The Young Swordsman of Dalu

As night deepened, Li Linlie saw Jiang Han and two thousand warriors off at the border army camp.

"Brothers! You are all fine men of the Great Lu Kingdom! Raise this bowl of wine, I, Li Linlie, am here awaiting good news! Drink it!" Li Linlie drank it all in one gulp.

The two thousand soldiers also finished their bowls of wine, and then smashed the bowls on the ground with a loud crash.

"Brothers, let's go!" Jiang Han gave the order, and two thousand soldiers marched in a mighty procession toward the Western Regions military camp.

Li Linlie was stationed in the army, watching Jiang Han lead his troops away. He was also very nervous, after all, he hadn't fought a war for many years. Since he started leading troops, he had been stationed on the northwestern border for eighteen years. His father, Li Chaoyang, had made him start as an ordinary soldier and work his way up to become the general with outstanding military achievements. The hardships he had endured were unimaginable. His reputation in the northwest was earned by his own efforts. The ministers in the court and the people of the country all called him the Tiger of the Northwest.

Li Linlie was well aware of the gravity of this battle. If the northwestern border fell into his hands, not only would the Great Lu Kingdom be in grave danger, but dozens of members of the Li family would also be unable to escape with their lives, and the common people would suffer the enslavement of foreign tribes.

Li Linlie moved the command post forward another five miles so that he could better observe the situation ahead.

Jiang Han led two thousand men on a rapid march, arriving at the outer perimeter of the Western Regions army in less than an hour.

Jiang Han assigned the tasks and instructed everyone not to linger in battle, to know when to stop, and to immediately withdraw to the main camp upon receiving the signal.

At this time, the Western Regions army had already fallen asleep, with only a few patrolling soldiers walking around the camp.

At Jiang Han's command, two thousand soldiers first launched rockets at the Western Regions army camp. Taking advantage of the chaos in the Western Regions army, they rode their horses to the camp and launched a fierce attack, causing the Western Regions army to flee in panic. When they were able to organize an effective attack, Jiang Han immediately gave the signal to withdraw. Upon seeing the signal, the soldiers of the Great Lu Kingdom immediately withdrew and returned to their camp.

Enraged, Bakru led a group of men to chase after Jiang Han and his men, who had already retreated to the border camp.

When Bakru caught up and prepared to attack, Li Linlie was already waiting there with 200,000 border troops. Bakru shouted, "Li Linlie! If you have the guts, let's have a one-on-one fight!"

"Now? Come on!" Li Linlie rode forward on his horse.

"General! A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle! Besides, the situation is not good for us, so let's retreat first!" Bale said.

"Li Linlie, you wait!" Bakru turned his horse around and led his men back to the Western Regions military camp.

"Generals! The Western Regions army will surely retaliate against us after dawn. Go back and get some rest! A tough battle awaits us!" Li Linlie said.

"Jiang Han! Take a headcount and see how many men you've lost!" Li Linlie said.

A short while later, Jiang Han reported the number of casualties.

"General! We have more than twenty wounded and forty-five dead!" Jiang Han said.

"Send the wounded soldiers back to camp, and remember the names of the dead brothers. We'll send subsidies to their families on time!" Li Linlie said.

"Understood, General!" Jiang Han replied.

“The Western Regions army will retaliate against us after dawn. We will fight according to the strategy we discussed during the day. You all go and rest!” Li Linlie said.

"As ordered!"

"Jiang Han! You stay!" Li Linlie said.

"Is there anything else, General?" Jiang Han asked.

"After dawn, lead ten thousand men to set up an ambush on the road to Ningcheng," Li Linlie said.

“The general is afraid…” Jiang Han said.

"Just in case! It's always good to be prepared!" Li Linlie said.

"General! I'm off!" Jiang Han said.

“Go!” Li Linlie said.

Li Linlie was alone in the tent, looking at the sand table and thinking, while the sky outside was already beginning to brighten.

Yuan Hui led his 200,000 reinforcements from the central government to the border army camp, where Li Linlie came out of his tent to greet him.

"Isn't the commander-in-chief supposed to be overseeing things from the rear? Why is he here?" Li Linlie said.

“I always feel uneasy when I’m behind! As the commander-in-chief, I must fight alongside General Li! Although I can’t charge into battle, I can still offer encouragement to the soldiers!” Yuan Hui said.

"Good! Commander, you will be here to oversee things. When the fighting starts, we will all feel much more at ease with you here!" Li Linlie said.

"The sneak attack last night was successful!" Yuan Hui whispered in Li Linlie's ear.

“Quite a success!” Li Linlie said.

"Great! This is a good omen!" Yuan Hui said happily.

"General! Where is Imperial Censor Cao?" Li Linlie asked.

"Imperial Censor Cao is preparing provisions for us in the rear! General Li, you can rest assured!" Yuan Hui said.

"I'm relieved to hear that you say so, Commander! We'll go all out to kill the enemy!" Li Linlie said.

“That Lu will definitely retaliate against us for last night’s sneak attack!” Yuan Hui said.

"Rest assured, Commander! I have already made the arrangements! Now we are ready to set off immediately!" Li Linlie said.

"I'll be waiting here for your good news," Yuan Hui said.

"All soldiers, listen to my command! Set out!" Li Linlie said authoritatively.

Nabru Khan led his Western Regions army forward in formation when a scout reported from ahead.

"Khan! The army of the Great Lu Kingdom is moving towards us!"

"How far are we from there?" Nabru Khan asked.

"Less than ten miles away!"

"Pass down the word: the army is to advance rapidly! Today, our Western Regions army will fight a decisive battle with the army of the Great Lu Kingdom!" said Nabru Khan.

"Let's fight to the death!" shouted the Western Regions army.

"We need this powerful momentum to overwhelm the enemy!" said Nabru Khan.

Wenfei followed not far from Nabulu Khan, his heart filled with agonizing torment, feeling as if time had stood still. At that moment, he longed to be a member of the Great Lu army, to mount his horse and bravely fight the enemy.

"Wenfei! Come to my side!" said Naburu Khan.

Wenfei rode up to Nabru Khan and asked, "What brings you here, Nabru Khan?"

"Your time to shine and make a name for yourself is coming soon, so do your best!" said Nabru Khan.

"Yes, sir! Wenfei vows to avenge his mother!" Wenfei said.

"That's got guts! Wenfei, look who this is!" Nabulu said.

A young man dressed in a black robe rode on a horse, his face and head covered by black cloth, only his eyes were visible.

Wen Fei glanced at him, and seeing that his eyes seemed somewhat familiar, said, "Who is this gentleman? I do not know him, please forgive me, Khan!"

“Show him your true face!” said Nabru Khan.

The man in black tore off the black cloth covering his face and head, looked at Wen Fei, and said, "We've only been apart for a few days, and you can't even recognize me!"

"I didn't expect to see you here," Wen Fei asked in astonishment.

The man in black snorted and said, "I hope you keep your word."

Wenfei grunted in response and refused to speak to him any further.