Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

The cold wind howled, blowing up the snow on the ground and forming white whirlwinds across the wasteland.

The Han soldiers were panting heavily, and white mist was coming out of the mouths and noses of their horses. After a whole day of pursuit, everyone was exhausted.

Huo Quji reined in his horse and looked around, only to realize that his troops had been dispersed in the pursuit and there were only less than 8,000 soldiers left with him.

"Duke Protector of the Country!"

Zhou Bo rode forward, his brow furrowed. "Our army has penetrated over a hundred miles into Zhou territory. If we continue to pursue them, we may encounter disaster."

Huo Quji narrowed his eyes and looked at the remnants of the Zhou army fleeing in the distance, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

Just as he was about to order the troops to withdraw, he suddenly heard the sound of hurried horse hooves in the distance.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Xue Huaide leading thousands of cavalrymen returning, raising rolling waves of snow on the snowfield.

"Hahahaha!"

Huo Quji laughed heartily, drew his sword, and pointed it forward: "Xue Huaide, you're walking into a trap! All troops, form your battle array, and prepare to meet the enemy!"

The Han army quickly formed a battle formation, with archers in the front, spearmen in the middle, and cavalry on both wings.

However, as the Zhou army approached, the Han soldiers discovered something unusual - these Zhou soldiers, who should have been fleeing in a panic, were now whistling loudly, and the rhythm of their horses galloping was uniform, which did not look like a defeated army at all.

"Something's wrong!" Zhou Bo muttered softly, his right hand unconsciously tightening the hilt of the knife.

Xue Huaide stopped his horse at a distance of one arrow from the Han army and rode forward alone.

Huo Quji sneered and rode out alone to meet them.

"Why?" Huo Quji asked sarcastically, "You knew you couldn't escape, so you came back to die?"

Xue Huaide's lips curled up into a strange smile: "Huo Quji, do you really think you are chasing me today?"

He suddenly turned around and bowed to the main camp: "Your Majesty, your old friend is right before your eyes!"

In an instant, a passage opened up in the Zhou army's formation.

A pure white warhorse stepped out on the snow. The man on the horse was dressed in white. His face was as handsome as a banished immortal, but he had a chilling murderous aura.

"Chu...Chun Ning!"

Huo Quji's pupils suddenly shrank, and the hand holding the sword trembled unconsciously: "Haven't you already..."

"Back to Chu?"

Chu Ning chuckled softly, his voice as cold as an icy spring: "If I don't spread this news, how can I lure a big fish like you into taking the bait?"

He slowly raised his right hand: "Huo Quji, do you know what is buried under this snowy plain?"

Huo Quji suddenly realized what was happening and shouted, "Retreat! There's an ambush!"

But it was too late.

Chu Ning waved his right hand, and the snow around him suddenly exploded. Thousands of soldiers jumped out of the snow pits that had been dug in advance.

What was even more terrifying was that densely packed flags appeared on the distant horizon—tens of thousands of Zhou troops were encircling them from three sides!

"Kill!" Chu Ning gave an order and the army rushed in like a tide.

Huo Quji's eyes were red, and he knew that he was in a desperate situation.

He raised his bloodstained sword high and roared at the top of his lungs, "My men! Today we must fight to the death! Follow me and carve a bloody path!"

Eight thousand Han soldiers formed a circle with their backs to their backs and fought desperately in the hail of arrows.

Amidst the flashing of swords and the shadow of sabers, people kept falling down, and their blood dyed the snow a glaring red.

Huo Quji personally led the charge and killed more than ten enemy generals in a row, but the allied forces were too numerous and the Han army's formation was being eroded bit by bit.

"Duke Protector of the Country!"

Zhou Bo rushed to Huo Quji's side, covered in blood. "The enemy forces to the east are weaker. I am willing to lead my soldiers to clear the way!"

Huo Quji looked at the veteran's determined eyes and nodded heavily.

Zhou Bo immediately summoned three hundred elite soldiers, formed a cone formation and broke out to the east.

This desperate charge actually tore a hole in the Allied encirclement.

"Go!" Zhou Bo turned around and shouted, and was then pierced by several spears at the same time.

Huo Quji tearfully led the remaining troops out of the encirclement. Behind him came Chu Ning's cold command: "Chase! Don't leave any alive!"

The setting sun was as blood-red, shining on the fleeing Han army on the snowy plain.

Huo Quji looked back and saw Zhou Bo's body being lifted high, and Chu Ning's white clothes fluttering in the wind, like the death of the god who is taking his life.

The moment Zhou Bo's body was lifted high, Huo Quji felt a surge of hot blood rushing to his forehead.

He suddenly reined in his horse, and the horse stood up and let out a mournful cry.

