Chương 226: ends, Wolf Dwelling Mountain

They chased and killed their way through the enemy lines.

They chased him from the heart of the grasslands to the northern desert, and from the northern desert to the vicinity of Langjuxu Mountain.

Ke Bi could run so fast that several horses would die of exhaustion, but he just couldn't shake off Liu Ce.

Finally, they were caught up at the foot of Langjuxu Mountain.

Kebineng was at his wit's end, with only three thousand cavalrymen left by his side.

He looked at the mountain before him and gave a bitter laugh: "Langjuxu Mountain... I never thought I, Kebineng, would die here."

He turned his horse around to face the pursuing Han army, raising his scimitar: "Warriors of the Xianbei! The final battle! Kill!!!"

Three thousand to ten thousand.

The final battle was a foregone conclusion.

Liu Ce personally took action, his Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd blazing like a dragon, and within a few rounds, he slew Kebineng from his horse.

The remaining Xianbei cavalrymen either died or fled, scattering in all directions.

Liu Ce didn't pursue them further; those who escaped were just small fry and wouldn't amount to anything.

The battle is over; clean up the battlefield.

Liu Ce reined in his horse, looked at the majestic mountain range before him, and asked, "Where is this?"

Xu Da took out a map drawn by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, looked at it, and his eyes lit up: "My lord, this is near Langjuxu Mountain—the holy land of the Hu people."

Liu Ce was taken aback.

Langjuxu Mountain?

Sealing the wolf's lair and drinking from the vast sea—isn't this the achievement of Huo Qubing?

Then he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Great! Great place!"

He thought to himself: The KPI is achieved, but it's still missing a bit of ceremony.

In history, Huo Qubing's victory at the Battle of Langjuxu and his drinking from the vast sea represent the highest honor for a military general.

Now, he's here too.

"Now that we've arrived," Liu Ce declared loudly, pointing his halberd to the mountain peak, "let's seal off the Wolf-Dwelling Mountain and drink from the vast sea!"

The generals were taken aback at first, but then they realized what was happening and cheered.

To seal the wolf's lair and relocate to the capital! The highest honor for a military general of the Han Dynasty! After Huo Qubing, no one else has achieved this feat.

And now, they've done it!

The soldiers were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes.

Following such a lord, winning such battles, and achieving such merits—this life has been worthwhile!

"To seal the wolf's lair and drink from the vast sea!"

"Our lord is mighty!"

Long live the Great Han Dynasty!!!

"Long live the Youzhou army!!!"

The soldiers cheered in unison, their shouts echoing across the fields.

Liu Ce led everyone up Langjuxu Mountain to prepare for the ceremony.

Standing on the mountaintop, looking out, the grassland stretches endlessly, and the sky and earth are vast.

(Liu Ce: In this situation, there is no other way but to compose a poem, ah... a poem?) He recalled every detail of his journey—from transmigrating into a member of the Han imperial family... to becoming the governor of Zhuojun... to quelling the Yellow Turban Rebellion... to destroying the Wuhuan... and now to raiding the Xianbei stronghold and sealing the Wolf Mountain.

A lot has changed in just over two years.

It also changed the fate of the northern frontier of the Han Dynasty.

"Liu Hong," Liu Ce muttered to himself, gazing south, "the achievements I made for you are impressive enough, aren't they? Now your posthumous title should look better, right?"

Although he knew that Emperor Ling's body wouldn't last much longer, and that chaos was about to break out in the world.

But at least, he repaid the kindness of being "helped".

At least, the northern border region can remain peaceful for decades to come.

At least, he took the first step in "establishing a heart for heaven and earth and establishing a destiny for the people".

...

The main peak of Langjuxu Mountain is not very high, but it stands out among the crowds on this northern grassland.

Liu Ce stood on the mountaintop, his cloak fluttering in the north wind.

Looking around, the grassland is like a carpet, the sky and earth are vast, and you can see a winding river in the distance.

"This place," Liu Ce grinned, "has nice scenery."

