126 Donglai Taishi Ci

After having Zhao Lin taken away, Luan Yi spurred his horse and returned to the rebel camp, which was now engulfed in flames. By this time, the battle was drawing to a close; the sounds of shouting and killing grew faint until they were finally extinguished.

Seeing Luan Yi ride through the camp gates, Xu Shu, his face smeared with soot, hurried to meet him. He was so covered in ash that Luan Yi almost failed to recognize him. Flashing a grin of white teeth, he said, "Brother Yi is back! Our army has achieved a great victory!" He pulled the freshly compiled battle report from his sleeve. "In this engagement, we have beheaded over 11,000 of the enemy and captured more than 22,000. Our own losses are 642 dead and over 500 wounded."

"642 dead?" Luan Yi's eyes narrowed. Trading 642 lives for 13,000 is a miracle by any standard, but the total casualties—13,642 men—were staggering. These were 13,642 Han lives! "Ensure the medics take good care of the wounded!"

"Understood! Divine Physician Hua and Doctor Wang have already gathered the injured in one place!"

"Excellent! Draft a report of our victory to the imperial court immediately!"

"Understood!"

As they spoke, the other generals, hearing of Luan Yi's return, gathered around.

"Fourth Brother, did you capture that Peng Tuo?" Zhang Fei bellowed from a distance.

Luan Yi shook his head regretfully. "Peng Tuo escaped. But we caught a decoy!"

"Ah..." Zhang Fei sighed in disappointment.

"No matter!" Luan Yi consoled him. "Let him live for a few more days. Sooner or later, I will have his dog's head."

After his defeat, Peng Tuo had fled through the night back to Bo Cai's camp at Changshe, where he reported the entire ordeal to his commander. Upon hearing that Peng Tuo had lost 50,000 men in one stroke, Bo Cai was so furious that he nearly fainted. In a fit of rage, he ordered his men to drag Peng Tuo out and execute him.

The other rebel generals in the tent pleaded desperately, shouting, "Executing a general before the battle is an ill omen! It would be better to spare General Peng's life and let him redeem himself through future merit!" This plea finally dissuaded Bo Cai. He then considered mobilizing his entire force to strike at Luan Yi, but was again dissuaded by his officers: "General, you must not! If we abandon the siege of Changshe to attack Luan Yi, the imperial forces within the city will realize our departure is due to the arrival of reinforcements. The desperate defenders will surely have their morale boosted and charge out to coordinate with Luan Yi, catching us in a pincer attack. That would put us in grave danger!"

"This..." Bo Cai weighed their words and realized they were right. "Then keep the main army at the siege to prevent news from leaking out. Send a separate force to attack Luan Yi."

"That is also impossible!"

"Hm?" Bo Cai glared, a furious grunt serving as his question.

"Think, General. General Peng is the bravest of the brave, yet he personally led 50,000 men to intercept Luan Yi and still suffered defeat. If we send a large force now, the defenders in the city will discover the movement of reinforcements. If we send too small a force, it might be swallowed up by Luan Yi, and we would lose more than we gain!"

Bo Cai scratched his head in frustration. "Too many won't work, too few won't work. What are we to do?"

"There are only two ways to avoid the enemy's edge."

"Stop the chatter and say it!" Bo Cai urged.

The general ventured, "One, we could temporarily retreat to avoid their momentum."

Before he could finish, Bo Cai slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Absolutely not! Though we lost one battle, our numbers still far exceed the combined forces of Huangfu Song and Luan Yi. How can we retreat without a fight? Furthermore, we have besieged the city for so long and are on the verge of victory; how can we throw away all our efforts now? Do not mention this again. I, Bo Cai, will never retreat. Tell me the other way."

"Hold our position, reinforce the rear camp, and keep Luan Yi isolated from Changshe. At the same time, accelerate the assault on the city to take it as soon as possible, kill Huangfu Song, and then turn our weapons on Luan Yi."

"Sigh... that is all we can do then!" Bo Cai sighed, his reply heavy with worry. During this time, his eyes, filled with lingering rage, swept over Peng Tuo from time to time, making the man feel a chill run down his spine.

Inside the central command tent of the Yellow Turban army, while they were discussing military matters, a scout reported that Luan Yi's army was marching toward Changshe and had set up camp 30 miles from the city.

"Shall we launch a night raid while Luan Yi is still unstable?" Bo Cai suggested, but before the words left his mouth, he was blocked again.

This time, it was Peng Tuo who spoke: "Commander, Luan Yi is as cunning as a fox. He must already be prepared and will not fall for such a trick easily. I beg you to reconsider!"

"I beg you to reconsider, Commander!" the generals echoed in unison.

"This won't work, that won't work—it's driving me mad!"

Just as Bo Cai was feeling helpless against Luan Yi, Luan Yi was also facing a dilemma in his own command tent. A moment ago, he had asked his generals, "Who is willing to break through the encirclement and report to the Grand Administrators in Changshe?"

To his surprise, Dian Wei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, Xu Chu, and Taishi Ci all stood up at once, volunteering for the mission. Their enthusiasm was as if they were not about to charge through a hundred-thousand-strong army, but were instead picking up delicious treats.

