50: Chapter 49 Yanmen Pass

The seventh day after the Northern Di's retreat.

The road for the army's return to the south was even more difficult than the journey there. The snow melted and then froze, and froze and then melted again, leaving a layer of hard crust on the official road that caused horse hooves to slip. The procession moved very slowly; from dawn to dusk, they had moved less than a hundred miles. Xiao Xuan rode in the middle of the troop, with General Dian Wei following behind, an iron hammer resting across his horse's back, its runes glowing faintly in the twilight. General Guan Yu and General Lu Bu were positioned one in front and one behind, sandwiching Xiao Xuan in the middle. General Lu Bu had only recently achieved a Breakthrough to the True God Realm, so his aura was not yet stable, but his eyes were brighter than before, like two burning fires.

"Your Highness," General Lu Bu urged his horse closer, "another eighty miles ahead is Yanmen Pass."

Xiao Xuan nodded. Yanmen Pass was the last pass in the northern border of the Great Yan. Once past Yanmen Pass, it was the flat lands of the Central Plains. Ten more days of travel would bring them to the capital. He raised his head and looked forward. In the twilight, the distant mountain silhouettes looked like crouching giant beasts. Yanmen Pass was situated among those mountains, a valley sandwiched between two peaks—the terrain was treacherous, easy to defend and hard to attack.

"Lu Bus courtesy name," Xiao Xuan suddenly spoke, "do you think the Northern Di will accept this?"

General Lu Bu thought for a moment: "They won't. But with a hundred and twenty thousand out of two hundred thousand dead, what do they have left to fight with?"

Xiao Xuan shook his head: "It's not about what they have to fight with, but why they must fight. Chanyu Huyan Lie has someone behind him, and that person will not let him stay idle."

General Guan Yu rode closer and said in a heavy voice, "Does Your Highness mean the Northern Di will make a move on the road?"

Xiao Xuan did not answer, only looking at the mountain silhouettes ahead. Yanmen Pass, with its valley between two mountains, was an excellent place for an ambush. If he were Chanyu Huyan Lie, he would choose that spot too.

"Pass down the order," Xiao Xuan's voice was calm, "the entire army is to be on high alert. Vanguards scout the way, the flanks spread out, and the rear guard hold the formation. No one is permitted to leave the troop without authorization."

"Understood!"

The troop continued forward. The sky turned completely dark, and the moon emerged from behind the clouds, casting a deathly pale light over the snowy plains. The wind blew from the north, carrying a bone-chilling cold. General Dian Wei suddenly reined in his horse and lifted the iron hammer from his horse's back.

"Your Highness," his voice was very low, "there are people ahead."

Xiao Xuan raised his head. Ahead, the entrance to the valley of Yanmen Pass was pitch black; nothing could be seen. But he could feel it—something was there.

General Dian Wei rode to block the path in front of Xiao Xuan, holding his iron hammer across his chest. General Guan Yu and General Lu Bu were to the left and right, the Painted Halberd and the green dragon crescent blade simultaneously unsheathed.

In the valley entrance, torches lit up. Not just one or two, but thousands. The torches connected into a single mass like a fire dragon, illuminating the entire valley. Beneath the torches were densely packed cavalrymen. Northern Di cavalry. At the head was a man riding a tall black horse, holding a Spiked Mace. There was a scar on his face running from his forehead to his chin; it was new and had not yet fully healed.

Chanyu Huyan Lie.

"Xiao Xuan!" His voice echoed through the valley like the howl of a wounded wolf, "This King has been waiting for you for a long time!"

Xiao Xuan reined in his horse and looked at the fire dragon at the valley entrance. Eighty thousand, at least eighty thousand. Chanyu Huyan Lie had brought all that remained of his family's assets.

"Your Highness," General Lu Bu gripped his Painted Halberd tightly, "Your servant will go meet him."

Xiao Xuan shook his head: "No rush." He rode forward a few paces and looked at Chanyu Huyan Lie, his voice very calm: "Chanyu Huyan Lie, you've lost a hundred and twenty thousand men, and you still won't give up?"

Chanyu Huyan Lie's eyes turned red: "One hundred and twenty thousand men, one hundred and twenty thousand lives! Xiao Xuan, you owe this King one hundred and twenty thousand lives!"

Xiao Xuan looked at him and suddenly sighed: "Chanyu Huyan Lie, what benefits did that person behind you give you? To make you work so hard for him?"

Chanyu Huyan Lie's expression changed.

Xiao Xuan continued: "He tells you to come die, and you come die. He tells you to fight, and you fight. You lost a hundred and twenty thousand men; did he ever feel heartache for them? He gives you grain, weapons, and compensation—is it because he cares for you? No. It's because you are still useful. Once you are useless, he will discard you like a dog."

Chanyu Huyan Lie trembled all over. Not from the cold, but from rage. But he did not argue, because he knew what Xiao Xuan said was true.

"Xiao Xuan," he squeezed the words out through his teeth, "nothing you say today will matter. This King wants your life!"

