"The rattan of Mount Han as the back of the bow, and the tendon of Lu Qilin as the bowstring. The bow and arrow that shot through the twelve layers of clouds dispersed the dark clouds in the ghost domain …"
Loud and clear singing sounded from the grassland. Naadam began the archery competition amidst the praises of the godly archers. The competition was divided into three types: silent shooting, mounted archery, and long shooting. The style, weight, length, and pulling strength of the bow and arrow were not limited. Each person shot nine arrows in three rounds, and the top three would be judged based on the number of arrows that hit the target. In this way, there was a clear difference between proficient archers and those who occasionally used the bow and arrows.
Red Lady, Feng Lei, and the others were good at martial arts, but their archery skills were still lacking compared to the first-rate archers of the grassland. In terms of silent shooting and long shooting, Red Lady made it into the top three, but she was ranked last. Feng Lei and Jing Fuer did not even make it into the top ten, and were basically eliminated from the possibility of continuing to participate in the wrestling competition.
The first place in mounted archery was not Buhe of the Tai Ning Guards, nor was it Suhbaru of the Fu Yu Guards. Instead, it was the burly man sent by the three Jurchen tribes, Hara. The second place was Buhe, and the third place was Suhbaru. Red Lady was ranked fourth. As a result, the Jurchen tribe's Hara immediately attracted the attention of all parties.
Although Red Lady had won the riding competition, her physique was too frail compared to the Mongolian warriors. On the other hand, the wrestling competition was a combination of strength and skill. The Mongolian nobles often used wrestling to select and promote strong men. Did Red Lady look like a strong man?
Yang Ling and Cheng Qiyun arrived at the arena under the protection of the guards. They found a spot in the circular area that the herdsmen had spontaneously formed, and sat on the ground like them. They looked at the center of the arena, which was now only a piece of soft grass.
The competition began, and the first pair of contestants slowly walked towards the arena from both sides. As soon as they walked over, the surrounding herdsmen who were cheering for them let out a mocking laugh. The scene on both sides was like a bull shaking its sharp horns and facing a little white sheep. The contrast was so great that there was no need for this competition of strength to continue.
The person walking toward them was the strong man of the Fuyu Guards, Alatanula. He was a man in his early twenties, tall and sturdy, with a round waist. Around his neck, which was as thick as an ox's neck, was a collar made of colorful strips of cloth. He was wearing a leather waistcoat that exposed his black chest hair, and the waistcoat was studded with brass silk studs. He was wearing a pair of loose and pleated trousers made of colorful silk, which was sixteen feet long. He was wearing riding boots, which made him look majestic.
Sizing up Cui Ying, the only contestant from the Taka Tribe of Onan River, he raised his eyebrows and revealed a disapproving smile. With this frail body, no matter how good his techniques were, it was impossible for him to defeat him. His waist was three times as thick as Cui Ying's. As long as he swung with thirty percent of his strength, it would be enough to throw this fair-skinned kid out of the arena.
"Heh, if I help Sukhebaru get rid of this competitor, Lady Bai Yin will definitely reward me handsomely." Alatanula licked his thick lips and laughed mischievously.
Everyone could tell that this person who went by the pseudonym Cui Ying was a Han. However, the Three Duoyan Guards and the Ming Destiny Guards lived together, and there were the most Han people here, so the effect of mixing with each other was the best. Not only did many Mongolians wear Han clothes at home and practice Han customs, there were also many cases of intermarriage or hiring each other to do work. The two burly men, Feng Lei and Jing Fuer, no longer looked like Han people. This provided a good cover for Cui Ying 'er, so no one would suspect her identity.
Cui Ying 'er was dressed in a black robe that was tight and short, just like a martial artist from the Central Plains. Her figure compared to the burly man in front of her gave people a feeling of petite, even though she was a man in the eyes of others. There were already some kind-hearted shepherds shouting loudly, asking Alatanula to be lenient and not hurt this Han who was as handsome as a young girl.
