Chapter 399: Meet the Orthodox with the Orthodox, Triumph with the Unexpected!

When news of battlefield developments reached him, Li Guanyi strode out of the forward command tent, his armor stained with blood, sleeves flaring, the Qilin pattern dyed black-red, radiating a fierce aura.

Outside, chaos erupted; Li Guanyi stepped out to see a Snow-Treading Dragon Horse galloping toward them, Chen Wenmian supporting Xu Huiyang as they returned—Xu Huiyang had been leading his troops in a flanking assault against the Ying state's lines when he encountered Yuwen Tianlei, another of the Yuwen family's famed generals, ranked forty-first.

The Yuwen clan, a family of generals for generations, had produced especially outstanding talents this generation.

Xu Huiyang's troops excelled in close-quarters combat and leading assaults to breach enemy lines and scale walls, but in this type of western battlefield, where forces clashed head-on, they struggled and ultimately fell behind.

Especially since the Yuwen family's troops specialized in defense, clearly refusing to engage Li Guanyi's forces directly; thus, facing the Ying state's entrenched army and the defensive line built around Xiyicheng, Li Guanyi's forces could no longer charge forward as they once had.

If they pushed too deep, Yuwen Tianlei of the Yuwen family would cut off their connection to the rear.

They would be surrounded like dumplings.

In a confrontation with a great nation, this was an extremely dangerous situation.

Chen Wenmian rescued Xu Huiyang and brought him back to the main camp; even his composed nature now bore visible anxiety—Yuwen Lie, having used his flanking forces to pin down the other western powers, now advanced with a straight, disciplined formation, a wedge-shaped array driving straight ahead!

Chen Wenmian first rode ahead on horseback to deliver Xu Huiyang to Shi Dalin, then galloped back, tumbling from his saddle, kneeling on one knee while propping himself up with his spear, his white battle robe soaked crimson, saying: "Big Brother!"

His expression solemn, he took something from his person and placed it on the ground, saying:

"This is the seal of the Canglang Guard."

"I entrust the Canglang Guard to you, Big Brother."

He rose instantly, leapt onto his horse, pulled the reins, and the steed neighed like a dragon, ready to gallop away—Li Guanyi shouted: "Stop! Where are you going?!"

But Chen Wenmian paid no heed; Li Guanyi reached out, unleashing a vast force that overtook him mid-motion, seizing the horse's reins—its dragon-like neigh shattered the air as Li Guanyi, with one hand, forcibly halted the beast, leaving deep hoofprints gouged into the earth.

Chen Wenmian's grip on his spear trembled, his voice calm: "My father is now trapped deep within enemy lines, and our main army is blocked a hundred li away, unable to reach him in time. As his son, I must go to his aid. Big Brother, do not stop me."

Li Guanyi looked at Chen Wenmian and said: "Fine."

"But this time, I'm going with you."

Chen Wenmian froze, urgently saying: "No!"

"Yuwen Lie is a fearsome general across the land. If you leave the army, your full strength cannot be unleashed. If Yuwen Tianlei cuts off your rear, you'll be trapped in utter peril—I absolutely cannot let our commander fall into such a situation!"

Li Guanyi said: "But our advance has already slowed."

"Yuwen Lie has learned the old turtle's tactics—his goal is to create an opening. If we continue advancing steadily now, our strategic objective will fail, and Yuwen Lie will force a one-on-one duel with your father."

"Yuwen Lie has likely brought along many of the Yuwen clan's famed generals."

At this moment, Li Guanyi's understanding of military strategy grew ever clearer.

When a skilled general faces a brave but unstrategic commander, strategy can achieve tremendous effect—but what if both sides are renowned generals, equally versed in tactics, evenly matched? How then?

Especially now, when both sides' strategic goals are nearly laid bare—Yuwen Lie would not be unprepared. Li Guanyi realized that if he continued his cautious strategy, he would simply be walking into Yuwen Lie's trap.

