Chapter 81: The Blood Robe (6)

First attacked by water, then by fire—how could these Tibetan soldiers still have any desire to fight? Ignoring the shouts and curses of their officers, they pushed and surged toward the valley entrance.
The sparks from the dried wood soaked in tung oil instantly ignited into flames several feet high; getting any closer meant being scorched by the intense heat. Thick gray-black smoke blew in from the south, pressing down on the Tibetan soldiers’ heads and blocking their escape routes.
The flames sneered as they sang the elegy of the soul, devouring any living thing that tried to approach. The bright light turned the night into day. Under the pure white sky, a vivid tableau of suffering unfolded—no singing of birds or insects, only endless pain and heart-wrenching screams. People were constantly pierced by feathered arrows, burned to death by flaming arrows, or knocked down by the smoke, ending their lives in agony. Fearful and confused faces were etched onto the white expanse above.
Why? Why?
“Huh!”
“Huh!”
Large amounts of poisonous smoke filled the Tibetan soldiers’ mouths and noses. Gasping heavily like wild dogs in the summer wilderness, they frantically scratched their itchy necks, their cheeks turning purplish red.
“There’s poisonous smoke! Cover your mouths and noses—use wet cloth!”
Etsang, the governor of Jiuqu, held the reins with one hand, his eyes wide with fury. These Tang invaders had clearly mixed poisonous herbs like wormwood and deadly nightshade among the firewood, trying to suffocate everyone using the terrain!
What a cruel heart!
Etsang was both shocked and angry but dared not show it. As the leader of an army, if even he showed fear, how could anyone else lead the battle?
“Rip off some cloth quickly! Tear pieces from your clothes!”
Following orders, Tibetan officers at all levels repeated the governor’s commands. At this moment, only by firmly believing in their commander’s judgment and obeying it without hesitation could there be any hope of survival.
“Ah, ah!”
The Tibetan soldiers, as if waking from a dream, hurriedly removed their rusted chainmail and tore a piece of cloth from their undergarments.
“Hiss!”
As soon as they pulled off the cloth, they wrapped it around their mouths and noses tightly.
Having just survived a “flood,” they had no shortage of wet cloth. A simple piece torn from their undergarments might just save their lives.

With the right methods, fewer and fewer Tibetan soldiers fainted or died from the thick smoke. Working in groups of three or five, they moved through the dense smoke, trying to find their way while waving their spears to lift the blazing fires ahead and throw them far away.
Trivial tricks!
In number, these fires couldn’t exceed a hundred. As long as they ordered their men to clear the burning fires promptly, they could effectively contain the spread of the fire.
Ezang sneered, his gaze fixed on the valley entrance. To think he could trap nearly twenty thousand Tibetan soldiers in the valley like that was pure delusion!…
“Commander! Do we really have to retreat?”
Pu Dachui stared at Li Kuo in shock, unable to believe these words came from General Li, whom he admired so much.
“Tell the men to withdraw from the first line of defense and retreat to the area around Luchai.”
Li Kuo shook his head and repeated the order.
“This… this…”
Pu Dachui clenched his fists, stammering hesitantly.
Dou Qing glared at him and said, “A man of seven feet tall acting like a woman! Just retreat when the commander orders it!”
“Sigh!”
Pu Dachui waved his arms in frustration and left with a sigh.
“Brother Dou, tell everyone to remove the arrow quivers from their horses. It seems we’re about to face a fierce battle.”
The young man sighed, expressing his concerns. “Has there still been no news from General Gao?”
Dou Qing’s heart sank. He bowed and replied, “To report to the commander, General Gao is still stationed around Zanshan Pass, claiming he needs to prevent the Tibetan troops from coming to their aid.”
Li Kuo frowned. “We’ve only been in the Jiuqu area for seven or eight days. Isn’t General Gao overthinking things?”
The young man had never understood why Gao Xiuyan had stationed all his main forces at the pass. Logically, with the Tang army outnumbering the Tibetans and having driven them out of the city, they should have been able to wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop. Yet General Gao insisted on using his main forces to block the Tibetan reinforcements. Could he really expect these five thousand hastily assembled soldiers to defeat twenty thousand Tibetans?
“This…”
Dou Qing hesitated for a moment before honestly expressing his thoughts, “Commander, it’s not that I’m being overly cautious, but you should still leave yourself a path to retreat.”
Having spent many years in the Tang camp, Dou Qing understood the intricacies of political dealings well. Although Gao Xiuyan appeared to have repaired relations with Li Kuo on the surface, he actually held a grudge against the young man. Some people, no matter how kind they seem on the surface, might harbor ulterior motives. After all, the hardest thing to gauge is human hearts.
Li Kuo’s heart sank as several thoughts flashed through his mind.

