The Beheading Operation

The Black Mountain Tribe had thirty thousand light cavalry in all, drifting across the Haomo Grasslands like ghosts.

Lack of supplies meant these barbarians could not remain encamped for long the way Great Yan's army could.

Whether it was fodder for their warhorses or rations for their soldiers, they had to keep moving and raiding to obtain what they needed.

Over the past few months, the Black Mountain Tribe had fought Great Yan's border troops seven times in all.

The Great Yan border troops had given the Black Mountain Tribe no opening, so the tribe had gained no advantage in any of those seven head-on clashes.

Time was on the side of Great Yan's border troops.

The livestock traveling with the Black Mountain Tribe had dwindled steadily. If this continued, they would have no choice but to eat their horses.

So the Black Mountain Tribe launched a surprise attack on the outposts of Great Yan's border troops.

Using the mobility of small cavalry units, they repeatedly harassed the border troops' outposts. Their greatest victory had been wiping out two battalions at an outpost belonging to the Left Garrison Army.

Clearly, their plan had worked.

The morale of Great Yan's border troops had begun to waver.

To quell the unrest, the commander of Great Yan's border troops had only two choices.

The first was to withdraw, avoiding the Black Mountain Tribe's advance.

The second was to meet them head-on and restore the border troops' morale.

No matter what Gao Yu chose, it would play right into the Black Mountain Tribe's hands.

So Gao Yu resolved to stake everything on a decisive battle with the barbarians—the first since this war began.

Night fell.

Chen Yan was still alone on the hillside.

He had already let his horse go, so the barbarians