Patrol Captain

The Northern Liang rebels bypassed Longxi and launched a surprise attack, like a sharp sword thrusting diagonally into Baoqing!

Above the city wall of Baoqing Prefecture, generals gathered. General Mu Yuntian, commander of the Sanqin Pacification Office, and Xichangbo, deputy commander of the Northern Expedition, were among the main generals who were armored and ready to fight. Their eyes were sharp and terrifying as they looked out over the distant wilderness. Among these people, Li Xun, the prefect of Baoqing Prefecture, could only be ranked last.

Pairs of eyes watched as the Northern Liang rebels approached, like dark clouds pressing down on the city, casting a shadow over everyone's hearts.

Since entering the pass, the rebels have captured two cities in the Guanzhong region, and the troops dispatched by the imperial court have suffered heavy losses.

Suddenly, the rebel army detoured through Longxi and pointed their swords directly at Baoqing, a strategic pass leading to Guanzhong. The main force guarding the Guanzhong region and the two passes of Yulong in front of it was caught off guard and there was no time to mobilize troops. Only the general led a small number of troops to rush there, while the main force was the Baoqing Prefecture Army. Reinforcements from the front and the two flanks of Guanzhong were also coming from behind.

The best course of action now is to not leave the city and take the initiative to fight. Their mission is to hold the city at all costs and wait for reinforcements.

Looking at the black line stretching across the distant horizon, a general roughly estimated the number of the Northern Liang rebels, his brows slightly relaxed, and he spoke:
"General, there aren't many men, estimated to be around 20,000. It seems the rebels chose a surprise attack to avoid revealing their strategic intentions, so they didn't gather many troops. This battle is going to be tough, and we might even be able to teach them a good lesson." His voice was filled with eager excitement.

General Mu Yuntian, the commander of the Three Qin regions, was someone Chen Yuan had interacted with when he passed through this place years ago. However, his brows remained furrowed at this moment. He rode a strange beast resembling a black unicorn with black scales and horns on its head, exuding a majestic aura.

"No!" he exclaimed, his voice sharp with an unspeakable keenness. "The King of Beiliang wouldn't send only this small force to attack Baoqing. Once this man makes a move, he must have some ulterior motive. Doesn't he know that if the situation drags on, this force will face a three-pronged attack and be caught like a turtle in a jar?"

"Who is their commander this time?" He suddenly frowned and asked this question sharply.

"Reporting to the General, we haven't found them yet. Our scouts spotted their rapid march from a thousand miles away. We hadn't received any news from the scouts beforehand, so we don't know who the commander is," the subordinate general hurriedly replied.

Beside him stood the Earl of Xichang, who, by imperial decree, had been appointed as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expedition. He had originally been stationed at the front lines in Guanzhong with a patrolling envoy, but upon receiving a message from Baoqing Prefecture, he had used his extraordinary abilities to lead a small contingent of his personal guards to provide support. Hearing Mu Yuntian's analysis, his eyes, hidden beneath his armor, flashed with surprise and doubt, and he spoke up:

"Does General Mu suspect that there's a trap involved?"

"Should I lead a troop of soldiers out of the city to test the waters first?"

"General, please wait." Mu Yuntian called out to the old general, "We still don't know what the enemy has up their sleeve. We should focus on defending the city and remain calm to observe their intentions."

"Pass out the order."

"Defense across the board."

Immediately, messengers rushed along the city wall to relay the orders. Shouts and the clanging of armor mingled on the wall, creating a somber atmosphere.

In this oppressive atmosphere, a black line on the distant horizon swept up dust, obscuring the sky and the sun, rapidly approaching with a thunderous roar. The rumble of the earth was like rolling thunder, deafening, making the city walls tremble.

Fifteen li, ten li, eight li, five li
When they reached a distance of three miles, the Northern Liang cavalry stopped and quickly surged to form ranks below the city. Their armor plates gleamed coldly, their black armor spreading out like waves of ink. Their dark cloaks fluttered in the wind, thousands of cloaks billowing like black clouds pressing down on the city. The wind, carrying dust and smoke, roared as it charged toward the city walls.

Suddenly, a chorus of horns blared through the Northern Liang army, shattering the clamor. In the center of the army, a colossal banner slowly rose, as black as iron, piercing the sky. On the banner, the five-clawed black python was depicted with a ferocious expression, its golden claws embroidered in gold thread gleaming in the wind—this was the Northern Liang royal banner. As the banner stood, the Northern Liang royal banner fluttered in the swirling dust, directly piercing the eyes of the Baoqing defenders.

Above the Baoqing city wall, Mu Yuntian and the others' pupils constricted, and some even couldn't help but exclaim in shock, "What?"

"The Banner of the Northern Liang King!"

"Isn't Xiao Zhongtian supposed to be holding the line in the rear? Or is he going to personally lead the troops to attack Baoqing?"

"."

Mu Yuntian's expression changed, becoming extremely ugly. No one expected that a rebel king would appear on the front lines. Although the news confirmed that this prince had already reached the Martial Saint realm, there was still a great risk involved. Wasn't he afraid that the imperial court also had super strong experts lying in wait to capture the leader of this rebel army?

Why would the other party insist on taking such a risky move?
"Xiao Zhongtian actually came in person. What merit do I, Mu Yuntian, have to deserve such a great deal of face?" He said this, but in his heart, a sense of alarm and unease had already arisen.

The King of Beiliang is personally leading an expedition against his small prefecture, and he must have deployed all his elite troops. These tens of thousands of prefectural soldiers will not be able to hold out for long, not to mention the rebel king who is a Martial Saint. In this case, they will not be able to wait for reinforcements from both sides.

The others also looked grim, their hands clenched tightly.

"Issue the order: fight to the death! Anyone who flees without a fight will be executed!" He issued this order word by word, knowing that there was no escaping this bloody battle.

On the city wall, the sounds of drawing swords and bows echoed continuously, as the defending soldiers stood ready for battle.

Three miles away, the bugle call continued to sound, and amidst the rolling yellow sand, the Northern Liang King's banner fluttered in the wind at the central command post.

At the forefront of the Northern Liang cavalry formation, a clang rang out as longswords were simultaneously drawn. The black iron blades gleamed coldly in the sunlight, like a sudden, splitting bolt of black lightning. The blades weighed heavily, the hilts gripped in iron finger guards, a thousand streaks of cold light merging into one. Simultaneously, beneath their feet, warhorses pawed restlessly, emitting muffled thuds that echoed like thunderous drumbeats. Their manes billowed in the wind, white breath escaped their nostrils, and their large, copper-bell-like eyes burned with wildness, their forelegs occasionally leaping into the air.

They await only the order to strike, and their iron hooves will knock on the gates!

Time passed quietly, and the warplane was brewing, ready to strike at any moment.

However, at some unknown time, a small disturbance suddenly broke out in the rear of the Northern Liang cavalry army, which spread directly to the central army.

A short while later, the sound of the horn suddenly stopped.

Soon, to the astonishment of the city wall defenders, the Northern Liang army, which had just been arranging its troops and preparing to launch its first attack, sounded the retreat.

Then, this mighty cavalry began to retreat.

Under the dumbfounded gaze of the defending soldiers, it surged forth like a tidal wave, becoming unstoppable.

The Northern Liang army has suddenly retreated! (End of Chapter)