Chapter 142: When the Star Loses Its Light (3)
The atmosphere on the battlefield shifted in an instant.
The archers on the cliff were indiscriminately dismantled by the Wolf Fang Squad. The slave unit was also no match for the Yongmu Army led by Sama Cheol.
What remained was the Hui cavalry. Their situation was the most desperate.
“Charge!!!”
Having quickly regained his composure, Yu Gwang-se was now commanding the army.
It was a rare sight to see infantry charging head-on to meet cavalry. But they did so because they had a reason to be confident.
The Hui cavalry slowed down in confusion, unable to find their bearings in this unexpected situation. Tens of thousands of infantry were charging at them from the front, while Commander Han Baek’s cavalry approached from the flanks and rear. Their commander had to make a decision.
“We are the great warriors of the plains! We will now begin our final charge!!!”
It seemed they were one of the Mongol cavalry units that had been absorbed by the Hui Dynasty.
At the command, the eyes of the riders changed. They had no intention of sitting back and dying. The tips of their spears pointed toward the infantry.
Just then, an elated Yu Gwang-se pushed past his soldiers to take the lead.
“Charge! I will decapitate anyone who stops!”
Though the cavalry’s momentum was formidable, it was laughable in the eyes of a Flower Realm master.
Yu Gwang-se kicked off the ground and rose into the air. His body spun like a hurricane, slicing through the riders.
Slice!
He cleanly took down four riders, but that was all. A moment later, the spears of the riders began to impale the charging infantry.
Crash! Rumble!
Over a thousand soldiers were skewered by spears or trampled by horse hooves, collapsing to the ground.
But at the cost of crushing the frontline infantry, the cavalry lost its momentum. And in cavalry warfare, losing momentum meant losing strength and life. This was because another cavalry force was charging at their rear.
The scar on the face of Commander Han Baek, the oldest and most experienced veteran in Shaanxi, twitched.
“Let us determine who has the strongest cavalry today!!!”
Han Baek’s spearplay as he brandished his weapon at the front was exquisite.
Thanks to So-mu’s guidance, he had been training in the Demonic Cult’s spear technique, the Forward Soul-Destroying Spear. This was the moment for it to shine.
The chilling spear qi radiating from the tip of his weapon tore through everything.
Slash! Slice!
Every time Han Baek brandished his spear, riders fell without fail. His valor in carving through the enemy ranks set his men’s fighting spirit ablaze.
The Hui riders, struck from behind, could do nothing. From the front, the infantry was also swarming over them like a pack of wild dogs.
“Agh!”
“Urgh!”
The agonizing screams of the Hui riders echoed throughout the basin.
What unfolded could hardly be called a battle; it was a one-sided slaughter.
The moment their commander was skewered by Yu Gwang-se’s spear, the riders’ will to fight crumbled.
A rider of vice-commander rank shouted desperately, “We surrender! Stop the attack!”
They were warriors who had already surrendered to the Hui Dynasty once. What was stopping them from doing it a second time? Avoiding a meaningless death was their priority.
However, Yu Gwang-se had absolutely no intention of accepting their surrender. Covered in blood, he shouted with a demonic smile, “Leave none of them alive!!!”
Hearing his voice, the riders began their final, desperate stand.
Seeing that the battle was completely won, Han Baek turned his horse, giving the signal to withdraw.
“We are pulling back!”
The cavalry that had arrived as reinforcements retreated from the battlefield like an ebbing tide.
Seeing this, Yu Gwang-se bellowed at the top of his lungs, “The battle isn’t even over yet! Where do you think you are going?! Fight to the end!”
Commander Han Baek ignored his order. His mission ended here. This was something he had agreed upon with So-mu beforehand.
Since the battle was already entirely decided, his departure changed nothing. Yu Gwang-se focused on cutting down the remaining riders.
Meanwhile, up on the cliff where the Hui archers had been deployed, the situation was also drawing to a close. No matter how numerous they were, ranged troops could not match the Wolf Fang Squad in close combat. Less than twenty percent of the archers managed to escape alive.