Without strategy or knowledge of warfare, one would be crushed from the start by the enemy's orthodox might—but if both sides are equally skilled, locked in stalemate, how does one win?

This is: meet the orthodox with the orthodox, triumph with the unexpected.

Without the orthodox, you cannot march.

Without the unexpected, victory is impossible.

The subtleties of military strategy suddenly dawned within him.

At this moment, Pojun was responsible for grand strategy from the rear; battlefield judgment rested solely with Li Guanyi.

His thoughts grew ever clearer.

Chen Wenmian gripped Li Guanyi's armored arm: "Big Brother, according to military doctrine, a commander suddenly breaking out and plunging into danger is the most perilous act—throughout history, no general has ever made such a decision!"

Li Guanyi suddenly paused: "So… the enemy commander wouldn't anticipate this possibility?"

Chen Wenmian realized what Li Guanyi intended.

He said: "General, this move is not orthodox…"

"Enough!"

Li Guanyi swung his sword, sheath and all, striking Chen Wenmian's head—not hard, but enough to freeze him in place. Li Guanyi said: "In military strategy, there are no fixed rules. We don't seek to conform to ancient doctrines—we seek the unexpected!"

"In this grand struggle, the Wolf King must defeat Yuwen Lie."

"Therefore, we cannot let him be forced into solitary combat. We must gather every available force to confront the enemy's main army… this grand struggle *is* military strategy."

Chen Wenmian said: "Military texts never recommend such recklessness…"

"I absolutely cannot let you follow me!"

Li Guanyi looked at Chen Wenmian before him—willing to charge into battle alone for his father, leaving his troops behind, refusing to drag others into danger, clad in a white robe, upright and honorable—this was his virtue, yet now it was his flaw.

Li Guanyi said: "Has anyone ever told you that you cling too rigidly to rules?"

Chen Wenmian froze.

Li Guanyi smiled faintly: "Military strategy?"

He released the reins, gripping the Tiger Roar Heaven Spear, and said calmly:

"A hundred years from now, what we do today…"

"Will be military strategy!"

A surge of emotion surged through Chen Wenmian—he froze.

Suddenly, he recalled the final days with his father, when the aging Wolf King had handed him that knotted rope and asked if he could untie it. He had said he needed time to think, then returned with the knot still tied.

But he had never untied it—until now, he suddenly understood: perhaps the best way to untie it was to ignore the rules. Perhaps this was what his father truly wished to teach him.

But such realization came too late.

Li Guanyi remained beside his horse, wrote a letter, handed it to Yuan Zhi, instructing him to deliver it to Pojun, then shouted: "Qi Bi Li!"

Qi Bi Li replied: "Your servant stands ready!"

Li Guanyi said: "This charge must be swift—fewer men, not more. Assemble the Golden Crescent Cavalry. Ride with me to confront Yuwen Lie!"

Qi Bi Li recalled the elegant, detached divine general he had seen during the Chen state's grand sacrifice, a flicker of fierce fire igniting in his eyes—he bowed solemnly:

"Yes!"

Li Guanyi mounted his horse, lifted the Fire Qilin, and fastened it to his shoulder armor, tightening the reins—this battle would decide the fate of the western lands. He said: "... Old Master and Master Siming probably won't live to see it. Together with the Wolf King, we shall strike down Yuwen Lie."

He reached out and stroked the auspicious Fire Qilin on his shoulder.

He and the Fire Qilin, both Eighth Heaven cultivators, joined forces, augmented by the Nine Cauldrons and the 【Book of Imperial Governance】, plus the Wolf King's blade edge—no matter the opponent, they could give it a try.

"Even if Yuwen Lie once concealed his true strength, his power is far more than a mere Ninth Heaven—he can still fight. If we join forces with the Wolf King to defeat Yuwen Lie, we can then press forward and punish Xiyicheng."

