Chapter 4: United We Stand

Long Ying leisurely stated: "Only four people remain, namely you, Lao Mi, Lao Huang, and the younger brother. The others have all gone with Brother Hu into the desert, disregarding everything, and are rushing at full speed to the nearest Virgin Oasis. They will wait there for three days; if we do not arrive, they will proceed to Hu'er Oasis and continue to wait there."

The wind passes through the courtyard path: "This is also referred to as 'the horse and rider as one.' It was not solely created by Master Eagle, but was inspired by the past achievements of 'Young Marshal' Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, and Ba Fenghan, who were swift as gods and fought across thousands of miles. The horses' physical condition will also improve as a result, becoming impervious to the cold and heat."

Dragon Eagle Path: "Brothers, this goes without saying, but for the sake of a greater goal, how about we take revenge halfway first?"

Long Ying calmly stated: "It is very simple; everything is based on our military objectives. The enemy's original arrangement was based on the assumption that our goal was to eliminate Bian Ao. I initially thought the same until we arrived at the ancient castle and clarified the situation. Only then did I realize that following the original plan would be tantamount to seeking our own demise. Now we have avoided one danger. However, the journey from here to Shatuo Pass is long, with mountains and rivers obstructing our path. The enemy is waiting for us to tire, and we have little leverage to present. Moreover, luck will not follow us forever. If we cannot maintain a certain level of strength upon reaching the Nadas Fortress, it would be no different from courting death."

The dragon eagle was savoring the spicy and aromatic venison, and upon hearing this, it cast a sidelong glance at the passing breeze and said: "What does the young master think?"

Who here is familiar with the Great Desert Sea

The wind passed through the courtyard and lightly admonished, "Do not keep me in suspense."

The wind passed through the courtyard and said irritably: "Please speak plainly, are we to leave half the people behind while the other half sets off?"

The gaze of the dragon eagle fell upon Hu Yi like an arrow, and he said: "I sense the confidence of Brother Hu. The sandy surface of the Great Desert does not reveal any rivers, but are there underground springs? How many days would it take to cross the Great Desert?"

The Turks have continuously stationed troops to guard the grasslands they currently occupy, ensuring that after their arrival, they dismantle their camp to avoid alerting the enemy, as their movements would be entirely within the enemy's calculations

Everyone burst into laughter, and the morale, which had slightly declined due to losing direction, soared once again. The cleverness of Long Ying's plan lies not only in avoiding a head-on confrontation with a powerful enemy but also in providing a buffer for rest before reaching the goal. Tianshan is the territory of the Tianshan tribe; once they hide there, they can recuperate and regain their strength. When Long Ying lures the enemy's main force to deal with them, concentrating on Gongyue City, the elite troops hidden in Tianshan can stealthily make their way to Manas Lake, located northwest of Nadas, outside the desert, without anyone noticing.

Dragon Eagle Path: "The technology is here. Brothers Hu, Guan, and Jun are fully prepared, only lacking the east wind. Allow me to convey to him and the books the extraordinary technique of 'controlling the horse with qi,' which can shorten the journey by more than half. While the crossbow is still hindered by the strange wind and snow, eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring, we will have already broken through the storm and reached his back. Hahaha!"

The Dragon Eagle seems to have yet to answer the initial question posed by the Wilderness Dance, which is whether to send someone to contact the Independent Resolution Group that is facing the threat of genocide. In reality, this is tantamount to an answer. Only at the moment of departure to Manas Lake can the brothers of the Tianshan tribe act as envoys to inform the military powers of the states and ethnic groups such as the Huigu, Kyrgyz, Gaochang, Yarkand, and Kucha. Prior to this, any leak of information would render the strategy ineffective. Only at the moment of departure to Manas Lake can the brothers of the Tianshan tribe act as envoys to inform the military powers of the states and ethnic groups such as the Huigu, Kyrgyz, Gaochang, Yarkand, and Kucha. Prior to this, any leak of information would render the strategy ineffective

Dragon Eagle Path: "Those who stir up wind and rain at the Bow Moon are merely causing a commotion, creating illusions. The difference between this and a genuine assassination attempt is as vast as the heavens and the abyss. This group of people is limited to no more than ten individuals. The current candidates are Young Master, Brother Mi, Brother Huang, Brother Hu, Brother Guan, Brother Jun, and the younger brother. The most important thing is to preserve strength and retreat unscathed"

Brotherhood, do not hold back. Our current mood is worlds apart from when we danced through the wilderness to meet Lord Eagle. At that time, we embraced a mindset of certain death, aiming only to choose the manner of our demise, seeking nothing but the thrill of bloodshed. And now? We are filled with vitality and hope; with each step forward, it feels as though we are closer to success. The most exciting aspect of this journey is the knowledge that we are unlikely to perish. Ha!

