White Horse, Silver Spear, Grand Commandant Gao

As dawn broke, the battle between the two armies alarmed the laborers in the city walls, and many of them peered over the still-unfinished walls to watch.

When they realized that their own lines were retreating step by step, fear began to spread, and some people immediately wanted to flee the city.

"Go back, all of you go back! Everything will be alright after this."

Officials who had received Li Jidu's warning during the day tried to stop him, but to little avail.

"Can't you see our troops are retreating? Are you just going to stand here and wait to be killed?"

Opposition arose from the crowd, and many echoed their sentiments.

The officials did what they could, some speaking kindly, others resorting to threats, but nothing they said could compare to the actual battle situation. Even they themselves were filled with anxiety, worrying about what would happen if their own army was defeated, making their persuasive words seem increasingly pale and powerless.

According to their proximity to each other, the laborers gathered in small groups, whispering amongst themselves and occasionally glancing at the two armies fighting outside the city.

"We've lost!"

Someone shouted, and it seemed as if a large flock of chickens and ducks had been suddenly startled, causing the crowd to erupt in chaos.

"Run!"

From a few, dozens, hundreds, thousands, numerous laborers rushed over the city walls and scattered in a chaotic rush, leaving only a minority behind.

Most of them avoided the direction of the battlefield, but nearly a hundred of them panicked and rushed straight towards Gao Huaide.

The squad leader, without saying a word, drew his bow, aimed an arrow at the leader, and shot him down instantly.

The thin cloth clothing offered no protection whatsoever. The man fell to the ground, a bloody arrowhead protruding from his back, clearly having been shot through.

Although the face was hidden by the yellow earth, one could imagine the extreme pain from the person's constantly twitching limbs.

"The moment the arrow pierced through his internal organs, he could not breathe properly and could only exhale with difficulty."

Fu An seemed to have witnessed it firsthand: "At this moment, that person's mouth and nose must be flowing with fresh blood, and every breath he takes feels like being burned by fire." (Note 1)

He smiled and said, "It's okay, it'll be ready soon."

Gao Huaide hadn't quite grasped what Fu An meant by "it's done." The soldiers fired several more arrows, one after another, striking the fleeing laborers. The arrow shafts, half-buried in the ground, emitted a silent threat of death.

The laborers involuntarily slowed their pace, their gaze drifting to the still writhing body on the ground.

The convulsions quickly subsided and he became a motionless corpse.

"The only way to survive is to escape down the mountain; staying here means certain death."

"With so many people running together, they wouldn't dare to make a move. What happened just now was merely to make an example of them."

"So in the second round, they didn't shoot at people."

"Let's stick together and attack as a team!"

In the midst of chaos, such words were most inflammatory, and the hesitant laborers encouraged each other and began to move their legs again.

Seeing this, the squad leader waved his arm, and ten soldiers fired a volley of arrows, hitting several more men.

The laborers who were not immediately killed suddenly lost their footing, fell to the ground, and cried out in agony.

"When an ordinary person suffers a serious injury, their mind goes blank. Apart from the intense pain in the wound, they can't feel anything else. Their legs go weak and they just want to lie down."

Fu An seemed to have a deep understanding of the state of being wounded: "Only a veteran who has been through countless battles can shut down his senses or even get excited and continue fighting despite his injuries."

Gao Huaide couldn't help but ask: You talk a good game, but can you actually do it?

The laborers who were not hit by the arrows stopped in their tracks as if frozen in place, only then realizing that the other side would not hesitate to attack, and that their lives were as worthless as grass in their eyes.

After a moment of stunned silence, some changed their escape route to avoid the group of killing gods in front of them; others knelt down and begged for mercy. In their eyes, these soldiers had become even more terrifying than the enemy troops below the mountain.

Intentionally or unintentionally, the soldiers overlooked a laborer, letting him run towards Gao Huaide's direction.

"Pah, those kids are up to no good."

