Chapter 80: Beacon Smoke Rises
Golden Mountain, Northeast Mountain Pass.
Because this pass has relatively flat terrain, with gently undulating mountains on both sides, it is conducive to the passage of large armies.
Thus, it has also become the focal point contested by both armies.
Even the main camps of both sides were built before and after the Northeast Mountain Pass.
The morning sunlight had just sprinkled on the mountains, yet it failed to dispel the pervasive killing intent.
A new day, intense battles erupted once again around this pass.
Northern Frontier Cavalry clad in black leather armor wielded long sabers, surging toward the mountain valley and the peaks on both sides like raging tides.
For a moment, blade lights and sword shadows intertwined, shouts of killing, screams, and neighs of war horses weaving together.
The Northern Frontier Army’s attack intensity remained extremely fierce.
Under Xiao Simo’s combination of coaxing and threats, those military commanders could only obediently fight for the Khitan People.
But the Naiman People on the other side were in a miserable state.
Commander Kekexue Wu rode on horseback atop a hill, watching the changing situation on the battlefield with wide eyes, his face exceedingly grave.
It was not just worry over the stalemate on the current battlefield, but also because just moments ago, he had learned a terrifying piece of news.
Qu Chulü’s five thousand troops had been defeated by the Liao State army.
Some defeated soldiers had fled back to Golden Mountain Camp overnight, recounting the entire battle process to Kekexue Wu.
After hearing it, he surged with rage on the spot, nearly passing out.
After barely calming his emotions, he shouted grief-strickenly at the sky: “That brat has ruined me.”
He had guarded against everything, but in the end, his life’s reputation was still destroyed by a brat.
Before Qu Chulü set out, he had exhorted him endlessly to be cautious and not act recklessly.
But unexpectedly, the enemy had merely used a simple lure the enemy deep strategy and deliberately killed captives to enrage the soldiers.
That waste Qu Chulü actually failed to control the situation.
He even let the soldiers charge into the mountain valley?
Kekexue Wu’s heart burned with such fury he nearly spat blood.
Sending Qu Chulü out on campaign had evidently become his greatest regret.
Even more terrifying was that Qu Chulü himself was of unknown fate, unclear whether he had escaped.
If Qu Chulü was dead, so be it, but if captured by the Liao People, it would absolutely be a heavy blow to the Naiman army’s morale.
Thus, to prevent morale from wavering, Kekexue Wu ordered those soldiers who fled back to be temporarily detained, not allowing them contact with anyone to prevent the news from spreading further.
Then, he brought his personal guard to the battlefield.
Personally leading soldiers to kill the enemy.
“General, the Liao State troops have retreated.”
Hearing the soldier’s report, Kekexue Wu nodded lightly, his face showing no excitement.
Because he knew this was only a temporary retreat by the Liao People; once they regrouped their army, they would continue the offensive.
In contrast, the Naiman army now had only ten thousand troops left. Though occupying favorable terrain, under continuous major battles, both sides’ strengths would wax and wane.
“Can we hold?”
Kekexue Wu stood on the mountain peak, murmuring to himself inwardly.
His desolate figure faced away from the rising sun, already slightly hunched, as if bent by a heavy burden.
The wind whistled through, tousling his graying hair and revealing the deep fatigue and despair on his face.
His turbid eyes looked toward the Naiman warriors fiercely fighting the Liao People on the battlefield, a bone-chilling cold spreading through his body.
He knew Golden Mountain could not be held.
“But even in death, I will make the Liao People bleed rivers at Golden Mountain.” Kekexue Wu’s eyes suddenly sharpened.
His low voice stated firmly.
He was a veteran Naiman general and would never surrender to the Liao People.
Even without hope of victory, he would expend every effort to consume the Liao State’s troops.
And buy time for Sun Khan to assemble more troops to annihilate all the Liao People invading Naiman territory.
With a resolve to die, Kekexue Wu issued command after command.
And at that moment, a general hurried from the direction of the camp, looking extremely urgent as he said: “General, there is news of Prince Qu Chulü.”
Hearing this, Kekexue Wu turned his head, gritting his teeth in fury: “Where is the prince?”
Qu Chulü was Sun Khan’s most outstanding son; originally, Kekexue Wu had held a sliver of hope for him.
But this battle had thoroughly exposed Qu Chulü’s incompetence.
Kekexue Wu had even less favorable impression of him now.
He only hoped he would not be captured by the Liao People.
But unfortunately, what he feared came to pass.
“Scouts just reported that some soldiers who followed Prince Qu Chulü on campaign have returned.”
“They brought news that Prince Qu Chulü has been captured by the Liao State army,” the deputy general said.
Hearing this, Kekexue Wu closed his eyes in utter despair.
It was simply the worst possible news.
Qu Chulü should have committed suicide in atonement rather than being humiliatingly captured by the Liao People.
Once this news leaked, it would be a fatal blow to the entire Naiman army’s morale.
