I, the military god of the Tang Dynasty, have risen since I destroyed the Turks

Chapter 767 Hou Junji's Bloody Battle Against the Mongol Cavalry

The north wind, sharp as a knife, cleaved the desolate northwest frontier. Yellow sand swirled across the land, obscuring half the sky, as if even the sun could not bear to witness the impending bloody battle.

Hou Junji, the Grand General of the Anxi Protectorate of the Tang Dynasty, stood atop the fortress, his body clad in iron armor, his scarlet cloak fluttering in the wind. His right hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his left hand on the crenellations of the city wall, his gaze fixed intently on the dark, imposing Mongol army in the distance.

"General, a scout reports that the Mongol Khan Möngke is leading 100,000 cavalry south, and they are less than 30 li from here." Deputy General Xue Yan stepped forward quickly, his voice filled with worry.

Hou Junji raised a thick eyebrow, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth: "One hundred thousand? What a grand display. That brat Mengge is trying to devour the four towns of Anxi in one bite."

Xue Yan's Adam's apple bobbed as he whispered, "Our army only has five thousand elite troops. Should we temporarily avoid a direct confrontation?"

"Avoid?" Hou Junji whirled around, his armor clattering. "Not an inch of our Great Tang territory will be yielded! Order the entire army to don their armor and take up their weapons, and follow me out of the city to meet the enemy!"

Xue Yan was greatly alarmed: "General, please reconsider! The enemy outnumbers us!"

"The art of war says, 'Attack where the enemy is unprepared, strike when they least expect it.'" Hou Junji's eyes gleamed with wisdom. "Mongke is arrogant and surely doesn't take my five thousand men seriously. Today, this general will show him the might of the Tang army!"

Half an hour later, the fortress gates burst open with a roar. Hou Junji led the charge, followed by five thousand elite troops who surged forth like an iron torrent. The Tang army was arrayed in perfect order, their banners obscuring the sky, their spears like a forest, gleaming coldly in the blazing sun.

On the distant horizon, the Mongol army surged forward like a tidal wave. The thunderous sound of hooves shook the heavens and the dust they raised blotted out the sun. Leading the army was none other than the Mongol Khan Möngke, clad in a sable coat and wearing a golden helmet, his hawk-like eyes filled with disdain.

"Hahaha!" Möngke laughed loudly, "A mere few thousand Tang soldiers dare to obstruct my Mongol cavalry? Send the order: leave not a single one alive!"

The two armies faced each other, their killing intent palpable. Hou Junji spurred his horse forward, removed his helmet to reveal a sharply defined face. His eyes flashed like lightning, and his voice boomed like thunder: "I am Hou Junji, the Great General of the Tang Dynasty! Who dares to challenge me?"

Hou Junji's voice boomed like thunder, echoing across the desolate wilderness. He simply took off his helmet and tossed it to his personal guards behind him, revealing a head of tied-up black hair. In the sunlight, the scar on his forehead was clearly visible—a mark of glory left ten years ago when he quelled the rebellion in the Western Regions.

A commotion arose within the Mongol army ranks. Möngke squinted, sizing up the Tang general who dared to challenge him alone on horseback. Hou Junji was eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and burly, wielding a seven-foot-long Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword), its blade gleaming coldly, clearly having tasted much blood.

"Arrogant!" Möngke sneered. "Who will take his head?"

"This humble general is willing to go!" A burly Mongol warrior rode out on horseback. He held a spiked club and had tribal totems tattooed on his face; he was Temujin Ge, a famous and fierce general under Möngke Khan.

Hou Junji's lips curled slightly, and he spurred his horse forward. The two horses clashed, and Temujin's mace came crashing down with the force of a mountain. Hou Junji, however, neither dodged nor evaded, but instead slashed his longsword diagonally upwards.

"clang--"

Amidst the deafening clang of metal clashing, the spiked club was cleaved in two with a single blow. Temujin's hand was split open, blood gushing forth. Before he could react, Hou Junji's blade flashed, a head shot into the air, and the headless body plummeted from the horse's back.