He raised his Spiked Mace and swung it forward. "Kill!"

Eighty thousand Northern Di cavalry surged toward the valley entrance.

Xiao Xuan drew the zhutian sword, and the golden patterns on the blade lit up under the moonlight. "Form ranks!"

Twenty thousand Great Yan cavalry formed ranks outside the valley entrance. Spearmen in the front row, crossbowmen in the back, and cavalry on both flanks. General Guan Yu and General Lu Bu were on the left and right, while General Dian Wei guarded Xiao Xuan's side.

The Northern Di charged into the valley entrance, their troop squeezed into a long snake by the mountain walls on both sides. Arrows rained down from the slopes—not from Xiao Xuan's men, but from the Dragon Shadow Guard arranged in advance by Zhang Liang. Five hundred men, lying in ambush on the mountain walls, specifically targeted the Northern Di's warhorses. Horses fell and men tumbled; those behind could not stop and trampled over them. Screams, the sound of cracking bones, and horse neighs mixed together, turning the entire valley into a meat grinder.

Chanyu Huyan Lie went mad. His Spiked Mace swept across, smashing away over a dozen Dragon Shadow Guard. He was at the Late Stage of the True God Realm; attacks of this level could not harm him. But his soldiers couldn't take it. Eighty thousand men squeezed into a single valley, shot by arrows, trampled by horses, and knocked down by their own people—they couldn't even see where the enemy was.

"Break through!" he roared violently, swinging his Spiked Mace forward. With the full-strength strike of a Late Stage True God, the ground at the valley entrance cracked open, debris flew everywhere, and the front row of Great Yan cavalry was knocked down in a heap.

Xiao Xuan's expression shifted slightly: "Lu Bus courtesy name!"

General Lu Bu had already charged out. The Painted Halberd turned into a streak of silver light, aimed straight for Chanyu Huyan Lie. An Early Stage of the True God realm against a Late Stage of the True God Realm meant a difference of two minor stages, but General Lu Bu was not afraid. The Painted Halberd and the Spiked Mace collided, sparks flying; General Lu Bu was pushed back five steps, while Chanyu Huyan Lie retreated one step.

A strange look flashed in Chanyu Huyan Lie's eyes: "Early Stage of the True God realm? You've had a Breakthrough?"

General Lu Bu did not answer, thrusting the Painted Halberd again. This time it was faster and more vicious, carrying the sound of breaking wind. Chanyu Huyan Lie snorted coldly and swept his Spiked Mace, knocking General Lu Bu and his horse back thirty feet.

General Guan Yu struck from the side, the green dragon crescent blade slashing toward Chanyu Huyan Lie's neck. Chanyu Huyan Lie dodged to the side, and his Spiked Mace smashed against General Guan Yu's blade; the webbing of General Guan Yu's thumb and index finger split, and blood flowed down the handle of the blade.

General Dian Wei did not charge. He guarded Xiao Xuan's side, holding his iron hammer in front of him, his eyes fixed on Chanyu Huyan Lie like a leopard ready to pounce at any moment.

"Dian Wei," Xiao Xuan said softly, "go help them."

General Dian Wei shook his head: "My life belongs to Your Highness. I cannot leave Your Highness's side."

Xiao Xuan looked at him and suddenly smiled: "My life isn't that precious. Go. I'll be fine here."

General Dian Wei was silent for a moment, then suddenly dropped to one knee: "Your Highness, I am going." He stood up, lifted his iron hammer, and charged toward Chanyu Huyan Lie.

Three weapons smashed toward Chanyu Huyan Lie simultaneously. The Painted Halberd, the green dragon crescent blade, and the iron hammer—three heavy weapons from three Early Stage True Gods attacking from three directions. Chanyu Huyan Lie was a Late Stage True God, but against three opponents at once, he did not dare to be careless. His Spiked Mace blocked left and right, leaving his hands numb from the impact.

General Lu Bu was knocked back but charged again. General Guan Yu was knocked back but charged again. General Dian Wei was knocked back and also charged again. The three of them were like three desperate wolves, biting onto Chanyu Huyan Lie and refusing to let go.

Chanyu Huyan Lie finally felt fear. Not of these three Early Stage True Gods, but of time. His soldiers were dying; eighty thousand men squeezed in the valley, shot by arrows and trampled by horses—men were dying every moment. If this continued, even if he killed Xiao Xuan, not many of these eighty thousand would remain.

He gritted his teeth and made a decision. His Spiked Mace swept across, knocking all three back at once, and he turned his horse around to charge back into the valley.

"Retreat!"

The eighty thousand remnants followed him and fled north. They had come like a tide, and they retreated like one too. Outside the valley entrance, only a ground full of corpses and weapons remained.

Xiao Xuan rode forward, watching Chanyu Huyan Lie's receding figure. General Dian Wei stood beside him, covered in blood, but his eyes were terrifyingly bright.

"Your Highness, he ran."

Xiao Xuan nodded: "He will be back."

