The appearance of oil barrels on the Green Grass Plains!
Yan Chi's gaze sharpened as he immediately looked westward. "Bai Feng! Take men and pursue them at once! This fire was set deliberately!"
At his command, Bai Feng swiftly stepped forward and soon led a hundred soldiers westward. But just then, a startled cry rose from the ranks behind them—another towering blaze erupted southwest of their position!
Though this fire had ignited slightly later, driven by the southwestern wind, it was rapidly spreading toward Yan Chi's location!
Yan Chi frowned deeply. Xiao Cheng beside him exclaimed, "Who could have done this?! Only we knew our defensive arrangements. Setting fires at these two locations is clearly meant to disrupt our formation and cut off our retreat. Your Highness, what should we do now?!"
Chu Fei Sheng stepped forward urgently. "Your Highness, the flames will reach us in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn! We must move further west!"
If they didn't circumvent the area, the two fires would merge into one inferno. The Green Grass Plains, layered with dry grass and thick shrubs, would allow the blaze to spread thousands of miles in an instant. Yan Chi knew they had been stabbed in the back, but instead of dwelling on the perpetrator, he focused on breaking through the encirclement.
"Going west would require too long a detour. Once the two fire zones connect, escape will become even harder. We should head east!"
Yan Chi made his decision instantly. Hearing this, Chu Fei Sheng urgently countered, "But the Rong barbarians are in the east—"
The east was precisely where Fallen Phoenix Slope lay. Heading there risked being trapped between the advancing flames and the retreating Rong barbarians.
Yet Yan Chi's expression turned resolute. "Perfect. Since we're separated by the fire and cannot reinforce Gu Ling and Yu Qi, we'll advance east to meet the enemy head-on!"
Chu Fei Sheng understood immediately—Yan Chi was risking everything to rescue Gu Ling and Yu Qi!
Taking a deep breath, Chu Fei Sheng declared, "Very well! We follow Your Highness's command!"
Thus, the decision was made. The flag-bearer waved the wolf-emblazoned standard, and the entire Northwest Frontier Army charged eastward. With flames ahead and behind, the only way to avoid losses would be to abandon Yu Qi and Gu Ling by fleeing west—but the word "retreat" had never existed in Yan Chi's vocabulary!
They pressed forward urgently. Soon, ash carried by the night wind grew suffocating, and countless sparks drifted far on the breeze. Before long, scattered fires ignited across the grasslands where the Northwest Frontier Army marched. These plains burned even more readily than mountain forests. Yet despite this, not one of the remaining forty thousand soldiers fell behind. Their ranks remained disciplined and sharp, even knowing they would soon face Rong barbarians who outnumbered them.
Chu Fei Sheng's estimation proved correct—within five li of advancing northeast, they encountered the retreating Rong barbarians!
Some had just descended Fallen Phoenix Slope while others were still regrouping. The sudden appearance of the Northwest Frontier Army threw the barbarians into chaos. Those nearby had no choice but to engage, while those farther away fled toward their main force. Yan Chi speared a barbarian's left arm with his lance and roared, "Annihilate them all!"
The night should have been pitch black, but the western inferno dyed the entire Green Grass Plains in bloody crimson. Flames reflected in Yan Chi's eyes as blood sprayed everywhere. In moments, he had slain over a dozen Rong barbarians. Enemy blood splattered across his brows and eyelids, intensifying his ferocious and imposing aura—like a Demon King descended to earth, striking terror into all who witnessed him!Witnessing Yan Chi slaying foes like a god of war, Chu Fei Sheng and Xiao Cheng fought with increasing ferocity. All soldiers of the Northwest Frontier Army were greatly inspired, and coupled with their sudden ambush, the Rong barbarians were utterly annihilated from the outset. However, this was merely the rearmost detachment of the Rong forces.
Yan Chi charged at the forefront, leading everyone northward in pursuit. Soon, he spotted the main Rong barbarian army.