Behind him stood more than 10, 000 elite cavalry.

The gleaming armor shimmered in the sunlight, the warhorses snorted, and their hooves pawed restlessly at the ground—these guys had just finished a battle, and their killing intent hadn't completely dissipated.

There is an ancient altar on the mountaintop. It is unknown whether it was built by the Xiongnu, the Xianbei, or some earlier ethnic group.

It's in a terrible state now, with grass growing in the cracks between the rocks.

"Can this thing be fixed?" Liu Ce turned to ask Xu Da.

Xu Da circled the altar once and nodded: "Yes, we can. There are stones and trees on the mountain, and the soldiers are quick and efficient; they can repair it in a few hours."

"Then fix it." Liu Ce waved his hand.

"Make it look decent. This is a scene that will be recorded in history, it can't be too shabby."

At the command, the soldiers immediately sprang into action.

The logging operation—there are many pine trees on the mountain, as thick as a bowl, perfect for making beams and pillars.

The stones were piled up one by one—the mountain rocks were hard, so they were moved over one by one to solidify the base of the altar.

Others went to cut thorns and remove weeds, clearing a clearing on the mountaintop.

Dian Wei and Xu Chu squatted to one side, watching the soldiers busy themselves.

"Old Dian, why do you think our lord insists on performing the sacrificial ceremony in this wretched place?" Xu Chu asked.

Dian Wei scratched his head and said, "How would I know? But my brother said it's called... what's it called again? Sealing the Wolf and Dwelling in the Mountain? Anyway, it's a very powerful thing."

How amazing is it?

"Anyway, it's just amazing." Dian Wei couldn't quite explain it either, "It's even more amazing than winning battles."

Xu Chu nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Luo Cheng and Taishi Ci were inspecting their equipment. Luo Cheng was polishing his Five-Hook Divine Flying Silver Spear until it gleamed; Taishi Ci was adjusting his bowstring, which creaked as he pulled it.

"Ziyi, what kind of official position do you think we'll get when we go back this time?" Luo Cheng suddenly asked.

Taishi Ci looked up and laughed, "At least I'll be a general with a miscellaneous title. But whether I get an official position or not doesn't matter; the important thing is that it's exhilarating to fight alongside my lord."

Luo Cheng nodded and said, "That's true."

An hour later, the altar was repaired.

Although it's still rudimentary, at least it looks decent.

Offerings were laid out on the altar—the three sacrificial animals (cattle, sheep, and pig), all "borrowed" from the Xianbei tribe; the five grains (millet, sorghum, wheat, beans, and rice), and fine wine, all obtained from the system.

"My lord, the ceremony is ready," Xu Da reported as he approached, his usually composed general now showing excitement.

Which general doesn't yearn for the legendary feat of sealing the wolf's lair and residing in the Xiongnu territory?

Liu Ce nodded and straightened his armor—there were still bloodstains on his black gold armor that hadn't been wiped clean, but he was too lazy to clean them. He figured leaving it as it was would only make his achievements stand out more.

He strode toward the altar.

A strong wind swept across the mountaintop, causing the Han army's banners to flutter wildly.

More than 10, 000 elite cavalrymen formed a square formation. The sound of their horses pounding the ground and the clanging of their armor plates created a continuous cacophony that overpowered the howling north wind.

The scene was spectacular!

The dark mass of cavalrymen, their gleaming armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight, swords at their waists, lances in their hands, and composite bows on their backs.

Everyone's face bore the weariness of a bloody battle, but their eyes shone with an alarming brilliance—this was the Battle of Fenglangjuxu! What Huo Qubing had done, they were going to do today!

More than 10, 000 eyes were fixed on him.

He ascended the altar, facing south.

That's the direction of Luoyang, the direction of Chang'an, and even more so, the direction of the Han Dynasty.

The mountain wind blew his cloak, making it flutter behind him.

Liu Ce took a deep breath and cleared his throat—he had to make his voice carry as far as possible; this was a historic moment, and he couldn't afford to mess it up.