Zhang Hu, his face pale with lingering fear, stared at Xiao Zheng. The Tatar soldier, his mouth greasy from eating, twisted his head at the last moment, causing Zhang Hu’s grip to slip. The killing blow wasn’t clean, and the man let out a scream—damn it all!
"Drag the body into the tent, now!"
Xiao Zheng kicked Zhang Hu.
When they pulled open the tent flap, Zhang Hu’s eyes reddened. His brothers-in-arms, bound hand and foot, were packed inside like livestock, the stench of blood and filth thick in the air.
"Damn these Tatars to hell!"
"Shh!"
Xiao Zheng raised a finger to his lips. The captive soldiers stared blankly, the sudden rescue making them wonder if they were hallucinating—yet they stayed silent, wordlessly cooperating.
With swift strokes of his blade, Xiao Zheng cut the ropes binding several soldiers. Keeping his voice low, he said, "Find the strongest among you, put on their uniforms, and stand guard outside. I’ll go find General Xiao. When you hear bird calls and see firelight, retreat to the rear—that’s where the stables are. Mount up and run. Don’t fight, just follow the bird calls. The main force is waiting in Shuozhou!"
"There are more tents behind this one. Free your comrades, but stay silent. If the patrols hear you, none of us will make it out alive!"
"Any squad leaders, captains, or lieutenants—take charge of your men! Today, we’re stirring up hell right in the heart of the Tatar camp! Three of us dared to break in for you. If five hundred of us can’t fight our way out, we’ll be the laughingstock of the damned Tatars! Then don’t blame them for calling us cowards!"
Time was short, but seeing their dispirited, fearful eyes, Xiao Zheng couldn’t help adding,
"Damn it, I’m ashamed of you! Fight like men—what’s there to fear? We just killed these bastards lying here! Xiao Zheng, hurry and save General Xiao! Forget these spineless worms!"
Xiao Zheng nodded. There was no time to waste—he had to find his uncle.
"General Xiao should be in that tent over there, guarded by two men. I saw them carry him in earlier," one soldier said, pointing.
Xiao Zheng followed the direction and spotted the guarded tent. Without another word, he turned and strode out.
The soldiers watched the young man’s resolute back, a mix of emotions churning in their chests. These boys, barely in their teens, had dared to infiltrate the enemy camp—while they, seasoned veterans, had cowered in fear. Damn it, weren’t they disgracing General Xiao’s name? How could they face him in the afterlife and still call themselves the Xiao Army?
Lao Shu lay flat in the grass, his unblinking eyes fixed on the camp. Anxious, he began chewing on the grass.
"General, if your spirit watches over us, please let Xiao Zheng and the others escape safely! Gods and Bodhisattvas, I beg you—if they make it out, I’ll dig up all the silver I buried under that tree and donate it to gild your statues!"
Suddenly, flames erupted in the southwest, tongues of fire licking the sky, smoke billowing. The Tatar sentries turned toward the commotion, and in that instant, a shadowy figure darted past the watchtower, vanishing into the dark.
"Enemy attack at the Rakshasa camp! Request reinforcements!"
"Enemy attack at the Rakshasa camp! Request reinforcements!"
"The Xiao Army is raiding Rakshasa—send help!"
Zhang Hu, dressed in a Rakshasa uniform, stood at the border between the two camps, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"The Rakshasa camp is on fire! It’s spreading fast!"
"Could it be Xiao Yan?"
"General Nuolan can’t even handle Xiao Yan?"
The clamor reached Fourth Prince Chi Na’s tent.
"What’s happening out there? Such noise!"
A soldier rushed in. "Your Highness, Rakshasa soldiers are calling for aid. The Xiao Army has launched a night raid—their camp is burning, and General Nuolan is fighting Xiao Yan!"
At the mention of Xiao Yan, the Fourth Prince’s eyes gleamed.
"He walked right into our hands! Let’s go greet him!"
"Send more men to help put out the fire!"
The camps were close—no need to let the flames spread.
"Yes!"
The dry winter air fueled the fire, turning it into a raging dragon devouring the night.
By the time the Fourth Prince reached the burning Rakshasa camp, he saw soldiers desperately hauling water to douse the flames—but no sounds of battle. His heart sank.
