The Imperial Family's Guardians

The Xiong State had vast stretches of plains, where numerous tribes raised livestock and lived as nomads.

Without familiarity with the Xiong State's terrain and the seasonal changes in its water and pastures, there was simply no way to pursue a tribe that was on the move almost constantly.

Besides that, the major tribes each had their own spheres of influence across the Xiong State's plains.

"If that's how things are in the Xiong State, wouldn't it never fall?"

While listening to Jin Chang expound on the Dao along the way, Wu Chao also told Zhang Xuezhou about some of the Xiong State's customs and people.

As the time for the imperial caravan to deliver supplies drew near, Jin Chang fell silent, and Wu Chao did more and more of the explaining.

Though he was within the Xiong State's borders, Zhang Xuezhou was completely in the dark about it and had no idea what sort of country it was.

Only after Wu Chao explained did Zhang Xuezhou gain a rough understanding.

As he listened, he could not help exclaiming in amazement.

Unlike the Han Dynasty, which built cities and held its ground behind them, the Xiong State had dispensed with cumbersome city defenses that required vast amounts of money and manpower, roaming year-round across the vast, sparsely populated grasslands.

With no fixed location, the many tribes were difficult for outsiders to strike.

That also allowed the Xiong State's armies to fight when they wished and leave when they wished. Hardly any country could do anything about the Xiong State's way of development.

After just a century of relentless campaigns, the Xiong State had become the most powerful country on the Northern Kuru Continent. Aside from the weak central authority caused by its tribal system, the Xiong State could even claim