Of course, the ones who shouted the most fiercely were the straightforward and passionate Mongolian girls. Their sympathy and overflowing motherly instincts made them immediately stand on Red Lady's side. A pretty gigolo would be welcomed by girls all over the world.
Red Lady's eyes did not stare at the burly Mongolian man in front of her. Instead, she secretly glanced at Yang Ling who was in the crowd. It would have been fine if they could not see each other. However, they lived so close to each other, yet she could not see him every day. For Cui Ying 'er, who was deeply attached to Yang Ling, this was a kind of torment.
However, ever since Yang Ling severely reprimanded her last time, she no longer dared to rely on her martial arts skills to make her own decisions. As a contestant who had stood out in the previous two competitions, she would definitely receive the attention of many people. Red Lady did not care that someone had ideas about her, but she was afraid that it would cause trouble for Yang Ling.
She only glanced at him and met Yang Ling's concerned eyes. Red Lady withdrew her gaze and moved the corner of her lips.
On the opposite side, Alatanula sang a challenge song. This was the habit of the wrestlers. They would sing the challenge song three times before going on stage to strengthen their momentum. Originally, Cui Ying 'er should also sing the same song, but Red Lady, as a person from the Central Plains, only wanted to laugh when she saw Alatanula singing. How could she sing it out?
Seeing that the other side's Fu Yu Guards' companions all responded in unison, their momentum was very strong. Red Lady was still standing there motionlessly with her hands behind her back. Worried that her momentum had weakened, Feng Lei immediately called his brothers to cheer for her. There were also Mongolian warriors among them, and they sang the battle song loudly. As for the subordinates who originally belonged to the White Coat Army, they all shouted at the same time, "Victory at the beginning, success at the beginning, and defeat him completely."
Alatanula jumped out of the arena like an eagle spreading its wings, while Red Lady walked steadily toward the arena. When she reached the center, she stood there calmly with her hands behind her back. Although she was petite compared to him, and her movements did not match the heroic posture of a masked man, such an expert's every movement and gaze had an awe-inspiring momentum. No one dared to laugh at her.
Alatanula only circled around Red Lady twice with his arms behind his back. Red Lady just stood there with her hands behind her back and looked into the void. No matter where he turned, not only did she not move, but she did not even glance at him. Alatanula could not hold back anymore. He roared and pounced on her.
In the Mongolian style of wrestling, the contestants had to grab each other at the beginning. Any part of the contestant above the knee that touched the ground would be considered a failure. However, they could not hug each other's legs, reverse joints, or pull their pants. When experts fought, they should fight and pounce on each other. They should be locked in a stalemate, and their legs and knees should strike each other to find the opponent's flaws. However, Red Lady's figure did not seem to be a threat at all.
Alatanula was a famous expert in the Fu Yu Guards. He had fallen behind in the previous two matches, and he was already unwilling to admit defeat. He wanted to make a comeback, so he used the most domineering grabbing and throwing technique from the start. This was a technique that could only be used when there was a huge disparity between the two of them. He wanted to kill Cui Ying with one blow and make a first contribution.
He leaped like a tiger, and amidst the shouts of the shepherds, his huge body nimbly turned around. It seemed as if he was swaying left and right, and unexpectedly, he grabbed Red Lady's shoulder and lifted her up. The girls were worried and cried out in alarm. If this boorish man were to throw Cui Ying away like this, with his frail body, once he landed on the ground, they reckoned that the lightest consequence would be that his lumbar vertebra would break into several pieces, and he would become paralyzed from then on.
Sure enough, Alatanwula did not show any mercy. His huge body turned on the spot and used the strength of his waist and legs to throw Red Lady away …
Red Lady, who was thrown into the air, tightened her waist and pulled in her chest, flipped in the air, and landed steadily on the ground. Her feet touched the ground, which was definitely not against the rules. Alatanwula, who was stunned, roared angrily and rushed over to grab her again. Red Lady had a smile on her face as she advanced and retreated at the same time. Her clothes fluttered gracefully in the wind like a butterfly. The girls on the grassland were mesmerized by her, and Alatanwula was furious.
