Chapter 153: Defeat

The Imperial Guards were much like Xiao Chiye, but they were more cunning than he was, a group of soldiers that gave the Iron Riders of Libei mixed feelings. After the Yongyi era, their reputation waned, and they became mere decorations in Qudu. Even their original duty of patrolling had been snatched away by the Eight Banners. For decades, they had been reduced to menial tasks, seemingly content with idling their days away. However, upon encountering Xiao Chiye, they were polished clean, finally shining brightly in Qudu.

The Imperial Guards were unlike the Iron Riders of Libei or the Eastern Qi Defense Army. They could shut out all distractions and fix their gaze solely on Xiao Chiye. They paid no heed to any opinions about Xiao Chiye. As long as he gave the signal, they would follow him to the ends of the earth, through fire and sword — it was a loyalty laced with camaraderie.

In this very moment, the disparity between friend and foe was clear, yet the Imperial Guards did not falter. They severed the legs of the vanguard of the Border Sand cavalry, creating a breach in Hason's encirclement. However, the following wave of cavalry was numerous and highly adaptable. Without Hason's command, they had already perceived the intentions of the Imperial Guards.

The Imperial Guards still wanted to chop off legs, but the Frontier Cavalry dismounted from their horses before charging into the battlefield. Unlike the Hu and Lu troops, they wore no armor, but instead donned lightweight and cold-resistant fur garments that allowed for great agility in movement. Each of their horses had a spare curved saber attached to its side, and a set of caltrops tightly bound to the outer side of their thighs. This way, even if their curved sabers were damaged, they could still use the spare saber or switch to using the caltrops for close combat.

They were taciturn and well-disciplined, trained in the art of courtly comportment.

Xiao Chiye was panting, his gaze sweeping ruthlessly across the elite troops.

Hason remained silent; he saw no need to negotiate with Xiao Chiye, nor did he wish to use Xiao Chiye as leverage against Xiao Fangxu. He was well aware that allowing Xiao Chiye to live would only spell endless trouble, and thus, the moment to kill him was now.

Hason met Xiao Chiye's gaze, his hand holding the curved saber while the other released the reins, gently descending onto the muddy ground. They stood like two beasts in a standoff, their senses mingling with the scent of blood and mutual loathing. Hason shifted continuously, wading through the mire as he observed Xiao Chiye with keen attention.

A few lingering raindrops still peppered the night sky, landing on Xiao Chiye's outstretched hand. He held the Wolf-Rage Saber firmly, his gaze following Hason's every move.

It was an eerie silence amidst the cacophony of killing. Despite the din, Xiao Chiye felt an uncanny stillness that sent shivers down his spine. He had to restrain himself with all his might to suppress the surging murderous intent within him.

Hason remained still, as if he had perceived Xiao Chiye's impatience. They were vying for the initiative in this battlefield, each trying to sway the atmosphere here. It was a testament to their inability to coexist, a manifestation of their absolute control over their own tempo.

A droplet of water traced the gentle curve of Xiao Chiye's wrist before slipping off just as Hason erupted into action. His fiery red hair resembled a torch dancing in the darkness, surging into Xiao Chiye's line of sight amidst the splashing mud.

In the blink of an eye, Hason's curved saber was inches from Xiao Chiye's throat. Xiao Chiye took a sudden step back, mud splashing in a fan-shaped arc around his legs. He swung the Wolf Rampage Saber in a half-circle, and the two weapons clashed in mid-air. Hason stumbled back under the force of Xiao Chiye's blow, but he rallied in the next moment, cleverly learning to dodge and weave.

The Wolfish Saber was a heavy broadsword with a ghostly blade. Xiao Chiye relied on his formidable strength to wield it. In their fierce combat, Hason aimed to sever Xiao Chiye's arm with every swing. Xiao Chiye's saber swings repeatedly missed their mark, and even when he managed to catch up to Hason, the latter would swiftly deflect the saber with the curved blade, avoiding the terrifying force behind Xiao Chiye's strikes.

