In combat, besides numbers, equipment is also a crucial element of strength. From the very beginning, heavily armored soldiers took the lead. Their defense against wolf-tooth arrows was incredibly effective, and with the help of others, holding the line was relatively easy.
The battle situation weighed heavily on Qin Mu's mind. The main problem was the sheer number of wolves; the attacks had been relentless from morning till afternoon. The ground below the city was littered with corpses, leaving no place to even step. A few more waves of attacks and they'd be able to climb over the bodies to reach the city walls. However, there was some good news: by the afternoon, the wolf attacks had decreased in number, with only a thousand wolves launching their attacks at a time.
"Pah! These wolf cubs, they don't even stop at night." Xi Junmai chopped down with an axe, beheading a wolf before kicking it away.
"This is all normal. The wolf clan has a large number of people and will definitely launch attacks with feints and real attacks to keep us from getting a good rest," Huang Sanjian said loudly as he slashed with his sword.
Although the wolf clan attacked relentlessly, Qin Mu and his group had several physically strong individuals: Fang Yi'ai, Baili Rou, Princess Changning, and Xiangli Yanran. They fought from morning till night, except for meals, constantly active on the city walls, hunting down the wolf clan's experts.
The night was not peaceful either. Just as Huang Sanjian had said, the wolf clan launched attacks with both feints and real attacks, determined not to let Qin Mu and the others get a proper rest.
The second day of battle was even more arduous, as arrows had been cut off, leaving only hand-to-hand combat. To allow the soldiers to rest, they had to take turns on guard duty. However, people were constantly being wounded, requiring others to fill in.
Fortunately, there were many skilled warriors guarding the city walls, and luckily the area was not large, which helped to prevent the city from falling.
After three days of continuous fighting, every soldier was wounded. Qin Mu and his men were also in a difficult situation, as they could only recover a little spiritual energy and use it as soon as they could.
On the fourth day, looking at the mountain of corpses piled up outside the pass, Qin Mu let out a long breath and turned around to ask, "Are you ready?"
"Everything is ready. All the wounded brothers have begun their retreat," Xi Junmai replied, holding an axe in his left hand and his right hand resting on his chest.
"Begin!" Qin Mu nodded and waved his hand to give the order.
As Qin Mu gave the order, some people picked up pottery jars, raised them high above their heads, and smashed them against the city wall. A thick, milky-white substance flowed down the wall. This was the fat that Qin Mu had been extracting from meat over the past three days, all for this day.
The fire reignited, and Qin Mu and his men had already descended from the city wall and were heading into the distance. This fire would hold off the wolf clan for another half a day, allowing them to retreat at their leisure.
After crossing a narrow path, Qin Mu waved his hand to gather up the fallen timber, leaving behind a large pit three meters high and ten meters long, which had been dug over the past three days. Only Qin Mu had such tall trees to build such a long bridge.
The wolf pack would have to fill the pit to get across quickly, but that wouldn't be easy in the wilderness. Looking at the large pit, Qin Mu was extremely satisfied. He nodded, jumped onto the rhinoceros, and chased after the main group.
Stepping into the Western Regions, things became much more familiar. Some of the soldiers from the Baili family had served as guards, protecting caravans traveling to the Western Regions, so it wasn't unfamiliar to them. The only pity was the heavy loss of manpower. When they entered the nameless pass, there were nearly five thousand men; now there were less than two thousand, almost all of them wounded. Therefore, even though they had safely evacuated, the group wasn't in high spirits.
"This time when I go back, I should retire and return to my hometown." Touching his empty sleeve, Feng Duan said with a wry smile.
"Old Feng, you should be content. 'Sealing the wolf's lair'—that's something many people can't achieve in their entire lives. You're lucky you even made it back alive," Xin Liao'er said loudly, lying on the back of the triangular ox. After three days of rest, Cheng Huaimo and the others' injuries had stabilized, which is why they waited until the fourth day to retreat.
“That’s true. He’s done a great job this time. Even if he retires and goes back to his hometown, he can still live a wealthy life,” Feng Duan said with a carefree smile.
As a military general, losing his right arm was bound to be painful, especially since he was in his prime.
"Old Feng, if you don't mind, how about coming to the Six Doors as a patrol officer? It's not a high-ranking position. If you agree, leave the work to me," Qin Mu said loudly.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Prefect, but in my condition, I wouldn't be of much help to the Six Doors." Feng Duan paused for a moment, then shook his head.
"Old Feng, don't overthink it. I'm not doing this out of pity. The Six Doors don't necessarily have to take action. Even if they do, they're just some thugs. Surely you can beat them. The main thing is that you're experienced and can train a bunch of people," Qin Mu explained.
“That’s right, Lao Feng. Now that you’ve joined the Six Doors, your official rank has dropped, but His Majesty will definitely increase your title. You’ve made a huge profit,” Cheng Huaimo added, offering his advice.
