Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 434 Mountain

The Tongbai Mountains overlook the Central Plains to the north and the Chu region to the south. With all mountains below and a view stretching for thousands of miles, they are the source of the Huai River.

In April and May, the mountains are lush and green, and the scenery is delightful, but it is overshadowed by the atmosphere of war below the mountains.

The Tiger Guard cavalry stood in formation on the flat ground at the foot of the mountain, completely silent.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides, they were trapped like an iron cage.

This terrain is a dangerous formation in military strategy. If the enemy is positioned on high ground to wait for us, we should be positioned on flat ground to meet them. We should lead them away and not follow them.

However, Liu Yiwu did the opposite and deliberately chose this dangerous place.

"General, you are a man of great wealth and power. Why should you risk your life alone?" Deputy General Yao Yong advised.

Liu Yiwu pursued them relentlessly, not only without concealing his identity, but also making a great show of it, as if he wanted everyone to know that he was Liu Daogui's eldest son.

"Otherwise, why would the traitors come down the mountain to fight me? The terrain of Tongbai Mountain is complex. If they hide deep in the mountains, it will take at least three to five years to wipe out such stubborn bandits!"

After leaving Liu Daogui, Liu Yiwu actually became more mature and composed.

The Tiger Guard Army is full of fierce generals. Even if Liu Daogui's eldest son is not respected by others if he does not have military merits.

"The enemy army has killed Xu Kuizhi, Shen Yuanzi and other generals, and is full of pride. I have no military achievements and no reputation. They will surely underestimate me since I have ventured deep into enemy territory alone. This is a trick of an arrogant army, and an arrogant army will surely be defeated!"

Having studied military books and strategies for many years, and having observed military tactics alongside Liu Daogui for many years, Liu Yiwu had long since mastered them.

It can be said that he was a military talent cultivated by Liu Daogui.

All that's missing is one more chance to put it into practice.

The five thousand elite Tiger Guards under his command are veterans who have fought in the north and south for many years. They are more than capable of dealing with six thousand bandits, let alone several times their number of elite Hu troops.

"General, you are not afraid of death. We swear to follow you to the death and fight the enemy to the death!" The valiant generals Zhai Guang and Dou Ba bowed.

"With your help, we are sure to win this battle!"

As they spoke, banners fluttered on the mountains to the south and west, and two groups of men and horses snaked down like a long dragon. Under the spring sun, their armor gleamed coldly, and shouts grew louder as they approached.

One force approached head-on, while another headed straight for Chuankou, attempting to cut off the Tiger Guard's retreat.

"This... only six thousand men? I'm afraid it's no less than ten thousand!" Yao Yong was astonished.

Besides the armored soldiers, there were also two cavalry units.

Two years ago, when they fought fiercely in Guanzhong, the Qin army was not as well-equipped as they were.

"No wonder he was able to kill Xu Kui. He is not to be underestimated. All troops, listen to my command and retreat!" Liu Yiwu did not hesitate at all.

Cavalry is an army that can be divided and reunited, its movements unpredictable, constantly shifting and shifting, avoiding the strong and attacking the weak.

If the enemy forces capture Chuankou, five miles behind them, they will be trapped like turtles in a jar.

The army immediately turned their horses around and galloped eastward.

Two legs are no match for four, and the winding mountain road made it even harder to catch up with the Tiger Guards.

However, this escape only boosted the morale of the bandit army, who then gave chase.

Huan Shisui sensed something was wrong, but he couldn't control the other refugee army.

Liu Yiwu not only fled, but also repeatedly abandoned his armor, weapons, and warhorses, which made the rebels even more excited.

This tactic of luring the enemy is always effective, and the simpler the strategy, the greater the chance of success. Even if some generals sense something is wrong, they cannot control their troops.

A horse is worth a thousand gold pieces, a set of armor is worth tens of thousands of strings of cash, and even the cheapest banner can be exchanged for seven or eight bushels of grain.

Blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents.

The bandits, already desperate for loot on the mountain, were so engrossed in their greed that they forgot all about ambushes and focused solely on seizing the supplies on the ground.

Some even drew their swords against each other for a single warhorse.

The scene immediately descended into chaos.

