Chapter 45 of 100

Chapter 45: The Huns' Cavalry!

12 min read3,028 words

Although Tian Tian thought that Xu Daoyan was illiterate and had no remarkable background, he was not entirely useless.

Time passed bit by bit, and the moonlight turned cold, casting its light over the battlefield.

In this desolate mountain, Xu Daoyan sat cross-legged in meditation, while Tian Tian sat quietly beside him, reflecting on this extraordinary day, which seemed like a lifetime ago.

Xu Daoyan, who was in the middle of his cultivation, perked up his ears and looked at Tian Tian, saying in a deep voice, "The Huns are here. It's their warhorses. Extinguish the fire and hold your breath!"

Tian Tian moved quickly, taking out a bronze water flask. Xu Daoyan's heart clenched when he saw it, and he hurriedly said, "No! Use dirt to cover it!"

But it was too late. The flask, which contained a hidden small space, poured out almost as much water as a large bucket, dousing the campfire. The fire was instantly extinguished, but a plume of black smoke rose into the sky, particularly noticeable under the cold moonlight!

"Trouble, they must have noticed. You must go quickly!" Xu Daoyan's heart sank. Originally, they could have just covered the fire and hidden, and the Huns might not have found them.

Tian Tian was at a loss, realizing she had made another mistake. She quickly said, "Come with me!"

"No, the Huns' horses are very fast. Lightning Chaser is not in its best condition. If something goes wrong, two people will be caught. I'll stay behind. This spatial ring contains the body of the Wind Chaser horse. Give it to Shi Yun and tell him that if I can return, I will personally apologize to General Shi. If I can't return, I can only say sorry!" Xu Daoyan placed the ring in Tian Tian's hand and solemnly instructed her.

Tian Tian was stunned. Xu Daoyan shouted, "Go! Hurry up!"

She was startled by Xu Daoyan's shout and came to her senses. She took the ring from Xu Daoyan, mounted the horse, and galloped through the stone crevice toward the territory of the Divine Dynasty of Jiuzhou.

Qin Han, Bai Shi, and Zhang Chao then appeared, saying solemnly, "Master, let's fight them to the death. The terrain here is treacherous, and only one horse can pass through. As long as we hold the entrance, they can't get in!"

"No, they are numerous, over a thousand. Don't struggle in vain. If another Human Immortal joins them, we will all die!" Xu Daoyan took off his Thunder Armor, put away his Thunder Spear, and hid the spatial ring. He wore the simple clothes his mother had sewn for him. He said to the three, "Return to the Ghost Binding Bag. I have a plan!"

Qin Han, Bai Shi, and Zhang Chao looked at each other. At this moment, they could only follow his orders.

In less than two hours, they heard the howling and neighing of horses outside, continuous and unending.

Gusts of wind rushed into the desolate valley. In the center of the valley, Xu Daoyan had been waiting for them.

The firelight spread.

Xu Daoyan originally planned to guard the entrance of the valley, where one man could hold off ten thousand. However, he realized that with such a large force, if there was a Human Immortal, the terrain would be no defense. They could fly over the valley and attack from behind, which he could not withstand. It would be a death trap.

No matter what, he had his parents to think about and could not die. So he chose to abandon resistance and seek other opportunities to escape.

One by one, the tall horses of the Huns passed through the narrow valley, spreading out on both sides. The Hun warriors, making guttural sounds, their horses snorting and neighing, approached Xu Daoyan. A man in the center, with a rugged face and dark skin, weathered by the elements, approached Xu Daoyan.

The Hun warriors surrounded Xu Daoyan, trapping him in the middle.

"The brave warriors of the Huns, I have finally waited for you!" Xu Daoyan was somewhat worried, but he still acted according to his plan.

"Oh? You are a citizen of the Divine Dynasty of Jiuzhou. Why are you here?" the leader asked, looking down.

"I admire the strength and power of the Hun warriors. Our people lack spirit and are cowards, allowing themselves to be slaughtered. I want to become a citizen of the Huns. This time, I came out with a hunter from my village to hunt. I proposed to join the Hun warriors, and he agreed. But while I was sleeping, he stole my horse and fled. Fortunately, I heard the hooves of the Hun warriors and quickly extinguished the campfire. I knew that the wise Hun warriors would discover the situation here!" Xu Daoyan, though young, showed the courage of a young bull unafraid of tigers.

"Ha ha ha, aren't you afraid we will kill you?" the Hun leader laughed.

"No, Hun warriors respect the brave. I believe you will not refuse me." Xu Daoyan knew the nature of the Huns. Speaking this way, they would not kill him. They preferred the citizens of the Divine Dynasty of Jiuzhou to join them, to win their hearts and minds, allowing them to fully occupy some border regions.

