"Retreat, everyone retreat! Cover each other!"
Phoenix Yu kept shouting from the treetops. Night had already fallen, and the enemy on the mountain was charging down to join the battle. Even in the darkness, it was clear that most of the enemy were cavalry, while their own side was infantry.
The battlefield grew even more chaotic. Under the moonlight, the sounds of killing and shouting echoed everywhere, devoid of any organization or order. It was just brutal fighting on both sides—the clash of weapons, cries of battle, screams of agony—all kinds of sounds mixed together.
Their own troops had already begun to retreat toward the main road across the grasslands. Only by reaching the grasslands was there a slim chance of survival.
Even at night, the scattered sparks of fire could be seen. Large numbers of enemies were surging down from the mountain.
All around was the sound of hooves. Edward Grant, furious, swung his long spear, his mind growing hazy and blank. Cuts and wounds had already appeared all over his body.
The soldiers in the woods fought on their own, most in a state of panicked flight. The enemy's forces could no longer be stopped from merging. Abandoned supplies littered the ground. The soldiers who had come from the Western Pass could only flee, with the enemy possibly giving chase at any moment.
Now, the only thing to do was to break through the encirclement. Phoenix Yu was still crouched on the tree trunk, bow and arrow in hand, ready to draw whenever a cavalryman passed by. In the darkness, he searched for Edward Grant’s figure. No matter what, he had to bring Edward Grant back. He’d already thought of a plan: seize an enemy’s horse, and then it would be easy to escape to the grasslands.
The enemy infantry didn’t seem to have arrived yet.
On the road at night, Lucille Xing kept her head down, riding her horse. She had just come through a battle, and the pursuing enemy had already fallen back. She led her cavalry forward at a slow pace, trying to block any enemy who might chase from behind.
"It's alright, Lucille, by the time we return to the prairie, Yusheng should have come up with a solution. It'll be fine."
Mason Mao kept comforting Lucille Xing. At that moment, several cavalry riders sped down the distant road, heading quickly in their direction.
"At the central crossroads, the enemy has already broken through. The situation is utter chaos."
Lucille Xing's face changed dramatically in an instant, and she shouted loudly.
"All cavalry units, follow me! Clear the road ahead!"
Mason Mao was startled, but quickly followed Lucille Xing, charging along the roadside.
Torches appeared in great numbers on the distant mountain peaks. Phoenix Yu's heart tightened—the enemy's main force had arrived, and with all those torches prepared in advance, things looked even worse. The shouts and screams were fading, soldiers scattered everywhere, surrendering on their knees. But the enemy showed no mercy, killing them ruthlessly.
Phoenix Yu seized the moment. As a slow-moving cavalryman passed beneath, she leapt from the tree trunk onto the horse, plunging her dagger into his neck. Instantly grabbing the reins, she calmed the startled horse and whipped it forward. As two cavalrymen turned to face her, Phoenix Yu's sword had already pierced one of them, charging onward.
"Edward, where are you?"
Amidst the chaos and wailing, Phoenix Yu kept calling out, hoping to find Edward Grant. Most soldiers had already fled into the woods. Now, enemy cavalry were massing on the western road, slaughtering any unit that came their way.
The sound of hoofbeats rang out behind Phoenix Yu, making her heart jolt. Instinctively, she flattened herself against the horse's back as a long spear swept past her head.
A gentle breeze stirred, and faint moonlight filtered through the clouds.
"A woman..."
Phoenix Yu was puzzled, but the woman quickly grabbed the reins, turned, and thrust her spear toward Phoenix Yu as she rose.
With a clang, Phoenix Yu's dagger was knocked flying. She immediately realized how formidable this woman was, and whipped her horse into a desperate sprint.
"What's wrong, Commander Lian?"
"That one just now wasn't one of our cavalry. Skilled fighter. Go after them."
The cavalry beside them immediately charged after Phoenix Yu.
"Follow me! Break through the encirclement!"
Lucille Xing charged ahead, having tied herself securely to her warhorse before the battle. Her twin blades flashed as she pierced the throats of two oncoming enemies. She released one sword, grabbed the reins with one hand, and halted, blocking a thrusting spear.
With a whoosh, a lasso flew over, catching an enemy's neck beside Lucille Xing. Mason Mao yanked hard, pulling the enemy to the ground, then galloped off. The enemy's neck snapped with a sickening crunch, leaving him motionless.
Lucille Xing plunged into the enemy cavalry, sword raised, killing as she went. The cavalry behind her followed suit.
"Clear a path! Tell the infantry behind us not to panic—advance slowly toward the prairie!"
