Chapter 23: Those Who Follow Me Prosper, Those Who Defy Me Perish
Gloomy dark clouds blocked the sun, and low rumbles occasionally echoed in the sky.
Fine drizzle fell upon the land, washing away the dirt on the ground, yet unable to cleanse the sins committed by Geluolu People at Sanhe Fort.
Already dried blood, carried by the rainwater, gathered once more on the ground, flowing into rivers.
In the village fort built of yellow earth and stones, traces of saber chops and arrows were still clearly visible.
In some inconspicuous corners, rainwater occasionally flushed out bits of minced meat and bones, even severed limbs.
The tears of nature failed to wash away the filthy sins in Sanhe Fort; instead, they revealed everything in its true form.
“Boom boom boom boom~”
A low rumble suddenly exploded across the land. The Geluolu People who had just occupied Sanhe Fort were startled under the mighty power of heaven, some jumping in fear instantly.
They knelt on the ground in panic, even stepping out of houses to get drenched in the rain, as if praying to the deity.
Among the Geluolu People, some believed in Jing Religion, but most still followed shamanism.
In their tribal culture, supernatural forces like thunder and lightning were beyond their comprehension.
The immense roar and power of thunder and lightning filled many herdsmen with awe and fear, leading them to kneel devoutly in worship.
They believed this was the deity’s wrath.
At that moment, not far from these herdsmen, inside a house built of adobe and bricks and stones, a woman lay on the ground.
An iron chain bound her neck, with the other end tied to a post.
“Damn it, just like a dead person.”
“Can’t you make a sound? Call out for me.”
A burly ugly man cursed in Geluolu language, picking up a horsewhip to lash the woman, adding countless whip marks to her already scarred body.
Yet even so, the woman remained lying on the ground, motionless.
She made no sound, not even a flicker in her eyes.
As if she no longer felt pain, or as if her mind had completely disconnected from her body.
She seemed to have become a dead person.
But after a few lashes, color miraculously appeared in the woman’s eyes.
Her eyeballs began to move, the muscles on her face trembled, and she slowly turned her stiff neck to look toward the door.
She seemed to hear a child crying.
Right, she still had a son, and he was alive.
Color and hope appeared on the woman’s face for the first time. She wanted to find her son, but she couldn’t go anywhere.
She could only pin her hopes on the ugly man before her, gazing at him with eyes full of hatred.
In a hoarse, bellows-like voice, she said: “Where is my son?”
Seeing the woman finally speak, the Geluolu Man grinned triumphantly and tossed the horsewhip aside.
He sat down carelessly beside the woman.
“Don’t worry, he’s still alive.”
“I haven’t had enough fun yet, how could I let him die?” the man laughed heartily.
This woman had tried to kill herself at first, but he threatened her with the little brat’s life, forcing her to submit.
To him, that little brat posed no threat; instead, he could use it to threaten the woman.
So, he certainly couldn’t let that child die.
But the man suddenly remembered he hadn’t fed the little brat anything for two days.
He decided to check on the little brat later, treating it like feeding a kitten or puppy.
Thinking this, the man put on a round-collar robe, layered a wolfskin coat over it, and wrapped wolf fangs around his forehead.
To show everyone his ferocity and strength, he took a gold-inlaid saber seized from Khitan People, opened the door, and strode out.
To the two guards outside the door, he asked in a gruff voice: “Have those guys arrived yet?”
“They’ve already arrived, waiting for you up ahead,” one guard said with his head bowed.
“Let’s go.”
The man nodded lightly, glanced at the closed door behind him, mounted his horse, and left the courtyard.
The sky was still drizzling densely, but on the streets, Geluolu People could occasionally be seen kneeling in the muddy ground.
The weather was slightly chilly, but the Geluolu People were bare-chested, unconcerned by wind and rain, their faces showing pious expressions as they muttered continuously.
These were Geluolu herdsmen who, because of the thunder, believed the deity was angry and were praying for forgiveness.
“Hmph, a bunch of brainless stupid sheep.”
The man looked at the herdsmen before him and sneered softly in disdain.
