Chapter 372: I Thought I Could Have More Fun

At a breach in the southern wall of Baishui City's castle, Abu Muslin stared grimly at the Tang cavalry outside the city, driving the Great Arab soldiers into the Badam River as if herding ducks. In the winter low‑water season the river was dry, but the riverbed was full of silt, and anyone who stepped in would become stuck and unable to move.

The Great Arab soldiers trudged laboriously across the riverbed, only to be casually shot down by the Tang cavalry on the bank with horn bows and crossbows, easier than during training exercises.

You should know that when the Tang army trains, they shoot at moving targets!

Abu Muslin closed his eyes in pain, clenched his fists tightly, yet he had no way out.

Because of his careless negligence, the army suffered a disastrous defeat, and the situation could no longer be salvaged.

It can be said, "One incompetent commander drags the entire army down."

"Governor, while the Tang forces are few, let's strike back once and then withdraw quickly!" Qi Yadesali said anxiously. The area surrounding Baishui City has already turned into a chaotic mess, with one‑sided battles everywhere.

Wherever the Tang cavalry went, wails filled the ground.

Qi Yadesali was right; a portion of elite Great Arab troops inside the city were resting, untouched by the disaster outside.

Though morale was shaken, they still had enough fighting spirit; breaking out was not impossible.

As for the unlucky ones outside the city, Qi Yadesali considered them already dead, no need to rescue them, and it might even waste the little resources they had.

"Who commands this Tang cavalry unit?"

Abu Muslin frowned slightly and asked.

He was horrified to discover that this raiding force's tactics were extremely refined, even far stronger than Gao Xianzhi's Anxi Army!

Where did this god‑like unit come from? Why does such a powerful force appear only now?

"I don't know, but judging from the armor and attire, they're certainly not Gao Xianzhi's Anxi Army. Their uniform colors differ slightly as well."

Qi Yadesali said with great confidence.

Even within the Tang army, troops from different regions have slightly different combat habits. This unit clearly isn't aligned with the Anxi Army.

The Anxi Army fights "fiercely," charging like a wild ox. This unit, if it must be described, is extremely cold‑blooded, with superb tactics and seamless coordination.

They could have simply beheaded the scattered Great Arab soldiers, but to conserve energy they deliberately drove them into the silt of the dried riverbed and shot them one by one.

Even if some luckily avoided the arrows, the remaining ones could hardly escape. Even from an opposing viewpoint, Qi Yadesali greatly admired their skill.

Clearly, this is not a mindless brute force; they can devise sophisticated tactics.

"Go, break out now."

Abu Muslin decided on the spot, his gaze steady.

Now it was Qi Yadesali's turn to hesitate. His original plan was to organize a counter‑attack, wait for the Tang forces to pull back a bit, then regroup and retreat, dividing into two groups to alternate covering the withdrawal. That way, even if they fell back to the Stone Kingdom, the situation would not yet be at the point of collapse.

But withdrawing without a counter‑attack isn't a retreat; it's just "surviving by oneself"!

"Um, Governor, the Tang troops below the city, I think their numbers aren't that many. Shouldn't we resist a bit before leaving?"

Qi Yadesali asked uncertainly.

"Return to Mulu City to clean up the aftermath; we won't do as they think."

Abu Muslin coldly spat out a few words, sending Qi Yadesali into a panic.

He knelt down, grabbed the other's sleeve, and begged, wailing, "Governor, we fought a bloody war to defeat Gao Xianzhi and seize control of the western side of Congling. Are we to abandon it all now? If we return to Mulu City, everything will be lost!"

"If we don't go back, even Mulu City can't be saved."

Abu Muslin ignored Qi Yadesali's desperate pleas, turned and left with extreme decisiveness.

Not fleeing is no longer an option; he had already realized that the army he led was completely doomed.

Total annihilation was only a matter of time. If not now, then when?

……

He Changqi led the elite cavalry of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army at the forefront, becoming the spearhead of the battle. This unit split Abu Muslin's Great Arab forces into several sections, facilitating subsequent troops to kill the enemy.