Fu An spat and prepared to draw his sword, but Lu Qian stopped him.

"Since they want to see how the young master handles it, there's no point in you cleaning up after them."

"How old is the young master?"

Fu An understood, but couldn't help but hesitate: Gao Huaide is a child under ten years old. Even if he has been practicing martial arts since childhood, can his temperament really withstand the test?

"He's just an unarmed civilian. If something really happens, you can step in then."

Lu Qian turned his head and asked, "Does the young master still remember what the punishment is for trespassing on military lines?"

Gao Huaide gritted his teeth, picked up his spear, and stepped forward. The spear felt heavy in his hand, much heavier than when he practiced.

"I want to go home, move aside."

The man stumbled to Gao Huaide's side, not even considering why he was the only one who had run so far without being hit. Perhaps thinking the child posed no threat, he waved his arm as if to shoo Gao Huaide away and escape.

How dare a commoner like myself offend me?

Enraged, Gao Huaide immediately followed his usual training method and thrust his spear forward!

The man hadn't expected the child to be so ruthless. He deliberately rammed into the child, and in the ensuing exchange, the spearhead struck the child's throat.

puff!

This was the first time Gao Huaide had experienced the sensation of a spear piercing a human body.

Unlike the hard wooden stake, the spear tip encountered only slight resistance, and then the half-foot spearhead pierced through effortlessly in one go.

Blood spurted from his throat, and the spear tassel, like a brush tip soaked in ink, appeared even more vibrant red.

The man moved his arm, trying to cover his shattered throat, but before he could raise it high enough, his head tilted to the side, and his body fell forward.

Gao Huaide was immersed in the complex emotions of killing for the first time and forgot to draw his gun. The man's body was held down by the gun barrel and could not fall to the ground, his head hanging diagonally on the gun, forming a bizarre sight.

Life is so fragile.

When the guards saw that the young master had killed the man with a single, clean shot, they cheered loudly, and some even pursed their lips and whistled.

Gao Huaide was bewildered. Killing a civilian was not the same as beheading an enemy warrior. What was there to cheer about?

As a son of a military family, he had imagined countless times what it would be like to go into battle, only to experience the exhilaration of killing enemies. But when he actually had to kill someone with his own hands, he felt no pleasure at all.

He holstered his gun and retreated, the body slumping to the ground.

Fu An quickly caught up, drew his sword, chopped off the man's head, and threw it towards the guards: "This is a reward from the young master, count as one rank."

The soldiers thanked them loudly, and the foreman also clasped his hands in a salute.

Gao Huaide was once again at a loss: Wasn't this killing innocent people and taking credit for them?

Lu Qian's words brought him back to reality: "Young master, that's how you lead soldiers."

Seeing Gao Huaide standing there with his spear in a daze, Fu An shook his head: "Young Master is still young. He can't drink or play with women. It looks like it will take him a while to recover."

Lu Qian mocked him, saying, "How much better can you be if it's your first time killing someone? You've already done quite well, young master."

They chatted and laughed, while the laborers' legs went weak, and some unconsciously reached out to protect their throats.

The gang leader drew his sword, pointed it at the city wall, and brandished the tip.

Reality speaks louder than words. The group of laborers dared not move forward or turn around, fearing that they would be shot or shot from behind and suffer the same fate as their fallen comrades. They took a few steps backward before daring to turn around and run back.

"Young master, look over there."

To distract Gao Huaide, Lu Qian pointed down the mountain.

Looking at the battle situation again, a new change has occurred.

……

The defending troops were prepared, and the night attack failed. Seeing that it was already dawn, Li Yijun decided to retreat.

Building a city is not something that can be done in a day, and the defending troops will always have moments of laxity. If we fail this time, we can find another opportunity to come back next time.

Having made up his mind, he ordered his subordinates to begin the retreat. Li Jidu led his troops forward, but the soldiers responsible for covering the rear blocked their advance.

