The Road to Glory

Chapter 242: The First Time in Her Life She Asked Him for a Promise...

The Wolf Cavalry dared not withdraw so easily. They signaled for the rear troops to retreat first, while those at the front—practically indistinguishable from Xiao Li's personal guards—dug their heels into their horses and charged forward.

Arrows fell like locusts. Xiao Li and the Wolf Cavalry crouched low against their saddles, deflecting the projectiles with their weapons as they pressed ahead.

Niru, abandoned on the sandy ground, cursed viciously before rolling to evade the arrows. Yet within moments, he was pierced by so many arrows he resembled a hedgehog.

Seeing Niru struck down while Xiao Li's group continued charging through the arrow storm toward them, the Hawk Hound standing behind Pei Song hurriedly asked, "Master, this place is perilous. Should we escort you to safety for now?"

Pei Song narrowed his eyes at Xiao Li's forces—being showered by arrows head-on while gradually encircled by the Western Mausoleum Army on both flanks—and remained silent.

Ever since the messenger caught up to report Niru's capture and plead for rescue, Pei Song had known how Niru fell into enemy hands.

Now Xiao Li likely sought to repeat the same tactic.

But the two armies faced each other across gently sloping high ground. The distance between them was vast, and archers rained chaotic arrows to obstruct the charge.

Whether Xiao Li would perish under the hail of arrows and encirclement or force Pei Song into a desperate battle was clearly leaning toward the former.

The cold glint of weapons shimmered under the harsh sun. Pei Song averted his gaze and was about to offer a dismissive remark when he suddenly felt two icy stares—sharp as arrows—piercing him from the chaotic battlefield below.

He looked back and met Xiao Li's gaze.

Often, Pei Song detested the way Xiao Li and that Wen woman looked at him.

Like now—Xiao Li's eyes held the same ferocity as that moonlit night when he single-handedly split a carriage to assassinate Pei Song, yet carried the aloof certainty of their confrontation beneath Luodu's walls.

Though loath to admit it, ever since being trapped in Luodu, Pei Song had consistently avoided confronting this commoner and the surviving Wen faction.

His jaw tightened unconsciously. Chewing over the inexplicable emotions clogging his chest, a wave of resentful defiance surged within him.

The Hawk Hound, receiving no response, ventured again: "Master?"

Pei Song's smile turned frosty. "Are you suggesting this Minister Over the Masses needs to flee from a defeated dog?"

Belatedly realizing his misstep, the Hawk Hound bowed deeply. "I wouldn't dare."

Pei Song's smile remained, his tone deceptively light. "Issue the order: Enemy attack. The entire army is to gather here for defense."

The Hawk Hound stared blankly. Their five thousand troops already guaranteed victory against the enemy's mere thousand. Now Pei Song wanted to summon the ten-thousand-strong army stationed miles away to annihilate this cavalry unit—leaving them no possible escape.

The Hawk Hound hastily clasped his fists and departed to relay the command.

Only then did Pei Song urge his horse forward a few steps, telling Nugeer who was observing the battle below: "Niru is dead."

Nugeer looked at him. Pei Song kept his eyes on the battlefield, merely curling the corner of his lips in feigned courtesy. "Henceforth, General Nugeer will be the chief commander of the army."

Uncertain of Pei Song's intent, Nugeer remained silent.Pei Song tilted his head with a faint smile. "Those accompanying us this time are all trusted generals who share both honor and disgrace with you. Silencing them won’t be difficult. But if that Xiao family scoundrel escapes and says something to the princess someday, my life alone is of little consequence—your entire clan’s honor and safety rest on your shoulders."

As if anticipating Nugeer’s rebuttal, Pei Song lowered his gaze and murmured softly, "After all, the sovereign’s heart is unpredictable. Since you’ve taken Niru’s position, Princess He Yi will only feel at ease if she holds some leverage over you."

Nugeer suddenly erupted in fury. "It was you who refused to go back and rescue General Niru!"

Earlier, he had been lured by Pei Song’s words, unable to think clearly, forced to make a choice to protect himself. Now, Pei Song was threatening him again.

Yes, given He Yi’s temperament, if she decided to eliminate him, would she even care whether Xiao’s words were true or false? Even if false, they would serve as a pretext to remove him.

The hidden unease in Nugeer’s heart now ignited along with his rage.

