Chapter 51: The Sound Reaches the Clouds, the Smoke of War Fades (Part 2)

Shaking off the clutter in his mind, Han Gang pulled himself out of his dejection and confusion. The long, silent march had made the atmosphere in the group heavy and oppressive, even affecting someone with his strong will. The situation for others must have been even worse.

If they had talked or sung during the march, this gloomy atmosphere could have been easily broken. But as they moved through the valley filled with hidden dangers, both Han Gang and Wang Shunchen were on edge. The tension of the leaders naturally spread to the entire group, making everyone uneasy.

The road turned, and the mountain wall that had blocked their view retreated. A river of stars appeared on the horizon, suddenly catching everyone's eye. The star river was dim and flickering, almost imperceptible, except for one particularly bright point. Han Gang squinted and focused, only to realize that it was not a star, but the light of a torch from a fortress.

Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the air that was nearly at the freezing point. The chill that spread through his body invigorated him, and his pessimism gave way to reality.

That's Gangu City!

Hundreds of torches outlined the edge of the city wall, the scattered lights unable to illuminate the night sky but brightening the hearts of Han Gang and his companions. Even if the most brilliant light among the stars on the city wall was the beacon fire signaling an emergency, they paid it no mind. It at least meant that Gangu City was still in Song hands.

"It's Gangu City!" A low cheer rose from the ranks. "Finally, we're here! Finally, we're here!"

Although they were still at least ten miles away, the feeling of having their goal within sight excited everyone. Without waiting for Han Gang to urge them on, they whipped their mules, driving the carts faster.

"Something's wrong!" Wang Shunchen suddenly leaned over, his voice tense. "Brother, something's not right."

"What's wrong?" In Han Gang's memory, the usually bold Wang Shunchen rarely trembled. A sense of foreboding crept into his heart. "What's... damn it!"

Han Gang stopped mid-sentence, bursting into a curse. On the left side of the road, vague black shadows appeared, like ghosts emerging from nowhere. The sound of countless footsteps quickly merged into a continuous noise.

The shadows on the hillside were indistinct, and the fine, fragmented sounds kept coming from above. It was impossible to know how many tribesmen, how many bows, knives, and spears were gathered there. The yellow earth on the hillside, trampled by countless feet, crumbled and fell onto the road.

"It's the Xinbo tribesmen!" Wang Shunchen shouted angrily, filled with rage.

Yes, it could only be the Xinbo tribesmen! If they could join the Tangut forces and invade the prosperous Qin Prefecture, they could have a fat year. The Xinbo tribes were not small, so they didn't have to worry about being used as examples. Their combined forces exceeded four thousand, enough to make the Qin-Feng Military Commission hesitate. Their actions were always reckless, only calming down after the construction of Gangu City. For the Xinbo tribes, Gangu City was a shackle around their necks, and breaking it would be a cause for celebration.

The beacon fire on Gangu City's wall still burned fiercely, but in Han Gang's mind, it was no longer a signal of their imminent arrival. They had already understood the true meaning of the beacon fire.

"Brother, quickly extinguish the torches!" Wang Shunchen called urgently. If they could see Gangu City, the road ahead wouldn't be too winding. Even without light, they could proceed carefully. The darkness below would prevent the bandits on the hillside from coming down.

Han Gang did not follow Wang Shunchen's advice but did the opposite. He ordered the entire group: "Light more torches! Everyone, take two, and put them on the carts! The more, the better!"

"Brother, there are too few of us, it won't scare them!" Wang Shunchen's voice was even more anxious. There were only thirty-odd people. A frog, no matter how much it puffed up, couldn't become as big as a bull.

"Who cares about scaring them?" Han Gang shouted sternly. "I want Gangu City to see!"

The Xinbo tribes had not rebelled; otherwise, they would be attacking Gangu City! They were still watching. Han Gang was certain of this. As long as Gangu City hadn't fallen, these bandits would have to consider the future. By lighting more torches, he wanted the defenders of Gangu City to know that someone was coming from Fugang City.

Would Gangu City send reinforcements? Could they resolve the situation before the reinforcements arrived? The more the Xinbo tribes' leaders thought about it, the less they dared to take the risk. The longer they hesitated, the closer the convoy got. By the time they made up their minds, the convoy might already be at the gates of Gangu City.

