Chapter 164: Slay the Northern Yuan Grand General

On the battlefield!

The thick stench of blood felt almost tangible, filling every inch of the air.

The sounds of slaughter continued unceasingly, like the haunting wails of the underworld.

Within the Dragon Gate Formation!

The Ming soldiers’ battle cries shook the heavens, filled with fierce morale.

Every soldier fought with all their strength, gradually tightening the encirclement, mercilessly slaughtering the trapped Yuan cavalry.

The Yuan cavalry inside the formation were now at their wit’s end, their eyes filled with despair and terror, fleeing in all directions but finding not a single thread of hope.

To the north!

A Yuan general pointed forward, his voice laced with doubt and unease, asking Guili Chi: “Great General, why have our men who broke out retreated?”

Upon hearing this.

Guili Chi frowned deeply, fixing his gaze ahead without immediately answering.

The tens of thousands of iron cavalry who had charged out now moved in disarray, like birds startled by arrows, retreating in haste—their numbers drastically reduced, many soldiers wounded and looking utterly disheveled.

“Meng Ha, Na Li—what happened?”

Seeing the two generals leading the retreat, Guili Chi’s face darkened, barking loudly—clearly enraged.

“Great General, our forces fell into a Ming ambush—suffered heavy losses.”

Meng Ha galloped forward, his face filled with anxiety and helplessness as he reported.

Beside him, Na Li kept his head lowered, silent but with a terrifyingly grim expression; his reins were clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, radiating bitter resentment.

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Guili Chi’s eyes bulged with fury as he coldly roared: “Sixty thousand iron cavalry can crush anything! How could the Ming set an ambush? Tell me!”

“Great General, the Ming have deployed a military formation.”

“No—it’s not an ordinary formation. It’s an ambush formation.”

Meng Ha dared not meet Guili Chi’s gaze, bowing his head: “At first, I thought the Ming were merely using shield troops to block our cavalry, so I ordered a full assault.”

“But when we drew near, their shield troops suddenly split apart—our men rushed in and became trapped.”

“This formation is incredibly strange—like a massive cage. Our men are completely enclosed, and no matter how hard we attack from outside, we cannot break through their shield wall.”

“Moreover, whenever we approach, the Ming unleash a torrent of arrows—we simply cannot breach their formation.”

“So we withdrew for now.”

Upon hearing this.

Guili Chi’s expression grew even darker as he scanned the Yuan cavalry behind the two generals.

At this moment.

These cavalrymen were demoralized and battered, many pierced with arrows, blood still flowing.

This proved beyond doubt that Meng Ha was not lying.

“What formation could possibly halt our Great Yuan iron cavalry?”

Guili Chi’s face showed suspicion and disbelief.

In his heart—or in the hearts of all Yuan people—

the Great Yuan iron cavalry had never known defeat; on these vast plains, they reigned supreme.

Not even one layer of shield troops, let alone ten, could stand against a full-charge cavalry assault.

Even though the Yuan’s power had weakened, they still took pride in their cavalry’s might!

“Great General, the Ming’s formation is too strange—we simply cannot break through.”

“And the men who entered the formation are trapped inside—we have no chance to rescue them.”

Na Li, equally bitter, clenched his fists and spoke with furious resentment.

“Yes, Great General, this formation is too strange.”

“We didn’t bring cannons—if we had, we might have shattered their shield walls.”

“But now, I truly don’t know what to do,” Meng Ha said, voice heavy with helplessness and frustration.

“Worthless! The Emperor trusted you so deeply!”

Guili Chi cursed harshly.

Then, turning his gaze southward, he drew his battle sword without hesitation and roared: “Reform your ranks at once! This time, I will lead the charge myself!”

At these words.

Meng Ha and Na Li immediately bowed and saluted: “We obey, Great General.”

Instantly, they turned and returned to their formations, beginning to reorganize the troops.

They shouted orders, directing soldiers to adjust their ranks; soon, men roared, horses neighed, dust rose in thick clouds.

“Ming army—I refuse to believe any formation can halt the Great Yuan iron cavalry’s advance!”

Guili Chi’s eyes gleamed with cold resolve, showing little fear.

Originally, he had planned to wait until the sixty thousand cavalry shattered the Ming forces, then unleash his remaining forty thousand troops to encircle and annihilate them.

But now, circumstances forced him to lead the charge himself.

As the Yuan cavalry reformed, Guili Chi raised his battle sword high and thundered: “My sons, follow me! Crush the Ming!”

