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墨書 Inktalez
Wang Xuance felt that the Xu Zhen's escape was futile; not only could she not flee, but she would only provoke the Indian Cavalry. However, the Xu Zhen had no choice but to run, as she instinctively believed that if she fell into the hands of these Indians, she would surely lose her life!
In this regard, Caesar and Moya shared a deep understanding with the Xu Zhen, as they too had a foreboding sense of doom. It was this premonition that made Caesar uneasy.
The Xu Zhen and her Brothers were unfamiliar with the terrain and could only rely on their military training to navigate through the meadows, fleeing towards a small hill in the southwest, hoping to find refuge within the mountains.
The Indian Cavalry quickly caught up. The horses of the Xu Zhen and her Brothers were exhausted, yet with their lives at stake, they could only push on desperately. As they saw the enemy drawing closer, the knights' Feathered Arrows rained down behind them like a storm, chilling their hearts.
After galloping for a moment, they finally spotted a small valley ahead. If they could pass through it, they should be able to enter the heart of the hill and scatter into the dense forest, thus evading the Cavalry's pursuit!
Seeing hope on the horizon, the Xu Zhen and her Brothers quickened their pace, their horses frothing at the mouth. However, just as they reached the valley's entrance, enemies had already flanked them from both sides!
"Use crossbows! Open a gap; don't let them surround us!"
Xu Zhenxin was anxious. Zhou Cang and others were seasoned warriors who quickly raised their Crossbows and unleashed a barrage of bolts to either side. The arrows poured out like water, and many of the enemy Cavalry fell as if mowed down by a scythe; they were momentarily stunned!
The enemy seemed to realize the immense value of the Crossbows and hesitated to kill the Xu Zhen and her companions. After all, they had nearly a thousand men; with just one spit each, they could drown her group. How could they not capture them?
However, they underestimated the strength of the Xu Zhen's forces. Thirty Brothers were each equipped with Crossbows and carried twenty iron bolts. Although it was chaotic and they couldn't reload easily, each had ten shots ready—totaling three hundred iron bolts. These Brothers had survived countless battles alongside the Xu Zhen and were incredibly brave; they handled their Crossbows with great skill, hitting their targets consistently!
Though outnumbered, these Indian Cavalry wore thin leather armor that could not withstand the might of the Crossbows. The sound of bolts striking echoed continuously as Cavalrymen fell one after another; most were struck in the forehead. The powerful bolts even pierced through skulls, creating an opening in their ranks!
"Break through!"
At the command of the Xu Zhen, while the enemy had yet to fully encircle them, they charged into the small valley. The enemy commander witnessed firsthand the power of the Crossbows and became even more determined to capture the Xu Zhen and her group. He ordered his Cavalry to regroup and block Xu Zhenbu's escape route!
At this point, there was no choice but to fight desperately. Without needing further instruction from the Xu Zhen, her Brothers fired their Crossbows in rapid succession; ten iron bolts flew out at once, causing even more enemies to fall!
After exhausting their ten shots, the Xu Zhen and her companions discarded their Crossbows and drew their swords, finding themselves surrounded tightly by enemies.
The Cavalry parted to make way for an enemy commander who rode forward on horseback. He spoke something in Indian to the Xu Zhen and her group; however, with Old Interpreter dead and none of them understanding Indian language, they could only stand in a stalemate.
The enemy general saw that Xu Zhen did not respond and became furious. With a wave of his hand, many Cavalry raised their long spears, intending to forcibly capture Xu Zhen and her companions. Unable to remain seated any longer, Xu Zhen nodded at Zhou Cang, who took a Jingzhe Thunder from his horse and suddenly threw it into the enemy ranks!
"Boom!"
The Jingzhe Thunder exploded suddenly, sending blood and flesh flying everywhere. The enemies were terrified, their faces turning pale as if they had seen celestial soldiers. The warhorses panicked and ran in all directions, trampling each other, creating utter chaos on the battlefield!
"Charge out!" Taking advantage of the confusion, Xu Zhen swung her long knife directly at the enemy general. The man was dazed by the shockwave of the explosion and had not yet reacted when he felt a chill at his neck—his head had already fallen!
Zhou Cang and others clashed around them. After decapitating an enemy, Xu Zhen seized a long spear and rode back, impaling the enemy general's head on the spear tip, displaying an extraordinary heroism as if taking heads from a million soldiers was as easy as reaching into a pocket!
The Tianzhu Soldiers were horrified to see their commander slain. However, there were too few of them, so they rushed forward. Zhou Cang and others were heavily injured, while Xu Zhen was covered in blood. Watching her Brothers being captured one by one, she felt deep regret; had she known, she would have followed Wang Xuance and surrendered obediently.
At that moment, a sudden roar erupted from the slope of a small hill, as another cavalry unit charged out!
These newcomers included both Cavalry and infantry, with men and women of all ages. In the blink of an eye, they surged into the fray, mixing with the Tianzhu Soldiers in chaotic combat!
Xu Zhen could not discern the situation and could only fight desperately against the Cavalry. Her vision turned blood-red as she searched for Caesar and others. However, surrounded by countless Foreigners, she was completely separated from her Brothers. Anxious to carve out a bloody path, she suddenly felt a pain at the back of her head and everything went dark.
When Xu Zhen slowly regained consciousness, she found herself lying on a woven carpet. In her blurred vision, a Tanjur Girl was leaning over to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
This Tanjur Girl was wrapped in Sari, revealing only her fair arms and flat, toned waist. Her bare ankles were adorned with silver rings, and her long fingers sported long nails. Silver bracelets adorned her wrists and palms. As Xu Zhen raised her gaze slightly, she saw a pair of light-colored eyes and a veil covering the girl's face.
