Chapter 43: Chapter 43

Chapter 43: The Barbarian Nation, Ancient Court Nation, and Azure Nation

“Cap... Captain, there’s a group of barbarian soldiers ahead, about seven of them,” Xuanwu warned somewhat stiffly as they traveled north about thirty li from the city.

Why did the word “Captain” feel so awkward to say?

Under the night sky, the great grassland was draped in a stage of black silk, silent and desolate in the hazy moonlight.

In the distance, a campfire blazed brightly against the darkness.

“It’s the sound of hoofbeats, approaching fast! Quick, wake everyone up!”

A barbarian soldier warming himself by the fire stood up alertly.

“Poof!”

As soon as the other barbarian soldier stood up, a pellet of true qi compressed into the size of a soybean hit his body and exploded.

The shadow reflected on the white tent nearby was instantly torn in half, and blood spurted everywhere.

By the time the six horses arrived at the campfire, the surroundings had been reduced to ruins by countless qi projectiles.

Bai Shi’s eyes narrowed as he surveyed his handiwork.

“This was just an ordinary scouting party. There’s no useful intelligence here,” Xuanwu said, shaking his head after a quick inspection.

“Let’s go. We should try to reach Naluote before dawn,” Shen Yian said.

Even without rest, this forced march wouldn’t deplete their energy, but the horses couldn’t keep up. They’d need to change mounts once they reached the barbarian city.

The plan was simple: a blitzkrieg. Strike the barbarian capital in peak condition, kill the targets, and withdraw.

As dawn broke, a city became visible on the horizon.

[Naluote]

Once ceded to Great Qing by the barbarians, then reclaimed during Great Qing’s internal turmoil.

This was the second-to-last supply point for barbarian merchants entering Great Qing.

After a night of hard riding, the six had penetrated deep into barbarian territory.

On the streets with their unique foreign flavor, the five men’s attire didn’t draw much attention.

Mercenaries were all too common in Naluote.

Many merchant caravans would hire additional mercenaries here as temporary guards to ensure safe passage to Great Qing.

The rest of the way they will probably encounter grassland bandits that even the barbarians themselves are troubled by.

“Sorry, I don’t.”

A few minutes later, six tall, magnificent horses were galloping through the streets.

The caravan leader and several members were left lying in a small alley.

“Haha! As expected of the boss! This is truly a fine horse! Exhilarating!” E Lai laughed loudly, riding a jet-black steed.

Xuanwu was shocked. He thought Shen Yian would negotiate a price, not simply rob them. He had to admit, it was well done!

Shen Yian said calmly, “The barbarians, especially those so-called nobles, never had any intention of buying things when they entered our Great Qing territory.”

It is impolite not to reciprocate!

The exchange between merchant caravans was limited to peacetime, when everyone bought and sold things they didn’t have, paid taxes honestly, and the ruling class turned a blind eye.

Once war broke out, it was a fight to the death.

The vast, fertile lands of the south should belong to the barbarians – this was an idea ingrained in their bones since ancient times, because their “god” had promised it to them!

If you asked where God had promised this, they would pull out their “Divine Scriptures” and tell you loudly that God had written it in his book.

In every southern invasion against Great Qing, the barbarian commanders would shout out that famous slogan:

“In the name of God, reclaim the land that belongs to us!”

Originally, there was a country called Azure between Great Qing and the Barbarian Nation. They once ruled this great grassland but eventually migrated west, unable to withstand the pressure and erosion from the two great nations.

After devouring several small countries and a third of the Ancient Court’s territory, they re-established their nation.

“That’s right! Hahaha!” Xuanwu joined in the laughter.

Among the six, if anyone hated the barbarians most, it would be Xuanwu.

He was born in a small ordinary village in the northern frontier.

That year, when the barbarians moved south, his village unfortunately encountered a barbarian cavalry raid.

All the men and the elderly were killed and hung as a demonstration.

The women were also killed after being ravaged by the barbarians, and the children were all taken as slaves, carried away like pigs.

Xuanwu had unfortunately become one of them, which was also the reason he learned the barbarian language.

If he was in the same state of mind as at that time today, the stimulation of national hatred and family feuds would have been enough to prompt him to go on a killing spree in this barbarian city.

Smiling, Xuanwu suddenly let out a sigh, and his expression quickly returned to normal.

The six divine horses galloped all the way, not giving the soldiers guarding the city any chance to question them, and rushed out of the city gate and continued to head north.