A commotion erupted within the Mongol army. Hou Junji pointed his sword at Möngke and laughed loudly, "Mongol warriors? Nothing special! Who else is there?"

"Stop your arrogance!" Another Mongol general rode out, wielding two swords; it was none other than Batel, the captain of Möngke's personal guard.

Batel wielded his twin swords with lightning speed, his moves ruthless and cunning. Hou Junji, however, moved with effortless ease, parrying and deflecting each attack with his broadsword. After three exchanges, Hou Junji suddenly changed tactics, his sword strikes flowing like a mighty river, relentless and unstoppable. Batel, struggling to defend, finally revealed an opening.

"Die!" Hou Junji roared, his longsword flashing like lightning, piercing Batel's chest. The blade emerged from his back, blood gushing from the wound. Two generals slain in quick succession, the Mongol army's morale trembled. Möngke's face was ashen, veins bulging on his forehead. He abruptly drew his golden sword from his waist: "All troops, listen to my command! Kill him!"

The strategist Yelü Chucai hurriedly advised, "Your Majesty, you mustn't! This man's martial arts are exceptional; our army should temporarily avoid his advance."

"Shut up!" Möngke roared in fury. "My Mongol cavalry has swept across Eurasia; how could we fear a mere warrior? If I don't kill this man today, I, Möngke, swear I'm not worthy of being called a man!"

Bugles sounded in unison within the Mongol army ranks, and their once-orderly formation began to shift. Cavalry from both the inner and outer lines charged towards Houjunji, their hooves thundering and the earth trembling.

Hou Junji was delighted to see this. He drew his precious sword and, instead of retreating, spurred his horse forward to meet the enemy.

"kill!"

One man on horseback, he shot into the Mongol army like an arrow released from a bow. Hou Junji's long-handled saber transformed into a silver whirlwind, causing men and horses to fall wherever it passed. The Mongol cavalry's spears and scimitars were child's play before him; with a flash of light, a head would inevitably roll.

"Ding ding ding..."

Two longswords clashed, sparks flying. A Mongol cavalryman thrust a spear from under his horse, a treacherous and vicious move. Hou Junji dodged to the side, his longsword slicing through the air with a swift motion. With a soft thud, the cavalryman's head flew off, blood spurting more than ten feet away.

"That was exhilarating!" Hou Junji laughed, his longsword sweeping across, cutting three more Mongol cavalrymen in half at the waist. He was covered in blood, but the more he fought, the braver he became, as if he had returned to his youth when he fought alongside Emperor Taizong in the wars.

Möngke, watching from the rear, was both shocked and furious. He had never seen such a valiant man, moving through the enemy ranks as if they were nothing. What troubled him even more was that Hou Junji's ferocity was beginning to shake the morale of the Mongol army.

"Shoot! Kill him!" Mongke roared hysterically.

Thousands of archers drew their bows and unleashed a rain of arrows upon Hou Junji like locusts. In the critical moment, Hou Junji ripped off his cloak, channeling his inner strength into it and spinning it like a shield, deflecting most of the arrows. The few that slipped through were parried by his sword.

"General, be careful!"

A loud shout came from the outer perimeter of the Mongol army formation. Tang army deputy general Xue Yan led three hundred elite cavalrymen into the encirclement, and the Mongol cavalrymen retreated wherever their spears pointed.

"General, retreat quickly!" Xue Yan rushed to Hou Junji's side and handed him a new Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword).

Hou Junji took the weapon and laughed heartily, "Perfect timing! Let's charge in again!"

The two charged forward side by side, like tigers among sheep. Although the Mongol army was numerous and powerful, this sudden counterattack threw them into disarray. Hou Junji seized the opportunity, leading three hundred cavalrymen to fight their way out and safely return to their own lines.

Upon returning to the Tang army camp, Hou Junji immediately convened a meeting of his generals.

“Mongke is arrogant, and he will certainly not accept defeat today,” Hou Junji said, pointing to the terrain on the sand table. “There is a canyon ten miles to the northwest, with steep mountains on both sides, which is a good place to set up an ambush.”

Xue Yan's eyes lit up: "General, do you mean..."

(End of this chapter)