Chapter 003: Mysterious and Elusive

The two deliberately fell to the back, just as the five Hu knights charged forward. Guo Luo and Yang Yi executed their remarkable skill of turning around to shoot while riding, unleashing a barrage of arrows. Three of the five Hu knights fell from their horses in succession, while the other two, astonished, dared not pursue any further

Guo Luodao: "Good!"

Zhang Mai's mind was still somewhat muddled; he had begun to sense that the situation might be more troublesome than he had imagined. However, he still could not accept that terrifying speculation

No matter what happens, I must accept this reality! And I must do so quickly!

This is not a time for sentimentality

In the midst of the shaking, Zhang Mai unexpectedly embraced Guo Fen, his hands feeling both tight and soft. It seemed rather inappropriate to hold a young woman's waist like this, but with the horse's back jolting so violently and without anything nearby to hold onto, it was difficult to let go. Guo Fen's face turned red again, yet she said nothing.

After running for more than ten miles, the sound of hooves behind became even louder. When he turned around, he saw five or six riders catching up. The attire of those riders resembled that of the barbarians seen in a mirage, which made Zhang Mai feel even more uneasy

The behavior of these individuals is completely out of sync with the modern world! Treating acts such as archery and killing as commonplace may still exist in certain tribes in Africa, but it should have already become extinct in Central Asia.

In fact, the horse and the *picture* book carried two people, and their speed was not faster than that of a motorcycle. Zhang Mai felt a sense of anxiety primarily due to an unfamiliar unease

Guo Luo handed over a particularly majestic steed to Zhang Mai, naturally assuming that Zhang Mai could ride. Then, more than twenty people urged their horses to "go," but after running a short distance, they suddenly stopped, realizing that Zhang Mai was still standing there in a daze

This is a hollow octagonal earth city in the shape of a "十" character, approximately 3 to 4 li in length and 300 steps in depth. It is merely a small city, perhaps even just a stockade. To the north of the city lies a pastoral area, while to the south, adjacent to the Broken Leaf River, there is a tract of irrigated farmland. Due to the cold weather, the crops here can only be harvested once a season. The west side is backed by mountains, and only the east side features a rudimentary city tower and city gate

Alas, have you fainted from illness

What is wrong with you

A terrifying thought surged into Zhang Mai's mind: Could it be that his previous assumptions were completely wrong? It was not that these descendants of the Tang army had been lost in the desert for a thousand years, but rather that he had somehow stumbled into their world?

He glanced at Guo Shidao and the others, then looked at Guo Fen. They shared the same skin, the same faces, the same eyes, and the same language. Moreover, he was referred to as the "special envoy" by them

Guo Fen walked over and pointed to his back, saying: "Get on!"

If you want to kill, then kill! What are you shouting about!

Where is it not right? Where?

Within the city, apart from the elderly, the weak, women, and children, there are only fewer than 800 combat troops, along with several hundred able-bodied men. In contrast, the enemy has two to three thousand cavalry. Although the Tang army occupies the earthen city and has the advantage of defense, can the defensive capability of this earthen city offset the disparity in strength between the attacking and defending sides?

"There is an enemy attack!" Yang Dingguo shouted, "Everyone, hurry into the city!"

Guo Fen was very nervous, and she instinctively looked towards Zhang Mai, who had brought them hope, only to find that Zhang Mai was staring blankly.

Ah—

It is not a dream, it is truly not a dream

"Envoy, what are you doing? Hurry up and mount your horse, the Huige people are coming!"

At this moment, facing the approaching and utterly unkind Khitan people, Zhang Mai knew that he and these descendants of the Tang army...

Just as I was about to enter the city with Master Guo, a warning horn suddenly sounded from the towering watchtower on the city wall

There are horses available at the cave, totaling more than forty, which is more than double the number of people.

However, this earthen city is the last stronghold of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions

Guo Shidao led the way ahead and said to Zhang Mai, "Young Master Zhang, I must express my shame. We have failed in our duty to guard the territory, and the four towns in Anxi have successively fallen. This new Suye is likely the last stronghold of our Great Tang in the Western Regions." After more than half a month, they had already learned Zhang Mai's name.

