Chapter 557: Annihilation

"What?!" Lou Xu's displeasure froze instantly, replaced by a face full of shock and disbelief.

He turned sharply, stared fixedly at the cavalryman, and demanded loudly, "Say it again! How many Turkic cavalry?"

"How could they suddenly appear here?"

Not only Lou Xu, but the surrounding Qi army commanders and soldiers, upon hearing the news, also changed expression.

The smugness and ease on their faces were instantly replaced by panic.

Turkic cavalry have always been renowned for their bravery, skill in battle, and swift movements, possessing great combat power.

Now suddenly more than ten thousand riders appear, charging straight at them, an undeniable bolt from the blue.

The rider, trembling from Lou Xu's aura, hurriedly replied, "Yes, Lord, absolutely certain!"

"Shuyi sees clearly: at least ten thousand cavalry, all in Turkic attire, mounted on warhorses, wielding curved blades, surging forward; it looks like they'll arrive here soon!"

Lou Xu's face instantly became as gloomy as water, and he looked sharply northward, his gaze keen as lightning.

As if to pierce the distant space, to see the movements of those Turkic cavalry.

His heart roiled with turbulent waves; since the Turkic peoples rose, they have never conflicted with Great Qi, only occasional small border skirmishes, never deploying such a massive force...

This sudden massive southward thrust toward Xianzhou—what purpose does it serve?

"Over... over ten thousand Turkic cavalry?!"

Duan Gui staggered back half a step, his hands gripping the hilt of his waist sword tightly.

At this moment, his usually steadfast face drained of color, pupils shrinking like needles, filled with incredulous terror.

His gaze swept the panicked soldiers around, then fell on the rising dust clouds on the northern horizon.

His heart felt clenched by an invisible hand, even his breathing became labored.

They had just endured a bloody battle; though casualties were not huge, the attrition was significant, and now they faced an even more perilous war...

How dire the situation is!

"What the hell are those useless officials of Shuo Prefecture doing?!"

Lou Xu's roar suddenly boomed, hurting everyone's eardrums.

Speaking, he tightened the horse rein, the Wuzhui Horse stamped irritably, kicking up clouds of dust.

At the same time, his tiger‑head golden spear hammered the ground, the shaft buzzing, the spear tip deeply embedded in Huangtu.

"Not only did they let the Turkic cavalry in, but not a single piece of information came through?!"

His complexion turned iron‑blue, veins bulging at his temples, eyes blazing with raging fury and murderous intent, "They live on the Court's salary, enjoy wealth and honor, yet at the crucial moment can't even give a warning!"

"A bunch of gluttons!"

"Incompetents!"

Deputy General Lou Ping immediately echoed, his face flushed with anger, rushing to Lou Xu's side, cupping his fists and shouting, "Lord, such dereliction of duty must not be lightly forgiven!"

"When you return to Jinyang, you must punish that scoundrel Lu Mianzhi, confiscate his household and execute him, to set an example!"

"Now is not the time for that!" Duan Gui's voice rose sharply, with a hint of urgent roar.

He lunged forward a step, seized Lou Xu's horse rein, his expression extremely anxious, cold sweat streaming down his cheeks, soaking the beard beneath his jaw, "Lord, the Turkic cavalry are less than five li from our army!"

"The dust is clear enough to see; any more delay and it's too late—what should we do!"

"This surrounding area is all plain; we have no defensive stronghold at all!" Lou Xu said through clenched teeth, his heart growing heavier.

His troops, though elite, are mostly infantry...

Moreover, the soldiers have just endured a bloody battle, are exhausted, not yet rested, and their armaments have suffered losses.

Facing the freshly rallied, surging Turkic cavalry, the odds of victory are indeed slim.

At that moment, a terrifying thought flashed through his mind, chilling his spine, a cold rush shooting from his feet up to his Heavenly Spirit Cover.

He clenched his fist hard and cursed, "Damned dog! We've been tricked!"

