Chapter 824
The Standoff Between the Fourth Reincarnation of the Melting God
"General, something terrible has happened!"
Inside Daoma Pass, Subutai was lighting an oil lamp, looking at a map, sighing day and night, and occasionally looking up outside, wanting to see if Boriged had returned and if he had destroyed all those terrible cannons.
He really suffered a great loss from artillery in this battle. He originally wanted to use his military skills to arrange his troops and fight Zhang Dingbian in a real battle, to meet this legendary number one general in the world.
To be honest, Subutai's reputation as the greatest general in the land was not undeserved; he possessed genuine talent and ability, even surpassing the three great military leaders of the former Great Qian Dynasty.
He didn't take the Elephant Army Commander Boluo Temur, the Wolf Army Commander Li Siqi, or the White Deer Army Commander Chahan Temur very seriously.
In his view, Boluo lacked intelligence, Chahan lacked strength, and Li Siqi was capable in both aspects, but mediocre in both.
This is why he looks down on these three from Daqian.
Boluo's martial prowess is not bad, but his military strategy is not as good as his. Chahan's military strategy is excellent, but his martial prowess is not enough. If we are talking about all-rounders, we have to look at Subutai.
If it weren't for that Living Buddha insisting on stationing himself in Dadu, Subutai would have believed that their Golden Horde was the true successor to the Mulan lineage.
Therefore, he was quite arrogant, and there were almost no people in the world he looked up to. He didn't care about the people who came to support Daqian this time. When he heard that they were going to attack the Han people, he was even less concerned. He had seen the Han people before. What fighting power could those timid and subservient people have?
So he didn't take this group seriously, but this battle has shattered all his pride. The Han people actually have such a terrifying siege weapon as cannons, which have been bombarding them for three days and three nights. If it continues for a few more days, they won't even need to fight; it will be enough to completely demoralize them!
So this can't go on, Subutai thought, the sons of the grasslands can't die such a cowardly death at Daoma Pass!
Just as Subutai was thinking, a messenger rushed in from outside, looking at Subutai and saying, "General, something bad has happened, something bad has happened!"
Upon hearing this, Subutai instinctively sensed something was wrong and looked at the messenger, asking, "What's wrong?"
At this moment, the messenger said, "General, General Boriged has been captured alive by the enemy, and all the brothers we sent to blow up the cannons have been killed."
Upon hearing this, Subutai plopped down on the ground, his tiger-like eyes wide open. He hadn't expected that in less than ten days since the start of the war, he would have lost three of his generals in succession—three generals who had fought alongside him in numerous battles.
Thinking of this, even though Subutai had a good mindset, he couldn't take it anymore. He took a deep breath, his eyes bloodshot, and roared, "Pass on my command! Prepare the army for battle! Tomorrow we will fight the Han army to the death!"
"promise!"
The messenger was apprehensive upon hearing Subutai's words, but dared not say anything more and could only agree. At this moment, Subutai stood up and looked at the Han army camp. It was time for a decisive battle. If they did not fight now, he was afraid he would not even have the ability to fight back!
Thinking this, Subutai shouted, "Men, take my armor!"
Meanwhile, in the Han army camp, looking at Boriged who was bound like a dumpling, Zhang Ding stroked his beard and said, "Haha, General Boriged, I have long admired your name. I never expected to meet you in this way. Please excuse my rudeness."
Upon hearing this, Boriged said, "Kill me if you want, torture me if you want, but you will never make me surrender and betray my master."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Dingbian looked at Boriged and said, "Hahaha, surrender, betray your master? When did I ask you to do these things? I think you're overthinking it. Alright, you're badly injured, go and recover."
After saying this, Zhang Dingbian looked at Fu Youde and said, "Fu Youde, Jin Yanzi, we captured Boriged today and cut off Subutai's left and right arms. Tomorrow he will definitely fight with all his might. If we don't fight, he will be worn down by us. So tomorrow will be a tough battle. I hope everyone will give it their all."
"Tomorrow is the decisive battle!"
Upon hearing this, Fu Youde and Jin Yanzi both replied with solemn expressions, "Yes, Commander."
After Zhang Dingbian finished speaking, he looked at Ni Wenjun and said, "Commander Ni, I'm afraid it will be your turn to take action tomorrow!"