In contrast to his outburst, Pei Song remained composed, continuing with a serene smile, "But you didn’t turn back to rescue him either, did you? In fact, the order to rain arrows upon General Niru came from you."

Nugeer’s gaze toward Pei Song turned venomous. Only then did Pei Song adopt a benevolent expression. "General, there’s no need to be tense. From beginning to end, I have been on the same boat as you."

As he spoke, Pei Song’s eyes returned to Xiao Li and his men, who were cutting through the enemy ranks below. Malice seeped thinly from beneath his lashes. "I only meant to remind you, General, that none of those Xiao family scoundrels can be left alive."

The Western Mausoleum Army closed in from both flanks, attempting to seal off the Wolf Cavalry’s retreat. The retreating Wolf Cavalry blocked the junction where the two wings of the Western Mausoleum Army converged, preventing them from fully encircling Xiao Li’s group.

Xiao Li charged at the forefront, his long blade deflecting the dense hail of arrows. Fortunately, the captured Western Mausoleum warhorses were clad in iron armor; otherwise, even if the riders escaped unscathed, the horses would have been felled by the relentless volleys.

A hundred Wolf Cavalry followed closely, breaching the arrow barrage with him before driving their mounts fiercely into the crossbowmen still attempting to fire. They successfully tore a wide gap in the Western Mausoleum Army’s formation.

Just as spear-wielding infantry roared and charged from the rear, the Wolf Cavalry drew their Curved Blades, slicing off spearheads in oblique strikes. Leveraging their momentum, they surged forward with Xiao Li toward the command banner below.

Even Nugeer, battle-hardened as he was, felt a twinge of unease witnessing this onslaught.

Recalling Pei Song’s earlier words and reassured by his overwhelming numerical advantage, he bellowed an order: "Slay them all! A thousand gold to whoever severs that rebel leader’s head!"

The soldiers below roared and swarmed toward Xiao Li and the hundred-odd Wolf Cavalry. Nugeer drew his long blade but did not ride down into the fray himself. With Niru’s capture as a cautionary tale and having witnessed how Xiao Li’s group had braved the arrow storm, he dared not underestimate them.

Xiao Li, too, recognized the Western Mausoleum Army’s intent. The Wolf Cavalry had already suffered significant losses breaking through the arrow formation. Under the relentless assault of the swarming Western Mausoleum soldiers, the survivors would soon wear down.The enemy intended to exhaust them through sheer numerical advantage.

The Western Mausoleum warhorses clad in iron armor had survived the earlier arrow rain, but ultimately couldn't withstand the spears thrust by Western Mausoleum soldiers into their chests and bellies.

Xiao Li didn't know how long he had been fighting, but the Wolf Cavalry reinforcements that should have been behind him were nowhere to be seen.

Sweat dripped from his eyelids. After abandoning his horse and cutting down a group of Western Mausoleum soldiers with a single swing of his blade, he raised his eyes under the scorching sun toward the command flag planted on the high slope. His face, once again stained with blood, remained defiant and ferocious.

"When elder brother sent me away from Luodu, he said he would come bring me home."

Wen Yu's parting words suddenly echoed in his ears.

Another Western Mausoleum officer charged on horseback, only to be knocked down—man and steed together—by Xiao Li using a halberd snatched from a fallen soldier.

"Elder brother broke his promise."

A gash appeared on his shoulder and back. Xiao Li swung his blade backward in response, and blood instantly sprayed from the neck of his ambusher.

"After repelling the enemy at Tiger Gorge Pass, you'll come bring me back to Daliang."

He pressed down with one arm against the spears thrust at him in unison, then raised his blade to sever their heads. The Western Mausoleum soldiers who were desperately trying to retrieve their weapons stumbled over one another in a heap.

"You can't break your promise."

Xiao Li stood with his blade under the blazing sun, breathing heavily, his gaze still fixed on Pei Song who sat on horseback beneath the command flag. Beads of sweat mixed with blood trickled down his cheek.

The remaining Western Mausoleum soldiers pointing their spears and halberds at him looked at the pile of corpses at his feet and felt fear, no longer daring to advance recklessly to their deaths.

The intense sunlight made Xiao Li narrow his eyes, a rare bloodthirsty smile appearing at the corners of his lips.

This was the first time in her life she had asked him for a promise—how could he break it?

When the Western Mausoleum soldiers, under Nugeer's orders, steeled themselves and charged at him again, his roared shout shattered the air like a tiger's roar echoing through mountains and forests. Gripping his long blade tightly, he pounced forward like a tiger freed from its cage.

