Chapter 33

The First War

Ten days later, the Black Wind Corps finally crossed the border with Mongolia with great dignity. However, even after advancing for two days, they could not encounter any Mongol soldiers. Instead, they occasionally met simple Mongolians tending horses and sheep. Around the Black Wind Corps, 100 squads of ten men each, as planned, formed a watertight reconnaissance network, continuously reporting the situation to the general. Then, an urgent message arrived from the 73rd squad.

"There are approximately 20,000 Mongol troops lying in ambush in the front valley of Jinling.

Commander of the 73rd squad, Zhang Ba"

The deputy commander, Yu Yanwang (Ma Jilou), looked at General Yu.

"General, should we enter Jinling Valley? With our Black Wind Corps, we can certainly break through..."

"No, there's no need to take unnecessary risks by entering Jinling Valley. It's a rugged valley. If we are attacked by the ambushing enemy, our heavily armored cavalry will be at a significant disadvantage. To attack the enemy above, we need to use light movement, but with such heavy armor, we can't move fast. If we take off our armor, the enemy's arrows will be a problem..."

General Yu Yingzhen took out a map from his pocket and continued.

"Let's go to the Wuchuan River and cross Jinfeng Ridge."

"But to reach Jinfeng Ridge, we have to detour about 400 li (approximately 160 kilometers)."

"Still, the only loss is a few days, and there will be almost no casualties. There's no need to enter a place where we know the enemy is lying in ambush and risk our lives."

"But we won't die, right? Of course, there will be some casualties, but we can handle it..."

"Whether it will be minor casualties or a major disaster, no one knows. The enemy knows us well and has prepared accordingly, so it's better to detour."

"If that's the case..."

"Instead, our main force is slow due to the infantry, so let's pretend to head towards Jinling Valley to buy time. Meanwhile, send two thousand-man squads to secure Jinfeng Ridge. When we turn towards Jinfeng Ridge, the enemy won't be prepared..."

"It's a good plan."

"But to prepare for any contingencies, give strict instructions to the commanders of the two thousand-man squads to avoid the enemy's ambush... If we start taking casualties from the few enemies in front of us, it will be hard to avoid a major defeat in the real decisive battle later."

"I will keep that in mind."

Fortunately, there were only about 1,000 Mongol troops forming a blocking force at Jinfeng Ridge, and no large ambush force, so the Black Wind Corps crossed Jinfeng Ridge with minimal casualties. After crossing Jinfeng Ridge, they advanced into the remote territory where the Iron Army was lurking, with incredible speed. They also requisitioned horses, sheep, and other food supplies from all the Mongol tribes they encountered. Since the war could last for an indefinite period, even if supplies could be replenished from the rear, they had to conserve them as much as possible.

Finally, the main force of the Iron Army and the Black Wind Corps met around the Jinling River, 15 days after crossing the Mongol border. Mongolia was a country made up of many small tribes, so encountering them meant they were now in the territory of the Iron Army.

The place where they faced each other was a not-so-wide plain around the Jinling River. However, it was wide enough for a large force to engage in cavalry battles. General Yu Yingzhen looked at the countless Mongol soldiers.

"There are more than I expected..."

General Ma Jilou nodded.

"Yes, at first glance, there must be at least 100,000. Since our numbers are smaller, they seem to be planning to overwhelm us with force from the beginning."

"Right, there are probably about 110,000. This battle will be quite interesting. Have we received any reports from the reconnaissance teams?"

"They reported that there is a Mongol settlement about 100 li behind the enemy's camp, with an estimated 5,000 residents."

"Quite a large tribe. Is there anything unusual?"

"There are no men at all. They seem to have all been deployed here."

"Ha ha ha, all of them... To suppress the morale, we must turn this village into a wasteland after the war."

"That's a wise decision."

"Where are the reconnaissance teams now?"

"They have gone up to 150 li from here."

"By tomorrow, except for 20 reconnaissance teams, instruct the rest to gather behind the enemy and ambush them when their rear guard falls behind."

"Yes."

"They will rely on their numbers and challenge us when it gets light tomorrow. Night battles are usually initiated by the side with fewer numbers. If we send out a part of our troops to shout and pretend to attack, they will probably spend the night wide awake. Lack of sleep won't show at first, but it will certainly lead to fatigue in a prolonged battle. The full-scale battle will start in the morning. Prepare for the possibility of an enemy night attack!"

"Yes."

General Yu Yingzhen pointed to the Mongol army and explained the detailed plan.

"When the enemy attacks tomorrow, we will block them there and immediately engage in a melee with eight thousand-man squads. The remaining thousand-man squad will turn back and separate the rear from the main force while attacking. At this time, another ambush will be launched from the rear... Taking advantage of the confusion caused by the disruption of communication with the Iron Army, we can thoroughly crush them."

"It's a good plan. Which thousand-man squad will you send to flank?"

"Is the 7th thousand-man squad on reconnaissance now?"

"Yes."

"Then let's use the 8th thousand-man squad."

"Not the 4th thousand-man squad? They are the strongest among the thousand-man squads."

"No, place the 4th thousand-man squad at the forefront to engage in fierce battles. This might reduce our casualties. Instruct the 4th thousand-man squad commander to place the 400-man squad at the very front."

"Really? The commander of that squad is Guoguang, whom you value, why place him in the most dangerous spot?"

"People are cherished to be used, not to be kept idle."

"Yes, sir."

While discussing various strategies, a messenger rushed over.

"Reporting to the General, it's a report from the 73rd squad."

He handed over a small piece of paper. General Yu Yingzhen read it carefully and snorted.

"Hmph! These guys are really amusing."

"Why is that?"

"20,000 enemy troops are approaching from the rear."

