Chapter Twenty-Two: Protecting Righteousness

Seeing that Feyangu was preparing to retreat, the man called Li Da also got ready to lead his people back.

He Bo and another leader named Zhang Dai remained standing their ground, while Zhao Huai’an’s disciples stood motionless, weapons in hand. Zhao Huai’an glanced at Zhang Dai, gave a slight nod, and then ignored Feyangu and Li Da altogether.

He first turned to Zhao Liu and said, "In a moment, raise our large banner high, then follow me in the charge."

He then commanded Sun Tai and Zhao Hu: "You two are to protect Zhao Liu. As long as he lives, the banner stands!"

Both men, experienced in military maneuvers and knowing the vital importance of the banner, acknowledged the order with a loud shout.

Zhao Huai’an then instructed the rest—Lao Mo, Yang Mao, Wang Li, and Niu Li: "Follow the banner. Wherever it goes, you go!"

Suddenly, Zhao Huai’an noticed He Wenqin, and upon closer inspection, saw four short men standing behind the others. They were looking at him with eager expressions. Aside from He Wenqin, who managed to fill out his Tibetan-style armor, the other four looked like mere children clad in iron. Could these "five-inch runts" even fight?

Regardless, since they were already here, Zhao Huai’an assigned the five of them to Lao Mo’s unit, acting as the second wave.

With his own men arranged, Zhao Huai’an smiled at the uneasy He Bo and the eager Zhang Dai. "I’m leading the charge soon. You lot just stay here and shout your lungs out. You don't need to fight, and you’ll still get your share of the loot."

He Bo gave a "simple-minded" laugh, while Zhang Dai hesitated; but after eyeing the mountain camp, he eventually agreed.

Feyangu, lingering nearby, heard this and hurried over, squeezing back into the group. He and Li Da fawned over Zhao Huai’an, patting their chests and boasting that the men in their camp had the loudest voices and were all experts at belting out mountain songs. Zhao Huai’an curled his lip—what a bunch of wily peasants!

Ignoring them, Zhao Huai’an checked his gear with Xianyu Yue, Ren Tong, and Song Yuan. They would serve as the vanguard, striking first.

...

While Zhao Huai’an was making his preparations, the situation on the dirt road had shifted.

Because the assault on the mountain had been unsuccessful, the Nanzhao forces had redeployed some of their troops, leaving fewer than fifty men guarding the supply wagons and the prisoner cages. It was at this moment that another group of men burst forth from the eastern mountains—a ragtag bunch wearing all sorts of gear and wielding an array of motley weapons. Led by a few Tang soldiers, they charged directly at the prisoner cages and engaged the Nanzhao guards in a chaotic melee.

The opportunity had arrived!

Zhao Huai’an leaped up and roared, "Raise the flag!"

Zhao Liu hoisted the massive banner and jumped up as well. The flag, which Zhao Huai’an had brought from the battlefield at the Dadu River, snapped in the mountain wind, the character "Tang" emblazoned upon it. Zhao Liu then lifted his suona and blew with all his might: "Doo~!"

Amidst the piercing, spirited notes of the suona, Zhao Huai’an took the Mo sword from Lao Mo, raised it high, and bellowed, "Follow me and kill!"

With that, Zhao Huai’an charged down the dirt slope, heading straight for the caravan! Behind him, Xianyu Yue and the others rose in unison, surging down the hill in the wake of Zhao Huai’an and the Great Tang war banner.

Left on the slope, He Bo and his men began to roar at the top of their lungs: "Kill, kill, kill! Kill, kill, kill!"

It was a gamble of life and death, a desperate strike for fame and fortune.

...

Zhao Huai’an was the first to charge, but he wasn't the first to strike. Beside him, Xianyu Yue raised his ox-horn bow, arrows flying as he ran, felling three Nanzhao soldiers in the span of a few breaths.

"Fine archery!" Zhao Huai’an roared. He shouldered his Mo sword and sprinted forward.

Just then, the four "five-inch runts" who had come with He Wenqin darted past him. Clad in Tibetan lamellar armor and wielding long swords almost as tall as they were, they charged forward with reckless abandon. They were the first to plunge into the dust, their swords slashing and stabbing wildly. They didn't bother to block, showing a total disregard for their own lives.

Zhao Huai’an watched in disbelief. Are all the people in these mountains this savage?

They weren't particularly skilled, though; one of them was kicked to the ground by a Nanzhao warrior almost immediately. Seeing the little man about to lose his life, Zhao Huai’an sprinted over, letting out a thunderous shout as he swung his Mo sword in a lethal arc, cleaving the Nanzhao warrior in two. The blade sliced through the rhino-hide armor, then the ribs, exiting through the hip—the man was split like a side of meat.

Blood sprayed onto the nearby Nanzhao soldiers, who stood frozen in terror. Zhao Huai’an’s next strike followed instantly, a horizontal sweep that disemboweled an entire row of foes.

The courage of a single commander can inspire an entire army. Xianyu Yue and the others roared, killing their way deeper into the fray.

The Nanzhao commander, who had been holding the eastern line, turned pale at the sight of the Tang soldiers erupting from the rear. He stepped forward with five armored guards to intercept.

Zhao Huai’an was in the heat of the slaughter when Xianyu Yue shouted, "Those armored ones are Luozuzi!"

