I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 975: Wusun is shocked, Su Yao comes out of the mountain (Combined Chapter 5K8)

The wind was cold and there was a commotion in Chigu City.

The first to react were the Western merchants in the city.

In this freezing cold season, they suddenly packed up their bags and set off on their journey home, away from this land tainted with gossip.

This scene greatly puzzled the Wusun people, who had long been accustomed to the presence of these merchants, and they asked what was going on.

"Don't you know yet? A war is about to break out!"

There was the nervous explanation given by the well-informed person.

"Ah? What's going on?"

"The Han Kingdom in the east has sent tens of thousands of troops to destroy the Xianbei in the west and conquer the countries in the Western Regions. Their next target is our Wusun!"

"What? Is this true? Hasn't the Han Empire been in decline for many years? The Western Regions haven't seen any trace of them for decades."

"This time is different!"

The merchant lowered his voice and a trace of fear flashed in his eyes: "I heard that the Han Kingdom has a great general who even chopped off the head of the Xianbei Chanyu. The kings of the Western Regions were scared to death and surrendered their cities one after another. Now the Han army is gathering and may attack us at any time!"

"Yes, I heard that too."

Another person suddenly asked, "Do you remember our right general who went on the expedition two months ago? He hasn't come back yet."

"I heard that he went to fight the Han people for the Che Division, but ended up being defeated and almost his entire army was wiped out!"

The whole army was wiped out?!" The surrounding Wusun people were horrified when they heard this, "Those were our Wusun's most elite warriors!"

"It's absolutely true!" The merchant nodded solemnly, "I have a relative who does business in Cheshi. He saw with his own eyes that the Han army was parading our prisoners through the streets. The head of the right general was hung on the flagpole of the Han army."

These words were like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples among the crowd. Fear spread quickly like a plague.

"Oh my god, isn't the Han army about to attack us?"

"What do you mean by expensive and extravagant? What should we do? Should we pack up and run west?"

Just as everyone was panicking, a loud voice suddenly rang out: "What are you panicking about!"

Everyone turned around and saw a strong man in a wolfskin cloak striding towards them. He had a scimitar hanging from his waist and a hideous scar on his face. He was Adena, the chief guard of the Wusun royal court.

"How dare a mere Han Chinese offend Wusun?" Adena sneered, "We Wusun warriors have roamed the grasslands for decades. When have we ever been afraid of others?"

He grabbed the businessman by the collar and said, "You are a profiteer. You are spreading rumors here and disturbing the people. What crime should you be punished for?!"

The businessman was so frightened that his face turned pale. He waved his hands repeatedly and said, "My Lord, please understand! I am only telling the truth. I am not lying at all!"

"Bullshit!" Adena shouted angrily, "Come here, arrest this scoundrel who spread rumors and caused trouble!"

Several guards immediately stepped forward and dragged the merchant away without explanation. The crowd suddenly fell silent, and everyone lowered their heads and dared not speak.

Adena looked around and said loudly: "The king has ordered the gathering of warriors from all over the country. If the Han army dares to come, they will never return!"

These words temporarily calmed the people's hearts, but the seeds of unrest had already sprouted, and undercurrents were surging in Chigu City.

That night, all the Wusun nobles gathered at Xiang Dalu's residence and expressed their concerns to the most powerful man in the Wusun Kingdom.

"Xiang Dalu, I heard that the Han army is coming with great force. Should we..." An aristocrat hesitated to speak.

Xiang Dalu sipped the wine leisurely, and glanced at everyone present: "Don't panic. The Han army has come from afar, and they are short of food and grass. We just need to hold on to Chigu and wait for them to retreat when their food runs out."

"But." A young noble couldn't help but interrupt, "I heard that the Han army has added tens of thousands of troops, and now has 100,000. If they attack..."

"One hundred thousand?" Xiang Dalu sneered, "Did you see it with your own eyes? It's just an exaggeration by the merchants. Even if there are really one hundred thousand, our Chigu City is impregnable, and there is also the natural barrier of Rehu Lake. How can the Han army attack it?"

He put down his wine glass, and his tone turned cold: "It's you who are so foolish that you lose your composure. The king has already issued an order that anyone who spreads rumors will be treated as collaborating with the enemy!"

Everyone was silent, not daring to say anything.

However, while Xiang Dalu was comforting everyone, deep in the palace, Wusun King Gui Shemi was standing alone at the window, staring at the night sky in the east in a trance.

Only those who are truly in power know how serious the current threat is.

The Han Dynasty destroyed the coalition forces of them and the Xianbei in one battle, which shocked the entire royal court.

He had a bad premonition at the time, so he quickly sent envoys to apologize and make diplomatic efforts.

