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Finest Servant Chapter 600
🕑 Added 2023-10-28 11:12:04 +0000 UTCChapter 600 The Battle Against The Right Prince
Both sides moved as swiftly as lightning, but the steeds under The Right Prince's warriors were carefully chosen and clearly superior to those of the Great Hua forces. As they raced towards the center of the plains, covering several hundred feet, they gradually pulled ahead.
Upon seeing two clusters of horsemen approaching, the Golden Blade Khan gave a nod and a slight smile. She reached behind and took out a black cloth, covering her horse's eyes with it. Then she fitted a bamboo muzzle over its mouth. Now blinded and unable to eat, the horse was essentially immune to distractions.
Gao Qiu, Lin Wanrong and Hu Bugui rode alongside each other. Gao Qiu, perplexed, rode up to Lin Wanrong and Hu Bugui and asked in a hushed voice, "Brother Lin, what is Golden Blade Khan trying to do?"
"She’s blindfolding the horse so it won’t be scared of fire, and putting on a muzzle so it won’t be tempted by food. She's making it difficult for us to sabotage her," Lin Wanrong explained with a laugh. Gao Qiu "Ah"-ed in understanding, deeply impressed by Yueya’er's clever strategy.
In terms of horsemanship and riding skill, Tursun's cavalry was certainly more proficient. They galloped all the way, their riding skills exemplary, reaching the Golden Blade Khan before the Yuezhi forces by several feet. The Golden Blade Khan remained motionless on her horse, offering Tursun's men a nod of approval with a subtle head tilt.
The Right Prince had clearly made preparations. As they reached the Golden Blade Khan, he waved his arm grandly, and the dozens of horsemen behind him split into two groups. Four of them leaped behind the Golden Blade Khan's horse and lashed their whips in the air, though they never struck the horse. This was a common Turkic method to drive horses, but this time it seemed largely ineffective. Golden Blade Khan’s horse merely shuddered slightly and turned its head away, refusing to move an inch.
This bewildering turn of events left even the expert horsemen of the Turkic tribes puzzled and amazed.
Lin Wanrong, however, wasn't concerned about this. Seeing Tursun's cavalry split into two groups, one in front and one in back, he excitedly commanded, "Gao Qiu, Brother Hu, we’re changing our strategy. Forget about Tursun. Focus on his men. The first group, target the ones behind the horse!"
Understanding dawned on Hu Bugui; they were going for a divide and conquer strategy. With Tursun unable to control Golden Blade Khan’s horse, the animal was unlikely to flee. They could take advantage of the dispersed enemy forces to eliminate the warriors under Tursun's command, rendering him alone and vulnerable for a final confrontation.
With a few strange cries, General Lin and Gao Qiu galloped to the forefront, their curved blades shimmering menacingly.
Busy as Tursun's men were with flicking whips at the rear and offering grass at the front, they were completely preoccupied. But the fierce Yuezhi tribe had closed the distance in the blink of an eye. A few dozen riders, like a raging wind, targeted the men at the rear of Golden Blade Khan’s horse. "Watch out!" Realizing the lethal intent of the Yuezhi, Tursun yelled, urging his horse forward to rescue his tribesmen.
The window of opportunity was fleeting, and Lin Wanrong was not one to let it slip away. Spurring his horse into a gallop, he led dozens of men into enemy lines, going straight for the four nomads guarding the rear of Yujia. ‘If I can't win even a skirmish like this, I might as well kill myself with a block of tofu,’ he thought.
"Heh!" Old Gao let out a ferocious roar, his curved blade devoid of any flourish—simple and straightforward—as he aimed for the Turkic man's face and struck with all his might. The warriors of the Tursun tribe were known for their brutal ferocity on the plains, but they were no match for the smaller Yuezhi people. With a deft movement, the Tursun warrior blocked the strike with his own curved blade.
A crisp "clang" echoed as sparks flew. Old Gao, a man of remarkable strength, pressed down with his blade, forcing it to the Turkic man's neck. The nomad's face turned red, veins bulging from his forehead, and beads of sweat rolled down as his wrist trembled violently.
"Ahh!" A scream resonated as blood splattered everywhere. General Lin appeared seemingly out of nowhere and took advantage of the situation, slashing his blade across the nomad's head. He then whispered urgently to Old Gao, "Brother Gao, finish this quickly. Don't delay!"
On another front, Hu Bugui also swiftly cut down another Turkic warrior from his horse.
