Chapter 25

The next day, as expected, the Wuhuan people began their attack on the city. There were only a few Han soldiers on the city walls, putting up resistance.

"Haha, Big Brother, look at the city walls, there are only so few people left, and the few generals we encountered a few days ago are also gone. They must have been scared of our Wuhuan warriors and fled," said one of them.

"Right, Qiuli Yan, put in more effort, quickly capture Juxi County. The other directions have probably already looted a lot, while we are still being held back. If we go back like this, we will lose face," Qiuli Tu said with some resentment.

"The Wuhuan warriors, charge forward, don't stop, hit them hard," Qiuli Yan shouted loudly. He didn't care about the casualties of his men, only his own face and merit.

Of course, the Wuhuan soldiers also harbored resentment towards these two brainless second-generation leaders, but they had to follow orders. Even if it meant certain death on the battlefield, it would be a worthy end. But if they disobeyed, they would likely be killed by the two brothers and bear the blame for not following orders, which would be even more unjust.

"Run, the city gate is about to break." A voice came from somewhere, and all the Han soldiers on the city walls disappeared as if they had seen a ghost.

"Haha, Juxi County is broken, everyone, charge in." With Qiuli Tu's order, over ten thousand cavalrymen rushed into Juxi County, raising clouds of dust.

However, what they saw inside was not a field of grain, nor women, nor treasures. Instead, it was a vast empty space, with all the houses already demolished, leaving only some traces.

The Wuhuan cavalry continued to pour in, but before the leading Qiuli Tu brothers could react, the remaining horses suddenly fell down. It turned out that the ground was filled with horse traps. The size of the traps was just a bit larger than a horse's hoof, and once a horse stepped on one, its leg would break, and the Wuhuan rider would be thrown off.

Qiuli Tu had just stood up, still dazed from the fall, when the next moment, countless Han soldiers appeared on the city walls.

"Pour," Gao Shun shouted, and countless soldiers poured the prepared oil down onto the Wuhuan people below. The smell of oil quickly filled the entire county.

Qiuli Tu sniffed the air, his heart racing, and shouted loudly, "No good, it's oil, quickly retreat from the city."

It was easy to enter but hard to leave. Over ten thousand Wuhuan soldiers all rushed to the city gate, but the gate was so small, and the ground was uneven, making it difficult to even walk, let alone run.

"Fire arrows, shoot," Tian Chou ordered from the other side. The next moment, countless fire arrows shot towards the Wuhuan soldiers drenched in oil. The flames ignited the oil instantly, creating a raging fire. The Wuhuan soldiers either died from the arrows or were set on fire, desperately trying to remove their armor and rolling on the ground.

The horses, on fire, went wild, trampling the Wuhuan soldiers and causing many to be crushed to death. With the main force of four to five thousand archers on the city walls, within a short time, the city was filled with the bodies of Wuhuan soldiers, cries of pain, and wails, turning Juxi County into a hell on earth.

What no one expected was that the two Wuhuan leaders, Qiuli Yan and Qiuli Tu, were terrible at fighting but excellent at fleeing. The two, who were originally in the center of the fire, somehow managed to escape, with only minor burns.

Qiuli Tu and Qiuli Yan fled in a wretched state from Juxi County, having made up their minds that they would never return to the terrifying Youzhou, even if it meant death.

However, before the two and the remaining two to three thousand cavalry could escape far, a group of cavalry suddenly emerged from the woods on the left. "Hey, Zhang Fei, the Yan man under the command of the Governor of Youzhou, has been waiting for you, Wuhuan dogs, prepare to die."

Before they could react, another group of cavalry emerged from the right. "Huang Zhong, the commandant under the command of the Governor of Youzhou, has also been waiting for you."

The two groups of cavalry charged towards the Wuhuan cavalry. The Wuhuan soldiers, already terrified by the fire, had no heart to resist.

Huang Zhong and Zhang Fei directly targeted Qiuli Tu and Qiuli Yan. These two were second-generation leaders, poor at leading troops, and their martial skills were also mediocre. They were knocked off their horses in a single encounter.

With their leaders defeated in one move, the Wuhuan cavalry behind them had no heart to continue fighting and scattered. This suited Liu Yao's cavalry perfectly, who pursued and slaughtered the Wuhuan soldiers. In no time, except for a few scattered Wuhuan cavalry, the rest became the souls under the Han soldiers' blades, and the battle ended.

After the battle, it was found that the Wuhuan army had been almost completely annihilated, leaving only Qiuli Tu and Qiuli Yan.

Liu Yao's losses were also significant. Juxi County was in ruins, all the houses demolished, and the ground filled with large pits. It would take a considerable amount of time and resources to restore everything. However, the casualties on Liu Yao's side were negligible.

After the battle, Liu Yao and Tian Feng walked down from the city walls. Looking at the ruins, the charred bodies of the Wuhuan soldiers, and the smell in the air, Liu Yao felt nauseous. But to maintain his composure in front of his troops, he suppressed it, though his face was pale.

Liu Yao then ordered the soldiers to clean up the battlefield, gather supplies, and dispose of the bodies to prevent an epidemic.

When they returned to Jixian County, it was already mid-September. Tian Chou and a camp of soldiers were left to help the people of Juxi County rebuild their homes. This Wuhuan invasion was resolved in less than half a month by Liu Yao. The Wuhuan army suffered heavy losses, with almost all of their 50,000 troops annihilated, and four of their leaders captured. Liu Yao's side only lost 3,000 soldiers, gained 30,000 fine warhorses, and countless supplies, weapons, and armor, making it a great victory.

In the main hall of the Jixian County Governor's Office, Liu Yao, Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Huang Zhong, Zhang Fei, Gao Shun, and Shi A were sitting around a large table, drinking wine.

"This time, I could defeat the Wuhuan so easily thanks to all of you. I raise a toast to you all," Liu Yao stood up and toasted.

"Lord, you are too kind," the others stood up and toasted back, not minding Liu Yao's casualness.

"Cheers." They all tilted their heads back and drank the wine in one gulp, savoring the fiery sensation, feeling very satisfied.

"This time, the Wuhuan on our side have been eliminated. We just need to wait for the news from Gongsun Zan and Taishi Ci," Liu Yao said after they sat down.

"Really, if I had known, I would have swapped tasks with Taishi Ci. He can still spend many more days outside, how enjoyable that would be," Zhang Fei said enviously.

"Zhang Fei, don't talk nonsense, you can't question the Lord's orders," Tian Feng scolded with a stern face.

Zhang Fei was used to Tian Feng's scolding, which had become a daily routine for him. He scratched his head and laughed foolishly at Tian Feng, and the matter was dropped with Tian Feng rolling his eyes.

"Report... Lord," a figure ran in.