Right now, he only wanted to catch Cui Ying, who was as slippery as a fish, and subdue him with the hugging technique. However, he did not expect that Cui Ying 'er would not be as easy to deal with as she was just now. It was fine if his hands did not touch Red Lady, but once his hands touched her body, he was thrown into a mess. He either staggered forward or was repelled.
Not only were the shepherds at the scene amazed by such a strange scene, but someone also reported the news to the tent. Queen of Duoyan, Yin Qi, and the Living Buddha also came out to watch the show after hearing the news. Although there were techniques to unload the force in wrestling, there was no such brilliant technique, and there was no such technique to borrow force to fight force. Yin Qi looked at Red Lady's handsome movements and martial arts, and could not help but be infatuated. She felt that there was no other person in the world who could be as mesmerizing as him.
Qiu Yang Zhuzha, the Living Buddha, stared for a long time and could not help but exclaim in admiration, saying, "This Han person should be using the rather brilliant Eighteen Falls on the Stained Clothes technique."
Of course, Red Lady did not know the Eighteen Falls on the Stained Clothes technique, but this Living Buddha had never set foot on the Central Plains in his life, but he had heard the monks in the temple mention the martial arts of the Central Plains many times. Seeing that her skills were very similar, he took it for granted and came to a conclusion. Yin Qi asked curiously, "What kind of martial arts is that? Is it very powerful?"
"Very powerful. This kind of powerful martial arts is similar to our Mahamudra martial arts. They are both very brilliant martial arts!"
Hearing this, not only did Queen Yinqi look at Red Lady's vigorous figure with admiration, but the people on both sides who heard Living Buddha's words were also full of awe.
The news quickly spread, and those who were full of confidence to win the wrestling championship were immediately dismayed. Even the highly respected Living Buddha praised him like this. It was clear that his martial arts were really excellent. Although he did not use the authentic wrestling skills, he did not violate any wrestling rules, so who could blame him?
Now, not to mention winning the competition, they had to worry about how to make an appearance in a dignified manner, and not embarrass themselves like Wu La, who was in a dilemma.
* * *
People live for profit, and die for it. As the Damu gradually came to an end, the people who could not stay calm began to perform the same massacre in different places.
Hara, the son of Suo Wan, the chief of the Dodori tribe of the Jurchen people, was having a feast with his brothers in his tent. His tent was set up very far away, and the central area was the tents of the Mongolians who came to participate in the competition, and the Han merchants who were welcomed by the shepherds. In the eyes of the Mongolians, the Jurchen people had no status, even though he was the son of a chief.
Hara, who was proud and arrogant, did not want to see the Mongolians look down on him, so he set up his tent on a grassy slope far away, and only his brothers lived here with him. His results in the first two competitions were already among the best, and he was confident that he would not be weaker than anyone else in the Bok competition. It could be said that he was one step closer to Queen Duoyan, the lovely girl, and he was naturally very happy.
His father ruled over more than a thousand square kilometers, and there were six hundred households under him. It was a large tribe in the Jurchen people of Jianzhou. If he could marry Queen Duoyan, his family would become the largest family in the Jurchen people, and more and more Jurchen people would join him. It was for this reason that Suo Wan sent his son to the Duoyan Guard, hoping that he could win the championship of the three arts.
Hara was indeed a very skilled warrior in the Jurchen tribe. His competition was arranged in the afternoon, and it was much better to relax here than to watch others compete in the competition under the sun. Although he would inevitably have to fight against some of the heroes who had participated in the competition in the morning, Hara did not want to watch the competition right now.
Bok had more than thirty kinds of moves, such as kicking, tripping, entangling, lifting, hooking, and so on. There were more than three hundred moves in total, and all the men on the grassland knew these moves. There were no special moves or secret skills, and it all depended on the opponent's own strength. When facing different opponents, the opponent would show different skills and strength. Therefore, it was not good to observe the opponent first.
