Under a series of fierce impacts, the wire finally snapped. Only then did Lin Dan urge her horse forward and easily take the remaining heads of the enemy. She flicked off the blood from her blade, turned around to face the horrified villagers, and spoke slowly, “Did you see that? As long as you rise up and resist, the Xiongnu are not so terrifying. If you shoot arrows a thousand times a day and swing your blades ten thousand times a day, and do it every day, one day your archery and strength will surpass that of the Xiongnu. When you face them, you’ll be able to cut them down like I did, without fear. You can build a watchtower at the village entrance, dig horse traps in the meadows outside the village, and every household can set traps— both for defense and attack.”

She picked up a bow and quiver and carefully tied them to her saddle. Then she said each word slowly, “Some things seem difficult, but once you make up your mind to do them, they become easy. Given ten or twenty more years, do you think you can turn this village into a fortress?”

The village chief, holding back his excitement, replied, “We can!”

Lin Dan smiled faintly. “Then what are you afraid of? There is the Western Army ahead of you. Stay here with peace of mind and focus on building your home. In ten or twenty years, even if the Xiongnu return, they won’t be able to breach your fortress or defeat your descendants. The Xiongnu are a nation of warriors, but the people of Great Wei can also be like that. Isn’t that right?”

Those prophecies were based on the assumption of a stable border defense. If someone else had said those words, the villagers would have spat on them and sneered, “Easy for you to say!” When the Xiongnu came, what could they do besides run? Once their food and money had all been taken by the Xiongnu, how could they build homes? Once their children and women had been killed, how could they produce future generations? When survival itself was a struggle, how could they even talk about arming the entire nation? Dreaming would be faster!

But now, the person speaking was Lin Dan, and she seemed to bring boundless hope and courage to the villagers.

“Are you General Lin Dan?” Someone finally dared to ask.

The little boy who had sneaked out went dumb with shock when he heard the question. The other villagers erupted in astonishment. They had thought this woman was a soldier under General Lin, but never imagined she was General Lin herself. However, who else could be so formidable, cutting down Xiongnu like slicing melons?

Lin Dan untied the dagger from her waist and tossed it far toward the little boy, waving her hand as she said, “Thank you for saving me. I hope we will meet again. Do not spread the word of my recovery. It could bring you disaster.” Her identity was too sensitive. If it got out, it might provoke the Xiongnu’s retaliation.

Although she did not give a clear answer, the villagers were already convinced that this brave and invincible military woman was indeed General Lin Dan.

“Mother, Mother, pinch me! I took care of General Lin for ten days and listened to her tell me stories every day! Am I dreaming?” The little boy, his face flushed with excitement, clutched the dagger tightly and wouldn’t let go.

His mother pinched him hard, and when he yelped in pain, she covered her mouth and wept. She had thought they were all doomed, yet Lin Dan alone had protected them. The other party was fearless, invincible, and far more powerful than any legend! With Lin Dan around, the Xiongnu would always be defeated, and one day, the people would live peaceful lives.

Confident that the Xiongnu scouts would not return, Lin Dan spurred her horse and rode off. Only after she had gone did the villagers come to their senses, exclaiming, “General Lin Dan is alive! We saved her!”

“I feel like we saved the whole world!”

“You’re not wrong! Saving General Lin is the same as saving ourselves! The Xiongnu are nothing. They’re like ants under her blade, crushed with a single strike!”

“With General Lin here, we won’t run anymore, right? When the Xiongnu hear her name, won’t they flee in terror?”

“Right! No more running. We’ll build a watchtower, a fortress, and horse traps. We’ll defend our home!”

The previously hopeless villagers now seemed energized, no longer afraid of the Xiongnu’s mutilated corpses. They crouched down and rummaged through the enemy’s belongings, keeping the useful items and burning the rest. They distributed curved blades, bows, arrows, daggers, and horses to the able-bodied men, preparing for future battles. Even though the women and children trembled in fear, they refused to leave, watching everything closely.

Seeing scenes like this often, they would no longer fear the Xiongnu in the future and might even gain the courage to fight back. Just as General Lin had said, some things seemed hard, but once they made up their minds, they became easier to accomplish.

———pr


On a high hill, Ding Mujie and Li Xian squinted into the distance, their expressions grim. Below them, the land was covered in dense rows of tents, numbering at least tens of thousands.

“The numbers have increased again.” Li Xian exhaled a heavy breath.

Ding Mujie closed his eyes briefly before speaking slowly, “It must be the last batch of Qiang soldiers joining the ranks. My plan to sow discord won’t work in the short term. To stabilize the situation, we must win tomorrow’s battle. If we win, the forces of the Five Hu Alliance will suffer a heavy blow and internal chaos might arise. If we lose, they’ll taste victory and focus their eyes on the fertile lands of the central plains. We’re already struggling with just the Xiongnu— let alone the Five Hu Alliance. The state of Great Wei is on the brink of life and death.”

Ding Mujie lowered his head, concealing the irony and coldness in his eyes. He had always thought the Great Wei Dynasty would fall to foreign invaders, but he hadn’t expected it to be ruined by its own people. If Lin Dan were still there, would the Five Hu Alliance have dared to invade? His chest surged with anger and he nearly wanted to abandon it all, but in the end, he couldn’t go against his conscience, nor his guilt.