On the road, the originally sparse thirty-odd torches quickly turned into over a hundred. The elongated formation looked quite impressive. As Han Gang had expected, the bandits on the hillside did not come down. They were still watching and calculating. Meanwhile, the convoy continued to move forward.

Step by step, Han Gang absurdly thought of movies he had seen in the past. In many boring movies, the protagonist would walk through a corridor of crossed swords and spears. He felt like he was the protagonist of a boring movie, walking forward under the bright light of the weapons above. However, in those movies, the protagonist always passed through the gauntlet smoothly. He didn't know if he would be so lucky this time.

"Scholar..." Zhu Zhong came over. The apprentice tailor, who had sewn the heads of executed prisoners, couldn't bear the pressure of being surrounded by tigers and wolves. His voice trembled. He didn't know what to ask or say, just wanting to hear Han Gang speak to give himself and his companions some courage.

"Move! Look ahead! Keep moving forward! They won't come down!"

Han Gang's resolve was unshakable, his voice as firm as steel. At this moment, they could only move forward, not retreat. With wolves lurking outside, any sign of weakness would invite an attack that would tear them apart.

Focusing on the lights of Gangu City in the distance, deliberately ignoring the bandits around him, Han Gang led his group forward, step by step. The beacon fire on Gangu City's wall burned high, and the yellow emergency light became the warmest salvation for the convoy in the night surrounded by beasts.

No one expected what happened next. The brightest flame suddenly flickered a few times and vanished without a trace. If it weren't for the lingering image on their retinas, the emergency beacon fire from Gangu City would have seemed to have never existed.

The beacon fire could only be extinguished for two reasons: victory or defeat. Which one was it? Han Gang couldn't answer, but the bandits on the hillside had already drawn their conclusion.

In an instant, the shadows on the hillside erupted in noise. Countless figures swayed and began to move down one by one.

The sound of falling rocks caused panic in the convoy, and several mules reared and neighed.

"Don't panic!" Han Gang roared, no longer having time to consider the fate of Gangu City. "Everyone, gather together! Draw your bows, and wait for my command!"

Han Gang's orders were followed without hesitation. The laborers gathered, half-drawing their bows, and waited for his command. But the next moment, what they heard was not the order to fight but a powerful, bold song that seemed to drift from the horizon:

"A man's strength is complete, one can match a thousand.

Fierce courage surges from the heart, death is like sleep."

As if in response, a cheer rose from the fortress a few miles away. The voices of thousands of people shook the heavens and earth. In the cheers, familiar melodies intertwined.

"It's the victory song!"

"It's Inspector Zhang returning!"

This was the song of the victorious men of Guanzhong. For generations, they had sung military songs to resist the endless invasions of the Huns, Western Qiang, Turks, and Tibetans. Then, they would return with the heads of their enemies, singing victory songs under the moonlight.

"A man's strength is complete, one can match a thousand.

Fierce courage surges from the heart, death is like sleep."

The victory song, sung by thousands, crossed the distance, drifting from the sky. The excitement in the voices was clear to Han Gang and his companions.

"Always ready, always in the front."

The chorus of thousands shook the heavens, rising to the clouds.

"Like a hawk striking a goose, piercing through on both sides."

Without realizing it, Wang Shunchen had joined the chorus. He sang and shouted, raised his hand, drew his bow, and fired a whistling arrow into the hillside. A short, sharp cry came from the darkness, quickly drowned out by the song.

Faced with the challenge from a small convoy, the rebellious tribesmen might not have been willing to back down, but in the presence of the returning victorious army, they ultimately lacked the courage and chose to retreat. After a moment of stalemate, the rustling sounds gradually faded, and the dark figures disappeared into the darkness, leaving nothing behind.

Everything returned to the state it was in a moment ago, except for the loud, repeated singing that filled the air and the valley:

"A man's strength is complete, one can match a thousand.

Fierce courage surges from the heart, death is like sleep.

Always ready, always in the front.

Like a hawk striking a goose, piercing through on both sides."

In the singing, Han Gang burst into laughter, the long-held tension and pent-up emotions pouring out in a long howl. He shouted, "Move! To Gangu!"

The words were the same as before, but his mood was different.

---

The page turns, and the advertisement begins.

The page turns, and the advertisement ends.