knife

Chapter 36 Sudden Enemy

Zhang Ruo stared palely at the killing field not far ahead.

Although the total number of participants on both sides was less than three hundred, the ferocity of the battle far exceeded that of ordinary battles.

Compared to the assassination attempt Zhang Ruo encountered in the temple earlier, this battle was nothing more than child's play, a mere game.

If it weren't for Chang Jian, a level nine expert, and Yuan Rong and Yuan Tong, two level seven experts, their team would definitely have lost.

Currently, only Linghu Zhishu and Wu De, among others, remain to protect Zhang Ruo.

The rest all joined the battle.

Seeing that Chang Jian had finally killed the two barbarian chieftains who were besieging him, Linghu Zhishu finally breathed a long sigh of relief. Although the battle was still ongoing, the situation was now firmly in their hands.

No one expected that they would encounter a barbarian group of nearly two hundred people more than a hundred miles away from the border.

"Master Zhang, this is beyond the Great Wall! Welcome to this cruel battlefield!" Linghu Zhishu said with a smile.

"Is this the army of the Northern Yuan?" Although Zhang Ruo tried his best to appear calm, his voice still trembled slightly, which made him feel ashamed.

However, Linghu Zhishu was quite impressed with this former high-ranking official. After all, a scholar who could stand and watch such a battle was worthy of his respect.

“No!” Linghu Zhishu said, “These are barbarians from further north or further west. Compared to them, the Northern Yuan are like shy little maidens. These people are truly savages who eat raw meat and drink blood.”

Zhang Ruo was somewhat shocked. "How did they manage to get here? Did Bei Yuan intentionally condone it?"

Linghu Zhishu shook his head: "Who knows! Scholar Zhang, you probably don't have a clear understanding of the geographical environment outside the pass. The entire region outside the pass is about the same size as inside the pass. When I say inside the pass, I include Southern Chu. And inside the pass, there should be 200 million people. But outside the pass, there are only a few million people. Such a vast area with such a small population, how much land can they occupy? So outside the pass is like a sieve."

"These barbarians are not under the control of the Northern Yuan?" In Chang'an, the barbarians were considered to be the Northern Yuan, and it was believed that all barbarians were under the Northern Yuan's command.

"Of course not. The relative peace within the pass over the past three years is because the Northern Yuan deployed their main elite forces to the northern and western borders to deal with these barbarian tribes moving south!" Linghu Zhishu let out a long breath: "It's thanks to the Northern Yuan that we were able to hold off these barbarians, otherwise we would have been in real trouble."

"Why are they heading south?" Zhang Ruo asked in shock.

“The weather!” Linghu Zhishu pointed to the dark sky above: “Compared to last year, winter came earlier this year, and the Qingshui River froze ten days earlier. The temperature has dropped even more further north and west, and the barbarian tribes there can no longer survive, so they have no choice but to migrate south to seek a better life. The Northern Chieftain was the first to be attacked by them. The tribe we are encountering now has most likely come through some crevice. They are lucky to have made it all the way here, but I'm afraid our people have suffered greatly along the way.”

"These people are attacking the Northern Yuan, so don't they share the same goal as us?" Zhang Ruo said, "Hasn't Commander Linghu ever considered forming an alliance with these people to destroy the Northern Yuan first?"

Linghu Zhishu laughed loudly: "Scholar Zhang, the enemy of my enemy is not always my friend. Moreover..." As he spoke, Chang Jian rode back carrying a barbarian, throwing him heavily to the ground. The man's limbs hung limply at his sides, clearly broken by Chang Jian. Despite falling to the ground, he still glared angrily, raised his head, and twisted his body to crawl towards Linghu Zhishu, like a venomous snake.

Even though she knew the man was no longer a threat, Zhang Ruo still couldn't help but take a step back.

Linghu Zhishu stepped forward, stomped on the face of the Hu man, and shouted angrily, spewing out a series of strange and unfamiliar words, which changed three or four times in a short period of time.

The Hu people struggled desperately, seemingly very unwilling to accept defeat.

Then four or five more captured Hu people were thrown in front of him. Linghu Zhishu drew his knife and stabbed one of them to death. Then he shouted and questioned him sternly. After doing this three times, tears finally flowed from the eyes of the Hu chieftain.

During the question-and-answer session, Linghu Zhishu revealed a satisfied smile.

The real battle was over, and the government troops were chasing after the fleeing barbarians on horseback; almost all of them were doomed.

This was a sudden and unexpected battle. Fortunately, the officers and soldiers were the most elite troops from beyond the Great Wall. Although they were outnumbered, they still achieved victory. Even so, the number of casualties was a terrifying 30%. More than 30 people were killed in battle, and more than 40 were wounded.

Even Yuan Rong and Yuan Tong, who participated in the battle, had a large gash on their backs and an arrow stuck in their thighs. It was unknown what kind of poison was on the arrow, but Yuan Tong's entire leg swelled up.