The Western Mausoleum soldiers below were intimidated by his ferocity, shrinking back once more and retreating step by step under his advance.

On the gentle slope, watching Xiao Li grow more fierce in battle, both Pei Song and Nugeer showed signs of agitation and gloom in their expressions.

Hawk Hound, having suffered at Xiao Li's hands before and fearing any mishap, wanted to advise Pei Song to retreat temporarily but feared provoking his wrath. While hesitating, he suddenly heard Pei Song command: "Bring the crossbow!"

Hawk Hound quickly fetched a powerful mechanical crossbow. Pei Song took it, adjusted the arrow slot, and aimed at Xiao Li, his eyes filled with cold, nearly savage killing intent.

Just as the mechanism was triggered, Xiao Li—surrounded by layers of soldiers—caught sight of the venomously cold glint under the harsh sunlight. He used his long blade to deflect the barrage of short arrows coming at him like needles. Meanwhile, an officer on his flank, following Nugeer's signal, charged on horseback brandishing a spear to strike him down.

Xiao Li rolled on the ground to evade the blow, then severed the saddle strap as the warhorse galloped past and yanked hard. The Western Mausoleum officer on horseback tumbled down with his saddle. Seizing the horse's mane, Xiao Li swung onto its back. At the same time, as he leaped up, he delivered a fierce kick to a long spear held by a soldier below.

The short arrows in Pei Song's mechanical crossbow were exhausted. Just as he was frantically trying to open the arrow slot to reload, he suddenly felt a fierce gust of wind carrying a chilling killing intent approaching.

When he looked up, a long spear was already hurtling toward him with unstoppable force.Nugeer bellowed "Watch out!" and rushed forward to save someone, but it was already too late.

Pei Song didn’t hesitate, grabbing one of the Hawk Hounds and using him as a shield.

The spear instantly pierced through the Hawk Hound’s body, even protruding cleanly from his back with the spearhead and a short section of the shaft. The spear’s end was seized by Nugeer, preventing it from thrusting further.

Under the blazing sun, Pei Song’s face turned pale, and a delayed chill crept through his limbs. For the first time, he truly understood the sensation of every hair standing on end.

The Hawk Hounds below were also shaken, urgently advising, “Master, a wise man does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. Even for the sake of Gongsun Chou, you must retreat for now!”

If Gongsun Chou were still here, he would have surely dissuaded Pei Song in such a situation.

Pei Song’s expression tightened with humiliation, and he finally said, “I still have a promise with the Imperial Tutor to fulfill. Withdraw.”

That strike had failed to take Pei Song’s life, and Xiao Li’s expression grew even colder and more ferocious. However, after fighting relentlessly until now, he was beginning to tire. Trapped and besieged by the ant-like swarm of Western Mausoleum soldiers, he found himself unable to pursue Pei Song further.

A horn sounded from ahead, and the yellow sand beneath their feet trembled slightly. Xiao Li turned on his horse to see a dark mass of Western Mausoleum reinforcements spreading from the north.

Seeing the army, Nugeer’s confidence surged, and he roared, “Follow me and slay this rebel leader!”

But then, thunderous hoofbeats echoed from behind, mingling with the sound of the Western Mausoleum reinforcements. The trembling sand made it impossible to discern which side’s forces were causing it, but in the distance, the dust kicked up by the approaching cavalry blotted out the sky. Judging by the scale, the reinforcements numbered in the tens of thousands.

The morale of the Western Mausoleum Army, both those still fighting and the newly arrived reinforcements, instantly deflated.

Pei Song, who was retreating with the Hawk Hounds, narrowed his eyes at the sight of the reinforcements’ formation and said, “If Xiao had this many troops, he wouldn’t have taken such a risk. Send word to General Nugeer—this is surely a trick. Regardless of life or death, eliminating that man surnamed Xiao is the priority!”

A Hawk Hound immediately galloped back to relay the message. Nugeer, who had just ordered the Western Mausoleum troops surrounding Xiao Li to turn and face the oncoming cavalry, grabbed the Hawk Hound by the collar on horseback and snarled:

“Do I not know what that Pei is scheming? He has never treated our Western Mausoleum soldiers as human! He just wants to use our forces to kill that cavalry rebel leader and settle a personal grudge!”

