With the intervention of the Seven Constellation Bureau, the tilting balance was restored.
At that moment, a desolate horn sounded from afar. The Chao Li Tribesmen paused their assault before withdrawing like a flowing stream.
Thinking of escaping? Gu Yanxi snorted coldly, his whip lashing out even more fiercely as he ensnared one enemy after another and flung them back. The rest of the Seven Constellation Bureau members sheathed their twin hooks and swords, switching to whips and bows to capture as many enemies as possible.
Without prior arrangement, those dragged back by whips—even if barely breathing—were swiftly executed by the enraged Green Willow Battalion soldiers. Few remained intact. Half a day of intense battle had ignited their ferocity; each strike was for their fallen comrades and for their own fortunate survival.
Still, some managed to escape. The terrifying aspect of the Chao Li Tribe lay in their cold-blooded ruthlessness—during retreat, they never aided pursued companions. Unburdened by emotional ties, they fled without guilt, while those left behind harbored no resentment.
In the Daqing Dynasty, such behavior would be intolerable in the military. The shared principle was to die together rather than flee alone.
This highlighted the difference between nations.
Gu Yanxi raised his arm and signaled. Half his forces gave chase.
Lu Peiyu frowned in disapproval. "Do not pursue a desperate enemy."
Without explanation, Gu Yanxi gazed at the fallen bodies and said, "General Lu, please immediately submit a memorial reporting the casualties and detailing the events."
"About the Chao Li Tribe’s resurgence?"
Gu Yanxi shook his head. "Emphasize the vast disparity in combat effectiveness between the Daqing Dynasty and the Chao Li Tribe. General Lu must scrutinize the specific numbers—this is crucial."
Lu Peiyu was no fool. He immediately understood and nodded wryly. "I never underestimated the Chao Li Tribe, but facing them made me realize I still did. Our ordinary soldiers couldn’t withstand a single encounter. Only by deploying the army’s eight-man formation could we temporarily trap them. Even then, we couldn’t defeat them, but at least we weren’t slaughtered like vegetables. Sir, though I’m merely a minor official in Yuzhou, the Chao Li Tribe surely has grand ambitions. I implore you to make the court recognize the severity of this. Without a strategy to counter them, the Daqing Dynasty... is in peril."
"Rest assured, no one will take this lightly."
Lu Peiyu glanced at the weeping soldiers around him, his heart heavy with sorrow. He had never slackened in training, yet the Green Willow Battalion proved so vulnerable. He dreaded to imagine how many would remain if the far more lax garrison troops faced such an assault.
"General Lu, please prepare rations for us. We must depart immediately. Until new appointments arrive, you will temporarily oversee Yuzhou."
"Understood." Lu Peiyu glanced at the sky. "But nightfall approaches. The Chao Li Tribe won’t give up easily. Isn’t traveling now too dangerous?"
"If they attack the Green Willow Battalion again tonight, the consequences would be unbearable." Gu Yanxi spoke bluntly, then turned to order, "Prepare everyone. We depart in half an hour."
"Yes."
Lu Peiyu immediately summoned his subordinates to arrange provisions. A deputy general waited nearby to report. Apologizing to Gu Yanxi, Lu Peiyu returned to the main tent.
Chen Qing whispered, "Master, what about Haoyue..."
"Disregard her. Order the Three Bureaus to intensify Yuan Shifang’s interrogation. Time is short—make it count."
"Yes."Under normal circumstances, traveling at night would indeed pose various inconveniences and dangers. But for the Seven Constellation Bureau at this moment, it was most advantageous. Firstly, their numbers were few—only by hiding in darkness could they maximize their combat effectiveness and deceive the enemy. Only by making the Chao Li Tribe apprehensive could they buy more time to await reinforcements.
They only needed to hold out through this night; reinforcements should arrive by tomorrow morning.
Yet everyone knew this night would be unbearably difficult. From previous circumstances, it was clear the Chao Li Tribe understood the Great Qing Dynasty far better than the Great Qing understood them. With Yuan Shifang as their inside man, they likely possessed maps of nearly half the Great Qing territory. They would certainly calculate the arrival time of reinforcements. Given Yuan Shifang's importance, they would undoubtedly launch a fierce assault tonight.
Even so, they had only one choice—to fight!
In the darkness, the Seven Constellation Bureau galloped along the official road, the rapid clatter of hooves tightening the hearts of all who heard them pass.
Yuan Shifang was personally escorted by Gu Yanxi. Shadowtreader carried both men, still leading at the front.
When heavy hoofbeats rose behind them, Gu Yanxi glanced back, shoved a pill into the unconscious Yuan Shiwen's mouth, and tossed him to the nearest rider. "Keep riding forward without stopping. If anything changes, leave the signal."
"Yes."
After riding further, Gu Yanxi leaped from his horse. Once all Seven Constellation Bureau members had dismounted, he whistled. Shadowtreader reared up with a long whinny, leading all the horses away.
Gu Yanxi drew his slender longsword. With practiced coordination, half the Seven Constellation Bureau drew swords while the other half brandished long whips, poised for battle.
The approaching hoofbeats grew louder. When the enemy entered sight, Gu Yanxi pointed his sword toward the sky. "Fight!"
"Fight!" With this powerful shout, the group surged forward like phantoms toward the incoming horses. Gu Yanxi charged at the forefront, leaping up as he neared the steeds to unhorse one foe with a single thrust. Chen Qing followed closely, whipping an attacker targeting The Heir off his horse and smashing him to the ground—brains splattering instantly. Though slightly slower, the others each claimed victories, harvesting a wave of enemies before they could react.
The Chao Li tribesmen, raised on horseback, had few equals in horsemanship. But this wasn't the grasslands—the crowded official road prevented any cavalry charge, becoming their constraint instead.
They reacted swiftly, abandoning their horses to rush forward with their tribe's distinctive long blades, engaging the Seven Constellation Bureau in close combat.
Figures fell intermittently—from the Seven Constellation Bureau, or the Chao Li Tribe.
The Seven Constellation Bureau's martial prowess was universally acknowledged as the strongest in the Great Qing Dynasty, yet they only slightly surpassed the Chao Li Tribe. And while this represented the Great Qing's peak combat force, the Chao Li tribesmen operated at this level collectively. Had the Chao Li Tribe not been inherently incapable of forming any battle formations, the Great Qing would stand no chance.
The more Gu Yanxi fought, the clearer he understood the disparity between the two nations. His strikes grew increasingly lethal—for every such enemy spared, a dozen more Great Qing lives would be lost!
The Chao Li Tribe's valor met the Seven Constellation Bureau's ruthlessness, and ultimately the Bureau prevailed. Recognizing their disadvantage, the Chao Li Tribe chose to retreat.
"Master... we lost eight."This was the heaviest loss the Seven Constellation Bureau had suffered in years. Chen Qing was utterly devastated. The Bureau had always been tightly-knit; its members trained together and carried out missions together year after year, their bonds as deep as those between blood brothers. Now, they had lost nine of their comrades.
Gu Yanxi closed his eyes briefly. "What about the Chao Li Tribe?"
"Seventeen casualties."
"Take a fifteen-minute rest."
"Yes." Chen Qing rubbed his face. This quarter-hour was their master's allowance for them to collect their brothers' bodies. They couldn't take them along now—they would have to return for them after escorting Yuan Shifang back to the capital.
PS: This chapter was extremely difficult to write, but since it involves crucial plot points, it couldn't be omitted. Revising it felt like torture... The next chapter will be delayed.
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