Volume 1, Chapter 52: The Most Suicidal Provocation in History!

Madness!

This is absolute madness!

Five hundred men, daring to take the initiative against tens of thousands of elite Rong cavalry?

How is this even possible?!

Wu Kexiong felt a surge of hot blood rush straight to his head. He wanted to curse, he wanted to cry, but above all, he felt an overwhelming sense of profound helplessness.

Glaring at Zhang Muyang, he practically roared, "Zhang Muyang! I... I'm not afraid of death! But we only have five hundred men! How the hell are we supposed to fight tens of thousands of them? Huh?!"

"Exactly!"

A flash of raw terror crossed Liu Yunzhao's face, his voice trembling uncontrollably, "The Rong people... they are notorious for their brutality and bloodthirst. Throwing our little force at them wouldn't even be enough to plug the gaps between their teeth!"

We cannot fight!

We absolutely cannot fight!

Chen Xiucheng and the other battalion commanders and squad leaders all turned pale, shaking their heads vigorously.

They were just local garrison troops from Sifang County, pulling a meager monthly pay of five hundred copper cash. Why on earth should they throw their lives away on such a suicide mission? Nobody wanted to earn money only to lose their life, let alone... without even getting paid in the first place.

An atmosphere of panic spread rapidly through the crowd like a plague.

Morale instantly plummeted to freezing point; some men even felt their legs turn to jelly, barely able to keep their grip on their blades.

This battle was nothing like the one at Hufeng Pass.

At Hufeng Pass, they had at least held the advantage of time, terrain, and unity. They had icy caves, giant boulders, and fire arrows, allowing them to defend a strategic stronghold.

But what about now? Looking around, aside from the boundless white snowy plains, there was only this insignificant little hill beneath their feet. Once those tens of thousands of iron cavalry came rolling over like a tidal wave, they would be ground into dust in an instant!

"What are you all afraid of?"

Zhang Muyang swept his gaze over the crowd and shouted explosively, "You think I want to fight?! But... do we have any retreat left? Once the Profound Bear Tribe, the Crimson Fox Tribe, and the Northern Yan Vanguard Camp converge, Zhenbei Pass and the Huqiu Encampment will be pulverized into dust in an instant! Us and our families alike will be left without a burial ground!"

However, there was still a chance!

They had the advantage of asymmetrical intelligence!

They had the bitter hatred between Hanzhi and Helian Chunshui over a stolen wife!

They had the boundless shroud of the night!

And most importantly, they possessed hearts burning with the fearless determination to protect their homeland!

The more Zhang Muyang spoke, the more agitated and loud his voice became. "We aren't going to fight them head-on! We are going to kick a hornet's nest! Hit them once and run! As long as we successfully lure the Rong people to the vanguard camp at Black Wind Cliff and make them tear into the Northern Yan vanguard like dogs fighting over a bone, our mission is complete!"

While speaking, he frantically shot winks at Wu Kexiong.

Damn it!

He was being forced onto the duck-walk now; whether he liked it or not, he had to go through with it.

Wu Kexiong cursed inwardly, hardened his heart, squeezed a fierce expression onto his face, and roared passionately, "Motherfuckers! So what if they're Rong? Don't they still have two shoulders carrying one head just like the rest of us? Which one of us isn't a man who pees standing up? What is there to be afraid of? Let's do this with me!"

"Let's do it!"

Hearing that it wasn't a desperate fight to the death, but rather a hit-and-run supported by traps, the soldiers' morale finally recovered somewhat. Scattered voices began to echo his battle cry.

Striking while the iron was hot, Zhang Muyang wiped the disguise from his face and shouted, "Brothers! I am Zhang Muyang!"

What?

Zhang Muyang wasn't dead?

Shock and excitement rippled through everyone present. He was the hero they held in their hearts!

Zhang Muyang said loudly, "We are all townsmen from Sifang County! When have I ever lied to you? Have you forgotten how, under the leadership of Deputy Commander Wu, we slaughtered and drove back five thousand Blood Wolf Cavalry at Hufeng Pass? Have you forgotten how I set fire to the enemy's grain supplies with a single torch?"

That's right!

Recalling their previous glorious achievements, a spark returned to the soldiers' eyes, and morale visibly rebounded.

Wu Kexiong glared fiercely at Zhang Muyang and laughed heartily, "Let me tell you another piece of good news! General Xiao isn't actually sick at all—that was just a ruse to lure the enemy! I've already sent word to General Xiao, and he will dispatch five thousand elite Border-Pacification troops to meet us! Moreover... after this battle, everyone will be rewarded with two liang of silver!"