However, the two of them looked quite excited.

Feuds and vendettas in the martial arts world are on completely different levels from battles on the battlefield.

Linghu Zhishu swung his sword and killed the wounded barbarian leader. He then casually threw away the blood-stained knife and said to Zhang Ruo, "Master Zhang, this is the vanguard of the western barbarian tribe. They are preparing to migrate as a whole tribe. This particular force crossed over from the gap between Beiyuan and us. Along the way, they have already slaughtered three of our villages. They truly deserve to die."

Does this mean we have to go to war with this barbarian tribe?

"That's natural. They've found this gap and sent someone back to report. Their main force will naturally follow soon." Linghu Zhishu said calmly, "That barbarian leader just said that they believe the fighting strength of the Qin army and civilians is far inferior to that of the Northern Yuan. Therefore, attacking us and gaining a foothold is a better option. Hehe, we'll show them what fighting strength is!"

Zhang Ruo looked at the barbarian warriors lying on the ground, their hair disheveled, their clothes mostly made of animal skins, and their weapons crude and rudimentary. However, they were all tall and strong. Yuan Rong and Yuan Tong were considered strong Qin people, but they looked thin in front of them, not to mention Zhang Ruo, a scholar who was already thin.

"These people actually started a war against us and the Northern Yuan at the same time?" Zhang Ruo was a little confused.

"To call it war is giving them too much credit!" Linghu Zhishu said. "The distant north and west are uncivilized, barbaric lands, teeming with tribes. These primitive people, who eat raw meat and drink blood, are defiant of all. The only thing they fear is a knife. Now, the weather is getting colder every year, so they have no choice but to move south. But they have no unified plan; it's all subconscious, instinctive behavior. They rush south in droves, attacking and annexing each other along the way. Whether it's the Northern Yuan or the Great Qin, they see them as enemies, ready to attack at any moment."

As they spoke, the soldiers had already set up their tents. They certainly couldn't leave today; so many wounded soldiers needed treatment, and the dead needed to be collected and transported back.

Linghu Zhishu invited Zhang Ruo into the main tent. After the fire was lit, the warmth immediately dispelled the chill inside the tent.

The two sat down cross-legged by the fire.

“Although we were also attacked, the Northern Yuan suffered even greater damage. Shouldn’t that be a good thing for us?” Zhang Ru asked. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if both sides were severely injured?”

“Zhang Gong is overthinking it!” Linghu Zhishu laughed. “These barbarians are indeed very good at fighting, but they are simple-minded. When they face a country like Beiyuan, they will be defeated and subdued very quickly. This is exactly what we are most worried about.”

Zhang Ruo seemed to understand: "You mean, if these Hu tribes were conquered by the Northern Yuan, their fighting strength, combined with the Northern Yuan's management and planning capabilities, would give them an overwhelming advantage over the areas outside the Great Wall?"

“Zhang Gong is indeed a wise man, just as I thought!” Linghu Zhishu said, “These Hu tribes themselves cannot amount to much, but if they are subdued by the Northern Yuan and become their pawns, we will be in trouble. The main force of the Northern Yuan is currently fighting in the north and west. This war, which is presided over by their emperor, started three years ago and has now reached its climax. Perhaps it will come to an end in two or three years.”

"Then why don't we launch an attack on Beiyuan at this time?" Zhang Ruo asked.

Linghu Zhishu laughed loudly: "Isn't the court always very dissatisfied with our aggressive military campaigns? They always accuse us of provoking border conflicts without authorization?"

Zhang Ruo's face flushed slightly; he seemed to be one of these people as well.

"It's not that we don't want to do it, but reality doesn't allow it. Domestic defense is one thing, and launching a proactive attack is another!" Linghu Zhishu sighed. "Outside the Great Wall, the commander-in-chief can only control a limited amount of power. There are forces involved everywhere, and factors to consider everywhere. Lord Zhang, what kind of force do you think Tai'an City is? By the way, including that bandit Li Dachui who risked his life to protect you this time, you've always had a good impression of him, haven't you?"

“Of course! If it weren’t for him, I would have died at your hands long ago. You should also have a share of the bounty on my head in Tai’an City, right?” Zhang Ruo asked coldly.

Linghu Zhishu smiled: "But do you know? Outside the pass, Tai'an City is a powerful force that can rival the Grand Marshal! Militarily, they are no less than us, and economically, we can even say that we depend on them. If it weren't for the grain and military pay that the imperial court imports every year, we would no longer be their match."

Zhang Ruo looked at the other person with disbelief. "Linghu Ye is known as the King of the Pass, how could a mere city and a band of bandits have become such a force?"

"Master Zhang, since we have nothing else to do, let me tell you all about Tai'an City!"

(End of this chapter)