A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

Before the bugle call had even faded, a wall of dust exploded on the eastern horizon of the valley.

Wei Zhao swiftly dispatched the last Western Qiang sentry blocking his path with a single spear thrust, and his white horse trampled over the corpses without slowing down in the slightest.

The ten thousand men that Tuoba Ye left at the gorge entrance couldn't hold him off for even half an hour.

When 50,000 cavalrymen pressed forward, the remaining 10,000 men were like a paper wall, crumbling at the slightest touch.

Wei Zhao didn't even order the formation to unfold; he directly broke through the enemy lines with his spearhead formation, scattering the feigning troops into disarray.

He now stands at the entrance to the valley, looking down.

The corpses scattered on the ground were not those of the Western Qiang elite cavalry, but those of the slave soldiers.

Those who were as thin as sticks lay on the ground, still clutching sharpened wooden sticks in their hands. Some were lying face down, while others were curled up in a ball, trampled beyond recognition by the horses' hooves.

Further away, a small group of people were surrounded in the center of the valley.

The shields—there aren't many left, just scattered bits and pieces, like a half-eaten pancake.

The spears peeked out from the gaps in the shield, but they were no longer neatly arranged.

Tuoba Ye's cavalry were tearing at the ever-shrinking circle, gnawing at it bite by bite.

In the very center of that circle stood a person.

Tuoba Yue held a slender sword in her hand.

Wei Zhao gripped the white wax spear tightly, his knuckles turning white.

It's not too late, there's still time.

"All troops, charge!"

Without hesitation, the roar from his throat was amplified three times by his 1,905 physique, echoing throughout the entire valley.

Fifty thousand cavalrymen behind him spurred their horses at the same time.

What you wish for comes true—

The sound of horses' hooves was like a mountain collapsing, surging in from the valley entrance, carrying dust and killing intent, and overwhelming the Western Qiang cavalry who were besieging Tuoba Yue in the valley.

Her hand holding the sword paused for a moment.

Then he suddenly turned his head to look east.

Dust billowed at the valley entrance, and a black line was unfolding and advancing at an incredible speed.

The banners appeared and disappeared in the dust, with the character "卫" embroidered on the large white banner at the front.

But the leader—

Tuoba Yue squinted for two seconds to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

It wasn't her sister-in-law. Liu Jingshuang always wore plain-colored close-fitting clothes and a long sword at her waist when fighting. She could recognize that figure even with her eyes closed.

It wasn't Huo Qingluan either. Qingluan was shorter and never rushed to the front; her position was always at the core node of the formation.

Leading the charge was a young man.

A white robe, no armor, a white horse, and a white wax spear.

He charged at the very front of 50,000 cavalry, his spear tip stained with blood, the hem of his white robe billowing in the wind, his entire figure dazzlingly bright amidst the swirling dust and torrent of armored soldiers.

Is he crazy?

Going to the battlefield without armor?

Tuoba Yue stood there, stunned, her mind racing.

Wei Zhao, the tenth son of the Wei family.

That sickly child who was frail and sickly since childhood and was sent to a Taoist temple to be raised for more than ten years.

She had seen him once at the funeral hall; his face was as white as paper, and he looked like he couldn't even stand up straight.

Later I heard that he killed the Northern Rong king in battle at Yanmen Pass and annihilated 500,000 men.

When she received the message in the Western Qiang royal palace, she thought it was fake.

Now this person was right in front of her, one man, one horse, one spear, like a blazing white knife, stabbing straight into the ranks of the Western Qiang cavalry.

This is her nominal...new husband?

Tuoba Yue's hand gripping her sword was trembling, not from exhaustion, but from something indescribable stuck in her throat, unable to go up or down.

My mother-in-law is right.

The Wei family army will come.

On the high slope on the other side of Eagle's Beak Gorge.

Tuoba Ye saw the large white banner.

His face turned ashen in an instant, like a piece of ember that had been extinguished.

