Distant Mountain Battle Song

Chapter 152 When you're traveling, your identity and persona are entirely up to you.
When Cao Kun met Yun Ce, he had a very good impression of him.

The main thing is that this young man with a small mustache not only has a tall and straight figure, but also a gentle smile on his face. This smile is obviously trained from childhood. Whoever his gaze falls on, you can feel his sincerity and friendliness from the bottom of his heart.

If it were only this kind of smile typical of noble sons, it wouldn't be enough to make Cao Kun value a young man with only the rank of Grand Master.

What truly impressed him about Yun Ce was the old armor he was wearing. Although the armor was very old, with many scratches on the breastplate and shoulder armor, and some places were clearly dented, it was either from the hammering of heavy weapons or the barrage of crossbow bolts.

The armor was old, but of excellent quality; every mark on it was a testament to battle.

He carried a lance that was also quite old. The rope wrapped around the lance shaft was broken in many places, and the repair marks were obvious. A quiver of feathered arrows hung on his waist on the other side, and a slender, curved knife with a small arc was hanging under his ribs.

What surprised Cao Kun the most was the Thunder Smoke Beast behind Yun Ce.

Cao Kun had seen many Thunder Smoke Beasts before. He himself rode an extremely tall Thunder Smoke Beast, even larger and of a higher rank than the one behind Yun Ce.

However, his Thunder Smoke Beast stood stiffly behind him like a statue, while the Thunder Smoke Beast behind Yun Ce was much more lively. Sometimes it would rest its big head on Yun Ce's shoulder, and other times it would bite Yun Ce's clothes and snort for food. The worst thing was that when the Thunder Smoke Beast saw that its master was ignoring it while talking to it, it would hit its back with its big head again and again.

He is a humble scion of a noble family, as well as a seasoned warrior on the battlefield. The fact that he still rides a Thunder Smoke Beast that has not been processed by the Beast Master is enough to show that he is a kind-hearted person.

Cao Kun felt that such a person was very suitable to be his friend.

"Since the Imperial Household Department has given the order, the safety of the provisions along the way from Jingkou Pass to Tiewei Pass rests on the shoulders of Doctor Yun alone."

Seeing Cao Kun say this, Yun Ce laughed and said, "Brother Cao is embarrassing me. If you say that you can't see that I'm just here to get credit, I certainly won't believe you."

Cao Kun feigned surprise and said, "Ah? This military order..."

Before Cao Kun could finish speaking, Yun Ce stepped forward and grabbed his hand, saying, "I dare not deceive Brother Cao. Some time ago, I made some insignificant contributions. Wu Tong, the Prefect, originally wanted to help me out, but in the end, my past achievements are not enough to make me soar to great heights."

I have heard that Brother Cao is a man of great righteousness and has raised a large amount of grain for Iron Enclosure Pass. If I can help Brother Cao deliver the grain safely to Iron Enclosure Pass, then I will have earned enough merit.

"To be honest, it was Brother Cao who gave me the opportunity to continue making contributions. Please, Brother Cao, do not hesitate to ask for my help along the way. I have come here today to earn merit."

Cao Kun was very happy to hear Yun Ce's words, and grasped Yun Ce's hand in return, saying, "I hope Brother Yun will support me along the way."

Standing on the city gate, Zhang Min and Eji watched the two people below chatting and laughing happily. Eji asked in confusion, "Why is my lord wearing this old armor and talking to someone he doesn't like for so long?"

Zhang Min sighed and said, "His attire is exactly what's most popular in Iron Enclosure Pass. Plus, he has unique skills that no one else possesses. He's sure to make a lot of friends on this trip to Iron Enclosure Pass."

Eji then said, "What about Cao Kun? He looks like an incompetent man."

Zhang Min said, "My lord doesn't want to keep sending grain and supplies to Tiewei Pass endlessly, so he plans to see if Cao Kun can complete this task in his place."

"What if it's possible?"

"Young master plans to sell grain to this Cao Kun at Jingkou Pass in the future. This way, Cao Kun won't have to transport grain from the distant Qiuhe Prefecture, and our grain will have a market. Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes, that's right, my lord is really smart."

Zhang Min wanted to say that this wasn't cleverness, but cunning and despicable, but considering that Yun Ce was about to embark on a long journey, she couldn't bring herself to say anything negative.

Cao Kun was eager to make a name for himself and paid no attention to the small Jingkou Pass in front of him. He passed through the city and in a short while, the wasteland north of the Great Wall appeared before him.

The Thunder Smoke Beast's hooves trod on the thick, barren grass. Cao Kun surveyed the wasteland and sincerely said to Yun Ce, "This is where a true man should fight and earn merit."

Yun Ce smiled and nodded, saying, "Brother Cao's words are commendable. A true man should step out of the protective circle of the Shehuo and the Ancestral Fire, fight against the most real and fiercest enemies, and win the battle. Only then can he live up to the ambition of a great man."

Along the way, Yun Ce became a competent guide, constantly introducing Cao Kun to the mountains and rivers of the area. In particular, when talking about the Qingshui River, he emphasized that the river would freeze briefly in the dead of winter, and because the river was shallow, it would freeze solid, allowing the grain transport team to travel north along the river...

