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Finest Servant Chapter 529
🕑 Added 2023-10-04 09:50:33 +0000 UTCChapter 529 A Complete Loss of Backbone
"Charge!" A few hundred soldiers who had been lurking behind him burst forth from the water, their upper bodies bare and their battle blades held high. Each one appeared exhilarated as they stormed toward the enemy camp like a gust of wind.
As soon as the two sides clashed, the crisp sound of swords and blades colliding filled the air. Gao Qiu and Li Wuling led the charge, hacking down several Turkic warriors in quick succession. Blood splattered everywhere, and the atmosphere was filled with murderous intent.
The enemy camp consisted of only five to six hundred men, most of whom were half-asleep due to the effects of drugs and intoxicants. Their combat effectiveness was less than a third of their usual capabilities. How could they withstand the ferocious onslaught of the imperial troops? The charge instantly shattered the hastily assembled Turkic formation, leaving hundreds of their warriors decapitated. Their blood dyed the lake red.
The Turkic warriors were uncharacteristically weak, a sight the imperial soldiers had never seen before. As if venting all their pent-up anger at this moment, hundreds of warriors' faces flushed with excitement. They charged forward with swords and blades, quickly approaching the central tent of the Turkic camp.
The leading Turkic warrior stood before the tent, shouting angrily in an unintelligible language. With rapid swings of his saber, he led about sixty of his remaining warriors in a desperate defense.
"Artqa qaytu!" The leading Turkic warrior shouted something, and suddenly two burly figures emerged from the opposing camp. With disheveled hair and brandishing their sabers, they headed straight for the horse pen.
Hu Bugui yelled urgently, "They're trying to escape! Brothers, kill them! Don’t let a single one get away!"
A surge of fighting spirit erupted among the hundreds of soldiers, forming a torrent of fury. They charged toward the remaining sixty or so Turkic warriors. Hu Bugui roared as he cleaved open the head of a Turkic soldier beside him. Taking large strides, he pursued the men who were retreating toward the horse pen.
The two retreating Turkic warriors were agile, leaping onto their horses with remarkable speed. Just as they were about to spur their steeds and make a break for it— "Shhh!" "Shhh!"—two arrows whizzed through the air, as fast as falling stars, heading straight for their throats.
"Ah—" Long, agonizing screams echoed. The arrows seemed guided, striking both Turkic men directly in the throat. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they fell silently from their horses, not even a drop of blood spilling from their wounds.
"Excellent archery!" Lin Wanrong laughed heartily.
"Charge! Kill the Turkic invaders!" From the outskirts, around eight thousand additional soldiers roared like wolves and flooded in like a raging torrent, surrounding the remaining Turkic warriors. A multitude of gleaming blades descended upon them.
The Turkic warriors lived up to their ferocious reputation. Realizing there was no hope for survival, the remaining fifty or so gathered outside their central tent and let out a unified roar. They charged forward, their eyes red with desperation.
"For the countless fallen brethren, kill them all!" Li Wuling let out a howl, his pupils dilated and his face turning purple with rage. The soldiers formed a circle, and countless spears, accompanied by the sound of whistling wind, thrust forward in unison.
"Aah—" A dreadful scream pierced the air, and then the battlefield fell into an eerie silence, as if time itself had stopped at that moment. The bodies of over fifty nomads were pierced by thousands of long spears, resembling a honeycomb. They struggled, their eyes wide open, corners of their mouths oozing fresh blood. Regardless of the spears puncturing their flesh, they lunged forward desperately. Amidst clanging noises, their shining battle blades wavered a few times before falling to the ground.
The soldiers clenched their teeth tightly, gasping for air. They had focused all their strength onto their spears, with not a trace of pity in their eyes. The faces of countless deceased loved ones, comrades, and brothers floated before them, fueling a raging fire in everyone's chests and boundless killing intent soaring to the heavens.
"Ptui—" Li Wuling's face glinted with malevolent light. Spitting out a mouthful of bloody saliva, he quickly withdrew his long spear. A Turkic corpse fell straight down, silently collapsing before him, blood splattering in all directions.
