Common Sense Obliterated
As soon as the battle began, Jia Xu watched Yuan Shu charge forward like a madman and felt a thousand different thoughts explode through her mind. What the hell? Why is someone of such exalted status acting this recklessly?! Leading the vanguard? I told him to observe their full strength first—what is this supposed to be?! Even if he has earned some merits, the enemy consists of ten thousand battle-hardened cavalry! Did I latch onto a rotten rope? Is my one chance to completely turn my life around ending right here?!
By any rational measure, the opposing force numbered around twenty thousand. These were not ordinary soldiers, but a nomadic horse people who had lived in the saddle since infancy—raiders with overflowing combat experience. A full twenty thousand barbarian cavalry! Meeting them head-on was the worst possible decision. Their own army’s strength was already inadequate. Anyone who claimed the numbers were “similar” deserved thirty slaps across the face, back and forth. What kind of lunatic would look at fifteen thousand infantry and five thousand cavalry facing twenty thousand enemy riders and declare the forces evenly matched?! The value of cavalry in this era was beyond price! Just because both sides fielded twenty thousand men did not make them equal!
Against such an enemy, no matter how outstanding a general’s skill, the fundamental approach would be to first secure friendly Xianbei tribes, gain numerical superiority, and only then engage. In that brief moment, every possible thought flashed through Jia Xu’s head, yet fortunately those thoughts did not last long.
KWAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!!!
“K-kyaaaaack!!”
“It’s a monster! Uwaaaack…!!”
“S-save me…! Please…!!”
“Krraaack!! Mother!! Father!!”
“Oh heavenly spirits…!! Ancestral gods…!! From now on I’ll respect and worship you every day of my life…!! So please, spare my life… k-kyaaaaack!!!”
“Hoooeooong…!! Mommy, daddy…!! If I get home I’ll never misbehave again, I’ll be a filial son…! Keeeeck!?!?”
“You fucking dogshit Han bastards!! At least use real human beings when you fight, you sons of bitches…!! Kuuuuaaaack!!!”
“…???”
The three who had charged alongside Yuan Shu had literally shredded the oncoming cavalry with nothing but their personal martial prowess. In fact, “shredded” was an understatement. Only four people were dominating the entire enemy army, and those same four were carrying out a massacre against countless veteran riders.
It was an outcome that completely surpassed Jia Xu’s imagination. No—it was a sight that obliterated her common sense entirely. The moment she witnessed it, her thoughts snapped clean in two. She stood frozen, mouth hanging open like an idiot, struck speechless by a scene so shocking it paralyzed the mind.
Jia Xu was undoubtedly intelligent. Few people could match her intellect. Yet no matter how sharp her mind, events that shattered ordinary human common sense were rare. There were generals said to be worth a hundred men, or even a thousand, but Yuan Shu and his trio operated on an entirely different level. And even if one had seen such strength before, it was another thing entirely to watch them charge alone into a sea of battle-hardened veterans and grind them into paste.
“This can’t be real…”
Only now did Jia Xu understand why the man she wished to serve had told her to verify the true capabilities of those who would stand with him. Seeing that strength with my own eyes, I finally get it. There was never any need for all four of them to create such a shocking display…!
With four of them, the enemy had been torn apart in the blink of an eye. Even if the other three stepped back and only one remained to charge forward, the outcome likely would not change. If a single one of these monsters—each capable of unleashing a scaled-down natural disaster—could annihilate an entire legion, what hope did any army have?
Jia Xu predicted that great and numerous calamities would soon engulf the Later Han. And if that were true, battles would be plentiful. To think individual martial strength can overwhelm entire armies… Ah, my own experience was too shallow to measure the true scale of this world…!
If so, who could possibly stop them on the battlefield? These human-shaped catastrophes who rode better than the Xianbei themselves and swept away everything the instant they closed the distance?
“Four peerless warriors under heaven… Ahaha!”
As expected… my choice was not wrong…!
