Chapter 52: First Battle Victory

  That group of Xiongnu soldiers were having a great time eating on the riverbank, shouting and yelling, completely unaware that disaster had already befallen them.

  Liu Ze had led his troops to the edge of the poplar forest, and in a low voice ordered everyone to stop their footsteps, draw their bows and set up arrows. With one order, the arrows flew like locusts, shooting towards the Xiongnu soldiers in unison.

  The Huns, caught off guard, had already fallen by a third under the hail of arrows. The remaining Huns, as if awakened from a dream, shouted loudly and realized they were being ambushed. These battle-hardened Huns did not show any signs of panic in this situation, all of them lying flat on the ground with their heads towards the poplar forest, closely watching for movements from that direction.

  In this way, the arrow rain in the second row was very difficult to hurt them again. The Xiongnu soldiers crawled on the ground, with no power to fight back, looking clumsy, but Liu Ze really admired the quick reaction ability of these Xiongnu soldiers.

  In the face of an unclear enemy situation, when confronted with a sudden attack by the opponent's bow and crossbow, there are only three ways to respond. One is to counterattack head-on, charging towards the poplar forest; the second is to turn around and flee, escaping the enemy's range or fleeing to the warhorse side. Both of these methods have a fatal flaw: the distance between the two sides is too far, and it is inevitable that they will suffer from the enemy's second and third waves of arrow fire. In the absence of strong defensive capabilities on one's own side, there is a high likelihood of suffering a catastrophic defeat. The third method is to remain stationary, using the ups and downs of the terrain as cover, hiding in place to observe the development of the situation. Although it appears passive, this approach can effectively avoid the enemy's arrow attacks, employing an unchanging response to changing circumstances - truly a clever tactic.

  Liu Ze did not expect the Huns to react so quickly, thinking that a shower of arrows would be enough to confuse them, and as long as they scattered and fled, he could take advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack, with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei attacking from both sides, with an absolute advantage of three to one, winning this battle was simply effortless.

  But now the Xiongnu are lurking in place, making it difficult for us to move left or right. Arrows can't reach them, and if we force a charge, we'll inevitably fall into close combat. With our numbers not completely superior, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with these battle-hardened Xiongnu soldiers would be unavoidable, even if we could win by luck. So Liu Ze decided to hold back for the time being, using a small number of arrows to suppress them, and wait quietly for Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's two teams to surround from the south and north before launching a charge.

  Both sides were at a stalemate for a while, when suddenly a small soldier with sharp eyes shouted: "My lord, they're going to escape!"

  Liu Ze looked over and saw that the group of Xiongnu soldiers were indeed crawling towards the horse-tying area under the leadership of a headman. Liu Ze secretly thought it was not good, he knew that the Xiongnu's strength lay in their horses, once they mounted their horses, their impact would be several times greater. Their bows and arrows were also on the horses, and the Xiongnu people's horseback archery skills could not be underestimated. So he made a swift decision, shouting loudly: "Charge!"

  "Kill!" The soldiers under his command were greatly inspired, shouting loudly, drawing their bows and holding their knives, jumping out of the poplar forest and charging towards the Xiongnu army. Those Xiongnu soldiers saw the enemy rushing over and didn't dare to climb again, first running with a bent waist, then seeing that the other side was about to rush over, they started to run wildly. The soldiers under Liu Ze's command were all elite warriors selected from the archer cavalry, their horseback riding and shooting abilities were extraordinary, although they were running quickly, but the bows and arrows in their hands did not lose their accuracy, under the chaotic arrows, more than a dozen Xiongnu soldiers lost their lives again.

  But most of the Xiongnu soldiers were agile and managed to grab the reins of their horses. Once on horseback, the Xiongnu soldiers were like dragons entering the ocean, like fish in water, under the command of their leader, they kicked up a cloud of dust and fled towards the valley entrance.

  Liu Ze was unable to catch up, and he had a few regrets in his heart. If he had known that the Xiongnu soldiers would flee on horseback, it would have been better to attack quickly without hesitation earlier. Although they would have to go through a bitter battle, the Xiongnu soldiers would not have had the opportunity to mount their horses. He ordered the pursuit while secretly hoping that Zhang Fei could intercept these fleeing Xiongnu soldiers.

  On the side of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei had already assembled his troops and was about to march into the valley when he saw a cavalry unit rushing towards the entrance with a whirlwind-like momentum. He held up his spear to block the way and shouted: "Old Master Zhang is here, why don't you dismount and surrender?"

  The Xiongnu leader saw that there were over a hundred infantrymen blocking the way at the valley entrance, led by a general with a majestic physique, wearing black robes and armor, with a dark face, like half of a black tower standing in the way. In his heart, he was coldly laughing, thinking that you are just a mere hundred people, how can you stop my Xiongnu iron cavalry that has been dominating the world? The war horses had already charged forward, their momentum unstoppable, and what lay before them was nothing but a pile of flesh and mud. He waved his hand, and the few riders at the front added several whips to their horses, which galloped forward, charging straight towards Zhang Fei.

  Zhang Fei let out a cold laugh and stepped forward, the fastest horse's front hooves almost trampling him. Just as he was about to be crushed, Zhang Fei shouted loudly and swung his 8-foot-long spear, directly piercing the horse's neck and also impaling the rider. He then spun around with his arm, lifting the spearhead with the man and horse on it, swinging left and right, knocking down two riders who were charging from either side. The several riders behind them were caught off guard and crashed into each other, causing men and horses to tumble over.

