan would redistribute his troops and plug the gap once more.
It was like punching a resilient piece of leather. His strength could not get through, yet he was firmly entangled in it.
If this continued, Pei Yi’s army would arrive soon.
A ruthless glint flashed in Helyan Cang’s eyes. He drew his saber.
“Personal Guard Unit, charge with me! Break through the central formation!”
He would use one final, ferocious assault to personally chop off Xiao Yuan’s head!
Xiao Yuan thrust his sword through the chest of an enemy general. His gaze passed through the layers of fighting men and met Helyan Cang’s eyes several dozen paces away.
Their gazes clashed fiercely in the air.
Helyan Cang understood the meaning in Xiao Yuan’s eyes.
That gaze seemed to be telling him: You still won’t win this time.
At that moment, memories from two years ago came rushing back.
“Xiao Yuan!”
Helyan Cang’s roar exploded like thunder. His furious shout contained all the humiliation of his defeat at Hanchuan City two years ago, as well as the overwhelming rage of having won and then lost the first military city of the Northern Borderlands!
He fiercely squeezed his legs against his horse’s flanks. The warhorse beneath him leaped forward like a frenzied black panther.
Helyan Cang gripped the massive, unsheathed black iron saber in one hand.
Shattered Fang.
It was not a weapon meant for sparring or martial arts practice.
Its blade had been forged by melting down and repeatedly hammering the sabers carried by generations of Cangyuan wolf kings. Made from forty pounds of repeatedly refined black iron, it was thick and heavy, its back as solid as an iron block and its edge slightly blunt. The handle was wrapped in a dark, glossy wolf-hide cord, soaked with centuries of blood, sweat, and resentment from the grasslands.
This was not merely Helyan Cang’s saber.
It was the ambition of all Cangyuan to swallow Great Sheng.
“Protect His Highness!”
Several Great Sheng personal guards, their eyes bloodshot, rushed forward with their spears raised.
But Helyan Cang did not even blink. His astonishingly powerful arm swung violently, and the forty-pound Shattered Fang came crashing down with a howl of raging wind!
There was no elegant flash of a blade, only the most brutal force of destruction.
Two shafts of refined steel spears snapped into several pieces in an instant. Along with the bones, flesh, and armor of several personal guards, they were smashed apart by that single blow. A mist of blood burst into the air as Helyan Cang and his horse smashed through a bloody path, forcing their way directly toward Xiao Yuan.
“Xiao Yuan! Give me your life!”
Riding on the momentum of his charging warhorse, Helyan Cang raised Shattered Fang high above his head and brought it crashing down toward Xiao Yuan’s skull—
Faced with a blow powerful enough to split mountains and shatter stone, Xiao Yuan’s expression was as cold and solemn as the frozen earth of the extreme north.
He did not turn his horse and retreat. Instead, he gripped the ancient ebony sword with its black sharkskin-wrapped hilt and silver-inlaid guard.
—Hanzhao.
The instant the sword left its sheath, there were no ornate decorations, only a blade of icy light, as cold as the first snowfall in the polar regions, suddenly slicing through the air. Subtle dark patterns on the blade reflected a piercing, frosty gleam beneath the sunlight.
Xiao Yuan did not meet the full force of the heavy saber head-on.
At the instant the blade came crashing down, he gave a slight twist of his wrist. Hanzhao darted diagonally forward like a nimble silver serpent, its tip striking with pinpoint accuracy at the thickest and most force-bearing point on the back of Shattered Fang.
Clang!!
A sharp metallic ring echoed through Iron Gate Gorge.
The extremely hard, repeatedly forged black iron of Shattered Fang violently scraped against the cold blade of Hanzhao. Sparks burst out like rain.
Xiao Yuan felt an overwhelming force surge along the sword. His palm was shaken with such pain that it nearly went numb, while his warhorse, Xuanshuang, could not withstand the impact and staggered several steps backward.
But that single strike had forcibly deflected the killing blow of the forty-pound saber by three inches.
Shattered Fang slammed into empty space with a thunderous crash. The force was so great that even Helyan Cang’s mount staggered backward several steps.
Without pausing after his failed strike, Helyan Cang used the momentum to swing his saber back. The blade swept horizontally just above the ground, carrying the violent sound of wind and thunder as it slashed toward Xiao Yuan’s waist and abdomen!
A wolf did not care about techniques. All that mattered was whether it could bite through its prey’s throat!
Xiao Yuan gave a cold snort, murderous intent surging in his eyes.
Taking advantage of his warhorse’s backward movement, he twisted his body in the saddle. Hanzhao transformed into an impenetrable web of silver sword light. Using his opponent’s force against him, the blade swiftly scraped along the rough back of Shattered Fang, its edge pointing directly at the fingers gripping Helyan Cang’s saber.
