Chapter 1692

Bu Wu was made blind again by Hu Xiaotian; he dared not linger in battle, turned and fled at full speed, killing anyone who blocked his path without hesitation, regardless of friend or foe. In fact, even without eyes before, Bu Wu's hearing and perception were just as accurate in judging his surroundings, but after regaining his sight, he unconsciously grew increasingly reliant on those eyes; when Hu Xiaotian suddenly gouged them out, his formation collapsed at once, he dared not continue fighting, and all he could think of was to escape this place as quickly as possible.

Hu Xiaotian pursued closely from behind, but Bu Wu's lightness skill was extraordinarily impressive; Hu Xiaotian's Art of Soaring had been learned from him, and besides, Hu Xiaotian had misgivings, worrying that his own forces, outnumbered, might suffer a mishap; after chasing a distance, seeing Bu Wu pull farther and farther away, he gave up the idea of continuing the pursuit and turned back to slaughter indiscriminately.

Although the Dangyi tribesmen were brave and skilled in battle, they gained no advantage whatsoever in this fight; moreover, Xiong Tianba, that killing god, slaughtered indiscriminately, already frightening them into trembling fear; the Tibetan monk was killed, and before Bu Wu could escape, these Dangyi tribesmen began to scatter like birds and beasts.

Hu Xiaotian's warriors, each like a tiger bursting from its gate, pursued the victory relentlessly; the Dangyi tribesmen suffered heavy casualties, and over ten captives were taken on the spot.

The interrogation of the captives was naturally handled by Weisa; through questioning, it was learned that these Dangyi tribesmen had come on Guo Shaoxiong's commission to exterminate them. Hu Xiaotian felt puzzled; he had dealt with Guo Shaoxiong before, and that lad had no real ability, yet this time he managed to stir up such a big affair—if tonight's encirclement was his plan, that would be enough to prove he is the true culprit who killed Tang Tiehan and the others; however, Guo Shaoxiong's influence could not possibly summon Monk Bu Wu, and even his father Guo Guangbi lacks such standing.

Hu Xiaotian had Weisa question them further, and actually learned Guo Shaoxiong's hiding place. Guo Shaoxiong is currently in the Han'erjin tribe; after he and his father fled to Jicheng, they got on well with the Han'erjin tribe, joining forces to attack other Dangyi tribes; the Han'erjin tribe has people, and Guo Guangbi can supply them with good equipment and money. The two sides hit it off immediately, and Guo Shaoxiong even became engaged to the daughter of the Han'erjin chieftain, Zha Jinkecha.

There was no need to keep these Dangyi captives alive, especially since several of them had participated in the slaughter of Tang Tiehan; Hu Xiaotian naturally could not be lenient, he ordered that those captives be executed, and then everyone immediately left the fortress.

In this battle, only over ten of them suffered minor injuries, and no one died in combat.

Tang Qingxuan learned that her elder brother had indeed been harmed by the combined efforts of Guo Shaoxiong and the Han'erjin tribe; her desire for revenge burned fiercer, and she wished she could go at once to the Han'erjin tribe to take vengeance.

Hu Xiaotian, however, sensed that something was amiss; if Bu Wu had not appeared tonight, he might have thought that Guo Shaoxiong, seeking revenge, joining forces with the Han'erjin tribe sounded plausible. But Bu Wu's appearance gave Hu Xiaotian another idea. The killing of Tang Tiehan and those brothers resembled a carefully plotted scheme; perhaps Guo Shaoxiong and the Han'erjin tribe were merely pawns in it, and the true purpose was to lure him here.

Bu Wu actually said that the one who wanted to kill him was Qiqi? I don't know whether he truly believes that, or whether the information he received is simply mistaken.

To Tang Qingxuan, the whole affair seemed simple, but Hu Xiaotian thought of it more deeply. Not only he, but Liang Yinghao also sensed that something was off, and he whispered to Hu Xiaotian, 'My lord, things seem not right. The Han'erjin tribe is said to have over twenty thousand men; if we go there, we have no chance of victory.'

Hu Xiaotian nodded; to challenge a strong tribe of over twenty thousand with their current forces and hope to win was nothing short of a fantasy. Who exactly devised this plot? Could it be Ren Tianqing? And what is the connection, if any, between this affair and Qiqi?

At this moment, a warrior came forward to report: 'My lord, several hundred people are pursuing us from behind.'

Xiong Tianba had been leading the way; hearing that enemies had arrived again, he turned his horse back to Hu Xiaotian's side and shouted loudly, 'No matter how many come, we need not fear, Third Uncle—let us join forces and drive them back.'

Hu Xiaotian looked ahead and indeed saw a group of troops approaching, but they were not marching in unison; when they were about half a li away, the rest slowed, and three riders broke away from the main force to chase after them—the middle one was none other than the Yongdu merchant Zan Buliu.

Hu Xiaotian gestured for the crowd not to attack, spurred his horse forward, and laughed hehe: "Zan brother, I didn't expect we'd meet so soon." He noticed that the two people beside Zan Buliu were both typical Dangyi tribe attire. Actually Hu Xiaotian also harbored doubts about Zan Buliu; although Zan Buliu had previously sent someone to warn him, Hu Xiaotian still felt this guy was full of suspicions everywhere.

