The Flying Leopard Battalion was a cavalry unit personally trained by Lin Zhongbao and could practically be considered his personal guard. This violent battalion shared Lin Zhongbao's temperament and were fearless in the face of death.
Even the Non-Returning Arhat Army, the Northern Qiang’s elite cavalry that usually looked down on other units, held the Flying Leopard Battalion in high regard. This alone spoke volumes about their combat prowess.
"Flying Leopard Battalion, listen up!" Lin Zhongbao couldn't be bothered to relay orders through messengers. He raised his massive battle axe high and shouted, "Enter wild-goose formation! Cut off their retreat!"
The Flying Leopard Battalion, which had been holding position behind Lin Zhongbao, sprang into action the moment the order was given. Five hundred riders split into two groups, gradually surrounding Ye Beizhi and Xue Qiming like a pair of wings coming together.
Xue Qiming twisted his body to avoid a strike aimed at his lower back and darted behind Ye Beizhi. Amid the chaos, he glanced around and quickly noticed the soldiers closing in on them with murderous intent.
"Hey, hey! Mute Ye, look! These Northern Qiang barbarians seem to be changing tactics."
Ye Beizhi casually struck down a soldier, and quickly surveyed the surroundings.
"I see them," he said with a nod, "They're elite troops."
"Elite troops?" Xue Qiming raised an eyebrow. "I thought the Arhat Army was the best the Northern Qiang had."
Ye Beizhi shook his head but didn’t respond. Unlike Xue Qiming, who had never been to a battlefield, Ye Beizhi could tell at a glance that these cavalrymen were different. In terms of individual prowess, the Arhat Army was superior.
However, the scattered groups of Arhat soldiers they had encountered earlier lacked coordination and leadership. Additionally, the Northern Qiang forces had initially underestimated the pair, making them easier to deal with.
In contrast, this cavalry unit was highly organized, advancing and retreating in perfect unison. A far cry from the scattered resistance of their previous opponents.
"Shield guards to the front! Long blade troops, follow up!" A loud shout came from ahead. Ye Beizhi looked over and saw that the enemy general he had spotted earlier was personally leading his troops into battle.
Ye Beizhi pulled his Tang blade from the body before him, kicking the corpse to the ground. He stood silently, staring at the general.
At some point, all the other Northern Qiang soldiers around them had withdrawn. It was clear that someone had ordered them to retreat from the encirclement. Now, with the pair at the center, a radius of three zhang around them was empty. Beyond that, the tightly-packed Flying Leopard cavalry surrounded them, each man in position.
From behind the encirclement, Lin Zhongbao rode his horse at a slow pace. Raising his battle axe, he pointed it at Ye Beizhi and Xue Qiming.
"State your names, men of the Ruen Dynasty. Making it this far shows you’ve got some skill. Let us, the sons of the steppes, remember who you were."
Ye Beizhi remained silent, standing with his blade in hand. Xue Qiming's gourd dropped to the ground. He flicked it up with his toe, caught it, and casually uncorked it to take a long swig of wine. He savored it and squinted at the encirclement of soldiers.
"Last time I snuck into some Northern Qiang camp to steal some wine, I came up empty-handed. Why don’t we capture this guy alive and trade him to Northern Qiang for some drinks?"
Lin Zhongbao’s expression shifted several times before he snorted. "Hmph. It's a shame to have such foolish last words. Fine. You Ruen mongrels are always ; all bark no bite."
"Your skills don’t seem all that impressive either," Xue Qiming replied mockingly, then suddenly changed the subject. "By the way, is there a fool in your camp named something like... Wang... Wang Yuepi? Hmm... Northern Qiang names are so odd and hard to remember..."
"The Bear Commander?" Lin Zhongbao’s pupils contracted as he instinctively asked, "How do you know him?"
"You know him? The guy with half his left ear missing and a scar across his face?"
Lin Zhongbao’s eyes filled with suspicion.
"Who are you, really?"
"Who do you think?" Xue Qiming’s smile grew even wider. "I’m his enemy of course... I just wanted to know if he’s dead yet. Tsk, tsk... Taking a punch from me head-on, he’s either dead or crippled by now. What a pity..."
Lin Zhongbao’s face fell.
"Damn it... You’re messing with me?"
At this moment, Ye Beizhi patted Xue Qiming on the shoulder and nodded to him.
Xue Qiming turned back to Lin Zhongbao with a grin and teased him, "Messing with you? Not quite. I just wanted to chat... and maybe take a breather. Killing ain't easy, after all."