However, the envoys sent by the Han Dynasty to question them shattered their fantasies.

Obviously, the Han people had a huge appetite this time and were no longer satisfied with their verbal submission in the past. They even wanted to extend their hands into their country, not only to station troops but also to guide their political affairs.

This is naturally something they cannot accept.

Only horses and swords can speak.

But fortunately, as Xiang Dalu said, the long journey and the biting cold are their greatest protection.

Now he has ordered mobilization of all tribes in the country and sent reinforcements to the main intersections in the north and south directions, and General Zuo has even gone out in person.

"The coalition forces of the Western Regions in the south are naturally nothing to be afraid of. In the north, General Zuo is leading an army of 100,000 to meet the enemy. As long as he can follow Kunmi's orders, lure the enemy deep into our territory, and cut off their food supply, he will indeed be invincible. However."

While the King of Wusun was immersed in his own thoughts, he did not notice that a young girl had already come into his room, frowning and pointing at the sand table behind him:
"Why didn't Kunmi send anyone to defend the middle lane?"

"If the Han army breaks out from Tianshan, they will be at the gates of the city in a few days. How will we respond then?"

The King of Wusun turned around and saw the girl's appearance. He immediately burst into laughter:
"My dear Ashley, didn't I tell you not to come into my meeting room casually?"

The girl was about fifteen or sixteen years old. She was dressed in the attire of a Wusun noble girl with a sword hanging from her waist. She was full of youthfulness and a bit heroic. She was the youngest daughter of the noble and extravagant Wusun king.

Ashley curled her lips, obviously disagreeing with the words of the King of Wusun, and expressed her concerns frankly.

"I'm just worried that those good-for-nothings won't be able to help."

"Look, the middle is such an important position, but no one reminded you."

"If I don't come in, wouldn't it be a bad thing to come back?"

Ashley held her head high, looking proud.

However, the Wusun King did not take it seriously. He just ruffled her hair and said, "Silly child, this is different from the hunting we did before."

"In winter, the mountains are covered with snow. Even birds cannot cross the Tianshan Mountains. How could the Han army possibly get through there?"

"Father, if I send troops there, I would be really crazy."

"You can't just not take any precautions."

Ashley stamped her feet unconvinced:
"I heard from the merchants that the Han general is a very good fighter and is best at taking the enemy by surprise! He even chopped off the head of the Xianbei Chanyu. We must not be careless!"

The extravagant smile gradually faded, and a hint of gloom flashed in his eyes.

He recalled the cause of death of the right general reported by the defeated soldiers, which seemed to be the Han army's detour over the mountain and directly attacked their rear camp.
However, despite his worries, as the leader of a country, he had to remain calm:

"Alright, my little warrior." He patted his daughter's shoulder. "Father and the ministers will take care of these matters. You should go and accompany your mother. She hasn't been feeling well lately."

Ashley wanted to say something more, but when she saw her father's tired eyes, she had to leave reluctantly.

After his daughter left, Gui Shemi sighed and looked back at the sand table. He stretched out his hand and gently brushed the position of Tianshan, frowning.

"Maybe we should send some scouts to take a look?"

While the King of Wusun was hesitating, what he didn't know was that an elite Han army of 3,000 men had quietly embarked on the dangerous journey across the Tianshan Mountains.

In the wind and snow, Su Yao took the lead, followed by Ma Chao, Yan Xing and other generals and knights.

Each of them was wrapped in thick fur coats, and their horses were covered in special cold-proof horse clothes, but even so, the biting cold wind still made everyone shiver from time to time.

This stretch of mountain road was not easy to walk on. There was a vast expanse of white between the sky and the earth, and from time to time they would wonder if they had lost themselves in the valley.

However, every time this happened, the old hunter Alice found would always find the right direction with his amazing intuition.

He was like a snow leopard familiar with the mountains and forests, guiding the army forward in the vast snowfields.

"Haha, this is not intuition at all, it's just our way of survival."

On the fifth night after entering the valley, in a sheltered valley, the old hunter, facing the praise of everyone, took a sip of liquor and said:

"Unlike you outsiders who see this place as white and everything looks the same, we mountain people have sharp eyes. Look at the direction of the mountain ridge, the pattern of the glacier, and the dead trees and boulders on the roadside. They are all signposts drawn by God. How can we get lost here?"

The old hunter proudly showed off his skills, but deliberately did not reveal the secret, which made everyone marvel and laugh from time to time.

Among them, Zhou Yu listened very carefully and asked frequently about the secret of the snow mountain:
"Old man, you are indeed knowledgeable. With you leading the way, we will be able to catch the Wusun people by surprise!"

All the soldiers thought the same thing and continued on their journey with high morale.

However, they soon discovered that something was wrong.

