Chapter 51

The wind howled, and the snowstorm raged like an angry dragon, swallowing up all color and sound in the world.

On the frozen surface of the Yinma River, 15,000 elite troops from the Northern Liang were engaged in their most arduous struggle against the power of nature.

Visibility was almost zero; people and horses were indistinguishable beyond five paces. The snow and ice crystals whipped up by the gale were as hard as iron, crackling as they struck armor and instantly drawing blood from exposed skin.

The warhorses neighed in alarm and reared up. If it weren't for the thick cloths covering their eyes and the reins tightly on their bridles, the camp would have already been thrown into chaos.

Heavy snow quickly covered the ice surface, only to be constantly swept away by the gale, revealing the slippery, solid ice underneath. Soldiers or warhorses would occasionally slip and fall, making dull thuds and suppressed groans, before being swallowed up by the wind and snow.

Zhou Heng clung tightly to the horse's back, his hands gripping the reins so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the effort.

His fur coat was already soaked through by the wind and snow, weighing heavily on his body, icy cold. Every breath carried shards of ice, choking him and causing a sharp pain in his lungs.

He felt like a leaf in a raging sea, about to be torn apart and submerged by the white torrent at any moment. All he could see were wildly swirling snowflakes and the blurry figure of Chen Zhen ahead, while the only sound in his ears was the howling wind.

He almost regretted his damned "divine intervention." This wasn't a cover-up; it was a death sentence!

However, even amidst this extreme chaos and hardship, the Northern Liang army did not collapse.

Strict military discipline and a willingness to die came into play at this time. The desperate shouts of officers at all levels were torn apart by the wind and snow, but the simple flags agreed upon beforehand and word of mouth allowed the orders to still be transmitted with difficulty.

The soldiers huddled together, linked by ropes or arms, helping fallen comrades and dragging frightened horses. Maintaining a basic formation amidst the chaos, they continued their arduous advance southeastward along the ice, towards the depths of the deadly storm, their only destination.

Xiao Zecheng rode at the very front. He didn't look back, nor did he deliberately try to organize the troops; his straight back, like a pillar of strength, carved an invisible path through the raging wind and snow.

The long spear in his hand pointed diagonally forward. In the chaotic white sky, that point of cold light became the only coordinate that the soldiers behind him could follow.

He had been struggling in the snowstorm for an unknown amount of time, which seemed to have lost all meaning. Just as Zhou Heng felt himself about to freeze to death and his consciousness was beginning to fade, the snowstorm ahead seemed to... thin out a little?

No, it's not that the snow is thin; the wind seems to have weakened. Although the snow is still heavy, the destructive force is fading. At the same time, the ice surface seems to be tilting slightly; they are leaving the riverbed and stepping onto the riverbank!

"Get off the ice! Form up! Scouts, advance!" Xiao Jue's deep voice pierced through the wind and snow. It wasn't very loud, but it carried a strange power to calm people's hearts.

As if shedding a heavy outer shell, the army struggled to step onto the relatively solid, snow-covered riverbank.

Although the wind and snow were still raging, people and horses felt much more at ease once they were off the slippery and dangerous ice.

Commanders at all levels immediately began to gather their troops, count the number of soldiers, and grumble under their breath to make the soldiers move their frozen hands and feet and check their weapons.

The scouts, like raccoons in the snow, silently disappeared into the snowstorm ahead.

Soon, a scout stumbled back, his face frostbitten, but his eyes shone with an alarming light, his voice trembling with excitement: "My lord! Five li ahead! The Qi army camp! Lights... we can see the campfire! The snowstorm is too heavy; the outer outposts... have almost all retreated!"

Sure enough! The Qi King's 100,000-strong army camp was right there, under the cover of the blizzard! And because of this sudden extreme weather, their vigilance was at its lowest!

Xiao Jue's eyes flashed with a cold light, like two dancing ice flames. Without further hesitation, he suddenly waved his hand.

There were no earth-shaking war drums, no resounding bugle calls.

Eight hundred fierce soldiers of the patrol team separated from the ranks like ghosts. They had unloaded most of their unnecessary burdens, carrying only short weapons, crossbows, and oil canisters. Their faces were coated with antifreeze and anti-reflective grease, and their eyes were as calm as wolves before a hunt.

Under Zhao Canjiang's silent gesture, they split into several groups and disappeared silently into the wind and snow outside the camp.

Their mission was to clear out the remaining outposts, create chaos, and pave the way for a real, fatal blow.

Following closely behind were fifty "rapid-fire crossbows" and a hundred crossbowmen.

These expensive killing machines were carefully pushed forward. The crossbowmen silently inspected the crossbows, pressing the bolts coated with antifreeze grease into the quiver. The cold metal gleamed eerily in the wind and snow.

Finally, there was the Northern Liang Iron Cavalry, which served as the absolute main force.

The warhorses exhaled thick white breaths as the cavalrymen silently inspected their saddles and weapons, lowering their bodies and staring intently at the campfire's dim, flickering light in the swirling snow.

A suffocating chill hung in the air, and even the raging wind and snow seemed to freeze for a moment.

Zhou Heng was instructed by Chen Zhen to stay in a slightly behind position in the central army, surrounded by a small number of guards.

His heart pounded wildly, almost bursting out of his chest, a mixture of fear of the impending bloody battle and an adrenaline rush from the fact that the plan had progressed so smoothly to this point.

He stared wide-eyed, trying to see clearly ahead, but the wind, snow, and dim light severely obstructed his vision.

Just then, from the direction of the Qi army camp ahead, several short screams were faintly heard, which were then swallowed up by the wind and snow.

Immediately afterwards, several campfires burst into flames, the flames leaping up with difficulty in the wind and snow, illuminating a small patch of chaotic figures—the guerrilla team had succeeded!

Almost at the same instant the flames burst forth, Xiao Jue spurred his horse, and the warhorse reared up, letting out a loud neigh. Then, like an arrow released from a bow, it charged forward first!

Behind him, fifty rapid-fire crossbows simultaneously emitted a teeth-grinding, vibrating sound!

"Bang bang bang bang——!"

It wasn't the hum of a bowstring, but a more intense, shorter, terrifying sound, like a torrential downpour pounding on sheet metal!

One hundred specially made armor-piercing short arrows were launched from the crossbows in less than two breaths, forming a dark cloud of death that tore through the wind and snow and covered the front fence of the Qi army camp and the panicked soldiers!

"Puff puff puff puff—!"

The dull thuds of sharp blades piercing flesh, leather armor, and nailing into wooden fences blended together, accompanied by sudden, suppressed yet still piercing screams!

A bloody gash was instantly torn open at the edge of the Qi army camp!

"The Northern Liang army! It's the Northern Liang army!"

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! They're coming from the river!"