Chapter 458: A Satisfying Battle! General Zhenbei’s Betrayal?

Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat.

This could no longer be described as mere good luck—it was nothing short of a miracle!

When the Beili Army stopped to rest, they not only chanced upon a grove of date palms, but even the cacti they passed were laden with fruit.

A gentle tailwind accompanied them the entire way, and the Beili Army reached the Xijin camp in half the expected time.

Emperor Wu Su intended to temper the Hu Brothers, so he had Feng Xiang take Hu Lie to challenge the enemy.

The enemy’s Mighty General rode out to meet them. He was two sizes larger than Hu Lie, but Hu Lie swung his Meteor Hammer and knocked him off his horse with a single blow.

Hu Lie looked at his enemy, who lay on the ground after his fall, likely with a broken bone or two, and threw his head back, laughing triumphantly.

"HAHAHA! A punk like you dares to fight me? Go back and train for another thousand years!"

Meanwhile, Feng Xiang felt his own archery was unnaturally accurate. Every arrow hit an enemy soldier. Even if an arrow went astray, a gust of wind would blow it back on course.

He stared at his hands in astonishment. "This is miraculous..."

The same thing was happening to all the soldiers of Beili.

This battle was just... so damn satisfying!

It was no exaggeration to say that even a randomly thrown spear would find its way into an enemy’s backside.

The Beili army’s morale soared to unprecedented heights. Every man puffed out his chest with confidence, and they were all fighting for a chance to join the battle.

Wei Ting’s hands began to itch for a fight. He looked at Emperor Wu Su, who remained perfectly composed on his horse.

He clasped his hands in a salute. "Your Majesty, I..."

Zhao Mingyan said, "General Wei, the wound on your back hasn’t fully healed. Besides, it is not yet your time to fight."

Wei Ting could only remain with the Emperor, watching the battle from the rear.

Xijin had planned to launch a surprise attack at night, but not only had the Beili Army surrounded them at their own gates, their five great generals who went out to fight were utterly crushed.

Beili’s military strength was terrifyingly immense, and panic spread through the Xijin soldiers.

Inside his command tent, Yu Wen Tiancheng glared furiously at the kneeling general. "What did you say? Say it again!"

The general said dejectedly, "Your Highness, the five great generals we sent out... have all... all been defeated. Morale is wavering..."

Losing his top generals one after another left Yu Wen Tiancheng both shocked and furious. Morale was collapsing. If he didn’t go out now, it would be too late. He stood up. "I will go see for myself."

Zhao Mingyan narrowed his eyes at the figure emerging from the Xijin camp gate. He raised an eyebrow. "General Wei, it seems capturing the Prince Xijin alive won’t be so difficult after all."

Wei Ting clasped his hands. "My injuries are no longer serious. I request permission to fight."

Zhao Mingyan turned his head, his gaze landing heavily on Wei Ting’s shoulder.

"Permission granted."

The Beili Army shifted formation. The dark mass of armor and weapons clattered in unison as they realigned.

Yu Wen Tiancheng watched the man ride out from among the iron-clad cavalry. He smiled. "So it’s General Wei."

The sword in Wei Ting’s hand flashed with a cold light. "It is."

Yu Wen Tiancheng said, "So the Emperor of Beili doesn’t dare to show his face and sends you, an injured man, in his stead."

He tutted twice. "Tell me, General Wei, is he afraid of being injured again, left on the brink of death like the last time he was stabbed? Or does he just want you to die faster so you’re out of his sight?"

Wei Ting didn’t fall for the provocation. He maintained his smile. "Naturally, it’s because one doesn’t use a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken. To deal with you, I am more than enough."

Yu Wen Tiancheng stared at him. "General Wei, why throw your life away for the Emperor Beili, only to end up with nothing?"

Wei Ting pointed his sword at him. "Enough nonsense."

But Yu Wen Tiancheng had much more to say. "I heard that before the General left for this campaign, he took a wife, but someone else cut in."

Wei Ting’s gaze turned sharp. "You’re so concerned with my affairs. You should be more concerned with whether or not your head is going to stay on your shoulders."

Yu Wen Tiancheng laughed. "But I heard that while General Wei was rushing to the Northern Border overnight, your wise and brilliant King of Beili paid a visit to the Wei Family’s bridal chamber."

Wei Ting’s expression changed instantly. He lunged with his sword, striking at Yu Wen Tiancheng without a shred of hesitation.

"Nonsense!"

Although Yu Wen Tiancheng had practiced martial arts, he was no match for a general who had lived on the razor’s edge. Wei Ting’s swordsmanship was overwhelming, each strike aimed at a vital point.

Yu Wen Tiancheng panted, "General Wei, why not cooperate with me? Whatever you desire, I can give you."

Wei Ting scoffed. "Making peace with someone like you would only dirty my hands."

Before he finished speaking, Wei Ting’s sword stabbed toward Yu Wen Tiancheng’s left shoulder. Yu Wen Tiancheng barely managed to block it with his scimitar.

Yu Wen Tiancheng shoved him back and said angrily, "You’re no gentleman either, General Wei, so why act so sanctimonious! Didn’t you use coercion and bribery to marry that Fifth Miss Ji?"

"You and I are the same kind," Yu Wen Tiancheng said sinisterly. "I can give you what you want. That woman from the Ji Family, and the throne of Beili—they can all be yours!"

Wei Ting’s sword pressed against Yu Wen Tiancheng’s scimitar.

He raised his voice. "You’re dreaming!"

But Wei Ting couldn’t stop an image from flashing through his mind: Ji Qingwu squatting on the ground before his tent, doodling with a stick as she waited for him to return.

Sensing his opponent’s divided attention, Yu Wen Tiancheng let the sharp, poisoned tip of a hidden weapon slip out from his left sleeve.

"We are both men. There’s no need for insincere words. Your eyes tell me you don’t want to give up."

Then, Yu Wen Tiancheng extended his left hand in a gesture of goodwill. "Let us be allies. Let me help you!"

Wei Ting’s expression was dazed and conflicted. His free hand, the one not holding the sword, slowly began to rise.

Yu Wen Tiancheng continued, "General Wei is truly a man who understands the times. In the future, you will surely become..."

His pupils contracted, and his brow furrowed in pain. "You..."

Wei Ting suddenly grabbed his left hand with force. The sharp point of the hidden weapon tore through the flesh of Yu Wen Tiancheng’s palm, burying itself deep inside.

The poison rapidly coursed toward his heart, and Yu Wen Tiancheng began to tremble violently.

A mocking smile touched Wei Ting’s lips. "Committing a despicable act once is enough."

’Going mad once is enough.’

Yu Wen Tiancheng was ultimately wounded by his own poisoned weapon. He barely managed to escape under the protection of his Death Warriors, who fought to the last man.

The battlefield descended into chaos. The scales of victory had tipped decisively in Beili’s favor.

Wei Ting rubbed his aching right shoulder as Hu Lie gathered around him. "General Wei, I almost thought you were going to defect! I was already getting my hammer ready."

Wei Ting raised an eyebrow. "What? If I defected, you were going to swing that hammer at me?"

Feng Xiang came over as well. "How could General Zhenbei possibly defect? Don’t listen to Second Hu’s nonsense."

Hu Lie said, "Who’s Second Hu?"

Feng Xiang pointed at him. "You are."

Hu Lie retorted, "I think you’re the one spouting nonsense. Can you dare say you didn’t raise your bow when that Prince Xijin was spewing his poison?"