Everyone burst into laughter, thus easing the tense atmosphere and allowing for relaxation

Lin Zhuangdao: "Duzhe will not miss this opportunity"

Long Ying extended his hand to rest on his shoulder, pondering that every master from the Western Regions who came here for righteousness must have a story behind them. Guo Yifu's harshness towards the captives must have its reasons. As he walked with Guo Yifu towards the highest point of the camp, he said: "There is no need for polite words; as long as the countries of the Western Regions can coexist peacefully in the future, any hardship endured now is worthwhile"

At this moment, outside their small circle, there were still around twenty to thirty people gathered, listening to them discuss matters of universal concern, which immediately erupted into thunderous laughter

The originally planned route for Long Ying and his companions was to head north along the Peacock River, traverse the ancient Gaochang Road, cross the Tianshan Mountains, then change direction westward until they reached the Limi Dejian River, which flows north from the southern Tianshan, and then turn north to the Shatuo Desert. However, due to the loss of the opportunity to intercept the bandits' tracks on the eastern bank of the Peacock River, and to avoid falling into an ambush, they opted for a more easterly route. This also disrupted the arrangements of the Tianshan tribesmen, leaving them almost completely unaware of the conditions ahead. Otherwise, how could such a group of Turkic soldiers have evaded the watchful eyes of the Tianshan tribes?

Their gaze turned to Long Ying, observing how this military genius, feared by all under heaven, would lead them through yet another crisis

Having finished speaking, Bi stood up and asked, "Is it clear now? This time, I didn't keep you in suspense, did I? hetushu.com.com!"

When the elite troops drove over five hundred captured warhorses through the pass, the first to scatter were the bandits guarding the pass, followed by those defending the stockade, who immediately opened the stockade gates and fled in desperation towards the stone fortress located about one hundred miles to the east

They chose a highland near a water source to set up camp and rest, and dispatched scouts to investigate the surrounding situation

Long Ying cast an appreciative glance at Ding Fumin, and Guo Yuanzhen was quite adept at utilizing talent; Ding Fumin was indeed a talented young general

The crowd dispersed, each going their separate ways.

The Dragon Eagle and others occupied the wooden stockade, resting while waiting for the main forces of the "Thief King" Bian Ao. However, the band of horse thieves did not retreat to the stockade. At dawn, the elite troops burned down the stockade and continued northward. Under Dada's guidance, they traveled along the semi-deserted area on the eastern side of the Great Sand Sea, traveling by day and camping to rest at night. Three days later, they arrived at a grassland area, where they released the captured horses, restoring their freedom.

Dragon Eagle said: "From now on, Brother Tiger will take command and teach us how to prepare for entering the desert"

Long Ying exclaimed: "I finally understand Dan Luodu's strategy. Before dawn tomorrow, the Turkic forces will attack from the east, south, and north, aiming to drive us into the Great Desert Sea, where the bandits familiar with the terrain will annihilate us"

Long Ying lost his voice and said: "What?"

Dada Dao: "The young man never thought that following Master Eagle would lead to his demise. When you have witnessed Master Eagle effortlessly shoot an arrow that hits a target three thousand paces away, you will firmly believe that no one can harm him"

The dragon eagle raised its head all day, muttering to itself: "A heavy snowfall"

Long Ying struck an exaggerated pose of "how dare you," and said leisurely: "The moment the auspicious snow falls from the sky is a good omen for our departure. However, before that, we must leave half of our tents behind to mislead the enemy into thinking we are still sound asleep, allowing their schemes to succeed. Ha! Little do they know, they have fallen into our trap. Ha! How amusing.

As the wind swept through the courtyard, he reached out to grasp the nearby Mi Nantian, laughing as he said, "Old Mi just discussed this issue with me; his insights are far superior to mine"

Long Ying praised, "Brother Guan truly understands my heart, having guessed correctly for the most part. I am employing a series of interconnected strategies. First, I feigned a journey from Tianshan to the Hanhai army to meet Dujie Zhi, and then divided my forces into two routes. One group will head to Gongyue to assassinate Zhe Nu, creating a great disturbance in Gongyue City; the other group will remain in Tianshan, allowing the brothers of the Tianshan tribe to host us well and regain their strength. Under the care of the Tianshan brothers, we will then travel north along the Heishui River, circumventing the two deserts to reach Lake Manas. After that, the two groups will rendezvous at that location, with ample supplies and preparations in place, and we will launch a sudden assault, striking with lightning speed to capture the Nadas Fortress. If, until that moment, Danluodu remains unaware that our intentions are not directed at Gongyue, then we will have succeeded."

