Chapter 23: The Return of Ferocity, the Chanyu Taken Captive

Chen Cong hung his bow with measured calm, casually lifted his long halberd, and pointed it from afar at the man amidst the sea of soldiers.

He smiled. He had finally found his true target.

It was this very man who had waved his whip earlier to order the charge; he was none other than the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu, Yufuluo.

Despite holding an absolute advantage, Yufuluo instinctively averted his gaze, not daring to meet the other’s eyes. A cold chill crept up his spine, as if he were being stalked by a ferocious beast. He wanted to order his men to swarm forward and kill the man, but the thunderous sound of iron hooves filled the air. The Han Flying Bear cavalry had already circled to the right flank of the army, armed with composite bows, mounted crossbows, and lances, with both riders and horses clad in heavy armor.

There was not a trace of fear on their faces; instead, the Han riders struggled to restrain their mounts, which were eager to charge. Though they numbered only a hundred, they stood there like an army of thousands.

In that moment, Yufuluo finally understood. Atina had not lied to him; the Han troops were indeed formidable. If such a fierce cavalry were allowed to break into Meiji, nothing awaited the Xiongnu people but a lopsided slaughter.

Now, in the open wilderness, should he fight or retreat?

Yufuluo glanced at the women and children behind his warriors and gritted his teeth. "Gather the fledglings of the grasslands! Retreat to the east!"

Chen Cong paused for a second before grasping Yufuluo's intention: he meant to abandon the women, treating them as mere baggage, to preserve the future of his tribe. Sadly, those abandoned Xiongnu women would fight to the death to stall the Han army for the sake of their children. As long as they held them off for a moment, the Xiongnu, unburdened, could quickly vanish into the vast wilderness.

Unfortunately, Yufuluo had miscalculated from the start. He was not facing the ghostly Flying Bear cavalry from the south.

Just as the women stood with steel blades, bracing for the charge of the Flying Bears, Chen Cong stroked the mane of his steed, Shadow. The horse accelerated, turning into a streak of black light in the blink of an eye, charging straight toward the great banner.

"Great Chanyu! Look behind you!"

Yufuluo looked back and his brow furrowed instantly. Having roamed Bing Province for many years, he had seen many ruthless men who feared no death, but this was the first time he had encountered a madman who sought it out. He had already yielded the Xiongnu royal court and even abandoned the women of his tribe. The opponent had already won a total victory—he could have become a renowned general of the Han empire without doing anything more—so why did he insist on charging the formation?

Could it be that this Han general truly believed he could pierce the Xiongnu cavalry formation with just himself and one horse? Or did he think that with his hundred riders, he could actually wipe out an army of nearly twenty thousand?

How insufferable!

"Turn the horses! Kill him!"

The sound of the horns rose again, but this time, the tone was urgent and low.

The next moment, the Xiongnu turned their horses and charged with curved blades in hand. Chen Cong, fearless, threw his heavy halberd toward the oncoming sea of barbarian riders. The Flying Tiger halberd flashed like lightning, piercing through the chests of three men and carrying a spray of blood as it continued its flight.

Chen Cong kicked his horse’s belly and roared, "Shadow!"

The divine steed, possessing a spirit of its own, surged with speed, moving so fast it was nearly invisible to the naked eye, catching up to the flying halberd. Chen Cong reached out his right hand, and the weapon returned to his palm. He wiped the blood and flesh from the shaft, swung it in a wide arc, and sent three more men flying, knocking down a swathe of cavalry behind them.

Shadow landed, reared up, and let out a triumphant neigh, carrying the fierce god upon its back to look down upon the mortals as if they were nothing more than grass.

"Warm-up... over!"

In the distance, Xu Huang stood frozen. He remembered when they first met, he had dared to dismiss Chen Cong, choosing instead to race past him to engage Hua Xiong. Only today did he realize how close he had been to death.

The Flying Bears went into a frenzy, chanting "Invincible" over and over, wishing they could follow at his side as his claws and teeth. Chu Qing’s eyes were bloodshot as he screamed until his throat felt raw. Only by being there could he truly understand Cheng Zhuo’s sense of pride. He felt deeply what a glorious thing it was to follow such a fierce man.

A thousand troops, a single rider to break them!

This was the dream of every martial artist, one that most could only hope for but never attain.

But to Yufuluo, all of this was a heavy disaster. From the elegance of cutting down eight riders in succession to the madness of catching the flying halberd, to the disdain for the world, and finally, to the cold, ruthless indifference—as Shadow’s hooves hit the ground and the halberd swung, Chen Cong had transformed into that very beast from Hulao Pass.

Having cast aside all human emotion, all that burned in his chest was an endless desire for victory. When the halberd moved, it was like the Thunder God wielding his hammer, brutal and unrivaled. Heads shattered upon impact, chests caved in, and those who were only grazed were left with gaping wounds. As they fell to the ground, wailing in agony, they could only hope that the iron hooves of their comrades would quickly crush their skulls.

Fortunately, the Xiongnu’s despair did not last long. Having completely abandoned their defense, the fierce god soon reached the great banner.

With a single leap, hewed the wooden pole in two.

Shadow followed closely, lowering its head to slam into the soft belly of Yufuluo’s steed.

The great banner had finally fallen... and the Chanyu had finally been reached.

As this thought crossed their minds, the Xiongnu warriors lowered their proud heads, repenting for such shameful behavior. But they were truly terrified. They felt that if the battle continued, the Han man, who resembled a god, would surely kill them all.

Seeing this, Chu Qing stopped his shouting, excitedly waved his lance, and roared with a hoarse voice, "Spear formation! Level your lances! Charge!"

"Charge!"

"Charge!"

"Charge!"

At this moment, no one drew a bow; no one raised a crossbow. The fierce Flying Bear cavalry only wanted to prove their resolve to follow Chen Cong through the most direct form of slaughter. Even Xu Huang, usually known for his steady composure, howled as he swung his giant axe, striking his horse to charge forward, fearing that being a second late might lead the general to change his mind.

That man had said it, hadn't he?

That his martial arts were too poor, and he should follow him to learn for a while!

The Xiongnu remnants, having lost all fighting spirit, were no match for tigers released from their cage. After only a token resistance, they fled in the opposite direction of the Han charge.

Chen Cong watched for a while, and only when the dust had settled did he smile and lift the man cowering on the ground, carefully brushing the dust from his clothes.

"Do you speak Han?"

"#!@￥%!"

"You don't?" Chen Cong tossed his helmet aside and pulled out his Gongbu blade, resting it on Yufuluo's shoulder. "Are you fucking kidding me? You can't even speak Han, so how did you collude with the White Wave bandits? Do you believe I'll hack you to death right now?"

Yufuluo was horrified and knelt straight down. Weeping and kowtowing, he cried, "Great Eternal Blue Sky, please forgive your child; he is truly a devil!"

Chen Cong pried open Yufuluo’s helmet and patted his cheek with the blade of the Gongbu, impatient. "That’s enough, stop howling. The Eternal Blue Sky says she’s busy and has no time to deal with unfilial descendants. Now, Great Chanyu, go find a rope and tie yourself up."