The situation quickly became one‑sided.

Yet as the fight progressed, the tone suddenly shifted, leaving the battle‑hardened He Changqi baffled.

The Great Arab troops, who should have fought to the death, neither fought nor resisted. Suddenly, as if struck by illness, they all knelt on the ground, muttering something under their breath, some even kowtowing.

You might call it surrender, but it doesn't quite fit; giving up treatment isn't right either, and it doesn't look like they're playing dead.

In the end, Che Guangqian bluntly revealed: "These people are praying to a deity to defeat the Tang army!"

For a moment, He Changqi could hardly believe such absurdity existed in the world!

Upholding his disbelief in superstition, He Changqi mercilessly killed those Great Arab soldiers kneeling in prayer, showing no mercy.

Yet the outcome was clear: the deity they prayed for never appeared, and there was no miraculous comeback.

"Kill!"

He Changqi hesitated for a brief instant, then steeled himself and ordered a full‑scale slaughter!

Even if they kneel and pray, they are still enemies; showing mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself, nothing more to say.

At that moment, the gates of Baishui City flung open, and a hundred‑plus armored cavalry burst out. They rode uniformly Arabian horses, their heads wedge‑shaped and foreheads broad, vastly different from the Hexi horses ridden by the Tang troops.

He Changqi had expected these men to charge toward his side, colliding with his forces to turn the tide.

After all, they were the most active unit among the Tang forces in this battle.

Unexpectedly, those men cared for nothing, bolted away, heading straight toward the west.

"General He! Abu Muslin is among them; chase them down and claim the first credit!"

Che Guangqian suddenly recalled something and shouted at He Changqi. Upon hearing it, He Changqi's hair seemed to stand on end with excitement.

"Brothers, securing our wives and children is right before us! Capture the enemy chieftain, and the Jiedushi will grant abundant rewards!"

He Changqi shouted at the cavalry behind him, raising his voice, and the flag‑bearer beside him raised the charge banner.

They instantly formed up and accelerated, pursuing the fleeing Great Arab cavalry unit.

This spearhead cavalry of the Tang army immediately alerted the "runners".

They split off a group, and under the call of a Great Arab commander clad in full mail, they collided head‑on with a detachment of He Changqi's Yinqiang Xiaojie Army.

In an instant, men and horses were tossed about, the torrent of collision raging, then they became locked in a fierce, tangled melee.

He Changqi knew the Masuo was hard to break armor, so he simply tossed the costly Masuo onto the ground, took the "club" hanging behind the saddle, and struck the head of the enemy commander leading the troops.

The blow was heavy and forceful, but the man was neither hurried nor slow, and he countered with a wooden stick bristling with sharp teeth.

As a result, he greatly underestimated He Changqi's brute strength; with a single clash his right arm dislocated, his right palm split, his weapon flew from his hand, and his body suddenly toppled to his left side.

Perhaps thinking it was a big fish, several cavalrymen behind He Changqi dismounted, grabbed the club, and pounded the Great Food general lying on the ground mercilessly; after dozens of blows they finally realized the man was dead beyond death, blood seeping out from his fine chainmail.

The chainmail on his body was all smashed and deformed!

The cavalry unit he led, seeing their commander knocked from his horse and beaten to death, were already terrified and fled like startled birds and beasts, disappearing into the chaotic battlefield.

He Changqi also dismounted, looked around, and found that the cavalry that had broken out from Baishui City seemed to have vanished without a trace.

He then realized that horses carrying heavily armored men simply cannot run far.

The unlucky fool before him already had a death wish, deliberately engaging the Tang forces to cover his commander's retreat.

In the end, unsurprisingly, he was knocked off his horse.

Chainmail can block sword cuts and knife thrusts, but it cannot stop "kinetic weapons"; a hammer strike still causes internal bleeding.

This guy may be unlucky, but he's still a tough man!

"Ma De, just a little short! It's all because you ruined my good plan!"

He Changqi, his face full of anger, kicked the fallen Great Food warrior, but it was obvious the man was already dead and could not react.

