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墨書 Inktalez
As the group emerged from the tomb through the grave robber's tunnel, dusk had settled in, the sky was dim, and a light rain fell. Yet, each of them was clad in remnants of armor, wielding formidable weapons, their expressions solemn, resembling asuras rising from the depths of the earth.
They were unaware of why this Heavenly Strategy Army had perished here, nor did they know whose resting place this mysterious tomb belonged to, or what secrets lay within. All they understood was that their utmost respect for the Heavenly Strategy Army had not allowed these Armors of Blades to decay with the corpses; instead, it had brought them back into the light, allowing the name of Tian Ce to resonate once more.
Caesar felt somewhat confused. In her tribe, only brave warriors earned respect and loyalty through hunting prey, collecting heads, possessing valuable items, or even through oppression. Yet, the Xu Zhen merely harmed her own hand and with a few words inspired these people from the rivers and lakes to shed blood for her.
"The Tang people are truly strange..." Caesar murmured softly. Seeing that Xu Zhen's left hand was still red, she instinctively tore a piece from her white garment and handed it to Xu Zhen.
Xu Zhen was slightly startled. Turning around, she saw Caesar scolding her irritably: "Foolish Tang people! Hands are meant for holding swords, not for self-harm. When we fight later, let’s see how you’ll manage!"
Xu Zhen squeezed the fabric and brought it to her nose for a sniff. She glanced at Caesar up and down but then tucked the piece of fabric into the gap of her arm armor. Afterward, she pulled Caesar aside and opened her left palm for her to see.
Caesar's eyes widened as if she had discovered something. She grabbed Xu Zhen's hand and wiped it; the palm was intact. The red stain was merely rust mixed with water from the copper armor. Remembering how Xu Zhen had spoken with such bravado earlier, Caesar felt a wave of disdain and harshly exclaimed: "Deceitful Tang people!"
Xu Zhen took no offense and chuckled lightly. However, her gaze drifted down to the mountain path below. At that moment, there were no travelers on the road, but looking at the chaotic and dense hoofprints confirmed Li Deqian's speculation: this path was indeed where Murong Xiao's forces had come from!
Regardless of whether Murong Xiao's cavalry had trampled through the mining area, they would inevitably retreat from here. Although Chen Wang's soldiers were hastily prepared for battle, with Miner Slaves blocking their formation, it would be impossible for Murong Xiao to break through easily. Even if they achieved a great victory, they would still have to be wary of Liangzhou Camp several miles away.
Once military reports reached Liangzhou, the light cavalry would move at full speed; covering that distance wouldn’t take much time. By then, Murong Xiao's forces would find it difficult to retreat. Thus, Murong Xiao must have planned well from the start—taking advantage when necessary and then retreating after causing some chaos. Once they crossed this hillside, they would scatter across the vast grasslands, making it impossible for the Tang army to pursue.
With fewer than twenty people here and Li Deqian lacking martial prowess—even in Golden Silk Armor he could barely hold steady—their combat effectiveness was less than five.
Zhang Jiunian and others were all heroes who fought alone; years spent in mining areas had not weakened their bodies but rather made them tougher and stronger. However, if Murong Xiao's cavalry retained a certain number of troops, they would not be able to stop them.
In truth, Xu Zhen did not intend to ambush Murong Xiao's cavalry; she simply had confidence in Tang army’s intelligence network and believed in Liangzhou Camp. That was why she waited here—to seize an opportunity.
Little did Murong Xiao expect that a bitter enemy awaited him on his return route. What he thought would be a swift passage for his cavalry now found itself mired in an encirclement by Tang reinforcements. He dashed about in search of an escape but found none; anxiety flared within him as he watched his brothers fall one by one—he couldn't even cry out!
Looking at Zhang Shenzhi, or rather the light Cavalry led by Hou Polu, Murong Xiao was filled with rage. He had thought that the Xu Zhen was just an exception among the Tang people, but now he began to doubt whether every Tang person was as detestable.