The rebels of Xianzhou ambushed; he led his troops to quell them, won the battle, only to be met by Turkic cavalry...

All this is too coincidental; clearly someone premeditated, luring the army into this dead end!

Duan Gui inhaled deeply, forcing himself to stay calm.

He knows panic now is useless; only by quickly devising a plan can they save themselves.

Then, his mind raced, his gaze scanning his troops, he said gravely, "Lord, our army cannot sit and wait for death!"

"The plan now is to form a formation immediately, meet the Turkic cavalry head‑on, and buy time!"

"At the same time, dispatch fast horses to Jinyang for aid, detailing this peril, and request Your Majesty to send reinforcements!"

"As long as we can hold until the reinforcements arrive, this hurdle will be passed!"

"General Duan is right!" Lou Ping's eyes flashed, he nodded heavily, a fierce resolve flashing in his gaze, and said confidently, "The Turkic have come from afar; they may not endure a long fight. We can use the formation's advantage to hold our ground and delay until reinforcements arrive..."

"Perhaps we could even trap those ten thousand Turkic cavalry here forever!"

Lou Xu, hearing this, narrowed his eyes, his deep gaze sweeping his troops, quickly weighing pros and cons in his mind.

Now there is no defensible position; forming a formation to meet the enemy and seeking aid is the only way to survive.

He thrust his tiger‑head golden spear toward the north and loudly ordered, "Relay my command: form a square formation!"

"Shield troops on the outside, building layered fortifications; archers hide behind shields, fire on command!"

"Infantry in the center, swords and shields ready to fill gaps; cavalry guard the four corners, no unauthorized charges!"

He paused, his tone growing even more solemn, "As General Duan said, select three elite riders, swap them onto the fastest warhorses, and immediately request aid from Jinyang!"

"Tell Your Majesty that Xianzhou has been ambushed by over ten thousand Turkic cavalry, our army is trapped on the plain, and we urgently request rapid reinforcements; delay may bring disaster!"

"At once!" The surrounding commanders answered in unison, their voices resonant and strong, the earlier panic now suppressed by the authority of the orders.

Three riders immediately led the fastest warhorses, mounted, and with barely a moment's delay, galloped toward Jinyang.

The hooves kicked up dust on the plain, drawing three swift arcs.

At this moment, the Qi army on the battlefield numbered only about 18,000, all fresh from the recent rebellion‑suppression bloodshed.

The armor was still stained with the rebels' blood, and the notch on the blade had not yet been sharpened.

Many people's arms and shoulders bore minor wounds, their sweat mixing with blood and dripping down their cheeks.

But the orders were like a mountain; they forced their weary bodies to move quickly.

The shield‑bearers coordinated, stacking the heavy infantry shields layer by layer, forming a square camp like a city wall.

Shields were linked with iron hooks, and long spears were thrust into the gaps, creating the first impenetrable barrier.

The bowmen crouched behind the shields, fingers on the bowstrings, arrows already loaded, eyes fixed on the smoky direction from the north, their breathing becoming rapid.

The infantry, wielding sword and Shield, formed tidy ranks within the formation, their grip as steady as rock, eyes showing a resolve to fight to the death.

Lou Xu, Duan Gui, Lou Ping and other commanders stood in the center of the formation, watching the battle and ready to adjust deployments at any moment.

Soon, the northern dust cloud covered the sky.

The muffled hoofbeats rolled like thunder, making the ground tremble.

Over ten thousand Turkic cavalry thundered forward like a flash, their hooves striking Huangtu, raising clouds of dust.

From afar it looked like a surging black torrent, unstoppable.

The commander was still Special Forces Moheduo, clad in silver armor, a gem‑inlaid curved blade at his waist, his face fierce.

On both sides stood several towering generals.

Moheduo stared at the Qi State troops waiting in formation not far away, a cruel smile curling his mouth, he drew his curved blade sharply, its tip pointing at the Qi army, and shouted, "The Qi army is right ahead!"

