TGWM Ch. 16

Chapter 16: Ambush

Although Zhou Liang was ultimately punished for his actions, the incident also made Beichen Long aware of certain issues within the military camp. With so many soldiers stationed there, personal conflicts were not uncommon, and competition between individuals of the same rank—like Liang Hui and Lu Sheng—was a frequent occurrence.

Where there are people, there will always be strife. In the past, these matters had never been given much attention. After all, competition could stimulate potential and even have positive effects. However, Beichen Long had not expected that someone would go so far as to stir up trouble right under his nose just for a fleeting moment of fame.

Moreover, individuals like Zhou Liang—who were deeply scheming, managed to deceive many, and even used their official duties as a cover to secretly exploit military supplies for personal gain and faction-building—were unlikely to be limited to just him.

Eradicating these corrupt elements from the military camp would not be an overnight task. Just the thought of it gave Beichen Long a lasting headache.

The following day, the competition proceeded as scheduled. Lu Sheng remained in his quarters to recover from his injuries, while Shang Wu and Beichen Ji took turns competing. Shang Wu was skilled in martial arts but not particularly adept at archery. Though he managed to hit the target with all three arrows, his performance was far from outstanding.

In contrast, Beichen Ji had one arrow that deviated from the bullseye by only a few millimeters. Compared to his previous performances, this was a significant improvement, which left Beichen Long quite pleased.

In the horseback archery competition, Lin Aoxue claimed first place without suspense. The second-place winner was a platoon leader named Qi Liu, whose arrow struck the outer edge of the bullseye, earning admiration from the gathered soldiers. Beichen Ji placed third.

Beichen Ji securing a spot in the top three put Beichen Long in a good mood for quite some time, even easing some of the worries caused by the previous incident.

After the competition, Beichen Long rewarded Lin Aoxue with a finely crafted spear made of refined iron, its shaft engraved with the character for “snow.” Many of the centurions who had never received such an honor looked on with envy.

***

A month passed, and Lu Sheng’s leg had healed considerably. The military doctor stated that with proper care, it should fully recover. Only then did Lin Aoxue finally feel a weight lift from her heart.

She recalled what Yun Yan had said when handing her the bone-healing medicine that day and couldn’t help but feel a bit sheepish. She had been so occupied with training and camp duties that she had nearly forgotten Yun Yan’s instructions. It had already been a month since then.

Coincidentally, it was a rest day, so Lin Aoxue left the camp alone and headed to Yanyu Tower. She planned to personally thank Yun Yan once more for the medicine.

However, to her surprise, when she arrived at Yanyu Tower, the hostess informed her that Yun Yan had been away for five or six days and had yet to return.

Lin Aoxue found this somewhat puzzling, but she didn’t dwell on it too much. If Yun Yan wasn’t at Yanyu Tower, she could always visit another time. Since she couldn’t find Yun Yan, Lin Aoxue didn’t linger at Yanyu Tower and soon returned to the military camp.

***

The next day, the barbarian army suddenly launched an assault, and the sound of war horns echoed across Xingbei Pass.

Unlike their previous surprise attack, this time, the barbarian forces stood outside Xingbei Pass, openly challenging the defenders. Beichen Long led the senior officers to the city walls, looking out to see an enemy force of approximately one hundred thousand—roughly equal to the number of troops stationed within Xingbei Pass.

The army gathered in formation, but Beichen Long did not immediately issue the order to engage.

The barbarians were aggressive, and the warrior leading their challenge held a high status among them. He brandished a long, curved blade and hurled insults at Beichen Long and the others within the pass, enraging the younger officers, whose expressions darkened with fury.

Had Beichen Long not yet spoken, they would have long since charged out to fight the barbarian in a fit of rage.

Although Lin Aoxue had been promoted to platoon leader, she was still considered a low-ranking soldier and was not eligible to partake in duels between commanders. She merely stood in formation with Beichen Ji, Shang Wu, and the others, waiting in readiness.

The barbarians outside the pass roared and taunted relentlessly, until finally, one of the commanders could no longer hold back and stepped forward to request a duel. After a brief consideration of both sides’ strengths, Beichen Long nodded in approval.

The commander, granted permission, descended from the city walls with great momentum and engaged the barbarian general in a fierce battle outside the pass. After exchanging over a hundred rounds, the Beichen commander was on the verge of securing a narrow victory, at which point the barbarians should have retreated. However, just as he turned around, the barbarian general suddenly launched a sneak attack, slashing off his left arm with a single strike.

The wounded Beichen commander fled back to the camp on horseback in a panic. Beichen Long was furious—this provocation from the barbarians was beyond outrageous, resorting to such despicable tactics. Enraged, he gave the order for the army to march out and engage the barbarian forces of one hundred thousand in battle.

Large-scale battles like this had occurred in past years, but the barbarians had never been as brazen as they were this time.

Once again, Lin Aoxue donned her armor and rode into battle with the troops. Beichen Long implemented a military formation he had recently developed, and as the two armies clashed, the combat turned brutal. The barbarian warriors were fierce, but the Beichen soldiers, fueled by rage, fought with unrelenting ferocity. Both sides suffered heavy casualties in repeated engagements.

County Commandant Fu Yong led a force of five thousand infantry, with Lin Aoxue among them. They flanked the battlefield from the side, charging at the enemy from the front lines. With each round of slaughter, more than a hundred soldiers from their ranks perished on the battlefield.

The battle raged on for half a day before the barbarians began to show signs of defeat. Leaving behind thousands of corpses, they finally sounded the retreat.

When Xingbei Pass also issued the order to withdraw, Fu Yong’s troops spotted an opportunity—more than a thousand barbarian stragglers lagged behind the retreating army, within reach of being cut off.

