Even in death, Zhaixingzi never managed to fathom what had just occurred.
Until the light completely faded from his eyes, there was no anger, malice, or lingering resentment in his gaze—only bewilderment, doubt, and complete incomprehension.
"Look, isn't this nice? Dying without resentment means you can be reincarnated smoothly." Wang Yu gently reached out and closed Zhaixingzi's eyes. "Shouldn't it be your turn to thank me this time?"
Beside him, Gulanrena stood entirely stunned. "You countered his Star-Plucking Hand with the Star-Plucking Hand?"
Zhaixingzi had made his name across the jianghu with that very technique, heralded as someone who could "pluck stars with a single hand and press down the sun and moon." Just moments ago, she had clashed with him herself; his movements had been intricate and profound, dragging her along with such centrifugal force that she had barely managed to resist.
Yet Wang Yu also knew the Star-Plucking Hand—and left hand to left hand, the two of them had traded seven or eight blows in the span of a single breath. Then Wang Yu had seized Zhaixingzi's wrist and driven his sword straight through the man's heart.
Wang Yu explained once more, "I confiscated the secret manual of the Star-Plucking Hand from his disciple."
Though Zhaixingzi had laid traps within that manual, who could have anticipated that Wang Yu possessed the mysterious turtle shell? Zhaixingzi hadn't expected him to spot the flaws and turn the tables to kill him—so what did that have to do with Wang Yu?
Gulanrena gave Wang Yu an inscrutable look and remained silent.
Naturally, she knew nothing of such details. But even if the manual were genuine, could someone truly surpass the master who had practiced it for decades?
Yet when she considered Wang Yu's age and current martial prowess, she came to understand. One could never measure geniuses by ordinary standards; rumor had it that in the Central Plains, there were even people who had attained the Grandmaster realm before thirty.
As for herself, she would likely remain in the Xiantian realm for the rest of her days. At best, her internal energy would grow deeper over time, but her martial cultivation had already reached its ceiling, making further breakthroughs nearly impossible.
At that thought, a wave of melancholy washed over Gulanrena. "Let's head down the mountain."
Wang Yu nodded and reached down to lift Zhaixingzi's corpse. "I promised Zhuixingzi I'd send his senior brother down to accompany him. The two of them lived together for decades; even in death, they should remain neat and together."
Gulanrena was speechless.
The two made their way down the mountain together. Just as they emerged from the foothills, they spotted another company descending from a small knoll not far to the south, riding toward them.
"Not White Qiang, and not the Zhenxi Army," Wang Yu stated immediately.
Gulanrena had sharp eyes and recognized their attire. "They're Xiongnu!"
A moment later, the two parties drew closer. The young man leading the riders spotted the lifeless body of Zhaixingzi in Wang Yu's hand.
Wang Yu's gaze met the young man's.
"Zhao Yu?" the youth asked.
Wang Yu countered, "Huyan Chi?"
The young man gave a slight nod. "My name is Yuwen Haojie."
Wang Yu nodded as well. "Do you wish to keep me here, or keep this corpse?"
The cavalrymen behind Yuwen Haojie stirred restlessly, but Yuwen Haojie merely shook his head. "I only wanted to see you." Glancing at a troop of riders galloping toward them from the southern distance, Yuwen Haojie turned back to Wang Yu. "We will meet again."
Wang Yu smiled. "Until next time, then?"
Yuwen Haojie smiled back, wheeled his horse around, and led his company of nearly a hundred Xiongnu cavalry away.
The riders rushing up were composed evenly of Zhenxi Army soldiers and White Qiang cavalry. In addition to Ardai, Yang Weiming and Feng Rigan rode alongside them.
Seeing the Xiongnu cavalry gallop off with fresh mounts, and knowing their own horses were mostly exhausted after the intense battle, they chose not to pursue and instead reined in beside Wang Yu.
"Brother Zhao!"
Ardai leaped from her horse and threw herself straight into Wang Yu's arms, knocking Zhaixingzi's corpse clean out of his hand.
Everyone looked on with amused smiles.
Catching sight of Zhaixingzi's corpse, Yang Weiming nodded at Gulanrena, full of admiration.
Wang Yu supported Ardai as she looked him up and down with great concern. "Brother Zhao, are you hurt?"
"Not at all," Wang Yu said with a chuckle. "He was merely a crippled old man. Taking him down was as easy as turning over my palm."
Beside them, Feng Rigan rubbed his nose in silence.
Against an identical crippled old man, he and his senior brother had been forced to join hands just to achieve a kill.