"Xiyicheng is the Yings state's foothold in the Western Regions, linking Central Plains and the North. If we seize Xiyicheng and its surrounding territories and cities, we will sever the Yings state's every chance of extending its dominance into the Western Regions."

"This is military strategy."

"This is grand strategy!"

Li Guanyi lowered his gaze; the khans of the Western Regions' forces were shifting toward this front, but Yuwen Lie had moved too swiftly—this hidden card had been meant for Jiang Su and could not be redirected so quickly.

Where would the world ultimately fall? Who would claim the Western Regions?

Who would retreat? Who would monopolize?

It all hinges on this battle.

Li Guanyi raised his battle halberd and said:

"CHARGE!!!"

The Fire Qilin battle standard flapped as Yan Xuanji bore the banner; Li Guanyi's troops surged out of the forward camp, charging toward the battlefield center a hundred li away. Yuwen Tianlei's first defensive line, unprepared for this shift, was breached by Li Guanyi.

When Yuwen Tianlei received the news, his expression darkened. He said:

"Qin Wu Hou, do you treat me as nothing?!?!?"

"You just charge straight ahead?!"

"Dammit!!!"

He turned to his subordinates: "How many troops does Qin Wu Hou bring?"

The scout replied: "Light cavalry, minimal escort—only about two thousand."

Yuwen Tianlei's face shifted through several expressions; he clenched his fist and slammed it onto the table, his aura surging as he growled: "Of course… Qin Wu Hou, the world's famed general—conventional tactics can never trap him. This man…"

"Fine! Mobilize twenty thousand troops!"

"We go to intercept him!"

The deputy general exclaimed: "Twenty thousand?!?!"

Yuwen Tianlei said: "I rank forty-first. Without tenfold forces, how can I possibly block a general ranked among the top ten since the last three hundred years of chaos?!"

"One-on-one? Two thousand against two thousand?!"

"Fool!"

"Do you want me to die?!"

Yuwen Tianlei flew into rage, kicking the man down, gripping his armor, teeth gritted, sweat beading on his brow. All famed generals carry pride—but a general ranked thirty-something has no desire to face a monster among countless warlords, one who stands among the top ten.

But orders are as solid as mountains.

His strategic goal was to pin Li Guanyi and Lu Youxian here at all costs, creating a time gap.

But the enemy was Qin Wu Hou.

A monster whose legendary feats include slaying enemy commanders in the midst of a hundred-thousand-strong army—deeds destined to echo through eternity.

Yuwen Tianlei struggled, then suddenly shouted: "Wait!"

The deputy general said: "General!"

Yuwen Tianlei extended one finger: "Add ten thousand more!"

The deputy general: "Huh?!"

Yuwen Tianlei drew a deep breath: "Only with thirty thousand can I face Qin Wu Hou with any confidence—without being shattered in a single strike. Thirty thousand against two thousand—even if we lose, we won't be utterly annihilated!"

"Hurry, go!"

The deputy general said: "Yes!"

Once merely a Gold Guard, Li Guanyi had become a formidable foe that even the world's few famed generals now guarded against—especially when a monster, whose legends speak of leading small elite forces to charge enemy lines and slay commanders, now advanced with two thousand men.

Even Yuwen Tianlei felt a chill.

He touched his neck, feeling a faint itch.

But he gripped the silk pouch his brother Yuwen Lie had given him before departure—said to protect his life if danger arose—and his composure returned.

"Deploy!"

Li Guanyi led his two thousand Golden Curved Blade cavalry at full speed; the Nine Cauldrons hummed within his chest, emitting divine resonance that flowed into his eyes, allowing him to see the shifts of the world's malevolent qi.

The Wolf King's army spirit—a colossal gray wolf—roared with its head raised.

On the other side, a mighty tiger tore forward.

These two colossal, formidable apparitions represented the martial momentum of two great armies, colliding in a terrifying manner; the clashing of swords and shouts of battle seemed to pierce the heavens, reaching Li Guanyi's ears.

