The white-robed soldiers, after a short rest, regained their spirit, each one more eager to kill than the last.
From afar, the barbarian general Hu Yan Xiuluo watched Nan Ji Yun slaughtering enemies in the rear and felt an overwhelming sense of bitterness.
Ever since his previous defeat due to underestimation, he had longed for another duel with Nan Ji Yun. However, each time his own forces were routed and forced to flee, he could only escape with the army!
What was once the pride of the barbarian cavalry, having conquered and ravaged the land, was now no different from a pack of stray dogs!
"The Great Qian forces clearly do not intend to let us go!"
The Right Virtuous King, galloping his horse, muttered to himself, filled with despair.
The vanguard dared not look back to observe the battle, fearing what they might see.
A crushing defeat, and now being massacred!
It could be foreseen that after this battle, the barbarians would likely have no power left to contend with the Great Qian Kingdom!
"They must be planning to seize Qilian Mountain and Yanzhi Mountain at this opportune moment..." the Left Virtuous King lamented, tears welling up.
The Great Qian cavalry was pursuing too closely, and Qilian Mountain and Yanzhi Mountain had very few defenders. Vast numbers of cattle, sheep, and warhorses were located there...
With the pursuit efficiency of the Great Qian cavalry, they would likely not have time to deal with the livestock, at best only being able to relocate some herders!
The rear guard, relentlessly pursued, might not even have time to change horses, and their survival was uncertain!
"Run faster, faster!"
The Right Virtuous King whipped his mount frantically, the fine horse groaning in pain as it quickened its pace.
Nan Ji Yun and his three companions were leading the charge, aiming to break through the barbarian rear guard and capture the Left and Right Virtuous Kings.
"Stop them!" The barbarian cavalry in the rear, receiving the command, had no choice but to grit their teeth and cover the retreat.
However, these lightly armed barbarian cavalry, facing the heavily armored Great Qian cavalry, were like lambs awaiting slaughter.
In just over an hour, another ten thousand barbarians were cut down!
Liang Xiao, riding his mount Wan Li Yun Yan, arrived from a distance to inquire about the situation.
"The enemy is still fleeing. We haven't managed to capture the Right and Left Virtuous Kings yet!"
Upon hearing this, Liang Xiao immediately drew his Sunset Bow on horseback, urged Wan Li Yun Yan forward, and the refreshed steed galloped rapidly to the front of the white-robed soldiers.
An arrow split the air and pierced through two discarded barbarian cavalrymen!
More arrows followed, striking down barbarian riders, striking fear into the hearts of the barbarians.
"The true Great Qian warrior Liang Xiao has arrived!"
The barbarian cavalry, already in disarray, having experienced Liang Xiao's archery and commanding presence, and facing the volleys of Great Qian archers and crossbowmen, no longer dared to cover the retreat. They turned their horses and fled, their formation becoming increasingly chaotic.
Lü Yi arrived with his troops and, upon learning that the enemy commanders had not been captured, also expressed his regret: "What a shame!"
If either the Left or Right Virtuous King could be captured, coupled with the seizure of Qilian Mountain and its offshoot Yanzhi Mountain, and occupying the Hexi Corridor, this battle to reclaim Helan Mountain would be considered perfect!
The remaining cavalry nearby scratched their heads and chuckled foolishly, "Commander, it seems our river-crossing tools are no longer needed!"
Lü Yi smiled and replied, "That was to ensure absolute certainty!"
The battlefield was located west of the Tian River, and indeed, the river-crossing tools were no longer necessary. The barbarians were so easily defeated that the Great Qian army did not need to retreat...
The Left and Right Virtuous Kings fled under the protection of their personal guards, their unease growing with every step.
"Right Virtuous King! If this continues, we might both be captured! I will lure them away!" the Left Virtuous King said urgently.
The Right Virtuous King pondered for a moment and then said urgently, "Let's split into two groups!"
They acted immediately. The Right Virtuous King led the main force towards Qilian Mountain, while the Left Virtuous King led a contingent of ten thousand troops, carrying his own banner, and turned northwest.
Originally, they had been fleeing in panic from the Great Qian cavalry and planned to change course towards Yanzhi Mountain, but the Great Qian cavalry was too close behind.
