Chapter 46

"Great King! This is the last tribe within a hundred miles!" A Xiongnu soldier, looking at the smoke rising in the distance, reported to Zhong Xingshuo.

"Charge in! Burn their boats and ask if they have seen any Han people pass by!" Zhong Xingshuo's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. They still hadn't found the Han envoy's trail! Could they have gone north? He beckoned to the falconer in the group, "Has Xubu Mo sent any news?"

The falconer gently stroked the feathers of the eagle on his shoulder and shook his head, "Great King, the divine eagle sent to General Xubu set off the day before yesterday. It will probably take until tomorrow to receive a reply!"

"If Xubu Mo had found the Han envoy, he would have sent a message by now!" Zhong Xingshuo estimated that the hope of blocking the Han envoy on the east bank of the river was slim! Although he couldn't figure out how the Han people had crossed the river, he realized he needed to start planning his next move!

"Bring me ink and brush!" A subordinate quickly brought ink, brush, and sheepskin paper. Zhong Xingshuo, sitting on his horse, quickly wrote two short messages and handed them to the falconer, "One for King Xiutu and one for King Kunye! Tell them to intercept the Han envoy at all costs!"

Although King Kunye and King Xiutu were not as revered as the Left and Right Xians, they were still significant forces among the Xiongnu. Each led tens of thousands of nomads on the west bank of the Yellow River, on the route the Han envoy would take to reach the Great Yuezhi.

King Xiutu's tribe controlled the area that would later become the Wuwei Commandery. If the Han envoy crossed the Yellow River, they would soon enter King Xiutu's territory! King Kunye's tribe controlled the Zhangye Commandery. In Zhong Xingshuo's view, even if the Han envoy managed to escape King Xiutu's pursuit, they would still be caught by King Kunye.

"Yes, Great King!" The falconer took the letters with both hands, rolled them into scrolls, and sealed them in the bamboo tubes tied to the eagles' legs. Moments later, the two eagles spread their wings and flew high, circling above their heads before heading west to the Yellow River, soon disappearing into the clouds.

By this time, the Xiongnu cavalry had already occupied the small tribe. The boats were found, piled together, and set on fire; the tribal leader was brought before Zhong Xingshuo.

"Have you seen or heard of any Han people passing through here in the past few days?" Zhong Xingshuo looked coldly at the trembling man, but the answer naturally disappointed him! This small tribe had not encountered any outsiders in recent days.

"Leave some men to guard the boats! The rest, follow me back!" Zhong Xingshuo shouted sternly. There were only a few routes to the west from the valley! Since they hadn't found them here, they must have crossed the river at one of the places he had passed!

"Great King!" The Xiongnu soldier escorting the tribal leader cautiously glanced at Zhong Xingshuo before stammering, "The boats have already been burned!" Didn't you order all boats to be burned wherever we found them? Why are you now sending men to guard them?

"What!" Zhong Xingshuo realized that burning boats upon arrival at each tribe had become a routine. He could only watch the flames rise in the distance, regretting his decision. Without these boats, how could they cross the Yellow River? Would they have to make a large detour to cross at another place?

Unfortunately, the nearest other tribes were already a hundred miles away. By the time they met up with Xubu Mo and found a tribe with boats to cross the river, the Han envoy would be long gone!

"Great King! This is the last tribe! Where should we go next?" The soldier seemed not to notice Zhong Xingshuo's frustration and asked bluntly.

"Where should we go?" Zhong Xingshuo held in his anger, which had been building up. First, he had been defeated by a smaller force, and now he had wasted so much time. When had he ever faced such setbacks? It was truly infuriating!

His eyes wandered and, by chance, fell on the tribal leader! Zhong Xingshuo took a deep breath, picked up his whip, and lashed out at the man. "Kill them all! Then we go back!"

"Spare my life! Spare my life, please!" The tribal leader screamed, but his cries only made Zhong Xingshuo more irritated! A single glance, and a guard drew his curved sword and beheaded the man.

The cries of the tribal leader ceased, but a louder wailing erupted from the small tribe nearby! Groups of Xiongnu soldiers laughed as they rode past the tents, swinging their curved swords at the poor Qiang people! The cries of those hit by the swords, the heart-wrenching sobs, the curses of despair, and the laughter of the Xiongnu mixed together, turning the place into a scene of hellish cruelty.

Blood soon stained the ground red, and the tents were set on fire by the Xiongnu. A few Qiang people, on fire, ran out of the tents, rolling on the ground in a desperate attempt to extinguish the flames. The Xiongnu soldiers, now sheathing their swords, laughed at these unfortunate souls, knowing that being burned alive was far more painful than a single sword strike.

In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the entire tribe, men, women, and children, was slaughtered by the Xiongnu! The stench of blood rose to the sky, attracting countless vultures and crows that circled overhead, waiting to feast once the Xiongnu left.

If I catch those Han people, I will make them suffer a hundred, a thousand times more! The cries of the dying Qiang people finally improved Zhong Xingshuo's mood. He turned his horse and ordered, "Take all the horses that can run! We go back!"

He harbored a slim hope that if they moved quickly, they might still catch the Han envoy in time. Then he would show them the full extent of his power!

Moments later, the galloping of a thousand horses shook the earth, and the vultures and crows, startled, flew high into the sky. Only when the sound gradually faded did they circle back to feast on the long-awaited meal.

Meanwhile, outside another Qiang tribe, Li You hesitated as he looked at the Qiang captives. What should he do with them? If he released them now, it might not be wise. Should he kill them all?

"Envoy! It's time to cross the river!" Tang Yifu jumped off the sheepskin raft and urged him. By this time, most of the supplies had already been transported to the other side of the river, and the six sheepskin rafts were now sufficient to transport the remaining people in one trip!

"Alright, we'll cross the river after dealing with these people!" Li You seemed to have made up his mind!