Chapter 226: Yellow Dashing King Slays Haltai in Fierce Combat

Haltai, who had been lying limp on the ground, heard the commotion nearby and scrambled to his feet, shouting "Impossible!" over and over.

The panicked soldiers who came running back said the southern barbarians had attacked, but the southern barbarians hadn't set foot beyond the Great Wall in years. Haltai would rather believe that Urmai had returned with the Uriankhai cavalry than believe that the Ming army had grown so bold as to come out through Xifengkou and fight all the way here.

But that was exactly what had happened. When Haltai got up to prepare his defenses, the Bordered White Banner troops around him had already fallen into chaos — just like the Ujiyet cavalry they had been hunting during the day, they were already routed and broken.

The Han banner slaves were even worse — not even one came back to report. Word had it the Han banner commander was the first to flee, which made Haltai feel all the more insulted. He flew into a rage on the spot, forced himself onto his horse, and gathered the few hundred cavalry around him, intending to charge out.

The Jianzhou barbarian cavalry at this time had not yet degenerated much; their combat power and equipment were worlds apart from the Ming troops inside the passes, and they quickly gathered a considerable number before beginning to flee northward.

In truth, by this time the Jianzhou cavalry's fighting strength was less than half of what it had been during the day. Logically they should have scattered at the first charge, but Huang Degong, seasoned by countless battles, would not take any reckless chances. He quietly waited on the sidelines until nightfall before making his move.

By night the Jianzhou barbarians were even more disordered. Yet just as in the campaign early last year when he was ordered to Shandong to suppress the rebel general Liu Chao, Huang Degong — though victory was already within his grasp — calmly deduced what Haltai's next move would be, and sent men ahead to block the route the Jianzhou cavalry would inevitably take fleeing north. Only after making full preparations did he strike.

As expected, the panicked route Haltai and his men took in their headlong flight played right into Huang Degong's hands.

Suddenly a clapper sounded from all around. Before Haltai and his men could react, a shout of killing intent rang out of nowhere. Ming cavalry of indeterminate number charged out from both flanks, those in front clutching three-eyed hand cannons, which they began firing in an unbroken volley.

"Bang bang bang——"

In the night, muzzle flashes burst forth countless times. The thunderous roar of the three-eyed hand cannons filled every Jianzhou barbarian's ears, making them — already terrified — believe the Ming army numbered in the tens of thousands.

Against the backdrop of darkness and the deafening roar of the three-eyed cannons, the remaining Jianzhou barbarians lost every shred of will to fight. No matter how Haltai tried to hold them together, most only cared about fleeing north for their lives.

In truth, these three-eyed hand cannons had no killing power whatsoever beyond a hundred paces — let alone against Jianzhou cavalry wearing heavy armor. But precisely because of the tremendous noise and blinding flash these guns released, Huang Degong had decided to use them for a night raid on the barbarians.

As the present situation showed, although the three-eyed hand cannons did not harm a single hair on the Jianzhou barbarians, the unbroken thunderous roar so terrified the horses beneath the Jianzhou cavalry that they became uncontrollable.

For a time, many riders with excellent horsemanship were thrown off in disgrace because their panic kept them from calming their mounts in time. At that moment, the cavalry Huang Degong had deployed here sheathed their three-eyed hand cannons and charged in to kill.

The arrogant Jianzhou cavalry, facing the Ji Garrison cavalry under Huang Degong's command, were beaten with no ability to fight back — almost all of them fell from their horses and died in droves.

A Ming cavalryman swung his blade. The Jianzhou barbarian raised his own sword horizontally to block it, but for some reason, when the next blow came right on its heels, though his mind had already reacted, his body suddenly went weak and he could no longer parry.

Helplessly, the Jianzhou barbarian watched the Ming cavalryman drive the blade into his lower belly. With a miserable scream he fell from his horse and died.

The personal guards around Haltai were being cut down at the speed of reaping wheat. The Jianzhou cavalry, exhausted from a full day's labor, simply could not withstand the well-rested Ji Garrison cavalry — nearly half of them fell in an instant.

