A Single Battle Decides the Realm

The Xiongnu were in an utterly miserable state now, with no fighting strength left. One after another, they spurred their warhorses toward the valley. Some had frozen hands and feet; the road was already uneven, and a single jolt from their horses sent them tumbling. Some fell to the ground and were trampled by other cavalry mounts. Others fell into the river and soon froze stiff.

After that round of flight, the Xiongnu had likely lost several hundred more men.

Pang Xiong led his army to the mouth of the valley. Looking at the miserable state of the Xiongnu by the mudslide slope, he sneered. "None of them escaped our lord's calculations."

Then Pang Xiong called out, "Men, clean up the battlefield and gather the warhorses. Leave the living Xiongnu alive. Throw the dead into the rubble and bury them. Haul up those in the river. This water will eventually flow to Qiuci, so don't let the Xiongnu foul our clean water."

At that moment, Ke Ji and Asga rode over. The three stood side by side, looking toward the distant valley. Asga asked, "Should we pursue them now?"

"Of course we should, but there's no rush. We only need to follow far behind them like we're herding sheep and make sure they never get the chance to stop and rest," Pang Xiong said.

A wicked grin appeared on Ke Ji's face. "Next, it'll be up to the princes of Yuli and Yutian. They've probably been holding themselves back for a long time."

The Xiongnu fled in sorry condition. They desperately wanted to stop and fight the enemy, for the Xiongnu had never feared battle. But their current state simply did not allow it. They had been soaked by river water, and both men and horses were in terrible condition,