Dramatic changes in the movies and TV shows

Chapter 1252 Initial Establishment of the Team
In response to Guo Yuanzheng's question, Lin Hao smiled mysteriously before saying:
"I will give you all an explanation tonight, but before that, I hope you will cooperate with my actions!"

Guo Yuanzheng was taken aback upon hearing this, but did not pursue the matter further. The others, however, were also quite curious.

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The night was as dark as ink, and the stars and moon were nowhere to be seen. The outline of a small earthen city built against a fortress stood out on the Gobi Desert like a lurking wild beast.

Scattered torches flickered atop the city wall, and Tibetan sentries draped in fur robes could be vaguely seen shrugging their necks as they moved about. A few indistinct Tibetan words and drunken laughter drifted on the wind.

A mile away from Tucheng, behind a patch of wind-eroded yardangs, Lin Hao slowly withdrew his gaze, his eyes cold.

Behind him were more than twenty cavalrymen, including Guo Yuanzheng and Lu Shisi. Everyone held their breath, their warhorses were gagged, and only the occasional friction between their leather armor and scabbards made a slight sound.

"Inside the city is a hundred-man Tibetan unit, drinking and making merry, their guard is rather lax!" Lin Hao's deep, steady voice pierced the chilly night wind as he spoke.

"Look, they have prepared fine wine and food for us. Our men need supplies, so this city is perfect for the night."

Guo Yuanzheng licked his chapped lips, a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes. He didn't say anything more, but instead whispered:
"Sir, how should we fight?"

"Snatch their sentries silently, open the gate, and rush straight to the barracks. We aim for a quick victory, but I specifically instructed that we should spare as many survivors as possible during the battle, regardless of whether they are wounded or maimed!"

"As for the reason, I can only tell you that I have other uses for these prisoners, and in short, all of you will benefit from it!"

Everyone was puzzled, but no one questioned Lin Hao's decision. Guo Yuanzheng's cavalry knew about Lin Hao's abilities.

The cavalry unit and its commander Lu Wenbin, who were assigned by Xizhou, had also heard Guo Yuanzheng and the others talk about Lin Hao's great achievements, and instinctively believed it to some extent.

Besides, Lin Hao had already said that he would explain things to them after the battle, so there was no need to delve into the details now.

Lin Hao then succinctly outlined the arrangements:

"Captain Guo and Lu Wenbin, you two each lead five men to cover the left and right flanks; Lu Shisi, stick close to me, the rest of you follow me and charge into the center, let's finish this quickly!"

"Yes, sir!" A suppressed chorus of responses rang out, and then, under the cover of night and the sound of the wind, the squad approached Tu City like ghosts.

Lin Hao moved like a wisp of smoke, first reaching the wall, then using his mental power to control two daggers, which slashed through the air. Two yawning Tibetan sentries then collapsed to the ground, a thin line of blood running down their throats.

After dealing with the lookout, Lin Hao jumped down from the earthen wall and then took care of the two guards inside the gate.

Outside the earthen city gate, Guo Yuanzheng led his men to deal with the lazy guards leaning against the gate, and the heavy wooden door was silently pushed open.

"Kill!" Lin Hao shouted, and like an arrow released from a bow, he charged into the city first, heading straight for the largest earthen house, which was brightly lit with fire—a place bustling with noise and reeking of alcohol.

More than twenty riders followed closely behind, while Guo Yuanzheng and Lu Wenbin each led five men, lying in ambush on either side of the earthen house.

Then Lin Hao rushed into the earthen house, and the cold light of his drawn sword instantly shattered the tranquility of the town!
The Tibetan cavalry inside the earthen house had no time to react. Blades flashed, blood splattered, and screams, curses, and the sound of shattering cups and plates filled the air.

The battle was almost a one-sided massacre, and the Tibetan elites were also very lax, as the Tibetans were caught off guard.

Therefore, in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, of the hundred Tibetan cavalrymen in the city, seven or eight who reacted fiercely were strangled on the spot, more than sixty were wounded by swords and spears, and the rest were captured intact and tied up and thrown in the middle of the courtyard.

The air was thick with the stench of blood. Lin Hao's cavalry were panting heavily, but more than that, they were excited after the battle.

Several of them were injured, but they were all minor injuries and not very serious. They could be treated with some wound medicine. However, two of them were seriously injured and were in critical condition.

Lin Hao glanced at them, then walked up to the group of bound prisoners and threw a punch with an indifferent look.

After knocking him unconscious, Lin Hao grabbed a prisoner's hand and began to strip him of his life energy.

A few seconds later, the time on his left arm rapidly increased to one year, and the prisoner's body shuddered violently. From that moment on, the world lost a Tibetan soldier.

