New and dark light years

Chapter 512: I Just Want to Walk the Great Path with You

The rebel army of Da Shun temporarily ceased its burning, killing, and looting, and began to assemble at the gate of the imperial palace.

The Di people, on the other hand, rode away on horseback, carrying their spoils.

A long cavalry column escorted a large number of carts along the official road.

The women wept as they walked unsteadily through the snow.

If you walk too slowly, you will be whipped.

The Di people riding around on horseback would then burst into joyful laughter.

Those carts were loaded with gold and grain. The grain they could return from this robbery alone would be enough to allow them to get through the entire winter safely.

Moreover, there is a large amount of gold.

Then they could exchange gold for grain from the Qi people and live a good life for another three or four years.

It's really a win-win situation.

Duji Guli was the leader of this cavalry unit, and his status was roughly equivalent to that of a 'prince' in the Great Qi Dynasty.

This successful raid, if he can bring the loot back, could very well make him the next 'Chanyu' (ruler of the Xiongnu).

It's a pity he couldn't storm the palace; otherwise, he wouldn't have had to go back and could have become the emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty directly. How wonderful that would have been!

"Next time... perhaps we should bring some siege equipment?" Duji thought to himself, stroking his bearded chin.

After all... becoming the Chanyu and becoming the Emperor of the Great Qi are two different levels.

Then he coughed twice.

My throat hurts a little.

There was no way around it; he had previously slept with six women in a row. The women of Qi were far more tender than the women of their grasslands, and he easily lost his composure.

I feel a bit weak right now.

As the old folks said, the women of Qi are addictive and can make men lose their fighting spirit.

By then it was already daylight; the snow had stopped, and the sun was shining.

This is already a sign that the world is warming up.

If they don't leave now, they'll be even less able to leave once the ice on the river thins or melts.

Ahead lay Fengqiu Pass. Before they arrived, they had thought the pass would be difficult to breach, but after just two volleys, almost everyone inside was dead. Only a few people remained, hiding high on the city wall, too afraid to show their faces or retaliate.

In this way, they could use the surrounding wooden stakes to make simple battering rams to break open the gates of the pass.

They arrived in the capital with ease.

And now, they could see from afar that the city gate of the pass was still dilapidated.

"Brothers, keep going! Once we cross the river, we can finally relax."

Hahahaha!

A cheerful voice rang out among Di Renjian.

But to the abducted women and the people forced to work, it was nothing short of the laughter of a demon.

As the cavalry approached, Fengqiu Pass came into view.

It's eerily quiet here.

There was no movement either on the city wall or at the broken gate.

This is reasonable, after all, which Qi person wouldn't run away when they saw them?

Before long, they arrived at the city gate, which was about ten zhang away.

At this point, Duji suddenly realized something was wrong.

Below the city gate, there were numerous footprints, and the snow seemed to have been trampled so much that it was almost melting.

To achieve that kind of feeling, you'd need at least hundreds or even thousands of people.

He looked back at the road he had come from with suspicion and found that apart from their own footprints, there were no other people's footprints... Perhaps the snow that fell last night had covered up the footprints of others.

“Something’s not right, everyone be careful,” Duji shouted.

However, it was too late.

Suddenly, a dense swarm of archers appeared behind the battlements of the city wall.

"Fire arrows."

A roar erupted from above.

A cloud of black arrows descended.

In an instant, people and horses were thrown into chaos.

There were screams.

In this single volley of arrows, at least two hundred Di people fell from their horses.

Duji was lucky; he wasn't hit.

But he saw that the soldiers shooting arrows on the city wall suddenly retreated, and another group of people came up instead.

Another volley of arrows rained down.

"Charge in!" Duji shouted, taking the lead.

In his view, the cowardly Qi people would not dare to fight them head-on; as long as they charged into the military town, these soldiers would be at their mercy.

Hundreds of soldiers reacted quickly and immediately followed Duji into the city gate.

At this time, running away would only make them more vulnerable to attack, since arrows have a long range and there are many of their own kind and carts behind them, hindering their retreat.

Duji drew his scimitar, his eyes blazing with fury.

Those two waves of arrows just now killed at least four or five hundred of their own kind.

This is a huge loss, unprecedented.

He spared no one from the Qi people in this pass.

That general, he had to torture the other party mercilessly, torturing him to death.

When he was only three zhang away from the city gate, he suddenly froze.

Because a square formation suddenly appeared at the city gate.

The gun formation was square, firmly blocking the city gate.

Those ten-foot-long iron spears were densely packed together and hidden behind the large shield.

He couldn't even see the faces of the Daqi people; everyone was hiding behind their shield and spear formations.