When the odds were heavily in their favor, Nugeer had no objection to sacrificing some soldiers to encircle and kill Xiao Li. But now, with the enemy reinforcements seemingly matching their strength, to insist on focusing solely on Xiao Li without diverting troops to fend off the powerful foe was, in Nugeer’s view, sheer suicide.

After all, Niru had died on the front lines, and he had taken his place. Even if that cavalry rebel leader were killed, who was to say there wasn’t someone else among the cavalry who could replace him?

When Xiao Li saw the dust storm blotting out the sky, he knew Zheng Hu and the others had arrived.

A large portion of the Western Mausoleum troops besieging him had split off to engage the “powerful enemy,” and it would take time for the newly arrived reinforcements to fill the gap. The Wolf Cavalry, who had been holding the retreat route open all along, sounded sharp whistles—the signal to withdraw.

With no hope left of killing Pei Song, Xiao Li didn’t hesitate. He spurred his horse and fought his way back through the fray.After successfully breaking through the encirclement, the two cavalry units merged and withdrew, leaving the Western Mausoleum Army still rushing toward the battlefield.

Of the thirty thousand Western Mausoleum troops, only about five thousand were cavalry. Having suffered significant losses in the battle, they dared not pursue too closely as the enemy retreated, fearing they would stretch too far from their infantry formations and fall into an ambush without reinforcements.

By the time Xiao Li's group had successfully withdrawn and Nugeer and Pei Song led their forces in pursuit, they found the desert sand strewn with seabuckthorn berries. Nugeer could not help but shout, "What is this?"

"Isn't it obvious? Just a bluff by those Liang region scoundrels," Pei Song replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. The thought of having nearly surrounded and killed Xiao Li felt like ten thousand needles piercing his heart. His dissatisfaction with Nugeer grew more evident as he continued, "Did I not send word to you, General, warning you to beware of deception? And how did you respond to my warning?"

In front of so many officers, Nugeer could not admit his mistake. Hiding behind Pei Song's status, he retorted stiffly, "The sudden arrival of Liang rebel reinforcements was unforeseen. I ask that the Princess, through the Imperial Consort, mete out punishment." By invoking He Yi's name, he made it clear that Pei Song held no real authority in the army.

Pei Song, initially furious, suddenly laughed—a sound impossible to decipher as mockery or genuine praise. "The General truly knows how to take responsibility," he said.

Nugeer bowed his head and remained silent.

As Pei Song passed by him, he said, "It is now confirmed that the cavalry unit was meant to delay our advance. Henceforth, ignore any further harassment from the enemy. Once we join forces with the remaining fifteen thousand troops, we march at full speed to Tiger Gorge Pass." His eyes held nothing but ruthlessness and cold calculation.

With Niru recently dead, Pei Song still needed to use Nugeer as a puppet to control the army. For now, he would let this fool live a little longer.

After shaking off their pursuers, Xiao Li's group galloped another ten li before stopping to rest briefly.

Zheng Hu tilted his canteen and poured water over his face to cool down, panting heavily as he said, "That was close. On our way here, we spotted another Western Mausoleum force about ten li away heading this direction. If we had been trapped between them, I doubt we would have made it out alive today."

Zhao Youcai collapsed in a shaded spot, using his grimy, shiny sleeve to wipe sweat from his forehead. "My lord, you nearly scared two of my three souls right out of me today. When Brother Hu said you had charged into the Western Mausoleum camp with just over a thousand men, I almost fell off my horse in fright." Pale-faced and trembling, he added, "We barely managed to deal with that Western Mausoleum unit with Brother Hu's help, and then on our way back, we heard you had captured their general and gone after Pei Song. I whipped my horse so hard the whip nearly turned into a tattered horsetail whisk! Finally, we caught up, only to see you surrounded by thousands of troops. Thank the heavens you fought like a god and carved your way out..." Wiping his face again, he lamented, "If I die tomorrow, it will be from the sheer terror of today!"

"Enough of your dramatic tales!" Zheng Hu laughed and scolded him, then tossed him the remaining half canteen of water. Zhao Youcai caught it with both hands and thanked him gratefully.

In the relief of survival, Zheng Hu could not help but chuckle. "Though that Pei dog escaped once more, Second Brother, you took out their commander today. That is truly worth celebrating!"The Wolf Cavalry's spirits soared, but Xiao Li, who was sitting nearby briefly tending to his wounds, remarked, "Pei Song has already ascertained our troop strength. Having failed to kill him today, we no longer have any chance to intercept him on the subsequent journey to Tiger Gorge Pass."