Wang Yu asked, "How did the main battlefield fare?"
Ardai replied, "Shi Mo, Qubi Amu, and Zhuixingzi have all been slain! The Black Qiang army surrendered, and when Yuan Dingle and Yuan Nahe tried to flee with their personal guards, my older brother captured them!"
Wang Yu understood at once. "A complete victory?"
Ardai nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling with adoration. "A complete victory!"
"Did any of our people get hurt?" Wang Yu asked further.
Ardai looked toward Yang Weiming. "One person did."
Yang Weiming spoke up. "We wanted to give Xin Yilong some experience, so none of us stepped in to help. He killed Qubi Amu single-handedly, but took some wounds in the process. They're only superficial injuries, though; he'll be fine after resting for a few days."
"As long as it isn't serious, that's a relief." Hearing this, Wang Yu felt reassured. With no top experts slipping through the net, he could sleep soundly from now on. He bowed slightly toward Yang Weiming. "My thanks to Senior Yang and Senior Feng for coming to our aid."
Yang Weiming smiled. "When our martial uncle traveled to the Central Plains, he happened upon Steward Zhao. Learning of this battle, he returned to the mountain to fetch us. We are only glad we could be of some help."
"You were of immense help," Wang Yu said with a grin. "Without your assistance, the Zhenxi Army would have suffered heavy casualties, and we might not have succeeded in keeping all of them from escaping."
Feng Rigan gazed in the direction of the departing Xiongnu company. "Were those the Xiongnu envoys sent to the Black Qiang? They proved quite shrewd, never once setting foot on the battlefield."
Wang Yu said, "The man leading them is named Yuwen Haojie. He should be Huyan Chi's disciple."
Because Qiao Riyan, the envoy sent to the White Qiang, was the foremost disciple of Qiulin Ji, Yan Xiangxue had guessed that the envoy to the Black Qiang was likely someone under Huyan Chi. Wang Yu had tested the waters earlier, and Yuwen Haojie had not denied it.
Yang Weiming shook his head. "We only know of Huyan Chi and Qiulin Ji. Their disciples have never entered the Central Plains, so we have no information on them."
The party mounted their horses and returned to the main battlefield.
By now, all resistance across the plain had ceased. With Yuan Dingle captured, the Black Qiang cavalrymen had dismounted and surrendered en masse. The Zhenxi Army and the White Qiang cavalry were busy clearing the battlefield, while Feng Jing and Asuli listened to reports from their respective subordinates.
When Wang Yu entered the central command tent, he found Generals Feng Jing, Zhao Jingjun, and Peng Hu all present, along with Zhao Rong, Yan Xiangxue, and the members of the Tianshan Sect.
Upon seeing Wang Yu walk in, everyone stood up to receive him.
The entire campaign plan had been conceived by Wang Yu and Li Yunxiu. Furthermore, Wang Yu had previously built good relations with the Northwestern Army and even placed himself in harm's way as bait; without question, he held the foremost merit.
Even Yan Xiangxue and Gu Nanfeng were filled with deep respect for him.
One was the guardian spirit of the White Qiang, and the other was a respected elder of the Tianshan Sect. Both were well-disposed toward the Han people, yet both had felt utterly helpless against the rampant ambition of the Black Qiang.
Yet such a formidable force, boasting over twenty thousand mounted bowmen, had been wiped out in a single stroke under Wang Yu's stratagems—achieving a feat neither his grandfather nor his father had ever managed.
It was safe to say that following this battle, Wang Yu had not only cemented his position as the Prince of Zhenxi, but his prestige and accomplishments could even be said to have surpassed those of his father. Even if his personal martial cultivation was slightly lacking, he now stood fully equal with Xiantian Grandmasters in status.
"Please, sit! Everyone, please take your seats!" Wang Yu pressed his hands down repeatedly, then offered his gratitude to Gu Nanfeng once more.
Gu Nanfeng smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "To participate in such a battle is an honor for our Tianshan Sect."
The Three Steeds of Tianshan stood to one side, looking at Wang Yu with a mixture of envy and deep admiration. Ling Kaixuan had long since cast aside the slight dissatisfaction he had harbored back on Mount Tianshan the previous year.
What a joke—the young prince was already in the Xiantian realm and younger than him to boot. What grounds did he have to feel dissatisfied?
"Brother Xin, how are your injuries?" Wang Yu turned to Xin Yilong.
"Just flesh wounds! I took a strike from Qubi Amu's judge's brush and broke two ribs, but it's nothing serious," Xin Yilong laughed heartily. "He broke two of my ribs, but I took his life in return!"
