Chapter 16: Clouds Part and the Moon Shines Through

Deep in the forest, after Chen's soldiers dismounted, they discovered that the Wei soldiers had vanished without a trace. They dared not scatter too widely, fearing they would be picked off one by one with no hope of explanation. It was out of the question for them to proactively search for the enemy.

Moreover, the Chen soldiers now faced another problem: their warhorses. Indeed, the horses' bulk could help shield them from attacks, but crowded together, the animals severely restricted their movement. As a result, these men were cavalry in name only, yet hardly foot soldiers either—their once formidable combat power was now greatly diminished.

"Get the men in front to advance! Why are they dawdling?" Wang Gushan complained impatiently, seeing the column had almost ground to a halt.

The order soon reached the vanguard. On receiving their general's command, the chosen men wore bitter expressions and, after a few moments' hesitation, reluctantly moved forward. Cautiously, step by step, they tried to minimize their noise, striving to make no sound at all. Yet, as leaves crunched beneath their feet, each small crackle seemed to strike their hearts like a heavy hammer.

Behind them, Wang Gushan advanced slowly with the main force. Now, he could only pray to the heavens for a safe return.

All the Chen soldiers gripped their sabers tightly, eyes darting warily about, occasionally hacking fiercely into roadside thickets—like birds startled by a mere twang of the bowstring.

…

On the Wei side, their squad leaders had long been shadowing the Chen soldiers' movements with their own men, keeping a close watch.

When they spotted the isolated Chen scouting party, bloodlust flashed across the Wei soldiers' faces. "This is military merit, ripe for the taking!" one squad leader whispered, swallowing hard.

In the Wei army's traditional system, military merit was hard currency—nothing else mattered. Otherwise, where would all these brave men come from? Thanks to the even richer rewards instituted by Wei Wuyi, many more fearless fighters now filled his battered ranks.

And so, under their leader, one detachment of Wei troops began to stalk the isolated Chen squad like hunters.

"Get the other brothers moving too—loose some arrows to pin down the main Chen force," the leader ordered his men. "Any Chen heads we take, you’ll get your share." He knew that only with tangible benefits would others follow through.

At his command, a soldier slipped away to coordinate with other Wei detachments.

Moments later, the hiss of arrows began to break the silence from various directions—the very sound the Chen soldiers now feared most.

The Chen formation soon fell into chaos, each man flailing his blade wildly to ward off unseen threats. Seizing the moment, the Wei detachment crept up on the isolated Chen squad.

As soon as they were close enough, the squad leader shouted, "Attack!"

With a mighty leap from the undergrowth, he struck down a panic-stricken Chen soldier. Nearly two hundred Wei troops then encircled the fewer than fifty Chen men.

Driven to desperation, the Chen squad fought back with the ferocity of cornered beasts. Knowing there was no escape, they resolved to take down as many enemies as possible with them.

This fierce resistance caused the Wei encirclement to falter briefly, but the outcome was never in doubt. By the time the main Chen force arrived, braving risk to reinforce their comrades, all that remained was a field of corpses.

Surveying the carnage, Wang Gushan's heart bled—these were his own clan's men he had brought out himself. He struck a tree trunk with his fist, feelings in turmoil. Now, wounded in several places and with his armor badly torn, he looked utterly bedraggled.

With fewer than five hundred men left, Wang Gushan was overcome by grief; among those missing were his closest brothers and friends. And all because of one rash decision—he had led them to their deaths.

No, this cannot go on. I must get everyone out, Wang Gushan resolved silently. If they remained huddled together, letting the Wei pick them off bit by bit, none of them would survive.

Their only chance now was to mount up and make a desperate breakout in multiple directions, using speed to escape.

Wang Gushan's face shifted as he weighed the risks and benefits. Yet, in these woods, without the aid of torches, riding was impossible—he understood this as well.

Does it mean abandoning the horses? He recoiled at the thought.

Hesitation breeds disaster. Gritting his teeth, Wang Gushan made his decision: if he survived, he would bear the blame for losing the horses.

"Listen up! If we stick together, not one of us will get out alive. Now we split up and run in all directions; the Wei don’t have the numbers to cover everything. This is our chance."

His words were met with murmurs and no small measure of doubt. After all they had endured under his command in the past hour, the men’s faith in their general had all but crumbled.

Wang Gushan ignored their misgivings. At this point, explanations would be futile.

"When you go, cut your horses to make them bolt in pain. That will attract the Wei’s attention and give us a better shot at escape. Once you’re out, find a place to hide. When dawn breaks and our main force arrives, the Wei will pay for this. I vow you shall have your revenge."

As his passion flared, Wang Gushan drove his saber into the ground before him.

The Chen soldiers followed his plan, reluctantly turning their blades on the horses they had once cherished like life itself. Soon, the air was filled with frantic neighing as the wounded animals bucked and kicked, raising a ruckus.

Not far off, the puzzled Wei soldiers wondered what was happening.

When the reins were finally loosed, the now-crazed warhorses scattered wildly in all directions.

"The Chen are escaping!" The Wei soldiers quickly realized and hurried after the sounds, attention successfully diverted.

At that moment, the Chen soldiers began their desperate flight, scattering through the forest, Wang Gushan slipping away under the protection of a handful of loyal guards.

Soon, the Wei troops realized the horses were riderless—they had been tricked. Meanwhile, farther out, scattered Wei patrols clashed with small groups of fleeing Chen soldiers in the most evenly matched fighting of the night.

When the Wei reinforcements finally arrived, the struggle had reached a fever pitch—one side fighting for their lives to escape, the other determined to let none go.

With reinforcements, the Wei quickly gained the upper hand. Chen resistance crumbled in moments.

Even so, the chaos allowed a few lucky Chen soldiers to slip away.

After searching the forest thoroughly and finding no survivors, the Wei troops finally relaxed. They returned to their assigned camps, took out the ears they had cut from Chen corpses, and began tallying up their spoils for the night.

Elsewhere, Wei Wuyi was receiving Wang Xiu’s report. Only when he heard of the total defeat of the Chen did he finally feel at ease.

"My lord, there is one more matter," Zheng Dali, standing nearby, stepped forward.

"What is it?" Wei Wuyi asked.

"We captured nearly two hundred horses. Unfortunately, the rest were let loose by the Chen, but together with what we seized at Ling River, we now have over four hundred horses." Zheng Dali could not hide his satisfaction.

"Then the Chen general is our quartermaster now—whatever we lack, he delivers," Wei Wuyi replied with a smile.

But his expression soon turned serious. "Enough celebrating. Let the men rest; before dawn, we must retreat another twenty miles."

"Don’t forget, the enemy is far from crippled—they still have over nine thousand cavalry waiting for us." He sighed deeply.

The sword still hung over their heads, though it was a little lighter than before.

Wei Wuyi gazed up at the night sky. At that moment, the clouds parted, and the moon shone bright.