Slaying Two Thousand Enemies, Personal Participation Ends

Chapter 15: Slaying Two Thousand Enemies, Personal Participation Ends

The morning mist quietly dispersed, heralding the dawn of a new day.

"Report—"

A long, ringing cry, like the signal gong at daybreak, shattered the silence of the military tent.

"Not only did the Lu Family Army fail to pursue relentlessly, they withdrew after a single strike and vanished without a trace."

Within the tent, candle flames flickered, light and shadow intertwining as they illuminated Tuoba Shuyi's North Wind aristocratic features—high nose, deep-set eyes, and a pair of jade-green pupils.

His brow furrowed.

"How were our casualties?"

"Reporting to the Sixth Prince, three thousand of our soldiers were killed," a general reported with lowered head.

"What of the enemy's casualties?"

Someone in the tent pressed anxiously.

"The scouts report that the enemy suffered only a little over a hundred casualties."

The moment those words were spoken, the military tent erupted in uproar, discussions rising one after another.

The North Wind higher-ups looked at one another, their faces full of disbelief.

"Is this not sheer fantasy?!"

The military adviser's shocked voice was filled with doubt. "How did Great Qing's troops suddenly gain such ferocious combat strength?"

Everyone discussed heatedly. Even those generals who knew Great Qing's army had launched a surprise attack were stunned at this moment.

Unbelievable!

Such a vast disparity in casualties was truly unheard of, shocking beyond measure.

Great Qing's army had always been weak.

Yet as the scouts delivered another report, this unbelievable news was conclusively confirmed.

Tuoba Shuyi's expression darkened as he asked in a low voice:

"Who exactly was leading the troops?"

"Lu Jiaxuan's second son, Lu Yu."

Only then did Tuoba Shuyi nod slightly, a flicker of understanding passing through his eyes.

Clearly, this name was not unfamiliar to him.

Someone in the tent had already sighed:

"So it was him... Lu Yu's martial arts are unfathomable. As a direct disciple of the Three Truths Sect, he alone can bore through a formation of a hundred men."

"Moreover, the Lu Family Army has quite a few elite disciples of the Three Truths Sect. Their strength cannot be underestimated."

"Yes. If that man takes action, I fear only those Chan Masters of Great Snow Mountain can contend with him."

The military tent fell silent as everyone digested this startling news.

Tuoba Shuyi swept his gaze around the room and said calmly:

"Lu Yu, as well as those so-called Great Qing martial arts grandmasters within Hulao Pass, are nothing to fear."

"The Khan has already invited Chan Master Longshu of Great Snow Mountain to descend the mountain and aid us. He will arrive in a few days."

As soon as those words were spoken, the tent stirred in surprise.

"Chan Master Longshu is actually descending the mountain? This is the first time in fifty years."

"Even when the Khan performed the Feng and Shan rites back then, he could not invite that man."

"Haha, you do not know this. It is said that Great Snow Mountain wishes to spread its teachings in the south. They are originally an esoteric Buddhist sect, but now they wish to become exoteric."

"So that is how it is!"

Tuoba Shuyi abruptly rose to his feet, his gaze focusing once more on the sand-table map.

The deputy general beside him offered a worried suggestion:

"Your Highness, if our army encircles them from both flanks, we may yet have a slim chance of turning things around."

Tuoba Shuyi lightly waved his hand and said decisively:

"We have already missed the perfect opportunity. Lu Jiaxuan had long prepared for retreat; by now, he has likely withdrawn into the city."

"Pass down the order. The forward garrison is to withdraw immediately."

"As you command, Your Highness!" the generals answered in unison.

Yet one deputy general still harbored doubts:

"Your Highness, could it be that Lu Jiaxuan had already seen through the Sixth Prince's scheme and deliberately flung open the city gates to confuse our army?"

Tuoba Shuyi paid him no heed.

His heart was too proud to believe that anyone could see through him.

Those who had been confident they could see through him had all become dry bones in their graves.

He slowly took out a thick dossier. As he opened it, rows upon rows of names came into view.

