Start with a red name

To ensure a smooth start to the second phase of the operation, Liu Mu did not command from the rear, but personally led 20,000 cavalry to charge at the front line.

Of the 20,000 cavalrymen he personally led, 10,000 were Xuanyou Light Cavalrymen skilled in "horse-riding and throwing techniques," and 10,000 were Xuanyou Iron Cavalrymen.

This force of ten thousand Xuanyou Iron Cavalry, apart from a small number of high-level leaders and core members, is almost entirely composed of newly recruited and transformed individuals.

Interestingly, although they clearly did not experience the miraculous blessing of "good fortune" or witness the extraordinary medical skills of near-death resurrection, their emotions were somewhat complex and subtle, but their will was exceptionally firm, even though they were arranged to turn around and attack their former master.

They had no objections to the arrangement itself.

Perhaps, from their perspective, the fact that such a "Black Wind Army" appeared almost in the blink of an eye and destroyed Dong Guan's solid foundation built up over decades in the Xuan You and You states in one fell swoop is itself an incredible miracle beyond common sense.

Dong Guan was like a setting sun, nearing its end and about to be completely swallowed by darkness.

This "Black Wind Army" is like a rising sun, with almost limitless prospects.

When they were lucky enough not to die or escape, but instead chose to surrender and willingly become part of this "rising sun," they had already made their choice.

With such awareness, they naturally wouldn't hesitate to unleash their light and heat, making this "rising sun" even more glorious and dazzling.

In Liu Mu's eyes, this meant that the army's morale was high and its fighting spirit was commendable.

Although Liu Mu was somewhat aware that Yang Qian was also taking action, he did not place his hopes on that in his plan.

In a sense, his actions determined the lower limit of the results in the second and even the third phase.

It's a safety net.

Yang Qian's actions determined the upper limit of the results in these two stages; success would be ideal.

Even if things don't go as planned, Liu Mu is confident that the final result will not deviate from the overall strategy he has spearheaded.

The army marched swiftly, getting closer and closer to the enemy camp, but the road remained smooth and unobstructed.

There were no troops to intercept them, not even a few scattered scouts or cavalry.

Liu Mu, who dared not have too high expectations, gradually felt his heart rise, moving from the "lower limit" to the "upper limit".

The events unfolding in the distant enemy camp also perfectly reflected the changes in Liu Mu's mindset.

……

The 120,000 iron cavalrymen, whom Dong Guan relied on as his main force, experienced several thrilling and unfortunate hours.

Leaving the camp with high spirits, like a heavy, blunt sword, they intended to use a clumsy and unskillful move to shatter the "roots" that the "Black Wind Army" had painstakingly cultivated in Youzhou.

Under wave after wave of deadly spears, they continuously scattered and fled, and in the end, less than half of them escaped alive.

But even at this point, the ordeal was not over.

The survivors, exhausted and barely clinging to life, encountered a group of reckless "madmen" on their way back to camp.

This perfectly timed strike not only shattered the barely regrouped forces once again.

His already shaken mind was completely shattered by this attack.

In such a short period of time, after suffering repeated heavy blows, the number of riders who had left the camp with high morale of 120,000 cavalrymen who returned to camp was less than 5,000.

They were all disheveled and panicked, like defeated dogs tucked between their legs and whimpering as they returned to camp.

As they returned one by one, the bad news spread throughout the camp like a Category 12 hurricane.

"Oh!"

Inside the central army camp, a sudden gust of wind swept through, and a table made of hard ironwood was shattered into pieces by a large, fat hand.

The scattered fragments, like arrows released from a bow, tore through the surrounding void and shot in all directions.

Many of the people gathered inside the house suffered this undeserved misfortune, their skin cut by sharp pieces of ironwood, some even piercing their bodies.

But at that moment, everyone ignored this trivial matter.

Even those who were capable of defending and dodging stood like wooden stakes, making no attempt to react.

Inside, only Dong Guan's voice roared and howled.

“Say that again!”

At first glance, the sound seemed like a roar, but upon closer listening, it resembled the desperate, mournful cry of a dying tiger on the verge of collapse.