Stretching as far as the eye could see was a dense mass of Rong warriors. They were not retreating as swiftly as Yan Chi had anticipated—it seemed they had initially intended to withdraw but were detained by some attraction. Though the rear units showed no will to fight, Yan Chi clearly perceived that the vanguard of the entire Rong army had already engaged in combat. As for whom they were fighting, it was almost self-evident! Yan Chi’s eyes instantly flushed crimson, and he swung his silver spear, roaring, "Yu Qi and Gu Ling are ahead! Charge—"
The signal flag bearer swiftly waved the command flags, and immediately, all troops of the Northwest Frontier Army surged forward to assault the Rong barbarians!
Amid the blazing flames lighting up the sky, the Northwest Frontier Army soldiers burst forth like leopards long lying in wait. However, the Rong barbarians, having detected the rear disturbance, quickly reacted. The plains illuminated by fire, this direct frontal assault offered little advantage to the Northwest Frontier Army, and casualties soon emerged.
One after another, Northwest Frontier soldiers fell to the Rong barbarians’ ferocity, while the Rong forces fell at nearly the same rate!
Casualties were inevitable in war, yet Yan Chi cherished his troops. Beyond White Wolf Pass, he never recklessly hurled his warriors into battle. Today, originally, the three armies had jointly devised a strategy of cunning to secure victory. But now, two mysterious fires had plunged the Northwest Frontier Army into an unprecedented crisis!
A sea of flames raged behind the Northwest Frontier Army, with the southwest wind even carrying the fire to the foot of Fallen Phoenix Slope. The blaze spread from the plains to the mountain forests, and soon, flames erupted on the northwestern face of Fallen Phoenix Slope, creeping toward the army’s rear. Yet, the Northwest Frontier Army’s advance was sluggish. Moreover, Yan Chi was deeply concerned about Yu Qi and Gu Ling ahead. He at least had forty thousand troops, but Yu Qi and Gu Ling commanded only ten thousand—how could they withstand the Rong enemy?!
With these thoughts raging in his heart, Yan Chi let out a furious roar from his throat and thrust his spear, lifting a six-foot-tall Rong warrior into the air. The silver spear pierced the man’s abdomen, blood spraying everywhere. Galloping and darting on horseback, Yan Chi alternated between plunging into enemy lines to slaughter and dashing to rescue imperiled soldiers. Blood and grime soaked his armor, even dampening the protective talisman Qin Guan had placed over his heart before her departure. Gradually, Yan Chi grew numb to the slaughter, deaf to the sounds of his spear tearing flesh and shattering bones. He ceaselessly ended the lives of enemies around him while issuing one military order after another. Shifting formations helped the Northwest Frontier Army avoid many unnecessary casualties, yet Yan Chi still saw no sign of Yu Qi and the others!
It felt as if more than sixty thousand enemies stood between them. Yan Chi sensed this battle had no end!
"Your Highness! The flames behind us are less than half a mile away!" Xiao Cheng shouted.
Chu Fei Sheng, hearing this, cursed, "Which son of a bitch plotted against us like this?! Every brother lost today will be on that bastard’s head!"Yan Chi's eyes were icy cold, reflecting the blood and flames with a terrifying ferocity that made one's heart tremble. Without uttering a word, he thrust his spear again, severing another man's neck—this time cutting the main artery. Hot blood sprayed all over Yan Chi, yet his brows did not even twitch.
Yan Chi was not without rage, but when fury reaches its peak, it becomes difficult to express in words.
His anger was all concentrated at the tip of his spear.
"Finish this quickly!" Yan Chi roared these two words before lunging at the next enemy.
He had lost count of how many he had killed. Only when he realized there was no one left to slay around him did he spur his horse forward again.
It had been many years since he had experienced such a desperate battle. An indescribable fury fermented in his chest—this feeling of betrayal, of being schemed against, of watching his soldiers fall one by one while powerless to stop it, had awakened the bloodlust deep within his bones. Even after killing countless enemies, his rage showed no sign of abating.
"Your Highness! The vanguard of the Rong barbarians is in disarray—they're retreating north!"
