Qin Tiexin galloped wildly, the wind whistling in his ears like a knife. He did not look back, did not dare to look back - Li Zhenwei left behind the broken figure, Tu Dazhu's broken wrist spurting blood, and Lin Feng's pale face. These images flashed back repeatedly in his mind, like a red-hot iron on his heart.
Can't live up to it. Can't live up to it no matter what.
The riding crop had been broken, so he used the hilt of the knife to slam the horse's buttocks. The war horse neighed, and the white mist from its mouth and nose stretched into a straight line in the cold wind. Ahead, at the end of the snowfield, two black spots loomed.
Caught up.
The distance is getting closer and closer: three hundred steps, two hundred steps, one hundred steps...Qin Tiexin can clearly see that they are two horses, one in front and one behind. In the front is a back wearing armor, and behind is a more rickety figure wearing a gray cloth robe.
Just when the distance was less than a hundred steps, the man in front suddenly reined in his horse, turned around and pushed the man behind him off the horse! The push was extremely rough, and the old man in cloth robe screamed and fell into the snow. Then the man in front did not look back, and galloped away on horseback to the north.
When Qin Tiexin rushed forward, the old man in cloth robes was tremblingly getting up from the snow. He was probably in his sixties, with wrinkles all over his face, his face was so pale that there was no trace of blood, and his lips were purple from the cold. He was holding a scimitar in his hand, but the hand holding the sword was shaking like a dead leaf in the wind, and the tip of the sword was facing the ground.
"Don't, don't kill me..." the old man's voice trembled, "I'm just a military doctor... who treats injuries and illnesses..."
Qin Tiexin reined in his horse and his eyes swept across this man's body like lightning.
The robe is worn and stained with stains and bloodstains. The legs are of normal shape, without the bow-legged features of long-term riding. The fingers holding the knife are slender and have calluses, but the position is like those left by holding a pen or a needle, not the callouses of a martial arts practitioner. The most important thing--
eyes.
Qin Tiexin stared hard at the old man's eyes. Those were the most common black-brown color of ordinary Northern Di people, turbid, frightened, and nothing special.
As for Yelü Hongshan, according to intelligence records and Shi Meng's repeated emphasis, the most striking feature is the pair of gray-yellow eyes - like the snow eagle on Mount Wula, they even glow faintly in the dark. That is the bloodline characteristic of the prairie royal family, and the entire Northern Di is only found in the Yelv lineage.
The person in front of me is not Yelü Hongshan.
But Qin Tiexin did not immediately chase the escaping figure in front of him. Shi Meng taught: the more obvious the flaw, the more likely it is a trap. Yelü Hongshan was able to climb to the throne as a slave, not just by his bravery.
He got off his horse and walked towards the old man in cloth robe step by step.
"The king is running north..." The old man was still shaking, "Hurry up and catch up... If you don't chase, you won't be able to catch up..."
Qin Tiexin didn't answer. He walked three feet in front of the old man and suddenly swung his knife!
Edgeless Heaviness's blade hit the scimitar in the old man's hand, and the knife flew up with a sound, spinning into the snow in the distance. The old man was so frightened that he sat down on the ground and held his head in his hands. "Don't kill me! I'm just a military doctor!"
Qin Tiexin stepped forward, stretched out his left hand, and pressed against the old man's chest - he withdrew seven percent of his strength from this palm, just wanting to knock the old man unconscious in the snow. He could not leave any possible informant or informant alive.
The moment my palm touches the cloth--
In my mind, the long-silent "Illustrated Catalog of Ten Thousand Artifacts" suddenly vibrated.
It wasn't a slight tremor, but a violent vibration that seemed to break free from the skull! Countless golden runes flashed before my eyes, and finally condensed into a few lines of clear writing:
[Heavenly Silkworm Golden Silk Soft Armor included successfully]
[Armor · Fan Tie] Collection progress (10/10) completed
[Phase goal three: First Glimpse of a Hundred Weapons] Includes twenty different weapon categories (covering mainstream, alien, rare, and even lost weapons), and obtains the exclusive title [First Glimpse of a Hundred Weapons]
Permanently unlocks the passive ability [Weapon Weakness Insight]--For most weapons made of ordinary iron, you can intuitively sense their structural weaknesses and stress flaws.
--Current progress (20/20) completed
[Weapon Weakness Insight]Unlocked
Qin Tiexin's pupils suddenly shrank.
At this moment, all the previous doubts and vague perceptions suddenly became extremely clear. He thought of the Northern Army equipment that he had come into contact with after being promoted to Craftsmen's Camp deputy manager: standard swords, spears, bows and arrows, shields, crossbows... He thought of the Northern Di scimitars, bones, lassoes, and throwing spears captured on the battlefield...
Nineteen types. He had already collected nineteen categories of weapons.