The generals refused to yield, arguing and competing until Luan Yi's head throbbed. He didn't know whom to choose, sighing that having too many fierce generals was also a problem—at the very least, assigning tasks was a headache.

He glanced at Guan Yu. Honestly, Guan Yu's martial prowess was second to none, but he had a major flaw: he excelled in duels. While he was peerless in face-to-face combat, he was slightly less suited than others for charging through thousands of enemy ranks.

He looked at Zhang Fei. Luan Yi shook his head without hesitation; this Third Brother was brave, but impulsive. He couldn't trust him with such a delicate mission.

Dian Wei? No. He was well-suited for the task, but his eloquence was lacking—it would be a disaster if he couldn't clearly explain the situation to Huangfu Song.

Xu Chu? He needed to send him back to Jinan to escort a batch of prisoners. With such a heavy responsibility, he couldn't be spared.

Huang Zhong? There were too many things he needed to consult him about daily; he couldn't leave yet.

Zhao Yun or Taishi Ci?

In the past, Zhao Yun had fought in and out of Changban seven times. Taishi Ci had charged through the rebel ranks like a man in an empty field to reinforce Kong Beihai.

Undoubtedly, both were heroes among men; no one was better suited to pierce the rebel camp and deliver the message to Changshe.

But who to choose? Zhao Yun? Or Taishi Ci?

Luan Yi pondered carefully. Throughout the church army's campaign, Zhao Yun had contributed great merit, while Taishi Ci had either defended cities or followed the main force, remaining somewhat obscure...

Fine! This time, he would give him a chance to earn glory! "Taishi Ci, hear my order!"

At nightfall, a hundred Templars stood with their horses in the open field outside the central tent. Before them stood Taishi Ci, his armor painted charcoal gray, holding his long spear.

Luan Yi, in full armor, stood before him and personally tied his cloak. "This mission depends on you, Ziyi!"

"Clack!" Taishi Ci clicked his heels together, saluted, and said in a clear voice, "Do not worry, Sect Master! I will not fail the mission."

"Do you remember what I told you to relay to General Huangfu?" To avoid leaks, Luan Yi had not written a letter, opting instead for a verbal message.

"I have it memorized!" Taishi Ci patted his chest.

"Then I am at ease!" Luan Yi's lips curled upward. "Men, bring the wine!"

A dozen guards entered the field carrying trays with bowls of fragrant "Immortal's Brew." They distributed the wine to the Templars, and Luan Yi and Taishi Ci each took a bowl.

Luan Yi held his bowl high and shouted, "Warriors! According to military law, drinking is forbidden in camp. But... today I want to make an exception. On this special day, you are taking great risks to complete a monumental task. Your success determines the survival of every brother and sister in this camp, the fate of the entire campaign, the future of our great Han, and the direction of our Chinese civilization. Therefore, I, Luan Yi, Sect Master of the Holy Mother, demand this of you: you must succeed, failure is not an option. And I order you all to return to me alive. I wish you victory and a swift return. For victory, cheers!" With that, Luan Yi drained his bowl, flung the pottery onto the ground, and it shattered with a "snap!"

"Snap, snap, snap!" The sound of breaking pottery echoed one after another.

"Victory!" Luan Yi shouted, raising his arms.

"Victory!" Taishi Ci and the hundred Templars roared in unison.

Luan Yi raised his hands to quiet the thunderous shouting, crossed them over his chest, closed his eyes, and said slowly, "Let us pray."

At his command, everyone in the field, including Taishi Ci and the Templars, crossed their arms and closed their eyes.

"Great Holy Mother, your most loyal subjects pray to you with grateful hearts. Great God, our Mother, in this past time, you said 'East,' and we never looked 'West.' You said 'plant rice,' and we never buried millet. Thus, you favored us, granting us wisdom, courage, and strength. On the battlefield, you guided us to victory with your great power; we captured city after city, invincible and unconquerable, and we are deeply grateful for this. But... the war is not over. Before us lie even stronger enemies. You told us to use the crimson light to destroy these evil ones. I, your son, am prepared to follow your words. But a single tree is hard to support; my strength is insufficient, and I must seek the help of others. Now, those who can help us are right in front—in Changshe city, while outside the city lies the lair of demons. Today, I send my brave warriors to pierce the demon's den and find our allies. Please show your power once more, protect our heroes, and let them return safely to your temple to serve you, honor you, and spread your gospel. In the name of the Mother Goddess Nuwa, Amen!"

"Amen!"

After the prayer, everyone opened their eyes.

Luan Yi instructed Taishi Ci again: "Ziyi, remember. I have ordered my Second and Third Brothers to lead troops to set fires outside the rebels' west camp. The rebels will surely fall into chaos. When you see the fire, use the confusion to charge through."

"I understand!" With that, Taishi Ci and the Templars mounted their horses, gave a 45-degree salute, and rode off.

"May the Holy Mother protect us!" those remaining in the camp whispered in unison, tracing a cross over their chests.