Chapter Fifty-Nine: Alliance (XIII)

Lielie had never imagined that he would find himself in such a wretched state!

From childhood, as the cherished stable boy of Lord Rodun, Lielie prided himself on having endured every possible hardship. Even after earning Rodun’s favor, Lielie never relaxed his standards for himself. He would rise before dawn each day to exercise his body, never indulged in comforts, always sharing the same hardships as his subordinates, acting with fairness, rewarding merit, and always putting others before himself. The Lianghait Special Division had never been a haven of peace; small skirmishes were commonplace. Lielie was always at the front in battle, and when faced with formidable foes, he would lead the elite in covering the retreat.

It was precisely because of these qualities that, as Rodun grew indifferent to affairs, Lielie had become the universally respected new leader of the Lianghait Special Division. In these tumultuous times, Rodun’s old age no longer inspired confidence among the people. But Lielie, young and capable, full of responsibility, had already replaced Rodun in the hearts of the division.

Lielie always believed himself able to handle any situation. Even when he decided to pledge allegiance to the Turks, he did so without hesitation. While other divisions feared the Turks’ ferocity, Lielie was certain he would be indispensable to them, that he would rise to prominence under their rule and lead the Lianghait Special Division to new heights. His faith in himself had never wavered.

But the moment Xu Le charged toward him alone, spear in hand, Lielie realized instantly—he was no match for this man!

When he first met Xu Le, the young man was all smiles, amiable in every way. Though tales of his solo battle against the Hengan Eagle Warriors at Yunzhong City had spread, Lielie had not seen them firsthand, and Xu Le’s demeanor was too unassuming, more like a pampered, handsome Han youth than a warrior. In contrast, Xu Le’s companions, Han Yue—tall and powerful—and Song Bao—fierce and ruthless—seemed far more threatening. At the time, Lielie genuinely believed that the chaos against the Eagle Warriors had been fought by these two capable aides, and Xu Le had merely reaped the reputation.

But in the heat of battle, Xu Le’s swift horse and long spear found no equal. Whether it was the thousand-strong Yue Division cavalry or Lielie’s own handpicked bodyguards—each chosen elite—their resistance meant nothing. Xu Le dispatched them as easily as an adult would swat aside infants.

No matter what, Lielie was not his match!

Lielie still bore grand ambitions, with countless dreams yet to realize. Without hesitation, he turned and fled. He was destined to become the khan of the great grasslands—he could not die here!

Ahead, there were twenty or thirty Yue Division cavalry charging, and Lielie dared not look back, desperate only to reach the main force and find safety among their numbers. From now on, he resolved never again to face Xu Le with so few men.

He genuinely wondered where Rodun had found such a godson!

Lielie’s mount, too, was a carefully chosen steed—well-fed, muscular, with strong legs perfect for swift running. Lielie was also a skilled horseman. Xu Le gave chase from behind, but remained a dozen or twenty paces behind, unable to close the gap.

Xu Le’s own great red horse had indeed lost some vigor, and with Bu Li riding behind, that short distance could not be overcome.

As the dust from dozens of Yue Division cavalry billowed ahead, Lielie pressed himself low against his horse’s neck to join them. Xu Le weighed his spear, considering whether to hurl it and bring Lielie down.

In the end, Xu Le decided against it.

What good would killing Lielie do? What he needed was to uncover what had really happened at the Alliance of Nine Clans, to find out in whose hands Rodun had fallen, then devise a way to rescue him.

Throwing his spear might bring satisfaction, but would leave him empty-handed.

Though Xu Le appeared invincible on horseback, he was not so arrogant as to think he could take on dozens of mounted warriors unarmed. Such folly would have his grandfather end him on the spot.

Glancing back, Xu Le saw Han Yue already dragging one of Lielie’s men as a prisoner, and retrieving the iron shield of Yu Lei, ready to charge forward with Song Bao.

Even though the main force of the Yue Division was coming to their aid, Song Bao’s face was pale, yet he still gripped his spear and leaned forward, ready to follow Han Yue into the fray.

Xu Le signaled them to stay back.

Having captured a live prisoner, the urgent task was to uncover the truth of what had happened!

But first, he needed to instill fear, to make sure none dared harm Rodun!

Suddenly, Xu Le let out a thunderous shout, spurred his horse fiercely, and his great red steed soared forward, charging straight into the ranks of dozens of Yue Division cavalry!

The thunder of hooves resounded as the Yue Division warriors came up at last. As they passed, Lielie felt his entire body go weak.

At that moment, Xu Le’s shout rang out!

Without hesitation, Lielie rolled from his saddle, his agility at its peak in this moment of crisis, dodging the oncoming horses and slipping behind the ranks.

Behind him came the sound of weapons slicing through air, shouts, curses, roars, screams, and the thud of bodies falling from horses. Warhorses neighed amid chaos.

Panting, Lielie looked back to see Xu Le’s spear whirling as he dove into the formation. In mere moments, four or five Yue cavalry had been unhorsed, the rest forced back by the sweeping reach of Xu Le’s spear, unable to approach. Even dozens of Yue Division warriors could not stop Xu Le alone!

Had he remained on horseback, he might have been speared down in an instant!

In the next instant, Xu Le’s spear traced another arc, two more determined Yue cavalry falling with pierced throats, dead before they could even groan.

The rest of the formation broke in terror, pulling their reins aside, no longer daring to close in.

Lielie, terrified out of his wits, didn’t even attempt to remount—he simply ran.

He wondered if there was anyone who could possibly stop this Xu Le.

But Xu Le pulled his reins, holding his spear down, a faint smile playing on his lips.

To his left and right, none of the Yue Division cavalry dared approach, edging away instead.

Ahead, Lielie stumbled in flight, while another hundred Yue Division warriors rode up, Heiguo among them, his face ashen at the sight.

These hundred cavalry all had bows in hand, a hundred arrows nocked, arrowheads glittering coldly, all aimed at Xu Le.

Xu Le had broken through two enemy units already, always in mounted melee. No matter the formation, only two or three could engage him at once. What could possibly stop him?

But these hundred had formed ranks—row upon row.

The front line held their bows level, the rear angled upwards, ready to rain arrows at a command.

No charging through this time...

Surveying the field, Xu Le saw the ground littered with Yue Division casualties. In just moments, two enemy units had been smashed apart by his lone charge.

Facing the formidable arrow formation, Xu Le grinned, eight white teeth gleaming.

“I’ll be watching you! If you dare form up like this even to go to the latrine, I’ll remember! Harm a single hair on Rodun’s head, and we’ll settle the score in due time!”

On the desolate plain, before the wall of arrows, the lone youth on horseback—spear in hand—struck such fear into the hundred cavalry that they advanced only with utmost caution.

Xu Le swung his spear around, tugged the reins, and his horse snorted, slowly turning away.

Neither the arrow formation ahead nor the battered remnants around him dared approach.

Not a single soul among them had the courage to close in.