Chapter 688

The ox horn bugle pierced through the battlefield messed up by Lord Zhetian and General Xiao Jin; the central army flag waved, the front-rank owl cavalry tightened their grips on the horses' bellies, and the wedge assault formation swiftly advanced.

Blades pointed forward, the Mysterious Armor gleamed cold and hard in the sunlight, the formation was strict as cast iron, and though they ran fast, they remained perfectly orderly.

The shock was not limited to Baili Hu; the Great King couldn't stop smiling no matter how many times he looked. Changli wasn't just a few brushes—look at how perfectly we've drilled this formation!

When they advanced to face the enemy, the bugle blared urgently, amid rolling thunder the two-wing cavalry swiftly spread out, executing a flanking tactic to cut in diagonally. The ground shook violently; even the Xiongnu vanguard famed for their ferocity couldn't understand—how, as fellow cavalry, could you muster such a formation?

Too bad they now have no time to worry about them.

The Great King's elite owl cavalry forming the vanguard wedge had already crashed into the enemy lines; with top-tier warriors and top-tier gear, they instantly tore apart the Xiongnu iron cavalry's newly raised shield wall. The owl cavalry broke through defenses, cut the arrow formation, and the middle-section cavalry following immediately changed formation; the echelon charge tactic kicked in—as the front unit passed, the rear unit instantly spread out sideways, slashing along the gap to both sides, and the Xiongnu's ten thousand cavalry were effortlessly sliced into scattered fragments.

They had chosen to ambush the Great Jin's patrol at the canyon mouth, but now they themselves were chopped to pieces by the Mysterious Armor cavalry at the canyon mouth, unable to advance or retreat, with no escape.

Baili Hu was stationed at the rear of the cavalry, where the terrain was highest, overlooking the entire battlefield. One couldn't fool oneself into thinking the enemy was weak, for the opposing side were the famed fierce Xiongnu cavalry—the very steppe horsemen that even the former emperor's two hundred thousand strong northern expedition could not repel. That northern campaign wounded the Great Jin to the core, not to mention costing the emperor his life, and even Baili Jin had to cede the whole northern border to buy them off……

Just today, he personally witnessed Baili Jing easily scatter, cut down, and topple the mighty foe that had loomed over the Great Jin for a century……

He never imagined the gap between the Mysterious Armor cavalry of the Northern Border and other armies could be so huge; hearing about battle and actually seeing it are completely different, because people lack imagination for the unknown. He had also never witnessed such a fierce and sharp charge—no single phrase 'devouring mountains and rivers' could do it justice!

He loosened his grip on the straight blade he'd been clutching; maybe, perhaps, he wouldn't even get a chance to defend himself in this fight.

Baili Hu rubbed his chest, feeling something inside loosen along with it.

Si Pangzi was right—this battle started unexpectedly and ended even faster.

The Great King felt they'd barely warmed up before it was over.

The Mysterious Armor cavalry's aura of devouring mountains and rivers, together with Zhetian and Xiao Jin's sneaky maneuvers, left the Xiongnu terrified—upon contact they had no power to resist. In despair, none feared death; some immediately dismounted to beg for mercy. The Great King also had his limits and idol baggage; seeing them kowtow, he felt bad about continuing to slash, and there were still people in the rear and flanks who hadn't gotten a chance to draw their blades—like the unit Baili Hu was in, which was over before it even began.

He didn't even see the smug grin the Great King imagined; the Great King felt regret, too lazy to show off over such a trifle. What's the point of one-on-one? He hadn't even seen Xiao Jin's battle against the assassin squad at Falling Cloud Peak.

He asked the surrendering captives: 'When will your main force arrive? Tonight or tomorrow? It ended before it even began—so boring!'

Xiongnu captive: ……

'Alright, take a break, tidy up the battlefield. Today's formation execution was fine—just treat it as a drill. When their main force arrives, we'll keep fighting like this. This time we'll give the steppe a harsh lesson, chop off their limbs so they dare not even think of stepping into the Great Jin in their lifetimes!'

'Yes, your command!'

Xiongnu captive: ……

The Great King again worriedly instructed: 'Set up camp upwind—there's a stench of blood!'

Xiongnu captive: ……You're not human!

Want to vomit blood.

The king had just sat down when a report came up from below about the patrol squad's situation. "Three dead, all completely out of breath. Twelve wounded, the most seriously wounded being their squad leader, who now has only a breath left and has already taken a Gold Wound Pill of the Eagle Rider specification. It is said he was responsible for holding the rear, his body trampled in multiple places by horses; the military doctor says even if he has a chance to survive, he will never be able to stand again. The other eleven can all be cured, Your Majesty, please rest assured."

Upon hearing this, the king rose to his feet, saying, "I will go see for myself."

On the way, Zhou Ke again told the king what he had learned; the king lifted the tent flap and saw a person whose whole body was fixed with boards. That he still had breath was a stroke of luck, as nothing vital above his abdomen had been trampled.

A crowd of people entered the room, and the dazed Old Zhao came to his senses again. No matter how excited, the only thing he could move was his mouth: "Your subject, kowtows, Your Majesty."

He had seen the king before; that year he had followed Tang Qian to the banks of the Wei River and met him there, and he had also seen the emperor's two sides.

"I enlisted at twelve, and I had long known that such a day would come. But I never imagined that on this day, as I was about to leave, I would still get to see Your Majesty… I…" Old Zhao tears streamed down his face, unable to contain his excitement.

It wasn't that he wasn't afraid of death; after so many years in the army he knew all too well how grave his injuries were—without that good armor he would have long been trampled into minced meat—but thinking that before closing his eyes he could receive the emperor's parting gift made him feel his life had been worthwhile.

"Alright, conserve your strength. I have heard you are responsible and brave, a fine squad leader; I never shortchange loyal, patriotic warriors. Someone, bestow medicine."

Wei Shen handed the bottle that the king had previously given him to the military doctor.

This pill is a third of the original undiluted pill, thickly coated in sugar frost; the king feared that taking a whole pill would cause outrageous news of life‑and‑death, flesh and bone.

"Inside is a pill that is currently the best heavenly‑grade Gold Wound Pill in the world; I carry one with me, and taking it will let you survive your injury. Don't think too much—from now on, first return to Shuofang to recuperate properly…" Having said this, he again instructed Zhou Ke: "Tell General Li that once his wound heals, have him transferred back to Youzhou to find a suitable post."

Old Zhao, tears streaming down his face, could only repeat how undeserving he felt; everyone in the tent was excited. A heavenly‑grade Gold Wound Pill! They had seen in the newspaper the auction news of the Floating Tower Pavilion, priced at millions of taels, able to heal any wound—and the emperor had actually bestowed it upon an ordinary border soldier!

"I will not forget those who fought and bled for the Great Jin; everyone, heal your wounds well, then strive to improve your martial skills, and we will meet again on the battlefield!"

The voices seeing off the king shook the heavens, mingled with sobs—nothing like a wounded soldiers' camp at all.

Everyone was thrilled; with such a wise ruler, the future of the Great Jin is promising!

Bai Li Hu, who had come to find Wei Shen to buy Gold Wound Oil and had listened the whole time, saw the king emerge and quickly adjusted his expression. The king had no leisure to look at his expression; this fellow, upon seeing Old Four, immediately latched onto him, saying, "Help me steady, Your Majesty—I just spent a million taels, my legs are weak~"

Hah! Impressive!

"You're formidable; give me a million to see your capability!"

Bai Li Hu: ……

He only owed a few ten thousand taels.