Wei Yuan looked up toward the west. On the distant horizon, he could faintly make out the flicker of a red glow. It was the light of a signal arrow, in truth some hundred and twenty li away.
Before Wei Yuan could even discuss how to mount a rescue with Fang Hetong, another signal arrow suddenly shot into the sky. This one was eighty li away, in the same direction as the previous call for aid. The message was identical: strong enemy attacking, holding fast awaiting relief. The one who had fired this arrow was a cultivator from the Yingtian Sect.
Immediately afterward, distress signals rose from two more locations, both considerably farther off. Wei Yuan had never encountered simultaneous calls for aid from multiple places before. Fang Hetong marked the locations on the map one by one. After a brief consideration, he said, "The Liao barbarians are mobilizing in force to probe our strength and intentions. Even though none have appeared here yet, we are in just as much danger. In my view, we must not move rashly."
"Wouldn't that be standing by and watching them die?"
Fang Hetong shook his head. "Today is different from yesterday. Yesterday, only your party was attacked, and I was close by, so naturally I had to ride to your aid. But today, the places calling for help are far away. If we march there, our troops will be exhausted before they arrive. Not only might we fail to save anyone, but we would also leave our own defense sector completely empty. If I am not mistaken, the Liao barbarians have surely deployed large numbers of roving scouts, waiting to intercept and slaughter relieving forces along every road."
Wei Yuan climbed the wall and gazed into the distance. At the limit of his vision, the outline of the military redoubt was faintly visible. The redoubt was dead silent. Its garrison remained completely motionless, showing not the slightest intention of riding out to help.
Fang Hetong came to Wei Yuan's side and said, "No need to look. Liao Jingwu prizes his own skin above all else. With military merits already to his name, he thinks he is safe and secure. He will certainly hole up like a turtle until the barbarians retreat, never risking an expedition to aid anyone."
"Then what should we do?"
Fang Hetong answered, "The Liao barbarians have mobilized in full force. They should be split into three waves. The first wave strikes all around to bait our troop movements, feeling out our strength and probing for weak spots. The second wave roves across the choke points of the battlefield, intercepting and cutting down reinforcements. That wave likely outnumbers the first. If I were the barbarian commander, there would certainly be a third wave consisting of their true elites. Once they discover a weak point in the defense line, they will strike like thunder. What worries me most is that third wave. The Liao barbarians will soon realize Liao Jingwu is too cowardly to come out, and they will most likely launch a ferocious assault on Quyang. As things stand, the best strategy is to hold this place to the death and coordinate mutual defense with Quyang County."
Wei Yuan frowned in contemplation. Such a complex tactical situation exceeded his abilities, but he did not dare place complete trust in Fang Hetong's words either. After all, Fang Hetong had never actually commanded a large army. Talented though he was, to put it bluntly, his theories might well be nothing more than waging war on paper.
Wei Yuan pointed to a spot on the map and said, "This location is closest, only ninety li away. I'll go have a look myself to see what the Liao barbarians are up to."
Fang Hetong sighed and said, "Then take every care, my friend."
Right at that moment, another distress signal flared a hundred and fifty li to the east: besieged by strong enemies, holding fast awaiting relief. Palace of Grand Beginning, Bao Yun.
Wei Yuan froze. Bao Yun had forged an immortal foundation years ago. When she took to the field this time, her clan had undoubtedly provided their full backing. Even Li Zhi could field sixty personal guards, so Bao Yun had no reason to have fewer than him. For a force of that strength to call for help showed just how dire the fighting was.
Wei Yuan hesitated no longer. Turning to Fang Hetong, he said, "I must go to the east this time. I leave this place in your hands, sir. If anything happens, fire a signal arrow; no matter how far I am, I will sense it."
Knowing he could not dissuade Wei Yuan, Fang Hetong said, "Do not tangle with the Liao barbarians on the road. Go and return swiftly."
Wei Yuan nodded, drew up a warhorse, and hung his long spear and javelin cases upon it. He also mounted a bow and several quivers of arrows. Wei Yuan was not particularly skilled in archery, but after yesterday's battle, he had realized a bow and arrows were indispensable.
Wei Yuan mounted the horse. Fang Hetong suddenly caught the reins and said with grave urgency, "One more thing! If you return and find the Liao barbarians besieging Quyang County, do not come back under any circumstances! Head somewhere else!"
"Why?"