"stop!"

Duji roared.

Now was the time for him to showcase his superb horsemanship as a man of the grasslands.

He reined in the horse, and it only slid three zhang before stopping.

At this moment, he was less than ten feet away from the dense array of guns.

Looking at the gleaming spearheads ahead, he subconsciously swallowed. Then he realized something was wrong, and when he turned around sharply, he saw a large number of his kin rushing in.

"No!"

Duji let out a desperate roar.

Not all cavalrymen are as skilled as him.

Although the cavalrymen who rushed in had already spotted the gun formation waiting ahead, they also tried to rein in their horses.

But it was too late.

At least a hundred people rushed into the passageway of the city gate, carrying Duoji as they charged into the hail of bullets.

*Pfft!*
A series of teeth-grinding sounds rang out—the sound of metal piercing flesh.

This was accompanied by screams of agony from humans and the mournful neighing of warhorses.

In an instant, the passageway was filled with people.

Li Lin watched from the city wall as at least three hundred men rushed into the passageway. He then turned to the captain beside him and said, "Send men to rotate the brothers in the passageway. Those who were injured in the impact should be given priority for treatment."

The captain nodded and left.

At this moment, the archers unleashed their third wave of rain.

However, the effect was mediocre this time, with fewer than thirty Di cavalrymen injured.

Meanwhile, the Di cavalry were also retreating, silently watching the direction of the passage, at a loss.

Because their leader, Duji-Guli, is already inside.

He's probably dead.

But at that moment, a man rode out on horseback. From outside the range of arrows, he shouted, "I am Duji-Guli's younger brother, Duji-Feiying. My elder brother may have met with misfortune. Now, all of you, listen to my command!" The Di army, which had been at a loss, immediately found its leader.

Watching this scene from the city wall, Li Lin laughed and said, "It seems the Di people have their own command system, which is quite practical."

Duji-Flying Eagle pointed to the women behind him and said, "Push them up."

Immediately, the Di people pushed hundreds of women to the front line.

Meanwhile, Duji-Feiying took a small shield, rode forward a bit, and shouted towards the city wall: "Your generals, come down and surrender immediately, or we will kill all these women."

Everyone on the city wall was watching Li Lin.

Li Lin raised an eyebrow and said, "All archers, listen to my command: nock your bows and fire."

Some archers showed reluctance, but none hesitated. Almost simultaneously, they nocked their arrows, raised their bows higher, and shot them.

A dense rain of arrows fell from the sky, landing between the hostages and the Di cavalry.

Although Li Lin had ordered his men to launch the arrows, some still landed behind the hostages.

More than a dozen women fell, their blood staining the snow.

Duji-Flying Eagle looked at the city wall and saw Li Lin.

Because Li Lin's attire and demeanor were the most distinctive, he was clearly an enemy general.

"What a cold-blooded man, capable of such cruelty even to his own kind," Duji-Flying Eagle cursed angrily.

At the same time, he also felt powerless inside.

The army before them was different from the ones they had encountered along the way.

The other side's imposing demeanor clearly indicated that they were elite troops.

"When did they get around here?" Duji-Flying Eagle asked, puzzled.

A Di person nearby said, "They must have come around us when we were looting in the city."

"They actually used people in the city as bait? Just to kill us? The hearts of the Daqi people are truly vicious. Everyone says that we, the Eagles of the Grasslands, are ruthless, but I think they are the truly ruthless ones." Duji-Flying Eagle clicked his tongue and said, "Abandon the hostages, take the grain and gold and move out. We will fight our way out from the left pass."

After saying that, he turned and left first.

The reason for not bringing women is simple: they would slow them down, and they weren't of much value.

Only food supplies and gold are hard currency.

The Di people were very alert, or rather, nomadic peoples did not have the habit of attacking cities; they were more adept at guerrilla warfare.

Watching the Di people retreat like a flowing river, Li Lin said to his advisor beside him, "Send a message by carrier pigeon to have the cavalry battalion move out and keep a close watch on these people from a distance. We'll launch an attack when they're besieging other passes."

"As ordered."

Li Lin then said, "Send people to take in the women below, giving priority to protecting those who have been wounded by arrows. If they can be saved, do everything you can to treat them."

After confirming that the Di people had gone far away, the soldiers in the military town began to clear the corpses from the passageway.

Hundreds of people were crammed together in the passage, forming a "meatball," and it took nearly half an hour to clear a path.

Then the soldiers came to where the women were standing.

They dared not move; they were terrified, fearing another volley of arrows would rain down from above.