This was the land Lin Dan had defended with her life. He couldn’t abandon it. He had to save it!

Li Xian gazed out over the vast plains and said in a low voice, “Mingde, don’t worry. I’ve sent people along the river to search for Lin Dan. She has always been blessed so she’ll be safe. Until she returns, we must hold together the border and the Western Army. We cannot let her sacrifices go to waste.”

However, saying it was one thing and defending the frontier and the Western Army was not so easy. These past days, they had engaged in several skirmishes with the forces of the Five Hu Alliance, and though each encounter was merely a probe, they were gradually uncovering each other’s strengths. The other side’s forces had their own agendas and lacked unity, but the Western Army had even greater issues.

Several generals who came with Prince Kang to exchange places were shot dead by Mo Xiao right upon arrival, utterly incapable of resisting. This catastrophic loss had severely crushed the morale of the entire Western Army. Li Xian now commanded the five thousand heavy cavalry that Lin Dan had personally trained, but to him, this responsibility felt like a child wielding a broadsword. There was no way for him to fully utilize their power. He could not charge at the front like Lin Dan always did, nor could he storm the enemy lines as if they were nothing. Without Lin Dan’s leadership, this elite cavalry unit was nothing more than a blunt sword— imposing but ineffective.

Lin Dan was the backbone of the soldiers. With her, the spirit of the Western Army was unshakeable. Without her, their spirits sagged, and this was not something Li Xian could fix in a short amount of time.

“How likely is it that we’ll win tomorrow’s battle?” Li Xian asked in a hoarse voice.

“Thirty percent.” Ding Mujie replied calmly. “Go back and try to get some sleep tonight.”

Li Xian was silent for a long time, staring at the nearby river in a daze. Ding Mujie knew exactly who he was thinking of without needing to ask. Because he was constantly thinking of the same person too— so much that it made his heart ache.

———pr


The next day, the two armies clashed in a valley. Mo Xiao, now supported by four different tribes, was more arrogant than ever. He laughed wildly, “I must commend you central plains people! Even with a general like Lin Dan, unparalleled in all of history, you still allowed her to be killed. You’ve brought this disaster upon yourselves! I was planning to lie low on the grasslands, but you gave me this opportunity. Heaven’s gifts must not be rejected! If I do not unite all the land today, even the heavens will condemn me!” With that, he raised his sword and shouted, “Kill!”

The Five Hu Alliance blew their war horns and launched a full-scale attack.

The soldiers of the Western Army felt their blood boiling with rage, but they were helpless. Lin Dan had indeed perished in Great Wei, and it was likely at the hands of her own people, solely for the sake of fighting over the throne. Was that position truly more important than the lives of the common people? With resentment and anger in their hearts, their fighting spirit was diminished. From the very start, they were already showing signs of weakness.

The battle raged from dawn till noon. The Western Army was repeatedly pushed back, suffering heavy casualties, while the other side’s forces grew more courageous, their shouts echoing across the battlefield. If the Five Hu Alliance won today, the gates to the central plains would be flung wide open. The people of Great Wei, and even the emperor sitting on his throne, would face a catastrophic disaster.

Li Xian had been hit by several arrows but refused to leave the front lines. Blood and tears filled his eyes. Lin Dan’s motto had now become his own— Dying on the battlefield for the country, there’s no need to return wrapped in horsehide. Lin Dan had died there, and so would he. All the riches and glory, the throne, anyone who wanted it could have it. Without these soldiers, let’s see how long those in power could hold on.

Ding Mujie, waiting in the camp for news, had his eyes closed in a light slumber, a sharp short sword by his side. He did not know how much time had passed when he suddenly smiled gently, thinking to himself with a sense of satisfaction that to be buried in the same land as Lin Dan didn’t seem like such a bad end……

Amidst the chaos of war, everything was heading toward destruction. But just then, a herd of wild horses charged in from behind the forces of the Five Hu Alliance, each one robust and fierce. They rushed into the enemy ranks at an astonishing speed, completely disrupting their formation. In the ensuing chaos, many warhorses were trampled, and countless soldiers from the Five Hu Alliance were crushed under the horses’ hooves.

“Where did this herd of wild horses come from? Hold the line! We must hold the line!” Mo Xiao shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Find the lead horse and kill it!” A Qiang general surveyed the herd with a grim expression. If they couldn’t locate the lead horse, the herd would not leave. If the Five Hu Alliance was completely scattered by the herd, the consequences would be unimaginable.

A herd of wild horses this massive was something they had never seen or even heard of before. It had to be a mix of three or four, maybe even five or six herds combined. But each herd should have had its own lead horse, fiercely independent and unwilling to merge with others. So where had these horses come from? Who could have tamed five or six lead horses and taken full control of their movements?

“Something’s wrong! Retreat, quickly!” Mo Xiao’s heart filled with dread, and just as he finished speaking, he saw a familiar figure dart out from beneath the belly of one of the wild horses. In one swift motion, she killed a Xiongnu soldier, snatched his curved blade, and stepped across the backs of the tightly packed horses, charging toward Mo Xiao. Who else would it be other than Lin Dan?