Dong Guan's eyes widened in anger, his hair and beard bristling like iron wires as he glared fiercely at the figures in front of him.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his chest was filled with murderous intent.

The pretense he had been carefully maintained for so many days was torn to shreds by his own hands at this moment, revealing his true nature.

The figures, subjected to his fierce gaze, all knelt on the ground, covered in dust and looking disheveled.

Faced with his roar and shouts, no one answered; they all lowered their heads even further.

If they could, they would wish for a crack to appear in the ground so they could shrink into a tiny ball and hide deep inside.

Despite staring intently at the group, Dong Guan ultimately refrained from venting his anger and frustration on these "bane messengers."

He abruptly closed his eyes and stood silently in place.

A moment later, he reopened his eyes, looked at everyone in the room, grinned, and said in a hoarse voice:
"As you all know, it seems this old man is really going to die."

Although I felt the shock was too great and it was somewhat unbelievable.

But looking back at history, hasn't this been how the Nine Provinces have fared for the past five or six hundred years?
Ambitious young people, like the rising sun, are a new force that overthrows the old fogies, like withered bones in a tomb, and takes their place on the thrones they left behind.

Then, these young and emerging forces, hampered by countless internal and external constraints, gradually became stagnant and decayed.

Then it was overthrown by the new "rising sun".

This cycle repeats endlessly.

After being devastated by the bad news, Dong Guan found himself strangely at peace once he detached himself from his rapidly deteriorating personal situation.

He even referred to himself as an "old guy" without any restraint, and joked that he was about to die.

Dong Guan seemed to suddenly become carefree.

But everyone else felt that their bodies, minds, and even the surrounding air became more oppressive and heavy.

No one agreed with Dong Guan's "joke".

After making a "little joke," Dong Guan's gaze swept over everyone, as if he wanted to ask someone for advice.

Everyone seemed to sense something, and not one of them bravely stepped forward.

Everywhere you looked, they all looked like quails, as if they wanted to hide their heads in their necks.

They, who were usually so eager to perform and full of clever ideas, have now all turned into silly goose.

Dong Guan didn't make things difficult for these cowards.

What he needs now is genuine advice, not forcing others to express their opinions.

Even if he forcibly pried open the mouths of these "little quails," what good would it do?

After scanning the area twice, Dong Guan, utterly disappointed, suddenly focused his gaze, quickly scanned it again, and asked abruptly:

"Where's Zhang Shaohe? Why isn't he here?"

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon several people who were on good terms with Zhang Shao and were close to him.

Their eyes met quickly, and one of them, forcing a smile, said:
"I...didn't see it."

"Hmm?!" Dong Guan frowned and gave a soft snort. The man shuddered slightly and quickly said:
"The last time I saw him was in the morning when 120,000 cavalrymen left the camp. He was with us and watched them leave."

Later, he said he had some things to take care of and parted ways with us. We never saw him again after that.

"The suggestion to postpone the attack was made by him... Do you think it's just a coincidence?"

When Dong Guan asked the question, it was as if he were talking to himself in a low voice, asking himself a question.

The moment he raised the question, it was no longer a question.

Before those close to Zhang Shaohe could even speak, some people were already kicking him while he was down.

Just as everyone began to speak, preparing to ease the overly oppressive atmosphere in the room by "sacrificing" Zhang Shaohe.

Dong Guan waved his hand, interrupting everyone's explanation, and said:

"Alright, enough with the nonsense, two quarters of an hour!"

I plan to leave immediately in 15 minutes... You can discuss it further.

Perhaps these people's abilities were inherently limited, or perhaps it was Dong Guan's overly suspicious nature that led him to mold these shrewd individuals around him into the shape he desired.

In that case, don't blame these people for not being strong enough to shoulder the responsibility or make decisions at such a critical moment.

Therefore, after Dong Guan clearly drew the line, he then asked these people to refine it.

There are two main areas that need improvement.

Firstly, in such a short time, it's impossible to take all the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and massive amounts of supplies from the military camp.

Secondly, who and what items need to be taken away?

What should be done with the remaining people and things?
Moreover, "leave immediately" sounds easy, but how do you leave? Where do you go?
All of them are problems.

