Next Day — Night
Qin Feng stood atop the fort's walls, watching the Northern Khaganate army continue their provocations.
Just like the previous night, they were carrying out another round of harassment.
They never truly committed to an assault. Instead, they shouted provocations and battle cries, riding their horses just beyond the effective range of the fortress's arrows.
Occasionally, they would press forward to launch small probing attacks—only to make a hasty retreat.
Their goal was not to fight, but to exhaust the fort's defenders or bait them into leaving the safety of the walls.
Qin Feng raised an eyebrow when he saw the general leading the harassers ride to the front, pull out his manhood, and urinate exaggeratedly—like a dog marking its territory. The surrounding soldiers burst into loud laughter, intensifying their jeers.
At that moment, Shadow appeared behind him.
"My Lord, everything is ready."
Without hesitation, Qin Feng seized a spear from the nearest soldier and hurled it.
The spear streaked across the battlefield—
—and impaled the enemy general to the ground, his trousers still lowered.
Qin Feng turned to General Bai.
"I leave the fort's defense and the vanguard to you."
General Bai saluted. "I shall not fail you."
Qin Feng nodded.
General Bai gave the signal, and war drums thundered from within the fort.
Slowly, the gates creaked open.
From within, 15,000 Beiguan infantry marched out in disciplined formation.
Ten units of fifteen hundred men advanced as one body, moving toward the Northern Khaganate army.
Meanwhile, the enemy's 30,000 men had fallen into disarray.
Qin Feng had not thrown the spear on impulse. He had done so to shatter their morale and disrupt their command structure.
Now, as his fifteen thousand troops advanced, the Northern Khaganate soldiers hesitated, unsure how to respond.
Some charged recklessly—likely acting on fragmented orders from captains.
They were cut down by arrows from the fortress walls.
Gradually, the rest of the thirty thousand rallied and surged forward to engage the Beiguan infantry.
As the battle properly commenced, Qin Feng nodded to General Bai.
"Make them pay the price of their greed with blood and death."
He then turned and leapt from the wall.
Upon landing, a horse was brought to him.
It was larger than an ordinary warhorse, its muscles thick and powerfully defined.
He mounted immediately and rode off to rendezvous with General Feng's cavalry.
The Northern Khaganate had expected another night of taunts and minor clashes.
They had not expected what was coming.
Qin Feng glanced up at the bright full moon and the scattering of stars.
"A fine night for poetry and romance… Pity it must be stained with blood."
---
Minutes Later — Northern Khaganate Camp, Command Tent
A soldier burst into the tent.
"Report!"
"Commander, the fortress has opened its gates. Fifteen thousand infantry are marching toward us."
"What? They opened the gates? Bwahahaha!" The commander roared with laughter.
"And here I thought they could endure longer. It seems their resources are even more scarce than we believed," one general remarked.
"Go. Lead your men and reinforce General Tulai. Encircle them and wipe out their entire infantry force," the commander ordered, pointing at a general who saluted and rushed out.
---
One Hour Later
"Report!"
Another soldier rushed in.
"The fortress infantry are employing strange and deadly formations. General Tulai has fallen. General Khadan requests reinforcements."
"What?! How did Tulai fall? Did he recklessly charge the front again?"
"No, Commander. Reports say he was struck by a giant crossbow bolt before the battle began."
"Those damn Sheng bastards!" the commander snarled, slamming his fists onto the table.
Then his expression shifted.
"The fact that they are making such a desperate move proves they are out of options. A full-force assault is the correct response."
He stood and picked up his blade.
"It's time to go all out. Gather the—"
"Report!"
Another soldier burst in before he could finish.
"Thousands of cavalry are charging through the northwest of the camp!"
"What?!" the commander and generals shouted.
Before they could react—
"Report! Thousands of cavalry are charging through the northeast of the camp!"
Explosions began to echo in the distance—growing steadily louder.
...Closer.
The commander and his generals rushed outside.
What they saw froze them.
Thousands of cavalry tore through the camp.
They were not tightly packed; instead, they spread out to cover maximum ground, hurling explosive devices into tents and clusters of soldiers.
Flames erupted. Chaos spread.
"Form up! Form up!" a general shouted as he mounted his horse. The others followed suit.
"How did they penetrate this far into the camp?!" another demanded angrily.
Though the enemy cavalry were still some distance away, their speed made it clear—they would arrive within moments.
To the northeast and northwest, smoke billowed into the night sky.
The commander gritted his teeth and steadied himself.
Then he saw him.
At the head of the enemy cavalry rode a man wielding a massive halberd.
When he swung it, the air itself seemed to scream.
The wind displaced by the weapon cut like blades.
One sweep cleaved through soldiers as though they were paper—armor, flesh, and bone offering no resistance.
No matter how many stood before him, none could halt his advance.
And the horse beneath him—
A beast.
It smashed through flames, fences, and spear walls alike, trampling men and horses as if they were fragile reeds.
And that rider was charging directly toward him.
Fear seized the commander's heart.
He yanked on his reins and turned to flee, abandoning his soldiers.
But before he could escape, something struck.
He felt himself lifted from the saddle and hurled to the ground.
Dazed, he looked down.
A javelin protruded from his abdomen.
His ears rang. Blood poured from his mouth.
He staggered to his feet.
Tried to get his bearings.
And then,
A flash of silver—
Darkness.
And just like that, the Northern Khaganate lost another commander.
That night, the entire Northern Khaganate army was plunged into hell.
The vanguard was shattered. The camp was in ruins.
They lost well over sixty thousand men.
Some perished in explosions. Others burned in raging fires.
Some were trampled in their sleep.
Some died beneath the unstoppable cavalry.
Others fell against unbreakable walls of steel and shield.
And some never saw the blades that ended them.
---
Author's Note:
Hello everyone. What did you think of this chapter? Was the night raid portrayed well? Or would you have preferred more detail?
As always, I welcome discussion—whether about strategy, historical nuance, or corrections of any kind. I respond to every comment.
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Thank you.