Tang Dynasty: Starting with 3,000 elite cavalry, a bloody battle to retake the city.

Does it say no clothes? With the same robe.

The king has raised an army; let us prepare our spears and shields, and fight together against this common enemy.

The blood of the Han people remains within me.

Unconvinced! Unyielding! Undying! We will fight to the death until our blood runs dry!

Every word is as if it were carved into the paper with a knife, penetrating three layers.

Xiao Tuan's hands trembled slightly, and her eyes instantly reddened.

She recognized the handwriting, and even more so, she recognized the spirit within it.

Her young master was never some coward who hid back in Chang'an to live off his wife.

He was the Ghost-Faced General who fought his way out of Youzhou, pierced one of Jieli's eyes with an arrow, and defended the isolated city alone for half a month!

He was the man who led three thousand warriors into the sea of ​​fire, knowing he was doomed but still shouting "Fellow enemy!"

How could someone like that possibly confine themselves to this tiny courtyard, listening to the wind and appreciating the moon?

The banks of the Wei River were the final battlefield.

It was also a place he had to return to.

"Young Master..." Xiao Tuan bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes, but she forced them back.

"You must come back..."

"Xiao Tuan... will always be here waiting for you."

She carefully put the paper away, as if she were holding a burning heart.

She knew—

Her young master was a hero whom the entire Tang Dynasty looked up to.

……

At the same time.

Ten kilometers outside Chang'an City, at the edge of the wilderness.

A figure stood beneath the setting sun, his black robes fluttering, his face hidden in shadow.

It was Han Ye.

He gazed toward the Wei River in the distance, where the smoke of war was faintly visible, and the sound of war drums seemed to be booming in his ears.

"Xiao Tuan, I'm sorry," he murmured softly, his voice hoarse, "I still... can't be a deserter."

"I am not fighting for myself in this battle."

"I fight for those who didn't come back alive..."

He looked up at the sky, his eyes filled with not fear, but resolve.

"So, I have to go."

"because--"

"That damned masked general in Youzhou never truly survived."

Gazing in the direction of Chang'an, Han Ye stood on a desolate hill, with only his maid Xiao Tuan silently by his side.

He knew she couldn't hear him.

But these whispers were not meant for her—they were meant for the self that had long since succumbed to bloodshed and fire.

"Whoa—"

A soft shout, as sharp as a knife cutting through the wind.

In an instant, Red Hare neighed and tore through the air, Azure Dragon Spear was drawn horizontally, battle robes fluttered, scarlet as if burning! That blood-stained clothes seemed to have just stepped out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, the still-dried killing intent permeating the fabric.

boom!

An overwhelming pressure exploded from his body, causing the earth to tremble and the plants to bow their heads.

The air seemed to have solidified into molten iron, so heavy it was suffocating.

As Han Ye mounted his horse, spear pointed at the sky, his blood-red robe billowing like waves—

The masked general who once struck fear into the enemy and made thousands of troops retreat has returned!

But... there's still one last thing missing.

"Ghost Mask..."

In a flash, the mask, which looked like it was both crying and laughing, and was hideous and eerie, fell into his palm.

His fingertips trembled slightly as he stared at it, a thin layer of red rising in his eyes.

Xiahou Dun, Zhong Fang, Master Jiang...

Those old brothers buried in the yellow sand, one by one, came to mind.

"Your masked general..." his voice was hoarse, like a dull knife scraping against iron armor, "has returned."

As soon as he finished speaking, he covered his face with a mask.

With a soft click, it fit perfectly.

Only a pair of eyes were visible—black, cold, burning with an inextinguishable fire of hatred and bloodlust.

He donned the demon armor again, not for glory, not for fame.

For one person only: Khagan Jieli!

Blood for blood, life for life!

hum!

hum!

hum!

The open space behind them suddenly cracked open with a loud bang, and space twisted and tore open three dark gates.

Three thousand white-horse warriors emerged from the underworld in formation!