The plan was discovered.

His entire fortune—to turn around and launch a surprise attack, first destroy Tuoba Yue, and then reclaim the royal decree.

Everything hinges on one premise: the Wei family army will be held up by the 10,000 feint troops at the gorge for at least half a day.

Half a day was enough for him to kill through Tuoba Yue's slave soldiers, cut off her head, and run back to the mountains with Wang Ling.

But now, the Wei family army's cavalry, like a pack of mad wolves, have directly crushed the feint and caught up with them here.

Ten thousand men couldn't even hold them off for half an hour.

It's over, it's really over.

Tuoba Ye stood on the high slope, the wind blowing into his mouth, and he heard that sound—not a horn, but something else.

It was the screams of his own soldiers.

Wei Zhao's cavalry charged in from the east, using the exact same tactics as in the last battle outside Yumen Pass—

The wedge formation, with the white-clad madman as its arrowhead, charged straight in without slowing down or probing.

The Western Qiang elite cavalry had a gash torn open from behind.

The cavalry that were besieging Tuoba Yue were forced to divert some of their forces to turn back and deal with the situation. As a result, the pressure on Tuoba Yue's side was greatly reduced.

Helian Gu had somehow crawled up to his side, his triangular eyes filled with fear.

"Prince, let's retreat! Run into the mountains, the cavalry can't catch us!"

"We will not withdraw."

Helian Gu's mouth was frozen in mid-air.

Tuoba Ye turned around and glanced at him. The look in those eyes made Helian Gu choke back his words.

It's not rationality, it's madness.

Tuoba Ye himself couldn't explain why.

All he knew was that he had to kill Tuoba Yue.

The battlefield was filled with an oppressive atmosphere that made it hard to breathe, like an invisible hand choking him, making his mind increasingly confused and chaotic.

That feeling began the moment the bugle call of the Wei family army sounded.

He knew in his heart that under normal circumstances he should run away. He still had tens of thousands of his loyal followers; if they disappeared into the deep mountains and forests, Wei Zhao would have no way to deal with them.

But a fire was burning inside him.

It wasn't anger, it was obsession.

Kill her, kill that traitor. She betrayed the Western Qiang, betrayed her bloodline. She doesn't deserve to live.

"No retreat allowed!" Tuoba Ye jumped down from the high slope and mounted his horse.

The scimitar pointed at the crooked golden crown flag in the center of the valley.

"Regardless of what happens next, kill Tuoba Yue first to avenge my father!"

His roar echoed through the valley.

The personal guards around him paused for a moment, then charged out after him.

Helian Gu stood on the high slope, his mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time.

This is insane! Absolutely insane!

Fifty thousand cavalrymen had already charged in from behind, but instead of running away, they continued to advance.

With a single spear thrust, Wei Zhao knocked down a Western Qiang centurion who turned to resist. With a sweep of his spear shaft, he sent two oncoming warhorses stumbling.

He saw what was happening ahead.

Tuoba Ye didn't run away.

The man in the animal skin cloak spurred his horse forward, leading his most elite men in a frenzied charge toward the center of the valley.

He's racing against time.

With his intelligence boosted by 1100, Wei Zhao instantly understood Tuoba Ye's intention—

This madman gave up on breaking out, gave up on survival, and bet all his chips on one thing.

Kill Tuoba Yue.

Once Tuoba Yue dies, the royal decree will be nothing but a piece of paper.

Even if he himself dies here, at least Tuoba Yue's title of "new king" will be ruined along with him, and no one can clean up the mess in Xiqiang.

To perish together—this was a madman's final gamble.

Wei Zhao's lips twitched.

Let's see whether you kill Tuoba Yue first, or I kill you first.

"All troops, keep charging! Break through them!"

The white wax spear pointed forward.

Fifty thousand cavalrymen roared and accelerated, rolling over the routing Western Qiang rear army like an iron torrent, rushing towards Tuoba Ye's retreating figure.