Dada has returned, sitting down between the Wilderness Dance and Tiger Righteousness, reporting: "There is a new discovery. Near a small lake five miles northeast, we found traces of a large number of people who had camped there. From the remnants left behind, it appears they left in a hurry before our arrival, with the number of individuals estimated to be between two thousand, and they were certainly Turks"

The crowd responded in unison

Mi Nan Tian smiled and said, "I thought Brother Tiger was fearless in heaven and earth, but it turns out that the desert is Brother Tiger's nemesis"

Ding Fumin said: "If that is the case, this grassland should be gathering the warriors of the Huige, how could there be no sign of anyone?"

Hu Yidao: "What does it matter to cross the Great Desert? Alas! In fact, I once vowed never to set foot in the Great Desert, but it is the only supreme method to shake off our pursuers. The only problem is that Dan Luodu is a wise man; when he guesses that we will emerge from the desert area northeast of Gaochang, he will lay a trap to capture us all at once"

Wasteland Dance: "Let's see if you still dare to be so lazy, chasing girls every day. Work hard and practice diligently for ten more years before coming to seek my help."

The Turco army must be vast, intimidating the Dujie forces to the point where they dare not act recklessly. Where could they possibly be?

He said to Long Ying: "It is time to contact the independent solution branch."

Wasteland Dance: "Now we set sail towards the north, what will the enemy think?"

The grassland stretches vast for fifty to sixty miles, with abundant water and grass. To the west lies the primitive forest that undulates with the mountain terrain, while to the east connects to the hilly region of Yizhou. The Tian Shan mountain range looms a hundred miles to the north.

Great kindness is not expressed in words of thanks

The taciturn Guan Yi said in a deep voice: "As for the second move to mislead the enemy, should we feign a surprise attack on Gongyue City?"

Dada enviously said: "Can I learn it?"

The likelihood of the plan's success is extremely high, as no one has considered that they would dare to venture deep into the desert to assault a fortress that is nearly impossible to capture

The more than one hundred miles of road from here to the Tianshan Mountains is not easy to traverse

Hu Yi looked around the desolate dance, searching for the expressions of Nan Tian and Feng Guo Ting with a hint of skepticism, and exclaimed, "Do you all understand?"

Due to the more than a hundred bandits remaining in Muzhai, information obtained from the survivors who escaped revealed that their forces had launched a surprise attack on the coalition troops of the Great Zhou and Tubo, resulting in near-total annihilation. Although they were already disheartened and fearful, they still harbored a glimmer of hope that the enemy would not attack Muzhai via the Muling Pass.

Lin Zhuang and Ding Fumin have established a good partnership, nodding in agreement as they repeatedly said "yes" three times.

Their military objective is to capture the enemy's stronghold in the desert and then hold it firmly until reinforcements arrive from all sides

Hu Yishen raised his hand with a blank expression, and the crowd fell silent, leaving only the sound of the firewood.

The wilderness dance articulates the doubts in everyone's hearts, stating: "If we can successfully assassinate Zhe Nu, there would be no need to involve Sha Tuo. The grand plan of Mo Che would be on the verge of failure. However, if we return empty-handed, the round trip would take at least a whole month, and without the cover of wind and snow, would we not be placing ourselves in a disadvantageous position?"

More than fifty people, each holding their breath in silence

Guan Yi approached Long Ying and said, "I want Master Eagle to know that I am very grateful to him."

Guan Yi casually remarked: "I won't hide it from you, Master Ying, I can be considered half a person from Xue Yantuo, and I was born among the bandit groups on the border."

On the desolate plain, Wu He was drinking sheep's milk, frowning in contemplation: "Although the bandits are accustomed to bullying the weak with their strength and overwhelming the few with their numbers, in reality, they are quite timid. Why has Bian Ao suddenly become so bold?"

Since Guan Yifu is from the Xue Yantuo, how could he be so ruthless towards his own people

Everyone was moved

The gaze of Mi Nan Tian turned towards the crackling firewood, which was burning with a "pop" sound. At this early winter moment, since yesterday, the weather has turned cold, with thick gray-black clouds hanging low on the horizon. The warmth emitted by the campfire, which in the sweltering summer would make one sweat profusely, is now pleasantly warm and comfortable.

Huang Yuanwu was taken aback and said, "So Brother Tiger is from the Klunya Ba tribe"

The victory south of the Kuruktag Mountains was merely a small test of strength, while Bian Aozhi's decision not to retreat back to the stronghold demonstrates that he is indeed a person of great renown, not swayed by emotions. Moreover, thousands of bandits seemed to have vanished all at once, evading the reconnaissance of the Tianshan tribe, showcasing their skill in stealth and concealment. If this group of bandits were to suddenly lose their trace again and reappear when they are almost upon them, it would not come as a surprise.

