Chapter 49

Even if you twist a chicken’s neck, dawn will come, and even if you stop the clock, time will still flow.

The day of execution. The final moment to conclude the battle at Zhengjun Mountain has arrived.

The morning began quietly. Only a handful knew of today’s operation, and they were so anxious that they didn’t even soften enough to show any signs.

Perhaps due to the aftermath of yesterday’s offensive and retreat, the Wei Army was also silent. Fighting fiercely for two consecutive days requires tremendous stamina, especially for the attacking side.

Generals like Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He wouldn’t have failed to consider a counterattack, so naturally, they must have thought today was a time to catch their breath.

As expected, the Wei Army’s camp remained silent until the sun passed its zenith and scattered twilight over the mountains. Unaware of what was to come, they didn’t realize that this brief peace was the calm before the storm.

And finally, when darkness descended upon the earth.

The movement began.

Shrouded in the veil of night, their figures hidden, and their horses’ hooves muffled with cloth, the descent from Zhengjun Mountain was eerily quiet.

To enhance secrecy, the 15,000 soldiers were divided into 15 units of 1,000 each. The Lanling Army was also split into five, led by Wang Ping, Zhang E, Ma Chong, Ma Dai, and myself.

After I arrived first, the units gradually joined one by one.

“Prepare the fire arrows.”

As soon as the last of the rear guard arrived, I began preparations for the fire strategy as discussed with my father.

Flames erupted from various points surrounding the dark Zhuma Valley. Zhang He’s scouts discovered it and frantically rang bells and shouted, but it was already too late.

“Fire.”

Flames streaked across the night sky. The fired arrows burned everything in their path—horns, tents, vegetation—covering the clear, black sky with smoke.

As if the impending tragedy was ashamed to be seen by the heavens, even the starlight was obscured by the thick smoke, and the valley echoed with deafening roars.

“Full assault──!!”

At my father’s command, the soldiers charged forward.

I also signaled to those following me.

“Xiaoxing, let’s go.”

The iron cavalry led by Gu Bu and my personal guard, all mounted, began their charge.

The target was Zhang He. I gripped my spear more earnestly than ever.

“Make way!!”

The Wei Army was disciplined. Despite the unexpected night raid, they quickly armed themselves and responded. It was a counterattack made possible not only by outstanding commanders like Zhang He, Guo Huai, and Han Hao but also by the well-trained soldiers.

I deflected a spear aimed at my side and thrust it into the enemy’s throat. The spear made by Po-won flexed and swept through the enemy soldiers.

It wasn’t just me being swarmed by enemies. A Wei soldier, barely armored, tripped an allied cavalryman, and our iron cavalry mercilessly trampled over the enemy soldiers.

The battlefield was dominated by a desperate struggle where neither side yielded, a vivid embodiment of the word “fierce.”

Despite the chaos of the night raid, Zhang He’s troops quickly regained their composure, even before Zhang He himself appeared.

The forces trying to capture the enemy general and those trying to protect their own.

The balance of the battle, with neither side yielding an inch, was finally tipping in our favor.

Heaven’s timing, geography, and human harmony.

Of the three elements that determine victory, as my father taught, the enemy only had geography. Even in the reversed situation from Tangqu, victory leaned towards us.

No matter how prepared they were for a night raid, we had staked everything on this battle. They couldn’t stop us.

“Do not retreat! I will lead the charge! Follow me!”

Swords and spears danced in the burning Wei Army camp.

No matter how the enemies blocked us, our steps did not stop. We cut down enemies, advancing step by step. We tread on paths of corpses, carpets of blood, crossing through the heart of a raging inferno.

Realizing that stopping us from the outside was impossible, the Wei Army abandoned their poorly armed outer soldiers and regrouped in the center.

While the outer soldiers bought time with their lives, the elite Wei Army, fully armed, formed a defensive line with horns and wooden barriers, preventing us from breaking through easily.

“Now I see.”

The enemy general, rallying his troops and issuing commands, came into view. It was Zhang He.

Below him, his officers scurried among the soldiers, shouting to boost morale.

‘Guo Huai, Bi Yao, Han Hao…’

Each one was formidable. Their leadership had succeeded in raising the flag of resistance even under my father’s assault.

It was still barely raised, but if Xiahou Yuan’s reinforcements arrived, it would become a beacon of counterattack.

‘I’ll break it before that.’

“We’ll break through in one go. Is anyone afraid of death? If so, you may step back.”

“No!”

“We will follow the general!”

“Good! Then let’s go!”

Thud thud thud─!!

The sound of hooves pounding the ground swallowed the battlefield’s cries as they charged.

