Finest Servant

Chapter 564 The National Tutor of The Turks

Gao Qiu caught up from behind the ranks, and upon seeing Xu Zhen, was ecstatic. The men hugged and laughed, tears filling their eyes.

Observing Xu Zhen, Lin Wanrong noticed the man's sunburned face and dusty appearance. His clothes were tattered and torn. Clearly, the journey had been arduous. After a moment of silence, Lin Wanrong sighed and asked, "Little Xu, how did you get into the grasslands and how did you find us?"

"The story is quite long," Xu Zhen's eyes reddened slightly as he began. "Three days after you, General Hu, and Brother Gao entered the canyon, hundreds of thousands of Turks launched a frenzied attack on the Helan Valley. These Turkic tribesmen are fierce and mighty. Each wave of their attack amassed more than ten thousand men, assailing both passages leading to Xingqing Prefecture simultaneously. In three days, there were over forty full-scale charges."

"Advisor Xu issued a death order: from her rank downward, the entire army could only advance, retreating was not an option. With men still standing, the gate would hold; if the gate fell, all would perish. Swearing to defend Helan Mountain to the last breath! She personally oversaw the western pass and hadn't closed her eyes for three straight days. Over two hundred thousand of our brothers fought a life-and-death battle against the Turks in Helan Mountain. Not one person retreated. Blades glittered on both sides of the canyon, rivers of blood flowed. Our artillery, having been fired continuously, became so hot they could no longer fire. Those brothers simply drew their swords and charged. In just three days, we lost more than forty thousand men."

As he spoke, Xu Zhen's eyes grew increasingly red. Lin Wanrong, Hu Bugui, and Gao Qiu clenched their fists tightly, gritting their teeth in silence.

The thought of hundreds of thousands fighting a bloody battle, even without being present, painted a vivid picture of gruesome chaos. Helan Mountain was like the backbone of Great Hua; heads could be severed, blood could be spilled, but the backbone would never collapse!

"Helan Mountain's two canyons were captured several times, and reclaimed just as many. Of the tens of thousands in the suicide squads, only eight hundred survived. Brother Du's left arm was injured, General Zuo Qiu was wounded in the right rib, even Advisor Xu—"

"What happened to Advisor Xu?" Lin Wanrong gripped Xu Zhen's arm, his face filled with alarm.

Realizing his slip of the tongue, Xu Zhen quickly wiped the corners of his eyes and lowered his voice, "General, please don't ask. Advisor Xu forbade me from telling you."

Lin Wanrong's eyes flared with anger, "What do you mean, don't tell me? Do you listen to her or to me? Are you trying to kill me with worry?"

Xu Zhen, who had been brought from Shandong by Lin Wanrong himself, dared not disobey the man whose glare was so intimidating. With reddened eyes, he whispered, "While defending the pass, Advisor Xu was seriously injured by an arrow and has been bedridden for days. She instructed me not to report this to you, or else she would invoke military law."

Though Xu Zhen was vague, Lin Wanrong felt his heart ache. Xu Zhiqing herself was a renowned healer; if she had been bedridden for several days due to an arrow wound, her injuries must have been severe.

"General, don't worry," noticing Lin Wanrong's gloomy face, Xu Zhen hurriedly reassured him. "Before I left, Advisor Xu looked much better. She personally saw me off and asked me to tell you that everything in the army is fine, so you need not be overly concerned."

‘Call that fine? She's severely injured!’ Lin Wanrong sighed helplessly. Miss Xu was as stubborn as ever. He used to find her stubbornness, even her obstinacy, rather annoying. But now, wasn't that very trait what set Xu Zhiqing apart from everyone else? He thought of the moment they had parted, of how Miss Xu had softly sung on the mountainside and bid him a melancholy farewell. The thought brought a tinge of sourness to his nose.

Gao Qiu, listening to Xu Zhen speak only halfway, grew increasingly anxious, as if scratched by a cat. He quickly grabbed Xu Zhen's arm and asked, "What happened next? What about Helan Mountain? Did the Turks attack again? How did you get to the grasslands, and how did you find us? Little Xu, can't you just tell it all at once? I'm dying of suspense here!"

