Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
After Zhou Cang and the others set fire everywhere, they intended to circle around to the east to meet up with Xu Zhen and the others, secretly taking those Rouran Slaves and leaving. However, they did not expect the Barbarians to react so swiftly, their mobility exceptionally outstanding, and before long, they were already in pursuit.
Zhang Jiunian noticed that these Barbarians were unarmored and looked lethargic, as if they had just been dragged out of their tents to fight. Some of them hadn’t even had time to put on their narrow belts, likely having been pulled away from their women in the camp.
Visibility was low at night; although the fire blazed high, arrows from bows and crossbows missed their targets badly. They were also wearing Tian Ce Red Armor, making it impossible for ordinary Azure Feather Arrows to injure them.
Assessing the situation, Zhang Jiunian put two fingers in his mouth and blew a loud whistle. Twelve brothers quickly gathered around. Zhou Cang rushed forward with his sword drawn, leaving a trail of blood behind him, cutting down every foe in his path. One Barbarian was even cleaved in half, blood and entrails spilling everywhere, releasing a warm mist into the air.
Once the thirteen gathered, they found themselves surrounded by corpses and severed limbs. The brothers formed a triangular battle formation with Zhou Cang at the forefront, moving silently into the village like a silent blade of death.
Xu Zhen felt a headache coming on. The Rouran People had suffered humiliation and could not restrain themselves; their self-directed slaughter was one thing, but what was Zhou Cang doing stirring up such chaos?
Moreover, as they killed, this small group of thirteen formed a tightly organized battle unit that spun rapidly like a blade on a windmill—essentially a combined harvesting machine. Their Red Armor was soaked with blood and flesh, making Xu Zhen feel nauseous.
At this point, everyone was caught up in the excitement of killing. As the mastermind wearing the most impressive Red Armor wielded a powerful weapon capable of slicing through hair and flesh alike while also carrying deadly throwing knives at his waist—looking all flashy—he found himself unable to encounter any cheap Barbarians to take down. What kind of situation was this?
Caesar was like a madwoman just released from prison entering a free brothel; oh, that analogy is inappropriate—it was more like a widow who had been alone for years suddenly meeting an attractive man—seeing men made her want to strike twice; she was simply in her element!
Xu Zhen sighed deeply. What kind of battle was this? Shouldn’t I, as Commander Xu Zhen, be leading by example to establish great prestige, win over Rouran Warriors, embrace voluptuous beauties like Caesar, and reach the pinnacle of life?
Murong Xiao, you are at least Colonel Murong Xiao; aren’t you afraid your boasting will backfire? Didn’t you say these two or three hundred Barbarians were elite forces cultivated with great effort? In the end, it turned out to be like raising pigs!
Xu Zhen walked away with her sword drawn, feeling somewhat disheartened when suddenly a frantic Barbarian stumbled out nearby. Xu Zhenxin’s heart raced as he charged forward like an old lecher seeing a beautiful girl.
However, at that moment, from behind a flaming tent emerged a filthy little boy resembling a beggar. He rushed silently forward, gripping half a wooden fence post tightly; with his elbows lowered and the jagged spikes at the front end of the wood aimed directly at the Barbarian's abdomen!
The little beggar let out a muffled shout, twisting the wooden stick in his hand. The wood pierced through the body, with something hanging from the sharp end that looked like either intestines or some other filthy organ. The curved blade that the Barbarian was about to swing fell to the ground in defeat. The little beggar shook his numb arm, spat on the corpse, muttered a couple of words, picked up the large curved blade from the ground, and sprinted towards the battlefield, casting a disdainful glance at Xu Zhen as he left.
Xu Zhen's face twitched slightly; holding the long knife in mid-air felt awkward and made her want to spit blood. She had been looked down upon by a brat!
However, the Rouran People were indeed fierce; this fourteen or fifteen-year-old kid actually used the wooden stick like a spear, killing without blinking an eye. This ruthlessness was enough to make anyone's heart race.