Since taking on the task of blocking the Tibetan emperor, Gao Xiuyan had seemed very pleased. There was nothing unusual about that, but he kept patting his own shoulder and insisting that he must hold off the Tibetans for at least three days. Three days! Giving him only five thousand men and asking him to defend the mountain pass for three days—how could that make any sense? Moreover, when he requested two horses per man for ambushes, he firmly refused on the grounds that cavalry battles were not necessary. Everyone knew that after the great victory at Hekou, the Tang army had no shortage of mounts. As the commander of an army, how could he be so stingy? Could it be…? Ah, he must be overthinking it. Even if he had objections to him, he would express them directly; even if he disapproved of him, there was no need to risk the lives of thousands of comrades. “Brother Dou, we must trust Commander Gao. If we can hold out for three days, we’ll succeed!” Li Kuo clenched his fists, his face filled with warmth. It would take at least five days to travel back and forth from Chiling. If they could hold out for three days, with eight days in total, the Tang army could definitely capture the stronghold on the snowy mountains! “Understood!” Dou Qing clasped his fists and gladly accepted the order. “Yanji and Wucui, go and check the traps on both sides of Sui Shi Gou again—make sure everything is foolproof!” The young man turned to his two friends. “Mm.” The two replied in unison, giving him a reassuring look. “Brother Tubo, please help Yu Cheng position the White Wolf tribe’s archers on the stone platform, ready to suppress the enemy with fire at any moment.” “We won’t fail you!” The two returned a standard military salute, their eyes resolute. Although the White Wolf tribe’s warriors were less equipped than the Tang army, they were excellent archers. Firing from above, they could surely drive away the Tibetan barbarians trying to seize the stone platform. “Where is Li Sheng?” Li Kuo looked around but didn’t see Li Sheng. “General, I’m here!” Following the voice, he saw Li Sheng emerging from the crowd, his face covered in soot. He clasped his fists in front of Li Kuo and said, “The Tibetans have crossed Shi Hao. I’ve followed your orders and recalled all our comrades.” “Mm.” Li Kuo nodded. “I hope Brother Li Sheng can lead the veterans of the Tongwu Camp to support Da Chui in holding the front line.” Li Sheng thought for a moment. “It’s not hard to hold them off for a while, but there are no natural defenses left in this area. If the Tibetans unite, we probably won’t be able to hold out long.” “Just hold them off for three hours!” Li Kuo’s expression turned cold. “Then I can deal a heavy blow to the Tibetan army!”

“Then I’ll entrust my life and fortune to the general.”
Li Sheng laughed heartily and joked.
Li Kuo punched his shoulder in mock anger and said, “The veterans of the Tongwu Camp are my precious assets. Losing even one means a loss for me. Be careful!”
“Got it!”
Li Sheng put away his smile and saluted militarily. “Three hours! If I, Li, can’t hold out for three hours, you may take my head!”
“Please do it,” Li Kuo said, moved, patting Li Sheng’s shoulder.
“Brother Li, what about me?” Wang Xiaochun pushed his way forward reluctantly and pouted.
“Of course I won’t forget you,” Li Kuo replied, feeling warmth in his heart upon seeing the young man. Since they gathered the Tang descendants from the river delta area, the atmosphere in the camp had become increasingly lively. They were gradually emerging from the shadow of slavery and integrating into the life of the Tang army. What pleased the young men the most was that the eyes of these compatriots were no longer dull or foolish, but filled with hope and anticipation for life.
As long as there’s hope, even the toughest obstacles can be overcome!
“Do you see that small hill by Shuisigou? I’ll teach you how to lead the soldiers of the Xiongwu and Zhenwu camps to wave flags, shout, beat drums, and sound the horns there.”
Li Kuo patted Wang Xiaochun’s arm to encourage him. There were nearly a thousand Tang descendants in total. The young man divided them into two camps according to the Tang military system, with one officer in charge of each camp to temporarily lead five hundred men. Wang Xiaochun, due to his bold performance, was promoted beyond expectations to become the highest commander of one camp, sharing the responsibility of training the reserve forces of the Tongwu Camp with Er Gouzi.
Hearing that the officer had assigned such a task to him, Wang Xiaochun grew anxious. “Brother Li, why do the other brothers go to the front line to fight while we can only watch from behind? Do you think we’re too weak to be of any use?”
Li Kuo smiled and said, “These thousand soldiers are our vital force for survival. I won’t send them into battle unless it’s absolutely necessary. Besides, you have a crucial mission in this battle. Whether we can repel the Tibetan forces depends on your ‘acting skills.’ ‘In an army, the responsibilities of different soldiers vary.’ Cavalry has its duties, infantry has its roles—there’s no such thing as superiority or inferiority. Never doubt your own abilities. If you lack confidence even in yourself, what do you have to compete with others?”
“Brother Li, I… I misunderstood you…”
Wang Xiaochun’s face turned red with shame as he lowered his head in embarrassment.

“Remember, you are a Tang man, a man! Never lower your noble head!”
Li Kuo clenched the sword in his hand, his face resolute.