Batu reined in his horse.
This old wolf of the steppe seemed to catch the scent of danger and blood.
He looked at the pitch-black entrance of the winding bend and raised his right hand, preparing to order a retreat.
But, as history often dictates, it was already too late.
Lying prone in a dirt pit, Xu Zhan gave him no chance to hesitate.
Using his left hand, he pulled a firebomb from his waist, brought it directly to his mouth, bit down on the flint pressure plate, and jerked his head.
With a click, the mechanism sprang open.
Immediately after.
Xu Zhan swung his arm in a full circle, using the momentum of his charge down the slope to fiercely hurl the firebomb at the lead cart of the convoy.
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted in the canyon.
Flames shot into the sky as iron shrapnel and porcelain fragments, mixed with the blast wave, wildly flew in all directions.
The thick wooden axle snapped in two on the spot.
Losing its balance, the wooden cart crashed onto its side with a thunderous rumble, its panels instantly shattering into pieces.
Large wooden crates filled with fine iron armor rolled out, crashing haphazardly into the narrow bend.
Hundreds of pounds of crates piled up into a small mountain, completely blocking the path forward.
The road ahead was cut off.
Batu's warhorse was startled, rearing up on its hind legs and letting out a loud neigh.
He desperately yanked the reins, turning his head to roar at the rear.
Enemy attack! Steady the horses!
Xu Zhan did not stop at all.
Just as the first firebomb left his hand, he smoothly pulled out a second one.
The mechanism sprang open.
This time, he threw the firebomb directly at the very front of the herd of horses.
Boom!
Another deafening explosion rang out.
Flames erupted in front of the herd, sending dirt and crushed stone flying into the air.
The eight hundred warhorses, already squeezed into the narrow bend, were completely spooked by the sudden loud noise and flashes of fire. They broke into absolute chaos.
The horses at the front backed away in terror.
The horses in the back, frightened by the flames, pushed forward.
Hundreds of horses frantically trampled each other on the thirty-foot-wide path.
The neighing of the horses and the agonizing screams of the guards blended into a chaotic cacophony.
The panicked herd instinctively sought a way out, desperately pressing against the inner stone walls of the winding bend.
The Great Qian guards, caught in the middle of the herd, could not even draw their swords before being trampled into minced meat.
Strike!
Xu Zhan let out a furious shout, holding his saber in one hand as he leaped down from the dirt slope.
The fifty men of the Raid Battalion on the slope had been waiting for this exact moment.
Twenty repeating crossbows were raised in unison.
Ten veterans aimed at the foremost Helian cavalrymen and pulled the triggers.
Driven by the downward momentum, the crossbow bolts pierced through leather armor and plunged directly into the cavalrymen's chests.
Over a dozen Helian riders screamed as they fell from their horses, instantly swallowed by the panicked herd.
The other ten men brandished their long sabers and charged straight into the herd.
They did not kill people; they specifically aimed to cut the ropes tethering the horses.
Blades flashed, and the thick hemp ropes snapped.
Freed from their restraints, the warhorses grew even more frantic, crashing wildly in all directions and tearing the already chaotic formation to shreds.
With bloodshot eyes, Niu Dali led the remaining men straight toward the overturned lead cart.
Look sharp, all of you!
Niu Dali kicked over a Great Qian guard and smoothly brought his long saber down, slashing a charging swordsman to the ground.
Only take the ones with the black lacquer seals! Throw away the rest of the junk!
A few men rushed to the wooden crates and hacked open the lids with their sabers, revealing them to be full of gleaming, fine iron heavy armor.
Ignoring the nearby silk and medicinal herbs, they paired up, lifted the heavy black-lacquered crates, and ran back.
Outside the winding bend.
Batu finally steadied his panicked warhorse.
Looking at the blocked bend and the boiling chaos of the herd inside, he gritted his teeth so hard they bled from anger.
Charge in! Get the horses back!
Batu raised his curved blade, leading the rear guard cavalry to charge inside.
Rumble!
A muffled, thunderous rolling sound suddenly came from overhead.
Old Wu led over a dozen men, standing on the steep slope above the winding bend.
Holding thick wooden poles, they were desperately prying at several massive boulders weighing hundreds of pounds.
Get down there!
Old Wu roared, pressing down hard on his wooden pole.
Several boulders rolled down the steep slope with devastating force, crashing directly into the entrance of the winding bend.
The leading Helian warhorses had no chance to dodge; their legs were crushed by the boulders, and they collapsed to the ground, wailing.
The boulders piled up into a barrier at the narrow crossing, forcefully blocking Batu's rear cavalry on the outside.
The battlefield was completely severed.
Inside the winding bend.
Wei Qian had long been frightened out of his wits.
He scrambled and crawled under a cargo cart, tightly clutching a red sandalwood seal box in his arms.
Inside were secret letters from the First Prince's estate and the correspondence ledgers of various officials.
Burn it! Hurry up and burn the armor!
Wei Qian shrieked at his trusted followers outside.
We absolutely cannot let them take the goods!
A fierce-looking follower raised his torch, ignited a pile of scattered dry grass, and prepared to throw it onto the armor crates.
