Surrounded and Slaughtered

Shinian led two thousand cavalrymen from the Fire Tribe in pursuit of the retreating Wolf Tribe forces, engaging in a fierce battle with Xueya and his Wolf Tribe. What seemed like a long battle actually lasted less than the time it takes for an incense stick to Jiangsheng. An incense stick's duration is roughly the time it takes to eat a meal in normal times, but on the battlefield, the events that occur within that time can drastically alter the course of a dirt road. After the two armies exchanged positions for one round, Shinian immediately led his troops to regroup and prepare for another attack. He pulled on the reins, and his horse's forelegs pawed the ground twice before stopping. He glanced back at his ranks, seeing that although the cavalrymen were covered in blood, they were still mounted, their swords still gripped. His lips tightened, and he shouted to his left and right, his voice low but clear, his pace faster than usual. "Form ranks! Take a headcount! The seriously wounded retreat, those who can fight, move to the front! Prepare to charge again!"

The Wolf Tribe was also in complete chaos, stunned by the Fire Tribe's cavalry in a single round. Those still on horseback reined in their horses, unsure of which way to go. Some tried to charge forward, some to retreat, and some to scatter to the sides. The horses were pulled back and forth by the Jiangsheng, and shouts and neighing mingled together. Their formation resembled a shattered shard of pottery, broken into several large pieces, never to be pieced back together. Xueya was still reeling from the immense loss. He sat astride his chestnut horse, his chest heaving, the scar on his face appearing deep and dark in the dust, like a dried-up ditch. His gaze swept over the people lying on the ground, then over those still on horseback but no longer in formation. His fingers gripped the hilt of his sword until they turned white, his knuckles cracking. A hungry wolf seemed to be pacing back and forth in his heart. He wanted to continue stalling Shinian and the others, to buy time for the Duzhu's supply convoy, but looking at the miserable state of his own side, he knew that if he dragged it out any longer, even he himself might not be able to leave. He wanted to abandon the supply convoy and retreat first, but he was unwilling to give up all the food, supplies, and herds of livestock to the Fire Tribe for nothing—that was their hard-earned wealth.

Just as Xueya hesitated, Yan, who had been prepared, arrived at the vicinity of the battlefield with 1,500 elite cavalry from the Fire Tribe. Yan, mounted on his horse, his leather armor covered in dust and his face smudged with grime, but his eyes shone brightly as he scanned the battlefield from one end to the other. He saw that the two armies had already exchanged blows and changed positions, that the Wolf Tribe's formation had broken down, and that Shinian's men were still regrouping for another charge. He tightened his Jiangsheng, nodded to the bugler beside him, and then shouted, "Sound the horns! All troops, attack!"

The sound of the horn rang out, deep and resonant, echoing across the battlefield and drowning out the cacophony of shouts and hoofbeats. Yan led his cavalry straight towards Xueya and his forces with overwhelming force. Fifteen hundred warhorses galloped at the same time, their hooves pounding the dirt road with a dull thud, like a giant drum being struck by countless hands. Dust billowed up from the ground, enveloping the entire column, making it appear from afar like a gray-yellow torrent sweeping towards the Wolf Tribe.

Xueya was startled by the sound of the horn. He gripped the Jiangsheng tightly, pulling his horse back a step. He turned his head towards the direction of the horn and saw a large group of cavalry surging towards the west on the dirt road. Their formation was more orderly than that of the Shinian men, and their banners were more clearly visible. The breath he had been holding in his chest sank, as if a Shitou had fallen from his chest to his stomach. He immediately shouted for his cavalry to quickly form ranks and prepare to break out. His voice was hoarse, a hoarseness born of being driven to the brink. "Don't panic! Follow me! Break out to the east! Quickly!" He no longer cared about protecting the supply train. Seeing Yan leading more than a thousand cavalrymen charging towards him, Xueya immediately made a decision. He couldn't wait for all his men to assemble. He led his remaining personal guards and the few hundred men who had gathered nearby, charging towards Shinian to break out. His guards and the nearby cavalry followed behind him, rushing towards Shinian's ranks.