  The Huns cavalry that followed could only rein in their horses, and the momentum of the cavalry charge was gone. The soldiers behind Zhang Fei had already unsheathed their swords and charged forward, engaging in a fierce battle with the Huns cavalry.

  They surrounded and launched a war of annihilation. However, the tenacity and ferocity of the Xiongnu soldiers far exceeded Liu Ze's expectations. In a situation where they were vastly outnumbered and had no chance of breaking through, not a single Xiongnu soldier was willing to lay down their arms, all swearing to fight to the death.

  Zhang Fei's killing intent surged, he led the charge, wielding his 18-foot snake spear, stabbing and thrusting in a flurry of motion. None of the Xiongnu soldiers who stood before him could escape with their lives. Meanwhile, Guan Yu was not to be outdone, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade flashing like a sheet of light, cutting down enemy soldiers like chopping vegetables, leaving behind a trail of corpses and rivers of blood.

  Liu Ze's first battle in his life ended in the twilight. Due to the fierce resistance of the Xiongnu soldiers, the battle was particularly intense, and more than a dozen soldiers were injured, fortunately they all wore armor and did not hurt their vital parts. Except for three captured Xiongnu people with injuries, the rest of the 120 or so people were either beheaded or shot to death.

  Zhang Fei was covered in blood, shouting non-stop as he arrived in front of Liu Ze, excitedly dancing with joy, saying: "Haha, big brother, this is truly exhilarating!"

  Liu Ze nodded slightly and said: "Third brother, today's battle, you are the first to achieve merit."

  Jia Xu, who had been watching from behind the mountain, also arrived on the battlefield and witnessed with his own eyes the process of Liu Ze annihilating the Xiongnu enemy. He was already secretly shocked and did not expect that Liu Ze's troops would have such combat power, almost annihilating a Xiongnu cavalry with zero casualties, which was an unprecedented achievement since the beginning of the Han Dynasty, even in the era of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, where thousands of enemies were killed but at the cost of hundreds of losses. He nodded slightly and said: "Third Master is born with divine power, brave and extraordinary, rarely seen in this world."

  Zhang Fei burst out laughing and said: "This bloody place is not worth Mr. Jia's visit, lest it soil your long gown."

  "It doesn't matter. Seeing Liu Zhuangui and the two masters' magnificent feat, I have long been enchanted."

  Liu Ze turned around and ordered Pan Feng to sweep the battlefield, collect war horses and supplies, and ordered Wu Ankou to lead people to dig several large pits, burying the dead Xiongnu soldiers on the spot.

  Zhang Fei widened his eyes and said, "Big brother, these vicious thugs, just let them die, why bother to bury them? Wouldn't it be better to let the wolves and dogs gnaw on them?"

  Liu Ze said solemnly, "These Xiongnu people, although they are of a different ethnicity and have a deep blood feud with us Han people, are all brave warriors who fight to the death without surrender. Just for this reason alone, I, Liu Ze, must respect them. How can I bear to see their bodies left exposed in the wilderness? That they are my enemies is their misfortune, but also their honor."

  Jia Xian gazed silently at Liu Ze's resolute and calm face, a face that was filled with confidence and grandeur.

  Liu Ze immediately ordered the soldiers to bring the captives forward. Among the three captives, one was the centurion of this troop, and the other two were ordinary soldiers. The centurion looked arrogant and unyielding, muttering to himself incessantly, but no one could understand what he was saying.

  Liu Ze turned his head to look at Jia Xun, and Jia Xun immediately translated: "He says that you rely on your numerical superiority, launch surprise attacks, and plot in secret, which is not the behavior of heroes. Even if he dies, he will not submit."

  Liu Ze sneered, "On the battlefield, there is only victory and defeat. Not understanding tactics can only lead to self-destruction. Having lost a battle, what heroism are you talking about? How ridiculous!" Liu Ze asked Jia Xiang, "Ask them why they are here, who sent them, what task they are carrying out, and where their destination is?"

  That hundred husbands snorted with their noses, ignoring Liu Ze's questions. Zhang Fei was furious and gave him two big slaps, beating him until his mouth was bleeding, but his arrogance did not decrease, and he said: "Even if the eagle on the grassland breaks its wings, it will never hear its mournful cry."

  Zhang Fei was furious and was about to slap him a few more times, but Liu Ze stopped him. Pan Feng stepped forward and said: "Master, hand him over to me, I'm sure he won't dare not speak." The special training course for special agents includes interrogation and torture, and even the toughest person can't withstand the 72 kinds of cruel torture.

  Liu Ze didn't make a sound, turned around and pulled out a willow-leaf knife from the scabbard of a soldier beside him. With two swift cuts, he severed the arm of a Xiongnu soldier at the shoulder, causing the soldier to let out a blood-curdling scream before fainting dead away. Amidst the stunned onlookers, Liu Ze struck again with another two cuts, severing the legs of another soldier at the knees. This time, the soldier didn't pass out, but instead let out anguished wails that pierced through his very soul.

  The willow leaf knife was sharp to the extreme, even the hundred officials were stunned. Liu Ze ordered his subordinates nonchalantly: "Dig two pits and bury these two people in the pits, only exposing their heads, and water them with fertilizer, who knows, maybe next year they can grow arms and legs."

  Liu Ze swiftly sliced off one of the centurion's ears with a whooshing sound, ignoring his pig-like wails. He placed the shiny willow leaves in front of him and said to Jia Xiang, "Tell him that if he doesn't cooperate, those two will be examples. If you can grow arms and legs by next year, you can walk back to the Xiongnu yourself."

  The hundred officials were frightened and honestly confessed.