Chapter 7: A Plan to Make the Army Withdraw

Wu Xiangbei frowned. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a giant of a man bring a saber down at him.

There was nothing intricate about the blow, just a straightforward chop. But the force behind it came crashing down like a great wave. This was what the old sayings meant: splitting a mountain with one stroke, overwhelming skill with sheer strength.

The attacker was Wang Shuang.

Wu dared not take him lightly. He pulled back the spear meant for Gao Yuan and thrust it toward Wang Shuang’s saber.

Steel rang out and sparks flew. Wang Shuang’s blade snapped on impact, leaving him holding half a saber and staring at it in bewilderment.

Wu seized the moment and thrust. His spear pierced Wang Shuang’s battered leather armor and struck his chest, drawing blood. The blow would have killed another man, but Wang Shuang was exceptionally tough.

With an animal roar, he threw down the broken saber and seized the front of the spear in both hands. He stopped it from driving farther into him, then gave a mighty pull.

The force traveled down the shaft. Even Wu Xiangbei, a veteran of countless battles, could not resist it; he was yanked clean out of the saddle.

What strength! Wu drew a sharp breath. But he was an experienced warrior. As he fell, he released the spear and drew the saber at his waist, using his momentum to strike at Wang Shuang’s head.

The cold blade flashed in Wang Shuang’s terrified eyes. It was too fast to dodge. In another instant, his head would be severed.

At that critical moment, Gao Yuan spun in and slashed at the back of Wu’s neck. Sensing the danger behind him, Wu narrowed his eyes. If he ignored it, he might kill the giant, but he would be wounded himself. It was not worth the trade.

In a flash, he checked his movement in midair and changed the direction of his saber, blocking Gao Yuan’s attack while kicking Wang Shuang. Already wounded by the spear, Wang staggered, swayed, and collapsed unconscious. Gao Yuan’s figure was the last thing imprinted on his eyes.

Gao Yuan sprang two paces back, using the recoil of the clash. Wu Xiangbei was angry now. He had expected to kill these bandits in moments, yet they had proved unexpectedly troublesome.

He charged again, saber flashing, cold wind stirring around them. Seeing that no one else was close enough to hear, Gao Yuan used his ancient Wind-Gliding movement technique to dodge and said quietly, “General, attacking Blackwind Stronghold is unwise.”

Wu frowned and sneered. “Why should I take advice on warfare from you?” A mere bandit thought he could unsettle him with words? At this rate, Wu would cut the young man down in fewer than ten exchanges.

Gao Yuan continued, “Even if you take the stronghold, your men will suffer losses. The Beimang army has not gone far. What will you do if they hear of this and ambush you from behind?”

The warning struck home, though Wu kept his expression contemptuous. He attacked again. “Your clever tongue won’t help you. I am destroying Blackwind Stronghold!”

He had considered the danger before setting out. Even after weighing it, he had chosen to come. If he did not destroy the stronghold, how could he answer to his soldiers and the people?

Gao Yuan had expected that reply. He rolled aside to avoid the next blow. “Zhou Xing alone plotted with Beimang and attacked Dangyang. If you trust me, withdraw for now. Within three days, I will take his head and present it to you!”

That was the plan Gao Yuan had formed the night before. Zhou Xing’s betrayal was why Dangyang had sent its army. Killing him could calm Wu’s anger, end the immediate danger, and put the bandit force in Gao Yuan’s hands. Three goals with one stroke. Now it depended on whether Wu would agree.

Wu’s assault slowed at once. The offer had moved him. He stared at Gao Yuan, weighing whether he could be trusted. Within a few breaths, he decided.

“Very well. I’ll trust you once. If I do not see Zhou Xing’s head in three days, I will return with my army and leave nothing alive in Blackwind Stronghold!”

He had seen an irrepressible light in Gao Yuan’s eyes: the ambition of a man unwilling to remain beneath others. And attacking the stronghold would indeed cost him dearly. If Beimang exploited the opportunity, the consequences could be disastrous. If the bandits turned on one another, he could remove the threat without sacrificing a single soldier. Given that choice, he could afford to wait three more days.

Their agreement made, they traded several more blows. Wu drove Gao Yuan back, pulled his spear from Wang Shuang, and shouted, “Withdraw!”

Signal flags waved among the Wei troops. The soldiers attacking the stronghold did not know what had happened, but they withdrew in order, with the cavalry covering their flanks. Their disciplined advance and retreat showed what made a regular army so formidable.

Soon the force from Dangyang had receded like the tide.

Gao Yuan helped Wang Shuang, who had just opened his eyes, to his feet. His own clothes were soaked with sweat. He looked around and drew a sharp breath. Corpses covered the ground. All eighteen of the others who had gone out with them, Han Qing included, had been killed.

It had been a perilous encounter. One mistake and Gao Yuan might never have had the chance to speak. At least the immediate crisis had passed.

……

Above the gate, Zhou Xing, who had been preparing to flee, dropped into an armchair and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Who was that fighting Wu Xiangbei?”

Once he had seen Wu leading the army in person, he had lost all faith in the vanguard sent to kill the enemy commander. He had never expected it to contain a fighter capable of driving Wu back. It was a delightful surprise.

Second Chief Xu Mazi peered into the distance. “Looks like Gao Yuan. Strange. I never heard he was so formidable before.”

In high spirits, Zhou Xing waved a hand. “Who cares what he was before? He can fight now. When he gets back, make him third chief!”

Xu Mazi hesitated. “Brother, that might not be wise.”

“Why not?”

Xu leaned close to his ear. “Think about it. He’s strong enough to drive off Wu Xiangbei. Can the two of us control a man like that? What if he takes the stronghold from us?”

Xu did not know whether Gao Yuan would seize the place. What he did know was that he had bullied Gao Yuan often and had made him the first recruit for the vanguard strike against the enemy commander yesterday. Gao Yuan would not forget that grudge. An ordinary underling was easy enough to handle, but if the man became third chief, Xu would never sleep soundly. That was why he had spoken up.

There were always people like him: useless against outsiders, brilliant at fighting their own. Even with their home in danger, they had to eliminate anyone who threatened their position first.

Zhou Xing had never been a decisive man. As he listened, his smile faded and his expression grew uncertain.