"Duke Protector of the Country! Hurry up!" The personal guards grabbed his reins tightly.

Huo Quji's eyes were red as he stared at Chu Ning's figure in the distance, and the knuckles of his fingers gripping the hilt of the sword turned white.

"General! The chance of survival that General Zhou paid for with his life must not be wasted!" the deputy general shouted at the top of his lungs.

A stray arrow grazed his cheek, leaving a trail of blood.

Huo Quji finally gritted his teeth and turned his horse around: "Go!"

The remaining 5,000 Han soldiers fought desperately to break out eastward, leaving streaks of blood on the snow as the fallen soldiers used their last bit of strength to cover their comrades.

Chu Ning looked at the fleeing Han army with cold eyes and raised his hand gently: "Release."

Arrows rained down from the sky again, and hundreds of Han soldiers fell, but Huo Quji had already led the main force out of the encirclement.

"Your Majesty, do you want to chase him?" Xue Huaide rode his horse to Chu Ning's side.

Chu Ning looked at the remnants of the Han army moving further and further away in the distance, a cold smile curled up at the corner of his mouth: "No hurry, pass the order down, let the ambush troops at Luofengpo be prepared."

The sky gradually darkened and the wind and snow became stronger.

Huo Quji led the remaining troops forward with difficulty, and a layer of frost formed on the armor of each soldier.

"Lord Protector of the Country, Luofengpo is ahead. We will be safe after passing it!" the scout reported.

Huo Quji suddenly raised his hand to signal the entire army to stop.

He squinted his eyes and looked at the narrow valley in front of him. The steep cliffs on both sides were covered with thick snow.

"Something's wrong!" Huo Quji muttered, "Pass the order down, all troops on alert, and take the northern path instead."

As soon as the words fell, the deafening sound of war drums suddenly rang out from both sides of the valley.

Several torches were lit up instantly, illuminating the night sky like daylight.

"Huo Quji! I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Chu Ning's voice came from above. He was standing on the clifftop, his white clothes particularly eye-catching in the firelight.

"Release the Rolling Stones!"

With a command, huge rocks rolled down from the cliffs on both sides.

Blood and flesh flew everywhere in the Han army's formation, and screams were heard everywhere.

"Break through! Break through quickly!" Huo Quji shouted at the top of his lungs.

The Han army soldiers charged forward desperately, but the valley entrance had already been blocked by heavy Chu troops.

"Kill!" Wang Kuang led his personal guards to rush towards the valley entrance. Wherever the spear passed, the Chu army fell to the ground.

Just as they were about to break through the blockade, an arrow suddenly hit Wang Meng in the back.

"General!" the guards exclaimed.

Wang Kuang staggered a few steps, propped up his body with his spear, and looked back at Huo Quji: "Duke Protector of the Country... General, I will go first!"

After saying that, he fell to the ground with a bang.

Huo Quji was furious and led the charge personally.

The long sword in his hand turned into a silver light, and the Chu soldiers and horses fell to the ground wherever it passed.

At this critical moment, deafening shouts of killing suddenly came from the north.

"Don't worry, Lord Protector of the Country! The future is coming!"

Suddenly, a group of Han cavalry rushed into the battlefield like a divine army descending from the sky, and their leader was none other than General Li Feng who had been lost before!

"Li Feng!" Huo Quji was overjoyed: "Why are you here?"

"I received a tip from the scouts and have come to assist!" Li Feng shouted, "Go, Lord Protector! Leave this to me!"

Seeing this, Chu Ning's expression changed slightly: "Stop them!"

But it was too late, Li Feng's cavalry had already torn open a gap.

Huo Quji led the remaining troops out of the encirclement, and behind him came Li Feng's desperate cry: "Long live the Han Dynasty!"

In the wind and snow, the remaining troops continued to flee eastward.

Huo Quji looked back and saw flames rising into the sky from Luofeng Slope and the shouts of killing gradually fading away.

His battle robe had long been soaked in blood, and he couldn't tell whether it was the enemy's or his own.

"Duke Protector of the Country, the border is ahead!" The personal guard shouted, pointing to the boundary marker vaguely visible in the distance.

Huo Quji, however, did not feel the slightest bit of joy.

In this battle, he lost most of his elite troops, and generals such as Zhou Bo, Wang Kuang, and Li Feng were all killed.

And all this stemmed from his underestimation of the enemy and his reckless advance.

"Chun Ning!"

He clenched his fists, digging his nails deep into his palms: "I will not be a human being if I don't avenge this!"

The setting sun was as blood-red, shining on this miserable defeated army.

In the distance, Chu Ning's figure in white was looming, as if silently declaring: This war is far from over!