In the southern reaches of the realm of Qingming, a massive Western Jin army had already formed its battle lines. They looked well-disciplined and terribly formidable. On the other hand, a force that numbered only half as many of their own stood on the opposite side.

In the middle guard, several generals and commandants were gazing into the distance at the ragtag bunch of misfits opposite them, their expressions a mix of disbelief and astonishment. One of the commandants couldn’t help but remark, “General Hsu, are we sure this is the Qingming garrison that has repelled the Shamans multiple times, and not a bunch of beggars?”

The general surnamed Hsu narrowed his eyes slightly and replied slowly, “Wei Yuan is definitely underestimating us all right.”

The two opposing armies stood face to face. The Western Jin forces, led by General Hsu, were well-organized and 15,000 strong. They were equipped with both infantry and archers, as well as several hundred mounted skirmishers. The core of this force consisted of his loyal personal guard, with only five thousand being local troops transferred...