Chapter 289: Withdraw Troops
In the bloody fierce battle, the crowd completely forgot their shock and fear, disregarding life and death. Pei Qinghe had long killed until her eyes were red. Seeing Xiongnu warhorses, she led people to viciously pounce forward, slaying all the Xiongnu barbarians and warhorses.
The people around her grew fewer and fewer.
Occasionally glancing with the corner of her eye and seeing Pei Yan’s sturdy and solid figure, Pei Qinghe’s heart would stabilize, and she continued wielding her long saber to fight to the death.
Kill, kill, kill!
Kill all these Xiongnu barbarians who burn, kill, and loot without restraint!
“General, Pu Nu is there!” Amid the noisy fighting to the death, Sun Cheng almost shouted his throat raw: “Let’s go kill Pu Nu!”
Pei Qinghe’s gaze sharpened. Gripping her long saber, she charged toward Pu Nu’s direction with killing intent.
Pei Yan, Sun Cheng, Yang Huai, and others shouted loudly while following. Soon, a large group of soldiers with high fighting spirit surged forward like a massive wave rushing ahead.
Pu Nu still had several hundred elite cavalry by his side who had not yet entered the fray. At this moment, exerting full force in battle, it was still uncertain who would emerge victorious.
However, the moment Pu Nu prepared to give the order, his gaze met Pei Qinghe’s from afar in mid-air. A chill suddenly rose in his heart.
This was the intuition honed from long experience on the battlefield and facing life-and-death decisions multiple times.
If they kept tangling like this, he would be buried here today.
Flee!
Pu Nu made a snap decision, shouted loudly, turned his horse’s head, and kicked its belly hard.
Pu Nu’s elite guards silently followed, turning and running.
“General Pu Nu is withdrawing troops!”
“Let’s run too!”
With the commander retreating, the Xiongnu barbarians’ morale instantly collapsed. Those who could run immediately mounted their horses and fled. Those who couldn’t escape had no will to fight and turned in panic to run. The Pei Family Army’s morale soared, shouting as they pursued and killed.
“Pu Nu ran.” Pei Yan spat hatefully: “Do we chase?”
In the blink of an eye and a few breaths, Pu Nu’s fine horse had vanished without a trace. They only had two legs and couldn’t fly—how could they chase?
Pei Qinghe glanced in the direction Pu Nu fled, exhaled a stifled breath: “No need to chase! Let’s leave all we can behind!”
Pei Yan responded vigorously, waving her long saber as she searched everywhere for Xiongnu barbarians.
Yang Huai, who had originally been exhausted, rallied his spirit and fought shoulder-to-shoulder with Pei Yan.
On the battlefield, having a comrade like Pei Yan was surely the greatest happiness in the world. She was like a tiger, tireless, and even when injured, she wouldn’t stop her steps in fighting to the death.
The Beiping Army, who had rested for half a day, and those still able to fight also charged out of the woods.
The Xiongnu barbarians who were tightly entangled and couldn’t escape also went all out, turning to continue fighting fiercely.
This battle lasted from daytime until nightfall.
No one knew how many Xiongnu barbarians escaped, but in any case, the last one left behind also fell, and the fierce battle finally ended.
The ground was covered in corpses and wreckage, indistinguishable between friend and foe. The thick bloody smell enveloped everyone.
Pei Feng, who had held on for half a day, turned and vomited again.
Pei Xuan was injured and sat not far away, forcing herself to rally and comfort Pei Feng: “You’ll feel better after vomiting. We won this battle.”
Pei Feng vomited everything from his stomach clean, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, raised the small water pouch from his waist, and took a big gulp. Then he quickly walked to Pei Xuan’s side: “How bad is your injury?”
Pei Xuan was covered in blood, making it impossible to tell where she was hurt. Her sweet face was also splattered with quite a bit of blood. She replied indifferently: “Anyway, it’s not fatal.”
In such a fierce battle, surviving was already fortunate.
Infantry against cavalry, yet they won the victory. This battle was enough to go down in history. But the cost was extremely heavy. With companions dying in the melee, almost everyone was injured.
Pei Qinghe also had three minor injuries.
“We can’t stay here long, lest Pu Nu lead troops back for a counterattack. We return to Liaoxi City immediately.” After simply treating her injuries, Pei Qinghe called everyone to head back.
The severely wounded who couldn’t move were helped onto warhorses. The lightly wounded supported each other as they advanced.
The Pei character flag, dyed bright red with blood, fluttered in the cold evening wind.
Meng Dalang, with severe injuries and burning with fever, barely sat on his warhorse, leaning against his guard behind him. He half-opened his eyes, looking at the Pei character flag ahead and that figure who would never retreat or tire. A long-buried thought in his heart surged up.
Such a hero was worth the Beiping Army’s loyalty and following.
……
Two fast horses galloped over.
Pei Yun, who had stood steadfast at the city gate, suddenly burst with fervent light in her eyes: “Quickly open the city gate—it’s the vanguard camp sending messages back!”
Li Chi, who had also endured a day and a night at the city gate, brightened his eyes, dashed down quickly, and personally opened the side gate.
The two Pei Family Army men delivering the message shouted: “We rescued the Beiping Army.”
“We won a great victory! The Xiongnu barbarians withdrew troops!”
Pei Family Army great victory!
Li Chi was overjoyed.
Pei Yun hurried over and immediately asked: “Is the general alright?”
“The general has a few minor injuries, no major issues.”
Pei Yun’s heart settled. This was a bit harsh, but it was the truth. The soul of the Pei Family Army was Pei Qinghe. As long as Pei Qinghe was safe and sound, the Pei Family Army’s military banner would never fall.
“I’ll lead people to meet the general.” Li Chi couldn’t restrain his excitement and agitation, volunteering.
Pei Yun was the second-in-command in the Pei Family Army. With Pei Qinghe personally leading troops to battle, those left to guard Liaoxi City naturally took her as leader.
Pei Yun didn’t dampen spirits, smiling as she said: “I’ll go with you.”
Lu Feng and Song Dalang also couldn’t restrain themselves and wanted to go together.
Pei Yun smiled: “Good. Ask General Yang to guard the city. We’ll all go meet the army.”
Yang Hu was a step slow and could only stay behind helplessly. After Pei Yun and the others left, Yang Hu personally went to the kitchen and instructed them to prepare hot water and meals.
Bao Hao, Lu Dongqing, and other military doctors were also busy preparing. Medicine was prepared first, knives and scissors scalded with hot water repeatedly, boxes of clean, sun-dried gauze carried over. The beds in the wounded soldiers’ military tents were never enough—fetch more wooden planks, lay soft straw, then add bedding, and that would have to do.
At the fourth watch, Pei Qinghe led the crowd back to Liaoxi City.
Torch after torch linked into a fire dragon in the dark night, shining from afar.
The common people in Liaoxi City were also stirred, pushing open doors one after another to watch the Pei Family Army men support each other past their doorsteps.
For some reason, their noses soured, and tears welled up.
The taxes they paid had gone to the Liaoxi Army. Now, those protecting them were the Pei Family Army. These men had fought bloody battles to the death for Liaoxi City’s common people. The survivors were covered in wounds. Even General Pei walking at the front was injured and being supported.
That not particularly tall young woman’s figure was etched into the hearts of Liaoxi’s common people that night.
Some common people knelt and kowtowed thud thud thud.
Some common people cried and shouted “Long live the general.”
Pei Qinghe had no strength to respond. She held on until the wounded soldiers’ camp, confirmed that Pei Yun, Pei Yan, Pei Xuan, Pei Feng, and others were by her side, then finally fainted into a relieved sleep.
