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Although he had expected it, Tie Lang was still very surprised to see Geng Xuan return in this way.

It wasn't until Geng Xuan led fifty Xuanyou horses close that Tie Lang realized what was happening and hurriedly asked:

"Commander, what about these horses?"

At this moment, he could see it much more clearly.

These Xuanyou horses all carried the complete sets of armor required for the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry.

It looked brand new, with no damage whatsoever and not even a trace of blood.

Geng Xuan explained to Tie Lang:

"These are scout teams that came from 'Sanya Pass'. They have already learned about the situation here, including the fact that we will annihilate the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry at 'Yanlai Peak' in the future."

As they relayed this message back, they also instructed the guards to gather more information.

At this point, Geng Xuan patted his Xuan You horse and said:

"These fifty riders come from the five scout teams that are closest to us."

They have basically figured out our current whereabouts, and one of them has already infiltrated 'Yanlai Peak'.

I took care of them easily, which should deter them for a while.

Without the arrival of more forces, relying solely on the iron cavalry force at 'Sanya Pass,' they would never dare to rashly approach for reconnaissance again.

At this point, he smiled at Iron Wolf:
"This should buy you more time... So don't worry too much, just move east with peace of mind."

Iron Wolf nodded, thought for a moment, and said:

"Commander, since you have bought us more time, I would like to transfer some Xuan You horses to the supply train so that they can move faster."

At this point, he explained, "Given the current situation, I won't feel at ease until we merge into one place."

Geng Xuan nodded and said, "You can arrange it as you see fit."

His actions in eliminating the five nearest scout cavalry units had a greater impact, as it served as a significant deterrent to the cavalry forces at the "Three Passes," preventing them from making any rash moves in the short term.

This not only bought Tie Lang and his men more time, but also provided greater security for Fu Yunfeng and the others escorting the supply convoy.

At this point, Iron Wolf's idea of ​​diverting some of the Mysterious Nether Horses to speed up the supply train and allow the two teams to rendezvous as soon as possible was not a bad strategy.

……

After bidding farewell to Tie Lang and the others, Geng Xuan only took an hour to use the "Earth Listening Spider Web" to pinpoint the current location of Song Mingzhu and the others.

However, he did not immediately go to meet up with Song Mingzhu and the others.

As the distance between them rapidly closed, he also captured more information through the "earth-listening spider web".

Behind Song Mingzhu and the others, there were more than ten small teams composed of nearly a hundred Xuanyou horses, surrounding them like hyenas and flies.

Those who were close by were only three to five miles away from Song Mingzhu and the others.

In an environment like the desert plains, with the Xuan You horse's commanding view from above, it's practically the same as conducting close-up reconnaissance.

Those that are far away are at most a dozen miles apart.

Moreover, through the "earth-listening spider web," Geng Xuan could also see that more scout teams were gathering in this area.

These "flies" most likely came from the direction of the "Jiliudong Cave".

Faced with these blatant acts of hostility, Song Mingzhu and his team clearly had no good solutions.

Although our side also managed to gather over a thousand Xuanyou Iron Cavalry through last night's battle.

In the current situation, such a force is good at defense but lacks offensive capabilities.

Several attempts to chase and drive them away all ended in failure.

If you chase, they'll run away.

Once you stop chasing them, they immediately start sticking to you again.

After discovering Song Mingzhu and the others' predicament, Geng Xuan did not rush to join them, but instead bypassed them and infiltrated further behind these "fly" scouts.

Through the "earth-listening spider web," he could not only accurately know their real-time location, but also easily find a "weaving route" that was constantly changing.

—While avoiding all scout lines of sight, use the shortest time and the optimal route to pass through the gaps formed by these scout cavalry.

Only after venturing more than thirty miles into the rear, and having surrounded him and Song Mingzhu's group with twelve scout cavalry teams, did Geng Xuan stop his advance and begin to "harvest" the spoils.

For Geng Xuan, wiping out these scattered teams, each with no more than ten riders, would be a piece of cake.

Aside from being time-consuming, he can easily handle it all by himself.

There's no need to elaborate on something that can be accomplished so easily.

What Geng Xuan was more concerned about was that just as he had taken down three scout squads in a row and was preparing to move on to the fourth scout squad, good news came from the sky.

A dark blue sea sand eagle was forced to land in front of him by six of its own kind, who simultaneously blocked its front, back, left, right, top, and bottom positions.

No matter how much the large bird being escorted struggled and resisted, the six large birds that Geng Xuan had already subdued had formed a real cage around it.

There was no other way but to follow along.

"This must be the team that was assigned to the 'Rapid River Cave,' right?"