The Rong barbarians were actually retreating! Yan Chi narrowed his phoenix eyes and let out a cold laugh. "Continue the pursuit!"
As the Rong vanguard began to withdraw, those still fighting behind naturally panicked. This panic gave the Northwest Frontier Army an even greater advantage, and their advance accelerated. Soon, the visible ground was filled with kneeling Rong barbarians who had thrown down their weapons in surrender. Yet from his saddle, Yan Chi scanned the surroundings and could not find Yu Qi or Gu Ling anywhere.
Just then, Xiao Cheng dragged over a Rong tribesman who could speak the Zhou language.
"Your Highness! This man says Yu Qi and the others have been defeated!"
The captive wore a cunning, malicious grin. While many around were kneeling, there were still a few Rong barbarians who would rather die than surrender.
These men harbored deep hatred for the Zhou people, preferring to perish on the battlefield rather than submit.
Recognizing Yan Chi's high status, the man spoke in a heavily accented, arrogant tone: "Hahaha! So this is the famed Northwest Frontier Army? Nothing special. If not for your surprise attack, we would have cut off the ears of all ten thousand of your soldiers..."
As he spoke, he shook his sleeve, and more than a dozen bloodied human ears tumbled to the ground.
The onlookers' pupils contracted, immediately understanding what this meant.
The Rong tribes collected enemy ears as trophies in battle, and the one with the most severed ears would be honored as the greatest warrior of the entire army.
Seeing the man's proud and triumphant expression, Yan Chi asked coldly, "Where are they?"
Hearing this, the Rong tribesman laughed even louder. "Where? Hahaha! They're right there—"
He raised a hand, pointing toward the sea of fire to Yan Chi's southwest.
Yan Chi suddenly went still. The place the man indicated was three li north of where Gu Ling and Yu Qi had originally laid their ambush. Based on the Rong barbarians' descent from the mountains and the timing of the fire, they would likely have just reached that spot when the flames erupted.
The fire had started to their south. Once it ignited, any attempt to retreat would have exposed them, and the Rong forces ahead would never have passed up such an opportunity.
Sixty thousand against ten thousand was an overwhelming advantage, especially with the prairie fire raging behind them.
Yan Chi gazed at the inferno, remaining silent for a long time.At that moment, Chu Fei Sheng galloped over from the west, panting heavily, "Your Highness! We can't find them! There's no sign of Gu Ling or Yu Qi. They must have retreated westward!"
With flames rising behind them and enemies ahead, if there was any chance of survival, the only hope was for Yu Qi and Gu Ling to quickly decide to abandon the battle and head west before the Rong barbarians noticed. But would Yu Qi and Gu Ling be the kind to decisively abandon a fight? The Rong barbarians, enraged after consecutive defeats, would never give them such an opportunity.
After speaking, Chu Fei Sheng saw that Yan Chi remained silent and turned to look at Xiao Cheng. To his surprise, Xiao Cheng—a man six feet tall—stood rigidly in place, his eyes reddened. Chu Fei Sheng grew impatient and slapped his thigh, "What's going on?! Your Highness, the wind has died down now! Do we continue the pursuit or search for Gu Ling and the others?"
Yan Chi glanced at the tassel on his spear and noticed it had indeed stopped moving.
The wind had weakened, but it was too late...
Yan Chi's face was covered in blood and grime, making it impossible for Chu Fei Sheng to read his expression. Yet, in that instant, Yan Chi seemed weighed down by something heavy, his shoulders slightly hunched as he sat atop his horse. Chu Fei Sheng hesitated to speak further when Yan Chi suddenly said:
"Don't pursue. Wait."
Chu Fei Sheng was baffled, "Wait for what?"
He looked at Yan Chi, then at Xiao Cheng, and finally sensed that something was terribly wrong.
Just then, the Rong barbarian laughed again. Picking up a bloodied ear from the ground, he said, "This belongs to one of your generals. I can't tell which one it is, but let's assume it's this one. Oh, and there's this too..."