By now, Lin Zhongbao would have been a fool not to realize the pair was stalling for time. Enraged, he motioned at his guards and commanded, "Attack!"
At once, five hundred Flying Leopard cavalry sprang into action.
"Shield guards, press forward! Long blade troops, cut them down!" Lin Zhongbao swung his battle axe furiously, as though unable to quench his rage without engaging directly.
Instead, he snatched a longbow from a guard by his side, drew an arrow to full draw, and aimed directly at Xue Qiming, who had embarrassed him earlier.
The arrow whistled through the air with a piercing screech. Xue Qiming, catching the faint sound, tilted his head slightly. In one swift motion, his arm extended and tugged, and the gourd, which had been spinning in the air moments before, snapped back into his grasp via the chain.
The arrow struck the gourd but left not a single mark. Xue Qiming moved the gourd away from his face and flashed a wide smile at Lin Zhongbao in the distance.
"Come on! Try again."
The rain poured harder, and Xue Qiming's straw hat was long gone, leaving him soaked through. His hair clung to the sides of his face.
Ye Beizhi, not far away, swung his blade in quick arcs, striking down foes or blocking incoming attacks. The blade gleamed in flashes of white light, its surface momentarily stained with blood before the rain washed it clean.
Each flash of lightning briefly illuminated the battlefield, painting a hellish scene like a horde of ghosts vying for prey.
"Hey... it's not looking good," Xue Qiming complained as he maneuvered behind Ye Beizhi. Having fought their way from the city walls to this point, even he was beginning to feel the strain.
"There are still tens of thousands of troops surrounding us outside these five hundred. You didn’t drag me out here just to die, did you?"
Ye Beizhi swung his blade in a horizontal arc, unleashing a burst of light, but Xue Qiming could clearly hear his labored breathing. He turned back to ask, "If you’ve got a plan, spit it out now! If I'm exhausted, I won’t be able to help even if I want to!"
Ye Beizhi glanced back at the city walls, then turned his gaze toward Lin Zhongbao outside the encirclement. He spoke slowly, "Lend me a hand..."
"Hmm?" Xue Qiming swung his gourd, knocking down a group of enemies, then glanced at Ye Beizhi in confusion.
Following Ye Beizhi’s gaze to Lin Zhongbao, Xue Qiming suddenly understood. He grinned widely.
Xue Qiming tightened the chain in his hand, swung the gourd overhead with all his might, and forced the surrounding enemies back, clearing a large space. He shouted, "Go!"
Before he finished speaking, Ye Beizhi had already leapt into the air, his body extending as his Tang blade spun...
"Hold steady!" Xue Qiming bellowed, his left fist shooting out like a ravenous tiger, pushing into Ye Beizhi’s foot.
A thunderous explosion rang out as Ye Beizhi, propelled by the force, shot through the air like a cannonball toward Lin Zhongbao!
Lin Zhongbao had thought himself too far away from the pair to engage directly. He never imagined they would pull off such a dramatic maneuver. By the time he snapped back to his senses, Ye Beizhi was almost upon him!
The man flying through the air had a gaze as icy and unyielding as a mountain of ice. Just one look sent a bone-deep chill through Lin Zhongbao. The Tang blade gleamed coldly, and Lin Zhongbao felt as if the messenger of death himself were before him!
"Men!" Lin Zhongbao screamed frantically, "Take down this—"
A deafening clap of thunder erupted, cutting Lin Zhongbao's voice short. It was unclear whether the thunder had drowned out his words or if he was unable to muster the courage to finish speaking.
The only thing imprinted in everyone's eyes in that fleeting moment was a silhouetted figure wearing a bamboo hat, descending rapidly from the sky. With his Tang blade held in a reverse grip, he charged toward the mounted Lin Zhongbao with unstoppable force!
An eerie silence hung in the air as everyone froze in place, staring into the darkness. No one knew exactly what had transpired, and even the flash of white light from earlier remained a mystery. Was it a lightning strike, or was it the glint of a blade?
A crisp sound broke the silence as a shadowy figure slowly rose from the ground.
Another peal of thunder rumbled as lightning forked through the sky. The scene before them was finally laid bare under the harsh glow. Not far away, a lone figure wearing a bamboo hat stood quietly, his back facing the crowd.
At his feet lay Lin Zhongbao, lifeless, with a flat blade wound piercing straight through the center of his forehead, entering from the front and exiting through the back of his skull. The general was unmistakably dead.