Chapter 9: Dragon
“Eh, these Geluolu People are chasing over here.”
On the high slope, Li Xiao and the others were surprised to discover that after more than forty Geluolu People crossed the river, they did not immediately join the main force to surround those people on the shore.
Instead, they charged toward the direction of Li Xiao and the others, seemingly intending to continue pursuing the group that had fled ahead.
The group ahead, whose identities were unknown, numbered around ten, fleeing for their lives at full speed.
The more than forty Geluolu Cavalry behind them pursued relentlessly without regard for anything.
“It seems that among the group ahead, someone has an extraordinary status!” Li Dashan said in a deep voice.
“Never mind who those people ahead are. As long as they’re fighting Geluolu People, Hexi Fort definitely has to help out.” Li Xiao said in a cold voice.
If the Geluolu People had not been stopped halfway at Dragon Bone River and still numbered over a hundred, Li Xiao would never lead his people to their deaths.
But now, only more than forty had charged to the south bank of Dragon Bone River.
If they didn’t take them all out, Li Xiao would be letting down his cheap old dad’s spirit in heaven.
After hearing Li Xiao’s words, the Hexi Young and Strong present all showed signs of eagerness and nodded silently.
The recent battle at North Mountain had caused heavy losses to Hexi Fort, and everyone had a grudge against the Geluolu People.
Given a chance to kill Geluolu People, no one would back down.
Moreover, they had eighteen people here, plus the ten being pursued, so their apparent strength was not much different from the Geluolu People’s.
“Do it!”
“Charge down and kill.”
“Take out these Geluolu People.”
“Get revenge!”
The eighteen young and strong from Hexi Fort all raised their voices, reaching a consensus.
Li Dashan also nodded lightly: “Good!”
“Wait for my command later. First let the Geluolu People get close, greet them with bow and arrow, then charge down to kill.”
Everyone nodded silently, and Li Xiao did the same, following Sixth Uncle’s orders.
Although he was the Young Fort Master of Hexi Fort and would likely become the Fort Master in the future barring accidents, he was still quite young after all.
His prestige among youths like Da Hu and Tie Tou was unquestionable, but in the eyes of adult young and strong like Li Dashan, the Young Fort Master’s status did not convince them.
So Li Xiao would not rashly seize command but silently learned and accumulated experience.
However, he still shared his own thoughts, saying: “The Geluolu People have come from afar, after a long-distance raid, and just swam across the river, so their horses are greatly fatigued and can’t pick up speed—this is our advantage.”
“Moreover, from my observation, this pursuit has depleted a lot of the Geluolu People’s arrows, so we can use more long-range bow shots.”
Li Xiao’s words surprised Li Dashan and the others; they hadn’t expected him, experiencing battle for the first time, to have such insight.
Moreover, his observations were meticulous, even noticing things they hadn’t thought of.
“Da Long is right, the Geluolu People’s horses are not as good as ours.” Li Dashan nodded and said.
Chen Erqiang also chuckled: “Looks like Da Long is born for fighting. Hexi Fort’s future depends on you.”
The others also showed satisfied expressions.
At this moment, Li Xiao’s influence in these people’s hearts quietly strengthened a bit.
But to reach the level of the Old Master, where his word was law, Li Xiao still needed more battles to convince more people.
Power could be inherited, but prestige had to be earned personally through battle.
……
“Swish~”
Accompanied by a shrill whistle, a Geluolu arrow struck a Khitan Warrior squarely in the back.
The sharp arrowhead pierced through muscle and emerged from his chest.
“Ali~”
Kun Ji shouted loudly, but could only watch helplessly as this Khitan Warrior fell from his horse.
The Geluolu pursuers behind were getting closer and closer, constantly shooting arrows that left fewer and fewer guards around Kun Ji.
Although the Khitan Warriors also used their remaining arrows to take out quite a few pursuers.
But even a one-for-one exchange was a loss for their side.
She knew these Geluolu People were deliberately avoiding her.
They wanted to capture her alive.
“Elder Brother, I might not make it back.”
Kun Ji looked toward the southwest direction, her eyes reddening slightly, murmuring softly to herself.
She regretted it.
She shouldn’t have come to this barbaric Jin Prefecture.
Although she had long known that Da He Chu Luo Duo was a good-for-nothing, she hadn’t expected this bastard to be even more useless.
That guy was a muscle-headed waste, a complete idiot; Kun Ji had watched with her own eyes how he was defeated by the Geluolu People.
Even worse, when the army routed, this bastard abandoned her and fled with his men.
As a result, her original two hundred guards were now down to just over thirty.
She now hated Da He Chu Luo Duo to death.
If she could go back, she would definitely break off the engagement with this bastard.
She didn’t need such a fiancé.
Unfortunately, she might not have the chance to do so.
When another guard died under Geluolu bow and arrow, Kun Ji’s face gradually showed despair, and she tightly gripped the saber at her waist.
Then, with a resolute expression, as a daughter of the Xiao Clan, even if she died, she absolutely could not be captured alive by the Geluolu People to threaten her elder brother.
“Kill!”
“Grab her.”
The distance between the two sides grew closer; as Kun Ji’s guards were picked off one by one, the Geluolu Cavalry behind let out excited roars.