The Rouran People had already joined forces with Zhou Cang and Zhang Jiunian, these thirteen warriors, fighting fiercely as if competing in secret to see who was more reckless, who killed more enemies, and who charged ahead further!
Caesar had already given orders that those in red armor were brothers. The Rouran People would not distinguish between friend and foe. In this combined assault, the remaining dozens of Barbarians scattered in fear as if they had seen a ghost, howling as they fled, leaving behind a vast and ruined camp!
As the battle came to an end, the Rouran People did not rush to loot the spoils. They automatically formed lines, their bodies and faces covered in blood. Xu Zhen felt somewhat embarrassed as she remained clean except for her earlier successful surprise attack with throwing knives.
At this moment, the elderly and weak from the rear arrived; these were the main force for collecting spoils. They stripped the Barbarians clean of everything, even wishing they could cut off their braids and beards to knit sweaters...
The leading Rouran Warrior approached Zhou Cang. However, Zhou Cang was half a head taller than him, with bits of flesh still hanging from his large knife as he fixed his piercing gaze on the Rouran Warrior.
The warrior slightly bowed his head to Zhou Cang and then thumped his chest with his curved knife, shouting loudly: "Elipha!"
The seventy or eighty Rouran Warriors behind him echoed in unison, their voices rising higher and higher. Zhou Cang looked at Caesar in confusion; after a brief explanation from Caesar, Zhou Cang's face lit up with joy. He grabbed the arm of the leading warrior and raised it high, shouting "Elipha" along with the Rouran People as if he had been one of them all along.
Xu Zhen watched these simple-minded brutes with her forehead covered by her hand, sighing repeatedly. Elipha was a name for warriors; Zhou Cang deserved this title, but she was still a Lord!
As everyone cheered loudly, Xu Zhen retreated to the fire pit and silently observed everything. To be honest, she enjoyed this feeling.
It wasn't until an old man slowly stepped out from the crowd that everyone stopped shouting. The old man issued commands in an orderly manner, prompting everyone to start packing up their things. They even dismantled tents that hadn’t been burned down, leaving nothing for the Turquoise Hu Man.
Zhou Cang earned the title of warrior and mingled with these people. Although there was a language barrier, he took the initiative to lead his brothers to help gather supplies. Meanwhile, Zhang Jiunian and Caesar brought the old man to the campfire where Xu Zhen was located. This old man was none other than Moya.
"I should have known Master’s men were so fierce; I wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of bringing troops to rescue you..." Xu Zhen said with a wry smile. The old Master smiled slightly, then made a gesture of respect towards Xu Zhen, rasping his voice as he awkwardly expressed his gratitude in broken Tang Language: "If it weren't for Young Master and many heroes risking their lives to save us, how could we have escaped? This kindness will be remembered by Moya for our people. We cannot repay it, but we would like to follow you from now on, serving you faithfully without any hesitation."
Moya, being an elder of the tribe, had traveled thousands of miles in his youth to study in India, all to preserve the Rouran bloodline. In this vast world, where could be a better place than the Great Tang Heavenly Dynasty to settle down? With Xu Zhen's leadership, they could find a stable life in Tang, and the men could channel their strength into building a future.
Xu Zhen was already inclined towards this idea and felt delighted at heart. However, she feigned difficulty and frowned as she whispered with Zhang Jiunian for a while. Finally, as if making a great decision, she turned to the old Master and said, "If that is the case, no matter how difficult it may be, Xu Zhen will ensure that the Rouran brothers find a place to settle! However..."
The old Master smiled calmly, his wise eyes seeming to see through Xu Zhen's cunning. He candidly said, "If Young Master has any requests, feel free to speak; I will do my best to accommodate."
Xu Zhen then chuckled and got straight to the point: "Master should understand that the Great Tang Feng atmosphere is open and accommodating to all foreigners. However, my brothers have a strong inclination towards violence; I fear I may not be able to control them. At appropriate times, I hope Master can assist us..."