There was no music, no dancing, and no dancing, but Hara and his brothers drank happily. He could hold his liquor very well, and moderate drinking would not affect his skills. Instead, it would increase his strength, which was good for him to perform better. When his tribe fought with other tribes, Hara often carried a leather bag full of liquor instead of drinking water.
Hara picked up a big bowl and drank a mouthful of liquor. Hearing one of his brothers next to him describe the beauty of Queen Yinqi, Hara could not help but put down the cup and burst out laughing, as if that noble and beautiful little beauty had already become his wife.
The weather was sunny, and the wind blowing into the tent was refreshing. It was a good day, and he believed that he would live up to everyone's expectations and marry the beauty. With this thought in mind, Hara picked up a piece of blood sausage with a knife, stuffed it into his wide mouth, and chewed it hard.
"Rip! Rip! Rip! " With the sound of cloth ripping, the wind inside the tent suddenly became stronger. Suddenly, the tent was cut open by more than ten sharp steel knives at the same time, and then a man jumped into the tent, holding a sharp knife in his hand. Without saying a word, he stabbed the knife at the back of the Jurchen Zhenren, who turned around in surprise.
Moreover, the other party was clearly proficient in close combat martial arts. Before the sound of ripping cloth had faded away, the sound of a blade piercing into a body rang out in the tent. A short miserable cry was heard, and a puddle of blood immediately formed on the carpet.
Hara, the valiant warrior who was the leader of the group, was not spared either. He raised his hands and threw them at a handsome young man who was charging at him, but he was shocked to find that the young man was able to move sideways like a ghost to avoid his sudden counterattack even though he was charging at him at an amazing speed.
No, it was not sideways. The man's body did not slow down at all. Just as Hara's hand touched the hilt of his knife, the sharp blade of the man's sword had already pierced into his throat. The laughter and banquet disappeared in an instant. In just a moment, the tattered tent was filled with blood and corpses. It was a miserable scene.
"Let's go!" The short order came from the man who stabbed Hara to death. He rubbed the tip of his sword against Hara's body and quickly returned it to its sheath. Then, he led his men out of the tent like a light smoke.
In the distance, two herdsmen were herding a flock of sheep by the mirror-like lake. More than ten people who had rushed out of the tattered tent leaped onto their horses and rode away leisurely. From afar, it seemed that no one had noticed what was happening here. One of the strong competitors for the Queen's husband was gone.
Just when Red Lady threw Ula over her shoulder and smashed his huge body onto the ground, the news of Ha La's death arrived. Instantly, the atmosphere in the grassland competition became tense.
The Damu Competition was suspended, and Queen Yinqi personally led her men to deal with Hara's death. In her eyes, Hara's tribe was naturally vulnerable, and the Jurchen tribe did not have any strong power. Although the Jurchen tribe was divided into three big tribes, in fact, each tribe was filled with endless tribal feuds. They were not united at all, and they did not have a strong leader. Therefore, they had no influence on the Three Guards of Duoyan.
However, a son of a tribal chief who came to participate in the competition died in her territory. This was a challenge to the authority of the Queen of Duoyan. If she did not stand up and take charge of the overall situation, she would lose all her dignity as the Queen of Shun Ming in front of all the other tribes.
Before Red Lady showed such outstanding martial arts, Hara was the only warrior who had the qualifications to become the champion among the Three Guards of Duoyan. He was suddenly killed at this time, and this Jurchen tribe did not have any grudges with any of the participating tribes. The only explanation was that someone was afraid of his strength, so they used a despicable method to eliminate him.
Tai Ning Wei was a suspect, Fu Yu Wei was also a suspect, and all the parties who participated in the elimination of the final winner was a suspect. Only Red Lady was not, because the martial arts she showed proved that she did not need to use such a method. In fact, she would be the next person that all the parties wanted to eliminate.