"Boys, charge and devour them!"

"After breaking their formation, take all gold, silver, treasure, food, women—plunder to your heart's content on Qi State's land!"

"Kill! Plunder with relish!" The Turkic cavalry erupted in deafening cries, as if injected with adrenaline, greed and bloodlust flashing in their eyes.

Under Moheduo and the generals' command, they surged forward wildly, hooves beating faster like rapid drums, charging the Qi formation while shouting, "Kill! Slaughter these Qi dogs!"

Moheduo spurred his horse at the rear of the camp, watching his cavalry surge like a tide toward the Qi troops, he hummed lightly, then sneered, "This time the Special Forces won't be surprised—what mishap could still arise?"

A sudden sandstorm from the heavens is far too coincidental…

It can happen once, but not again!

Moreover, the Qi army has just fought a battle and suffered considerable loss; the advantage is ours!

Before the words finished, Turkic cavalry were already within a hundred meters of the Qi formation.

They each drew the horned bows from their backs, legs clamped around the horse's belly, one hand holding the reins, the other nocking an arrow; the arrows streaked like meteors toward the Qi formation.

In an instant, a rain of arrows darkened the sky, whistling sharply, pelting the Qi army's Shield wall.

The impact rang "ding‑ding‑dang‑dang," sparks scattering.

Some arrows struck with such force that they pierced the gaps of the first Shield layer, hitting the bowmen behind.

Wails rose and fell as several Qi soldiers fell, their blood instantly staining the Huangtu beneath them.

Yet the bowmen behind the Shields did not panic; under the captain's command they rose together and shot a retaliatory arrow rain at the charging Turkic cavalry.

The two arrow volleys interlaced in the air; many Turkic riders were hit, fell from their horses, and were trampled into mush by the charging Warhorses…

But this did not halt the Turkic assault at all.

Over ten thousand Turkic cavalry split into three torrents: the left wing led by Tu Li Shilie, the right by Qibi Ge Leng, and the center by Zhishi Sili.

Like three sharp spears, they thrust fiercely toward the Qi camp.

Tu Li Shilie's eyes burned like torches, constantly scanning the Qi formation as he rode.

He had grown up on horseback since childhood, possessing astonishing insight into formation weaknesses.

He soon noticed the Qi left flank was relatively thin, the Shield wall weakened from earlier suppression, and the density of bowmen lower than elsewhere.

"Boys, the Qi's weak point is there!" Tu Li Shilie brandished his curved blade, the steel slicing the air with a harsh clang, shouting, "Follow me and charge in!"

"Break the Qi formation, and those who breach it will be richly rewarded!"

As soon as the words ended, his legs squeezed the horse's belly, and the warhorse shot forward like an arrow.

He leaned onto the horse's back, dodging incoming arrows, his curved blade whistling as he slashed at the Qi left Shield wall.

With a "clang," the heavy infantry Shield cracked open under his blade.

The Qi soldiers behind the Shield were caught off guard, their hands numbed, the Long Spear nearly slipping.

Tu Li Shilie, valorous beyond compare, swung again, cleaving that Shield in two.

He then leapt, sweeping his curved blade, cutting two unready Qi soldiers to the ground; blood spurted, staining his armor red.

Turkic cavalry behind him surged into the breach like starving wolves, brandishing curved blades and repeatedly cutting down surrounding Qi troops.

Some Qi soldiers tried to counter with Long Spears, but were thrown off by the cavalry's warhorses and then slashed to death.

Others formed small squads to resist, yet under the successive onslaught of Turkic riders they were quickly scattered, forced to fight alone and gradually fall into desperation.

The gap in the left Shield wall widened, Turkic cavalry poured in like a tide.

The Qi formation began to waver, wails, clashing weapons, and warhorse whinnies mingling, the scent of blood on the plain growing ever stronger.