And then, collision.

Crash! Crack!!

The iron cavalry, clad in armor, shattered the horns and charged forward.

Without slowing, our cavalry’s spears precisely took the enemies’ lives.

In this era, the spectacular mounted combat of the iron cavalry, using stirrups to stabilize their bodies and wield their weapons freely, was like living chariots, moving calamities.

Though their reckless charge seemed unstoppable, the sound of war drums from behind acted as an invisible force to halt them.

“Have they arrived?”

The drumbeats signaling the arrival of enemy reinforcements echoed through Zhuma Valley.

This sealed Xiahou Yuan’s fate. Unable to ignore the crisis Zhang He faced, Xiahou Yuan finally accepted the danger that had befallen him.

“General, I will hold them off!”

“De Xin.”

Ma Chong, closely following me among the cavalry, looked at me with eyes urging me to give the order.

The situation was urgent. Every second counted.

“Take Bu Chuan with you.”

“Understood!”

We divided the army into three.

My unit, leading the charge with Gu Bu and Yu En.

The unit led by Zhang E and Wang Sha, following behind with infantry to expand the front.

And the unit led by Ma Chong and Bu Chuan, breaking off to block the enemy reinforcements.

“Now, we will never stop. No matter what happens in the rear, do not look back! Break through or die here! There is no other option!!”

§

“Vicious bastards…!”

Seeing Liu Bei’s forces, with their small numbers, stubbornly blocking the reinforcements, Zhang He’s frustration boiled over from deep within.

How could a woman be like this?

Watching Chang-ran’s imposing figure, scattering soldiers like flies, Zhang He let out a mix of admiration and fury.

With Zhang Fei being a terrifying threat on the other side, and now his daughter running wild, Zhang He’s heart burned with rage.

The nightmare of Tangqu replayed in Zhang He’s mind. Back then, it was the same. Zhang Fei cut off his retreat, and Chang-ran blocked his path, forcing Zhang He to abandon his horse and flee through side paths in disgrace.

But this time was different. The enemy would pay for their reckless strategy.

‘Reinforcements have arrived. We can win.’

Zhang Fei and Chang-ran were fearsome warriors. It wasn’t just their brute strength that made them so.

But even they couldn’t withstand being surrounded by a larger force. At best, they would struggle to break free.

‘This will be your grave.’

Zhang He actively spread the news of the reinforcements’ arrival, constantly encouraging his soldiers to squeeze out every last ounce of strength.

But the Wei Army’s morale boost was short-lived, as the shocking news that followed plunged their spirits straight down.

“Xiahou Yuan is dead! Huang Zhong, the great general of Han, has beheaded Xiahou Yuan!!”

The thunderous proclamation from Liu Bei’s forces left Zhang He gaping in shock.

“What… how…?”

Zhang He struggled to regain his composure. He was a commander. No matter what unexpected situation arose, he had to remain calm and composed.

Clutching at his fading sanity, Zhang He denied Liu Bei’s claim. There was no time or reason to verify its truth. It had to be false. It just had to be.

“General! We’re in big trouble!”

Bi Yao, fighting on the front lines, rushed to Zhang He in a panic. His pale face made Zhang He inwardly sigh.

Xiahou Yuan’s death was true.

“Do not act rashly. The soldiers are watching.”

“General, this is no time for that! General Xiahou has truly fallen for their scheme!”

At Bi Yao’s desperate cry, Guo Huai, who had been listening beside Zhang He, also spoke with a grim face.

“We must retreat immediately. The forces attacking General Xiahou will soon arrive. If you fall too, we are truly finished!!”

“……”

Zhang He’s throat tightened. The order to counterattack and take at least Zhang Fei or Chang-ran with him rose to the tip of his tongue but then retreated.

The sound of grinding teeth escaped through his tightly clenched jaw.

“Again…?”

Finally, Zhang He lost his composure.

“Again, you tell me to turn tail and run!!”

Zhang He’s humiliation, never to be repeated. The battle of Tangqu.

That nightmare was now replaying before his eyes.

“General! You must make a decision!”

“Ughhh! Retreat, we retreat!”

As soon as Zhang He’s order was given, Bi Yao and Guo Huai moved as if they had rehearsed it.

Guo Huai assisted Zhang He in organizing the retreating forces, while Bi Yao rushed back to the front to establish a final defensive line.

With Guo Huai’s support, Zhang He struggled to lift his heavy feet, screaming in despair.

“Grinding teeth, Zhang Fei… Chang-ran… I will never forget this day’s humiliation. I will repay you… I swear it!!”