Although they suffered losses in the process, capturing the Khitan noblewoman ahead was still easy.
“Swish~”
The next moment, the Geluolu Cavalry Leader drew his bow and nocked an arrow, a cold smirk on his lips.
His target was Kun Ji’s war horse.
Without the protection and cover of guards, Kun Ji was like an ewe to be slaughtered at will.
Accompanied by the whistle of the arrow, the war horse under Kun Ji suddenly let out a shrill neigh, its hind leg pierced by the arrow, and the horse collapsed directly to the ground.
“Ah~”
Kun Ji cried out in terror. Although fortunate not to be pinned under the horse, she was flung far away, feeling as if every bone in her body was broken, blood flowing from her forehead.
“Woo woo~”
“Hahahaha~”
Seeing Kun Ji fall from her horse, the Geluolu Cavalry let out excited shouts.
Some began surrounding and killing the remaining six Khitan Warriors, while the Geluolu Cavalry Leader led men charging toward where Kun Ji had fallen.
He wanted to capture this woman personally.
At this moment, Kun Ji only felt pain all over her body and couldn’t even stand to flee.
She watched helplessly as that Geluolu Cavalryman drew closer and closer, even clearly seeing the disgusting ferocious grin on his face.
“Elder Brother~”
Kun Ji’s expression was full of fear.
The first thought was not the already given-up Da He Chu Luo Duo, but her elder brother who had been like family since childhood, both brother and father.
She hadn’t expected her one willful choice to result in falling into the hands of the Geluolu People.
“No, can’t let the Geluolu People threaten Elder Brother.” Kun Ji said firmly in her heart.
She gripped the dagger tightly and placed it against her chest.
She took a deep breath.
“Huff huff huff~”
“You can do it.”
She encouraged herself while closing her eyes tightly, wanting to end it all.
But feeling the dagger’s coldness on her skin, at this moment her hands trembled violently, the small dagger feeling like a thousand pounds, unable to pierce down.
There was great terror between life and death.
Having lived a pampered life since childhood, she simply couldn’t disregard life and death.
“Hahahahaha~”
“Ridiculous woman.”
“Come back with me obediently!”
“I will offer you to the great Yelü; perhaps Yelü will take pity and allow you to become his consort.”
The approaching Geluolu Cavalry from afar also saw Kun Ji trying to kill herself and let out disdainful laughter.
He had followed the tribe on many looting raids against other tribes, capturing countless women.
No matter how they struggled or resisted, few dared to take their own lives.
Clinging to life and fearing death was human nature.
So, he was certain Kun Ji wouldn’t dare to die.
The distance of several dozen meters passed in an instant, and the Geluolu Cavalry Leader’s ferocious laughter soon reached Kun Ji’s face.
He leaned down from the horse and whipped the dagger from Kun Ji’s hand.
Laughing loudly, he reached out to grab Kun Ji’s clothes and throw her onto the horseback.
Before this strong Geluolu Man, the once haughty and untouchable Kun Ji was like a helpless ewe, able to do nothing, her mind blank, only to be slaughtered.
But just as the Geluolu Man was about to grab Kun Ji, a shrill whistle suddenly sounded.
“Swish~”
Accompanied by the dull sound of ironware piercing flesh~
The Geluolu Cavalry Leader’s movements suddenly froze, his body stiffening in place, his face full of ferocious pain.
Then, in his unwilling and fearful expression, his whole body slumped heavily to the ground.
“Thud~”
Hearing the muffled sound of the corpse hitting the ground, all the Geluolu People were stunned, then came to their senses, shouting loudly in the Geluolu language.
“Enemies! Take cover quickly.”
“They’re on that mountain.”
“Shoot arrows quickly.”
The Geluolu People shouted in fear, while Kun Ji sat dazed on the ground.
Her originally terrified and despairing face gradually showed a glimmer of hope.
Looking down, the Geluolu Man who had been arrogant moments ago now lay at her feet.
The fatal wound was an arrow that had entered through one temple and exited the other, skewering his head like a candied haw.
“Dead?”
Kun Ji’s heart faintly excited; she carefully confirmed that this Geluolu Man was indeed dead.
Moreover, she noticed that at the end of the arrow that killed him, a small square Chinese character was engraved!
“Dragon?”
Khitan People were deeply influenced by Han Chinese culture, and many recognized Chinese characters.
She immediately recognized the sloppy “dragon” character engraved on the arrow.
This should be the arrow owner’s name, and a Han Chinese at that.
She quickly turned her head and looked toward the direction the arrow came from.
Only then did she discover that on the hillside to the south, a team of cavalry had appeared at some point.
Standing at the forefront was a man on horseback—no, a big boy, since his face looked a bit youthful.
Holding an empty bow, his other hand deftly drew another arrow from the quiver, his hawk-like sharp gaze fixed on every Geluolu Person, as if searching for his next target.
Behind him, more than a dozen knights were similarly shooting arrows down at the Geluolu Cavalry from above.
It was just that their arrows had only just been shot.
Kun Ji’s gaze fell far on the youth, her intuition telling her that it was this youth who had just saved her.