A yet more brutal slaughter had entered its climax.

On the right flank, Qibi Ge Leng swung a heavy iron whip, charging through the Qi ranks like a ferocious demon.

His warhorse was jet‑black except for snow‑white hooves; wherever it stepped, Qi soldiers fell.

The iron whip whistled, each strike accompanied by a crisp bone‑cracking snap; a Qi infantryman raised his Shield to block, only to be smashed by the whip, the Shield denting instantly.

The man was flung like a kite with its line cut, blood spattering from his mouth, tracing a scarlet arc in the air.

"Kill! Kill with relish!" Qibi Ge Leng's eyes burned red, his facial scars twisted with excitement, the iron whip sweeping again, flipping two approaching Qi soldiers to the ground.

His armor was already soaked with blood, yet he showed no sign of stopping.

On the contrary, he grew fiercer, his warhorse galloping and leaping, constantly tearing new gaps in the Qi formation.

Turkic cavalry followed closely, their curved blades whirling like wheels, reaping lives.

The Qi soldiers, already exhausted, could barely withstand such ferocious blows, their formation retreating step by step.

Qi Ben Ge Leng spurred his horse forward, the iron whip cracking down again and again, his face full of a raucous, unrestrained grin, he gasped and laughed loudly: "Hoo‑hoo‑hoo! This is the feeling!"

At that moment, he released all the anger he had held back in the Zhou State last time…

At the same time, the melee on the central battlefield entered a white‑hot intensity.

Zhishi Sili, wielding a long‑handled battle axe, cleaved the arrows flying toward him and rushed straight toward Lou Xu in the center of the formation.

His warhorse beneath him galloped at breakneck speed, and in the blink of an eye broke through two lines of infantry, the battle axe sweeping sideways, cutting down all the Qi soldiers blocking the way, and came straight to Lou Xu.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The tiger‑head golden spear collided violently with the long‑handled battle axe, sparks flying, the huge clash of weapons ringing sharply across the battlefield.

Lou Xu, mounted on a Wuzhui Horse, wielded his spear with exquisite skill, each thrust aimed at Zhishi Sili's vital points.

Zhishi Sili, relying on his superhuman strength and superb horsemanship, swung his battle axe wide and narrow, stubbornly parrying Lou Xu's several fierce assaults.

The two men came at each other repeatedly, their warhorses weaving and circling, and in an instant they had fought dozens of rounds.

Zhishi Sili blocked Lou Xu's incoming Chang Qiang, tightened the horse rein, looked down at Lou Xu with a hint of amusement, and in halting Xianbei speech said, "Qi general, you still have a few skills after all!"

Lou Xu let out a cold snort: "Ha!"

His eyes full of contempt and fierce battle intent, he gripped his spear tightly, the tip pointing at Zhishi Sili, and roared, "Then you barbarian, see my spear technique!"

"Charge!"

Before the words finished, the Wuzhui Horse surged forward, and Lou Xu leaned low against its back.

The Chang Qiang in his hand shot out like a poisonous snake from a hole, whistling sharply as it thrust toward Zhishi Sili's chest.

"Oh?" Zhishi Sili's eyes flashed with surprise, then the corner of his mouth curled into a half‑smile.

Instead of blocking directly, he squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, and the warhorse leapt sideways, evading the lethal strike.

At the same time, he subtly gave a glance to the two trusted cavalry nearby.

The two instantly understood, and amid the battlefield chaos slipped behind Lou Xu, gripping their curved blades, eyes fixed on his back.

Clang!

Another huge clang rang as Lou Xu's spear was again blocked by Zhishi Sili's battle axe, the two warhorses colliding and emitting a dull whinny.

Lou Xu steadied himself, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes, sneering, "Turkic commanders are no better than this!"

Zhishi Sili smiled and retorted, "Is that so?"

Just then, Lou Xu's intuition suddenly screamed a warning, a strong sense of danger rushing from behind.