The white horse galloped like snow, the silver armor reflected the moon, long spears stood in rows, and the killing intent was chilling.

They stood silently, their gazes cold and resolute, yet all fixed on Han Ye, their eyes filled with unwavering loyalty.

"Greetings, General!"

"Greetings, General!"

"Greetings, General!"

The roar reached the sky, and three thousand people knelt on one knee, raising clouds of dust.

Han Ye didn't say a word, just raised his hand and waved—

Wow!

Three thousand ghost masks descended from the sky, falling like black feathers.

The White Horse Cavalry were slightly taken aback.

This time, summoned from the underworld, he was not wearing a mask... but the general's actions must have a deeper meaning.

"Everyone, don your demon masks and follow me into battle!"

The command is as concise as cutting iron.

"Yes, sir!"

Without hesitation, the three thousand soldiers quickly put on their masks.

The moment the last mask was put on—

The world seemed to fall silent.

The wind stopped, the clouds lingered, and even the chirping of insects quietly faded away.

From this moment on, they were no longer simply the White Horse Cavalry.

They are the souls of the dead who have been resurrected, the blades of judgment from hell!

They are—the masked warriors of the Great Tang Dynasty!

Boom!!

Before the war drums sounded, the killing intent had already begun.

Han Ye rode ahead, Red Hare galloping like thunder, followed closely by three thousand masked iron cavalry, shattering the night and speeding along the desolate ancient road.

The sound of horses' hooves was deliberately suppressed to an extremely low level, like a ghost moving silently.

However, their direction of advance was completely opposite to that of Li Yingge's army.

They were neither rushing straight to the front lines nor rushing to the aid of the border.

Instead, they detoured through Dingzhou and passed through Youzhou, avoiding all the beacon towers and sentry posts—

They plunged straight into the heart of the Turkic army's rear!

Like a poisoned dagger hidden in the shadows, it silently slithers toward the enemy's heart.

Khagan Jieli would never have imagined that an army from the underworld had already set its sights on him from his supposedly secure rear.

The real fatal blow never comes from the front lines.

But—a stab in the back!

At this time, outside Dingzhou City.

The setting sun was like blood, and desolate graves were scattered everywhere.

Yuchi Gong stood below the city wall, gazing at the newly erected tombstones, speechless for a long time.

Buried here are the people of the entire Dingzhou.

Men, women, children... all perished in the war, their bones piled up, forming this tragic mass grave.

The entire city became a ghost town because all the living people had been slaughtered.

All of this was bought with the breath of air by one man and three thousand iron cavalry.

"General Ghost Face... truly a divine being." Yuchi Gong sighed softly, his voice full of respect.

"With three thousand cavalry, they fought a valiant battle against fifty thousand elite Turkic troops, refusing to retreat even in the face of death..."

"Admirable! Lamentable!"

He gripped the steel whip tightly, his heart churning with complex emotions.

Such a person, I never got to see in person.

If we can fight side by side, I will have no regrets even if I die.

Tap...tap...tap...

Suddenly, faint footsteps came from afar.

Yuchi Gong's pupils contracted, and he turned around abruptly!

"Report—!!"

"General! Unusual activity has been detected behind Dingzhou City—an army is moving about suspiciously and is advancing at full speed towards Youzhou!"

The scout came galloping in, his voice tearing through the dust and wind, filled with panting and fear.

"All troops on high alert!"

Yuchi Gong's pupils contracted, and he roared.

Before the words were even finished, the man had already leaped onto the city wall, his cloak fluttering like a battle flag.

His gaze was sharp as a knife, sweeping into the distance.

But it was too late—

On the horizon, only lingering shadows remained, and the dust kicked up by the iron hooves slowly settled, like the earth coughing out its last breath of stale air.

But at the very end of that dissipating black tide...

A figure was etched into his eyes like a brand!

A ghostly face covered his features, its cold light chilling him to the bone.

Blood stained their heavy armor, making them look like ghosts crawling out of a Shura tomb.

