Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Tie Yunshan frowned, then leaned forward on his rhinodrake steed and asked in a deep voice, “The Coyote Tribe is causing trouble at Wind Border Stockade again?”
“Yes, a few of the morning patrolling soldiers came back with the news. Some of the residents from the Wind Border Stockade have also escaped to the pass…” the squad commander quickly replied.
“How many people this time?”
“More than a thousand!”
“Which tribe from the Coyote Tribe?”
“From the banners, it seems like they are from Tuli Tribe!”
Tie Yunshan didn’t speak anymore. He looked at Yan Liqiang because right now, Yan Liqiang was the highest-ranking officer here.
“What’s going on? Why are our people still living beyond White Stone Pass?” Yan Liqiang asked in puzzlement because he had always been under the impression that only Shatu territories existed beyond White Stone Pass. He hadn’t heard of any Han Chinese living out there.
“My lord, our own people are indeed living at the Wind Border Stockade. When the Gulang Plains were still governed by the previous Qiyun Protectorate back then, many Han Chinese migrated outside the pass. It was when the Shatu Seven Tribes later came to the Gulang Plains that our people suddenly lost their protection due to the Qiyun Protectorate’s incident. Most of them had no choice but to return to the pass or escape to find refuge on Mount Qiyun and Mount Jade Dragon. However, there are still some who have never left and continued staying outside White Stone Pass. With the pass behind them, they built stockade fences for self-defense. The Wind Border Stockade is one of those sites!” Tie Yunshan explained to Yan Liqiang.
“Oh, you’re saying that there are other Han Chinese stockade villages out there?”
A trace of sadness flashed across Tie Yunshan’s face. “There were originally five stockade villages, but… after Ye Tiancheng governed Pingxi Prefecture, the Shatu Seven Tribes grew more aggressive. They continuously harassed the Han Chinese stockade villages by setting fires or killing the people there. Those people who lived outside the pass couldn’t carry on living there, so they could only escape and return here. Currently, the Wind Border Stockade is the only one left outside the pass.”
“The Shatu people are driving our people away from their own stockade villages outside the pass. They killed and pillaged. As the White Stone Pass’ Defender General, what have you done in response to our people’s suffering outside the pass?” Yan Liqiang directed his sharp gaze at Tie Yunshan and questioned him directly.
Tie Yunshan was silent with an indescribably complex expression on his face. Another military officer beside him took the initiative to speak up instead.
“You have misunderstood our lord, Protectorate General! When Ye Tiancheng was still Pingxi Prefectural Governor, he prohibited the defenders within White Stone Pass to step foot onto the Gulang Plains without his permission. In the name of the ‘Writ of Grace’, we were not to clash with the Shatu Seven Tribes and any violators of this rule would be executed. Back then, White Stone Pass was being watched by Ye Tiancheng and other supervising armies, so our lord could not afford to openly resist the order. There were even a few times when our lord sympathized with the civilians outside the pass, so he took the risk of being beheaded just to send us disguised as commoners to protect and provide support to our people behind Ye Tiancheng’s back.
“I speak only the truth. Many soldiers in White Stone Pass fought with the Shatu Seven Tribes under my lord’s orders and they carry their battle scars to this day. If the Protectorate General doesn’t believe me, you can interrogate those soldiers inside the pass. If I have told any lies today, you may behead me!”
Yan Liqiang looked at the man who spoke. The fully-armored man seemed to be in his forties and had a pair of narrow eyes. Although he was a military officer, he was a cultured and refined man. Despite his lower rank, he spoke frankly with Yan Liqiang. His words were unusually bold and insightful.
“Who are you? What is your position at White Stone Pass?”
“I am Xiao Yuman, the Administrative Supervisor of White Stone Pass. Military ranking: Feiyang Commandant!”
“How far is the Wind Border Stockade from White Stone Pass?” Yan Liqiang went on asking.
“It’s just thirty li west of White Stone Pass, at the Wind Border Valley of Mount Qiyun!”
“What is the size of the troop from the Coyote’s Tuli Tribe?”
“There are seven thousand tents in the Tuli Tribe and more than ten thousand men who can fight. Among the Coyote, the Tuli Tribe is considered a moderate force!”
Yan Liqiang nodded and stopped questioning. He turned his head to look at Tie Yunshan instead. “Do you dare to join me in a fight at the Gulang Plains today?”
Tie Yunshan immediately lifted his eyebrows upon hearing Yan Liqiang’s invitation. His eyes were shining as he responded with a heavy nod, “YES!”
“Uncle Qian and Wenbin, both of you wait for my return at White Stone Pass!” Yan Liqiang instructed Qian Su and Lu Wenbin, then shook his reins without wasting any time. “LET’S GO!” Snowstorm Cloud let out a long neigh, then rushed off toward White Stone Pass at lightning speed.
Tie Yunshan cast a glance at the cavalrymen around him then roared, “TODAY, WE FOLLOW THE PROTECTORATE OUT OF THE PASS TO RAZE THE TULI TRIBE TO THE GROUND!” After saying that, Tie Yunshan shook his reins and followed Yan Liqiang.
The other cavalrymen had been furious ever since they received news from the Wind Border Stockade. Upon seeing Yan Liqiang taking the lead with such determination and decisiveness, they were all fired up. They let out all the anger in their chests with an angry bellow, then shook their reins and followed Yan Liqiang and Tie Yunshan toward White Stone Pass.
As a man, how could they still call themselves a soldier if they didn’t even have such courage and bravery?
In everyone’s eyes, Snowstorm Cloud’s black body was like a burning black flame under the sun. It ignited the fire in everyone’s chest.
The gates of White Stone Pass were fully opened to welcome Yan Liqiang’s arrival.
Yan Liqiang led the cavalry of more than a thousand men through the gates like a gust of wind, not stopping for even a moment.
A commandant, who stood by the gate with a lance in his hand, was checking the Shatu caravans that were coming inside White Stone Pass. He was stunned to see Yan Liqiang and his troops rushing in his direction, as a million questions emerged in his mind — ‘Isn’t Lord Tie going to show the Protectorate General around the fort for an inspection today? Why are they coming this way? Are they exiting the pass?!’
While the thought was still going through his head, Yan Liqiang went past him like a whirlwind. The officer’s hand suddenly felt light, because the iron lance he was holding had been taken away by Yan Liqiang. Only Yan Liqiang’s voice lingered in the wind, “Lend me your lance for today…”
…
Inside the fort at White Stone Pass, two Barrack Generals stood guard at the gates, awaiting Yan Liqiang’s arrival. Yet, the ones who came were not Yan Liqiang and Tie Yunshan, but Tie Yunshan’s personal bodyguard. He carried an order from Tie Yunshan which instructed for the gates to be closed from this moment onward and for Barack General Xu Yuanfeng to guard the pass well.
After finding out from the soldier where Yan Liqiang and Tie Yunshan had gone, Wang Naiwu was shocked. He left some instructions with the bodyguard, then rushed out. “Goddammit, how can they do that without me! Old Xu, I’ll leave this place to you…!”
…
Yan Liqiang had only made it two or three li out of White Stone Pass with his troop when Wang Naiwu caught up to his party with more than a hundred cavalrymen.