Chapter 24

"Uuuu—"

The deep sound of the horn echoed continuously on the mountaintop, and two thousand Jurchen soldiers simultaneously released their arrows. The dense arrows rained down like a storm, targeting the mountaintop.

Continuously, Song soldiers were hit by arrows and fell, the Song army being pressed so hard they could not raise their heads.

The three thousand Khitan soldiers were almost completely wiped out, and the attacking side had become the Jurchen soldiers. They were far braver and more fearless than the Khitans.

The Song army was now at a complete disadvantage. The more than two thousand large logs on the mountaintop had been exhausted, and the few hundred spare arrows were all used up. The Song army's weapons were now only crossbows and spears.

Three hundred Song soldiers engaged in fierce battle with the Jurchen soldiers on the last slope. They had built a four-foot-high mud wall at the edge of the slope to block the Jurchen arrows.

However, a thousand Jurchen soldiers joined the most intense close combat. Although they suffered over four hundred casualties, they had already seized three lines of cover. The Song army was left with only the last two lines of cover.

At this point, the Song army had also suffered heavy casualties, with over two hundred soldiers killed. The mountain path was littered with the bloodied bodies of soldiers at every step.

Chen Qing wanted to shoot the Jurchen commander, but the Jurchen commander Wanyan Huonü was guarded by thirty bodyguards with copper shields, making him invulnerable.

Seeing the enemy's attack like a tide, growing stronger with each battle, the remaining dozens of Song soldiers could no longer hold on. Chen Qing made a quick decision and turned to Yang Hua, shouting, "Go and inform the brothers on the northeast path to retreat to the rear mountain!"

"遵令！" Yang Hua ran off.

At the second-to-last mud wall, the head of the unit, Xin Lie, led a dozen soldiers in a desperate fight, refusing to retreat. Chen Qing roared, "Xin Lie, I order you to retreat again. Are you going to defy my command?"

Xin Lie turned to the dozen soldiers and said, "The general has ordered us to retreat immediately!"

The dozen soldiers, holding their shields, quickly retreated, but Xin Lie had no intention of retreating.

"Head, retreat quickly!" the soldiers shouted anxiously.

Xin Lie gave a bitter laugh and said, "My parents and wife and children were all killed by the Jurchens. I have been waiting for this day to avenge them!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Xin Lie roared in anger, stabbing several people with his spear, but dozens of Jurchen soldiers rushed forward.

He was pierced by dozens of spears, his body lifted high.

Xin Lie's spear fell to the ground. In his last moments, he closed his eyes and murmured, "Father, Mother, wife, Chun'er, Sanlang, Father is coming to join you!"

......

Tears streamed down Chen Qing's face. He roared and charged forward with his iron spear, impaling a centurion who had jumped onto the mud wall, then threw the body off the cliff.

His spear moved like a torrent of rain, killing over a dozen people, causing the Jurchen soldiers' attack to falter.

"Retreat!"

He ordered the last twenty or so Song soldiers to retreat.

The twenty or so Song soldiers seized this rare opportunity and retreated to the last mud wall.

Deputy General Yang Yuanqing led over a hundred soldiers behind the last mud wall, their spears like a forest, ready for battle.

Chen Qing turned and shouted, "General Yang, lead the brothers to retreat to the rear mountain, go quickly!"

Yang Yuanqing also knew that the mountaintop could not be held. He shouted, "Follow me, retreat!"

He led the soldiers into the camp, through the camp, and retreated to the rear mountain. At this time, Chen Qing also had to retreat.

He roared, his spear moving like lightning, piercing the chests of seven or eight people in quick succession. The speed and force were so great that the Jurchen soldiers were forced to retreat.

Chen Qing turned and ran, leaping onto the last line of cover. At this moment, a cold arrow shot towards him. Chen Qing knew it was bad; the arrow was too fast, and there was no time to dodge. The arrow pierced his right leg.

His strength quickly waned, and Chen Qing's leg gave out, nearly causing him to fall. He endured the arrow wound, leaped off the cover, and ran towards the camp......

Wanyan Huonü put away his bow and punched the mountain wall in frustration, filled with regret.

He only recognized Chen Qing at the last moment. He never expected the commander to personally engage in battle. He had always thought that Yang Yuanqing, who was surrounded by soldiers, was Chen Qing.

It wasn't until Chen Qing ordered the retreat that Wanyan Huonü realized this lone general covering the soldiers' retreat was his father's killer, Chen Qing.

If he had acted just a little earlier...... he would have missed the chance to kill his father's killer.

Wanyan Huonü was filled with regret and anger, gritting his teeth and shouting, "Capture this Song general, and you will be made a commander of ten thousand!"

The Jurchen soldiers roared and rushed towards the mountaintop......

At this time, thick smoke and flames filled the Song army camp. The soldiers had set fire to the prepared grass, and the fire spread rapidly.

Chen Qing took one last look at the distant group of horses, sighed deeply, and limped into the forest......

This fierce battle began in the morning and ended at dusk, lasting four hours. The Jurchen army ultimately captured Qilin Fort at the cost of 3,600 casualties. If the casualties from the previous day were included, the Jurchen army's total losses exceeded 4,000, with 3,300 Khitan soldiers and nearly 500 Jurchen soldiers killed, and the rest being Han soldiers.

The Song army also suffered heavy casualties, with only about two hundred soldiers retreating into the rear mountain, heading deeper into the mountains......

If he could have killed Chen Qing, Wanyan Huonü would have been willing to sacrifice his entire army. Unfortunately, Chen Qing escaped.

