Chapter 121: The Winds Rise (18)

For the past nineteen years, life for Xu Le had been carefree.

Xu Gan had arranged everything, keeping him safely tucked beneath his wings. Even though the old man had long since passed his prime, he remained a figure not to be trifled with.

He had swept the Sanggan River Valley clean of bandits and marauders, founded the Xu Family Village, and built a network of connections across the grasslands. He had even once attempted to unite the Nine Clans Alliance to resist the Turks, seeking to build a formidable force.

Xu Gan had poured the remainder of his life into protecting his grandson’s growth, striving to leave something behind for him.

Yet, fate had always been unkind to the old man.

The attempt to unite the Nine Clans Alliance had ultimately failed. The old friends who had once raised the banner of resistance against the Turks on the grasslands had scattered; Luo Dun had fallen into decadence, and Wutou had eventually chosen to surrender to the Turks. Xu Le had returned to the Xu Family Village in sorrow, and this failed campaign had drained the last of Xu Gan’s vitality.

He could only use his final strength to continue protecting Xu Le, until he collapsed from a stroke.

And it was during those years, as Xu Gan burned his final life force, that Xu Le grew into a man.

He was a handsome youth, possessing extraordinary strength and, arguably, a sharp intellect.

Xu Le harbored many grand ambitions, believing that the entire world would be shaken by him. Although he gently accepted his grandfather’s arrangements and stayed obediently in Shenwu County, he could not help but harbor silent complaints. He felt his grandfather was overly cautious, perhaps even hindering his path to becoming the most dazzling hero in the world.

Though he never spoke of it, in his heart, he had already begun to think that it was his turn to protect his grandfather, that it was time for him to fulfill his grandfather’s unrealized wishes.

Thus, once he left Shenwu, Xu Le fought Yuan Junwei, battled the Heng'an Eagle-Yang soldiers, and charged into the camps of the Yue tribes several times over. He was filled with sharp spirit and boundless bravado, all because he wanted to return and prove to his grandfather that he no longer needed his protection, that he could accomplish anything.

But tonight, amidst the howling mountain wind, looking at his grandfather leaning against the rock, the feathered arrow still lodged in his chest, Xu Le wished he could return to the past. He wished to return to his grandfather’s wings, never to step out of Shenwu County again, never to engage in dangerous deeds, never to feel the need to prove himself.

If only he could return to the way things were.

The villagers returned one by one, finally witnessing the scene. Everyone stood stunned, and the joy of having defeated the elite Mayi Yue cavalry vanished in an instant.

Han Xiaoliu let out a cry of shock, rushed to Xu Gan’s side, and fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

"Grandfather, it is my fault for failing to protect you!"

Xu Le stood there, dazed, not knowing what to do.

But Xu Gan’s expression remained calm. He stroked Han Xiaoliu’s hair. "It is not your fault. On the battlefield, life and death are matters of fate. You must continue to temper your body; relying on archery alone will not make you a hero."

Perhaps it was the final flicker of life before the end, but the dark blood no longer overflowed from Xu Gan’s mouth, and his speech was no longer fragmented. After briefly comforting Han Xiaoliu, he barked at his grandson, who was still standing there in a stupor: "What are you staring at? The Mayi Yue cavalry will not leave; we must fight them again to break free! It is only the death of one man—to have such a spineless look, I do not recognize you as my grandson!"

Xu Le finally moved. He turned his head silently to look at the firelight at the foot of the mountain.

A murderous aura, one that seemed to seep into the marrow of everyone present, erupted, making the hair on their necks stand up.

Xu Le spoke softly: "I was only afraid that they might leave."

Xu Gan patted the ground beside him. "Then sit. One hundred and some Mayi Yue cavalry are not so easy to handle. It is time I taught you the Xu family’s cavalry tactics!"

***

Halting the troops at the foot of the mountain, by the campfires.

Over a hundred Mayi Yue cavalry had gathered. Aside from those left at various intersections to keep watch, the rest had all arrived here, awaiting Shi Chaozhi’s next orders.

Even Chen Fengpo and his men were among them.