Having executed a complete reversal of opinion so swift it would have impressed even Udyr, Jia Xu smiled until the corners of her mouth nearly reached her ears.
If a chaotic age that would shake the Han to its foundations was coming, then the ones who would survive and climb highest would be those who possessed overwhelming power. Yuan Shu had exactly that—power so overwhelming it defied description. And if a turbulent era truly arrived, Jia Xu herself, the one who had spoken of it, would not be treated lightly. With just a little skillful handling, she might achieve great things and earn his deepest favor.
Knowing that her chosen lord’s actions had not been mere recklessness eased the tension in Jia Xu’s heart. Still, no matter how strong he is, charging out like this every time is something that should be restrained… Hmm, but that doesn’t seem like something I can stop just because I ask…
Even after witnessing the shocking scene, the fact remained that her lord was a man of flesh and blood. From the position of one who served him, she naturally wanted to keep him away from such life-threatening battlefields where death could come at any moment. Yet she also knew that his presence was decisive, so blocking him felt equally wrong. Especially if doing so earned her his displeasure—that was the last thing the current Jia Xu wanted.
After all, when confidence was backed by genuine ability, it was simply called self-assurance. Once her thoughts began to flow properly, the initial shock she had felt at Yuan Shu’s army’s performance gradually faded. Only then did she catch the mutterings of the nearby Xianbei messenger who had come as their ally.
“…N-no way… Those guys are pretty famous around these parts… How…? Wait, they got crushed this easily??”
He must be thoroughly stunned. Well… so was I.
Since the messenger was also Xianbei, the shock he felt was likely even greater. He would know the nearby tribes better than the Han did, and therefore understand their strength more clearly. Besides, just because some barbarian tribes cooperated with the Han did not mean they were permanent allies. The Han ruling class had never particularly liked the nomadic peoples. The moment one stepped even slightly beyond the Central Plains, they were treated as frontier barbarians and looked down upon. Wasn’t that exactly why Jia Xu had come to Yuan Shu, who behaved differently?
Moreover, it isn’t just my lord and his three peerless subordinates who are strong.
Pang De, Ma Teng, and Yan Xing—the warriors from Xiliang—had only just been appointed, yet their martial prowess already shone brightly and their command of cavalry was excellent. Of course they fell short compared to the three monsters, but they were by no means weak. The way they sliced through Xianbei warriors and rampaged across the field proved their worth.
Hu Che’er did not seem to possess exceptional talent for commanding troops, but he had not been given an army to lead in the first place. His personal strength was quite useful, so he was contributing in his own way.
Gao Shun personally directed the soldiers she had led since Yuan Shu’s days as Colonel of the Jian Shi, relentlessly driving the disorganized Xianbei back, viciously exploiting their wounds to pile up achievements.
Ji Ling, using his own skill and intuition, commanded the infantry and was performing reasonably well.
Beneath Yuan Shu, even setting aside those three monsters, talent overflowed! And this was surely only the beginning.
The Yuan family’s reputation is no ordinary thing. If my lord, who already made a name for himself as an outstanding hero, continues to pile on enormous military merits, how many more talented people will flock to him?
Many would come—people like Jia Xu or the other generals currently serving him, whose humble origins had blocked their advancement despite their ability, or powerful clans who already held influence. It was only natural for people to gather around a giant of the age.
With the military merits earned here and the spoils gained from subjugating these barbarians… just how large could his power grow?
From this battle alone, out of twenty thousand Xianbei, fewer than a few hundred had managed to escape. The rest were either dead or taken prisoner. The prisoners themselves held little value, but the horses they left behind were worth a fortune. If this was the result of their first battle, how sweet would the rewards be after they continued winning?
Even after offering some of the spoils as bribes to the Ten Attendants and the Emperor, there would still be plenty left. And we will fight many more battles like this.