Seeing such heavy casualties, Wanyan Huonü felt a deep pain. The Song army's casualties were one to twenty compared to the Jurchen army, making him feel utterly ashamed. The news would surely spread, and he would have no face to call himself the first warrior of the Jurchens.

He was filled with despair, even considering suicide by sword.

"Commander, should we pursue them?" several generals asked.

Wanyan Huonü shook his head. Entering the forest would result in even more casualties. Moreover, the Song army leaving their horses behind indicated they were retreating to Jingyuan Road, so there was no need to pursue them further.

At this moment, he saw his father's white dragon horse in the distance, his heart aching as he quickly walked towards the horse herd.

......

Chen Qing sat on a large rock by the stream. Guide Yang Dazhi used a hunting knife to remove the arrow, cleaned the wound, and applied his own herbal medicine, bandaging it while smiling and saying, "I'm not boasting, but my medicine even makes the county doctors envious. It's made from precious herbs and heals much faster than ordinary medicine. Even if the wound affects the tendons and bones, there's no need to worry!"

"Did it affect my tendons and bones?" Chen Qing asked worriedly.

"No! It's just a flesh wound, and the arrow wasn't poisoned."

Chen Qing picked up the arrow and saw Jurchen characters carved on the shaft. He handed it to the head of the unit, Zheng Ping, and asked with a smile, "They say you are well-versed. Do you recognize these Jurchen characters?"

Zheng Ping, from Cangzhou in Hebei, had traveled to Liaodong with his father since childhood and had some knowledge. He took the arrow, looked at it, and smiled, "The first few characters mean 'commander of ten thousand,' and the last is a name, pronounced Huonü. Together, it means Commander Wanyan Huonü."

"Who is Wanyan Huonü?" Chen Qing was a bit confused.

The generals all laughed, "General, you killed his father, and you don't know who he is?"

"Ah! He is Wanyan Lou's son?" Chen Qing's eyes widened.

Zheng Ping nodded, "He is known as the first warrior of the Jurchen Empire, a ruthless killer. He must have wanted to avenge his father, but he didn't personally engage in battle, which is puzzling."

Chen Qing said calmly, "Perhaps he didn't realize I was Chen Qing! By the time he realized, it was too late. However, his archery skills are indeed formidable. The arrow was so fast, I couldn't even dodge it."

Yang Yuanqing added, "It's said that he and his father, Wanyan Lou, both use a two-stone bow. The speed of a two-stone bow is indeed twice as fast as an eight-dou bow."

Chen Qing was moved and fell into deep thought.

After resting for half an hour, the soldiers were ready to move. Yang Yuanqing asked, "General, are we really going to Jingyuan Road?"

Chen Qing shook his head, "I didn't bring horses and set fire to the camp, creating the illusion that we are heading to Jingyuan Road. In reality, we will hide in the mountains for a few days, then return to Qilin Fort. Once the snow blocks the roads, we can spend the winter in Linyou County."

......

The Song army soldiers set up camp in a mountain hollow about fifteen miles from Qilin Fort. They built several wooden huts with wood and branches, each carrying ten days' worth of rations, water flasks, and medicine, and settled down in the valley patiently.

That morning, Yang Hua led twenty or so men to hunt nearby. Chen Qing's leg wound was gradually healing, and he wanted to go hunting, but everyone opposed it, so he had to rest in the wooden hut.

He took out his bow and arrow, feeling and searching for the right feel.

Chen Qing had never practiced archery, only crossbows. He could use a spear while running at high speed, hitting the target every time, which was different from horse archery, but there were some commonalities, mainly in controlling the horse and maintaining balance on the horse, which is the foundation of shooting and horse archery.

"Good bow!"

Yang Yuanqing walked in with a smile, took Chen Qing's bow, and examined it, "This is Wanyan Lou's bow, right? It's a two-stone bow, but I can't even draw it."

"Any tips?" Chen Qing asked with a smile.

Yang Yuanqing was surprised, "General, you're not good at horse archery?"

"Not just not good, I've never practiced it. I practice crossbows."

"Horse archery can be difficult, but it can also be simple. The main difficulty lies in controlling the horse and coordination. Actually, using a crossbow is similar!"

Chen Qing shook his head, "It's still different. Horse archery allows you to shoot while running, but a crossbow requires you to stop and aim, emphasizing a steady stance. This time, I was hit by an arrow so fast I couldn't even dodge it. After this, if I meet Wanyan Huonü on the battlefield again and don't know horse archery, I will surely die from his arrows."

Yang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and said, "I was once a subordinate of General Liu Ziyu, known as the first archer of the Western Army. He once gave a lecture in the camp, teaching the soldiers horse archery. I clearly remember the key phrases he said: 'Move like the wind, eyes like lightning; fully draw the bow, quickly release the arrow.' He said this is the essence of horse archery, and the deeper your understanding, the higher your skill level."

"How did he explain it?" Chen Qing asked with a smile.

"He said to fully draw the bow and quickly release the arrow, with no pause in the full draw. All target searching and aiming must be done before drawing the bow. 'When shooting, the target is in your heart, not in your eyes,' these were his exact words, and I never fully understood them."

"When shooting, the target is in your heart, not in your eyes." Chen Qing silently pondered the meaning, feeling a sense of enlightenment but still unable to grasp the key points.

At this moment, a soldier reported loudly at the door, "Reporting to the commander, guide Yang Dazhi has returned!"