With this in mind, Geng Xuan immediately completed the contract with the large bird.

Through conversation, he also learned that this large bird had two other "family members" who were sent to "Golden Leaf Cliff" and "White Crane Beach" respectively.

Thinking of something, Geng Xuan didn't keep the large bird with him, but instead released it and assigned it a task—

He brought two other "family members" with him.

At the same time, Geng Xuan also assigned another task to the other three "family members of three" who had only recently signed contracts.

Let them head west, then go to Youzhou to "capture" another large bird and bring it to me.

After the four large birds flapped their wings and flew away, only the three large birds that had initially formed a contract remained by Geng Xuan's side, serving as his eyes in the sky.

Although the "earth-listening spider web" already exists, the limitations of this reconnaissance method are still quite obvious.

It can detect more than just moving targets.

If the target is sufficiently light and stealthy, or has mastered the lightness technique of "walking on snow without leaving a trace," landing silently, "earth-listening spider web" will also fail.

……

Just as Geng Xuan was "harvesting" those scout teams, Song Mingzhu and the others were also having a headache over these fly-like scout teams.

Song Mingzhu and his team, who were on high alert at all times, had already spotted the first scout team that came from the direction of "Jiliudong" when it appeared.

It was still dark at the time.

Song Mingzhu and his group, who had left "Wild Wolf Gorge" with their families and more than 20,000 people, had already migrated more than 100 miles westward.

When they discovered the scout squad, they wanted to eliminate them proactively.

However, their opponents were too slippery and alert, preventing them from ever getting such an opportunity.

On the contrary, as time went by, the number of scout squads that came to them increased.

On the other hand, their own migration speed was inevitably affected and became increasingly slower.

When they finally arrived near their destination—near the northern shore of Xuanqing Sea.

However, after a brief discussion, the Black Wind Gang's top leaders unanimously rejected the idea of ​​stopping there and waiting for Geng Xuan to return.

They were unaware of the details of the leader's subsequent plans.

But they all knew one thing: they must never let the scout teams know their strategic intentions.

Even if they inevitably find out eventually, the later the better.

Therefore, although Song Mingzhu and his group had reached their destination, they did not stop. Instead, they made it seem as if they would continue westward from Xuanzhou to Youzhou.

However, due to the increasing number of persistent scout teams, their speed has become slower and slower.

But this is not a long-term solution.

Although Song Mingzhu and the others were impatient, they were still able to keep the troops below in check.

Because in everyone's heart, there still remains the greatest hope.

The commander's return.

Geng Xuan has repeatedly turned the impossible into the possible, deeply planting a thought in their hearts.

It seems that he really is omnipotent.

There was nothing that could truly stump him.

This is certainly irrational.

But before Geng Xuan messes things up, this idea will only become more and more deeply ingrained in the minds of the Black Wind Gang members.

Hu Yuan squinted and stared intently at the scout cavalry that was "luring" back and forth in the distance for a long time before gritting his teeth and looking away.

Looking at Song Mingzhu, he asked:

When will the commander be able to return?

Song Mingzhu glanced at him and said:
"You've asked this question at least a hundred times, haven't you?... If you're really too free, I think you could take stock of the supplies."

I was in such a rush last night that I didn't have time to check everything carefully. You can do this now that you have some free time.

Hu Yuan looked at the man who used to be just like him, but now sat firmly on his head, and said nothing more.

However, they didn't actually take stock of any supplies and just stayed there.

Just then, Guo Nan, riding on another Xuanyou horse, came from a distance, his expression showing barely suppressed excitement.

He peered out and looked at the scout cavalry in the distance.

Song Mingzhu looked at her, and seeing that she didn't seem inclined to say anything, he simply asked, "Have you discovered anything?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Nan looked at him and said:

"I have a feeling that the commander may have already returned."

"...??!" Hu Yuan looked at him in surprise.

Song Mingzhu hurriedly asked, "Why?"

Guo Nan pointed to the sky above and said, "Didn't you notice? That big bird is gone now."

Today, just as dawn broke, some people with keen eyesight saw a small black dot hovering high in the sky above them.

In other states, this tiny black dot would easily be overlooked.

They will never be aware of its existence from beginning to end.

But for them, it was almost immediately clear what that meant. The Xuan You Iron Cavalry under Dong Guan's command were equipped with a large number of Xuan Qinghai Sand Eagles for aerial reconnaissance; this was practically common knowledge in the Xuan You and Xuan You states.

Every year, many people from the desert venture into Xuanqinghai, risking their lives to find newly hatched chicks to present to Dong Guan as a stepping stone to advancement.

