Northern Cold Pass.
General Xuanyue hurried onto the city wall, his eyes fixed intently on the Black Cavalry calling for the gates to be opened below.
The thing he had feared most had happened.
These people had actually returned!
Commander of Northern Cold Pass Wang Xiao stood with his hands behind his back, calmly watching General Xuanyue hurry over.
“General Xuanyue, didn’t the military report you sent to the Capital City say that these Ten Thousand Black Cavalry had already surrendered to Li Zhen?
Why are they saying they risked their lives to escape back here?
And why are they at full strength? Could it be that not a single one of you was injured in the battle with the Wolf Cavalry?” Wang Xiao asked with great interest.
His face was filled with mockery.
“General Wang, this information came from the scouts. You were there at the time as well. The scouts personally saw them training against the Wolf Cavalry. Could it have been fake?”
General Xuanyue shot him an annoyed glance and avoided answering the matter of the casualties.
“Oh, if that is the case, then I shall not interfere. They are your Black Cavalry, so please decide how to handle this yourselves, General Xuanyue.” Wang Xiao glanced at General Xuanyue before leisurely turning and walking down from the city wall.
The Black Cavalry was stationed at Northern Cold Pass, but held a unique position. Normally, General Xuanyue was extremely arrogant toward him.
Therefore, Wang Xiao was unwilling to meddle in their affairs.
After all, General Xuanyue had reported everything to the Capital City from beginning to end. These people’s family members could be said to have died indirectly at his hands.
It had nothing whatsoever to do with Wang Xiao.
Now that they had returned, the trouble would continue.
If these people entered the pass and learned that their family members had already been executed by imperial decree… tsk, tsk, tsk!
What was more.
If they entered, General Xuanyue would effectively be saddled with the crime of deceiving the emperor!
General Xuanyue clearly understood this as well. He stared viciously at the army below the wall. What the hell had these damned people returned for?
“Xuanyue, you abandoned us and left on your own back then. What are you doing now? Are you refusing to let us enter the city?”
Liu Zhou, commander of the first cavalry unit, angrily raised his head and shouted.
The other soldiers echoed him one after another!
Immediately, the area below the pass erupted in a torrent of curses.
Everyone had spent the entire morning rushing here in fear and trepidation, and now that they had finally returned, they were not even being allowed to open the city gates!
This only ignited their fury even further!
The soldiers on the city wall looked at one another.
General Xuanyue had abandoned the army?
Wasn’t he supposed to have fought desperately and fled back?
Clearly, doubts arose in everyone’s hearts.
General Xuanyue did not dare respond, but he knew perfectly well that he could not let them continue speaking!
A vicious glint flashed across his face.
“All troops, prepare! Get the bows and arrows ready!”
As his voice fell.
A wave of commotion immediately arose. They were their own Black Cavalry, after all.
“What are you all standing around for? Didn’t you hear my command? They have already been subdued by Li Zhen. Their coming here to call for the gates to be opened is nothing more than a treacherous plot!
Quickly, draw your bows and nock your arrows!”
General Xuanyue roared!
Although the soldiers looked troubled, none dared disobey the order. One by one, they took out their bows and arrows and aimed at the Black Cavalry below.
Below the city wall!
Liu Zhou stood utterly dumbfounded…
General Xuanyue’s voice had carried clearly to their ears just now. He actually intended to fire arrows at them?
“Xuanyue, you truly are insane! Insane! Soldiers murdering one another within the military ranks is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine clans! If you kill us, can you bear the consequences?”
Liu Zhou shouted frantically.
General Xuanyue lowered his head and stared fixedly at them.
“The laws of Great Yu prohibit soldiers from murdering one another, but you have already been labeled rebel troops. Your family members were executed by Your Majesty long ago!
Attacking you does not count as soldiers murdering one another. Stop spouting nonsense. You are simply people sent by Li Zhen to confuse the army morale!
Everyone, heed my command. Shoot these rebel troops dead here!”
General Xuanyue swept his hand forward!
At once, the garrison troops on the city wall released their strings, and a rain of arrows engulfed the Black Cavalry below.
One Black Cavalryman who failed to react in time was shot full of arrows.