Though he didn't know what a "Luozuzi" was, he could see by their bearing that they were elites. Fearing Zhao Huai’an might be at a disadvantage, Xianyu Yue fired his bow, but the soldiers merely raised their arms, deflecting the arrows as they prepared to swarm Zhao Huai’an.

Zhao Huai’an gulped, then swung his blade, catching the outermost guard. The momentum was so sudden that the Mo sword sheared off half the man's head, but the blade became lodged in the bone.

The Nanzhao commander leaped at him, blade raised to strike at Zhao Huai’an’s head. With his sword stuck, Zhao Huai’an abandoned his weapon, rolled to the side, and kicked up a cloud of dust as he rose.

The Nanzhao guards were blinded. Behind Zhao Huai’an, Sun Tai and Zhao Hu drew their heavy iron maces, shattering the jaws of two guards from above. Ren Tong knocked another man over, pinned his neck with a knee, and finished him with a dagger.

The Nanzhao commander was shocked; his five elite guards had lost three men in an instant. Not daring to be arrogant, he retreated cautiously under the cover of the remaining two guards.

Zhao Huai’an was pulled to his feet by Yang Mao and Wang Li, having nearly winded himself in that roll. Seeing the commander retreating, he spat out a mouthful of dirt, stepped onto the corpse of a Nanzhao guard, and wrenched his Mo sword free. A cold glint passed over the blade; it was still sharp.

Fine steel!

Zhao Huai’an held the sword in front of his chest, tip pointing down, gripping the hilt with both hands like a farmer holding a plow. The commander looked on, bewildered, and reflexively stepped back.

Suddenly, Zhao Huai’an pushed off with his trailing foot, lunging with the Mo sword as if it were a spear, thrusting toward the commander’s midsection. The commander, having never seen a Mo sword used like a spear, scrambled back in a panic, bumped into his two remaining guards, and tumbled to the ground.

With his opponent down, Zhao Huai’an didn't hesitate. He shifted his grip, twisted his body, and dragged the blade along the ground, completing a full, sweeping circle with the momentum of his turn.

The remaining guard tried in vain to block the blow with his sword. There was a deafening clash of metal, and the guard’s head went flying along with his shattered blade.

The last guard, utterly terrified, stood frozen in place until Xianyu Yue kicked him down and finished him off. Wang Li and He Wenqin rushed over to pin the Nanzhao commander to the ground, and Zhao Hu signaled for Zhao Hu to step forward, decapitating the man as he wept and pleaded for his life.

Zhao Hu held the head aloft and roared across the battlefield: "The rebel commander is dead! Surrender and live!"

The remaining Nanzhao soldiers didn't understand Tang, but they recognized the head. Seeing their leader dead, most threw down their weapons and knelt, though a few fled. Their surrender, however, bought them no mercy—the group that had emerged from the eastern mountains earlier charged in and cut them down without hesitation.

He Bo and his men rushed down from the slope, cheering as they saw Zhao Huai’an’s victory, eager to claim their share of the spoils. They descended upon the supply wagons, smashing open crates to find gold, silver, copper coins, coarse salt, cloth, and three-colored porcelain, erupting into wild shouts of joy.

Zhao Huai’an was pleased as well, but when he looked for Xianyu Yue, he couldn't find him. Spotting him in the distance, he saw that Xianyu Yue, Ren Tong, and Song Yuan had reached the prisoner cage holding Song Jian, accompanied by three strange warriors. They broke the wooden bars, helped the frail Song Jian out, and bowed to him.

Zhao Huai’an cursed inwardly—that old man Yue was being selfish, not calling him over for such a glorious moment. He didn't know exactly what rank a "Vanguard Patrol Envoy" held, but since Song Jian’s uncle was the Jiedushi of Pinglu, he was undoubtedly a powerful local lord. Zhao Huai’an decided he needed to show his face. Doing good deeds anonymously wasn't his style.

He walked over and shouted, "Old Yue, let’s pack up and withdraw. If those Nanzhao reinforcements return, we’ll be in trouble."

Xianyu Yue smiled and said to Song Jian, "My Lord, this is Zhao Huai’an, a牙将 (Yajiang) of the Lizhou army, whom I mentioned earlier. He possesses the courage of ten thousand men."

Though weak, Song Jian smiled in appreciation upon seeing Zhao Huai’an. "A fine hero. I saw that strike of yours clearly! You truly possess the courage of ten thousand."

Zhao Huai’an knew it was flattery—that kind of praise was reserved for legends like Guan Yu or Zhang Fei—but he knew how to play the game. He couldn't undermine his superior, so he clasped his hands. "My Lord, we only succeeded thanks to the help of these brave men. I dare not claim such courage for myself."

Song Jian, a man who loved heroes, simply nodded and introduced the three strange warriors. They showed no malice toward Zhao Huai’an, merely observing him with curiosity.

"I am Zhao Huaiyi of the Chengdu Vanguard, and this is Xie Zaixing."

"I am Li Shitai of the Zhongwu Army."

Zhao Huai’an realized then that Old Man Yue had run into his old comrades. He bowed respectfully, giving them due face. However, he noticed another soldier standing behind them. Though his clothes were tattered, the man possessed an inner strength and a steady, heroic bearing. Zhao Huai’an bowed to him as well, and the man, clearly surprised, responded: "I have seen the Yajiang. I am Sun Chuanxiu of the Baoyi Army."