This roar echoed like thunder through the sky.

At his command, the Yuan army swiftly regrouped, with Guili Chi’s forty thousand untouched troops forming the core—a black tidal wave surging southward toward the Ming forces.

Hooves thundered, shaking the earth; dust rose to blot out the sun.

The Yuan raised their killing intent once more!

And now,

time slipped away amid the fierce battle.

Within the Dragon Gate Formation, the slaughter continued.

Zhu Ying stood atop the high platform, surveying the battlefield.

At this moment!

Zhu Ying realized the Yuan troops inside the formation had lost all will to fight—he roared loudly: “Order! Those who surrender shall be spared! Those who resist—kill without mercy!”

Simultaneously, Zhu Ying raised a battle flag signal.

Immediately,

the surrounding personal guards and soldiers shouted in unison: “General’s order! Surrenderers spared! Resistors—killed!”

“General’s order—”

Countless Ming soldiers’ roars merged into a powerful wave of sound, spreading across the entire steppe, deafening.

The Yuan troops inside the formation, once filled with despair, now saw a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

They exchanged glances, then, after a moment, many chose surrender—dropping their weapons, dismounting from their horses.

“Spare my life! I surrender!”

“Spare me! I don’t want to die!”

“I surrender…”

Surrender cries rose in waves.

After all, the Yuan troops trapped inside had no escape—their despair was absolute.

Zhu Ying offering them a chance to live gave them hope.

Otherwise, death was certain.

After issuing the order, Zhu Ying glanced once more at the formation’s interior, then swiftly descended from the platform. When only a few feet from the ground, he leapt without hesitation, landing firmly atop Wu Feng’s back.

Wu Feng sensed his master’s arrival and neighed excitedly, rearing up on his front hooves.

“Personal Guard—follow me!”

Zhu Ying gripped the reins in one hand, his tiger-head greatsword in the other, roaring.

Immediately,

“We obey, General!”

The personal guards around the platform mounted their horses in perfect unison.

As Zhu Ying moved, the shield wall before him parted like an invisible hand had cleaved it, opening a single-file path.

Zhu Ying squeezed his thighs against Wu Feng’s flanks—the black steed shot forward like a bolt of lightning, followed closely by seven hundred personal guards.

As the formation’s architect, Zhu Ying understood every detail of this military array; he had made prior arrangements, and thus exited the Dragon Gate Formation—this hell for the Yuan—as easily as walking through a gate.

Soon, behind the Dragon Gate Formation, forty thousand Ming cavalry stood ready.

Under their watchful eyes, the formation opened a gap.

Zhu Ying rode swiftly toward them, his seven hundred personal guards surrounding him like stars circling the moon.

“Where are the Ming cavalry?” Zhu Ying gazed ahead and roared.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

Forty thousand Ming cavalry raised their weapons, shouting in unison—their roar pierced the heavens, shaking the very air around them.

“Brothers, today’s battle is the foundation of our northern expedition!”

“One hundred thousand Yuan iron cavalry—fifty thousand are now trapped and slaughtered within the Dragon Gate Formation. Half of their cavalry is already destroyed.”

“Now, the Yuan cavalry is halved—what do we have to fear?”

Zhu Ying swung his battle sword, blade flashing, roaring: “Will you follow me? With the strength of our Ming iron cavalry, shall we shatter the myth of Yuan invincibility?”

“Will you follow me? Crush the Yuan cavalry and make our Ming iron cavalry the greatest in the world?”

At this moment, Zhu Ying channeled his inner Qi, his voice brimming with boundless arrogance and overwhelming might.

"I vow to follow the General and crush the Northern Yuan iron cavalry!"

"I vow to follow the General and forge an invincible name for Great Ming’s iron cavalry!"

Forty thousand Great Ming soldiers raised their weapons and shouted in unison, their morale soaring to the heavens.

Every soldier was fearless and undaunted.

"Brothers, whether you are from our Ning border troops or the Beiping army, know this: when I, Zhu Ying, lead troops into battle, I charge ahead, and my soldiers follow behind."

"Brothers, follow me and kill!"

Zhu Ying roared again, his voice like thunder.

He turned his horse, raised his tiger-head greatsword, and charged northward.

"We follow the General to our deaths! Kill!"

Forty thousand iron cavalry raised their blades and followed Zhu Ying’s figure like a torrent of steel, surging northward.