"General He, this fish isn't small either. Look, he is Qi Yade Sali."

Che Guangqian crouched on the ground, took off the opponent's helmet, and upon seeing his hair and face, instantly showed an excited expression.

"That great general under Abu Muslin? Are you sure?"

He Changqi asked in confusion, the earlier gloom instantly cleared.

"Sure, sure! Absolutely sure!"

Che Guangqian pulled several sheets of parchment from her bosom, flipped through them, took one out, handed it to He Changqi and said, "General He, look—does this portrait look a lot like him?"

"Yes! It really looks alike!"

He Changqi looked at the charcoal sketch portrait, drawn with a few simple strokes, which already captured Qi Yade Sali's facial features and hairstyle; especially the positions of the few moles on his face matched him exactly.

"He is the most trusted general under Abu Muslin; capturing him is a great achievement, comparable to cutting off Abu Muslin's arm!"

Che Guangqian said, a bit excited.

"Hmm, you're quite good!"

He Changqi patted Che Guangqian's shoulder and said.

He had still harbored a grudge over that person's earlier assault on his face, but the facts proved Che Guangqian's eye was sharp; she truly had some skill.

If Fang Chongyong had not overruled dissent and chosen Che Guangqian's proposal, the Great Food army might not have been broken so easily.

Of course, earlier Fang Chongyong acted on multiple fronts, numbing the Great Food people, deliberately showing weakness to the enemy, spreading rumors and self‑defamation. Up to a few days before the counter‑strike, he even sent Feng Changqing to deceive Abu Muslin once, truly embodying the maxim "All warfare is based on deception."

Without his prior series of maneuvers, today's great victory would not have been possible.

It's like a person who first ate five biscuits and then drank a bowl of porridge to feel full. You must count those "unremarkable" five biscuits as well, not say he was satisfied just by the porridge.

There has never been a victory that falls lightly into one's pocket. It always involves both sides battling wits and bravery.

"What a pity, we didn't capture Abu Muslin."

He Changqi let out a regretful sigh; such a thrilling battle, yet it ended without

perhaps there will never be such a good opportunity again.

"General He…"

Che Guangqian lightly waved at He Changqi, indicating he should step aside for a private chat.

He Changqi looked around, found the fight had entered its final stage, and only a few Great Food soldiers remained, slipping through the net.

"General He, our provisions are scarce; the small Western Regions kingdoms cannot supply much, yet this battle yielded many prisoners.

We still need to advance into Mulu, Guishuang, and Anxi later; without provisions we cannot

The Jiedushi is kind‑hearted and surely cannot bear to kill prisoners. How about you now order that all Great Food soldiers on the battlefield be killed?

Since it would be a battle death, it wouldn't be considered an ill‑omened killing of prisoners.

A bit of cruelty would let those small states understand the fate of offending the great Tang heavenly might, benefiting our next moves.

This battle's excessive killing will surely draw public criticism. If General He alone bears the responsibility, outsiders won't blame the Fang Jiedushi.

Che Guangqian lowered her voice, and He Changqi's expression instantly became unsettled.

"What you say isn't without reason."

After a long while, He Changqi barely nodded, neither agreeing nor refusing. Though he looks simple‑minded, he isn't a pure brute and won't act irrationally just because someone pushes him.

But then again, has he done fewer of those taboo deeds?

The head of an An Lushan soldier was cut off by his own hand! If the Son of Heaven learned of this, ten heads wouldn't be enough to be chopped!

Killing Great Food people is nothing; it's just a debt that doesn't weigh you down!

"Understood!"

He Changqi took a deep breath, having made his decision. With Fang Chongyong's wisdom and character, he surely understood the background and impact of these matters.

He said he wouldn't speak of it face‑to‑face, but would certainly show his

Now is the moment for He (himself) to demonstrate loyalty.

"Transmit my orders: in Baishui City and surrounding areas, anyone encountering Great Food people shall be killed without mercy!

Decapitation counts as merit! The Jiedushi rewards heavily!"

He Changqi walked over and shouted at his troops, "…

As soon as he said this, the Qiu Ba behind him instantly became excited!

