Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey-Chapter 572: Great Achievement (Part 1)

Tao Da’s weapon was a thick-backed long knife.

In the military camp, long knives were the most common weapons, nothing special about them. This one was three inches longer than usual and much heavier, made from high-quality iron repeatedly tempered and forged. Ever since Tao Da joined the military camp, he had been wielding this thick-backed long knife.

Years ago, when he went to Li County to suppress bandits, this thick-backed long knife accompanied him as they broke through the bandit’s camp. Later, it followed him numerous times to the North, killed rioters, hacked through marauders, and quenched in countless blood.

Tao Da hadn’t made a move the entire night, watching helplessly as his comrades fought to the death, harboring a belly full of rage. At this moment, he charged forward like a mad bull, slashing twice, killing two Rouran soldiers. In the blink of an eye, he reached Ah Fu Luo.

Ah Fu Luo, not knowing how many wounds he had suffered or how much blood he had spilled, looked like a man made of blood—particularly terrifying and frightening.

Tao Da was not afraid at all, raising his long knife and striking boldly.

Clang!

The two knives clashed fiercely, creating an extremely piercing sound. Everyone around felt their eardrums ache and instinctively backed away a few steps.

Tao Da took this opportunity to lunge forward, entangling with Ah Fu Luo. The knife glinted, the knife wind was fierce, leaving no room for anyone to approach.

Ah Fu Luo’s ferocity didn’t wane, and in terms of knife skills, he was actually better than Tao Da. But he had been fighting for so long, constantly injured and bleeding, greatly weakening his stamina. Whereas Tao Da had conserved his energy like a tiger descending from the mountain. In this clash, Ah Fu Luo quickly fell into a disadvantage.

"Tao Da, be careful!"

Ah Fu Luo’s long knife struck as fast as lightning, directly aiming at Tao Da’s chest. The trusted aides nearby were terrified and called out in alarm. Unexpectedly, Tao Da had no intention of dodging or retreating, equally thrusting his knife forward.

This was a life-for-life gamble. Ah Fu Luo could very well kill him with one stab, and his long knife could equally take Ah Fu Luo’s life.

In a clash on a narrow road, it was all about who was more ruthless and fearless of death.

In the end, Ah Fu Luo changed his move, narrowly and dangerously blocking this strike with his knife. Tao Da pressed on without a word, continuing to attack fiercely, each strike a mad technique of mutual destruction.

Liu Hengchang watched with his heart in his throat. His personal soldiers whispered urgently in low voices: "Commander Liu, Tao Da is too reckless! Should we warn him..."

"No need!" Liu Hengchang took a deep breath and said sternly: "This Rouran general in front of us should be the number one expert, Ah Fu Luo. If killing him requires a life-for-life exchange, then it’s worth it."

Such words were indeed cruel. However, on the battlefield, a cold heart is an essential quality of an excellent military general.

Though it is spoken slowly, it is only the blink of an eye.

Ah Fu Luo gained two more wounds, while Tao Da received a slash on his back, blood gushing out.

Ah Fu Luo finally considered retreat. He was the foremost general under Fumingdun Khan and seen as a war god by the Rouran cavalry. His life was precious, and he shouldn’t perish with a common soldier.

But Tao Da didn’t allow Ah Fu Luo to retreat. When Ah Fu Luo stepped back, Tao Da stepped forward twice, his long knife swinging more fiercely.

A brutal light flashed in Ah Fu Luo’s eyes, and his long knife suddenly stabbed Tao Da’s abdomen. Tao Da shouted wildly, enduring the momentary intense pain, forcefully slashing his long knife, hitting Ah Fu Luo’s neck squarely.

Blood sprayed, and Ah Fu Luo’s head flew off amidst the terrified gazes of the Rouran cavalry, landing on the ground. The headless tall corpse did not fall; it stood rigidly in place.

Success!

Liu Hengchang’s eyes lit up, and he shouted: "Ah Fu Luo is dead!"

He surprisingly used Rouran language!

In the Personal Guard Camp, there were dozens of Rouran horse slaves, including Mani, who accompanied him in training. After each training session, Liu Hengchang would spend an hour learning the Rouran language. He was one of the rare generals with both martial and literary skills, learning Rouran language in just over half a year. He also had his personal soldiers learn some of it.

After he shouted, a dozen personal soldiers shouted in Rouran language together.

Ah Fu Luo is dead!

Ah Fu Luo is dead!

Ah Fu Luo is dead!

The shouts spread like a plague, quickly spreading from the military tent. Rouran soldiers who heard the calls were thrown into chaos, soon collapsing and scattering.

This night raid killed an untold number of Rouran soldiers. More importantly, it killed Ah Fu Luo, avenging the Nanyang Army soldiers who died with Yu Chong.

Liu Hengchang was not one to covet military merit or linger in battle. He knew clearly, for a night raid to succeed, it required surprise and speed.

If the fight continued until dawn, the Personal Guard Camp and Nanyang Army soldiers would be trapped in the enemy camp and have a hard time retreating.

Liu Hengchang led the men around him out of the camp, blowing an iron whistle in his mouth.

The iron whistle was crafted by Shen Mu himself, about the size of a child’s fist. When blown, it produced a sharp and high-pitched sound, carrying for several miles.

This was the pre-agreed signal for retreat.

The iron whistle sounded continuously, and the trusted aides gathered together in an orderly manner, striving to charge out of the camp. Occasionally, someone, overwhelmed by killing, completely forgot about retreating. They were quickly slain by the surging Rouran soldiers.

This was the battlefield, where life and death were decided in an instant.

But more people followed the sound of the whistle and charged out, leaving behind remains and blood.

...

Two hours later.

The warhorses, which had been running wild, were so exhausted that they were foaming at the mouth.

Liu Hengchang finally ordered the men to dismount and rest for a while.

There had been pursuers before, but after running for two hours, they managed to shake them off completely. Liu Hengchang drank some water and then ordered a headcount.

The loss for the Personal Guard Camp need not be mentioned. Even the Nanyang Army soldiers, after this battle, thoroughly respected Liu Hengchang. At Liu Hengchang’s command, everyone followed orders.

"Reporting to Commander Liu, the Personal Guard Camp had two thousand men when we arrived. Now there are eighteen hundred and sixty-nine. Five are seriously injured, and twenty-two are lightly injured."

In other words, the Personal Guard Camp lost over a hundred men. Comparatively, the Nanyang Army’s casualties were slightly higher. With over two thousand three hundred men at the start, they suffered around two hundred losses. This was mainly because the Nanyang Army soldiers reacted a bit slower during the retreat.

Compared to the Rouran camp’s strewn corpses and crumbling morale, this was undoubtedly an impressive victory.

Especially the slaying of the Rouran general Ah Fu Luo, which was a great achievement!

"Commander Liu, Tao Da’s injuries are too severe," a personal soldier said, worried. "I’m afraid he can’t withstand the jolting."

But Liu Hengchang showed no mercy: "We can’t slow our pace for him alone. We rest briefly, then must leave at once. If the pursuers catch up, our thousands of men won’t be able to escape."

"Administer the wound medicine to Tao Da and bind his wounds tight. When we get back to Sizhou City, with Divine Doctor Sun there, as long as Tao Da has a breath left, he can be saved. Let’s go!"

At Liu Hengchang’s command, all soldiers leapt up and mounted their horses.

Thousands of warhorses continued to gallop forward amidst rolling dust.

...