The Black Cavalry was certainly elite troops, but faced with such a high city wall, it was impossible for them to fly up.
Moreover, everyone was still trying to process General Xuanyue’s words: their family members had already been executed!
Liu Zhou’s eyes reddened. He had never imagined that General Xuanyue would be so ruthless, going this far simply to prevent them from returning!
They regretted it now. If only they had known, wouldn’t it have been better to remain at the Great Zhen Royal Court?
“Retreat!”
Liu Zhou angrily issued the order, wheeled his horse around, and brandished his weapon to block the arrows raining down from the sky!
If he ever got the chance, he would make General Xuanyue pay for this blood debt with blood!
This enmity was irreconcilable!
General Xuanyue shouted from atop the city wall.
“Do not stop! Keep shooting!”
Things had come to this point, so he could only grit his teeth and persist. No matter what, these people absolutely could not enter the city!
If they entered the city, he would not survive!
Just as Liu Zhou led the Black Cavalry in charging back, a dark cloud suddenly swept over them. When General Xuanyue looked up, his face filled with shock.
Another rain of arrows!
The Wolf Cavalry—
They had only just escaped the area controlled by Northern Cold Pass, yet now they had entered the Wolf Cavalry’s rain of arrows again!
Within his line of sight.
Li Zhen led the ten thousand wolf cavalry surging toward them from afar.
Seeing the Black Cavalry suffering heavy casualties, a faint smile appeared on Li Zhen’s face. Just as he had expected, how could that idiot General Xuanyue possibly let them enter?
And so.
Under the attacks from both sides, the Ten Thousand Black Cavalry fell from their horses one after another. Before long, their casualties exceeded one-third!
“Li Zhen, give us a chance! We, the Black Cavalry, are willing to obey you completely. From now on, we will share an irreconcilable enmity with Great Yu!”
Liu Zhou swung his weapon to fend off the arrows filling the sky, his expression savage. His current predicament made him feel utterly stifled.
They could not return home, nor could they return to the Great Zhen Royal Court!
Li Zhen planted the Overlord Spear into the ground with a bang, folded his arms, and said mockingly, “Is This King’s chance really that cheap? Since you left, do not come back!”
On the distant city wall.
The border army of Great Yu watched the Black Cavalry caught in the crossfire. Expressions of pity appeared on their faces. Clearly, the Black Cavalry was not as General Xuanyue had claimed.
“General Xuanyue, if the Black Cavalry had joined Li Zhen, why would they be shot to death by him? Is there some hidden reason behind this?”
The commander of the border army on the city wall furrowed his brows and asked in a deep voice.
They were all soldiers of Great Yu. Seeing the Black Cavalry so helpless left them with complicated feelings and deep discomfort.
“Nonsense! Li Zhen is skilled in treacherous plots. This is his ruse of self-injury, performed for us to see!
If you stop, you will fall into their trap. Without my command, no one is allowed to stop!
Someone, activate the fire stones launcher for me!”
The anger in General Xuanyue’s heart grew increasingly intense.
Li Zhen’s actions had completely disrupted his plans.
He was simply an idiot!
So what if he recruited these ten thousand men?
He had to kill them here!
Wasn’t this just telling everyone that he had been lying?
At this moment, the soldiers of the border army all watched the distant scene with furrowed brows. Each of them had their own measure of right and wrong in their hearts.
And now, that measure had clearly tipped!
“General Xuanyue, forgive Your Inferior General for being presumptuous. All troops, heed my order and cease your attack! Someone, open the city gates!” the commander shouted.
As a citizen of Great Yu, he could not stand by and watch soldiers belonging to Great Yu be subjected to wanton massacre!
“You dare disobey orders!”
General Xuanyue’s brows furrowed, and his eyes widened furiously!
“General, you are the general of the Black Cavalry, not a commander of northern cold pass!”
The commander cast him a cold glance!
He belonged to the border army’s System, not the Black Cavalry.
Listening to General Xuanyue’s orders was merely showing him respect.
Without that respect, what could he do?
Clearly, the border army on the city wall still followed their commander’s orders, and they all ceased their attack!
…
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