"Of course, the two options I mentioned are merely chances to 'atone for your sins.' If neither of you wishes to accept, then there is a third path you may choose." I paused and added.
"The third... path? What is it?" the portly commander asked timidly.
"You have already witnessed the speed of myself and my subordinates," I said, walking up beside the portly commander's horse. "Commander, may I borrow your saber?"
He hesitated, not daring to refuse, drew his waist saber, and respectfully handed it to me.
I stepped back a few paces, slowly raised the saber, pointed it at the assembled men, and said coldly, "If you resist stubbornly, it will probably only take me and my men half an hour to kill all twenty thousand of you."
"Heh, such empty--" Before the middle-aged commander could finish his sneer, I activated the Gale Force Art and swept forward.
However, I didn't strike him. Instead, I severed the legs of the warhorses ridden by his men. The middle-aged commander found himself sitting on a chair whose legs had suddenly broken. He toppled onto the ground. The warhorses, not realizing what had happened, began to whinny only after a two-second delay.
I tossed the saber back to the portly commander and turned to leave, "In any case, I have conveyed the words of the Young King of Hell. I will give you some time to consider. I will go deal with Long Que's remnants first, and then I will return to annihilate you."
"Wait, Lord Wu, please hold on a moment!" The middle-aged commander quickly dismounted and ran over, then knelt on the ground with a thud. "Lord Wu, we are willing to serve you with all our might."
"Your horse is gone, how can you serve with all your might?" I asked with a smile.
"I have a spare horse!" the commander earnestly defended himself.
"Very well, let's see how you perform," I said.
They were quite sensible and found two warhorses for Li Yuanba and myself. I then took command of twenty thousand cavalry, heading towards Long Que's army.
The seven-mile journey was covered in no time. Arriving at a small hill, I saw from a distance large groups of soldiers forming circle after circle. The Three Yin Palace army was engaged in fierce combat with Long Que's remnants.
No, it wasn't just the Three Yin Palace formations. Even the civilians from the city had charged out. It must have been Dongfang Jibai's command. It seems she intends to stake everything.
I frowned and watched for a while. Long Que's formation was already sparse, almost on the verge of collapse, due to the attacks from the Three Yin Palace army.
Moreover, these soldiers were not like Long Que's, a truly elite force. After losing morale, they were gradually becoming a disorganized rabble.
"Lord Wu, please give the order!" the middle-aged commander gestured deferentially.
"Everyone, tear off a strip from your inner garments and wrap it around your left arm," I ordered. This was necessary to distinguish these cavalry from the rebels. The Three Yin Palace army would recognize this marking, just as the Black Armored soldiers had used it when they fled.
"Yes!" The cavalrymen roared in unison.
Soon, I saw the cavalry in black armor stripping off their clothes, revealing the white cloth armbands underneath.
I nodded slightly. Truly an excellent cavalry unit. I wondered if they were the elite troops of Han Xin, whom I had somehow tricked into joining me.
"My lord, how do you plan to deal with the captured rebel soldiers?" the middle-aged commander asked. It was clear he was an experienced commander who could foresee that the addition of this fresh force of twenty thousand cavalry would lead to the complete collapse of Long Que's remnants.
"They are all our own people now. Let them surrender unconditionally," I said.
"Understood."
"Attack," I waved my hand.
"Kill!"
The cavalry group charged out, engaging in combat and slaying as they went.
At this moment, the people from the Three Yin Palace also noticed this fresh force. They might have thought it was actual imperial reinforcements. The cavalrymen jumped off their horses, advancing on foot and clashing with Long Que's remnants. In an instant, the tide had turned against Long Que's army.
Soon, one by one, Long Que's soldiers fell.
After about ten minutes of fighting, the first wave of Long Que's remnants surrendered their weapons. The surrender spread like a plague through the ranks, quickly engulfing the entire army.
Another ten minutes passed, the snow stopped, and the battle ended.
However, this war was not over. Behind them were eighty thousand infantry from the original Ha Yachakku, who were estimated to arrive in about two hours.
Two hours should be enough time. I immediately divided the Three Yin Palace army into two routes, then divided the twenty thousand Ha Yachakku cavalry into two routes, and then divided the forty to fifty thousand surrendered cavalry into two routes, making a total of a little over one hundred thousand men.