"It’s a trap!"
As he turned to retreat, chaos erupted in the southeast of the Tatar camp.
Thousands of warhorses burst from the stables, stampeding wildly into the darkness.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp—"
Bird calls rang out.
Hundreds of prisoners seized the moment, rushing from the tents, leaping onto horseback, and galloping toward the sound.
"Scatter and regroup in Shuozhou!"
Inside the tents, dozens of severely wounded soldiers exchanged smiles. Without hesitation, they lit the surrounding tents ablaze. An older soldier closed his eyes and began humming a tune.
"By the gate stands a jujube tree, ageless through the years. Grandma won’t wed her daughter, so how can grandchildren appear? Lele and Lili, the maiden weaves by the sill..."
The flames swallowed them, yet their faces were serene. When Tatar soldiers approached, they lunged, clinging with their last strength.
"Die with me! Hahaha! One life for another—worth it!"
......
Xiao Zheng cut down the two guards and slipped into the tent.
At the sight of his uncle lying motionless, he dropped to his knees.
The man who had once stood tall as a mountain, fearless and mighty, was now riddled with arrows, his eyes wide open, unseeing.
Xiao Zheng wiped his face, hands trembling as he pulled the arrows from his uncle’s body. He pressed a palm over the man’s eyes, but they refused to close.
His heart wrenched. Voice shaking, he whispered, "Uncle, Yingge is here to take you home."
As if hearing Yingge’s words, Xiao Yi’s eyes finally shut.
"Xiao Zheng, hurry! We’re running out of time!"
Zhang Hu wiped his tears, urgency in his tone.
Xiao Zheng didn’t hesitate. He wrapped his uncle’s body in cloth and tied it to his back.
The two burst from the tent.
The Tatar camp was in pandemonium.
"The meat was poisoned! My stomach—!"
"Me too!"
"Fire! Put it out!"
"The horses are loose! After them!"
Drums pounded as patrols raised the alarm.
"Enemy breach! Sound the alert!"
"After them, you useless fools!"
Fourth Prince Chi Na whistled for his steed, leaping onto its back and charging into the grasslands.
Under the moonless sky, the darkness deepened. In the distance, a shadowy figure surrounded by riders shouted furiously, "Who dares sneak into my camp? Face me like a man!"
Xiao Zheng whipped his horse faster, laughing without looking back.
"Idiot! Catch me if you can!"
Chi Na’s face darkened, but as the night swallowed the fleeing figures, he yanked the reins, his horse rearing.
"Fourth Prince! Don’t chase them—it could be an ambush!"
General Nuolan couldn’t help but speak up as he arrived.
Fourth Prince Chi Na turned around with a dark expression and thrust his sword into the chest of the officer behind him.
“I said no drinking! No drinking! Do you all take my words as empty wind?! General Sirna has committed the crime of reckless insubordination! He deserves death!!”
...
At this moment, Shuozhou was gripped by panic. Seventy thousand troops had entered the city, and the common people hastily extinguished their lamps, locked their doors, and gathered their belongings. Families huddled together, trembling—the men clutching weapons, poised toward the entrance, while the women cowered behind them, gripping stones in shaking hands.
Xiao Yan paced anxiously atop the city gate.
“Father! Let me go search for Xiao Zheng! That boy must have run off to the Tatars!”
The Northwest Marquis remained silent, his gaze fixed toward the Tatar lands. His once-straight back now seemed slightly hunched.
Dawn gradually broke, sunlight spreading across the land.
“My Lord! General! Urgent report!” A scout dismounted swiftly and sprinted up the city wall, shouting loudly.
Xiao Yan hurried forward to meet him.
“Report at once!”
“Third General!! Centurion Xiao has returned with Second General and the soldiers!!”
Xiao Yan’s breath grew rapid, his body trembling faintly, his voice shaking uncontrollably.
“What did you say? Say it again!”
The scout’s voice choked with emotion.
“Centurion Xiao is carrying Second General on his back—along with the hundreds of soldiers! They’re just ten li from Shuozhou! The outpost sent me ahead to deliver this good news to the Marquis!”
Hearing this, the Northwest Marquis’ eyes grew moist.
“Good! Good! Come! Let us go welcome your second brother home!”