There are still two hundred cavalrymen down the slope. If the Zhangwu army dares to chase after them on foot, they will surely teach them a lesson, and victory is not out of the question.

Just as Li Yijun was thinking this, a troop of soldiers charged in, raising dust as they attacked. It was Gao Huaiyuan, who had been lying in ambush outside!

"If thieves attack the main camp at night, deploy ambushes and other troops in distant locations. Once the thieves are engaged in battle with the main camp, immediately sound drums and shouts from behind to attack the thieves' rear. Seize the opportunity, and victory is assured." — *Li Weigong's Art of War*

"Young master, take a close look! This is the cavalry fighting tactic of the Northern Regions!"

Without Lu Qian needing to remind them, everyone's attention was drawn to the rapidly approaching, cone-shaped cavalry formation below the mountain.

Gao Huaide stared intently at his cousin, who was positioned at the tip of the cone, not daring to blink.

From the time he could remember, Gao Xingzhou was already a high-ranking military governor. Only through recounting past events could he imagine his father's heroic figure charging into battle.

At this moment, Gao Huaiyuan's green horse transformed into a white steed in Gao Huaide's mind, with the rider on the horse looking majestic, resembling both his father and himself.

With time pressing, Li Yijun could no longer care about the lives of the rearguard soldiers. He took the lead and quickened his pace, running down the slope.

The approaching force numbered less than a hundred, but judging from their charging posture, they must be seasoned veterans. The two hundred Tangut light cavalry I brought might not be able to withstand them.

His judgment was correct, but he still held onto a sliver of hope. After all, his cavalry outnumbered the enemy's by more than two to one. Even if he couldn't win, he could at least hold them off and buy some time.

No need for much; just the time it takes to drink a cup of hot tea is enough for the infantry to retreat down the mountain.

Unfortunately, once the cavalry came into view, the battle had already been decided in the blink of an eye. (Note 2)

In the blink of an eye, Gao Huaiyuan's cavalry suddenly charged into the Suizhou army's cavalry formation!

Dozens of Tangut cavalrymen who hastily mounted their horses to engage in battle were wiped out in one fell swoop, while many more Tangut light cavalrymen chose to flee on horseback.

"Is this what mounted combat is... completely different from infantry combat?"

Compared to the previous stalemate, the decisive cavalry battle was a stark contrast, leaving a deep impression on Gao Huaide.

The enemy soldier who fell from his horse remained motionless, presumably dead on the spot.

Gao Huaiyuan scattered the remaining Suizhou army and seized the main road down the mountain. His horse circled around, coldly watching Li Yijun and his troops, who had abruptly stopped a hundred paces away.

Despite it being the warm month of March, Li Yijun felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

With the cavalry defeated and fleeing, and the enemy pressing down from the mountain, striking with anvils and hammers, the morale of the army began to waver.

The Suizhou soldiers who were covering the rear gave up resistance, dropped their weapons, and turned to flee. Li Jidu's garrison troops stabbed them one by one from behind and cut off their heads.

In direct combat, the casualties were only a few dozen. But in the pursuit phase, the number of enemy soldiers killed was several times greater in a short period of time.

Some of the Suizhou soldiers stopped fleeing, abandoned their weapons, and crawled down to surrender. The Suizhou soldiers used their spear shafts to whip and drive them away, so as not to hinder the pursuit.

Li Yijun still had several hundred soldiers by his side, but his army was in complete disarray. Of the more than a thousand men he had brought with him, more than a hundred were captured or killed, and many more fled in all directions. He was powerless to turn the tide.

"Why not surrender sooner to avoid further bloodshed?"

The Zhangwu army surrounded them from two sides. Li Yijun untied his armor straps, removed his breastplate, took off his helmet, and took off his sword, throwing them on the ground.

The subordinates abandoned their weapons and armor, following their commander's example, thus bringing an end to this failed night raid.