Chapter Twenty-Seven: Six Hundred Iron Cavalry, A Midnight Raid

"How is it?" the old man asked in a deep voice as Li Dashan and his two companions arrived before him.

"Everything is normal!" Li Dashan wiped the rainwater from his face and began his report.

"There are about three thousand Karluks at Sanhe Fort. Most of them are staying in tents outside the fort, with only a small number living in the houses within the village."

The original population of Sanhe Fort was only about one thousand Han people, so the village houses could not possibly accommodate three thousand Karluks. Only the tribal leaders and those of higher status among the Karluks were qualified to occupy the houses. The majority of the others were forced to pitch tents outside the village.

"The Karluks outside the fort are primarily situated to the east and north. It would be best for us to charge in from the east, then cut our way into Sanhe Fort from the north," Li Dashan suggested. "The Karluks broke into Sanhe Fort from the north previously. Many sections of the parapets have collapsed, and the trenches have been filled in. Since they haven't had time to repair them, it will facilitate our assault."

The old man nodded slightly upon hearing this. He exchanged glances with Zhao Tiezhu, Qin Kaishan, and Luo Ping; all three agreed with the plan. The battle strategy was thus decided.

"Any other abnormalities?" the old man continued. Clearly, he was no longer asking just about tactical deployment.

"No," Li Dashan shook his head. "The Karluks haven't sensed our intent for a night raid; they haven't dug any horse-trapping pits around the perimeter."

Although horse-trapping pits were an effective tool against enemy charges, nomadic peoples generally avoided digging them, as they could easily cause their own horses to break their legs. Furthermore, Li Dashan’s implication went beyond mere traps; he was also confirming to the old man that no forces from the other four forts had been seen entering Sanhe Fort. This was crucial—it was tied to the success or failure of the raid. Although the old man was reluctant to suspect the people of the other four forts, he had to be cautious. Everything had to be foolproof.

Behind the old man, Li Xiao watched his stern expression, feeling as though he were being taught through action how to conduct a night raid and fight a war. He felt deeply fortunate.

"In the end, I am much luckier than Temujin," Li Xiao mused to himself.

Both had lost their fathers in their youth, but Temujin had been left with nothing; his followers had abandoned him, and he lived in poverty with his mother and brothers, narrowly escaping death at the hands of enemies multiple times. It wasn't until he was in his twenties that Temujin began his rise. By the time he reclaimed his father's legacy and ascended as the leader of the Qiyan tribe, he was nearly thirty. He had wasted too much time in his early years; otherwise, his achievements might have far exceeded what history recorded.

But Li Xiao was very fortunate. He still had the old man.

The old man was the pillar of Hexi Fort and Li Xiao’s strongest backing. As long as the old man drew breath, Hexi Fort would not fall into chaos. Li Xiao had time to grow and gradually take over the actual power of the fort.

As Li Xiao pondered, the old man, having learned the situation at Sanhe Fort, turned to the others behind him.

"Kill all the Karluks! A debt of blood must be paid in blood!"

Hearing the cold, low voice of the old man, everyone instinctively tightened their grip on their spears and sabers. Their faces hardened, and their eyes filled with murderous intent. Six hundred cavalrymen moved swiftly toward Sanhe Fort.

***

It was late at night, and due to the thunderstorm, the Karluks were fast asleep. The rumble of thunder masked the sound of galloping horses, so the joint force of the four forts had drawn quite close without being discovered.

"Boom—"

"Clatter, clatter, clatter..."

Hearing the growing thunder of hooves, many Karluks in the tents were roused from their slumber. Some opened their eyes, dazed and confused. "Why is the God of Heaven's temper getting worse? Was my prayer not pious enough?"

However, the more experienced Karluks quickly realized the problem. The rumbling was not coming from the sky, but from the ground.

"It's not the wrath of God; it's an enemy raid!" a scarred, fierce-looking Karluk herdsman shouted suddenly.

More and more herdsmen realized what was happening, screaming in terror.

"Cavalry is coming!"
"Wake up!"
"Mount your horses and fight! Stop them!"

The herdsmen didn't even have time to dress; they grabbed their weapons and rushed out of their tents. But they were immediately struck by the sight before them.

Six hundred iron cavalrymen, arranged in a fan formation, were charging toward the Karluk camp east of Sanhe Fort. The sound of their horses was like thunder, shaking the earth, and their speed was increasing. From above, it was a spectacular and terrifying sight: like a dark cloud kicking up a storm of mud and sand, the iron riders rolled forward, frantically intent on devouring the camp.

