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

Seeing that Helian Hui had calmed down a bit, the old commander quickly continued his analysis, speaking rapidly: "Our army has two choices right now."

"First, immediately dispatch a contingent of elite troops to intercept the White Horse Cavalry, even if it's just to slow them down, to buy the main force time to encircle and kill Chu Ning!"

"Chu Ning is at his last gasp; perhaps we can take him down in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!"

"Secondly... retreat immediately, leave the battlefield, head north to join General Gongsun Yi, or retreat directly back to the grasslands!"

Helian Hui's face was so gloomy it could drip water; how could he not know the difference between the two options?

But the risks and consequences made him extremely anxious.

Should he divide his forces to intercept them? He glanced around at his troops.

After a night of fierce fighting, the original 20,000 cavalrymen have been reduced to less than 15,000 who are still capable of fighting, and everyone is exhausted, with many horses completely worn out.

Although Ma Chao's Xiliang cavalry was also tied down and worn down, they still numbered no less than four thousand men, and their fighting spirit was tenacious, like a persistent infection.

If we were to divide our forces to intercept the more than 10,000 White Horse cavalrymen who were riding high and recuperating... how many would we need?

If there are too few, they can't be stopped at all; they'll just be sending their lives to their deaths in vain.

If we add too many, we won't have enough strength to directly attack Chu Ning and Ma Chao, and we might end up failing at the last minute!

More importantly, if the troops sent fail to stop them and are instead defeated by the White Horse Cavalry, Zhao Yu can rush over without hindrance and attack them from both sides with Ma Chao and Chu Ning!

At that time, Helian Hui will no longer be the hunter, but the prey that is surrounded!

Ma Chao was already giving him a headache, and now there was Zhao Yu and the valiant White Horse Cavalry.

He has absolutely no chance of winning!

Retreat immediately?

This thought made Helian Hui bite his gums until they bled.

Retreat means giving up the unparalleled feat of killing the Chu emperor, which was within easy reach!

This means that his Scorpion Clan army mobilized a large force to march south, suffered heavy losses, and could only slink back to the grasslands in disgrace, becoming a laughing stock for all the tribes!

This also means that by releasing the tiger back into the mountains today, given Chu Ning's vengeful and ambitious nature, once he recovers, he will surely gather a large army and launch a furious revenge against the Scorpion Clan!

The various tribes on the grasslands were already loosely organized, and after this defeat, they are in danger of disintegrating!

His Khanate, Helian Hui's, will also be on the verge of collapse!

Fighting is extremely risky and could result in a counterattack; retreating would be a humiliating disgrace with endless consequences.

Helian Hui gripped the reins tightly, his knuckles turning white, and veins bulging on his forehead.

His gaze swept over the Chu Ninglong Banner, which was still putting up a last stand not far away, and then looked towards the increasingly bright sky in the southeast, as if he could hear the approaching death thunder of the White Horse Cavalry.

The generals around him held their breath, anxiously awaiting his decision. Every face, blackened by gunpowder smoke, was filled with tension and unease.

Time ticked by, second by second, as Helian Hui struggled with his agonizing dilemma.

As the eastern horizon turned a pale white, gradually expanding and tinged with a faint golden-red hue, dawn... finally arrived.

The sunlight was about to pierce through the clouds, illuminating this chaotic battlefield and leaving Helian Hui and his scorpion army with nowhere to hide.

Is it a desperate gamble, risking the last of our forces for a slim chance of victory? Or is it to endure humiliation and preserve our strength for the future?

Helian Hui let out a low growl like a wounded beast, the immense pressure and the difficult choice almost tearing him apart.

In the distance, the dust and smoke representing Zhao Yu and the White Horse Cavalry were already faintly visible in the morning light.

The last darkness before dawn was completely dispelled, and the light of day, with an irresistible force, bathed Changtingpo, where corpses lay strewn about and the smoke of battle still lingered.

Instead of bringing life, the light revealed the brutality and exhaustion of the night's battle to everyone with crystal clarity.

Helian Hui's expression shifted unpredictably in the gradually brightening morning light, like dark clouds churning before a storm.

To the southeast, the dust cloud representing Zhao Yu's white-horse cavalry was no longer a faint outline under the increasingly bright sky.

Instead, it was like a low, yellow sandstorm spreading along the horizon, and the dull yet awe-inspiring sound of horses' hooves became increasingly clear, like the drumbeats of death gradually approaching.

Time is forcing him to make a final decision in the cruelest way.

Should we divide our forces to intercept them?

Evacuate and save?

The enormous risks and unbearable consequences of these two options collided violently in his mind, almost tearing his sanity apart.

He could see the growing anxiety in the eyes of the generals around him, and he could feel the exhaustion of his men after a long battle and their instinctive unease in the face of new threats.

However, when his gaze fell once again on the Chu dragon flag that stood stubbornly not far away, which, despite being tattered, had never fallen.

When he saw the figure under his command, whose silver armor was covered in blood yet whose posture remained upright, standing like a reef amidst the heavy encirclement.

A burning flame, a mixture of extreme resentment, a greedy desire for great military achievements, and a deeper fear, suddenly devoured all hesitation!

"No! We must not retreat!"

Helian Hui let out a low growl from deep in his throat, like a wounded lone wolf.

The consequences of retreating are terrible—a great disgrace, a loss of prestige, alienation of the tribe, and the inevitable, thunderous retaliation from Chu Ning in the future!

The survival rules of the grasslands are cruel and direct. If Chu Ning's head cannot be taken today, Helian Hui and the entire Scorpion Clan may never have peace again in the future, and may even be swallowed up by other tribes!

On the contrary, if... if we could kill Chu Ning here before the White Horse Cavalry arrive, even if it's just a moment earlier!

Then, everything will be different!

He will be the greatest contributor to beheading the emperor of Chu and ending this powerful southern enemy!

At that time, with this unparalleled achievement, his prestige on the grasslands will reach its peak, all internal opposition will be suppressed, and he may even be able to use this opportunity to integrate more tribes!

As for the White Horse Cavalry...

With Chu Ning dead, the morale of the Chu army will inevitably collapse. No matter how brave Ma Chao and Zhao Yu are, without a leader, how much trouble can they stir up?

We might even be able to take advantage of the chaos to strike again against their army!

The risks were enormous, but compared to that, the immense achievement was enough to make him and the Scorpion Clan the overlords of the grasslands!

I'm taking the gamble!

We have to take this last gamble!

They bet everything on Chu Ning dying before them!

"By the Eternal Heaven!"

Helian Hui suddenly raised his head, all the confusion, hesitation, and anger in his eyes replaced by an almost manic determination.

His facial muscles contorted as he faced the direction from which the white horse cavalry had come from, as if roaring at the unseen forces of fate:

"Today, either Chu Ning dies, or I, Helian Hui, perish! There is no third way!"

He abruptly turned to the old commander of ten thousand men beside him and several trusted generals, his voice hoarse but carrying an undeniable, iron-fisted command:

"Pass down the order! Stop all hesitation, gather all those who can still fight, regardless of tribe or batch."

"Concentrate all forces and attack Chu Ning at all costs! There is only one objective—to cut down that dragon banner and take Chu Ning's head!"