He whirled his head and saw two Turkic riders spurring their horses toward him, curved blades flashing with cold steel, already closing in.

"Bad!" Lou Xu's heart leapt, he tried to turn his horse to block, but it was already too late.

The two Turkic riders wore cold smiles, shouting in unison, "Too late!"

The curved blades whooshed and slashed hard at Lou Xu's back.

Lou Xu felt a searing pain in his back, his armor split open instantly, blood gushing out.

He let out a mournful scream: "Ah!"

His body, uncontrolled, fell from the horse and crashed heavily onto the ground.

The Wuzhui Horse let out a mournful whinny, trying to turn back to protect its rider, but the two Turkic riders cut off its legs, leaving it sprawled on the ground, unable to move.

Lou Xu lay prone, blood continuously pouring from his wound, staining the Huangtu beneath him.

He struggled to lift his head, only to see Zhishi Sili riding up to him, battle axe raised high.

He then brought it down hard, ending his life.

Not far away, Lou Ping was locked in fierce combat with a Turkic rider; a corner of his eye caught Lou Xu's fall and death, his eyes widening to the point of tearing, and he shouted hoarsely, "Lord!"

His heart shattered with grief, and his technique instantly faltered.

The Turkic rider fighting him flashed a cunning glint, sneering, "Still daring to be distracted?"

"You go accompany your lord as well!"

Before the words finished, the curved blade slipped in and thrust straight into Lou Ping's chest.

Lou Ping's eyes widened, a spray of blood erupted from his mouth, and his body fell down limp.

Even as he neared death, his gaze still fixed on the direction of Lou Xu's demise, full of resentment and despair.

The chief commander and deputy fell in succession, the Qi soldiers' morale taking a heavy blow, the formation growing ever more chaotic.

Seeing this, the Turkic cavalry intensified their assault, brandishing curved blades, iron whips crashing down, repeatedly cutting Qi soldiers to the ground.

Across the plain, blood formed a river, corpses piled like mountains.

The Qi army's line trembled on the brink of collapse, the shadow of annihilation already looming over everyone's mind.

The setting sun slipped westward, and the fighting on the plain gradually subsided.

Only a heavy scent of blood lingered in the air, mingling with dust, making one feel nauseous.

The shattered Qi camp was long gone, the ground littered with corpses and broken weapons, blood forming streams that slowly flowed through low‑lying spots, staining vast stretches of Huangtu red.

An hour later, Zhishi Sili rode up to Moheduo, holding aloft a blood‑soaked Human Head—the severed head of Lou Xu.

He wore a smug smile, tossed the Human Head onto the ground, producing a dull thud, and, bowing his fist to Moheduo, said, "Special Agent, the Human Head of Qi's chief general Lou Xu is here!"

Moheduo lowered his head and looked, seeing Lou Xu's unblinking dead eyes; his face instantly broke into great joy, a wave of exhilaration rushing from his heart to the top of his head, his mind cleared.

He laughed heartily, his voice loud and bearing the arrogance of a conqueror: "Very good! Well done!"

In that moment, Moheduo instantly regained his confidence!

Indeed, not everyone is a pervert like Chen Yan, so hard to deal with…

At that moment, Tu Li Shilie rode in, a squad of Turkic cavalry behind him, escorting several thousand Qi surrendered soldiers whose hands were bound behind their backs.

Each of these surrendered soldiers wore terrified faces, tattered clothes, bearing varying injuries, their eyes full of despair.

Tu Li Shilie arrived before Moheduo, bowing his fist and said, "Special Agent, in this battle our army achieved a complete victory, capturing over four thousand Qi surrendered soldiers. How shall we deal with them?"

Moheduo heard this, a flash of ruthless fury crossing his eyes, his brows slightly furrowed, he said in a deep voice, "Kill them all!"

"Do not send any of them back to Jinyang!"

