Chapter 80: Wolf Smoke Rises

Altai Mountains, Northeast Pass.

Because the terrain of this pass was relatively flat, with gentle undulations on both sides, it was conducive to the passage of large armies.

Thus, it became the focal point of contention between the two armies.

The main camps of both sides were even built before and after the Northeast Pass.

The morning sunlight had just sprinkled into the mountains, but failed to dispel the pervasive air of solemn killing.

A new day, and fierce battles were staged around this pass again.

Northern Border cavalry clad in black leather armor waved long sabers, pouncing toward the valley and the peaks on both sides like a surging tide.

For a time, swords and sabers clashed—shouts of killing, screams, and horse neighs intertwined.

The attack intensity of the Northern Border Army remained very fierce.

Under Xiao Simo’s combination of threats and inducements, those military leaders could only honestly risk their lives for the Khitans.

But the Naimans on the other side were miserable.

The commander Koke Xue’wu rode on a hill, watching the changing situation of the battlefield helplessly, his expression incredibly solemn.

Not only worried about the anxious situation of the battlefield before him, but also because just now, he learned terrible news.

Kuchlug’s army of five thousand was defeated by the Liao army.

Some defeated soldiers fled back to the Altai Mountains main camp overnight and told Koke Xue’wu the whole process of the battle.

After listening, blood rushed to his head on the spot and he almost fainted.

Barely calming down, he shouted sorrowfully and indignantly at the sky. “The brat misled me!”

Guarding against everything, he didn’t expect his lifetime of fame to be ruined by a brat in the end.

Before Kuchlug set out, he had exhorted him repeatedly to be careful and not act rashly.

But unexpectedly, the enemy just used a mere tactic of luring the enemy deep, and deliberately killed prisoners to enrage the soldiers.

That trash Kuchlug actually lost control of the situation.

And let the soldiers rush into the valley?

Koke Xue’wu was so angry he almost vomited blood.

Letting Kuchlug lead the expedition had clearly become the thing he regretted most.

Even more terrifying was that Kuchlug’s life or death was unknown—it was unclear whether he had escaped.

If Kuchlug died, fine, but if he was captured by the Liao people, it would be a heavy blow to the morale of the Naiman army.

So, to prevent military morale from wavering, Koke Xue’wu ordered those soldiers who fled back to be temporarily detained, preventing them from contacting anyone to stop the news from spreading further.

Then he took his personal guards to the battlefield.

Personally leading soldiers to kill the enemy.

“General, the Liao state has withdrawn its troops.”

Listening to the soldier’s report, Koke Xue’wu nodded gently, without a trace of excitement on his face.

Because he knew this was just a temporary withdrawal by the Liao people—they would continue to attack after regrouping.

In contrast, the Naiman army now had only ten thousand troops left. Although occupying favorable terrain, under continuous battles, the strength of both sides would ebb and flow.

“Can we hold it?”

Koke Xue’wu stood on the mountaintop, murmuring to himself.

His desolate figure, back to the rising sun, was slightly hunched, as if his spine was bent by a heavy burden.

The wind blew whimpering, stirring his gray hair, revealing the deep exhaustion and despair on his face.

His cloudy eyes looked at the Naiman warriors fighting bloody battles with the Liao people on the battlefield, feeling a bone-chilling cold spreading through his whole body.

He knew the Altai Mountains couldn’t be held.

“But even if we die, we must make the Liao people bleed rivers in the Altai Mountains,” Koke Xue’wu’s eyes suddenly became sharp.

He said firmly in a low voice.

He was a veteran general of the Naimans and would absolutely not surrender to the Liao people.

Even if he couldn’t see hope of victory, he would use his greatest effort to consume the military strength of Liao.

And fight for time, letting Tayang Khan gather more troops to annihilate all the Liao people invading the Naiman territory.

With the determination to die, Koke Xue’wu issued orders one after another.

But at this moment, a general rushed over from the direction of the camp, looking very urgent: “General, there is news of Prince Kuchlug.”

Hearing this, Koke Xue’wu turned his head and said resentfully through gritted teeth: “Where is the Prince?”

Kuchlug was Tayang Khan’s most outstanding son—Koke Xue’wu originally held a glimmer of hope for him.

But this battle thoroughly exposed Kuchlug’s incompetent nature.

Koke Xue’wu had even less goodwill towards him now.

Just hoping he wasn’t caught by the Liao people.

But unfortunately, whatever one fears comes to pass.

“Scouts just reported that some soldiers who followed Prince Kuchlug on the expedition have returned.”

“They brought news that Prince Kuchlug has been captured by the Liao army,” the vice general said.

Hearing this, Koke Xue’wu closed his eyes with a face of despair.

Simply the worst news possible.

Kuchlug should have committed suicide to apologize for his offense, rather than being humiliatingly captured by the Liao people.

Once this news leaked, the blow to the morale of the entire Naiman army would be fatal.

“Settle those soldiers who fled back separately—don’t let this news leak out,” Koke Xue’wu said in a deep voice.

