Chapter 488: Chapter 488: Entering the Encirclement

Muer Han dared not meet Leader Xian’s furious face directly; he really wanted to shout that he was being held hostage by Zhan Lan.

But when he saw that Zhan Lan’s men shot their arrows with unerring accuracy and that Leader Xian’s men were down to just a few dozen, he felt this was not the best time to seek help.

Zhan Lan watched expressionlessly as one Western Rong cavalryman after another fell, feeling only satisfaction in her heart!

The tens of thousands of Shili City’s residents were slaughtered by Western Rong’s cavalry, none survived.

The dead infants never had a chance to see the gentle sun more than a few times.

The elderly never got to fully enjoy the warmth of the sunset.

Those citizens yearning for a better life, lively lives fell just like that.

In their dying moments, seeing their loved ones being slaughtered, their desperation was impossible to imagine.

They could no longer experience the beauty of the world, perhaps dying with regrets.

Zhan Lan thought of her grandfather again, whose body was still at Fengyu Pass. How disappointed he must be to know the Zhan Family Army failed to defend Shili City!

Zhan Lan would never forgive the Western Rong people; they too would pay the same price.

Leader Xian cursed angrily, “Muer Han, this leader curses you to die badly, you will suffer God’s punishment!”

Muer Han’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his face filled with grievance, but he couldn’t utter a word.

He feared that if he opened his mouth, Zhan Lan beside him could end him with a single stroke. He wanted to live to tell the truth!

Hmm, what is Zhan Lan doing with her hand?

Muer Hong’s pupils widened, seeing Zhan Lan draw an arrow from her quiver, pull the bow, and nock the arrow.

His eyes followed the arrow Zhan Lan shot, with a thud, the arrow hit Leader Xian’s chest.

“You…” Leader Xian’s trembling fingers pointed at Muer Hong and Zhan Lan, then he fell headlong.

Gazing at the dead Leader Xian, Muer Hong swallowed, his peripheral vision catching Zhan Lan putting away her bow and arrow.

The valley quickly fell silent.

“Hyah!”

Zhan Lan whipped her horse down the valley, and a soldier reported, “Reporting to the General, this time we’ve captured three hundred carts of military provisions, over twenty carts of Western Rong fur winter clothing, and nearly a thousand horses.”

Plus the silver and food Western Rong had looted from Shili City, the current Western Rong camp had turned into the Zhan Family Army’s first battlefield.

“General, send all these things back to the camp,” Zhan Lan ordered.

“Yes!”

Zhan Lan looked at another person and instructed, “Dispose of all the bodies thoroughly, clean up completely, leave no trace.”

“Yes, Main General!”

Zhan Lan rode her horse personally to watch them drag the bodies away and finish processing them before she rode off.

Li Sui had been protecting Zhan Lan by her side all along, and seeing her leave, he also mounted his horse and followed behind Zhan Lan.

He looked at Zhan Lan’s back, feeling that she truly was not an ordinary woman.

Zhan Lan acted decisively and courageously, thought things through thoroughly, and never left things half-done or hesitated; such a nature made people following her feel at ease.

This also changed his impression of women.

Women and men differ only in body and appearance, but in terms of courage and strategy, women are not inferior to men.

In some respects, they even surpass men.

So, if we don’t distinguish between men and women and look only at the individual, there would be less prejudice in the world.

Muer Hong was escorted back to the camp by soldiers; he had a pretty good idea of Zhan Lan’s next move; Zhan Lan wanted to kill the thirty thousand Western Rong cavalry.

But she only had a few thousand of the Zhan Family Army, perhaps she would seek reinforcements.

If she really could kill the thirty thousand Western Rong cavalry, would she then attack Western Rong?

Muer Hong felt like he’d been stared at by a snake, his skin bristling; what on earth did Zhan Lan want him to do? He was in so much agony!

…

Back in the camp, Zhan Lan, Zhan Beicang, Li Sui, and Zhan Hui sat by the sand table in the camp.

Zhan Beicang asked, “Main General, you really won’t call for reinforcements from Fengyu Pass over there?”

Zhan Hui also looked at Zhan Lan with curiosity.

Zhan Lan’s tone was firm, “Not for now; I have my own way.”

“Alright!” Zhan Beicang knew Zhan Lan’s character; she always kept a backup plan and would never act recklessly.

Moreover, he was confident that the Zhan Family Army had obtained an absolute advantage; defeating a larger force with a smaller one wasn’t impossible!

After making the arrangements, Zhan Beicang and the other two left, each going to prepare for battle.

Zhan Lan sat alone in the camp, holding her forehead, suddenly missing Mu Yan a bit.

But when Mu Yan was around, she couldn’t help but rely on him.

She also knew that Mu Yan never interfered with her or hindered her.

…

The sun slowly descended from the mountaintop, and sure enough, the Western Rong cavalry entered the encirclement already prepared by the Zhan Family Army.

Crows called mournfully in the valley.

The thirty thousand Western Rong cavalry rode into the narrow valley; they too sensed the eerie atmosphere here.

Precisely because this was the best place for an ambush, people from the camp would come to greet them every time to ensure the cavalry’s safety.

At the edge of the valley was Muer Hong welcoming him; the same bright smile, Muer Hong, accompanied by hundreds of Western Rong cavalry flanking him in welcome.

He had no suspicion because Muer Hong was the leader of a smaller tribe than their own, and it was only natural to greet him with such respect.

Muer Hong smiled so much his face felt stiff, the cavalry leader opposite him was Wu He’er, leader of Western Rong’s second-largest tribe, a person who never regarded the two brothers as significant.

Even when he saw his friendly smile, he showed no expression.

Although Muer Hong wished for Wu He’er’s death, now that he was following Zhan Lan’s orders to massacre the Western Rong tribe, it left a niggling discomfort in his heart.

“Release!”

From the mountaintop, Zhan Lan gave the order, and stones drenched in burning oil rolled down from both sides of the gorge, aflame.

The horses, frightened, shook off the cavalry, galloping frantically from the valley, the cries of horses and the screams of men echoing through the entire gorge.

Wu He’er was shocked!

Just now, he clearly saw Muer Hong leading people to greet him; why was Muer Hong massacring the Western Rong cavalry?

“Kill!”

Arrows continuously shot down from the mountaintop; the Western Rong cavalry had nowhere to hide, and the entire valley filled with screams reaching the sky, like a purgatory.

The burnt, acrid smell made Muer Hong take step after step backward, the Zhan Family Army soldier holding his horse’s reins led him away.

Muer Hong’s heart was pounding; Wu He’er must be cursing him, but he was used to being scolded.

“Muer Hong, you beast! You betrayed our king!”

This battle saw Nanjin taking the Western Rong cavalry like turtles in a jar, with absolute superiority.

Wu He’er, protected by Western Rong cavalry using arm, fled towards Western Rong.

He fled as fast as he could, cursing Muer Hong’s ancestors to the eighteenth generation, planning to inform the Western Rong king about Muer Hong’s actions and wipe out their tribe when he returned to Western Rong.

He fled out of the valley, just as he was about to catch his breath.

Suddenly, a person with a silver spear stood at the pass.