Chapter Thirty-Five: The War Ends

Outside the city gate, Wanyan Xieye naturally witnessed the return of Xue Rengui and his companions. Without a second thought, he immediately blended into the crowd, doing his best to avoid attracting the attention of Xing Tian and the others.

Wanyan Xieye was keenly aware of his own limitations. While he prided himself on his martial prowess, he knew he was no match for Xing Tian, who had been able to slay Lian'er Xinshan—a warrior ranked among the best of the Xiongnu—on the battlefield.

Compared to Wanyan Xieye, Wanyan Liang was far less fortunate. Xue Rengui’s charge happened to be directed exactly where Wanyan Liang was stationed. In the midst of his momentum, Xue Rengui casually swung his halberd toward Wanyan Liang’s position. Faced with the incoming strike, Wanyan Liang could not simply stand by and do nothing.

Seeing someone actually parry his blow—even though it had been delivered with minimal effort—Xue Rengui immediately realized that this man must be a high-ranking enemy commander disguised as a common soldier. He promptly roused his spirit and fought with his full strength.

Wanyan Liang’s martial skills were respectable, with a base rating of over 90, but it all depended on who he was facing. Against Xue Rengui, whose base martial strength reached 105, Wanyan Liang’s meager abilities were naturally insufficient.

Indeed, it took less than three exchanges before Wanyan Liang, overwhelmed by Xue Rengui’s full-force onslaught, lost the ability to resist. First, his weapon was shattered by the overbearing, mountain-crushing force of Xue Rengui’s halberd. Then, with a horizontal sweep of the blade, Wanyan Liang’s head soared into the air, while blood erupted from his neck, splattering everywhere.

Upon seeing the Han generals return, Wanyan Yinshuke, who had been on the city wall, did not hesitate to order a retreat.

For Wanyan Yinshuke, it was not the terrifying martial prowess of warriors like Xing Tian that he feared. If continuing the fight meant he could capture Yanmen Pass, he would not have hesitated to press on, even knowing he might die in the process.

However, the situation was now clear. With the return of the Han generals, Wanyan Yinshuke knew that the small foothold the Xiongnu forces had occupied on the ramparts could no longer be held. To continue fighting would be a pointless sacrifice, a waste of effort. Rather than that, it was better to retreat decisively to preserve the Xiongnu’s remaining strength.

At the front of the Xiongnu lines, Wanyan Aguda and Wanyan Wuqimai heaved a heavy sigh as they saw their main army begin to withdraw. They had calculated everything perfectly, and initially, events had unfolded exactly as planned, but in the end, they had fallen short of the final goal.

Compared to Wanyan Wuqimai, Wanyan Aguda’s thoughts were far more extensive. The Xiongnu had suffered heavy losses in this campaign. Although the new troops recruited within Yanmen Pass since the war began had also suffered significant casualties, the survivors had been tempered by the brutal fighting into a formidable force; it would likely be difficult to breach this mighty pass ever again.

Still, although the fortress remained unconquered, the Xiongnu had managed to consume over one hundred thousand of their "old and weak" in this battle. If they were thrifty with the resources saved by this reduction in population, the Xiongnu might just survive this disaster. At this thought, Wanyan Aguda let out a long breath of relief.

But then, his brows knit tightly together. Once the war ended, he would have to consider other matters.

Yufuluo was far too incompetent. As the Chanyu of the Xiongnu, the people had no future under his leadership. The hungry wolves of the steppe should be led by the fiercest and most cunning among them, yet in Wanyan Aguda’s eyes, Yufuluo was nothing more than an aging, dim-sighted wolf.

Furthermore, the Xiongnu were now at a critical juncture, in desperate need of a wise and sagacious leader to guide the entire tribe out of their predicament.

Wanyan Aguda believed it was time for him to step forward, overthrow the rule of the incompetent monarch, and lead the Xiongnu to overcome their plight, perhaps even restoring their former glory so that the iron hooves of the great Xiongnu people could roam freely across every inch of the steppe.

Ever since the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the Xiongnu had gradually declined. The once-dominant lords of the grasslands had split into Northern and Southern factions, with the Southern Xiongnu even forced to survive under the protection of the Han people. At the same time, other tribes had emerged to vie for pastures, and most gallingly, the Xianbei had stolen the title of masters of the steppe from the Xiongnu.

To Wanyan Aguda, this was intolerable. Under his leadership, the Xiongnu sons should use their curved blades to reclaim the lush pastures one by one and once again become the masters of the steppe.

On the walls of Yanmen Pass, Li Xiang watched quietly as soldiers busily repaired the damaged fortifications and carried away the bodies of their fallen comrades and enemies alike for mass burial. Yet, his heart was not as calm as his expression suggested.

He knew he had won his gamble. He had rescued the Han people outside the walls, and Yanmen Pass had not fallen.

This had been a massive gamble. Had he lost, while he might not have been utterly destroyed, the base in Bingzhou he had envisioned would certainly have been lost, and the development plans he and Wang Meng had devised would have had to be discarded. In essence, losing this bet would have been his Waterloo in the race for the world.

Fortunately, Li Xiang had won. The greater the risk, the higher the reward. As long as he used certain methods to spread the news of his rescue mission, his name would undoubtedly become famous throughout the land, and his prestige would grow with each passing day. With enough accumulated prestige, he would surely attract more talented scholars and warriors to join him.

Moreover, his original goal for rescuing the people had been achieved. After this, if he had the opportunity to recruit great generals like Meng Tian, it would be much easier. Even warriors of humble origins like Qin Qiong were already looking to him for leadership; all that was missing was a formal oath of allegiance.

Furthermore, Li Xiang knew that Wanyan Aguda was a clever man; after this battle, he would surely realize that the Xiongnu had almost no chance of capturing Yanmen Pass. Li Xiang guessed that the Xiongnu would soon retreat, and the war would come to an end.

Although both sides had suffered significant losses, both had achieved their objectives to a certain extent. Wanyan Aguda had gained the assurance that his tribe would survive the disaster, even if the method used was not what he had truly desired.

As for Li Xiang, his gains were even greater. This brutal, bloody battle had left Bingzhou with a formidable force of 120,000 soldiers. If his next plan proceeded smoothly, he would finally possess the base he needed to contend for the world.