Chapter 6: A Fortunate Encounter with the Han Army

A figure emerged from the darkness, raising his sword to the sky, "Men of the Han, slay the enemies!" After shouting, he stepped forward and charged...

More than ten foreign cavalry entered the village without dismounting. They held torches aloft as they trampled the corpses on the ground. After these more than ten riders advanced twenty meters into the village, a second wave of foreign cavalry moved forward, another twenty meters. The third wave of foreign cavalry followed suit, and then the fourth and fifth waves, with each group of riders spaced more than twenty meters apart.

In fact, Lin Bin and his companions had encountered varying numbers of cavalry multiple times along the way. Each time, they would hide in the shadows and wait for the cavalry to pass before emerging. This time, they intended to do the same.

Majestic! The responses were sparse; in this battle on foot, only seven soldiers of the Han army remained standing, each wounded and drenched in blood

Kill! A lopsided slaughter has begun amidst the roar.

Gongsun Hong, while feeling delighted, did not lose his composure, saying, "Wait a moment, do not expose our presence. From the conversation, it is clear that there must be a large group of pursuers behind us"

Han Army

A crescent moon hung in the air, and for reasons unknown, Lin Bin noticed that the moonlight now was different from that of later generations. The moonlight of later generations was silvery bright, whereas the current moonlight had an eerie red hue. When Lin Bin inquired, he received a rather absurd answer. Gongsun Hong and Dou Shiyan both replied in unison that it was because many people had died, and thus the moon had been stained red, resulting in the red moonlight. Lin Bin scoffed at this but chose not to say much more.

This transformation occurred far too rapidly; Dou Shiyan and others fell from joy into despair, as the elation they felt from their presumed salvation was ruthlessly shattered by the sudden appearance of foreign cavalry. What replaced their joy was tension and frustration.

In the end, Gongsun Hong did not leave alone. The four of them hid in the woods for a continuous thirteen days, three days longer than they had anticipated. During their time there, they feared being discovered by fire and survived by eating raw meat.

It has been the twenty-first day since Lin Bin recovered from his injury. After twenty-one days of rest, not only has Lin Bin healed, but Dou Shiyan has also fully recovered. Seeing how quickly Lin Bin has healed from the wounds inflicted by the tiger, they are once again astonished by Lin Bin's recovery speed, while also being extremely curious about the small things on Lin Bin's body. However, Lin Bin never allows them to see his belongings, leaving the three of them only able to stare in amazement. Seeing how quickly Lin Bin has healed from the wounds inflicted by the tiger, they are once again astonished by Lin Bin's recovery speed, while also being extremely curious about the small things on Lin Bin's body. However, Lin Bin never allows them to see his belongings, leaving the three of them only able to stare in amazement.

More than half a month of a salt-free life has slightly reduced their physical strength, leading to multiple stops along the way

The Han army charged into the disordered cavalry formation of the Wuwan people, taking advantage of the complex terrain to engage in infantry combat. The Wuwan cavalry, caught off guard, were struck down by several of their own who were frantically trying to control their horses. Once the Wuwan warriors reacted, they dismounted and immediately entered into chaotic infantry combat.

Lin Bin's first thought was "Can you actually understand?" He was momentarily taken aback, still not fully processing the situation, when those beside him exclaimed in surprise, "It's the Han army, it's the Han army!" Their voices were filled with joy, and fortunately, they were a bit far from that group of cavalry, so they had not been discovered

The leader of the first wave of foreign cavalry suddenly shouted something, raising his curved sword towards the darkness ahead. Immediately, more than ten riders closed in, charging forward without pause. However, due to the complex terrain filled with remnants of broken walls, the hoof of one foreign cavalryman's steed was caught on something, causing the horse to stumble. The rider was thrown off amidst a scream, and the entire formation was thrown into disarray. The foreign cavalrymen collided with one another, and the once formidable charging formation collapsed in an instant.

Amidst the stench, the crowd rummaged through the remnants of shattered walls, finding nothing but a few copper coins stained with black blood. As they passed through a village filled with corpses, they soon heard the sound of hooves, which startled them greatly. Ignoring the rotting and foul-smelling bodies on the ground, they lay still, too afraid to move.

Due to Lin Bin's fierce performance in the battle with the tiger, Dou Shiyan and Lu Wuzuo Mu thereafter followed him closely and obeyed his every command. Even Gongsun Hong, who had always harbored grievances, no longer dared to engage in verbal conflict with Lin Bin. In the eyes of the three, a person capable of fighting a tiger must be extraordinary; however, they were unaware that although Lin Bin had killed the tiger, he felt waves of fear in his heart.

This wave of cavalry is different from most cavalry; the previous waves did not fail to light their torches, and it seems that this wave of cavalry is trying to evade something, riding their horses into the village. "Quick, tie the horses securely, everyone take cover, stay alert, and do not let the Wuhuan people discover us!"

On the way, they discovered several villages that had been utterly destroyed. The stench inside the villages was overwhelming, and decaying corpses lay scattered everywhere. Gongsun Hong, Dou Shiyan, and Lu Wuzuo were reluctant to enter the villages, but Lin Bin insisted that everyone pass through, stating that they should conduct a thorough search to see if they could find anything useful.