The herdsmen on the prairie asked each other for information. All of them were ordered to stay in place and were not allowed to leave for the time being. It was not until dusk that Queen Yin Qi, Bai Yin, Aguda Mu, and the others rushed back on their horses. Like a gust of wind, they galloped to the front of the high platform.
Queen Yin Qi ascended the high platform with a gloomy expression. She announced in a stern voice that she had ordered an immediate investigation into the cause of Hara's death. She wanted the murderer to be found and severely punished. She wanted to give the Jurchen people an explanation. She also wanted all the tribes of the prairie to not panic. At the same time, the tribes of the Damosai Prairie had set up camp together, which was an easy opportunity for the murderer to take advantage of. Therefore, she ordered all the tribes to immediately move back to Duoyan City and were not allowed to stay here.
Yin Qi's orders were quite methodical, which surprised Bai Yin, who had always looked down on her and treated her as a little girl without any ideas of her own, was inwardly surprised.
Finally, Yin Qi glanced at the bewildered herdsmen of the various tribes who were whispering to each other. She announced in a loud voice, "Those who are qualified to enter the finals are Buhe, Sukhebaru, and Cui Ying. Uncle Bai Yin, Uncle Aguda Mu, please ensure the safety of your children and nephews. As for Cui Ying of the Taka Tribe, they have the least manpower. I will bring him back to the Prince's Mansion until the Damosai Prairie ends! "
Red Lady was startled. She did not expect that Yin Qi would openly express her affection for her and use the excuse of protecting her safety to let her stay in the Prince's Mansion. She couldn't help but look at the high platform. Her gaze met Yin Qi's, she saw the little girl's pair of eager, sparkling eyes with a smile yet not a smile. Red Madame's body went numb, immediately goosebumps appeared all over her body.
Red Lady, who was not afraid of anything, was afraid of Queen Yin Qi. She quietly cast a pleading look at Yang Ling. Yang Ling smiled but did not say anything. He only nodded slightly at her, which made her feel slightly relieved. Behind him, Cheng Qiyun, that hateful woman, gave her a charming smile, winked mischievously, and then nodded gently. Recalling the agreement between the two of them, then looking deeply at the confident Yang Ling, Red Lady could only bite the bullet and walk toward Queen Yinqi unwillingly.
The afterglow of the setting sun fell on her body, casting a long shadow. She, who had shown her power on the Damosai Prairie, now looked like a prisoner who was put in prison, miserable and anxious …
* * *
At this time, the Horqin grassland was on fire. In this season, grass was not easy to ignite. However, if the tents, carpets, and bedding of nearly three thousand people of the Wuenji tribe were poured with butter and fat, and let them burn to their hearts' content, the surrounding grass would soon dry and ignite, emitting thick black smoke. Then, swept by the wind, it would spit out blazing flames and burn into the distance.
It was too vicious. This season was the time when water and grass were the most abundant. Few grassland tribes would set fire to the grassland that they relied on for survival when they were fighting with each other, in order to attack each other. This was to kill the Fang tribesmen. But now, the crazy Yi Bula actually did something that angered both heaven and man.
The survivors of the Wuenji tribe cried and ran for their lives on the grassland. They were now convinced that the group of people dressed as barbarian merchants from the Western Region were the people sent by Yi Bula to make trouble. They had to rush back immediately to report to the chief that Wala had attacked the Horqin!
This mercenary army was originally a group of desperados, and now they had received direct orders from Cheng Qiyun and Adni: They could use all methods to attack the tribes of the grassland by hook or by crook. If they could successfully provoke a war between them, everyone would have made a great contribution and could get a lot of rewards. Moreover, all the loot would belong to the individual. They had nothing to worry about.
Tunmi led the people all the way to the north. This area was originally the border area between Wala, White Coat Army, and the Horqin tribes. Relatively speaking, it was also the safest and most peaceful place at present. As long as they sped up to the northeast, they could return to the sphere of influence of the White Coat Army, which would be much safer. After all, they were only a small team.
