Nine Nights Owl Song

The 4th day of the 6th month of the 18th year of Yong'an.

North of Yinshan Mountain lies the Qiang ethnic camp.

Helian Tieshu's 100,000-strong army did not march south. Instead, they established a camp on the northern slopes of the Yin Mountains, stretching for dozens of miles, tents like clouds, smoke rising like mist. Looking down from the ridge, the camp resembled a gray-white sea, seemingly endless. Su Jiuge lay prone behind the rocks on the ridge, Ayiguli to her left, Zhao Ying to her right, while Shen Qing led the Dark Pavilion men in ambush on the other side of the ridge.

Five days ago, they crossed the Yinshan Mountains and entered the heartland of the Qiang people. Ayiguli knew this terrain like the back of her hand—where the pasture trails were, where the water sources were, where people could hide, and where ambushes could be set up.

She spent over a year living on the Qiang people's territory, and every mountain and river was etched into her mind.

Su Jiuge quickly figured out the details of the Qiang ethnic camp.

Helian Tieshu was waiting—waiting for reinforcements from the tribes behind him, waiting for military rations purchased from the Western Regions, and waiting for his warhorses to be fat and strong by autumn.

To the east of the main camp was a prisoner-of-war camp, which held civilians and prisoners of war captured from various places, including people from Wusun, Daliang, and various Western Regions countries.

The western side was a grain storage area, where grain transported from the rear was piled up like mountains, enough to feed an army of 100,000 for three months.

The commander's tent was located in the very center of the camp, heavily guarded by Helian Tieshu's personal guards who patrolled day and night.

The intelligence from Qianji Tower also revealed a crucial piece of information—reinforcements from the rear tribes would arrive in three days, led by Helian Tieshu's younger brother, Helian Muer. After the two armies joined forces, the Qiang army would reach 150,000.

Su Jiuge lay on the ridge, staring at the camp.

"We only have three days."

Zhao Ying was chewing on a grass root.

"Master, how do you intend to fight?"

"Rescue people, burn grain, and behead the commander."

Aygul looked at her.

"Three things, do them at the same time?"

Su Jiuge nodded.

"Rescue the prisoners! Send the Dark Pavilion men to rescue the people in the prisoner-of-war camp and let them create chaos from within. Burn the grain supplies! Zhao Ying, take men there! Once the grain supplies are burned, the Qiang tribe will fall into chaos without a fight. Slay the commander! I'll go."

Aygul gripped her scimitar tightly.

"I'll go with you."

Su Jiuge looked at her.

Are you sure?

"I've been waiting for this day for over a year."

June 5th, night.

The Qiang camp was brightly lit, with patrolling cavalry coming and going. No one noticed that outside the prisoner-of-war camp on the east side of the camp, several black shadows moved silently along the ground. Shen Qing led the members of the Dark Pavilion to the edge of the prisoner-of-war camp fence. He drew his long sword, and with a flash of light in the night, the iron chains on the fence snapped.

The prisoner-of-war camp held over a thousand people, men and women, young and old. They huddled in makeshift tents; some were asleep, others stared into the darkness, oblivious to the passage of time. Shen Qing whispered in the Wusun language, "Wusun people, come out." Someone raised their head in the darkness.

Shen Qing repeated himself, and someone moved inside the tent. An old man from Wusun poked his head out and saw Shen Qing's face—he wasn't a Qiang person. A spark ignited in the old man's cloudy eyes.

"Who are you……"

"We've come to your rescue, warriors of Wusun. Follow me."

The old man turned and shouted in the Wusun language, and the prisoner-of-war camp erupted in cheers.

The grain and fodder storage area was on the west side. Zhao Ying led his men from the Dark Pavilion to the grain and fodder pile. The Qiang people never expected anyone to break through the layers of defenses to reach this place; only a few patrolling soldiers were dozing off against the sacks. Zhao Ying drew his short blade swiftly and cleanly, and four patrolling soldiers fell silently. He took out a tinderbox from his waist, lit it, and threw it at the grain and fodder pile. Flames leaped up, starting as a thin thread, and in the blink of an eye, the grain and fodder pile burned into a sea of ​​fire in the night wind.

The commander's tent was in the center. Su Jiuge led Ayiguli through the chaotic camp area, heading straight for the largest tent.

The Qiang camp was awakened from its slumber. Some shouted for help to put out the fire, some shouted that there were assassins, and some shouted that the prisoners of war had escaped.

Flames soared into the sky, shouts of battle filled the air, and chaos reigned everywhere. Most of the personal guards surrounding the commander's tent had been redeployed to fight the fire and suppress prisoners of war, leaving fewer than a hundred men.

Su Jiuge drew her sword.

A flash of light appeared in the firelight, and a soldier's throat was split open. Aygul's scimitar slashed in from the other side, cleaving another soldier in two.

The two fought their way from the outer perimeter to the inner perimeter, carving a bloody path. More and more personal guards followed behind them, and the shouts of battle grew closer and closer in the distance.

Su Jiuge lifted the curtain of the command tent.