The old hunter, who had been so confident and boastful before, suddenly showed an expression of shock and confusion on his face.

"What's wrong?" Su Yao was keenly aware of something unusual and rode forward to ask. The old hunter pointed to a valley ahead and said in a trembling voice, "No, this place shouldn't be like this. We seem to have gone the wrong way."

"What?!" Ma Chao's face suddenly changed when he heard this, "Didn't you say you would never get lost?"

The old hunter's forehead was covered with cold sweat, and he stammered, "Logically, there should be a frozen stream here, but I haven't seen one for a long time."

"Could it be that we are too slow? Why haven't we reached our destination yet?" Yan Xing reined in his horse and asked.

However, the old hunter shook his head. He hurried to the edge of the nearby mountain wall, squatted down and dug away the snow on the ground. His face became more and more solemn: "No. I have walked this road for decades and have never seen this stone. And..."

As he spoke, he pointed to a valley in the distance, trembling slightly, and said, "The shape of the mountain over there has also changed a bit."

At this time, Zhou Yu walked out with a serious expression: "Maybe the avalanche changed the terrain."

"Avalanche?" Everyone was surprised.

"Yes."

Zhou Yu immediately explained to these people of Han origin:

"I haven't read many ancient books, but they record that in valleys covered with snow all year round, avalanches occasionally occur. Their force is as strong as thunder and can completely change the topography of the mountain. I'm afraid the road signs in my memory have been buried deep under the snow."

"Mr. Zhou is indeed very knowledgeable. I think that's exactly the case."

The old hunter sighed dejectedly:
"Three years ago, a huge avalanche broke out on the east bank of the hot lake, burying all the nearby valleys. I had to work very hard to find the way back. I didn't expect another avalanche to happen here shortly after the beginning of winter this year."

After hearing the old hunter's words, the army immediately became agitated, and Ma Chao even grabbed the old hunter by the collar:
"You old man! Why didn't you find out about such an important matter in advance? Do you know how serious a crime it is to delay military affairs?!"

"General Ma, calm down." Zhou Yu stepped forward and persuaded him. "Natural disasters cannot be resisted by human power. The most urgent task is to determine as soon as possible whether there is another way to go."

The old hunter looked at Zhou Yu gratefully, but could only shake his head dejectedly: "If you want to go to Red Valley, this is the only way."

At this moment, everyone was suddenly in despair.

With the guide out of service in this vast snowy mountain, continuing forward would be tantamount to seeking death. The current situation clearly showed that there was little hope for a surprise attack from the middle.

"Withdraw, General."

Zhou Yu glanced at the sky and immediately asked for orders:
"It is already dark at noon today. There may be a heavy snowstorm in the mountains in the next few days. We should not stay here any longer. Please order the troops to withdraw immediately."

At this moment, everyone's expression changed suddenly.

During these few days, they have deeply experienced the horror of the snowy mountains.

Sometimes they could only travel for a few hours each day when traveling through the snowy mountains, and they would stay in sheltered caves in the afternoon just to avoid the extremely cold nights.

This is the case even though the weather is fine now. If a snowstorm hits and they can't find a suitable shelter, they will be dead for sure.

As a result, at this moment, even the young generals like Ma Chao and Yan Xing, who were most eager to achieve merit, changed their faces, lowered their heads unwillingly, and changed their minds to agree to withdraw the troops.

However, Su Yao, the commander-in-chief, stood still with his eyes closed, hesitating to make a decision.

"General?"

After a while, under everyone's urging, Su Yao slowly opened his eyes, looked at the snow-covered mountains in the distance, and ordered:
"No, the army continues to move forward."

His voice was not loud, but it made the surroundings quiet instantly.

"General! The terrain ahead has changed. It may be dangerous if we move forward rashly!"

Zhou Yu was extremely anxious. He didn't expect Su Yao to insist on his own way.

A snowstorm is coming. Although it is a pity, our only option now is to withdraw our troops.

Otherwise, you will be courting death!

However, Su Yao did not answer, but dismounted and strode forward. He squatted down, grabbed a handful of snow and rubbed it in his hands, then looked up and looked around.

"Look," he suddenly pointed to a ridge, "there are obvious signs of fractures in the snow over there, indicating that the avalanche came from that direction."

Everyone looked in the direction where his finger pointed and saw a fresh fault zone on the ridge.

"This means," Su Yao stood up and patted the snow on his hands, "the avalanche has changed the terrain, but it has not completely blocked the road. As long as we keep moving forward, we can still get out of the valley."

"But if I go any further, I won't know the way!"

The old hunter was also anxious:

"If the avalanche covers the cave, everyone in here will probably die tonight!"

"Will not."