As they walked, they set fire along the way. Everywhere on the Horqin grassland, there was raging fire and thick smoke!
The bandits shouted excitedly. The camel's peak was full of goods. This time, except for the few things that were just for show, they had all been replaced with real property, which was looted from the Wuenji tribe.
Along a winding river, they walked for about ten miles. At the foot of a high slope, they ignited another fire. The grass here was more lush, and once it was set on fire, it would be more intense. At this time, the wind suddenly became stronger, and the fire sprouted wildly, rolling towards the hinterland of the Horqin. The thick smoke in the sky was like a black dragon, and it also carried the ashes of the burning vegetation.
"Hahahaha …" Tunmi stood on the high slope and laughed loudly. At the same time, he looked at the destruction that he had created with great interest with the Qian Li Yan in his hand. They were originally predators on the grassland. They did not need to graze, and they did not even think about how the tribes on this land would live if this fire continued to burn because of the wind and turned the grassland into a piece of black soil.
In fact, he did not need to think about it. Of the seven major disasters of the grassland, the White Disaster (Great Snowstorm) and the Black Disaster (No Snow in Winter) were the nightmares of the entire grassland. Every time they encountered such a situation, they would become thieves, using the farming and wealthy Han people as cattle and sheep, plundering, burning, and killing.
As for the wind, fire, drought, disease, and wolf disasters, it was the tribe's bad luck. Even if they had no hatred with other tribes, most of them would end up fighting to the death with the tribes that were not affected by the disaster in order to survive. Now, they created a few big fires and let them vent their anger on the Wala people.
"Chief, we should leave here," the Goryeo swordsman said.
"Wait, brother, don't you think this is a rare sight? We should enjoy it. We rarely do such interesting things, "Tunmi replied with a smile. His moving 'All-Seeing Eyes' suddenly stopped. After a moment, he said, "Hey! Someone is coming. "
His subordinates immediately became nervous. Some of them had already taken out their weapons. Tunmi smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, there are only a few hundred of them. They are the Tatars. Ah, what a sorry sight. Why are they running towards the fire?"
In the camera, they could clearly see a few hundred horsemen moving in an arc, desperately trying to get around the fire and rush over from the side. However, the fire was burning too quickly. They were in a sorry state when they tried to avoid it. Everyone covered their faces with cloth, but they could not open their eyes because of the thick smoke and ashes. If they had not tightly controlled the horses, the horses would have already fled.
"A few hundred? Then there is nothing to worry about. Why are they running here instead of trying to extinguish the fire or cut off the grassland? "the Goryeo swordsman Jin Cun Hao asked doubtfully.
Tunmi withdrew his crafty merchant demeanor and smiled coldly. "Who cares? We don't have any friends here. Anyone we meet is our enemy. If we can kill them, we'll find a way to kill them. Let's get rid of them as well and make the fire a little bigger. Hey, everyone, come over here. Let's make some preparations. "
The wolf-like warriors began to nervously make preparations. Very quickly, they became a group of merchants leisurely singing folk songs from afar as they advanced on the grassland. They walked towards the horsemen that were rushing over.
The advancing horsemen were covered in smoke and smoke. Their bodies and faces were covered in grass ash. Their eyes were half opened and some of them were even tearing up from the smoke. Even though most of them were coughing violently, they still gripped the weapons in their hands vigilantly as they sized up the advancing horsemen.
Tunmi's group's Hu language and attire, especially the few women with enchanting figures and large eyes, quickly dispelled their suspicions. No horsemen would bring a woman with them.
A person who seemed to be the leader walked over and courteously greeted Tunmi. He also requested for some water. They needed to moisten their parched throats. Tunmi very enthusiastically agreed. He ordered people to bring down water bags from the hump and generously gave them to the ashen-faced horsemen.
