From the Shadows into the Open

When horses gallop, dust is kicked up; when tens of thousands of people gallop, clouds of dust rise up.

The riders behind couldn't see clearly ahead and could only follow mechanically on horseback, acting only according to the commander's orders.

Zhang Xuezhou and the new emperor failed to find the army deployed by the court, nor did they find the Empress Dowager and others, but they did find the army of the Xiong State.

Using the dust it kicked up, the Sky Shuttle rapidly descended at the rear of the Xiong State's army.

Everywhere you go, there are bound to be some losers. Zhang Xuezhou and the new emperor intercepted them twice, shooting down two Xiong State amidst the swirling dust.

They forcibly reined in their mounts and quickly changed into the leather armor of the Xiong State, as mounts were already catching up behind them.

What happened?

A questioning voice came from behind him, and just as the new emperor was about to continue his attack, he heard Zhang Xuezhou reprimanding him in a Xiong State.

"Those two idiots lost their horses while riding recklessly and were even trampled by them. You're no better off. I'll report this to the centurion of Dongshan, and he'll give you slow-moving fools a hundred lashes!"

After shouting and cursing, the two riders who had previously questioned him reined in their horses, intending to stop, were so frightened that they whipped their horses repeatedly, kicking up dust as they galloped forward.

"You speak the Xiong State quite fluently," the new emperor said.

"Your Majesty has forgotten that I once traded in the Xiong State!"

Zhang Xuezhou quickly tied his face mask, stretched out his arm and threw the robbed Xiong State three zhang away. The man rolled several times in the dusty weeds, and was then mostly covered by a pile of dust.

The new emperor lifted the man up and then tossed him far away.

There were a few minor mishaps during the interception and theft of the horse, but not many.

Having failed to infiltrate the core of the Great Han Dynasty, they were no different from the Xiong State's army.

Even if they didn't spy on any secrets, they could at least figure out the exact location.

"Don't reveal my identity in a place like this, or you'll be in deep trouble. I remember you once presented me with a manual on the art of the curved sword!"

The new emperor gave a few words of advice, and then suddenly remembered the ancient texts of the Xiong State tribe that Zhang Xuezhou had once worshipped.

He tightened the dust-blocking mask, and the mouthful of dust he inhaled was somewhat bitter.

The Great Han army's strength lay in its siege infantry, equipped with everything from digging trenches and ramming siege weapons to breaching walls. However, this advantage was completely useless when fighting against the Xiong State.

If one rides slowly, one cannot even catch up with the Xiong State galloping at full speed.

This territory is surrounded by mountains, but once you pass through these undulating mountain ranges, it becomes a boundless wasteland where even a horse can lose its sense of direction after a few turns.

The Qin army halted at Yanmen Pass to build a city, unwilling to abandon its strengths and fight the Xiong State. The Great Han Dynasty also followed the experience of the past.

If we want to eliminate the main force of the Xiong State and its dominant cultivator groups, we need to choose a battleground and fight with superior numbers to launch a war of annihilation.

Whenever the new emperor thought of the revenge mentioned by the Empress Dowager, and looked at the endless expanse of dust, he felt that the risk of this confrontation was constantly rising, and the strange emotions in his heart were also constantly increasing.

"There seems to be a battle ahead!"

As soon as Zhang Xuezhou called out, the new emperor quickly pulled on the reins.

Zhang Xuezhou's judgment stemmed from the loud horn blasting by the chieftain of the Xiong State.

Those at the rear are unaware of what is happening at the front; everything is arranged by instruments that can transmit sound. Whatever horn is played at the front, those at the rear will operate accordingly.

Amidst the deafening sound of horses' hooves, the whistling of horns continued, constantly relayed by the centurion who was in charge of directing the procession.

Before their last 100-person team even reached this point, Zhang Xuezhou already had a general idea of the situation.

The new emperor's heart tightened suddenly.

"Should we use the Sky Shuttle?"

If a major conflict occurs, the new emperor will definitely want to get involved.

Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals; he couldn't possibly hang behind the Xiong State and kill their soldiers, and killing dozens of Xiong State would be pointless.