Fortunately, these people are not incompetent fools.

They quickly refined Dong Guan's plan.

Based on their discussion, those guards with weak strength and questionable loyalty in this turbulent time could only regretfully give up.

Only the Iron Feather Guards and several thousand Xuan You Riders can take them away.

Even this "taking away" doesn't mean foolishly leading a group of people away from the military camp and rushing into the nearby rolling Canglan Mountains.

Instead, they split into multiple streams, each taking different routes and heading in different directions.

Dong Guan himself, along with his most trusted core members, are hidden within one of these teams.

When faced with the necessity of painful sacrifices, one should naturally not hesitate to abandon the pawn to save the king.

So, what Dong Guan needs to do now is very simple.

Select those "core" ones.

Knowing what to do, Dong Guan waved to the crowd without hesitation:
"Alright, all of you go and make some simple preparations... In a quarter of an hour, those who wish to continue with me should gather at the camp gate."

The last sentence was rather disheartening, and also seemed somewhat superfluous.

Those who want to join can come, and those who don't?
Should we escape in another direction? Or break away from the same route?
Or, they could simply stay in the camp and wait for the "Black Wind Army" to come and recruit them.
After saying this, Dong Guan ignored the complicated arrangements made by the others and did not reveal his plans after leaving. He strode out of the room, leaving behind a group of people exchanging silent glances and having different thoughts.

After striding out of the house, Dong Guan rubbed his cheek hard.

When Dong Guan placed his hands on his face, his movements suddenly paused for a moment, and his thoughts were inexplicably taken aback.

Because in his mind, his cheeks should be full and round.

But this time, when he placed his palms on his cheeks, he only felt the looseness of his skin and the deep wrinkles that only the excessively aged could have.

However, Dong Guan, who had been somewhat dejected and defeated, soon strode away.

His steps were brisk, and his expression was resolute.

It gives people a sense of perseverance and resilience.

It can only be destroyed, not defeated.

Soon, Dong Guan strode into a small courtyard next door.

Just as he was about to push open the courtyard gate and stride inside, the gate was suddenly opened by a gaunt old man.

Dong Guan was slightly surprised, but that was all.

He glanced at it briefly before looking away.

He was familiar with the old man who opened the door, but what was his name? Dong Guan didn't know.

However, this is not important.

He walked past the old man who opened the door and strode towards the training ground in the backyard.

He knew that his "child" was extremely fascinated by cultivation and happened to have an extraordinary talent for it.

When he wasn't on guard duty, he would hide in a secluded corner to cultivate quietly and work diligently.

Therefore, Dong Guan knew where to look for his "child" at this moment.

Upon entering the backyard, Dong Guan immediately spotted a figure standing there with his back turned, like a wooden stake.

Dong Guan, who could only see the other person's back, was slightly surprised.

Because the other party did not cultivate diligently as he expected, but stood still.

However, Dong Guan quickly put this minor difference aside.

He even found a reason for the other party's abnormality immediately.

His steps slowed deliberately, becoming increasingly heavy.

His face was now etched with sorrow and grief.

"My son, why haven't you been cultivating?... You've heard about the terrible news outside, haven't you?"

The figure, who had been standing with his back to the camera, slowly turned around.

A pair of eyes also fell on Dong Guan.

At this moment, Dong Guan's mind inexplicably became unusually sensitive.

The other person's gaze, which seemed no different from usual, now gave him a sense of being looked down upon.

This caused him a strange pang of pain.

To conceal this emotion, Dong Guan sighed:

"I am a useless father, and I will no longer be able to let you cultivate properly... You should quickly select a group of capable people, and we will leave immediately."

"Leave?" The person opposite finally spoke, as if in doubt or question.

Dong Guan sighed again: "120,000 iron cavalrymen have been wiped out in one day. This camp cannot be held, and we can only retreat... I am also tired. From now on, you will have to take care of everything for your father!"

He spoke with a heartfelt sincerity, as if saying, "I want to hand over the family business to you."

“In that case, Father, please don’t leave.”

"Huh?!" (End of Chapter)