Lin Bin is the calmest person among the group. He is quite unfamiliar with the Han army and lacks the sense of reliance that others possess. The only thing he knows is that the appearance of the Han cavalry at this moment must indicate that something unusual is about to happen

The high-pitched voice resounded once more, as the Han army, drenched in blood, pointed their swords towards the Xiongnu, who were poised to encircle them, ready to strike.

"Avoid!" The loud voice rang out again. The Han army was caught off guard, and two soldiers, due to their severe injuries and slow reactions, were immediately struck by arrows and killed

A resounding voice erupted from the darkness

During these thirteen days, Gongsun Hong also fully recognized the terrifying nature of Lin Bin. Lin Bin always relied on that curved blade to fight against beasts. Originally, they were about to leave, but an unexpected event occurred.

... ...

The incident was caused by a large tiger that suddenly sprang out from the forest, catching them off guard. Only Lin Bin, who reacted the quickest, rushed forward to fight the tiger.

After more than ten cavalrymen of the Han army entered the village, they quickly concealed their whereabouts. Before long, the distant sound of numerous warhorses galloping could be heard, followed by the appearance of lights. Nearly fifty cavalrymen, brandishing torches, raced towards this direction. They halted in front of the village, and among them, more than ten riders broke away from the main group to explore the village. The night began to grow sultry, as if a moment's inattention could trigger a sudden thunderclap

As they watched more than ten foreign cavalrymen approaching the village with torches, the hairs on everyone's neck began to stand on end. It was at this moment that they realized the arrival of the Han army cavalry did not bring the hope of survival, but rather the executioners brandishing curved blades.

Behind him, more than ten Han soldiers rushed out from the darkness, hoarsely shouting in unison: "The Han army is mighty! Viciously slay the enemy, protect our borders, fight to the death!"

On a strange night, the moonlight in the sky turned an unusually deep crimson, casting its glow over a landscape of shattered ruins, as if the heavens and earth were drenched in blood. The wind howled, and the torches flickered in the gusts, producing a hissing sound. The cavalry of a foreign tribe advanced steadily, but the complex terrain restricted their mobility, causing the distance between individual riders to stretch further apart.

Fight to the death

... ...

The Han army, it is our Han army! Heaven has opened its eyes... Dou Shiyan's voice trembled, revealing just how excited he was

A sudden rain of arrows descended

In the fierce struggle between Lin Bin and the tiger, peril lurked at every turn. In the end, although Lin Bin was covered in wounds, he managed to fatally stab the tiger in the forehead with a dagger.

The crowd concealed themselves in the darkness, daring not to make any movements; they even instinctively softened their breathing, fearing that it might attract the attention of the alien cavalry

The sound of the response is filled with an indomitable fighting spirit

Lin Bin was not unfamiliar with this method of search. The foreign cavalry employed a formation invented by the Qin Dynasty's light cavalry, known as "Páizhèn," which involved a wave after wave of carpet-style search with only slight gaps left. This tactic was typically used in battle formations and proved to be very effective in searching for individuals, as it could prevent ambushes. Such tactics continued to be utilized in later generations; for instance, in the airborne assault operations conducted by Lin Bin and his team, they also advanced in waves, maintaining a distance of several meters between each individual.

The sound of "Strike!" echoed, a voice that would never yield. The Han army pressed forward, attempting to charge into the fray of bodies. During their run, two more soldiers from the Han army were struck by arrows. Their bodies, propelled forward by the momentum of their advance, finally collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash as they lost their life force.

Still, like the picture book, they travel through the night. This has become second nature for everyone. Previously, they fled through the yellow sands of the desert; now, they run among the grasslands, making their way past the decaying corpses that lie along the road.

Upon hearing the battle call, Lin Bin felt a surge of blood within him. He remembered this indomitable nation, which, no matter the trials it faced, always rose strong after each fall. For thousands of years, countless sons of this nation have rushed toward death, shouting the battle cry of defending their homeland— they have gallantly embraced death

Anyone with a modicum of common sense should know that regardless of the type of creature, its frontal bone structure is the hardest part of its body. Yet, this hardest area was pierced by a seemingly dull dagger, penetrating more than a foot deep into the center of the brow, at the point marked 'Wang'. From that moment on, Gongsun Hong, while fearing Lin Bin's formidable martial prowess, developed a particular aversion to that seemingly unremarkable dagger.

Lin Bin felt distressed; he did not have a favorable view of the Han army's combat capabilities. Having been here for nearly a month, his impression was that the Han army had been utterly defeated by the Xiongnu, losing their helmets and armor. From an encounter between the Han army and the Xiongnu, it became evident that the horsemanship of the Han cavalry was abysmal, showing a significant gap compared to the Xiongnu, who had grown up on horseback. In the hasty engagement, the Han army was almost completely slaughtered after only a brief resistance.

More than ten cavalrymen approached from a distance, without lighting torches, making it impossible to discern their allegiance in the darkness

The adult tiger fought with Lin Bin for nearly an afternoon, and the roar of the tiger in the forest was deafening. Gongsun Hong originally thought that his group was doomed; he was very afraid that the Xiongnu would be attracted by the tiger's roar and come to investigate. Fortunately, that did not happen