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The battle dragged from midnight to dawn, and as the sky brightened, the heavy snow fell relentlessly, unable to cover the countless corpses and rivers of blood.
Even with Asena Lier's heroic spirit, he was now panting heavily, like a strong bow nearing its end, and the Yueji in his hand felt heavy and difficult to lift.
Since Zhou Cang had severed his horse's front hooves and he fell from the battlefield, he had been entangled with Xu Zhen. They exchanged blows while their personal guards protected them. Although he had not suffered any major injuries, his wounds had accumulated, yet his fighting spirit remained undiminished!
Xu Zhen, though young and impetuous, had received Li Jing's Enhanced I Ching Cleansing Inner Power Manual, giving her a long-lasting breath and abundant vitality. She was not intimidated by Asena Lier's youth and strength.
The Ganzhou Garrison surged forward like a tidal wave, pushing the front line from the city gates to ten miles outside the city. Along the way lay countless corpses and weapons, while horses ran amok, unable to be concealed by the heavy snow!
Asena Lier felt deep sorrow and anger, reminiscent of a hero at the end of his road. He thought of Murong Geerhe, who must have abandoned his command in the heat of battle and fled for his life. It was now dawn, and if he had sent his guards to transport reinforcements at midnight, they should have arrived by now.
Watching as twenty thousand troops were ravaged by Xu Zhen's artillery fire and then faced a barrage of Arrow Rain and Crossbow shots, losing nearly half their numbers in an instant, they were suddenly thrown into chaos by a clash with the Ganzhou Garrison. With no clear leader left, they lost thousands more heads in battle until dawn broke. Only about three or four thousand remained, struggling to hold on without retreating.
These were all Asena Lier's cherished warriors, whom he had personally brought up from the lowest ranks of the grasslands—the Death Warriors—whose combat strength was exceptional. However, after such prolonged weariness, they could not withstand the Tang army's valor. Many had fallen; it seemed that the situation was already decided. Yet Asena Lier was unwilling to flee in disgrace. Hesitating for a moment led to hundreds of lives being lost.
The Tang army was also suffering. Although they were riding high on victory and morale was boosted among the soldiers, their numbers were still at a disadvantage. After enduring a prolonged battle, they too began to feel weary. Even the nearly seventy-year-old Old War God disregarded advice and stood proudly amidst the wind and snow at the rear, beating drums to rally spirits!
Xu Zhen leaned on her long knife; outside it was snowing heavily while she sweated inside her Red Armor. She felt exhausted, her hands and feet trembling, unsure how much longer she could hold on. Despite the swirling snowflakes, the ground was soaked in blood—like hell had manifested on earth—sending chills through her heart.
Yet everything they had endured was for this decisive battle. If one easily gave up due to minor hardships, how could they be considered a true man? How could they gather formidable military might?
With this thought in mind, Xu Zhen's bloodshot eyes suddenly lit up as if infused with boundless energy. Seeing an Ah Chai charging towards her with a roar, she kicked up snow and mud with her blade right into her enemy's face. With a swift motion of her knife, she severed his head which rolled away for two and a half turns!
She felt numb but could not bear to look directly at her fallen comrades each time she saw them; yet there was nothing she could do but hope for this battle to end soon so she could earn some military merit—perhaps enough for a modest official position—and return to Chang'an to continue living idly.
However, Zhou Cang and Xie Anting along with their band of fierce warriors were full of enthusiasm. They had been lively throughout most of the night without showing signs of fatigue. Their weapons were already jagged like saw teeth; it was unclear how many necks they had severed as they continued their relentless pursuit of these Ah Chai warriors—leaving behind only scattered remnants but no heads!
"Enough, enough! Go, go, go! All of you, flee for your lives!" Asena Lier was not the type to lose his temper easily, but circumstances had forced his hand. If it weren't for the emergence of that monster, Xu Zhen, how could the eight gates have been overwhelmed by relentless cannon fire, ruining a perfectly good battle? Throughout history, wars have been dictated by timing and fate; where there are heroes like Chaos, there are also the old men who meet their demise.
Although Asena Lier was reluctant to admit it, the truth was undeniable—he was indeed one of those unfortunate souls who had been eliminated.
Many of his loyal soldiers had already lost their courage. Upon hearing their commander issue the retreat order, they fled in disarray, not daring to look back for fear that turning around would reveal nothing but the deadly glint of swords and blades.
After running for about two miles and reaching the Blackwater River, the soldiers were exhausted. They thought that sooner or later they would be hunted down and killed. Rather than waiting for that inevitable end, they decided to fight desperately; even if they were to die, they would do so with honor, wrapped in horsehide, ensuring that their lives as soldiers were not in vain. Whether they lived joyfully or not was another matter; when they died, they wanted to do so with dignity.
With thoughts of death in their hearts, they gradually slowed down. Just as they prepared to make a stand against their pursuers, they heard shouts and neighing from across the Blackwater River. The sound of hooves thundered like drums on the earth; a troop of three or four thousand men and horses came charging through the wind and snow.
The wind howled and the snow fell heavily. Asena Lier could hardly see clearly but felt that it must be Murong Geerhe and his son coming to rescue their comrades.
However, upon reflection, he realized that these two had never bothered to show up during critical moments of battle. Now they seemed to be arriving only to pick up the pieces and reap the benefits of others' hard work. This made him feel a deep resentment mixed with an unwilling anticipation.
If these two truly seized this opportunity, it was likely that the Tang army, which had fought through the night, would be completely wiped out. In that case, all the credit would fall into the hands of the Murong family!
Yet now that his life was at stake, Asena Lier had no time to contemplate such matters. He hurriedly led his brothers downstream along the Blackwater River but faced ambushes along the way. The wind and snow were bleak and sorrowful, making it all the more heart-wrenching.