Wiping the corner of his eyes, Xu Zhen gave an embarrassed smile before continuing: "Three days after the Turks launched their fierce attack, the field was filled with corpses, and the losses were severe. In the following days, they changed their tactics. They used harassment strategies, feigning an attack before retreating, then feigning another. We never knew when their feigned attacks would turn real. Our troops grew exhausted from days of such defense. Suddenly, one night, the Turks attacked as if they had gone mad. They mobilized all their forces and struck hard at the Western Foothill Passage. Led by Left Prince Batur, hundreds of thousands of Turks darkened the base of the mountain. The battle lasted a day and two nights. We fought in and out of the Western Foothill Passage and eventually regained control of the gorge. Advisor Xu was severely wounded in this battle. Unable to break through, the Turks retreated thirty miles by the third morning. That evening, we received news that General Lin had captured the Turks' grain depot in Bayanhot, setting fire to supplies meant for an army of 300,000. That was the Turks' last counterattack! Upon hearing the news, our troops were exhilarated, cheering and leaping for joy—even the severely injured Miss Xu wept with happiness."

"Miss Xu cried?" Lin Wanrong murmured to himself. At that moment, he understood Xu Zhiqing's complex emotions better than anyone in the world.

Xu Zhen nodded, "The Turks retreated thirty miles. A few days later, we heard that there was a large force of bandits from the Great Hua raiding Turkic merchant caravans and tribes on the grasslands. We also heard a strange name among the Turks, and Miss Xu said it must be you, General. She knew what you were planning, but had no way to contact you."

"And how did you enter the grasslands?" Lin Wanrong asked solemnly.

Xu Zhen's face lit up with excitement: "Just when we were at a loss, a mysterious figure delivered a letter to Miss Xu with just six words—'Through the Gorge, Into the Grasslands.' This reminded Advisor Xu that if you could pass through Helan Mountain to get to the Alxa plains, so could we. The next day, she ordered me to lead a group of more than ten brothers, following the path you had blazed. Strangely enough, as soon as we entered the gorge, we found road markers to guide us. Although the journey was fraught with hardships, we indeed entered the grasslands. Looking back, those road markers had all vanished."

‘A sage? A guidepost?’ Lin Wanrong was dumbfounded. ‘Could it be the work of Sister An? But when I decimated Labuli in Bayanhot, that was her masterpiece. According to the timeline, she was with me all along. Even if Sister An could duplicate herself, it wouldn't be possible for her to be both in the Helan Mountains and the grasslands simultaneously. This is truly mystifying.’

"It's just unfortunate that a recent heavy rain has washed away the roads in the canyon. It's now impossible to cross the Helan Mountains to enter the grasslands," Xu Zhen said, clearly disappointed.

Now that Bayanhot had fallen, the strategic significance of this mysterious path was lost if the Turks retreated to the grasslands. Lin Wanrong was not particularly disappointed. What amazed him was how Xu Zhen had found their current location.

"After entering the grasslands, we first arrived at Bayanhot, then moved to Dalanzha. We nearly encountered the Turkic cavalry several times. But at every critical moment, someone guided us!" Xu Zhen said, retrieving a small ball of paper from his sleeve and handing it to Lin Wanrong.

The paper was a simple map that sketched the locations of several tribes. The bold, dark lines indicated Lin Wanrong's journey. A recently-added tribe on the map was Chita, which was more than a hundred and twenty miles away from them. The lines were clearly drawn, with elegant penmanship that seemed to be from a woman. However, the identity of the author was impossible to deduce from the simple lines alone.

"We followed this map all the way and were discovered by scouts in the front. That's how we found you, General," Xu Zhen finally finished explaining their journey. He took a deep breath and gratefully drank several gulps from the water skin handed to him by Hu Bugui.

Raindrops pattered on the paper, making a faint rustling sound. Lin Wanrong stared at it, his mind awash with questions. The person who could draw such a detailed map would have to know the whereabouts of these 5,000 troops extremely well. The most suspicious person would naturally be Sister An. But Sister An left only this morning and didn't mention this matter; she should be in the dark. Moreover, based on the timeline, Sister An had been with him all this time, leaving her no opportunity to guide Xu Zhen.