Chen Fengpo stole a glance at Shi Chaozhi and his companions, his heart filled with shock.

Over twenty Mayi Yue cavalry officers had gone up the mountain, but only four or five had returned, all covered in blood.

Since when had the Xu Family Village possessed such formidable strength? In a daze, Chen Fengpo recalled the fame Xu Gan had earned over a decade ago when he cleared the Sanggan River Valley of bandits.

The local Eagle-Yang soldiers around Chen Fengpo exchanged glances. To follow these men from Shanyang to target a hero of their own home was a deeply unsettling feeling.

But what could they do now? They feared that if they showed even a hint of schadenfreude, the clearly enraged Shi Chaozhi would not hesitate to kill them all.

Shi Chaozhi was trembling, his eyes bloodshot.

But only he knew that this was not just anger; it was also fear.

In the dark night, illuminated by the firelight, the image of Xu Le single-handedly wiping out half of the Mayi Yue cavalry officers seemed to remain vivid before his eyes.

No wonder Liu Wuzhou had tried so hard to recruit such a person; no wonder the Prefect Wang had dispatched an entire battalion of Yue cavalry to raze the village where he lived!

The loss of nearly twenty squad leaders was an undeniable fact. Without a significant achievement to report, he could never escape punishment!

Only by capturing that "Young Master Le," who had suddenly reappeared, and handing him over to Wang Rengong could this matter be accounted for!

But as soon as he thought of Xu Le, Shi Chaozhi could not control the slight trembling of his body.

It was not until he scanned the Mayi Yue cavalry gathered around him that his mood calmed slightly.

Nearly two hundred armored cavalrymen, fully equipped, skilled in combat, and experienced in formations. Even if that "Young Master Le" possessed extraordinary martial prowess, in a real military engagement, he could never be a match for these elite armored riders!

Shi Chaozhi gritted his teeth and said to Chen Fengpo, "I am assigning a unit to you. Go to Shenwu County and bring back rations and supplies. We will set up camp here and surround the people of Xu Family Village to death!"

Chen Fengpo agreed loudly without hesitation, though he could not help but grumble inwardly. He had told them long ago that surrounding them was enough; there was no water or food on the mountain—how long could the people of the Xu Family Village hold out? Once they starved, the credit would have been theirs for the taking. Instead, they had insisted on a night raid, losing half their men in the process. Wasn't that just courting death?

A Mayi Yue cavalryman couldn't help but ask, "Commander, should we call for reinforcements?"

Shi Chaozhi gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "Do we have the face to ask for reinforcements? We are the Mayi Yue cavalry!"

Shi Chaozhi scanned the armored riders around him with red eyes and said coldly, "Everyone knows how the Prefect runs his army. We are all on the same rope now; none of us can escape! That Young Master Le is on the mountain; only by capturing him can we answer to the Prefect! Keep your spirits up. If the people of Xu Family Village aren't all dead, we will wear them out right here!"

The Mayi Yue cavalry were silent for a moment, then cupped their hands and replied, "Understood!"

Shi Chaozhi added loudly, "I will not treat you brothers poorly. If we finish this job, you may pillage all the villages in the Sanggan River Valley as you please. Even if you cause trouble all the way to Shanyang, I will take the blame!"

Several local Eagle-Yang soldiers looked up abruptly, only to see the Mayi Yue cavalry gripping the hilts of their swords, watching them coldly. The local soldiers lowered their heads, daring not to say another word.

Chen Fengpo never looked up, his face full of a bitter smile.

The night raid had driven these Mayi Yue cavalrymen mad. If they were truly allowed to pillage the villages of the Sanggan River Valley, how could he ever show his face in Shenwu County again?

Chen Fengpo quietly looked up at the mountain where the troops had halted, and a thought couldn't help but emerge in his mind.

Those people in the Xu Family Village—if only they had enough skill to simply wipe out these Mayi Yue cavalrymen, that would be for the best!

Immediately, Chen Fengpo’s bitter smile deepened.

Nearly two hundred armored cavalrymen—if they truly opened up a formation to fight, how could the villagers of the Xu Family Village be their match? So-called armored cavalry were the strongest military force of this era.