The two warhorses crossed paths among the rocks in the narrow gorge. Their riders exchanged four or five moves in the blink of an eye.
Shattered Fang was as heavy as a mountain. Every swing was a killing blow capable of smashing through bone and flesh, carrying the howling aura of death.
Hanzhao was as light and agile as snow. Every thrust aimed directly at the throat and joints, and wherever its sword light passed, frost and snow seemed to gather!
This was no ordinary clash between generals.
It was a fated confrontation born of two years of accumulated hatred, with the fate of their respective nations and their own lives at stake.
Both men were intent on killing. Every move was vicious, and every exchange drew blood. Even the surrounding personal guards could not approach the deadly zone enveloped in the force of their blows and the mist of blood.
Hanzhao’s sword energy cut a bloody gash into Helyan Cang’s arm. Blood seeped into the wolf-hide cord wrapped around his saber’s handle. Meanwhile, Xiao Yuan’s shoulder blade had taken the violent shock of Shattered Fang, leaving his internal organs churning with blood and qi.
“Xiao Yuan!”
Helyan Cang roared. Once again, he reined in his horse with one arm and swung Shattered Fang through half a circle. Gathering the full weight of his strength, he prepared to launch another attack with the most primitive and brutal of strikes.
With this blow, he would abandon all possibility of retreat. He swore to smash Xiao Yuan, horse and all, into a pulp!
Xiao Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly. He held Hanzhao horizontally before his chest, the dark patterns on its blade flowing like frost. His legs tightened around his horse’s belly as he prepared to receive this final, earth-shattering blow—
At that very moment!
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Heavy hoofbeats suddenly thundered from the rear of Iron Gate Gorge, like muffled thunder exploding across the sky.
Beneath the dimming evening sky, a crimson battle flag unfurled in the wind. The character “Pei,” embroidered in black and silver thread, reflected the rays of the setting sun like a burning silver flame against the crimson earth. Its dark border held that blazing flame firmly in place, giving it a steady yet fierce appearance.
“Great Khan! A large force of Great Sheng cavalry has appeared behind us! Pei Yi’s elite cavalry have arrived!” the Cangyuan scout shouted from the rear.
Helyan Cang’s pupils contracted. He abruptly withdrew his strength and turned his head.
At the exit of the gorge behind them, Pei Yi was leading the charge. Three thousand elite Great Sheng cavalry surged forward like a searing red-hot iron brand, driving straight into the exhausted and stretched-out rear flank of the Cangyuan army with unstoppable force!
Pei Yi wielded his eighteen-pound spear, Pojun, in one hand. Its tip swept through a sharp arc, instantly sending two Cangyuan cavalrymen flying.
The spear gleamed with the cold, dark sheen of iron in the sunlight.
An ordinary spear weighed only three to five pounds and could be wielded easily with one hand, allowing its user to thrust and parry with agility. But Pojun’s shaft was forged from black iron mixed with refined steel. Its handle was as thick as a child’s arm, its spearhead as broad as a short sword, and the entire weapon weighed eighteen pounds.
The soldiers in the army had privately tried wielding it themselves. Even holding it with both hands, they could not manage more than the time it took half an incense stick to burn before their arms became so numb and sore that they could no longer lift it.
Pei Yi came from a poor family. When he was young, he had distinguished himself through military service, yet he could not even afford a decent weapon.
That heavy spear had been given to him by Xiao Yuan when Xiao Yuan first took command of an army.
Everyone in the military knew that General Pei’s most valuable possession was neither his warhorse nor his armor, but the heavy spear that had accompanied him for five years.
“Pei Yi is here too!”
They all knew the reputation of Prince Su, Xiao Yuan. But Pei Yi was also a formidable general who had guarded the Northern Borderlands for many years. His spear could sweep through entire armies, and he was equally feared.
Now that the two had joined forces, a commotion broke out among the Cangyuan Khanate troops.
The arrival of three thousand fresh troops threw the already exhausted Cangyuan formation into immediate disarray.
The situation changed drastically.
Seeing this, Xiao Yuan immediately shouted, “The entire army, counterattack! Coordinate with General Pei and attack from both sides!”
The morale of the Great Sheng army soared. Their defensive line, which had previously drawn inward, instantly spread out like a giant net, moving to encircle the enemy instead.
Helyan Cang clenched his teeth so hard they ground together.
He looked at Xiao Yuan, who was close enough to touch, his body stained with blood but his gaze still calm as he stared back. Then he looked toward Pei Yi, who was charging in from behind with murderous intent.
A fierce struggle raged within him.
If he continued fighting desperately, he had a thirty percent chance of killing Xiao Yuan amid the chaos. But the price would be the complete destruction of the 2,500 most elite light cavalry of Cangyuan. He himself might very well perish here as well.