Zan Buliu saw Hu Xiaotian let out a relieved sigh and said: "It's best that Young Master Hu is unharmed."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I thought Brother Zan had already left."

Zan Buliu said: "After thinking it over, I shouldn't have left at this time; I originally wanted to fight side by side with the young master, but I myself lack such strength, so I went to the Tanan and Lijianhe tribes to seek help, never expecting that in the end I was still a step late." The two Dangyi tribespeople beside him were commanders from the Tanan and Lijianhe tribes; Zan Buliu had always had business dealings with them, so he persuaded them to come assist.

Hu Xiaotian smiled and nodded; regardless of whether it was true or false, he ought to express his thanks, clasping his fists and saying: "Thank you for your assistance, gentlemen."

Zan Buliu conveyed Hu Xiaotian's thanks to the two men, and they both simultaneously saluted Hu Xiaotian.

Zan Buliu said: "Young Master Hu, this is no place to linger; let's go together to Eagle Creek Valley—those Han'er Gold bandits wouldn't dare chase us there even if they had the gall of heaven."

Hu Xiaotian thought for a moment; Zan Buliu shouldn't dare to scheme against him now. Although they had won a battle, the Han'er Gold tribe would certainly not let it rest; before long, pursuers would come tracking them, and with their current strength they probably could not oppose the enemy. The Ankang grassland is vast and sparsely populated, so hiding would not be easy either; accepting Zan Buliu's help is also a good option.

Hu Xiaotian had some understanding of the internal affairs of the Dangyi tribe; he knew the Han'er Gold tribe was the strongest among them, relying on its power to bully and plunder other same-tribe tribes, committing countless atrocities on the Ankang grassland. Therefore, although the Tanan and Lijianhe tribes are also of the same stock as the Han'er Gold, they not only lack any fraternal feeling, but actually hate them and wish to eradicate them as soon as possible.

On the way to Eagle Creek Valley, Zan Buliu told Hu Xiaotian some more matters: ever since Guo Guangbi and his son arrived at Jicheng, they have colluded with the chieftain Tie'ertu of the Han'er Gold tribe, joining forces to oppress the other tribes, aiming to control the entire Ankang grassland; now the other tribes of the Ankang grassland hate both of them to the core.

Zan Buliu and these Dangyi tribesmen who came as reinforcements all found it unbelievable—Hu Xiaotian's side, with fewer than sixty people in total, not only survived the siege of two thousand Han'er Gold warriors but also defeated them and slew over a thousand. The combat prowess of Hu Xiaotian's people is astonishingly strong; Zan Buliu secretly thought, fortunately I didn't oppose him, otherwise I'd likely lose my head.

Eagle Creek Valley lies in a rare hill region of the Ankang grassland; they arrived here at dawn. The Dangyi tribe, like other grassland peoples, has a nomadic custom; between several hills, a expanse of white yurts is dotted across the golden‑yellow dry grass, morning clouds fill the sky, giving the yurts a rosy hue; puffs of cooking smoke rise as herders light dried cow dung to prepare breakfast, and not far from the yurts, in the enclosure, diligent herders are milking cows.

Dewdrops roll on the tips of the golden grass blades, sparkling like diamonds in the morning light.

Weisa and Tang Qingxuan were both captivated by the beautiful morning scenery of the grassland.

A party of Dangyi tribesmen came galloping forward to meet them; the leader was the young chief Hua Li of the Tanan tribe, who gave Hu Xiaotian and his companions a very warm welcome.

After greeting Hu Xiaotian and the others and seeing them finish breakfast, Hu Xiaotian and Zan Buliu rode their horses to the hill beside Eagle Creek Valley; looking out, a red sun had already risen in the east, and the whole grassland glittered with golden light.

Zan Buliu said: "The leaders of the Tanan and Lijianhe tribes are willing to join forces with the young master to eradicate the Han'er Gold tribe."

Hu Xiaotian asked: "What conditions do they have?" There's no such thing as a free lunch; the two tribes are sending help in the snow, promising to join him against the Han'er Gold tribe, which makes Hu Xiaotian have to consider their motives.

Zan Buliu said: "The Dangyi tribes are not united; the Han'er Gold tribe relies on its numerical superiority to oppress other tribes for years, committing every conceivable atrocity—burning, killing, looting. After Guo Guangbi led his remnants to Jicheng, they colluded in wickedness, aiming to dominate the entire Ankang grassland, already arousing public indignation among the other tribes. The young master wishes to avenge his subordinates, while these small tribes want to secure their right to survive; I see that our goals coincide, so I decided to help you take the lead."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and asked: "Why else are you helping me?"

Zan Buliu said: "Young Master doubts my sincerity, and that's not your fault. Earlier in Yongdu I didn't open my heart to you because I had unavoidable difficulties; over these years the Xinglong Hall has been able to grow to this scale entirely thanks to the aid of Prince Yan Xue Shengjing. The Prince has shown me kindness; if I were to betray him, that would be unjust. I harbor no intention of harming the young master; you can reflect—have I ever done anything to let you down over these years?"

Hu Xiaotian gave a faint smile; merchants seek profit first, and Zan Buliu is no exception—this time he proactively showed friendliness, perhaps because the great backing of Prince Yan has waned and he is now seeking a future retreat; with Zan Buliu's shrewd mind, he certainly won't pay out of nothing. (To be continued~^~)