He had believed that his ambush would be flawless, but he never expected that these hundreds of light Cavalry would arrive so quickly. Little did he know, this was all thanks to the scouts sent by Hou Polu to track the Xu Zhen!
If he were to blame anyone, it could only be his bad luck; Hou Polu needed a military achievement to use as a stepping stone for his father, Hou Junji, to formally recall him to the Ministry of War!
Hou Polu's eyes were bloodshot as he swung his sword like the wind. His warhorse neighed and galloped fiercely. After forcing Murong Xiao back, he delivered a horizontal slash that took off half of a fallen Achai's head!
Seeing that the enemy had gained the upper hand and that Chen Wang from the mining camp had organized the Garrison to hide behind the Miner Slaves while continuously shooting Cold Arrows, Murong Xiao's Cavalry fell one after another. The number of those killed by Cold Arrows exceeded those clashing with Hou Polu's light Cavalry!
At this point, Murong Xiao could only accept defeat. He even wondered if this light Cavalry had been lying in wait outside the mining camp, just waiting for them to make their move!
"Retreat! Quickly retreat!" Murong Xiao shouted as he swung his curved blade, knocking a Tang Cavalryman off his horse. Waving his military knife, he yelled for the Achai, who were already terrified by the Cold Arrows, to retreat in disarray. Hou Polu, invigorated and enjoying the fight, gave an order for his light Cavalry to launch another round of pursuit, chasing them out of the mining camp!
The chaotic battlefield finally split into two camps. Murong Xiao led over a hundred riders in a frantic escape while Hou Polu pursued with more than three hundred light Cavalry like a whirlwind.
The scattered rocky hills outside the mining camp had provided excellent cover during Murong Xiao's ambush but became a significant hindrance during their escape. In this blockage, Hou Polu's light Cavalry left behind thirty or forty severed heads!
Murong Xiao fled through the rocky hills with a few dozen remaining riders, feeling utterly defeated and regretting that if it weren't for his eagerness for achievements, his brothers wouldn't have died in vain here.
Although there had been a massacre in the mining area, most of those who fell were worthless Miner Slaves and some Garrison members who hadn't found cover in time. In the end, despite fighting fiercely and killing over a hundred light Cavalrymen, Murong Xiao's own Cavalry suffered heavy losses as well!
After this battle, Murong Xiao seemed to have hit rock bottom in his life. He could already imagine his future situation within the tribe.
However, he was not just a fierce wolf; he was also resilient like wild grass. As long as there were green mountains left, he need not worry about firewood. At critical moments, his ruthlessness would prove its worth.
Murong Xiao put on an air of righteousness and shouted to the Achai behind him: "I will draw away the enemy forces; you must flank from the left and ensure that you bring back the Blood Wolf Flag to our tribe! Tell our people that our brothers died for the tribe!"
The Achai were filled with indignation upon seeing that Commander Murong had actually created an opportunity for them to escape. One by one, they expressed their unwillingness to flee alone, declaring their intent to share life and death with Commander Murong!
However, Murong Xiao roared like a wounded lion, "You all hurry and leave! Otherwise, you will face military punishment!"
The Achai knew that the direction Murong Xiao was heading was the same path they had come from, and as a Commander, the enemy would undoubtedly pursue him relentlessly. In this case, Colonel Murong Xiao would be going to his doom!
Seeing Murong Xiao's heroic and tragic demeanor, the Achai ultimately left with tears in their eyes. They split into two groups; over thirty riders veered left into the mountain paths to escape, while Murong Xiao led fifteen or sixteen personal guards forward towards the mountain pass.
After splitting their forces, Murong Xiao let out a long sigh of relief. He understood the Tang People's style well; when they gained the upper hand, they would pursue relentlessly. The main force of light cavalry would surely chase after the larger group of soldiers. Moreover, the Blood Wolf Flag was a symbol of the Commander. Although he spoke grandly about honor and sacrifice, he had essentially sold out his thirty-odd brothers to the pursuing Tang light cavalry!