Jia Xu knew Yuan Shu would not be satisfied with a single engagement. Having spent his time in the capital dealing with insignificant opponents, he was itching for real action. He would rampage until his thirst was quenched. Through him they could greatly suppress the barbarians, gather spoils and warhorses to strengthen their foundation, solidify their power with bribes, and build unmatched fame through military merits. The value of all that was immeasurable.
There is nothing to worry about. Hehehe…
With the situation far safer than she had imagined, Jia Xu smiled as she peacefully envisioned the future.
Meanwhile, the Xianbei warriors loyal to the Han—having rushed over in panic after hearing that Yuan Shu had immediately charged the enemy—finally reached the battlefield.
Barbarian tribes came in many varieties. Some lived by plundering the Han, while others attached themselves to the Han, receiving titles and benefits in exchange for cooperation. Babaldeokman, chief of a tribe that had volunteered to assist when they heard the Colonel Pacifying the Xianbei was setting out on campaign, was one such ally.
Yet that very Colonel had suddenly gone berserk and slammed straight into a rather powerful Xianbei tribe…
“Aaaargh! Why did that madman have to stir things up like this?! What is the Han thinking, giving a title to such a child and ruining everything from the start?! They say the Han Emperor is so obsessed with playing merchant that he’s ruining the country…!!”
Babaldeokman, who had been eagerly planning to join in on crushing another tribe for profit, cursed Yuan Shu as a lunatic even as he raced toward the battlefield.
I have to salvage as many troops as possible if I want any chance of recovering from this!
Despite his words, having sided with the Han meant that a major defeat would drastically worsen the situation for both him and his tribe. He had no choice but to do his utmost.
“Run faster!! If we’re late, it’s all over!!”
Since they had already been moving to link up with Yuan Shu, they reached the battlefield relatively quickly. However, the sight that greeted Babaldeokman was completely different from anything he had expected.
“What…? What is this? Why does it look like the battle is already finished…?”
The Xianbei were being crushed and swept away. Those still alive were desperately trying to flee. Babaldeokman had believed the battle could not possibly end so easily, and that if it did end, it would be with a Han defeat. When that expectation was shattered so thoroughly, he stopped in his tracks and could only blink.
The situation made no sense.
Then, at that moment—
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!
“Ugh…?! W-what…!! What is that roar?! Is it an earthquake… huh?”
As he frowned at the enormous crash and the following shockwave, something came flying straight at him and slammed into both Babaldeokman and the warriors nearby.
“Whoaah?! What the hell…! What is going on…!”
If the warriors beside him had not reacted first and taken the impact, Babaldeokman would have been thrown from his horse. Grimacing from the pain, he stood up to see what had flown at them—and his jaw dropped.
“U-uuu… s-save… me…”
It was the Xianbei chief Yuan Shu had been fighting.
Yuan Shu, Xiang Yu, Richard, and Choe Jun-gyeong had all rushed in at once to take his head. Their weapons had collided with one another instead, and the resulting shockwave had sent the chief flying straight into Babaldeokman.
“This is insane! What the hell is going on here…!!”
While Babaldeokman was still reeling, trying to make sense of the situation—
Crunch!
“Gack…!!”
Something burst out through the chief’s torso. It was a human hand.
“Oh dear, a valuable guest has arrived and I was late to greet him!”
Crack…! Riiiiip!!!
The Xianbei chief’s body was torn clean in half.
“Huuuuurk…!”
Babaldeokman let out a choking gasp. From between the spraying blood, guts, and flesh, a man drenched in gore emerged, smiling brightly.
A powerfully built frame, a bold and refreshing smile, a handsome face, and an appearance so splendid that even covered in blood it inspired both awe and terror.
“Nice to meet you! You must be the Xianbei chief who agreed to lend us his strength, yes? I am the Colonel Pacifying the Xianbei—Yuan Shu!”
The man who had begun the meeting by ripping an enemy apart with raw physical strength introduced himself with a bright smile. His name was Yuan Shu.