Fu Yong hesitated for only a moment before giving the order to continue the pursuit. The situation was highly favorable—if he could eliminate this thousand-man barbarian force, it would be a major achievement.

Even if the general later questioned his decision, the merit would outweigh the mistake. To him, the move was nothing but advantageous.

When the order was passed down, the soldiers had no reason to doubt it and pressed forward, chasing deep into enemy territory to encircle the barbarian remnants. However, among them, Beichen Ji furrowed his brows, and Lin Aoxue’s expression shifted drastically, an ominous feeling rising in her heart.

She had heard of Fu Yong before—he had only been promoted to County Commandant last year. He had a reputation for bravery in past battles, but he was also known for his reckless pursuit of merit. Though he had followed Beichen Long for years, he had never been highly regarded due to his lack of strategic insight.

Now that he had finally earned a promotion, he was eager to prove himself, hoping to secure a great victory and win Beichen Long’s favor.

Behind them, the main force of Xingbei Pass had already begun its withdrawal. The three thousand soldiers following Fu Yong were now detached from the main army. If they continued the pursuit any further, they would be at risk of falling into an enemy ambush.

Lin Aoxue glanced back and met Beichen Ji’s gaze. It was clear he was thinking the same thing. Over the past six months, Beichen Ji had made significant progress in studying military strategy and could also see that the situation was turning unfavorable.

He quickly rushed forward to catch up with Fu Yong and called out loudly, “County Commandant! Any further, and we’ll be deep in barbarian territory! The general has already ordered a retreat!”

Fu Yong shot him a glare, recognizing him as Beichen Ji. His expression darkened, but unwilling to abandon the glory within his grasp, he furrowed his brows and scoffed. “Opportunities in battle are fleeting! The general is unaware of the situation here. Say no more and follow me in pursuit!”

Fu Yong refused to heed the warnings and was determined to lead the troops forward. Lin Aoxue, Beichen Ji, and the others were merely platoon leaders, their ranks too low for their words to carry weight. All they could do was silently hope that the pursuit would go smoothly while remaining on high alert, carefully observing their surroundings for any changes.

After chasing for fifty li, Fu Yong finally intercepted the barbarian forces at Blade-Crack Peak. The two sides clashed fiercely, and another two to three hundred barbarian soldiers were slain.

Fu Yong fought with increasing ferocity, intent on wiping out this remnant force entirely.

But just then, the barbarian army suddenly received reinforcements, catching Fu Yong completely off guard. With the new arrivals joining the remnants, the enemy’s numbers now doubled that of Fu Yong’s forces. Panicked, he hastily ordered a retreat—but it was already too late.

The barbarians had silently encircled them from behind, cutting off their escape route. Fu Yong led his troops in a desperate attempt to break through, but in an instant, the roles of hunter and prey had reversed.

From within the barbarian ranks, a fierce general charged forward, swinging a massive blade that cleaved Fu Yong in two. More than half of the five thousand-man commanders in the unit had already perished, and the hundred-man commanders were nearly wiped out as well.

The situation was dire—if this continued, they would be completely annihilated.

Lin Aoxue leaped into battle, engaging the barbarian general head-on. Under the watchful eyes of all, she slew him from horseback, avenging Fu Yong and steadying the morale of the remaining troops.

With a commanding shout, she roared, “Follow me and fight your way out!”

After Fu Yong’s death, the Xingbei soldiers had been thrown into disarray, like headless flies. But now, with Lin Aoxue charging at the front, they immediately rallied around her. Even the remaining commanders fell in line, following her lead to break through the encirclement.

Lin Aoxue keenly identified the weakest point in the enemy’s formation and used her exceptional martial prowess to carve a path through. With each strike, she felled an enemy, leaving blood splattered across Blade-Crack Peak.

Among the barbarian reinforcements, none could match Lin Aoxue’s strength in combat. With her leading the charge and working alongside Shang Wu, Beichen Ji, and others, they finally managed to break through the encirclement.

Just as Lin Aoxue was leading the remaining soldiers—fewer than a hundred—away to escape, a barbarian general raised his bow and nocked an arrow. At that moment, Lin Aoxue was at the rear, covering the retreat of the Xingbei survivors. She swung her spear to fend off the pursuers, failing to notice the distant archer.

With a sharp whistle, the arrow tore through the air. By the time Lin Aoxue sensed it, it was already too late. She twisted her body at the last moment, narrowly avoiding a fatal hit to her chest, but the arrow still pierced her shoulder.

A sharp thud rang out as the arrowhead burrowed into her flesh, sending a searing pain through her body and rendering her left arm useless.

Gripping her spear with her right hand, Lin Aoxue cast a cold, piercing glance at the archer, memorizing his face. However, instead of recklessly charging back into the enemy ranks, she remained composed and continued leading the Xingbei survivors in retreat.

The barbarian general did not order further pursuit—he would not make the same mistake that had led to Fu Yong’s untimely demise.

***

By the time Lin Aoxue led the remaining troops—now less than a hundred—back toward Xingbei Pass, night had completely fallen. Along the way, several gravely wounded soldiers succumbed to their injuries.

There was no time to collect the bodies of the fallen. All they could do was watch as one soldier after another collapsed in silence, left behind to be exposed to the wilderness.

The darkness of the night disoriented them, and after wandering for an unknown distance, they still saw no sign of Xingbei Pass.

Just as they were beginning to lose hope, a faint glow appeared in the distance—not from the pass, but from a small, remote village. The exhausted soldiers were at their limit. A thousand-man commander turned to Lin Aoxue for guidance.

Lin Aoxue suggested, “Let’s take shelter in the village first. Find a doctor to tend to the wounded.”