Upon hearing this, the enemy commander was struck dumb, swayed, and nearly fell off his horse.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the grief and anger in his heart, and asked in a trembling voice:

"How did you die? Explain clearly!"

The messenger dared not raise his head, and answered in a trembling voice:

"Reporting to the commander, General Zhou Tai... was killed by a single arrow from the Tiger Descending from the Mountain of the Imperial Guard!"

"The tiger descending the mountain! It's him again!"

The enemy commander roared through gritted teeth, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh.

He knew Zhou Tai was very important to the Zhou family army, and now that Zhou Tai had died in battle, the blow to morale was undoubtedly enormous.

He looked up at the city wall and saw the Imperial Guards soldiers in high spirits, fighting bravely against the enemy.

However, their own soldiers were already showing signs of defeat, and their offensive had clearly weakened.

Continuing the offensive will only result in greater casualties and will be counterproductive.

Thinking of this, he closed his eyes with a heavy heart and took a deep breath.

Then he decisively gave the order:

"Sound the retreat!"

The deep sound of bugles rang out on the battlefield.

The Zhou family army soldiers, who were still fighting fiercely, felt as if they had been granted a pardon upon hearing the bugle call.

They abandoned their armor and weapons and retreated hastily.

The enemy commander looked at his routed army, his feelings beyond words.

He needs to reassess the situation and develop a new battle plan to reverse the defeat.

The enemy's retreating bugle call echoed across the battlefield, announcing the failure of their siege.

On the battlefield, shrouded in smoke, corpses lay strewn everywhere, and blood flowed like rivers.

As Chen Qingwan watched the enemy troops retreat like a receding tide, her tense nerves finally relaxed.

His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, powerless.

She felt sore all over, every muscle was protesting, and she couldn't even move a finger.

The clamor of the battlefield gradually faded away, replaced by a buzzing sound in my ears.

The world fell silent at that moment.

She took a deep breath, feeling the relief of surviving the ordeal, and murmured to herself:

"We...held it..."

Her voice trembled, tinged with disbelief.

Qiao'er, standing to the side, looked at the dulled blade of the horse-slaying sword in her hand with a complicated expression.

She let out a long sigh of relief and said, still shaken:

"Yes, we held on! So close, so very close..."

I can't imagine what fate awaits them if the city falls.

Perhaps they became prisoners of war, or perhaps they died in the chaos of battle.

Thinking about this, I couldn't help but shudder.

The tiger descending the mountain walked up to Chen Qingwan with a relaxed smile on his face, cupped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Your Excellency is wise; by seeing through the enemy's trickery, Jingzhou was able to turn the tide!"

Chen Qingwan glanced gratefully at Shan Hu.

They realized that he had shot and killed the enemy commander, turning the tide of the battle.

However, he attributed all the credit to himself.

She did not feign reluctance, but gladly accepted the praise.

After all, this victory was the result of everyone's joint efforts.

It was won with the blood and lives of all the soldiers who defended the city.

The surrounding soldiers, also immersed in the joy of victory, gathered around and cheered loudly:

"Your Excellency is wise!"

Cheers surged like waves, spreading from the south city wall to the north city wall, and finally resounding throughout the entire city.

The people in the city also came out of their homes to join in the cheering.

Celebrate this hard-won victory.

The deafening cheers echoed in Chen Qingwan's ears, but she was not intoxicated at all.

Thoughts surged like a tide, quickly turning to the complexities of the post-war period.

Seeing Chen Qingwan standing in the cold wind, Qiao'er worriedly draped a thick cloak gently over her shoulders.

"Sir, it's chilly at night, please take care of yourself."

Chen Qingwan nodded slightly, but her gaze was fixed on the distance.

His deep eyes held endless thoughts.

Although she won the battle, the horrific scene lingered in her mind.

The stench of blood that filled the air seemed to still be stimulating her sense of smell.

Behind this victory lies the blood and lives of countless soldiers and the displacement of the people of Jingzhou.

This made her realize more deeply the importance of living in this chaotic world.

Only by becoming strong can one safeguard the peace of one's region.

She hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at the tiger descending the mountain beside her, her tone solemn:

"You deserve immense credit for this battle. Tell me, what reward do you desire?"

The tiger descending the mountain clasped its hands in a fist salute, its tone firm:

"This humble general dares not claim credit; it was all for you, sir, and for Jingzhou!"

If it weren't for Chen Qingwan's wise decision-making and composure in the face of danger, Jingzhou would have already fallen.

He had already given up his life on the battlefield.

Chen Qingwan gave him an approving look, thinking to herself:

This Tiger who descended the mountain was not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also quite sensible, truly a rare talent.

With this in mind, she said aloud:

"Clear rewards and punishments are the foundation of military discipline. You have rendered such a great service, how can you not reward you?"

"Alright then, I'll allocate you a group of elite soldiers to form the Tiger Head Army. I hope you'll continue your efforts and make great contributions to Jingzhou!"

Upon hearing this, the tiger descending the mountain's eyes flashed with joy, and he immediately knelt on one knee, kowtowing to express his gratitude.

"This humble general thanks Lord Xie for his promotion; I will certainly devote myself to the cause until my dying breath!"

Chen Qingwan helped him up with her own hands, her heart filled with anticipation for this newly formed Tiger Head Army.

She immediately ordered that the bodies of the fallen soldiers be carefully collected.

They selected an auspicious burial site outside the city and sent people to deliver the compensation money to the families of the fallen soldiers.

To comfort their souls in heaven.

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