Chapter 493

First Volume, Chapter 493: Die Defending Qingyu Mountain

Facing a rapid volley from a hundred or so soldiers, ten-plus Xiongying Brigade cavalrymen were caught off guard; five were shot off their horses instantly, and the remaining ten fled without looking back.

Qin Feng's resolute gaze of facing death gradually gave way to joy—he was genuinely delighted, not because he had escaped death, but because everyone was still alive…

Qin Feng could no longer hold on; he collapsed with a thud, his vision darkened, and he knew nothing more.

He sank into darkness for an unknown length of time; when Qin Feng opened his eyes again, Qingyu Mountain was once again shrouded in darkness, and a roaring bonfire burned beside him.

Qin Feng tried to roll over, but a sharp pain stabbed his right shoulder; when he reached out to touch it, he found the spot hit by the Night Owl's arrow had been treated, coated with Beixi White Medicine and wrapped in gauze.

The Beixi White Medicine Qin Feng had introduced to reduce arrow wound mortality had ultimately been used on himself—how truly unpredictable fate could be.

"Young Master, you're finally awake—thank heavens."

"Vice Commander Ning, the Young Master is awake!"

The soldiers guarding the bonfire, overjoyed, hurried to lift Qin Feng off the ground and shouted into the pitch-black forest at the top of their lungs.

Soon after, Ning Hu arrived panting, his eyes reddened—whether from worry or excitement, it was hard to tell.

Seeing Qin Feng was unharmed, Ning Hu dropped to his knees with a thud; this iron-willed man burst into loud sobs.

"Brother Qin, if you had died, how could I face Lady and the Four Young Ladies? How could I face the people of Beixi? You damn fool, why come to save us? Why not just stay in Beixi County and enjoy your peace?"

Watching Ning Hu alternate between crying and laughing, Qin Feng's heart stirred deeply.

This brotherhood was worthy of heaven and earth.

Qin Feng refused to dwell on whether this incursion into enemy territory had been worth it; the deed was done, and the present situation demanded focus.

Qin Feng remained weak, leaning against a tree trunk, staring at the bright bonfire before him—he already understood that their hiding spot on Qingyu Mountain had been exposed; further concealment was meaningless.

Moreover, the soldiers had already begun constructing temporary fortifications and traps on Qingyu Mountain, preparing to make a final stand against the Enemy Army.

"Ning Hu, how many men do we still have left?"

This was the question Qin Feng least wanted to ask—but the most critical one right now.

Ning Hu's face darkened with sorrow; he lowered his head, his voice heavy and low: "Counting every last one, we have two hundred left."

"Of these, one hundred and thirty are Tianji Camp Guards, sixty are Beixi Light Cavalry, and ten-plus are Brocade Robe Guards."

This answer pierced Qin Feng's heart.

Four hundred and fifty soldiers had lost more than half in a single night—and most of those who died were Beixi Light Cavalry who had come to rescue the Tianji Camp Guards.

After all, Tianji Camp Guards were masters of secret infiltration and special operations; even against the Enemy Army's elite Xiongying Brigade and Night Owl ambushes, they could still force their way out.

Moreover, since entering Di territory, Tianji Camp Guards had long treated such dire situations as a family banquet.

In contrast, Beixi Light Cavalry were ill-equipped for such conditions, and thus suffered heavier casualties.

As Qin Feng's gaze dimmed, Ning Hu let out a long, bitter sigh.

"The Light Cavalry are far better at mounted combat—their horsemanship is naturally superior; had they retreated immediately, most of them could have escaped. But to cover our withdrawal, they deliberately slowed their pace…"

At this, Ning Hu broke into uncontrollable sobs, filled with remorse and self-blame—he believed his own incompetence had led to Qin Feng's plight and the devastating losses among the Light Cavalry comrades.

Qin Feng's heart ached as if pierced by needles, but as the core of this group, he could not collapse; he buried his grief deep within and forced calm.

He clearly saw Ning Hu's self-reproach in his eyes.

He softly comforted him.

"You need not blame yourself. Had you not led the Tianji Camp Guards to infiltrate Di territory, smash their camps, and disrupt their front lines, the battlefield situation would have been far worse. You are all heroes of Beixi County and Shedynasty. Coming to rescue you was only right. Instead of wasting your strength on pointless regrets, focus on surviving and returning home. Only then will you honor the fallen, and their sacrifice will not be in vain."

Qin Feng's deputy had died in battle; the newly promoted Light Cavalry Vice Commander's eyes were resolute.

"The Young Master is right, Vice Commander Ning and the Guards need not blame yourselves."

"Your mission is complete. Bringing you home was always our duty. After all, dying on the battlefield is a soldier's fate—even if we didn't die here, we'd die somewhere else someday. To be honest, I was among the first starving refugees to enter Beixi County, nearly starving to death in Huang Ye more than once."

"Now, Beixi County has given my wife and daughter shelter and food and clothing security. As men, joining the army to serve our country and bleed on the battlefield is how we repay Beixi County."

Ning Hu felt a wave of shame.

Qin Feng and the deputy were right—what right did he have to worry needlessly now? He took a deep breath, rallied himself, and his eyes regained their former resolve.

Seeing Ning Hu had come to terms with it, Qin Feng quietly exhaled, then began reassessing the current situation.

We still had two hundred men, but every one of them was wounded, some lightly, some badly—none were in good condition. Moreover, our position was on the MountainWaist; building defenses here to resist enemy encirclement was unrealistic. No matter how complex the terrain, it couldn't withstand a full-scale enemy sweep across the entire mountain.

To delay as long as possible, we must rely on advantageous terrain.

The Brocade Robe Guards had thoroughly mapped the entire mountain.

Qingyu Mountain's elevation was modest—roughly three hundred zhang—composed of three clustered peaks. Most crucially, Qingyu Mountain is a stone mountain; from Mountain Foot to MountainWaist, it is covered with drought-resistant trees, mostly pines. But beyond the MountainWaist, the land grows increasingly barren, especially the MountainTop—utterly bare, not even grass grows there.

That's why Ning Hu chose to camp at the MountainWaist, using the dense forest as cover.

But Qin Feng held a radically different idea: to survive, to last long enough, the only chance lay at the MountainTop!

Upon hearing Qin Feng wanted to move the camp to the MountainTop, Ning Hu frowned, his eyes filled with doubt.

"Brother Qin, above the MountainWaist there's no cover—if the enemy assaults up the mountain, we'll be sitting ducks."

Qin Feng had already considered this; he didn't rush to explain, but asked Ning Hu to accompany him to the MountainTop for a firsthand inspection.

Since it was a stone mountain, the climb grew steeper the higher they went—especially at the MountainTop, where one could only cling to rocks; one misstep could mean certain death.

This treacherous, steep terrain brought Qin Feng quiet delight.

If climbing it was this hard for us, imagine how difficult it would be for the enemy to ascend and encircle us!