A long spear pointed diagonally, a powerful bow slung over his shoulder, his solitary figure commanded the silent humility of the entire wasteland...

Yuchi Gong froze, his heart almost stopping.

"A demon... a demon-faced general?!"

His throat bobbed, and he whispered, trembling, "I fucking...saw a ghost?"

That outfit, that menacing aura...

Who in the world doesn't know him?

The legendary Ghost-Faced War God, who died on the battlefield and was buried at the border!

How could this happen again here?!

A cold wind blew in his face, but he felt as if he had fallen into a sea of ​​fire, and his hair stood on end.

This battle may well change the world...

What he didn't know was—

The "ghost" who could make children in enemy countries stop crying was now galloping at full speed, with three thousand black-armored cavalry hidden in the night, moving like venomous snakes.

Han Ye stood at the front of the group, a slight smile playing on his lips beneath his mask.

"Khan Jieli..."

He said softly, his voice like an ice blade slicing through iron armor, "I've come."

There were no drums or bugles, no banners.

They bypassed Dingzhou and swept through Youzhou, like a dagger hidden in a sleeve, quietly reaching the heart of the Turkic army.

The real killing spree has only just begun.

-

Two days later, on the banks of the Wei River.

The river flows like a ribbon, and the wind whips up yellow sand.

Li Shimin personally led the Tang army to form a battle array here, their golden armor gleaming in the sun, their imposing presence as majestic as a mountain.

Across from them, dark clouds loomed overhead.

The army under Khagan Jieli rolled in, its banners covering the sky and its iron hooves shaking the earth, as if the entire grassland was roaring in response.

Although the so-called "million-strong army" was nothing but a bluff, the actual number of more than 200,000 elite Turkic cavalry was enough to make the Central Plains tremble with fear!

"Kill! Kill! Kill—!"

The Turkic soldiers roared in unison, their voices soaring to the heavens that even the Wei River trembled.

suddenly!

A one-eyed figure leaped into the air, immediately brandishing his sword.

It was none other than Khagan Jieli!

With a single raised hand, all sounds ceased, not even the wind dared to make a sound.

He gazed at Li Shimin under the Ming Dynasty's Yellow Dragon Banner on the opposite bank, a mocking sneer spreading across his lips:

"Li Shimin! Hundreds of thousands of iron cavalry are already at the city gates. Why don't you dismount and kneel down to surrender? Do you really want to wait to die?!"

His arrogant words immediately filled the Tang army with murderous intent!

Cheng Yaojin's eyes widened, and he was almost about to charge out with his axe; Li Jing's face was gloomy, and the hilt of his sword creaked in his hand.

But what about Li Shimin?

He actually laughed.

It wasn't a laugh born of extreme anger, but a genuine, composed smile playing at the corners of his lips.

He recalled that night, on the walls of Chang'an, the moonlight as white as frost.

Han Ye stood at the edge of the city wall, gazing at the northern border, and said calmly:

"What is Jieli afraid of?"

The stronger you are, the more panicked he becomes.

"What you need to do is not fight head-on—you need to bluff."

"Trick him until he's completely flustered and suspicious, and then you'll lose your composure first."

At the time, he thought the boy was too arrogant.

now……

He finally understood.

"You want me to dismount and beg for mercy?"

Li Shimin suddenly spurred his horse forward, the hooves pounding the ground with a dull thud.

despair!despair!despair!

Every step felt like stepping on the enemy's heart.

He stopped at the edge of the riverbank, stared directly at Jieli, and burst into loud laughter:

"You—you think you're worthy?!"

A deafening explosion!

It's not just a battle of words, but a clash of wills!

But before Jieli could even unleash his power—

A sudden change has occurred!

"Victory!!"

"Victory!!"

"Victory!!"

In an instant, the surrounding mountains roared!

Countless Tang soldiers poured out of the valleys and dense forests, their banners waving and drums thundering, layer upon layer, stretching as far as the eye could see!

The war drums thundered, resonating with the heavens and earth; the armor gleamed in the sun, and the killing intent soared to the sky!