Chapter 9: War

As the sky's edge turned fish-belly white, Eagle's Mouth Gorge finally came into view.

Two black, looming cliffs rose like the open beak of a giant eagle, with a narrow valley between them no more than twenty zhang wide, its floor littered with rubble.

The valley twisted and turned, about three li long, with steep cliffs on both sides and jagged rocks protruding.

Lan Yu reined in his horse, then raised his hand.

The thousand cavalry behind him came to a halt together.

"Dismount!" Lan Yu leapt off his horse in a clean, swift motion.

The soldiers dismounted one after another, leading their warhorses up the slopes on either side.

The horses were hidden in a concealed spot behind the mountain, with a few men left to guard them.

Lan Yu brought a few Hundred Household Officers up the left cliff, with Shiniu following behind.

From the clifftop, the view opened up, allowing a panoramic look over the entire gorge.

"Look there." Lan Yu pointed at the gorge's entrance.

"Yesu's cavalry will come from that direction, and the exit is this way." He then pointed to the other side and said.

"Chang Yuchun's main force will ambush outside the exit; when Yesu's army has marched halfway into the valley, we'll attack from both ends."

A Hundred Household Officer frowned and said, "General, the valley is narrow; thirty thousand cavalry cannot pass all at once, they will surely split into several groups. We have only a thousand men—even holding the terrain, can we stop them?"

Lan Yu sneered, "Who said we have to stop them? Our job is to create chaos, slow their advance, and buy Chang Yuchun time."

He turned to face the crowd and said, "Listen up! When Yesu's vanguard enters the valley and their main force reaches the midpoint, we'll push rolling stones and logs down from both cliff tops to knock them senseless!"

Then archers and crossbowmen will fire, targeting the horses; once they're in chaos, we'll charge down and kill the officers specifically!

The officers nodded.

Lan Yu then looked at Shiniu and said, "You dumb kid, follow me; when I say charge, you charge; when I say kill someone, you kill them—understand?"

Shiniu nodded and replied, "Hmm."

"Besides, on the battlefield, don't space out, don't go soft—if you go soft, you'll die, and so will your comrades beside you." Lan Yu stared at him again.

"I know."

Lan Yu said no more, turned, and began arranging the defenses.

The rolling stones and logs were already prepared; it seemed Chang Yuchun had made preparations in advance, and these supplies had been transported nearby earlier.

Shiniu sat on a large rock at the cliff's edge, gazing at the valley.

The morning mist gradually faded, making the rubble on the valley floor clearly visible.

Wind swept over the clifftop, carrying the scent of dust.

He felt in his bosom for the jade pendant, took it out, glanced at it, then slipped it back.

Footsteps sounded behind him.

Lan Yu walked over, sat beside him, and handed him a water bag.

"Have a drink."

Shiniu took it and gulped a few mouthfuls.

Lan Yu looked at him and suddenly asked, "You're really not afraid?"

Shiniu returned the water bag, thought for a moment, shook his head, and said again, "I don't know; I'll find out when the fighting starts."

Lan Yu laughed: "You dumb kid, you're actually honest."

He paused, looked into the distance, and continued, "The first time I went to the battlefield, I was fifteen, following my brother-in-law; my legs trembled and I could barely hold my sword steady."

"And then?"

"After killing a few people, the shaking stopped; that's the truth of the battlefield—if you don't want to die, you have to make others die." Lan Yu said lightly.

Shiniu said nothing.

Lan Yu patted his shoulder and said, "But you're different—with that strength of yours, I've lived over thirty years and never seen another like you. When the fight starts, don't hold back; use all the strength you have."

"Hmm."

The sun rose higher, and noon approached quickly.

A scout horse came galloping back from the other end of the gorge, panting, and reported: "General! They're here—Northern Yuan cavalry, the vanguard about five thousand strong, already ten li out!"

Lan Yu rose to his feet, a flash of light in his eyes, and said, "All forces, prepare!"

On the cliff top, a thousand Ming troops moved into position silently.

The rolling stones and logs were shoved to the cliff's edge; archers and crossbowmen nocked their arrows, and sword-and-shield troops gripped their weapons tightly.

Shiniu stood behind Lan Yu, gripping his Double Hammers with both hands.

The hammer handles were slightly damp from the sweat on his palms.

He could hear his own heartbeat.

Thud—thud...

It was loud.

Toward the gorge's mouth, dust rose.

First came a few black dots, then a vast sheet, surging forward like a tide.

The sound of hooves thundered like shaking the clifftop, causing pebbles to patter down.

The Northern Yuan cavalry had arrived.

All wore leather armor, wielding curved swords and bows.

Their horses were tall, and the riders were sturdy.