"Alright, I'll be grateful for your care from now on, Chief Constable," Feng Duan said, raising his left hand awkwardly.
"Brothers, hang in there! Once we return to the interior, we'll enjoy our honor. We will never forget our fallen brothers, and their families will live on with their honor," Qin Mu shouted.
With Qin Mu's encouragement, morale soared, and the sorrow over the deaths of their comrades lessened somewhat. Surviving was already the greatest victory; what else was there to think about? After all, most of them had long been prepared to die in battle.
Removing their armor and donning animal skin clothing, disguised as caravan members, made traveling in the Western Regions much easier. Especially now that the weather was getting cold, wearing a hat to cover their head and face was not unusual, so they encountered no unexpected problems along the way.
If life is monotonous, then the presence of bandits on the road is a welcome spice. They trade the tattered weapons they capture from the wolf tribes in the towns along the way for odds and ends, which they then load onto their horses to make the caravan look more legitimate. This, in turn, attracts the attention of the bandits.
However, these bandits were unlucky; what they thought were easy prey turned out to be hungry wolves, and their attempt to rob the caravan ended up with them all killed. This resulted in the caravan having even more supplies.
He learned of the bandits' hideout from them, plundering any that were on his way and leaving the rest untouched. These bandits had roamed the Western Regions for years, and their hideout was quite well-stocked. If he weren't in such a hurry to get back, Qin Mu would have been tempted to rob a few more places.
Bai Lirou jokingly remarked that, in a short period of time, those genuine merchant caravans that had crossed the border were much safer.
After the bandits were gone, the journey was indeed peaceful. This wasn't surprising, as everyone's attention was focused on the war in the Tang Dynasty. Outsiders were completely unaware that Qin Mu and his group had fought their way out of the grasslands, so no one paid any attention to this caravan. Even if they noticed something amiss later, it was too late.
……………
Not to mention that Qin Mu and his men were on their way back to the Central Plains, the Tang army had already invaded the grasslands. With the vision and wisdom of Li Shimin, Li Jing, and others, how could they be content with merely defending?
The elite troops from the three passes were mobilized and deployed to defend the Yuyang area. With the support of Luo Yi from Youzhou, the beast tribes in the northeast were forced to refrain from making any rash moves. Li Ji led his troops out of Yunzhong and Li Jing led his troops out of Shengzhou, engaging in several major battles with the wolf tribes, forcing Ashina Duobi to hastily withdraw his troops.
Of course! Ashina Duobi withdrew his troops for two reasons: first, he knew that Jinlang Mountain had been attacked, and second, the prolonged siege had left him short of supplies. Now that the weather was turning cold, the presence of millions of troops far from home was severely impacting winter provisions. If they didn't find a solution soon, many livestock would starve to death this winter.
The main reason is that after several major battles with the Tang Dynasty in the open field, all of which ended in heavy losses, Ashina Duobi has lost the confidence to win. Now, Ashina Duobi's most urgent matter is to restore his reputation and stabilize his position.
Li Jing was no easy opponent. When Ashina Duobi tried to retreat, he refused to let him go and followed closely behind, steadily advancing.
Although the Tang army couldn't catch up with the wolf tribe, the cavalry kept a long distance ahead, while a large number of infantry followed behind. This made it extremely difficult for Ashina Duobi to shake them off or engage them in battle. He was in a very difficult situation! In fact, Qin Mu also deserves some credit for this. The 20,000 red-eyed horses they captured greatly strengthened their cavalry.
The key lies with the infantry. The wolf tribe has a real headache dealing with the human infantry formation. A hail of crossbow bolts, coupled with large shields and long spears, makes them like a hedgehog; pressing down on them only hurts the wolf tribe itself. Add to that the presence of a large number of cavalry on the flanks, and the wolf tribe can only attack the infantry formation head-on. This is why the wolf tribe conceded defeat and retreated in several battles.
Of course! We also need to add Li Jing's command skills. He could command hundreds of thousands of troops in battle with ease, ensuring that the soldiers at the front could be rotated and always had plenty of energy.
As the heavy snow fell, Ashina Duobi looked at the snowflakes drifting outside the tent and a look of relief appeared in his eyes. He finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although the wolf tribe had insufficient winter supplies this year, the deaths of two or three hundred thousand men meant that they had lost some of their food supply, which was just enough to make up for the shortfall.
"This year may be a bit tough for the tribe, but those humans will have no choice but to withdraw their troops," Ashina Duobi muttered to himself.
For someone in such a high position, the lowest-ranking members of their clan are merely numbers. If some die, so be it, as long as it doesn't significantly impact their strength.
On the grasslands, on snowy days, even cavalry, let alone infantry, find it difficult to march. If it snows for several days, the snow can accumulate up to thigh-deep, making movement impossible. This was Ashina Duobi's confidence!
