Chapter Thirty-Four: A Timely Garrison

The timely return of the generals was due in no small part to the contributions of two men: Xue Rengui and Meng Tian. This achievement began when Meng Tian, under the pressure of Wanyan Loushi, activated his skill "Border Defense."

"Ding! Meng Tian's Border Defense skill effects one and two activated. All troops' martial prowess +2. Meng Tian..."

Influenced by the first effect of Meng Tian's Border Defense:
Xing Tian's martial prowess +2, current prowess 137;
Xue Rengui's martial prowess +2, current prowess 128;
Xiong Kuohai's martial prowess +2, current prowess...;
Qin Qiong's martial prowess +2, current...;

Xiong Kuohai had been evenly matched with Wanyan Shemu and Wanyan Zongbi, neither side able to gain the upper hand. Since the battle began, the three had remained in a stalemate, fully occupied with keeping one another from interfering in other sectors of the battlefield. After such a long clash, Xiong Kuohai had even begun to lose hope of defeating them.

However, the boost from Meng Tian’s skill arrived. Though it was only a two-point increase, Xiong Kuohai felt an endless surge of power. He immediately unleashed his might, suppressing Wanyan Shemu and Wanyan Zongbi. Though he still could not defeat them, the sudden explosion of power shocked the pair, leading them to believe Xiong Kuohai had been holding back. After all, they knew he was the man who had previously fought the Xiongnu's greatest warrior to a draw.

Fear crept into their hearts, causing them to fight timidly. Seizing the opportunity, Xiong Kuohai swung his staff and knocked Wanyan Zongbi from his horse. Had Wanyan Shemu not intervened, Wanyan Zongbi’s skull would surely have been crushed. Even so, though he remained fit for battle, Wanyan Zongbi was severely wounded.

The rest was simple. Faced with Wanyan Shemu and a wounded Wanyan Zongbi, Xiong Kuohai dominated the fight. He leveraged his immense natural strength, attacking where his enemies were most vulnerable and relentlessly targeting the injured Wanyan Zongbi. This forced Wanyan Shemu to repeatedly clash head-on with Xiong Kuohai to protect his comrade. Under the force of these heavy blows, Wanyan Shemu felt a crushing tightness in his chest and was forced to pull Wanyan Zongbi back to retreat.

Simultaneously, the situation surrounding Xing Tian shifted. With his martial prowess boosted to 137, Xing Tian widened the gap between himself and Shan Shituo, though the latter remained a threat. However, for Nian Deli, the situation was dire. If he had previously been able to trade blows with Xing Tian, he was now relegated to mere glancing strikes and occasional ambushes, effectively becoming a support for Shan Shituo. While Xing Tian had fully suppressed them, defeating them quickly remained difficult.

Just then, Xue Rengui arrived.

"Ding! Xue Rengui's 'Three Arrows' skill activated. Current shot is the fourth; arrows will be at the martial level of the second shot. Martial prowess +6, +6; Valorous +5; Border Defense +2; Equipment +2. Base prowess 105; Xue Rengui’s current prowess rises to 126."

A flash of silver silently streaked toward Nian Deli, who was preoccupied with blocking Xing Tian. Had things continued, Nian Deli’s heart would surely have been pierced. But then, an accident occurred.

"General Nian Deli, watch out for the hidden arrow!" shouted Wanyan Jindanzi, who had just arrived. Having recently experienced Xue Rengui’s archery, he knew exactly what would happen if the arrow found its mark.

Warned, Nian Deli felt a sudden, fierce gust of wind, like a predatory beast lunging at him. "Move, move!" he screamed internally. At the final, critical moment, he wrenched his body aside. While the arrow still pierced him, it missed his vital organs. Though the wound was gruesome, his life was spared.

Shan Shituo, having been knocked back by Xing Tian, seized this opening to drag Nian Deli and Wanyan Jindanzi away. The event happened so suddenly that even Xing Tian could not react in time. By the time he realized what had happened, they had vanished into the ranks of the soldiers.

Seeing Xing Tian frustrated by the escape of the enemy generals, Xue Rengui consoled him: "General Xing Tian, do not fret. If they escape, they escape; we shall meet again. Our priority now is to lead the remaining soldiers to break through and preserve our cavalry for future battles."

Xing Tian sighed, his expression grave. "Those who escaped are no mere soldiers; they are among the best. Aside from us, few could stand against them. We had a chance to kill at least one today. Releasing such tigers back into the wild is a mistake we may regret."

Soon, Xing Tian and Xue Rengui reunited with Xiong Kuohai and Qin Qiong, who had rallied the scattered cavalry. With the Xiongnu's猛将 (fierce generals) driven back, there was no one left to stop the full might of the Han forces. Despite being vastly outnumbered and under the secret command of ruthless strategists like Wanyan Aguda and Wanyan Wuqimai, the Han cavalry fought their way out.

Regrettably, only about eight thousand soldiers remained after the breakthrough. More than half of the elite cavalry that had ridden out of the city were lost—a heavy price indeed.

They galloped forward, and upon reaching the city gates, Xue Rengui and his men finally saw the desperate state of Yanmen Pass. Though Xue Rengui had suspected the enemy’s trap was more than a mere lure, he had not imagined the situation at the pass would be this precarious.

The generals, their hearts burning with anxiety, did not hesitate to charge straight back into the fray.