There were only a few women capable of both aiding him and remaining undetected. Xian'er, Qingxuan, Sister An, and Ning Yuxi all had this ability. The first two were far away in the capital, and the latter had just left. That leaves—

"It's Fairy Ning!" Lin Wanrong exclaimed, startling himself into jumping up and quickly looking around.

Amidst the mist and rain, the sky was dim; his soldiers were marching forward diligently, not slackening in the slightest. There was no sign of Fairy Ning. Upon closer examination of the lines on the paper, they began to resemble Ning Yuxi's delicate eyebrows more and more. Given Fairy Ning's temperament, if she were secretly following, she would be even quieter and harder to detect than An Biru.

‘So both Sister An and Fairy Ning had been accompanying me all along.’ Lin Wanrong felt a mixture of unspoken sorrow and joy, his eyes involuntarily moistening. With these two extraordinary women, one virtuous and one mischievous, accompanying him for thousands of miles—how could anyone else claim to be the luckiest person in the world but him?

Amidst the swaying wind and rain, Lin Wanrong found himself entranced. For a fleeting moment, the storm morphed into the entrancing figure of Ning Yuxi.

Noticing his dazed expression, a mixture of joy and sorrow, Gao Qiu hastily patted him on the shoulder. "Brother Lin, what's wrong with you?"

Shaken from his reverie, Lin Wanrong laughed heartily. "I'm just too happy. We've got news of Helan Mountain and Miss Xu, and we've met Xu Zhen. How could I not be thrilled? Brother Gao, Brother Hu, I have no doubt that we'll make it back alive!"

While the news of Helan Mountain was certainly uplifting, Gao Qiu and Old Hu exchanged puzzled glances, sensing that General Lin was withholding some other good news.

"General, there's one more thing," Hu Bugui said, pausing to furrow his brows. "The scouts up ahead have returned. Just as you predicted, the allied forces of Ejina and Ha'er Helin failed to discover our whereabouts in Dalanzha and have quickly turned back. Accompanying them are the twenty thousand Turkic cavalry we lured to Wuyuan earlier."

Lin Wanrong uttered a nonchalant "Oh" and grinned. "So they've rendezvoused? By that account, their returning forces must number at least thirty thousand, correct?"

Hu Bugui nodded gravely. "Easily more than thirty thousand. And they're moving fast. With clear weather on their side, they're just over sixty miles away from Ha'er Helin."

Lin Wanrong chuckled, his face brimming with confidence. "Thirty thousand it is then. We don't have to engage them head-on; thirty thousand or three thousand, it's all the same. Let's see who's faster. Xu Zhen, you and these brothers arrived just in time. We're about to make a big move. Give the order to march towards Ha'er Helin at full speed."

News of Xu Zhen's arrival spread rapidly throughout the army, fueling their passion. The unbreakable vow to never let Helan Mountain fall resonated in the ears of every warrior deep in the plains. Their eyes filled with fervent tears, a sense of blood-bound kinship they hadn't felt in a long time.

The torrential rain couldn't dampen the blazing spirits of the Great Hua cavalry. Tapping into every ounce of their potential, they galloped freely. Laughter spread across their faces as the rain became a baptism of their fervor.

The Turkic forces seemed to realize something was amiss; they raced back without stopping. It became a test of speed and endurance for both sides.

By the time word arrived that the enemy was just sixty miles away, five thousand Great Hua cavalry had already appeared, silent and menacing, on the outskirts of Ha'er Helin.

Under the azure sky, the sprawling Turkic camp looked like a giant umbrella, its numerous tents appearing pale and powerless in the storm. Awaiting them were the fiery hooves of the Great Hua soldiers.