The scent of blood and the sounds of agony enraged Tursun. He howled and charged forward, brandishing his blade.
Old Gao and his two companions exchanged glances and targeted a Turkic man who was still resisting. The three men swung their blades in unison with all their might. Even Tursun would have been hard-pressed to withstand that force. In the blink of an eye, the four nomads guarding Yujia were eliminated.
"Go!" Lin Wanrong shouted, leading the charge out of the fray. Tursun's howls of rage followed them, but he was a step too late. The squad that had arrived so swiftly now retreated just as quickly, toppling Tursun's men before galloping back the way they came. They hadn't spared Yujia even a single glance throughout.
A tremendous cheer erupted from the Turkic men who supported the Yuezhi. Even they had not expected the Yuezhi to be so fierce, leaving Right Prince Tursun at a disadvantage. Now, with only six or seven men left by Tursun's side, and outnumbered by the Yuezhi, it promised to be a long battle.
Tursun was furious at being caught off guard by the seemingly weaker Yuezhi, but as long as Yujia was not abducted, he was still in control.
According to the rules, one was supposed to take Yujia and her horse without resorting to violence. Tursun contemplated briefly before instructing his men to arrange dry hay in a circular pattern with a gap, surrounding Yujia's horse and setting the hay aflame.
As the fire roared, Yujia and her horse were trapped within the circle. There was only one way out—through the gap in front!
"These guys are pretty smart, using fire," Old Gao remarked, having slowed down his pace to observe the flaming ring. Tursun had already organized his defense, anticipating their next move.
Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Smart? I don't think so! Yujia's horse is blindfolded and unafraid of the fire. Tursun is forcing her to move forward, but he forgets that she has three hourglasses of time to reach the finish line. This ring of fire will only make her advance a few steps at a time. It will take her forever to reach the destination at this pace. However, Tursun did remind me of something. If he can use fire, so can I. Brother Gao, find some sticks. Tell our brothers to tie some tinder around them and wrap them in dry hay. We'll need them shortly!"
Gao Qiu hastily took his orders. In a matter of moments, the torches were bundled together!
In the meantime, Yujia had already spurred her little dark colored horse into motion. But the stubborn little creature seemed to have no intention of listening to its master. It spun around in circles for a while before reluctantly taking a few steps, just enough to step out of the ring of fire, all the while snorting and sneezing.
Members of the Right Prince's tribe were busy rekindling the fire circle. Tursun, however, had become aware of the issue of time. He circled around Yujia's horse but couldn't identify what the problem was.
On the other side, Hu Bugui was equally puzzled, mumbling, "Strange, what's wrong with Yujia's horse? Why won't it move? Its physique and demeanor seem normal, aside from its reluctance to walk."
Old Gao burst into laughter, "Good, this means Yueya'er won't have to marry this little Turkic pretty boy. Look, Tursun is resorting to force—damn, what a shameless guy!"
Resorting to force? The Right Prince resorting to force against the Great Khan? The statement was a bombshell; everyone was stunned and immediately looked up. Tursun, unable to figure out what to do, finally grabbed the reins of the dark-colored horse and pulled with all his might.
Yujia slightly furrowed her brows but didn't say a word, tacitly approving of his actions.
"Damn, isn't this using force? This is a serious violation; I strongly demand the Right Prince be disqualified!" Lin Wanrong snorted in irritation. The onlookers from the Turkic tribe shook their heads and burst into laughter. The Right Prince's actions were certainly inappropriate, but given that he was vying for the beautiful Khan, it seemed somewhat excusable.
The little dark-colored horse seemed to deeply resent the Right Prince's actions. It leaned back, refusing to move an inch, regardless of how much it was pulled. Tursun's tribesmen also joined in to help; three or four burly men pulled the reins, while two others were busy lighting fires in the back. The event had turned into a spectacle rarely seen on the plains in a thousand years!
Gao Qiu couldn't hold back any longer, jumping up and cursing, "All these men bullying a single woman, how disgraceful!"
Lin Wanrong chuckled and shook his head, "I'd say it's Yujia who's bullying Tursun. Haven't you seen? Despite all the pulling, her horse hasn't moved an inch!"
Indeed, no matter how hard Tursun and his tribesmen pulled, the dark-colored horse remained stationary, and its nostrils now showed traces of blood.
"Tursun, are you trying to use force?" Finally, even the Golden Blade Khan could no longer endure it. She yelled angrily from atop his horse. The surrounding Turkic people also cursed in indignation.