They had clearly just escaped from a continuous field of fire. Not only were their blood boiling as they galloped, the flying ash was too suffocating, making it hard for them to breathe. Now that there was a large amount of water, everyone began to drink to their heart's content. Some of them drank to their heart's content, spraying water onto their heads and necks. The sturdy horsemen let out waves of laughter.
The leader, who had a wisp of beard under his chin and looked rather refined and refined, had not moved his mouth to drink a mouthful of wine. He did not move, but the twenty or so sharp-eyed men standing in front and behind him stood straight on their horses. Even though their faces were covered in black soot and their lips were chapped, they still stood like a stake, not even shifting their gazes to one side.
Such dutiful guards. Furthermore, every single one of them seemed to be forged from steel. One could tell that as long as they unsheathed the long blade at their waist, they would be able to take on a hundred men by themselves. Tunmi could not help but shiver inwardly. He was also curious about the identity of this leader who did not seem to have much of a tyrannical air about him.
However, regardless of who he was, this battle was unavoidable. After escaping from the field of fire, the thing they wanted the most was water. Thus, Tunmi had already gotten his men to poison the water. Even though there were only several hundred of them, their ferocious aura was something that even an armoured squad of several thousand could not compare to.
What Tunmi and the others believed in was: As long as they could get rid of their opponents, they would use whatever method could save them the most effort. Being despicable was a form of praise. Being shameless required skill. If they could avoid being a hero, they would not act like one!
Seeing the impudence of his subordinates, the somewhat gentle-looking leader chuckled. He placed his hand on his chest and bowed to Tunmi, saying, "My subordinates are too crude, wasting so much water. I will compensate you in a while."
Tunmi smiled and said, "It's fine. There are rivers and lakes everywhere on this grassland. Our water supply will be replenished very soon." He handed a bag of water to that person and said with a smile, "You should drink some as well. How unfortunate. I don't know if it was the lightning fire or if the shepherds were careless, but they actually caused such a huge fire. This time, a large area of the grassland will be burned."
"Thank you!" That person took the water bag and uncorked it while smiling. "That's right. I just got out of the field of fire. Originally, I wanted to head north, but the fire there is even more intense. We don't know how big the fire is, so we didn't dare to take the risk. Hmm, this time, Horqin has suffered heavy losses."
There seemed to be a hint of schadenfreude in his tone. Tunmi vigilantly looked at him, only to see that the person had uncorked the water bag. Just as he brought the water bag to his lips, he stopped moving, his eyes staring closely at Tunmi's horse.
Tunmi subconsciously looked down and his heart tightened. He had been too careless. There was still a clump of blood that had not been washed off under the horse's abdomen. Even his boots were stained with blood. This was not something that could be explained by slaughtering cows or sheep. It must be known that people who walked the grassland all year round would use a small knife the size of a palm to butcher a sheep. Even after the entire sheepskin was peeled off, there would not be a single drop of blood on the ground. How could his boots be stained? What was even worse was that it was even more impossible for it to be stained on the horse's abdomen.
"Should I explain that I encountered horse bandits on the way?" While Tunmi was thinking, that person had already put down the water bag. His hand slowly reached for the saber at his waist, a wary expression on his face as he said, "Oh, you are merchants from the Western Regions. May I know how the taxes in Yili are currently collected?"
Tunmi laughed bitterly in his heart. He was doing business without any capital. Why would he care about how much the taxes in Turpan were?
The middle-aged man with a refined appearance stared closely into his eyes. Tunmi slyly swept his gaze around, then raised his eyes to meet that person's gaze. He chuckled. The leader pressed down on his saber and also let out a light laugh.
Before their laughter died down, their shoulders moved at the same time. The sabers at their waists had already unleashed a ball of light. With a whoosh, it swept towards the other party's head.
The water bag was thrown into the air. It was unknown whose saber was the first to split it open. Like a broken silver bottle, silver droplets of water sprayed across the sky, reflecting the cold saber light of the other party. With a clang, the two weapons collided.
