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Chapter 731: The Once Mythical Troops
🕑 Added 2024-10-08 07:34:39 +0000 UTCQin Qi didn’t recognize Han Xun, so after poking him with his spear and seeing no response, he frowned and asked, "What are you planning to do?"
"We're going to ensure Lord Xuande's safety," Li Tiao replied solemnly.
"You few, take them to their destination," Qin Qi instructed the soldiers who had recognized Li Tiao and his group earlier.
"Thank you. No need to worry about what's ahead—many villagers have already come out to fight. The private soldiers of the noble families don’t stand a chance against them. The people here are nothing like the common folk of the past," Li Tiao called back to Qin Qi as he and his group sped past.
"Seventeen Qi Refinement warriors, and the leader seems to have reached the peak of Qi Refinement," Qin Qi murmured with a darkened expression after Li Tiao had passed. He could sense that Li Tiao's burst of internal energy just now had been even stronger than his own.
"Impressive indeed. Merely a minor leader, yet with such strength," Li Tiao muttered to himself as he gripped his spear tightly. These men were all Yellow Turban leaders who had fought through a decade of life-and-death battles, emerging victorious from situations where survival seemed impossible.
"Let’s go check it out!" Xue Zhou and the others quickly followed, taking a few turns before they saw Liu Bei and his companions drumming on the altar.
"Lord Xuande is safe," Li Tiao muttered as he clasped his hands and bowed respectfully toward the altar.
"Those men look like Yellow Turbans," Xun Yue remarked, noticing Li Tiao and his group bowing. The disorganized weapons and yellow headbands made him think of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
"Yes, it seems to be Li Tiao, Xue Zhou, and the others," Chen Xi replied, nodding as he recognized the group. After all, he had personally signed the discharge orders for these men when they retired from military service. These individuals were dangerous, with their Qi Refinement level allowing them to easily secure a position as a military officer under any warlord.
"You know them?" Xun Yue asked in confusion.
"Yes, they are people under our governance," Chen Xi said with obvious satisfaction. "That man with the hoe, Old Zhang—he’s quite good at farming."
"They ask for little and are easily content. They are citizens, not Yellow Turbans," Liu Bei added in a deep voice as he continued drumming, overhearing the conversation between Xun Yue and Chen Xi. "They are my last line of defense."
"We finally have elite troops who have pledged their loyalty through gratitude—Qingzhou soldiers, the strongest infantry in the land," Chen Xi said with a smile.
Chen Xi never looked down on these former Yellow Turban soldiers who had turned into farmers. After all, he understood the desperation that had driven the world into chaos ten years ago, as he had often heard from Li You and Jia Xu. When forced into a corner, who wouldn’t fight back?
"Unlike cavalry, which is terrain-dependent, infantry has no such limitations," Xun Yue commented with a smile. "My brother, Zhongyu, will soon be escorted from Donglai to Fenggao. When the time comes, please convey a message to Borning on my behalf—discipline him harshly, so he understands that intelligence alone doesn’t grant license to act recklessly."
Chen Xi only chuckled in response, aware of the recent events in Qingzhou. While many officials focused solely on their duties, trusting in the strength of Tai Shan, Xun Yu’s laissez-faire approach was indeed a form of dereliction.
Chen Xi also understood that after this incident, Donglai wouldn’t need a great figure stationed there as a precaution, but he still disapproved of Xun Yu’s approach.
"Cavalry doesn’t necessarily have to be terrain-dependent," Jia Xu said, his gaze fixed on a distant point as he suddenly spoke up. "The Flying Bear Army of old had no such limitations—they could fight in any terrain, be it on water, in swamps, or even over traps."
"Hmm?" Chen Xi was puzzled by Jia Xu's words.
"The first military unit with a soul to be destroyed was the Flying Bear Army, an elite force selected from the Xiliang Cavalry. But for some unknown reason, their army soul was incredibly strange. It didn’t enhance their attack, defense, speed, or agility. Once mounted, the Flying Bear Army could disregard terrain entirely," Jia Xu explained with a nostalgic expression.
"Disregard terrain?" Chen Xi muttered, unsure what to make of this.
"It means that once the Flying Bear Army mounted their horses, they could perform some unconventional maneuvers..." Jia Xu struggled to explain further, as he had only seen the Flying Bear Army in action a few times.
"If you can’t explain it clearly, don’t say anything—it just makes me more confused," Chen Xi sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Zichuan, don’t blame Wenhe. After all, back when Wenhe was in Luoyang, he only held a minor position and didn’t have much access to such matters," Liu Bei interjected, trying to ease the tension.
"Thank you, Lord, for your understanding. It’s just hard to describe what I saw—it was indeed quite strange," Jia Xu admitted, frowning as he recalled the scene.
"Try describing it, and I’ll see if I can figure it out," Chen Xi said with a grin, intent on challenging Jia Xu.
"Very well, I’ll tell you what I witnessed, and you can draw your own conclusions," Jia Xu said, half-annoyed.
"When I was in Luoyang, I once saw the Flying Bear Army during a military parade. After mounting their horses, they could leap great distances with ease. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that they descended very slowly, despite moving incredibly fast in a straight line. They’re also the only cavalry unit I’ve ever seen that could leap and gain momentum on city walls," Jia Xu recounted what he had witnessed at the Western Garden in Luoyang, then turned to Chen Xi.
"...!" Chen Xi was taken aback. Jia Xu might have had difficulty describing it due to his limited understanding, but Chen Xi had been exposed to many concepts. From Jia Xu’s description, Chen Xi deduced that what he was witnessing could involve a partial cancellation of gravity—at least, that was the best way he could rationalize it.
"A cavalry unit like that… perhaps such cavalry could indeed boast the strongest impact force in the world. By the way, Wenhe, could such cavalry cross a body of water without issue?" Chen Xi mused aloud, finally understanding why they were called the Flying Bear Army. It wasn’t just because of their emblem—it was because, in one moment, they could be as light as a feather, and in the next, they could strike with the force of a bear.
"So, cavalry could potentially ignore terrain constraints. Although army soul units generally aren’t factored into calculations, I wanted to make sure you’re aware of the possibility," Jia Xu said, giving Chen Xi a meaningful look, hinting at the deeper implications.
"The Flying Bear Army left a deep impression on me, but what stood out even more was how they were annihilated by the army soul unit known as the Formation Breaker Army because they weren’t on horseback while guarding Dong Zhuo in the imperial palace," Jia Xu added, looking pointedly at Chen Xi, his cold smile conveying volumes.
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