"General, let's make our move," said Xu Zhen, who had just joined Lin Wanrong. The young man's face radiated murderous intent. To him, the fiery raids on Bayanhot and Dalanzha were merely legends created by General Lin. This was his first real skirmish against the enemy on their own turf. The bloody battle of Helan Mountain vividly replayed in his mind as flames flickered in his eyes. Veins bulged on his face as he requested permission to engage the enemy from Lin Wanrong.

Lin Wanrong gave a slight nod, his eyes widening as they swept over the ranks of 5,000 valiant warriors standing before him. "Brothers—are you ready?!"

A collective roar erupted from the soldiers, piercing through the dissipating wind and rain, soaring up to the heavens.

With a wave of Lin Wanrong's hands, the tumultuous roar abruptly ceased.

"Our ultimate goal is not this small tribe of Ha'er Helin. But it's a path we must traverse. I have but one demand. Let your blades be swift, accurate, and ruthless. Crush the Turkic tents under your invincible hooves. We won't linger, but the pain we inflict will be forever etched in the hearts of the Turks!"

His clear and resonant voice reverberated in the ears of the soldiers, igniting their spirit.

"Light the torches!" Hu Bugui's shout broke through the clouds. With a "whoosh," countless fire starters ignited simultaneously. The blazing torches illuminated half the sky in an instant, flushing the soldiers' cheeks with excitement.

This sudden burst of light, akin to lightning flashing across the sky, jolted the slumbering Turkic people awake. Bleary-eyed, they rushed out of their tents, only to witness a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

The torches lit up the sky, revealing numerous cold and merciless faces close at hand, devoid of any emotion. The only thing ablaze were the flames in their eyes.

"The people of Great Hua are here!" A shrill cry from an unknown source instantly roused the Turkic people. They turned and ran like mad, rushing toward the stables.

"For our fallen brothers at Helan Mountain, attack!" Xu Zhen's battle cry shattered the heavens. Countless galloping steeds, like swiftly moving clouds, charged toward Ha'er Helin. The Turkic people, who hastily rose to face the enemy, had no time to equip their bows and arrows; bare-chested and wielding large blades, they met the onslaught of Great Hua's elite forces.

As Xu Zhen's blade rose and fell, a severed head, drenched in blood, spiraled through the air, landing squarely on the face of a nearby Turk. His indomitable presence struck terror even in the battle-hardened Turkic warriors. Before they could react, the cold blades of Great Hua were already plunging into their bodies.

It was a foregone conclusion. The two sides were not evenly matched. Hooves trampled over the white tents, while numerous blossoms of fresh blood bloomed on the white fabric. Knowing time was of the essence, the soldiers executed their commander's "swift, accurate, and ruthless" mantra to the fullest. The Turkic camp was soon engulfed in flames.

"General, the Turks are accelerating! Their vanguard is now just fifty miles away from us!" A scout reported as Ha'er Helin burned to cinders in the background. Lin Wanrong nodded and gestured to Hu Bugui beside him.

Old Hu spurred his horse forward, brandishing his battle blade. "All units, hear my command! Our next target is Ejina. Move out!"

As Yujia had so aptly described, Great Hua's cavalry was like a band of marauding bandits drifting across the grasslands. After plundering one tribe, they promptly moved on to their next target. No one could stop their whirlwind advance.

The Ejina tribe was situated close to Yiwu, marking the obligatory route to the perilous Sea of Death, the Lop Nur. A mere hundred miles away from Ha'er Helin, the infuriated Turks advanced at an almost unbelievable speed. When they were still sixty miles away, they split into two groups. One group headed for Ha'er Helin, while the other dashed desperately towards Ejina, which had yet to be attacked.

As five thousand soldiers stood before the Ejina tribe, Hu Bugui brought the latest news on the Turks. "General, the Turks are just eighteen miles away from us."

While a storm raged in Ha'er Helin ten miles away, Ejina enjoyed clear and refreshing air. The moon was high, and the warmth in the air was palpable. Faint roars from the distant desert sands could be heard.

Looking out, Yiwu, which was connected to Ejina, was a mix of lush green grasslands on one side and endless snow-like silver sands on the other. The contrasting shades of green and white glistened under the radiant moonlight. Ejina and Yiwu served as gateways to the infamous Sea of Death, Lop Nur. For a thousand years, it was said that no one had ever returned alive from the Sea of Death. Even the ferocious Turks dared not venture into this notorious wasteland. Ejina was the tribe closest to the desert, marking the boundary between the grasslands and the Lop Nur.