Morale climbed once again!

Hehe!

Zhang Muyang grinned and threw another log onto the fire, "When this is all over and we return to Zhenbei Pass, Deputy Commander Wu will personally seek out General Xiao and have him foot the bill to take you brothers out to the brothels."

"Fine! I'll cover this!"

Wu Kexiong practically ground the words out through his teeth, cursing Zhang Muyang a million times over in his mind.

This punk really knew how to grab him by the throat and push him toward certain death!

Haha!

As soon as those words left his mouth, the tense and oppressive atmosphere was largely dispelled. The soldiers burst into laughter, and their morale instantly surged to its absolute peak.

Right at that moment—

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Wang Dadong came skimming across the snow on skis, dropping to one knee as he reported, "Reporting to the Deputy Commander! The Profound Bear and Crimson Fox tribes are already approaching... less than five miles away."

"Move out! Let's go take a look!"

The group swiftly scrambled up the small hill and gazed out into the distance.

Far away in the wind and snow, a dragon of fire made from countless torches was slowly moving, stretching for dozens of miles with no end in sight. The oppressive weight of it washed over them, almost suffocating.

There was no way out!

Taking a deep breath, Wu Kexiong looked at Zhang Muyang, "Just tell us, how are we going to do this?"

Zhang Muyang rapidly issued his commands:

Dividing into two paths!

Path one, led by Chen Xiucheng with two hundred men, would lead several warhorses to a hidden spot beneath Black Wind Cliff, readying their fire arrows and awaiting the signal.

Path two, personally led by Wu Kexiong and Zhang Muyang, along with three hundred men including Wang Yi and Su Ying, wearing skis. After striking the enemy, they would immediately ski back, preventing themselves from falling into the traps.

When the Rong pursuers were lured beneath Black Wind Cliff, Chen Xiucheng's unit would immediately loose fire arrows at the Northern Yan vanguard camp. Once the men from the vanguard camp rushed out, everyone... would run for their lives together.

Time was extremely tight, leaving no room for objection or hesitation.

Chen Xiucheng and his two hundred men quietly melted into the darkness.

Wu Kexiong and Zhang Muyang led the three hundred men, leading their horses and gliding on skis, heading out to meet the endless sea of fire.

As for the skis,

Ever since returning from Hufeng Pass, Zhang Muyang had made everyone practice using them, allowing them to move at incredible speeds.

In the distance, most of the Rong army wore crude animal pelts, with dark, weathered skin, fierce gazes, and an aura of untamed savagery radiating from their entire bodies.

Rumor had it that during the bitterly cold winters of extreme food shortage, they would even resort to the tragic act of trading children to eat, and their cruelty far exceeded ordinary imagination. Their women would rather commit suicide than become captives, suffering fates far more wretched than anyone could possibly picture.

As the distance closed, the oppressive aura grew heavier.

Everyone's heart was in their throat, and they could almost hear the frantic pounding of their own heartbeats.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Muyang gave a low shout, "Mount up! Move out!"

"Move!"

Three hundred cavalrymen vaulted onto their horses, and under the leadership of Zhang Muyang and Wu Kexiong, they formed a loose formation, taking the initiative to charge toward the boundless ocean of the Rong army.

"Halt, whoever goes there!"

The Rong vanguard issued a rough, savage shout.

The procession came to a stop, and countless ferocious gazes locked onto this small, suddenly appearing detachment of Northern Yan cavalry.

Using fluent Northern Yan dialect, Su Ying called out in a raspy voice, "May I ask... is His Highness Hanzhi present in the army?"

A young man dressed in brocade robes with an exceptionally robust and burly build pushed his way out from among his bodyguards. Wearing an arrogant expression, he barked harshly, "I am the Rong Hanzhi! Who the hell are you people?"

Su Ying raised her voice, "We are men under Young Master Helian of the Northern Yan Vanguard Camp. Young Master Helian told us to bring you a message..."

"What message? Out with it!"

Hanzhi was growing impatient.

Hesitating slightly, Su Ying cursed, "Young Master Helian said... Fuck your mother! Crawl back to your Rong dog kennel. The Princess has already been thoroughly used by our Young Master Helian; how could she ever be desired by a beast who drinks blood and eats raw meat like you? You aren't even worthy of carrying his shoes!"