"Attack!" Seeing that everyone was ready, Lin Wanrong let out a timely roar, and with a gallop of hooves, the Yuezhi tribe made a fierce comeback!
Tursun grunted, letting go of the reins, and stood with his tribesmen, solemnly awaiting the arrival of the Yuezhi.
The horses were incredibly fast, and in an instant, they were about to collide with the Right Prince. A fierce glint flashed in Tursun's eyes as he swung his horse blade and bellowed, "Warriors, exterminate the Yuezhi, charge!"
The two sides were separated by a distance of about twenty yards, both in a headlong rush. Lin Wanrong, without slowing his horse, stared at the ring of blazing fire right in front of him and suddenly roared, "Brothers, light it up!"
He swiftly extended the crudely bound wooden torches in his hand toward the fire. With a snap, the fire starter ignited, and dozens of torches burst into flames.
Tursun had yet to realize their intentions when both sides had already closed in.
"Throw!" Hu Bugui bellowed in the Turkic language. Like guided missiles, dozens of torches flew through the air. With the two sides so close, there was no time to dodge. Sparks flew wildly as Tursun's clansmen frantically knocked the torches aside. Their steeds, unnerved by the flames, kicked and whinnied in disarray. The formation of Tursun’s tribe instantly fell into chaos. "Hold steady! Follow me into the charge!" Tursun, battle-hardened as he was, forcefully pulled the reins, steadying his restless horse, and bellowed a command.
At such a critical moment, how could Hu Bugui miss the opportunity? He let out a ferocious roar, lunging forward and aiming a vicious slash at his adversary's head. His target was none other than Tursun, the Right Prince of the Turks!
Tursun was renowned across the plains for his formidable skills. He neither dodged nor avoided Hu Bugui’s blade but met it with his own. Clang! Sparks flew. Hu Bugui felt a numbness in his wrist, and his blade nearly flew out of his grip.
The Right Prince tightened his hold on his blade, a look of mild surprise in his eyes. So even among the small Yuezhi tribe, there were such brave warriors!
"Ahh!" A cry of agony rang out from behind. Tursun looked back to see that over ten of his opponents had used the momentary chaos in his ranks to encircle and divide his men. The two leading figures were particularly treacherous; while one attacked head-on, the other stabbed from behind. In a blink, half of the remaining six or seven clansmen had fallen.
"Roar!" Infuriated, Tursun flicked his blade and angrily turned back to rescue his men. Hu Bugui shadowed him like a wraith, aiming every attack at his vital spots, skillfully avoiding any head-on clash.
The Right Prince suddenly realized he had been deceived. The Yuezhi warrior before him was here specifically to entangle him, to buy time for his companions. If he waited to defeat Hu Bugui, his own people would be swallowed up.
Driven by mounting frustration, Tursun unleashed all his power. With a grunt, his blade moved like lightning, aiming directly at Hu Bugui’s face. The older man quickly dodged. Unabated, Tursun's blade swiped horizontally, sending a cold light skimming across Hu Bugui’s stomach, which made him break out in a cold sweat.
Seizing this moment, Tursun spurred his steed and roared, already turning back to charge at the encircling Yuezhi warriors.
Fighting two against one, they had the advantage of numbers and a naturally gifted fighter in Old Gao. They thought it would be easy. But Tursun's warriors were truly deserving of their reputation; undaunted even in the face of disadvantage, each one fought fearlessly. The struggle had taken a great toll, and Hu Bugui had narrowly avoided Tursun's deadly blade.
"Watch out!" After Hu Bugui and Lin Wanrong successfully cut down Tursun's last brave warrior, they turned to see the Right Prince of the Turks galloping at them like a whirlwind, his sword flashing like lightning. He was less than ten feet away, and the faint sound of the wind was already audible.
"Damn it!" With his back to the impending blade and no time to assess the situation behind him, Lin Wanrong gritted his teeth. In a split-second decision, he let go of his own curved sword, sending it flying at breakneck speed, aimed directly at Tursun's cheek.
The distance between them was too short for evasion. Though Tursun’s blade could cut down the Yuezhi tribesman, it would also cost him his own life. Caught in hesitation, the sharp sound of metal clashing announced that Lin Wanrong's flying blade had been knocked away. Seizing the opportunity, Gao Qiu lunged forward with his blade, halting his assault.