The Karluk camp, with tent after tent, had no defensive barriers and was completely exposed to the charge. Like a lonely boat in a storm, it was on the verge of destruction.

"Kill!"

The old man led the charge, gripping a long spear and roaring at the top of his lungs. In the heat of battle, he was nothing like the silent, reserved man of daily life; he was a ruthless god of war. Cold, fierce, and unstoppable, he charged ahead.

Unlike the old man's cold restraint, his grandfather-in-law, Qin Kaishan, was an extrovert. Usually jolly and able to get along with everyone, he was equally adept at boosting morale on the battlefield.

"Little bastards, the Karluk women are just ahead!" Qin Kaishan shouted while riding, not forgetting to look back and incite his men. "Charge! I'll distribute them to you! Everyone gets one! But if anyone turns into a coward, I'll cut off his balls and turn him into a woman!"

"Ooh-ooh-ooh!"
"Grab the women!"

The young men who were stepping onto the battlefield for the first time might have been nervous, but hearing Qin Kaishan’s words, they laughed. The fear of battle and death dissipated instantly. There was nothing to fear about the Karluks; kill the men, and their cattle, sheep, horses, and women would all belong to them. Moreover, the old man, Qin Kaishan, Luo Ping, and even Li Xiao were all charging at the front. This gave the others great encouragement—with such leaders, what was there to fear, even in death? Just keep your head down and charge!

"Kill!"

Beside the old man, Li Xiao also gripped a spear, his face’s coldness replaced by killing intent. His gaze was sharp, his presence piercing, and all he could see were the Karluks rushing out of their tents in panic.

"Kill!"

Li Xiao roared in a low voice. A Karluk man had just crawled out of his tent, screaming in a voice like a broken gong, "Enemies are here! Everyone come out and fight!" But just as he prepared to mount his horse, his expression turned to pure terror. Following the sound of the thundering horses, he saw, in the dark of night, rider after rider—like ghosts from hell, brandishing spears and sabers—bursting out of the shadows. They charged toward him with grim, murderous faces, exuding a chilling aura. At that moment, it felt as if they were surrounded on all sides, the earth trembling under the stampede. He had no idea how many enemies there were; it felt as if he had fallen into a ten-sided ambush.

"Han! It's the Han!" the Karluk shouted in terror, scrambling to mount his horse and flee.

But in the next second, he felt a sharp, violent pain in his back. A massive force struck him, and his body was launched into the air. A blood-stained spearhead had pierced through his back and out his chest.

It was Li Xiao.

With the momentum of his charging horse, he had pierced the Karluk's body with his spear. The immense thrust even threw the man's corpse into the air.

*Thud.*

The body hit the ground heavily, blood flowing into the puddles. The Karluk's eyes were wide open; though not dead yet, it was a moment of suffering worse than death.

Li Xiao rode past as if he had merely crushed an ant, not even sparing a glance, and continued to hunt his next target. Two breaths later, his spear pierced another Karluk's throat.

***

Sanhe Fort was just a village enclosed by mud walls and could not hold all the Karluks. More than half of them had pitched tents in the open ground outside the village. These people were the first targets of the joint force.

In the darkness, the six hundred iron cavalry moved like a torrent of blood and steel. Like demonic knights from hell appearing in the night, their sharp spears acted as the grim reaper’s scythe, harvesting lives again and again.

The unprepared Karluks were completely shattered. The tents were filled with the terrified screams of women and the cries of children. The men ran out in a panic, only to find they had no idea how many enemies there were—they couldn't even find their horses or their comrades. The entire camp was in chaos, with the Karluks scurrying like headless flies, unable to organize any resistance.

"Kill!"
"Kill all the Karluks!"

The murderous roars of the joint force came from all directions. The thunder of horses made the Karluks tremble, convinced they were surrounded by ten thousand cavalry.

One Karluk man, in his panic, tried to flee with his family, but just as he helped his wife onto a horse, the enemy charged out of the darkness, covering the dozen meters in an instant.

"Ah!" The man brandished his spear, trying to strike the enemy, but in the next second, the world spun; a saber slashed across his throat. Blood sprayed, and his headless corpse fell to the ground.

"Ahhh!" On the horse, the young Karluk woman watched her husband die under the enemy's blade, her face twisted in horror and pain as she shrieked.

Li Xiao merely glanced at the headless corpse on the ground and whispered, "The third one."