Only the last type of armor was missing. He had seen, touched, and studied Northern Army's standard armor, Northern Di's leather armor, and even the chainmail armor he had seen from merchants in the Western Regions. But he was always stuck on nine types, and the last one was missing.
I actually came across the last one here.
Heavenly Silkworm Golden Silk Soft Armor.
He still pressed his palms on the old man's chest, and felt the feeling - what was under the cloth robe was not the old man's bony chest at all, but an extremely tough and elastic texture. The cloth robe was a disguise, and what was underneath was the real thing.
And this soft armor...
Qin Tiexin concentrated his mind, and the newly unlocked [Weapon Weakness Insight] passive ability automatically operated. He "saw" - not with the naked eye, but with a mysterious and mysterious intuitive perception - the structure of the soft armor: Heavenly Silkworm Silk It was blended with gold silk, with countless layers interlaced in warp and weft. Each layer was as thin as a cicada's wing but extremely tough. When the sharp blade was pierced, it would slide away and release the force layer by layer, making it impossible to penetrate.
To break it, you need to use a blunt instrument.
This is not something that ordinary military doctors can have. No, this is not something that military doctors should have at all - this is a life-saving treasure, a rare treasure that only princes and generals can possess. Yelü Yun does not have it, Helian Zheng does not have it, and Dugu Xiao does not have it.
Only one person may have it.
Yelü Hongshan.
In a flash of lightning, Qin Tiexin connected everything. The "Yelü Hongshan" who changed clothes, pushed people off their horses, and fled north was the real old military doctor. And the trembling "old military doctor" in front of him was the real king of Northern Di.
What a trick to escape the golden cicada.
Qin Tiexin continued to press his palm, and he slapped the old man's chest with his palm - with such skill that the old man groaned and fell backwards, but to outsiders, it looked like the old man was knocked down by a slap.
"You..." The old man coughed up blood and fell heavily into the snow, seemingly unable to get up.
Qin Tiexin put his foot on the old man's back and pulled out the hemp rope from the saddle. He squatted down, quickly cut the old man's hands behind his back, and began to tie them up. The rope was a special tendon rope soaked in tung oil, and the more he struggled, the tighter it became.
"Why, why did you tie me up..." the old man was still struggling, "I am just a military doctor... Your Majesty is coming to the camp soon... He will lead 2,000 personal guards to avenge me."
Qin Tiexin didn't answer, just tied the knot silently. The knot he tied was a sailor's knot, which was also taught by Shi Meng. It is specially used for tying prisoners, and it is difficult to untie it with one hand.
He tied his hands and then his feet. Finally, he tied the ropes on his feet and hands together to form a "pig's trotter buckle". Now he couldn't even stand up, let alone run away.
After doing all this, Qin Tiexin spoke, his voice terrifyingly calm. "Stop pretending, King Yelu."
The old man--Yelü Hongshan--his body stiffened suddenly.
But the next second, he started shouting again, "What King Yelu? What nonsense are you talking about! My king will come back with his troops soon! Just wait to die!"
Qin Tiexin stopped talking nonsense. He picked up Yelü Hongshan like a sack, threw it on the horse, then got on the horse and turned the horse's head--
Not chasing the escaped double northward.
It's to the south.
Return to Xinyang Pass.
Yelü Hongshan on the horse finally stopped pretending. He looked at the back of Qin Tiexin heading south decisively, and knew that this young man had really seen through him. He was silent for a moment, and tried to free his wrist under the rope - it didn't move at all, but tightened it tighter.
"How did you find out?" Yelü Hongshan asked, his voice had changed. It was no longer the frightened and old tone just now, but a hoarse but calm tone, with the majesty of having been in a position of power for a long time.
Qin Tiexin didn't answer. He just galloped with his eyes fixed on the snowfield ahead. He wanted to get back to Xinyang Pass as quickly as possible, the faster the better. He might encounter a Northern Di rout on the way, he might encounter wild animals, he might encounter various accidents. He couldn't be distracted.
"Little brother." Yelü Hongshan changed his tone, like an elder admonishing a junior, "How old are you this year? Twenty? Twenty-one? In your Great Xuan army, what position can you achieve at this age? School captain? Captain? If you can't stand it, you will be a partial general, right?"
Qin Tiexin remains silent.
"Follow me." Yelü Hongshan's voice was seductive, "Let me go and follow me back to the grassland. I will make you king, under me alone. I will reward you with a hundred thousand cattle and horses, a thousand catties of gold, and beauties of your choice. Can your Great Xuan emperor give you these? He will give you a general, and you will have to work hard for decades, and he will also look at people's faces and intrigues."
The horse's hooves trampled on the snow, scattering broken jade and jade.
"Or..." Yelü Hongshan's tone turned cold, "What can you do if you hand me over? Get promoted? Get rich? Your emperor will at most reward you with some gold and silver and give you a false position. Then what? When I escape - and I will definitely escape - I will be the first to kill your whole family. Your parents, your wife, children, and your friends, none of them can escape."