Su Yao laughed:
"I am the Han Dynasty's destiny, and Heaven has already pointed out the path for me."

As he spoke, Su Yao raised his whip, pointed ahead and said:
"Keep going. There will be a shelter in less than two hours. We can avoid the blizzard there."

Everyone was immediately surprised, not knowing where Su Yao got the information.

But military orders are as heavy as mountains, and after Su Yao issued the strict order, everyone could only hurry on their way.

Halfway through the journey, the old hunter who had been so high-spirited before became extremely depressed, and some people even saw him crying quietly.

Obviously, in his opinion, the Han general had gone mad.

How foolish it is to put hope in destiny.
If you want to die, don’t take me with you!
Along the way, the Han army was in an extremely nervous and depressed mood.

Almost everyone was praying, hoping that God would show that the general's judgment was correct.

The wind and snow grew stronger, the sky grew darker, and the soldiers' footsteps became heavier.

At this point, even those who knew that Su Yao often performed extraordinary things couldn't help but feel worried. Could it be that this time, Heaven would no longer have mercy on him?
Just when everyone was almost in despair, the scout who was exploring the way ahead suddenly shouted excitedly: "Found it! Found it! There is a big cave ahead!"

Ma Chao immediately rode forward to check it out, and returned excitedly a moment later: "General, what a brilliant plan! There is indeed a huge cave ahead, big enough to accommodate the entire army!"

The old hunter was stunned and muttered to himself: "How is this possible? I have lived in this mountain for decades and never knew there was a cave here."

Su Yao smiled slightly: "God will help us as fate dictates."

The entire army quickly entered the cave to avoid the blizzard.

Strictly speaking, this cave is not a proper cave, but a natural shelter after an avalanche. Huge blocks of snow piled up on one side of the valley, forming a semi-enclosed space with the rock wall, which is large enough to accommodate 3,000 men and horses.

Although it was cold inside the cave, it was much better than the blizzard raging outside. The soldiers quickly built a bonfire to melt the snow and feed the horses. Zhou Yu ordered his personal soldiers to set up a guard at the entrance of the cave to prevent wild animals or enemies from attacking.

"General, you are truly a god!" Ma Chao rubbed his hands excitedly, "How did you know there is a shelter here?"

Su Yao smiled but did not answer. He just took out the map and studied it carefully.

In fact, he relies on the functions provided by nature or the system.

After setting the old hunter as a guide in the system, the small map has unlocked the surrounding terrain. Even after the avalanche, the best route and possible shelters are still marked on the system map.

The addition of Zhou Yu brought out the best in his position as a wind warrior, unlocking a large amount of visual surrounding weather data for him.

In the past, this position was held by Guo Jia. Even though the effect was not as good as Zhou Yu's, it provided him with a lot of data support.

Therefore, he was able to play chess with Guo Jia so calmly when everyone was in panic, because he knew very well that Guo Jia's prediction would succeed.

This time, Zhou Yu's joining not only allowed him to free Guo Jia, but also enabled him to know the timing of the snowstorm more accurately and make route decisions calmly.

Therefore, this seemingly dangerous journey was actually already under Su Yao's control.

Naturally, he would not explain these, but instead used this mystery to give the Han army an aura of destiny, which greatly boosted the morale of the army.

Yan Xing came over and whispered, "General, what should we do next? The guide can no longer recognize the road."

Su Yao put away the map, his eyes firm: "It's okay. After the blizzard stops in three days, I will find a way to lead everyone out of the snowy mountains."

Three days later, the blizzard really stopped as Su Yao predicted. All the soldiers looked at Su Yao with awe, and even the old hunter couldn't help but kneel down and kowtow, calling him a god.

Su Yao ordered his men to help the old hunter up and said gently, "Don't do this, old man. I'll need your help in identifying the terrain next."

As he spoke, Su Yao took out a brand new map, which actually marked in detail the new terrain after the avalanche.

The old hunter took the map, his hands shaking, "This, this." He looked up at Su Yao, his eyes full of disbelief, "Could the general be able to communicate with ghosts and gods?"

"This is a secret from heaven." Su Yao smiled mysteriously, and then ordered the entire army to get ready to set off.

With the guidance of this map, the army's march speed increased significantly. At noon five days later, cheers from scouts suddenly came from the front.

Su Yao rode his horse forward and looked down at the end of the valley. He saw a vast grassland shining in the sun - they were finally about to get out of the Tianshan Mountains!

However, Su Yao was not too surprised, but raised his hand to ask everyone to be quiet:

"Let's talk about cheering later. Now everyone get ready, the guests are coming."

At the same time, not far from the mountain exit, a group of about 800 Wusun troops were stationed there, and their leader was none other than the Wusun princess Ashley.
(End of this chapter)