Xiao Chiye had attackers leaping out at him from behind, so he used his eyes and ears to their fullest potential. However, his stamina was like water spilt on the ground – it could not be retrieved. Within half an hour, Xiao Chiye felt his movements slowing down. Hason pounced again, and at the same time, a strong gust of wind struck Xiao Chiye from behind. He suddenly took a half-step forward, dodging the curved blade behind him, and grabbed the attacker's arm with his other hand. He then spun around, kicking Hason over and snapping the arm of the assailant behind him. The curved blade from the other side slashed at Xiao Chiye's arm, but there was a loud "bang" as it was blocked by the arm guard that Shen Zechuan had given him.

The mud splattered like exploding cannonballs, and the Wolf Rampage Blade was pressed down by the Bashan cavalrymen. Xiao Chiye immediately raised his left fist, knocking one of them down. The pressure on the Wolf Rampage Blade lessened, and he leaned forward to lift the blade. Hason's curved blade was chipped by the Wolf Rampage Blade, so he discarded it and drew the prongs on his thighs. Seeing an opportunity, he jumped up – but a member of the imperial guards suddenly rushed out and hugged Hason's waist, even using wrestling techniques, yet he failed to trip Hason.

Hason flipped the prong around and stabbed it fiercely into the side of the man's neck, blood gushing out like a fountain. Before Hason could withdraw the prong, he tilted his head to dodge Xiao Chiye's blade.

Both sides were losing men. The imperial guards did not expect Hason's elite troops to be so strong, while these elites did not anticipate the guards' resilience.

The Bashan cavalrymen around them pulled out iron chains with small copper balls attached, which looked similar to the chains used by the Northern Iron Riders for grappling, but were much lighter. They gradually tightened their circle, and when Xiao Chiye was once again pressed down by the Wolf Rampage Blade, countless chains were thrown at him. The copper balls hooked onto Xiao Chiye's arms and legs, and the chains entangled, dragging him to the ground abruptly.

Hason's sharp spikes lunged towards Xiao Chiye's face, and Xiao Chiye could barely muster the strength to raise his shackled arms in defense, causing the Beshi cavalry holding the chains to stumble.

The spikes smashed into the arm restraints once more with a loud thud, but even this piece of fine iron couldn't withstand such repeated blows. Xiao Chiye felt the dog-skin ropes snap, and the restraints began to cave in.

Xiao Chiye tried to break free from the iron chains, but there were simply too many of them; his arms couldn't bear the strain. He spat out the mud and sand in his mouth as he saw the cavalryman's curved saber descending towards his neck. At that moment, Xiao Chiye saw the dark sky, felt the wind from Hongyanshan blowing through his damp hair, and thought of Shen Zechuan amidst his heavy breathing.

Hason had initially been confident of victory, but to his surprise, Xiao Chiye, despite being pulled by multiple forces, managed to kick the cavalryman wielding the saber off his horse. The chains binding him swung wildly, and it was unclear whether the streams of liquid trickling down his temples were sweat or mud. Veins bulged on Xiao Chiye's forehead as he suddenly sprang up like a carp leaping out of water.

But he was fighting a losing battle. The cavalrymen had already tightened the chains when Xiao Chiye tried to push himself up, dragging him back to the ground before he could regain his footing.

There was no escape for him tonight!

Just as all seemed lost, the ground trembled violently, and droplets of water danced between the branches and leaves of the shrubs. Amidst the vast darkness, the sound of a horn echoed.

Hason looked southward and saw a lone figure charging forward on horseback, followed by an equally overwhelming black wave. The puddles shook even more violently as they approached, and the dull thudding of hooves hinted at the weight of steel.

Hason immediately blew his whistle, and the cavalrymen swiftly mounted their horses, retreating northward in unison. As Hason turned his horse around, he cast a regretful glance at Xiao Chiye. He raised two fingers to his forehead in a salute, bowed politely to Xiao Chiye, and then left, leaving behind a trail of chaos.

A black iron steed galloped to Xiao Chiye's side and circled around him.

Xiao Fangxu removed his helmet and glared at Xiao Chiye while sternly instructing those behind him, "Untie Second Young Master. It looks awful."

Xiao Chiye's expression was grim, a manifestation of the humiliation he felt from his first taste of defeat.