Lin Hao did not absorb the power of blood and qi, otherwise the flesh and blood of this Tibetan soldier would have quickly shriveled and dried up, but that would have been too horrifying. He only absorbed a small amount for the soldier's treatment.

Guo Yuanzheng, Lu Shisi, and the others looked on in astonishment and disbelief, not understanding why the Tibetan soldiers had suddenly died.

Then Lin Hao turned around and walked towards Guo Yuanzheng, reaching out to shake his hand as well. In the next moment, Guo Yuanzheng was suddenly jolted!
Then, as if an invisible hand had smoothed out the wrinkles on his face, his gray hair quickly turned black from the roots, and the old wounds and pains left by years of fighting melted away like ice and snow. A long-lost, extremely abundant sense of power instantly surged into his limbs and bones!
Guo Yuanzheng stared in disbelief at his smooth and strong hands, then touched his face, his eyes flashing with a terrifying light.

"This...this?" His voice became deep and powerful, as if he had returned to his peak at the age of twenty-five!

Not only Guo Yuanzheng, but the other cavalrymen who followed him also looked at Guo Yuanzheng in shock, and then at Lin Hao. Their first reaction was, is this a human or a demon?

Then a longing arose in their hearts. They had been stationed in the Western Regions for as little as twenty years or as long as thirty years. In the blink of an eye, they had gone from being strong young men to being over sixty years old.

Upon seeing Lin Hao, who could actually restore their youth, their hearts were naturally filled with fervor.

Lin Hao did not disappoint them. He then used the same method to inject the life energy he had absorbed into the two cavalrymen who were on the verge of death.

After they recovered and became strong young men, Lin Hao injected life energy into Lu Shisi and the other eighteen cavalrymen.

In an instant, gasps and exclamations filled the courtyard. All those who had been infused with energy shed their aged and tired appearance within a few breaths and regained their youthful and robust physiques.

After doing all this, Lin Hao turned around and faced a group of excited, ecstatic, yet filled with awe and doubt among the young soldiers. The moonlight shone on him, as if he were draped in a layer of silver light.

Their appearances were frozen at twenty-five, the peak of human potential. Feeling the surging power within them and looking at each other's youthful faces, they were so excited they almost wanted to roar to the heavens.

Lu Shisi touched his face, which was no longer rough and taut, and looked at Guo Yuanzheng beside him, who had also become younger and whose eyes were as sharp as ever. He was so excited that he trembled all over and almost knelt down before Lin Hao.

"Don't be so happy!" Lin Hao's voice remained calm, as if he had just done something insignificant.

"As you can see!" Lin Hao spoke calmly, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"I possess a supernatural power that transcends the mortal realm. I can take the life of another person and transfer it to another, not only restoring their youth but also strengthening their physique and healing their injuries." Lin Hao's words confirmed their guess, and they looked at Lin Hao with shining eyes.

"Actually, my abilities are not limited to this!" Lin Hao said, then walked towards the two hundred Tibetan warhorses he had captured.

He placed his hand on the forehead of an exceptionally magnificent warhorse, then closed his eyes and concentrated.

On a microscopic level unseen by others, Lin Hao used gene-inducing abilities this time, and the warhorse's gene chain was subsequently precisely edited and optimized.

However, the optimization of the warhorse's genes still requires time, so in order to increase the optimization effect, Lin Hao infused the warhorse with a small amount of blood energy.

A moment later, the warhorse snorted, its eyes gleaming even brighter, its muscles becoming visibly more defined and fuller, its bones appearing to have thickened, and its hooves pawing the ground restlessly, displaying boundless energy.

One, two, three... until all the warhorses are optimized one by one.

However, after the thirtieth horse, the Qi and Blood Power was exhausted, so the Qi and Blood Power acceleration optimization was no longer used. But in the following time, this warhorse will gradually complete the optimization.

The optimized warhorses were noticeably taller and more magnificent, with long, deep breaths and eyes that, while gentle, revealed a wild power, yet were also incredibly docile.

Lin Hao said calmly, "Unfortunately, there are too few prisoners right now, and not enough time to transfer them. We can only restore each of you to one year of youth."

“Without new life being injected, you will revert to your previous elderly state after a year,” Lin Hao added at the end.

After saying that, he pointed to the warhorse that had not been activated using Qi and Blood and said:

"These warhorses are the same; their life energy is insufficient for their use, so we have to make do!"

"Then let's fight our way through and capture more Tibetans!" Both Guo Yuanzheng and Lu Wenbin said to Lin Hao with murderous intent.