Moya chuckled and pulled Xu Zhen aside. The two whispered for a while, causing Xu Zhen's shoulders to shake with laughter. Caesar imagined her sly grin and instinctively wanted to curse those deceitful Tang people but suddenly found himself lost in thought at her figure and couldn't bring himself to say anything.
The Rouran people quickly cleared the entire camp, gathering all the horses loaded with supplies and following Xu Zhen back up to High Slope.
As Xu Zhen looked back at the camp engulfed in flames, she saw that the fences had been erected again by the Rouran people. However, each sharpened post was adorned with a headless corpse. Witnessing such an inhumane scene made Xu Zhenxin feel somewhat uncomfortable; although he was accustomed to life and death, he had been influenced by civilized society.
However, he quickly regained his composure because there was something more important that needed his attention.
He scanned around; the Rouran warriors clearly looked down on him, while Caesar's gaze seemed much softer than before.
Xu Zhen understood well that these Rouran people were a double-edged sword; if used wisely, they could sweep away all obstacles. If she couldn't control them properly, they would bring great trouble to Tang.
Taking a deep breath and preparing herself mentally, she nodded slightly at Moya. The latter raised his Snake Staff high, and the Rouran people fell silent to listen to their elder's teachings.
Moya's voice was deep and not very loud, yet it possessed a piercing power that resonated directly to the heart. The Xu Zhen could not understand Turkic, but she could sense the disdain and provocation in the eyes of the Rouran People. They were wolves stained with blood; how could they allow the clean sheep, the Xu Zhen, to lead them?
Caesar whispered a translation, and the Xu Zhen's expression grew colder. It was only when the Rouran People began banging their weapons, expressing their dissatisfaction through commotion, that she stood up proudly. She raised her sword high, provocatively pointing it at the tallest Rouran Warrior!
This Rouran Warrior, known as Gao He Shu, was the strongest in his tribe, whether in mounted or foot combat. He was the one who shared a mutual respect with Big Black Man Zhou Cang.
The Xu Zhen's actions undoubtedly humiliated Gao He Shu. Moya did not intervene, allowing him to charge forward on horseback. Unaware of the situation, Caesar drew his short blades to protect the Xu Zhen. Touched by his gesture, she still raised her hand to push Caesar aside, standing tall on her own. Gao He Shu reined in his horse, its hot breath blowing directly onto the Xu Zhen's face. He was just a step away from trampling her underfoot, showcasing his exceptional riding skills as if he were in sync with his steed.
Gao He Shu muttered something unintelligible, causing the Rouran People to burst into laughter. However, the Xu Zhen merely smiled lightly and walked over to a large rock behind her. She drew her long knife, holding it upside down with both hands, and thrust it forcefully into the rock, embedding it more than half a foot deep!
"Tell them that whoever can pull this knife from the stone will have me and my brothers as their slaves!" the Xu Zhen said seriously to Caesar before turning around and smiling gently at the now quiet Rouran People.
(Note 1: The titles of high officials among the Rouran include Prime Minister, National Teacher, Shili Fa, Tudu Fa, Shili, Tudu Deng, Sili, etc. Shili Fa is also known as Shini Fa and holds a high position as a Khan's military commander. This title was later inherited by Turkic peoples. Tudu Fa is also known as Tutu Fa or Tuntun Fa and is second only to Shili Fa in rank among the Rouran Royal Family. Here Elipha represents Zhou Cang's great bravery worthy of being a Rouran general.)
(Note 2: The languages of Rouran, Turkic, and Mongolian all derive from Xiongnu language family; here Turkic Language actually refers to the ancient Turkic language of the Rouran People.)
(Note 3: The magical concept of the Xu Zhen draws inspiration from Arthur's story of pulling Excalibur from stone to become king of all England. This allowed Li Deqian to prepare in advance; it also appears in the American film "The Illusionist." Interested readers may want to check it out; it's a great suspense film with an unexpected ending.)
Comment 0 Comment Count