Chapter 45: The Enemy General of Unparalleled Brilliance

Zhang Chao rubbed the bridge of his nose.

A deep sense of regret and even heartache weighed heavily upon him.

For as long as he could remember, his ultimate ambition had been to reclaim the Hexi Corridor and drive out the Tibetan raiders.

Now, having finally ascended to the position of Deputy Military Commissioner through the backing of his family, fulfilling that long-held aspiration remained an exceedingly difficult task.

Looking at these selfish men, not one of whom was willing to lift a finger, Zhang Chao felt a profound sense of helplessness.

He had no choice but to order his personal vanguard, Li Zuo, to ride out and measure himself against the Tibetan chieftain, Ge'er Dunmu!

This was the most formidable warrior under his command!

The number of Tibetan raiders who had perished at his hands was easily close to a hundred.

Possessing extraordinary martial prowess and having stayed by Zhang Chao's side since childhood, Li Zuo was the head martial arts instructor of the Zhang household.

Having now benefited from Zhang Chao's rise, he served as a battalion commander in the army.

Such was the promotion system in the twilight years of the dynasty: either you had influential connections, or you possessed absolute, peerless strength!

Seeing Li Zuo emerge from the main encampment carrying his poised spear, the gathered crowd gradually quieted down.

They all knew in their hearts that this man was practically the strongest fighter left under Zhang Chao.

Since they did not have to send their own men into the fray, they were more than happy to sit back and watch.

Anyone who suffered losses to their own forces would feel an agonizing pain.

Besides, they had all suffered heavily at the hands of the Tibetan raiders in the past.

Meanwhile, Li Shiwu was eager to try his hand. His situation was somewhat different from the others inside the tent.

Originally hailing from the garrison militia, being invited by the frontier army headquarters this time was a rare opportunity indeed.

Otherwise, he would rarely have the chance to come into contact with the Tibetan raiders—unless the raiders breached the city walls.

And by then, what he would face would no longer be a lone raiding party, but a full-scale, unstoppable army at the height of its momentum.

When the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold.

This was why every faction within the city neither wanted to expend their own strength nor wished for the frontier army to perish.

Shazhou was their last pure land; once Shazhou fell, these aristocratic clans would have nowhere left to hide, facing nothing but the grim fate of being carved up and exterminated.

Out on the battlefield, Ge'er Dunmu's throat was growing hoarse from shouting before he finally saw the gates of the frontier encampment slowly creak open, and a single horseman rode forth.

Clad in silver armor and wielding a silver spear, the rider looked striking and upright—an exceptionally handsome young general.

The very moment Li Zuo stepped out, the drums within the military camp began to roll in thunderous cadence, beating to rally and cheer for his departure.

Ge'er Dunmu immediately raised the heavy mace in his hand and pointed it at the approaching Li Zuo.

"Prepare to meet your maker, general of Wei!"

With that, he spurred his steed and charged forward.

Seeing the enemy bearing down upon him, Li Zuo did not hesitate, urging his own mount into a gallop.

Neither side showed any intention of holding back. The moment they crossed paths, one of the figures was instantly hurled from his saddle.

Flying three zhang through the air, he crashed heavily onto the ground. After struggling faintly for a brief moment, a mouthful of fresh blood gushed from his lips, and all life left him.

Ge'er Dunmu burst into loud laughter. "Utterly pathetic! I struck just once, and he's already dead?"

"Does your grand camp breed nothing but useless cowards?"

Only then did the soldiers stationed on the watchtower realize that the man knocked from his horse was none other than Li Zuo.

They hurriedly waved their signal flags. "Li Zuo has fallen in battle!"

The messenger soldier below, catching sight of the flag signals, turned and sprinted back into the command tent.

"Reporting!" cried the messenger.

"Commander Li Zuo has been struck from his horse by a single blow from the enemy and vomited blood to his death. There are no signs of life remaining!"

The messenger's report caused the expressions of those who had been eagerly anticipating the outcome to instantly shift.

Meanwhile, the officer standing to the right of Zhang Chao flushed crimson in an instant, his eyes bulging with rage.

His hand involuntarily drifted toward the hilt of the saber at his waist.

Hearing this, Zhang Chao knitted his brows tightly. He had never expected that his premier commander would fail to withstand even a single exchange against Ge'er Dunmu.

He raised his eyes to scan the assembled crowd.

"Is there any among you brave officers willing to cut down the enemy commander and bring back his head?"

