Chapter 77: Sweep Away
Under the twilight, a girl rode a horse through the mountain valley, holding a horsewhip in her hand, constantly driving her family’s sheep flock toward the tents.
She had a pair of black eyes sparkling like stars, a fair face as brilliant as a bright pearl, and jet-black hair cascading behind her, beautiful like a starry river.
She was the most beautiful girl in the Naiman Tribe.
Her name was Na Ren, meaning sun.
While driving the sheep flock, her gaze kept turning toward the south, revealing a trace of worry and unease, her hands clasped over her chest as if praying for something.
Two slightly older women nearby saw her like this and teased each other, saying.
“Beautiful Miss Na Ren has started worrying about her sweetheart.”
“Hahaha~”
“No need to worry, Na Ren. Agula Lu will surely return safely.”
“Yeah, Agula Lu will surely bring fifty stolen sheep to propose marriage to your dad.”
Hearing the two women’s teasing, Na Ren’s face instantly flushed red.
“It’s not him. I’m praying for Dad,” Na Ren stubbornly shook her head and said.
But the two women continued to tease her.
These married women loved nothing more than teasing unmarried young girls.
Even so, their hearts were also worried for their own husbands and fathers.
A month ago, their tribe received an order from Sun Khan to conscript five hundred warriors to Golden Mountain.
This order nearly emptied the tribe of all male laborers.
The tribe was left only with women like them, as well as elders and some youths.
The tribesmen had been away on campaign for over a month with no news, leaving their hearts unsettled. They had looked toward the grassland countless times, awaiting the return of their husbands and relatives.
But every time it was disappointment; the war could not end so quickly.
Just as the group of women drove the cattle and sheep toward their tents, they heard Na Ren suddenly cry out in alarm.
“What is that?”
At this moment, Na Ren’s eyes widened, her face full of shock as she looked toward the mountaintop.
The other women looked over upon hearing her, only to see dark shadows appearing on the mountaintop, though they knew not when.
The sky was already quite dim, so they could only see that it was a group of figures on horseback, and their numbers were growing, continuously charging up from behind onto the mountaintop.
At this moment, the smiles on the Naiman women’s faces slowly froze.
Someone shouted, “Run fast.”
Panic spread, and all the Naiman women could no longer care about the cattle and sheep, frantically riding their horses toward the camp.
Na Ren instinctively followed the crowd in flight, her mind blank from the panic.
Her dazed gaze turned toward the cavalry on the mountaintop, with only one thought left.
Who were they?
Under the twilight, Li Xiao mounted his horse on high ground, drew his cavalry saber, and roared in a low voice, “Charge down, don’t let a single one escape.”
By this time, the Northern Frontier Cavalry could no longer contain their inner frenzy.
Having walked through Golden Mountain for so many days, the stifling and despairing mood had nearly crushed them to the point of collapse.
Now, they finally saw a Naiman people’s tribe.
And there were many women below; they could no longer suppress the riotous emotions in their hearts.
They needed an outlet.
“Kill!”
“Kill~”
Three thousand cavalry charged down the mountain like a tidal wave.
The thunderous roar shook heaven and earth, surging powerfully across the land, swiftly enveloping the entire mountain valley.
The powerful aura shocked hearts, the violent strength seeming capable of destroying everything.
At this moment, they were no longer soldiers but a pack of maddened wild beasts.
The overwhelming terrifying force instantly destroyed the Naiman Tribe utterly.
The men of the tribe had all gone to war, leaving only women; in this situation, some panicked and screamed, while others rushed home to grab weapons and mount war horses.
The entire tribe was in chaos, like a small boat in a storm, swaying everywhere, utterly unable to resist the force of nature.
Na Ren dazedly rode her horse, her body trembling, her beautiful face pale as she saw countless demons clad in tattered sheepskin jackets, gripping spears and war sabers.
They easily charged into the tribe, their war sabers bloodied, one tribesman after another falling to the ground, the terrified screams of women ringing in her ears.
Everything before her eyes was simply a nightmare for Na Ren, this young girl.
The battle ended, the screams in the Naiman Tribe fell silent, but soon even more heartrending cries from the women rang out.
Northern Frontier soldiers rushed toward the Naiman women, wantonly venting their long-suppressed emotions.
The torment of time in the mountains had been too painful, the cold winds in the mountains too biting.
But fortunately, everything was over.
On this cold night, they no longer had to spend it in the mountain winds; they could enter the warm Naiman tents and sleep holding Naiman women.
After a grueling march, nothing could compare to the reward of women.
