Chapter Thirty-Six: A Seed of Retreat

Shouts of battle echoed throughout the valley, and the rain of boulders from above gradually pressed into the rear ranks of the barbarian army. Believing themselves struck by divine punishment, the barbarian soldiers fell into terror and chaos, with only a single thought left in their minds: escape!

The soldiers of Great Yan surged forward with unstoppable momentum, relentlessly driving the attack until the sound of the gongs signaled a retreat from behind. Only then did the warriors, their heads down in the heat of battle, realize that they and their comrades had almost charged out of the valley in their fury.

The retreat horn sounded early from the barbarian camp, but of twenty hundred-man squads, less than five hundred escaped alive. These fugitives abandoned their armor and helmets, and more than half lost their warhorses. Once proud warriors, they fled in disarray, even shattering the formations of their reserves.

Sitting atop the command platform, Tuoba Dewang stared in horror at the scene before him, while the chieftains of various tribes by his side were gripped by fear. Some, like the soldiers dead in the valley, believed their forces had been cursed by the gods. Only the middle-aged strategist serving Tuoba Dewang, after his initial shock and terror, began to shout wildly, “Commander, this isn’t divine punishment—it’s the Southern Yan’s new weapon!”

But even knowing the origin of the falling boulders, what could they do? The defeat was overwhelming. If only Great Yan’s troops were more skilled, or had enough horses for cavalry, this pursuit alone could have utterly destroyed the barbarian encampment.

Zhao Hengyi’s decision to sound the retreat was wise. Once it was clear the falling boulders were not a heavenly wrath, the barbarian forces quickly regained their footing and withdrew ten miles, yet the army did not collapse.

In the era of cold steel, to retreat in order after such a rout and withstand the onslaught of fleeing troops was testament to the barbarian army’s formidable strength.

The rewards for Great Yan’s border troops from this battle exceeded all expectations. Of three hundred seventy-two barbarian prisoners, most were maimed and unlikely to survive, not worth mentioning. But there were over four hundred fine warhorses captured intact.

With these excellent steeds, Yonggu Fortress could quickly form its own cavalry. This force would finally give the border troops a means to counter the swift-moving barbarians.

Commander Zhang Chaoyang’s tactics would now be far more varied, relying on more than just the fortress walls of Yonggu. The deputy sent by Zhang Chaoyang and the officers of the Black Battalion once again dissuaded Zhao Hengyi from slaughtering the prisoners, considering his bloodthirstiness excessive even for a war god.

All prisoners and rescued civilians were handed over to the supporting camps, while Zhao Hengyi and his Black Battalion, fresh from victory, became busy once more.

As a clear-eyed observer, Zhao Hengyi fully recognized the shortcomings of the Black Battalion and the Great Yan soldiers. Their training was severely lacking, there was no coordination between units, and on the battlefield they relied solely on courage. Victory allowed them to charge in wildly and hack at enemy heads, but if the battle turned unfavorable, collapse was inevitable.

Their success came only from Zhao Hengyi’s novel weapons, unknown to the world. Once the barbarians understood and found ways to counter them, the gap between the two forces would become glaring once again.

Zhao Hengyi’s task was to use his knowledge, ahead of the times, to prevent the barbarians from catching up.

Large numbers of logistics and auxiliary troops were sent to the ridges on either side of the valley, clearing several firebreaks while the barbarians regrouped. Last winter had brought only a thin layer of snow, barely moistening the ground, and since spring, not a drop of rain had fallen in either Great Yan or the barbarian lands.

The drought was so severe that the stone-throwers exposed on the ridge needed protection from fire attacks. Zhao Hengyi’s concern proved justified; three days later, the barbarians attempted arson, but the prepared stone-thrower positions remained unharmed.

At the same time, on Zhao Hengyi’s orders, Great Yan’s soldiers laid countless traps on the mountain, stationed archers along both ridges, and readied rolling logs and rocks. Any attempt by the barbarians to mount a direct assault would meet ruthless resistance.

Within Yonggu Fortress, Song Ying’an lay pale on his sickbed, the arrow wound in his chest making even shallow breaths painful. Listening to Captain Zhang Can’s detailed account of the battle at the bottleneck, the legitimate commander of the Black Battalion’s cheeks flushed with excitement, and Song Ying’an couldn’t help but cough.

“Master, take care of your wound!”

“Haha, this little injury is nothing compared to what my brother has accomplished!”

Song Ying’an laughed heartily, unconcerned by the pain in his chest. “With my brother’s fierce blow against the barbarians, I imagine their retreat is not far off!”

The barbarians differed from Great Yan; though nominally unified, they lived mostly as tribes. Even when they sent armies south to raid Great Yan, these forces were cobbled together from various tribes.

To these wolves and tigers, Great Yan was merely a granary to plunder at will, not a true enemy. Other tribes posed the real threat to their bloodlines and existence.

The discord among the barbarian tribes was no secret, and Song Ying’an reasoned that with the loss of over two thousand young men, their already sparse population would face deep internal divisions and mounting conflict, likely forcing a retreat.

Indeed, as Song Ying’an predicted, after their failed attempt to burn the mountain, the barbarians launched several assaults on the stone-thrower positions atop the ridge. The well-prepared Great Yan defenders inflicted over three hundred casualties, and with the mountain impregnable, chaos erupted in the barbarian camp.

Even Tuoba Dewang, the chief commander, could not suppress the rage of the tribal leaders. He had barely mustered ten thousand troops, using his reputation and the severe drought, believing this force sufficient to breach Yonggu Fortress and, with luck, even destroy the stronghold at the bottleneck.

But fate had other plans. Zhao Hengyi appeared out of nowhere, shattering Tuoba Dewang’s ambitions.

Morale in the camp plummeted, tribal conflicts intensified, and the beleaguered Tuoba Dewang truly began to consider retreat.