"Of course, that's exactly what I was thinking too!" Lin Hao then said loudly.
"On our way back to Chang'an, we will inevitably pass through the Hexi Corridor, which is controlled by the Tibetans. We will take the opportunity to obtain a batch of life energy. When we return to the Western Regions, we will restore the youth of our comrades and ensure that the Western Regions are forever in our hands."

His gaze swept over the young faces, each one etched with shock: "The reason I didn't tell you about this ability before was simply because the time wasn't right."

"Today you are all my trusted men, having gone through life and death together, and your loyalty is beyond question, so I will no longer hide anything from you."

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable force:

"Your youth and strength have been restored, and even stronger warhorses are ready for you."

"From this day forward, you will be the sharpest sword in my hand and the strongest shield. The road ahead is fraught with danger, and we are surrounded by powerful enemies. Are you willing to follow me and carve out a bloody path in the Western Regions, to create a bright and just world, and to ensure that the banners of the Tang Dynasty will never fall?"

After a brief silence, Guo Yuanzheng was the first to kneel on one knee, his sword held horizontally in front of him. His young face was filled with fervor and loyalty, and his voice was as firm as iron:
"Guo Yuanzheng! I swear to follow you to the death, sir! I will brave mountains of knives and seas of fire, even unto death!"

"I swear to follow you to the death, my lord!"

"Follow me to the death!"

Lu Shisi and all the other cavalrymen knelt down in unison, their roars shaking the heavens, their eyes burning with an almost religious flame.

Having witnessed such a miracle and personally experienced returning to youth, Lin Hao was no longer an ordinary person in their hearts, but a lord worthy of their devotion!
Lin Hao looked at the group of battle-hardened elites at his feet, who had recovered to their peak condition and were full of morale, as well as those optimized BMWs that were considered one in a century, and nodded slightly.

A true core force belonging to him is beginning to emerge tonight in this place.

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The cavalrymen have regained their youth and their physical strength far surpasses that of their previous aged bodies. With new mounts, the troop can now travel two hundred li a day.

Unlike genetically modified warhorses, the warhorses of ordinary fully armed cavalry could only travel a hundred miles a day under normal circumstances.

Even if one man rides multiple horses without regard for horsepower, he can only travel a maximum of 150 li (approximately 75 kilometers). After one or two such trips, the warhorses are basically ruined. Not to mention the warhorses, the combat effectiveness of the cavalry will be greatly reduced.

Lin Hao's optimized warhorse can easily run two hundred miles every day.

Contrary to the depiction of cavalrymen charging with seemingly endless stamina in movies and TV shows, in reality, a cavalryman's combat sprint time was at most two minutes.

Cavalry combat was not a single, short sprint, but a cycle of sprint-slow down-rest-sprint again. The sprint time was very short, and the pace of the battle was also very slow.

In the era of cold weapons, cavalry charges were mainly used to break through enemy lines and disrupt enemy formations. After a charge, cavalry would often need to regroup, rally their troops, and launch the next attack.

When cavalry charge into battle, the outcome is often decided in a brief skirmish, but subsequent pursuit, encirclement, and regrouping will prolong the overall duration of the battle.

It's easy to imagine how powerful the warhorse, optimized by Lin Hao, is, capable of running continuously for two hundred miles.

However, Lin Hao did not run two hundred miles in one go, because he would occasionally encounter patrolling Tibetan cavalry along the way. Lin Hao would then lead his men to plunder them and also use his blood energy to quickly activate the optimized warhorses.

On the way, just as they were about to reach the city of Zhishan, a clear and sharp cry came from high above, piercing through the dry air.

Lin Hao looked up and squinted to see a black dot hovering in the sky, gliding with the help of updrafts, its posture elegant and composed.

"It's a Western Region eagle! What a magnificent bird of prey!" Guo Yuanzheng, who had regained his youth, praised with narrowed eyes. He was an old soldier who knew his stuff. Then, he said with some regret:
"Although these are of good quality, it's a pity they are already adults and their wild nature is hard to tame."

The eagle seemed to have noticed the flock below as well, swooping down to lower its altitude as if surveying potential prey. Its hooked black beak and powerful, pincer-like talons were clearly visible, exuding an air of arrogant dominance over the wilderness.

"That's not necessarily true!" Lin Hao thought to himself, and immediately used his mental energy to mark the target, then used his possession skill to control the target to land.

He then lunged directly at Lin Hao, while Guo Yuanzheng shouted sharply, "Sima, be careful!"

Lin Hao waved his hand and said, "No need to worry, watch how I take it down!"

Then Lin Hao extended his right arm, and the eagle landed directly on Lin Hao's shoulder. It then folded its wings and stood there on Lin Hao's shoulder, no longer flying away.