The Bloody Battle and Bitter Defeat

It had been a full two days since Duo Mu'er led his troops to chase down the Xianbei "civilians," but no news had come back to Qu Bei.

Qu Bei felt a sense of suspicion. Adding to this, there had been no news from Moqiu City for the past two days. The coincidence seemed too much to ignore.

"Send orders immediately to the armies of Baigu and Wang Xia, commanding them to march on Moqiu. Yu Fuluo, that cunning old fox, is even more detestable than a real fox!"

Realizing something was amiss, Qu Bei slapped the table, unwilling to wait any longer.

Little did he know that Wu Ben was waiting for him to give the order to these two armies. At that moment, Wu Ben was hiding with nearly thirty thousand troops who had been fiercely battling Duo Mu'er's army around Wangshan.

Qu Bei, with a grand gesture, dispatched his two trump cards directly towards Moqiu. However, this left his rear vulnerable. He never imagined that in such an overwhelmingly advantageous position, Wu Ben would dare to lead his troops in a surprise attack on his rear!

The next morning, while Qu Bei was still lying on his felt bed, dreaming, a messenger rushed into his tent.

"My king! My king, something terrible has happened!" The messenger knelt on both knees, reporting loudly.

Qu Bei's eyes shot open at the words "something terrible," instantly wide awake. He sat up, roaring, "What's going on?"

"The Xianbei… the Xianbei! Over thirty thousand Xianbei cavalry are heading towards Yinmazhe! They're about to attack!"

"Thirty thousand!?" Qu Bei felt a chill run down his spine. Thirty thousand was a staggering number. If either Baigu or Wang Xia's armies were present, he wouldn't be so panicked. But now, he had only less than seven thousand troops guarding Yinmazhe!

Before he could process this, another messenger arrived outside the tent. "My king! General Uluoge has led his troops into Moqiu City, but not a single person was there. It seems Yu Fuluo and all the city's people fled towards Yinshan several days ago!"

"Yinshan?" Qu Bei suddenly realized that the so-called refugees fleeing towards Qianjishan were actually disguised troops. It was all a ruse to divert his attention, and the supposed army left in the city were the real civilians!

"What a brilliant trick! Yu Fuluo never intended to fight us to the death. His goal was to exhaust all his efforts to eliminate me!" Qu Bei gritted his teeth. He had fallen into their trap completely. Now, even if he ordered Uluoge and his troops to return for rescue, they would likely find his corpse cold by the time they arrived.

"Send word to Uluoge to pursue Yu Fuluo relentlessly. Chase him to the ends of the earth if necessary!" Qu Bei snarled.

"But those thirty thousand Xianbei cavalry…"

"Stop panicking. It's just thirty thousand. Assemble the troops and form a defensive line. Also, it's time to signal Tadun!" Qu Bei sneered. He still had the Black Banner Army as his trump card. How could three thousand exhausted Xianbei cavalry stand a chance?

Meanwhile, Wu Ben led his army from Wangshan, marching through the night towards Yinmazhe. However, the reports from the scouts along the way shocked him.

"What? He didn't order the troops that entered Moqiu to return?" Wu Ben asked.

"Indeed, he didn't," the scout replied, clasping his fists. "Instead, Qu Bei ordered the Moqiu troops to continue pursuing Yu Fuluo towards Yinshan. Yu Fuluo's forces are moving slowly, so it's only a matter of time before they are caught!"

"Damn it…" Wu Ben cursed, "No matter. If he wants to fight to the death, we'll oblige him! All troops, accelerate the march. If we kill Qu Bei, this battle will be over!"

With Wu Ben's order, the soldiers quickened their pace. They should have reached Yinmazhe by the afternoon, but they arrived before noon instead.

However, Qu Bei was prepared upon receiving the news. The camp was surrounded by chevaux de frise and barricades, and the seven thousand troops had been deployed as per Qu Bei's arrangement.

"General Wu, order the charge!" Balu rumbled as he approached.

Wu Ben gazed at the well-prepared Xiongnu defenders in silence. He knew this battle would be another bloody one, but there was no turning back. Drawing his sword, he shouted the command to charge in Xianbei. His soldiers roared in response and charged forward.

"Madmen…" Qu Bei, now armored and on horseback, watched the bloody scene unfold before him.

The cavalry charged directly at the half-human-tall chevaux de frise. The front horses jumped over, but the ones behind lost their timing, impaled and collapsing in agony. Those who made it past were skewered by the second layer of barricades.