* * *

Of the five commanders under Sand Three Camps, all answered to Xiao Fangxu. By rank, Xiao Chiye was at the bottom of the pile. Yet, he had suffered a terrible defeat this time. He was crouched outside the tent, rinsing half his body with cold water, and every commander who came in or out would give him a glance.

Xiao Chiye seemed oblivious to the cuts on his shoulder, chest, and spine that had turned pale under the cold water. After a while, Zuo Qianqiu drew back the curtains and looked at Xiao Chiye's back as he squatted on the side. His scolding turned into a tender jest as he called out, "Come in. Have a bowl of hot soup. You'll catch a cold in this weather."

Xiao Chiye grunted in response and got up to put the bucket back where it belonged before entering the tent.

A fire was blazing inside. Xiao Chiye's armor was ruined beyond repair, while Xiao Fangxu was examining the indentation in the refined iron on the bracer. Zuo Qianqiu instructed the military doctor to tend to Xiao Chiye's wounds and bandage him up. Xiao Chiye sat on a small stool with his bare back exposed, motionless.

After a moment, Chen Yang, Gu Jin, Tan Taihu, and Wu Ziyu all entered.

"Report the casualties to your general," Xiao Fangxu said as he placed the bracer back on the table and took his seat in the high position, addressing Chen Yang.

Chen Yang spoke softly, "Three hundred imperial guards have been killed..."

"Speak up," Xiao Fangxu said to Chen Yang, "Why the dejected look?"

Chen Yang raised his voice. "Three hundred Imperial Guards were killed, thirty-six severely injured, and eight lightly wounded."

The Imperial Guards were the foundation of Xiao Chiye's power. He would have to bear the losses himself. There was no possibility of expanding this army, for it was unique; once it was wiped out, even Xiao Chiye could not rebuild it in Libei. This meant that whenever the Imperial Guards suffered defeat, they would face multiplied losses. Three hundred casualties might be negligible to the Qidong Defense Army or the Libei Iron Cavalry, but for the Imperial Guards, it was a severe blow.

Silence descended upon the tent. Tan Taihu glanced furtively at Chen Yang and Gu Jin before mustering his courage. "Hason caught us off guard, and Your Highness was..."

"Report the casualties of Liyang's three camps to your general," Xiao Fangxu said sternly.

Chen Yang paused for a moment before continuing, "Eight hundred ninety-two deaths among the Southern Route Army, forty-five severely injured, two hundred thirty-seven lightly wounded."

"Zhao Hui originally planned to take the northern route. The Southern Route Army was established on short notice to rescue your Imperial Guards. There were two thousand men in total. When they were excavating the collapsed horse trail, they were ambushed by Hason's cavalry that had been left behind in the north. They lost nearly half their force," Xiao Fangxu explained. "If you had remained where you were, you would have met them within two hours. But you rashly turned around and entered Tudalongqi. How will you account for this loss to Zhao Hui?"

Xiao Chiye did not reply.

Xiao Fangxu continued, "You should remember that you are the general in charge of escorting supplies, not a combat general. Attacking Hason's forces with hundreds of men — were you kicked in the head by an ass, Xiao Chiye?"

Zuo Qianqiu was not supposed to speak, but as Xiao Chiye's teacher, he could not help feeling pained seeing him leave the battlefield. So he interjected, "This time, Hason had long prepared for this, and then there was the heavy rain. The situation was dire, Aye—"

"You never truly took the Northern Iron Riders as your responsibility; your eyes only see the Imperial Guards," Xiao Fangxu said, leaning on his knees and turning stern abruptly. "The battle at Bianbo Camp clouded your judgment, and you've been treating everyone like Hu and Lu. Today's defeat by Hason is a lesson. What makes you think you can go head-to-head with him? Lift your head up!"

Wu Ziyu couldn't hold back and fell to his knees with a thud. Confused by the situation, Tan Taihu followed suit, and soon, Chen Yang and Gu Jin also knelt down one after another.

Xiao Fangxu turned his gaze sharply towards them.

Wu Ziyu spoke weakly, "Your Highness... no, it's not... my legs gave out."