The Rong barbarian pulled a silver flask from his person, his laughter growing even more maniacal.
"He killed dozens of our brothers, so we repaid him by cutting him down, one slash at a time..."
Chu Fei Sheng's eyes widened in fury at the sight of the flask, "What did you say?! This is—"
He dismounted and snatched the flask away!
After examining it closely, he looked up at Xiao Cheng, "This belongs to Yu Qi!"
Xiao Cheng remained silent, his eyes turning even redder in an instant. Chu Fei Sheng glanced between Xiao Cheng and Yan Chi and suddenly understood the situation. Rage surged across his face as he stepped forward, grabbing the barbarian by the collar and roaring, "Tell me! Where is he now?! Even if he's dead, I want to know where he died!"
Terrified by Chu Fei Sheng's fury, the Rong barbarian stopped laughing and pointed toward the sea of fire, "There! Right there! They could have fought on, but the fire came and helped us. It spread too fast. We retreated quickly, but a few of our men were left behind too..."
Chu Fei Sheng let out a furious roar, "I'll kill you, you scum—"
With that, he punched the man in the face, sending him sprawling. Consumed by rage, Chu Fei Sheng drew his long blade and raised it to strike. But as his hand lifted, he hesitated and glanced at Yan Chi. Yan Chi was still staring toward the inferno and said calmly, "Spare no prisoners. Let them serve as sacrifices to honor our Northwest Frontier Army warriors."
Yan Chi's voice was eerily calm, yet his calmness felt like an airtight net, suffocating and oppressive.Chu Fei Sheng followed his heart, roaring as he ended the most arrogant man with a single blade strike. Xiao Cheng, coming to his senses with crimson eyes, systematically executed the remaining prisoners one by one. In moments, corpses littered the ground, the stench of blood hung thick in the air, and the firelight illuminated both the raised wolf-emblazoned banner and Yan Chi’s desolate gaze. The Northwest Frontier Army had won this battle, yet the victory left Yan Chi’s heart aching unbearably.
As the wind weakened, the fires across the wilderness could not sustain themselves for long. Within an hour, the wormwood and shrubs had burned away, revealing scorched earth beneath. A hint of azure now pierced the night sky at the horizon—dawn was approaching.
Yan Chi galloped southwest, his horse’s hooves kicking up clouds of black ash. Suddenly, he reined in sharply.
Within his line of sight lay charred corpses, still clad in the armor of the Northwest Frontier Army, contorted in various agonized poses.
Some were impaled by steel blades, others missing limbs. Some lay draped over their comrades as if shielding their brothers, while others curled together, their forms still conveying the torment of being burned alive…
The morning breeze brushed his face, yet a chill enveloped Yan Chi, his heart bleeding inwardly.
The Northwest Frontier Army had won this war, but he had lost!
He had never suffered such a devastating defeat!
Yan Chi stared at the endless expanse of charred wilderness, his gaze lingering. Starting from the nearest corpse, he meticulously traced each one with his eyes, as if trying to identify those burned beyond recognition or searing the memory of every fallen soul into his heart.
In his mind, faces flashed like pages of a storybook—smiling, vibrant, utterly irreconcilable with the charred remains before him.
He stared for what felt like an eternity, until his eyes stung and something moist threatened to spill over…
Abruptly, his pupils contracted as if pricked by needles, and he whipped his head around.
On the still-warm scorched earth, low, heavy sobs began to multiply. Gradually, some could no longer suppress their weeping. These battle-hardened men of the Northwest Frontier, who had bid farewell to countless brothers, whose wills were tempered like steel, had never mourned wartime losses with such raw grief.
The weeping swelled into a chorus, like a elegy escorting their brothers to the underworld. The dawn-lit sky darkened once more, and the wind picked up, carrying a biting chill. Soon, a white bolt of lightning split the heavens, and amid rolling thunder, rain fell in torrents like pouring beans.
The raindrops soaked every soldier’s face, as if heaven itself wept for the fallen sons of the Northwest.
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