If any Great Qing soldiers had been present, they would surely have been shocked, for every name recorded within belonged to Great Qing generals and important court ministers, not one omitted.

His gaze moved across the dossier before finally settling on the name "Lu Jiaxuan."

Beneath it was a brief account of the man's life, accompanied by a note at the side: "More than capable of preserving what he has, lacking in enterprise; not worth mentioning."

After Lu Jiaxuan's name came Lu Yu's, with a note beside it: "Fit only to be a general."

Brief and precise, yet it had already revealed his assessment of Lu Yu.

He gently removed the pages containing information on Lu Jiaxuan and Lu Yu, then inserted them one page closer to the front.

In Tuoba Shuyi's eyes, the positions of these pages within the dossier represented the degree of importance he placed on those people.

The farther toward the front a page was, the greater the importance.

After finishing all this, Tuoba Shuyi gradually calmed down. His gaze became resolute once more as he said indifferently.

"It matters not. The greater momentum is still on my side."

"So what if they win this battle? The battles to come are what will determine victory and defeat."

The generals in the tent.

Upon hearing this, they all bowed in salute.

Yu Ke sat atop his horse.

Before he could learn the outcome of Lu Yu's battle, he felt the [Kun Void Cauldron] in his mind tremble slightly, as though an invisible force were tugging at him.

[Personal participation time has ended.]

Immediately after!

An indescribable force enveloped him, and he felt the world spin around him.

When he opened his eyes again, he found that he had returned to his original residence.

He spread open his palm and saw that the pebble he had been tightly clutching had vanished without a trace.

Yu Ke muttered to himself:

"It seems that things from that world cannot be brought back through personal participation."

If he could bring items from there back with him, it would be equivalent to possessing an entire Kun Void World.

It seemed he still had to complete the simulation and obtain the rewards.

That was rather unfortunate.

The simulation did not end because of this.

[At dawn, Lu Yu returned in bloodstained armor and glory, having slain over two thousand enemies. His overwhelming victory shook all hearts.]

[Upon hearing this good news, Lu Jiaxuan's heart surged with emotion, and he could scarcely contain his excitement. Such a great victory was truly unprecedented for the Lu Clan.]

[With the sacrifice of two hundred brave warriors, they had dealt the enemy two thousand casualties. The achievement was dazzling.]

[He clapped his hands and laughed loudly, tightly grasping the hands of you brothers as he sighed with profound emotion: "With sons like you in my Lu Clan, what more could I ask for!"]

[Lu Yu's admiration for you overflowed from his expression. Turning toward you, he asked, "Brother, how did you know that the cavalry on both flanks would halt instead of pursuing our victory?"]

[You smiled faintly and gently shook your head. "It was nothing more than luck."]

[News of the Lu Family Army's great victory and their slaying of two thousand enemies reached Hulao Pass. The entire city was shocked, morale soared, and the soldiers were greatly encouraged.]

[The defending general was overjoyed and personally held a banquet to celebrate the Lu Family Army's achievement. He also specifically submitted a memorial to the court requesting merit for the Lu Clan, while praise poured forth without end.]

[After three rounds of wine, General Wang Yang's face was slightly flushed, and his words inadvertently revealed some secrets of the court.]

[With a long sigh, he said, "Within the court, the struggle between the surrender faction and the war faction is growing ever fiercer. The surrender faction is gradually gaining strength; the situation is worrying."]

[This Hulao Pass had become a gamble concerning the fate of the nation.]

[Once it fell, the surrender faction would seize complete control of the court. Only by holding fast could the war faction rally again.]

[General Wang Yang's eyes gleamed with unwavering resolve. Faced with the enemy's slaughter of Great Qing's people, he swore he would never surrender, even unto death.]

[This battle not only demonstrated the Lu Family Army's courage, but also made their name resound far and wide. Many local militiamen from other regions joined the Lu Family Army.]

[As the war deepened, the events of that day were revealed one by one. Together with your father's deliberate promotion, Lu Chen's name was also mentioned.]