At this time, news returned from the brothers of the Tianshan tribe: the "Thief King" Bian Ao is leading an army of five thousand, leaving the Stone Fortress and heading in their direction.

His witty words and actions are entirely heartfelt, and those who are accustomed to working with him, such as Feng Guoting and others, have long been used to it. However, others feel that the so-called "using humor in strategy" is just how he is.

The tiger's eyes emitted a sorrowful expression as it said: "It is not that I fear the desert, but rather that I do not wish to have my heart stirred."

As everyone stared at him, Hu Yi said in a deep voice: "The Great Desert occupies half of the Honeycomb Desert, with no rivers visible on the desert surface and no identifiable landmarks. The phrase 'one desert, one mountain' often mentioned by the Xue Yantuo bandits refers to the Great Desert and the Kuruktag Mountains. It is based on this 'one desert, one mountain' that they have been able to commit their crimes until now, leaving all ethnic groups helpless against them"

This strategy is extremely ruthless, a brilliant tactic aimed at total annihilation. As Long Ying once said, victory belongs to those who are prepared. Before studying the marching route, they never considered that they would have to cross the daunting Great Desert. Suddenly forced to flee into the desert, they need not worry about the enemy dealing with them; the desert will take care of that. Moreover, there are the Xue Yantuo bandits, skilled in desert warfare, lurking nearby. With tigers in front and wolves behind, who can survive? Moreover, there are the Xue Yantuo bandits, skilled in desert warfare, lurking nearby. With tigers in front and wolves behind, who can survive?

Whether it is renowned generals like Lin Zhuang and Ding Fumin, or individuals such as Hu Yi and Jun Huaipu who do not come from a military background, each one is deeply engaged in thought, contemplating strategies to cope with the situation. Yet, no one dares to voice their ideas, knowing that regardless of how ingenious the plans may be, they are still merely the schemes of mortals, while the mind of Long Ying undoubtedly belongs to a realm beyond that of ordinary people.

Mi Nan Tian pondered for a moment and said: "If I am not mistaken, the full-scale pursuit by Bian Ao is merely a ruse; the real killers are the Turks. Mo Che knows better than anyone that without more than ten times the manpower and appropriate strategies and tactics, it would be impossible to harm our Eagle Master even a hair. In my estimation, this group of enemies should not be fewer than 20,000, consisting of the elite troops of the Turks, personally commanded by Dan Luo Du."

The commander smiled and asked, "What is your opinion, Commander?"

The Great Desert is home to three underground rivers, which nurture five large oases, thus making it a refuge for those wandering the borders. If I were to lead the way, one could traverse the Great Desert in thirty days, passing through two major oases known as 'Virgin' and 'Huer' in our Kelongyaba tribe's terminology. As for the largest oasis, it is the Luwangye, inhabited by the Bairu people, located in the northwest corner of the Great Desert, just over thirty miles from the Peacock River, but the Bairu are not friendly towards outsiders

Long Ying's lips curled into a strange smile

All eyes were on Long Ying, whose military strategy was akin to that of a deity, winning the admiration and respect of everyone, with all looking to him for guidance

Mi Nan Tian apologetically said: "I spoke out of turn!"

Everyone displayed a look of astonishment

The dragon and eagle are gathered around the campfire, roasting the game they have hunted.

The rugged face of Hu Yi revealed an indescribable sorrow, yet his tone was cold as he slowly said: "I was born in the Hu'er Oasis. At the age of seventeen, the border raiders invaded, killing all the able-bodied men in my clan and abducting the young women. That day, I happened to be out with my people, escaping the great disaster. I had thought that the hope of avenging my clan's destruction was forever lost, but today the opportunity has finally come. I ask Lord Eagle to take charge for Hu Yi."

Lin Zhuangdao: "The issue of the marching route for tomorrow morning has not yet been resolved!"

Jun Huaipu slapped his thigh and said: "That's right, if it weren't for the Turkic army nearby, how could we not see a single Huigu person?"

When shall we set off

The wind passed through the courtyard and replied: "Because he is not a human at all"

Ding Fumin could not help but ask: "How can the issue of time be resolved?"

This natural vast pasture should have been a paradise for the Uyghur herdsmen, but what remains now are merely two burned villages and encampments, not to mention that this is also the doing of the Xueyantuo bandits

Currently, the plains are devoid of defensible positions. Engaging the enemy in a direct confrontation, regardless of victory or defeat, would fundamentally contradict the principle of preserving the integrity of our forces

Long Ying shouted: "Take action immediately!"

Long Ying laughed heartily and said, "This is the first move of misjudging the enemy."

The dragon eagle raised its head to the sky and said, "There will be a snowstorm tonight"