At their head was a middle-aged commander clad in iron armor, his helmet adorned with a plume.

"These are Yesu's personal guard—fine fellows, really thinking highly of us, coming straight at us as elite troops." Lan Yu whispered.

Five thousand cavalry surged into the gorge, their hooves clattering on the rubble with a clattering sound.

The line stretched long; the vanguard had already gone deep into the valley, while the rearguard kept pouring in.

Lan Yu stared fixedly at the valley, his hand slowly rising.

Shiniu gripped his hammer tightly.

When the Northern Yuan Army's main force had fully entered the canyon while the rearguard was still at the mouth, Lan Yu's hand came down hard and he shouted, "Release!"

Boom—

From the cliffs on both sides, countless rolling stones and logs poured down.

The large ones were millstone-sized, the small ones head-sized, mixed with thick tree trunks, howling as they smashed toward the valley floor.

Ambush—

The Northern Yuan Army fell into instant chaos.

Rolling stones struck men and horses, blood spurting.

Logs rolled over, breaking warhorses' bones.

Horses startled, neighed and scattered; riders were thrown from their saddles and then trampled by those behind.

Fire arrows— Lan Yu shouted again.

Crossbowmen leaned out from the cliff edge, arrows falling like rain.

Aimed at horses, they knocked steeds and riders down, turning the canyon's middle section into utter chaos.

Kill— Lan Yu drew his sword and was the first to leap down the slope.

Shiniu followed close behind.

The slope was steep, but Shiniu trod it as if level ground.

He gripped his hammers with both hands, and in a few steps reached the valley floor, where he slammed head‑on into a group of Northern Yuan cavalry that had just steadied their ranks after the chaos.

As the lead centurion saw someone charging, he smirked and swung his blade down.

Shiniu didn't dodge; he lifted his left hammer.

Clang—

The saber snapped in two.

The hammer's momentum undiminished, it smashed into the centurion's chest.

Thud—

With a muffled thud, that centurion, man and horse, flew backward, knocking over three cavalrymen behind him.

While airborne, his chest had caved in; it was clear he wouldn't survive.

Shiniu didn't pause; he swept his right hammer sideways.

Three Northern Yuan soldiers who rushed forward were hit like by a giant log, flung sideways, tendons torn and bones broken.

He brought down his left hammer again.

An archer trying to fire was pulverized, man and bow together.

Shiniu charged into the enemy ranks, his twin hammers whirling.

He had no form, no technique—just smashing.

One blow shattered men and horses alike.

Another blow sent flesh and blood flying.

The hammer's wind howled; wherever it passed, no corpse remained intact.

A Northern Yuan decurion sneaked in from the side, slashing his saber at Shiniu's neck.

Shiniu didn't even look back; he hammered back with a reverse strike.

Bang—

The decurion's upper body exploded outright; his lower half remained seated on the horse, which ran a few steps before collapsing.

Monster— someone screamed in terror in Mongolian.

Shiniu didn't understand, but he saw the fear on their faces.

He paid no heed, continuing to smash.

Lan Yu was fighting elsewhere; glancing over, his pupils contracted.

He saw Shiniu alone, cutting a swath through the enemy ranks.

Each swing of his twin hammers killed several men.

This was no battle—it was a massacre.

In one clash, Shiniu cleared a ten‑zhang space before him.

Over thirty corpses lay on the ground, none intact.

Shredded flesh, broken bones, entrails and blood were strewn across the ground.

Shiniu was drenched in blood, his face covered too.

He wiped his face, blood smearing his eyes; he blinked and kept charging forward.

Ahead, another unit of Northern Yuan soldiers formed up and charged, about fifty men with spears like a forest.

Shiniu didn't dodge; he plunged straight in.

Spears pierced his body, tearing through his uniform and into his flesh, but only half an inch deep before they could go no further.

Shiniu tensed his muscles; the spear shafts cracked with a snap and then snapped clean off.

His twin hammers swung round, like a windmill turning.

This was him unleashing his ultimate move—Hammer Blade Storm...

Thud thud thud—

The sound of shattering bones came thick as rain.

The fifty‑person formation collapsed at first sight.

Severed limbs and broken arms flew up, fresh blood fell to the ground, gathering into a red lake...

When Shiniu broke out from the other end of the formation, there were no survivors behind him.

He only then stopped and took a breath.

It wasn't fatigue; the smell of blood was too strong, truly choking.

He looked down at the hammerhead, soaked with flesh, blood and shattered bone; Shiniu hurriedly swung it, but couldn't shake it off.

At that moment, he looked up and saw a Northern Yuan General in front, commanding the resistance.

The man wore fine iron armor, surrounded by over a hundred personal guards.