The thunder of hooves shook the earth as if it trembled beneath their feet.

Under Zhu Ying’s command, the army bypassed the Dragon Gate Formation and charged straight north.

Previously, the Northern Yuan cavalry numbered one hundred thousand, all mounted.

Even though Great Ming had forty thousand cavalry, on this vast plain, infantry could not stand against them; even if they won, Great Ming’s casualties would be catastrophic.

Even with Zhu Ying’s authority and official seal, this could not be avoided.

His gaze shifted.

North of the Dragon Gate Formation, as Zhu Ying led forty thousand Great Ming cavalry forward, a thunderous rumbling echoed a hundred zhang ahead.

Taptapta!

Taptapta!

Countless hooves merged into one roar as a vast host of cavalry charged forth.

Countless Northern Yuan battle flags flapped violently in the wind—the Northern Yuan cavalry, who had withdrawn earlier, now surged back.

"Halt!"

Zhu Ying raised his battle sword and pulled the reins; Wu Feng, as if sentient, instantly stopped, his front hooves carving deep grooves into the ground.

Behind him, the forty thousand cavalry formed ranks by ten-thousand-unit battalions and garrison units, standing in perfect order behind Zhu Ying like an iron wall.

"Bows!"

Zhu Ying plunged his battle sword into the earth; the Precious Carved Bow instantly appeared in his hand.

He then drew ten arrows from the quiver on his back.

All Great Ming cavalry nocked arrows and drew their bows, their eyes fixed on the Northern Yuan cavalry ahead, brimming with murderous intent!

"The Great Ming cavalry has charged."

In the rear of the Northern Yuan cavalry, Guili Chi saw the Great Ming cavalry lined up ahead; his eyes flashed with sharp light, like a hungry wolf spotting prey.

"Sons of the Great Yuan, the moment to earn glory for our empire has come!"

"For the eternal prosperity of the Great Yuan, crush these damned Han!"

"Let them know who is the strongest cavalry in the world! Let them know the Great Yuan rules the steppes!"

Guili Chi swung his battle sword, roaring wildly, his face twisted with savagery.

"Sons of the Great Yuan, crush the Ming troops!"

"Kill! Kill!"

Many Northern Yuan commanders joined the roar.

They charged ahead, frenziedly slashing and hacking, while the Northern Yuan cavalry behind them followed closely, menacing and fierce.

These Northern Yuan cavalry were born on horseback, masters of mounted combat, not inferior to any.

To them, only relentless charge could display the might of the Great Yuan’s iron cavalry.

Zhu Ying stood still, his Precious Carved Bow drawn taut as a full moon by his immense strength.

His true qi flowed continuously into the bow, amplified further by its armor-piercing property, multiplying its power.

Zhu Ying estimated the distance—the Yuan army closed rapidly.

A hundred zhang, eighty zhang, seventy zhang.

Just as the Yuan army entered the range of Great Ming archers.

"Kill!"

Zhu Ying roared, his voice like a thunderclap exploding across the battlefield.

Boom!

His Precious Carved Bow trembled; ten arrows, fueled by true qi, shot forth instantly like ten bolts of lightning, tearing through the air with devastating force.

In an instant.

"Ahh... Ahh..."

Dozens of Yuan soldiers ahead had no time to react; even in armor, they were pierced clean through by Zhu Ying’s powerful arrows.

Blood gushed like fountains; their bodies tumbled from their horses like kites with severed strings, dead instantly.

"Slain Northern Yuan soldier: +1 Strength, +10 days of lifespan."

"Slain Northern Yuan soldier: +1 true qi..."

As the arrows killed, system prompts echoed constantly in Zhu Ying’s mind; in the blink of an eye, dozens of attributes were added to him.

It was precisely Zhu Ying’s command—

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Forty thousand Great Ming cavalry roared in deafening unison.

Simultaneously, they loosed their arrows; a dense rain of shafts, like a sudden storm, rained down upon the Yuan army.

The air was ripped apart by the whistling of countless arrows.

Under the hail of arrows, the front-line Yuan cavalry were either instantly slain or pierced like hedgehogs, their deaths gruesome.

Blood stained the grass; the air reeked of sharp, metallic blood.

The Great Ming soldiers behind Zhu Ying continued firing volleys, maximizing their kills.

"Fire!"

At this moment, the Yuan commanders shouted orders to return fire.

"Kill!"

"Slaughter all the Han barbarians..."