Upon hearing this, Ni Wenjun replied, "I would be delighted!"
……
The fifth day, dawn.
The ruins of Daomaguan stood silent like a tomb in the morning light.
Four days of continuous artillery fire had wiped this formidable pass from the earth, leaving only charred wooden stakes, broken bluestone, and layers upon layers of unrecognizable corpses.
The wind came from the north, carrying smoke and blood, sweeping across every inch of land soaked in blood, emitting a low, mournful wail.
The central command tent of the Han army camp.
Zhang Dingbian stood with his hands behind his back in front of the sand table, his gaze fixed on the open area thirty miles north of Daoma Pass. Dozens of small black flags had been newly planted on the sand table, representing the reinforcements that had arrived the night before—20,000 infantrymen, 5,000 cavalrymen, and most importantly, fifty newly cast cannons.
That was a batch of reinforcements that Chen Jie had allocated after learning about the situation at the front. This great battle had cost Zhang Dingbian nearly 30,000 troops, and Chen Jie needed to ensure that there were enough soldiers here at any time.
"General, Subutai's remnants have retreated to the Eagle's Beak area. According to scouts, they are gathering their defeated troops and reinforcing their fortifications," the scout commander reported.
"Gather the defeated troops?" Zhang Dingbian raised an eyebrow. "How many troops does he still have?"
"About 100,000, but most of them were wounded and exhausted, and their morale was low."
Zhang Dingbian pondered for a moment, then looked at the generals in the tent: "What do you all think of Subutai's plan?"
"They must be gathering their defeated troops to prepare for a decisive battle with us. Subutai has dominated the grasslands for thirty years, fighting from the Onon River to the Danube River. What kind of desperate situation hasn't he encountered? Back in Khwarezm, he was besieged by an army of 100,000 for seven days, running out of food and water, yet he was able to launch a counterattack and kill the enemy commander. Such a person will not easily admit defeat."
Fu Youde then spoke up.
“That’s right, he will fight.” Zhang Dingbian’s voice was calm and steady, like a heavy stone falling into water. “And he will do everything in his power to make a final stand. Because retreating is admitting defeat; fighting offers a glimmer of hope. For someone like Subutai, it’s better to die standing than to live on his knees.”
Silence fell over the tent. All the generals knew that Zhang Dingbian was right, and their faces were solemn. The most dangerous enemy was one who was fighting like a cornered beast. If Subutai were to fight now, he would surely use a desperate, reckless fighting style!
Zhang Dingbian saw the worry on everyone's faces, but he didn't say anything. He simply said, "What's meant to happen will happen. There's no escaping it. Issue the order: the entire army will eat at Chenshi (7-9 AM), break camp at Sishi (9-11 AM), and march towards Laoyingzui. In this battle, we must annihilate the remnants of Subutai's forces and eliminate any future troubles."
"promise!"
The generals obeyed and left. Only Zhang Dingbian and Ni Wenjun remained in the tent.
“Commander Ni.” Zhang Dingbian looked at Ni Wenjun, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes. “If Subutai really wants to fight like a cornered beast, he might personally take action. This person has the cultivation of the fourth level of the Fusion God Realm. Once he makes a move, no one but you can control him.”
Ni Wenjun nodded, slowly clenching his fists, his knuckles making a soft "crackling" sound, like firecrackers exploding: "Don't worry, General. I've reached the eighth level of the Nine-Story Tower Technique, and I'm just looking forward to meeting this number one expert on the grasslands."
"We must not be careless," Zhang Dingbian said in a deep voice. "Subutai's 'Azure Wolf Technique' is rumored to have reached a state of perfection. Twenty years ago, he was able to fight five experts at the third level of the Fusion God Realm without being defeated. Although he has been living a life of luxury on the grasslands all these years, he has never given up his martial arts."
"Heh, that's even better! I was just worried he wasn't strong enough!" Ni Wenjun grinned, a wild glint in his eyes. "Once we fight, I'll teach him how to punch someone!"
Zhang Dingbian shook his head and said no more. Ni Wenjun came from a martial arts background and had fought his way across the country with his iron fists, so he was always excited when he heard about this duel between generals.
