Hunt on the Steppe

"Royal Guard? The 'Vulture' of the Eagle of the Steppe?"

Inside the main tent, Meng Wu's brows were tightly furrowed. He tapped his fingers heavily on the sand table, on the spot representing Eagle Beak Cliff.

"General, this Vulture is the adopted son of the Xiongnu Chanyu, known for his cruelty and cunning. His three thousand Royal Guards are the cream of the Xiongnu, each one an elite chosen from ten thousand. They are all skilled riders and archers, their combat strength far beyond that of ordinary tribes. Their arrival now is clearly for revenge, their morale is high, we must be on guard!"

Shi Meng's face also showed unprecedented solemnity.

"That's not what I'm worried about," Meng Wu shook his head, his gaze turning to Wei Zhe. "The Vulture has specifically asked for your head. He will undoubtedly use every means to lure you out of the city for a decisive battle. If you avoid the fight, our army's morale will be hit hard. If you fight, you'll be using your weakness against his strength. Wei Zhe, what do you think?"

All eyes fell on Wei Zhe again.

"General," Wei Zhe stepped forward, his voice steady. "The art of war states, if the enemy wishes to fight, we shall fight. Avoiding battle will only embolden the enemy's arrogance. If the Vulture wants my head, he'll have to show me he has the ability to take it."

"I request to lead the Tiger and Wolf Army out of the city to meet the Vulture in battle!"

His words shocked everyone in the tent.

"Nonsense!" Shi Meng was the first to object. "Wei Zhe, I know you are brave, but the enemy has three thousand elite cavalry! Your Tiger and Wolf Army is well-equipped, but they are infantry. To confront cavalry on the open steppe is like throwing an egg against a rock!"

"General Shi is right," Wei Zhe said calmly. "A head-on clash is indeed a poor strategy. But who says we have to clash head-on with them?"

A confident curve appeared at the corner of his lips.

"General, General Shi, please look at the sand table." Wei Zhe walked to the sand table and pointed to a range of rolling hills north of Eagle Beak Cliff.

"This place is called 'Hundred Beast Slope'. The terrain is complex, with many ravines and dense forests, unfavorable for large-scale cavalry charges. If the Vulture wants to attack the city, this is the path he must take. We can set an ambush here!"

"An ambush?" a military officer questioned. "Scouts reported that the Vulture's march is extremely cautious, with many scouts out reconnoitering. Our main force won't be able to enter Hundred Beast Slope without alerting him."

"We don't need the main force," Wei Zhe's eyes sparkled. "Only one hundred men from my Tiger and Wolf Army will be enough."

He then detailed his plan.

After he finished speaking, the entire main tent fell into a deathly silence once more...

A plan, so bold it was almost insane, yet intricately linked and highly feasible, took shape in their minds.

After a long pause, Meng Wu spoke slowly.

"What's your chance of success?"

"If the Vulture falls for the trap, I have a ten-tenths chance of ensuring he never returns!" Wei Zhe's voice was filled with immense confidence.

Meng Wu gazed at him, then finally nodded heavily.

"Good! I will trust you one more time! For this battle, all the troops at Eagle Beak Cliff are under your command! If you need any cooperation, it will be executed immediately!"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

The next morning.

The gates of Eagle Beak Cliff were opened wide. A "bait" force of five hundred Qin soldiers, led by a Tunchang, conspicuously "patrolled" towards Hundred Beast Slope.

An hour after they departed, Wei Zhe, leading the Tiger and Wolf Army, silently slipped out from another side of the fortress, using the terrain for cover, disappearing like ghosts into the vast grassland.

Hundred Beast Slope.

Qian Hu, along with his fifty brothers, was frantically digging traps on a narrow, essential path. Sharpened deer antlers and spikes were buried beneath the loose soil, waiting for prey.

On the other side, in the dense forest on the hillside, Hu Lei, with the remaining forty-nine men, quietly set up large nets woven from bull sinew and bundles of rockets soaked in oil.

Wei Zhe stood alone on the highest hill, like a patient hunter, overlooking the entire battlefield.

He had laid out his plan, like a giant spiderweb.

Now, all he had to do was wait for the prey, named "Vulture," to stumble into it.

At noon, figures of Xiongnu scouts finally appeared on the distant horizon.

They quickly discovered the five hundred Qin soldiers who were "patrolling."

The news rapidly reached the Vulture's ears.

"Five hundred infantry? Has the Qin army run out of men? Sending such a small force to their deaths?"

The Vulture, mounted on a magnificent black horse, was tall and thin with an aquiline nose. His eyes were as sharp and sinister as those of a real vulture.

"It seems that young man named Wei Zhe is too scared to come out of the city," he sneered. "Pass down the order, the entire army will attack! After we devour these five hundred appetizers, we'll go to the city walls and issue a challenge!"

"Yes!"

Three thousand Xiongnu iron cavalry surged towards the five hundred Qin soldiers like an unleashed flood.

Upon seeing the Xiongnu army charging, the Qin "bait" force immediately "panicked" and turned to flee, deliberately dropping some flags and equipment as they ran, appearing utterly defeated.

The direction they fled was precisely the narrow passage of Hundred Beast Slope.

"A bunch of cowards! Chase them! Don't let a single one escape!"

The Vulture spurred his warhorse, leading his Royal Guard in hot pursuit.

Soon, they charged into the seemingly flat passage.

"Now!"

At Qian Hu's command, the pre-prepared mechanisms were triggered!

"Rumble!"

The ground suddenly collapsed, revealing a series of bottomless traps filled with sharp deer antlers.

The leading hundred-plus Xiongnu cavalry, men and horses alike, instantly fell in, impaled like bloody hedgehogs, their screams echoing through the valley.

The cavalry behind them were greatly alarmed and hastily reined in their horses. The entire charging formation was thrown into disarray in an instant.

"Fire arrows!"

Just as they descended into chaos, from the dense forests on the mountain slopes to both sides, Hu Lei's forces unleashed a volley of arrows!

Rockets soaked in burning oil rained down like a fiery tempest, instantly igniting the dry grass and bushes, as well as the huddled Xiongnu cavalry.

Flames soared into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and the whinnying of warhorses mingled with the screams of soldiers. The entire passage transformed into a fiery hellscape.

"It's a trap! Retreat quickly!"

Vulture was both shocked and furious. He finally realized he had fallen into a meticulously designed trap.

However, just as they prepared to turn and retreat, their rear was completely blocked by massive boulders rolling down from the mountain!

"Hahaha! Vulture, you wanted my head, Wei Zhe's head? I, am right here!"

On top of the hill, Wei Zhe's figure finally appeared.

He held a glaive, wore black armor, and behind him stood the bloodthirsty Tiger and Wolf Army!

From a commanding height, with the advantage of being well-rested.

A meticulously planned hunt officially began.