Chapter 759: First Volume, Chapter 759: Nightlong Battle

First Volume, Chapter 759: Nightlong Battle

Chen Mou is dead?!

Upon hearing this news, Chen Li felt a deafening whirring sound in his skull, as if struck by five thunderbolts.

Chen Li and Chen Mou were not merely superior and subordinate, but also kin.

Chen Li had risen to his current position solely through Chen Mou's personal promotion.

Chen Mou had fought on battlefields for years, always victorious, never defeated—even when facing the elite troops of Liang Kingdom's Beixi County, he could hold his own!

How could such a fierce warrior be killed?

This was the funniest joke Chen Li had ever heard in his life!

He grabbed the messenger's shoulder, teeth gritted: "You're joking with me, aren't you?!"

The messenger naturally knew the relationship between Chen Li and Chen Mou; sensing the blazing fury in Chen Li's eyes, how could he dare hesitate?

"R-Report, General… even if I had the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard, I would never spread false rumors. This news came from the You Ji Cavalry."

"Although we have not seen Commander Chen's corpse, Commander Chen was captured by Qin Feng over half a Envoy ago—and… Qin Feng himself ordered someone to deliver this news to the You Ji Cavalry, intending to make them retreat."

With the message this clear, even though Chen Li refused to believe it, unless a miracle occurred, Chen Mou was surely dead.

After all, Chen Mou was facing Qin Feng!

That bastard treated traitors like Lü Ci and Li Chou with extreme leniency, but whenever he encountered loyal ministers and capable generals of Great Di, he acted with ruthless decisiveness, leaving them no room to maneuver.

The fact that Qin Feng killed Ma Tingyun without hesitation proves it!

"Qin Feng, I will kill you!"

Chen Li's hysterical roar echoed across the vast Sai Bei Huangyuan; the Snow Wolf Brigade cavalry echoed him in unison, their thunderous shouts shaking the heavens.

Chen Li raised his horsebow, eyes blazing with murderous intent: "If I do not avenge this, I will not live as a man! From this day forward, Qin Feng is the Snow Wolf Brigade's blood feud—no peace until one side is dead!"

All Snow Wolf Cavalry raised their weapons, shouting in unison: "If I do not avenge this, I will not live as a man!"

…

Qin Feng led his troops, fighting as they retreated, constantly fending off small-scale ambushes from Raiding Cavalry; the main force moved with perfect order, jogging slowly—even knowing the enemy's main force could strike at any moment, they could not lose composure.

Nearly one Envoy passed before the scouts trailing behind finally caught up.

"Marquis Qin, the enemy is now less than Ten Li away!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Feng showed no panic, calmly asking: "How many are they?"

The scout wiped sweat from his brow and replied quickly: "At least two thousand!"

Two thousand—indeed, a large force. Cavalry were not like Infantry; training costs were disproportionate. Even two hundred cavalry were a catastrophe for most County Cities, let alone two thousand.

Qin Feng's army now numbered fewer than one thousand. If they failed to link up with the Rear forces in time, they would almost certainly be annihilated by the Snow Wolf Brigade.

Direct confrontation was irrational. After a moment's thought, Qin Feng ordered the scout to return and continue monitoring—come back only when the Snow Wolf Brigade drew within five Li.

Since the Beixi Light Cavalry moved slowly while the Snow Wolf Brigade pursued rapidly, the distance shrank from Ten Li to five Li in less than one incense stick time.

Adding the time the scout took to catch up, the pursuing Snow Wolf Brigade was now no more than four Li away.

This distance was dangerously close. Qin Feng wasted no time—he immediately ordered the entire army to accelerate.

After resting, the Warhorses had regained considerable strength; after a twohundredsteps buffer, the Beixi Light Cavalry reached top speed.

Maximum sprint could last only one cup of tea time; once the Warhorses began to exhaust, speed dropped—but they still maintained a "fast run."

Thanks to this maneuver, though the two sides were separated by only four or five Li, half a Envoy passed without the Snow Wolf Brigade catching up.

Moreover, the Snow Wolf Brigade's mounts were severely depleted; barring unforeseen mishaps, the Beixi Light Cavalry could easily escape.

But just then, a messenger ran up: "Marquis, the comrades holding back the Raiding Cavalry in the rear are under siege and cannot break out!"

At these words, Qin Feng's eyelids twitched violently.

The detachment sent to ambush the Snow Wolf Rangers numbered around two hundred—far from insignificant. As Qin Feng pondered how to rescue the trapped comrades, the Deputy General shoved the messenger aside and said sternly: "Marquis, return to camp at once!"

"The Snow Wolf Brigade is formidable. If we get entangled, we risk total annihilation."

"Sacrificing these two hundred comrades to ensure your safe return to camp is the priority—plus, the main force can be preserved."

Other officers nearby also urged Qin Feng not to do anything foolish.

"Marquis, those comrades were operating in small groups—they'll find a way to break out. No need to go back for them."

"Right. If the main force turns around, we'll collide head-on with the Snow Wolf Brigade."

"Even if we sacrifice these two hundred, we've nearly annihilated the Snow Wolf Brigade's first wave of one thousand and killed Chen Mou—this is already a great victory."

Facing their pleas, Qin Feng frowned tightly.

Abandoning comrades to survive—that was not something Qin Feng could do.

If today we abandon two hundred comrades, tomorrow we may betray two thousand, and the day after, even Beixi County itself.

This rotten precedent must never be set!

"All of you shut the hell up! These two hundred comrades mean two hundred families! They threw their lives into battle for Beixi County, followed me through life and death—how could I abandon them?"

"Not two hundred—even twenty, even two—I won't leave them!"

"All troops, listen! Turn around immediately and rescue the surrounded comrades! Whoever hesitates will be punished by military law!"

Military command was absolute. Though all feared for Qin Feng's safety, they could only grit their teeth and charge back.

And their emotions were deeply conflicted.

On one hand, this move was irrational; on the other, it moved them deeply—for to serve under a commander like Qin Feng was a blessing.

Meanwhile, the scattered small units of Light Cavalry, driven by the Snow Wolf Brigade, gradually converged, attempting several times to break out—but still failed.

The Snow Wolf Brigade's numbers were overwhelming, and they surrounded in layered tiers; even if the Light Cavalry pierced two encirclement lines, before they could catch their breath, another large group of cavalry appeared before them.

Clearly, since the Snow Wolf Brigade's main force couldn't catch Qin Feng, they now coordinated with the Raiding Cavalry to annihilate these two hundred Beixi Light Cavalry in one-strike victory.

At this moment, the two hundred Light Cavalry had dwindled to barely over one hundred…