The Yuan cavalry’s arrows flew like raindrops toward the Great Ming troops.

In mutual volleys, lives vanished every moment; the brutality of battle was laid bare.

Blood glittered under the sun, the moans of wounded soldiers mingled with the neighs of dying horses, forming a horrific scene.

Zhu Ying estimated the distance to the Yuan cavalry—when they drew within twenty zhang.

"Great Ming soldiers, today’s battle is the burial of the Northern Yuan!"

"If we win, our Great Ming cavalry shall be the finest in the world!"

"With the blood of Northern Yuan cavalry, we forge the glory of Great Ming’s iron horse!"

"Follow me—kill!"

Zhu Ying roared, radiating boundless might.

He seized his tiger-head greatsword in his right hand and slammed his palm against his horse’s flank.

Wu Feng let out a neigh and shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, hooves kicking up a cloud of dust behind him.

"We follow the General to our deaths! Kill!"

Liu Lei and his seven hundred personal guards roared in unison, their voices echoing to the heavens.

They followed Zhu Ying closely, charging forward, determined to die beside him.

"The general does not seek life; the soldier does not fear death."

"Our Ning border army has no general who seeks to live, no soldier who fears to die."

"Follow the General—kill!"

"Glory belongs to Great Ming!"

Chen Heng, Wei Quan, Liu Zhen, and others roared, unleashing the fearless spirit of the Ning border army from top to bottom, charging toward the Yuan cavalry.

Every soldier seemed to have cast aside life and death.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Slaughter all these barbarians!"

"Our Great Ming cavalry is the finest in the world!"

"Kill!"

Countless Great Ming soldiers roared, charging forward with fearless rage and endless murderous intent, unstoppable.

At this moment, the entire steppe, the entire Northern Yuan royal pasture, trembled.

The earth groaned under the weight, roaring "Boom! Boom! Boom!" like thunder in their ears.

"Whirlwind Blade Technique!"

"Die!"

Ahead, Zhu Ying swung his blade like rain; Wu Feng surged forward like a black lightning bolt, blade slicing through the air.

One Yuan soldier after another fell beneath his blade, slain instantly.

Blood splattered across Zhu Ying’s face, but he felt nothing; his eyes held only endless killing intent.

“Slain a Northern Yuan soldier, gained 1 point of Strength…”

Notifications of attribute gains from killing enemies continually echoed in Zhu Ying’s mind.

Zhu Ying remained as fiercely invincible as ever; his figure on the battlefield was like Death itself—wherever he passed, only death followed, striking terror into the enemy.

Behind him, countless Great Ming soldiers surged with unshakable morale, fearless and unyielding.

They moved in tight coordination with Zhu Ying, launching a ferocious assault against the Yuan forces.

Finally!

At the moment the two great armies collided, it was as if Han civilization clashed with barbarians, as if civilization met savagery.

“Boom!”

In an instant, the clashing of swords and horses deafened the air; weapons struck, sparks flew, and the sound of blades piercing armor never ceased.

Blood sprayed like fountains across the grass, staining it crimson.

The cavalry of both sides instantly plunged into brutal melee combat—a fight to the death.

Shouts, screams, and the neighing of warhorses intertwined, composing a horrific symphony of war.

“Flank and encircle! Sons of the Great Yuan, crush them!”

“Our Great Yuan iron cavalry is invincible.”

“Kill them all!”

Guili Chi roared from the rear, voice hoarse, directing his army into the fray.

And now—

Zhu Ying charged wildly, his figure moving like a phantom through the enemy ranks, slipping effortlessly between them.

Behind him, Great Ming soldiers surged forward in frenzy, each seeming able to hold off ten, utterly fearless.

It seemed this was the boon granted by Zhu Ying’s authority and official seal.

The great battle had fully descended into its most brutal phase of close combat.

Like the siege battles of old, Zhu Ying led from the front; only seven hundred personal guards could barely keep pace with him.

Zhu Ying was a razor-sharp blade, charging forward with fury—wherever he went, enemies shattered and fled.

The seven hundred personal guards acted like a blade’s edge, savagely tearing through the enemy lines.

They killed and charged without pause, as if they knew no fatigue.

At the very moment the two cavalry forces collided, the Northern Yuan iron cavalry, who claimed invincibility, was instantly shattered by the Great Ming cavalry!

Crushed! Torn apart!

From an initial position of offensive momentum, the Yuan forces had been…

But now, the Great Ming cavalry was even more ferocious!

