Chapter 32: Qigo (1)

The sound of slaughter filled the air, accompanied by cries of pain. In front of the dense forest surrounding Qingshi Fort, nearly a thousand Tuyuhun cavalry were chased around by over fifty Tang cavalry, forcing them to flee in all directions. Those who slowed down were immediately beheaded by the Tang soldiers who rode up and swung their sabers. To escape the pursuit, the Tuyuhun soldiers rushed out of their own camp, crying out in panic. But after just a dozen steps, they were riddled with arrows shot from the forest.

“Get on your horses! Run north—there the terrain is flat!”
With the help of his adjutant, Meng Chai finally managed to climb onto his horse, shouting loudly.
“Gather together! Those who want to live must follow General behind!”
The adjutant leaped onto his horse and repeated the order with a whip crack.
Under their commander’s guidance, the panicked soldiers finally made the right choice, riding closely behind their leader. As the adjutant kept shouting, more and more people gathered around Meng Chai, forming a cone-shaped formation.

On the battlefield, a cone formation was ideal for charging and breaking through enemy lines. Even against an enemy several times their number, a well-organized formation could lead to a successful escape! But to Meng Chai’s surprise, the Tang army did not send cavalry to block them from the flanks, nor did the archers hiding in the forest shoot another arrow. His years of military experience told him something was suspicious, but he had no time to ponder it now. It was pitch black, and no one knew where the Tang soldiers were hiding. The only way to survive was to charge through their blockade at all costs.

“Swish!”
Meng Chai whipped his horse hard again, and it rushed forward at full speed.
“Take the path in front of the city gates—don’t stay close to the forest!”
His nerves were on edge, fearing that the Tang soldiers might suddenly emerge from behind some bushes. The area in front of the city gates was open and flat—there was nowhere for the Tang soldiers to hide!

“General, there’s no movement inside the city. There might be an ambush!”
The adjutant pleaded, clasping his fists tightly. It was suspicious that the Tang army, having gained a huge advantage by setting an ambush in the forest, stopped pursuing them. Although their side had lost over 300 men due to the trap, they still had more than 600 soldiers left. With proper tactics, they might still be able to fight the Tang army.

“What ambush could there be? If the Tang army had taken Qingshi Fort, why would we still be ambushed? They’re clearly trying to besiege the city and exhaust our elite cavalry. Their real goal is Sisi City!”
Meng Chai didn’t bother to look back, continuing to wave his whip.

The adjutant’s lips moved, but he ultimately said nothing. Sigh, let it be.

The remnants of the Fusi Army moved swiftly without any obstacles, and even when they reached the foot of Qingshi Fortress, they were not attacked from the walls.

Meng Chai glanced back at his adjutant and said, “I told you Qingshi Fortress hasn’t been captured by the Tang forces. If it had been, why would they go to such lengths?”

The adjutant clasped his fists and said, “General, you are wise. Yet I still think it’s better to send a few scouts to investigate.”

Meng Chai waved his hand impatiently. “Investigate? By the time they finish investigating, the Tang forces will be chasing after us. Tell the men to push harder—we’ll rest at the next fortress!”

Although Meng Chai bet that Qingshi Fortress was still in their hands, he didn’t dare risk knocking on the city gates. First, it was pitch black, and the defenders were already on high alert; upon seeing a large group of cavalry approaching, their first reaction would surely be to shoot arrows at them. Second, if Qingshi Fortress had indeed been captured by the Tang forces, wouldn’t he be handing himself over as easy prey?

The only option was to break through the Tang forces’ blockade, rest briefly at the next fortress, and then plan their next move!

With the commander’s orders, the adjutant had no choice but to obey.

The Tibetan cavalry, who had urgently pulled back on their reins, raised their whips upon hearing the horns and whipped their mounts fiercely. The sooner they left this place, the less risk there was of being caught by the Tang forces. They were here to gain military merits, and now that they hadn’t succeeded, there was no need to risk their lives further!

The sound of hoofbeats rang out again as a squadron of light cavalry rushed north under the cover of darkness.

But before they could take dozens of steps, they felt their bodies sink, and they and their horses fell to the side. Some horses reared up, throwing their riders off. These poor creatures didn’t even understand what was happening before they were pierced by arrows, their dark red blood gushing out and instantly staining the earthy yellow ground. Others simply collapsed, crushing their riders beneath them. Those unlucky souls didn’t even have time to curse before their legs were broken by the beasts, sending out cries of pain.

