Return

The tattered half of a dragon banner snapped in the wind, fluttering through the night.

The wounded soldiers bandaged their wounds and took healing pills.

The uninjured soldiers began lighting fires, cooking meat, and preparing food.

After entering Great Wei territory, things were no longer as perilous as they had been on the grasslands. Out there, they had to stay constantly vigilant for the appearance of the Xiongnu army.

In these desolate mountains and forests, even if the Xiongnu Cavalry pursued them, there was nothing to fear. This was not flat ground, where cavalry could unleash their full strength; they would be much easier to deal with.

Even so, Sheng Huai'an still arranged scouts and hidden sentries, lest the Xiongnu army refuse to give up and catch up to launch a surprise attack.

"Come, Brother Huai'an, have a sheep testicle and nourish your kidneys." Wang Wu fished out a boiled sheep testicle and handed it to Sheng Huai'an.

Sheng Huai'an looked at Wang Wu with a dark expression. He was only seventeen, at an age when his body burned with vigor. With Houtian Peak cultivation and Blood Qi Like Smoke coursing through him, his waist and kidneys were as strong as steel. Did he need nourishing?

"I appreciate the kindness, but I don't need it. Brother Wang Wu, on the other hand, should nourish yourself while you still can. Otherwise, in a few years, it might not work anymore." Sheng Huai'an immediately handed the sheep testicle back.

Pfft!

"Ha ha ha..."

Guo Xiaoping, Hu Bing, Tang Yunshan, and the others all burst out laughing.

Their laughter diluted some of the sorrowful atmosphere.

"Speaking of which, Miss Hua Ruyue at Yichun Tower really has a beautiful voice. She's beautiful too, like a lark."

"Shame she's too expensive. Can't afford to sleep with her."

"Once we drive back the Xiongnu, I'll treat everyone to a night at Yichun Tower." Guo Xiaoping spoke loudly.

During this trip to the grasslands, they had seized much and would receive no small share of silver.

"Good!"

The soldiers immediately shouted their approval upon hearing that they would be treated to a carefree night at Yichun Tower.

Clearly, everyone liked the idea.

"When the time comes, I'll order ten girls." Tang Yunshan declared loudly.

"Ten? Can you handle that?" Everyone looked at Tang Yunshan with scrutinizing eyes.

Under everyone's scrutinizing gazes, Tang Yunshan felt his dignity had taken a blow.

"What kind of looks are those? Back in the day, I could go ten times in one night."

"Ehh..."

A wave of jeers rose from the crowd.

"A true man doesn't boast of his past glory. Can you still piss in a straight line now?"

"Fuck, I'm only in my thirties, not my sixties..."

They ate meat, drank soup, chatted, and traded jokes, enjoying a rare moment of relaxation.

Late at night, aside from the soldiers standing guard and patrolling, everyone else went into their tents to rest and sleep.

Sheng Huai'an did not sleep. At that moment, he quietly watched the golden screen.

Name: Sheng Huai'an

Race: Human

Realm: Houtian Peak (+)

Cultivation Methods: "Great Sun Heart Sutra" (Beginner) (+) "Ferocious Ox Strength" (Minor Accomplishment) (+) "Blood Fiend Saber Technique" (Major Accomplishment) (Deduction) "Overlord Spear Technique" (Minor Accomplishment)

Strength: 35,000 jin

Talent: Divine Archer

Slaughter Value: 6127

His Slaughter Value had now reached 6,127, climbing to a historic high.

In today's battle alone, he had killed more than a thousand Xiongnu enemies, including three Martial Practitioner Great Perfection warriors. Added to his previous Slaughter Value, the harvest had been abundant.

If he had remained to defend the city, he would not have gained Slaughter Value so quickly.

With so much Slaughter Value, he could completely raise his cultivation to the Xiantian realm.

But Sheng Huai'an did not do so. His cultivation had already risen fast enough.

The waters of this world ran deep. There were many monstrous geniuses, and many people carried secrets.

But being too dazzling and failing to hide one's talents was not a good thing.

Rather than raising his cultivation, Sheng Huai'an chose to improve the proficiency of the Great Sun Heart Sutra.

With a single click, 2,000 Slaughter Value vanished instantly. Insights and experience from cultivating the Great Sun Heart Sutra continuously flooded into his mind.

Only after a long while did Sheng Huai'an slowly open his eyes, seemingly carrying a trace of ancient weariness.

Too much cultivation experience had been poured into him, as though he had lived through a hundred years.

The Great Sun Heart Sutra had reached Minor Accomplishment, saving him an enormous amount of time in comprehension and cultivation. The speed at which he circulated the technique had increased by nearly tenfold.

Endless spiritual energy from heaven and earth was refined into true essence, tempering his physique, flesh, and blood.

His entire body resembled a blazing great sun, shining brilliantly.

Who knew what dogshit luck Old Soldier had stumbled upon to buy such a heaven-defying cultivation method from a beggar?