“Isolate those returned soldiers separately and do not let this news leak out,” Kekexue Wu said in a deep voice.
But the deputy general looked troubled and said: “I’m afraid we can’t keep it hidden.”
“There are one to two thousand soldiers who fled back this time; once they enter the camp, the news will surely spread.”
Hearing this, Kekexue Wu’s expression changed dramatically.
He suddenly widened his eyes, staring fixedly at the deputy general: “You mean one to two thousand soldiers returned?”
The deputy general nodded: “That’s what the scouts reported.”
“Bad.”
Kekexue Wu suddenly shouted loudly: “Those are Liao State people in disguise—stop them quickly.”
Hearing this, everyone around looked puzzled.
But Kekexue Wu had no time to explain. Wanting to mobilize troops to block them, he realized most of his troops were committed to the frontal battlefield against Xiao Simo’s army.
Facing enemies from the rear, he suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness.
Kekexue Wu’s judgment that they were Liao State troops in disguise was also based on his understanding of nomadic people soldiers.
Armies of nomadic people are basically products of tribal alliance systems; soldiers have no concept of nation, only their own tribe and small family.
Once defeated in battle, the soldiers scatter in all directions.
If near the main camp, soldiers might return to camp.
But in the current situation, defeated Naiman soldiers’ first choice would inevitably be to flee back to their own tribes.
Taking their tribes and relatives to migrate to safer places.
So, if only a few soldiers fled back to camp, Kekexue Wu would believe it.
But one to two thousand returning at once, especially with their commander Qu Chulü captured and no constraint from him.
Kekexue Wu immediately realized something was wrong.
Clearly the enemy army in disguise.
Meanwhile, Li Xiao led over two thousand soldiers, changing into Naiman People’s clothes.
The clothes were full of blood and stains, as if they had just been through a brutal battle.
Their faces were likewise covered in blood and mud, obscuring the soldiers’ features; from afar, it was impossible to distinguish Han People from Naiman People.
Over two thousand cavalry thus quietly approached toward Golden Mountain Camp.
Though they encountered scouts twice on the road, they bluffed their way past.
Until the outline of the Naiman camp was visible ahead, when finally, under Kekexue Wu’s orders, the Naiman People strengthened the camp’s defenses.
Moreover, it was after Kekexue Wu returned to camp and personally mobilized troops to prepare a desperate defense of the camp.
However, at this time, most Naiman troops had gone to the mountains, so Kekexue Wu had few troops he could mobilize.
“Have we been discovered?”
Li Xiao galloped on horseback toward the camp, seeing chaos already beginning inside from afar, the camp’s wooden gates slowly closing.
Soldiers mounting war horses to prepare for battle.
Li Xiao thus knew their identities had been exposed.
But no matter; he had never expected to sneak into the Naiman Great Camp with just Naiman disguises anyway.
Not all Naiman generals are fools.
“Light the beacon smoke,” Li Xiao ordered.
Then, looking toward the over two thousand cavalry behind him, he shouted loudly: “The Naiman People’s camp is empty—this is our chance to earn merits.”
“Kill one enemy, reward two sheep, exempt from slave status.”
“Kill!”
With Li Xiao’s order, over two thousand cavalry immediately let out loud roars.
Like wailing ghosts and howling wolves, they charged toward the camp.
War horses thundering, the earth trembling, rolling dust rising; the terrifying cavalry surged forward like massive waves.
In the camp, every Naiman soldier under this powerful aura involuntarily showed tension and horror on their faces.
Numerical superiority was not on their side.
After all, when Kekexue Wu realized something was wrong, it was already too late; he could not mobilize more troops in time to defend the camp.
He could only watch as the camp’s fences, like a fragile membrane, were easily pierced by the spear wall formed by Li Xiao’s army.
“Kill, block them.”
Kekexue Wu’s face was savage, eyes bloodshot, wielding a saber in fury as he roared, his gray hair disheveled and flying, personally leading men to charge and kill like a madman.
Li Xiao, clad in heavy armor, charged into the camp, his horse spear sweeping to easily impale two Naiman soldiers through.
Immediately after, his gaze turned to Kekexue Wu, protected in the center by numerous Naiman soldiers.
Both his age and attire convinced Li Xiao this was a big fish.
“Yah~”
Wielding his horse spear, he unhesitatingly led men to charge toward Kekexue Wu.
Golden Mountain West, on a mountain peak.
Two Khitan soldiers sat on the ground, bored gazing at the scenery.
Though not having to fight the Naiman People to the death was good, staying on the mountaintop all day was truly damn cold.
But fortunately, their hard days were about to end.
“What is that?”
“Beacon smoke.”
“It’s beacon smoke—the beacon smoke has risen.”
The two soldiers looked toward the eastern mountains, vaguely seeing a column of rolling smoke soaring into the sky.
They dared not delay, immediately turning to head down the mountain: “Hurry.”
“Go back and report to the Great King.”