Before engaging directly, Wu Ben's forces suffered heavy losses from the two obstacles. Only by piling up the bodies were the remaining cavalry able to breach the defenses and reach the enemy.

Despite facing death, the warriors showed no fear. Many, even in their dying moments, used their last strength to take down an enemy. This ferocity deeply shook Qu Bei.

Moreover, Qu Bei soon realized that he was the target of this army. Nearly every soldier aimed their weapons at him. Cold sweat dripped from Qu Bei as he watched the Han general in the midst of the chaos. He understood this was a "decapitation strike"!

"Such madmen," Qu Bei muttered, a sinister smile spreading across his face, "It's a pity your opponent is me, Qu Bei…"

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…" Amidst the clamor of battle, a discordant whistling sound rose. While most were confused, a few who recognized it panicked.

"The Black Banner Army! It's the Black Banner Army's signal!" A Xianbei cavalryman barely finished speaking before an arrow shot from a distance killed him instantly. Wu Ben, shocked, saw a black tide surging towards them.

The leader, a bearded man exuding a murderous aura, had clearly aimed the earlier arrow at Wu Ben, who narrowly dodged it. Tadun sneered, drew another arrow, and aimed at Wu Ben.

"Damn, it's the Black Banner Army!" Wu Ben had never faced them directly but had heard of their reputation from Sun Lang. Ironically, their last battle was also at Yinmazhe. Now, it was clear who was at a disadvantage.

Without giving Wu Ben time to react, Tadun released the bowstring, sending an arrow whizzing towards him. Wu Ben's eyes widened, and at the last moment, he turned, avoiding a fatal hit but taking the arrow in his right shoulder, grunting in pain.

Vice General Balu rushed to Wu Ben's side. "General Wu, the Black Banner Army is the Xiongnu elite. We are doomed. You must retreat!"

Wu Ben broke the arrow shaft, realizing the dire situation. With the Black Banner Army's entry, the battlefield had turned into a hellish slaughter. The black-clad, swift cavalry wielded double blades, decapitating foes mercilessly, their savagery and prowess overwhelming Wu Ben's troops.

"Retreat… leave some men to cover the rear, retreat!" Wu Ben commanded reluctantly.

Balu did not respond, saluting heavily before leaving. Wu Ben, injured, could only fight while retreating. Qu Bei laughed maniacally, watching Wu Ben's forces crumble, then spurred his horse and joined the fray.

Soon, Wu Ben's side suffered massive casualties, with only six thousand managing to break out. Wu Ben, looking around anxiously, grabbed a subordinate. "Where's Balu?"

"General… General Balu stayed behind to cover our retreat…" The subordinate choked up.

"What!" Wu Ben wept, "Everyone, follow me to save Balu!"

"General! You must not!" The vice general stepped in, "Our defeat is certain. Returning now means senseless death. General Balu and our brothers risked their lives to buy time. Don't waste their sacrifice!"

Wu Ben, tears streaming, clenched his fists. "Retreat! I, Wu Ben, will avenge this someday!"

Half an hour later, Balu and the remaining rear guard were exhausted. The Xiongnu had surrounded them, and with Tadun by his side, Qu Bei watched the desperate fight.

"I recognize you, Yu Fuluo's bodyguard. You must be… Balu?" Qu Bei scrutinized him.

Balu, wounded and pale, sneered, "That's right."

"Surrender with your men. No more futile struggle. The strong thrive by adapting," Qu Bei said with a mocking smile.

"Hahaha," Balu laughed, "Surrender? You fool, those who can't see the real change are the true idiots. You'll be crushed!"

"Enough!" Furious at Balu's defiance, Qu Bei advanced and beheaded him. "Kill them all! Leave their bodies for the wolves!"

Qu Bei's soldiers obeyed, slaughtering the captured Xianbei soldiers and leaving a field of corpses.

Even after this, Qu Bei felt uneasy and summoned Tadun. "Tadun, take the Black Banner Army and pursue the retreating troops. Yu Fuluo, allied with the Han, is a future threat. Eliminate him!"

Tadun nodded, mounted his horse, and with a whistle, led the Black Banner Army after Wu Ben's fleeing forces.

Qu Bei gazed at the battlefield littered with corpses, including many of his own men, whose heads had been indiscriminately severed by the Black Banner Army. A sense of unease crept into his heart. Reflecting on Tadun's nature, Qu Bei's eye twitched almost imperceptibly.