A hundred li, once covered swiftly, now passed quickly.

Even for the Golden Curved Blade cavalry—renowned for charging and slaughtering—their speed was swift enough. Yet even this rapid advance felt slow, sluggish, to Li Guanyi's mind.

At this moment, tens of thousands of Yings state troops awaited ahead.

Leading them was a general in his forties, with a black beard and a golden helmet, calm and composed—Yuwen Tianlei himself, who had, in recent times, imitated Lu Youxian's tactics to obstruct Li Guanyi's advance.

Yuwen Tianlei said: "Qin Wu Hou, I've long admired you from afar—why this sudden haste?"

"Why now?!"

"Did you not make an agreement with Your Majesty not to clash with the Yings state?!"

Li Guanyi replied loudly: "He made an agreement too."

"He invaded Chen. I advanced into the Western Regions. Now the Yings state's armies have crossed into the Western Regions—He Ruo Qinhu, Yuwen Lie, have both come here repeatedly. Are you certain you still wish to speak of that old agreement?!"

Yuwen Tianlei, embarrassed, gripped his large axe tightly and shouted:

"My Lord, please withdraw."

"I truly do not wish to fight you, my Lord."

Li Guanyi raised his battle halberd and said:

"If you have the courage, come fight! If you lack it, then—"

"GET OUT!!!"

The voice exploded like violet lightning.

Before the three armies, he roared at the commanding general—yet no one dared speak.

Yuwen Tianlei gritted his teeth, spun his large axe once in his hand, summoning a storm, but did not press forward; instead, he bowed from his saddle and called out loudly: "Military orders are as solid as mountains—I cannot defy them. As for the agreement with Your Majesty, let your lord discuss it with His Majesty another day."

"Yuwen Tianlei of the State of Ying comes to test the martial prowess of the Supreme Commander of All Imperial Armies, Qin Wu Hou. I beg your pardon for offending you, my lord commander! I challenge you!"

This man first performed all proper courtesies, then swung his battle axe and, himself a famed general on par with General Yue Qianfeng three years prior, turned to the surrounding generals and said: "Your Lordship is a divine general of the world; our humble skills are unworthy of single combat against you."

One nearby general shouted:

"Who cares about rules when fighting Qin Wu Hou? Are you looking to die?"

"The three of us attack together!"

"Charge!"

Three generals led their troops forward in unison as Li Guanyi's two thousand men charged the formation.

Theoretically, if they fought to the death, Li Guanyi's two thousand would be annihilated, surrounded by tens of thousands—archers and spearmen closing in to slaughter them; as light cavalry, the Golden Crescent Knife cavalry had little resistance.

But first, though the enemy outnumbered them, their individual soldiers were inferior to the Golden Crescent Knife cavalry.

Second, Li Guanyi and his men had no intention of grinding out a prolonged battle; they clustered tightly, slicing through flesh like a curved blade, charging straight toward the heart of the great battle. Third, Li Guanyi was empowered by the Nine Tripods.

The martial momentum carried by these two thousand men far exceeded the level of two thousand alone.

Li Guanyi let out a long howl; the Fire Qilin opened its mouth and spat water and fire.

Water and fire collided, exploding into violet lightning; Li Guanyi thrust his battle halberd forward with force, shattering the violet lightning—thick purple arcs clung to the divine weapon, Tiger's Roar Halberd, yet were controlled by the Fire Qilin, dancing and flickering along the blade without harming Li Guanyi.

Yuwen Tianlei's face froze.

As a valiant warrior of the Yuwen clan, he had only recently gained much battlefield merit alongside his elder brother, rising from rank fifty to his current position on the Divine General List—having only fought ordinary armies.

Now, here was a man with a Fire Qilin on his shoulder, riding a dragon steed, wielding a divine weapon.

