No title, no marriage? Do you think I'm some kind of lapdog?

Su Chuang lay on the hillside on the east side of Wolf Valley, a dry blade of grass between his teeth, his eyes fixed on the Xiongnu camp below.

The campfire was burning brightly in the camp, and the tents of the three thousand cavalrymen were densely packed together, like a black mushroom growing at the bottom of a valley.

The carriage in the very center, trimmed with gold, was particularly eye-catching, its bright yellow flag drooping listlessly in the wind.

"My lord, the patrol is approaching."

Zhao Yun lay down on Su Chuang's left side, his voice extremely low.

Three Hun soldiers, carrying curved swords, strolled leisurely down the hillside.

Su Chuang squinted and counted; from here to the carriage, he had to pass through at least seven checkpoints.

"Zilong".

He spat out the grass in his mouth. "So, should we force our way in, or outsmart them?"

"Force our way in," Zhao Yun said without hesitation. "Using a clever strategy would be too slow."

Xu Mengran, who was lying on Su Chuang's right, rolled her eyes at him upon hearing this:

"Do you think this is a farmers' market? There are three thousand people here!"

"What happened to three thousand people?"

Su Chuang grinned, "We're not here to fight, we're here to 'pick up' someone."

He spoke casually, but his hand had already reached for the golden knife at his waist.

"I'll draw attention to them later. Zilong, you take Sister Xu over there and check if Lin Ruxue is in the carriage."

Su Chuang quickly gave instructions: "If so, grab the person and run. Don't linger in the fight."

"And what about you?" Xu Mengran asked anxiously.

"Me?" Su Chuang chuckled. "I'll cover your retreat."

"No!" Xu Mengran grabbed his arm. "It's too dangerous!"

"Danger?"

Su Chuang turned to look at her, the candlelight reflecting in his eyes, almost frighteningly bright. "Sister Xu, is this the first time you've met me?"

Xu Mengran opened her mouth, but no words came out.

She knew she couldn't persuade him otherwise.

This man may seem carefree and irresponsible, but once he makes a decision, nothing can change his mind.

"They're here," Zhao Yun suddenly whispered.

Down the hillside, the three patrolmen walked to a dead tree, loosened their belts, and prepared to relieve themselves.

opportunity!

Su Chuang stood up abruptly, swaggered down the street, and shouted at the top of his lungs as he went:

"Hey there—it's the middle of the night, are you guys taking a leak?"

He was speaking fluent Xiongnu language!

Xu Mengran's eyes widened.

Zhao Yun was also taken aback.

The three Hun soldiers below were startled and hurriedly pulled up their trousers, their curved swords clattering as they were drawn.

"Who?!" the bearded man at the head of the group shouted sternly.

"Me?"

Su Chuang had already walked up to them, a harmless smile plastered on his face. "Just passing by, got a drink of water?"

As he spoke, he leaned forward, rummaging in his pocket until he pulled out a small wine flask: "How about I treat you to some drinks?"

The bearded man stared at him for three breaths, then suddenly grinned: "A Great Qian person?"

"Wow, you have a good eye, brother." Su Chuang gave a thumbs up.

"Would the people of Daqian dare to come here?"

The bearded man's smile vanished, and he pressed the tip of his knife against Su Chuang's chest. "Speak! What do you want!"

"Just passing by..."

Su Chuang took half a step back, his hand slipped, and the wine pot fell to the ground with a "clatter".

The wine was spilled all over the floor.

The three Xiongnu soldiers were completely drawn to the wine jug and looked down at it.

Just this one moment!

Su Chuang made a move.

It was as fast as a shadow.

The golden sword was drawn, its blade gleaming like snow, tracing three arcs in the night.

"Pfft!"

"Pfft!"

"Pfft!"

Three heads rolled to the ground, their eyes still open, filled with astonishment.

Blood spurted three feet high.

Su Chuang shook the blood off his knife, turned and waved towards the hillside: "Quick!"

Military Merit +3

The cold, robotic notification in his head made him twitch at the corner of his mouth.

This is just the beginning.

Zhao Yun and Xu Mengran leaped down, and the three of them crouched low, using the shadows of the tents to sneak towards the center of the camp.

The further in you go, the denser the guard posts become.

The second course involved five Hun soldiers roasting a leg of lamb around a bonfire.

Su Chuang crept up from the side, and in his hand appeared a short crossbow—given by Lu Bing, it was a standard-issue crossbow of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with a silencer.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Five crossbow bolts, five muffled groans.

Five Hun soldiers clutched their necks and collapsed, while the roasted lamb leg fell into the fire, sizzling and oozing oil.

Military Merit +5

In the third lane, eight Xiongnu soldiers were gambling and making a lot of noise.