Moreover, the new emperor's archery skills were mediocre, and it would be quite difficult for him to kill dozens of people while riding at full speed with a sword.

"Wait... Awooooo!"

Zhang Xuezhou gave a brief response, then joined the Xiong State cavalry in shouting. The new emperor had no choice but to join in and shout for a while.

Zhang Xuezhou is very outgoing; if you don't remove the Zhang Xuezhou he's wearing to cover his head and hide the dust, it's hard to tell what's underneath.

Moreover, Zhang Xuezhou's imitation of the Xiong State cavalry's riding posture was extremely similar, and he could even lift his leg and stand on the mount, shouting strangely, unlike the new emperor's slightly prostrate body.

If he were to act alone, the new emperor felt that it would be extremely difficult to make any progress. Even if he were to infiltrate the Xiong State's cavalry, he would be easily exposed, let alone obtain relevant information.

Galloping on horseback for over ten miles, a border post came into view.

Border posts are similar to open-air pavilions in mansions, but they have walls and doors. They can serve as emergency patrol fortresses, provide temporary food and lodging, and also act as transit points for post stations.

This border post, made of thick wood, was riddled with arrows like a hedgehog; its outer walls were cut down, and its door was violently smashed off.

Inside the pavilion were the bodies of more than ten patrolling soldiers; their copper-clad wooden shields were either shattered or torn away by barbed arrows.

A simple, quick charge, and the garrison at this border post was wiped out.

"It's not a direct clash between legions!"

The new emperor breathed a sigh of relief.

But when his gaze swept over the corpses in the border post, he couldn't hide the anger in his heart.

He couldn't maintain a blank expression like Zhang Xuezhou, and he certainly couldn't shout like the other person.

His voice was hoarse and bitter, stuck in his throat.

When the centurion, who was reviewing military orders, lashed out with his whip, the stinging pain almost drove him mad.

"Get him!"

The new emperor originally intended to take the whip lash head-on, but when Zhang Xuezhou Zhang Xuezhou's voice came through, he hesitated for a moment. However, he quickly grabbed the whip the instant it left his body by half a meter.

The whip's end and handle exerted force almost simultaneously; the new emperor's power, at the Sole Self Realm, far surpassed that of these slave leaders.

Without him even needing to rouse his Qi and Blood, the whip lashed back, the handle slipping from the servant's grasp and then slamming heavily into his face.

"Guliwa!"

Zhang Xuezhou shouted, and then the new emperor tore off the slave's long sheep-horn helmet.

After simply putting it on his head, the new emperor called out "Guliwa" several times, knowing that he had become a slave chief in the brief exchange.

If a centurion is unable to perform his duties, his subordinates can take his place. This is indeed a military discipline completely different from that of the Great Han army.

This position didn't even require any military merit to rise to the rank. Although it was a temporary minor official position, he had far more freedom of movement than ordinary slave cavalry. He could even have two adjutants by his side, allowing Zhang Xuezhou to follow him all the way.

"What do I do?"

"Run forward wearing your helmets, and see what the commander has to say!"

"Can I lure the commander into making a move, then defeat him and gain a higher position to obtain information?"

"A thousand-strong commander's cultivation is close to Divine Ability, and he is accompanied by at least four hundred-strong commanders, possibly even eight to sixteen hundred-strong commanders. He cannot be dealt with easily. Rashly displaying your strength will only provoke a gang fight!"

After Zhang Xuezhou gave a brief explanation, the new emperor quickly abandoned his little idea and continued riding forward with the ram's horn helmet on his head.

"Oh la la..."

When the noisy and rapid shouts reached his ears from afar, the new emperor glanced at Zhang Xuezhou, only to see that Zhang Xuezhou was also listening attentively.

"What did that commander say?" the new emperor asked in a low voice.

"The commander said the vanguard legion captured a surrendered general of the Great Han Dynasty. After being persuaded to surrender, the general informed us that there was an ambush by Great Han troops dozens of miles ahead. We need to form a bull's horn formation to confront them. As soon as the enemy legion breaks through the ambush and loses its formation, we will launch a charge!"

Zhang Xuezhou whispered the message.

The new emperor felt his heart pound.

This ambush has not yet officially begun, but everything is already out in the open.