His halberd erupted violet lightning, purple radiance shooting into the sky in bursts of thunder, and this monstrous figure charged toward him at the blinding speed of a galloping dragon steed.

Yuwen Tianlei suddenly understood how Helian Jieshan had felt.

This damn fool was not a general he was meant to intercept!

Yuwen Tianlei roared, his aura surging—peak Sixth Heaven, on the verge of a Master—forcing out his Dharma Form: a colossal blue rhinoceros appeared behind him, roaring, its single horn exploding with lightning.

"Your Lordship! Fall back!!"

Yuwen Tianlei channeled the might of his ten-thousand-man army, gripping his axe with both hands and slashing down with all his might.

Li Guanyi's Nine Tripod empowerment reached its peak—he moved like the Son of Heaven walking the earth, his Tiger's Roar Halberd wrapped in violet lightning, thrusting forward with crushing force.

BOOM!!!!

Two forces exploded in the midst of the army—blue thunder and violet lightning shattered together.

A hemispherical shockwave blasted outward, spreading rapidly, dust choking the air; nearby ordinary soldiers were flung away, crashing to the ground, screaming in agony.

Yuwen Tianlei, drawing on the momentum of his tens of thousands of troops, barely held back Li Guanyi's halberd—but felt the weapon's pressure grow heavier with every second. He strained with all his strength, veins bulging in his arms, summoning every ounce of will—yet could not withstand his opponent.

What kind of technique is this? Master?

Eighth Heaven?

But even if he were a Master…

This physique could not possibly belong to a human!

Yuwen Tianlei felt his entire body trembling; now, he could only hold on with a fierce flame in his chest—if his spirit broke, he would be crushed.

Then, Yuwen Tianlei saw the divine general's gaze turn calm, his left hand releasing the halberd.

With one hand alone, he gripped the halberd and pressed downward.

This motion brought an indescribable oppression and indifference—Yuwen Tianlei's heart trembled. He had once seen Li Guanyi from afar, but that Li Guanyi had never possessed this kind of dominance and aura.

That boy had been fierce, bright, youthful.

Now, Qin Wu Hou wore bloodstained armor, his sleeves whipping, one hand gripping the halberd, eyes cold and clear, even wearing a jade hairpin on the battlefield instead of a helmet—his aura sharp, icy, making Yuwen Tianlei's heart shudder.

As if, during these past year and more in the Western Regions, the once brilliant young general had found a master.

That teacher had personally forged the once rash, fiery Qin Wu Hou into this mighty, heroic spirit.

The Wolf King?

In that instant, his spirit shattered.

His axe was knocked askew; Yuwen Tianlei spat blood and toppled backward, his aura gone.

Li Guanyi's body was wreathed in water and fire, his presence overwhelming; he surged forward without mercy, tearing through the enemy ranks in mere strikes, knocking the large axe from Yuwen Tianlei's hands.

Seizing this chance, Khan Qibili and Chen Wenmian led the two thousand Golden Crescent Knife cavalry.

They did not force a battle; instead, like a curved blade, they sliced through the weak flank of the Ying army, still breaking away from the battlefield, charging toward the distance. Yuwen Tianlei tried to fight again—but Li Guanyi's halberd already swung down, cleaving toward Yuwen Tianlei's head.

Li Guanyi was now a famed general; even with two thousand men, he could never fight tens of thousands—but with his Wu Gong and Nine Tripod empowerment combined, he could guide the two thousand Golden Crescent Knife cavalry to break free from weak points.

As he ignored everything and prepared to bring his halberd down, Yuwen Tianlei's mind suddenly cleared—he gasped for breath and shouted the message from the secret pouch:

"My elder brother is Yuwen Lie!"

BOOM!!!

Li Guanyi's halberd came down, grazing Yuwen Tianlei's ear—its razor edge surged with brutal force, tearing a deep gash into the earth beside him.

Yuwen Tianlei's heart pounded wildly.

