The stench of fresh blood and raw meat hung thick in the cold air of Xiaopei. Several days had passed since Imperial Uncle Liu Bei and his white-haired advisor marched their main forces out of Xuzhou toward the southern border. In the courtyard of the Bingzhou military barracks, the scene unfolding truly shattered the pride of any knight. The Wolf Cavalry, the deadliest horse-riding unit to ever carve a bloody history across the lands of China, now looked like nothing more than a bunch of beggars holding swords. The grain rations, ruthlessly choked off by Jo Fan before he left, had shown their lethal effect. Empty stomachs turned sanity into desperation. Today, those northern barbarian warriors were forced to commit the most taboo act for a cavalry force. They were slaughtering their own warhorses. "Cut the meat into smaller pieces. We have to make this broth last for the whole company." Wei Xu shouted. The lieutenant's