He'd narrowly escaped death, but instead of fear, it sparked a fierce rage. ‘Damn it, think the Turks are so great? Who the hell am I afraid of?!’
Seeing the Turkic Right Prince raise his blade to meet Gao Qiu, and with his own distance from him less than half a pace, Lin Wanrong suddenly sprung up from his horse. In an instant, he leaped to the back of the enemy, tightly gripping his throat.
"General Lin, Lin—" Hu Bugui's words tangled in his terrified tongue.
The surrounding tribesmen were stunned. No one had expected that the lowly Yuezhi tribe would exhibit such ferocious fighting spirit. Not only had they defeated the Right Prince's warriors, but now Lin Wanrong had also engaged the renowned Right Prince in hand-to-hand combat. Astonished cheers erupted among the tribesmen, even Yueya’er looked surprised and gave a slight nod.
Startled by the unexpected ferocity of the Yuezhi, the Right Prince blocked Gao Qiu's attack with his blade, then quickly aimed an elbow strike at the assailant behind him.
‘Dare to chop at me? I'll gouge your eyes out!’ Lin Wanrong roared in his heart. His hands, swift as lightning, lunged towards the Right Prince's eye sockets.
"Aah—" A painful scream echoed across the plains. The Right Prince shook his head desperately, and his steed reared and neighed as if sensing his master's pain. Everyone from the Turkic tribe was dumbfounded; even Yujia was stunned.
When it came to wrestling, the Right Prince was one of the best among the Turks. But today, he had to split his attention between the fierce Gao Qiu and the assailant behind him. Caught off guard by the unprecedented dirty move of eye-gouging, his suffering was not surprising.
Gao Qiu watched with inner satisfaction. ‘Now that's more like Brother Lin's style!’
Despite his injured eyes and loss of vision, the Right Prince gathered himself. He was, after all, the formidable Right Prince of the Turks. Grabbing his horse's reins, he used his proficient horsemanship to spin the horse around, attempting to throw Lin Wanrong off. Meanwhile, his elbow swung back forcefully. But in his agonizing pain, his strike had weakened and ended up landing on Lin Wanrong's nose.
Wet and salty—blood was gushing from his nose. Fueled by the smell of blood and the Right Prince's confusion, Lin Wanrong's fists moved like lightning. Two thunderous blows, one left and one right, landed heavily on the temples of the Right Prince.
By now, both men were practically wrestling on horseback. Gao Qiu had his blade aimed, but hesitated for fear of hitting Lin Wanrong by mistake.
The gravity of the situation was no joke. Any ordinary person would have fainted by now. The Right Prince's curved blade slipped from his grip and fell to the ground with a clang. But he was not one to be easily defeated. With a sudden twist of his head and a roaring grunt, he lunged his head toward Lin Wanrong's chest with his head.
There was no escape. Lin Wanrong swung his fist with all his might, striking him directly on the nose. Blood splattered, and Tursun's face was smeared with blood, contorted in pain. Yet, he still crashed into Lin Wanrong's chest.
Lin Wanrong grunted, feeling as if dozens of worms were crawling up inside him. His blood roiled with fury. But compared to Tursun, these feelings were trivial. Lin Wanrong's fists rained down like a torrential downpour, aiming straight for Tursun's temple.
From the moment Tursun had his eye pierced and was forced to wrestle on horseback by the Yuezhi tribe, he had made a fatal mistake. If it had been a battle with real weapons, he feared no one. But in this brutal hand-to-hand combat, where he had brute strength and others had cunning, the outcome was uncertain.
Tursun's resilience was unparalleled. Even though he was dazed and on the brink of unconsciousness, he never gave up. He tightly gripped Lin Wanrong's waist and, with a blood-filled mouth, lunged to bite Lin Wanrong's neck.
‘Damn you!’ Lin Wanrong, without hesitation, headbutted Tursun's nose. Blood sprayed everywhere. Tursun's vision blurred with stars, his lips and nose split, bleeding profusely. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Wanrong delivered a powerful punch to his chin, knocking out several of Tursun's teeth.
The steed beneath Tursun, as if sensing its master's peril, neighed loudly and reared up, attempting to throw off the Yuezhi tribesman.
Lin Wanrong, with unparalleled clarity, took this chance to grab Tursun and threw him forcefully to the ground. As Tursun was about to fall, he suddenly opened his eyes. Amidst the bloody mess, he let out a loud roar, spewing blood, and clutched at Lin Wanrong's waist. The two plummeted to the ground together.