"Commander Ni, you still need to be careful," Zhang Dingbian advised. "Don't worry, alright, I'll go down first. I won't disturb your strategic planning. In short, troop deployment is your business, and battle tactics are my business. We just need to do our own jobs well. I'm leaving now."
Ni Wenjun clasped his hands in a fist salute and left, leaving Zhang Dingbian alone in the tent. He walked to the tent entrance and looked north. The rising sun dyed the clouds on the horizon a blood red, like a torrent of blood.
Today, bloodshed is inevitable.
Eagle's Beak is named for its mountain shape, which resembles an eagle's beak. The terrain here is treacherous, with two mountains flanking a wide valley, large enough to accommodate hundreds of thousands of troops in battle, making it an ideal place for a decisive battle.
Daoma Pass had already been destroyed, and the pass was too narrow for troops to deploy. So yesterday, Subutai abandoned the pass and came to Eagle's Beak, a more open place where he could better utilize the strength of his Golden Horde soldiers.
At this moment, Subutai stood on Eagle's Beak Cliff, looking down at the army that was lining up in the valley.
It was called an army, but it was actually 100,000 defeated soldiers, their armor tattered, their weapons incomplete, and many soldiers were wounded, their bandages soaked with blood.
The warhorses were emaciated, some even struggling to stand. But even so, when Subutai's gaze swept over them, every pair of eyes turned to him, filled with fear, despair, but even more so with an almost insane resolve.
They had nowhere to retreat. Before them lay the ruins of Daoma Pass, the corpses of tens of thousands of their comrades; beyond that lay the iron wall of the Han army, those fire-breathing cannons. Retreat meant death, and advancing might also mean death, but at least they could die like warriors.
"General, the battle formation is complete," the lieutenant reported, his voice hoarse. His left eye was covered with a strip of cloth; it was from an arrow wound he had sustained yesterday, which the medic had said was beyond saving.
Subutai nodded without speaking. He was not wearing his general's armor today, only a plain leather suit, with a curved sword hanging at his waist. The scabbard was old, and the leather strap around the hilt was worn shiny. This was a coming-of-age gift from his father when he was twenty years old, and it had accompanied him in battle for thirty years, drinking countless drops of blood.
"Where is the Han army?" he asked.
"The vanguard has reached ten miles away, followed by the central army. Judging from the dust, there are no fewer than 150,000 troops."
With 150,000 against 100,000, and the Han army being well-trained, well-supplied, and in high spirits, this battle seemed destined to be a losing proposition.
But Subutai's face showed neither sorrow nor joy. He slowly walked to the edge of the cliff, looked down at the 100,000 soldiers in the valley, and channeled his true energy, his voice echoing through the valley like rolling thunder:
"The sons and daughters of the grasslands!"
Thirty thousand pairs of eyes turned to look at it.
"Look around you!" Subutai's voice echoed through the valley, carrying a desolate power. "Look in the direction before you! There lies Daoma Pass, the formidable pass we defended for eight months! Now, it's a ruin! There lie Batel, Agula, and Boriged, your fathers, brothers, sons, and comrades! Why did they die? Because they believed that the wolves of the steppe would rather die in battle than live on their knees!"
A suppressed wail echoed through the valley, like the mournful howl of a pack of wolves.
"What does the Han army have?" Subutai continued, his voice suddenly rising, "They have cannons, sharp arrows, and countless soldiers, armor, and provisions! But what do we have? We have the courage bestowed by the Eternal Heaven, the fierce bravery nurtured by the grasslands, and the glory of not having tasted defeat for thirty years! Today, the Han army wants us to retreat, to surrender, to beg for mercy like dogs! Tell me, do you agree?"
"No! No! No!" The roar of 30,000 people was like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing.
"Good!" Subutai drew his sword, its blade gleaming in the morning sun, its cold light dazzling. "Today, let the Han army see what the iron cavalry of the steppe is, what the backbone of the Golden Horde is! No prisoners, no retreat, only fight to the death! With our blood, let us tell the Han people—the steppe will never submit!"
"Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"
With a roar, Subutai slowly raised his scimitar, its tip pointing straight south. There, the black banners of the Han army were faintly visible.
"Form ranks and prepare for battle!"
At 3:45 AM, the two armies faced off.
