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The autumn night in Kuber Prairie was particularly cold. During the day, the vast grassland seemed to split the world into two halves: the blue sky above and the green earth below. At night, the sky above the prairie was like a black cloth sprinkled with diamonds, while the ground was pitch dark.
Although Murong Xiao served as a guide, Xu Zhen did not want to lead the team too deep into the prairie. After all, they were already far from Liangzhou Camp, and venturing deeper into the wilderness could lead to dire consequences. He even instructed his brothers to put away their Tian Ce Red Armor.
The warhorses of the Murong Clan carried three days' worth of rations and enough Kumis, but Zhou Cang still took a few brothers with him, riding out with bows drawn. Before long, he returned with various game. They built a fire in a sheltered spot on the hillside and sent someone to keep watch from a higher vantage point, allowing them to relax and eat in peace.
Zhou Cang and his brothers feasted on roasted game that was golden and juicy, drinking Kumis as if trying to quench their thirst from their time in the mines.
However, Zhang Jiunian's manner of eating was extremely refined; he took his time, moving gracefully as if savoring exquisite delicacies.
After finishing her meal, Xu Zhen rode up the slope to relieve the brother on watch. Gazing at the seemingly boundless darkness of the prairie, she felt her own insignificance. A fleeting illusion washed over her; she longed to whip her horse and measure the vastness of this land with its hooves.
Almost instinctively, she raised her slender blade and pointed it toward the horizon. A surge of ambition welled up from deep within her heart, filling her chest completely. It was as if she finally understood why the lord of the prairie always yearned to gallop across Central Plains—standing high made one's ambitions grow larger.
With a few vigorous swings of her long knife, Xu Zhen found herself oddly looking forward to battling for the Caesar People. This thought frightened her yet thrilled her at the same time.
"Your knife is good, but your technique... is simply terrible!"
Xu Zhen turned slightly, expecting it to be strategist Zhang Jiunian coming up the slope. To her surprise, it was Zhou Cang, the Big Black Man, who approached while patting his belly.
This Big Black Man dismounted and pulled up a bunch of wild grass, chewing it with gusto. Xu Zhen couldn't help but laugh; he resembled a wild bull. During the day, he had rushed down the slope wielding a heavy wooden knife, making Xu Zhen feel as if she were witnessing an army of thousands from the Three Kingdoms era.
Zhou Cang was extremely robust; ordinary horses could hardly bear his weight. Xu Zhen generously gifted him Murong Xiao's Dragon Breed steed. Although this Big Black Man spoke little, Xu Zhen could sense his friendliness.
"How about a match?" Xu Zhen challenged with a glance, brandishing her long knife in a show of bravado. Zhou Cang merely chuckled and grabbed a large wooden knife without hesitation, swinging it directly at Xu Zhen!
Xu Zhen sat firmly on her horse; there was no way to block his strike with her long knife. As she saw his blow aimed at her left leg, she quickly lifted her foot and barely managed to evade it. The wind from his blade was terrifying; Zhou Cang showed no mercy!
Not only that, seeing Xu Zhen dodge, he kicked hard at the horse's belly. The startled steed reared up, causing Xu Zhen to tumble off its back just as Zhou Cang's reckless strike came crashing down!
Unable to rise quickly enough, Xu Zhen could only swing her knife to block. With a sharp clang, her hands trembled as her long knife nearly slipped from her grip!
Zhou Cang was relentless, his moves simple yet brutally effective. Relying on his immense strength, he pressed the Xu Zhen to the point where she had no chance to fight back.
The Xu Zhen was acutely aware of her weaknesses and recognized that the Big Black Man was the most skilled among Zhang Jiunian and the other eleven. Therefore, she had proactively challenged Zhou Cang, hoping he would share some techniques that could help her defend herself.
However, Zhou Cang showed no intention of being a sparring partner. He launched another fierce attack, and as soon as the Xu Zhen stood up, she found herself under relentless pressure from his blade, leaving her no opportunity to catch her breath.
"Big Black Man! Why do you keep using the same move? This is ridiculous!" the Xu Zhen exclaimed breathlessly as she was forced to retreat.
Zhou Cang chuckled twice and continued his heavy strikes with the blunt knife, overpowering her with sheer brute force. Ultimately, the Xu Zhen could not withstand it; her long knife was knocked away with a clang and embedded into the grass.
"My Lord, I don't know how to speak beautifully or wield a pretty blade, but I understand one thing: a kitchen knife is for cutting vegetables, a meat cleaver is for chopping meat, and a bone knife is for scraping bones. The knives on the battlefield are meant for killing, not for showing off fancy moves. As long as they can kill, who cares about fancy techniques!"
Xu Zhenxin was filled with resentment, but upon hearing Zhou Cang's words, he felt a sudden clarity wash over him, as if clouds had parted to reveal the moon. The truth is often simple because it cuts straight to the essence!
"Well said, Big Black Man!" The Xu Zhen smiled brightly. She deflected Zhou Cang's blade with her palm and sprang up like a carp leaping from water. Seizing the opportunity, she retrieved her knife from the ground, her eyes now filled with fierce determination.
Seeing the spark of realization in his Lord's eyes made Zhou Cang overjoyed. However, before he could express his delight, the Xu Zhen's long knife came crashing down toward him!
"Ding!"
A sharp sound echoed as sparks flew from the broad blade of Zhou Cang's weapon. The Xu Zhen shouted fiercely and continued to swing her knife. With every step back Zhou Cang took, he found himself retreating further. His blunt knife struggled to block against her relentless strikes, which left jagged marks on its surface.