"Father!" Li Wuling suddenly let out a sky-shattering wail, dropping his long spear to the ground and slowly falling to his knees, weeping and covering his face. "I've avenged you, Father! Can you see it?"
His cry immediately filled the eyes of everyone present with tears. This vivid scene was a reflection of the experiences of countless displaced citizens at the frontiers of Great Hua.
"Little Li, get up," Lin Wanrong sighed and helped him up. "Your father was a hero of our Great Hua, revered and loved by many soldiers. Stand tall."
Li Wuling nodded, silently wiping away his tears and standing aside. His face revealed a look of determination, and Gao Qiu softly comforted him, embracing his shoulders.
"Reporting to the General, a total of 568 Turkic cavalrymen have been annihilated in this battle. Twelve were captured alive, and 9,766 Turkic warhorses have been seized. We have lost eighteen brothers, with thirty-three injured," Hu Bugui quietly reported to Lin Wanrong after finishing the cleanup of the battlefield.
This was indeed a major victory. Not only had they seized numerous warhorses, but this isolated and unique army now had a firm footing. They were also just a stone's throw away from the nomad stronghold of Bayanhot.
Lin Wanrong's eyes flashed, "Brother Hu, are you certain that our movements haven't been discovered?"
Hu Bugui solemnly responded, "Of the 580 Turks escorting the warhorses, not a single one escaped; all are here. Even if the nomads have eyes that can see everything, they will never imagine that our Great Hua's cavalry could bypass their blockade and penetrate deep into these vast grasslands."
Lin Wanrong nodded in satisfaction, his gaze sweeping around. The night was deep, and the bloodstains on the ground had already turned ink-black. Inside the tents, the lanterns flickered gently, as hundreds of soldiers were burying the corpses of the Turkic warriors. By tomorrow morning, the crystal-clear lake would return to its tranquil state, and no one would guess that just a few hours before, a bloody battle had taken place here. And what would happen in Bayanhot, which was about twenty miles away? Lin Wanrong shook his head and sighed quietly.
Suddenly remembering something, Hu Bugui laughed, "Oh, I almost forgot. We've captured the leader of those nomads alive. General, do you want to go and have a look?"
"Oh? You have the leader of the Turkic group here?" Lin Wanrong was immediately intrigued. "Let's go see, let's go see. I can even practice that new Turkic phrase I learned."
Hu Bugui was taken aback. General Lin had a million things to attend to; when had he learned Turkic? But seeing the general's high spirits, he naturally didn't press the matter.
Before they even approached the tent where the Turkic leader was imprisoned, raucous shouts and roars, like thunderclaps, erupted from within. Lin Wanrong grinned. "Brother Hu, what's he saying? Translate for me."
Hu Bugui gave an awkward smile. "Well, it's rather unpleasant. Perhaps we shouldn't translate."
"Do you think I can't understand?" Lin Wanrong's face darkened. He stormed into the tent and delivered a hefty kick to the Turkic man's rear, roaring at him, "I speak Turkic too—Barıp anañdı sïpa!"
‘Ah, so that's the phrase he learned,’ Hu Bugui thought, struggling to hold back a laugh.
The captured Turkic man had a hawkish nose and sunken eyes. Despite being bound hand and foot, he still looked defiant. Lin Wanrong wasted no time in kicking him to the ground and stomping on him repeatedly. The Turkic man grunted, struggling to lift himself up using his nose as support, then began to scream loudly.
"Do you recognize me?" Lin Wanrong said, attempting his own version of the Turkic language. He chuckled a few times, and suddenly brandished a sharp dagger. He first rubbed the blade against the Turkic leader's nose, then proceeded to make swift motions with it, dazzling even Hu Bugui.
Standing before the Turkic leader was a fearsome figure, bare-chested and bloodstained. The Turkic man stared for a moment before breaking into an enraged howl.
"Damn, can't you speak a human language?" Lin Wanrong sneered, and with a swift motion, thrust the dagger into the Turkic man's mouth. The leader let out a shocked cry, his mouth agape and his face flushed with anger, but he dared not speak again.
"See? I've always said, when dealing with Turkic people, a knife does the talking." Lin Wanrong was triumphantly pleased, probing further with his dagger. "Brother Hu, do the translation. Ask him his name and what his role is among the Turkic."
