Chapter Twenty: The Tiger and Wolf Cavalry Retreat!
On the walls of Qinghe Town, Lei Yan stood clad in silver-white armor, gripping his longsword with a solemn expression fixed ahead.
Beyond the walls, tens of thousands of barbarian troops were lined up in perfect formation.
Each barbarian soldier exuded the aura of an elite warrior.
Just ten thousand of them were enough to suffocate the soldiers of Qinghe Town.
Many soldiers trembled uncontrollably at the sight of the fluttering banners.
The Tiger Wolf Cavalry!
They had truly arrived!
Lei Yan took a deep breath, raised his longsword, and declared solemnly, “Comrades! Over the years, these barbarians have trampled countless cities and lands in our great Liang Kingdom!”
“Now, the mightiest enemy stands before us. Tell me, are you afraid?”
The soldiers gritted their teeth, fully aware that there was no room for retreat.
Either way, death was inevitable.
If they could drag down even one barbarian before dying, it would be worth it.
Two would be a great gain!
“To fight to the death!”
“To the death!”
The soldiers shouted in unison.
At that moment, the thousands of Tiger Wolf Cavalry parted to form a path.
Out rode a barbarian in golden armor, wearing a white-faced demon mask, brandishing a long spear atop a fierce tiger.
Upon seeing this, Lei Yan’s pupils contracted sharply.
The White-Faced General of the Tiger Wolf Cavalry!
Rumor had it that among all the Tiger Wolf Cavalry commanders, the White-Faced General was the most ruthless.
Wherever he led his troops, the only outcome was no survivors.
The soldiers around Lei Yan glanced back at Qinghe Town.
This might be the last time they would see it.
“If you surrender now, I promise you a swift death,” the White-Faced General said with a cold, mocking laugh.
“But if we breach Qinghe Town’s gates, every one of you will be executed by slow dismemberment!”
Lei Yan exhaled and pointed at the White-Faced General sternly.
“Don’t even think about sowing discord here!”
“I tell you, every soldier of the Xilin Army will never flee!”
“If you have the courage today, fight to the death. I want to see how many of your ten thousand Tiger Wolf Cavalry will remain!”
The White-Faced General looked at Lei Yan’s position with a hint of amusement.
Sworn to never surrender?
How interesting!
The generals of Liang he had met before were all cowards who died before he could properly torment them.
He could sense that Lei Yan would be an excellent toy.
“All troops, listen to my orders!”
Just as the White-Faced General was about to give commands, a plume of red smoke rose behind him.
The red smoke was strikingly vivid.
The general’s eyes narrowed.
Among the barbarians, smoke signals came in black and red.
Black meant the situation was not urgent and could be assessed.
But red smoke signaled extreme emergency.
Something catastrophic had occurred at the main camp.
The White-Faced General withdrew his spear, glancing at Lei Yan with reluctant respect.
“They should consider themselves lucky. If not for this smoke signal saving their lives, Qinghe Town would have long since become a wasteland!”
He snorted coldly, made a hand gesture, and turned to retreat.
The Tiger Wolf Cavalry soldiers withdrew in an orderly fashion.
Watching this, Lei Yan was momentarily stunned.
What was happening?
Why was the Tiger Wolf Cavalry inexplicably retreating?
He glanced toward the direction of the smoke, sensing there was much he did not know.
But for him, the outcome was undoubtedly fortunate.
Qinghe Town was saved!
No rivers of blood.
That alone was cause for celebration.
Among the crowd, only Li Fatty’s eyes flickered with concern.
He understood that the Tiger Wolf Cavalry’s withdrawal signified progress on Sumu’s side.
They must have silently infiltrated the barbarian main camp.
But now, not only the Tiger Wolf Cavalry, but other legions would gradually pull back.
Under these circumstances, Sumu and his group faced the entire barbarian army.
How were they to escape?
“Please, you all must stay safe!” Li Fatty clenched his fists, willing to trade his life for a happy ending.
Lei Yan seemed to sense Li Fatty’s anxiety and walked over solemnly.
“You look so troubled. What’s the matter?”
Li Fatty struck the nearby wall with a fist.
“That boy, with five others, has gone deep into the barbarian main camp.”
“Now that the Tiger Wolf Cavalry is withdrawing suddenly, I have a feeling it’s connected to them.”
“If they get trapped, it will be a dead end.”
Hearing this, Lei Yan was moved.
Six people infiltrating the enemy camp alone?
If Li Fatty was right, they were true heroes.
“We must believe in them!”
...
In the jungle, Sumu and his six companions wore exhausted expressions.
They had ridden all night, covering thousands of miles.
To avoid barbarian pursuit and conceal their identities, they had played a dangerous game of tag in the dense forest.
Their goal was simple: to draw all barbarian attention onto themselves.
If they succeeded, not only Qinghe Town, but other cities could catch a breath.
Jiang Hongluan took a deep breath and looked at Sumu with a helpless smile.
“Captain, at first, I doubted your claim that you severely wounded their high priest.”
“But now, tens of thousands of barbarians are searching for any trace of us!”
The others looked at Sumu with admiration.
For years, Liang had fought the barbarians with little success.
Yet now, with just a slight effort, Sumu had gravely injured the barbarian high priest.
Such merit was extraordinary.
If he could obtain a corresponding badge or token, Sumu would surely be promoted three ranks at once.
“Captain, the situation is extremely unfavorable. Our places to hide grow fewer by the moment.”
“Exposure is only a matter of time.”
Tie Yan spoke solemnly.
Sumu’s face remained calm as he stared ahead.
They were waiting here for one reason only: to make sure the Tiger Wolf Cavalry truly withdrew.
A cloud of dust rose as the Tiger Wolf Cavalry’s banners receded in the distance.
Sumu inhaled deeply.
“Let’s go. It’s time to go home.”