The horses let out mournful neighs in pain, their legs twitching uncontrollably on the ground. From their mouths, twisted in agony, white foam occasionally bubbled up, carrying a strong sour smell everywhere. With horses dead and men fallen, the scene was one of widespread devastation.

“Damn it! We’ve fallen into a trap!”

Under the moonlight, Meng Chai finally saw the iron spikes embedded in the warhorses’ hooves and cursed loudly. Iron spikes were the natural enemy of cavalry—once they pierced a horse’s hoof, the horse would instantly lose its ability to move, let alone charge. Therefore, when large cavalry units marched, commanders would order scouts to explore the enemy-controlled areas to ensure there were no iron spikes before allowing the cavalry to pass.

But how could the Tang army carry so many iron spikes after such a long journey? Could it be…

An idea flashed through Meng Chai’s mind, striking him like lightning. “Quick! Abandon the horses and flee north! Qingshi Fort is likely already captured by the Tang army!”

Without hesitation, Meng Chai got up and ran north. Seeing this, the other soldiers shook off the dust from their backs and closely followed him.

But it was too late for them to realize what was happening. Suddenly, hundreds of archers appeared on the once silent walls of Qingshi Fort. Two hundred Tang-style longbows glowed with a pale silver light under the moonlight, their dark arrows aimed straight at these desperately fleeing barbarians.

The Tuyuhun soldiers struggled to keep moving, hoping to increase the distance between themselves and the archers. As they ran, they could even hear the buzzing sound of drawn bows—a terrifying sound, like flesh being torn from bones. The Tuyuhun soldiers covered their ears and heads, running in groups toward the north like frightened goats, unwilling to stay there even for a moment.

But how could infantry within a hundred paces escape the pursuit of arrows tipped with eagle feathers? Suddenly, a buzzing sound filled the air, and the arrows rained down, wiping out everything in their path. The warhorses that fell to the ground ceased their screams instantly, their bodies covered with arrows with black heads and white tails, trembling in the wind. The soldiers with broken legs didn’t need to struggle anymore—they were quickly pinned head to toe, leaving no gaps…

Armor-piercing arrows penetrated their thin chainmail, biting into their flesh, tearing through skin and muscles, destroying any creature trying to escape. Fear consumed their lives, and one by one, the fleeing Tuyuhun cavalry fell, emitting cries of agony.

In just one round of shooting, the Tang army killed nearly two hundred Tuyuhun soldiers. Adding those who died from iron spikes or trampled by their own comrades, this Tuyuhun cavalry unit lost a full three hundred soldiers in front of Qingshi Fort.

In war, it isn’t the enemy that causes mass deaths—it’s the fear within one’s own heart!

Menchae deeply understood the truth of these words at that moment, but he had no time to appreciate their artistic merit. The Tang troops pursued him like demons, leaving him no moment of peace. First, an ambush in the dense forest, then a trap on the city walls—the Tang troops had already dug deep pits, and he had foolishly jumped in without hesitation. He had no time to look back, no courage to look back. With his warhorse dead and his standard lost, he relied on his most primal desire to survive to keep running forward.

“How many of our men have escaped?”

Menchae shook his head as he ran, asking his deputy general beside him.

The deputy general gave a bitter smile. “I don’t know. Maybe two hundred, maybe three hundred.”

“Don’t stop! Don’t stop! These Tang troops are demons, devils! Only by escaping can we survive!”

Menchae didn’t even consider surrendering—not because he was loyal to the king, but because these Tang troops were too cruel. According to captured Tuyuhun veterans, the Tang did not kill surrendered soldiers or defeated warriors. As long as the defeated knelt and dropped their weapons, the Tang troops wouldn’t kill them to claim credit.

Nonsense! Before entering the dense forest, Menchae had seen fifty Tang cavalry charging with their sabers drawn. Many fell from their horses, and the wounded soldiers knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly in hopes of gaining the Tang troops’ forgiveness. But before they could lift their heads, a flash of cold light appeared, and their heads flew off instantly, with jets of blood spraying three feet high!

Who said the Tang troops were a righteous army? They were nothing but asuras from hell!

Unaware of it, Menchae had already run two hundred steps away.

“Phew!”

He let out a sigh, rubbed his sore waist, and looked north.

At that sight, his face turned deathly pale.

In front of the hazy earthen mound, 150 Tang cavalry stood with their swords drawn, their eyes filled with hatred.

“A long march through war, with flames of battle never extinguished. There’s no fixed time for a man to die; a brave warrior must pick up arms!”