After cultivating through the night, his blood qi and true essence had increased by several degrees, while his physique continued to grow stronger.

Even with his golden finger raising his cultivation, Sheng Huai'an had not abandoned his own training.

He still cultivated diligently, then quietly astonished everyone.

He wanted to see the scenery at the summit. In this life, he would not be a monkey anymore.

After cultivating all night, the sun rose. He absorbed a thread of golden radiance into his body, and only then did Sheng Huai'an slowly awaken.

After breakfast in the morning, the troops continued their march toward Anning Pass.

It was not until the afternoon that they reached the southern gate of Anning Pass.

The garrison guarding the southern gate was startled upon seeing so many warhorses. They thought the Xiongnu Cavalry had bypassed the pass and attacked from behind, so they immediately went on alert and deployed soldiers onto the walls.

Only when the troops outside approached did the defenders atop the walls see the half-ruined Great Wei dragon banner.

Colonel Lin of the Fifth Battalion took a careful look and recognized the leader as Sheng Huai'an.

"That brat came back alive. Quick, send someone to report to General Yang Ye. Sheng Huai'an's unit has returned." Colonel Lin immediately gave the order.

Looking from afar at the mighty pass ahead, this was one of the passes holding back the Xiongnu to the north!

Without this pass, Yong Province and Ding Province behind it would have remained beneath the iron hooves of the Xiongnu all year round.

When Sheng Huai'an and the others approached the gate, it opened. Colonel Lin led a small squad of soldiers out to greet them.

"Brother Sheng, you've finally returned." Colonel Lin said happily.

"Colonel Lin!" Sheng Huai'an greeted him with cupped fists.

Seeing that only a little over three hundred men remained behind Sheng Huai'an, Colonel Lin's expression grew solemn. It seemed Sheng Huai'an's unit had also endured many brutal battles.

More than a thousand had departed, but only around three hundred had returned.

More than seven hundred would never return.

The three or four days of respite at Anning Pass had allowed its defenders to rest, and it was entirely thanks to Sheng Huai'an's unit.

Before long, General Yang Ye arrived. The Xiongnu army attacking the city that day had already retreated, allowing him to rush over from the northern gate tower.

The moment he saw General Yang Ye, Sheng Huai'an dismounted, his voice choked with emotion.

"General, I failed to bring them all back."

Seeing only around three hundred return, with many still carrying injuries, Yang Ye sighed inwardly.

He walked before Sheng Huai'an and patted his shoulder.

"You have already done very well. Do not blame yourself."

For three hundred cavalrymen to return was already a great fortune. He had feared that Sheng Huai'an's entire unit had been wiped out on the grasslands.

Looking at this still somewhat youthful boy, Yang Ye knew he was only seventeen, yet he had resolutely led a thousand cavalrymen into the grasslands. How much courage had that required?

Here on the frontier, amid slaughter against the enemy, Sheng Huai'an's ferocity had made everyone overlook the fact that he was only seventeen.

"You completed your mission exceptionally well. You won three or four days of breathing room for Anning Pass. That is of vital importance to Anning Pass. Their sacrifice will be remembered by me and by all of Anning Pass." Yang Ye looked at the youth before him, his face full of gratification.

"My unit destroyed countless supplies of the Xiongnu army, successively annihilated dozens of Xiongnu supply forces, then destroyed over a hundred small Xiongnu tribes. We killed more than eight thousand Xiongnu cavalrymen. Today, upon returning, I failed to fulfill the general's instructions..." Sheng Huai'an began reporting their achievements.

The soldiers behind him straightened their backs. They had returned, but more than seven hundred comrades remained on the grasslands. They had to stand tall, chests held high. Their brothers were watching them.

"Well done! They are all fine sons of Great Wei. You have rendered tremendous merit. You are the pride of our Anning Army, and I am proud of you." Yang Ye looked at those soldiers and spoke loudly.

"Wind!"

"Great Wind!"

"Great Wind!"

The soldiers behind Sheng Huai'an shouted. Though they numbered only a little over three hundred, their momentum was like that of an army of thousands, causing the soldiers behind Colonel Lin to change color.

Colonel Lin also looked at those soldiers. This aura—these were elites who had fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

With such bearing, these three hundred men truly deserved to be called elites. Splendor flashed repeatedly in Yang Ye's eyes.

"Welcome the heroes home!"

Yang Ye looked at the unit and called out loudly.

"Welcome the heroes home!"

Behind Yang Ye, Colonel Lin and the others roared.

Sheng Huai'an's unit had sacrificed seven hundred men to win three or four days of respite for Anning Pass. To Anning Pass, they were heroes.

Sheng Huai'an and the others led their horses into the city. Every soldier under his command held his chest high, filled with immense pride.

More than three hundred men, armored and bearing weapons, led over three thousand warhorses. It was a magnificent sight.

These were their spoils of war, the proof of their glory.