A captain shouted to them, "Everyone, follow us into town to warm up first. Are any of the women who were shot by arrows still alive?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

A woman wiped away her tears and cried out, "I was only shot in the shoulder, it hurts so much!"

"I was shot in the thigh."

"Waaaaah... I've been shot in the abdomen, is there any hope for me?!"

After confirmation by the soldiers, 23 women were hit by arrows, four of whom died on the spot, while the other wounded were not in serious condition.

The wounded were prioritized and sent back to the barracks in the military town for treatment, while the others were taken to an open area within the town to await further instructions.

Li Lin walked down from the city wall and went down to the open space to take a look.

These women were all quite beautiful, and the Di people knew how to appreciate beauty.

Fair skin and a great figure!
Although these women were all quite nice, not a single soldier dared to misbehave towards them, as the Jin County Army placed the utmost importance on military discipline.

Let alone being seen by their superiors, even they themselves wouldn't want a beast among their comrades.

Li Lin glanced at them and said, "You should rest here and recuperate. After things calm down in a few days, we will let you return to the capital to reunite with your families."

These words reassured all the women, and then they began to sob quietly.

It's a good thing that we won't be taken to the desolate northern grasslands by the Di people, and that we won't be abused.

Li Lin turned to leave when a familiar voice called out to him.

"Big...son-in-law."

Li Lin turned around and looked at the crowd.

Xiaojuan squeezed out of the crowd, her face filled with excitement and gratitude.

"Xiao Juan, what are you doing here?"

Li Lin also knew Xiao Juan.

After all, Huang Ling's personal maid was someone she had seen frequently before.

"My second son-in-law... gave me to them."

Li Lin subconsciously raised his eyebrows, then said, "Then you can stay inside the city gate first."

"Thank you, son-in-law."

The women all looked at Xiaojuan with envy.

Xiaojuan has a very good relationship with Hongluan and Huangqing; even if they don't care about the monks, they still have to consider the Buddhas.

If those two women find out later that they treated Xiaojuan badly, they probably won't be happy.

Li Lin arrived at the city wall and watched the departing figures of the Di people in the distance.

At that moment, he suddenly felt a chill and instinctively became alert.

However, the chill stopped after traveling several feet and then transformed into a stunningly beautiful woman.

"Purple Phoenix Lady!" Li Lin's face was icy cold: "You actually dare to come!"

“I didn’t open the city gate,” Zi Feng said softly.

"You didn't open it?" Li Lin scoffed. "Do you think I'd believe that?"

“I really didn’t open it,” Zi Feng sighed. “My original intention was to bring the three of you to the city wall for a chaotic battle and to watch the excitement.”

Judging from the other party's expression, which seemed genuine, Li Lin asked, "Who opened it? Don't tell me that the Di people and the rebels both have the ability to attack cities. This is the capital, and its city walls are the thickest in the world."

Zi Feng said, "It is the Emperor."

Li Lin was stunned for a moment, then said, "How is that possible!"

“He really opened it. You can ask Xiao Rong’er if you don’t believe me.”

At this moment, a figure emerged from Zi Feng's body; it was none other than Yang Yourong. She nodded gently to Li Lin.

"You didn't eat her?"

"After spending a few days together, I've developed feelings for it and don't want to eat anymore," Zi Feng sighed. "What can I do? I'm just too soft-hearted."

Li Lin pondered whether what the two men said was true or false.

Zi Feng continued, "Not long ago, you must have sensed a strange aura in the direction of the capital, right?"

"That's true." Li Lin nodded.

That aura was very special.

"The emperor controlled the golden-armored deity; the emperor at that time was the golden-armored deity."

Li Lin raised an eyebrow: "That impressive?"

"A secret technique of the immortals, the Glazed Puppet!" Zi Feng said, "This is a secret technique passed down by the Zhu family for over a hundred years, but only the current officials can master it. However, each use requires a large amount of blood and energy, which can help him refine his physique."

"That is why he let the Di people and the rebels into the city."

Zi Feng nodded: "Moreover, he also wants to make a move against me, his great-grandmother."

"He wants to kill you and seize your Yin energy?"

"No, he wants me to be the furnace cauldron."

Li Lin leaned back instinctively: "Is the government so uncivilized?"

"Because I am a pure Yin body, dual cultivation with me is extremely beneficial to cultivators. This is also the real reason why I have been sealed for so many years and why the Zhu family has been reluctant to destroy me. I now suspect that the Emperor had me take over Xiao Rongzi's body for this very moment."

Li Lin retorted, "Why are you telling me these secrets? Aren't you afraid I'll make you my furnace cauldron too?"

"I came to find you because I want to walk the path of enlightenment with you!"

(End of this chapter)