Yun Ce only offered suggestions; whether Cao Kun accepted them or not was up to him. Yun Ce would never do anything that would overstep his bounds at this time.

The roads in the wilderness were rugged and difficult to traverse. Even though the wildebeest that Cao Kun had chosen to pull the cart were all strong and healthy, the wheels often got stuck in the grass. After Cao Kun sent people to investigate, he readily accepted Yun Ce's suggestion.

"So, Brother Yun's trip to the north of the Great Wall was actually for land reclamation?"

Yun Ce nodded and said, "Brother Cao, you may not know this, but our Han Dynasty is rich and prosperous, and there is no need for military settlements. It's just that Tiewei Pass is too far north. This is not a fertile hilly region where you can easily gather enough food in the wild. If you lift up the grass under your feet, you will see many stiff poisonous insects. Don't be fooled by their current state of death. Once the first spring thunder roars, these insects will come back to life, turning this lush land into a poisonous insect territory that humans cannot set foot in."

Since gathering resources was not feasible, the only option was the time-consuming and laborious method of land reclamation.

Seeing that every word Yun Ce spoke to his young master was about his experience in the wilderness, a middle-aged man who had been closely following his young master deliberately stopped his horse and waited until the two had walked about ten steps before catching up again.

Seeing that the old steward had left, Cao Kun suddenly asked Yun Ce, "Brother Yun, have you ever fought against the Gui Fang people?"

Yun Ce was silent for a moment and then said softly, "As a brother, I really hope that we can safely deliver the grain to Tiewei Pass without encountering the Guifang people this time."

Cao Kun turned to look at the old steward and asked again, "Are the Guifang people very powerful?"

Yun Ce sighed and said, "They are very powerful, but not that powerful. The main problem is their fearless fighting style, which is very troublesome."

Brother Cao, have you ever seen an enemy who, just to cut you down, ignores the blade aimed at his head?

"What? You'd rather cut me down than decapitate me?"

"That's right, even after you chopped off his head, he was still smiling at you."

Cao Kun sneered and said, "I'm wearing my armor. Even if he cuts me, I'll still behead him."

Yun Ce shook his head and said, "Absolutely not. Heaven knows what kind of sinister thoughts that Gui Fang person has. If this knife really hurts you, then it would be trading your own life for a worthless one. Brother Cao, that would be too much of a loss for us."

Cao's steward, who was only ten steps away from them, suddenly said, "Young Master Yun is absolutely right. Young Master, if you encounter the Gui Fang people around Iron Enclosure Pass, you must be careful."

Having been reprimanded by the old steward, Cao Kun said somewhat embarrassedly, "This is an old servant of the family, and my father treats him with great respect."

Yun Ce sighed and said, "Actually, it's better to listen to the old servant at home. No matter what, he won't whip you, beat you with a board, or whip you with a chain. But if you get disciplined by your father... I heard in Chang'an that they use spiked clubs."

Cao Kun looked at Yun Ce somewhat guiltily and asked, "You've been beaten before?"

Yun Ce glanced at Cao Kun and said, "You talk as if you've never been in one."

"Hehehe, the only beating I've ever received in my life came from my father."

"Ha ha ha ha."

The old steward, listening to the two men talking about being beaten by their elders, smiled and said to the samurai leader, "He is a well-mannered scion of a noble family."

The samurai leader also laughed and said, "When we encounter the Oni Fang, I don't ask these two young masters to achieve great feats, I only ask that they stay safe and sound under the protection of the samurai."

The old steward shook his head and said, "Our young master might be like that, but that young master surnamed Yun is no rookie on the battlefield. Just look at his armor, and you'll know that he has been through fierce battles."

After a long day, Yun Ce left the caravan and soon brought over a few small animals. He skinned and cleaned them by the water, marinated them with seasonings, and then roasted them over charcoal.

Cao Kun leaned closer and asked, "What's this?"

Yun Ce laughed and said, "You're in luck today. This is the Gale Beast that the people of Tiewei Pass talk about. I didn't expect to run into it when I went out just now."

Upon hearing this, Cao Kun excitedly exclaimed, "Gale, Gale, warm my heart, Gale, Gale, the wind blows far and wide. Uncle Cai, Uncle Cai, come and see if this is the Gale Beast."

Hearing Cao Kun's loud shouts, the old steward, whom Cao Kun called Uncle Cai, came over. He first looked at the animal hide that Yun Ce had skinned off, then smelled the meat that had just been placed on the fire, and said to Cao Kun with a smile, "Young Master, this is indeed the meat of the Gale Beast. I didn't expect Young Master Yun to have the skill of hunting Gale Beasts with a bow."

Yun Ce looked at Cao Kun with envy and said, "I'm different from you. You have family to protect you, but I can only rely on myself. Don't envy me. If you don't believe me, ask Uncle Cai. Behind every extraordinary skill lies blood and tears."

Cao Kun hesitated for a moment before asking, "Uncle Cai, I also want to hunt the Gale Beast with a bow."

Uncle Cai glanced at Yun Ce with a troubled expression, sighed, and said, "If you want to hunt Gale Beasts, you must at least practice your archery skills to the point where your hands are faster than your eyes."

(End of this chapter)