Liang Xiao, on horseback, observed from the elevated terrain and saw the Left Virtuous King and another middle-aged man in ornate robes splitting their forces. His expression changed, and he said, "The Left and Right Virtuous Kings have split. Immediately pursue the enemy's main force, and dispatch a detachment to pursue the flanking force!"
With a command, the white-robed soldiers also split into two groups, each taking half the cavalry to pursue the Left Virtuous King and the other half to pursue the Right Virtuous King.
"We cannot let the enemy return safely to Qilian Mountain, or they will have time to deal with the supplies and livestock there!"
Liang Xiao made a decisive move, personally leading the troops to pursue the Right Virtuous King, forced to abandon the pursuit of the Left Virtuous King, who had killed his father.
He had initially estimated that the enemy would flee back to Qilian Mountain to defend, but their defeat was so thorough that they intended to split their forces to clear two locations simultaneously, forcing the Great Qian Kingdom to make a choice!
Compared to Yanzhi Mountain, Qilian Mountain would undoubtedly have far more supplies and livestock, as it was the main mountain range, with vast fertile lands to its north.
"Deputy Commander! The enemy's main force is still pursuing our army!"
The Right Virtuous King, upon receiving the news, was shocked and paled: "They aren't intercepting the Left Virtuous King?!"
Normally, they should intercept the force fleeing towards Yanzhi Mountain first, as it was closer to the desert, and the Great Qian army could not afford to let them escape.
But the current situation was clear: the enemy wanted Qilian Mountain, and they intended to annihilate their army completely, seizing all supplies and livestock!
The distance from Helan Mountain to Qilian Mountain exceeded twelve hundred li!
Lü Yi remained behind to direct the rear forces in clearing the battlefield and assessing casualties.
"Commander! Preliminary estimates show our army has lost a cumulative total of five thousand two hundred men, but we have beheaded over one hundred and eighty thousand enemy soldiers, captured over three million shi of grain, and countless fodder, enough to sustain three hundred thousand warhorses and thirty thousand cattle and sheep for half a year!!"
Upon hearing the casualty figures and the spoils of war, Lü Yi almost suffocated.
A casualty ratio of over one to thirty-five!
Lü Yi scanned the distant Helan Mountain range, and the blood-stained tributary of the Tian River, and let out a long roar to the heavens.
This region, was it not the very place where he and ten thousand soldiers had suffered a crushing defeat years ago??
Today, Helan Mountain was finally reclaimed!!
"Immediately send reports of victory to all parts of the country, and do it quickly!!"
At this moment, the Great Qian soldiers who had occupied Helan Mountain were all overcome with emotion, some weeping with joy, kneeling towards the east to console the fallen heroes.
Victory was achieved in one battle!
But Liang Xiao was still personally leading his troops, with only a few days' rations, pursuing the Right Virtuous King for a thousand li!
The two sides, one pursuing and one fleeing, naturally could not travel day and night without rest. They rested when tired, and continued their journey when refreshed.
The spring breeze gave life to wild grass, and the Great Qian cavalry's warhorses had no need to worry about fodder.
While the soldiers rested, they would skin and roast the barbarian warhorses they had killed along the way, eating them with water drawn from the tributaries.
"Deputy Commander, I truly wish to taste the flesh and blood of barbarians..." a group of white-robed soldiers sighed.
Liang Xiao's expression changed: "Young men, your thoughts are dangerous!"
"Doesn't it say in 'Man Jiang Hong', 'Hungrily we feast on the flesh of barbarians, and laughingly drink the blood of the Xiongnu'?" the surrounding soldiers asked, puzzled.
Liang Xiao curled his lips: "That is a spirit of heroism, not an encouragement for us to eat barbarian flesh and blood when we still have sufficient food. What then is the difference between us and the barbarians?"
Everyone suddenly understood, their faces filled with shame. They quickly promised, "When we return, we will definitely read more books and study more!"
Liang Xiao then nodded with satisfaction, stood up, and looked at the tens of thousands of Great Qian cavalry. He mounted his horse and said, "We are about to reach Qilian Mountain. Continue the pursuit! Even if the Left Virtuous King escapes, we must capture Qilian Mountain and capture the Right Virtuous King. This man has slaughtered countless of our soldiers and civilians, and his sins are equally heinous!"