"Really?"

"That means the total force gathered by the Iron Army is 130,000. From the direction they are coming, it seems the troops that were lying in ambush in Jinling Valley have followed us after breaking their ambush."

"That's a good strategy. We need to prepare for those 20,000 as well..."

"Being attacked from two directions is no ordinary matter... Contact Song and instruct him to ambush 5,000 troops in the forest 30 li behind and launch a surprise attack on the enemy. And, and..."

"Sending only infantry will make them easy prey. But sending a part of the Black Wind Corps to that side is also a problem."

"Hmm, let's send the 5th thousand-man squad. And you take charge of the rear."

"Yes."

"When the battle starts, set fire as a signal. The enemy might avoid the battle and launch a surprise attack from behind, so be prepared."

"Yes, sir!"

The next morning, both sides set up their formations and prepared to engage in battle. The Mongols, relying on their numbers, adopted a direct attack strategy. As the surroundings brightened, the Mongol cavalry immediately charged, and the sound of hooves shook the earth.

Erlin followed General Yu Yingzhen's instructions: the front row was lined with soldiers holding large square shields, and the back row with soldiers holding long spears, with the spear handles on the ground and the spearheads raised to prepare for the cavalry charge. The archers were ready with arrows nocked. Behind them, 100 crossbows were loaded with arrows, waiting for the right moment to fire. Behind the crossbows, 8,000 Black Wind Corps were deployed.

Crossbows, also known as nu, are devices made by combining several large bows that cannot be drawn by a person. They can fire about ten arrows, slightly longer than regular arrows, simultaneously, with a longer range than bows but less accuracy. However, when attacking a group of enemies, the hit rate is high, so this is not a significant issue.

As the Mongol cavalry approached, the crossbows fired, toppling many horses in a spectacular display. Despite the heavy casualties, the Mongol charge did not stop. As the Mongol soldiers got closer, the archers began to fire arrows, and the Mongol cavalry also shot arrows while charging. The Mongol cavalry could handle their bows freely while riding, as they lived with horses from birth to death, making them excellent horsemen.

The Black Wind Corps joined the battle after the Mongol soldiers and Erlin's troops clashed. The Black Wind Corps attacked from both sides, spreading out widely. No matter how numerous and strong the Mongol soldiers were, they could not suppress the highly skilled Black Wind Corps in a short time.

As the cavalry battle began, Ma Hua was captivated by Guoguang, who was charging forward and swinging his long sword. Despite the arrows flying from the Mongol soldiers, he deflected them with the narrow edge of his sword or parried them by tilting his sword. This technique of deflecting arrows required less strength and was very effective in a situation where one had to face other enemies. Ma Hua, thinking that it would take more than a day or two to achieve such skilled swordsmanship, blocked the arrows with his zhuangwanxun.

'Of course, he doesn't use zhuangwanxun because he has something to rely on...'

Guoguang's martial arts were truly amazing. No one could withstand his long sword. Enemies who charged blindly had their swords and shields cut in half. However, it was rare for him to target both a sword and a shield at the same time; mostly, he thrust his sword into the gaps that appeared momentarily, surprising his subordinates.

'The realm of Hua Jing is truly terrifying... Can I reach the realm of Hua Jing?'

While cutting down the enemies around them, the subordinates occasionally glanced at Guoguang's swordsmanship. Guoguang, entering the midst of the enemies, drew his mohun sword from his waist and held it in his left hand, cutting down all the noticeable enemies as he moved around. He moved as widely as possible, cutting down Mongol soldiers while protecting his subordinates. Wherever there were many Mongol soldiers, Guoguang rushed in, killing a significant number and then quickly moving to another dangerous spot when the situation improved. As a result, his poor horse, despite Guoguang wearing only a light armor, was visibly exhausted due to the weight of the horse armor.

Guoguang knocked down two more charging Mongol soldiers and seized a horse to ride. Changing to a fresh horse during a prolonged cavalry battle is a necessary skill for Black Wind Corps members. The initial charge was protected by thick horse armor, and the riders wore heavy armor, causing the horses to tire quickly. However, it was impossible to return to the main force to change horses... The best method was to seize an enemy horse.

While Ma Hua was watching Guoguang's movements, a Mongol soldier charged at him from the side and was cut down by Lin Chong. Lin Chong, who had knocked down the Mongol soldier charging at Ma Hua, shouted at Ma Hua, who was distracted.

"Hey, do you want to die? If you get distracted during a battle, what will you do? Damn it! This is the third time."

Ma Hua, suddenly regaining his senses, pointed at Guoguang and shook his head in admiration.

"Look! How can each movement be so beautiful? The essence of the Imperial Palace martial arts is in there."

Lin Chong, engaged in a sword fight with a Mongol soldier, asked Ma Hua.

"Imperial Palace martial arts?"

"Yes, it's splendid, without any redundancy, and perfectly flawless..."

"Damn it!"

Lin Chong, cursing, pushed back the Mongol soldier. After a few exchanges, the opponent's weakness was revealed.

Thud!

He knocked down the Mongol soldier and tilted his head.

"Is it really Imperial Palace martial arts? No one in martial arts history has reached the realm of Hua Jing with Imperial Palace martial arts. Don't try to deceive me by saying you're from the Qingcheng Sect!"

"No, it's real."

"Don't talk nonsense and focus on the enemy in front of you. I've never heard of the imperial palace training such a master."

"..."

Ma Hua's mouth moved as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't, as it would break his promise with General Yu Yingzhen.

General Yu Yingzhen was observing the battle from the rear.

"These guys are quite capable..."

The commander of the 8th thousand-man squad, Zhang Jue, who was waiting beside him, stepped forward.

"General, please give the order to advance."

"Why?