After Su Chuang reached the tent, he took out a small paper packet from his pocket—given by Jia Xu, which he said was "Half-Step Fall".

He used his fingernail to pry open the paper package and blew it into the tent through the gaps.

White powder drifted in and landed in the wine bowl.

The eight Hun soldiers were having a great time drinking and had no idea what was going on.

After half a cup of tea, they all collapsed.

Su Chuang lifted the tent flap and crawled inside, while Jin Dao finished off the remaining enemies one by one.

Military Merit +8

Xu Mengran followed behind him, watching him wield the knife without even blinking, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

This man... was terrifyingly calm when he killed.

The fourth patrol consisted of twelve Xiongnu soldiers, divided into two teams.

There's no way to take shortcuts this time.

"Zilong, the six on the left are yours."

Su Chuang whispered, "The six on the right, I'll go with Sister Xu."

Zhao Yun nodded, flicked his silver spear, and darted away.

The spear flashed like a dragon, piercing through two in a single thrust!

Su Chuang and Xu Mengran made their moves at the same time.

A golden knife against a curved knife, a long sword against a short spear.

Blood splattered.

Xu Mengran sliced ​​off the arm of a Xiongnu soldier with her sword, and then stabbed another soldier in the chest with her other hand.

Su Chuang was even more ruthless—his golden knife was specifically designed to target the throat, chest, and groin, each strike potentially fatal.

Three breaths later, all twelve people were lying down.

Military Merit +12

"Quick!" Su Chuang wiped the blood from his face. "There are three more!"

The fifth group consisted of twenty Xiongnu soldiers guarding the outer perimeter of the carriage.

This time it alarmed them.

"Enemy attack—!" someone shouted at the top of their lungs.

The camp erupted in chaos.

Su Chuang gritted his teeth: "Force our way in!"

Three hundred paces away, inside the carriage.

The music stopped.

Lin Ruxue lifted the carriage curtain, her fingers gripping the fabric tightly, her nails digging into her palms.

She saw that familiar figure—Su Chuang.

His leather armor was stained with blood, and the golden knife in his hand gleamed an eerie red in the firelight.

Wherever they went, the Xiongnu soldiers fell like wheat being harvested.

he came.

He really came.

Lin Ruxue's eyes instantly reddened, and her heart felt like a jumble of emotions.

Happiness, worry, guilt, fear... all mixed together.

She opened her mouth, wanting to shout, but no sound came out.

Because you can't shout.

She came this time on imperial orders to marry a foreign ruler.

Her father personally issued an edict to marry her off to Wanyan Honglie, the second prince of the Xiongnu, in order to ensure three years of peace in the northern frontier.

Before she left, her father held her hand and said, "Xue'er, I'm sorry to have to make you suffer."

"But we can't fight any more wars in the northern border regions. The national treasury can't hold on, and neither can the people."

She cried and asked, "What about Su Chuang? His father died at the hands of the Xiongnu, he..."

"Therefore, I sent him to the northern frontier."

Emperor Wu's eyes were deep. "Some grudges he must avenge himself. Some paths he must walk himself."

Lin Ruxue understood.

She is a pawn.

Su Chuang was also a pawn.

In this game of chess, Emperor Wu is the one playing, and everyone must follow his rules.

Therefore, she practiced martial arts diligently, not to fight on the battlefield.

She did this so that she could save her life after marrying into the Xiongnu.

But now...

Su Chuang has arrived.

To save her, he single-handedly charged into the camp of three thousand Xiongnu soldiers with only a knife.

"Fool......"

Lin Ruxue bit her lip, tears streaming down her face.

"You idiot..."

Outside the car, the sounds of fighting grew closer.

Su Chuang has already reached the sixth line of defense.

Forty elite Xiongnu soldiers formed a circular formation, their spears like a forest.

"How's Pengju doing?!" Su Chuang asked, panting heavily.

Zhao Yun sent two Xiongnu soldiers flying with a single spear thrust: "The narrow passage should be blocked by now!"

"Alright!" Su Chuang grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. "Then let's give it our all!"

The golden sword rises again.

The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, and wherever it passed, severed limbs flew everywhere.

A Hun centurion swung his spiked club at Su Chuang, who neither dodged nor evaded, but instead met the blow head-on with his golden sword!

"clang--!!!"

Sparks flew everywhere.

Su Chuang's hand was split open, and blood flowed down his wrist.

But he smiled.

Because the centurion's spiked club was cleaved in two by the golden knife!

The blade continued its relentless advance, cleaving from the centurion's left shoulder to his right ribs!

"Pfft—!"

The person was split in two, and their internal organs spilled all over the ground.

[Military Merit +1 (Centurion, Bonus Reward)]

The surrounding Xiongnu soldiers were terrified.

Is this even human?!

Su Chuang didn't care what they thought, brandishing his golden sword: "Who else?!"