Hearing the constant screams of his fellow banner men around him, Haltai knew the cause was lost. He viciously dug his spurs into his mount, slapped his tiger-head saber, and fled for his life.

"Jianzhou barbarian, where do you think you're running!" He had barely gone a few paces when a great shout came from ahead.

Haltai looked toward the voice and saw a man clad in heavy iron armor — clearly the commander of this Ming force — charging straight at him. He cursed in anger:

"Southern barbarian, do you truly think this commander fears you! When this commander campaigned with the Old Khan, you weren't even born yet!"

"Don't be so arrogant! When this commander joined the army to serve the state, you were probably still a savage in some deep mountain forest!" Huang Degong pressed his advantage relentlessly, beating the drowning dog with every blow using all his strength.

Haltai had barely dodged one slash when another came from his side. Without thinking much, he hurriedly raised his tiger-head saber to parry — but Huang Degong suddenly changed his move, twisting the blade and sweeping it up from below.

"What kind of technique is that!?" Haltai's face filled with shock. He had never expected that the seemingly rough and crude Huang Degong would fight with such meticulous cunning.

This blow used all twelve-tenths of Huang Degong's strength, cleaving Haltai's mount dead on the spot. Haltai, drenched in blood, tumbled to the ground in utter disgrace.

"Dog Jianzhou barbarian, this commander will borrow your head today to claim merit before His Majesty, the Great Ming Emperor!" Huang Degong laughed heartily, planted one foot on the fallen horse, and leaped down — a single stroke splitting the mountain with all his might.

Haltai was still marveling at this Ming general's martial prowess and hadn't even had time to wipe the blood from his face when he suddenly heard another great roar. Instinctively he rolled sideways.

"Bang!"

Staring at the deep blade mark in the ground, Haltai was even more convinced this Ming general was no ordinary man. His eyes darted about wildly; he had no thought of resistance left.

Haltai first grabbed a handful of grass and sand and flung it, and while Huang Degong dodged aside, he turned and sprinted away in great strides. With one heavy slap he knocked a Han banner petty officer — who had been offering him warm concern — off his horse, mounted it himself, and fled at full gallop without looking back.

"Dog Jianzhou barbarian, is that all the courage you have?"

Huang Degong cursed angrily, mounted his horse at once, and gave chase without letup.

The two ran roughly three hundred paces in pursuit. Seeing that his mount was losing steam and the duck at his mouth was about to fly away, Huang Degong didn't hesitate — he leaped from his saddle and lunged directly onto Haltai's back.

"Southern barbarian, do you bear some grudge against me!?" Haltai, seeing that this southern barbarian's every move was lethal, was seized with terror. Even as he spoke, he kept driving his elbows backward, trying to knock Huang Degong off the horse.

"A grudge? We sons of Han share an irreconcilable hatred with you Jianzhou barbarians — every man among us is your mortal enemy!" Huang Degong sneered coldly. Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly snatched off Haltai's lightning-rod helmet, grabbed hold of his ugly queue, and yanked hard — both men tumbled off the horse together.

With his queue in Huang Degong's grip, Haltai found that even the slightest movement brought excruciating pain. After struggling a few times he dared not move again. He laid his sword on the ground to signal surrender.

"Southern barbarian, I, Haltai, admit defeat to you. Let me go, and I'll take my men and leave the lands of the Three Guards of Doyan at once, never to return. How about it?"

Seeing a flicker of hesitation in Huang Degong's eyes, Haltai had just begun to relax when suddenly he heard Huang Degong burst into loud laughter and say through gritted teeth:

"Dog Jianzhou barbarian, this land was already my Great Ming's, and Liaodong was my Great Ming's too. Not only do you occupy our nest like a cuckoo, but you dare bargain with me using Great Ming's own land? You must think far too little of me, Huang Degong!"

With that, Huang Degong pulled Haltai's queue taut and gave it a vicious yank.