Chapter 449

First Volume, Chapter 449: The Xiongying Brigade Attacks

Less than one incense stick time had passed since the two sides clashed, and Xu Mo's unit had already lost over five hundred men!

If this continues, not only will it be impossible to fulfill Li Zhang's orders to hold the line, but the entire Beixi Light Cavalry may be slaughtered to the last man.

Once the light cavalry is lost, they can no longer provide any cover for the Black Cavalry, and when that happens, the Black Cavalry facing the Xiongying Brigade will be in an extremely perilous situation.

Xu Mo gritted his teeth and roared: "Where are my messengers!"

After shouting ten times or more, one light cavalryman finally rode over: "General, all the messengers are dead!"

Xu Mo's face turned utterly grim: "You are now the messenger—deliver this order immediately: all light cavalry, abandon the blocking mission, advance at full speed to Beidi Main Camp, and link up with the Black Cavalry! Also, send word to Li Lang—send reinforcements immediately!"

Although Xu Mo abandoned the blocking mission at once, his troops' mounts were all Liang Native Horses, which lacked both endurance and speed compared to Beidi Horses; even at full gallop, they could not shake off the Xiongying Brigade's pursuit.

Fortunately, both sides had pushed their horses to their absolute limits, causing the Xiongying Brigade's archery accuracy to plummet.

Although Beixi Light Cavalrymen kept being shot down, these losses were still barely tolerable.

This location was still half a Envoy from Beidi Main Camp; after prolonged combat, whether Liang Native Horses or Beidi Horses, all were nearly collapsed—warhorses kept collapsing from exhaustion, and as they fell, they crushed the riders beneath them.

As more and more warhorses collapsed, Ma Meng was forced to abandon the pursuit.

If all the warhorses are exhausted, we cannot fight the Black Cavalry.

"Quick! Transmit my order—cease pursuit!"

Ma Meng yanked hard on the reins; the instant his warhorse stopped, he dismounted, grabbed a water bag from the saddle, and poured water over the horse's back, slapping its neck repeatedly to cool it down.

There were no relay stations here, and the sun had risen slowly, bathing the land in dawn light—daytime combat presented a completely different trial for both sides.

On the other side, Xu Mo immediately halted his light cavalry and used the same method to cool their horses; after brief rest, they resumed marching toward Beidi Main Camp, moving at a slow, cautious pace, daring not to gallop again until the horses had recovered.

Daylight fully broke.

The Tianji Camp Guards had already secretly infiltrated twenty li north of the Front Line!

But since it was now daylight, the number of enemy troops stationed nearby remained unknown; to avoid exposing their position, Ning Hu swiftly ordered the Tianji Camp Guards to halt and rest, avoiding any unnecessary attention.

Simultaneously, he dispatched ten plus Tianji Camp Guards to scatter and scout, searching for valuable targets.

Only by noon did the dispatched guards begin to return one by one.

"Captain, within a thirty-li radius, only one army is stationed. To avoid revealing our presence, I dared not approach closely, so I know nothing of their numbers, equipment, or deployment. Nor have we found any granaries, military supply depots, or supply trains."

Ning Hu lowered his head in thought; after a moment, his eyes sharpened.

"This camp is only twenty li from the Front Line—it must have received news of Beidi Main Camp, yet has sent no reinforcements. Clearly, this camp holds a critical mission and cannot afford to detach troops. There must be a big fish inside! Tonight, we will storm this camp—I want to see whether it holds troops or military rations and supplies!"

While Ning Hu planned to ambush the twenty-li camp, the fires at Beidi Main Camp did not dim—they intensified further.

Xu Mo and Zhao Yuxiong successfully linked up; barely had they slaughtered the remaining Beidi Infantry when the Xiongying Brigade appeared on the battlefield, and the two sides erupted into another fierce battle.

Since the Black Cavalry had exhausted their arrows, they could only endure passively against the Xiongying Brigade's ambushes, while Xu Mo's light cavalry could offer only minimal cover, proving ineffective.

As Xu Mo and Zhao Yuxiong faced encirclement by the Xiongying Brigade and began to show signs of defeat, Li Lang finally arrived with his infantry. The battle for control of Beidi Main Camp raged on, brutal and unrelenting.

……

Jingdu, Qin Residence.

Qin Feng held the Beixi County War Report, learning the Northern Border campaign was not progressing smoothly; his expression grew grim.

After handing the war report to Qin Tianhu to deliver to the palace, Qin Feng paced the courtyard with his hands behind his back, visibly agitated and restless.

Xie Yun'er had never seen Qin Feng like this before, and she grew concerned: "Ever since you read the war report, you've been unable to sit still—is the Northern Border campaign failing?"

Qin Feng sighed: "This war, the Di have staked their national fate—it was always bound to be brutal. I prepared myself for that. But the intensity of the battle still exceeds my expectations."

According to the war report, the Beixi County Garrison's third assault on Beidi Main Camp had been repelled once again.

Li Lang, Zhao Yuxiong, and Xu Mo—three top generals—led ten thousand troops: Black Cavalry, Light Cavalry, and Infantry. They slaughtered the Beidi garrison, seized the camp multiple times… but the camp was too flimsy, easy to take but hard to hold, and after repeated clashes with the Xiongying Brigade, control kept shifting.

And facing the Di's relentless, cost-ignoring consumption, it was the Beixi County Garrison that first cracked.

Just the Black Cavalry alone had lost nearly a thousand men!

These elite among elites were gold-consuming beasts; Qin Feng had no capacity to replenish troops in such a short time.

If losses on the main battlefield grew too great, the Beixi County Garrison's weakness would lead to catastrophic consequences.

What worried Qin Feng most was that, with Zhao Yuxiong and others retreating, Ning Hu's Tianji Camp Guards were now trapped inside Di territory, fighting alone.

If their position were exposed, the Di would surely send Night Owls to track them, then dispatch cavalry to hunt them down—Qin Feng dared not even imagine the outcome.

"I ultimately underestimated the Di's morale and their determination in this war."

"And yet…"

"My Liang is a nation—is the Di not a nation? Their people are people, their soldiers are soldiers. In a national war, they will give everything—no retreat, no hesitation. If this intensity continues, no one can predict the final outcome."

"But one thing is certain: this war will end sooner than expected—either the Di retreat, or the Border Army collapses. Once the Border Army Camp falls, the civilians rushing home for the Autumn Harvest will suffer terribly."

Xie Yun'er realized the gravity of the situation and wanted to offer Qin Feng strategy, but had no idea where to begin.

After all, even Qin Feng was stumped—what could her limited efforts possibly accomplish?

Xie Yun'er changed the subject, whispering softly: "Don't rush. Calm your mind—perhaps an idea will come soon."

Though he knew Xie Yun'er meant well, Qin Feng couldn't help feeling a pang inside.

This is war!

Two nations fighting to the death—clever tricks and petty schemes mean nothing…