Inside the tents of the Ejina tribe, frightened Turks were crammed together. Facing the arrival of the mighty forces from Great Hua, many couldn't believe their eyes. After numerous confirmations, they finally accepted the grim reality. On one side lay the Sea of Death, and on the other, the iron cavalry of Great Hua—a dilemma with no way out. Their eyes were filled with fear and despair.

Living next to the desert, the Turks were all too familiar with its merciless nature. Compared to the threats of the Sea of Death, they'd rather face the wrathful soldiers of Great Hua.

"What a vast desert, its sands like snow; and the moon over the Yanshan Mountains seems to hang low," Lin Wanrong softly recited, seemingly indifferent to the scene before him in Ejina.

Hu Bugui grew anxious and carefully said, "General, the Turks are only eighteen miles away now!"

Eighteen miles— even if the Turks could fly, they wouldn't reach them in less than an hour. And an hour was enough time to accomplish many things. Lin Wanrong smiled and raised a few fingers. "Brother Hu, is three cups of tea's time enough for you?"

Three cups of tea was indeed a short span, but facing this utterly one-sided battlefield, Hu Bugui found no reason to refuse. With a hearty laugh, he spurred his horse forward, his troops following him like a whirlwind into the Ejina tribe.

Like Ha'er Helin, the Ejina tribe had already seen its able-bodied men drafted away. The few hundred men left were not even enough to fill the gaps between Great Hua's cavalry's teeth.

True to Lin Wanrong's words, it took only the time of a few cups of tea before the Wolf Banner of the Turks slowly fell at their feet.

Both Ejina and Ha'er Helin, as two of the Turks' larger tribes, were well-supplied. Without waiting for Lin Wanrong's orders, the troops replenished their food and water, and switched their horses, preparing for the final leg of their journey into the desert.

With his body laden with food and water bags, Hu Bugui walked over, his demeanor full of vigor. He chuckled, "General Lin, we're all set. When does the army march into the desert?"

Old Hu was an impatient man. "Why the rush? We're heading into the desert, not going to a wedding ceremony," Lin Wanrong chuckled. "Hold on, the Turks haven't had their final meal yet."

"Their final meal? What do you mean?" Hu Bugui looked at him, puzzled.

Lin Wanrong gave a mysterious smile and shook his head. "Brother Hu, how's the collection of all the tung oil left in Ejina going?"

"We've gathered all that was left, except for some we kept as backup," Hu Bugui nodded, looking curiously at him. "General Lin, you told us not to burn the tents and instead gather all this tung oil. Are you planning to start a fire?"

"Indeed, I am planning to start a fire, but it's for the nomads." Lin Wanrong grinned. "Brother Hu, gather a few hundred men and sprinkle this tung oil on the Turkic tents. Make sure you sprinkle some on each tent and lay dry straw in between them. Then add more tung oil. Let's play a game of 'burning the camp' with the nomads."

"So that's the plan!" Hu Bugui finally understood, his eyes lighting up. "Even on the verge of entering the desert, you still haven't forgotten to give the Turks a hard time. You really are something else, Brother Lin."

The cold moonlight bathed the vast desert. In the far distance, plumes of smoke rose into the sky, accompanied by a low, rumbling sound of horse hooves that echoed like spring thunder. The ground itself seemed to tremble. "The reputation of the Turkic cavalry is truly well-deserved," Hu Bugui observed, after listening carefully.

"This isn't about them respecting us," Lin Wanrong smiled wistfully. "After the fall of Ha'er Helin, they've deduced that our next stop will be neighboring Ejina, and have thus sent a heavy force to chase us. Even among the Turks, there are wise men."

With a sweeping gesture, Lin Wanrong led his five thousand soldiers to mount their horses. They adjusted their provisions and set off toward the border between the grasslands and the desert.