Hou Polu's steed was magnificent, powerful and swift as the wind. Seeing the fleeing soldiers split into two groups, he quickly ordered Zhang Shenzhi to lead a large force to hunt down the Blood Wolf Flag. Having clashed with Murong Xiao several times before, he recognized his Dragon-Blooded Steed and immediately led dozens of knights in hot pursuit!
"Hmph! No matter how cunning you are, you can't escape my eyes!" He saw through Murong Xiao's disgraceful act of abandoning his vehicle to protect himself and spurred his horse towards the mountain pass.
However, their steeds could not compare to the local horses of Tuguhun that raced daily across the grasslands. They watched helplessly as Murong Xiao and his few riders crashed into the sloped pass!
Murong Xiao took a deep breath; once they passed this narrow pass, they would enter the vast meadows where they could scatter and escape freely!
"Commander Murong, we did it!" One of his trusted aides, aware of Murong Xiao's cunning plan, laughed loudly upon entering the narrow pass. But before he could finish speaking, a stone as large as a watermelon suddenly flew down from the slope, smashing half his face and causing him to fall silent as he dropped from his horse!
Murong Xiao's steed was startled and neighed uncontrollably. After much effort, he managed to rein in the horse and stop it. However, stones fell like rain from the slope, scattering their formation!
"There’s an ambush!"
Princess Jinyang had initially planned to give up but was surprised to see that only fifteen or sixteen remnants from Tuguhun had returned. However, upon spotting that familiar Dragon-Blooded Steed, her heart surged with joy—wasn't this her old rival Murong Xiao? Last time he got away; this time she had the advantage of timing and location. From her elevated position, she could not let him escape again!
Gripping her long knife tightly, Princess Jinyang was about to issue an order when a tall figure rushed down the slope beside her—Big Black Man Zhou Cang dashed down with his broadsword in hand like thunder, hair flying wildly as if Zhang Yide had been reborn!
Murong Xiao and the remaining soldiers were secretly rejoicing at their chance to escape, but unexpectedly, a group of Red Armor Tang Soldiers charged in like heavenly troops. The leading Black Man leaped down from the slope, swinging his broadsword in an astonishing arc, cleaving one of the Cavalry brothers in half at the shoulders!
The Xu Zhen had not yet given any orders and couldn't help but smile wryly. It was said that if you gave him a "gun," he could create a nation; if Zhou Cang, this Big Black Man, were given a spear, he could probably annihilate a whole nation!
About fifteen or sixteen Cavalry members were knocked over by falling rocks, and the remaining ones were startled by the sudden attack, causing their warhorses to throw them to the ground. After Zhou Cang and the others charged down, they swept through the area with ease!
The Xu Zhen gripped her long knife tightly, her Red Armor stained with blood. Tuguhun Achai charged at her with a loud roar, swinging his curved blade toward her. She shouted and, with a clang, managed to sever his weapon, cutting into his neck halfway. Blood immediately sprayed onto the Xu Zhen's face and body, making her bronze armor appear even more ferocious!
Murong Xiao initially intended to flee on horseback, but upon seeing the Xu Zhen's formidable presence, he gritted his teeth and spurred his horse toward her!
The Xu Zhen sneered coldly; with a swift motion of her left hand to her waist, she suddenly threw a flying dagger. Murong Xiao never expected someone would use hidden weapons during battle. He dodged slightly but was struck in the shoulder by the knife and fell off his horse!
Just as he attempted to get back up, the Xu Zhen's long knife descended upon him. In a panic, he raised his weapon to block as they engaged in combat!
Hou Polu felt delighted as he imagined himself impaling the enemy chief on his military flag and returning triumphantly to camp, stirring up a sensation in the military. Little did he know that the fleeing soldiers ahead had been intercepted!
What infuriated him most was that it was that bastard Xu Zhen who had blocked the escape! Where did she come from?
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