Chapter 14

Shen Yu’s eyes lit up. “My brother also found out what’s going on.”

“I’ll go burn their provisions! You go cut off their route. Once it’s done, give me a signal, and when the beacon is lit, they’ll definitely retreat. My brother can take advantage of the opportunity to strike back,” she said.

Kong Qing was secretly shocked. The young miss’s mind was working too quickly. If it weren’t for the night wind keeping him alert, it would be hard to keep up with her pace.

After getting up, Kong Qing squatted back down. “Maybe I should stay. You go cut off the route. There are still over two thousand people in the western camp, it’s too dangerous.”

“Hurry up!” Shen Yu pushed him. “Why are you acting so indecisive?”

Once Kong Qing left, Shen Yu leaned against a dark corner to rest, feeling a sudden clarity in her mind.

In this lifetime, things would definitely not turn out like in the past. With a hundred thousand soldiers, both her father and brother were still alive, and the people in the pass could live in peace and prosperity.

Half an hour later, the sound of a whistle came from the wind again.

Shen Yu made some gestures and led the remaining dozen or so men towards the grain and fodder depot.

The sky was still very dark. Before the blizzard arrived, the thick clouds pressed down low, obscuring even the stars in the sky.

Shen Zhao looked around. There was still no smoke rising from the Xijue camp.

He was getting impatient, absentmindedly fiddling with his thumb on the hilt of his sword.

“Wait another half moment, and if there’s still no smoke, we’ll attack directly.”

Time passed with each breath.

A scout came riding from the front. “The smoke has been lit!”

“Attack!”

Ten thousand elite riders moved at the sound, heading towards the Xijue North Camp.

The sounds of battle echoed in the camp. When Shen Zhao arrived, he saw Shen Yu emerging with a drawn sword, blood splattering with each swing.

Shen Yu also saw him and said after cutting down a Xijue soldier, “Brother, there are only two thousand men left in the camp. Take your men to the South Camp and hit them from behind.”

The camp was ablaze, and Shen Zhao shot down a Xijue soldier with his bow. “I’ll leave two thousand men for you.”

“A thousand!” Shen Yu insisted.

“I said two thousand, so it’s two thousand.”

Without waiting for her to retort, Shen Zhao had already given the order and left with his troops after leaving behind two thousand men.

The camp was filled with the smell of blood. The elite riders counted the numbers and captured three hundred Xijue soldiers.

When Shen Zhao arrived at the South Camp, it was just beginning to get light. He led eight thousand soldiers to flank from the right rear of the Xijue army, while Shen Zhong’an led his troops to press from the front.

From being surrounded to surrounding.

Although the Xijue had suffered considerable casualties last time, their numbers were still greater than expected.

Even in their current flanked position, they still didn’t have much of an advantage, and the Xijue army didn’t suffer much.

Shen Zhong’an held his hand up to the wind, and the north wind passed through his fingers. Frowning, he looked at the battlefield and, after considering for a moment, ordered, “Retreat!”

The army withdrew, and halfway through, heavy snow began to fall, fortunately they had left early.

The deputy general rode excitedly beside Shen Zhong’an. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a satisfying battle. The Xijue thought we were going to raid the South Camp, but when they heard the North Camp was on fire, they immediately rushed back. Haha, it’s the first time I’ve seen the Xijue act like fools.”

Shen Zhong’an said, “It’s snowing, this battle wasn’t easy. The Xijue haven’t suffered heavy casualties this time, and their core strength hasn’t been touched. After regrouping, they can still attack again. We must not be careless.”

The deputy general agreed repeatedly.

Shen Zhao frowned, asking as soon as he entered the camp, “Has another group of people returned?”

The soldier guarding the camp replied, “No.”

Shen Zhao looked towards the north, his brow furrowed.

There were only over two thousand people left in the Xijue North Camp. Shen Yu shouldn’t be delayed for so long unless…

Unless the route wasn’t cut off, and the Xijue people who went to raid returned in time to block her there!

The more Shen Zhao thought about it, the more alarmed he became. He immediately ordered the soldiers who had just returned to rest, “Spread my command, immediately gather thirty thousand troops and follow me to the Xijue North Camp.”

Shen Zhong’an hadn’t returned to his tent when he heard him shout like this, so he quickly turned back and asked, “What are you doing?!”

Shen Zhao’s throat tightened, and he rode over to stop next to Shen Zhong’an, his face pale. “Ah Yu… Ah Yu only took two thousand men to stay at the Xijue North Camp, and she hasn’t come back yet.”

“What! When did she come?!” Shen Zhong’an almost couldn’t get the words out, gripping his whip and pointing it at Shen Zhao, speechless for a moment.

He was the first to mount his horse, and with a flick of his whip on the horse’s flank, he galloped towards the gate. But he stopped halfway there.

The heavy snow was falling, and in a moment, it had enveloped the sky and the earth in a vast expanse of white.

Shen Zhong’an stood in the snow, torn between his own daughter and the greater cause.

If he were to mobilize the troops now, there was a high chance they would be caught in a pincer attack by the Xijue in the blizzard.

He was not just a father but also a general responsible for the lives of thousands of soldiers. Making a decision was incredibly difficult.

“Spread my command, all troops are to rest,” he finally said.

“General!” Shen Zhao exclaimed.

Shen Zhong’an raised his hand to stop him from saying more.

He couldn’t bear it, but he couldn’t gamble with the lives of so many people for his own sake.

Shen Zhao knew what he was thinking. After a moment of silence, he suddenly raised his whip and dashed out of the camp.

Father might be able to abandon Ah Yu, but he couldn’t. He was her brother, the one she had followed around since she was babbling. Back then, she wasn’t even as tall as a sword, but she insisted on learning martial arts with him.

Shen Zhao’s eyes were bloodshot. He had to go save her, even if he had to go alone.

“Stop him!” Shen Zhong’an shouted.

The soldiers at the front gate closed the heavy gates, blocking the entrance tightly.

“Get out of my way, or I’ll cut you down too,” Shen Zhao said, pointing his sword at the soldiers at the gate.

Shen Zhong’an frowned. “You dare to threaten your own men with a sword? Get over here! Take off his armor!”

Both sides were deadlocked when suddenly a soldier from the watchtower shouted, “A group is approaching.”

The snow was raging, and the snowflakes were blown horizontally by the wind. The soldiers in the watchtower had their vision blocked, but as the group approached, they realized it was their own people.

“It’s our elite riders!”

“Open the gate!”

Shen Zhao didn’t wait for the soldiers to act; he personally went to open the heavy gate and squeezed through as soon as there was a gap.

He ran wildly in the snow until he finally saw the figure in the snow.

Shen Yu was exhausted, her horse approaching slowly. She smiled at him when she lowered her head. “Brother, I brought something good back for you.”

Shen Zhao’s eyes were teary. This was how she used to be when she was young, always bringing him treasures like this.

He reached out to her, feeling her body frozen like ice. Quickly, he untied his cloak and wrapped her up tightly, holding her close without saying a word.

He was terrified afterwards, scared that she wouldn’t come back, scared that she would be caught up in a deadly battle alone.

Shen Yu entered the camp, followed closely by dozens of grain carts, pushed by Xijue prisoners of war, with elite riders escorting on both sides.

Shen Yu sat by the main tent, wrapped in a cloak, warming herself by the fire. She held a cup of hot tea but hardly felt anything. The snow on her body melted, making her feel even colder. Shen Zhong’an stood silently, watching her, several times wanting to speak but seeing her pitiful appearance, he couldn’t bring himself to scold her.