Shinian wasn't about to let Xueya and his few hundred men break through. Seeing Xueya leading his men charging towards him, he immediately ordered half his troops to surround and kill the remaining Wolf Tribe cavalry, while the other half blocked Xueya. He shouted to his left and right, his voice booming with a fierce intensity that had been honed over a long period. "Surround those stragglers on the left, and block Xueya on the right! Don't let him get away!" He led half his troops to meet them, blocking Xueya's few hundred men halfway. The two sides clashed, Xueya's personal guards charging forward desperately, while Shinian's men held them back, and a fierce battle ensued.

At this moment, Yan also led his cavalry to attack. The cavalrymen left behind by Xueya were quickly surrounded and slaughtered by Yan and Shinian's men. The Wolf Tribe members had already fought a major battle and most of them were wounded. Now that Xueya had abandoned them, they became even more panicked and chaotic. They could no longer organize into a coherent formation. With Yan and Shinian's men attacking from both sides, they were quickly surrounded and unable to move. The surrounded people were crammed together, horses collided with each other, and people pushed each other. They could not raise their swords or thrust their spears, like a flock of sheep in a pen.

Not long after, Yan looked at the few remaining enemy troops and glanced at the battlefield beside him. He saw that Xueya, with several hundred men, had managed to break through the Shinian Nian with more than a hundred cavalry after a desperate breakout. They headed east along the dirt road. Their horses were running very fast, and the dust kicked up by their hooves quickly obscured most of their figures. Yan immediately gathered two hundred personal guards and came to Shinian's side.

At this moment, Shinian was regretting not leaving Xueya. He hung the knife on his belt and walked towards Yan. His face looked as if someone had pinched him in the middle; his brows were furrowed, and the lines at the corners of his eyes were tightly squeezed. When he spoke, his voice carried the self-reproach of someone pushed to the edge of a cliff. He said, "Young Chief, it's my fault. I didn't leave Xueya! When I led my men to block him, he charged out desperately. My defenses were breached, and he broke through with more than a hundred riders."

Yan waved his hand, pressed his palm in front of him, indicating that Shinian didn't need to continue. Then he said, "Shinian, don't blame yourself. Xueya's successful breakout after a desperate gamble is not your fault. I checked your defenses just now and there were no loopholes. It's not your fault. You divided your men in two, one half surrounding the stragglers and the other half blocking Xueya. You took care of both sides. I would have arranged it the same way. I know Xueya. If he had charged out at all costs, even your thickest defenses couldn't have stopped everyone. They didn't break out by winning; they broke out at the cost of their lives."

He paused for a moment and continued, "You've already done a great job leading the attack on so many Wolf Tribe. Look over there, the people you've surrounded, plus those you've shot down and cut down before, the Wolf Tribe's main force on the south bank is basically gone. After you lead everyone to surround and kill the remaining Wolf Tribe soldiers, bring some men to chase after the Wolf Tribe's supply convoy. I'll take two hundred personal guards and go ahead."

Upon hearing this, Shinian's expression relaxed somewhat, but he was still a little uneasy. He spoke in a lower voice than before, "Young Chief, should we take more men with us? Although Xueya only has a little over a hundred riders left, he's cunning. It would be troublesome if there were ambushes along the way."

Yan shook his head, withdrew his hand from his side, placed it on the Jiangsheng, and said, "No need. Daya still has a thousand men blocking them over there. Xueya Ya and his men won't escape so easily. Daya is waiting for them on that narrow road to the east. As long as Daya blocks them from both ends, they'll be trapped. I'm leaving first. Xueya won't escape so easily." After he finished speaking, he flicked the Jiangsheng, spurred his horse, and led two hundred elite guards in pursuit of Xueya. The two hundred warhorses galloped off at the same time, their hooves kicking up a cloud of dust on the dirt road, and they quickly disappeared at the end of the dirt road to the east.

Shinian stood still, watching Yan's figure disappear into the dust. He took the knife from his belt, gripped it tightly, then turned and shouted towards the battlefield. His voice was loud and clear, carrying the exhilarating feeling of something finally coming to an end after being suppressed for so long. He yelled, "Don't stand there! Surround and kill the remaining remnants of the Wolf Tribe! Hurry!" He led his men to surround the Wolf Tribe remnants who were still resisting. The flashes of swords were continuous, and the shouts of battle rang out again, but much quieter than before, like the tail end of a storm, the raindrops still falling, but already sparse.