He was Aslan, the leader of this Geluolu Tribe.
Though most of these kneeling and praying Geluolu were his own herdsmen, Aslan still saw them as stupid sheep duped lame by shaman sacrifices.
Bullshit deity’s wrath—it was just thunder and lightning.
Get through it, and it’d be fine.
If deities really existed in the world, why would they watch their loyal Geluolu People suffer under Khitan oppression?
If deities really existed, his father wouldn’t have been forced to take poison by Khitan People back then.
“Bullshit deity,” Aslan muttered darkly.
But he wouldn’t stop these herdsmen from kneeling to the deity.
After all, shaman culture was part of nomadic tribe rule.
The herdsmen’s ignorance and faith in the deity actually benefited Aslan’s rule.
After all, the great Aslan was the deity’s envoy in the mortal world.
No matter how devout these kneeling herdsmen were, Aslan rode past them directly with his men, heading to a courtyard nearby.
“Leader.”
“Leader.”
“Aslan Leader.”
As Aslan entered the courtyard, numerous Geluolu People came out from the house to greet him.
They all saluted and shouted to Aslan.
“Hahahaha~”
“Everyone, no need to be so polite. Come inside and sit.”
Aslan spread open his wolfskin coat with both arms, baring his chest, laughing loudly as he entered the house.
And naturally sat on the central stool.
Only then did the other Geluolu People slowly take their seats.
“Guliya~ You look a bit disheveled.”
Aslan first looked at a man in his forties, lean in build, short in stature, half-bald with small braids at his temples.
This was the leader of a small Geluolu Tribe, with only over three hundred people in total, needing to rely on the Aslan Tribe for survival.
He stood up from the stool, somewhat annoyed, and said: “Please forgive my rudeness, Aslan Leader.”
“My tribesmen reported to me that several Han scouts were spotted to the south, so I led men to chase them and just returned.”
Hearing this, Aslan took interest and continued asking: “Oh, did you catch them?”
“No, they got away.”
“These Han People on horses are slyer than foxes, faster than rabbits,” Guliya shook his head.
Aslan didn’t mind and laughed instead: “Hahaha~”
“No matter how sly the fox, it can’t escape the hunter’s trap; no matter how fast the rabbit runs, it’s no match for Geluolu People’s bow and arrow.”
“No problem, just a few Han scouts. Let them run—better to let them report Sanhe Fort’s situation to other Han People.”
“Han People have a saying: ‘Those who obey me prosper, those who resist perish.'”
“I want to tell all Han People that anyone who doesn’t submit to me will end up like the Han People of Sanhe Fort.”
As the words fell, the Geluolu headman named Guliya relaxed and nodded in deep agreement.
The other Geluolu leaders in the house all laughed in agreement.
“Exactly.”
“Those who obey me prosper, those who resist perish.”
“Those Han People had better know their place and submit to us soon, to join us in resisting Khitan tyranny.”
“I hope those Han People have some backbone, so we can enjoy more Han Women.”
“Hahaha~”
“Have to say, Han Women are just beautiful.”
The Geluolu People in the house erupted in wild, lewd laughter.
Some among them were headmen from the Aslan Tribe, others from other Geluolu Tribes.
Like the Han People’s Nine Forts and Eighteen Villages, Jin Prefecture’s Geluolu People were also divided into many tribes.
The Aslan Tribe was one of the strongest Geluolu Tribes in Jin Prefecture.
So, after the Battle of North Mountain, Geluolu chose to split into three routes to subdue all of Jin Prefecture.
Aslan led five small tribes friendly with him, swiftly capturing Sanhe Fort like a thunderbolt.
“How are the Qibi Tribe and Moman Tribe doing?”
After joking, Aslan didn’t forget the other two major Geluolu Tribes.
Jin Prefecture’s Geluolu were mainly these three tribes, with other small tribes attached to the three major ones.
“Qibi Tribe is progressing smoothly and has already subdued two Wuguosi Tribes.”
“Moman Tribe is lagging, still besieging a Han village called Wuya Village.”