They had waited so long, wasn't it for this line?

These Qiu Ba, like fierce tigers, rushed into the kneeling Great Food soldiers praying for divine protection, cutting them down one by one, as easy as slaughtering chickens.

They don't think they're killing people at all; they believe they're making achievements. The Great Barbarian captives kneeling on the ground aren't individual lives, but one silk after another and gold, silver and jewels.

Che Guangqian watched the slaughter before her with cold eyes, saying nothing.

The unparalleled achievements are forged solely by the knife in one's hand, cutting one stroke at a time; there is no shortcut.

The things Fang Chongyong cannot conveniently do, his minions will do!

After Fang Jiedushi accepted her suggestion, Che Guangqian decided to sell this life to the other side.

Is the Battle of Baishui City already over?

No, no, no—the Western Expeditionary Army's storm sweeping through Hezhong Prefecture has only just begun.

Thinking of that, a cruel smile flickered on Che Guangqian's handsome face.

This is what they call a true man's fame being seized at once; it's happening right now.

…

Beside the big stone on the right, a Great Barbarian soldier seemed to be moaning. Soon, a Yinqiang Xiaojie Army footman in the distance spotted a living person, spurred his horse forward, leapt down, and struck with a single slash.

Then that Great Barbarian soldier writhing in pain on the ground would never moan again.

Perhaps finding the scene too brazen, Qiu Ba shyly bowed with cupped fists to Fang Chongyong, then ran faster than a rabbit, scaling a mountain on horseback and disappearing in an instant.

Looking around, many Tang soldiers scoured the battlefield for any stragglers; those Great Barbarian soldiers, wounded or not, when spotted, those nearby were cut down with a slash, those farther away were met with bows and crossbows—the whole scene was exceptionally brutal!

Since arriving in this world, Fang Chongyong had never seen so many deaths in a battle. He gritted his teeth against stomach discomfort and did not stop the soldiers under his command from delivering finishing blows.

Is a finishing blow all there is? Just a mere finishing blow?

No, no, no—these count toward battle merit. If the commander steps in to stop soldiers from beheading and recording the feat, that's merely preventing them from gaining promotion and wealth, offending people, and it's utterly unnecessary.

Although the scene is indeed cruel.

Che Guangqian's reckless charge was truly fierce. It's clear the Great Barbarians had no defense at all, like lambs awaiting slaughter.

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but lament that on the battlefield, soldiers are perilous and war is dangerous; a moment's lapse could lead to total annihilation.

"Jiedushi, the Great Barbarian army's General Qi Yadesali has already been beheaded by the junior general; the head lies here."

Seeing Fang Chongyong inspect the battlefield, He Changqi lifted a severed head, strode forward, flung the head onto the ground, and said excitedly,

Qi Yadesali was hammered to death by a mace and a hammer, but the so‑called beheading was done afterward with a saw to cut off the corpse's head as proof of merit.

"Any prisoners? The Great Barbarians' morale collapsed quickly; there should be quite a few captives from this battle, right?"

Fang Chongyong frowned and asked.

"Replying to the Jiedushi, 'Not a single captive. Their resistance was fierce; even the junior general dared not hold back, fearing a surprise attack.'"

He Changqi scratched his head, said nonchalantly, chuckling.

Such a lie would only fool a three‑year‑old, but since it's a rare great victory, Fang Chongyong didn't want to spoil the mood.

"Alright, alright, let's clean up the battlefield."

Fang Chongyong, somewhat disinterested, waved his hand and said.

I had expected a thrilling ambush, with both sides exchanging blows, spectacular and intense, fighting to the death.

Instead it turned into a one‑sided slaughter, leaving him with no sense of accomplishment.

"Gao Xianzhi often said the Great Barbarian soldiers are weak; it seems he's not exaggerating. A wanton woman should stay in bed; why pretend to be a chaste heroine when a single push makes you fall?"

Fang Chongyong propped his chin up, gazed toward the nearby Baishui City, and muttered to himself thoughtfully.

His words carried doubt and contempt.

(End of chapter)