His voice was ice‑cold and bone‑piercing, without the slightest hesitation: "These Qi dogs are all elite; if we let them go back today, they will pick up their weapons again tomorrow and oppose our army!"

"To cut the grass, we must uproot it; leave no lingering trouble!"

Only by destroying the living forces of the Qi army can we facilitate a future southward invasion of Qi.

"As you command!" Tu Li Shi Lie bowed and replied, his eyes showing no ripple, as if he had merely received an ordinary order.

He turned to the Turkic cavalry behind him, waved his hand, and said coldly: "Take these surrendered troops aside and slay them all, leave none!"

The Turkic cavalry immediately complied, herding the thousands of Qi surrendering troops toward the edge of the battlefield.

The surrendered soldiers, seeing this, instantly burst into desperate cries and pleas for mercy.

But the Turkic cavalry were unmoved; as their curved blades swung, blood spurted again, and screams rang across the plain.

Qibi Geling spurred his horse and stood aside, gazing at the battlefield piled high with corpses, a hint of emotion on his face as he said slowly: "Chen Zhuguo of Zhou State truly is a master of divine strategy!"

This exhilarating great victory, besides the Turkic spearhead, also rested on that person's assistance…

Had he not sent the intelligence beforehand and mapped out the advance route, how could we have so smoothly annihilated the Qi army?

Moheduo heard this, a half‑smile curling his mouth, turned his head toward Qibi Geling and said: "Otherwise, on what grounds does Zhou State claim to be an ally of our great Turkic?"

Qibi Geling wholeheartedly agreed, nodded, and sighed: "Joining forces with Zhou State later, carving up Qi State won't be difficult at all!"

"Enough, let's get back to business!" Moheduo waved his hand, cutting off Qibi Geling's reverie.

He took a neatly folded map from his bosom and handed it to the personal guard beside him.

The guard immediately spread the map, laying it on a relatively flat Shiban.

Moheduo leaned forward, pointing at several red dots marked on the map, and said gravely: "According to this map, Brother Chen wants us next to move eastward from Xian Prefecture, seize Heng Prefecture and North Yan Prefecture!"

He straightened up, greed flashing in his eyes, and shouted loudly: "Come on! No time to waste; tell the lads that this time we must loot to our heart's content!"

"Provisions, gold and silver, women—whatever we desire, take it all!"

"The whole army rests for a Half Hour Rest, then sets out; the target is Heng Prefecture!"

"Loot to our heart's content! March on Heng Prefecture!" The Turkic cavalry erupted in thunderous shouts, greed gleaming in their eyes.

The fatigue from the recent melee seemed to vanish in an instant.

They dismounted one after another to rest, cleaning weapons, feeding Warhorses, their faces full of anticipation for the impending plunder.

Half an Hour Rest later, Moheduo sprang onto his horse, brandishing his curved blade toward the east, and bellowed: "Depart!"

Over ten thousand Turkic cavalry gathered again, like a black torrent, racing toward Heng Prefecture.

"'Suo Prefecture, Heng Prefecture, and North Yan Prefecture rose in rebellion; the seat of Xian Prefecture was seized by starving people. The Founding Emperor, enraged, ordered Lou Xu to dispatch twenty thousand troops for a campaign.'"

"The righteous men of Xian Prefecture lay in the plain twenty li beyond Stone City, unable to match the great army; they were shattered by Lou Xu, all slaughtered, the captives also all beheaded, a cruelty without mercy, unmatched by any."

"Heaven's cycle turns, retribution is swift. Lou Xu's forces, having just fought a bloody battle and not yet rested, suddenly encountered more than ten thousand elite cavalry led by Turkic special‑force commander Moheduo."

"Lou Xu's army was already depleted, with many infantry, trapped on the plain; forced into a hasty engagement, the whole force nearly perished, Lou Xu's body and head were separated, and the thousands of captured soldiers were also killed by the Turks."

—'History of Qi', Biography of Lou Xu