"Form ranks and do not lose your composure! The spoils will be divided equally after we return to the mountain!" Huan Shisui shouted, but no one listened to him. He stepped forward and grabbed a Xiongnu soldier.

Unexpectedly, the soldier turned around and kicked him, yelling, "Get lost!" Huan Shisui was kicked back two steps, his face turning pale and then red. His men drew their swords, but the Xiongnu soldier, seeing that things were not going well, darted into the chaotic army and disappeared.

"Ignore them, you must not lose your composure!" Huan Shisui paid no heed to the rabble.

While others were scrambling for armor and warhorses, Huan's troops could only watch helplessly, their hearts filled with resentment. Their formation became sluggish, and they were constantly being attacked by the fleeing army that was coming from behind.

Just then, the ground began to tremble slowly.

"They've arrived!" Huan Shisui had expected this and was not surprised.

As expected, the Tiger Guard cavalry returned from the mountains to the east and charged forward.

The refugee soldiers who were still fighting over the armor and weapons looked up in horror. The Tiger Guard cavalry had already charged in front of them. The leading general was as strong as a black tower. He thrust out his long spear and impaled a bandit soldier in mid-air.

Horse hooves trampled over the ground, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

"They're attacking! Run for your lives!"

The bandits, no longer as arrogant as before, turned and fled, only to hasten their own demise.

The cavalry galloped past, and with a gentle flick of their long spears, the enemy soldiers fell in droves like ripe rice stalks.

Cold sweat beaded on Huan Shisui's forehead. This was the first time he had ever witnessed the power of a well-organized cavalry unit, and its sharpness far exceeded his expectations.

In the previous battles against Xu Kui and Shen Yuanzi, most of the soldiers were infantry.

"Hold on!" Huan Shisui tried his best to reassure the soldiers.

The soldiers managed to maintain their formation with difficulty.

But the sight of tall, powerful horses charging towards them, shaking the earth and flashing with the cold light of long spears, still made one's legs tremble involuntarily.

Although there were some veterans among Huan's troops, most of them were still accustomed to infantry and naval warfare and had no experience in fighting against large-scale cavalry.

"Kill!" Liu Yiwu roared from the opposite side.

"Kill!" The cavalry behind them roared, like thunderclaps rising from the ground.

The five Huan family soldiers at the very front of the line buckled at the knees and collapsed to the ground in fear.

If those at the front were in such a state, those at the rear were even worse off, unable to hold onto their spears and crossbows.

Several disorganized refugees, in a panic, crashed directly into the army's ranks.

"escape--"

Huan's followers immediately scattered and fled with the refugee army.

"We can't escape!" Huan Shisui's eyes were bloodshot.

How could two legs possibly outrun four? The distance of three or four miles from the river mouth to the foot of the mountain was enough for the Tiger Guard cavalry to wipe them out.

But morale had collapsed, and no one listened to him anymore; they all desperately fled towards the nearby mountains.

The cavalry were faster than them, and amidst screams, a blood mist enveloped the entire valley.

Huan Shisui drew his sword, ready to fight, but looking at the approaching Tiger Guard cavalry, he felt a chill in his heart, his legs were unsteady, and his long sword trembled.

Before he could even hold on for five breaths, he turned and disappeared into the fleeing crowd.

However, his gleaming armor had already drawn attention.

The horses galloped in, their hooves flashing, and the spear pierced through Huan Shisui's chest and back. Huan Shisui was lifted into the air and flew into the sky before landing on the ground. Hundreds of hooves trampled over him, and before he could even utter a scream, he was reduced to a pool of blood and mud.

"Don't let a single person escape, and don't take any prisoners!" Liu Yiwu was like a bloodthirsty beast, his eyes were bloodshot.

The battlefield had long since turned into a one-sided massacre, the entire valley was stained blood red, and severed limbs were scattered all along the way. Very few of the bandits managed to escape back to the mountain.

"Sima Guofan, your Sima family is unworthy to be the ruler. This world belongs to the Liu family. Come out and face your death!"

Liu Yiwu leaped onto the pile of corpses on his horse and shouted domineeringly towards the mountain.

The echoes reverberated through the mountains...

(End of this chapter)