Han Khan

Chapter 150, Eagle Guard
In the cold wind, outside the towering temple and its walls, in an open space a hundred meters away.

Five hundred teenagers between the ages of 6 and 12 were riding horses and running back and forth around a circular training ground built of wood, practicing riding and archery. The grass in the training ground had completely disappeared and turned into a sandy land.

The teachers who stood by and kept shouting and yelling to correct their inappropriate actions were none other than the outstanding generals of the Jin Han army who retired due to injuries.

The young men had just finished their morning classes on divine texts, elegant language, and holy religious texts, and had eaten lunch, one of the two meals provided for them daily by the temple.

We hurried to the training ground to gather together. If we were late, we would be punished by those fierce teachers. Not only that, we would not even have dinner!

The daily expenses for these Jinhan young men are enormous, but Zhang Sheng still makes such expenditures in order to train a group of devout and proficient priests and holy warriors.

After completing their studies, these priests and holy warriors in reserve will be sent to various camps and regiments of Jin Han to serve as priests, responsible for preaching to the tribesmen and leading the people in prayer, as well as staying by the emperor's side as personal guards and attendants to serve him.

Every day, they study divine texts, elegant language and holy scriptures, and practice horse riding, archery, etc.

Although life is hard nowadays, these children are not from different tribes. Some of them followed from Dunhuang. They are the sons of various priests, centurions, battalion commanders and group leaders.

These young men had followed Zhang Sheng all the way from Dunhuang to Mobei. They had witnessed His Highness' miracles and were filled with enthusiasm for Haotian and the Holy Religion. They were also extremely honored to be chosen by Zhang Sheng.

Some of them were young men from tribes near Jinshan. After their fathers became centurions or battalion commanders due to their merits, they were selected into this group of young soldiers because of their cleverness and sturdiness.

In addition there were the one hundred young hostages from various tribes in the Tannu Mountains and forests.

These young men now have a resounding name, Eagle Guards!

Zhang Sheng’s emphasis on culture and the hopes that these children’s fathers have for them make them dare not act rashly and train and study hard every day.

Among them was Ilhan, the son of Ogurchak, who had fled from Karakhanid Khanate.

It was the middle of winter, the weather was extremely cold and water froze into ice.

But even so, the grassland was bustling with activity. The sounds of horse hooves, neighing, and the breathing of young men due to intense training intertwined together to form an exciting piece of music.

The exhaled breath seemed to turn into a layer of white mist, rising up.

Zhang Sheng, wearing armor, with a sword and bow and arrow on his waist, was riding on a warhorse. He held the reins tightly and looked ahead with a firm gaze.

Looking at this group of vigorous and energetic young people in front of him, Zhang Sheng felt a strong sense of accomplishment in his heart.

Despite living in this wild grassland, he never forgot to educate and cultivate his children.

Moreover, these children are not from ordinary families. In addition to being educated to become talents that he can use, they have another nature, which is that they were sent to Zhang Sheng as hostages.

The purpose of doing so is to control these children and thus firmly control the commanders of the various 100 households and battalions under his command. He can trust the loyalty of his officers, but loyalty is not forever, and loyalty is not a character, but it will change at any time.

"Your brother Ilhan is very good at training. Not only can he recite the holy book, but he is also very good at riding, archery and martial arts!"

Zhang Sheng turned around and said to Sarah who was also riding a horse beside him, and then looked at Jinshan who was already wearing white clothes. He was wondering why Zhang Xibao and Koza had not returned yet and had not sent anyone to deliver any news.

At this time, Sarah was wearing a suit of mail, with a sword on her waist and a ponytail. She had a beautiful and angular face. She looked so heroic and brave, and her appearance was exactly the same as that of the Tang people.

Hearing what Zhang Sheng said, Sarah on the side smiled slightly. In the eyes of the young man, it was as beautiful as the snow lotus all over the mountain, but Zhang Sheng was not immersed in his thoughts and did not see it.

Seeing Zhang Sheng heading towards the shooting range nearby, Sarah quickly rode her horse to follow him.

She had been in the Jin Han tribe for almost a month and had learned a lot about Zhang Sheng and Jin Han. The more she learned, the more she admired Zhang Sheng.

The man in front of him was strong and muscular. His name was the Son of Heaven of Holy Religion, Jin Han's special agent. He was also a man who had lost his parents. He was the same age as himself. Look at the beard on his chin, perhaps it was just to show his majesty in front of his subordinates!
She was very bold, as she had lived a wealthy life since childhood and had broad knowledge. So after she gradually became familiar with the Jin Han tribe and Zhang Sheng, her true nature was revealed in her actions and words, and she was no longer restrained.

Sarah said:
"I thank you, Your Highness, for taking care of my brother and sister. I really can't think of any way I can repay Your Highness. I just hope that I can train and study hard, and one day I can serve Your Highness loyally!"

The two chatted as they walked towards the shooting range. Zhang Sheng and Sarah were talking and laughing. At this moment, Zhang Sheng suddenly sped up, whipping his horse, the sound of horse hooves was like thunder. Then, he quickly drew the bow and arrow from his waist, staring at the front with sharp and focused eyes.

When they were about a hundred meters away from the shooting range, Zhang Sheng pulled the bowstring without hesitation and shot an arrow at the target in the distance at an astonishing speed.

The arrow flew past like lightning, with a fierce momentum, and flew towards the target. The speed and power of this arrow were amazing.

Sarah was not to be outdone. She waved her whip and urged her horse to follow closely. She was agile and took off the scimitar from her waist and threw it forward. The scimitar drew an arc in the air and accurately hit the bull's eye.

Zhang Sheng reined in his horse and gave Sarah an approving look. "Sarah, your swordsmanship is pretty good too."

Sarah responded with a smile, "Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness." She gently stroked the horse's back, a hint of confidence flashing in her eyes. For her, these skills had already become very familiar to her, but she was a woman. Thinking of this, Sarah felt a little lost.

The two men faced the target, drove their horses quickly, and shot out arrows one after another that seemed to take their lives.

Although Sarah is both talented in literature and martial arts, she is still far behind Zhang Sheng in this aspect. However, Zhang Sheng has never seen such a strange woman.

When they stopped, Sarah said:
"Your Highness, is it very stressful to be inspired by the gods?"

Zhang Sheng turned his horse around upon hearing this and looked back at the beautiful and heroic girl, his heart throbbing! The girl in front of him not only had a beautiful appearance that he admired, but also had a brave and strong heart.

But he would never be blinded by a woman, he looked into her eyes and said:
"Yes, the revelation brought to me by the Supreme Haotian makes me feel extremely difficult, but people, if you have a mission in life, your life will not be confused! One day I will build a kingdom of God on earth for the Haotian God who resurrected me and revealed me!"

Sarah looked at him with admiration. The Tang man in front of her was so brave. Ever since she was saved by him and witnessed him leading the way and leading the powerful Jinhan cavalry to wipe out the Ubili people who were chasing her and her brother, an indelible mark was engraved in her heart. This was the hero who saved her!
The more Sarah learned about his deeds and experiences, the more she admired Him!
(End of this chapter)