“When did our Great Ming cavalry grow strong enough to crush the Northern Yuan cavalry like this?”

Zhu Di stood atop a high platform, witnessing the Great Ming cavalry’s triumph.

His eyes widened in disbelief, fixed on the furious battlefield ahead; his entire body froze, utterly stunned.

He had long guarded Beiping Prefecture and was no stranger to cavalry warfare, having witnessed Beiping’s cavalry clash with Yuan forces many times.

Yet—

Each time, Beiping’s cavalry had been clearly outmatched by the Yuan iron cavalry, unable to break through.

But today’s scene shattered his every understanding.

Zhu Ying led from the front, charging headlong into the enemy ranks; under his command, the Great Ming cavalry awoke like a lion, unleashing unprecedented ferocity.

With a tide-like surge, they assaulted the so-called invincible Northern Yuan cavalry—and forced them into steady retreat! They slaughtered the Yuan iron cavalry until they could only defend!

As Zhu Di marveled, Zhu Ying’s gaze was sharp and clear—two piercing beams of cold light cut through the chaos of battle, locking onto the enemy commander’s banner at the very rear.

Kill the general! Cut the banner!

Shatter the myth of Northern Yuan cavalry’s supremacy!

Claim this unparalleled achievement!

This thought had already been fixed in Zhu Ying’s mind.

Time slipped away amid the brutal slaughter; the two cavalry forces were now fully entangled in a bloody, gruesome melee.

The killing continued.

Zhu Ying wielded his battle blade, mounted on the Black Blade steed, leading his seven hundred personal guards—just as Xiang Yu once led eight hundred Jiangdong warriors—with unstoppable momentum, breaking through layer after layer of Yuan defenses, closing in on the enemy commander.

“Kill! Kill!”

Zhu Ying roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield.

His blade swung wildly, carving out sharp, whistling arcs of light.

Each swing sent Northern Yuan soldiers screaming to the ground.

As he pressed forward, the enemy commander’s banner now lay no more than a dozen zhang away.

“Yuan general!”

Zhu Ying growled, his eyes blazing with killing intent—like a demon risen from the netherworld, radiating chilling dread as he locked onto Guili Chi.

The Black Blade seemed to sense its master’s fury; it reared its head and let out a piercing neigh, hooves churning as it charged forward with wild speed.

“No good! The Ming soldiers are coming!”

Guili Chi, once calmly directing his troops, suddenly felt a sharp chill rush from ahead.

He instinctively looked—and met Zhu Ying’s killing gaze. Instantly, dread surged within him.

But it was already too late.

“Advance! Personal Guard—move now!”

“Our Great Yuan iron cavalry is invincible under heaven!”

In panic, Guili Chi screamed.

The thousands of personal guards beside him, under his command, roared and charged forward on horseback, weapons raised, trying to halt Zhu Ying’s unstoppable advance.

“Kill!”

Zhu Ying roared: “Furious Blade Technique!”

His blade became a living dragon, whistling through the air as it spun wildly.

He paid no heed to these minor soldiers; his eyes never left Guili Chi—he cared only for his death.

These thousands of personal guards, crushed under Zhu Ying’s ferocious assault and the seven hundred personal guards’ onslaught, were like paper—unable to stop his advance.

“Zhu Ying… the Ming general Zhu Ying… I must flee!”

Guili Chi, watching Zhu Ying draw nearer, turned ashen.

Fear overwhelmed him; he abandoned all dignity of a Great Yuan general, spun his horse around, and fled desperately northward.

But how could Zhu Ying let him escape so easily?

“Giddyap!”

Zhu Ying shouted, cracking his whip hard.

The Black Blade, in pain, let out a long, piercing neigh—and shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, chasing Guili Chi with blazing speed.

The Black Blade was a blood-sweating steed, enhanced by Zhu Ying’s Bone-Refining Powder—its stamina and speed far surpassed ordinary warhorses.

In but an instant, he caught up to Guili Chi.

“Die!”

Zhu Ying roared, raising his blade high, slashing down with all his might at the fleeing Guili Chi.

“No!”

Guili Chi turned in terror—just as a blinding blade-light flashed toward him like lightning.

Before he could react, a sharp “crack” rang out.

The sharp blade severed his neck instantly.

Guili Chi’s head flew high into the air, his eyes still filled with terror and disbelief.

…

(End of Chapter)