Lin Qing tightly gripped Lin Dan’s reins, pleading, “Sister, please don’t fight him. He’s Mo Li’s son, Mo Sang. He’s highly skilled in martial arts and born with immense strength, so he’s extremely difficult to deal with. You’re still injured. If something happens to you, what am I supposed to do alone?” Only now did he realize just how important his sister truly was to him. Without her, he couldn’t even imagine what the future would hold. With just him alone, he had no chance of supporting the precarious Lin family, let alone winning this war.

His sister wasn’t just his pillar of strength, she was also the backbone of the soldiers.

Li Xian also stepped forward to stop her, saying, “Lin Dan, stay in the formation. I’ll go fight him!”

Lin Dan gently pried Lin Qing’s hand away and ignored Li Xian’s words. Instead, she stared directly at Mo Sang and asked, “You’re Mo Li’s son?”

Mo Sang rode forward from the ranks, his voice rough and harsh, “That’s right. Do you dare fight me?”

Lin Dan laughed coldly. “Perfect. Yesterday, your father reunited my family, so today, I’ll make sure your family is all together.” With that, she leaped out of the ranks, raised her sword, and struck.

Mo Sang hadn’t expected her to act so decisively. He was momentarily stunned before charging forward to meet her. The two rode back and forth, their swords clashing and sparking with each impact. Mo Sang was immensely powerful, but Lin Dan was no weaker. In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged over a dozen blows. If Lin Dan hadn’t been injured, not even ten or eight Mo Sangs would have been her match. But after losing so much blood the previous night, her body was weak, and soon, a gray fog clouded her vision as if she couldn’t hold on any longer.

Seeing Mo Sang’s sword coming down, ready to cleave her in two, Lin Dan, seeking a swift end to the battle, didn’t dodge but instead met his attack head-on.

Mo Sang gritted his teeth and sneered. “You’re asking for death!”

But Lin Dan suddenly twisted her body, taking the blow to her shoulder blade to get close to Mo Sang. In one swift motion, she flicked her wrist and sliced off his head. The best defense was offense, and even though she had lost her memory, her battle instincts still told her exactly what to do.

The armor on her shoulder absorbed some of the force but Mo Sang’s sword still cut deep into her bone, nearly severing her arm. She tore a strip of cloth from her battle robe and quickly wrapped the wound. Tightening her reins, she made her horse rear up and crush Mo Sang’s head beneath its hooves.

“Does anyone else from the Mo family dare to face me in battle?” She called out, her body soaked in blood, clearly grievously injured, yet no one on the battlefield dared underestimate her.

Hanging in the air, Mo Li let out a cry of agony that bordered on madness. He had always loved playing psychological warfare, but now that someone had turned the same tactic against him, he realized just how cruel and powerless it felt. He shouted something in Hu language, though no one could tell what he was saying.

The Xiongnu army was in turmoil for a while before a tall, burly man stepped forward and said in a deep voice, “I am Mo Gu. Today, I will take your head to avenge my father and brother^[1]elder brother!” Like the Lin family’s army, this Xiongnu army was made up of Mo Li’s personal soldiers, with many of its leaders being his trusted subordinates or relatives.

Lin Dan wasted no words and spurred her horse forward to meet him.

Mo Gu had held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that Lin Dan, after suffering so many serious injuries, would be exhausted by the time she faced him. But he was entirely wrong. Lin Dan had a fierce resolve, and the more dire the situation, the more fearless and ferocious she became. These flesh wounds were nothing to her. In fact, they only fueled her fighting spirit and had no impact at all.

Though Lin Dan had never been on a battlefield before, it was as if she had fought countless times. In one swift stroke, she cut Mo Gu’s spear and, without hesitation, grabbed the spear tip and hurled it at Mo Gu’s heart. His chest plate blocked the fatal blow, but it caused him to freeze for just a moment. In that frame of time, a cold gleam flashed in his blue eyes. It was Lin Dan’s blade, already closing in, and before he could react, it sliced through his neck.

Another head rolled to the ground, the same look of disbelief and terror etched on its face. The second Mo family member had fallen.

Raising her bloodstained sword, Lin Dan slowly asked, “Who else?”

Mo Li’s subordinates and relatives all stepped back together. With their retreat, the entire Xiongnu army began to fall back, clearly in disarray. Lin Dan immediately spurred her horse forward and charged into the enemy ranks, shouting, “Kill them all!”

She first crushed the spirit of the Xiongnu army, sapping their morale. When fear took hold of them, she led a charge into the fray. She had calculated every step, and no matter how many orders Mo Li shouted to his troops, they were all in vain. His psychological tactics had been completely turned against him by Lin Dan.

This battle shattered the Xiongnu army’s plan to invade the central plains through Shanbei. The Lin family’s forces, once on the brink of collapse, finally had a chance to breathe. By dusk, the battlefield was littered with corpses and smoke, and the once vast and well-equipped Xiongnu army had dwindled to fewer than fifty thousand men— a devastating defeat.

Li Xian brought a military doctor to the tent, hoping to tend to Lin Dan’s wounds, but she blocked them at the door.

“I am a woman so there are many inconveniences. I can dress my wounds myself. Just leave the medicine.” She said calmly as if the person covered in wounds wasn’t her at all.