An hour later, cheers of victory shook the basin. The reinforcements had already vanished without a trace.
On a field about ten li away from the site of the victory…
So-mu and Commander Han Baek met again.
“It seems we suffered no casualties. Thank you for your hard work.”
Although So-mu held a higher military rank, he spoke respectfully to Han Baek out of deference to his experience. However, Han Baek bowed his head deeply, looking uncomfortable. He was a military officer to his core.
“It is only because the Wolf Fang Squad delivered the information in time.”
So-mu looked in the direction of Xiangyang Fortress.
“In any case, it seems we have annihilated all of the Hui intercepting forces. There should be no more enemies obstructing our advance. We will meet at our destination.”
“Understood.”
The travel speed of the Wolf Fang Squad was even faster than that of cavalry. Their plan was to go ahead and assess the situation.
From here, it would take half a day to reach Xiangyang Fortress.
The Wolf Fang Squad sprinted in a straight line toward their destination.
They crossed mountains using light footwork and ran across rivers using water-treading techniques.
As they ran side by side, Hyeonjeong asked curiously, “Captain, why did our cavalry withdraw first at the end?”
“Once cavalry loses its breakthrough power, it is most efficient to let the spearmen surround and eliminate them.”
“Was there no other reason?”
So-mu glanced at Hyeonjeong and smirked.
“You’re quick on the uptake. If we stayed until the battle ended, we wouldn’t have been able to get away.”
“Are you saying the General-in-Chief would have seized our troops?”
In the Song Dynasty, where pastures were scarce, cavalry was extremely precious.
There was a high probability that Yu Gwang-se would not let the valuable cavalry of Chang’an return.
How could they predict what would happen in his army? There was no need to take unnecessary risks.
“I hear such things are common these days. Let’s take a short rest.”
While the squad members sat together to rest…
A flock of about a hundred birds flew overhead in formation. Seeing this, one of the squad members smiled and said, “Captain, don’t those birds look just like us?”
“Haha. I suppose they do. When birds fly in a flock, they can travel seventy percent farther than when they fly alone. It is because they encourage one another’s resolve.”
At So-mu’s words, the squad members gathered their attention with curious expressions.
“Is that true?”
“Haha. So that’s the reason.”
So-mu dusted himself off and stood up.
“Trust one another. And protect one another. I will not permit a single death.”
Soon, darkness fell, and the soft moonlight began to cast its glow over the land.
They arrived at a clay hill about thirty li from Xiangyang Fortress. There was already another unit waiting there.
Three thousand warriors with sharp gazes, and a powerfully built commander standing with his hands behind his back, staring into the distance.
After a moment, seeing So-mu approach, Yue Fei’s expression brightened.
“You have arrived, Captain So-mu. Thank you for making such a long journey.”
“Not at all. You arrived earlier than scheduled.”
“I was anxious. In any case, thank you for your hard work. How is the General doing?”
Yue Fei and Jang-yang were martial brothers who had studied under the same master. The deep affection was clear in the way he immediately asked after his junior brother’s well-being.
“He is staying in Chang’an. He is busier than anyone else.”
“Haha. Just as he always was.”
So-mu looked in the direction of Xiangyang Fortress and asked, “How is the war progressing?”
Yue Fei’s expression darkened again. Having arrived first, he had already completed his reconnaissance.
“Their attacks have grown fiercer. They are trying to finish it before we arrive. The fortress is in critical danger of falling at any moment, so we must hurry.”
“We should begin as soon as the General-in-Chief’s army arrives.”
“When will he arrive?”
“Given their marching speed, they should arrive tomorrow.”
Yue Fei sighed and led him into the command tent.
“I don’t know if we can hold out until then. If you don’t mind, let’s have a cup of tea. Since it’s been a while, we have much to discuss.”
“I won’t decline.”
They could not launch an attack until the General-in-Chief’s main force arrived.
As they waited, everyone grew increasingly anxious. A day passed and night fell again, but there was no sign of the army.
