In this state, neither had any strategy left; heads, knees, teeth—any part of their body that could attack was used. They fought until their faces were covered in blood but neither could defeat the other quickly. Suddenly, another cry came from Dúr, who was surrounded by three scouts and unable to escape.
Li Xu heard his comrade's cry, and all his blood surged to his head. For nearly a month, Dúr had been Li Xu’s constant companion; their bond was like that of brothers. Desperate, he transformed into an angry wolf, emitting a hoarse growl as he charged at the scouts with his head, repeatedly ramming them.
The two heads collided without advantage for either party. Blood splattered before Li Xu’s eyes, and the scout's forehead turned red as well. Amidst dizziness, the scout side-stepped to avoid the blow, but Li Xu's momentum shifted him toward the target of his teeth.
Without hesitation, he bit down on the scout's neck.
"Ah!" The scout cried out in agony, using his knees and feet to attack Li Xu. But Li Xu was relentless; he curled a leg to protect his groin and refused to let go no matter how much the scout rolled or struck him.
Suddenly, the scout’s hands and legs loosened, and something warm and hot flowed into Li Xu's mouth. His blade-hand was now free, and he thrust it into the scout's abdomen. Repeating this several times, Li Xu stood up from the dead scout, spitting blood uncontrollably.
Although the scouts had gained an advantage by defeating three more with Xu Dàyǎn and Asylan’s help, they also killed Bái Xièmí and Yùtuó Tàidài. Dúr was still alive but heavily wounded in his left arm; he was now entirely out of combat.
With six against two and a half, the scouts could hold off for another half incense stick while their comrades joined them. However, they witnessed scenes that would haunt them forever.
A bloody figure staggered to Bái Xièmí's body, discovering deep cuts in his chest and back, with no blood left as his pale face was covered by snow.
He rose unsteadily and approached Yùtuó Tàidài, who had not yet expired. Seeing Li Xu alive, he nodded once before closing his eyes.
"Zhòngjiān, mount up!" Xu Dàyǎn spurred his horse to rush over, giving Li Xu a neck hug. Li Xu was knocked off balance and stared at Xu Dàyǎn in confusion, then smiled bitterly as he picked up a bloody curved blade and approached the unclaimed steed.
"Mount quickly; enemies will catch up soon!" Xu Dàyǎn and Asylan dismounted, each lifting an arm to push Li Xu onto the horse. Holding ten empty saddles, they dragged a half-conscious Dúr to escape towards the southeast.
As predicted by Xu Dàyǎn, after just a thousand steps, the scouts leading the blockade began to turn around with puzzled expressions. The scout leader who had been hit in the shoulder inspected the battlefield, noticing two Xí tribe herder bodies and more of his comrades.
Thirteen scouts pursued four herders and two half-grown boys but lost seven killed and six scared off, losing thirteen horses as well. Considering the power of the arrows they faced earlier, the scout leader began to regret his actions.
"Surely, it must be that godshot's fault." The scout leader thought in fear. He did not know that for Li Xu, this was a fixed target from a stationary position—his forte. Sixty percent luck and forty percent skill had allowed him such accuracy at distance. Terrified by the events, the scout leader stubbornly believed that an unparalleled genius must exist in the Xí tribe. Today’s encounter should have been avoided as mere herders; if they hadn’t provoked him.
"Report to Great Anyang, there are signs of their retreat towards the southeast with blood on the ground." A scout reported without tact.
"Only you are smart!" The scout leader shouted at his subordinate. His desire to stop fell empty, and he reluctantly climbed back onto his horse, leading the pursuit along the trail of blood.