Chapter 1106: line with translation of chapter title, then ===GLOSSARY=== with JSON list

White Wax Pass was blanketed in heavy snow as Zhao Wusheng stood on a hilltop, quietly observing the scene below; at that moment a scout arrived with the report that about ten thousand Yong troops from Dongliang Jun were marching at full speed toward White Wax Pass, likely to reinforce East Luo Depot.

Zhao Wusheng nodded, just about to issue orders to prepare for interception, when another scout arrived with news from East Luo Depot that Hu Xiaotian had successfully taken East Luo Depot.

Hearing the news, Zhao Wusheng was overjoyed; Hu Xiaotian truly is a divine person. He had originally dared not hope too much for this bold plan, yet he never expected Hu Xiaotian to turn it into reality. No one understands the strategic importance of East Luo Depot in this area better than Zhao Wusheng—seizing it would let them build a complete defensive line with Dongliang Jun, and more importantly, the grain and supplies stored there are enough for their future foothold and development.

Zhao Wusheng was preparing to order a retreat, but according to the scout's report just now, the Yong reinforcements are advancing quickly, so they might not be able to withdraw smoothly.

Zhao Wusheng pondered repeatedly, then loudly said: "Xiong Tianba!"

"Present!" Xiong Tianba appeared before him, mighty and imposing.

Zhao Wusheng said: "Sir has already successfully captured East Luo Depot; we can now proceed to East Luo Depot to meet with Sir. Currently, a reinforcement of over ten thousand troops is coming from Dongliang Jun; if we wish to withdraw in an orderly fashion, we must have someone responsible for intercepting and slowing their march."

Xiong Tianba laughed: "What's so difficult about that, General Zhao? Leave this small matter to me!"

Zhao Wusheng nodded firmly: "Good! How many troops do you need?"

Xiong Tianba said: "One hundred men will suffice!"

"What?" Zhao Wusheng could hardly believe his ears.

Xiong Tianba naturally had his own reasoning: "Since adding more troops to the interception would be useless, one hundred men can hold White Wax Pass; they don't know our details anyway, so if I delay them for a moment, you gain an extra moment; when the time is right, I'll lead these brothers away."

Zhao Wusheng couldn't help laughing. Xiong Tianba is indeed a man who is rough on the outside but careful within; though he appears rash, he actually has a very clear grasp of the situation and the strategy to adopt.

Zhao Wusheng nodded: "Xiong Tianba, I'll give you a hundred light cavalry; you only need to slow their advance. Do not be greedy for glory or become entangled in battle; you must ensure your own safety."

Xiong Tianba laughed: "Don't worry, I've got it figured out!"

Zhao Wusheng then noticed that Xiong Tianba's mount was actually Hu Xiaotian's horse Little Gray; it turned out Xiong Tianba lacked a mount, and Hu Xiaotian had lent him Little Gray before this expedition. Zhao Wusheng nodded at Xiong Tianba and said: "I'll be waiting for your good news at East Luo Depot!" He immediately issued the order to withdraw troops.

Huang Chengxin led this fifteen-thousand-strong army from East Luo Depot, marching through snow to reach Dongliang Jun, but just as the siege began, they received news that East Luo Depot had been attacked. He again led his troops hurrying back to reinforce East Luo Depot; these fifteen thousand soldiers were exhausted from constant marching, now utterly fatigued, all groaning inwardly yet daring not to slack off in the slightest, for they all knew the importance of East Luo Depot—if it were lost, everyone would be in trouble.

Ahead lay White Wax Pass; a deputy general beside Huang Chengxin said: "General, the brothers are all exhausted and weary, with many unable to keep going and collapsing. Should we rest a bit before continuing?"

Huang Chengxin angrily said: "If we lose East Luo Depot, we'll all die; those who can't keep up can fend for themselves; anyone who dares to defy orders and flee will be executed on the spot; everyone must continue marching—no slacking allowed!"

At White Wax Pass, over a hundred torches suddenly blazed; a warrior in black helmet and black armor galloped up onto the high ridge, holding a Great Iron Hammer in each hand, and shouted at the surging Yong troops ahead: "Halt! Listen up, you lot—East Luo Depot has already been taken by our Dakang; if you're wise, get as far away as you can; anyone who dares to cross this White Wax Pass will become a ghost under my hammer!"

Xiong Tianba's voice rang like thunder; the terrain of White Wax Pass itself is special—the entrance is wide but narrows inward, like a horn, giving good acoustic amplification; his voice projected through the horn-like opening was even more shocking, like a clap of thunder.

Although the Yong troops numbered over ten thousand and were shaken, their large numbers prevented excessive fear; however, the warhorses were another matter—many were startled by Xiong Tianba's voice, neighing in terror. One warhorse suddenly reared, kicking up its hind legs and throwing its rider from the saddle; the officer, caught off guard, fell headfirst to the ground and struck his head on a nearby rock's edge, his brains bursting out and killing him instantly.

This made the Yong troops even more terrified—just what sort of person is this, capable of killing an officer with a single shout?

Huang Chengxin flew into a rage, his voice deep: "Fu Ping, go take his life!" Beside him, the towering great general Fu Ping received the order, spurred his massive black steed, brandishing his twin hammers, and charged toward White Wax Pass.

