Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 360 Spoils for Far-Seeing Eyes

‘Boom~’

More than two thousand horses galloped across the vast grassland, their hooves thundering across the earth.

Huo Qubing, who was leading the team, would occasionally glance at the all-terrain vehicles accompanying them not far away.

He had been invited to sit on that magical artifact for a while, and he found it much more comfortable than riding a horse.

Putting everything else aside, at least you can lean back and rest, and have a drink from the car's mini-fridge – that's incredibly comfortable.

Horseback riding is definitely a fun activity in the short term, and you might even cheer and smile.

However, if the time is too long, exceeding one hour, people will feel uncomfortable.

You either straighten your back or bend over, which is both uncomfortable and chafing.

Riding a horse and resting intermittently all day long is an extreme test of willpower.

"The Taoist priest is still the most comfortable."

"I want such a magical artifact too."

Such magical artifacts, which can move on their own without being dragged by humans or animals, are truly enviable.

After glancing at the sky, the massive cavalry group gradually slowed down.

They jogged all the way to the bank of a small river, where the Han soldiers dismounted to rest.

Horses are not cars; they need sufficient rest.

They are very delicate, requiring a lot of care in terms of drinking water, feeding, grooming, and washing.

"The horse feed is only enough for one day."

Huo Qubing was somewhat anxious: "If we still haven't found the Xiongnu tribe by tomorrow..."

If they can't find them, the horses will go hungry.

A person can endure hunger for several days, but a horse will soon be unable to run after a short time of hunger.

Eating grass is certainly an option.

But without high-quality supplies, forget about racing hundreds of miles and engaging in fierce battles.

After all, it was Huo Qubing's first time on the battlefield, and even he was somewhat hesitant and uncertain.

"We will definitely find it tomorrow."

Sitting on the hood of the car, Lin Dao comforted him, "How could you not find anyone in such a large-scale battle, where all the Xiongnu tribes gathered?"

"Tomorrow, I will use my clairvoyant magic to find traces of the Huns for you."

Of course, Lin Dao is no longer the young man who can't resist celebrities.

Of course, you'll get all the benefits you deserve: "All the credit is yours, but I'll have to buy all the spoils first."

Huo Qubing nodded vigorously, "That's natural."

The next afternoon, the Han army, which had been galloping all morning, came to rest by a slightly wider river.

"If nothing unexpected happens, there must be a Xiongnu tribe nearby."

Lin Dao surveyed the surrounding environment: "There is plenty of water here, and the vegetation is lush."

“There are many animal and human footprints on the shore.”

He pointed to the river, saying, "There are still many traces of human life in the river."

The traces in the river were mostly feces, hair, and other such things.

Although people on the grasslands, like those on the plateau, have the habit of urinating and defecating in the open.

When there is river water, I prefer to release it by the river, because it can cleanse me a little.

They also understand the difference between clean and dirty.

Pointing upstream, Lin Dao said confidently, "Beyond those hills, there must be a settlement of the Xiongnu tribes!"

Huo Qubing stared at him, his tone resolute.

"You must have fought in a war!"

In an era of limited knowledge, many people never left their hometown county, and the vast majority were illiterate.

Many things that seem commonplace in the modern world were considered extraordinary in ancient times.

The level of knowledge revealed in Lin Dao's few words also surprised Huo Qubing.

Such knowledge is passed down from father to son, even within the families of generals, and is impossible to leak out.

To truly understand something, you must experience it firsthand.

"I don't have much combat experience." Lin Dao, who had annihilated millions of enemies on various battlefields, waved his hand modestly, "I'm just a smart person, and I understand how to draw inferences from one instance to another."

"I have heard that the nobles of the Xiongnu like all kinds of utensils made of gold, silver and gemstones, especially wine vessels made of gold."

"I'll buy these spoils first."

Lin Dao had no interest in adding any more burden to himself.

In this world, making money through business and helping to enhance the power of the Han Dynasty is enough.

In the early stages, the target is naturally high-value items such as precious metals and gems, which are obtained through plunder.

Later, they cooperated with the Han Dynasty on a large scale to mine minerals and timber for a long-term partnership.

Our first big deal starts today.

‘Buzz buzz~’

A quadcopter drone took to the sky.

The Han soldiers who witnessed this naturally erupted in another uproar.

There's no way around it; anything that can fly has always been a focus of attention, regardless of the era.

"This~" Huo Qubing, his face full of curiosity, leaned closer and stared at the control panel in Lin Dao's hand.

"clairvoyance."

"This thing is extremely effective against the tribes on the grasslands."

"Because the more open the space, the clearer the view."

"This grassland is too vast."

When the dynasties of China were powerful, they were not unable to defeat the tribes to the north.

The vastness of the grasslands and the deliberate avoidance by the tribes made them extremely difficult to find.

However, the advent of flying machines completely ended this strategic advantage of the tribes.

Huo Qubing watched from the side until he saw tents appear on the screen.

"This thing~"

"This is a clairvoyant!"

"want to!"

Compared to using the Xiongnu who had surrendered to the Han army to search, the direct demonstration of a clairvoyant eye was far more powerful. Unsurprisingly, Huo Qubing desperately wanted it.

"Exchange it for the spoils of war here."