“No, you’re already seriously injured, and if you reopen the wound, what then? Wait, I’ll find a female doctor to help you.” Li Xian said, suddenly recalling their last meeting. Besides the helplessness he felt, there was also a slow, growing joy at their reunion. Lin Dan was like a lone wolf, always hiding away to lick her wounds alone as if she didn’t need anyone’s care.

But he couldn’t help wanting to care for her. The vague silhouette of her in his mind had transformed into a brighter, more tangible presence. Fearing something might happen to Lin Dan, he refused to leave the tent, instead sending his subordinates to find a woman with medical skills in a nearby town. Lin Qing didn’t dare go in either and sat slumped at the entrance, continuously repenting to Lin Dan.

Ding Mujie approached the entrance, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Highness, Prince Zhuang, it’s already late autumn and winter is near. Our provisions are running low. Shouldn’t you be thinking of a solution? Also, Mo Li is the younger brother of the Xiongnu Chief, Mo Xiao. The men Lin Dan killed— Mo Qi, Mo Tai, and the others— were Mo Xiao’s sons. Once he hears of their deaths, Mo Xiao will undoubtedly lead his army to attack. His heavy cavalry is renowned for its powerful impact, flexibility, and unmatched endurance. Since its creation, they’ve never suffered a defeat. Though they only numbered around seventy thousand, they crushed Great Wei’s one-hundred-thousand-strong army in just three days, capturing Bianliang City and settling in Taiyuan. With our current strength, we stand no chance against them.”

Ding Mujie hadn’t wanted to dampen the atmosphere for Prince Zhuang at this moment, but he had no choice. Though they had won the battle, a stronger enemy still lay ahead, and it was far from the time for celebration.

“I understand all of that concern. I will report the issue of food and supplies to my imperial father and request additional provisions. As for Mo Xiao’s heavy cavalry, I’ll still have to come up with a plan.”

Before Li Xian’s voice had fully faded, Lin Dan spoke from within the tent, “What’s there to plan? By the time the orders from the capital arrive, we’ll already be in the depths of winter. If the soldiers are nearly starving to death, how will they have the strength to fight? The Xiongnu’s food comes from plundering the citizens of our Great Wei. Why don’t we form our own cavalry and do the same to them? There are still a few remaining Xiongnu forces nearby, and many marauders have taken over the fields of our people, already settling in. We’ll raid them swiftly and without hassle. Since we’ve already killed tens of thousands of Mo Li’s men today, we should send people to collect the leftover armor and horses on the battlefield and forge a heavy cavalry of our own. I will personally oversee their training. Time is short so let’s prepare quickly. Taking the initiative is better than sitting here waiting for death.”

Lin Dan’s determination immediately dispelled Li Xian’s worries and he laughed lightly, “Alright, I’ll have men start preparations right away. You rest and recover. When the time comes, we’ll fight side by side.”

Ding Mujie quickly stepped forward, cupping his hands in respect. “Your Highness, Prince Zhuang, this humble man is willing to offer what assistance I can to the army. The Xiongnu’s heavy cavalry may be fearsome, but we can find ways to force them off their horses. We can also modify our weapons to counter their heavy armor. If you’re willing to trust me, may we speak privately?”

Li Xian gave him a deep look before nodding. “Very well, let’s talk in the main tent.”

Ding Mujie showed no outward sign of joy as he walked to the entrance, speaking gently, “Lin Dan, don’t worry. Focus on recovering first.”

“Thank you for your concern.” Came the cool, indifferent reply from inside the tent. Ding Mujie felt a pang in his heart but dared not linger. He hurried off with the prince. Lin Qing, meanwhile, remained by the tent, refusing to leave. He alternated between asking about his sister’s well-being, blaming himself, and urging the soldiers to find a female doctor. His mind was a whirlwind of anxiety.

———pr


Lin Dan’s injuries healed quickly. In just half a month, she had fully recovered, much to the astonishment of the military doctor, and even her own surprise. Once healed, she handpicked five thousand elite soldiers to train in the ways of the sword. When they were sufficiently prepared, she led them on raids across the plains.

Her swordsmanship was unique, devastatingly effective, and easy to learn. The moves were simple— slashes and thrusts— practiced tens of thousands of times daily. After thirty or forty days of relentless training, the entire unit’s spirit had transformed.

Lin Dan led this newly trained force across the planes. At sunrise, they would storm the east, seizing horses. By sunset, they would be at the west, stealing provisions. By nightfall, they would appear in the south, taking salt and iron. Their movements were unpredictable, like ghosts in the night. They left the Xiongnu settlements, which had been forcibly taken from the Great Wei people, utterly plundered.

Gradually, the nearby Xiongnu began to fear her. They moved deeper into the grasslands, and some, upon hearing Lin Dan’s name from afar, would even fled in terror. Seeing this, the citizens of Great Wei began to return to their homes, grateful to Lin Dan. They donated provisions, hoping her troops would stay and protect them.

In just two months, the storage houses were overflowing with rations, along with a vast supply of horses, salt, and iron. With these resources, Li Xian had the means to improve weapons and armor, and he began recruiting craftsmen for large-scale production.

While preparations for war were in full swing, Mo Xiao’s army steadily approached Hetao, forming a standoff against the Lin family’s army.

A great battle was on the verge of breaking out.