He turned around and looked at the battlefield outside the valley entrance, littered with corpses. The bodies of Northern Di, the bodies of Great Yan people, and the bodies of horses were mixed together, making it impossible to tell who was who.

"Pass down the order, count the casualties."

General Zhao Kuo walked over, his expression very grim: "Your Highness, we've lost over two thousand men and have five thousand wounded. On the Northern Di side, at least ten thousand died."

Xiao Xuan was silent. Adding this ten thousand, the Northern Di had lost a hundred and thirty thousand. Chanyu Huyan Lie was taking back fewer than seventy thousand. He took a deep breath and looked up. The moon emerged from behind the clouds, shining on the snow plains, deathly pale. The wind blew from the north, carrying the scent of blood.

"Let's go. Back to the capital."

The troop continued south. This time, no one spoke. The living were thinking of their fallen brothers; as for what the fallen brothers were thinking, no one knew.

Capital City, Crown Princes Mansion. First basement level.

Zhang Liang stood before a territorial map, holding a secret letter sent from Yanmen Pass. There was only one line on the letter—The Crown Prince was ambushed, killed ten thousand enemies, lost two thousand of our own, Chanyu Huyan Lie retreated.

He placed the letter on the table and remained silent for a long time.

Strategist Guo Jia asked: "Is His Highness alright?"

Zhang Liang shook his head: "He's fine. But something is very strange."

"What?"

Zhang Liang turned around and looked at Strategist Guo Jia: "Chanyu Huyan Lie came to kill His Highness. He brought eighty thousand men and waited at Yanmen Pass for three days. But he only fought one battle at the valley entrance and then ran. He didn't charge in, didn't take a detour, and didn't send scouts. It was as if he were waiting for His Highness, yet also as if he were in a hurry."

Strategist Jia Xu stroked his beard and said: "You mean, someone forced him to come?"

Zhang Liang did not answer. He turned around and looked at the map again. The location of the Northern Di Royal Court, the location of Yanmen Pass, and the location of the capital. Three points on a line. His hand tapped gently on the location of Yanmen Pass, once, twice, and then again.

"What if Chanyu Huyan Lie didn't come to kill His Highness?"

Strategist Guo Jia and Strategist Jia Xu looked at him at the same time.

Zhang Liang's gaze became profound: "What if he came to die? What if the person behind him doesn't care at all whether he lives or dies?"

The tent fell into a deathly silence.

The Northern Di Royal Court. Chanyu Huyan Lie knelt in the center of the large tent, covered in wounds. His armor was shattered, his Spiked Mace was broken, and the old scar on his face had split open, blood matting half his face. Standing before him was the man in the brocade robe.

"Lost again." The man's voice was very calm, as calm as if he were speaking of a trivial matter.

Chanyu Huyan Lie lowered his head: "This general is incompetent."

The man laughed: "Incompetent? No. You're not incompetent; you're afraid."

Chanyu Huyan Lie trembled.

The man walked up to him and looked down: "You're afraid of that Crown Prince. You're afraid of his soldiers, afraid of his generals, and afraid of his mouth. You took what he said to heart. He called you a dog, and so you feel like a dog."

Chanyu Huyan Lie raised his head, his eyes bloodshot: "I am not—"

"What are you?" the man interrupted him, "You lost a hundred and thirty thousand men and still haven't taken down one Crown Prince. You're not a dog; you're less than a dog."

Chanyu Huyan Lie shook all over, unable to say a word.

The man turned around, his back to him: "This King will give you one last chance."

Chanyu Huyan Lie raised his head.

The man said: "Go to the capital. Take your people and go to the capital. Kill the Crown Prince, kill his generals, and burn his city. This King doesn't care what method you use; within three months, this King wants to hear news of the Crown Prince's death."

Chanyu Huyan Lie was silent for a long time before kowtowing heavily: "Your servant obeys."

He stood up and walked out of the tent. Outside the tent, the north wind howled and heavy snow filled the sky. He looked toward the south, his eyes filled with despair.

Capital City. Crown Princes Mansion. On the day Xiao Xuan returned to the capital, it was snowing heavily.

The troop entered the city from the North Gate and walked south along the long street. Commoners on both sides of the road stood in the snow, watching this army return from the northern border. Some cheered, some wept, and some knelt down to kowtow. Xiao Xuan rode at the very front, with General Dian Wei following behind, his iron hammer propped on his horse's back. General Guan Yu and General Lu Bu were on the left and right, the Painted Halberd and the green dragon crescent blade glinting coldly in the snowy light.

Zhang Liang stood before the mansion gates, watching the approaching figure. He had grown thinner and darker, but his eyes were brighter than before. Standing behind him were Strategist Guo Jia, Strategist Jia Xu, Xiao He, Di Renjie, Master Lu Ban, Zhangsun Wuji, Zhao Gao, and Chen Qingzhi. Eight people, representing eight directions, eight people waiting for him to come home.

Xiao Xuan reined in his horse, looked at them, and suddenly smiled.

"I'm back."