Qin Tiexin's hands clenched the reins tightly, and his knuckles turned white.
"You let me go now. I swear in the name of Wolf God that I will forget the blame and grant you glory and wealth." Yelü Hongshan's voice slowed down. "Young man, think about it clearly. What do you want in life? Isn't it just glory and wealth, a wife and a son? I can give you all these."
The wind and snow were coming. Qin Tiexin wiped his face and finally said the first sentence:
"I want peace of mind."
Yelü Hongshan was stunned.
"I want to be able to fall asleep at night." Qin Tiexin's voice was not high-pitched, but he meant every word. "I want to be worthy of my dead brother, worthy of the Northern Army who trained me, and worthy of the commander who taught me my skills."
He paused, turned his head, and glanced at Yelü Hongshan on the horse with the corner of his eye. "King Yelu, you are right. I may not be a general in my life, and I may not be able to make a fortune. But at least I can stand up straight and be a human being, and I can say in front of my brother's grave: I have avenged my revenge on you."
Yelü Hongshan was silent.
The sound of horse hooves echoed in the snowfield. They passed the place where they fought before - Dugu Xiao's body was half-hidden in the snow, and Yelü Yun's headless body fell not far away. Qin Tiexin continued southward without even looking at it.
After passing Black Wind Valley, go south for another five miles.
Ahead, a dark patch suddenly appeared.
They are cavalry. They have black armor and black flags, and the formation is strict, with at least three thousand cavalry. The leader has white hair and white beard, wearing a big cloak, sitting on a divine black horse, it is Li Xun. Next to him is Brigade General Zhao, and there are dozens of personal guards.
Qin Tiexin rein in the horse.
Li Xun rode forward and his eyes first fell on Qin Tiexin's face - the young face was purple from the cold, with frost on his eyebrows and eyelashes, but his eyes were bright, like a lone wolf in the snow. Then, Li Xun's eyes moved to the man on the horse who was tied into a rice dumpling.
The two looked at each other.
Yelü Hongshan was lying on the horse, looking up at Li Xun. The moment their eyes met, the last bit of disguise in his eyes disappeared - those dark brown pupils slowly faded, turning into the strange gray-yellow color recorded in the intelligence. It was as if a layer of film had faded away, revealing the true background color.
"General Li." Yelü Hongshan spoke in a calm voice, "I haven't seen you for ten years. You're welcome."
Li Xun stared at him for a long time and then said slowly, "King Yelu has changed a lot. His ability to pretend to be dead and escape is much better than it was ten years ago."
Yelü Hongshan laughed and coughed up blood foam, "The defeated general is just living an ignoble existence. Let General Li laugh."
Li Xun said no more and raised his hand to indicate. Two guards came forward and lifted Yelü Hongshan off Qin Tiexin's horse and put it on a special prison car - it had been prepared long ago. The iron bars were as thick as arms and the lock was a nine-link lock made of fine steel.
"General Li What are you going to do with me?" Yelü Hongshan was sitting in the prison car, his demeanor unexpectedly regained his composure, as if he was not a prisoner, but a guest.
"Escort them back to Beijing." Li Xun said calmly, "Your Majesty has the final say on how to deal with it."
Yelü Hongshan nodded and stopped talking. He closed his eyes, as if he had accepted his fate, and seemed to be recharging his energy.
Li Xun then looked at Qin Tiexin. The big young man was still riding on the horse, his figure was a little swaying, but his waist was straight.
"Well done." Li Xun said, only four words.
Qin Tiexin opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but his throat was so dry that he couldn't make a sound. He swallowed and then hissed, "General... Commander Li will command him..."
"I know." Li Xun interrupted him, a trace of pain flashed in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared, "You go back to the customs first, heal your injuries and rest."
Qin Tiexin shook his head. "I want... to take them home."
Li Xun looked at him. There was blood, ice, and fatigue on this young man's face, but his eyes were as stubborn as Shitou.
"Accurate." Li Xun finally nodded, "Brigade General Zhao, send twenty cavalry to escort. Remember, come back alive."
"Yes!"
Qin Tiexin turned the horse's head and headed north again. Brigade General Zhao ordered twenty elite cavalry to follow. They were like small arrows, shooting into the vast snowy field.
Li Xun watched them go away, and did not look back until the small cluster of black shadows disappeared in the wind and snow.
"Go back to the customs," he ordered.
Three thousand cavalrymen escorted the prison car and headed south slowly. In the prison car, Yelü Hongshan opened his eyes and took one last look at the north - that was the direction of the grassland, the direction of Mount Wula, the direction he could never go back to.
The snow fell heavier and heavier. The sky and the earth were completely white, and all the bloodstains, footprints, and traces of the battle were quickly buried.
Only the wind howls, like the lingering souls of the fallen, lingering in this Elder Gu land for a long time.