A chilling scream echoed.
"Brother Lin (General)!" Both Gao Qiu and Hu Bugui cried out, rushing forward. They saw Lin Wanrong kneeling on the ground, kneeing Tursun hard in the groin. Even though they couldn't see his face clearly, they could sense his sinister smirk. Tursun, the Right Prince of the Turks, clutched his groin, rolling on the ground, wailing incessantly.
Gao Qiu was dumbfounded. That was brutal! Even if the Right Prince enters the Turkic palace now, he won't be going as a Khan but as a eunuch!
Watching the agonized Right Prince of the Turks, Lin Wanrong winked at Hu Bugui and continued to "entangle" with him. Such a golden opportunity was not to be missed. Hu Bugui swiftly approached on horseback, delivering a heavy blow to Tursun's leg. Lin Wanrong, being the closest, clearly heard the sound of bone breaking.
"Stop!" Yujia from the other side couldn't sit still any longer and shouted.
Hu Bugui turned respectfully, placing a hand on his chest, saluting the Great Khan. Yujia nodded and solemnly said, "Yuezhi, you are an extraordinary tribe!"
The plains erupted in deafening cheers. Tursun was defeated! The small Yuezhi tribe had accomplished the impossible, defeating the arrogant Right Prince of the Turks. The plains worshipped heroes, and without a doubt, Yuezhi were their heroes.
Under these circumstances, Tursun had no strength left to fight. The Right Prince's tribesmen, dejected, carried him away. With eyes closed, enduring the excruciating pain, he shouted, "Yuezhi tribe, I, Tursun, will return this humiliation twofold! Just you wait!"
"Tursun," said Yujia in a solemn voice, "do not be disheartened. I believe you will rise again!"
"Yujia—" Right Prince's eyes grew moist as he uttered the Khan's name. Realizing his mistake, he hastily corrected himself, "Great Khan, believe in me, Tursun is the best on the prairie! I will not disappoint you!"
Yujia gave a slight nod, sighed, and gestured for his tribesmen to carry him away.
The most excited person in the arena was none other than the Young Khan. He sprang to his feet and announced, "People of the Yuezhi tribe, you are the bravest clan on the prairie. I swear, I will reward you with the finest steed of Khan blood! Furthermore, I will grant you fertile pastures, ensuring your people prosper and grow strong, to accomplish great deeds for my Turks!"
"Thank you, Khan!" Hu Bugui bent forward in a bow, moved to tears.
Gao Qiu rushed to Lin Wanrong and asked anxiously, "Brother Lin, are you alright?"
Lin Wanrong chuckled, "I'm fine, just a little nosebleed. A few hundred pieces of thousand-year-old ginseng should fix me right up. The most important thing is, today was exhilarating! Bah, so-called warriors of the prairie—nonsense! I've disliked that guy from the start!"
Old Gao giggled and said, "Is it because he's got his eyes on Yueya’er?—We're all men here; I can understand."
‘Understand my foot!’ Lin Wanrong shook his head, laughing.
With Right Prince defeated and time running out, Great Khan and her favorite horse remained motionless. It seemed like seizing the title of Khan was unlikely.
"People of the Yuezhi tribe, you may be brave across the prairie, but you've injured my esteemed Right Prince Tursun," Great Khan's eyes turned icy as she clenched her teeth, "Each person who participated today will have a leg broken as penance for Right Prince! Later, I will bestow honors upon your tribe, ensuring their dignity, wealth, and freedom from oppression—"
"What?!" Old Gao was stunned and gripped his blade tightly.
Yujia's gaze turned icy, and Turkic cavalry began to surge from all around.
Lin Wanrong suddenly understood—Yujia was playing her cards. Though Tursun was severely injured, the power of his tribe remained intact. To appease them, sacrifices had to be made, and the victorious Yuezhi tribe was insignificant in comparison to Right Prince's forces, making them the perfect scapegoats.
Right Prince might have lost, but the Yuezhi tribe hadn't won either. The real victor was Yujia!
All the Great Hua warriors clenched their blades; the tension in the arena was palpable. Lin Wanrong gritted his teeth and whispered something into Hu Bugui's ear.
Old Hu swiftly rode forward and declared proudly, "Great Khan, today's sheep-snatching competition is not over yet. Within the stipulated time, we of the Yuezhi tribe will cross the finish line with you, Great Khan!"
