Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 498 Side Story: The Rout (Part 4)
The Xiongnu cavalry and Pei's army automatically made way, revealing an open space in the middle.

So far in the battle, the Xiongnu have been completely at a disadvantage. Pei Qinghe personally drew his sword to challenge him, and Morton Khan could neither refuse nor wanted to refuse.

If he could kill Pei Qinghe in public, he could turn the tide of the battle. Such a tempting offer was simply irresistible!
Morton Khan waved his hand, signaling everyone behind him to stop, and rode his horse alone into the open space. He wanted to say a few harsh words, but Pei Qinghe didn't give him a chance at all, and slashed at him with her sword.

This strike wasn't flashy; it seemed rather ordinary, except for its sheer speed.

Only when you're in the thick of it do you realize how terrifying that knife strike can be.

Morton Khan had no choice but to parry with his sword, leaving him no option but to dodge.

The longsword and the curved sword clashed violently, producing an extremely piercing sound. Pei Qinghe's expression remained unchanged; with a flick of her right hand, the longsword slashed down again. Morton Khan had no choice but to continue parrying.

Clang clang clang!

Pei Qinghe kept swinging his sword, while Morton Khan kept parrying.

Pei Feng and Pei Xuan exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with excitement and anticipation. From the start of their fight, Pei Qinghe had calmly taken the initiative, while Morton was completely on the defensive. Now it was just a matter of how long Morton could hold out!

The Xiongnu generals, including Tuqi, were experts; how could they not see that their Khan was already at his last gasp? However, in a battle between commanders, no one was allowed to intervene before a victor was decided. This was standard practice on the battlefield. If they intervened at this moment, even if they managed to save Khan Morton, they would inevitably become a laughingstock.

Clang!
Another swift strike!

Morton Khan was a step too slow to react and failed to block the attack. He managed to dodge, but Pei Qinghe's strike only scratched the skin and flesh, failing to hit a vital spot.

Morton Khan was wounded in the left waist, and blood was gushing out.

Pei Qinghe's eyes flashed, and her next slash aimed straight for Morton's left side. Morton was injured and his movements became increasingly clumsy, forcing him to swing his sword to block. Unexpectedly, Pei Qinghe followed up with a flying kick, striking Morton's left leg.

The force of the kick was unclear. In the noisy battlefield, the slight cracking sound was not noticeable. However, Morton's muffled groan and sudden deathly pale face were clearly seen by everyone.

Tu Qi could no longer contain himself and roared, "Everyone, attack together!"

Shouting, he kicked his horse's belly hard and spurred it forward. The others followed suit.

Pei Feng and Pei Xuan were already on guard, and they moved almost the instant Tu Qi made his move. The two of them led their troops forward to block Tu Qi and his men.

Pei Qinghe's one-on-one battle with Morton Khan was naturally unsustainable.

Pei Qinghe had to be wary of weapons coming from all directions and couldn't relentlessly pursue them, but her eyes remained fixed on Morton's figure.

Morton was utterly demoralized and his pride was gone. He was already contemplating fleeing.

The Xiongnu warriors were defeated and fled; there was nothing shameful or disgraceful about it. They escaped back to the grasslands, lay low for a few years, accumulated strength, and then came back another day.

Tuqi charged forward, risking a fatal blow: "Khan, run!"

This is to shield Morton from the fiercest attack!
Pei Qinghe sneered and swung her knife at Tu Qi.

Tuqi was a formidable leader among the Xiongnu tribes, easily ranking among the top five, and he was a brave and skilled warrior. Pei Qinghe spent a considerable amount of time killing Tuqi.

Tuqi was stabbed through the chest and fell from his horse. In his last moments, he was relieved to see that Morton Khan had already fled on horseback.

As long as the Khan can escape, even if this battle is lost, the Xiongnu warriors can rise again.

Tu Qi, filled with beautiful dreams, fell heavily to the ground, closed his eyes, and passed away.

Unfortunately, Tu Qi's dream was destined to end in vain. Pei Qinghe wouldn't allow Morton to escape at all.

She personally led her troops in pursuit, relentlessly chasing Morton. Morton's guards charged forward wave after wave, relentlessly killing one after another. Pei Qinghe's face was as cold as ice, her long sword flashing as she killed incessantly, the splattered blood already staining her clothes red.

She might have been injured. At this moment, blinded by rage, Pei Qinghe felt no pain whatsoever. Her eyes were only on Morton, and her mind was focused on only one thing: killing him!

What does it feel like to be the prey of a predator?
Morton finally found out today.

He rode north relentlessly, protected by his personal guards. The pursuers behind him came and went, sometimes near, sometimes far, but never stopping. Occasionally, he would turn back, and the deadly Pei banner would come into view.

He dared not stop, not even dared to breathe heavily, using all his strength to escape.

run!
Run!

Run back to his own grassland!
Forget about revenge. As long as he can survive and return home, he'll never come back! He wants to leave this female assassin's sight forever.

He ran during the day, continued running as darkness fell, and kept running even after nightfall. The pursuers behind him never stopped, showing no intention of slowing down or giving up, relentlessly chasing after him.

He didn't even have a chance to catch his breath.

For a full day and night, a fine horse had been driven to its death. The guard offered his horse: "Khan, mount my horse and gallop!"

Morton didn't say anything, climbed onto his guard's horse, ate a few bites of bread and drank half a jug of water, and then spurred his horse to continue running.

The thousands of guards who fled with him would occasionally slow their horses and turn to fight the pursuers, buying time for Morton Khan to escape.

These Xiongnu cavalrymen died one after another, their blood and lives slowing down the Pei family army's pursuit.

"We've been chasing them for a whole day and night." Pei Feng's clothes were soaked with sweat, then dried, then soaked again; his handsome face showed signs of fatigue and weariness. "We still haven't caught up. Should we keep chasing?"

"Of course we have to chase after him!" Pei Xuan chimed in, "We can't let Morton run back to the grasslands."

Pei Qinghe tilted his head back and took a sip of water: "Even if Modu runs into the grasslands, no matter where he goes, we will still pursue him. Kill Modu, completely defeat the Xiongnu, and bring peace to the border from now on."

After saying that, he turned to Hemu and said, "Hemu, if we enter the grassland, you will be in charge of tracking Morton's movements."

Hemu's eyes flashed with a ferocious light: "Yes."

Ahead, over a hundred Xiongnu cavalrymen brandished long swords, hurling insults and profanities. Knowing they had no way out, they fought desperately, their eyes bloodshot. These hundred-odd men, with their flesh and blood, blocked the tens of thousands of Pei family soldiers.

Even if it only delayed them for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, it still slowed down the pursuers.

Pei Qinghe quickly gave the order, commanding Sun Cheng and Gu Lian to split up and specifically intercept and kill the Xiongnu cavalry. The rest of them continued to follow her in pursuit of Morton.

The Pei family army always had the habit of carrying military rations with them. Several pieces of roasted military rations were stuffed into the saddlebags on their horses, and each man also carried a canteen of water. If these rations were eaten sparingly, they could last for about five days.

The Xiongnu were in a much worse situation. They mostly carried dried meat, enough to last two or three days. If they kept running like this, their rations would eventually run out.

Morton was a ruthless man. With the grasslands in sight, he ordered the slaughter of dozens of horses. The Hun cavalrymen shared a meal of hot, bloody horse blood, which restored their strength.

"Khan, the pursuers are only a dozen miles away."

Morton Khan's heart skipped a beat: "Mount up and go quickly!"

(End of this chapter)