Lucille Xing shouted, Mason Mao at her side, using his lasso to pull enemy riders off their horses, quickly retrieving the rope after each takedown.
"Report, Commander! Enemy cavalry from the West Pass have arrived, with more troops behind them. We've managed to push them back for now."
Commander Lian glanced at the soldiers holding torches, now nearing the mountain peak behind them.
"Order them to hold the enemy back. Don't let a single one escape."
Edward Grant gasped for breath, surrounded by exhausted soldiers, some sitting, some lying down, unable to move. He didn't know where they were—only that thousands of his men had already been lost to the enemy.
There were dozens of captured horses. Edward Grant struggled to his feet.
"All units, listen up! Rest for a moment, then fight our way back!"
A sea of hopeless eyes stared at Edward Grant. No one knew the way, but in this forest, evading the enemy cavalry was easy. They just had to wait for daylight, find their bearings, and return to the prairie through the woods.
This chapter is not finished yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading!
"Edward, you can't go back. Absolutely not."
A general immediately tried to dissuade him, but Edward Grant knew the troops at the West Pass were likely still fighting. Distant lights flickered—he couldn't just sit and wait for death. He didn't know how many soldiers had escaped, but if the leftmost pass fell too, it would all be over.
"Get out of my way."
Lucille Xing roared, stabbing an enemy with her sword. The soldiers, having abandoned their supplies, rushed through the pass toward the prairie.
The battle raged on. The moon had set in the west, and enemy forces atop the mountain pressed forward.
"Run! If you don't want to die, move!"
Lucille Xing kept shouting. The cavalry held off the enemy, while a long line of troops marched down the western road. The enemy moved swiftly, giving them no chance to regroup.
"All units, attack! Annihilate the enemy!"
Gu Niu shouted, leading the charge on horseback. Soldiers with torches followed, surging forward. Under the moonlight, the enemy swept toward the crossroads like a dark tide.
"Lucille! Thank goodness you're here!"
Phoenix Yu finally spotted Lucille Xing in the chaos, gasping as he rode toward her.
"I can't find Edward."
"What did you say?"
Lucille Xing clenched her fist in frustration.
"We can't hold out. Most of our forces have made it through the pass. The enemy is coming—we have to retreat."
Mason Mao shouted. Lucille Xing raised her broken sword and threw it to the ground, scanning the area—shadows everywhere.
"Find him. We must find Edward."
Lucille Xing shouted.
"Soldiers coming down, don't panic. Those still armed, stay here. The rest, come with me."
Joseph Qiao had reached the main road leading to the Central Pass. Soldiers kept pouring out of the woods, fleeing in panic.
Joseph Qiao led the cavalry onto the road, constantly asking about Edward Grant. Most of the escaping soldiers simply shook their heads.
"Please, don't let anything happen. Phoenix, think of something!"
"We're surrounded."
A voice rang out. Soldiers holding torches surrounded them—they'd come from the East Pass. Shouts and screams echoed everywhere. Edward Grant struggled to raise his spear, enemies closing in from all sides.
Soldiers kept falling around him. Edward Grant stabbed enemy after enemy, but finally collapsed to one knee, his remaining men shielding him.
"Take them alive!"
The enemy commander seemed to realize Edward Grant was important—more and more foes swarmed toward him.
The shouting faded. Edward Grant's eyes fluttered shut, a faint smile on his lips. Firelight danced as his consciousness began to blur.
"Big brother, are you even listening to me?"
Under the warm sun, Ji Yuan glared at Edward Grant, who was laughing heartily. Ji Shu giggled nearby.
"That's just how big brother is. Talking to him about these things is pointless, second brother."
Ji La lay on the grass nearby. Ji Yuan sat on a stump, arranging colored stones—he planned to teach Edward Grant some basic tactics.
"Ah, such a beautiful day—this is how life should be, just lying on the grass."
"Someday you'll regret it, big brother."
Ji Yuan, barely in his teens, laughed cheerfully, looking helplessly at Edward Grant.
In a daze, Edward Grant barely opened his eyes—the sky was beginning to lighten.
"Speak up. Who are you? What's your name?"
Two men dragged Edward Grant along, water dripping from his cheeks. Corpses of soldiers lay all around.
"I'm not like my sister, doomed to such a miserable death."
Suddenly, Edward Grant summoned all his strength, broke free from the two soldiers, and bit into the enemy's neck. He snatched the sword and, roaring, stabbed another enemy.
With a tearing sound, Edward Grant threw back his head and swung the sword. Blood gushed from his abdomen, crimson and unstoppable.