Hearing his subordinate’s report, Aslan sneered disdainfully at Moman Tribe.
“Hmph, useless.”
“Can’t even take a single Han village, and Ciputegin thinks he can compete with me for the Yelü position?”
“What a joke.”
Strife among Geluolu Tribes was fierce, over grassland, women, slaves—any reason could spark a fight between two tribes.
This rebellion had temporarily united the three major tribes.
But Geluolu had only one Yelü, meaning the Geluolu Khan.
Everyone wanted to suppress the other two tribes and become Jin Prefecture Geluolu’s Yelü.
So, overt and covert struggles among the three major tribes had already begun.
After mocking Moman Tribe, Aslan gradually restrained his smile and said gravely: “Qibi Tribe is the real trouble.”
Both Aslan Tribe and Moman Tribe chose to conquer Han villages to the south, while Qibi Tribe went north to subdue other forces.
In Jin Prefecture, besides Han People and Geluolu People, many other nomadic tribes lived there.
Including Wuguosi Tribe, Zhelan Tribe, Ge Luo Tribe, and so on.
These were nomadic tribes long inhabiting the Northern Frontier; individually not very strong, but if all subdued by Qibi Tribe…
Then Qibi Tribe’s strength would surpass Aslan Tribe and Moman Tribe.
Aslan’s dream of Yelü would shatter.
“Aslan Leader, for now, we must quickly head south to conquer Han villages.”
“The northern Wuguosi Tribes have limited numbers. Once we take the Han People, our strength will far exceed Qibi Tribe.”
Guliya, previously joked about by Aslan, said gravely.
Jin Prefecture had over twenty thousand Han People, unmatched by other nomadic tribes.
If all these Han People could be subdued, their young and strong incorporated into the army, Geluolu People would have the strength to battle Khitan again.
“Right, Guliya, you’re spot on.”
“Once we subdue these Han People, our troops will far outnumber Qibi Tribe.”
“After defeating Eastern Capital Army completely, we’ll deal with those two bastards—then Jin Prefecture will be entirely ours,” Aslan said fiercely.
“I will rebuild the Geluolu Khaganate and become Geluolu Yelü.”
“And you all will be the highest nobles in the Geluolu Khaganate.”
As he spoke, Aslan’s expression grew fanatical, his tone increasingly excited.
Restoring Geluolu Khaganate and becoming Yelü was what every Geluolu tribal leader wanted.
Now, Aslan saw the possibility of achieving this great goal.
The other Geluolu leaders also showed fanaticism, shouting excitedly as if anticipating that day’s arrival.
Once the crowd calmed slightly, Aslan began issuing orders.
“So, we must speed up next.”
“I decide: tomorrow morning, head south to attack Han People’s Hedong Fort,” Aslan declared loudly.
As the words fell, Geluolu tribal headmen all showed excited smiles, eagerly saying: “The leader is wise.”
The Battle of North Mountain had thoroughly bolstered Geluolu confidence.
In their eyes, both Khitan People and Han People were no match.
Moreover, the battle to take Sanhe Fort two days ago had easily breached its gates with minimal losses.
This gave many Geluolu People the feeling that Han People were nothing special.
They couldn’t wait to seize the next village, plunder its cattle and sheep, and ravage its women and children.
“Leader, we can use the same method against Sanhe Fort for Hedong Fort,” a Geluolu headman suggested.
Another nearby nodded: “Those Han captives are more useful than we imagined.”
“Who knows Han People best? Han People themselves.”
“Han People won’t expect the deadliest blow to come from their own.”
Geluolu People laughed and said.
In the Battle of North Mountain, Aslan Tribe captured some Han People.
Some quickly chose submission.
Aslan then sent them disguised as routed soldiers to gain Sanhe Fort’s sympathy and enter smoothly.
When Aslan Tribe attacked Sanhe Fort, these turned traitors.
They smoothly helped Aslan Tribe take Sanhe Fort at very little cost.
This success taught Aslan and others a sweet lesson, planning to repeat it against Hedong Fort.
