Section Four (Part Two)

Insult! What an insult! Zhao Guangyuan was an honest man, and at that moment his anger flared, his voice booming, "If you don't believe me, sir, I'll show you right now..." He seized his belt, ready to strip and reveal his scars.

"Enough, enough, I was only asking. Just keep your clothes on!" Lin Feng was startled; it turned out even honest men could be terrifying when enraged. "Zhao Guangyuan, hear my command: take all the cavalry, and make sure every horse and mule in the ranks is fitted with a tight bit—no creature is allowed to make a sound. Then, arrange this hillside to look like a battlefield after a great defeat, with the bodies laid out as if our troops were fleeing toward the rear. Leave four wagons empty, fill them with stones, and find a way to make the mules pulling the wagons bolt desperately toward the rear. When that's done, return and hide in the mountains!"

These were all minor matters—Zhao Guangyuan, a veteran of many battlefields, thought nothing of it. He responded loudly, "I obey, sir!"

The three then went about their tasks. Everyone knew the Qing army would soon return for revenge, intent on slaughtering every soul here. Tension ran high, and all moved with unusual speed. In less than half an hour, the porters were organized into groups and, under the watchful eyes of the soldiers, slipped into the tall grass to hide. Zhao Guangyuan, meanwhile, skillfully disguised the battlefield as ordered. With practiced direction, he made the scene appear exactly as if a routed force had clashed with the Qing, narrowly escaped victory, and fled in haste. Several wagons, loaded with stones, left deep ruts in the road, and Zhao Guangyuan even had soldiers set fires atop the wagons, the heat driving the mules and horses into a wild, frenzied gallop.

Just as the preparations were complete, the distant sound of hooves drifted closer, growing louder—a thunderous rumble rolling across the sky, so powerful it made the grass stems before Lin Feng tremble in fear. On the horizon, a great host of Qing cavalry appeared, charging like a tempest, sweeping across the land in a surging wave.

A harsh, brassy voice shrieked a phrase in Manchu, its meaning unknown, but it was quickly echoed and relayed by others in an orderly fashion. Suddenly, the cavalry thundered into the heart of the battlefield and, at a signal, yanked their reins, coming to a disciplined halt. Thousands of riders slowed as one, their formation unbroken—clearly, these were well-trained elite troops.

Laita's men split off, riding out to survey the battlefield. Some charged forward, others behind, swiftly covering both flanks before returning to report loudly in Manchu. Laita shook his head, issuing new commands in a resounding voice.

Upon learning that the enemy general had escaped, Laita immediately dismissed the idea of lingering to search the area. He ordered the troops to eat dry rations in the saddle and pursue at once, his heart burning for the glory of capturing the enemy commander. In his eagerness, it never crossed his mind that the real enemy was still spying on his army from the distant hillside, just a few hundred meters away.

This elite cavalry came and went like the wind. At Laita's command, thousands of hooves struck the earth in unison—a dark cloud sweeping the plain—and in no time, they had vanished without a trace.

Lin Feng straightened, brushing the dry grass and leaves from his body, and turned to face the eyes filled with awe and excitement.

"The Qing army is heading straight for Xianxia Ridge now. Our retreat is completely cut off. Does anyone have a plan?" Lin Feng sighed, his tone calm.

To his surprise, every officer, soldier, and porter, without hesitation and in perfect unison, shouted, "We follow you, sir, wherever you lead!"

Lin Feng groaned inwardly. Damn it, I'm trying to escape with my life and now I'm saddled with these thousands of fools. There's no shaking them off—what am I supposed to do now?

To the south lay their rear, but now that black-faced Laita had taken thousands of men in that direction. Judging from the display of that cavalry force, even if Xiang Yu himself returned and destroyed his cauldrons, this half-military, half-civilian rabble would still stand little chance.

To the north was the Qing army's forward defense, surely heavily guarded—a charge in that direction would be suicide.

To the west, along the Liju and Jinhua line, a great battle had just been fought. Xu Shangchao’s fifty-thousand-strong army had been cut down by the Qing, with more than half lost, and the scattered survivors were being hunted everywhere. That way was even more perilous, and Lin Feng had no ties with them; a lone rescue was out of the question.

After pondering a while, Lin Feng made his decision. He didn’t consult the others but waved his hand decisively, "We go east—over the Yandang Mountains!" Seeing the dumbfounded faces of Zhao Guangyuan and Old Liu, Lin Feng could only offer a wry smile. "After eating dried vegetables for so long, we've lost all taste in our mouths. Let's go and try some fresh seafood!"