"Good blade! Haha!" Zhou Cang laughed heartily, unsure whether he was praising the Xu Zhen's weapon or her newfound understanding of swordsmanship.
The Xu Zhen wiped her blade on her sleeve under the starlight; it glimmered with a faint cold light. She sheathed her knife as if she had grasped some key insights into using it effectively.
Meanwhile, after praising his Lord, Zhou Cang finally noticed that his beloved blunt knife had become serrated. With a mournful expression, he demanded compensation from the Xu Zhen, who responded by kicking him down the slope.
Zhou Cang walked down the mountain while stroking the blade of his sword. The Dragon-Blooded Steed followed him closely, as if it understood him. This Dragon Breed horse seemed to have found the right master.
Xu Zhen stood by her sword, gazing at Kuber Prairie, filled with fighting spirit!
However, not far behind this hillside, a figure emerged from a patch of grass about half a person's height. The Cat-Waist Black-Clad Man slithered through the grass like a snake. After traveling half a mile, he straightened up and sprinted two more miles, retrieving a Black Horse from a small grove and racing towards Liangzhou like the wind!
Hou Polu had indeed accumulated enough military merit after the Battle of the Mine Camp. His military achievements had been reported, and with his father's influence backing him, he obtained the position of Military Officer. Although he held no real power, he still had some prestige.
But upon hearing the intelligence report, he thought about rushing to the white tent beside the Central Army Tent, where the Chief of Military Operations resided. However, he ultimately restrained himself and secretly instructed one of his personal soldiers. The soldier's face revealed an evil grin as he headed towards the Military Slave Camp, likely leading to more innocent women suffering humiliation.
Li Daozong was busy handling military affairs under the lamp when an unnamed insect flew into the flame and exploded into sparks. His eyelid twitched slightly, and his mood became unclear.
The next day, generals gathered in the Central Army Tent for discussions. The atmosphere was charged with excitement as they eagerly requested to fight, hoping to capitalize on their small victory at the mine camp and eliminate the Murong Clan forces outside Liangzhou Pass in one fell swoop!
It was unclear what plans were being devised by the leaders in Chang'an City. Commander Li Jing had yet to arrive, and the soldiers who had been stationed for over a month were already itching for battle. However, Deputy Commander Hou Junji also had not arrived. After weighing his options, Li Daozong ultimately suppressed this proposal.
After each department reported their respective situations, a gloomy atmosphere hung over the Main Tent. At that moment, Hou Polu, who had just achieved military merit as a sixth-rank Zhenwei Xiaowei, stepped forward and reported: "General, I still insist on sending troops because your Royal Guard Commander Xu Zhen has secretly defected. I fear that Barbarians will soon launch a surprise attack on our Liangzhou camp!"
"What?!!! The Royal Guard Commander has defected?!!!"
Once Hou Polu finished speaking, chaos erupted in the Main Tent. There were numerous influential figures such as Captain and Colonel Murong Xiao present; it was certainly not appropriate for someone without real power like a Zhenwei Xiaowei to speak up. However, since he was the son of Deputy Commander Hou Junji and was referring to Li Daozong's personal guard, everyone was deeply shocked by this news!
At that moment, no one cared about Hou Polu's status; what mattered was that this personal guard was someone trusted by Li Daozong. The defection of such a close aide was a monumental issue!
Regardless of whether Xu Zhen possessed any military secrets or not, just the mere leak of this information would inevitably cause panic among the troops and shake their morale!
These generals were already eager to go into battle and achieve merit. In their eyes, during this Golden Age of Zhenguan when the nation was prosperous and strong, they needed to assert their dominance over the minor Tuguhun like clowns—there was no doubt they wanted to strike hard! Yet for some unknown reason in Chang'an City, Commander Li Jing and another deputy commander Hou Junji had yet to arrive at the military camp; thus, the generals could no longer contain their eagerness for battle!
Hou Polu's military report undoubtedly threw fuel onto an already raging fire; the generals stirred restlessly and fervently advocated for war until they reached a fever pitch!
Li Daozong recalled the omen from last night, and waves of unease surged within him. However, he did not want to show it openly. Leaning slightly forward, his eyes glinted coldly like a hawk's as he coldly asked Hou Polu, "Captain Hou, can this information be trusted?"
Hou Polu raised his head slightly and met Li Daozong's gaze. His heart tightened immediately, and cold sweat began to pour down. Li Daozong was usually amiable, and it seemed everyone had forgotten he was a victorious general who had fought many battles. Not only Hou Polu but the other commanders also felt a sudden sense of dread.
However, there was no turning back for Hou Polu. He had great trust in his scouts and informants. The Xu Zhen was mingling with outsiders like Caesar, and having captured Murong Xiao, she had yet to return to camp to claim credit. Now she was deep in Kuber Prairie territory; she was either defecting or heading to her doom!
He was confident that the Xu Zhen was a petty person who craved achievements and feared for her life. With the prospect of military glory before her, would she not hurry back to claim it?
Thus, Hou Polu was already convinced that the Xu Zhen had indeed defected!
He suddenly straightened up, facing the Chief of Military Operations with determination. Gritting his teeth, he said in a low voice, "I guarantee with my head that this scoundrel has indeed defected! I urge the Commander to mobilize troops quickly; we must not let the Barbarians gain access to our military secrets and cause irreparable losses to our forces!"
The entire tent erupted in commotion!
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