He felt this Fire Qilin general, Qin Wu Hou, was nearly as powerful and fierce as his brother Yuwen Lie—his heart raced—then he saw Li Guanyi spin his halberd, using its butt to jab forward, striking Yuwen Tianlei's chest.

The force erupted—immense, overwhelming—Yuwen Tianlei was flung backward, crashing to the ground, spitting blood. Qin Wu Hou sat atop his steed, spinning his halberd once, sweeping away arrows, and said: "General Yuwen, deliver my battle order."

"In consideration of your family, I spare your life today."

"Next time we meet, I'll cut you down without mercy!"

Yuwen Tianlei was blasted away, and the military formation scattered in an instant.

The Fire Qilin on Li Guanyi's shoulder let out a roar.

Breaking past the Fire Qilin's limits, the divine beast's aura of water and fire, yin and yang, merged and spread outward. No military aura could resist the Fire Qilin's might; the horses blocking Li Guanyi's path all collapsed, their legs buckling, their cries echoing endlessly.

Li Guanyi held his battle halberd, his steed Xu Xing moving calmly as he departed the battlefield.

In this battle, two thousand elite troops shattered the enemy's blockade.

He defeated the enemy general; the Fire Qilin's roar silenced all warhorses.

This was the power of a top-ten general of the realm.

It was fully revealed in this clash.

Li Guanyi abandoned his original battle tactics of advancing the front line and large-scale formations, shifting instead into his most skilled elite breakthrough formation. The Fire Qilin no longer needed to fear harming nearby comrades' mounts—it roared freely, achieving this effect.

After this battle, the front line remained unchanged.

But Li Guanyi had successfully broken through into the interior.

Galloping forward, he looked up and saw the Canglang military spirit battling the Bai Hu military spirit. Li Guanyi's heart steadied—he knew he was not too late. He abandoned the battle line and rode to join the Yu Langwang, to strike down Yuwen Lie, leaving the rear to Mr. Yuan Zhi to hold the line.

This battle would decide the fate of the Western Regions!

It was a critical choice!

Li Guanyi, the Yu Langwang, even Chen Dingye, the Chen and Ying states, the Western Regions—all the heroes, warlords, ambitious tyrants, and strategists of the world—had placed themselves on the gambling table to fight for the future of the Western Regions and the realm.

This battle alone!

Li Guanyi gripped his weapon tightly.

His blood surged, his murderous aura piercing the heavens.

But at that moment, the Bai Hu military spirit suddenly dispersed, transforming into a great battle blade that slashed downward. The Canglang military spirit, with no chance to resist, shattered instantly—Yu Langwang's accumulated momentum was severed by nearly one-third.

Li Guanyi's expression froze: "?!!!"

What?!

What happened?!

On the core battlefield, commanding the army with formation enhancements, even if unable to match Yuwen Lie, Xiao General Xiao Wuliang had been able to hold his own—now he spat blood and fell from his horse.

An arm clutching a long spear, along with its armor, flew into the sky.

Only three strikes!

Xiao General Xiao Wuliang, critically wounded, arm severed!

Nearly a one-strike kill.

On the battlefield, silence fell. The divine general in black armor, "Yuwen Lie," stood impassive, guiding his steed across the field, slowly lifting the faceplate of his helmet to reveal a weathered, white-haired face, calm and regal.

A roar erupted:

"Victory! Victory!!!"

The murderous aura of the Ying state's army surged into the heavens in an instant. Yuwen Lie's tiger banner had been replaced—now a crimson battle flag bearing the character 【Jiang】 flared violently in the wind.

To meet with righteousness, to triumph with cunning.

The military stratagem "Deceive the Heavens to Cross the Sea" was common, an ordinary tactic.

Even an incompetent general could use it.

But this time, the entire world had been deceived.

The one appearing here was not Yuwen Lie.

It was.

The Divine General—Jiang Su!

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