Fu Ping was also a famed general of East Luo Depot known for his bravery; his martial prowess was said to be second only to Chang Fanqi, and coincidentally he also wielded twin hammers—however, his were made of purple gold, each hammer about a foot and a half in diameter, exquisitely crafted, shining brilliantly in the night.

Seeing the other's pair of hammers, Xiong Tianba's eyes lit up—"Man compares to man and it's infuriating!" Damn, those hammers look so fine, noticeably larger than his own, and golden; it seems this guy's strength is no small matter—those hammers appear even heavier than his.

Xiong Tianba also spurred his horse forward and roared: "Who goes there? I, Xiong Tianba, do not kill nameless warriors under my hammer!"

Although Xiong Tianba possessed formidable martial prowess, he was after all a greenhorn just entering the battlefield; in terms of reputation, he could not be compared to the already-famous Fu Ping.

A flicker of a smile appeared on Huang Chengxin's face; he ordered the drums to be beaten for encouragement. Once past White Wax Pass, they would be near East Luo Depot—now was the time to boost morale, to charge out of White Wax Pass in one go and enter East Luo Depot. He did not believe East Luo Depot would fall into Dakang's hands; in his view, East Luo Depot would not be easily lost, and tonight he would use Xiong Tianba's blood to sacrifice to the banner.

Two black shadows swiftly approached; the twin purple-gold hammers in Fu Ping's hands whipped up two golden gusts, like two coiling, dancing golden dragons shooting straight at Xiong Tianba, completely overwhelming him in momentum.

Xiong Tianba bellowed: "Halt! Make way!"

With a clang, the four hammers collided, the tremendous roar ringing in everyone's ears; although Fu Ping was not blown away by Xiong Tianba's blow, his arms went numb, the tiger's mouth throbbing painfully, actually splitting open and bleeding; looking at his pair of hammers, they had become like spoons, the hammer heads dented inward. Xiong Tianba laughed, "Damn! I thought the other side's strength was greater and their hammers more imposing, but it turns out those hammers are hollow—just one blow revealed their true nature."

Xiong Tianba's laughter aside, he struck without hesitation, swinging his hammer at Fu Ping's face; Fu Ping's arms were still numb and sore from the previous impact, unable to lift them, yet Xiong Tianba's hammer loomed before him, appearing as a huge black shadow—the last thing Fu Ping would see in this world.

Huang Chengxin watched as Fu Ping's skull was shattered by a single blow, the headless corpse collapsing to the ground. The two purple-gold hammers also fell toward the ground, but before they could land, Xiong Tianba swung his twin hammers, striking the pair of purple-gold hammers and sending the spoon‑shaped hammers flying, spinning like windmills, drifting down amid the falling snow onto the enemy camp.

Seeing the two hammers fall, the Yong troops scattered in fright in all directions; even Huang Chengxin retreated backward in terror. One hammer struck the crowd, eliciting a miserable scream; the other hammer smashed into the head of Huang Chengxin's mount, reducing the horse's head to pulp, causing Huang Chengxin to lose his footing and tumble into the snow, his helmet askew and armor awry.

Xiong Tianba roared: "Eight thousand boys, follow me in the charge! Slaughter this bunch of wine‑bags and rice‑sacks! Eat their flesh, drink their blood!" Behind him, the one hundred soldiers raised torches, waved flags and shouted; their voices, amplified by White Wax Pass, rose like a collapsing mountain and a roaring sea.

Those Yong troops, already trembling with fear, now had their inner defenses completely collapse; not yet understanding the situation, they turned and fled.

Huang Chengxin was helped up by two deputy generals beside him, shouting: "Hold steady, don't panic, don't panic…" Before he could finish, a fleeing flag‑bearer knocked him to the ground; momentarily unable to regain control, he heard nearby soldiers wailing: "It's too fierce—he's come charging at us, there are far too many of them!"

Defeat collapsed like a mountain; if it were daytime they could easily see through Xiong Tianba's ruse, but now, with darkness and heavy snow obscuring vision, plus Xiong Tianba's earlier display of valor that had already made them tremble with fear, and hearing his battle cries like a mountain collapsing and a sea roaring from the other side, they truly believed they had walked into an ambush. Frontline soldiers turned and fled one after another; rear troops, confused about what was happening, saw those ahead running back and followed suit; many who couldn't turn around in time were knocked down and then trampled underfoot before they could get up.

The scene descended into chaos, and Huang Chengxin's orders lost all effect.

Seeing the enemy so cowardly, Xiong Tianba laughed heartily, spurred his horse forward and led his hundred boys in pursuit from behind; wind and snow swelled, cries of slaughter rose and fell, and those Da Yong soldiers, unable to comprehend the situation, were terrified to the point of losing control of their bowels.

Xiong Tianba was no fool either; he dared not get too close, merely putting on a show of strength from behind.

Huang Chengxin finally managed to rally the frightened troops; at that moment the wind and snow eased slightly, the snowlight illuminated the scene, and visibility improved. When they looked back, they saw that the pursuing force behind them was hardly any troops at all—only then did they realize they had fallen for the enemy's trick. Huang Chengxin was furious, his seven orifices smoking; in the meantime, their side had lost dozens to trampling, while the wounded numbered over a thousand. (To be continued~^~)