It was only after another two days had passed that Yu Gwang-se finally showed his face.
When the fifty thousand soldiers arrived, the clay hill was completely packed.
There was no time to hesitate. The military officers of the allied forces gathered at the field command post.
So-mu attended, accompanied by Il-gwang.
Yue Fei attended with his adjutant Zhang Xian and General Huang Yu, who had joined them after assassinating the Emperor.
A total of fifteen officers gathered. Except for five of them, all the military officers were generals under Yu Gwang-se.
“Long time no see, General Yue Fei. Or rather, I don’t know what to call you anymore.”
Before being the leader of the volunteer army, Yue Fei was branded a rebel. Yu Gwang-se mocked him to seize control of the allied forces.
Yue Fei, ignoring the jibe, looked at the tactical map and said, “Call me whatever you like. We have no time to argue about such things. Xiangyang Fortress is on the verge of collapse, so we must attack immediately.”
Yu Gwang-se, leaning back in his chair, looked relaxed.
“I will decide when to attack.”
Having easily defeated the Hui intercepting forces several times, he was overflowing with confidence. He seemed to have completely forgotten that he had almost been annihilated.
“Then please tell us your thoughts, General-in-Chief.”
“Isn’t it proper to assess the situation before starting the battle? We will conduct reconnaissance tomorrow and then plan our strategy. The soldiers need to rest as well.”
“We cannot wait until tomorrow. If we delay any further, we will miss our opportunity.”
Yue Fei pressed the scout reports, but Yu Gwang-se remained unmoved.
“You think Xiangyang, which has held out for over half a year, will fall today? You must think I am a fool.”
He was determined not to move his troops today. It was clear that reasoning with him was futile. It wasn’t surprising, as things were unfolding exactly as expected.
Yue Fei let out a deep sigh. And at that moment, the look in his eyes transformed. A beast-like aura emanated from his hardened expression.
The words he uttered next made everyone’s eyes widen in shock—except for So-mu.
“From this moment on… I will command the allied forces.”
Yu Gwang-se grimaced and sprang to his feet.
“How dare a stripped rebel speak so rashly! You must have truly gone mad!”
The atmosphere in the field command post instantly turned hostile.
Everyone held their breath, watching them.
“I am not mad. If Xiangyang falls, the entire country will fall. Yet you want to leisurely scout tomorrow? Who is the mad one here? I will no longer entrust the lives of the soldiers to your hands.”
Yu Gwang-se let out a ridiculous laugh.
“By whose authority? I can have you arrested right here.”
Most of the generals present were his subordinates. Moreover, Sama Cheol, the commander of the Yongmu Army, was also there.
Yu Gwang-se was confident. That was, until he heard Yue Fei’s next words.
“I wonder if your subordinates feel the same way.”
Looking around, Yu Gwang-se sensed something was wrong. Most of his subordinates were avoiding his gaze.
At that moment, an even more absurd thing happened.
“General Yue Fei has already achieved multiple victories against the Hui Dynasty in the past. It is an honor to have him lead us.”
It was Nam Cheon, Yu Gwang-se’s own vice-commander.
“How dare you!”
Livid, Yu Gwang-se threw a punch at Nam Cheon.
The fist was enveloped in strong energy, showing how furious he was.
Crash!
A dull sound echoed through the command tent.
“Urgh!”
The one who groaned was Yu Gwang-se himself.
He took a step back, furrowing his brow. He saw So-mu standing beside Nam Cheon, his fist extended.
He felt a sharp pain in his fist, but anger quickly overtook it.
“You people, seriously…”
Just then, So-mu nodded at Nam Cheon as their eyes met. Nam Cheon had executed the task he had requested perfectly.
Then, Vice-commander Wang Rang stood up with a flushed face and shouted, “I also agree with Vice-commander Nam Cheon!”
And that was only the beginning.
One by one, Yu Gwang-se’s vice-commanders stood up. This was something even So-mu had not anticipated.
“Last night, you struck me in front of my soldiers.”
“I can no longer serve you, General.”