The expressions on the faces of those below varied, but not a single person spoke up voluntarily.

Zhang Chao immediately dangled a heavy reward. "Whoever cuts off Ge'er Dunmu's head shall be rewarded with one hundred mu of fine farmland and one hundred taels of silver."

Despite Zhang Chao's generous promises, no one beneath the tent stepped forward to take the initiative.

Some even wore expressions of utter disdain.

At this moment, Li You, standing beside Zhang Chao, could no longer contain his impatience.

The fallen Li Zuo was his own twin brother.

The two brothers had served side by side as commanders under Zhang Chao.

The moment he heard the news of Li Zuo's death, Li You was consumed by fury.

At that instant, his mind held only a single obsessive thought: to avenge his brother.

Now that the opportunity presented itself, he immediately spoke up. "General, please grant me this chance! I must avenge my younger brother!"

Hearing this, the others looked at Li You, silently guessing at the likely tragic end awaiting him.

The martial arts skills of Li Zuo and Li You were virtually identical. While they stood among the best within the frontier encampment, the reality remained harsh.

Li Zuo had been dispatched by Ge'er Dunmu in a single move.

For this man to go out now was nothing short of marching to his death.

Not a single person held any hope for Li You.

Zhang Chao felt a pang of distress. Having just lost Li Zuo, Li You was now clamoring to avenge his brother, yet no one else in the tent was willing to step forward.

He was caught in a difficult dilemma.

Li You pressed further. "General! I beg you to give me a chance!"

With no other options, Zhang Chao had no choice but to consent.

"Very well, since it has come to this, go! If you strike down Ge'er Dunmu, the reward will be doubled, and you shall be promoted by one rank!"

Hearing this, the men beneath the tent finally began to show expressions of genuine desire.

As the old saying goes:

It is not that no one is willing to do the job; it is simply that the price offered is not high enough.

The sudden shift in the expressions of those inside the tent was the best possible proof.

Sure enough, before long, the messenger returned to the command tent once more to report.

"Commander Li You has also been cut down from his horse by the enemy!"

Zhang Chao, who should have been seated securely in the master's chair, had already risen and was pacing back and forth before his desk.

The loss of two major generals weighed heavily upon him, casting a deep shadow of worry across his brow.

Meanwhile, taking advantage of the situation, the men inside the tent began arguing fiercely over the lucrative rewards.

"What capability does your man have to surpass that Ge'er Dunmu?"

"You'd be better off letting my chief general go and try his hand!"

Gu Hu cast an inquiring gaze toward his subordinate, Zhao Wuji.

Gu Hu was Zhao Wuji's direct superior, the very same newly appointed commander.

Why he was considered a newly appointed commander was a secret known only to Zhao Wuji.

Zhao Wuji furrowed his brows slightly; he had no interest in such reckless endeavors.

Although Gu Hu sat above him and routinely usurped much of his military merit, he had no intention of gambling with his own life.

He did happen to think of someone capable, but that person was not present at the moment.

Lowering his eyelids to stare at the bridge of his own nose, he completely ignored Gu Hu's coercive glare.

Li Shiwu, who had been waiting anxiously for some time, stepped forward at a subtle cue from Agricultural Reclamation Commissioner Li Huai'an.

"This subordinate, Li Shiwu, is willing to go forth and slay the enemy!"

His voice rang out with resounding strength, instantly capturing the gaze of everyone in the tent.

Naturally, there were those among them who recognized Li Shiwu.

Praising him openly, someone remarked, "I know this man. During the third year of the Dawei reign, he personally beheaded seven Tibetan commanders. He is currently a battalion commander in the garrison militia!"

"With him here, Ge'er Dunmu's head is bound to be taken."

"I've heard of him as well! He has a formidable reputation and extraordinary martial arts—truly the ideal choice to deal with Ge'er Dunmu!"

For a moment, the chorus of praise led everyone to believe that Li Shiwu was entirely equal to the task.

Instantly, they filled with high expectations for him.

Listening to the endless praises, Zhang Chao felt a surge of irritation, wondering why these people hadn't put this man forward earlier.

Agricultural Reclamation Commissioner Li Huai'an went a step further, declaring aloud, "Should you take Ge'er Dunmu's head, I will personally add to the general's reward with an extra one hundred taels of silver!"

Li Huai'an's words instantly elevated the stakes of slaying Ge'er Dunmu to an even higher level.

Amidst the watching crowd, Li Shiwu strode out of the tent, bursting through the doors.