Yellow sands stretch endlessly, the heavens and the earth vast, as Qibi Li dismounted and tapped his armor with a finger. The weapons of the Central Plains, the craftsmanship in forging armor, far surpassed that of the Western Regions and the grasslands. The skilled craftsmen of the Mo School and Military School truly understood the art of steel. A smile could not help but appear on Qibi Li’s solemn face. In recent years, he had brought together the Tiele’s nine tribes anew; after hundreds of years, the once-great tribes now had few people, living in poverty. Even light armor like the golden curved sword cavalry’s treasure blades were painstakingly fashioned piece by piece. Later, after Li Guanyi occupied Anxi City, they tightened their belts and changed into good armor, but how could the armor of a single Western Regions city compare to the superior formal armor of Central Plains nation’s border Duke Mansion? "The curved swords are not needed; our curved swords have been passed down from ancestors, maintained through generations. They were forged in the peak days of our clan. Each blade is top-tier weapon grade, wrapped in oily cloth within the tribe and never discarded even in the most perilous times." "It’s time to let them reappear in the world." The four thousand men led by Fan Qing were all clad in heavy armor. It provided three thousand sets of full armor for horse and rider, which could not compare to the armor of the top-tier strong forces of the world, but for Fan Qing at this moment, it was sufficient. He extended his hand, palm caressing the heavy armor cast from steel. A hint of a smile appeared on the face of this agreeable combat leader. Ten thousand people thus exchanged, the forces Changsun Wuchou brought belonged initially to Xiyi City, hailing from major cities and heroic passes, showing slight arrogance towards people like Fan Qing, especially seeing their armor as inferior. But when these ten thousand donned armor, not a sound was made. They began to sense something amiss. Silence, wordlessness, murderous intent. Over ten thousand stood quietly, changing armor. A vast array of people. No whispered laughter, no mutual conversation. Only the fine, murderous ringing of armor plates colliding, heightening the oppressive atmosphere, accompanied by the crisp, continuous crunch of armored fitting completion. Fan Qing tightened the protections around his waist, arm guards wrapped around his body, hand extended, gripping the heavy shield, long-handled battle sword, raised eyes. The fine sound of armor plates colliding vanished instantly. Leaving only the sound of calm breathing and gaze, a murderous aura soared skyward, Meng Lejun felt his heart leap, scalp tingling, Fan Qing smiled, clenched his fist, and said, "General Changsun, good armor." "Everyone, prepare to mount." Over ten thousand divided into two main regions. Six thousand light cavalry led by Qi Bi Li, divided into three thousand golden curved sword cavalry, three thousand Tiele Tribe curved sword cavalry, all their own sons. The heavy armored forces led by Fan Qing were also brought forth by himself, this general from a peasant family commanding with the realm of Fourth Layer Heaven, now leading four thousand. Among them, three thousand heavily armored cavalry for charge formation. A thousand heavy shielded armored crossbow cavalry. A sharp, fierce murderous intent rose violently, yet dead silent, precisely because of the silence, making this military formation’s murderous aura more tumultuous, the faces of Meng Lejun and other officers turned pale, Fan Qing sitting on horseback, said, "Armor of the Central Plains." "About to set foot on the battlefield again, General Changsun," He raised his hand, tossing over an item in his grasp, a brocade pouch. Fan Qing said deeply, "If victorious and returning, I shall thank the General again." Although his personal commanding ability was weaker than Qibi Li’s, he carried an implicit sense of grandeur like a mountain, possessing great general talent. Ten thousand riders, abandoning logistical supplies, choosing only the finest steeds, under the military formation’s support, moved silently towards the enemy’s main camp. Ten thousand would reach their battle position in an hour. Li Guanyi did not waste time; he went personally to Yemen Pass City to investigate the situation of the garrison, immediately noticing discrepancies. The troops here wore varying armor. Careful inquiry revealed, among the seventy thousand troops, a significant portion were defenders from forty cities that were breached or surrendered; each possessed Inner Qi, yes, the Inner Qi present among resting garrison Li Guanyi was informed by Duke Li. Li Guanyi looked at the outside troops, slightly irritated in his heart. Duke Li appeared boldly, claiming our alliance was without problem, yet his words contained hidden pitfalls. Did he speak truthfully? He did speak truthfully. But did he tell the entire truth? Find the newest release on NoveI(F)ire.net His methods more seasoned and mature than Li Jianwen’s, were it not for Li Guanyi’s rich experience, he might have fallen for it, the Western Regions coalition was probably even larger originally, capturing those forty cities, each left one to two thousand troops stationed. Then, rather than killing the original defenders, forced them to merge with Xiyi City’s coalition army into a defeated army, a tactic favored by Western Regions and grasslands Turkic peoples: wolves pursuing sheep, exhausting living forces. Much like Li Guanyi’s rationale for the charge formation. A large number can sometimes be a heavy burden. The impact of a defeated army on morale is substantial. A feigned defeat is actually a highly skilled tactic, achievable only by generals above a certain level. It’s better to say the defeated army did not become entirely chaotic.