As they neared the desert, eerie whistling winds raced past their ears. Everyone instinctively pulled their collars tight and buried their faces in their garments. A gust of wind-blown sand smacked Lin Wanrong across his mouth and face. He spat out the grit in disgust. "This old hag of a desert hasn't even brushed her teeth, and she dares to get intimate with me? Preposterous!" Everyone burst into laughter, lightening the tense atmosphere as they neared the 'sea of death'.

Halting at the edge of the desert, Lin Wanrong signaled to his subordinates. "Xu Zhen, Brother Gao, lead the men into the desert immediately—"

Both Xu Zhen and Gao were startled. "What about you?"

Lin Wanrong grinned, "I'll stay behind with Brother Hu to play a game of 'burning the camp' with these Turks."

Despite not fully understanding Lin Wanrong's plan, the deep trust built over time made them nod in agreement. Xu Zhen gave a firm nod, "Your orders will be obeyed!" He turned his horse around and, with a wave of his hand, led the five thousand soldiers into the boundless sands.

The trust that comes in life-or-death situations is the most touching of all. Seeing the faith his soldiers had in him, Lin Wanrong clenched his fists tightly and let out a low roar to pump himself up.

"General, the Turks have arrived!" Hu Bugui gestured with a sweep of his hand. Amidst a sky filled with swirling dust, dozens of wolf banners fluttered high in the wind. A dark mass of mounted Turks, like a whirlwind, kicked up endless dust and sand as they charged through the tents of the Ejina tribe, rushing toward the edge of the desert.

Just as Hu Bugui had described, there were indeed more than twenty thousand Turks before him. Their vanguard had already passed through the Ejina tents, while the following cavalry still waited outside the tents, forming an extended line that seemed to have no end in sight.

The leader of the Turks, when several hundred yards from the desert's edge, abruptly gestured with his hand. Instantly, the Turks behind him came to a unanimous stop. Aside from the snorts of war horses, the battlefield fell eerily silent.

In the distance, where the grasslands met the desert, two war horses stood still. Seated atop them were two men of the Great Hua Empire. One held a blade and the other a bow, both men with dark faces and yellow skin, emanating a solemn, chilling aura.

A piercing neigh broke the silence as one of the Great Hua horses reared its head and whinnied. The rider tightened his grip on the reins, his body swaying with the horse's movements. Bathed in dim moonlight that seemed to touch his back, the winds of the vast desert sent his long robe and hair flying. Sand and dust pounded against his back and face, a sense of bleak desolation filling the air, yet also a kind of indescribable murderous intent.

"Lin San of the Great Hua is here! Who dares to challenge me?" The dark-skinned man from the Great Hua Empire roared, his voice piercing through the grasslands and desert. His cold eyes and stern face appeared as if a dark god of death gleamed in the crystal-clear moonlight, terrifying all who looked upon him.

His voice traveled far, and although the following Turks were still rushing towards the Ejina tents, the front lines on both sides remained eerily quiet.

The leading Turk slowly removed his helmet, revealing sunken eyes and high cheekbones. His deep-blue eyes flickered slightly. From a distance, he raised a fist toward Lin Wanrong and called out in a slightly awkward Hua language, "Master Lin, long time no see! Lu Dongzan is here to welcome you to the grasslands!"

So it was Lu Dongzan, the National Tutor of the Turkic people! No wonder the pursuing Turks had such wits—he had actually rushed back to the grasslands from Wuyuan.

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily and responded with a fist and palm salute, "What honor and merit do I have to warrant the personal welcome from the esteemed National Tutor? It's most gratifying to see that you, Brother Lu, appear even more spirited than before!"

Lu Dongzan spurred his horse forward, looked at Lin Wanrong, and raised his thumb, sincerely saying, "Master Lin, you rode deep into our grasslands, cut off our life supplies, and saved Helan Mountain from disaster. From the enemy's perspective, I should hate you. But in terms of strategy and courage, you are the smartest man in the Great Hua and the one I, Lu Dongzan, respect the most!"

Hi, if you like the story, please rate and review this novel on novelupdates. Thanks!

Announcement