Those are the black-lacquered crates! That's the iron armor!
Amur, who had been hiding in the dirt pit, suddenly stood up and pointed at the cargo cart, shouting loudly.
Hearing the voice, Xu Zhan immediately understood.
The distance was too great; there was no time to run over.
Xu Zhan gripped the handle of his saber with his left hand, drawing power from his waist.
Following that, with just a flick of his wrist.
The long saber flew from his hand, turning into a streak of cold light that sped straight toward the follower.
SquELCH! The blade accurately cleaved into the follower's right arm.
In an instant, the entire arm, along with the torch, flew off and landed in the mud a few steps away.
Clutching his spurting stump, the follower screamed and rolled on the ground.
Xu Zhan took great strides over, stepped on the follower's chest, and pulled out the long saber embedded in the bone.
He grabbed Wei Qian by the collar and forcefully dragged him out from under the cart.
Wei Qian struggled desperately, and the seal box in his arms fell to the ground.
The lid popped open, revealing the letters and ledgers inside.
Without even looking, Xu Zhan kicked the seal box over to Niu Dali nearby.
Pack it up!
Outside the winding bend.
Batu looking at the entrance blocked by boulders, knew a frontal assault was impossible.
This old wolf quickly displayed incredible organizational skills; pulling a bone whistle from his chest, he shoved it into his mouth and blew hard.
The shrill whistle pierced through the noisy battlefield.
The Helian cavalry outside quickly split into three teams.
One team dismounted, raising their shields and beginning to clear the boulders at the entrance.
One team climbed up the dirt slope, preparing to retake the armor carts from above.
The most deadly was the third team.
Batu personally led over fifty riders, turning their horses around and directly bypassing the adjacent dry grass ditch.
They were going to flank them and completely cut off the Raid Battalion's escape route.
Old Wu stood at the top of the slope, seeing this clearly.
Brother Zhan! Batu is flanking us!
Old Wu stomped his feet in anxiety.
They are going to block our retreat!
Xu Zhan slashed down a charging guard and turned to look at the chaotic herd.
The tethers of more than half of the eight hundred warhorses had already been cut.
As for the remaining ones, squeezed in the middle, they couldn't be pulled out at all.
There was not enough time.
If they delayed any longer, all fifty men would die here.
Xu Zhan made a prompt decision.
Forget the ones that aren't untied! Take the iron armor and the seal box!
Xu Zhan grabbed Wei Qian by the hair and threw him onto horseback.
Whole team, retreat! Drive the untied horses forward! Fall back toward the abandoned beacon tower!
The men of the Raid Battalion showed no hesitation in leaving the fight.
Niu Dali led his men to tie the black-lacquered boxes filled with iron armor onto the horses' backs.
Fifty men mounted their horses, waving their long swords as they drove the frightened herd and galloped wildly toward the other end of the winding path.
Hundreds of untethered warhorses stampeded at the front, their hooves sounding like thunder, kicking up a cloud of dust that blotted out the sky and the sun.
Xu Zhan and his men mingled within the herd, using the cover of the dust storm to swiftly break away from the battlefield.
Batu led over thirty riders. Just as they bypassed the dry hay ditch, they caught sight of the Raid Battalion fleeing with a massive herd of warhorses.
Chase them!
Batu was fuming with rage. Brandishing his scimitar, he took the lead and charged forward.
Over thirty elite Helian cavalrymen bit tightly onto the tail of the Raid Battalion.
The two forces engaged in a desperate, life-or-death pursuit across the Gobi Desert.
The wind howled in their ears.
Xu Zhan leaned low over his horse's back and cast a glance behind him.
Batu's cavalry was less than two hundred paces away.
The Helian horses had superior stamina, and the distance between them was steadily closing.
Ignore the rear! Keep riding forward!
Xu Zhan roared.
Riding at the very front, Niu Dali suddenly yanked hard on his reins.
His warhorse reared up high on its hind legs, letting out a long neigh before coming to a dead stop.
Unable to halt their momentum, the horses behind crashed into one another, instantly erupting into a chaotic mess.
Dali! What are you doing!
Xu Zhan spurred his horse to the front.
Under the boundless veil of night.
Ahead of them stood a half-collapsed, abandoned beacon tower.
Beside the beacon tower was a dried-up old well.
At this moment, a troop of men and horses stood quietly next to that old well.
They were uniformly clad in black leather armor with red trim, aiming the heavy divine-arm crossbows unique to the Great Qian military.
The crossbows were fully drawn, their arrowheads glinting with a toxic, faint blue light under the moonlight.
The leading military officer sat astride a tall black horse, a long spear in hand.
He looked at the trapped Raid Battalion before him and broke into a wide grin.
Brother Xu Zhan, where are you heading in the middle of the night?
Heavy crossbows blocking the front, Batu's pursuers closing in from the rear.
The fifty tough men of the Raid Battalion were completely boxed into this open clearing.
Xu Zhan gripped the hilt of his blade tightly, a profound sense of dread sinking into his heart!
These bastards actually had a backup plan!