Zheng Hu's joyful expression faded slightly as he immediately realized they had likely been exposed by the sea-buckthorn branches they had cut from the horses' tails during their escape.

In the past, after using this method to drive the Western Mausoleum Army into an ambush and annihilating that small contingent, they would always take the sea-buckthorn branches away to burn them somewhere. This was to prevent the Western Mausoleum side from determining their exact numbers, thereby instilling caution and allowing fear to spread through their ranks.

Today, to avoid being pursued by the two combined Western Mausoleum forces totaling nearly thirty thousand troops, they had no choice but to cut off the sea-buckthorn branches that had been dragging behind the horses and stirring up large clouds of dust.

Now that Pei Song had learned their troop strength and understood the purpose behind their repeated harassments, it would likely be impossible to continue intercepting the Western Mausoleum Army.

Zheng Hu suddenly felt somewhat dejected. After brooding for a moment, he still tried to console, "Second Brother, we've already done our best..."

"Some things aren't just about doing your best." Xiao Li calmly wrapped the blood-stained gauze around his hand, layer by layer, covering the wound as he spoke.

Zheng Hu naturally understood the importance of blocking the Western Mausoleum's attack on Tiger Gorge Pass for the Great Liang. With a life-risking determination, he declared, "Just tell us what to do next, Second Brother!"

Xiao Li used his teeth to tie a knot with the gauze on the back of his hand. The bloodstains on the gauze seeped into his lips and teeth—astringent and fishy.

The bandaged hand gripped the long blade again as he said, "We must reach Tiger Gorge Pass before Pei Song and spread the news that the Western Mausoleum Army is coming and that there are collaborators inside the pass who will coordinate with the Western Mausoleum forces to attack from within and without."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Youcai immediately sprang up from the ground like a carp, slapping his thigh and exclaiming, "Brilliant! Since we can't hold off the Western Mausoleum army anymore, sending the message ahead to the pass—regardless of whether Yang Shuo is Pei Song's collaborator or not—once this news spreads, he'll be the most suspected! If he isn't the collaborator, to clear his name, he'll rigorously investigate to find the real one. If he is the collaborator, once the city's residents know that a collaborator helped Pei Song attack Tiger Gorge Pass, even if the pass falls, Yang Shuo will bear the infamy of treason for generations to come. Let's see if he dares!"

Zhao Youcai's lengthy flattery ended, and Xiao Li said nothing more, only casting a glance toward the southwest in the setting sun's afterglow.

I wonder how she's faring in the royal court.

Gole City.

Wen Yu sat in the council hall listening to Mu Youliang report on recent military developments. Since arriving at this border region, the affairs requiring her personal attention had been as numerous as the hairs on an ox, and military intelligence allowed not a moment's delay. Wen Yu had long been deprived of proper sleep.

The accumulated fatigue from consecutive days was etched between her brows, but it was not very noticeable, concealed by her icy authority.

"...With the prolonged lack of rain, many small oases in the desert have dried up. This year, Chen Country has been plagued by continuous warfare, and the local herders have all migrated westward. Trade in the western border regions this year will likely be impossible..."

Before Mu Youliang could finish, Zhao Bai hurried in from outside. Seeing important generals present, she merely nodded to them to avoid being overly discourteous, then turned to Wen Yu with a grim expression and said, "Princess, He Yi has mobilized another fifty thousand troops from within the Western Mausoleum. With a hundred and twenty thousand troops besieging the city, Gole City probably can't hold out much longer!"Standing by and listening to the discussion, Gu Xiyun also changed his expression upon hearing this, exclaiming in a rare loss of composure, "One hundred twenty thousand?"

Everyone turned to look at Wen Yu, but only Wen Yu remained as calm as ever, even asking Mu Youliang, "Have the herders begun migrating westward?"

Mu Youliang nodded respectfully in affirmation.

Wen Yu narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Earlier than expected. We don’t need to hold for a full month, but we must hold for twenty days!"

Author's Note: Sorry for the later update to get this part of the plot across. Sincere apologies to everyone. Please follow the schedule mentioned in the synopsis—if there's no update after 10 p.m., just go to sleep. Don't stay up late waiting! Dropping small red envelopes in the comment section for you all~