After translating, Hu Bugui conveyed, "He says his name is Sheng Dan, and he's a warrior under the Turkic Right Prince Tursun."
"These Turkic names are so weird; one moment it's 'Batur,' and another it's 'Sheng Dan,'" Lin Wanrong chuckled. "Ask Brother Sheng Dan how far we are from Bayanhot."
Upon hearing the translation, Sheng Dan's face changed dramatically, and he screamed in fury. Hu Bugui translated, "He says that we, the people of Great Hua, are sneaky and cowardly, only capable of attacking from behind."
"Who said I can only ambush from behind?" Lin Wanrong smirked. He lifted his foot and planted it squarely on Sheng Dan's face. "Look closely; I can ambush you head-on as well!"
Sheng Dan's face was pinned under Lin Wanrong's boot, his bound hands and feet quivering with rage, as he continued to scream. Hu Bugui translated, "He says that in the name of the warriors of the grasslands, Sheng Dan challenges you to a duel."
"A duel, excellent!" Lin Wanrong burst into laughter. "Brother Hu, bind his hands and feet. Then send a thousand men to accompany him outside for this duel."
Upon hearing the translation, Sheng Dan's cheeks flushed red as he shouted indignantly. Hu Bugui felt too embarrassed to continue translating. Lin Wanrong chuckled, "You thought I couldn't understand? I can speak the Turkic language too—Barıp anañdı sïpa!"
Hu Bugui burst into laughter. "Your grasp of the Turkic language is getting more and more authentic, Brother Lin."
"A Turkic warrior with a tough mouth, eh?" Lin Wanrong laughed heartily. "Brother Hu, tell him that I've recently become enamored with the Turkic script. I especially enjoy writing letters to my little Turkic lover. However, these are perilous times, and it's quite possible that my letter might unfortunately end up in the hands of Prince Tursun. Of course, I won't write anything too complicated—just casually praising a certain brave warrior under the command of the Right Prince. He's been kind enough to lead our Great Hua cavalry into the grasslands without anyone noticing. Even more touching, he's presented me with over five hundred of his Turkic brothers as a greeting gift, along with ten thousand war horses. He's truly the best friend Great Hua could ask for. The people of Great Hua will eternally remember his kindness. I'll have to stuff some silk into his tent as thanks. I wonder if the Right Prince would reward such a brave warrior."
As Lin Wanrong spoke, Hu Bugui translated. Before he even finished, Sheng Dan's face had already undergone drastic changes. He banged his head on the ground and shouted angrily.
"This is slander! You deceitful, shameless, despicable people of Great Hua!" This time, Lin Wanrong didn't need Hu Bugui's translation to understand what was being said.
"How is this slander?" Lin Wanrong said, patting Sheng Dan on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I know the Turkic people have strong ethnic pride. You'd rather die than become a traitor loathed by everyone. If your tribesmen find out about your dealings with Great Hua, whether true or false, they will definitely abandon you. Your reputation and your family will be destroyed. So, when I write to my little lover, I will certainly not mention your name. That way, the Right Prince will never know you are our informant in the Turkic army. Honestly, Brother Sheng Dan, I'm really looking out for you. You don't have to be so grateful."
"Ah—" Sheng Dan howled in rage, feeling as if a surge of hot blood was about to erupt from his chest. His eyes turned bloodshot as he stared intently at Lin Wanrong, wishing he could tear him apart.
Lin Wanrong glanced outside, yawned, and muttered to himself, "It's getting late. I should go back and write that letter. My little darling must be getting anxious. Don't worry, Brother Sheng Dan, I won't write your name; no one will know you're involved."
As he walked away, Sheng Dan resembled an enraged lion, his hair standing on end, and his eyes bloodshot. After roaring emptily for a while, he finally dropped his head in defeat.
"Brother Lin, Sheng Dan has confessed! He's confessed!" Hu Bugui rushed into the tent, shouting excitedly.
"He gave in already?" Lin Wanrong shook his head, looking at the two stick figures he had just drawn on a piece of paper, a look of disappointment crossing his face. "I had finally decided to draw an educational comic strip. How could he give in so quickly? That's disappointing; he has no backbone!"