"If the Liao barbarians attack Quyang, they will send nothing but elites, and in massive numbers, seeking a quick and decisive victory. You have not yet forged your Dao Foundation, and your immortal path is still long. You ought to avoid their sharp edge; you must never indulge in reckless foolhardiness at such a time. If you die in Quyang now, it would be utterly worthless!"
Wei Yuan pointed behind them, where signal arrows rose from time to time into the air. The Palace of Grand Beginning and the various sects had already noticed the unusual movements on the front line and begun mobilizing reinforcements.
"My Palace of Grand Beginning is already deploying relief forces. Do not worry about me, Brother Fang. Just hold this place well. Military matters are urgent; I must go."
The gate of Shayang Village opened, and Wei Yuan spurred his horse out, galloping eastward toward Bao Yun. In public duty or personal loyalty, if something had happened to Bao Yun, Wei Yuan had to go to her aid.
Though anxious, Wei Yuan kept his horse's pace steady and measured to conserve its stamina. After galloping several dozen li, another signal arrow rose ahead, also fired by Bao Yun. The message stated that the enemy had surrounded the town, but the defenses were currently holding firm, warning relieving forces from all directions to watch for enemy scouting ambushes along the way.
Just as he saw the signal, Wei Yuan heard the thud of hooves. Several Northern Liao roving scouts appeared. Seeing Wei Yuan riding alone, two broke off to intercept and kill him. Wei Yuan spurred his mount straight at them, dodged their incoming heavy arrows, and hurled two javelins, impaling both and knocking them from their saddles. The remaining riders stared in shock and closed in as well, but moments later, they were all corpses.
Relying on mounted archery, Northern Liao cavalry usually drew within a hundred zhang of human cavalry and kept that distance to exchange fire. But this played right into Wei Yuan's hands. Within a hundred zhang, his throwing javelins possessed terrifying might; by the time the Liao riders realized it, it was already too late.
Without bothering to retrieve the thrown weapons, Wei Yuan pressed forward toward the loudest sounds of combat. Before long, he saw over a hundred riders clashing back and forth.
Wei Yuan swept the field with his divine sense and discerned roughly sixty human cavalry against over forty Liao riders. Yet the Liao cavalry held the upper hand decisively, with human horsemen continually tumbling from their saddles.
Wei Yuan immediately charged toward the battlefield, drawing his bow and notching arrows to loose more than ten shafts in rapid succession. His archery was poor; most missed, dropping only two Liao riders. But after that single volley, Wei Yuan had already closed within a hundred zhang. Javelins whistled through the air, piercing the Liao cavalry one after another!
The tide of battle turned instantly. In the blink of an eye, more than half of the forty-odd Liao riders were dead or wounded. The lead Liao rider let out a shrill whistle, and all the barbarians turned and fled north. How could Wei Yuan let them escape so easily? An infusion of black qi surged into his horse. The mount's body swelled a size larger, galloping like the wind as it swiftly caught up with the fleeing barbarians. Wei Yuan's javelins flew out one by one, bringing down another five or six. The rest scattered in all directions, and only then did he break off the chase.
The commander of the human cavalry was also a disciple of the Palace of Grand Beginning, nine years older than Wei Yuan. He had forged his Dao Foundation more than a decade ago and was now participating in the Grand Examination for the second time. Hailing from an aristocratic clan, he had brought a hundred private retainers with him. Upon seeing Bao Yun's distress call, he had marched out in full force to aid her, only to be intercepted halfway by Liao cavalry.
The intercepting Liao riders were an understrength hundred-man company of only fifty-odd riders, yet after only brief combat, nearly forty of the hundred human cavalry had fallen, while the Liao riders had lost merely seven or eight. If Wei Yuan had not arrived, this disciple would have been forced to flee in disarray.
Dao Foundation cultivators had many tricks up their sleeves, so the disciple could have escaped on his own, but his retainers would have been wiped out here.
After the bloody battle, the fellow disciple needed to regroup and rest, while Wei Yuan took his leave to continue eastward. Before his departure, the disciple offered profuse thanks, presenting Wei Yuan with several cases of high-grade javelins and several potent talismans. He also offered to detach some troops to accompany Wei Yuan, but ordinary soldiers would only slow Wei Yuan down, so he politely declined.
Parting from his fellow disciple, Wei Yuan flew eastward. Along the way, he fought several more fierce battles, encountering both small scouting parties attempting to intercept him and chaotic skirmishes between clashing units like the one before.
Chapter 82