The Han army numbered 150,000 and was arranged in three huge square formations.
The vanguard consisted of 60,000 heavy infantry, their shields like mountains and their spears like a forest; the central army consisted of 50,000 archers, their arrows already nocked; and the rear army consisted of 30,000 cavalry, their horses gagged and their men standing at attention.
Five thousand light cavalry guarded each flank, and behind the formation, a hundred cannons were lined up in a row, their dark muzzles pointing diagonally to the sky, like a hundred sleeping giants.
The 100,000 remaining soldiers of the Golden Horde formed a wedge formation.
This is the most classic charging formation of steppe cavalry, with the most elite iron cavalry as the spearhead, and the follow-up troops like cones. Once they break through the enemy lines, they will expand their gains.
But today's wedge formation is rather shabby—the vanguard consists of only 20,000 cavalry, half of whom are wounded; the core is a mix of 80,000 infantry and cavalry, many of whom don't even have decent armor.
They were originally fully armored, but unfortunately a lot of their weapons were destroyed by artillery fire at Daomaguan!
The two armies stood three miles apart, locked in a silent standoff. A wind from the north swept across the battlefield, carrying sand and dust. Warhorses snorted restlessly, and soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, their palms sweating profusely.
In the Han army formation, Zhang Dingbian sat upright on his horse, his telescope slowly scanning the Golden Horde army. When he saw that familiar wolf-head banner and that slender yet upright figure, his brows furrowed slightly.
"As expected of the elite troops of the grasslands, they still have such spirit after being bombarded by artillery for four days. They are remarkable." He put down his binoculars and said to Ni Wenjun beside him, "Commander Ni, it's up to you now."
Ni Wenjun nodded, dismounted, and slowly walked to the front of the formation. He carried no weapon, only his bare fists, but as soon as he stood still, his entire aura suddenly changed. His previously slightly languid figure straightened like a javelin, his blue martial attire fluttering even without wind. An invisible pressure emanated from him, as still as a deep pool and as imminent as a storm brewing.
On the opposite side, atop Eagle's Beak Cliff, Subutai also sensed this aura. He narrowed his eyes, looking at the man in blue robes at the front of the Han army formation. Though three miles apart, he could clearly feel the surging qi within the man's body, like a volcano about to erupt, like a mighty river rushing forth.
"Fourth level of the Melting God Realm..." Subutai murmured to himself, a burning glint in his eyes. For so many years, since he mastered the fourth level of the Melting God Realm, he hadn't encountered a true opponent. Those so-called masters on the grasslands couldn't last ten moves against him. Now, finally, someone worthy had arrived.
He took a deep breath, and his internal energy slowly circulated. The Azure Wolf Technique was the supreme martial art of the grasslands, divided into nine levels. He had already reached the peak of the eighth level, just one step away from entering the ninth level and achieving the legendary state of "man and wolf as one." At this moment, as his internal energy circulated, the air around him slightly distorted, and a fierce, desolate aura, like that of an ancient wolf king, spread out.
The two forces collided in the void three miles away.
There was no sound, no light, yet every martial artist on the battlefield with a cultivation level of Innate Realm or higher felt an invisible pressure. It was as if two unseen mountains were colliding; the air was still, and breathing was difficult. Warhorses reared up in fear, and ordinary soldiers, though unaware of the reason, instinctively felt terrified.
Ni Wenjun raised an eyebrow. He sensed a wild, domineering, and predatory power, like the alpha wolf of the grasslands, looking down upon all others and gazing down upon all living beings. What a formidable Subutai! He truly deserves to be called the number one expert on the grasslands.
Subutai was also secretly alarmed. His opponent's aura was as heavy as a mountain, as calm and composed as a peak, yet it concealed a sharp edge, like a volcano that could erupt at any moment. This state of being, combining strength and gentleness, movement and stillness, clearly indicated that he had cultivated his internal strength to an extremely profound level.
Neither of them moved, merely locking onto each other with their auras. They were waiting, waiting for the other to reveal an opening, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. As for the battle below… that was the soldiers' business.
When martial artists of their caliber make a move, the heavens and earth tremble. No one dares to be distracted before a victor is decided.
And then the battle below began! (End of Chapter)