Soon after, Luo Ping arrived.
“Da Long, last time I said I’d give you two Geluolu wives, but you ran off, kid.”
He laughed heartily: “This time I specially picked one for you.”
With that, Luo Ping burst into laughter and turned to leave the tent.
But Li Xiao behind him could not stop him.
“Hey hey hey hey~”
“Uncle Luo, Uncle Luo~”
“You, sigh~”
“You’ve really put me in a tough spot.”
Li Xiao shook his head with a face full of indignation, sighing helplessly in a low voice.
If Xiao Yanyan found out, could he still eat his soft rice?
But when he looked closely at Na Ren, a different feeling arose in his heart.
Naiman people inherently had some Turkic blood, with high nose bridges, fair skin, and large eyes that seemed to speak.
And this girl before him was even more beautiful, absolutely rare among Naiman people.
Heh, smells nice!
Li Xiao couldn’t help but rub his head.
He somewhat forgot who Xiao Yanyan was.
……
Golden Mountain, Naiman Great Camp.
A piece of news arrived, leaving many Naiman soldiers utterly disheartened for battle.
Their homes were gone.
Qu Chulü hurriedly entered the main army tent and immediately asked, “What’s the situation?”
At this moment, Kekexue Wu sat on the folding stool, his face grim as he shook his head and said, “Liao people.”
“Xiao Simo’s men? Damn it.”
Qu Chulü angrily kicked over a nearby stool.
“How did they get here? We’ve clearly blocked all the passes.”
Kekexue Wu shook his head and said gravely, “Perhaps they found a pass we didn’t discover.”
Just the day before yesterday, Kekexue Wu suddenly received news that a tribe in northern Golden Mountain had been attacked by the enemy.
Only a few escaped and came to Golden Mountain Camp for help.
That tribe was not small; it could muster five hundred male laborers.
Upon hearing this news, those five hundred Naiman soldiers instantly collapsed, completely losing any will to fight; they wanted to return to save their families.
Kekexue Wu had gone to great lengths to stop them from acting impulsively.
They still didn’t know the enemy’s situation; if the enemy was numerous, these five hundred would just be sending themselves to death.
But yesterday, another tribe was attacked.
The same process: Naiman tribes without men had no power to resist the enemy cavalry’s assault.
They fell instantly.
At this moment, all Naiman people at Golden Mountain could no longer sit still.
They fought desperately on the front lines, yet their homes in the rear were raided.
Though only two tribes had been attacked so far, who could guarantee the next wouldn’t be their own?
Thus, these Naiman soldiers had no mind left to fight the Northern Frontier Army, all demanding to return to their tribes immediately.
At this point, even Kekexue Wu could barely control these fury-filled soldiers.
“Despicable and shameless; Xiao Simo is utterly unworthy of being Sixth Courtyard Department Great King.”
“To use such vile and low tactics,” Qu Chulü said angrily.
But Kekexue Wu just gently shook his head.
Despicable?
Indeed, somewhat.
But wasn’t war like this?
Use every means to eliminate the enemy’s effective strength, continuously erode their will to fight, achieving victory without battle by bending the enemy.
This era’s warfare no longer spoke of benevolence, righteousness, or morality.
Whatever exterminated the lineage, that was the way.
“General Kekexue Wu, please allow me to lead a force of troops to wipe out that group of damned Liao people.”
Qu Chulü said angrily.
Now, all the young and strong from the western Naiman region had been conscripted to Golden Mountain, the eastern armies still had to guard against the Kereit Tribe, and only the Khanate’s troops remained in the central region, unfortunately not easily mobilizable.
“We cannot stand by and watch these Liao people rampage through our homeland; if this continues, our warriors will gradually lose their will to fight.”
“Give me five thousand troops, and I will surely annihilate this Liao State army.”
From this matter, Qu Chulü saw an opportunity.
As long as he eliminated this Liao State army and earned military merit, Father Khan would look upon him favorably.
Moreover, the soldiers whose tribes were attacked by the Liao State army would be grateful to him, becoming his confidants.
Therefore, for this battle, Qu Chulü would go personally.
And Kekexue Wu, considering he still needed to hold Golden Mountain and could not leave, the only one with enough prestige was Prince Qu Chulü.
“Good, I grant you five thousand troops, but do not advance rashly; think three times before acting,” Kekexue Wu cautioned.
Qu Chulü nodded repeatedly, full of joy.
His mind fantasized about wiping out the enemy in one stroke; how could he remember what Kekexue Wu said?