"Very well, this child can join us!" Suddenly, a hoarse voice came from the darkness, very old: "I have other plans for him. Go chase that hunter. I will take this child back!"

"Yes, Shaman." The Huns revered shamans and often brought them to war, where they could play a significant role.

The Hun warriors turned their horses and left the valley one by one to chase Tian Tian. For Xu Daoyan, the time he had delayed was enough. With the speed of Lightning Chaser, he would soon return to the territory of the Divine Dynasty of Jiuzhou. The ordinary warhorses of the Huns could not catch up.

The Hun warriors left, leaving only the old man, who emerged from the darkness. He wore black clothes, his long hair disheveled. He walked to Xu Daoyan, grabbed his arm with his withered hand, and a chill ran down Xu Daoyan's spine. In the moonlight, the old man's face was covered in wrinkles and strange colored patterns, making him look terrifying. But this man was definitely at the Human Immortal level.

"Child, let's go!" the old man laughed hoarsely.

"Alright." At this point, Xu Daoyan had no choice but to go along.

The old man led Xu Daoyan out of the valley. A warhorse, covered in ghostly faces, was enormous and powerful, far surpassing ordinary warhorses. It could rival Lightning Chaser and Wind Chaser. At the old man's command, the horse turned and galloped away.

The cold wind was biting. Xu Daoyan, carried by the shaman, galloped toward the territory of the Huns. He had no idea what the old man was thinking.

But he dared not make any moves. With his current strength, he could not match a Human Immortal. He could only wait and see. He had to go with him, and the others would definitely not catch up to Tian Tian, but the old man was a different story.

The territory of the Huns was thirty thousand miles away from the Divine Dynasty of Jiuzhou. From the time they set out until dawn, Xu Daoyan felt that he was so far from home, not knowing what would happen next.

On the other side, Tian Tian rode Lightning Chaser, crossing through Pomegranate Village and heading toward Stone Dragon City.

"You must be safe, you must come back alive!" Tian Tian silently prayed. She had never felt so useless, causing so much trouble.

The Huns' cavalry stopped near the border of the Divine Dynasty of Jiuzhou, unable to see Tian Tian.

"It seems that person has escaped. Don't chase anymore. It's not wise to provoke the Divine Dynasty of Jiuzhou at this time. The villages have already been raided by the young master. We need their crops to survive the winter. Let the men rest and get through the harsh winter!" The leader ordered, and the thousand Hun cavalry turned back, abandoning the pursuit.

After a day and a night, Tian Tian, without any rest, returned to Stone Dragon City!

"What! The Huns' cavalry appeared, and Brother Daoyan stayed behind and hasn't returned..." In the hall of the general's residence, Shi Yun slammed the table, shocked and angry. Looking at the dead Wind Chaser, his face turned ashen, and his eyes could kill. Xu Daoyan was someone he had always looked up to!

"The Heavenly Demon Sect is simply too arrogant, not taking Stone Dragon City seriously!" Seeing the dead Wind Chaser, General Shi, who usually kept his emotions in check, also turned grim.

"Yun, lead the Stone Dragon Guard and destroy the Mountain Ghost Temple near the battlefield." General Shi was truly angry.

"Princess Tian Tian, for your safety, you will stay in Stone Dragon City."

"Father, what about Brother Daoyan?" Shi Yun had no heart to destroy the Heavenly Demon Sect.

"He did well, protecting Princess Tian Tian's safety. Dying on the battlefield is his destiny. Whether he can return alive is up to fate." General Shi also looked favorably upon Xu Daoyan, but if he was killed or captured, it was beyond the power of Stone Dragon City to resolve.

"I will find him!" Shi Yun said firmly.

"I will go too!" Tian Tian looked at General Shi, holding the military order of King You.

"Nonsense, military orders are like mountains. Do you want to defy me? The military order of King You is useless to me. Princess Tian Tian, if you are so capricious, I will have your family take you back!" General Shi would not listen to a stolen military order. As the general of the city, he could adapt to the situation.

Tian Tian was speechless. Shi Yun suppressed his anger, and General Shi's tone softened, saying, "Yun, destroy the Mountain Ghost Temple, and let Princess Tian Tian lead the way to see if there is anything in the valley. Remember, if you find nothing, retreat immediately. Do not go deeper into the battlefield!"

"Yes!" This was Shi Yun's first time leading troops into battle, and General Shi wanted to give his son a chance to toughen up.

"Thank you, General Shi." Tian Tian, feeling guilty, was grateful for General Shi's leniency.

General Shi handed a token to Shi Yun, saying, "You two, take the Stone Dragon War Chariot!"

"Alright!" Shi Yun took the token and left, with Tian Tian following closely behind. Both of them silently prayed, "Brother Daoyan, you must stay alive!"

"Xu Daoyan, you must stay alive!"

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