At this moment, the Tanjur Girl's Sari resembled those from later Indian styles—long silk fabric wrapped in layers that were convenient yet filled with mysterious beauty, exuding an alluring charm.
Xu Zhen struggled to get up but realized she was completely naked. She hurriedly pulled over a nearby blanket to cover herself. The girl chuckled softly without feeling shy.
She slowly stood up, leaving Xu Zhen with an incredibly enticing view of her back—an hourglass figure that was simply enchanting.
The girl walked to a square table and picked up an object. When Xu Zhen focused her eyes on it, she saw it was none other than her own Zoroastrianism holy book, the Saint Te Avista!
"You... are... a messenger of Zoroastrianism?" The girl asked in stiff Old Persian. The Xu Zhen, who had studied the Zoroastrian scriptures day and night and was already proficient in Old Persian, noticed that the girl meant no harm and nodded in response, "I am a messenger of the Holy Fire, the Son of Ahura from the East."
Upon hearing the words "Son of Ahura," the girl hurriedly knelt before the Xu Zhen and then quickly ran out to bring in several elders.
The elders seemed unfamiliar with Old Persian and relied entirely on the girl as an interpreter. After some communication, the Xu Zhen finally understood the situation.
Months ago, King Jiriyu Shiluo passed away, and Dahak's Azuna took advantage of the chaos to usurp the throne. He was a devout follower of Shaivism and was quite resentful of Shiluo Die's religious policies. After seizing power, he initiated brutal religious persecution, causing the people of Moon's End City to flee for their lives.
The descendants of Shiluo Die's royal family also mingled among the Rogues to escape. Using Shiluo Die's legitimate name, they recruited loyal warriors to resist Azuna's cruel rule.
Azuna was aware of the Tang Dynasty but rejected everything related to Shiluo Die, including the Tang Dynasty, which King Jiri greatly admired. However, he feared the warriors of the Tang Dynasty, so he eliminated over a thousand cavalrymen and captured Wang Xuance and others.
According to the girl's information, not only Wang Xuance and Jiang Shiren but also Zhou Cang and others had been captured and taken back to Moon's End City. Because Zhou Cang and his companions were exceptionally brave on the battlefield, Azuna merely imprisoned them out of respect for their valor. However, regarding Wang Xuance, aside from him and Jiang Shiren, all other guards were executed, their heads displayed publicly in Moon's End City.
Knowing that Zhou Cang and others were safe eased the Xu Zhen's worries. After learning these details, she became curious and asked the girl, "You must be a descendant of Shiluo Die's royal family?"
This was easy to deduce since this girl was indeed leading the Rogue army in their charge against Azuna's cavalry.
The girl's clear and enchanting eyes flashed with surprise but quickly regained composure as she replied to the Xu Zhen, "Honorable Son of Ahura, my name is Aga Shili; King Jiriyu Shiluo is my father..."
Although the Xu Zhen had guessed that Aga Shili came from a distinguished background, she did not expect her to be King Jiri's daughter—a true princess of India. However, both Aga Shili and those elders were devout followers of Zoroastrianism. The Xu Zhen possessed the identity of Saint Te Avista and belonged to the Holy Fire Order; her proficiency in Old Persian meant she did not need to be overly humble.
The Xu Zhen was not severely injured; she was merely exhausted. After a few days of rest, she recovered. Aga Shili returned all of the Xu Zhen's belongings to her, including documents proving her identity as an envoy from Tang.
With her brothers in enemy hands, the Xu Zhen could not afford to live in hiding. Therefore, she discussed with Aga Shili about uniting with the resistance forces to attack Moon's End City. However, after visiting their camp and observing them, she decisively abandoned this idea.
These people were undoubtedly like Rogues; their combat abilities were simply pathetic.
Aga Shili bore national grievances and personal hatred. Seeing the bravery of the Xu Zhen —especially her unprecedented crossbow skills and Jingzhe Thunder—ignited boundless hope within her.
It was precisely because of the Jingzhe Thunder that she became even more convinced of Xu Zhen's identity as the Son of Ahura. While she certainly wanted Xu Zhen to help her reclaim the kingdom, it would undoubtedly be a lengthy process.
With Xu Zhen's role as a Zoroastrian Messenger, recruiting a large number of Zoroastrianism followers to rise up was not particularly difficult; however, acquiring weapons and equipment posed a significant problem.
Since the people of India were unreliable, Xu Zhen turned her attention to seeking reinforcements.
Wang Xuance's mission had three purposes: first, to visit India; second, to pay a visit to Songzan Ganbu in Tuguhun; and third, to check on Wencheng Princess for the Sovereign.
Xu Zhen also wanted to see Li Wushuang, but Wang Xuance had already learned from Li Zhi about the past relationship between Xu Zhen and Li Wushuang. To suppress Xu Zhen, he deliberately avoided Tuguhun, claiming he would visit Tuguhun after returning from India.
As a State Minister, Xu Zhen had a dispute with Wang Xuance over this matter. Although she ultimately could not go to Tuguhun first, she managed to retrieve her diplomatic documents from Wang Xuance, almost parting ways with him.
Now that Aga Shili's power was not particularly useful, Xu Zhen began to contemplate. Remembering the accounts of Wang Xuance in the Historical Records, she resolutely made a decision.
"Aga Shili, I hope you can accompany me to Nepal!"
The Indian princess appeared somewhat puzzled. Her expressive eyes fixed on Xu Zhen as she softly asked, "What does the Messenger want to do in Nepal?"
"I want to borrow troops!"
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