Besides, dusk was approaching. It was no longer suitable to continue wearing down his forces.
If only he had another half an hour—no, just two quarters of an hour—he would be confident of personally cutting off Xiao Yuan’s head.
But there were no what-ifs on the battlefield.
He recalled that when he had arrived near Duanyun Fortress, it had also been close to dusk. Now the same situation had appeared once again.
Could Xiao Yuan really have calculated the timing so precisely in advance…?
There were still tens of thousands of Cangyuan troops in the rear. The situation had not yet reached a dead end.
This gamble was no longer worth staking the lives of his entire elite cavalry force. And he himself could not die here.
“Rear ranks, become the vanguard! Draw both wings inward!”
Helyan Cang’s voice was filled with ruthless resolve.
“Break through toward the southwest… Retreat!”
The Cangyuan cavalry were well-trained. Even in such an unfavorable situation, they maintained remarkable discipline under Helyan Cang’s personal command.
Helyan Cang personally led his guards in bringing up the rear, blocking Pei Yi’s charge while covering the main force as it used the low hills to break through diagonally.
Xiao Yuan did not order a reckless pursuit.
With one hand resting on his sword, he breathed slightly heavily as he coldly watched the black figure retreating in the distance. Though battered, the man’s back remained straight until he gradually disappeared from sight.
He knew that his own troops were already extremely exhausted. Helyan Cang was a trapped beast capable of unleashing terrifying strength when cornered. If they forced a pursuit, they might suffer unnecessary casualties.
◆◇◆◇◆
The sound of war drums gradually faded. The setting sun painted Iron Gate Gorge a deep blood-red.
Helyan Cang led his remaining troops out of Iron Gate Gorge.
On a yellow-earth slope several miles away, he reined in his warhorse and turned around for one final look at the gorge, now littered with corpses and broken flags.
In that battle, he had failed to kill Xiao Yuan. He had also failed to disrupt Great Sheng’s deployment, and had even lost several hundred elite soldiers.
But what truly unsettled him was the realization that the sworn enemy with whom he had struggled for nearly ten years had completely transformed himself.
The Prince Su, Xiao Yuan, whom he had once been able to predict based on his tactical habits, no longer existed.
“Xiao Yuan…”
Helyan Cang quietly savored the name, his eyes deep and dangerous.
“In our next match, I will calculate you all over again.”
He would not let this go. His repeated defeats had cost him dearly, but one day he would make Xiao Yuan repay every last bit of it.
He turned his horse around and disappeared into the afterglow of the setting sun with his remaining troops.
◆◇◆◇◆
Inside Iron Gate Gorge, the battlefield cleanup was proceeding in an orderly manner.
Pei Yi dismounted and strode over to Xiao Yuan.
Both men were covered in dust and blood, but their eyes remained calm.
“Your Highness,” Pei Yi said in a deep voice, “the Northern Di army has retreated southwest. Helyan Cang personally brought up the rear, and their retreat was extremely orderly. Our elite cavalry were exhausted from the march, so we did not pursue them further.”
“Not pursuing them was the right decision.”
Xiao Yuan wiped the blood from his sword with a piece of cloth and returned it to its sheath.
“Helyan Cang is a wolf. Killing him will come at a price. The time has not yet come.”
Helyan Cang’s retreat toward the southwest had also been the right choice.
The southwest led toward the grasslands, where he could regroup and gather his forces again. If Pei Yi had pursued him, Helyan Cang’s rearguard could have turned around and bitten back at any moment. By then, the exhausted Great Sheng cavalry might not have gained the upper hand.
Pei Yi glanced at the chaotic battlefield and remarked with a sigh, “The light network signal was delayed. I originally thought we would face a tough battle by the time we arrived. I never expected Your Highness to hold Helyan Cang’s 2,500 elite cavalry here with little more than a thousand men.”
“On the battlefield, changes are always more numerous than what one can reasonably anticipate.”
Xiao Yuan looked toward the wilderness beyond the gorge. A gentle breeze stirred the bloodstained hem of his clothes.
“All we did was prepare ourselves to accept those changes.”
The two briefly discussed the transfer of defensive duties and the casualty figures.
Nearly one-third of Xiao Yuan’s thousand-odd personal guards had been killed or wounded, but they had preserved their core fighting strength. Helyan Cang had left behind more than a hundred corpses before retreating. In the short term, he would be unable to pose any substantial threat to Great Sheng’s rear.
As dusk settled, Iron Gate Gorge gradually returned to silence.
Xiao Yuan gazed into the distance as the sun sank in the west, his eyes as deep as the sea.
The clash at Point B had come to an end, but he knew this was merely the beginning of another new stage in the Northern Borderlands campaign.
His opponent had already noticed the changes in him. The battles ahead would be more dangerous than ever before, but the possibilities would also be far broader.