Yang Yi pointed at the earth city and said, "Alright, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

More than twenty people mounted their horses, and upon observing their movements, Zhang Mai believed even more that they were descendants of the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty—few modern urban dwellers possess such equestrian skills, yet these more than twenty individuals, regardless of age or gender, treated horseback riding as a daily routine

Zhang Mai secretly lamented that riding a horse is not so easy for modern people. He had tried riding while touring on the grasslands, but that was with a trainer leading the horse, taking slow, careful steps. Even then, Zhang Mai felt somewhat unsteady. To expect him to mount the horse like this group of "ancient people," whip it to gallop, he would be utterly incapable of such a feat at this moment.

Murder, murder! Miss Guo, your brother has committed murder!

Zhang Mai did not notice that Guo Fen had pulled him slightly; he stared blankly at the thousands of cavalry before him

Perhaps we are separated by a thousand years, but regardless of the era, these individuals are all our compatriots

The young man who came to raise the alarm, named Yang Yi, is the son of Yang Dingguo. Upon hearing that the Hu people were invading, Guo Shidao promptly ordered a retreat, temporarily setting aside his conversation with Zhang Mai

Zhang Mai suddenly recalled that mirage ... ! ... Yes, in the mirage, Guo Fen had also killed people, and those knights were also engaged in slaughtering!

Zhang Mai observed clearly: the arrow shot by Guo Luo pierced through a knight's throat

The Khitan cavalry has dispatched a squad of light cavalry to tentatively approach, and a fierce battle of offense and defense is about to erupt

Zhang Mai attempted to persuade himself

Guo Fen asked

The city guards quickly closed the city gates, but when they reached the top of the city wall, they were all stunned—on the distant high ground, three rows of Khitan knights were lined up, extending about two li from north to south. Guo Shidao's expression changed dramatically: "This... there are probably two thousand cavalry!"

Zhang Mai slapped himself hard, startling Guo Fen.

As he watched the approaching Khitan cavalry, Zhang Mai knew that he had to force himself not to indulge in wild thoughts

They traveled northwest along the river, which Guo Fen referred to as "Broken Leaf River," and the landscape became increasingly desolate. Along the way, they had to hurry, set traps to evade their enemies, and remain vigilant against surprise attacks from the Huigu people, leaving no opportunity for proper conversation. After more than half a month of walking, Guo Fen finally said, "Alright, we have completely shaken off the Huigu people." Only then did they change direction and continue for another five days before reaching the "New Broken Leaf City" that Guo Fen had mentioned.

Hello, what is wrong with you

So what exactly is this place? The Tang Dynasty?

If it is said that dozens of descendants of the Tang army could possibly hide in some secluded corner for many years without being discovered, then it is absolutely impossible for thousands of cavalry to have gone through the Soviet era and still remain completely unknown to the outside world after entering the 21st century

No matter where the problem lies, at the very least... we must first confront the crisis at hand

Ah, not right!

Except for her, no one noticed this point; everyone was completely captivated by the Khitan cavalry outside the city.

Guo Fen pulled Zhang Mai, who was still standing there, and said: "Foolish messenger, hurry up and come in with me"

I am fine

It hurts!

United in a common cause against the enemy

Yang Dingguo also exclaimed: "We have fallen into their trap! We have not shaken them off at all. The reason they did not ambush us on the road is that I was chasing our own tail to find the new Shattered Leaf City!"

Yang Yi said to Guo Luo: "Eliminate those five individuals; we cannot let them stick to us, otherwise we won't be able to escape far!"

Zhang Mai felt a bit embarrassed, but upon hearing the unfriendly sound of hooves, he grabbed Guo Fen's hand and mounted the horse, sitting behind her. As soon as he was on the horse, Guo Fen immediately cracked the whip, and dozens of people charged out. The jolting on the horse's back was intense, feeling even more dangerous than riding a motorcycle