Feng Jing yielded the central seat of honor to Wang Yu and began to deliver his report.
Qubi Amu had been slain by Xin Yilong in single combat; Yang Weiming and Feng Rigan had joined forces to eliminate Zhuixingzi; and Shi Mo had been cornered and killed by Zhao Rong, Gu Nanfeng, and Yan Xiangxue.
Aside from Xin Yilong, only Zhao Rong had suffered a glancing strike to his left arm from Shi Mo's dying counterattack. The claw had penetrated less than two-tenths of an inch into the flesh—an injury even lighter than Xin Yilong's, which did not hinder his fighting capability in the least.
Out of the Black Qiang's fifteen thousand cavalry, three thousand had been killed in action, two thousand had routed and scattered, and ten thousand had dismounted and surrendered.
As for the Zhenxi Army, across the two major engagements, eight hundred of their twenty-eight thousand soldiers had fallen, two thousand were heavily wounded, and minor injuries were countless.
Fortunately, after their royal court had been breached, the Black Qiang cavalrymen had lost all fighting spirit. Trapped and encircled, their panic had severely degraded their combat effectiveness; otherwise, the Zhenxi Army's casualties would never have remained so light.
The White Qiang suffered even fewer losses. Compared to the hundreds they had lost defending their own royal court over past weeks, this time they had struck from the enemy's rear, losing fewer than two hundred men.
It truly was a resounding triumph.
"Yuan Dingle and Yuan Nahe have both been captured," Feng Jing reported. "However, Shi Mo's final disciple has gone missing. It is unclear whether he fell amidst the chaos of the army or managed to escape."
Asuli sought Wang Yu's opinion. "Yuan Dingle says he can help me assimilate the Black Qiang, and begs me to spare his life."
Wang Yu looked toward Atuke and Huona. "What are your thoughts?"
Huona immediately spoke up, "Yuan Dingle is wildly ambitious. He can never be allowed to live!"
Atuke chimed in as well, "Only by killing him can we eliminate future troubles. Father, what is there to hesitate over?"
Asuli shook his head. "This battle was won entirely through Prince Zhao's masterful planning. Whether to execute Yuan Dingle or spare him shall be decided by Prince Zhao!"
Looking into Asuli's eyes, Wang Yu came to a sudden realization.
Although Asuli was not an overbearing White Qiang King, he had reigned as a ruler for decades after all, and possessed the fundamental discernment of a monarch.
With the Black Qiang Royal Court dismantled in a single stroke, the unification of the two Qiang branches had become an inevitability, and the White Qiang's strength would surge dramatically!
Yet this would also leave the White Qiang as the sole dominant power across the northwestern grasslands. As the old adage went, how could one permit another to snore beside one's own bed? Putting himself in Wang Yu's shoes, Asuli knew that he, too, would harbor suspicion.
Keeping Yuan Dingle alive would serve as a counterweight against Asuli, forcing him to remain obedient and reliant on the Central Plains.
After reflecting for a moment, Wang Yu spoke to Asuli, "I believe that Your Majesty genuinely holds goodwill toward the Han people, and I trust Brother Atuke as well. However, the future is always unpredictable.
"May I ask Your Majesty: do you desire your descendants to continue reigning as White Qiang kings, or do you desire permanent peace for the White Qiang, allowing your people and herdsmen to live and work in lasting tranquility?"
Asuli nodded resolutely. "Naturally, I wish for our people and herdsmen to live in peace and prosperity!"
"In that case, let us execute Yuan Dingle," Wang Yu said calmly. "I will dispatch scholars to teach the classics of the Central Plains, and officials to assist Your Majesty in administering the herdsmen. In the future, the Central Plains will supply grain while the White Qiang supplies meat. With our economies bound together, there will be no suspicion or discord between us—we shall be one family."
Wang Yu looked at Asuli. "What does Your Majesty think?"
Wang Yu made no mention of military matters; after all, that was far too sensitive. As long as their economies were bound together, the dominant Prince of Zhenxi's Manor would have countless ways to absorb the White Qiang, assimilating them into Han territory and ultimately replacing their chieftains with appointed officials.
Asuli cast a glance at Ardai, whose eyes were filled entirely with Wang Yu, and then looked at Atuke, who nodded in agreement. Recalling that Yan Xiangxue's life had been saved by Wang Yu, and that the Black Qiang had been brought to ruin solely through his stratagem, Asuli promptly agreed.
"Very well!"
Chapter 127