Moreover, they all knew that their leader had also tamed three Xuanqinghai Sand Eagles.

When the leader is nearby, you can also see them hunting and feeding in the vicinity.

They are no strangers to this.

Therefore, they immediately realized what the black dot meant.

Occasionally, the black spot would leave for a short while.

But most of the time, it hovered directly above their heads, blatantly spying on everything they were doing.

They tried every means possible, but couldn't do anything to the other side.

Eventually, everyone stopped paying attention to the big bird and decided to avoid seeing it altogether.

Song Mingzhu looked up at the sky for a while, then asked, "How long has it been gone?"

If it's just a temporary departure, it doesn't prove anything.

Because before this, the large bird had briefly left a few times.

It's like sneaking off to work on your way to work.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on it. It hasn’t come back since it left more than half an hour ago,” Guo Nan said.

Song Mingzhu was taken aback, looked at the scout cavalry in the distance, and said, "They've recalled them?"

Guo Nan shook her head: "Impossible."

Song Mingzhu nodded slightly, also thinking it unlikely, and said softly:
"So, something else happened?... You think this was our commander's doing?"

Before Guo Nan could reply, Hu Yuan couldn't help but say, "Although our commander is indeed very capable..."

Under Guo Nan's calm gaze, Hu Yuan did not finish his sentence.

However, he insisted that it was foolish to attribute any "unusual" situation to their own commander.

Can't we all use our brains a little more?
Guo Nan said calmly:

"Have you forgotten that our captain originally had three Xuanqinghai Sand Sculptures?"

And yesterday, they even turned the one originally intended to be used against us into their own... Now a similar situation has arisen. Have my reasonable guesses offended you?

Hu Yuan opened his mouth, but ultimately decided not to argue with a woman.

Shortly after the group exchanged a few casual words, a commotion suddenly arose in the crowd.

At first, Song Mingzhu and the others were still confused.

But soon, they all opened their mouths wide.

The scout cavalry that had been conducting hostile reconnaissance of them from a distance of three to five miles began to approach them.

Is this guy courting death?!
If the distance between the two sides narrows again, they might be able to catch up if they give it their all.

However, soon, more anomalies made Song Mingzhu and the others realize what was going on.

First, some of the riders on the Xuanyou horses collapsed onto their backs.

Others, however, fell off their horses as the Xuanyou horses accelerated and sped away.

They then realized that the man on horseback was dead.

Even though the riders on horseback were dead, or even completely gone, the Xuanyou horses did not stop their pace and continued to approach them rapidly.

Immediately afterwards, they saw more Xuan You horses in similar condition galloping towards them from a greater distance.

As they got closer, Song Mingzhu and the others finally spotted a figure speeding towards them amidst the galloping horses.

"Captain!"

In an instant, the gloom that had been hanging over Song Mingzhu, Hu Yuan, and the others vanished.

……

They returned with a full 120 Xuanyou Iron Cavalrymen and joined up with Song Mingzhu and the others.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, some standard procedures followed.

Recruiting new members.

Good fortune and blessings.

The two thousand Xuanyou Iron Cavalry that came to "Wild Wolf Gorge" consisted of 2086 riders.

1675 cavalrymen died in battle, and 411 surrendered.

After the recruitment was completed, only 205 riders survived to become members of the Black Wind Gang.

In total, the 1881 Xuanyou Iron Cavalrymen who died brought Geng Xuan more than 80,000 points of good fortune.

The "Wild Wolf Gorge" Black Wind Gang was larger and stronger than the "Swallow Peak" gang.

However, due to Geng Xuan's appropriate relinquishment and the Xuan You Iron Cavalry's even stronger will to resist and faster reaction, they inflicted greater casualties on the Black Wind Gang.

Not counting the injured, the death toll alone reached 2752.

This brought Geng Xuan an additional 80,000, nearly 90,000 points of good fortune.

Since this Black Wind Gang also experienced a decline in personnel, reorganization was naturally avoided.

The 205 newly recruited members, all from the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry, were dispersed and assigned to different squads, and that was the end of it.

What Geng Xuan found "interesting" was that, based on past experience, those Xuanyou Iron Cavalrymen who, due to the severity of their injuries, should have been finished off and taken away without further ado.

However, instead of being disposed of by Song Mingzhu and the others who were cleaning up the battlefield, they were given some precious medicines and placed in some carriages to migrate with the group.

The intention behind Song Mingzhu and others' actions was not out of a sudden act of kindness.

When Geng Xuan returned and said he would stay for a considerable period of time, these people were immediately executed.