Nobody dared to go up.

Of the forty elite soldiers, he killed so many that only about ten remained, all huddled at the back, their legs cramping.

"Zilong! Sister Xu! Let's go!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Chuang charged forward, and the three of them, like sharp knives, forcefully pierced through the sixth line of defense.

The carriage is right in front of us!

The seventh line of defense: fifty Xiongnu cavalrymen, already mounted, longbows drawn, arrowheads gleaming coldly.

Wanyan Honglie emerged from the largest tent, wearing a mink cloak and a playful smile on his face.

"Su Chuang?" he asked in broken Daqian dialect, "Duke Xin, Su Chuang?"

Su Chuang stopped, leaning on his golden sword, panting heavily: "It is indeed your grandfather."

Wanyan Honglie wasn't angry; instead, he clapped his hands and said, "What courage! You dare to storm my 3,000-strong camp all by yourself."

"Who said I'm alone?" Su Chuang grinned. "Aren't these two behind me human?"

Wanyan Honglie laughed: "Then three it is. Three against three thousand, you have great courage."

"Courage?" Su Chuang shook his head. "No, no, no, I'm here to take people back."

He pointed the tip of his knife at the carriage: "The girl inside is mine. Give her back, and I'll leave right away."

"Your person?" Wanyan Honglie raised an eyebrow. "But she is my future queen consort (of the Xiongnu)."

Su Chuang's pupils contracted.

The Queen Mother?!

Lin Ruxue...is going to marry this scumbag?!

"Bullshit!" he gritted his teeth. "She's the princess of the Great Qian Dynasty!"

"Yes, that's why she's qualified to be my queen."

Wanyan Honglie's smile faded.

"Su Chuang, I know you killed Wanyan Zongbi. Logically speaking, I should kill you to avenge you."

He paused for a moment, then said, "But I'm in a good mood today."

"If you kneel down and kowtow three times to me, I'll let you go. How about it?"

Su Chuang smiled.

His laughter was cold.

My father once taught me a saying.

He slowly raised the golden knife, saying, "A man's knees are worth gold; he only kneels to Heaven, Earth, his parents, and his ruler."

"Who do you think you are?"

Wanyan Honglie's face darkened: "Then don't blame me."

He raised his hand: "Put it down—"

The word "arrow" hadn't even been uttered yet.

The carriage curtain was suddenly lifted.

Lin Ruxue came out.

Dressed in palace attire, with long hair flowing freely, and tear stains on her face, her eyes were resolute.

"Wanyan Honglie".

She spoke, her voice cold and clear, "Let them go."

Wanyan Honglie frowned: "Empress, what are you doing...?"

"I am not your consort."

Lin Ruxue interrupted him, "At least not yet."

She walked up to Su Chuang, and seeing him covered in blood, her eyes reddened again.

"Brother Chuang..." her voice trembled, "You shouldn't have come."

Su Chuang stared at her, his throat dry: "Why?"

"I'm here for a political marriage."

Lin Ruxue's tears fell.

"My father personally issued the decree. For the sake of three years of peace in the northern frontier, I must marry Wanyan Honglie."

Su Chuang's mind went blank.

Emperor Wu...issued the decree personally?

So Lin Ruxue wasn't kidnapped, she came on her own?

So, when she played "Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute" in the carriage, was she homesick, but also bidding farewell?

"You..." Su Chuang opened his mouth, "You're willing?"

Lin Ruxue shook her head, crying, "I don't want to..."

"But I have no choice. We can't fight any more wars in the north. The national treasury is empty, and the people are suffering..."

She grabbed Su Chuang's hand, her palm icy cold: "Brother Chuang, you should go."

"Just pretend... you've never known me."

Su Chuang stared at her for a long time.

Then he smiled.

His smile looked worse than his tears.

"Lin Ruxue." He called her by her full name for the first time. "Listen carefully."

"The peace of the northern frontier should not be traded for the lifelong happiness of one woman."

"If the national treasury is empty, it can be earned again; if the people suffer, they can be supported again."

"But if you marry into the Xiongnu, your life will be ruined."

He gripped her hand tightly and said, slowly and deliberately, "Today, I must take you away."

Lin Ruxue cried her heart out.

Wanyan Honglie's face turned ashen: "Su Chuang, you're courting death."

He waved his hand: "Kill!"

Fifty bows were drawn simultaneously.

Arrows flew like locusts!

"My lord, be careful!"

Zhao Yun brandished his silver spear, twirling it in a circle, and knocked down most of it with a clang.

Xu Mengran's longsword, as white as snow, also cleaved away more than a dozen swords.

There were too many arrows.

An arrow that slipped through the net struck Su Chuang squarely in the back!

"Brother Chuang—!"

Lin Ruxue screamed.