Lin Dao pointed to the numerous tents appearing on the screen and said, "I'm selling you the 'Thousand-Mile Eye' device, which comes with operation training and logistical support."

The training is simple; it just teaches you how to do it.

The main logistical support is charging; the forest road will provide an extra solar charger.

Huo Qubing had no idea that in the industrial age, this so-called "clairvoyance" was just a common commodity that any child could buy as a toy.

He immediately nodded and, without hesitation, used the wealth of the Xiongnu people to exchange for magical artifacts.

Lin Dao did not participate in the subsequent battle.

He drove the all-terrain vehicle to a hillside not far from the tribal settlement and sat on the hood to watch the spectacle.

It cannot be done on the ground.

The ground was covered with the excrement of all kinds of livestock and humans; it was so bad that you couldn't even look down at it, or you would feel nauseous.

That's just how nomadic tribes are.

This shows how miserable those women who were married off to distant lands for political reasons were.

Of course, the most tragic cases were those of the civilian women who were abducted.

The entirety of ancient history is a history of suffering.

"Although I am unwilling to invest too much energy in this."

With his eyes fixed on the eight hundred Han soldiers fighting fiercely in the Xiongnu settlement that had been ambushed, Lin Dao opened a bottle of Arctic Ocean soda and said, "I might still help you when the time comes."

"Of course, the due compensation must not be less."

He has already divided different times and spaces.

What you have complete control over, you naturally need to invest heavily and build continuously.

In this time and space, it has become a trading post.

Eight hundred elite cavalrymen launched a surprise attack on a rear camp hundreds of miles from the main battlefield.

The outcome of the battle was entirely as expected.

The battle ended after about fifteen minutes.

The Han army captured hundreds of heads, one of which was even the elder of the Xiongnu Chanyu.

"The prisoners have been interrogated." Huo Qubing, his armor stained with blood, rode up excitedly. "From here, head east. There's another tribal settlement about half a day's journey away."

Huo Qubing, having won the victory, was clearly in high spirits.

"I'm coming right now, you can have all the spoils here."

"I'll leave you with a hundred riders~"

"No need." Lin Dao waved his hand. "The soldiers who risked their lives to come out with you are all here for battle merits. What does it matter if they follow me?"

"I still have a dozen or so laborers here, that's enough."

Huo Qubing, puzzled, gestured towards the noisy camp not far away, "But there are still many women and children here, several hundred in total, while you only have a dozen or so~"

"Then dispose of them all."

Lin Dao opened a bottle of Beibingyang soda and handed it to Huo Qubing, saying, "I've finished collecting the spoils of war. If we set it on fire, everything will be clean."

Huo Qubing, holding a drink in his hand, was dumbfounded.

"You've definitely been to the battlefield!"

Killing women and children is no big deal; soldiers on the battlefield are capable of any atrocity.

The problem is that Lin Dao was too relaxed, talking about it as simply and easily as eating and drinking.

At first glance, it's clear that he's done this kind of thing quite a few times.

"I am a good person."

Lin Dao sincerely explained to himself, "I really am a good person."

He didn't lie.

To the people of the Central Plains in various times and places, he was indeed a good person.

However, for the barbarians and nomads in various regions, the word "good" had to be distorted.

It turned into the character for "ominous".

Huo Qubing didn't waste any words. He drank a whole bottle of Beibingyang soda in one gulp and then turned around to order the women and children to be disposed of.

The cavalrymen roared away, heading towards the next gathering place of the Xiongnu.

Lin Dao, on the other hand, arranged for a dozen or so laborers to collect the spoils of war.

He himself took out a medical kit and treated the wounds of the Han soldiers who had been injured earlier.

As for the Han soldiers who died in battle, they had already been buried in pits.

Even if it was a surprise attack, and even if the Han army was extremely powerful, the Xiongnu's counterattack would inevitably cause losses.

The number of Han cavalry casualties was less than one-tenth of the total strength, which was already a very glorious victory.

Among these, the cavalry set brought by Lin Dao greatly enhanced the combat effectiveness of the Han cavalry.

At least they can use their hands to wield weapons, which significantly boosts their combat effectiveness.

"This is a tetanus shot."

Lin Dao skillfully injected medicine into the wounded soldiers, saying, "The arrows that hit you were boiled in cow dung; they were very dangerous."

"Clean the wound with iodine solution and saline solution."

Who knows how to sew?

"Use these to suture the wound directly."

"These are bandages~ After applying medicine to the wound, we wrap it with bandages."

"If you didn't suffer any internal injuries, you'll be fine."

"The heavy guards over there smashed his internal organs; there was nothing I could do."

After tending to the wounded soldiers, Lin Dao began to count the spoils of war.

The chieftain of this settlement was the grandfather of the Chanyu, similar to an uncle.

Besides the livestock such as cattle, sheep, and horses that every tribe has, a considerable amount of gold and silver utensils, jewelry, jade, and even silk and spices were also confiscated.

Of course, the spoils that belonged to the soldiers had already been distributed.

Lin Dao carefully categorized the items and took away those that could be sold at a price.

The remaining spices were distributed among everyone as payment.

For a time, cries of gratitude and tears were heard everywhere.

Spices in that era were worth as much as gold!
(End of this chapter)