Xu Zhen and her contingent of Tang soldiers were also uneasy as they pursued from afar. Seeing weapons and banners standing tall amidst the swirling snow, panic set in her heart as well. They slowed their pace and formed a defensive formation while cautiously advancing forward.
When it came to fighting fiercely, Zhou Cang and several other brothers showed no fear against anyone—even strategists like Zhang Jiunian fought with blood covering their bodies and faces. However, when it came to strategizing or seizing opportunities, who dared to boast in front of Li Jing?
Though drums beat from behind to encourage them, Old War God kept a close eye on changes on the battlefield. At this moment of unexpected developments, he couldn't ignore the warning signs. After careful consideration, he caught onto some hints and immediately ordered: "Charge forward! Leave not a single enemy alive!"
Many brothers still worried whether those across the river were friend or foe; however, their commander had given a firm order. How could any soldier dare hold back? They rallied their spirits, kicked aside enemy corpses on the ground, hastily took mouthfuls of clean snow to quench their thirst and hunger before recklessly charging ahead!
Xu Zhen could not understand why Li Jing insisted on such relentless pursuit. The saying "never chase a desperate foe" held great wisdom; Asena Lier's remnants no longer posed a threat—why pursue them to such an extent? Did he not fear that in his desperation he might cause unnecessary losses among his own brothers?
However, Zhang Jiunian calmed down and, after much thought, had no choice but to place the confidence of the Old War God on Qibi Helix!
Recalling the reinforcements from Qibi Helix, everyone felt invigorated. With the commander so resolute, it seemed to carry a deep hope, and they could only brace themselves and take a gamble!
"Hey!"
Xu Zhen let out a muffled sound, lifting her heavy steps and following the crowd forward, already hearing the shouts of battle ahead!
This fresh force brought an earth-shattering momentum, injecting new vitality into the lifeless battlefield. It was inevitable that blood would once again stain the Blackwater River.
Both sides were gambling on whether this reinforcement was Murong Hanzhu and Murong Geerhe's wolf cavalry or Qibi Helix's army.
However, upon hearing the battle cries mixed with the mournful wails of death, the comrades in the army were uplifted because the battle cries were in Tang language, not in the tone of bandits. Although it was late, Qibi Helix's reinforcements had finally arrived!
Asena Lier sighed heavily, feeling helpless and accepting the reins handed over by her bodyguard. She mounted a large horse and fled with less than a thousand remaining soldiers towards the Qilian Mountains.
At this time, it was cold and freezing; they were also heavily injured and had no food. Entering the Qilian Mountains was no different from seeking their own demise.
Qibi Helix was also an understanding person. After a brief ambush, he halted his troops. Upon meeting Li Jing, they each described the battle situation. However, Qibi Helix was somewhat evasive and not very straightforward.
The reason for their overwhelming victory in this battle was largely due to the might of Xu Zhen Divine Fire Camp's Eight Gates Divine Fire Cannons. Li Jing did not shy away from this fact. Moreover, since Qibi Helix was familiar with Xu Zhen, he ordered his men to clean up along the way while he himself set up a temporary tent for discussions among the generals.
Li Jing did not dare to sit; naturally, no one else dared either. When Li Jing finally sat down, still no one dared to take a seat, but all eyes were on Xu Zhen.
Without Xu Zhen, they wouldn't even be able to save themselves. Since Xu Zhen took credit for this achievement, who would dare to underestimate her?
Xu Zhen was not foolish either; she naturally did not dare to speak up. When strategist Liu Shuyi sincerely invited her, she pretended to be modest and allowed Xue Wanche and Qibi Helix to take their seats first. After some polite gestures of humility, she finally sat down.
Qibi Helix was not one to beat around the bush. Seeing Xu Zhen acting so coy, he jokingly remarked to Old War God: “This little rascal is a straightforward hero, yet after just a few days under Wei Gong, he’s picked up all this feminine air.”
After a great victory in battle, everyone knew Qibi Helix's temperament and couldn't help but burst into laughter. The pent-up frustration from the past two months finally found an outlet. This time, as they discussed rewards and promotions, it was inevitable that they would rotate the merit awards and elevate some positions.
However, Xu Zhenxin still felt uneasy, sensing that something crucial was missing. He instinctively touched his fingers and felt the coldness of the iron ring, which jolted him back to reality like a bucket of icy water poured over his head. He hurriedly asked Qibi Helix: “May I ask, General, have you brought... my sister along with the troops?”
Xu Zhenxin was anxious and almost revealed Li Mingda's identity but quickly changed his wording to refer to his own sister, leaving others somewhat puzzled.
Qibi Helix, confused by the question, paused for a moment before nodding: “Your sister has come along with Zoroastrian Grandmaster. I’ve already arranged for someone to protect her in the rear; she should arrive within half an hour.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhen felt as if struck by lightning. Forgetting all decorum, she dashed out of the tent and shouted at the top of her lungs: “All able-bodied Brothers, come with me!”
He was merely Colonel Murong Xiao, commanding his own unit, the Divine Fire Camp, and did not dare to call out to other units’ Brothers. However, given the urgency of the situation and having gained considerable prestige from this battle, his call was met with immediate response; indeed, all who could move followed him!
Qibi Helix cast a puzzled glance at Li Jing, who sighed lightly and pointed out the key issue: “Brother He Li, you’ve been careless this time. The horses of the Murong Family have not appeared since midnight last night; it seems... they must be off doing something significant!”
Qibi Helix suddenly jumped up and slapped his forehead in realization. Without hesitation, he rushed out, seized a horse, and followed after Xu Zhen!
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