Volume One, Chapter 13: Victory in the First Battle, Boosting Our Troops' Morale
Li Longli led twenty thousand troops at the forefront, swiftly reaching the entrance of Wuman Mountain.
“General, the terrain ahead is steep, flanked on both sides by cliffs, with only a single narrow path—perfect for an ambush. I—”
Before the deputy general could finish, Li Longli interrupted him.
“Deputy General He, our march this time is extremely covert; no one knows of it. How could there be an ambush here? Proceed with the army. We must capture Yongning City before General Mu arrives. Do you understand?”
He Yu still wanted to caution Li Longli to proceed carefully, but Li Longli was growing impatient.
“Deputy General He, don’t forget, I am the commander; you are the deputy. Now, all troops obey orders: swiftly pass through the canyon. Any disobedience will be met with execution.”
Hearing this, He Yu dared not speak further and complied, leading the army into the canyon.
A vast, dense mass of soldiers advanced through the gorge.
Halfway through, the army encountered no ambushes, which made Li Longli overconfident; he recklessly surged ahead at the front.
Unbeknownst to him, the cliffs on both sides of the canyon were already bristling with soldiers holding bows and arrows, ready with boulders at their sides, poised to strike.
Gan Ning’s eyes gleamed like a hungry tiger fixated on its prey as he watched Li Longli.
Once half the army had passed, Gan Ning drew a hundred bundles of arrows, took aim at Li Longli.
The next moment, arrows shot forth, slicing through the sky; their feathers tracing arcs. One arrow struck Li Longli in the head, piercing his skull.
Li Longli collapsed from his horse without a moment’s reaction.
Li Longli was dead.
As the saying goes: “Shoot the horse first, capture the leader first.”
Killing the enemy commander would throw their forces into chaos, shattering their morale.
At once, Gan Ning’s troops gave no respite; arrows rained down from both sides, the sky darkened with a barrage of missiles. Countless fell pierced by arrows or trampled to death.
Amidst the chaotic enemy ranks, bodies lay strewn everywhere—an unthinkable carnage.
“Do not panic! Maintain formation! Charge with me!”
He Yu shouted, trying to rally the disordered Dali soldiers.
He realized that if chaos continued, they would surely perish within Wuman Gorge.
But Gan Ning allowed no breathing room; boulders rained down like thunder, sealing their escape.
Hundreds of huge stones tumbled from both sides of the canyon, smashing the enemy into fragments.
“Ah—”
“Ah—”
“Ah—”
The agonized screams echoed throughout the gorge.
---
The mournful cries of apes filled the air, tears soaking garments.
Of the twenty thousand, in an instant, barely over five thousand remained.
Gan Ning deliberately left a narrow gap; the remaining enemy fled toward it.
Unaware, they were stepping deeper into hell.
Over five thousand battered soldiers broke through the encirclement, escaping the gorge into open plains ahead.
Just as they caught their breath, a formidable squadron of Xiliang cavalry appeared.
Their leader roared fiercely,
“Kill them all!”
Morale shattered, the fleeing five thousand floundered in confusion, directionless. After fierce fighting, only a little over five hundred survived, laying down arms and surrendering; they were captured and sent to Shangfang Village.
---
At Shangfang Village,
A scout galloped swiftly to Lu Yunduan’s side, reporting the military situation.
“Lord, Gan Ning has defeated the Dali army in Wuman Gorge, killed their commander, slain over twenty thousand, and captured more than five hundred prisoners, who are being brought here now.”
Lu Yunduan laughed heartily; such a triumphant first battle was immensely gratifying.
His soldiers, hearing news of victory, were eager to join the fight, their spirits soaring.
Lu Yunduan then commanded, “Order Gan Ning to lead the army to withdraw to Shangfang Village. Here, we shall face the enemy decisively.”
“Understood.”
The scout spurred his horse, racing back toward Wuman Gorge.
Shortly after, the five hundred prisoners arrived at Shangfang Village. Upon seeing Lu Yunduan leading them, they were shocked.
“You... you are Lu Yunduan! How dare you appear in Dongzhou territory!”
They seemed to forget their captive status and spoke boldly.
“Lu Yunduan, you have great audacity to show yourself here.”
“Lu Yunduan...”
“You seem to forget one thing—you are prisoners now. Spare the nonsense. Do you want to die?”
Killing intent gleamed in Lu Yunduan’s eyes.
“We are prisoners. You cannot kill us. It is a time-honored rule in war not to execute captives. You cannot kill us.”
Lu Yunduan threw back his head and laughed uproariously, unable to contain it.
“Ha ha ha ha... Rules? You speak of rules to me? If I followed the rules, I would have drunk poison in the capital long ago. If I followed the rules, would I have destroyed the capital? You talk rules here—isn’t that laughable?”
Only then did they realize their fear, trembling silently, no longer daring to speak.
---
Lu Yunduan felt no mercy for these broken soldiers; he was no saint.
He immediately issued an order.
“Guards, execute all prisoners on the spot. Leave none alive.”
At once, the Xiliang cavalry raised bows, aiming at the captives.
“You cannot kill us! You cannot kill us...”
Mad with terror, they babbled incoherently.
Arrows flew in unison, picking them off one by one.
“Brutes—”
“Slayers—”
Shouts of “slayers” and “brutes” reached Lu Yunduan’s ears, provoking his roar.
“Ha ha ha... The battlefield is merciless, civilians suffer, bones pile high, but war is like this—kill or be killed. It was so before the year before last, and for millennia before that. Victors write history.”
As he finished speaking, all prisoners were executed.
What was once the verdant Shangfang Village had become hell on earth.
[Fear +200]
[Fear +200]
[Fear +200]
...
Lu Yunduan’s face remained unchanged—cold and ruthless.
In the distance, large forces approached, led by Gan Ning.
Lu Yunduan stepped forward to greet him.
“Gan Ning, truly a warrior unmatched by ten thousand men. Entrusting you with Wuman Mountain was the right choice—I did not misjudge you.”
Gan Ning dismounted, respectfully replying, “It is merely my duty, Lord.”
“Well done. Lead your men to rest first. The next phase is ours to command.”
“At once, Lord.”
---
Outside Wuman Mountain,
Mu Chuan’s thirty thousand troops had arrived. Suddenly, a soldier rushed forward in panic.
“Report, General! Captain Li and twenty thousand soldiers have been killed.”