Chapter 763

First Volume, Chapter 763: Hooves of Sai Bei

Although the soldiers had just endured a series of brutal battles, their morale had not waned in the slightest; on the contrary, upon reuniting with Ning Hu's main force, everyone's fighting spirit surged, fists clenched, ready to charge back and erase the disgrace.

After all, being chased by the Snow Wolf Brigade just now had been utterly humiliating—when had the Beixi Soldiers ever been so disgraced?

As the soldiers rested, Qin Feng was yanked off his horse by Jing Qianying, expecting a furious scolding—but the outcome was unexpected.

Jing Qianying's eyes widened in disbelief: "Feng'er, what did you just say? You killed Chen Mou?"

Qin Feng shook off his earlier humiliation, straightening his posture: "Chen Mou? A mere nobody."

Hearing this, Jing Qianying frowned slightly: "A mere nobody? Chen Mou is a clansman of Chen Si. Though not as legendary as Chen Si, he is universally recognized across Northern Di as a Tiger General. If you kill him, how will I find capable officers when I reclaim the Imperial Orthodoxy?"

Seeing Jing Qianying think so far ahead, Qin Feng couldn't help but laugh.

"Qian Ying, I advise you to focus on the present first. Reclaiming the Imperial Orthodoxy—I'll spare no cost to help you achieve it, but it's still far off. Forget Chen Mou; if the chance arises, I'll kill Chen Si too."

"These Northern Di generals are all fiercely loyal to the Northern Di King. Unless we cripple them severely, I guarantee our Wild Emperor Party, painstakingly built up, will remain stuck in Sangzhou, petty and insignificant—and could be wiped out at any moment."

"You've heard what happened tonight—how fierce was the Snow Wolf Brigade? If Chen Mou hadn't been utterly unprepared, I'd have led the pursuit myself—and even then, killing him would've been impossible."

Even Qin Feng had to admit: Chen Mou's tactical execution was masterful—he had repeatedly suffered bloody defeats at Chen Mou's hands.

Setting strategy aside, purely in tactics, even Qin Feng couldn't outmaneuver Chen Mou.

Hearing Qin Feng's words, Jing Qianying fell silent, her emotions tangled—she sincerely didn't want Qin Feng to slaughter every capable Northern Di general, yet… if she didn't, how could she restore the Imperial Orthodoxy?

Qin Feng saw through her thoughts at once and softly comforted her: "Do you know why I have zero interest in the throne?"

Jing Qianying shook her head: "Why?"

Qin Feng didn't beat around the bush: "Because as soon as you desire the throne—even without sitting on it—you've already lost much of your humanity."

"As the saying goes: to gain, you must first let go. To become a monarch, to gain supreme authority, you must sacrifice most of your emotions."

"The kind are bullied, the gentle are ridden—how much more so for a monarch."

Jing Qianying understood: Qin Feng was hinting that without ruthlessness, she could never achieve this grand goal. She hesitated because Chen Si and Chen Mou were talents—but in their eyes, she was nothing but a Rebel Party member, deserving death.

Suppress first, then employ. If you can't even take the first step, how can you restore the Orthodoxy?

Jing Qianying took a deep breath and nodded firmly: "I understand. But… the Snow Wolf Brigade is so fierce, and beyond them lies the even stronger Xiongying Brigade."

"Moreover, aside from these two Expeditionary Brigades, Northern Di has countless Tiger Wolf Elite Troops. How can Lü Ci and Li Chou, two useless men, secure the throne?"

Qin Feng sneered: "That's exactly why they're perfect. If they were too capable, they'd be hard to control."

"These two are merely the starting point of the Wild Emperor Party. Later, as we recruit and arm more troops and expand our forces, talent will naturally join. But no one, no matter who, can hold real authority—otherwise, who knows whether they'll help you restore the Orthodoxy or start their own faction?"

Jing Qianying felt deep gratitude for Qin Feng's careful planning. Even without him saying it, she knew well: no matter how you cut it, she was still a woman.

Since the founding of Northern Di, no woman had ever sat upon the throne. Even if this power struggle was launched by her, the one who ultimately claimed the throne might not be her. Even if it were her, Heaven would never submit—only see a female monarch as a disgrace.

Since she couldn't change her gender, she could only crush Heaven with iron fists—first instill fear, then awe, and finally earn reverence.

Looking at Qin Feng before her, Jing Qianying's resolve to restore her nation burned fiercer than ever.

Before, restoring the nation had been nothing but a fantasy—but now, with Qin Feng's aid, for the first time, she felt she was this close to it.

Just as Jing Qianying was about to thank him, she noticed Qin Feng's gaze on her was strange.

Flippant. Lewd. Shameless!

Recalling what had happened earlier in the Camp, Jing Qianying's face flushed crimson. She glared at Qin Feng fiercely and whispered: "There are so many people here—don't you dare act up!"

Qin Feng sighed helplessly: "Fine, fine. We'll talk about it when we get back…"

At this, Jing Qianying's face turned even redder.

At that very moment, Liu Ming arrived, panting, leading the Tianji Camp Guards.

Seeing Qin Feng, Liu Ming wiped sweat from his brow, visibly shaken: "Marquis Qin, if those cavalry hadn't exhausted their arrows, we'd all be dead. I never imagined the battlefield could be this deadly."

Qin Feng couldn't help but raise his thumb in admiration: "You're even more impressive than me!"

"The Brocade Uniform Guards handle intelligence and covert protection; the Tianji Camp Guards specialize in special operations. Against infantry, you hold an advantage—but against cavalry, you're asking for death."

"Since the Tianji Camp Guards were formed, they've never faced cavalry head-on. The moment they hear hoofbeats, they run for their lives."

"Remember this: never do anything this stupid again. Before cavalry, any infantry—elite or not, light armor or heavy armor—is just lambs waiting to be slaughtered."

Liu Ming had survived near-death situations as if they were family banquets—but this was his first time on an actual battlefield.

In this moment, he realized how insignificant he was on the battlefield.

Thinking of it, he trembled with fear, vowing never again to clash with cavalry. Recalling how Qin Feng had nearly annihilated an equal number of cavalry with a thousand Bow Infantry, he couldn't help but wonder:

"Marquis Qin, how did you manage to defeat cavalry with a thousand Bow Infantry?"

Qin Feng thought: Liu Ming was brilliant at intelligence and assassination—but on the battlefield, he was a complete novice.

"Do you think I defeated a thousand cavalry with a thousand Bow Infantry? In truth, I deployed the entire force. The rear cavalry and main body were only One Hundred Steps behind the Bow Infantry. That alone was a deterrent no isolated unit could match."