Under the skillful hands of Tao Bin, Bai Ma, and others, it was quickly disassembled into various kinds of "materials".

Also turned into materials were the 120 fresh, still-warm corpses that Geng Xuan brought back with 120 Xuanyou horses.

There were also 206 prisoners who failed to join the Black Wind Gang during the subsequent recruitment ceremony.

In total, more than 800 fresh corpses were collected.

From "Baihetan" to "Jiliudong", and during Geng Xuan's departure from "Yelangxia", Song Mingzhu and his men, as well as last night's fierce battle with the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry, caused more than two thousand people to be seriously injured or disabled.

Thanks to the selfless contribution of these more than 800 "materials," all of them have the hope of a rapid recovery.

Of course, the most indispensable element was Geng Xuan's intervention.

After he used the "Life-Gathering Technique" and the "Cut-Off Technique" to bless the more than two thousand seriously injured and disabled people, both of these secret techniques developed by the Sanssouci Palace advanced to the Grandmaster level.

After Geng Xuan finished all this, he handed over the limb reattachment suturing to Tao Bin, Bai Ma, and others. Cao Ao, who had been paying close attention to the changes, also breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Once they recover, our available fighting force will be able to recover to more than 20,000 men," Cao Ao remarked with emotion.

Geng Xuan looked at him and asked:

"How did you come up with such a morally reprehensible idea as 'living materials'?"

Cao Ao hurriedly waved his hand and said:

"This wasn't my idea. It was Tao Bin who whispered something to me, which suddenly opened my mind... No wonder he's a talented man from Yuanzhou; his mind is much sharper than ours."

At this point, noticing that Geng Xuan's gaze towards him was somewhat unusual, he quickly added:

"Commander, I'm not trying to shift the blame to him, and I don't think there's anything wrong with his suggestion."

Inspired by him, I immediately went to Song Mingzhu to report the matter.

Otherwise, Song Mingzhu, with his many and varied worries, might not have even thought of this.

As he spoke, Cao Ao also offered Geng Xuan a suggestion:
"Commander, if possible, even if it takes a little longer, I think we should treat our wounded as soon as possible after each battle."

"...From what I understand, if our rescue efforts had been more timely, we would have had over a thousand more combat-ready troops in Xuanzhou alone."

At this point, Cao Ao couldn't help but whisper:
"Our losses in each battle are still too great."

Only Cao Ao, who was closest to him, dared to say this.

Even Song Mingzhu, though he had the same thought, did not dare to say it out loud.

Geng Xuan remained silent for a moment, then said to Cao Ao:
“I think the emergency medical team has suffered significant losses as well. Tao Bin and the others are still working on it. Once they’re done, have them recruit some more people and expand the emergency medical team to a thousand.”

"Yes," Cao Ao replied quickly, his face showing delight.

Geng Xuan looked at Cao Ao and smiled, "Speak your mind freely in the future, there's no need to be so cautious."

He himself admitted that his demands on the Black Wind Gang were sometimes too ruthless and harsh.

Except for a handful of people, most of the Black Wind Gang members were just numbers to him.

A number that can be consumed and replaced at any time.

The eight bandit gathering places scattered across the Xuanyou and Xuanyou states, which "intersected" with the Black Wind Gang, totaled more than 62,000 bandits.

Before he could bring them all under the banner of the Black Wind Gang and confront the Xuan You Iron Cavalry head-on.

Even if all the members of the Black Wind Gang in Xuanyou and Erzhou were included, there were only a little over 41,200.

Among them, approximately 21,000 people were buried in the ground in less than half a month.

Of the more than 21,000 people who died, many were not their own people and were bandits.

However, the number of people who had already joined the Black Wind Gang and died as "one of their own" was also very large.

And just last night, after the first battle against the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry had just ended.

Even including the more than 400 new members, the Black Wind Gang still lost more than 4,650 members.

The total number of members in the Black Wind Gang also dropped from more than 41,000 to more than 36,000.

In Geng Xuan's view, this may be a necessary tempering process in the Black Wind Gang's "forging into steel".

But for Cao Ao, the true founder of the Black Wind Gang who witnessed the gang's rise to its current state, this "tempering" was a bit too terrifying.

In less than half a month, the world he knew and the people he knew were rapidly disappearing.

At this rate, in less than a month, the "Sand Bandits," an existence so commonplace in the Xuanyou and You states that it's as ubiquitous as air, will completely disappear.

Geng Xuan could sense the rather complex emotions in Cao Ao's heart, but in the end, he didn't say anything more, he just patted him on the shoulder.

Then, he went straight to find Ruan Ruizhe. (End of Chapter)