However, if we follow common sense, Li Jing would not be Li Jing. He led 100,000 cavalry in a surprise attack on a snowy night, killing 1.5 million wolf tribe members and causing them to flee in defeat!
Ashina Duobi fled far away, gathered his defeated troops, and only after learning that there were no pursuers did he feel relieved. He swore an oath to avenge himself the following year. But then came more bad news: his stronghold in Yinshan had been destroyed.
It turned out that Li Jing and Li Ji had devised a tacit plan without prior consultation. Both of them adopted a strategy of holding back the main force while launching a surprise attack with their own troops.
The wolf clan has too many people, making it too difficult to devour them all at once. Moreover, with winter approaching, and the war having lasted for more than two months, the Tang Dynasty is under considerable pressure.
Luo Cheng, Su Dingfang, Li Daozong, Xue Wanche, Xue Wanjun, and Cheng Zhijie, six top experts, led a hundred generals in a night raid on Yinshan, destroyed the largest tribe of the Golden Wolf Clan, and then retreated calmly.
The Tang army withdrew, leaving behind a devastated grassland. For the wolf tribe, it was a sorrowful and difficult winter. But for the Tang Dynasty! The whole nation rejoiced. When the news reached Chang'an, the Imperial Guards did not enforce the curfew for ten days.
As luck would have it, when Qin Mu and his group entered Yumen Pass, Li Jing was also withdrawing his troops from the grasslands.
"Zhijie, don't worry. The fact that they haven't sent any news is the best news. Maybe they're already on their way back," Li Ji said, sitting down next to Cheng Zhijie with a wine jar.
In contrast to the lively scene was Cheng Zhijie's worried face. Picking up the wine jar, he took two gulps and muttered, "I'm not worried at all! It's better if that brat dies out there! That's a sacrifice for the country, anyway, the third brother is still at home. If he really comes back, I'll break his legs! Why didn't he take his whole family with him!"
“Old Cheng, that’s not fair! My nephew is still alive! With his intelligence and resourcefulness, he’ll definitely be able to come back.” Luo Cheng said, his eyes wide, upon hearing Cheng Zhijie’s words.
"Hmph! They've all gone astray following Qin Huaidao. He used to be such an honest kid, but now he's run away from home." Cheng Zhijie rolled his eyes and said with dissatisfaction.
"You should be happy. These children are loyal and righteous, just like you!" Li Ji said with a smile.
"Hmph! That's a must." Cheng Zhijie's mood improved slightly, and he said with a hint of smugness.
"I have good news for you!" Li Jing said as he walked over.
Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Li Jing continued, "The wolf clan received news that Golden Wolf Mountain had been breached, their guardian tribe had been wiped out, and even their elders' hall had been toppled!"
"So Ashina Simo didn't catch up with them!" Cheng Zhijie asked excitedly.
"They probably didn't catch up." Li Jing was definitely only saying the positive things, because he couldn't be sure whether Qin Mu and the others would be caught up after the battle at Golden Wolf Mountain.
"So, it's all thanks to them, otherwise the wolf clan wouldn't have retreated so hastily!" Li Ji said, stroking his willow beard in thought.
For him, a little bit of information was enough to deduce many things, including some of Ashina Duobi's thoughts.
"The successful raid on Yinshan was partly due to them, because they drew away a large portion of the wolf clan's rear forces," Li Jing said with a slight nod.
“Ashina Yugushe and Ashina Duobi have always been at odds. Now that they have launched a surprise attack on Jinlang Mountain and know that there are pursuers behind them, they will definitely choose to break out to the west. This way, their chances of success are greater!” Li Ji analyzed.
"Good! If we can start retreating before Yu Gu can react, it should go smoothly. I just hope those kids aren't too greedy," Li Jing agreed. His biggest worry was that Qin Mu and the others were young and impetuous; if they acted rashly and fought the wolf clan to the death, they would be doomed.
"No, Huai Dao is a mature and thoughtful young man. The others listen to him and won't act impulsively! Besides, there are some elders around who will advise him if there's a problem," Luo Cheng said, shaking his head. He knew that the Bu brothers had always followed Qin Mu. Although they weren't experts in leading troops, they understood some basic things.
"Hmm! If all else fails, they can cross the desert. With their skills, it shouldn't be too dangerous," Li Ji analyzed.
“The key is that we’ve captured quite a few wolf leaders. Even if those children fall into the hands of the wolves, we can exchange them. You don’t need to worry too much,” Li Jing added.
The night raid on Yinshan not only resulted in killings but also the capture of many noble leaders of the wolf clan. This was a significant achievement, so they weren't killed outright and are currently being held in the prisoner-of-war camp. Li Jing and Li Ji's reassurance put Cheng Zhijie and Luo Cheng at ease. They greatly admired their wisdom and were thus able to relax and celebrate their victory.
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