Hills and Peaks Conceal Armor, Hidden Frost Gleams; Secret Scouts Trail, Breaking the Hidden Cache

The Lufan Tribe entrenched itself in the hilly lands of the eastern grasslands. Their camp, built against the mountains, was laid out in orderly tiers, its walls planted with banners embroidered with strange runic totems.

Those were the old totems of the Linhu tribes. Even after submitting to the Xiongnu for many years, the Lufan Tribe had retained this mark. Like their secret inheritance of shamanic arts, it was the foundation that kept them from being wholly assimilated by the Xiongnu.

Deep within the camp, several strangely constructed shamanic altars could vaguely be seen. Beast bones and bronze ritual implements lay upon them, stained with dried brown beast blood, lending the place an air of mystery and eerie strangeness.

These were the sacred grounds of the Lufan Tribe's century-old shamanic inheritance, and the very foundation upon which they stood.

Lufan Lie stood atop the camp, clad in finely tanned cowhide armor inlaid with tiny ornaments of beast bone. A beast-headed scimitar hung at his waist as he gazed toward the three directions where dust clouds were rising in the distance.

His brow lifted slightly as he pondered in silence.

The three tribes must have seen the wolf smoke raised by the Lufan Tribe and learned that enemy troops were passing through. That was why they had voluntarily sent forces to reinforce them. It saved him quite a bit of trouble.

Though vigilant, he had not truly taken the passing army to heart. He assumed they were merely some defeated Central Plains troops who had barely broken through, then fled blindly into the heart of the grasslands in their panic.

But as the three clouds of dust drew nearer, several figures broke away from the formations first and galloped at full speed to the front of the Lufan Tribe's ranks. They