The two of them shouted a single word at the same time, "Kill!"
A chaotic battle erupted on the grassland that had just been set ablaze and black ash fluttered like butterflies in the sky.
When the red sun, which was as large as a wheel, emitted a gentle red light as it hung on the horizon, it looked like the end of the sky had come. However, that was not the end of the sky, but the end of life.
Beneath their feet was a desert. Only a few scattered plants swayed in the night wind. Tunmi led his cavalry to chase after the leader of the cavalry. He was already at the end of his rope.
Tunmi did not want to kill them all. Leaving a few alive to go to the various tribes to stir up trouble was beneficial to them. However, the battle prowess of the several hundred cavalrymen was simply too strong. Even though most of the soldiers had taken poison and quickly lost their ability to fight, the leader had managed to charge out of the encirclement of more than two hundred people with just the strength of the twenty or so guards beside him.
Tunmi knew the abilities of his subordinates like the back of his hand. They were not inferior to the warriors of the various tribes on the grassland. In fact, they were even stronger in close combat. There was only one explanation for the strength of the other party's guards. This seemingly ordinary cavalry was actually elite soldiers selected from among the brave and skilled Mongolian warriors who could fight against a hundred alone.
Then, the leader they were protecting must be an extraordinary person. So … it was better to kill the wrong person than to let him go!
Like a stray dog, Yi Bucha desperately whipped his mount. He only had two followers behind him.
He was the grandson of the Heavenly Sacred Khan. The Heavenly Sacred Khan had personally captured the emperor of Ming Destiny. The Heavenly Sacred Khan had once forced the descendants of Genghis Khan into a corner. Then, in his hands, he was humiliated and had to submit to Boyan. He was even stripped of the title of Great Khan.
His palace was no longer called a palace. The crown on his head was cut off. He could only kneel in the hall. This series of events was a constant reminder of his humiliation. He wanted to regain his former prestige. He wanted to reclaim the glory of his grandfather. His ambition was even greater than Boyan's.
But Fire Sieve was not a good partner. The leader of the Black Hound Special Unit of Mongol Jin liked to kill with a borrowed knife. He always encouraged Yi Bucha's men to clash with Boyan. Although Fire Sieve seemed to be on the frontlines, he rarely clashed with Boyan. This forced Yi Bucha to look further east. He wanted to bypass Boyan's tribe and directly contact the Duoyan Guards.
Meng En's negotiation with Queen Yinqi involved the cooperation of two powerful tribes. There were too many details that needed to be discussed. It was impossible for Meng En to bypass Boyan's tribe and deliver the message when the situation on the battlefield was changing rapidly. So, he came personally.
This was a risk, but the price of the risk was worth it. Success or failure, that was the difference between a slave and an emperor. It was worth it to shed blood, not to mention a secret meeting.
The route he chose was the border between the White Army and Boyan's forces. It mainly passed through the peaceful Horqin Grasslands. In the enemy's territory, the fewer people he brought, the less attention he would attract. He only brought a group of Iron Guards who were strong enough to fend off a thousand men for this risky journey. But who would have thought that after braving such great storms, they would fall in such a small ditch?
"They … they should be a gang of horse bandits," Yi Bucha thought as he panted. A Khan with hundreds of thousands of troops was being chased by a gang of a few hundred horse bandits … Yi Bucha grimaced and wanted to cry.
The sun was about to set, and the twilight was coming. On the boundless prairie, green waves of grass were rolling. Among the waves of grass, hundreds of knights seemed to be chasing after the setting sun in the west.
Tunmi drew his bow again. The sharp arrowhead reflected the dark red sunlight, like fangs dripping with blood.
With a sinister laugh, the arrow shot through the wind towards Yi Bucha.
The day after, he shot the sun with one arrow.
Tunmi's arrow also shot down a sun, the only leader who united and commanded the many tribes of Wala. But Tunmi himself did not know that the person he was about to kill was such an important person.
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