The scout saw the opportunity and spurred his mount around the empty saddle of Li Xu's steed, charging fiercely at him. Li Xu was at a disadvantage in terms of height; unable to engage with weapons, he lowered himself and crawled under his horse’s belly on the other side.

"Mount up quickly!" Dúr shouted urgently. However, with Bái Xièmí and another scout injured by their opponents, there were no rescuers for Li Xu. He struggled under his mount, constantly ducking to avoid the pursuing scout's attacks. Repeated attempts made the scout impatient; he slashed at Li Xu’s horse on its rump.

"Sii-luu!" The steed let out a long howl of pain and ignored its rider's fate as it galloped towards the distance. Seizing this moment, Li Xu risked his life to dive beside the scout, slashing at the enemy's neck with his curved blade. Before the scout’s horse could emit even a whinny, it collapsed.

Li Xu capitalized on this success and pounced, swinging his blade repeatedly toward the scout’s head. The scout was still stuck in the stirrups and unable to dodge; he tried to block Li Xu’s fatal blow with his blade. However, Li Xu rushed too fiercely, blocking the blade but colliding with the scout.

Both were within striking distance, and their knees clashed, causing them both to grimace. Neither dared to let go of each other's wrists as they wrestled around the fallen horse.

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.