Helian Tieshu stood behind the command desk. His left hand gripped a knife, his right held a command flag, and his bare chest revealed his muscular physique. He had just donned his armor, and hadn't even had time to fasten it properly, leaving a large expanse of his chest exposed. He stared at Su Jiuge, the anger in his eyes almost tangible.

"Night Owl!"

Without saying a word, Su Jiuge drew her sword and walked towards him.

Helian Tieshu's martial arts skills were at the peak of the Transformation Realm, and his swordsmanship was fierce and powerful, with each strike carrying the force of wind and thunder.

Su Jiuge had suffered at his hands before, having fought him at Qingxia Pass, and knew that she was no match for him in a head-on confrontation.

This time, she didn't confront him head-on. She dodged and weaved, much faster than before—the practical experience she had gained in recent days had allowed her to break through from the late stage of the Transformation Realm to the peak of the Transformation Realm, reaching the level of Helian Tieshu.

Helian Tieshu's sword strike missed its mark, revealing an opening in his chest.

Su Jiuge's knife slashed upwards from below, aiming straight for his heart. Helian Tieshu dodged to the side, the blade slicing across his left arm and slicing off a large piece of flesh.

Blood gushed out, and he groaned as he took two steps back.

Aygul attacked from the side.

The curved blade pierced Helian Tieshu's lower back, the tip emerging from his left side. Helian Tieshu's body stiffened abruptly, looking down at the bloodied blade tip protruding from his waist, then looking up at Su Jiuge.

Su Jiuge plunged her knife into Helian Tieshu's heart.

There was a moment of silence in the command tent.

Helian Tieshu's body crashed to the ground.

In the distance, the unrest in the Qiang camp continued.

The prisoners of war set fire to the camp, and the burning haystacks illuminated half the sky. The cavalry could not find their generals, and the infantry could not find their commanders. The 150,000-strong army was leaderless.

Su Jiuge walked out of the command tent, covered in blood.

Aygul followed behind her, blood still dripping from her scimitar.

Shen Qing led the Dark Pavilion men to meet her from the direction of the prisoner-of-war camp, while Zhao Ying led her men to retreat from the direction of the grain storage area.

"withdraw!"

Su Jiuge led the remaining brothers across the mountain ridge and disappeared into the night. Behind them, the Qiang camp was ablaze with flames, and their 150,000-strong army had been routed.

On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, Su Jiuge returned to Liangzhou City with her entourage.

Su Zhentian personally went to the city gate to greet her. When he saw his daughter covered in blood but looking in high spirits, his eyes reddened.

"Helian Tieshu is dead." Su Jiuge dismounted and looked at her father.

"The grain supplies were burned, but the prisoners of war were rescued. The Qiang people have retreated, and they will be unable to move south for at least three to five years."

Su Zhentian nodded.

He reached out and patted his daughter's shoulder, unable to say a word.

The good news was sent to Luoyang.

Emperor Yong'an read the victory report three times in the court.

"Su Jiuge, General Anxi, penetrated deep behind enemy lines, beheaded the commander, burned the grain, rescued thousands of prisoners of war, and forced the Qiang tribes to retreat. In the history of the Great Liang Dynasty, there has never been such a female general." All the civil and military officials knelt on the ground.

The crown prince lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought.

The Fourth Prince smiled and was genuinely happy for Su Jiuge.

The second prince was still in confinement. When the news reached his residence, he smashed the last teacup—not because Su Jiuge had won the battle, but because he hated this woman.

But he had to admit that he couldn't do what this woman did.

Prince Zhao's Mansion.

Xiao Yan sat in his study, a letter from Su Jiuge laid out before him. The last letter contained only eight characters: "Helian Tieshu is dead. Rest in peace."

Xiao Yan stared at those eight characters for a long time.

A smile curved her lips. She said she was fine.

He believed it. Not entirely, but he chose to believe it.

"Bai Yu." Bai Yu poked his head in from outside the door.

"OP."

"Go to Liangzhou."

Bai Yu was stunned for a moment.

"You visited just last month, sir." Xiao Yan had already started packing his things.

"She won the battle, I'm going to fetch her."

Bai Yu didn't stop him; he knew he couldn't.

The original poster has never been in love with anyone in their life, but once they fell for Su Jiuge, they couldn't take it back.

June 8th.

Su Jiuge stood on the top of Liangzhou city wall, looking into the distance.

She stands here for a while every day after returning from the Qiang ethnic camp.

I wasn't looking at the scenery; I was waiting for someone.

The man said he would come to pick her up, and he wrote to her to tell her. She knew he would come—he always kept his word.

A horse appeared on the official road, and the rider was dressed in a moon-white casual outfit, his hair blowing in the wind.

Su Jiuge's lips curved slightly as she turned and walked down the city wall to open the city gate.

General Su Jiuge of Anxi became famous in one battle.

With 60,000 troops against 150,000, the commander was beheaded, the grain supplies were burned, and hostages were rescued. The Liang dynasty won its greatest victory with the smallest troop disadvantage in its history. It wasn't a victory of sheer numbers; it was a victory of manpower.

A seventeen-year-old girl. Her name is Su Jiuge.