But the vice general expressed difficulty: “I’m afraid it can’t be hidden.”

“One or two thousand soldiers fled back this time. Once they enter the main camp, the news will definitely spread.”

But after hearing this, Koke Xue’wu’s expression changed drastically instantly.

Opening his eyes suddenly, staring dead at the vice general, he said: “You said, one or two thousand soldiers came back?”

The vice general nodded: “The scout reported so.”

“Not good.”

Koke Xue’wu shouted suddenly: “Those are Liao people in disguise—stop them quickly.”

Hearing this, everyone around looked confused.

But Koke Xue’wu had no time to explain. He wanted to mobilize troops to resist, but found that most of the troops in his hand had been invested in the frontal battlefield against Xiao Simo’s army.

Facing the enemy coming from behind, he suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness.

The reason Koke Xue’wu concluded those were Liao troops in disguise was also based on his understanding of nomadic soldiers.

Nomadic armies were basically products of the tribal alliance system—soldiers had no concept of a country, only their own tribes and small families.

Once the battle failed, soldiers would scatter in a hubbub.

If close to the main camp, soldiers might return to the camp.

But in a situation like this, the first choice of defeated Naiman soldiers would inevitably be to flee back to their own tribes.

Taking their tribes and families to migrate to safer places.

So if a small number of soldiers fled back to the main camp, Koke Xue’wu would believe it.

But one or two thousand people coming back at once, especially when the main general Kuchlug had been captured and there was no main general to restrain them…

Koke Xue’wu understood immediately that there was a problem.

Clearly enemy troops in disguise.

At the same time, Li Xiao led more than two thousand soldiers, changed into Naiman clothes.

Clothes covered in blood and stains, as if having just experienced a tragic battle.

Faces also covered in blood and mud, concealing the soldiers’ faces—from a distance, one couldn’t distinguish whether they were Han or Naiman.

More than two thousand cavalry approached the Naiman main camp quietly like this.

Although they encountered scouts twice on the road, they fooled them all.

It wasn’t until the outline of the Naiman camp was visible that the Naimans finally strengthened the camp defense under Koke Xue’wu’s order.

And it was Koke Xue’wu returning to the main camp, personally mobilizing troops preparing to defend the main camp to the death.

However, at this time, most of the Naiman troops had gone to the mountains, and Koke Xue’wu couldn’t mobilize many troops.

“Have we been discovered?”

Li Xiao galloped toward the main camp, seeing chaos beginning inside from a distance, and the wooden gate of the camp closing slowly.

Soldiers mounting warhorses preparing for battle.

Li Xiao knew their identity had been exposed.

But it didn’t matter—he didn’t expect to mix into the Naiman main camp just by relying on a Naiman skin.

Not all Naiman generals were fools.

“Light the wolf smoke,” Li Xiao ordered.

Immediately after, looking at the more than two thousand cavalry behind him, he shouted loudly: “The Naiman camp is empty—it is precisely the time for us to establish merit.”

“Kill one enemy, receive two sheep, and exemption from slave status.”

“Kill!”

Accompanied by Li Xiao’s order, more than two thousand cavalry instantly let out loud shouts.

Rushing toward the camp like wailing ghosts and howling wolves.

Warhorses roared, shaking the earth to tremble—rolling dust rose, and the terrifying cavalry surged forward like a huge wave.

In the camp, under the pressure of this powerful momentum, every Naiman soldier’s face unconsciously showed nervousness and horror.

The troop advantage was not on their side.

After all, when Koke Xue’wu realized something was wrong, it was already too late—there was no time to mobilize more troops to defend the camp.

He could only watch helplessly as the fence of the camp, like a fragile film, was easily pierced by the spear formed by Li Xiao’s army.

“Kill! stop them!.”

Koke Xue’wu’s face was ferocious, his eyes bloodshot while holding a curved saber and roaring angrily. His gray hair scattered messily, leading people to charge and kill like a madman.

Li Xiao, wearing heavy armor, rushed into the camp, waving the horse lance in his hand and easily piercing two Naiman soldiers.

Immediately after, his gaze turned to Koke Xue’wu protected in the middle by many Naiman soldiers.

Whether his age or attire, Li Xiao could be sure this was a big fish.

“Hyah!”

Waving the horse lance in his hand, he led people to charge toward Koke Xue’wu without hesitation.

West of the Altai Mountains, on a mountain peak.

Two Khitan soldiers were sitting on the ground, looking at the scenery boredly.

Although not having to fight desperately with the Naimans was a good thing, staying on the mountain top all day was really damn cold.

But fortunately, their days of suffering were about to end.

“What is that?”

“Wolf smoke.”

“It’s wolf smoke—the wolf smoke has risen.”

The two soldiers looked toward the mountains in the east and could vaguely see a column of rolling smoke soaring into the sky.

They dared not delay, turning directly to walk down the mountain: “Quick.”

“Go back and report to the Great King.”

(End of this chapter)